He’s not going to backtrack later, is he? Saying the punishment was too light or that he’ll impose a new one?
With Prince Claude, it wouldn’t be surprising.
Didn’t he forget his own promise in just a week?
And how did he nitpick to drive me out?
Of course, a man that handsome wouldn’t have a good personality too…
I shook my head vigorously.
Claude showing up at my wedding and getting the reporters involved was probably just a way to maintain our contract.
I shouldn’t be swayed by his recent kindness—especially not by that gorgeous face!
I steeled my resolve, narrowing my eyes.
Honestly, aside from his flawless looks, Claude wasn’t really my type.
Burned by my past life, I preferred a kind, steadfast man who’d only have eyes for me over a pretty face.
But what’s the point?
This life’s already a lost cause.
A happy marriage built on love?
I can’t even imagine it anymore.
The fear of meeting another maniac like my ex-husband stops me before I can even try.
The first step matters most—it leaves a lasting mark.
Sighing deeply, I opened the lab door.
Spreading the newspaper on the desk, I began cutting it with scissors.
I clipped Alex’s frenzied face, pasting it into my scrapbook.
Next, Rachel’s ghostly pale expression went beside it.
Satisfied with my collection of their dark history, I chuckled like a well-fed lion.
My goal: fill every page with Alex, Rachel, and Pierre’s misdeeds.
Grinning, I tucked the scrapbook into the bottom drawer.
Alex’s precious reputation was in the gutter.
Rachel, missing for days, was likely holed up in some remote inn—her face plastered across the papers as the sister who stole her sibling’s husband.
One wrong move, and she’d be stoned.
Now the entire empire knew their filthy faces.
A satisfying outcome.
But I couldn’t let my guard down. Knowing Alex’s prideful, spiteful nature, he’d retaliate.
In my past life, he was a devil beyond imagination.
This time, he’d likely target Claude’s greatest rival, the Second Prince, with his final weapon.
Crossing my arms, I thought for a moment before opening the medicine cabinet.
I pulled out a vial tied with a ribbon.
The dark liquid shimmered with multicolored light as I tilted it.
Perfect! This is flawless!
My lips curled into a smirk.
Unlike other mana herbs, Anatatuben’s potency peaks through aging.
When held to the light, a well-aged herb glows with a faint rainbow sheen—a sign of maximum efficacy.
Satisfied, I placed it back in the cabinet, locking it.
By now, Luan should have the clinical trial results.
Click. Locking the cabinet, I grabbed my heavy medicine bag from the corner.
It clinked, weighed down with contents.
Setting it on the desk, I peered inside.
With so many similar vials jumbled together, it was hard to tell them apart.
After encountering Silver at Claude’s castle, I’d given up organizing the bag.
It’s chaotic, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink state was handy in emergencies.
Instinct’s faster in times like this.
Smiling, I rummaged through it.
This one’s warm—recently made disinfectant. Oh! This small, flat one is a healing ointment.
Identifying items by feel, I shook out the dusty bottom.
Years-old dust puffed into the air.
Cough.
Choking, I waved my hand, wondering if I should wash the bag.
Dana cleaned it last year, so next year’s fine.
I disinfect it often, so hygiene’s not an issue.
With a heave, I shouldered the heavy bag and stood.
Leaving the manor, I headed to the factory to check on the plague cure.
Opening the heavy door, a strong herbal scent hit me.
The musty odor from Pierre’s days was gone.
Well-prepared herbs and advanced automated equipment hummed efficiently.
The floor gleamed with polished tiles, and the factory was neatly divided into sections.
All this was possible thanks to Claude’s generous funding.
What goes around comes around.
His support fueled my determination to tend to his health diligently.
Tomorrow, I’d see him and make sure his investment wasn’t wasted!
“Lady Aselin, you’re here?” Luan greeted me brightly.
Despite the gossip about my wedding, he didn’t pry, his face as radiant as morning sunlight.
“I’m so glad you’re back! The factory feels alive again!” he said.
His enthusiasm warmed my heart, and I smiled back.
“Good to see you too, Luan. Everything been okay?”
“Yes! The foreman and workers are doing great. We’re fully prepared to produce the plague cure, as you instructed.”
His eager report, as if saying, Did I do well?, made me pat his shoulder.
“Well done. We might need more than expected, so ensure the supply chain’s ready. We’ll start production next week. How’s the clinical trial going?”
“We’re about to do the final check on the participants. They’re here—want to meet them?”
I followed Luan across the factory.
Workers in white coats, masks, and gloves handled chemicals carefully, following my safety instructions to a tee.
Luan’s sharp for his age! I picked a gem.
Grinning, I glanced at the safety poster I’d put up recently.
“Lady Aselin, these are the trial participants, arranged from left to right by severity,” Luan said from behind.
Turning, I saw them bow politely.
Luan handed me a report as I approached.
All male, their ages, names, and onset times matched the Second Prince’s profile.
Skimming the report, I looked up.
“Thank you all for participating. I’ll ask a few questions—please answer honestly.”
“Yes, ma’am!” their voices boomed, making me feel like a drill sergeant.
Clearing my throat, I began. “Has anyone experienced side effects from the medicine?”
They glanced around, eyes wide, as if saying, Not me, you?
Noting their reactions, I moved on. “Alright, can I check each of you up close?”
“Yes, Lady Aselin, I’m fine!” the leftmost participant, with the severest symptoms, replied.
I examined his affected area closely.
The report noted sparse growth before, but now it was lush in a short time.
The drug’s efficacy exceeded expectations, filling me with pride and determination.
This should definitely catch the Second Prince’s attention!
Nodding firmly, I marked the report and stepped forward to address the participants.
