12. Study Session
“…Hmm.”
Whether he was convinced or not, Lord Keith returned his gaze to the book.
“Ah, um! Lord Keith, do you often read books like this?”
I felt that if he asked any more about my motives, I might slip up, so I decided to ask a question instead. Besides, Lord Keith’s explanations were concise and easy to understand. He seemed quite knowledgeable in this field himself.
“Yes. Originally, my father was also involved in the medical environment of our territories.”
“My, what an admirable man.”
Lord Keith’s father was, in fact, none other than Marquis Winterhalter.
(Come to think of it… in the novel, wasn’t the Winterhalter family judged in the end…?)
I vaguely remembered that both the villainous daughter and son, along with their family, were held accountable for their crimes.
“…Thank you. Shall we continue, then?”
He said it smoothly and opened the medical book in front of him. I had the feeling that this thick medical book contained seeds of hope.
“Please guide me, Lord Keith.”
“Yes. Then, next—”
Lord Keith’s study had an atmosphere both tense and soothing at the same time. I quietly stole a glance at his profile. Beautiful and dignified.
(As I thought… he really feels different from the others.)
The disgust I had felt when meeting the maids for the first time, and the sense of intimidation I felt when seeing Lord Luke, were completely absent. Perhaps, for some reason, he was someone I didn’t need to be on guard against. I couldn’t explain why.
“Lady Liliebel?”
“Ah, sorry!”
I had been lost in thought and hastily looked back at the book in front of me. For some reason, I could read the language of this country just fine. Even the notes I had written before, which weren’t in Japanese, somehow came out smoothly. I was grateful for that.
For a while, I curiously examined the herbal encyclopedia that Lord Keith had lent me, when the bell rang three times. It was a signal for just before noon.
“Lady Liliebel.”
Called by Lord Keith, I looked up.
“Do you have some free time at this hour, Lady Liliebel?”
“Y-yes, I’m free every day…”
I was only receiving thorough care and had no duties as a princess to attend to. As I answered honestly, I tilted my head slightly in thought.
Lord Keith looked away from his book for a moment and quietly continued speaking.
“I see. That works out perfectly. Lord Luke practices swordsmanship at this time, so I am often not called to attend to official duties.”
He was explaining the situation to me. I see now—that’s why I was able to meet him in the library today. And Lord Luke… training every day like that is just superhuman.
“If it pleases you, I was thinking we could use this time to study together regularly. How does that sound?”
At this casual suggestion, my heart suddenly brightened.
“Yes! I would be very happy to! If it’s not a burden to you, I’d truly be grateful.”
I had barely read even one-tenth of this introductory book. I was filled with gratitude that he would continue teaching me.
“Then, I will wait for you in the library at the same time tomorrow. From next time, I’ll also prepare some materials for you.”
“Yes! It was such an easy-to-understand lesson, I’m really looking forward to it. I feel like I could take it every day.”
I spoke with a smile that reflected exactly how I felt. He really was easy to understand, and I could tell he was an exceptionally competent person.
“…Every day is fine. I majored in pharmacy and medicine, after all.”
“Ehhh!? Really…?”
“Yes. If Lady Liliebel wishes it.”
Lord Keith kept his usual expressionless face, but somehow his golden eyes looked softer.
(A daily study session…! This feels a bit like being a student again!)
Until yesterday, I had been feeling down, but now I felt excited all at once.
“I would be very happy to, Lord Keith.”
“Yes.”
And so, I gained the opportunity to have study sessions with Lord Keith.
For over a week after that, I threw myself into studying medicine. It seemed the renovations at the palace were still ongoing. Rosarina had said the construction would last another month or so. It felt like they were doing an extremely large-scale renovation.
The books I had worried about, including the ones in the palace library, were properly delivered to the guest room where I was staying. Even the old gardening tools had been brought.
When I mentioned that I had been tending herbs alone since I was young, Berne became almost tearful. As for Rosarina, her expression turned fierce and terrifying—something I had never seen before—as she muttered, “That vixen…!”
At first, I had been nervous, but now coming here had become part of my daily routine. The sound of flipping pages in a thick medical book, the calm voice explaining things beside me, the soft sunlight, the quiet atmosphere—everything was so comfortable.
“Today’s review. Do you remember the difference between the herbs Yurmina and Zelpha?”
“Yes. Yurmina has a fever-reducing effect and is characterized by its strong bitterness. Zelpha has a high calming effect and a fragrance, so it’s often taken as tea or mixed into beverages.”
With a soft thud, Lord Keith closed the textbook.
“Perfect, Lady Liliebel.”
“Hehe… thank you!”
I couldn’t help but smile. Studying with someone like this—it had probably been since my student days.
“Today marks the seventh day exactly. Your progress is remarkable. You must have a natural aptitude for academics.”
“Oh, not yet! I still want to study more!”
I had confidence that no one could match my determination. After all, I didn’t know the cause of my death.
“I see. Then, let’s advance a little further.”
Lord Keith brought out an even thicker maroon book than the one before. It seemed we were about to tackle a medical text next. While I read the assigned pages, Lord Keith, wearing glasses, was reading through some documents. I was truly grateful that he was taking the time to help me amidst his work.
And then, about ten minutes later…
“Ughhh…”
It wasn’t going to be easy. The medical book was far too specialized; trying to learn it superficially was a huge challenge.
“Lady Liliebel, shall we take a break?”
When my head felt ready to burst, Lord Keith spoke.
“Yes…”
“Today’s lesson has just begun. Page twelve: the structure of the human body.”
“Yes, I’ll do my best…”
Lord Keith turned out to be surprisingly strict. Compared to Lord Luke, the social god, or Lord Roland, revered as a war god, he had seemed reserved, but he spoke to me a lot during lessons.
Though most of the time it was instruction, casual conversation was gradually increasing. Lord Keith clearly treasured his sister, Lady Efa. Perhaps that allowed me to naturally fit into the “younger sister” role as well.
“Lord Keith, shall we take a break after the next page!? I’d love to hear more about Lady Efa.”
“You’re too quick.”
When I raised my hand to suggest it, he immediately refused. Though I hadn’t interacted with Lady Efa much, the siblings’ glossy black hair was beautiful.
Though she seemed dignified and unapproachable, the stories Lord Keith told of her painted her as a lovable, ordinary girl. She sounded wonderful.
“Hehehehe.”
“What’s so funny…?”
Lord Keith looked exasperated at my sudden chuckle. I hoped that, before I died, I might have the chance to get to know Lady Efa as well. I didn’t know the relationship between the supporting princess and villainous daughter in the novel, but I wanted to do many things while I was alive.
“Ah, look! This herb is in my garden too!”
I called out. One of the herbs pictured as a sample at the bottom of the medical book looked very similar to something at the edge of the palace garden.
“That species has been extinct for quite some time… Are you sure…?”
“? Hehe, seeing it like this, I think I might come to love both medicine and herbalism.”
“…Lady Liliebel. May I visit your garden sometime?”
“Yes, of course!”
If I could compare the real herb with the book, studying—even difficult lessons—might be a little fun. Watching Lord Keith who had grown thoughtful for some reason, I thought this to myself.
