Chapter 73: There’s a table corner in front, so… it’s very important.

March Street, in front of Old Barton’s Herb Shop.

Lilian pushed open the door and stepped inside, taking a deep breath.

The air was filled with the scents of all kinds of herbs—the fragrance of some, mixed with spicy and bitter notes.

Bundles of dried herbs hung from the rafters overhead.

Lilian truly loved places like this.

There was no one behind the counter; Old Barton was nowhere to be seen.

“Old Barton, I’m here again!” she called out.

“Thump, thump, thump——”

Old Barton descended the wooden stairs from the second floor, wearing his thick-lensed reading glasses today—so thick they looked like bottle bottoms. As he came down, he wiped herbal powder from his hands with a handkerchief.

Looks like he’d been processing herbs upstairs.

When he saw Lilian, his face broke into a wide smile.

“Little Lilian, here you are again. What do you want to buy today?”

Lilian told Old Barton what she needed for valerian root tea.

Old Barton tapped his dry fingers against his forehead, wearing a troubled expression.

“Little Lilian, I have everything you mentioned except for starlit grass. That last jar of powder you bought was the very last in stock.”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but now there’s a shortage of starlit grass across the entire Imperial Capital…”

The entire Imperial Capital?

The events from earlier replayed in her mind.

The nun holding a potion that gave off the scent of starlit grass.

The strange man who stopped going mad after drinking the potion.

The knight unwilling to share any information.

……

The Imperial Capital seemed to be seething with undercurrents.

“When did this start?” Lilian asked.

“Uh, before your last visit, about half a month ago?”

Old Barton leaned forward, lowering his voice.

“It’s not that the supply simply stopped. About half a month ago, people from the Church came by. They bought all the starlit grass I had, and swept up what the neighboring shops had too. They acted very secretive, wouldn’t say what it was for. And after that, there was simply no more stock to be had.”

A citywide shortage… a bulk purchase by the Church… that madman from earlier…

For an herb to be completely bought up, for the Church to pay such close attention, the power behind this must be significant.

Nobles? Or perhaps a cult?

Could it be connected to Eleonora and Ophelia?

It hadn’t been long since the events at the banquet. Now, the Cohen family and Ophelia were both in the spotlight.

Easy targets for attention.

She’d better remind them.

Besides, such a large-scale move was impossible to keep secret from the higher-ups in the Imperial Capital.

She needed to find Ophelia and ask if there was any information she ought to know, so she could prepare.

As a princess, Ophelia would surely know something.

“It’s fine, Old Barton, just as usual. Deliver the herbs to the Cohen Count’s estate.” Having sorted out her thoughts, Lilian was ready to take her leave.

“All right.” Old Barton responded with a cheerful grin.

“See you!” Lilian waved goodbye.

As she passed by the doorway, she grabbed up Irene, who was curiously sniffing around everywhere.

Considering Irene’s tendency to wonder “Can I taste this? What does it taste like?” about everything.

Lilian figured this child might actually think the herbs looked tasty…

Baby, baby, you’re a Coin Baby.

“Aiya——” After stepping out the door and letting go of Irene, Lilian stretched.

She ignored Irene poking her in the waist.

Lilian couldn’t help feeling a little sentimental.

She was finally done with today’s errands.

All she needed to do was stop by her own Clinic, grab the Imprinter, and that would be it.

Now that she had mana, she could try making some magic potions.

The Imprinter was actually quite important.

It was used to activate, strengthen, and manipulate the properties of magical potion ingredients.

As long as you had mana, you could use it—no need to study the knowledge of inscriptions.

It was just that previously Lilian didn’t even have mana and could only inherit her parents’ knowledge of ordinary medicine.

Fortunately, by watching over the years, Lilian more or less understood how to operate the thing.

If worst came to worst, she’d just hire a teacher to teach her.

“Poke.”

“I poke.”

“I poke, poke, poke.”

A tic mark appeared on Lilian’s forehead. She grabbed Irene by the ear and hauled her onto the carriage.

Irene just giggled foolishly, as if she’d gotten the better end of the deal.

Looking at Irene’s silly, blank smile,

Lilian’s heavy mood lightened quite a bit.

Old Barton’s herb shop wasn’t far from Lilian’s Clinic. In no time, they arrived.

Lilian told Irene to stay in the carriage, went inside to fetch her things, and was done in just a few minutes.

The sun was already beginning to set in the west, signaling the day was nearly over.

Time to go home.

She’d go back and ask Eleonora for leave, then go see Ophelia tomorrow.

Earning money, treating patients, gathering information.

Lilian counted on her fingers and found she still had quite a lot to do.

“Pa!”

The coachman flicked the reins, and the horse responded, drawing the carriage slowly away from the little Clinic’s street.

The setting sun continued to fall, and the shadows of the surrounding buildings covered the street.

“Tap.” A plainly dressed pink-haired nun stepped out from an alleyway.

She walked over to the Clinic window and peered inside. It was dark, and she looked disappointed.

Where had Doctor Lilian gone?

Sister Seraphiel was deeply anxious.

Just a few days ago, she’d suddenly discovered that she actually had Half-Succubus blood. Once awakened, the instincts in her blood had come alive as well.

Though every night she dreamed of a girl with deep green hair, who merely stood there and smiled quietly at her—when she saw that smile, the burning desire threatening to consume everything would ebb away like the tide, letting her breathe for a moment.

But lately, Seraphiel had found her instincts growing ever stronger…

She’d heard from the old director that Lilian’s parents, the Elvard couple, had treated similar conditions before.

That illness, it seemed, caused patients to become agitated and restless, and eventually attack others.

The medicine used by the Elvard couple could calm those patients down.

So Seraphiel wanted to come find their daughter, Lilian, and ask her to prescribe some medicine…

She’d previously asked around for Lilian’s whereabouts because some people had appeared near the Orphanage exhibiting symptoms like those the director described.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t learned anything. An old lady even said Lilian had been missing for a long time…

In the end, she had no choice but to ask a new doctor nearby to come treat the Orphanage.

But even that doctor had finally admitted there was nothing she could do.

Whether it was the patients around the Orphanage or her own condition…

Doctor Lilian, where did you go…

A familiar heat rose from her lower belly, burning away her reason, and tempting whispers crept into her ears.

Seraphiel dug her nails into her palm, and the pain made the feeling recede somewhat.

But it was no use. The tide only grew stronger.

Seraphiel gripped the Saint Emblem at her chest tightly. It was her only solace now.

Heavens, O Goddess of Dawn, why… why am I a Half-Succubus…

O Lord, please forgive me, this was never my intention.

Seraphiel forced herself to suppress the desire and prayed to the Goddess.

O Lord, save me…

But only ever-growing desire and the increasingly distinct voices in her ears answered her prayers.

The deity was silent.

Her fists clenched tighter and tighter. The Saint Emblem dug into the soft flesh of her palm, and blood began to drip from her hand.

Whether from the pain or the blood loss, Seraphiel felt a bit better.

But she wouldn’t last long…

Wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes, Seraphiel used the last of her strength to stagger back toward the small chapel where she worked.

Before she could find Lilian… she could only make do with the edge of the table…