𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒: 𝐓𝐨 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐤 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐮𝐭
“Wait, Ellen. I have something to discuss with you, come to my room.”
“. . .Yes, Okaa-sama.”
I was planning to quickly return to my room, but we headed to my mother’s room together. One cannot defy the highest authority.
My mother sat down on the sofa and called out to me, who was standing.
“So? Who did you have spread the rumors?”
“. . .Mrs. D’Anjouzes.”
It was revealed that I was the source of the rumors.
“I see. Mrs. D’Anjouzes dislikes the Colrain family and has many places to spread rumors. So, what will you do from now on?”
“I’m thinking of going to the cabin in Debok for a change of pace for about a month. After that, I plan to look for a marriage partner.”
“I see. The mountains might be good for a change of pace. Ellen? Come here.”
My mother pats her knee. I used to sit there when I was younger, but now I’m bigger. So, I sat on the floor and rested my head on her knee. My mother strokes my hair.
“Are you okay?”
“It was good that it happened before the marriage.”
“That’s certainly true. I wonder if Melanie’s pregnancy is real.”
“It’s probably a lie. I checked with the maid, Liz, and Melanie had her period until ten days ago. But, that’s not the problem.”
“Sigh, it’s a bit sad as a mother that you’re so calm. It’s okay, you can lose your composure at times like this.”
I slowly shook my head.
“I don’t even have the energy to lose my composure anymore.”
My mother, who had stopped moving for a moment, began to speak as if she were talking to herself, while stroking my head and back.
“He’s the second son of the impoverished Count family, he’s gentle, and he likes you. I thought Samuel was the perfect partner for you to get married and freely research medicine, but he’s been having an affair with our money.”
My mother’s voice sounded unusually sad.
“Okaa-sama, you’re not going to kill Samuel, are you?”
“Of course not. Even without my intervention, he’s going to suffer more than death from now on. It’s my fault that I didn’t realize he was such a man. I’m sorry, Ellen.”
“It’s not something for Okaa-sama to apologize for. There must be some cause on my part too.”
“No. You’re not to blame. You shouldn’t think that way. But what should we do about Melanie?”
My mother’s hand gently strokes me.
“Just leave her alone, that’s enough.”
“Really? That’s very generous of you.”
“Melanie will probably break up with the debt-ridden Samuel, and it will be impossible for her to find a new marriage partner in society for a while. To be honest, I don’t care what happens to Melanie as long as she’s not in this house. I’m just… deeply disappointed in Samuel.”
“I see. You’re a calm and kind girl. I hope that works in your favor as a woman and as a pharmacist.”
My mother’s words sounded like a wish, but also a worry.
My mother is a top-class pharmacist.
Her lineage has been passing down knowledge and techniques of medicine through female inheritance as much as possible. Our family is particularly skilled in handling poisons. The knowledge of our ancestors is being bestowed upon me through my mother.
I am one of three sisters, and all of us have been taught basic knowledge. However, according to tradition, I am the only one who can learn deep knowledge and techniques to the end.
There were three reasons why my mother chose me, the youngest daughter. One was the strength of my interest in medicine and the depth of my understanding. Another was my high detoxification ability. The last was emotional stability.
Marle-oneesama, the second daughter, was not chosen because she was judged to have a high possibility of self-destruction if she was given knowledge of poison due to her intense emotional ups and downs. It might also be one of the reasons she was not chosen because Marle-oneesama had little interest in everyday medicines.
Herda-oneesama, the eldest daughter, was gentle and had a strong desire for knowledge, but unfortunately, her detoxification ability was lower than mine. She always suffered the most in training to build resistance to poison.
To make an antidote, you must know the properties of the poison, how to make it, and how to manage it, and you will often come into contact with poison. The ability to break down poisons and the strength of resistance to poison are conditions directly linked to life.
The medicines that people in the world actually seek are for burns and wounds, laxatives, and fever reducers, and there is hardly any opportunity for antidotes. Still, I like making antidotes. I feel a sense of accomplishment when people suffering from poison recover with my antidote.
Besides, I am fascinated by the mystery of the poison that animals and plants produce to protect themselves and the diversity of its effects. That’s why I want to protect my position as a successor who can learn deeply about poison at all costs.
“Okaa-sama, can Hanna, Stephan, and I go to the mountain hut(cabin)?”
“That’s fine. You should relax. Just increase your guards on the way there and back.”
“Yes.”
“And… Ellen, you were afraid that Otou-sama would say [you should still get married], weren’t you? That’s why you spread the rumor first, right?”
Everything was read.
“It’s not that I don’t trust Otou-sama. I’m sorry, Okaa-sama.”
“That’s okay. Your Otou-sama was also worried about endlessly indebting a friend who has no business acumen. He seemed to think it was okay for Samuel and you, but it was beyond the realm of friendship…”
I see. My father was worried too.
・・・
『”𝕬𝖜𝖊𝖇𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘.𝖈𝖔𝖒” – 𝕯𝖎𝖘𝖈𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖆 𝖈𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖑𝖉 𝖔𝖋 𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊, 𝖕𝖆𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖆𝖉𝖛𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖊, 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖈𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓𝖉𝖚𝖑𝖌𝖊 𝖎𝖓 𝖆 𝖈𝖔𝖑𝖑𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖘𝖑a𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑𝖘 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 “𝖉𝖆𝖎𝖑𝖞 𝖚𝖕𝖉𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖘” 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖊𝖝𝖈𝖑𝖚𝖘𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖆𝖈𝖈𝖊𝖘𝖘 𝖙𝖔 “𝖆𝖉𝖛𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊𝖉 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘”.』
・・・
At breakfast the next morning, my father had bags under his eyes and looked pale.
“Otou-sama, shall I serve you a recovery medicine?”
“Sigh, I’d appreciate it.”
I took out several ingredients from the medicine chest, crushed them all into powder in a medicine bowl, mixed them with honey, dissolved them in a small amount of hot water, and poured it into a cup.
“Thank you. This is easy to drink when you make it.”
Otou-sama said so and drank it all at once. It’s actually not tasty. Kind Otou-sama.
“You should relax in Debok. I’ll choose a man for the next fiancé who is definitely not a mistake.”
“Otou-sama… I want to try to find one myself this time.”
“You don’t have many acquaintances.”
“Then, why don’t you and Ellen both try to find one?”
“But…”
“You. If it gives Ellen energy, that’s fine.”
“Th, that’s right, Franca.”
𝐓𝐋: 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐚 (𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫)
My father was downcast. Melanie and Samuel are both children of my father’s friends. I wonder if he is worried because this is the result of his kindness, thinking it was for the best.
“Otou-sama, I love you no matter what happens.”
“Ellen… I’m sorry. I really did something I shouldn’t have.”
My father put his hand on his forehead and looked down.
・・・
『”𝙰𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜.𝚌𝚘𝚖” – 𝙳𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚊 𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎, 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚍𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎, 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚞𝚕𝚐𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 “𝚍𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚞𝚙𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜” 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚘 “𝚊𝚍𝚟𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜”.』
・・・
Hanna and I are in a carriage now. Stephan is the coachman.
“I wonder what happened to Melanie after that.”
“She left the mansion at dawn. She seems to have headed for her parents’ house. I wonder what excuse she’s going to make when her belly gets bigger.”
I tell Hanna with a bitter smile, looking out the window.
“She’s not pregnant. She’ll probably break up with Samuel too. Samuel was deceived.”
“Eh. Is that okay with you, Ojou-sama?”
“I can’t accept Samuel anymore.”
Hanna is surprised. Stephan, who is holding the reins and facing forward, can probably hear because the small window in the partition is open, but I don’t mind because these two are like family to me.
“I see. I’m frustrated that Ojou-sama seems to have been at a loss.”
“No, I’m not at a loss. My life will surely move in a better direction because I broke up with Samuel.”
Stephan, on the other side of the small window, nodded slightly.
We arrived at the mountain cabin in Debok the next day. The cabin is built at the foot of a mountain facing the sea, with a blue sea in front and a deep forest behind, a wonderful environment. Although it’s called a cabin, the building is quite large.
It was a windy day. A large ship could be seen in the sea. The ship was sailing inside the bay to avoid the wind and high waves.
The wind gradually became stronger, and that night, we ate dinner listening to the howling of the wind.
The first to notice the noise outside was Stephan.
