In the shadows outside the side gate of Duke Olivia’s Mansion, Kyle gently set down the bundle of herbs on his back and brushed the grass fragments off his cloak.
He glanced around, confirming no one was watching, then lowered his voice and spoke to Julius:
“Given your statuses…”
The red-haired youth’s eyes flickered between Julius’s uniform and Helos’s silver hair, his pupils slightly dilating. “Is it really okay for you two to come and go so openly like this?”
Julius instinctively stepped in front of Helos, his shoulders tightening beneath the black uniform.
He lowered his voice, pleading softly:
“Please keep this a secret. Actually, we snuck out.”
The night breeze ruffled Kyle’s fiery hair.
He stared at the young Saint Knight Squire in front of him for a moment, then suddenly grinned:
“Alright then, since you’ve paid me.”
As he turned, his coat fluttered slightly, but he paused before taking another step.
“But next time you need help—”
Kyle glanced back and blinked, “Make sure you give me a heads-up, so I can prepare a more discreet meeting spot.”
Julius nodded slightly:
“Thank you, Mr. Kyle.”
The red-haired youth waved his hand and quickly disappeared around the corner.
Julius stared after him, a complicated emotion flashing in his dark eyes.
It wasn’t until Helos tugged at his sleeve that the boy snapped back to reality.
“What are you spacing out for?”
The silver-haired girl crossed her arms, her pale purple eyes sparkling with excitement. “Let’s get back quickly—I can’t wait to start the experiment!”
Julius sighed softly, and after making sure the guards weren’t paying attention, he pushed open the side door.
Moonlight filtered through the crack, casting a narrow beam of light on the ground, illuminating two figures sneaking back home.
Kyle gently closed the inn room door; the wooden hinge gave a faint “creak.”
He had just turned around when Selina’s voice drifted from the shadows:
“Well?”
The gray-haired girl leaned against the window, moonlight casting a silver glow on her pale profile. “Did you find anything unusual?”
“Unusual? Not exactly.”
Kyle shook his fiery head and plopped down at the wooden table.
He lifted a cup and drank deeply, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “It’s just—that pair actually sneaked out from the Duke’s Mansion.”
Selina’s brows knitted slightly, her light gray pupils shrinking in the moonlight.
“That girl? How could she possibly be Miss Eleanor?”
Her fingertips unconsciously rested on the window frame, gray-white lashes fluttering. “But… looking closely, they do share some resemblance.”
“But that’s not the point.”
Kyle tilted his chair back, hands clasped behind his head. “Don’t forget, that black-haired boy said the silver-haired girl only recently developed an interest in potion-making.”
His eyes gleamed with suspicion. “Maybe… she’s trying to create that kind of potion?”
Selina’s voice suddenly chilled, as if the room temperature dropped several degrees:
“Impossible.”
She spoke resolutely. “The Duke’s Mansion is right under the Church’s watch, and—”
The girl’s gaze swept over Kyle:
“That Julius is clearly a Saint Knight Squire.”
Kyle shrugged nonchalantly:
“Having a mole in the Church isn’t exactly news.”
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “The more impossible something seems, the more likely it is to be true, right?”
Selina was silent for a moment; her gray-white hair moved slightly without a breeze.
“So what do you intend to do?”
Her nails left faint scratches on the window frame. “The Duke’s Mansion isn’t a place you just come and go from as you please.”
The red-haired youth suddenly grinned broadly, revealing a row of white teeth. “Maybe not for me.”
His eyes lingered meaningfully on Selina. “But for you… it’s not so difficult, right?”
Moonlight streamed through the window, casting shadows between them.
Selina’s pupils shimmered faintly in the darkness. She clicked her tongue softly and turned toward the window—far off, the spires of Duke Olivia’s Mansion loomed faintly in the moonlight.
Ah.
***
Inside the workshop, candle flames flickered.
Helos sat before the workbench, her silver hair casually tied back, falling over her shoulders.
Two large bundles of herbs lay before her—Bloodstanch Vine and Silverdew Grass.
“All right, let’s begin!”
She took a deep breath and flipped open the Potionmaking Basics Guide, her fingertips tracing the page’s beginner potion-making instructions.
Without a recipe, the girl could only follow the steps written and experiment bit by bit.
Helos picked up the mortar, tearing the Bloodstanch Vine and its leaves before placing them inside.
She ground forcefully, the leaves turning into a dark green paste, releasing a bitter herbal scent.
“Ugh… this smells terrible.”
She wrinkled her nose but continued crushing.
Next came the Silverdew Grass—carefully snipping the roots and gently grinding them.
The juice of Silverdew Grass was a faint white, shimmering softly in the candlelight.
She poured the ground herbs into a cup, added some drinkable water, and shook it gently.
The liquid gradually turned a murky deep black, with tiny bubbles floating on the surface.
“Uh… I guess this can’t really be called a success?”
Helos tapped some with her fingertip and tasted it, immediately frowning and spitting it out the next second.
Setting aside any healing effects, just judging from the bitter, horrible taste, this was most likely a failure.
After all, Silverdew Grass and Bloodstanch Vine weren’t that bitter on their own.
It must be a problem with the proportions!
Adjusting the ratio, Helos started grinding again.
This time, she deliberately reduced the amount of Bloodstanch Vine. The mixture lightened in color but remained murky.
“How could this be…”
Helos bit her lip, silver lashes trembling in the candlelight.
She stared at the failed potion, frowning deeply.
No, she couldn’t blindly waste materials like this anymore.
At least she needed someone to test the potion’s effects.
The image of the black-haired boy immediately appeared in the girl’s mind.
Though it was a bit cruel, it was all for the sake of scientific progress!
Sometimes, sacrifices had to be made!
I’m sorry!
***
The next day in the workshop, Helos looked at Julius beside her and slowly nodded.
The black-haired youth swallowed nervously, his voice trembling slightly:
“Are we really going to do this?”
“There’s no other way… but it’s a noble sacrifice.”
Helos shook her head, closing her eyes in some reluctance. “If we don’t do this, the potion’s effects will never reveal themselves.”
Julius looked down at the small carving knife in his hand and took a deep breath:
“All right… I’ll do it.”
Then his gaze shifted to the workbench—where a sleek gray mouse, its limbs tied, dangled from a rack.
This was the prey Helos had woken him early to catch, after much effort.
Step by step, he approached the mouse, finally raising the small knife and swinging it down—
“Squeak—!!!”
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