CH 21.1

“This is a must-have herb.”

Right now, there was no herb that she didn’t need, but as long as she found something that caught her eye, she had the urge to buy it.

“I forgot the pocket which contained my money, and I don’t have it with me.”

Frown lines marred her forehead.

Isabella found his response ridiculous.

She just witnessed him pull money from his pocket at the tea house earlier and use that to pay for their food.

Isabella had no idea why he had lied.

“Will you cooperate, Your Highness? This herb is scarce. If we can’t buy it right now, we may not be able to make the antidote within the date I promised.”

“Remember that you were the one who gave me the strange potion. Don’t you have to solve this on your own?”

Isabella lost her train of thought since she knew that Duke Kyar had hit the nail right on its head.

Gathering her thoughts, she observed him if he had lost his wits and spoke, “Can you lend me some money? I’ll make sure to pay you back for this particular herb later when we get home. It was an important ingredient for the antidote.”

It was sad that she had turned into a debtor before becoming a rich woman, but it was something she had to take responsibility for.

“No. If you were the one who needed it, get the money and buy it.”

Isabella glared at the cold-hearted duke before lowering her head to hide her annoyance.

Duke Kyar bought her dresses and accessories that she didn’t even want.

Whatever did he think that it would be such a waste to spend money on herbs?

While Isabella wondered if she should sell the jewelry she bought yesterday, Kyle, who stood behind her, already whipped one-hundred gold coins out of his pocket and gave all of them to the merchant.

“Give me this herb.”

“Young master Kyle?”

Isabella stared at Kyle in bewilderment.

“I want to buy it for you.” Kyle replied, and she quickly shook her head.

“But it’s too expensive.”

“It’s only my monthly allowance. I don’t have things to spend the money anyway, so I have almost all the allowance I’ve received so far.”

Slack-jawed, Isabella couldn’t believe that Kyle’s monthly allowance cost one hundred gold coins.

That would be 1200 gold coins in a year.

After three years, the gold coins will grow into 3600 gold coins, but in the next five years—-

She gave up her calculations.

What’s the point if that considerable amount of gold wasn’t her allowance.

“Kyle, you can’t spend the allowance I gave you for this herb.”

Duke Kyar’s tone was cold and stiff when he spoke to Kyle, but the child merely flashed him a bright smile as he glanced up at him.

“It wouldn’t be a waste to spend all the pocket money I saved if it’s for you, uncle.”

Kyle’s answer deserved to be praised, but Duke Kyar’s stern countenance did not ease.

Duke Kyar sighed quietly before taking the 100 gold coins from his pocket and giving them to the merchant.

As she expected, Duke Kyar had lied to her when he said he had no money.

Isabella managed to procure the herbs safely after the brief commotion.

The experience was akin to crossing a big mountain.

She was apprehensive about acquiring this particular herb, but she had no idea it could be found so quickly in the South.

Isabella hoped things continue to work out like this so that he could complete the antidote before spring came.

**

After visiting the herbal shop, the three people went to the bookstore that Kyle wanted to go to this time.

Kyle loved books, and she witnessed how his eyes twinkled the instant he wandered around the bookstore.

Isabella stood side by side with Duke Kyar as she regarded the boy in amusement.

“If you want to buy books in this shop, I would allow you to.”

Isabella glanced at Archduke Kyar as if she couldn’t believe he would buy her books the same way he bought her some herbs just like that.

“I’m fine. What’s wrong with you?” She asked, and that made his eyebrows raise.

“What?”

“You lied that you didn’t have money earlier, and now you wanted to buy me books from this shop?”

He didn’t respond and remained silent as if he didn’t want to address what she asked him in the first place.

“If it’s because you didn’t want to waste money for the expensive herb… As I said before. I’ll make sure to pay you back.”

“I don’t need it. The reason  wasn’t that I don’t want to waste money!”

How can he say it wasn’t because he didn’t want to waste money?

Isabella could never understand his behavior all the more.

“What is the reason for all of this, Your Highness?”

“I don’t like it.” He turned towards her, and his eyes darkened.

It was unusual.

“I will leave after your body is cleansed from the love drug.”