Chapter 20

"Miss, I've packed everything."

"Look. The rabbit's face is puffed up, isn't it?"

"Wow!"

I got out of bed and ran over, and Jeti put the rabbit bag on my shoulder.

"Hee. You're so cute. Can I carry you to the study room?"

"Yes! I like it!"

I snuggled up to Joon and observed her expression.

Despite her perfect deduction, Joon seemed to have no particular thoughts.

Well, it's not surprising.

The idea of Primera coming from a family other than the Huang family is as absurd as a whale walking on land.

I don't need to be anxious; I just need to follow my plan step by step.

Today is...

The day to execute the grand operation to get Cheshire, which can no longer be postponed.

I need to carry out the first step today.

"By the way, big sister!"

"Yes, Miss!"

"Where is the apothecary?"

"The apothecary?"

* * *

The apothecary of the Rubinstein Dukedom.

"Knock knock."

Young physician Flynn Schultz, who was dozing off at the sunny window, suddenly sat up.

"What, what is it?"

"Knock knock."

He wiped his mouth and looked around, and a young voice was heard from outside the door.

"Who is it?"

When he opened the door, he saw a child holding a bunch of flowers and smiling.

With her cute twin braids and blue eyes, she was clearly the daughter of this house.

Flynn, who immediately recognized her, was surprised.

"Who, who is this? Isn't it Lady Hokshe? I heard the mansion has been buzzing for a few days..."

"Yes, that's right! Nice to meet you, Flynn! My name is Liris!"

"Ah, you know me? I haven't even introduced myself yet?"

"Yes! My sisters say that Flynn is an incredibly smart doctor. They say if you go to Flynn when you're sick, he'll make you all better."

"Hehe, that's true. I'm quite capable..."

As Flynn chuckled and wiped his nose, he suddenly jumped up.

"Could you be here because you're sick?"

"Ahaha! No. I just wanted to say hello to Flynn. This is a gift. I picked it from the garden because the spring scent was so beautiful."

Liris handed over the bouquet with a sweet smile, and Flynn was moved to cover his mouth.

What a cute little angel...

"Ah, thank you, Lady. The apothecary was rather dull, but these flowers will make it much prettier."

After receiving the flowers and looking for a vase, Liris followed Flynn like a little chick.

"By the way, Flynn."

"Yes, Lady."

"Do you have the fairy's tears here?"

"Fairy's tears? Ah! Are you talking about Salvacion?"

"Yes! That's it!"

"Yes, I have it here. Do you need it?"

When Flynn asked, Liris opened her eyes wide and blinked.

"I heard it's a very precious medicine. Can I have it too?"

"Aha. It is, but..."

A kind of mysterious antidote. Salvacion was very rare and monopolized by the royal family to prevent easy circulation.

It was also given as a gift once a month to a few families approved by the emperor.

While those who desperately needed Salvacion could never get it, the royal family and some nobles used it like a tonic, brewing it as tea...

"As a direct descendant of the Rubinstein family, you are certainly qualified. Of course, you can have it."

"Aha, I see. I read in a book that it's very good. Can you give me some? I want to make tea for my dad..."

"Oh, my. What a kind little girl..."

This little girl wants to make tea for her dad!

Flynn understood why the servants had been praising this young lady for the past few days.

"Of course, I'll give it to you. Just sign your name here. You can come back anytime."

"Wow! Thank you!"

Liris wrote her name on the apothecary's record book with her small hand.

"Liri... s, Rubi... n, Schta... in."

"Ah."

Even her wobbly handwriting was adorable, and Flynn shivered.

* * *

'Preparation complete!'

I proudly stroked the rabbit bag, which was now puffed up.

'Now, how do I sneak out...?'

To go out with the body of a seven-year-old child, a guardian is essential.

If I go out alone and come back, I'll be caught by the back of the neck and locked in my room.

Then...

Who is strong enough to secretly take me out and also protect me?

Jeti and Joon?

'Wrong.'

My dedicated bodyguard?

'Wrong.'

Mr. Lewis, the ace of the Rubinstein soldiers?

'Wrong.'

Hehe.

Just then, someone poked my cheek.

"Let's play if your class is over, kid."

It was Leon.

And Theo was beside him.

Seeing the twins who came right after my class ended, I smiled.

'Ding dong dang.'

Right, my big brothers!

"What do you want to play today? Want to go catch spiders? Furry ones."

"Ha, Leon. Have you already forgotten what your mother said? Girls don't like spiders."

"But the kid said she likes them."

They were still bickering like twelve-year-olds...

'But they are the second strongest people in this house after our dad. Yes.'

Judging by appearance alone is problematic.

The twins are capable.

They have already graduated from the ability development program and have their abilities open.

Their rank is even Dos.

They are terrifying talents who can pin down large bodyguards to the wall with just a flick of their finger.

"I don't have the energy to play. I'm hungry..."

I lay back on the bed.

"Hungry? Then let's go to the dining room."

"The food in the dining room isn't tasty..."

Theo asked kindly, but I curled up and refused.

"Then what should we do? What do you want to eat?"

"There is something, but it's not here."

"What is it?"

"The food we used to eat when we lived in our old house with Dad..."

"Aha."

The twins fell silent behind me.

After a moment of silence, their conversation could be heard.

"It's probably something commoners eat. If we ask the chef, will he not make it?"

"Are you stupid? How would a noble family's chef know what commoners eat?"

"Then what should we do? Oh, we can go out and eat it. Liris, do you want to go to a commoner's restaurant?"

It's falling into place.

I lay back and added to the conversation.

"Will the adults allow it?"

"Hmm, that's true. If we say we're going to a commoner's restaurant, Mom will hit us on the back, right?"

"Ah, that's true..."

Unlike the easily swayed Leon, Theo, who had a bit of a FM personality, seemed hesitant.

I pouted at the thoughtful Theo.

"Big brother, Liris is hungry..."

"Ah."

Finally, Theo quietly came up with a solution.

"Then let's sneak out and come back."

* * *

The twins and I pretended to catch spiders in the garden for a while and then slowly moved toward the back door and the wall.

Going out isn't the problem, but to avoid taking a bodyguard or a servant, this is the best method!

...According to Theo's plan.

"Ugh."

"Liris, are you okay?"

"Uh-huh."

I groaned as I squeezed my small body through a hole under the wall.

"Make it bigger. Theo, you idiot."

"No, if it's too big, it will be noticeable."

Leon and Theo, who were already on the other side of the wall, chattered.

Of course, the hole wasn't there originally; Theo had carefully made it with magic.

I am the weak baby Liris, unlike the two who can easily jump over the wall...

"Ahem. Liris, success."

"Ugh, I'm all dirty."

Theo, who had come out of the hole, proudly made a V sign and carefully brushed off my dirty skirt.

"All done."

"Uh-huh! Thank you, big brother."

"No problem. Shall we go now?"

Just then, Theo, who was about to take a step, stumbled.

"Ugh."

He stopped, pressed his forehead, and frowned.

He looked like he was in pain.

"What, what? What's wrong? Big brother, are you hurt?"

"Aah, no, I'm fine."

"What? Again?"

"...Yeah."

"Are you just going out to cause trouble? You should just go back and rest."

"No, I'm really fine. I've had this headache for about six days... It started when I came out."

Seeing the twins exchange words as if they were familiar with Theo's condition, I realized something.

'Right. Theo has a rare disease. So, "six days later" means a seizure.'

In the original story, the twins, who were both destined to die, had these roles:

1. Catalyst for Cheshire's growth.

2. To make readers cry.

Therefore, the "affectionate" Theo was originally set to have a "congenital rare disease."

He was supposed to heal the emotionally closed-off Cheshire with his affection, and then exit the story once he had served his purpose.

'What a cruel author.'

Theo, who was always depicted as a sickly young man in the original story, suffered from "mana conflict."

It was a rare disease where the holy power and magic power in his body periodically clashed, causing seizures.

Theo died in the spring of the year after he turned sixteen, after being knighted.

So, he had a limited time...

"Shall we go, Liris? Why do you look like that? Are you hurt?"

"Ah, uh, no."

Despite saying no, I felt depressed seeing the affectionate Theo carefully checking my condition.

'Ah, big brother, please. Don't use your affectionate setting on me...'

I couldn't help but feel attached to a character who was destined to die.

Feeling melancholic, I firmly held Theo's hand and followed him, recalling a corner of the original story.

"Cheshire Rubinstein wept bitterly, offering the heart of the saint at Theo Antres' grave.

'It's too late. I'm sorry, big brother... I didn't do anything for you. I was so foolish... I...'

It was already too late to offer the flowers.

If she had given them to him while he was alive, Theo Antres would still be smiling beside her."

Although it was known as an incurable disease, there was a method to counteract the mana conflict recorded in an ancient book.

The heart of the saint, or something like that.

Of course, it was a metaphorical expression, and no one knew its true identity.

'In the end, Cheshire found out what it was.'

After Theo's death, Cheshire, knowing it was futile, obsessively tried to interpret the ancient book...

And finally, she found the heart of the saint and offered it at Theo's grave.

"Sigh."

I paused while sighing.

...?

No, wait.

Am I stupid?

"...I know what it is!!!"

I know what it is!!!