Episode 13:
First Business Trip (2)
With a loud bang, the door flew open, revealing a face Temia had never seen before.
Not just the face—the clothing, too, clearly didn’t belong in this neighborhood.
A long, stiff black skirt that reached down to the ankles, paired with a pristine, snow-white maid’s apron.
A maid?
Temia recognized the uniform—one she was all too familiar with before she became a noble.
The stranger, breathless, suddenly shouted in a panicked voice.
“Please help me! I’m begging you!”
The chattering customer who had been talking froze mid-sentence and, startled by the sight, scrambled out in a hurry.
Judging from how they ran off, they probably wanted to avoid dealing with the mage upstairs who might come down to scold them.
But a sudden plea for help? There were no appointments at this hour. That meant this guest wasn’t scheduled—an uninvited one.
Even so, someone in such desperation needed at least to be heard out. The maid was visibly anxious.
“First, could you tell me what’s going on? I need to know what kind of help you need so I can assist you properly.”
Helping someone in need felt natural to Temia.
Maybe it was because of what happened with Kaili—Temia couldn’t bring herself to turn away someone asking for help.
That regret, for not acting before, had haunted her all her life.
And so, despite the panic in the maid’s voice, Temia remained calm. The maid, reassured, stammered as she spoke.
“M-my young master is very ill. I think he needs medicine, but we don’t know where to get it. Ah, the physician gave us a prescription!”
She held out a paper with ingredients and medicine listed. Temia quickly skimmed the list and asked carefully:
“What are his symptoms? And how old is he?”
“He’s… He’s nine years old. He has a high fever, sore throat, and… and red rashes all over his body!”
This place was a workshop, so they did carry some healing potions. Temia recalled brewing some medicines earlier.
There had to be something among the shelves that could help with those symptoms.
She began scanning the shelves, searching through bottles while recalling the list of items she’d memorized.
Surely there was something useful—
“Found it!”
She cried out in joy, reaching toward a bottle—then stopped mid-reach.
One of the ingredients required caution.
Fairy Wing Powder.
It had fever-reducing properties, but depending on the dosage, it could cause hallucinations or severe vomiting.
It was strictly written on the label: Only to be used under the supervision of the mage who brewed it.
And besides…
I’m not allowed to sell this on my own.
Laws in the Kingdom of Rostia forbade direct magical use on people without a certified healing license. Any potion using such ingredients had to be approved by a licensed mage.
That meant Temia couldn’t sell the potion alone. And the problem was…
Lowell wasn’t here today.
> “I have an errand today, so I’ll be away for a bit. Don’t worry, the scheduled customers can buy everything without needing me.”
The maid’s eyes wavered with fear as she saw Temia hesitate. Her anxiety was painfully obvious.
Temia couldn’t ignore it—but she also couldn’t break the law.
Her thoughts spun wildly. She knew how dangerous even mild symptoms could be for a child. She understood that better than anyone.
And then—
> If you’re by my side, I think I’ll be able to endure it.
Kaili’s face flashed through her mind. She hadn’t been there for Kaili’s engagement ceremony. Thinking about what could’ve happened there made her head spin.
The hesitation didn’t last.
Temia grabbed the bottle of Fairy Wing Powder.
“Lead the way! I’ll go with you.”
She turned and declared it with conviction.
The maid, shocked, looked relieved. She asked about the mage, but fell silent when Temia said she was his assistant.
An assistant was still under the mage’s authority—and in a crisis, getting the medicine mattered most.
The maid had likely been pressured by the household. If the young master’s condition worsened, she’d take the blame.
Temia, riding in the carriage, let out a quiet sigh and bit her lip.
> “Remima-nim, are you sure this is okay? Even if the master isn’t here, is it really okay to take that powder out?”
The small blue bird fluttered anxiously around Temia.
> “But you know we can’t just leave that kind of thing behind with someone else.”
> “Still, I think you should’ve left at least a note!”
The bird chirped right into her face, its voice piercing her ears.
Temia, finally fed up, gently caught the bird and perched it on her shoulder. Only then did the bird, named Lerry, calm down.
Noticing the maid glancing at her nervously, Temia lowered her voice and whispered to Lerry.
“This is an emergency. I’ve heard that if a child’s fever isn’t controlled in time, it can be life-threatening.”
> “That’s true.”
> “Besides, Fairy Wing Powder is pretty common among nobles. And since a physician is there, we can just ask him for the correct dosage.”
> “Fair point.”
> “And I did leave a note before leaving. I wrote it properly and placed it on the counter.”
She had written clearly:
“Out on a house call.”
It wasn’t a lie. She wasn’t slacking off either. But when Lowell returned and found it, she had no idea what he’d say.
Any plans she had to unravel his secrets would likely be scrapped before she even began.
Still, Temia couldn’t ignore a life-threatening situation. Her grudge was only against Lowell. If she ignored a sick child, everything would become meaningless.
She clasped her trembling hands together.
The best thing now was to return before Lowell found out.
> “Um… I’m grateful you came, but are you sure this won’t cause trouble for you?”
The maid asked carefully. The talking bird still seemed to leave her a little confused.
> “A person’s life is more important than anything else. Or… are we being a burden?”
> “N-no! Not at all. I just worried it might cause trouble since it sounded like your shop shouldn’t be left unattended.”
> “We’re already here, what can we do? Let’s focus on the patient. You said it was the young master? Is the nanny still at the estate?”
> “Yes. She’s still there, watching over him. He’s small for his age and often sick. Always just big enough to wrap his tiny hand around my finger… Oh, I spoke too much. Please forget that.”
The maid quickly wiped away her worried expression and forced a smile.
> “You’ll understand when you see him. We’re here.”
The carriage stopped, and they hurried into the mansion. While the maid opened the door, Temia and Lerry whispered.
> “Lerry, did you see that? She was crying.”
> “Yeah, I saw it. Loyalty? Or maybe something else?”
> “Hard to tell… Let’s go.”
They didn’t push further. Temia brushed off the uneasy feeling and followed into the house.
The way to the sick child’s room was straightforward.
As a minor noble household, they had no money for grand staff or guards, which made it easier for Temia to enter.
Inside, a child lay sweating in bed, red rashes blooming across his flushed face. His lips were pale, showing clear signs of illness.
A servant by the bed looked up as they entered.
> “Sona, you’re back! And this is…?”
> “She’s the mage’s assistant. He wasn’t at the workshop, but she brought the necessary medicine.”
> “Oh, thank goodness. The fever just won’t go down. We’ve been so worried.”
At that moment, Lerry, who had been calmly perched on Temia’s shoulder, suddenly jumped up.
> “The fever’s high! He’s nine, right? For an average child that age, two spoonfuls of Fairy Wing Powder should be perfect!”
> “Th-the bird is talking—?”
> “It’s a summoned spirit, not just a bird. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt anyone. Now, could you please take us to the physician?”
> “Oh! Of course. Sona, go bring some tea for our guest.”
Sona nodded and left. The situation was being handled smoothly.
Temia handed over the ingredients and, after receiving payment, was offered tea. Though her task was done, Sona lingered nearby.
As Temia was about to ask why, Sona hesitantly spoke first.
> “Um… about that medicine you brought earlier…”
