Chapter 10

The herb the suspicious doctor was touching…

Clearly, it was written on the nameplate, ‘Violet Herb Root.’

“Oh, of course, it’s top secret! You know, it’s related to His Majesty’s health….”

As Mia regained her senses, she hurriedly asked, “Embra! Are the ingredients for His Majesty’s medicine also managed by the Medical Center?”

Embra tilted her head and answered with a smile, “Common ingredients used in meals are managed by us. Why do you ask?”

Meals.

The word struck Mia as strange. It shouldn’t be, but for some reason, she felt uneasy.

“Could there be a security issue? Actually… there was a strange person earlier!”

“Earlier? What did they do?”

“They touched a herb! It clearly said ‘Violet Herb Root’ on the front!”

“Oh my? Really?”

Unlike Mia, who was anxious, Embra looked at Mia’s face with a peculiar gaze.

“Something like that happened? Are you sure what you saw wasn’t wrong?”

“No! I definitely found it suspicious…”

“You found it suspicious? What was it?”

“Well, I can’t explain it, but…”

Upon hearing those words, Embra laughed lightly and gently patted Mia’s hands as if comforting her.

“Lady, His Majesty has always faced the threat of assassination. That’s why he always receives small doses of poison to build up antibodies. Don’t worry!”

“But even if he doesn’t die, it doesn’t mean he won’t suffer!”

“What?”

Embra’s eyes widened at Mia’s outburst.

“Even if he doesn’t die, it doesn’t mean he won’t suffer… What if he takes that for granted…”

Mia responded anxiously, biting her lip. After a moment of silence, Embra hesitantly spoke up, “Well, I guess… you can think that way too…”

“That’s right!”

Mia teared up. Embra, who belatedly regained her composure, smiled again.

“He’s probably just the doctor responsible for delivering the ingredients. Don’t worry too much!”

“But…”

“Hold on! How are the others doing? I should go now, lady!”

“Embra!”

“Come back next time for dessert! I think our tastes match well!”

Even as Mia held onto her, Embra confidently ushered her out of the medical center.

“Why won’t you listen? It’s definitely Crystal Pine, not that!”

Mia, left in confusion and distress, returned to Adillot’s bedroom, embracing her anxiety. Her mind was filled with the contents of ‘Serenity in the Rose Garden’.

‘At least there hasn’t been a chapter where Adillot suffered from poisoning.’

Mia reassured herself, thinking that if the male lead was in danger, it would have been mentioned. This thought brought some relief, but the uneasiness in her heart remained.

‘But why does it feel like something is about to happen?’

* * *

It was the evening when Mia was guided to Adillot’s personal office. As the door opened, she saw Adillot, dressed comfortably, going through some documents. There was a simple table set in front of him, but it seemed untouched.

“Excuse me…?”

As Mia entered the room, the man standing next to Adillot caught her attention first.

“Ah, nice to finally meet you.”

Mia’s eyes widened at the unexpected person.

Shoulder-length light brown hair, with emerald eyes underneath the silver-framed glasses.

“I’m Joachim Kirsch. I’ve taken on a new administrative role, although it’s not much.”

Mia couldn’t help but chuckle at Joachim’s warm greeting.

“I’m Mia. Nice to meet you!”

“I hope I’m not causing any inconvenience by being here.”

“Not at all! You’re too handsome for that!”

“Haha, it’s a bit embarrassing to hear that in front of His Majesty.”

Joachim chuckled softly.

“Anyway, I’ll have to go to the Eastern region soon, so I won’t be able to stay long. Please take care of His Majesty while I’m away.”

“She’s not my nanny…”

Adillot, who hadn’t lifted his head all this time, grumbled. But as soon as he looked up, he paused.

“…What’s wrong with your hand?”

“Huh?”

Mia looked down at her right hand, wrapped in bandages.

“Oh… I went out and accidentally hurt myself!”

“Accidentally?”

“It’s common for pets to get injured while playing, you know!”

Mia playfully replied, not wanting to talk about the medical center. After all, Adillot must have received information about her visit to the medical center.

‘If he thinks I got hurt in Empress Dowager’s domain, it would be hard to use an excuse.’

Although she didn’t expect him to think that far, Mia didn’t think it would be a problem that Adillot would be concerned about.

However, contrary to her expectations, Adillot’s expression gradually changed.

“Joachim,” he said with a chilling face.

‘…I’m in trouble.’

Mia shrunk her shoulders. The atmosphere was unsettling. Joachim, who noticed it, immediately lowered his head.

“It was an unavoidable incident.”

“….”

“I will accept any punishment.”

“…It should be done discreetly.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

Mia watched them in bewilderment.

‘What kind of conversation is this…?’

It seemed that Adillot and Joachim had the ability to understand each other’s words without needing explicit explanations.

Indeed, Joachim and Ferdian were both on Adillot’s side until the end of the original story. They loved Serenity while keeping it hidden.

‘To be honest, I can’t understand them.’

When Mia shook her head in confusion, Adillot raised an eyebrow.

“Let’s have a meal.”

He pointed to the seat next to him. On the floor, there were several layers of colorful carpets with silver tableware set up.

The carpets looked luxurious, and silk cushions with gold-threaded patterns surrounded the area. Flowers were scattered here and there, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a shah’s space.

All the trays, utensils, and dishes were made of silver, and there were more varieties of food than Adillot himself had.

‘It’s Persian style.’

While Mia was engrossed in her thoughts, Adillot cautiously stated, “Just so you know, this wasn’t my idea.”

“What?”

“It was my idea, Lady Mia.”

“…Huh?”

What was he talking about?

Joachim smiled as if apologizing.

“Since you’re suspected of treason, as an official pet, you had to pretend to be that way. That’s why we had to set up the floor like this.”

So, she really ended up being a pet. Mia had no thoughts about it. As long as she survived, she didn’t care if she had to eat from a dog’s bowl as well.

“I like sitting on the floor! It’s fine.” Mia smiled brightly and took her seat.

Adillot looked at Mia and said, “You should have your hand treated later.”

“But I already had it treated.”

“By someone else, I mean.”

“…?”

Mia didn’t quite understand, but she nodded her head anyway. Adillot’s expression softened for a moment, then returned to being sullen.

“Well then, enjoy your meal.”

Mia laughed and picked up her fork. Just as she was about to pick up a piece of meat and put it in her mouth, her gaze fell on Joachim.

He was watching Mia and Adillot eat with a contented expression. Mia grabbed the hem of Adillot’s clothes, who was sitting in the chair, and tugged on it.

“Um, Sir Joachim isn’t eating…?”

“He doesn’t eat with others.”

“Is that so?”

Come to think of it, Mia had also never seen Serenity and Joachim eating together in the original story.

‘The author… How many stories are hidden, exactly?’

Mia hesitated as she poked at the meat, looking at Joachim with worried eyes.

“Are you worried?”

Adillot keenly noticed Mia’s actions.

“Well, of course.”

Mia blinked her eyes.

As Adillot merrily watched Mia while eating grapes, he moved his hand.

“Huh?”

And just like that.

Flick!

“Ah!?”

He flicked his finger on her forehead. Tears welled up in her eyes. It hurt tremendously for some reason.

“Why!? Why did you hit me!?”

Mia looked up at Adillot with eyes full of question marks.

“Eat your food. Don’t worry about anyone, especially him.”

“Haha.”

Joachim didn’t seem to affirm or deny anything. Mia pouted her cheeks.

“If you treat a pet like this, you’ll go to hell when you die!”

“I’ve killed people, so will I go to heaven then?”

Wow. He left her speechless.

Mia picked up the fork obediently with a sulky face. Adillot read a book throughout the meal, and Joachim did the same.

‘What are they doing at the dining table?’

Mia finished the rather awkward meal because she felt like she should ask for a book herself.

The meal ended quickly and quietly. Just as Mia was rubbing her stomach to soothe her insides, the butler entered, cleared the table, and started bringing in desserts.

At the same time, Mia’s eyes widened.

“Wow! Is this Ramoped’s Carrot Cake? It’s limited to 12 servings a day!”

In front of Mia were three-tiered cake trays and tea. Contrary to Mia’s excitement, Adillot didn’t show any excitement.

Mia glanced at Adillot’s tray. It had a few simple pastries and a small tea set.

“You’re satisfied with just that?”

“Are you concerned?”

“Maybe? Just don’t eat mine.”

Adillot laughed as if he found it absurd and lifted the teapot.

“Your stomach might burst at this rate.”

“I won’t ask you to pick me up, so don’t worry!”

“What… ah.”

Adillot smiled and tilted the teapot.

Drip.

Suddenly, a vivid purple tea poured into the teacup.

Read up to [7] advanced chapters on my ko-fi page. 1-2 release per week. Thank you for reading! If you enjoy it, consider supporting the author by buying the raws or opening up the chapters, also rate it well on NU. (ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)ꕤ.ﾟ