A Genius Pharmacist Whom the Empress Is Obsessed With

Partner.

“What? With me? Be partners with me, Eidun-nim!”

Suane grabbed Eidun’s hand and stretched it out, allowing Eidun to unintentionally assess her condition.

A distant feeling from her head and a burning sensation in her muscles and joints.

To exaggerate, it felt like looking at a living corpse. The strange movements of Suane were understood without realizing the situation.

While Eidun was taken aback, Suane continued speaking.

“Hmm? H-How about it! I-I will do my best!”

“….”

“What? What? Eidun-nim?”

“W-Wait a moment, Suane-nim.”

Eidun quickly removed his hand from her. As soon as he let go of her hand, the fog that had filled his mind disappeared instantly.

“Hmm?”

“Well, for now, Suane-nim-“

In case Suane realized her own power, Eidun quickly changed the subject.

“To be honest, I don’t know much about the partner system. I don’t know who you are, Suane-nim.”

“What? You, you don’t know about the partner system?”

Suane looked at Eidun with surprise, her glasses on the verge of falling off.

“…Is there any problem?”

“Ah, no. It’s nothing. If you don’t know about the partner system, I’ll tell you!”

Looking into Suane’s eyes, which resembled the color of fresh leaves, Edun quickly organized his thoughts.

To be honest, Suane’s bullish personality was a bit overwhelming. It wasn’t good to be too clingy and friendly to the point of holding hands like this.

However, now that the opportunity was presenting itself, it didn’t seem like a bad idea to get to know Suane a little better.

“I can’t make time right now, but if it’s okay with you, can you come to my office after lunch?”

“After lunch?!”

Suane’s voice somehow sounded more excited than before.

“Yes, would that be difficult?”

“Oh! No! Of course not! You mean you’re coming to my office? Th-then I’ll be waiting!”

Perhaps it was thanks to achieving what he wanted, Suane obediently stepped back.

*

On his way to his office, Edun went back to Havel and obtained a medical regulation book.

“Oh, I should give this to all the successful applicants, but I forgot.”

Havel handed over the medical regulation book while apologizing, although it seemed that the Marquis was supposed to take care of it.

When Edun returned to his office, he wrote an expenditure resolution and then began reading the regulation book.

After going through formal contents such as the establishment purpose and plans, Edun found information about the partner system around the middle of the book.

[In order to maintain security, research members do not share their research with each other. However, partners can share their research for the purpose of exchanging opinions and activating research.]

[Partners can be changed with mutual consent.]

[Researchers who violate the security agreement will be immediately expelled from the medical institute and may face legal consequences…]

“On the surface, it seems like a regulation to maintain security and share opinions….”

If you looked closely, it was a system designed to monitor each other. If research was inadequate or unethical, responsibility could also be placed on the partner who was sharing that research.

Moreover, if someone’s research was leaked, the first person to be suspected was the partner. It could be used sufficiently for the purpose of identifying spies.

“Well, it’s not something I have to worry about… except for spies from other countries or Rembelle….”

Unless it was a spy from another country or Rembele, there wasn’t anything that could cause significant problems in conducting research at the medical institute. It was just a bit bothersome, that’s all.

What was important to Edun now was choosing a partner.

Edun was planning to conduct research on Eastern medicine at the medical institute. Mixing Eastern and Imperial medicine was something Edun had rarely done. Additionally, he planned to research the improvement of herbal seeds.

“In terms of research alone, it would be good to have Suane as a partner.”

Although he didn’t know much else, it was certain that Suane had extensive knowledge of herbs.

“Even though his personality and behavior are a bit peculiar….”

After a brief contemplation, Edun picked up his pen. According to the regulation book, several documents were required to apply for a partner.

Late in the evening, Ella went to Idun’s house. In one hand, she held the dinner, and in the other hand, she held the formal dress that Idun would wear for the opening ceremony.

Since Idun had prepared several dishes in advance, they were able to enjoy a fairly decent dinner.

Even though she wanted to have dinner with Viscount Penniard as well, he had already left the capital. According to Hebel’s words, he was still planning to show up at the hospital opening ceremony.

Unlike Idun, who was disappointed, Ella had a nonchalant reaction. It was always the case.

As Idun slowly ate the bread before the meal, Ella spoke up.

“Idun, you said you decided to partner with Suanne, right?”

“Oh, you heard it.”

“Yeah, Hebel immediately recommended her.”

After lunchtime. Idun went to meet Suanne as planned, exchanged their research plans, and even submitted the final application to Hebel.

The proposal he submitted late in the afternoon had already reached Ella. Hebel’s efficiency was indeed remarkable.

“I thought it would be okay to collaborate with Suanne.”

“Really? Thanks for thinking positively. I was worried because Suanne is a bit eccentric.”

“I’m the one who should be thankful. You recommended such a good partner.”

“Oh, don’t mention it. I should be the one thanking you. You even granted my request and had dinner together like this.”

Ella smiled slightly and pushed a piece of bread into her mouth.

*

Despite her efforts to smile, Ella felt suffocated throughout the meal.

It was because of Ruidemine.

If she could, she didn’t want to bring up Ruidemine to Idun, but Ruidemine’s reaction today was very odd.

This morning, Ruidemine had come to Ella’s office at the medical university.

When Ella asked her what was wrong, Ruidemine simply smiled faintly and collapsed on the sofa that Ella used to rest on.

Even when Ella suggested having tea or eating, Ruidemine remained silent and just shook her head.

Frustrated by her behavior, Ella called Fiaka to bring Ruidemine back. Fiaka was a close aide, so she would probably know why Ruidemine was acting like that.

However, Fiaka also seemed perplexed.

Fiaka told Ella that Ruidemine hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday’s lunch and couldn’t even sleep.

When asked if there was anything else, Fiaka said that Ruidemine had only briefly raised her body after staring at the tapestry hanging on the window all night before trembling and stepping back.

After hearing Fiaka’s words, Ella started to worry about Ruidemine.

Intentionally, Ella kept talking to Ruidemine, but Ruidemine remained silent until the evening sunset.

Remembering Ruidemine walking back alone, Ella spoke up.

“Eden.”

Ella held the teacup on the table with both hands. The slightly warm temperature that spread through her palms calmed her restless heart, even if just a little.

“Eden. I told His Majesty that Eden has returned.”

“My sister missed Eden a lot.”

Ella felt a bitter taste in her mouth. She, too, missed Eden a lot, too much even. She kept the herbal guidebook Eden had given her hidden deep in a drawer, afraid that it would fall apart.

So sometimes, very occasionally, she had the thought of wanting to have Eden all to herself. Like when they used to stay in the Umstendel Castle.

But she couldn’t just abandon Redimine.

Didn’t they say that it’s hard to detach oneself from longing, and as time goes by, it only hurts more?

“Just thinking about Eden made it hard for me to breathe, and I couldn’t do anything.”

She couldn’t overcome that pain and eventually forgot about Eden, but Redimine continued to hold onto him. That pain must have felt like being embraced by a thorn bush.

“…Is that so?”

Eden put down the cutlery and spoke in response to Ella’s confession.

“Yeah. I’m sorry if it made you feel uncomfortable.”

“No. It’s not like that. Miss.”

As if showing his sincerity, Eden wore his unique, sleepy smile.

“Since I accepted the Marquis’s proposal, I had thought that I would meet His Majesty someday.”

“…Do you dislike or hate my sister?”

“Do I have any reason to hate His Majesty?”

“Really?”

“Yes. It has already been 10 years. It wasn’t intentional.”

Ella’s heart felt much lighter with Eden’s words. If Redimine came over tomorrow too, she could at least say that Eden doesn’t hate her sister.

“Then, can I greet my sister during the opening ceremony?”

“As much as you want. Of course, I had thought of that.”

“That’s a relief…”

Until the opening day, there are only four days left. In four days, Redimine will be able to escape from her pain, just like herself.

Ella wiped her tears and smiled brightly.