I rubbed my hands together, looking down at the neatly arranged ingredients.
On the white cloth lay several purple petals, plant stems, and a few thick roots.
With all the materials ready, the only thing left was to obtain Lazeraan.
Under imperial law, mana herbs were reserved exclusively for the royal family, making them rare and difficult to acquire on the market.
For now, the only option was to gather it myself.
I pulled a continental herb map from the bookshelf and spread it out.
My index finger traced the map slowly, stopping at the northwestern part of the empire—the Chaos Forest.
Though it bordered the Erhardt territory, it was outside the restricted zone, accessible to anyone.
Best of all, it was close enough to reach on foot, which I liked immensely.
Shall we get started, then?
Humming a tune, I walked to the window.
I gathered dried dahlia roots and almond leaves, carefully trimming only the usable parts.
After grinding them as finely as possible, I added a bit of water and began simmering them over the brazier.
As steam rose, the fresh scent of dahlia and the nutty aroma of almond filled the study.
I let the thickened decoction cool by the window.
Soon, the surface hardened like ice.
Stirring it with a wooden stick to remove the solidified layer, a fragrant scent wafted up.
It’s done.
I gulped down the decoction I’d worked so hard on.
It contained four ingredients to boost stamina and energy.
In my past life, I neglected myself while caring for others.
What a foolish mistake.
They only used and discarded me like a worn-out tool.
Could I ever trust or rely on anyone again?
Perhaps never, I thought, as I drained the remaining medicine.
I filtered the thickened residue through a cloth, leaving only the essence.
After drying it in the cool breeze by the window, I shaped the essence into small, bean-sized pills.
Lining up the round pills on the cloth, they looked rather cute.
I wrapped each one in paper and tucked them into a pouch.
This way, I could take one whenever I needed a stamina boost.
Finally, I packed dried meat and water into my bag, double-checking for anything I’d missed.
“Perfect!”
The medicine was kicking in, and I felt energy coursing through my body.
Smiling with satisfaction, I slung the bag over my shoulder and left the study.
Where was it, again…?
Three hours into scouring the forest for herbs.
I was practically crawling, sniffing through the grass.
Lazeraan has a distinctively sweet, piercing scent, intensified when touched.
After searching for a while, I flopped onto the ground.
My nose stung from brushing against tough grass, and my nostrils ached from constant sniffing.
To make matters worse, the sun was setting, and the surroundings grew dim.
Should I give up and head back? I sighed, but then my eyes glinted.
Mana herbs glow brightly in the dark.
They’d be easier to find at night.
Grinning, I sprang to my feet.
Brushing dirt off my backside, I turned and spotted a path deeper into the forest.
It looked eerie, like something might leap out, but mana herbs thrive in such places.
Summoning my courage, I ventured deeper into the woods.
After walking along the path, I spotted a rare mushroom dotted with orange spots.
“Whoa, what a find! Madcap mushrooms!”
Grinning ear to ear, I filled my bag with the precious mushrooms.
A whole mushroom patch! I should’ve brought more bags.
Regretfully stuffing mushrooms into my pockets, I scanned the area.
But the Lazeraan I desperately needed was nowhere to be seen.
As the medicine’s effects wore off, my back and shoulders began to ache.
I’m not giving up here.
With renewed determination, I popped a pill from the paper wrap into my mouth and chewed.
Suddenly, my eyes widened. Up ahead, at the edge of a cliff, a faint glow shimmered.
I rushed over and flattened myself against the cliff’s edge.
Peering down cautiously, I saw Lazeraan glowing brilliantly blue between the rocky crevices.
Its beauty, even more dazzling than in books, left me awestruck.
I reached down toward it.
Just a little more, just a bit closer.
Each time I nearly touched it, the delicate stem swayed, slipping away.
I squeezed my eyes shut and stretched my arm until my shoulder felt like it would pop.
As I finally grazed the Lazeraan, a rustling sound came from behind.
It grew closer, like the footsteps of an animal.
A chill ran through me, and I froze.
The Chaos Forest was said to be relatively safe, free of predators or magical beasts.
But I couldn’t move carelessly.
If it was a gentle creature like a deer or rabbit, fine—but if it was a wild boar…
I could be gored to death.
I lay still, waiting for the footsteps to fade.
Then, Awoo!
A wolf’s howl rang out right nearby.
My heart sank, as if it had glued itself to the ground.
Eyes shut tight, I frantically thought of a plan.
Even if I bolted at lightning speed, I’d be bitten in no time, and playing dead wouldn’t fool a hungry wolf.
As the wolf circled me slowly, my hairs stood on end.
My hands and feet trembled as if I had a tremor.
Then, a spark lit in my mind—the madcap mushrooms in my pocket.
Taking advantage of the wolf moving away slightly, I slipped my hand into my pocket and crushed the mushrooms.
Softened by the previous day’s rain, they mashed easily.
I sprinkled the crumbled mushrooms over my neck and face, then buried my face in the muddy ground.
Wolves never spare intruders in their territory.
By masking myself with the familiar scent of earth, I hoped to avoid being seen as a threat.
After a moment, the wolf, which had wandered off, returned and prowled nearby.
Please, let this work.
Praying desperately while playing dead, I felt the wolf suddenly press its nose into the back of my head, sniffing.
The damp, hot breath sent shivers down my spine, my hair standing on end.
As I endured with eyes shut tight—
“Is it dead?”
A low voice carried on the breeze.
The wolf, as if reporting to its master, nudged Aselin with its large paw.
When she remained limp like a broken doll, it licked the back of her head and neck.
The wet sensation sent chills through her, but Aselin gritted her teeth, her soul practically fleeing her body.
After licking her for a while, the wolf suddenly yelped and collapsed, rolling over.
Peeking through slitted eyes, Aselin saw it spinning, trying to bite its own tail.
“Silver, sit.”
Despite the man’s command, the wolf whined, licking between its legs.
Then it approached Aselin, wagging its tail like a dog and licking her palm.
The man, frowning, stepped closer to Aselin.
Kneeling on one knee, he saw her eyelashes trembling as she squeezed her eyes shut.
She knows how to handle a wolf—not an ordinary woman. But burying her face in the mud to play dead? Some new dark magic?
His gaze on Aselin grew colder.
The piercing stare felt like it could bore through the back of her head.
Caught off guard by the man’s sudden appearance, Aselin was at a loss.
Sometimes, humans are scarier than animals.
Best to hold out a bit longer to avoid trouble. If I’m lucky, he might just pass by.
As long as he’s not some pervert obsessed with corpses.
Aselin poured her all into mimicking a lifeless body.
The man, observing her closely, curled one corner of his mouth crookedly.
“It’s been a while since Silver’s had a feast. He prefers the taste of aged corpses.”
At the shocking words, Aselin bit her lip hard.
Damn it, seems I’ve run into a pervert after all.
Deciding to change her plan, she waited for the right moment.
Yelling might provoke the wolf to attack.
She needed to act naturally, like flowing water.
“I… I’m not dead.”
Her voice was as small as an ant’s, and the man tilted his head.
“What?”
“I’m alive. So please don’t feed me to the wolf.”
Aselin raised both hands above her head and sat up.
She saw a tall man standing before her, so tall she had to crane her neck.
He wore a black hood that covered him from head to toe.
Even under the large hood, his god-carved features couldn’t be hidden.
…Prince Claude? Why is he here? I heard he’s been secluded in his castle for five years.
As Aselin puzzled over this, he spoke.
“Interesting.”
His voice, low and eerie, sounded like he was spitting the words.
“Seems like vermin are crawling around my territory today.”
Claude’s face twisted into a scowl as he put his fingers to his mouth and whistled sharply.
Instantly, wolves with glowing blue eyes emerged, growling.
“Wait! Inside your territory? But this is clearly outside the border!”
Aselin’s words were in vain.
“Kill.”
A chillingly brutal command rang out.
