Chapter 42

After sending Anais off to a good place, it was the third day.

Second Princess Siena headed towards the Grand Hall of the Imperial Palace.

A space usually used as a social venue for nobles. The moment she arrived there, she could sense her changed status.

“Your Highness, Second Princess.”

As soon as she appeared, a little over a dozen nobles approached her hesitantly.

No one was particularly acting overly friendly. At best, they clasped their hands neatly and offered a humble smile.

Still, all of them were lingering around Siena, carefully observing her.

“Move, I said.”

“I was just passing by.”

“Then pass.”

Even among themselves, they playfully bickered over their positions.

‘Interesting. More than I thought.’

Siena understood what their feelings might be. The nobles likely had an idea of the process through which Anais had been removed.

None of the nobles could afford to disrespect her, the one who had effectively exiled her cousin to the Monastery. Even if they didn’t become friends, they wouldn’t want to risk offending her.

“Is there something you need to say?”

“There…! Ah, child! Go greet Her Highness immediately.”

Under parental pressure, a few young ladies of about Siena’s age attempted to strike up a conversation, but the results were far from satisfactory.

Their topics—plays, music, romance novels, dresses, and accessories—were not Siena’s interests.

“Um, Your Highness, what kind of skincare product do you use? Your skin is so good!”

“Whatever my maid brings.”

As Siena stuck to short, curt replies, the young ladies’ faces became increasingly tense. Interacting with her proved to be uninteresting.

‘So this is the level.’

Finishing her observation of the nobles, Siena left the Grand Hall.

Her actual purpose for visiting the Imperial Palace wasn’t to observe the nobility; it was to meet with Empress Lianhua.

To console her for having sent her daughter to the Monastery.

‘If not me, then who would do it?’

However, Empress Lianhua didn’t seem like someone who needed consoling.

“It’s unfortunate to bother you, Siena.”

Instead, she apologized while lounging casually on a cushion.

What exactly was she apologizing for? When Siena tilted her head in confusion, the Empress chuckled softly.

“Dorothy Chandler. You were trying to secure that elderly man’s family, right? You likely had plans, but they failed, which is unfortunate.”

“Oh, that.”

It was true that Siena had tried to secure the Chandler family.

She hadn’t decided how, but figured they would come in handy somehow.

But someone had beaten her to it. By the time Siena moved, they were already gone somewhere. She had thought her sister, Victoria, had interfered but now realized it was the Empress’s doing.

“That’s fine. I didn’t have any concrete plans anyway. And it wasn’t like I was trying to trouble Anais.”

“So you acted on instinct, huh?”

“Exactly.”

As Siena nodded shamelessly, the Empress smiled, as if understanding her completely.

Typically, such awkwardness would arise in such a situation.

But Siena felt no unease. In fact, she even found it enjoyable. After all, since they had worked together against Anais, her inhibitions had faded away.

After observing Siena this way, the Empress made a short comment.

“Siena, even if you don’t ascend the throne, your name will be remembered in history.”

“It might. Half the credit goes to Alan.”

“That friend of yours will likely be remembered in history alongside you.”

It was unclear whether it was a warning or a blessing.

Siena didn’t bother trying to decipher the Empress’s true intentions, knowing full well that she wasn’t someone who could be easily manipulated. She acknowledged that the Empress wasn’t a simple person.

The important fact was that they still managed to maintain a friendly relationship despite knowing each other’s underhanded tactics.

“I’ll work harder, Mother.”

“I know you will.”

With her reply, the Empress extended her hand and caressed Siena’s cheek.

Warm for a woman, yet slightly calloused from frequent handling of instruments, her fingers gently brushed Siena’s chubby cheeks and jawline.

Siena’s expression stiffened momentarily. Though they had grown closer over the past few months, having her cheek caressed was still different.

But her surprise was short-lived.

Siena quickly leaned into the Empress’s hand, returning the caress.

It was her duty as a child to respond appropriately to her mother’s affection, even if Siena didn’t usually pay attention to such proprieties with others. But she wanted to give the Empress the satisfaction.

Even while knowingly playing their little game, Siena felt amused. It felt like staging a drama, and she was thankful that the Empress had this side to her, even in the hidden corners of the Imperial Palace.

After toying around for a while, Siena personally poured a glass of lemon juice and handed it over.

“Alan is cultivating Psilocybin mushrooms. It seems to be going well.”

Such good news was shared, and Empress Lianhua responded enthusiastically with a nod.

It was a harmonious moment between mother and daughter.

*

Could I perhaps have a talent for drug production?

That thought came out unconsciously as I observed the neatly arranged mushroom cultures before me.

Mushroom culture made from straw, sawdust, bran, perlite, and my homemade fermentation agents.

The location was a small greenhouse within the premises of Temseugung Palace.

Instead of healthy species like shiitake or reishi mushrooms, the ones growing here belonged to the Psilocybin strain of hallucinogenic mushrooms.

“I didn’t expect it to go this well.”

It wasn’t my first try; I had experience from my previous life.

Back then, I had helped my high school freshman sibling create detailed mushroom culture and even taught them spore inoculation techniques only to later discover they were growing hallucinogenic mushrooms. That’s when my sibling realized their potential and began scaling up in their sophomore year.

But conditions here were different, so I had to rely somewhat on intuition.

Magic users’ assistance managed high-temperature sterilization and room-temperature cooling of the cultures smoothly, but the rest was manual labor.

Since I was still operating on the side while performing surgeries on the third princess, my focus wasn’t entirely on cultivating mushrooms.

The results, however, were surprisingly good. There they were, the successful sprouts growing lushly, proving my achievement.

Factoring in the costs, it might seem like a futile effort. It would be much more cost-effective to produce morphine in this time.

“It’s not as if I’m doing this for money.”

The sole customer for these mushrooms was Empress Lianhua.

Once a mere figurehead, she was now the powerful second-in-command of the Imperial Court.

From my experience, she didn’t appear overly ambitious, but she was clearly capable of handling government affairs if necessary.

I was now able to produce enough Psilocybin to fully immerse the Empress in it if I wanted, and I was satisfied with that. Of course, I had to consider what to do with the surplus stock, but having extra was better than having none.

“Still, the best option is avoiding situations where I have to rely on the Empress.”

As I muttered this, I left the greenhouse.

There, waiting outside, was one visitor.

A statuesque beauty with golden blonde hair and blue eyes. Despite her elegant looks, her outfit was a dull olive-green combat uniform.

She was Lieutenant Colonel by rank but treated with higher protocol than the Minister of Military Affairs—First Princess Victoria.

“Your Highness.”

“Long time no see, Sir Alan. You don’t seem surprised to see me, though. Did you know I was coming?”

“Surely not. Please forgive me for greeting you in such a shabby state.”

How could I have guessed she would come all the way to the mushroom-growing site?

“Still, I figured I would see you soon.”

Victoria was a person with an established identity as the Emperor’s eldest legitimate daughter. Her strong sense of responsibility set her apart from her younger siblings.

Naturally, her observations of the third princess’s downfall couldn’t have been indifferent.

And all those maneuvers had been carried out without her involvement, entirely a collaboration between Siena and the Empress.

It was perhaps understandable for her to feel some irritation. Her grave expression suggested she knew I had been the architect behind the entire operation, revealed perhaps by the commander of the State Military Police through one of her uncles.

If she had come to lecture me, I was more than willing to listen. It was a matter of courtesy to return the favor for the military contracts they had secured.

“Sir Alan… I know it was you who told that poor elderly woman, Mrs. Chandler, to ‘prove it by eating.’ The commander of the State Military Police subtly informed me through my uncle. Believe it or not, I did not intentionally inquire.”

“No, Your Highness, I believe you.”

“Thank you.”

“I also understand that I overstepped my role, Your Highness. I do not try to excuse it as an act of loyalty. Whatever you might say,…”

I tried to appropriately concede, but Victoria raised her hand to stop me.

“That’s enough. I didn’t come here to reprimand you.”

“Then…?”

“The Emperor has already declared Dorothy Chandler a malefactor who hurt the common citizens of the State. I don’t question it, though there are doubts. It’s not my role as a military officer to challenge the Imperial Decree. …I don’t hate you for going against my sister either.”

“…”

“Anais received a fitting punishment. That child… no, it’s fine.”

It was unexpected. I had thought she would at least issue a light warning against me stirring things up.

If not to warn me, why did the First Princess come all the way here? Surely not just for idle conversation; Victoria wasn’t the type for that.

‘There must be another reason.’

And I was right.

“Sir Alan… actually, I have a request.”

This request came as somewhat of a surprise.

Victoria was the only normal person among the three princesses and even possessed morality far surpassing common standards.

Would I be able to fulfill the request of such a person? If it involved anything sinister, I might pull it off, but I was uncertain about anything else.

But moments later,Victoria’s words caught me off guard.

“Sir Alan, I wish you to make a new medicine for me.”

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