I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
“So, have you found the answer?”
The Emperor, seated across from me, asked while looking at me.
“Yes.”
I replied, gesturing towards the water jug placed on the table with one hand while caressing my neck with the other.
“You’ve probably already heard, but there was no issue with the tea leaves. The problem lay with this water.’
“I find that hard to believe.”
The Emperor immediately countered.
“The Emperor may not remember, but this water is from the Tiani Spring.”
Tiani Spring, blessed by the fairies, was a spring known for enhancing the drinker’s energy or enhancing the flavor of ingredients when used in cooking. Of course, it was monopolized by the Pandelion Royal Family.
“All members of the royal family drink this water and use it for cooking.”
“But only the Empress had an issue?”
“Exactly.”
I confirmed as an investigator placed a glass bottle containing tea leaves next to the water jug.
“The problem arose when these tea leaves, boiled using this water, were consumed by someone in poor health.”
I elaborated, pointing to the different flavors of tea leaves and the potent water blessed by the fairies.
“The blessing of the fairies manifested negatively.”
“I see.”
The Emperor mused, examining the water jug and the glass bottle.
“So, the combination of these tea leaves and the water from the Tiani Spring intensified the negative energy.”
“Correct.”
I nodded.
“There was no issue when drinking the water alone or brewing other tea leaves.”
So that’s what we’ve been drinking.
“But when these two tea leaves mixed with the blessing of the fairies, the negative effects were magnified.”
The person who drank it was the Empress, known for her advanced age among the palace residents. While others might have passed it off without incident, it had a significant impact on her.
In other words, the accumulation of negative factors resulted in this incident.
“.…..”
The Emperor fell into silence, seemingly pondering something. Eventually, he called the courtier standing behind me.
“Courtier.”
“Your Majesty, please speak.”
“Do we have the same tea leaves in the palace?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, we recently acquired a new batch.”
“In that case, fetch water from the Tiani Spring and brew tea with those leaves for confirmation.”
The Emperor commanded.
It was a verification process. New water, along with freshly acquired tea leaves. If issues arose even after brewing a new batch of tea, it would validate my claims.
‘The issue is, someone has to drink it.’
If there was a problem with the spring itself, I could summon a water elemental contract holder to confirm, as I did earlier. However, this was a matter of food compatibility.
‘There are other ways to confirm, but it would take a long time.’
There was a possibility of dragging out the process for weeks.
Was he suggesting I remain imprisoned all that time?
Absolutely not.
We’ll confirm by tasting.
I nodded resolutely, my expression firm. It seemed others in the room shared the same thought.
“Your Majesty.”
A noble of unknown identity who followed the Emperor spoke up.
“I apologize for intruding, but determining the compatibility of foods is not easily confirmed. And it takes time, does it not?”
He made a valid point. Hadn’t I just been thinking the same thing?
However, there was a strange feeling lingering, as if there was something hidden beneath the surface.
“So, I believe someone must try the tea.”
He continued, looking at me, implying that I should be the one to drink it.
‘This guy, seriously?’
Of course, if anyone were to drink it, I intended to be the one. Among those in this room, I was the most similar to the Empress in terms of health. No, perhaps the Empress was even healthier than me…
‘Anyway, I’m the most suitable candidate.’
Although there was a courtier who appeared to be of a similar age, I had no intention of allowing myself to be falsely accused and made to suffer.
‘But there’s a difference between me voluntarily drinking it and someone else pressuring me to.’
I glanced at the noble with an innocent look, as if asking what’s the problem.
Should I reach out for it, or simply drink it? I hesitated for a moment, but the conclusion came unexpectedly from elsewhere.
“No need for that.”
It was the Emperor. With a casual wave of his hand, he stopped the noble from speaking further.
“I’ll drink it.”
“Your Majesty!”
Everyone in the room, including me, was surprised. Why would he suddenly decide to drink it himself?
“Your Majesty, please reconsider.”
The courtier urgently tried to dissuade the Emperor.
“If you were to fall while doing so……. I’d rather drink it, we don’t even know how to treat it yet.”
“No, I’ll drink it. If the steward were to collapse, it would be a big problem.”
The Emperor insisted, then glanced up to the noble standing behind him.
“Now that we know the cause so accurately, the Empress should know which direction to take for treatment.”
As he said this, the Emperor looked at me.
I shrugged and smirked.
“Of course.”
“That should be enough for you, Marquis Floyd.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
Marquis Floyd reluctantly bowed his head. However, there was a hint of regret in his fleeting gaze.
Hmm?
As per the Emperor’s command, tea leaves and freshly drawn spring water were brought into the room. In front of everyone, the courtier brewed the tea diligently.
“Here it is.”
Without any hesitation, the Emperor drank all of it. The sound of him gulping down the tea echoed noticeably in the room.
“Hmm.”
The Emperor placed the empty teacup on the silver tray.
“Certainly feels a bit odd. But it’s not enough to make me collapse.”
“Of course not.”
I interjected before Marquis Floyd could say anything strange.
“There’s a significant difference in age and health between Your Majesty and the Empress.”
Such discomfort would have been noted to the point where it wouldn’t have needed mentioning.
‘He didn’t even notice the discomfort. Is that why he decided to drink it himself?’
Turns out, he wasn’t just any Emperor of the Pandelion Empire.
“So, the symptoms may vary. For you, Your Majesty, they might just be minor discomforts!”
I said before the Emperor could speak, guessing the symptoms.
“Right.”
The Emperor nodded in agreement, then asked a question.
“I have a question for the Empress. Is the reason the Empress can’t get up simply because of her advanced age?”
“No, that’s not it.”
Minor discomfort and prolonged confusion. While differences in age and physical condition might result in variation, it wouldn’t have been to such an extreme.
“The wrong prescription worsened the symptoms.”
“Wrong prescription?”
“Yes, the assumption so far has been that the medicine was wrong.”
The investigator confirmed the definitive result two days ago.
‘I’ve been in prison for about a month.’
Hadn’t the Emperor mentioned something about needing over a month of evidence?
Having taken the wrong medicine for so long, it wouldn’t have been easy to regain clarity in such a short period. Moreover, with the cause of the collapse unclear, there would have been more stumbling than finding a proper prescription.
“If the medicine was wrong, then there’s no reason for the Empress to get better.”
I concluded. If anything, the wrong prescription would only worsen her condition.
At my response, the Emperor sighed deeply, sinking into the back of his chair.
“Viscount Panther”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The investigator, who had remained in the room, quickly approached the Emperor.
“Focus your investigation on these tea leaves and the water from the Tiani Spring again. It should be easier to conclude if there’s a water elemental contract holder. Since the Princess claims to know about the prescription, verify it and prepare the medicine.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll immediately request assistance from Count Melvin.”
“And.”
The Emperor stopped the investigator from moving with his words.
“I heard that something inappropriate happened to Princess Lottie earlier.”
“Oh, yes. Baron Mer insulted Princess Lottie. He’s been confined to prison for now.”
The investigator hesitated, as the punishment for the Baron hadn’t been decided yet. Insulting a member of the royal family was a capital offense in the legal code, but depending on the circumstances, different punishments could be given.
Moreover, I was currently a suspect, so I could add my input.
“How about confiscating his property and exiling him abroad? Baron Mer has contributed greatly in various fields…”
“Those who insult the nobility.”
The Emperor sharply interrupted the investigator’s compromise.
“Face execution.”
It was a dignified statement that left no room for further discussion.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Then, I’ll execute him after escorting Princess Lottie to the palace.”
Perfect.
I smirked.
Baron Mer, who insulted me, would be punished for insulting the nobility.
And returning to the palace meant that my innocence was completely cleared.
‘Finally!’
I could go back to having a normal life, lounging on top-tier furniture with my five companions, sleeping in a bed fit for a racehorse, and having races again.
Eat, sleep, play, repeat. I was determined to do nothing in this lifetime! If I did anything else, I’d be a real idiot.
‘Plus, it seems like the Emperor feels a bit sorry for me after all this.’
He drank the tea himself and swiftly dealt with Baron Mer’s case. It seemed the Emperor wasn’t completely heartless.
‘Then he’ll surely find a top-notch remedy for his frail daughter.’
What should I ask for first? Perhaps a Thousand-Year Mokunda? No, the Starlight Blossom matches better with Mokunda. The World Tree’s Fruit is also good, but those High Elves make it hard to get.
The best for life extension would be a Dragon Heart, but even for a queen, eating the heart of a friend’s kind is a bit much.
Alright, let’s start by asking for the Thousand-Year Mokunda.
As I pondered the recipe for the Thousand-Year Mokunda in my head, a shadow fell over me. When I looked up, the Emperor was staring down at me.
“Princess, I have one question.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“From whom did you learn this kind of knowledge?”
His eyes, casting a shadow over me, gleamed dangerously.
“Was it her?”