Chapter 34

It has been one week since we began manipulating public sentiment.

Interest in the health syrup was skyrocketing day by day. Even without dispatching people specifically to observe, the trend was obvious. It was frequently mentioned by both the junior employees at Medoff Pharmaceuticals and the palace attendants working at Temseugung Palace.

“Since I didn’t have time to wait in line to buy it myself, I asked a friend. But this guy’s charging an extra fee, asking for 150 talers per bottle. Isn’t it originally priced at 79 talers per bottle?”

“It’s gone up to 89 talers. And honestly, 150 is still a pretty good deal. I’ve heard that due to the severe shortage, bottles are trading hands for around 200 talers apiece these days.”

“That’s outrageous profiteering!”

“You don’t understand the market. There are people who mobilize their entire families to secure stock and then resell it to make pocket money.”

Such conversations among the servants were unfolding right in front of me without them realizing I was listening.

‘Already this bad, huh.’

It wasn’t an unusual phenomenon.

Though the reputation of the health syrup was quickly on the rise, the reality was there simply wasn’t enough supply. Production was reportedly still limited to about five thousand bottles a day.

With no guarantee of being able to purchase even after standing in line for hours, people were willing to pay the extra fee. And it seemed there were also those profiting from reselling the product.

The craze wasn’t confined to the common folk either.

Even the wealthy, who might not typically partake, were getting involved in the mania surrounding the syrup’s commercial potential.

“Alan. In just a few days, over thirty million talers have flowed into Chandler Syrup Corporation.”

I heard this as soon as I entered Siena’s audience chamber.

“Where did you get this information?”

“Where else? People who used to work under Anais. Since they’re all in finance, they’re fast to pick up on these sorts of developments.”

“A significant amount.”

“I heard they issued five thousand taler stocks and sold them to investors. The ones who bought them are probably expecting the value to surge several times once the company goes public.”

“By any chance, do you know how many investors there are?”

“More than thirty, as far as I know.”

To this, Siena added, “It’s quite unfortunate,” though her expression didn’t reflect any sadness at all. If anything, she seemed slightly excited imagining the futures of those entangled in the health syrup affair. Her countenance was genuinely flushed, not in the least concealing her anticipation.

Of course, I had no criticism. I too felt reasonably satisfied seeing things going as planned.

“They’ll likely soon pursue going public.”

“Perhaps?”

For a company in the Britannian Empire to publicly offer stocks, it needed Imperial Court approval.

While there was indeed a stock listing review process, oversight of stocks wasn’t very rigorous. Reputation of the company, owner’s status, and the amount of tribute paid seemed to be the deciding factors. Regulations for company practices would likely only appear after a major incident.

There was no time to wait for that. It was irresponsible to keep pushing with both the narcotics-laced syrup and the speculation frenzy.

“Alan. It seems things have ripened, is that right?”

“Yes. There’s no reason to assist them with going public. We’re about to start.”

“Still, it would be quite entertaining, wouldn’t it?”

“Of course, there would be some entertainment factor.”

However, for the sake of Siena’s amusement, I couldn’t let things spiral further. If I acted now, at most a few hundred people would be harmed. If I waited too long, it could affect thousands or tens of thousands, perhaps even more.

‘This is the right time to intervene.’

Perception-wise, it felt like everyone in the state was fixated solely on Mrs. Chandler’s health syrup and Third Imperial Princess Anais behind it.

Now was the most opportune moment.

“Your Highness Siena, please assist me in securing an audience with Her Majesty the Empress.”

“You intend to meet her directly?”

“Yes. It’d be the fastest way.”

The first step in taking down Anais was securing assistance from her mother, the Empress.

Using Anais’s mother as a tool to address the daughter might sound far-fetched, but this was the most efficient path.

***

That afternoon, thanks to Siena’s influence, I was granted an audience with Empress Lianhua.

If I were just an ordinary knight, this would have been nearly impossible.

However, I was the one who had helped the Empress out of her depression. Moreover, I was currently preparing for the artificial cultivation of psilocybin, having realized the limitations of merely instructing herbalists to find similar mushrooms and hand-picking them one by one.

While morphine production could easily be taught, psilocybin cultivation was far more difficult.

“Had I only cared about profit, I might not have attempted it either.”

Empress Lianhua couldn’t fail to recognize my worth.

“This is the first time I’ve met you in full consciousness.”

The Empress greeted me from her seat, one typically reserved for imperial royalty.

When we last met, she was enjoying the effects of psilocybin-induced “trips” and was quite lively – more so than usual. Now, she was calm. Though the lemon tea by her side hinted that she might soon indulge again.

Her intricately styled hair, adorned with an elegant full-length dress that swathed her petite figure, and her skin so pale it bordered on sickly white, presented an almost otherworldly beauty. She stood out even more after seeing so many fair-skinned individuals with colorful hair around the palace.

But the Empress wasn’t an unusual figure solely due to her appearance.

After regaining her health, she’d been performing her duties as Empress admirably. According to Siena, the Empress frequently advised the Emperor and was well-aware of events happening within the empire.

“I’ve heard you’re quite interested in Anais’s business.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“In truth, in the hallways and grand hall, it’s not hard to hear the names of my daughters. The nobles frequently visiting the imperial palace often mention Anais and Siena without restraint, even in front of me.”

“In your country, that would seem unimaginable. For subjects to freely critique the activities of royalty.”

“Indeed.”

With a nod, Empress Lianhua acknowledged my observation regarding her culture, not at all phased by my pretense of understanding. She likely viewed inquiries as below her dignity.

‘An impression is forming.’

From everything I’d heard and observed firsthand,

If I were to merely tell the Empress that her daughter’s medicine threatened people’s health, she might shrug it off. Siena mentioned the Empress had a tendency to undervalue human lives, likely dismissing this as an insignificant issue unless it instigated rebellion.

Hence, I resolved to approach her with a different persuasion method.

“Perhaps you’ve already guessed, but the motivation behind Princess Anais’s venture is closely tied to her animosity towards Princess Siena.”

This was steering the matter into an internal matter of the imperial court.

“Honest of you.”

“Driven by a compulsion to replicate the efficacy of morphine, Princess Anais has included an herb in the health syrup. Ephedra, known as Avesta in the empire. A plant that could harm the heart and brain.”

“Toxic herb? You exaggerate. I took ephedra soup prescribed by a physician when I was younger.”

“That physician surely boiled the ephedra to remove the toxicity and used licorice along with other ingredients to diminish side effects, as he had the expertise.”

“Hmm.”

“Correctly used, it’s an effective medicinal herb. But in the hands of the ignorant, it becomes poison. How could these uneducated individuals understand? People, swayed by the sweetness of the syrup, will consume it without thought and eventually bring harm to themselves.”

“Hmm.”

Only now did the Empress seem to understand, nodding her head. It was worthwhile to belittle the commoners as ignorant.

“The Princess must be stopped before the health syrup spreads too far. Please assist me.”

“Why should I?”

“Pardon me…”

“Speak freely.”

“If we don’t act now, Princess Siena might devour Princess Anais whole. As impolite as it may be to say, she has quite a violent temperament. Intervening now could prevent catastrophe.”

At this point, I was subtly warning that failing to abandon Anais would lead to sibling conflict. Though I found the tone a bit presumptuous, the Empress readily nodded.

Clearly, she favored Siena but acknowledged Anais’ incompetence.

She was fully aware that Anais would eventually come to harm in a rivalry and that relations had already deteriorated too far to mend.

‘She knows but hesitates.’

I didn’t criticize her for her slow decision-making.

After all, no matter how misguided Anais might be, she was still her biological daughter.

In this vast empire, Anais might be the only person who closely resembled the Empress. During the time she suffered from homesickness, Anais was perhaps the sole emotional anchor.

It wouldn’t be easy to cut ties merely because of selling dangerous drugs.

But despite the hesitation, the Empress showed keen insight.

“If left unchecked and allowed to linger, I assume you see the situation where preserving Anais’s life would also become difficult. Without intervention, commoners will indiscriminately consume the syrup and harm themselves.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“…”

I could see her unease as her hand twitched repeatedly, her eyes closed tightly. It was unwise to pressure her at a moment like this.

Though the silence lingered, it wasn’t long.

“What do you expect from me?”

Considering the person involved was her daughter, this was a relatively quick decision.

I made a simple request: a banquet where the Emperor, Empress, and all three Princesses would attend.

It was, after all, merely a family dinner, needing no pretense or special justification. A word from the Empress would suffice to have it arranged.

Of course, this wasn’t about just sharing a meal.

“There’s a task I would like you to perform during the banquet.”

The Empress, who nodded without hesitation, received my instructions – a somewhat harsh plan laid out plainly, without any sugarcoating.

Having pushed as far as necessary, it was time for the fall.

I wasn’t sure how much damage the Third Princess would sustain.

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