Chapter 11
“…It worked.”
Back in my room, I flopped onto the bed, unable to hide my excitement.
My legs kicked the air without thinking.
I didn’t know why I felt so happy.
It was even more thrilling than when the emperor filled my room with rare roses for my seventh birthday.
‘This is just the beginning.’
I knew everything about controlling demonic energy. Food was only a small part. From health remedies to herbs, I knew it all.
All that knowledge had been gathered to help the emperor and earn his trust. I had searched every royal library and used every method to collect information.
‘I never thought this knowledge would be used like this.’
It was strange. The information I had collected to help the emperor was now keeping the royal family’s greatest enemy alive.
‘If I try gradually, six years from now things should be much better.’
Even if Carlos ever went out of control, as long as his body held up, he could survive.
‘That’s enough.’
I felt certain he could live. Hugging my pillow, I smiled quietly.
‘He said it’s not bad.’
Those words kept repeating in my head.
It was just a simple comment. He ate it because it wasn’t poisoned.
Yet, for some reason, it made me incredibly happy.
I rolled under the blanket for a bit, enjoying the feeling—until…
“Ugh.”
A sudden sting of pain came from my arm.
When I lifted it, I saw blood seeping through the bandages.
“I guess the bandage wasn’t enough.”
I had removed the bandages Mia had wrapped to make the red refined stones for Carlos, and messed with the wound.
Normally, the bleeding would stop in about a week, but this time it seemed slower.
‘Is it because I’m only thirteen?’
Back when I was a princess, I was used to bloodletting. Even deep cuts healed quickly.
This body hadn’t been trained to that level yet.
The pain wasn’t a problem—I could endure it—but if the blood soaked through my clothes, it might raise suspicions.
‘The pharmacy… was on the first floor of the annex, right?’
I remembered Mia’s comment from a few days ago. There were no servants staying here, so it should be empty now.
‘I’ll quietly treat it and go back.’
I didn’t hesitate. I stood up and left quietly.
The path to the annex was quiet.
‘I could believe nobody lives this way.’
Except for Mia trailing in the main building, I rarely saw any servants here.
This path seemed completely deserted.
‘The path looks well-maintained…’
Walking along the straight stone road, I stopped suddenly.
Through the arching wisteria ahead, I saw the annex building.
A strange feeling washed over me.
“Is this… the annex?”
I had imagined it would be old and abandoned.
Instead, it was small, neat, and tidy—more orderly than the main building.
The three-story ivory-colored building shone in the sunlight.
The roof looked freshly painted in bright red.
The grass below was short and well-kept.
‘Why is it so well-maintained?’
The main building felt so barren in comparison.
I paused, staring, then slowly walked past the wisteria toward the building.
“Looks like nobody’s here.”
Sunlight poured in through the large windows.
The scene was peaceful and quiet.
Only the sound of my shoes clicked softly on the marble floor.
Walking down the hall, I suddenly stopped.
“…Where is the pharmacy, exactly?”
None of the many doors on the first-floor hallway had signs.
“Hmm, this is tricky.”
I hadn’t expected this obstacle.
‘Should I ask Mia for help now?’
I shook my head.
Mia would interrogate me about the wound—why it happened, where I got hurt, why I didn’t say anything.
She was the only lively, nosy presence in the otherwise desolate Grand Duke’s residence.
“I have no choice.”
I started checking the nearest doors. Most rooms were empty; some seemed to be guest rooms or storage.
Then, I suddenly stopped.
‘Huh?’
At the end of the hallway, a large door painted pale sky blue caught my eye.
“What’s that?”
I didn’t even know why I moved toward it.
When I realized, my hand was on the door handle.
‘Could this be… the pharmacy?’
Probably not.
Who would make a pharmacy so grand at the end of a hall, with a different paint color?
Still, I couldn’t bring myself to turn away.
I wanted to open it.
‘You never know.’
I gave myself that unconvincing excuse and slowly turned the handle.
At first, a mix of textile scents hit my nose. Dust floated in the light, obscuring my view.
After blinking a few times, I could see inside.
I couldn’t help but gasp.
‘What… is this place?’
A large window opened to a garden.
Soft rugs, chiffon curtains, a mobile hanging from the ceiling.
A small pink bed sat in the center of the room.
Even a brief glance made it clear—this was the room of the lost Grand Duchess.
‘Why has this been left untouched?’
It was even cleaned. Not a speck of dust was visible.
I stared blankly.
A tiny bed fit for a two-year-old sat straight ahead.
The rocking horse by the window gleamed as if polished daily.
Toys and stuffed animals filled the room.
‘Could this have been my room?’
A sudden thought struck me.
If the emperor hadn’t taken me, maybe I would have grown up here.
Sleeping in that bed, rocking on that horse, playing in the garden outside.
My chest tightened.
It was similar to the feeling I had a few days ago when I wandered the White Rose Garden.
‘What is this feeling…?’
An unknown emotion rose to my throat.
Was it sadness, emptiness, or something else?
After some time, I stepped back as if waking from a dream.
It was a reflex.
‘Why am I like this?’
There was no reason to dwell on it.
It was in the past, and nothing could change it.
I hurried to close the door and leave the annex.
Then suddenly—
“What is this?”
A voice made my heart drop.
