🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 29
– Already Addicted
The octagonal gazebo made of white marble provided shade from the blazing sun. The commander of the Imperial Knights, Rishar Officier, sat awkwardly in his chair, his posture stiff as though the seat didn’t suit him.
“Retirement?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Tanasis sipped his tea. A bitter sweetness spread across his tongue. Rishar, out of courtesy, followed the prince’s gesture and drank as well, only to cough violently when the tea caught in his throat.
“It seems a bit early to resign from the post of commander.”
“Your Highness, I have served the Imperial Family for nearly thirty years now. All I wish is to return to my barony and spend my remaining years with my wife and children.”
His barony lay at the far eastern edge of the empire, small and remote. Once a border noble, Rishar had risen to commander of the knights purely through swordsmanship. The former Emperor had granted him that fief, and he had nurtured it with great care.
“A pity. To think I shall no longer see a talent like you at court.”
“An old relic like me ought to step aside.”
“Have you chosen a successor?”
“Yes. There is someone I’ve been keeping an eye on. I’ll introduce him soon.”
Rishar studied the prince, who drank the strong tea as if it were nothing, and then asked:
“This tea has quite a rich aroma. Do you drink it often?”
At the old knight’s question, Tanasis gazed down at the violet liquid. His blue eyes, reflected faintly in the tea, seemed today to twist with a reddish hue. He recalled how many years he had lived with this tea by his side. In a low, chilling murmur, he replied:
“Yes. I’ve long since become addicted.”
At that moment, Rose skipped merrily down the corridor.
“Your Highness, please remember your dignity,” said Lady Verdier, the chief lady-in-waiting.
But Rose couldn’t hide her excitement. She had slept for a whole week straight, finally recovering from her exhaustion. And today, at last, she was on her way to receive what she had been promised by Savas.
“I can’t wait! The herb garden! Will it be like a greenhouse?”
“The Imperial Herb Garden isn’t a place just anyone can enter. Only court physicians are usually permitted. You must conduct yourself with care.”
It was precisely because of Savas’s special permission that she was allowed in at all.
“Wait here, my lady,” Rose said as she entered the dispensary.
At once, the pungent scent of medicinal herbs greeted her. Contrary to her expectations of a dusty old apothecary, the place looked more like a research laboratory—neat, orderly, and well lit by sunlight streaming through high arched windows. Court apothecaries busied themselves with jars of herbs and experiments.
“Um…”
Rose spoke cautiously. Several curious eyes turned toward her. One man, wearing a white cotton cap and round golden spectacles, recognized her immediately.
“Welcome, Princess Rose. Master told us to expect you.”
“Is grandfather not here?”
“Master Savas is in the herb garden right now. This way, please.”
The herb garden was connected to the dispensary. As they descended the stairs, Rose saw cabinets crammed with medicine bottles. Shelves stretched all the way up to the ceiling, with roots and notes protruding from drawers. A spotless ladder showed that everything was still in use.
“I had no idea the palace dispensary was maintained so well.”
“Haha, that’s thanks to Master’s thoroughness.”
Thoroughness—or perhaps obsessiveness. Unlike his master, the young man seemed clumsy. Too busy chatting, he tripped over a discarded research journal on the stairs.
Thud! The sound alone was painful. Rose peeked through narrowed eyes to see him sprawled at the bottom of the stairs in a ridiculous position.
“Are you all right?”
“Haha… what an embarrassing sight before Your Highness. I-I’m fine. Honestly… why was the journal here of all places…”
He clumsily shoved the book aside and adjusted his glasses. His drooping eyes behind the lenses looked fragile, almost timid. Rose realized he hadn’t even introduced himself yet.
“Excuse me, are you grandfather’s disciple?”
“Ah, pardon my manners. I am Ian Belmon, an ecologist. Under Master, I mainly research medicinal herbs and plant ecology.”
“The Belmon family? Ah, pleasure to meet you.”
He wiped his hand on his apron and offered it. Rose, a bit flustered, shook it. The Belmon family was renowned for producing brilliant scholars whose curiosity and academic passion had greatly advanced the empire.
They say every Belmon is either a genius or a mad eccentric.
Savas himself carried Belmon blood, and his peculiar personality reflected that heritage.
And Ian… definitely eccentric too.
Rose had no doubt of their shared lineage.
“Before we enter the herb garden, a few rules,” Ian said at the door.
“First, do not touch anything unless Master instructs you.”
“All right, I won’t.”
“Second, never raise your voice. Many plants here are sensitive to sound; their properties can change.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“And lastly…” He scratched his head awkwardly.
“Please… if possible… offer Master your forehead.”
“….”
“Ahem, since you’ve already been to the hospice, you know what I mean?”
“…Yes.”
Rose’s cheeks burned.
That senile old man even does it here?
As if reading her thoughts, Ian added, “We disciples are used to it. Especially here, avoiding him only earns a scolding. Best to just accept it.”
“I’m sorry…”
“No, no. Think of it as being for the herbs’ sake. Whatever his quirks, Master Savas is the greatest court apothecary in the empire.”
His eyes shone with genuine respect.
“Well, I’ll return to my work. Please visit the dispensary again—I’ll show you some wondrous herbs.”
Inside the herb garden, a serene warmth embraced her. Beneath the glass dome stretched a lush conservatory. Water trickled here and there, keeping the herbs vibrant. The space was vast, as large as an arena, and Rose’s mouth fell open.
“Wow, incredible!”
“You came.”
The raspy voice came from above. Savas stood atop a tall ladder, pruning with garden shears instead of his cane.
Well, at least I won’t need to worry about that third rule, Rose thought with relief.
She offered her impression. “This is amazing! How many species of plants are growing here?”
“Hmph. Every kind that grows in the empire. Medicinals, poisons, spices, even beauty herbs—you’ll find them all.”
Pride rang in his voice.
“Wow. Do you manage all this by yourself?”
“Of course not. Didn’t you see the apprentices? They take turns tending it. Today, I ordered everyone out.”
“Hehe… you didn’t have to go that far just for me.”
“Pah. You think you’re worth that much?”
His scornful look made Rose laugh sheepishly.
“Plants that purify water thrive near the pools. You’ll find what you’re looking for over there.”
He tossed her a thick book. Catching it with effort, she opened it to find illustrations and notes on countless plants.
“This records every species here. You are to memorize them all. Keep it for now.”
“Thank you.”
Flipping through, she recognized herbs she’d grown familiar with at the hospice. Then she studied the section on water-purifying species.
“When the Kataros River project is finished, your contribution will be the greatest,” he said.
“Oh, no. Without your help, I couldn’t have done anything.”
“Nonsense. Without your bizarre idea, none of this would exist.”
Once again, Savas recognized the credit no one else gave her. Rose felt the weight of her hidden contributions melting away.
“And to think—water purification through plants! From someone who once knew nothing about herbs.”
He patted her shoulder approvingly. The warmth in his gesture brought tears to her eyes.
How long has it been since I was praised like this?
Not even in her previous life had anyone praised her so sincerely. Receiving recognition from Savas, who had shared in her hardships, felt even more precious. For this moment, she felt like true family. Hastily wiping her eyes, she changed the subject.
“What were you doing just now? Harvesting fruit?”
She glanced at the tree he had been tending. Amid thick foliage hung clusters of black fruit that looked delicious.
“Blueberries?”
The sweet scent must have come from them.
“That is Atropa,” he said.
“Atropa?”
She repeated the strange name. His gaze toward the plant suddenly turned somber.
“Atropa is poisonous. Yet, if prepared correctly, it cools fevers and becomes a fine medicine. Its berries are sweet, usually brewed into tea.”
Drawn by the tempting fruit, Rose reached out—only to feel a sharp sting.
“Ouch!”
A bead of blood welled on her fingertip. Hidden beneath the berries, thorns jutted from the leaves. Small and well concealed, she hadn’t noticed them. Blood trickled down her hand.
Savas quickly wrapped her finger with a handkerchief. Expecting scolding, she was struck instead by the sorrow clouding his blue-gray eyes.
“Do not approach sweet fragrances lightly. They always come with pain.”
“….”
“The most alluring things demand the harshest price.”
Later, back in her chambers, the lady-in-waiting replaced the makeshift bandage. Rose lay on her bed, gazing at her wrapped hand.
He must have been speaking of the Fairy’s Blessing…
She couldn’t forget the sorrow in the old man’s eyes. His words carried weight beyond mere plants.
“‘The alluring comes with a price’…”
She didn’t fully understand yet. Undoing the bandage, she let her magic flow. A white light shimmered over her finger. In an instant, the Atropa wound vanished without a trace.
She examined her palm front and back, then let her arm fall. Having been busy since morning, sleepiness overcame her.
Yaaawn.
Deciding on a nap, she snuggled beneath the covers. Since her time at the hospice, she thought, she had indeed been sleeping more. Soon, she drifted into deep slumber.
