I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
“Help me instead…….”
Muttering like that, I looked around the room.
The large bed was draped with light, airy fabric.
Though it was late spring, a fire crackled pleasantly on one side of the wall, presumably for the patient’s comfort.
On the round table beside the bed, there was a pitcher filled with what appeared to be cool water.
Seeing a cup next to it suggested it was for drinking.
Alright, shall I use that?
“You said you’d lend me your hand. Then let me sweeten the deal with the Baron’s assistance.”
I deliberately raised my voice so that the royal knights standing a little way off could hear me.
Witnesses are essential in situations like this, after all.
The Baron looked puzzled as he gazed at me.
Well, what now?
I smirked lightly and strode confidently towards the nice thing I’d seen earlier.
Puzzlement quickly turned to astonishment.
“Baron.”
I stood right in front of the blazing fire.
“We need the wood that’s burning here. Can you take it out instead of me?”
“W-What—”
“Oh, of course.”
Thunk!
I kicked the poker that was resting beside the fireplace. It rolled a few times and landed in a corner of the room.
Oops.
“Since there’s no tool, I guess you’ll have to do it bare-handed.”
“!!”
Not only the Baron but also the royal knights who had approached, curious about what was happening, widened their eyes in surprise.
“Your Highness.”
Perhaps thinking it was not appropriate, one of the knights stepped forward.
“Your Highness is making an unreasonable demand of the Baron.”
“Unreasonable? No, I’m just being merciful.”
I raised the corner of my mouth and looked at Baron Mer.
“Baron, tell them. Am I making an unreasonable demand?”
You were the one who said you’d do anything, right?
As the people in the room focused their attention on me, the Baron quickly struggled to compose his expression.
“While I did offer to assist, I didn’t expect to be asked to do something like this…”
Oh, now he’s even on the verge of tears.
“This must be due to my inadequacy in educating you.”
“Baron Mer.”
The knights looked at the Baron with pity in their eyes. Oh, I can’t bear to see this anymore.
“Baron, if you’re going to speak, be precise.”
I cut off the conversation coldly.
“What did you say to me earlier, Baron? You told me I’m a sinner and not to touch anything in this room, didn’t you?”
I smiled, tapping the ornament on the fireplace with my finger.
“The one who granted you the investigative authority was none other than His Majesty the Emperor.”
A Baron preventing an authority granted by the Emperor.
“Furthermore, didn’t you lay hands on a member of the imperial family?”
I lifted the back of the hand that the Baron had struck earlier.
It was so violently struck earlier that the white back of the hand was now tinged with red.
The marks of assault.
Since there was nothing unusual until a moment ago, and now the back of the hand was like this, there was only one obvious culprit.
The Baron’s eyes began to tremble.
“Th-This, um, that is, for educational purposes.”
“No matter your role in education, laying hands on a member of the aristocracy is a serious crime.”
Especially considering Baron Mer wasn’t even my instructor at the moment. In other words, he was just a nobleman defying the aristocracy.
“Moreover, you even dared to ignore the Emperor’s command.”
Assaulting an aristocrat, disregarding imperial orders.
Hmm, along with the Baron’s trembling voice, I could hear the sound of him collapsing.
“Not only will you not uphold the law, but you won’t even keep your promises. Your audacity knows no bounds.”
“…!”
Before I could raise my hand, the knights standing next to the Baron grabbed his arms.
The Baron desperately shouted.
“No, gentlemen. Do you believe those filthy rebel’s words…?!”
Ah, Baron Mer shut his mouth, but it was too late. The royal knights had already heard the phrase “filthy rebel.”
It was a clear insult to the aristocracy.
‘Insulting a noble.’
You can insult the Emperor behind his back, but not in front of him.
‘By the way, how long have you been calling him that, so that it comes out so naturally?’
This is why you should always be a good boy, just like me.
“Take him away. Ensure he faces severe punishment for insulting the Pandelion royal family.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Wait, wait!!”
Two knights dragged the struggling Baron out.
‘One piece of trash taken care of.’
Now, shall we proceed with the task at hand?
“Knight.”
I pointed to the remaining knight, who served as both my escort and surveillance.
“Go and summon a new investigator. We need someone impartial to oversee this.”
Proceeding without proper oversight could backfire later.
“And I’d like to see the tea leaves I presented to Her Majesty earlier.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll fetch the new investigator and the tea leaves.”
The knight bowed deeply and left the room.
“And come closer, Knight. We need to check on the Empress’ condition.”
“Oh, yes!”
The last remaining knight approached me.
I lifted the draped cloth on the bed.
A petite woman lay on the large bed, her eyes closed.
This was the Empress of the Pandelion Empire.
I cautiously reached out my hand. After checking a few things, I furrowed my brow.
‘Her condition is worse than I thought.’
Her eye color was cloudy, and her breathing was slow.
Even considering her age, it was excessively slow.
‘Still, it’s not poison.’
I had encountered several types of poison with similar symptoms, but this wasn’t one of them.
‘It seems more like a reaction to something she ingested that didn’t agree with her.’
As I examined the Empress more closely, there was a knock at the door.
“Excuse me, Your Highness. I’ve brought the new investigator, Viscount Panther.”
The knight had returned with the new investigator.
“I heard you were looking for the tea leaves. These are the tea leaves we had as evidence.”
Had Baron Mer’s story been heard?
He had his long hair tied back, and politely offered me a glass jar containing the tea leaves.
I immediately took out a few tea leaves for examination.
“It seems like these are a blend of two types of tea leaves.”
“Oh, yes. That’s correct.”
The investigator nodded.
“It’s a product that blends Narthe tea leaves with Mugrt tea leaves.”
Narthe and Mugrt tea leaves.
I was familiar with them too.
Tea leaves exported from the Kingdoms of Narthe and Mugrt were so famous that they were named after their respective countries.
They were also two of my favorite types of tea.
But they were mixed?
It felt like mixing sugar and salt.
“We’ve been blending the fragrances and flavors of the two tea leaves to great success in the capital.”
Sweet and salty, huh?
“Then have there been any cases similar to the Empress’ collapse after drinking this tea?”
“No, there haven’t been.”
“Of course, the investigation regarding these tea leaves is concluded.”
As I shook the jar, the investigator nodded, catching my drift.
“Yes, no poison… was detected in the ingredients.”
So, there was no poison in the tea leaves I gifted, and yet I remained imprisoned.
“It’s only been about two days since the results came out.”
The investigator hastily added, but I immediately threw out the next question.
“Have you finished checking the other foods the Empress consumed that day?”
“She collapsed immediately after drinking the tea, so she didn’t consume any other food.”
“What about the teapot or the cups?”
“The investigation is complete, and no poison was detected.”
Hmm.
I narrowed my eyes.
No poison, no issues with the tea leaves, and no problems with the utensils for other foods.
And yet, the Empress collapsed after drinking the tea.
‘What’s the problem?’
What am I missing?
What could it be…?
“Ah.”
Right, that’s it!
* * *
<It’s not bad water!>
That was the correct answer.
<Humans might not accept it. Especially if they’re old humans or sick humans?>
<Not old humans but elderly humans!>
<Sick humans shouldn’t drink it either!!>
The Undines chattered incessantly on top of the transparent water pitcher.
The answer was water.
‘The tea leaves were fine, but there was a problem with the tea itself.’
To brew tea, you needed tea leaves and water.
‘I forgot how important water is.’
I lightly tapped my head.
When I studied herbalism, I knew which water to use and what ingredients were in each.
But when it came to consuming it, as long as it wasn’t muddy water, I just drank it, and it led to this.
“So, this water shouldn’t be consumed by either elderly or sick people?”
I whispered as quietly as possible.
The Empress is an example of the former, and I as an example of the latter.
<Yeah! But if a new person drinks it, they’ll get a little stronger! Because it’s that kind of water!?>
A new person? Aha, a young one.
<That’s right, but elderly or sick people might find it too strong.>
<Why? Are you thirsty, Wanderer? We can give you water!>
<That’s right! Wanderer shouldn’t drink this water. Let us give you some water to drink instead!>
I chuckled at the Undines who were ready to summon water droplets for me immediately.
“No, thank you for offering to help.”
As I expressed my gratitude, the translucent blue faces of the Undines blossomed with smiles.
<Wanderer thanked me!>
<I heard it twice!>
With giggles and laughter, the Undines who were laughing loudly disappeared in an instant.
Smart.
Just then, I heard a knock on the door. Along with it, I heard the voice of the investigator.
“Time’s up. Have you finished organizing your thoughts, Your Highness?”
Having received tea from the investigator and water from the Undines, I had been alone in the small room to gather my thoughts.
In reality, it was to get confirmation from the Undines.
“Come in.”
Before I finished speaking, the door swung open ominously.
The first to enter through the wide-open door was the Emperor.
Following him were the royal knights and an elderly courtier, and the very last person to enter was…
‘Who is that? Not a knight, but seems like a high-ranking noble.’
As I observed, our eyes met, and there was a certain confidence in those eyes.
Hmm?