Chapter 90
“Aah.”
After checking Sierre’s mouth to confirm he had taken his medicine, the nanny handed him a treat.
“I prepared strawberries for you today.”
Though he had taken this medicine since he was very young—no, since before he could even form memories—he had never grown accustomed to it.
Sierre rolled the strawberry candy in his palm and swallowed a sigh that seemed far too heavy for a child.
He would never get used to that medicine, no matter how much time passed.
Humans instinctively reject what harms their bodies.
“Aren’t you going to eat it? If you don’t want it anymore…”
“I’ll eat it.”
Sierre stopped the nanny as she tried to take the candy away and unwrapped it.
Crinkle.
As Sierre stared at the transparent red candy, he suddenly thought of Einar.
His brother was engaged to someone from Bolshevik, wasn’t he?
Vibrant red hair that hurt the eyes and crystal-clear blue eyes that sent a chill through you.
Still rolling the candy in his hand rather than putting it in his mouth, Sierre spoke.
“Um, Nanny.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Meeting the nanny’s warm smile, Sierre felt his throat tighten.
‘My brother is coming to visit.’
That was all he needed to say.
That was all he should have said.
Then proper hospitality could be arranged whenever his brother arrived.
Though Sierre was young and had spent most of his life bedridden due to his frailty since birth, he was no fool.
He knew his palace was woefully inadequate for receiving guests—especially his brother.
Yet Sierre ultimately said nothing.
He merely gazed at his nanny.
“Your Highness?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing.”
Popping the candy into his mouth and rolling it around, the sweet strawberry flavor spread throughout his mouth.
Though it mixed with the bitter, foul medicine to create an indescribable taste, Sierre silently endured it.
“Rest well. I’ll bring something for you to eat when it’s time.”
Just as the nanny finished carefully arranging Sierre’s bedding and was about to leave:
“Nanny.”
Though it was a very small voice, the nanny didn’t miss Sierre’s call and stopped.
“Yes, Your Highness. Did you remember what you wanted to say earlier?”
The nanny returned to Sierre with a bright smile, but Sierre continued speaking with the blanket pulled over his head, not looking at her.
“About the medicine.”
“Yes, the medicine. Oh my, you’re not going to throw a tantrum about not wanting to take it, are you? It’s absolutely necessary for Your Highness.”
Shaking her head as she jumped to conclusions, the nanny rattled on about how weak he was, why the medicine was essential, and how much effort she put into obtaining it, before finally closing her mouth.
Eventually, Sierre’s weak voice followed.
“You said my mother took this medicine too, didn’t you?”
“Yes. But for too short a time. I was foolish and discovered this excellent medicine far too late.”
The nanny’s voice seemed to catch slightly whenever the topic of Sierre’s mother arose, as if her eyes grew warm with tears.
“Was Mother weak even when she wasn’t taking the medicine?”
At Sierre’s continued questioning, the nanny’s eyes widened slightly.
Though it wasn’t exactly taboo, hadn’t Sierre always disliked bringing up stories about his mother until now?
“Nanny.”
While she was briefly examining him, Sierre called to her as if urging her to answer.
“Ah, yes. She was often ill.”
“I see. So that’s how it was.”
With those words, Sierre fell silent, and the nanny lingered at the door for a moment, her lips moving slightly before firmly pressing them together and leaving.
Click.
As the door closed, Sierre’s small fist tightly gripped the bedcovers.
As always, Sierre was sinking into a bottomless abyss, crushed beneath the scent of potent medicine and the heavy silence.
Around the time another medicinal scent was rising in the youngest prince’s palace.
At the Bolshevik estate, apothecaries and gatherers who specialized in not only medicines but also poisons were huddled together, intensely examining one particular item.
After some time scrutinizing what seemed to be fragments—whether of a plant or root—under piercing light, they began straightening their backs one by one.
Watching them, Riina narrowed her eyes.
Judging by their expressions and gestures, this attempt had also failed, but she had to ask.
“You still have no idea what it is?”
She asked to confirm, but as expected, they only shook their heads.
“We’re very sorry.”
“Without any scent, we can’t identify it by smell…”
“This shape is common, but nothing matches exactly.”
And so, despite summoning renowned apothecaries, gatherers, and scholars from the Empire—no, from the entire continent—to examine the plant that Jane had risked her life to collect, they ultimately failed to identify it.
After dismissing everyone, Riina sank deep into her sofa.
Tap, tap.
For a while, only the sound of her slender fingers drumming on the armrest echoed.
As she stared distantly at nothing in particular, a teacup with faint wisps of steam appeared in her field of vision.
The chamomile scent tickling her nose was neither too strong nor too faint—just right.
Unconsciously breaking into a faint smile, Riina accepted the teacup from Lione.
“It’s good.”
At those words, a smile spread across Lione’s face, which had been as calm and composed as Sebastian’s, but Becky’s eyes, standing a step away from him, flashed.
Quickly refilling the empty teacup, Lione casually spoke.
“You’re trying to identify this, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
The mysterious plant that Becky had secretly brought back while following Jane during the hunting competition.
“Then if there were a complete specimen instead of these fragments…”
Lione couldn’t even finish his sentence.
“These experts can identify everything just from fragments. They don’t need a complete specimen.”
Becky sharply cut off Lione’s words and fired the answer to the question he was about to ask.
At her sharp response, Lione closed his mouth, and Riina stared at Becky.
She was about to say something to Becky, who resembled a cat with its fur puffed up in wariness around a stranger, but instead ended up smiling.
Feeling Riina’s gaze, Becky obediently clasped her hands in front and bowed her head.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not blaming you. But Becky.”
Riina glanced at Lione, but he shook his head.
It probably had nothing to do with love or anything like that.
Looking at the top of Becky’s deeply bowed head, Riina asked straightforwardly.
“Your attitude toward Lione is quite aggressive. Is there a reason?”
As soon as the question ended, Becky jerked her head up, but her gaze was fixed on Lione, not Riina.
“He’ll steal the achievements I’m planning to make and throw dirt on my bright future! It’s obvious!”
Her words said one thing, but Becky’s eyes were trembling with uncertainty.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a closest aide appears and it’s none other than, none other than!
That Lione Bartorio, former young lord.
Well, not a young lord anymore since he’s now a servant.
She hadn’t been able to get anything out of her conversation with him last time.
‘Lure out?’
‘If I didn’t lure you out, then how—!’
Recalling that much, Becky bit her lip tightly.
Of course, she hadn’t spoken to him as familiarly as she did with others, but she had been quite confident.
Confident that she would hear what she wanted from him.
And yet, she couldn’t get anything out of Lione.
‘I have neither reason nor need to tell you such things.’
Moreover, this young lor—no, this man claimed to be the Young Miss’s personal servant rather than an employee of the family like Becky herself.
Rationally thinking, she should be happy that the Young Miss was gaining a helpful servant.
No, at the very least, she should applaud and help him serve the Young Miss to the best of his ability, even if it meant stepping back herself.
But while her head thought that way, her heart couldn’t follow.
After all, being rescued by Riina and serving her with all her heart and soul was Becky’s pride.
She hadn’t thought that no one could replace her.
No, it was because she wanted to think that way that she felt so anxious.
“Y-Young Miss, though you’ve surely checked everything, I still think he’s suspic— Why are you laughing?!”
Becky burst out, and Lione, who was indeed laughing as she pointed out, blinked in surprise and touched his own mouth.
“Was I… laughing?”
Riina was also quite surprised as she looked at Lione.
Most of the smiles or laughter she had seen from him until now had been either artificial or bitter, hadn’t they?
He had shown her a decent smile before, but not laughter like this.
“You mock me and then pretend you didn’t!”
Becky’s growling anxiety was somehow almost tangible, so Riina gestured to her.
As Becky approached, Riina gently tapped the back of her hand and whispered.
“No matter who comes, I will remember your past, see your present, and promise your future.”
At that, Becky felt a surge of emotion followed by a tidal wave of embarrassment.
To show such a side of herself to the Young Miss.
Becky’s cheeks quickly turned as red as a ripe tomato.
Riina, not hiding her amusement, gently pushed her away.
“Go now.”
“Yes.”
Becky bowed deeply to Riina and rushed out of the room, her ears flushed scarlet.
And then there were two.
“Unlike Becky, you seem to like her.”
“I’ve never seen someone dislike me that much before.”
As Lione remarked with something like admiration, Riina chuckled and nodded.
“Becky is unique in many ways. Well, try to get along. She’s a good girl.”
“If that’s what you wish.”
As Lione bowed, Riina waved her hand dismissively and stood up, heading to her desk.
Though they hadn’t discovered what Jane’s precious plant was, a report had just come in about the mechanical device that needed rare components.
“My lady, I’ve prepared some sandwiches—not too sweet. The chef would be delighted if you would take even a single bite.”
Just as Lione slipped a tray of small, cut sandwiches between the mountain ranges of densely stacked documents:
It happened in an instant.
