Laila gestured to a servant to call up her disciple, who had been waiting below.
After she briefly explained the situation, the disciple nodded a few times and pulled a jade medicine case from his robes.
“I only have two pills with me at the moment. Will this suffice?”
“You only have two, and you’re giving them to me? Thank you so much!”
When I asked what price would be appropriate to pay, he pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.
“Money is fine. Instead, if I visit the mansion occasionally, please open the barrier and allow me to collect herbs from the Allure region. If you do that, I will manufacture suppressant pills for you whenever you need them in the future.”
The Allure region was inaccessible to anyone who wasn’t of the Hestian bloodline.
Because of that, it was home to many unstudied mystical plants and pristine medicinal ingredients.
It wasn’t strange for a medicine maker to want to go there.
“Opening the path isn’t a problem. However, there are low-level monsters released by my older brother living there, so it isn’t entirely safe. Would that still be alright?”
“Is a healer not a mage at their core? Low-level monsters are no threat, so you need not worry about that part.”
If he was aware of the risks and had the ability to handle them, I had no reason to stop him.
Even if he was lower-ranked than Laila, a high-level healer’s suppressant pills were rare and expensive.
If I could obtain them regularly, they would be a massive help for Locke’s ruts as a dominant Alpha.
However, since the Count’s family would be held responsible if anything happened within their territory, I voiced my concerns.
He promised not to hold the family liable for any issues.
Furthermore, given it was a secret area, he pledged to visit no more than once a month and only harvest a set amount of herbs.
“Will that truly be enough?”
“It is more than enough. The herbs growing in the Allure region are so rare they are practically priceless.”
I nodded readily.
“I’ll let my mother know.”
“Thank you.”
“Actually, I’m the one who should be thanking you both. This will be a wonderful gift for my acquaintance.”
“And I am grateful for the opportunity to study such herbs.”
“It all worked out well then,” Laila said with a smile.
Having gained an unexpected harvest, I quickly stood up and saw Laila and her disciple off to the front of the mansion.
I watched until her carriage disappeared, only to realize Howard was standing blankly beside me.
“Why are you here?!” I shouted, startled.
The fact that he was here meant Locke and the boutique owner were alone in the drawing room.
I scrambled back toward the drawing room.
“Locke!”
I flung the door open urgently.
However, the room was empty. I stood frozen in the doorway for a moment.
When Howard approached and asked if I had left something behind, I told him it was nothing and closed the door.
‘Why did I run back here, anyway……?’
I didn’t know why, but the moment I imagined the owner and Locke alone in a room together, my heart had shriveled with a cold chill.
And when I saw the empty room, it felt as though the blood had drained from my body.
Unable to find the source of this uncomfortable feeling, I remained lost in a somber mood for a while.
Whether someone had left a window open or not, the scent of grass heavy with morning dew wafted in from early dawn.
A faint hint of roses drifted over it.
Rising groggily from bed, I rubbed my eyes and checked the table.
I had felt the rose scent and wondered, but the vase was empty again today.
‘I guess he’s not bringing them anymore.’
Now Locke knew what it meant for a noble to be gifted flowers.
Even so, if he kept bringing roses, it would inevitably be seen as the “sentimental” gift my mother worried about.
I knew that in my head, but…… I couldn’t quite let go of the lingering attachment and tasted a bit of bitterness.
I suppose the rose scent I smelled was just the fragrance from the garden being carried through the window by the dawn breeze.
Still feeling a bit disappointed, I picked up the medicine sitting on a plate and swallowed it.
Normally, I would have thrown it away, but since I made a promise to Laila, I decided to take it for the time being.
“Whew……”
After finishing a glass of water, I walked over to the sofa.
It was about time to prepare for the departure to the Marquis’s estate.
On the table in front of the sofa lay the colorful accessories I had the servants bring out yesterday.
With this sickly face, no matter how fine my clothes were, I wouldn’t command much authority.
I figured I had to at least flaunt the overflowing wealth of the Hestian family so the other nobles wouldn’t look down on me.
To that end, I had prepared jewelry made by famous artisans.
“Young Master, I will help you dress in your formal wear.”
Right on time, Anna and another servant entered, pushing a rack holding the outfit I was to wear.
I stood up silently and left myself in the hands of the two servants.
They dressed me in a blouse exquisitely finished with high-quality gold thread and ivory pants.
Then, they draped a navy jacket embroidered with gold over me and adjusted the fit once more.
Once I was fully dressed, I looked a bit more presentable than before.
Actually, Cedric’s appearance wasn’t bad at all.
His portrait in the room was torn, so I didn’t know what he looked like before he fell ill, but there’s a basic level of features, isn’t there?
The Count and Countess were elegant and dignified even in their forties.
My mother, in particular, was so young and beautiful she could pass for being unmarried.
Ciel, too—it was only because he had no interest in romance that he didn’t care, but the marriage proposals and rose gifts never stopped.
Even the malicious Cassian couldn’t be faulted for his looks.
Despite his clear illness, Cedric had well-defined double eyelids and thick, lush golden eyelashes.
His high bridge and plump, small lips weren’t bad either, and his eyes, in particular, shone with a light more beautiful than any jewel.
They were the most beautiful and elegant green eyes I had ever seen.
If I could just put on about 10kg, I’d definitely look quite good.
As I was looking at the mirror gloomily, Anna pinned a brooch shaped like a swan—the family crest—onto my left chest.
“Don’t I look too much like a skeleton?”
I asked, but I felt like I’d be hurt if she actually agreed.
I waited for an answer, but she just made a “Hmm” sound while inspecting me closely, unable to answer easily.
So, it’s a “yes.”
My shoulders slumped down.
“This is a problem. I don’t want to make Eclat regret choosing me as her partner.”
“Pardon? Regret? Not at all!”
“But didn’t you hesitate to answer because I look so pathetic……?”
“No! It’s just that something felt missing. I feel like Young Master Cassian always added something more here, but I couldn’t remember what it was.”
Cassian, who worked hard to solidify his position among the nobles, had debuted in society early.
Thus, he was faster than anyone when it came to trends.
He naturally liked dressing up, and his features suited flamboyant styles.
Compared to a guy like that, my appearance was bound to feel plain.
Furthermore, since Anna wasn’t the servant in charge of his clothing, she couldn’t remember the details.
She checked my outfit for a long time, and only when it was time to leave did she finally clap her hands!
“Ah, I remember. Magic tools. You don’t have a magic tool!”
In the world of ‘The Emperor’s Consort’, magic tools were not only for protection against monsters but also an accessory that signaled one’s status and worth.
Much like high-end jewelry or ceremonial swords of the Middle Ages, the family’s wealth could be gauged by the value of the mana stone embedded in the accessory.
Since it was a world where monsters existed and could pop out anytime, nobles carried magic tools like jewelry, handing them to servants or storing them separately when indoors.
While the other servant was tidying up, Anna leaned in and whispered.
“Should I sneak off and bring one of Young Master Cassian’s?”
I shouted back at Anna as if boasting.
“I have one too, a magic tool!”
I picked up my light luggage and headed down to the lobby where the carriage was waiting.
Eclat and Ciel, who had stayed at the mansion for a few days to travel to the Marquis’s estate together, were scheduled to come down after finishing their preparations.
Since Eclat had arrived in her family’s carriage and planned to head straight home after the banquet, we were moving in two carriages: one from the Count’s house and one from the Viscount’s.
I had already pulled some strings regarding Locke’s morning schedule.
So, he should have been out here waiting for me by this time, but there wasn’t a hair of him in sight.
‘Did I come down too early because I was excited?’
I was craning my neck toward the servants’ quarters when ‘thud, thud’—the sound of boots hitting the marble came from behind. I turned around quickly to see Locke walking toward me.
When our eyes met, he bowed his head smoothly.
“I am a bit late as I am not used to these clothes.”
I intended to brag to him immediately that I was wearing the magic tool he gave me.
But the moment he walked toward me in those clothes, my mind went blank, and I couldn’t think of a single thing.
With every step, his hair—darker than the night sky—waved gently.
Beneath it, the golden shimmer in his long, deep eyes was brilliant.
The jacket, which wrapped around his body with an elegant fit, emphasized his perfect physique even more.
The black silk pants cinched around his sturdy thighs with every step, tightening before falling back into place.
I stared at the fabric as if possessed.
It was just as the boutique owner had said.
This formal wear was clearly born for Locke.
‘……This is insane. Those thighs.’
Even from another man’s perspective, he was perfect enough to make one lose their mind.
