I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 77
CHAPTER 77
Ultimately, some of the herbalists cried, and a few tried to flee but were caught.
Fortunately, the medicine was completed on time.
Ah, the youth these days.
No perseverance, always trying to run away.
It wasn’t like that in my time!
Hmph!
“You may take those medicines.”
I said, pointing to the box full of potions, narrowing my gaze.
“One per person. Feed the medicine along with three cups of water every day. Don’t forget to ventilate twice a day. Even if it’s tough, make sure to bathe with water at least once a day.”
“Okay, got it.”
Stella nodded, her shoulders less slouched than before.
“Is there anything else you need?”
“Yes.”
I replied, crossing my arms.
“We need to find out who sold arsenic-dyed items to the mansion’s inhabitants.”
Earlier, I had put off this task because of the patients.
“I’ve already given the orders.”
Ah, Stella sighed briefly.
“It seems the mansion’s butler has disappeared.”
“The butler?”
I asked.
“Yeah, and when we checked the transactions, it seems the nonexistent transactions were made.”
“….”
“There are no traces of staying at the inn, no traces of buying or selling goods in the market. We might release more people for investigation, but all we have are records of passing through the waterway.”
“When did they pass through the waterway?”
“Anna.”
“I’ve transcribed the records.”
Ah, it must be difficult to keep records on the waterway’s wall.
Stella, being a princess, promptly handed them over.
As I read the paper, I noticed two strange points.
One was that the record of passing through the gate was similar to what I remembered from the past.
And the other was…
“There’s no record of them leaving the waterway?”
“Yeah.”
Stella sighed, placing her hands on her waist.
“It means the unidentified ghost remains in the waterway.”
“Hmm.”
Handing the paper back to Stella, I added.
“If you find out more about this individual, please share it with me.”
It was something that happened in the Ashart Kingdom, but it was an old story that some knew while others didn’t.
So to find the manufacturer, one had to trace it back from the individuals.
“Whatever the reason, it’s surprising they made such a thing again.”
This arsenic-made color was pretty and cheap, so many people bought it.
Even though merchants knew it was dangerous, they sold it anyway for profit.
As a result, the number of victims multiplied several times over.
“Hah.”
As I sighed briefly, Stella nodded.
“I’ll make sure to inform you. Now, are you going in to rest?”
“Yes, I’m exhausted.”
I felt like hanging a sign that said, ‘Today’s prepared energy has been completely exhausted, so I’m going to rest now.’
Don’t block my way to the bed.
I’ll bite them all!
“Then Anna will take you to the palace. I’m planning to go straight to the upper guild in the capital.”
Stella, who was robust unlike me, seemed ready to move immediately to find clues.
“All right, I appreciate it.”
“I’m the one who should be grateful.”
Stella smiled.
“Frankly, I had a lot of doubts about asking you at first, but it turned out to be the right choice.”
With that, Stella reached out her hand.
“I’ll repay this favor one way or another.”
I looked at her gloved hand for a moment, then shook it with a grin.
“I’ll be looking forward to it, Your Highness.”
* * *
“I’m b-back.”
I flopped onto the bed and blinked.
Today was another exhausting day filled with hard work.
Luckily, my body didn’t ache as much this time.
Maybe it was because of the daily tea made from leaves of the World Tree, brewed lightly after enduring the bitter taste and diligently chewing them.
Lying blankly on the bed for a moment, I realized once again.
‘Am I working too hard?’
I wasn’t supposed to do what I used to do in the past.
That was a definite break.
But, with all sorts of problems arising, am I not just pushing myself to the brink?
Whenever a big problem occurs, I end up lying in bed for days afterward.
It seems like this pattern has become ingrained.
“No!”
I screamed and jumped out of bed.
Then I wrapped the blanket around me like a shield.
‘I can’t spend my life like this.’
I need to rest!
I need to have fun!!
‘But…’
What does having fun even mean?
I still sat on the bed, the blanket draped over me, blinking.
‘What do normal people do when they rest?’
Hobbies…?
What are my hobbies?
First, preparing herbs.
Finding new herbs.
Researching new ways to use herbs.
Creating new medicine and testing it on others.
Drinking alcohol.
‘Enough of this.’
I got up from the bed.
Then I opened the door and walked out.
Instead of lying in my room and pondering, I decided to ask around about what other people do.
“On my days off, I usually sleep, Your Highness.”
“I like flowers, so I buy bouquets and decorate.”
“I sometimes knit with my wife. It’s fun because the things we knit sell for a good price.”
“I’m developing new recipes. Oh, Your Highness, can we get more herbs from Rome? I want to try them in my new dish.”
All passed!
I shook my head as I walked down the corridor.
None of these resting methods appealed to me.
‘But I should tell Liena to get more herbs.’
I enjoy it when the chef makes delicious food.
‘Now that I’ve checked inside the mansion, should I go to the garden and the stables and ask there?’
What if someone says, ‘My hobby is plucking weeds!’?
I shook my head at the thought.
Hmm, narrowing my eyes, I halted my steps as I headed towards the garden.
A gentle breeze carrying the rich scent of summer wafted from a distance.
Turning my head in the direction of the wind, a beautiful garden unfolded before me.
Carefully tended flowers and trees swayed in the breeze, and the evening sun descended gracefully upon them.
It was a perfect scene.
‘Beautiful.’
I thought unconsciously.
When I first arrived, the garden was a mess, all thanks to Baron Dean.
When did it become so beautiful?
“.…”
I stared at the garden for a moment, then turned around and took in the view of my palace.
As expected, at first the place was a mess and there were no people.
“It’s all done here!”
“Mariam! Mariam! The chef is calling for you!”
“I’ll go now!”
People were bustling around.
“Hmm.”
I glanced at the garden and then at the mansion again.
Seeing my achievements laid out before me, I felt strangely satisfied.
‘I always only saw my achievements getting blown away…’
Whenever I shared new cultivation methods for herbs, merchants would monopolize them and keep the secrets hidden.
If I shared new medicine recipes, the medical guild would hoard them, claiming,
“This disease can only be treated by our guild!”
I thought I might as well head straight to the underworld in the next life if I died this early.
If I died so soon, even the boatmen of the Three Rivers wouldn’t take payment!
Moreover, some people spread poison that could kill others just to protect themselves.
‘But oh well.’
When I developed a cure for an incurable disease, when I found cheaper herbs for people to grow healthier, and when I discovered herbs that grew abundantly after several reincarnations, I felt exactly like this.
‘This is it.’
Sitting on a garden chair with a clear view of the mansion and the garden, I basked in the feeling.
A well-maintained mansion, a flourishing garden, and healthy people.
‘My hobby.’
Looking at my achievements.
Both the mansion and the garden.
Feeling proud that my efforts contributed even a little to the lively movement of those people.
As the wind picked up again, I gazed at the mansion and the garden for a while longer.
“Your Highness!”
It was Betty who found me.
Now with her hair neatly tied in two, Betty approached lightly.
“What are you doing here?”
“Admiring the garden and the mansion. It’s quite satisfying, don’t you think, compared to when it was just you and me?”
‘We don’t have any dinner prepared. We might starve.’
Betty said that with a serious face just a few months ago.
“That’s true.”
Betty nodded as she looked at the garden and the mansion.
“All thanks to you, Your Highness!”
“It was possible because of you.”
With my gaze fixed on the garden, I spoke.
“If you weren’t by my side, I would have struggled a bit.”
Honestly, a comforting hand to hold in such desperate situations can be a tremendous source of strength.
“Your Highness…”
Betty, overly moved by my words, burst into tears.
“You truly are my Princess Lottie!!”
“Oh, come on now.”
I comforted Betty before remembering something I had forgotten.
“Right, Betty. Would you like to come to my room with me to find Liena?”
“Yes, leave it to me!”
Later, I handed a gift to the two who came to my room.
It was clothes made by Miller.
I had hidden them as a surprise gift and almost forgot about them myself.
“Oh my goodness!”
“S-Shocks…”
Liena was surprised, and Betty fainted.
But soon enough, Betty regained her composure and enthusiastically ran around with the box.
How adorable.
It’s nice to see her laugh so brightly.
And so, the day ended warmly…
<Contractor!>
I thought you were leaving.
<Hey, Contractor!!>
Elam appeared.
Darn it.