Suspicious things were happening. The Pope of the Holy Kingdom, who supposedly killed the blessed, suddenly appeared and was selling holy relics and holy water. There must be a clear purpose for them to commit such acts. Were they trying to gain something by killing us?
I don't know right now. I have no choice but to find out more.
What mattered right now was not their purpose. I was able to pick up a very important clue in this conversation.
"You said you overcame the mana reflux phenomenon, right?"
Before I knew it, the magic that bound Basil was lifted, and he handed me a small pouch.
"Yes! Our faction has developed its own medicine to prevent mana reflux. It is the root of the Hyphanel flower. This can help prevent mana reflux."
"How did you make it? It's truly amazing."
"Yes, it was really hard to develop…"
I whispered as I looked at the thick pouch he handed me with a twinkle in my eyes. "Why is the phenomenon of mana reflux so familiar to me…"
"Yes? Oh, you must be familiar with it." Basil continued. "Because Her Majesty the Empress is suffering from this disease."
My eyes sparkled. Yes, there was an episode like this in the original work. In the original novel, "Enchanted Lover," there was a setting in which Sheria used her divine power to heal the Empress, who was bedridden due to chronic mana reflux.
My eyes sparkled at Basil. "So how is this herb used? Can I use this to treat Her Majesty the Empress?"
The eyes of Isaac and Basil were fixed on me. Basil buried his face in his hand and whispered with emotion. "…She is so kind. Truly!"
Somehow, Basil seemed to misunderstand that I was too good-hearted. But I didn't mean to fix the Empress because I was good.
Of course, I am a comrade who is suffering from the phenomenon of magic reflux and the mother of Axion, so I hope she gets better…
Sheria temporarily healed the Empress and solidified her position.
I want to seize the reputation of the Empress's healer from her.
I vividly remembered the episode in the original work. The Empress's reputation as a healer who cured the Empress's long-standing mana reflux was of great help to Sheria.
I can't wait for Sheria to stand in my way anymore.
Sheria had returned to the Empire. We would probably reach a full-fledged confrontation. She took everything from me every time, and she would do it now.
It's okay for you to give in to this, Sheria.
Don't you think it's a reward for infidelity?
I crossed my arms and stared at Basil.
"The root of the Hyphanel flower? Give it to me. I should try it before offering it to Her Majesty."
"Yes?"
"I don't know. I'm going to try to cause a mana reflux phenomenon and then stabilize it." I really needed to experiment on my body.
"If you add only half a root to water, it will get better immediately. There are no common side effects! You can believe that it has been experimented on for several generations."
However, I was overshadowed by the fact that I reached out and that it contained the roots of the flowers that Basil had taken out. Because Isaac first grabbed the pouch containing the roots of the Hyphanel flower. He looked at me with a rare hardened face.
"No."
"Why? The most certain thing is to conduct biological experiments on my body…"
"I always said." The tip of his right hand gently wrapped around my outstretched hand in front of me. A decadent and sweet voice echoed in my ears. "I hope you don't get into danger." A warning look stared at me.
"Then who will study it…?"
"I'll bring a pharmacist." His mouth gently rose upwards. "Let's do research on its efficacy together, we."
I felt like the inside of my mouth was dry. The word "let's do it together" probably meant that we were on the same side, so he brought it up. However, there was a strange sense of tension.
It feels strange to have someone who thinks of me as much as I do…
Just as I was rolling my eyes and not answering, Basil, who was caught in the middle, suddenly interjected, rolling his eyes.
"Uh, so you two… It's a lover, a relationship, right?"
At that moment, the atmosphere became a little stiff. Isaac just looked at Basil with a relaxed face, but for some reason, I couldn't breathe manually.
Fortunately, there was someone who broke this awkward atmosphere.
Bang!
With a rough sound, the door of the stationery store opened.
"Mel! Finally caught the guy's tail… Oh, you scammer! Basil Kinnoa! That bastard!"
"Dominic!"
There has never been a day when Dominic's boisterous voice was as welcome as today.
The next morning.
I woke up to the sound of birds. Last night, I had sent a letter to Lady Moodsela, an Empress's noblewoman. She was almost the only one with whom the Empress, who was bedridden in her sickbed, met a few times a year. There was a way to cure the Empress's illness, so I asked if she could arrange a meeting with the Empress.
I need to meet and treat the Empress before Sheria.
However, that afternoon, Lady Moodsela shared sad news.
Lady Meldenik.There are two pieces of news, good and bad.Her Majesty the Empress invited Lady Sheria and Meldenik to a formal tea party.It seems that Lady Sheria recently vowed to cure Her Majesty's illness.Apparently, Lady Sheria is too confident, and Your Majesty has been lying in the hospital bed for a long time, so she doesn't know yet that Sheria has an affair.Still, I believe in Meldenik.On that day, please show me the time before that woman.- Moodsela Maxson
I folded Moodsela's letter.
In fact, it went well.
Finally, the day when I would meet my sister, Sheria, was fast approaching. There were about 5 days left until the coronation ceremony and engagement ceremony. Now was the time for the first head-to-head match. Of course, I planned to prepare very thoroughly. With Isaac.
Two days later, the day of the tea party dawned.
In the glass garden that the Imperial Palace was proud of, a tea party was in full swing. I was gathered around a round table with a few noble young people who were invited together, including Moodsela. Moodsela even invited some ladies who could stand by Sheria's side with me.
"I'm happy to be able to enjoy a tea party after a long time. There are many new faces." It was the Empress who opened the conversation. The Empress's face was pale, probably because she had been sitting in the hospital bed for a long time, but her movements did not seem as uncomfortable as expected.
"Thank you for inviting me." I bowed my head and greeted him politely. "Nice to meet you. My name is Meldenik Kinnoa."
"I heard the story."
"Yes, thank you." I replied, lifting the teacup on the table.
Perhaps because the Empress was with him, the atmosphere at the tea party was very friendly.
This lighting, temperature, humidity. I like them all.
I smiled contentedly, keeping my eyes on the candlelight that warmly illuminated the center of the table. It had a warm and cozy atmosphere.
"Oh, Lady Sheria is late due to scheduling issues."
"It's better to wait and have a conversation." The Empress looked around and at the tea food on the table and admired it briefly. "In my case, I never imagined this kind of finger food."
"Did you do that?"
"Yes, it was a time of famine. The world is very different from when I was active." Listening to the Empress's "When I was active" series, we exchanged glances with each other. Perhaps because she had been sitting in the hospital bed for a long time, the Empress had a rather sullen face and showed eccentric words and actions. Still, her past story was quite interesting.
We drank sweet tea and had a friendly conversation.
"Apparently, when I get better, I want to go for forest bathing, and that's what I do. In my time, there were a lot of ladies who had a hobby of hiking in the dense mountains."
"Let's go together. I also like to climb mountains."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes."
I didn't know what type of empress she was. However, most of the people who like mountaineering like it…
"If you eat cold wine and a simple cheese platter in the middle of the mountain, your worries will disappear."
They are the main parties. The Empress's gaze suddenly changed from polite interest to sincere desire.
"You definitely know something! If you drink in the mountain breeze, there is no such thing as a better mood."
…The Empress was also a definite enthusiast.
Okay, I will take this opportunity to gain the Empress's trust through flattery and praise.
"There were a lot of ladies who didn't know that romance these days. Later, when my illness is cured, let's go with you."
"It's an honor."
"You really don't look as sincere as people these days, do you?"
Moodsela gave me a thumbs up and raised her head so that the Empress could not see her, and whispered in the shape of her mouth.
"You even said that, you must have liked Lady Meldenik!"
After all, it would have been difficult for the Empress to find a companion. It would have been difficult for an aristocrat who was close to a newcomer to society to respond to a surprise attack like the Empress's "I'm the one who was sick" when the ladies were eccentric and sickly.
I smiled contentedly and frowned.
I think about thirty minutes passed like that. The warm atmosphere was half gone as the Empress put her head down. The Empress rubbed her temples and let out a long sigh.
"I'm having a headache again."
Did the Empress's words become a kind of signal?
"Your Majesty, Lady Sheria has arrived."
"Oh, yes. Come in."
The door to the garden opened softly, and finally Sheria appeared like the main character.