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Several days had passed since my visit to the town with Lord Felix, when we’d bought tools for making medicine, searched for a lost boy’s mother, and gotten tangled up with a rude man who hadn’t recognized me.
These days, the people at the Leeuwenhoek manor were constantly striking up conversations with me. Whenever I was out in the garden with Grandpa Randy, servants would nervously approach me to tell me about their experiences with the medicine I’d distributed.
“Lady Lucille! The salve you gave me worked incredibly well!”
“Oh, that’s wonderful to hear!”
After listening to their accounts, I excitedly jotted them down. Conrad’s motto had been “Take the customers’ candid opinions to heart!” He’d written down every review, good or bad, so that he wouldn’t forget them. And according to Saint Clarissa, “Medicine affects everyone differently, so we must remember which medicine is best for which person.” She’d adjusted the medicine she made to suit each and every one of her patients!
Naturally, I couldn’t be that precise, so I tried my best to make medicine that would work on everyone to some extent.
It’s just like cooking—doing it myself is more fun and exciting than watching it be done!
As a bonus, I’d discovered that there were many types of poisonous plants growing in abundance in the nearby forests. I’d started by making panaceas out of raspweed, but following that, I’d moved on to experimenting with easy-to-make remedies, like a salve for rough hands and a drink to relieve fatigue—Hinako had called this a “nutritional drink.” I made sure to test them on myself first, and if there were no issues, I shared them with the manor’s workers.
Again, it’s just like cooking. After making something, I can’t help but want others to try it!
Recalling all these memories was easy for me. Back when Master Alys extended my lifespan, she had smiled mischievously and said, “My sweet, sweet Lilybell, may you never forget any of the precious moments we shared together, even in the distant future. After all, wouldn’t it be too sad if I were the only one to remember each and every one of these beloved days, minutes, and seconds?”
And so, she had cast a spell on me so that I would never forget anything important. To her, forgetting something was the same as losing it. As a result, I retained detailed memories of all of my past owners, and I could remember just how much I’d loved them.
The unfortunate aspect of this was that because the spell prevented me from losing only important memories, I quickly forgot about things that didn’t interest me. In fact, I had to admit that although I remembered my princess training very well—since I’d taken it seriously—I was already starting to forget Prince Bernard’s face. Not that it really mattered if I did.
“Ha ha ha!” Grandpa Randy laughed boisterously. “You’re the new favorite at the manor, Lucy! It took those fools too long to realize how sweet you are. I knew from the start, though!” he declared proudly.
“Tee hee! Yes, you were my first friend here!”
Not only was he my beloved friend, but he also doted on me as if I were his real granddaughter.
Grandpa Randy gave a slightly embarrassed smile.
“Meooow!” came a complaint from near my feet.
“Myaaa!”
Oh dear, the cats are upset because I called Grandpa Randy my first friend. I meant my first human friend, of course!
“Meow!” I replied. “I love you all dearly as well!”
The cats rolled over cutely as if to say, Fine, we’ll forgive you!
Tee hee! Look at the way they demand attention when they’re jealous. They’re so smol and adorable!
The happy and peaceful times continued...until one day, I went outside and saw Sarah aghast over something at the main manor. It reminded me of when Lord Felix had collapsed due to mana exhaustion.
Did something happen to him again?
My worry was cut short by Lord Felix’s arrival at the scene. He, too, looked pale, but he was undeniably walking on his own two legs.
It’s good that he seems to be fine, but something definitely isn’t right. If I go there and ask what’s wrong, will they tell me?
Lord Felix unconsciously glanced in my direction. Realizing that I was watching them from the detached house, he came over to me.
“Lucille...” he said, his expression grave.
“Did something happen?” I asked.
“A disease of unknown origin is circulating in the town. At first, the symptoms resembled those of the common cold, so I was unfortunately not informed until serious cases began to develop. Some of my workers who commute to the manor are also showing signs of the illness. I will have Sarah stay with you in case you need anything, so please do not leave the detached house.”
He explained that Sarah seemed fine at the moment but was undergoing a magical diagnosis to determine whether or not she had contracted the disease. If the result was negative, she would isolate in the detached house with me.
I looked toward the manor again. Several servants were still coming and going from the building, but they all looked worried.
I turned to Lord Felix. “May I go to the manor?”
“No. We don’t know the cause of the disease, so in the worst-case scenario, it could be life-threatening. If it were to spread to you as well, I would—”
“Lord Felix.”
I knew he was worried about me, and I appreciated it. However, I was protected by Saint Clarissa’s spell for good health, so I knew I wasn’t going to get sick—barring exceptional circumstances. Plus...
“This is why I made those panaceas! Will you let me handle this? I promise it’ll be fine!”
I’d already tested most of my medicine, but there hadn’t been a chance to try the raspweed panaceas yet. In other words, I had plenty in stock!
Lord Felix’s gaze was still tinged with concern. However, he gave permission for me to go, choosing to trust in my confidence.
I hurried back inside my detached house, tossed all of my panaceas into my dark magic dimensional space, and headed straight for the manor. Apparently, the afflicted had been divided into rooms based on the severity of their cases. There were those who had mild symptoms possibly caused by the disease, those whose symptoms had developed to the point where they were confirmed cases, and those who had suddenly become seriously ill.