In truth, the two of them had been close friends since childhood.
After the loyal knight of the Duke’s household died, leaving behind only his young son, the Duchess personally took the boy in and raised him like her own.
“Come on, Chade. Be honest. It’s not about the money, is it? Then why are you still so upset? Is it because that girl didn’t recognize you?”
“…”
Chade didn’t reply and just rolled his eyes.
It wasn’t about showing off. He just couldn’t understand.
How could a noble lady be so calm after seeing his face?
Even after seeing his black hair and golden eyes—the very symbol of House Blaine?
“Well, maybe she really didn’t know.”
“…What?”
“I mean, who would expect to run into a nobleman like you in a dark alleyway like that?”
Pon continued with logical guesses.
“And maybe it was too dark to see your hair or eye color clearly.”
Chade tried to accept the reasoning in his mind.
But the anger from how she treated him didn’t go away so easily.
That bold young lady not only treated him like some errand boy, but also accused him of stealing her money.
Still, he didn’t want to keep complaining and seem petty, so he changed the subject.
“Sigh… how’s the wound?”
“Perfect! Just like the young lady said—if I take care of it the way she told me, I’ll recover quickly. Then I’ll go track down the guy we missed earlier.”
“Forget it. You pushed yourself too far. Just rest for now.”
“Sir, yes sir.”
Pon smiled playfully at Chade, as if saying there was no need to feel guilty anymore.
‘If Pon hadn’t shielded me back then…’
Just thinking about it gave Chade chills.
He and Pon had recently found a promising clue while investigating the mysterious death of the Duchess.
But today, while following a trail, they were suddenly ambushed.
There were too many attackers. By the time they realized it was a trap, an arrow had already pierced Pon’s side.
‘…Honestly, three thousand dollars was a cheap price to pay.’
He had to admit it.
If they hadn’t met that young lady along the way, his only friend might have been beyond saving.
“Not to exaggerate, but she was really amazing. She told me to see a doctor, but even just following her directions might be enough to fully heal.”
“Your beast-like healing speed probably helped too.”
Chade said it gruffly on purpose.
But the more he thought about that young lady, the more mysterious she seemed.
Her appearance said she was a delicate noblewoman, yet she was oddly obsessed with money and had medical skills far beyond a hobbyist.
‘Did she say she works as an assistant to Viscount Limone?’
Because it involved handling blood and other dirty things, being a doctor wasn’t a desirable job among nobles.
Noblewomen were expected to maintain pride, grace, and a refined reputation in society.
Yet she had treated a wounded man without hesitation or shame, calmly and professionally.
‘…If it’s her, maybe she could help Lily too…’
At that thought, Chade’s heart filled with hope.
And it wasn’t just him—Pon also carefully brought it up.
“What do you think, Chade? If someone like her works as his assistant, then Viscount Limone must be a pretty skilled doctor too. Should we ask him to visit?”
“…I don’t know. Lily’s already exhausted from seeing so many doctors…”
Chade hesitated, then opened the door to his office.
“Welcome, Chade.”
To his surprise, a beautiful blond boy stood up from the sofa with a gentle smile.
Chade’s expression immediately dropped when he recognized him.
The blond man sensed Chade’s discomfort and turned his gaze to Pon with a soft smile.
“It’s been a while, Pon. Have you been well?”
“…Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Pon quickly knelt on one knee and bowed.
Seeing this, Erich smiled in satisfaction.
But Chade didn’t show any sign of respect. Instead, he answered with a cold, formal greeting.
“It’s been a while, Your Highness.”
Erich’s green eyes twitched slightly at Chade’s overly formal tone.
“There’s no need for that, Chade. We’ve been friends since childhood, haven’t we?”
“Friends… huh.”
Breaking into a Duke’s office without permission?
Ignoring requests for help regarding his mother’s mysterious death?
And now, pretending to be friendly with that same fake smile?
‘Yeah… I used to admire that smile once.’
Chade clenched his fist slightly.
But he was no longer that child.
Calming his expression, Chade walked past Erich and sank into the sofa.
“So, what brings you here today?”
Seeing this, Erich’s aide, Jerome, shouted angrily.
“How dare you, young Duke! His Highness hasn’t even taken a seat, and you—!”
“I’m acting in place of my father, who’s currently away. So I don’t see any need to be overly formal with His Highness.”
Chade stared coldly at Jerome, daring him to continue. Jerome flinched, biting his lip.
Chade wasn’t wrong.
The Blaine family, the empire’s only Ducal house, held nearly imperial-level authority.
They were closely related to the royal family and owned the largest territory in the empire.
Sensing the rising tension, Erich gently raised his hand.
Jerome noticed this and quickly backed off with a bow.
“…You haven’t changed. Still upset with me?”
“How could I, a mere Duke’s son, possibly be angry at His Highness?”
A cold silence filled the room.
Erich ran a hand through his lemon-colored hair and sighed.
“Chade, I didn’t come here to argue. I heard Lily’s health is getting worse… I came to see if I could bring in some famous doctors to help.”
“No need.”
Chade replied firmly.
“…What?”
“I’ll handle it myself. So I’d appreciate it if you left now.”
With his fingers laced together over his knees, Chade calmly asked him to leave. Erich’s emerald eyes wavered from the rejection.
But after a moment, he steadied himself and replied quietly,
“…Alright. Sorry for dropping by unannounced.”
The Crown Prince turned to leave, and Jerome hurried after him, mumbling.
SLAM!
The door opened and closed with a loud bang. Chade sighed and pressed his fingers to his temples.
“…He probably suspects something, doesn’t he?”
Pon, who had been standing silently by the door, asked quietly.
Chade didn’t reply.
‘The palace is starting to move. We’re out of time. I must… find the right doctor.’
His eyes gleamed with urgency.
* * *
Once I had my formulas and ingredients ready, the experiment went smoothly.
Theoretically, it was even better than modern medicine. That’s because it was made without worrying about cost—basically like a reckless eco-destroyer type of drug.
Of course, I still had to test the real mixture and go through clinical trials, which were big challenges.
‘But… the problem is, how do I share this with the world?’
The real issue was that I had no reputation or authority in this world to prove the medicine’s effects or sell it.
That’s why I really hoped my dad—who was known as a skilled doctor—could help.
While I was lost in thought, a delicious meal was placed in front of me.
“Young lady, here’s your food.”
“Oh? Annie, you’re here? What’s on the menu today?”
On the tray was a hearty stew with chunks of meat, bread like ciabatta, and a few slices of fruit.
Just looking at the tasty food made my mouth water. But then I heard Annie’s worried voice.
“Young lady…”
Her face darkened noticeably when she saw me.
Do I really look that bad?
I glanced at the reflection in my lab equipment… and finally saw my own face.
