Chapter 15: The Vigant Residence’s Medicinal Herb Garden
WHEN Mia awoke, dawn had broken.
There were two letters placed by her pillow. One was from Henrik, and the other was from Felix.
Mia sank back against the sheets, pulling the comforter over her head. So it wasn’t a dream. Her head felt fuzzy and she didn’t feel like getting up.
She wished none of it had happened.
She closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath. Then she picked up the letters. After a few moments of consideration, she opened Henrik’s first.
“I was only kidding. Just teasing you. You really are a dummy, aren’t you?”
The breath she was holding came out in a whoosh.
“…Seriously?”
But Mia felt more relieved than angry to discover it had all been a joke at her expense. All the same, she felt the blood rush to her cheeks. Why was she cursed with such a lack of self-awareness?!
“He’s right…I really am a dummy for taking it seriously!”
She felt the frown on her forehead smoothing out, and her breathing came easier. Now she felt ready to confront Felix’s letter.
“I’m so sorry, I had no idea you were frog-phobic! In my defense, I had no idea there was a real one with the other stuff! This time I tried to make sure to give you a decent gift! They’re only Winter Solstice Festival souvenirs, so don’t think too much about it!”
This letter was so frantic, she had to laugh. Classic Felix. He was like a big clumsy dog, terrified it had accidentally offended its beloved owner. Mia giggled a little, picturing Felix with a frantically wagging tail.
Well, it looked like the team equilibrium remained in balance.
Mia let out a little sigh of relief, but then when she spotted the gifts on the bedside table, her eyes widened.
One of them was a brooch. There was also a hair accessory. Both looked fairly distorted but were unmistakably frog-shaped.
Ah, I see…
Now the meaning of the letters was clear to her. They knew that Mia didn’t have the time or mental space for their feelings right now, so they were both trying to smooth things over, pretend like yesterday never happened. For her.
She was moved, tears prickling her eyes.
Thank you, Henrik. Thank you, Felix.
Mia picked up the two little frog items, two matching tears sliding down her cheeks.
✦ ✦ ✦
WHEN Mia went down to help in the clinic, she found Henrik already put to work by Mary.
“Good morning!”
Mia announced her arrival in a loud voice. She didn’t want Henrik’s kind consideration of her feelings to go to waste. She planned to act just like her usual, chipper self.
Once Mom’s cured, if the both of them still feel the same way about me…then I’ll think about how to answer their feelings.
Before giving any real thought to the feelings of potential romantic suitors, she needed to take care of her own business first. And that went for Felix, as well as Henrik.
There would be no second chances. And Mia was determined not to be left with any regrets.
Steeling her nerves, she forced herself to look at Henrik. He raised an eyebrow at her, then wished her a good morning with a mild grin.
Unfortunately for them…
“Oh my!”
Mary looked back and forth between Mia and Henrik, her face stricken. “She turned you down?!” she yelped in dismay.
Mia’s “nothing whatsoever out of the ordinary happened” mask suddenly faltered.
Mary! Please!!!
Mary was ruining all the self-resolve Mia had managed to muster. As she stood there wringing her hands, Henrik cleared his throat. Then he threw back his head and laughed.
Both Mary and Mia looked at him with alarm. Henrik never laughed like that.
“I guess I got rejected!”
Finally, Henrik stopped with the phony laughter. Mary’s shoulders slumped, and she muttered “Oh, what a shame,” under her breath, looking dejected.
“Just when I was starting to get excited about having a hard-working young daughter-in-law around the place…well, these things can’t be forced, I suppose…”
D-Daughter-in-law?!
Her choice of words made Mia freeze, but Mary quickly clapped her hands, getting down to business. “Now then! I need some medicinal herbs from out back. Hop to it!”
Mia had no more time to stand there fretting.
The medicinal herb garden was extremely large. It covered a plot of ground several times larger than that of the sprawling residence. It was neatly divided into sections by little pathways. Each section was protected by glass greenhouses. And each greenhouse was full of all kinds of vibrant medicinal herbs and plants.
The garden seemed to be tended by a lone gardener, an old man working away with a watering can in his hand. It seemed it was time for the plants to get their daily drink.
Mia set out looking for herbs, a list clutched in her hand.
The water droplets dangling from the leaves of the just-watered plants sparkled in the sunlight.
First, we need Naustica and Amurense. Cough medicine and an analgesic…for colds, huh?
Thanks to all the experience she gained with Dr. Letts, it only took her a few moments to locate everything she needed. Mia gathered up the clippings, thinking warm thoughts of her time living and working at Dr. Letts’ clinic. She was happy to be putting her skills to good use.
Um, now I need Motana shoots, then Efdora stalks, uh, Cimmon bark, Jijiba berries…
Mia had never heard of any of these plants. Not knowing where to locate them, she asked the elderly gardener, who showed her to a large greenhouse in the center of the garden.
The gardener told her his name was Bruno.
He also advised Mia to change her shoes.
Mia soon discovered why. The plants in this greenhouse received a different kind of care. While the others thrived on the heat generated by sunlight, the plants here were nourished by a coal stove in the corner from which brass pipes snaked around the walls.
It was incredibly humid inside, and Mia almost swooned.
“We have to order these from the south; it’s hard to cultivate them in these parts. They’re sensitive to cold and tend toward disease, so we have to be careful not to harvest too much from them at once.”
Mia nodded, carefully pruning only the amounts she needed.
Mia pulled on her gloves and began digging up the Motana shoots, plucking the Efdora stalks, and peeling the Cimmon bark. She only took a little bit from each plant. They wouldn’t be able to make much medicine with this.
Then all of a sudden, Mia recalled the “expensive” medications that Henrik had been so upset about.
Rare medicine…could this be it?
The medicine that only aristocrats could get their hands on?
Feeling her stomach drop, Mia carried the medicinal herbs back to the clinic.
There was a medicine preparation room located in the clinic. It was stocked with all kinds of medicines. Several doctors were busy at work, grinding herbs in mortar bowls and steeping them in bubbling hot water.
The unique, mingled scent filled Mia with a feeling of cozy nostalgia. It was a scent she’d smelled every single day, working for Letts, and she found herself reluctant to leave the room. Still, she didn’t want to get in the way, so she put down her ingredients and made to leave at once. But someone called out to her as she was leaving.
“Excuse me, do you think you could lend a hand in here? We’re short-staffed.”
It was Henrik’s father, Rudolf.
“Oh, but I…”
Mia hesitated. Surely they didn’t want an amateur like her to help?
“Henrik said you’re a fine student. Don’t you want to give it a try?”
Mia nodded wordlessly, a nervous lump in her throat.
She didn’t like Rudolf much at all, but she was swayed by the chance to work in a major clinic like this and to see what kind of medicine would be made with the rare ingredients she’d harvested.
Rudolf continued to mix herbs and tinctures as he spoke to her. Apparently, they were low on medicines due to a nasty cold that was going around, which was why Rudolf was here instead of seeing patients.
“The Winter Solstice Festival only increases the spread. Last year was bad, but this year we’ve more patients than ever before among the aristocracy. They think nothing of having doctors called out to their bedside, but it leaves us critically short-staffed.”
The aristocracy. Mia suddenly pictured Henrik’s anguished face. Clenching her fists tight, Mia knew she had to say something. For Henrik.
“Um…why are there different prescriptions for aristocrats and commoners?”
Rudolf raised an eyebrow.
“You’ve been speaking with Henrik. Opened up to you about his weaknesses, did he? Interesting. Very interesting. So that’s why Mary’s been so excited.”
Rudolf was gazing at Mia, looking emotional.
What? What did he and Mary talk about? Mia fidgeted awkwardly, and Rudolf cleared his throat, returning their attention to the task at hand.
“Well, perfect timing. Why don’t you have a go at making that medicine now?”
His proposal made Mia blink in alarm.
“What?”
“Come, now. You’re hardly a beginner. Besides, the process is rather easy.”
“B-But this looks like really high-grade stuff!”
Mia pointed at the Motana roots, which she’d been told were extremely rare.
“Just relax. The procedure is all written down there, see? Just follow the instructions.”
Then with a satisfied nod, Rudolf left the room, heading back to the examination area.