Chapter 79

The silver-haired girl was thoroughly inspecting the production room.

To Siena, this place might as well have been a theme park. After all, morphine, heroin, and ephedrine were all produced here.

Honestly, drug manufacturing was not an entertaining task. In my previous life, I could have bought a barrel of solvent for 30,000 won, but here I had to produce it manually through repetitive work. It seemed that Siena was the only woman who could find enjoyment here.

At least, she was content with the factory tour, which was a relief.

But I couldn’t let this be the end.

“Step by step, she needs to be tamed.”

I was hardly in a position to correct anyone.

However, if it weren’t for someone like me, controlling Siena would have been impossible. She tended to bother most people. For now, I was the only one she felt any attachment to beyond mere amusement.

For my own safety, I needed to temper her behavior gradually.

“From now on, you must behave properly.”

I said this to Siena, who had her back turned toward me while she stared at the distillation flask. I could see her round shoulders twitch for a moment.

I had an idea of what was crossing Siena’s mind at that moment.

“What is this human even saying? Alan is different from me after all. Am I enduring this to maintain a relationship with Alan?” …No, I wasn’t trying to shatter her fantasy of a drug theme park but there was another purpose.

“Let me suggest you become more refined, Siena.”

“What did you just say?”

“Just listen. When someone with a vacant gaze runs around with a sword, everyone either hides or runs away. It’s impossible to predict when or how they might cause harm. This is also why Your Highness has had so few people around you until now.”

My words were essentially verbal abuse.

However, Siena simply smiled and turned to look at me. Even though I had subtly omitted honorifics, she didn’t seem displeased—rather, she appeared to like it. Truthfully, I wanted to simply call her ‘Your Highness,’ but if this approach added more weight to my argument, there was no reason to avoid it.

“You mean I shouldn’t let my intentions show?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Hmm, Alan. Over the years I’ve…”

“Of course, the infamy built over many years won’t just vanish. People still think of you as the royal who instantly punished a servant for stealing a bottle of wine. If we can make you seem unpredictable but not dangerous, that will be enough.”

“…”

“If done right, you can indulge freely without much criticism.”

As Siena contemplated this, she lightly caressed her cheek with her fingers.

But soon, she nodded in agreement.

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about this for a while.”

“I see. That’s why you’ve been listening to my advice until now.”

“Yes.”

If it weren’t for me, Siena would still be someone people avoided. But now, while her power was smaller than Victoria’s, she wielded significant influence—originally Anais’s—and owned half the shares of the most promising company in the Empire. There was no public opinion suggesting her disqualification from the succession competition.

Considering she had her own thoughts, she certainly understood what the wise choice was.

The best option would be to do nothing and just stay calm, but since that was impossible, a façade would be the right course.

“Got it, Alan. What should I do?”

“Hmm…”

Though I already had a plan, I intentionally let the moment drag out. It was important to give the impression that we were collaboratively solving the problem.

When I noticed Siena slightly shake her head, I finally spoke.

“Though you might not like it, you should save some people.”

“Me?”

“Yes. We are planning to establish a factory focused solely on producing solvents. Right now, I manufacture them as needed, but with my workload increasing, it’s not practical to keep doing it alone.”

“So, it’s about lightening the workload while still claiming credit, right?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Even if someone else could make ethanol for me, my workload would reduce by half.

By producing in bulk and redistributing some for medical use, we could both lighten the load and gradually improve our reputation.

Supplying the entire State’s hospitals might be a pipe dream, but creating a few maternity wards where “people hardly die” was certainly feasible.

That alone would significantly boost our prestige.

“Certainly, it’d be helpful—in particular to you.”

“Yes. Since I’ve been responsible for distributing heroin, it would help shift people’s perception that our company is only making harmful substances.”

“…”

“Do you approve?”

Siena hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She probably wasn’t eager to do good for others but agreed because establishing the solvent factory would facilitate easier production of drugs. Moreover, it seemed she wanted to accommodate my preferences.

“This should suffice.”

Relieved, I thought, but then Siena, clearly having remembered something, raised one side of her lips in a sly smile.

“But… Alan?”

“What is it?”

“You knew about ways to save lives, or rather, how to cause fewer deaths, and yet you spent all this time making morphine and heroin? You could have earned praise and money, but you didn’t. And now you bring this up.”

“…”

Siena’s small hand gently rested on my shoulder.

Arguing or defending myself here seemed unhelpful, so I simply nodded.

“Alan.”

You really do fit well with me, as always.

Her words were hard to classify as praise, but the situation wasn’t bad. Given who Siena was now, it seemed she wouldn’t cause me trouble. While I might still feel some unease, it was far better than having her as an enemy.

“You should thank the Empress.”

Siena’s hand slid slowly off my shoulder.

It traveled down my upper arm and forearm before firmly clutching my hand. Her violet irises never left me, clearly brimming with curiosity. But I decided not to reveal everything. Allowing her insight into everything I possessed—even if it wouldn’t be enough to destroy me quickly—wouldn’t suit me.

For now, I decided to limit her access to just entry into the production room.

—

### **

As soon as the inspection was over, Siena promptly carried out my request.

She acquired one of the largest maternity wards in the State,

dispatched people to scout a site for the factory,

and met with the Minister of Agriculture and the Chairman of the Public Agricultural Auction to assess the production of raw materials needed for efficient ethanol production. She was diligent—I had to admit that much.

‘Though she’s doing all this because of me.’

It seemed I wasn’t the only one observing such a proactive Siena.

—

“Her Majesty the Empress requests a confidential meeting.”

Two days later, this message was delivered by an attendant from the Imperial Chambers.

Why should she need a confidential meeting when the whole fiasco started because of me?

The Empress didn’t appear thoughtless. More likely, she was testing me, trying to ensure that Siena and I weren’t conspiring against her.

Testing friendship through small favors is often the most effective way. Though it might seem annoying, relationships grow through mutual asks and favors.

Based on this prediction, the attendant from the Empress’s chambers presented a very simple request:

“There is another small request for someone as busy as you, but might we inquire if you could provide additional psilocybin?”

“Purpose?”

“There was an incident in the Empire where many officials were implicated. A close friend of the Empress from her youth recently lost her husband. The Empress wishes to console her with some psilocybin.”

“Seems someone added inflammatory text to an official document.”

“Yes, apparently over a hundred were either executed or exiled.”

It’s as brutal as ever there.

The Empress didn’t seem genuinely worried about her childhood friend.

She’s probably testing my willingness to cooperate. If I readily assist her, she might infer that Siena’s anger has subsided.

The fact that she’s checking with me instead of Siena herself speaks volumes about the Empress’s political acumen and her efforts not to provoke her volatile daughter.

‘If I agree this time, I’ll likely be summoned personally soon. She’d probably view it as an opportunity to establish a friendly dialogue.’

I didn’t plan to accede. If I agree readily, the Empress would quickly reward me with a title or medal and push me into the next phase.

“It’s premature. Not a rejection but a postponement.”

“Pardon me, what do you mean by premature?”

“Of course, we have plenty of psilocybin. With the current stock, even if the Empress were to use it three times a week, it would last over ten years. But I doubt that’s what the Empress truly desires.”

“…”

“My words will convey honestly to the Empress, and she will understand.”

“…Yes.”

The attendant left, looking confused.

Naturally, there was no resentment in the Imperial Chambers, only quiet acceptance. It meant the Empress hadn’t genuinely needed the mushrooms.

She wouldn’t keep testing me in this way indefinitely. A more direct request would soon follow.

Perhaps she’ll soon ask me to confirm the date of an award ceremony or invite me to an official event of the Imperial Court—a charity event for wounded soldiers or a banquet honoring foreign ambassadors.

Simply by attending one of these events, the Empress’s objectives would be achieved.

However, I had no time to speculate further on her intentions.

It wasn’t because I was ignoring her or busy with distillation equipment requests.

“…Sir Alan? While delivering medicine to Leon Rothe Dale, I overheard something strange. Initially, I dismissed it as nonsense, but the more I thought about it, the more unsettling it seemed. I believe you should be aware of this.”

A confused employee had approached to relay this report.

Leon, the protagonist of the original story, had been getting free medicine for months.

I had arranged for two doses of Bulongyi and Monglongyi to be delivered to him daily, contingent on his maintaining decent grades at the Department of Swordsmanship.

Until now, he had managed to meet the conditions, though the employee’s expression suggested something wasn’t right. If it were merely a plea for more medication, the employee wouldn’t have come to me with this.

After pausing for a moment, I decided to check on his current state.

It was an issue we’d have to address sooner or later, and it was best to resolve it while I had the time.

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