Chapter 6
Bibi’s complexion had improved a lot.
The herbalist’s medicine had clearly worked.
“I want to hire you.”
“…Pardon?”
Hadi just blinked with a dumbfounded face, his mouth opening and closing. He looked really shocked.
“But since I don’t have much power yet, it’ll have to be a secret hire.”
“…A secret hire?”
“Yes. I think my father will strongly oppose it.”
At that, his expression turned into one of ‘of course, I expected that.’
“…My Lady, haven’t you heard the rumors about herbalists? Why would you choose…”
Rumors?
Yes, she had heard some of those ridiculous rumors — that people went mad or turned into monsters after taking a herbalist’s medicine.
The old Idette would have believed them.
But the Idette who had regained her past-life memories did not. And now, seeing Bibi’s clear recovery, she was even more certain.
“I don’t believe it.”
“…Why not?”
“Why? If you want a reason — I only believe what I can see.”
Idette shrugged and pointed at Bibi.
“The medicine worked, didn’t it?”
“…But she might go mad later.”
“Could you even make such a drug?”
“…No…”
Hadi muttered, on the verge of tears.
Herbalism was originally a craft to save people, not to harm them. But people always cursed him, accused him, and treated him with contempt.
Now that someone trusted him, all the pain and humiliation he had endured burst out like a dam breaking.
“Ugh… uhhuhhuh…”
Hadi began crying loudly. Idette silently patted his shoulder to comfort him, but that only made him cry harder.
“W–Why are you crying more now?”
“…Th-Thank you for… trusting me, My Lady…”
This time, his gratitude was genuine. Hadi bowed deeply, almost flat on the floor.
***
In the original story, Hanez (the original heroine) hadn’t made much use of herbalists. She was healthy, so she didn’t need to.
What the story focused on was not their abilities but the conflict between herbalists and the Temple.
That’s why Idette didn’t think of them right away either.
But among herbalists, there was one important figure:
Hezebeni, the herbalist who first helped Hanez.
He was a genius. In the slums, there was hardly anyone whose life he hadn’t saved.
“Will you make a contract with me?”
“Y-Yes…!”
Hadi nodded over and over with a dazed face.
In the original story, Hadi wasn’t even mentioned, but since he clearly had some skill, it couldn’t hurt to hire him.
And maybe, by keeping ties with herbalists, Idette could also meet Hezebeni later.
“Then… diagnose my illness.”
“…What exactly hurts? If you tell me the symptoms, I’ll, uh, yes…”
Hadi stammered, still nervous.
“I often get fevers.”
“…Fevers.”
“Sometimes high, sometimes low. I can’t digest food well, so I don’t eat much either.”
“Ah… that can happen when you’re sick.”
“But even though I often have fevers, my body feels cold.”
“What else?”
As Idette listed symptoms, Hadi’s expression grew serious.
“My arms and legs are weak, so even walking is difficult. Sometimes even breathing feels hard, even when I’m not doing anything.”
“May I… check your pulse?”
Hadi asked nervously, then carefully held her wrist.
“…Hmm.”
“What is it?”
“…Your pulse is very weak. Extremely weak.”
That was exactly what the Temple priests had said before.
“They told me I was just born this way.”
“…I think that’s correct.”
“So it can’t be cured?”
“…I-I’m not skilled enough to say for sure, but… I think taking herbal decoctions that restore vitality would help…”
“Alright. Let’s try that first.”
Idette wanted to try anything. She wanted results quickly — she had to prove the medicine worked if she was going to convince her parents.
“Yes, yes! I-I won’t disappoint you. I’ll do my very best!”
Hadi looked determined now.
“…Actually, I don’t feel well even now. I have a fever.”
“Yes, I can sense it…”
She had been enduring it, but her head was already foggy. Talking was becoming harder.
“M-My Lady!”
At last, Idette’s body swayed and she collapsed.
***
When Idette woke up after nearly hovering between life and death, her head felt heavy.
A maid checked on her, then rushed to call the Count and Countess.
It must have been chaos. Her parents burst in, crying again.
“…Sob… Idette…”
“How long was I unconscious?”
“…For days… sob…”
“I’m fine now.”
“The holy power didn’t work at all — do you know how terrified we were…?”
Her parents wept, and Idette gently comforted them.
“…But, who are these people?”
When she looked up, she saw unfamiliar visitors.
Idette had never left the estate in her twelve years of life. At most, she took short walks in the garden. Because she was so frail, her parents avoided bringing guests.
But after three years, visitors had finally come.
Her father, wiping his tears, introduced them.
“This is Duke Sheaird, the Duchess, and their son.”
“…Huh?”
Sheaird? All of a sudden?
Idette gaped in shock.
“Hello.”
The Duchess gave her a gentle smile.
Idette tried to rise in a panic, but—
“No need to get up. I wouldn’t demand formal courtesy from a sick child.”
“…Th-Thank you.”
But seriously — why were the Duke and Duchess of Sheaird here?
Idette looked questioningly at her father.
With teary eyes, he explained:
“The Duchess is also frail, isn’t she?”
“…Yes.”
“But she has managed to stay healthy for more than ten years. So I begged her in a letter to share her methods… and thankfully, she came herself…”
Ah.
That was true. The Duchess had grown weak after giving birth to Brinnen and never recovered fully. Because of this, the Duke resented his son.
Idette’s gaze naturally drifted to the Sheaird heir — Brinnen. He was the male lead, after all.
She stole glance after glance at the handsome boy beside the Duchess. Even at his young age, his looks clearly fit the role of a male lead.
“Would you like to introduce yourself?”
Perhaps noticing Idette’s stares, the Duchess pushed Brinnen gently forward.
“…H-Hello, I’m Idette Lushe.”
“Brinnen Sheaird.”
Her quick greeting was met with a curt, blunt reply.
“Hoho, he’s just shy.”
The Duchess chuckled, but in truth, Brinnen wasn’t shy — he was full of trauma. The Duke knew that, even if the Duchess didn’t.
But that wasn’t the point. The point was: Why were Idette and Brinnen meeting already?
In the original story, they didn’t meet until adulthood!
Maybe I wasn’t supposed to wake up this early…
“Hoho, my son’s face is practically burning. Do you like him, Lady Idette?”
“…Ah, I’m sorry. It’s just… this is the first time I’ve seen someone my age.”
“Oh my.”
The Duchess covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling.
“I see…”
“…?”
What was that look?
Though frail and thin, the Duchess’s eyes still shone with unusual vitality. Meeting her gaze gave Idette goosebumps.
“Let’s talk somewhere else.”
The Duke finally spoke, saying it wasn’t good to linger around the sickroom. The Count eagerly agreed.
“Yes, yes, this way please.”
“I don’t have any real secret method, but since the Count begged so earnestly, I’ll share what I can.”
“Thank you, thank you. I’ll do whatever you advise.”
The Count practically bowed as they left the room together.
Only later would Idette understand what that strange glimmer in the Duchess’s eyes meant.
***
A few days later, when Brinnen returned.
“Wh-Why are you here?”
“… …”
“Uh, Young Master?”
He said nothing, just stared at her. When she met his eyes, he quickly looked away.
Then why did he come?
Of course, her father was overjoyed.
“Welcome, Young Master.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Did you come to see Idette?”
Unlike his silence toward Idette, Brinnen politely greeted her father and handed him a letter written by the Duchess herself.
Inside, it read:
“I hope the children can grow close, like childhood friends.”
