Chapter 4. Signs of Change (2)

“Your Highness? Are you feeling unwell?”

I observed Jeanne’s complexion. She kept frowning while clearing her throat repeatedly.

“I think my throat is a bit swollen.”

Could it be because of the peaches? If she doesn’t eat peaches due to allergies, that might be why her throat is swollen. There’s no guarantee that the cooking utensils were completely separated when making other snacks.

What should I do? Are there allergy medicines in this world? While this world has built a fairly convenient civilization using magical power, I’m not sure how advanced their medical technology is.

Should I call the family physician? But it would take quite a while to get here. Should I call a doctor from the nearest village?

Many thoughts crossed my mind in the brief moment I considered what would be the most efficient solution.

Then, Patricia spoke up.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

“It’s nothing.”

Though Jeanne dismissed it calmly, her voice was clearly different from before. Her expression wasn’t good either.

“If you’re uncomfortable, perhaps you should take some medicine?”

At Patricia’s words, Jeanne looked at her with narrowed eyes. Patricia received her gaze without concern. The faint smile that gracefully appeared even looked leisurely.

“What medicine do you mean?”

“I beg your pardon. Since your throat seems to hurt…… Lady Penvernon, could you check if there’s any medicine that might help Her Highness?”

Patricia elegantly extended her hand to point at me.

“Medicine?”

I opened my eyes wide at the unexpected request.

Did we prepare any basic medicines? I don’t remember giving such instructions.

While the main house might have such things, this is just a villa. Moreover, it’s a space that just finished renovation with little lived-in feeling, and it was questionable if there was anything beyond the furniture needed for the farm play.

‘Of course, the maids might have prepared it on their own……’

More than that, does the concept of basic medicine even exist here? That would require technology to preserve medicine for long periods.

No, no. Think about it, it could be possible. They could just use preservation magic.

“Well, I’m not sure if we have such things……”

I caught Julia’s eye as she stood by the doorway. She recognized my glance and quickly approached.

“Do we have any medicine prepared for throat swelling?”

“I apologize. We don’t have any medicine stocked.”

“Still, shouldn’t we at least look? We can’t let Her Highness remain uncomfortable.”

Before I could respond to Julia’s words, Patricia interjected. I looked at her with suspicious eyes.

“Since I’ve left the villa’s management entirely to Julia, her words won’t be wrong.”

“Ah, if I’ve been rude, I apologize. I have no other intentions. I’m just concerned because Her Highness seems troubled. I always carry medicine because of my own throat issues, but I feel hesitant to offer my personal medicine, so I keep asking.”

She placed her hand on her chest and lowered her gaze.

“Indeed. I’m worried she might be quite ill.”

“Should she perhaps return to the Imperial Palace?”

Other noble ladies agreed with Patricia’s words. Rather than supporting Patricia, they clearly showed concern for Jeanne’s condition.

But something felt strange. Suddenly, an inexplicable anxiety surged in my mind, making everything seem suspicious. My heart pounded wildly as if someone was hitting my chest with a huge hammer.

It wasn’t particularly strange or suspicious that Patricia would be overly attentive to Jeanne’s comfort, given that she was considered a candidate for Crown Princess. Yet it kept feeling that way.

However, without evidence, it was difficult to voice my ominous premonition. Showing distrust based on mere intuition would be undignified, inappropriate behavior for a Duchess.

Helplessly, I asked Jeanne. After all, her opinion mattered most.

“Your Highness, shall I call for the carriage?”

Jeanne shook her head. With that small movement, her long golden hair swayed gently.

“This much is fine. I’m probably just tired. Don’t worry too much. I’m sorry for spoiling the mood.”

“Not at all. Then, shall I prepare a different drink?”

“Please bring me some warm water.”

I relayed this to Julia.

Soon, the tea room maid from outside came in carrying a tray with a silver teapot and new cup. She placed the tray on the wagon by the door and skillfully poured the water.

“Here is the water you requested, my lady.”

I took the cup she handed me. The water filling the cup was warm and had a faint scent of cinnamon.

“Ah. You added cinnamon.”

“Yes. I heard it’s good for throat swelling……”

Just as the maid was about to step back with a bow, having completed her task,

“Isn’t there any medicine good for the throat?”

Patricia asked her again. The maid looked puzzled for a moment before suddenly changing her expression and nodding her head vigorously.

“Yes, yes. We do have some. Shall I bring it?”

“Could we request that too? What do you think, Your Highness? It seems you might need it.”

“……Then perhaps we should, Alisa.”

Though she had denied it before, Jeanne must have been quite uncomfortable as she accepted Patricia’s suggestion and requested the medicine from me.

When she ignored Patricia and asked me directly, the surrounding noble ladies began exchanging glances among themselves. I easily understood what they were saying with their eyes.

Her Highness must not like Lady Limnike.

How could she become Crown Princess like this? Even if she does, I see hardship ahead.

That didn’t matter to me. I stared down at the cup I hadn’t yet handed over. The cinnamon scent from the water made me feel dizzy. Had this scent always been so nauseating?

“……No, Your Highness.”

An answer closer to instinct than reason burst out. I was startled by my own unfiltered, unrefined honest response.

“Alisa?”

“Lady Penvernon.”

Jeanne and Patricia called me simultaneously.

「……Both their gazes flew and pierced into Alisa.」

White letters scattered across the black background in my mind. I felt dizzy.

“I’ve never ordered such medicine to be prepared. I cannot give Your Highness medicine I don’t know about.”

“But my lady, Her Highness seems unwell.”

“Still, I cannot.”

“Then perhaps I could offer mine, Your Highness?”

Patricia took out a folded paper from her small bag. It looked like powdered medicine.

“No. Water is enough.”

Her throat must have swollen more, as Jeanne’s voice sounded even more dull as she coldly rejected Patricia’s offer.

「Patricia put the medicine back in her bag with a bitter smile.」

Jeanne asked me for the water. I moved to hand her the cup with slow gestures. The cup filled with water felt strangely heavy, making my hands tremble.

At that moment, a sentence flashed through my mind.

「Without the glass pufferfish poison added, the medicine’s effects would work even faster. Since the plan had gone wrong, they needed to prepare for what would come next.」

Glass pufferfish? Poison? What does this mean?

“Alisa?”

My hand stopped just before passing the cup to Jeanne. I gripped the cup handle tightly. Countless question marks filled my mind.

Why did Patricia try to make Jeanne take medicine? What kind of medicine was it? Why did she think the medicine would work faster when she failed to make her take it? Why didn’t she offer her own medicine from the start, instead of insistently looking for medicine from me?

……What was that medicine needed for in the first place?

When my thoughts reached that point, the outer sides of both arms grew cold and chilly.

Crash!

My hands lost strength involuntarily and the cup fell toward me. Water spilled from the overturned cup, soaking my chest and arms completely.

“Oh my!”

I jumped up with a startled cry. The water trickled down and seeped into my clothes. Thank goodness the water had only been warmed to a drinkable temperature.

“Are you alright, Alisa?”

“I’m sorry! My hands suddenly lost strength……”

Julia hurriedly brought a handkerchief and wiped my wet skin.

“Ah!”

I let out another sharp scream when the handkerchief touched my arm. My skin stung terribly. Looking at it curiously, I saw the skin where the water had touched was swelling up red all over.

“What is this……”

Something flashed through my mind, and I whipped my head toward the tea room maid.

Sure enough, she was cowering with a terrified expression, and when our eyes met, she shrank even more and showed tears.

“What did you……”

「Patricia’s eyes were cold. Still, the Imperial Princess had already eaten the moon apple, so that would do. She could only hope what was consumed earlier would be enough.」

The emerging sentence left me speechless for a moment. I glared at Patricia with fierce eyes. She maintained an indifferent expression, as if observing the situation. A faint smile played in her violet eyes as she looked at me. It was a sneer.

What was consumed earlier… Water with the same cinnamon scent as the tea. Skin that swells upon contact with water. I had heard of an herb that caused such side effects. While pondering the name of a certain flower that crossed my mind, I desperately called out to Jeanne.

“Your…… Highness.”

“Alisa? Are you alright?”

Jeanne worried about me in her dull voice. I shook my head. I wasn’t the one who needed to be worried about right now.

“Quickly, you need to throw up what you’ve eaten!”

“What?”

Jeanne made a bewildered expression at my sudden urgency. Her face asked what I was talking about.

“There was a problem with the food that was prepared. So hurry! Julia, help Her Highness!”

I grabbed Jeanne’s hand and looked for Julia.