Belen explained.
“It is originally a medicinal plant.”
A hint of relief crossed Arkan’s face.
Just like Erdene when he heard the word ‘suspicious plant,’ Arkan also suspected for a moment that it was not a type that should be consumed.
There were several types of plants in Vetor that could induce hallucinations or incite violent impulses.
Of course, distribution was strictly prohibited by law, but there were reports of casualties every year.
Belen frowned and continued.
“It is a herb that mainly reduces pain related to bone diseases and increases muscle activity. That is why it is mainly used by the elderly, but if the proper dosage is not followed, it is said that side effects such as cardiac arrest or serious seizures occur. These people sold this herb privately without properly informing people of the side effects and made a profit, and there were already people who suffered damages because of it.”
Arkan cut him off.
“Wait, Belen. It’s been years since it stopped growing naturally in Vetor? So you’re saying they cultivated it separately?”
That would have been better, Belen thought. The information he had reported so far had been shocking enough for Arkan, but what he was about to say would really turn him upside down.
“The environment in which this plant grows is very special....”
“Belen, did they cultivate it?”
Arkan cut off Belen and asked in kind.
Sophia glanced at Belen’s face, and Belen had no choice but to let out a deep sigh and confess the truth.
“They didn’t cultivate it, Your Majesty. These people smuggled it and... shared the profits.”
“Where did they smuggle it?”
“It seems to be Kensilom. The swamp where this plant grows abundantly is on the border between Kensilom and Vetor.”
Arkan clenched his teeth, closed his eyes, and placed his hand on his forehead.
The environment in which he grew up was special, he had a bad feeling ever since he heard that. But who would have thought that would actually be the case?
Belen said,
“I’ll investigate more thoroughly.”
“No, that’s fine. I’ll take care of this, so you just fulfill your duties as the commander of the knights.”
Belen nodded with a slightly darkened expression.
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
A faint anger and reproach appeared in Arkan’s eyes as he let out a short sigh.
“And if you hide something like this from me one more time, I won’t let you off easy. Understood?”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Belen took a step back after taking a quick look.
Arkan glared at him as if he was going to eat him for coughing in vain, and then turned his head toward Sophia.
“Sophia.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Is there anything else the Queen has hidden from me? Tell me now so I won’t make her fall over in shock again.”
At that moment, the image of Glucker appeared in Sophia’s mind.
The falcon that carried letters on the winds of the empire. That was a much more serious matter than the Sabnake affair.
Sophia didn’t know who Erdene was exchanging letters within the empire, or what the content was. She guessed that it was the adjutants she had seen last time, but wasn’t it just a guess?
‘But since it’s just a guess, I can’t say anything. It’s just a nuisance.’
Sophia finished thinking and lowered her gaze in a determined manner.
“I don’t know anything, so I think we should talk about it when Her Majesty wakes up.”
Arkan noticed that Sophia knew something but was hiding it.
He didn’t know if it was to protect Erdene or to protect him, or both...
Just as he was about to ask again, Sophia said,
“Your Majesty, the water for Her Majesty’s bath is getting cold.”
She’s dodging like a snake, Arkan thought.
He deliberately took a deep breath and stared at her to let her know that he had noticed something.
If she had the courage of Viscountess Wickes, she would have been overwhelmed by his gaze and unknowingly panicked and ended up spilling the secret, but Sophia was a woman of considerable courage. She simply stared at Arkan as if asking what was wrong.
In the end, Arkan backed down.
After all, it wasn’t important at the moment. Right now, the top priority was for Erdene to regain consciousness.
“Understood. Keep the bedroom door closed and don’t let anyone in until I call.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Arkan went into the bedroom, and Plat, who had been watching with concern, also returned to his own quarters.
While the series of events unfolded, Belen, who had been looking bewildered, muttered.
“Your Majesty is personally... bathing Her Majesty the Queen?”
Sophia glanced at Belen.
“Why are you so surprised? He can do that much.”
“That much?”
“Is Commander Wiziard the kind of person who would ignore his wife even if she collapsed in pain?”
Belen’s face turned pale for a moment.
For some reason, he had an eerie feeling that if he made even one mistake here, he would never be able to speak to Sophia again.
“T-That’s not possible! I would never do that. I should grab the King of the Underworld by the collar and demand that he hand over my wife!”
Sophia, who had been staring at him blankly, said calmly.
“I didn’t say anything about your wife dying.”
A cold sweat ran down Belen’s neck.
“No, that’s... That means I’m desperate too. What surprised me wasn’t whether or not I washed my wife... It was because His Majesty would do such a thing for Her Majesty. But of course, I... If my wife is sick, I should do it. Can’t I do something worse?”
Sophia, who had been blinking expressionlessly, snickered.
“I see.”
Why am I doing this?
Belen thought. When he saw her smiling face, his face instantly turned red. It was dark around him, but if it had been broad daylight, he would have looked terrible.
“Huh, hmm. Then... I’ll be going now.”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work. Take care.”
Sophia saw him off with her usual attitude as if she had never smiled before.
Belen, who made eye contact with Sophia for the last time through the closing door, tilted his head, suppressing his heart that was pounding as if he had a disease.
The next day, the Marchioness Fiddlers came to the palace with someone sent by Sophia.
“Oh, madam!”
The Marchioness burst in as fast as she could to break down the door, startling Sabnake so much that she almost broke the porcelain she was cleaning.
The Marchioness, not caring about maids, paced around the palace’s living room like a madman, saying,
“Huh, hmm. Then... I’ll be going now.”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work. Take care.”
Sophia saw him off with her usual attitude as if she had never smiled before.
Belen, who made eye contact with Sophia for the last time through the closing door, tilted his head, suppressing his heart that was pounding as if he had a disease.
***
The next day, the Marchioness Fiddlers came to the palace with someone sent by Sophia.
“Oh, madam!”
The Marchioness burst in as fast as she could to break down the door, startling Sabnake so much that she almost broke the porcelain she was cleaning.
The Marchioness, not caring about maids, paced around the palace’s living room like a madman, saying,
“My daughter? Where is my daughter? Sophia!”
“Mother.”
Sophia, who had been looking after Erdene, lowered her voice as she came out of the bedroom.
It was meant as a reprimand to stop making a fuss, but it was clear that the Marchioness had not heard her.
“Sophia, my dear! Oh my, my daughter!”
The Marchioness grabbed Sophia and suddenly began to wail.
Sophia let out a small sigh so that her mother wouldn’t notice and smiled at Anne.
“Close the bedroom door.”
Anne understood and went straight into the bedroom, closing the door.
Sophia comforted her mother, who was sobbing as if her dead daughter had come back to life, and took her to the sofa.
The Marchioness’s favorite handkerchief was already a mess.
“Mother, calm down.”
“Calm down? You’re telling me to calm down now! Oh my, how could I... I left you here, and I thought I would wither and die from not being able to see my daughter. Oh my...”
“You were with your sister and her husband.”
Sophia calmly replied, but the Marchioness’s tears did not stop. She barely had any tears left, but she kept on sobbing, pretending to blow her nose into the handkerchief.
Sophia, who had been listening to her mother’s tantrum for a while, put her hand on the Marchioness’ shoulder as if she could no longer bear it.
“Mother, calm down. Did you receive the letter I sent you through someone? Please tell me how to make the medicine that you made for me back then.”
“Huh... Oh, the medicine...”
The Marchioness, who had been rolling her eyes that were almost dry from tears, frowned again and grabbed Sophia’s hands tightly.
“Sophia, how are you? Are you in pain anywhere? Are you injured anywhere?”
“Mother, I...”
“I thought your father was dying from worry! Maybe he didn’t respond to my letters and was locked in his study writing something! Are you eating properly? His Majesty? My goodness, assassination! How can something so outrageous happen? Is His Majesty okay?”
Sophia swallowed her rising anger and patted the back of the Marchioness’s bare hands.
“Mother, everything is fine. I’m fine and so is my father. his Majesty is also healthy, of course. Thanks to His Majesty. Please tell me how to make the medicine. Yellow apples have arrived from the duchy, but if they are left any longer, they will lose their freshness significantly. I have to make the medicine quickly before that happens.”
The Marchioness’s lips twitched.
As she shrugged her shoulders and tried to pull her hand away, Sophia unconsciously tightened her eyebrows and grabbed her mother’s wrist.
“Mother.”
Sophia, who had been looking after Erdene, lowered her voice as she came out of the bedroom.
It was meant as a reprimand to stop making a fuss, but it was clear that the Marchioness had not heard her.
“Sophia, my dear! Oh my, my daughter!”
The Marchioness grabbed Sophia and suddenly began to wail.
Sophia let out a small sigh so that her mother wouldn’t notice and smiled at Anne.
“Close the bedroom door.”
Anne understood and went straight into the bedroom, closing the door.
Sophia comforted her mother, who was sobbing as if her dead daughter had come back to life, and took her to the sofa.
The Marchioness’s favorite handkerchief was already a mess.
“Mother, calm down.”
“Calm down? You’re telling me to calm down now! Oh my, how could I... I left you here, and I thought I would wither and die from not being able to see my daughter. Oh my...”
“You were with your sister and her husband.”
Sophia calmly replied, but the Marchioness’s tears did not stop. She barely had any tears left, but she kept on sobbing, pretending to blow her nose into the handkerchief.
Sophia, who had been listening to her mother’s tantrum for a while, put her hand on the Marchioness’ shoulder as if she could no longer bear it.
“Mother, calm down. Did you receive the letter I sent you through someone? Please tell me how to make the medicine that you made for me back then.”
“Huh... Oh, the medicine...”
The Marchioness, who had been rolling her eyes that were almost dry from tears, frowned again and grabbed Sophia’s hands tightly.
“Sophia, how are you? Are you in pain anywhere? Are you injured anywhere?”
“Mother, I...”
“I thought your father was dying from worry! Maybe he didn’t respond to my letters and was locked in his study writing something! Are you eating properly? His Majesty? My goodness, assassination! How can something so outrageous happen? Is His Majesty okay?”
Sophia swallowed her rising anger and patted the back of the Marchioness’s bare hands.
“Mother, everything is fine. I’m fine and so is my father. his Majesty is also healthy, of course. Thanks to His Majesty. Please tell me how to make the medicine. Yellow apples have arrived from the duchy, but if they are left any longer, they will lose their freshness significantly. I have to make the medicine quickly before that happens.”
The Marchioness’s lips twitched.
As she shrugged her shoulders and tried to pull her hand away, Sophia unconsciously tightened her eyebrows and grabbed her mother’s wrist.
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