Chapter 37
When did it begin?
On that day, his lord, who had been lounging on the sofa and staring at the ceiling, got up on his own initiative, drew back the curtains, and established the habit of looking out the window.
This was the first time the Crown Prince had ever shown interest in anything, living or dead.
Alvin recalled the hellish past week.
Prince Claude had been calling him at all hours, demanding exact countdowns to when Lady Aselin would arrive—down to the hour, minute, and second—so much so that he hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep.
When Alvin once dared to ask why he was so anxiously waiting for her, the Prince only replied, “I have insomnia.”
A short, blunt answer.
But Alvin knew better.
The Prince normally slept well enough. Yet, on the night before Lady Aselin’s arrival, he would wander like a ghost by the window until dawn.
Anyone with a brain could guess what that meant.
It was a good thing, of course, that the prince—who’d never let anyone close as a child—had finally taken interest in someone.
But his insomnia? That was becoming a bit of a headache.
“I’ve brought some medicine for his sleeplessness, so hopefully he’ll sleep better starting tonight. Have he been eating well?” Aselin asked.
“More or less… His Highness has been eating light vegetable soups. He’s not fond of meat, which concerns me.”
Although even that much, he only eats a little of on the days she visits…
Alvin almost continued, but quickly shut his mouth.
He felt a cold shiver—Claude was watching him from between the dark curtains with an intense gaze, unmoving like a shadow.
“Crown Princess-to-be, this way please. I will guide you to the annex where His Highness awaits.”
Aselin followed Alvin through a beautifully maintained garden.
Under the bright sun, a field of green stretched endlessly, with a grand fountain at the center spraying water into the sky.
The pathway was lined with neatly trimmed trees, and a subtle floral fragrance lingered in the air.
Suddenly, a shimmer of gold rippled through a bed of blooming flowers.
Wait, could it be…?
Aselin’s eyes widened, and she stopped in her tracks.
A weed once ignored in her past life around this time of year—
The top-tier mana herb, Haribdella.
How in the world is that growing here, in Prince Claude’s garden?
Drawn to it like a magnet, Aselin couldn’t take her eyes off the mana herb.
“Sir Alvin, may I look around the garden for a moment?”
“Of course, I’ll inform His Highness.”
As Alvin bowed and walked into the mansion, Aselin moved closer to inspect the Haribdella.
Five pointed star-shaped leaves with tiny serrations along the edge—it felt soft to the touch, but with a hint of roughness.
Usually yellow in color, but when touched by sunlight, the flower emitted a golden glow.
Yes, no matter how she looked at it—this was definitely Haribdella.
In her previous life, it had only been recognized for its true value a year later, when mages started scrambling to buy it.
It was unmatched in its capacity to transform a person’s internal mana into usable magical energy.
Aselin recalled the moment Claude lifted Pierre effortlessly with one hand.
Even with sword training, how could someone pick up a grown man so easily?
Especially someone suffering from mana intoxication?
Could it be… due to dormant mana?
But she shook her head.
If the mana wasn’t naturally born within him but rather artificially infused, it would normally remain inactive.
Still lost in thought, Aselin turned her gaze back to the herb.
What if… she could activate that dormant mana?
Using Haribdella, the body could begin to use or expend the accumulated mana.
Meaning not only could the disease be cured, but the person could gain incredible strength.
All just a theory, of course.
But Aselin’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
It had been a long time since she felt this kind of curiosity and drive.
She should probably tell Prince Claude before taking some of the herb…
But—
[“Research? So now you’re going to use me as a lab rat?”]
Claude’s grumpy voice echoed in her mind.
Maybe it would be better to research it first and only tell him after she had results?
After a quick glance around, Aselin quietly plucked a golden petal and slipped it into her bag.
Just then, she saw Anna running toward her from the other end of the garden.
Her twin braids bounced as she dashed over.
“Crown Princess-to-be! You’re here! Isn’t the sky so pretty and blue today?”
Anna’s cheerful voice had a way of instantly lifting people’s spirits.
She seemed like the perfect little sister type—always bubbly, small and cute, someone you just wanted to protect.
“Oh! Look at that!”
Suddenly yelling, Anna quickly dug into a patch of dirt.
She beamed like she’d found buried treasure and showed something in her palm.
“Look, Lady Aselin! Isn’t it adorable?”
It was a plump caterpillar with fuzzy hair, its body squirming with an alarming number of tiny legs. Aselin stared, stunned. She’d seen her collection of bugs while growing herbs, but never anything this massive.
As the fat caterpillar tried to escape between Anna’s fingers, it slipped into a clear tube.
“Perfect! That’s ten!”
Anna grinned and cheered while her container wiggled with caterpillars.
Aselin couldn’t help but feel itchy all over.
“Anna, why are you collecting these?”
“They’re not just any caterpillars. These are special.”
Anna casually added another one to the tube and dropped in a Haribdella leaf before snapping the lid shut.
The caterpillars quickly latched onto the leaf and began munching.
Soon, their squirming bodies turned a shimmering gold.
“I fed them these leaves, and they grew super fast. They even skipped the cocoon phase and turned into butterflies in just ten days. The crazy part? They’re the size of sparrows!”
Anna laughed brightly and tucked the jar into her apron.
Butterflies the size of sparrows? That can’t be real…
Just as Aselin was about to ask more—
“Anna! Stop slacking and get back to work!”
The gardener’s voice rang out.
“Ah, sorry! Gotta go. See you next time!”
Anna waved and ran off.
Butterflies the size of birds… It sounded ridiculous, but judging from the caterpillars’ size, it might not be impossible.
Aselin quickly left the garden.
She had to finish Prince Claude’s treatment and rush to the lab. Her steps grew faster with urgency.
But suddenly, she stopped.
There, blocking her path, sat Silver—the enormous beast.
His sheer size and presence sent chills down her spine, but after their last encounter, she knew that it’s better not to panic.
Aselin walked toward him calmly, like approaching a familiar guard dog.
Then, without warning, Silver jumped to his feet and sprinted toward her at terrifying speed.
Before she could react, he leapt—and pinned her to the ground.
She thought it was the end. She was going to die here.
But instead, a warm tongue licked her cheek.
Startled, she turned to see Silver wagging his tail excitedly.
Aselin sat up, meeting his bright, affectionate eyes.
Silver licked her hand, his tongue tickling.
“Silver… were you just happy to see me? Is that why you ran over?”
Silver barked twice as if saying “Yes!”
She chuckled and stroked his large head, from his soft ears down to his furry chin.
As she scratched him, Silver sniffed around—then buried his face right into her pocket.
Not just her arms.
Specifically, her pocket.
