Five years ago, after that incident, Prince Claude left the imperial palace and took up residence in a castle within the Erhardt territory.
Murderer, demon, ghost, madman.
Surrounded by all sorts of grim rumors, no one had seen him since.
Recalling the image of Prince Claude drenched in blood, I shivered, rubbing my goosebump-covered arms.
Would it be better to go through with the marriage to Alex and then divorce him? The thought sent a chill down my spine.
Even if I filed for divorce, I’d have to endure at least a year of married life.
The idea of sharing a bed with Alex every night was horrifying just to imagine.
Clutching my head in frustration, I balled my fists tightly.
If I could just dispose of that damned ex-husband, I’d charge into battle at the front lines without hesitation.
I glared out the window at the towering castle in the distance.
Around this time in my past life, His Majesty had issued a proclamation seeking a match for Prince Claude.
Several daughters from prominent families married him, but none lasted a month before fleeing the castle.
Later, rumors swirled that Claude never so much as touched his wives, or that he was frail and impotent.
[“My goodness, the dashing Prince Claude… impotent!”]
I could almost hear the anguished sighs of the noble ladies who adored him.
Yes, there couldn’t be a more perfect candidate for a contract marriage.
I smirked, tapping my fingers on the table.
Should I try meeting Prince Claude? Surely he wouldn’t kill a duke’s daughter like me.
But I shook my head.
How could I meet someone who rarely left his castle, shrouded in rumors of being a ghost?
Moreover, the Erhardt territory was a mysterious land.
Dense forests surrounded it like a natural wall, isolating it from the outside world, with restricted access.
Even if I managed to reach the castle by some means, whether Prince Claude would agree to meet me was another question.
First, I’d need a reason to get him to see me…
I racked my brain, but no ideas came easily.
All I knew about Prince Claude was that single encounter from my past life and a few scraps of information.
And… that he was handsome, ridiculously handsome, absurdly handsome—that was the extent of the rumors.
If I had money, I could buy information from various sources.
But even scraping my soul, all I had was a measly 100 trangs.
A duke’s daughter in name only—what a pauper.
I let out a deep sigh.
At this rate, I might end up living in a straw hut that could blow away in a gust, even in the south.
Better start tightening my belt for the future.
With that thought, I summoned the butler.
“Dwayne, can you sell these jewels for me?”
“You’re really planning to sell all of them, my lady?”
Beneath his neatly combed white hair, Dwayne’s eyes widened.
“Yes, I need some money. If we sell them all, could we get about 500 trangs?”
“Of course, my lady. Not just 500—you could easily get 5,000 trangs.”
“Great. Then find a place that offers a good price.”
“There’s a general store the late Duchess used to frequent. I’ll inquire if they deal in jewels as well.”
“That sounds good. Oh, and Dwayne, have you ever met the First Prince in person?”
Caught off guard by the question, Dwayne paused before answering.
“A long time ago, when I went to the palace on an errand for the Duchess, I crossed paths with him. He was about ten years old then. He suddenly collapsed in the corridor, and I was startled.”
“Prince Claude collapsed?”
“Yes. I rushed to him and touched his forehead—it was burning with fever, and his heart was racing so fast I thought it might stop. Thanks to the quick intervention of his physician, there was no major incident, but I heard the late Empress was deeply worried because of it.”
“What caused him to collapse? Was he ill?”
“It wasn’t exactly an illness… From birth, he suffered from unexplained high fevers and was given a decoction of Cytherien herbs.”
“Cytherien herbs? From infancy?”
“Yes, I believe he’s been taking them consistently to this day. My cousin, who works in trade, mentioned recently delivering Cytherien to the castle.”
“That makes sense, since Cytherien doesn’t grow in the empire. So, was it His Majesty who first brought in the herbs?”
“No, I heard it was Marquis Spiegel, the Second Prince’s uncle, who specially sourced them from across the sea.”
“…Marquis Spiegel?”
I widened my eyes, staring at Dwayne.
Cytherien contains a high concentration of mana and isn’t used for children under ten.
If he’s been taking it daily since infancy, his body must be under immense strain by now.
And the fact that it was a gift from Marquis Spiegel, the Second Prince’s closest ally, gave me an uneasy feeling.
“Thank you for telling me. If you recall anything else about Prince Claude, let me know.”
“Of course, my lady.”
Dwayne bowed politely, picked up the velvet pouch of jewels, and left the room.
Outside, the sun was sinking low on the horizon.
I pulled a mana herb encyclopedia from the bookshelf and settled onto the plush sofa.
Under the reddish glow of the sunset, the sound of turning pages softly filled the room.
* * *
[“Mom, what’s this potion? It sparkles like gold.”]
[“This is made from a rare mana herb, the only one of its kind. My darling, you mustn’t get sick. Take this and stay healthy. Now, open wide.”]
At my mother’s warm voice, I opened my mouth like a baby bird.
I swallowed the potion pooled in my mouth.
The taste was as sweet as chocolate, and I eagerly sipped it straight from the bottle.
*Slurp, smack.*
Savoring the taste, I opened my eyes to find the day had already dawned.
Stretching refreshed, I changed into a simple dress and stepped into the corridor.
At the end of the hall, I unlocked a door, and a fresh scent of herbs rushed through the gap.
The first thing I saw was the herbs laid out by the window.
On a long table in the center were neatly arranged tools: a pot, mortar, brazier, dropper, and clear beakers.
I’d provide the precise formulations for ailments, and Pierre would mass-produce the medicines at the factory.
Seeing my old study brought a mix of emotions—nostalgia and something bittersweet.
Memories flooded back: grinding herbs in a wooden chair, accidentally burning a batch when I dozed off by the brazier.
Those recollections bubbled up, drawing a faint smile.
Turning, I noticed a tall bookshelf.
Medical texts, local herbology books, and…
My fingers grazed the spines as I pulled out ten volumes of my herbal compendium and set them down.
Flipping through the worn covers and pages filled with black ink, I tossed them into the brazier without hesitation.
The books curled and blackened in the flames.
It stung a little to burn the fruits of my hard work, but to break free from Pierre’s control, this was the best way.
All my knowledge of herbology and formulations was already in my head.
“Time to show off my skills again.”
I tied on a white apron hanging over the chair, clasped my hands, and stretched them overhead.
If Prince Claude has been taking Cytherien herbs for so long, he’s likely suffering from mana poisoning.
Symptoms like a racing heart or burning fevers are telltale signs.
This condition causes accumulated mana to strain the heart, eventually leading to death.
It’s like a time bomb strapped to the heart.
Living in constant pain, never knowing when it might detonate.
But if he takes Lazeraan to help expel the mana, it could change everything.
Like Cytherien, Lazeraan is a type of mana herb, but their properties are opposites.
While Cytherien is fiery, brimming with mana, Lazeraan has water-like qualities, cooling and flushing it out.
Having taken Cytherien for so long, Claude’s heart is likely under severe strain, and he’s probably enduring unbearable pain.
I recalled treating a mana poisoning patient in my past life.
The ingredients are simple: Lazeraan, Teilan petals, and Veint stems.
But their delicate nature requires meticulous preparation, from trimming to precise boiling temperatures.
Current medical and pharmaceutical knowledge in the empire is insufficient to treat mana poisoning.
In the end, I’m likely the only one in the empire who can cure it.
That should be a tempting enough proposal for Prince Claude, right?
I smirked, pulling a white cloth from a drawer and spreading it out.
