MLWR 25

Chapter : 25

Marianne shook the snow off her shoulders and entered the mansion. Even though it wasn’t far from the greenhouse to the entrance, her whole body felt cold.

“Your Highness, I’ll wipe off the moisture for you.”

Amélie, who had quickly excused herself earlier, returned with a large cloth. After wiping off the melted snow and brushing it away, Marianne felt considerably warmer.

“Thank you, Amélie. Shall I wipe you off too?”

“Huh? Ah, no, Your Highness. I’ll gratefully accept the thought alone.”

Marianne smiled mischievously. Amélie quickly shook her head but returned the faint smile as she dried herself and headed toward Cedric’s room.

“Just as you said, I told Alain to only ask about the frost lily’s dosage and then send him back.”

Walking down the corridor, Amélie reported to Marianne about Alain and the frost lily.

‘He was so scared of me he looked like he might have a heart attack… I guess I’ll have to keep interacting like this from now on.’

Marianne recalled Alain, who would turn pale whenever he saw her, and asked a question.

“So, is Chloe with Cedric today?”

“Yes. Chloe wrote down the dosage instructions carefully, so you should go check Cedric’s room.”

Marianne nodded at Amélie’s answer and quickened her pace slightly, soon reaching the black door.

“Welcome, Your Highness, Amélie.”

“Woo!”

Upon entering, Cedric, sitting at the table, and Chloe, standing beside him, greeted them together.

“Hello, Chloe. Cedric. How are you feeling?”

“Maybe because the fireplace is full of logs, today he seems really energetic. He’s even played with dolls and read picture books.”

Thanks to the warmth in the room, Cedric didn’t seem unwell despite the heavy snow outside.

“Wow, good job, Cedric.”

“Ah, woo!”

Marianne gently patted Cedric’s head as he looked at the picture book. As she smoothed down his tousled hair, she turned slightly toward Chloe.

“Chloe, what about the frost lily?”

“It’s here. Alain took a little of the frost lily he sprinkled. He’s planning to try growing it somehow.”

As if she had been waiting, Chloe fetched a small box. Opening the rough-surfaced lid, perhaps made by Alain himself, revealed the herbs inside.

“The layer below is called stone moss.”

Chloe added an explanation. Unlike what Marianne had seen before, on the completely gray stone moss lay pristine white frost lilies, neatly arranged.

Perhaps the moss had absorbed the toxicity from the frost lilies, which caused it to turn gray. Would it be okay to keep it that way? Marianne tilted her head but trusted that Alain, who was skilled with herbs, had handled it well.

“And here, she wrote down how to take it. You dry the frost lily, brew it in hot water, and then drink it. Alain dried enough for three days, so you can start giving it from today…”

Chloe hesitated while explaining, pulling a piece of paper from her pocket with a bright voice. Her awkward smile made Marianne slightly uneasy.

Had the toxicity not completely gone? Or were there unknown side effects?

“Is there a problem?”

“Uh, no! We even checked with a silver spoon for any leftover poison. It’s not really a problem, just a concern. Alain said it tastes extremely bitter and strong, even adults find it hard to take.”

“Ah… well, it’s medicine, so I suppose it won’t taste good.”

Chloe shook her head and stirred with her hand. Fortunately, it wasn’t a serious issue, but it was a bigger challenge than Marianne had anticipated.

‘Even the calmest, kindest children… would normally dislike this.’

And Cedric was still very young, especially mentally. If she gave him something bitter, he might spit it out or cry.

She couldn’t help but nostalgically think of a world where strawberry-flavored potions existed.

But giving up wasn’t an option. Cedric needed the frost lily, so she had to find a way to make him take it.

After thinking in several directions, Marianne spoke.

“Hmm. First, we should know how bitter it is. Shall we try a little ourselves?”

They needed to check the taste as adults before giving it to Cedric. Taking small sips would allow them to gauge the flavor without wasting much medicine.

“That’s a good idea, Your Highness. Once we taste it, we can decide whether to mix honey, chocolate, or candy. I’ll prepare it right away.”

Chloe hurriedly went to heat the teapot. Following Alain’s instructions carefully, she cut the frost lily stems and brewed them in the measured water, filling the room with a pungent, stinging aroma.

“…The smell alone is intense.”

“Woo, ugh?”

Cedric frowned at the strange smell and whined softly. Marianne patted his shoulder, her worried eyes glancing at Chloe, who was working the hardest.

The only relief was that as the medicinal tea cooled, the smell softened, becoming less offensive.

“It’s ready, Your Highness.”

Chloe brought three small cups, each with a single serving, with a determined expression.

Although the frost lilies had been white, the brewed tea had turned a suspicious black.

Taking a deep breath, Marianne lifted her cup.

“Honestly, I don’t really want to drink this… but I’ll endure it for Cedric.”

She closed her eyes tightly and sipped the lukewarm liquid. The initially slightly bitter tea left a lingering, intense aftertaste as it went down her throat.

Marianne poured water into her glass and swallowed repeatedly. She wanted to drink the entire teapot—it was that bitter and strong.

After drinking water and a few cookies with chocolate chips, she finally calmed down enough to speak.

“Wow… how can anyone drink this?”

Cough, cough. “Truly an impressive taste.”

Marianne and Chloe shared their impressions in hoarse voices.

After drinking more water and clearing her throat a few times, Chloe rubbed her eyes and continued.

“Maybe adding honey will help? Or should we give cocoa right after taking the medicine? Melted chocolate with cream would make it sweet and smooth, helping wash the taste out.”

“…Ahem. I think we should follow Chloe’s suggestion.”

Amélie, who had said nothing since drinking the tea, finally spoke while dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. Her voice was hoarse, likely from crying. Marianne nodded, pretending not to notice.

“I agree too.”

“Then, cough, we should start giving it from today, right? I’ll prepare it immediately.”

Amélie busily assisted Chloe, who was reheating the water. Their movements ensured Cedric could drink cocoa right after the medicinal tea to cleanse his mouth.

“Ready.”

A little later, Chloe placed a tray on the table with a cup of black medicinal tea and another cup of cocoa with partially melted marshmallows.

“Cedric, here. This is the medicine you’ll take from today.”

Marianne offered the tea to Cedric. He frowned, glancing between the cup and Marianne, and shook his head.

“I understand, but if you keep drinking this, you’ll feel much better.”

“Woo, ugh…”

Cedric only held the cup without drinking. Marianne scratched her cheek and called Chloe.

“Chloe, is there a large spoon?”

“I think there’s a cooking spoon in the kitchen. Shall I bring it?”

“Yes, please. It looks difficult to drink, so we should start with small amounts and gradually increase it.”

Thanks to Chloe bringing a large spoon from the kitchen, Marianne could give Cedric slightly more than a single sip.

Cedric shivered as he swallowed the tea. Amélie immediately handed him cocoa, which he drank quickly, likely comforted by the sweet aroma.

“Good boy, our Cedric. You did really well. You endured it.”

“Woo, woo.”

Cedric’s eyes were brimming with tears, shocked by the bitter taste.

“Your eyes are all puffy. Let’s sleep early today. I’ll read you a picture book.”

Marianne took Cedric’s hand and led him to bed. Though sniffing, he followed obediently.

The clinking sound of chains dragging along the floor was unusually clear today.

“All right, Cedric. Close your eyes for a moment. There, all done.”

Chloe gently wiped his eyes with a warm cloth and stepped back. Cedric blinked slowly, looking visibly relieved.

“You’ve been through a lot. But if you keep taking this, the little things inside your body will calm down and bother you less.”

Whispering softly, Marianne slowly patted Cedric’s belly. Perhaps from the medicine’s effect, he fell asleep soundly before even opening the picture book.

‘I hope it works as planned.’

Marianne silently prayed that the magical and divine powers clashing inside Cedric would stabilize even a little.