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Chapter : 18
All movements within the Siloque Empire were said to originate from the Crown Prince and the Duke of Clafield.
That was how immense Valentis and Arthur’s influence had become.
Every matter of discussion had to pass through Valentis and Arthur, and their words carried immeasurable weight.
Everyone working in the palace would bow their heads as Valentis and Arthur emerged from the conference room.
“Did you hear what I said? We cannot dispatch more troops this time.”
“Let’s postpone that discussion for later.”
Originally, the Crown Prince’s faction and the Duke’s faction did not get along well.
The Crown Prince’s forces were composed mostly of warriors who rolled through rugged battlefields and mountains to hunt monsters. They were burly men with three or four large scars etched into their faces.
They looked less like knights and more like a band of mountain bandits, their appearances rough and fierce. They were personally chosen by Valentis during wars or while hunting monsters.
In contrast, the Duke’s men were mostly formally trained knights.
They had immense pride and often looked down on Valentis’s men.
Yet now, rumors were spreading that these two factions would gather together, joking and sharing secret meetings.
“His Highness the Crown Prince and His Grace the Duke are here!”
Maidservants wandering the palace would immediately bow their heads upon seeing the two men.
“Looks like something urgent has come up.”
“They seem to be discussing something quite serious.”
“Seeing them together like this… they’re really handsome.”
Seeing Valentis and Arthur together so often these days was a refreshing sight.
“They’re probably discussing some grave matter of state.”
The maids whispered as they watched the two men, deep in discussion.
“If that’s the case, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“What is it?”
The two were on horseback, heading somewhere.
“Have you ever heard what Sophie’s surname is?”
“…Huh?”
Arthur’s face froze at Valentis’s question.
From afar, onlookers would assume they were engaged in a serious conversation.
“Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything other than her first name.”
“Come to think of it, neither have I.”
Arthur easily admitted this as he pulled on his reins.
As always, the two were headed toward Sophie’s pharmacy.
For Arthur, Sophie’s tea was essential to help with his insomnia; for Valentis, it helped regulate his mana.
Thanks to the tea she brewed, the two had found a measure of ease in their lives. Unlike before, they now had the leisure to look around and take in the world.
“Perhaps she has her reasons for not mentioning it.”
“There was something she said before that stuck with me.”
“You too, Your Highness? It was the same for me.”
Once, when Sophie scolded Arabelle, she had asked if she hadn’t learned proper etiquette.
“Etiquette is something primarily taught to nobles…”
Of course, commoners could learn etiquette too, but only if their family circumstances were good.
“And didn’t she say that the crime of insulting a noble didn’t apply to her?”
“…She did.”
“It seems there is much we don’t know about Sophie.”
Valentis remarked.
“You’re not suspecting Sophie, are you? Like… that she’s a spy waiting for the chance to poison you, or…”
At Arthur’s words, Valentis’s face twisted as if to say, “What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Me? Suspecting her?”
“…So you’re not?”
Arthur bit his tongue, thinking that if it were anyone, the Crown Prince might be the one to suspect her.
“Of course, I don’t think Sophie is someone dangerous or to be guarded against.”
“I feel the same.”
“But it does feel like there are many things she’s hiding from us.”
“She might simply have chosen not to tell us.”
Arthur said gently.
“There’s no real reason for her to talk about her past, and Sophie might have her own painful memories.”
The two concluded that Sophie might have some connection to the nobility in her past.
* * *
‘Strange.’
Nobles had started visiting the pharmacy. It was a small number, but it happened from time to time.
Some of them would stop by Sophie’s pharmacy on their way back to their estates after finishing their duties at the palace.
“Do you sell black tea here?”
“…Yes, we do. But this is a pharmacy, not a tea shop…”
“Come, everyone, have a seat.”
Nobles working in the palace began stopping by to enjoy tea after their shifts.
“The decor here is quite unique.”
“It feels like it’s meant to resemble a pharmacy.”
It is a pharmacy.
Sophie entered the greenhouse and pressed a hand to her forehead. She couldn’t take back the tea she had already served them.
As a pharmacist who cared for her patients, she couldn’t chase away people who came for their health, either.
‘Think positive, think positive.’
Nobles were fickle by nature, so they would surely stop coming after a few visits. Sophie was already exhausted from the people who visited daily.
‘This is for the patients, not because I’m running a tea shop.’
Sophie muttered repeatedly under her breath.
The Siloque Empire placed great importance on tea time. There was even a dedicated time for tea between lunch and dinner.
They enjoyed tea with desserts or light pies.
“Here is your black tea.”
Sophie served the tea to the nobles.
“But there’s one thing I’d like to clarify… This is fundamentally a pharmacy that sells medicinal herbs, not a tea shop.”
How on earth had they found this place?
The nobles looked flustered at Sophie’s words. This wasn’t a tea shop? The nobles turned to glare at a blond man. It seemed he was the one who had brought them here.
“What’s going on? You said this was a tea shop.”
“I saw a lot of people drinking tea while passing by, so I thought it was a tea shop…”
Apparently, the man had mistaken the busy pharmacy for a tea shop because of all the people drinking tea. It was understandable since everyone was indeed drinking tea.
‘Alright, time for you all to leave.’ Sophie read the embarrassment on their faces, ready to send them away. But it wasn’t so easy.
“I occasionally serve tea for special cases or for patients who visit. And since you’ve come all this way, I will serve you tea today.”
She couldn’t just chase away people who had traveled so far. Sophie had no choice but to serve them tea.
“I usually serve tea based on the symptoms you’re experiencing.”
“Have you been feeling unwell lately?” she asked softly.
One of the nobles seemed to realize something and asked,
“So, you’re saying you serve medicinal tea, not regular tea?”
“Yes, since the tea is brewed with medicinal herbs, the taste might be a bit unfamiliar. Is that alright?”
After some hesitation, they began to reveal their symptoms.
Headaches, insomnia, stiff shoulders from long hours of work. Sophie listened carefully and brewed tea suited to each of their symptoms.
“You may add sugar or milk if you’d like.”
Thankfully, unlike Valentis or Arthur, they had not brought along conspicuous or noisy attendants. It truly seemed they had come just to enjoy a quiet tea time.
As she saw the guests enjoying their tea with peaceful expressions, Sophie turned back to prepare more herbs.
“Ah… it’s delicious.”
Someone sighed in contentment.
“It’s not sweet, so it does feel healthy.”
“As I get older, I find myself worrying about my health.”
“Lately, I’ve been trying to cut back on noodles and sweets.”
“Then this tea is perfect to drink without worry.”
Hearing their satisfied voices, Sophie smiled to herself. Of course, this wasn’t a tea shop.
But she was happy knowing there were people who enjoyed and needed her medicinal teas.
“Thank you for coming.”
And so, Sophie quietly sent them off.
But then, trouble came.
A pharmacist needed time to prepare medicines when time allowed. But Sophie was now so busy that she had no time for that.
“Wow, I feel like my headache disappeared right after drinking it.”
“But why medicinal tea all of a sudden?”
“I heard from someone who tried it here that it worked wonders.”
“Now that I’ve tried it, it really does feel good.”
It was clear someone who had tried Sophie’s medicinal tea had spread the word.
They came again, this time bringing many of their coworkers with them.
“Caitlyn said the other day that she felt so much better after having tea here.”
“I told you! The tea here is really good…”
The pharmacy began to fill with people, leaving Sophie stunned.
“Sophie.”
At that moment, Arthur and Valentis entered. They fell silent upon seeing the crowded pharmacy. The place, which had been kept strictly secret, was now swarming with people.
‘How did it come to this?’
“Sophie, hello? Whoa… it’s really crowded today.”
“….”
Sophie had no strength left to respond as she saw Ben, who also looked bewildered.
“I have kept this place completely confidential.”
Valentis said firmly. Arthur quickly added,
“So have I. Aside from Paul, Ben, James, and Arabelle, no one else knows…”
“…I know.”
This was truly Sophie’s fault this time. But… how could she have turned away people who had come all this way? She had served them tea without much thought, and this was the result.
She had momentarily forgotten how fast rumors spread among the nobility.
“Your Highness!”
“Your Grace!”
Those who worked in the palace gasped when they saw the Crown Prince and the Duke in the pharmacy.
“Hey, is medicinal tea a new trend now?”
One of the guests enjoying the tea remarked.
“If even His Highness the Crown Prince and His Grace the Duke drink it, it’s bound to become a huge trend.”
“No, it’s already trending, which is why they’re enjoying it too.”
“Is that so?”
“Either way, it’s worth the trend. It’s good for you and tastes pretty nice.”
At someone’s comment, their companions nodded in agreement.
“I guess medicinal tea really is in fashion now.”
And Sophie had forgotten one crucial thing: nobles were extremely sensitive to trends.
At that moment, chaos descended.
