In fact, if I couldn’t awaken my magic, it didn’t matter what I learned there.
I had no choice but to move on to the herbology class.
There, even without magic, one could become a problem-solver just by putting in the effort.
“Eh…? Why is this happening…!”
But strangely enough, every herb I made had some weird mutation.
I even developed the habit of praying when starting.
“This… this is definitely the work of a demon! Oh, gods, please save this poor little lamb…!”
It was the moment when the ominous rumors that had been circulating about me became a confirmed fact.
The defective product of the Slimela family, the troubled child who might have been better off not being born.
All of those words pointed to me.
“Sigh…”
As expected, recalling the past made me feel grim.
But now wasn’t the time to waste on such thoughts.
I had to quickly find a way to solve the Emperor’s insomnia.
The only thing I could make here was a simple sleeping potion, so I might as well try that.
‘Will the sleeping potion I make succeed? No, before that, is there even Sernail in Hamilton?’
Sernail was a very important ingredient for the sleeping potion.
It was a beautiful flower that bloomed only at night.
The problem was that this flower only grew in Medderland.
Still, I figured it was worth checking, just in case.
“Perry.”
“Uh, um…?”
Perry flinched, her face surprised.
Strangely, after I returned from breakfast, she had been standing far off, just watching me carefully.
“Is there Sernail in Hamilton?”
“…Sernail? Never heard of it. I’m not an herb merchant.”
“Guess that’s the case.”
Another sigh escaped me.
Then Perry tilted her head, looking at me.
“Why are you suddenly asking about it?”
“I promised His Majesty I’d come up with an answer by dinner, and for that, I think I might need Sernail.”
Perry, who had been glancing around, looked at me and smiled.
Her voice was unexpectedly kind, unlike this morning.
“Really? Then, should I look into it for you?”
“Perry, you would? I’d really appreciate it if you could!”
“Just so you know, you’re not in debt to me anymore, alright?”
I was puzzled by her sudden statement, but it seemed like she had still been thinking about what had happened earlier.
Even though his words were a bit harsh, she wasn’t a bad person.
“Of course. I never thought of it as a debt to begin with.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can, but under no circumstances are you to leave this room. There are plenty of eyes watching you besides me.”
“I understand. I won’t go outside. I promise!”
Even after hearing my answer, Perry still didn’t feel fully reassured.
She left and returned to check on me again before he finally left.
‘Anyway, even if I went outside, I couldn’t escape Hamilton on my own. I’m not sure what he’s worried about.’
As long as my precious family was in Medderland, I had nowhere to run.
Thinking about it, a heavy feeling settled in my chest.
But nothing would change from dwelling on sad thoughts.
It would be better to focus on finding a way to treat the Emperor’s insomnia.
‘Pull yourself together, Mayhen.’
This time, I focused on recalling the recipe for the sleeping potion.
“Dry the Sernail for a week in the sunlight, then finely grind 5 grams of the powder. Add 3 grams of wildflowers that bloom in early spring…”
I was thinking of the next step when suddenly, the door that had been closed opened.
“Perry, are you back already?”
However, it wasn’t Perry who entered.
“How have you been, Lady Mayhen?”
It was Sir Walton from the Royal Knights.
He was the poor man who had been tied to a tree and shot at with arrows as a penalty for losing a bet.
I had heard that Sir Chris had been eyeing his life, but it seemed he was still fine, which was a relief.
“Sir Walton? What brings you here?”
As usual, he was wearing a smile on his face.
In fact, the people I had mostly talked to on my way to Hamilon had been Deputy Leader Redit or Sir Veratri, so it felt strange that he had come to see me.
“Ah, well… I overheard the commotion from last night, and we were betting on who would come to check on you…”
Sir Walton scratched his head.
In short, he was saying he had come because he lost a bet.
‘Even after being humiliated by Sir Kris, he still can’t quit these bets.’
Still, maybe because he was a familiar face, my previously frustrated and helpless feelings started to ease.
It was surprising that I felt relieved seeing a wolf beastkin.
Back in Medderland, I would never have imagined such a thing.
“Thank you for coming, Sir Walton. But since I’m currently confined, I can’t offer you tea… I’m sorry.”
If this were the Slimela mansion, I would have served tea and snacks properly.
I regretted that.
The man in front of me, however, didn’t mind and casually surveyed the room with an interested look.
A strange smile appeared on his face.
“It’s alright, Lady Mayhen. I appreciate your thoughts. By the way, there are a lot of eyes and ears around here. I’d guess there are at least ten people keeping watch.”
“Can you feel that? I can’t tell at all.”
“I have sharp hearing compared to most. No matter how well someone hides, you can’t control the sound of people breathing.”
Sir Walton, who had been looking around, turned his gaze back to me.
“By the way, I heard you attempted an escape. Is that true?”
“Ah, that… It’s a long story. Some masked people came to the prison. They threatened to kill me if I didn’t go with them, so I tried to sneak away, and in the end, I managed to escape.”
“Assassins, perhaps?”
“I’m not sure about that. Fortunately, I barely escaped death, but now I’m locked up in a room instead of a prison.”
I had boasted that I would prove my innocence no matter what during my journey to Hamilon, but I had failed miserably.
The fact that the Deputy Leader Redit had gone to see the Emperor on my behalf only made me feel even worse.
“Now, not only will you be labeled as an assassin who tried to kill the Emperor, but also an escapee.”
“That wasn’t my intention, but in the end, it turned out that way. I feel sorry for Deputy Leader Redit…”
“He doesn’t need to worry. In fact, it’s probably a good thing he caught such a dangerous criminal. It’ll set a solid example.”
His words made me feel unexpectedly sad.
A dangerous criminal?
No matter how unjust it felt, the people of Hamilton would likely already think of me that way.
As my expression darkened, Sir Walton awkwardly smiled and scratched his head.
“Did I say something wrong? I meant it to reassure you…”
“Like I’ve noticed before, Sir Walton, you seem to lack talent not only for jokes but also for comforting people.”
“Already figured that out? How embarrassing. I’ve been trying to watch what I say, but still…”
This must be why the saying “It’s better to stay quiet” exists.
Still, he had come all the way here for me, and that was enough to be grateful for.
“I wasn’t comforted, but thank you for caring, Sir Walton.”
“It’s nothing, really. I’m the one who should apologize for making you feel worse.”
After that, there wasn’t much else to say.
He was one of the quieter members of the Knights.
A heavy silence fell in the room.
He glanced at the door as though debating whether to leave or not.
Just as Sir Walton stood up, I hastily called out to him.
“Sir Walton…!”
“Yes?”
If he was part of the Royal Knights, he would be close to the Emperor.
He must know a lot about him.
“I don’t know how this might sound, but… could you tell me about the Emperor of Hamilton?”
“The Emperor?”
“Yes, anything small or trivial will do.”
If I could learn more about him, perhaps I could find a clue related to his insomnia.
It’s possible there was an event tied to his potential addiction as well.
Sir Walton, who had been about to leave, sat back down.
“Well, what exactly are you curious about?”
“I’m just curious about what kind of person the Emperor is.”
After thinking for a while, he spoke up.
“Given your charges, I can’t tell you anything too personal. I can only give you information that even a child in Hamilon might know.”
“That’s fine. Even trivial details will be meaningful to me.”
“Well then… you can sum up the Emperor with just one of his nicknames.”
“What’s that?”
“A nasty bastard.”
For a moment, I thought I had misheard him and asked again.
“…What? What did you say?”
“Anyone who’s spent even a little time with him will know. He’s incredibly mean and has a terrible personality. And he’s not just that. He often does strange, unexpected things that cause quite a headache on the battlefield.”
“On the battlefield?”
“Ah, the Emperor fought alongside us when he was still the Crown Prince. He would often throw himself into enemy lines like someone who wanted to die.”
Suddenly, I remembered the scars on his body.
Despite his handsome face, his body was riddled with scars.
I wondered how all those wounds had healed.
“Well, does that answer your question?”
“That’s…”
Honestly, it wasn’t enough.
I could tell he would feel uncomfortable if I asked for more, but I still had to ask.
“Please don’t feel uncomfortable, Sir Walton, but could you tell me a little more? About his childhood, what kind of environment he grew up in, what happened during that time… or even small habits or hobbies would help. Anything at all…”
Before I knew it, desperation had slipped into my voice.
As I spoke, Sir Walton’s face gradually hardened.
“Lady Mayhen, I’m asking this with a bit of hesitation… but…”
His meaningful look turned toward me.
“Please don’t tell me you’ve developed feelings for the Emperor?”
“…What?”
Why was this conversation taking such a turn?
But what made me more confused was Sir Walton’s next words.
“He already has a lover, you know.”
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.