CH 4

“How could you help me?”

You can help me?

I didn’t really hear her say that, but I felt like I heard it.

When I recalled the Elodie from just a few days ago, I could fully understand that the Duchess’s expectations for me were significantly low.

A few days ago, I…I mean…

‘I was dog food.’ (TN: A person who is extremely dirty or badly behaved)

As if waiting for me to say something, the Duchess smiled cheerfully in a relaxed manner, and raised her fan to her mouth. When she covered her mouth with a fan, her attractive eyes, emphasized with heavy makeup, were revealed.

Her overwhelming atmosphere was similar to when I was in front of the Duke of Perdia.

I put down the medicine bottle I had prepared on the table.

“What is this?” The Duchess raised an eyebrow.

I held my gaze steady and replied, “It’s an antidote. “

“An antidote?”

“Yes, it’s the antidote to your recent development.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” The Duchess looked at me with a face without the slightest bit of a smile.

“I got your poison and made an antidote.”

“Do you think I’ll believe that now?”

“Of course, I didn’t think you’d believe it right away.”

“You’re not teasing me, are you?” She was just asking a question in an elegant tone, but I felt pressured by her atmosphere.

At times like this, you shouldn’t let yourself be pushed back. I kept that fact in my mind and opened my mouth.

“Why don’t you try it rather than doubting it? I guarantee an effect!”

I did not hesitate to say my purpose, but I had no expectation of a positive answer.

If you get rejected once, you can recommend it twice, and if you get rejected twice, you can suggest it three times.

That’s what happened.

“Yeah.” The Duchess conceded. “It just so happens that I’m free, so maybe I can hang out with you for a while.”

“…….!”

I was surprised at her response, which was more than I expected.

“Of course, if you have deceived me with your nonsense, you will have to pay the price.”

Of course, a warning followed.

With a snapping sound, the Duchess folded her fan and got up from her seat. After she called the caretaker of the poison meadow and talked about a few things, she glanced at me.

“Follow me.”

I followed the footsteps of the Duchess.

The place she brought me to was also a greenhouse located in the patronage.

The greenhouse, where rare herbs and poisonous weeds found throughout the continent were gathered, was a place where no expense was spared on maintenance, with temperature-controlled harnesses installed in each section.

It was the first time that I came into this place that I was otherwise just looking at from afar. This place was a laboratory for the cultivation of poisonous plants.

I looked around and observed all kinds of rare greenery.

‘Wow! That’s a flower that only grows in the Far East, right?’

There’s a rumor that even the imperial family failed to cultivate it. I admired the wealth of the Duchess of Perdia.

The money I used to spend by inviting merchants to the mansion was probably not going to dry her out.

Looking down at the flowers in admiration, I suddenly realized that it was quiet around.

When I raised my head in surprise, the Duchess was staring at me.

“…. Yes?”

The Duchess, who was looking at me, shook her head a little and motioned softly. “….No. Will you come here?”

On her workbench were various poison-making materials that were difficult to obtain.

Elu Forest Butterfly Fairy Powder, fluorescent moss that can only be obtained from the coastal cliffs of the Aitem Territories, and red hornbeam mushrooms which are too toxic to be stored without a culling horse tool.

Among them, what the Duchess pointed to was a glass box with a white interior. Something wriggled in it.

“Do you recognize what that is?”

“Looks like a bug,” I answered, swallowing back my disdain. “Quite large.”

“Yeah. That bug is the culprit that’s been causing the recent blight.”

He looks pretty cute, but that’s the cause of the recent poor harvest that hit the continent.

“It’s not an ordinary bug. It’s a marsupial creature, so its ability to survive and reproduce is persistent.”

“I see.”

“Then, Elodie, let’s see the antidote you brought.”

I was sure that it worked, but I was nervous to test it.

Unlike me, the Duchess’s actions were not indecisive at all. Without hesitation, the insecticide was poured into the glass box and the bug’s behavior began to slow down.

His life seemed to be in jeopardy, as if he was about to die. My antidote was poured over it next.

1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds….

Time passed but the bug did not move.

‘This can’t be happening?’

It was just as I thought I would have to look at the Duchess’s eyes in embarrassment – The bug that stretched out as if it were dead began to wander in the glass box.

It was actually more active than before.

“Wow! It’s alive, Duchess!”

“………….”

“Sorry. I’m sorry.” I thought I was too excited, so I took a surprised step back.

‘You’re not happy because I’m acting so close, are you?’

Be careful. The problem is that if you relax for a while, you get excited and drop your guard.

When I looked up hesitantly, I saw the Duchess’s face looking down at me for some time.

Her face, which looked at me, was stiff at first glance.

“Elodie.”

“Yes.”

“How did you make this antidote?”

I was convinced by the Duchess’s serious question.

‘The fish has been caught.’

My plan was a success. The effects of the antidote were so clear that the insect that was dying became quickly vivid.

But the important thing was right now, this moment. I had to negotiate with the Duchess using my abilities as collateral.

I said with an enviable look, my head bowed.

“I’d love to tell you how, but the risk is too great. You´ll understand, right?”

The Duchess’s face glancing up at me was rather frightening. Her eyes narrowed.

There was no way that the Duchess of one of the empire’s four great families and the most famous woman in society would not have noticed what I meant.

The Duchess parted her lips. “You’re sassy and naughty, Elodie.”

“I’m sorry if it was unpleasant.”

“It’s not unpleasant. It’s just amazing.” The Duchess´s blue eyes looked at me as if they were observing me closely. I couldn’t help being so nervous in front of that gaze.

“Why did a child who was exceptionally timid and anxious in front of me suddenly change like this….” The Duchess mused, almost just talking to herself. 

Gulp.

I just swallowed my dry breath.

“How dare you tell me about a deal.” Her speech was brutal, but her tone was as gentle as usual.

After a brief deliberation the Duchess concluded. “Yeah, okay. Let’s make a deal. Can you tell me what you want?”

“……!”

I finally succeeded at the negotiating table with Duchess Themis Perdia.

I calmly said what I wanted.

“Please sell this antidote in your name.”

“……..?”

“And give me a certain percentage of the sales.”

“Why don’t you use your name?”

“If it’s Elodie Perdia who made the antidote, people won’t believe it anyway.”

Who would believe that? The fact that the illegitimate child of the Perdia family, who used to be a bully, made an antidote overnight.

Rather, doubts would arise about the effectiveness of the antidote.

“I’m good at understanding the reality of a situation.”

“Is that right?” I swear I could almost hear a smile in the Duchess’s voice.

“And I don’t want to stand out.” I concluded.

“Well.”

“So, I want you to keep it all a secret.”

The fact that Elodie Perdia developed the antidote herself for the poison made by the Duchess. The Duchess, who was looking insignificantly at me, opened the fan again and nodded.

“Yeah, I’m not going to lose anything.”

That’s how the conditions I wanted were met.

Next, it was time to reveal how the antidote was made as requested by the Duchess.

I have already thought of a plausible excuse for this.

“Tell me how you made the antidote.”

“Actually, my family power bloomed a few days ago.”

“Power?”

In an instant, the Duchess looked surprised for the first time. Although she wasn’t even surprised by the effects of the antidote.

God’s power usually blooms around the age of five. There are cases of blooming at a late age, but it was a very rare case.

And I was a rare case where the power didn’t bloom for many years, but then miraculously it did……. That’s the setting I made.

“Yes, I think it’s the power to ‘destroy’ the poison.”

No.

In fact, the power I had was the power to “purify” poison.

‘Well, if you wear it on your nose it’s a nose ring, and if you wear it on your ear, it’s an earring. ‘

The original Elodie tries to poison her sister Estelle, but she then accidentally eats it herself.

Elodie who had the power to purify from the Severes family, was poisoned but did not die, and in the process, it was discovered that she was not a person of the Perdia family.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, I could easily grasp my ability because the attempted poisoning was described in detail in the original.

It took several conditions to express my power to purify poison.

First, learn about the poison yourself.

Second, if the purification power is expressed in ordinary water, after a time it becomes an antidote.

The amount of antidote that could be made was not large because it depends on the proficiency of power.

If there was not enough time, the blood in the body could be used as an antidote. It seemed that this power could only be revealed outside after first purifying my blood.

‘It’s useful, but not necessarily a power.’

I can use my powers only if I take poison. Although I’m not technically dying, it was painful enough to die.

“It’s good that the power has finally blossomed. But why are you saying the risk is high?”

“I don’t want to be misunderstood.”

Even as I said so, the Duchess seemed to understand.

I mean, I’m just an illegitimate child and I’m never going to threaten her son’s place.

As I said before, I was good at grasping the reality of my situation.

“So, you don’t have to worry.”

“……………”

Somehow, the Duchess did not say anything for quite a while.

***

‘Yay! I made money!’

The Duchess had to test the antidote in detail, and it took time to get approval again.

In addition, the amount of antidote I could produce at a time was limited, so I couldn’t make a lot of money right away. Regardless, I was still very happy that I had a means to personal wealth.

I couldn’t help laughing, even though I was so tired that I wanted to lie down and sleep right on the floor.

‘I’m going to make money and live alone!’

My steps were like a zombie, but with a singular smile on my face, I took the precious contract and headed to my room.

“Miss!” Martha rushed over from the other side.

“What’s wrong?”

“We have a visitor.”

The words washed the color from my face.

“Guest? I don’t have any friends.”

There’s no one to visit a social wreck like me, but someone came?

It was truly the best horror incident of the year.

Martha agreed with me with a serious look. “That’s true. You don’t have any friends.”

“…Martha.”

“Anyway, we have to hurry. He has been waiting for a long time.”

“Who’s here?”

“His Highness.”

Ahh.

I opened my mouth and stopped on the spot. I was preoccupied with making money, so I forgot about his existence.

‘Yeah, the issue of the breakup of the marriage was fuzzy.’

I was not feeling well, perhaps because I had finally relaxed, but I could not let the first prince return without seeing my face after he came all this way.

Ugh. I finally nodded and said, “It can’t be helped.”

I squeezed out the rest of my energy and headed for the drawing room.

Now, I’m going to end this engagement for good.

***

His fiancée, Elodie Perdia, had gone mad.

She must have….

“You have a story to tell, don’t you?” It was because of his confidence that she didn’t truly want to end the engagement that Adenmir said those words without hesitation.

“I’m serious about the breakup,” Elodie insisted. 

Adenmir stared back incredulously. “This is what I’m saying.”

“Your Majesty, it must have been an unwanted engagement for you and I’m sorry for bothering you with my stubbornness.”

Sorrowful? Sorry?

He couldn’t believe Elodie Perdia would apologize to someone.

It wasn’t normal.

Ademir’s beautiful face hardened.

“Princess, truly, is something wrong?” Adenmir seriously pondered whether to recommend psychiatric treatment.

Elodie, who doesn’t know the speed of her opponents’ thoughts, seemed only interested in breaking up.

“Nothing is going on. Well, my father opposes the breakup. But I hope Your Majesty will accept it if I tell you personally.”

“…………..”

“You don’t listen to me at all.”

“………….”

“Your Highness?”

Adenmir looked directly at Elodie, who called him with an innocent face.

‘I’m not sure.’

Elodie had the personality to get her hands on whatever she wanted. One of the things she had always wanted was the reserved position next to the prince.

‘And she had a crush on me.’ He reminded himself. 

It was not convincing to say that her attitude had changed overnight. She must have had some kind of dream.

“Why did you decide to break up our proposed marriage?” He finally asked. 

Elodie, who hesitated for a moment at his question, answered with a smile, her eyes curving gently.

“Actually, I have a crush on someone.”

“……….What?”