Chapter 9

“That was truly delightful.”

Empress Lianhua sighed.

It had been a day since her encounter with psilocybin. She lamented that there was no way to bring back the effects that had faded away.

Truth be told, she hadn’t willingly ingested the substance at first. Swallowing an unknown pill with a muddy smell was far from appealing.

To make matters worse, Siena, who had brought it claiming it was medicine, was like a stepdaughter who had lost all affection. Since childhood, Siena had been the type to indulge in mischievous pranks.

‘I only took it to save Anais.’

Initially, she had planned to consume it reluctantly, offer a curt acknowledgment, and somehow placate her. She had done so with the single-minded intention of rescuing her own daughter, Anais, who was in a desperate situation.

However, before long, the magic began.

“Siena…? Why have you suddenly turned into a white-haired person?”

“It’s silver hair, Your Highness.”

No exaggeration, the entire world turned into a dazzling array of colors. The drab audience chamber transformed into a kaleidoscope of the five colors, swaying as if in a dance.

Surprised, she clenched her eyes shut, only to experience her body floating weightlessly.

“Ah! Someone, please grab me!”

“There’s no need to worry, Your Highness. You’re still firmly on the ground.”

What exactly have you made me ingest! She quietly sobbed while flailing for a moment. An idea then sprang to her mind.

Am I feeling unpleasant right now?

Upon reflection, she found that she wasn’t. Her body felt light, and her mind was clear.

“Waaah,” while sniffling, she suddenly heard an alluring melody she had never encountered before. She quickly ordered someone to bring her a seven-stringed guqin.

From then on, a breathtaking moment began—though there was a brief commotion, Empress Lianhua easily resolved it and returned to her music.

She couldn’t stop. While she couldn’t quite put it into words, musical ideas danced before her eyes. She wished this moment would never end.

But, alas, that was merely her wish.

“Why did it end so quickly…?”

Siena, her bodyguard, and the effects of the medicine were already long gone.

She frowned in regret. Oh, how she regretted it.

Empress Lianhua wiped her lips as she decided to savor the lingering aftereffects of the experience.

No, what she actually wanted at that moment was a meal.

Normally, she could barely manage a few spoonfuls of food prepared in the traditional style of her homeland. But now, anything sweet would do—scones, puddings, or cakes.

She wanted to see her husband after such a long time. He was, in her opinion, a rather adorable man who ruled over this small and delicate country, compared to her native land of Jin.

It was unfortunate that there were troublemakers preventing her from her plans.

“Mother! There’s still time! Please…”

It was already hours since Princess Anais had been pleading in a desperate voice. Ever since Siena left, she had refused to give up and persisted in clinging to the empress.

“Anais, that’s enough.”

“But tell them that the comment about fermented salt was just confusion caused by the medicine. Honestly, wasn’t it true that you were acting strangely earlier? Suddenly forgetting your dignity and playing an instrument, laughing frivolously—it’s not like you, Mother…!”

“Frivolously, what?”

Realizing it was futile to explain gently, the empress stiffened her expression.

“What kind of person was I originally? Tell me if you know.”

“No, well…”

“That medicine seems suspicious, but it’s absolutely not. I heard that Siena’s bodyguard had already consumed several of them before bringing them to me. And yet, he stood there perfectly fine.”

“Alan Medoff? That man is a knight—an expert.”

“Do experts have resistances to all sorts of medications? That’s a new one to me.”

Only then did Anais fall silent.

It was not a lie to say that the empress felt pity for her daughter who had been backed into a corner.

Nonetheless, offering reassurance here might poison her daughter. Anais had wasted time and energy trying to turn things to her advantage, but that might provoke even more trouble.

Besides, compared to the errors Anais had committed, the matter had been resolved rather leniently. By the empress’s standards, it wouldn’t have been unusual if dozens of people had died in the situation.

“Just accept it, Anais.”

“Mother!”

Anais collapsed on the spot, wiping her palms frantically, but the empress stood her ground. Although the desire to consume more psilocybin lingered, that wasn’t the sole reason for her resolve.

‘This is the best course for her as well.’

A little while later, having dismissed her daughter, the empress walked lightly toward her husband.

—

The days since the Empress’ pleasant experience had passed two more.

Good news came from the Minstrel Palace, where Princess Anais resided. Of course, what constituted good news depended on perspective. For the parties involved, it was perhaps a tragedy.

“Count Drayden, Count Sowon, and Viscount Eagers surrendered themselves to the Military Police on charges of lese majeste. Moreover, Third Imperial Princess Anais requested the Emperor revoke their titles.”

The report detailed how three members from Anais’ faction sacrificed themselves to carry the blame.

Though they weren’t the biggest figures influencing Britannia’s economy—though far too significant to compare to Bono who Siena had dealt with yesterday—they were still influential individuals.

‘You’d call it cutting off a limb, at least with this alone.’

While Third Princess Anais couldn’t match First Princess Victoria’s influence, she had previously boasted a better footing than Siena.

Due to this incident, however, Anais’ foundation was severely shaken.

“It seems rumors have spread even to the Academy? Hell must be breaking loose there already.”

Siena had resolved to torment Anais’ younger sibling, vowing to make life miserable for them.

Then, she turned to me with an extremely satisfied expression.

“This is all thanks to you, Alan. I must acknowledge it.”

“I thank you. It gives me joy to see you keeping your promise.”

It was a clear message implying that it was now my turn to reciprocate.

Having made the Empress happy and effectively buried Third Princess Anais’ reputation, it wasn’t just an act of sadism—it was politically beneficial too. The half-sibling vying for dominance was crushed.

In return, I was set to receive 1 million talers and an extended leave.

However… Would someone like Siena truly keep her word?

Given the nature of my counterpart, doubts naturally arose. It was difficult to guess what went through her mind as she smiled with her chin resting on her hand, although her current mood seemed good. But even when she was glad, she was known to do dastardly deeds.

“Right, Alan. There was a promise, wasn’t there?”

“Yes, indeed. You also mentioned that it would be in tangible form, didn’t you?”

“I’ll keep it, of course.”

A welcome statement, but Siena’s face didn’t seem like she was ready to comply easily.

I had the feeling that she would attach some condition not discussed beforehand.

It wasn’t about her personality being bad; it was a basic truth of human nature. How many employers cleanly distribute verbally agreed-upon bonuses? To be sure, I wasn’t in a position to demand a contract from Siena at the time.

My bad feeling turned out to be accurate.

“I’ll give you both. In return…”

“…”

“The drug you gave to the Empress. Could you tell me about those psilocybin mushrooms?”

Siena marveled at the effects the hallucinogenic mushrooms had.

Of course, it was understandable. She had directly witnessed the astonishing change in the Empress who had seemed to be wilting in the deep palace. Furthermore, these mushrooms hadn’t turned her into an incapacitated person. I’d heard she had taken a rare stroll with the Emperor the other day, showcasing their matrimonial harmony.

‘Maybe it wouldn’t be bad to just inform her.’

Even if I did share knowledge, there was no way Siena could turn hallucinogenic mushrooms into a business.

To do so, you would need to grow them artificially in large quantities.

But in this world, whose agricultural technology was stuck at a vague 17th-century level, that was impossible.

Cultivating mushrooms artificially is a complicated matter—it doesn’t grow automatically just because someone has well-arranged conditions. While I, with my university knowledge, could probably handle it if I had the resources, it wasn’t an option anyway since it sufficed to supply them to the Empress alone.

I toyed with the idea of giving a rough explanation and moving on.

But the next moment, my complacent thoughts were disrupted.

Due to a comment Siena suddenly remembered to mention.

“Hey, Alan. Next time you offer psilocybin to the Empress, wouldn’t it be better to serve it with lemons?”

“Lemons, you say?”

“Yeah. Somehow, since they’re mushrooms, the texture and smell were a bit off-putting. Mixing it with lemons might improve that, don’t you think?”

The suggestion to pair lemons with psilocybin.

It could mean nothing much, yet I suddenly felt a chill.

‘Could she know about lemon tek? How?’

The effects of psilocybin usually begin after at least 30 minutes.

However, by soaking it in lemon or lime juice before drinking, you could significantly shorten that to under 10 minutes. It’s also tastier and a conventional way of enjoying it in the native land.

Rationally, it seemed unlikely she had specific knowledge about it.

Nonetheless, Siena was a person whose every thought led to efficiently malevolent actions.

The idea to mix opium with port wine because it tasted bitter alone, or her plan to mask the unpleasant texture of the mushroom pill with lemon, were likely products of her talents. Therefore, it was unwise to impart knowledge to such a woman.

It would be best to make excuses. I began weaving lies immediately.

“…Your Highness. Truthfully, I do not know much about it myself. Learning of psilocybin’s existence was entirely a lucky chance.”

“Really?”

“How could I lie to you? The truth is… during my third year at the Academy, while on a practical assignment, I unexpectedly met an elf named Siloshin. That’s where I discovered the existence of the mushroom and learned its efficacy. Even the name of the drug came from that elf.”

“Learned something from an elf, eh? But we don’t get along well with the elves.”

“Sometimes, friendships form unexpectedly. Anyway, elves usually subsist on plants and fungi. Older elves seem to pass time seeking out rare fungi with special properties. Beneath their elegance, they’re surprisingly damp creatures.”

Considering my impromptu fabrication, it struck me as fairly plausible. Although I inadvertently disrespected elves in the process, it couldn’t be helped.

“Well, fine. If you say it, I’ll believe you.”

“I’ll continue to prepare the psilocybin personally for the Empress. With over 80 species of similar mushrooms, no one else can distinguish them accurately.”

“…”

Siena scrutinized me carefully for a while before finally nodding.

She didn’t appear to be entirely convinced. Perhaps she was letting it slide because of my recent accomplishment. It might be that she thought I was holding back due to reluctance to reveal everything.

Indeed, Siena was not an easy person to underestimate. I must remain vigilant at all times.

Still, I need to claim what is rightfully mine.

“Your Highness, please honor the promise of the reward and leave.”

It was time to settle accounts.

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