A Genius Pharmacist Whom the Empress Is Obsessed With

No Way It’s Real.

Perhaps due to seeing the word ‘Iden’ for the first time in a long while, Ella suddenly recalled her childhood.

*

Although they were called a wretched family and despised by other nobles, young Ella had never starved. She had never worn filthy clothes or suffered from the cold.

Her father, though gruff, always stood by her side, and her wet nurse cared for her tenderly like a mother. And lastly, Ludimine, who greeted her with a bright smile every time they met.

Ella’s childhood had been perfectly happy, except for the fact that she had no one to share her heart with.

There were many good people around her, but her father was always busy, her wet nurse found her difficult, and Ludimine was sick.

“…I want to play with them all together.”

As the heir of the Phinead family, Ella had learned to be cautious with her actions and emotions, so she could only bear it silently.

But then, by pure chance, she met Iden.

On a stroll she took to alleviate boredom, Iden, whom she happened to meet, met her eyes and treated her like an ordinary child.

“Does it really not hurt?”

“Yes. If it hurts when you move your ankle, I’ll give you this candy.”

In reality, she could have eaten as much candy as she wanted. She could endure the pain in her twisted ankle. She cried a little, but it wasn’t because of the pain, it was because she was embarrassed that she always fell down.

But still, still.

Ella really liked Idun’s gentle and comfortable attitude towards her.

Wanting to be with Idun, Ella told her father everything she knew about Idun, and as she wished, Idun ended up going to Umpstein Castle.

Ella’s world changed again with Idun.

Laughter began to echo in Umpstein Castle, and Rüdime woke up from her illness.

Ella, who had been holding back, could freely act like a child in front of Idun. They played with dolls and hide-and-seek, and tended to the vegetable garden together.

Moreover, Idun always kindly answered whenever Ella was curious about something.

For Ella, Idun was her only childhood friend, benefactor, and mentor.

But after that fateful day, Ella’s world became tainted with a dark gray color.

Rüdime cried day and night, and her father immersed himself only in work, not paying attention.

“Sister, are you okay?”

“Father, are you very busy?”

I’m so sad and hurt.

I want to cry too.

I miss Idun so much.

Just for a little while, can’t you hug me?

Young Ella couldn’t bear the pain and kept talking to the two, but neither of them looked back at her.

The nanny and Countess Royelle seemed to be relatively fine, but they also cried silently in the dark room.

Being unstable, Ella locked herself in her own room, unable to find someone to rely on.

When she wanted to see Idun or cry, she only flipped through the herbal book he had given her, and learned medicine to keep her promise to Idun.

And yet, she repeated to herself every day that Idun was dead. When Idun’s story accidentally came up, she intentionally avoided it.

Because that was the only way she could live.

Rüdime said that Idun might still be alive, but Ella no longer had the strength to cling to such a faint hope.

As time went on like that, her relationship with her father and Rüdime became very strained.

It was a lonely and lonely ten years.

“…Yes, there really is no Idun Illy.”

Ella muttered like that while picking up the documents.

“Since it’s a very common name, I suppose there must be a few who work as doctors or pharmacists with the name Idun and among them, there might be some who are exceptionally skilled.

If Idun were really alive, they would have revealed themselves long ago. They wouldn’t have left themselves in pain for ten whole years.

“…First, I should wash up. I need to check the documents and send them to Hebel. Oh, I also need to eat….”

Muttering to herself, she was organizing the messy documents when something fell onto them.

Ella tossed aside the documents she had painstakingly organized and touched her cheek. Her cheek was somehow wet.

“Am I crying?”

Why?

Because of that one name, Idun?

Idun is dead, there is no need for unnecessary expectations. I have long let go of my heart.

But why now, do I feel like crying for no reason?

“….”

Ella stood there for a while and then left the reception room in a hurry.

“Miss!”

The butler who happened to be coming into the reception room hurriedly retreated and called out to her, but Ella did not look back.

*

She already knew where she had to go.

“It was written in the report that he is a researcher.”

The researchers were living in separate mansions, and there was only one mansion that had remained vacant until the end.

Ella threw away all her pride and ran through the streets.

Her shoes had long been worn out from constantly tripping, and her neat petticoat was crumpled and torn.

The people on the street recoiled in horror as if they couldn’t bear to look, but Ella never stopped walking.

Although she kept denying it, her father’s behavior was very different from usual.

Her father had left to find Idun and had disappeared to Melou.

After two months, he returned and pushed someone she had never seen before into the important position of a researcher, and even broke their dinner appointment.

The heavy-bottomed Penniard Marquis wouldn’t behave like that for no reason.

“Idun! Idun!”

For the first time in many years, Ella called out a name that she had never uttered before.

Just by calling their name, her heart and body began to itch.

The time when Ella was running through the streets as if she were crazy.

Rudimine watched the approval process in her brightly lit office.

After signing the last page of the document she was reviewing, Rudimine picked up the next one without even lifting her head.

“Hmm?”

Rudimine, who was checking the documents with an indifferent expression, muttered in doubt. The first line of the document read ‘Additional construction project for the Royal Medical Center’.

“The medical center should have been prepared long ago.”

Rudimine quickly checked the bottom of the document.

All the documents that came to her had already been approved by the middle manager. Either Viscount Peneard or Ella, who was the middle manager, had approved this additional construction project.

Sure enough, at the end of the document was Viscount Peneard’s signature.

Having confirmed Viscount Peneard’s signature, Rudimine left her own signature without properly scanning through the document.

“…Since the Viscount confirmed it.”

To be honest, Viscount Peneard’s ability to handle tasks was slightly better than Rudimine’s. Moreover, there were still many things that needed to be done by tonight.

So, there was no need to spend time carefully reviewing the documents.

“By the way, wasn’t the opening ceremony scheduled for next week? I should start preparing the speech to be used at the medical center’s opening ceremony.”

At the opening ceremony, she planned to personally greet and thank the people who would be working there.

“…I hope my left arm can hold up on that day.”

She couldn’t afford to show a pathetic appearance of trembling hands in front of others.

“Just in case, I should ask for a prescription for painkillers.”

After slowly moving her itching left finger, Rudimine discarded the document that read ‘Additional construction project for the Royal Medical Center’.

***

When the appointed time arrived, Viscount Peneard arrived at his house with two contracts and food for dinner.

“Shall we eat first and then talk?”

Hearing the warm and savory smell emanating from the envelope, Edun said.

Work was important, but isn’t eating and living what it’s all about? Although Viscount Peneard had tried to accommodate as much as possible, meals and accommodations were not comfortable throughout the journey. There were times when they had to settle for simple preserved food when it was inconvenient.

In addition, food tasted best when it was freshly made.

“I agree. I was feeling a bit hungry too.”

In response to Edun’s suggestion, the Viscount proudly swept the contracts to one side.

With warm food and a clean dining table, Edun and the Viscount were finally able to comfortably enjoy their meal.

“Is this your first time in the capital?”

While Edun was cutting a warm piece of bread, the Viscount struck up a conversation.

“Yes. It’s my first time.”

To be exact, I have been here once as a guest hundreds of years ago. I even had meals at the same table as the emperor of the empire.

“Oh really? How is the capital, which you’re seeing for the first time?”

“I think it’s well-maintained, just like the capital of the great empire.”

The buildings lined up on the streets were splendid, and there was no filth on the streets. The sewage and water supply facilities were also well-equipped.

“Oh really? Honestly, it wasn’t like this a few years ago. It’s all thanks to Empress Ryudimine’s achievements.”

After that, I had many conversations with the Marquis Idun. Although Ella’s stories came up occasionally, most of the conversations were about Empress Ryudimine.

They must be full enough. As the meal was coming to an end in a lively atmosphere, urgent footsteps could be heard outside.

“Hmm?”

No matter how loud the sound was, the Marquis, who had been talking incessantly, closed his mouth.

“What’s happening?”

“Well, judging by the fact that the paper did not vibrate, it doesn’t seem to be a big deal.”

Even in that short moment, the sound of footsteps grew louder and finally reached near Idun’s house.

And then, with a loud bang and a forced sound as if someone was opening the door, the whole house shook through the floor.

“Didn’t I lock the door?”

Surprised by the commotion, Idun quickly headed towards the entrance. The Marquis, who seemed worried, also got up and followed Idun.

When they went out to the living room, a woman was kneeling while gasping for breath beyond the wide open wooden door.

“Idun!”

As soon as the woman met Idun’s eyes, she shouted his name with all her strength.

Every time Ella called Idun’s name, she would emphasize the “dun.” When he heard a similar intonation this time, Idun felt a tingling sensation in his heart.

“…Miss?”

As soon as Idun answered, the woman, who had been breathing heavily, threw herself into his arms.