CHAPTER 08
The Mysterious Illness
(From Prince Braud’s Point of View)
Sorry for all the typos.
Many people seemed to dislike me.
I was a member of the royal family, born some time after the current king ascended the throne. My mother had been a lady-in-waiting to the queen. She had black hair and black eyes, and I was born from the union between her and the former king.
Although I carried royal blood, I hardly looked like royalty at all.
Every member of the royal family possessed shining blond hair, brilliant blue eyes, and an almost radiant aura. It had been that way for generations. Because of that, people said I was cursed.
That was how I grew up.
Still, I didn’t care much about being a royal.
My father, my mother, the current king, and the queen all loved me dearly. That was enough.
Everyone else either believed the rumors about the curse or feared them. Most people wouldn’t even come near me. Some would flee the moment they saw me.
But that was fine.
I wanted to do something meaningful for the people who understood and accepted me.
That was why I began researching medicine.
Medicine saved lives.
A country could not exist without its people.
So I devoted myself to that path.
More than anything, I wanted to support my older brother—the king.
The first time I saw her was at my nephew’s engagement ceremony.
She was only ten years old, yet she possessed a maturity and wisdom far beyond her age. To me, she seemed dazzling.
Her vivid red hair looked like living flames, and her deep green eyes shone with unwavering determination.
She spoke with confidence, carefully considering the future of her family and taking full responsibility for her own words. Some of her remarks could even be considered rude, but it was obvious that everything she said was for the good of the kingdom.
For the first time in a long while, I found someone truly beautiful.
“I’m going to catch that girl.”
“Huh?”
My father looked at me with a mischievous grin.
Apparently, he had taken quite a liking to her.
As I watched from behind my father while he spoke to her, I noticed how small she really was.
The overwhelming aura of strength I had sensed earlier seemed to have vanished.
Yet she walked directly toward me.
Toward me—the supposedly cursed prince.
After introducing myself, I learned that she had heard the rumors about me.
There was nothing good in those rumors.
And yet, instead of shrinking away, her eyes sparkled with excitement. She grabbed my hand and shook it enthusiastically.
The energetic young girl proudly told me that she made medicines herself.
That worried me.
Medicine could save lives, but a single mistake could also take them.
I couldn’t simply encourage such a young girl to experiment carelessly.
Feeling a strange sense of responsibility, I asked if I could watch her work someday, assuming she didn’t mind.
Her face lit up with pure joy.
A few days later, I visited her home.
She welcomed me warmly, saying she had been looking forward to my arrival.
The Prime Minister and his two sons were apparently in another room, leaving the two of us alone.
Most of the conversation revolved around medicine.
Or rather, she listened eagerly while asking question after question.
It was clear that she genuinely loved making medicines.
As I observed her work, I couldn’t help but be amazed.
Her understanding of the environment, the equipment, and even the mixing process was flawless. Everything she did was precise and efficient.
“My current dream,” she said proudly, “is to create an item that can nullify love potions and charm magic.”
“Nullify them?”
“Yes. My older brother and younger brother will someday become important people in this kingdom. I want them to marry someone they truly love. But handsome and high-ranking men always attract dangerous women. There will surely be women willing to use any means necessary to trap them! If a child is conceived before the deception is discovered, it will already be too late. That’s why I want to create something that can neutralize those effects beforehand.”
“I’ve created love potions several times before…” I replied thoughtfully. “Sometimes, when magical plants are combined in certain ways, they produce magic stones. If that’s possible, then perhaps such an item could be created.”
I was surprised.
Everything she thought about seemed to be for the sake of others.
As we continued talking, tea and cookies were brought out.
The moment I tasted them, I was stunned.
Both were better than anything I had ever eaten.
“May I ask where these tea leaves and cookies came from?”
She puffed out her chest proudly.
“I made both of them myself! The tea is a blend of chamomile and Assam with a little mint added. The cookies also contain Assam tea leaves mixed into the dough!”
“I was thinking of buying some to take home, but I suppose that’s impossible.”
I took another sip, feeling oddly disappointed.
When it was time to leave, she handed me several packages.
“There was far too much, so please take these as a gift.”
“This much? Are you sure?”
“Of course! Oh, but in exchange, may I visit your laboratory next time and observe your medicine-making?”
“…”
“Would that be a bother?”
I hesitated.
Wasn’t she disgusted by me?
Didn’t the rumors bother her at all?
“It wouldn’t be a problem,” I finally answered. “But… don’t you mind?”
“Why would I? Being able to discuss research with someone I admire sounds wonderful!”
“I-I see. Then… I’ll be waiting for your visit. Excuse me.”
On the way home, her words kept echoing in my mind.
Someone I admire.
The phrase repeated over and over.
“Braud? What’s wrong with you? Your face is bright red.”
The moment I arrived home, my father pointed it out.
Only then did I realize how hot my face felt.
What was happening to me?
“My heart won’t stop racing,” I admitted. “I’m short of breath as well. Perhaps I’ve caught a cold?”
“…Ah. The illness that even doctors give up on.”
I blinked.
“What kind of illness is that?”
My father looked away.
“…Just get some rest.”
“I suppose I will.”
And from that day onward, I found myself suffering from an unexplained condition.
Whenever I thought about her, my heart pounded wildly.
My breathing grew uneven.
And no matter how much I tried to understand it…
I could never discover the cause of this mysterious illness.
