The atmosphere in the capital of Peiren was uneasy.

“Have you heard?”

“Heard what?”

“About dozens of people collapsing.”

“Oh, the people dying at that tavern?”

“I heard they haven’t died yet… but it’s complete chaos? High fevers, delirium… I wonder if it’s an epidemic.”

“What kind of epidemic would spread in winter, not summer? Maybe it’s just the flu. The endless coughing scares me more. With no medicine available, who knows when this flu will end.”

Another person joined in.

“It’s not that simple. Besides the harbor tavern, I hear many people are collapsing everywhere these days.”

“Really?”

“Apparently at some viscount’s estate, everyone from the viscountess to the servants has fallen ill. The same happened at a tavern near the square by the bridge. It’s a complete disaster everywhere, a complete disaster.”

The more people talked, the stranger it seemed.

People gathered in one place suddenly collapsing with identical symptoms? Even food poisoning from sharing the same meal wouldn’t cause everyone to collapse simultaneously. It made no sense.

Someone spoke up.

“What if it’s not a disease but something else?”

“Like what?”

“Poison, perhaps…”

That seemed plausible.

Especially considering the recent scandal with fake red cold medicine containing poison, which had led to the ban on medicine sales.

Someone timidly objected.

“Come on, poison is something used against noble lords… why would anyone bother using it on people like us?”

“How can we understand what goes through the minds of villains?”

“That’s right. The red cold medicine wasn’t exclusively purchased by nobles either, was it?”

People wondered.

Who could be behind such terrible acts?

Was it really the Trow family, as everyone suspected? If so, why hadn’t the culprits been caught yet?

***

Leah also wanted to know.

“When and how on earth!” she exclaimed.

“Will we finally catch these Trow scoundrels!”

She had thought that by stopping medicine sales, the Trow conspirators would erase their traces and go into hiding.

Though bitter, she believed this approach was better than continuing to miss their targets. But the culprits did the opposite. They began openly spreading poison everywhere.

“They’re not even hiding poison in fake medicine anymore. Have they completely lost their minds?”

Ruyan asked.

“Wouldn’t this blatant approach make them easier to track?”

“Not necessarily,” the court physician replied with a haggard face.

“The victims of this poison share common symptoms: high fever, unconsciousness, and erratic pulses throughout the body…”

The faces of Ruyan and Rikeil, who were listening, hardened.

“Aren’t those the same symptoms our Leah experienced before?”

“Yes. The more I observe, the more identical they appear.”

The physician said, “They’re clearly feeding people the elixir.”

This was the moment their suspicions about Count Trow’s involvement became firmly established as fact.

“These people have truly gone mad…”

Ruyan muttered, sounding just like his sister. But the threatening aura in his voice was far more menacing than Leah’s.

Karai involuntarily shuddered and spoke up.

“I heard over a hundred people have collapsed.”

“Yes. We’ve already taken in about thirty at our laboratory’s infirmary, but we can’t accommodate any more.”

“From what I understand,” Karai said cautiously.

“Count Trow wouldn’t normally possess this much elixir. He receives his supplies from the Empire.”

He was saying that the Trow side couldn’t have prepared and executed this alone. The others fell into contemplation at Karai’s words.

Rikeil said, “Indeed, the Trow family’s resources alone couldn’t have allowed them to distribute the elixir simultaneously in so many locations.”

“…Then the Oken prince?”

“Most likely.”

Leah was furious.

“That damn lizard, seriously!”

Helix looked down at Leah with concern.

Dragons possessed the greatest power and wisdom.

But young dragons weren’t particularly wise creatures. Like the supreme beings they were, they overflowed with desire and power but lacked self-control.

Young dragons’ possessiveness toward their mana, their magic, and their mages was beyond imagination.

‘Archaik Oken… he may act like a composed and cold-blooded prince in front of other humans.’

But to Leah, he likely behaved like someone who couldn’t comprehend being rejected.

‘I wonder how he’ll approach you this time.’

It was truly concerning, but regardless, Leah and Archaik were connected through dragon mana. Even though Helix had worked to lower the mana concentration, the connection hadn’t been completely severed.

‘I should keep a close eye on her for the time being.’

***

However, circumstances weren’t favorable for Helix to continuously watch over Leah.

Dozens of patients already filling the beds and various reagents requiring his expertise.

He was simply too capable to remain solely by Leah’s side in the laboratory.

“Lord Helix, this compound mixture…!”

A researcher somehow knew exactly where to find him and came running.

Helix’s expression darkened as he had just come to the infirmary briefly to check on Leah. She patted his arm reassuringly.

“You should go.”

Helix sighed softly and firmly held Leah’s hand.

Pop-pop-pong.

Mana flowed abundantly from his warm fingertips. Her palm tingled, and from where they connected, a fluffy sensation spread, making Leah smile broadly.

“…”

Helix looked down at her while still holding her hand. Her smiling face was so beautiful that he couldn’t bring himself to leave.

Pong.

Helix unnecessarily transferred more mana and said, “…Don’t overexert yourself. I’ll be back soon.”

Despite pushing himself much harder, he walked away with eyes showing clear reluctance.

‘He’s so cute…’

The sight of him repeatedly looking back at her while towering over others with his height and build.

Others might say, “What? Cute? Which part of that ice elf king-like appearance?” But to Leah’s eyes, his reluctance to part from her was adorably endearing.

‘And his face when he looks back is so handsome.’

Leah unconsciously twisted her hands together. Without doing this, she felt she might grab anyone nearby and gush about how handsome her Helix was.

Janet, who had quietly approached Leah’s side, remarked.

“My goodness, look at that gaze. The honey is literally dripping from his eyes when he looks at you, my lady.”

“Right? Isn’t our Helix incredibly handsome? It’s unfair. How can such a melting gaze come from that face?”

Janet’s expression soured.

“My lady… how have you managed to hold back from bragging until now?”

“I’m still a person with social etiquette. I can’t just stand here boasting about my lover.”

Lover. Just saying it herself made Leah’s cheeks flush with embarrassment and pride.

“It seems like you’re already bragging plenty…”

“No, I’m not! I’m showing tremendous restraint!”

“Yes, yes.”

Janet responded lifelessly. Even with narrowed eyes, anyone could see Leah radiating a visibly pink aura. It was written all over her melting expression.

‘Why is our Helix just perfect? Why doesn’t he have any flaws? Why is he cute, handsome, and kind all at once?’

Janet shook her head internally.

A woman of unparalleled beauty with flushed cheeks, flustered with excitement—it was truly unfair.

‘Lord Helix is genuinely wonderful, but still.’

She found the lady more precious. Janet unconsciously spoke with a hint of sullenness.

“Still, Lord Helix isn’t really my type.”

“R-really? Why?”

“He’s too proper. I prefer men who are more aggressive, almost beast-like.”

“That’s not true! Helix can be incredibly manly and forceful sometimes!”

Janet’s face showed disbelief. Lord Helix, who visibly held back even when holding hands, forceful?

‘The lady has really been blinded by love.’

Janet nodded half-heartedly.

“Yes, yes. In your eyes, Lord Helix must be perfect. Of course.”

Leah felt somewhat wronged.

‘But it’s true!’

Not like Philip Calosi and others who aggressively tore curtains, but the way he unexpectedly moved in when she was relaxed and off guard was heart-racingly stimulating.

‘How dangerously exciting our Helix can be in that way!’

Helix’s deep, husky voice. His large hands that seemed to burn. His long fingers closing in. His hot breath.

Gently enveloping at first, then suddenly overwhelming when she came to her senses…

‘Ahhh! Stop! Stop!’

Leah slapped her cheeks rapidly.

‘With poison victims and elixir patients flooding in until we’re short on beds! I should focus on finding ways to treat the patients…’

She blinked, her hand still on her cheek.

‘Wait. Come to think of it, we’ve treated elixir patients before, haven’t we?’

***

Leah seized the opportunity when Helix had a moment to breathe and called him over.

“Helix, remember when we rescued those children from the northern slave trader?”

He immediately understood her meaning.

“You want to treat the elixir patients the same way we did then?”

“Yes. The court physician has experience treating them from that time, so it should be easier to implement here.”

After thinking briefly, Helix shook his head.

“The key to that treatment was neutralizing the elixir’s toxicity with diluted dragon blood.”

“So if we dilute Chirpy’s or Karai’s blood…”

“Chirpy is too young for that.”

True to his guardian nature, Helix was sensitive to the well-being of young creatures. Leah had suggested it but was also reluctant, so she nodded in agreement.

“And we can’t keep using Karai’s blood. Back then, we had about a dozen children, but the current influx of patients is on a different scale. And more will keep coming.”

“Hmm… you’re right. Drawing blood each time might kill Karai first. That won’t work.”

“Exactly. And even if we stopped midway, if word got out about the initial treatments, people might target him for his blood.”

“That’s true.”

Leah sighed and agreed.

“It would be safer not to start with that method at all. So what should we do?”

Helix, watching her worry, said.

“Not just the magic school children, but you too are a survivor of the elixir. What about trying the method used on you?”