Chapter – 16
After returning to Garnet Palace, I instinctively checked on Hemion Martin’s condition and immediately began preparing the empress’s medicine.
First, I needed to remove all the ingredients that the imperial physician had added and make a medicine to restore the nerves in her eyes.
Next came the painkiller.
For the empress to withstand even a glimpse of light, a strong painkiller was necessary.
What painkiller had my mother used just before she passed?
Various combinations of herbs floated through my mind.
“Can’t be addictive… yet must be effective…”
I quickly drafted a list of ingredients.
The temporary pharmacy I had in Garnet Palace couldn’t produce this mixture.
“Jenid, I’ll need to go to the imperial pharmacy.”
“Now, Your Highness? And what about dinner…?”
Unless something special happened, it was an unspoken rule that I would have dinner with Yullion.
But this time, Yullion would also be busy interrogating the imperial physician.
Since it wasn’t a mandatory meal, it was fine to skip it in this case.
“Tell him we’ll eat separately today.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Will you be eating at the imperial pharmacy, then?”
“I haven’t decided about food yet. Let’s put it off. Come on, let’s go—it’s urgent.”
There was so much to do that I really had no appetite.
Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t even eaten Aperium today.
“One day without it won’t matter.”
I had no time to stop by Geumjeong either.
Shaking off the complicated thoughts, I hurried toward the imperial pharmacy.
In the crown prince’s office, Yullion, who was reading a report on the imperial physician, lifted his head as a cool breeze came through the window.
The sun was already setting.
“Dinner time already, Phrek. Prepare to leave for Garnet Palace.”
Yullion set down his pen and put on his coat.
Although it hadn’t been long, dinners with Rohiriel had become routine.
“Your Highness, a message arrived earlier from Your Visionary Highness, but since you were concentrating, we held it for you,” reported Phrek, Yullion’s personal attendant.
“A message?”
“Yes. They said you’re too busy to dine together today.”
“…I see.”
“They also asked me to convey that they won’t disturb you, since you appear busy as well.”
Yullion froze in place, still adjusting his coat.
He had to admit, it made sense. The imperial physician’s matter kept him extremely busy.
Even now, he had been poring over papers until his eyes ached, and he still needed to interrogate the physician later.
But since he had dinner plans with Rohiriel, he decided to postpone the interrogation until nighttime.
“I see.”
Yullion plopped into his chair with his coat still on.
It was actually convenient—he could have a quick meal in his office and continue working.
Yet, somehow…
“Is Rohiriel at Garnet Palace?”
“She’s at the imperial pharmacy, preparing medicine for Empress Peha,” Phrek replied.
“I see.”
Yullion muttered the same answer again while turning back to his documents.
He picked up his pen, but focus eluded him this time.
“Your Highness, how should we handle dinner?”
Phrek asked cautiously, and Yullion shook his head.
“No appetite. Later.”
Having stared at documents for so long, he simply had no appetite.
After twirling his pen a few more times, he stood up.
“Time to interrogate the imperial physician.”
When feeling frustrated, physical activity was best.
Seeing Yullion in a low mood for some reason, Phrek silently followed behind.
Making the medicine took longer than expected.
I had to nap briefly at the imperial pharmacy, but the empress’s writhing in pain constantly summoned me back to Tishrit Palace, slowing my progress.
“Your Visionary Highness! The Empress requests you!”
“The Empress…!”
“Your Visionary Highness!”
By the fifth call at dawn, I seriously considered simply bringing the empress to the imperial pharmacy.
“Your Visionary Highness! It’s urgent! The Empress might collapse!”
But it was impossible to order someone already suffering in pain to move back and forth.
I sighed and got up.
Normally, the empress should have felt almost no pain at night.
But because of the physician’s medicine, she was also suffering withdrawal and side effects.
She had long been using a drug that blocked all light, so even the slightest illumination caused her intense pain.
All she could do was endure until her eyes adjusted again.
The only thing I could do when visiting was check her condition and administer a painkiller.
Still, she sought me out because of her anxiety and restlessness.
Her pain was unbearable, so she wanted someone to monitor her.
‘There’s no helping it.’
Once the proper treatment was administered, her suffering would ease significantly.
I had to complete the medicine as soon as possible.
At this rate, it would probably be finished by tomorrow night.
“Wait, prepare something first. You go ahead.”
I sent the maid out and pulled out the stimulant I always carried.
I hadn’t even had Aperium or proper sleep.
My body was in the worst condition, and I didn’t know when symptoms might worsen.
If I couldn’t feel pain properly, I might not notice early warning signs.
‘Good thing I made plenty in advance.’
Had I needed to prepare stimulants for myself while so busy, ten hands wouldn’t have been enough.
I swallowed the yellow potion and stepped out.
A maid from Tishrit Palace waited anxiously.
“Let’s go.”
From nearby, I could hear the empress’s piercing screams.
“You’re here, Your Visionary Highness. She’s waiting.”
The exhausted maid led me to the room.
Inside, Blanche was pressing an ice water-soaked cloth to the empress’s eyes.
“Your Majesty, Empress Peha.”
“…Crown Princess.”
The empress was a sorry sight.
Her usually neat crimson hair was a tangled mess, and her tear-streaked face was white with salt marks.
“I’ll administer another dose of painkiller.”
I loaded the syringe and sat by her arm.
Blanche spoke sharply.
“Your Visionary Highness, does that medicine truly work? No matter how much we administer, Her Majesty shows no relief.”
The empress was panting, half-conscious.
Her hands clenched so tightly in pain that her nails bled.
The addiction from the physician’s medicine could have worsened her suffering.
But for the painkiller to have no effect at all was unusual.
“Your Majesty, truly no relief?”
“…I don’t know… It just hurts… so much.”
She barely had the strength to speak.
Her exhausted eyes stared into nothingness before closing again.
Blanche bit her lip in worry.
“Your Majesty… I don’t know if this is the proper treatment. Shouldn’t we call a professional physician?”
The empress didn’t answer.
Dawn was approaching.
Although the painkiller seemed ineffective, using the wrong treatment could make things worse.
“Just a little more, Your Majesty. I’ll administer the painkiller now.”
The blue potion entered her bloodstream as I tidied the tools and looked around.
The room was still much darker than a normal person’s.
The curtains were only slightly drawn, and the only light was a single candle.
‘The painkiller I administered should last all night… strange.’
I had given her a stronger dose to sleep through the night.
Yet before daybreak, her pain was this intense.
I considered staying by her side longer but eventually left the room.
“Again, dinner separately today?”
Yullion froze while putting on his coat as before.
His voice made it clear how displeased he was, and Phrek swallowed nervously.
“Yes, Your Highness. She said she’s busy finishing the medicine.”
“Hah.”
Even though it was good news, Yullion frowned deeply.
“What will you do… Your Highness?”
Phrek asked cautiously.
Yullion impatiently tightened his cravat.
“Garnet Palace… no, I’ll go to the imperial pharmacy.”
Even if the meal wasn’t formally scheduled, repeatedly standing someone up could cause misunderstandings.
People might think there was trouble between the crown prince and princess.
“Promises are promises.”
They needed to appear a harmonious couple.
It was an important part of the agreement, so he would do his best.
“Ah, pack some light sandwiches to eat.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
The chef had been eager to prepare something special today, but would now be disappointed.
Phrek muttered under his breath and rushed to the kitchen.
Yullion retied his loosened cravat and checked his hair and outfit one last time before leaving his office.
