Chapter: 12
The moment I stepped inside, the magic mirror dimmed as someone clicked their tongue in annoyance.
Were they in the middle of a communication?
When I blinked, the vice leader shook his head as if it were nothing.
“Please, come in.”
I nodded.
The moment I heard it wasn’t braised short ribs, I walked over to where the leader had already taken a seat.
I placed the tray on the table in front of him.
“It’s consommé and cabbage rolls.”
The consommé would warm his body, and the cabbage rolls would help detoxify his system and improve blood circulation.
The filling was made with nutritious beef and beans packed with amino acids.
A special meal to restore his strength.
The vice leader glanced awkwardly at the leader.
“Miss, food that raises body temperature may not be appropriate.”
“His body temperature has remained high ever since he was cursed, hasn’t it?”
“You knew?”
His expression clearly asked, If you knew, why did you prepare this?
“It’s because the dantian, where mana gathers, has been invaded by cold energy. His body has raised its temperature to drive that cold out.”
Cabbage, beef, beans, and walnuts—the main ingredient of the consommé.
Every one of them helped dispel the cold energy accumulated in the dantian.
“If he eats these regularly, they’ll be very beneficial.”
“I see.”
The vice leader looked relieved.
The leader, however, remained silent, staring only at the tray.
Ah.
I hurried over to him.
“Are you disappointed because it’s not braised short ribs?”
The vice leader chuckled.
“Our leader has no particular likes or dislikes when it comes to food, except for Myeongjeong Herb.”
“Really? I was planning to make braised short ribs tomorrow. I guess I should prepare something even healthier instead.”
Something felt strange.
The leader looked toward the vice leader.
For some reason, it almost seemed like he was glaring at him.
I tilted my head.
It had to be my imagination. The vice leader, who had served him for years, didn’t seem bothered at all.
Maybe he was hesitating because he thought Myeongjeong Herb had been added.
“Leader, I didn’t put any Myeongjeong Herb in it.”
“You didn’t?”
At the vice leader’s question, I nodded.
“This morning you could eat the sandwich because it didn’t contain any, but before that you wouldn’t touch anything.”
Myeongjeong Herb soup.
Steamed fish with Myeongjeong Herb.
Myeongjeong Herb pasta.
He hadn’t touched any dish with its strong aroma.
“You need to eat first to recover your strength, so I left it out.”
“I see.”
After listening to our conversation, the leader picked up his utensils.
Good. He’s finally eating.
Then it was time for me to get to work.
After watching him begin his meal, I set down the huge backpack I had been carrying on my back.
Then I started taking all kinds of things out of it.
The vice leader stared.
“…What are all those?”
“Supplies for taking care of the leader.”
“…All of that?”
“Yes.”
His face said, Just how serious are you?
Well, they were surprising items.
A large water flask.
A washbasin.
Towels.
Blankets and pillows.
Containers filled with crushed and dried medicinal herbs.
Boxes of dried fruits and other snacks.
Tea leaves.
Oil.
A kettle.
Cups.
Books.
Wind chimes that produced clear, soothing sounds.
And many more.
When Antonio saw all of this, he had asked,
“Is that bag some kind of holy relic?”
He couldn’t understand how everything fit inside.
“I’m grateful for your dedication, but I’m not sure the leader will need all of this. And to be honest, you’ve brought too much food as well. The leader usually doesn’t eat very—”
The vice leader turned toward the leader as he spoke.
Then he froze.
In that brief moment, the leader had finished every bite.
He calmly pushed the empty plate toward the edge of the table.
I immediately stood up.
“Would you like some more?”
Just in case, I took another cabbage roll out of one of the containers I had brought.
After placing it on his plate, the leader silently resumed eating.
The vice leader simply stared in shock.
After the vice leader returned to the castle in a daze, silence settled over the Spiral Tower.
The leader sat quietly reading documents.
I stood awkwardly by the wall, watching him.
He just works nonstop.
Ever since I had asked whether he wanted dessert after his meal and he had answered, we hadn’t exchanged another word.
After some time passed in silence—
Without taking his eyes off the papers, the leader finally spoke.
“Do you intend to stay there forever?”
“If I’m making you uncomfortable, should I wait outside the door?”
“Why?”
“…Pardon?”
“Is there any reason for you to stand there for hours, even being careful about the sound of your breathing?”
I hesitated.
“There were some things I wanted to ask whenever you had time… I’m sorry.”
“Is answering questions such a difficult task?”
“Huh?”
“It means you may ask.”
My face instantly brightened.
I hurried closer.
I had been wondering if I’d have to learn his preferences just by watching him eat.
It was much better to hear the answers directly from him.
“Um… I have quite a lot of questions. Is that alright?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you!”
As I spoke, I pulled out a rolled-up sheet of parchment from inside my clothes.
When I unfurled it, it stretched from my chest all the way to my knees.
The leader paused.
“…Is it really that many?”
I wondered if I should narrow the list down.
He quietly set his documents aside.
It seemed he was preparing to answer properly.
Why did the game describe him as cold-blooded?
When I failed an exam, my biological father made me stand still—not for hours, but for days.
He treated me like nothing more than a piece of decoration.
He didn’t even acknowledge my existence.
The first proper conversation we had was only after I graduated early.
Compared to him, the leader is a genuinely kind person.
I smiled.
“I prepared it as a balance game so it’d be easier to answer. You just choose one of the two. First question—sea or mountains?”
“…”
The leader stared at me.
He had probably expected questions about Myeongjeong Herb.
After all, the reason I stayed by his side was to restore his health.
Originally, I had planned to ask those kinds of questions too.
But what if his dislike of Myeongjeong Herb is connected to trauma?
I couldn’t exactly ask him outright if he had trauma.
Many people hated revealing their weaknesses.
Especially someone as secretive as the leader.
So I planned to infer things about him through simple choices instead.
Maybe the questions are too trivial for him to answer?
I watched him nervously.
After letting out a small sigh, he answered.
“If it’s summer, then the mountains.”
“Isn’t it usually the other way around?”
Oops.
I blurted the question out in surprise.
The leader answered calmly.
“Weapons rust easily at the beach during summer.”
“I see. Next question. Salt or sugar?”
“Salt.”
“Cold or heat?”
“Cold.”
“Five-year-old Antonio or five Antonios?”
“…Five-year-old Antonio.”
“Blood or pain?”
“…”
Huh?
The leader fell silent.
“Leave the questionnaire here. I’ll mark my answers.”
“Ah, but…”
“Leave it.”
“…Yes.”
I couldn’t persuade him any further.
His expression had turned icy.
“Then… just one more thing.”
I cautiously took out all the supplies I had packed and arranged them throughout the room.
After finishing as quickly as possible, I bowed.
Then I left the room.
As I walked away, I frowned.
The place where he hesitated was definitely the word ‘blood.’
But why?
What could possibly be more familiar to the leader of an assassination organization than blood?
As I puzzled over it, I suddenly looked up.
A scene from the game came back to me.
It was when the Imperial Princess—now the Duchess of Esgarotte—received information about Aslan from one of her informants.
“The one who smuggled him to safety when he was an infant was his mother’s elderly bodyguard. It is said that Aslan learned everything from him. How to walk, how to wield a sword, how to kill people… everything.”
“The old bodyguard… I remember him. Where is he now? I’d like to tear him apart with my own hands.”
“He’s dead. They say Aslan killed him.”
“…Why?”
“During the great drought, he survived by drinking his master’s blood.”
“A monster indeed.”
If that story were true…
If drinking his master’s blood had become a trauma…
Then Myeongjeong Herb would probably taste like blood to him.
I turned to look back at the closed door with a stiff expression.
The trauma was far more severe than I had imagined.
I couldn’t think of any suitable way to make him eat Myeongjeong Herb.
Several days passed like that.
Finally, after much deliberation, I went to see the vice leader.
“You want me to write you an identification certificate?”
“Yes. I need one to enter another city. Since I was expelled from the Andres family, I can’t get one issued myself.”
“I can certainly write one for you, but what are you planning to do?”
“I’m going to look for another herb that can replace Myeongjeong Herb.”
“What?”
The vice leader looked genuinely shocked.
That was understandable.
I had been the one insisting how important Myeongjeong Herb was and saying the leader had to take it no matter what.
But if the trauma is really that severe… I don’t want to force him.
I hesitated before speaking carefully.
“To me… the taste of Myeongjeong Herb feels like truth serum.”
“What do you mean…?”
“Before I was expelled from my family… every single day, servants would pin down my arms and legs and force me to drink truth serum.”
Demanding that I confess to poisoning Stella.
But I hadn’t done it.
The truth serum couldn’t make me confess to something I never did.
No one believed me.
A tiny amount should have been enough.
Instead, they forced me to drink bottle after bottle every day.
Even when I couldn’t endure the poison and vomited, it didn’t matter.
They simply poured more truth serum into my mouth while it was still full of vomit.
To be precise, the taste of Myeongjeong Herb reminds me of truth serum mixed with vomit.
A sour.
Astringent.
Nauseating taste.
“When I eat Myeongjeong Herb… those memories come back, and I can’t breathe.”
The leader had surely suffered even more than I had.
So…
“If it’s the same for him… I don’t want to force Myeongjeong Herb on him anymore. I want to find another way.”
“…”
“Is that not allowed?”
“…Is an identification certificate all you need? You don’t require anything else?”
That was permission.
I beamed with joy.
“That’s all I need. Thank you.”
“No… thank you.”
“Huh?”
“I know you’re doing everything you possibly can. Thank you.”
I scratched the back of my head before smiling sheepishly.
People here thanked me so often.
Having someone acknowledge your efforts was something that always made you happy.
It was a feeling I had never experienced in the Andres household.
“Um… I…”
After hesitating, I spoke shyly.
“I really like it here.”
“…Pardon?”
“Everyone is so kind. It feels just like a fairy tale.”
“…”
“So… thank you.”
I bowed deeply.
The vice leader couldn’t say anything for a long while.
Only after some time did he finally speak.
“Please travel safely.”
See?
I really liked this place.
So I had to work even harder.
Clenching my fist, I left the castle.
It had been a long time since I’d been outside San Miguel Castle.
However…
“A herb that can replace Myeongjeong Herb? Never heard of one.”
“I’ve spent my whole life wandering mountains and fields. There’s no such herb.”
“A herb like Myeongjeong Herb? What nonsense.”
…Complete failure.
I’ve gone to every herbal shop I could find, and not a single person knows anything.
I’d been searching since morning, but none of the nearby apothecaries had even the slightest clue.
Partly because this wasn’t a major city like the Esgarotte Direct Territory.
There simply weren’t many herbal shops.
Wait… the Esgarotte Direct Territory?
Come to think of it, there was a place I’d often visited in the game whenever I needed rare items.
A tiny cabin in the forest near the Direct Territory.
It served as a resting place for elderly herbalists.
Maybe I can find some information there.
Still, I hesitated.
Today marked the second day since I had left the castle.
I left Leader’s care to Antonio…
I wonder if he’s doing alright.
“So… you’re saying I should use everything the young… the young lady prepared?”
“You don’t have to use all of it. Just whatever’s necessary. The containers labeled Number 1 contain various snacks. They’re all sweet, so give them to him when he’s tired. If he gets too warm, replace the ice packs attached behind the fan while fanning him. It’s like… an air conditioner. Um… it just means it’ll keep him cooler.”
“…”
“The containers labeled Number 2 contain medicinal herbs. Mix them with water according to the notes and give them to him at the proper times. And use the ointment in Container Number 3 while giving him massages. The notes explain exactly where to apply it.”
“You’ve been doing all of that yourself?”
“Yep.”
“…Can I just give up?”
He looked completely overwhelmed, so I bribed him with snacks.
But there wasn’t any time.
The leader’s curse markings looked like they would soon reach his neck.
In the end, I decided to go to the Esgarotte Direct Territory.
I paid one silver coin and hitched a ride on a merchant caravan’s cargo wagon.
Even after riding for half a day, it still took another two hours before I finally arrived.
After being rattled nonstop in that wagon, every inch of my body felt like it was screaming.
If I wanted to reach the herbalists’ cabin before sunset, I had to hurry.
After struggling through the rough forest, I finally arrived.
In front of the ramshackle cabin that looked ready to collapse stood two luxurious carriages.
This is definitely the place.
It was famous as the place where even the servants of great nobles came searching for rare herbs.
Those magnificent carriages proved this was their destination.
Knock, knock.
“Excuse me.”
An elderly man with a bent back opened the door.
“Who might you be?”
Looking inside, I saw the tiny cabin packed with richly dressed people.
Every one of them wore an irritated expression.
“What are you doing interrupting our discussion?”
“The nerve of this rude brat!”
As expected of people connected to great noble houses, they looked down on everyone else.
But I…
“It’s an honor to meet you, sir. I’ve come hoping to hear your wisdom.”
Without hesitation, I bowed at a perfect ninety degrees.
My back, already abused by the wagon ride, screamed in protest.
I ignored it.
This old man values courtesy above everything else.
If money or power mattered to him, he would have opened a proper herbal shop.
Instead, he chose to live here, taking on only small requests.
Neither wealth nor authority could move him.
The old man studied me for a moment before smiling warmly.
“Please come inside. I’ll prepare some tea.”
“W-What?!”
The others who had occupied the cabin before me shouted in outrage.
The old man hadn’t even offered them chairs, much less tea.
Apparently they’d barged in without permission.
As he offered me a small chair and a cup of tea, the old man said,
“Please wait a moment. Once I remove these uninvited guests, I’ll hear your request.”
“Uninvited guests, you say.”
At that moment, a man who had been standing quietly in the corner stepped forward after dismissing the others.
The instant I saw his face, I froze.
He…
That man…
“I… I really didn’t hurt Stella…”
“Oh dear. It seems the medicine wasn’t strong enough.”
I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
The last thing I remembered was his chilling smile.
Now he looked straight at me.
His eyes widened for just a moment before a strange light appeared in them.
“Yophis… You know I would never do that… You were my teacher… Please…”
“Why bring up such disgusting memories?”
The corner of his lips curled upward, just as they had in the underground prison that day.
“So we meet here… Miss.”
“…Baron Yophis.”
A talented young man who had become one of the Andres family’s key figures while still in his twenties.
Once my friend.
Once my teacher.
And now, the man known as the beautiful sword that protected Stella.
