A tiny gift for the New Year, enjoy!
Chapter Eighteen: Meeting with Father
“Master Sieg, the head of the family is here.”
“Understood. Please let him in.”
The day had come for Sieg to meet his father after a long time.
Helfried entered the room. Karen reflexively straightened her back. Her first impression was that he was a terrifying person who would do anything for Sieg. Karen tried to step back quietly, but Helfried stopped her.
“Karen, stay here.”
“Y-Yes. Understood.”
When Karen didn’t know where to wait, Helfried told her, "Sit on the sofa.”
Sara, who had been standing by the wall, stopped gesturing to the empty spot next to her and crossed her hands.
With no chance to escape, Karen perched timidly on the sofa. Helfried stared briefly at the contract mark on Karen’s hand, then turned back to Sieg.
“Sieg… your complexion looks good.”
By no means could one say Sieg’s complexion was good. Not at all. But to Karen’s eyes, Helfried genuinely meant what he said.
“I believe it’s thanks to Karen, that I can eat breakfast and lunch.”
Sieg answered with a tense expression. It might be true that he had improved compared to before.
“Even now, my fever has gone down, so… could you perhaps release Karen’s contract?”
At the mention of the contract mark, Karen’s eyes went wide.
“To begin with, why did you impose such a contract on Karen?”
Sieg’s blue eyes darkened, resembling the color of deep ocean water.
Karen had become able to recognize this—Sieg’s expression when he was deeply troubled.
She watched nervously, wondering what he was worrying about this time.
“Father, you never would have made such a contract with the doctors who came to examine me before. Yet you made one with Karen. It’s almost like a punishment—like you were angry at her for trying to experiment on me, someone who was dying, and tied our lives together out of spite, am I right?”
“Sieg, that’s—”
“Father, perhaps you had already given up on my life? Well, I suppose that’s understandable. After all, I myself had almost given up.”
“Sieg.”
“Please don’t worry, Father. It can’t be helped, after all. But Karen is seriously trying to cure me. So—”
“Excuse me for interrupting your conversation.”
It took courage to interrupt the conversation between the noble father and son, but she thought letting Sieg continue speaking would be detrimental to his health.
Karen hoped they would see it as an alchemist’s decision to prioritize the patient’s recovery.
Sieg looked at her with glass-like eyes.
“Karen, what is it? I’m speaking with my father.”
“There’s no way Earl Ehlertt would give up on your life, Master Sieg. Why would you think such a thing?”
“But, Karen. No matter how many times I think about it, I can’t find any other explanation for the meaning of that contract mark—”
“This is without a doubt a command from Earl Ehlertt to cure you, Master Sieg.”
“…Command?”
Sieg blinked, looking puzzled.
“Of course, that’s what it is. Especially since I make potions from non-magical materials, he emphasized being careful when using them for you.”
“Is… that so?”
“That’s why I developed a new fever-reducing potion today. My lord, would you like to take a look?”
“Certainly—”
As Helfried nodded, Karen signaled Sara to help change the atmosphere. Sara nodded obediently and brought a wagon with the fever-reducing potion prepared for Sieg.
Both Sieg and Helfried looked identically bewildered.
“What is this smell?”
“Doesn’t it smell… delicious?”
Sieg and Helfried exchanged glances.
“…Is this a dish? Not tea?”
“It’s a fever-reducing potion I created using various ingredients from the kitchen since morning.”
“There’s green onion and eggplant in here…”
Stirring the pot with a ladle, Helfried expression turned dubious. At least, he could tell Sieg could eat it since it was finely chopped.
“Is this really a potion?”
“Please, verify it with the appraisal mirror.”
After peering into the pot with the mirror Sara handed him, Helfried nodded, still looking dubious.
“Green onion and eggplant miso soup. It shows an effect of reducing fever. What is miso?”
“It’s a fermented ingredient made from soybeans. The brown color comes from that.”
This was a homemade miso that Karen had created through trial and error.
“This is a fever-reducing potion made entirely from edible ingredients, in response to your concerns about side effects of non-magical material potions.”
Karen knew that unfamiliar herbs would raise concerns about side effects. This was the result of her persistent efforts.
“Would this provide you with peace of mind?”
“I don’t understand miso… but it does feel reassuring.”
Helfried’s response was slightly hesitant. Perhaps miso was indeed the sticking point. After all, in this world, Karen was the only one who had ever made miso. But without miso, the potion wouldn’t come together.
“I ate it for breakfast too, so your son’s safety is guaranteed.”
“You don’t have a fever, yet you ate a fever-reducing potion without issue?”
“Oh, yes. That’s completely fine. While the appraisal shows it reduces fever, its fundamental effect is actually bringing the body to a healthy temperature.”
“…The problem is how you even know such a thing.”
Helfried’s muttered words were quickly forgotten, overshadowed by Sieg’s next words.
“Does the fact that you ordered Karen to create a safe potion mean you haven’t given up on me, Father?”
“Of course not! Though, to be fair, Earl Ehlertt was terribly frightening when he imposed the contract on me!”
“I apologize for that, Karen.”
Karen had only meant to ease Sieg’s overly serious thoughts and prevent him from recklessly throwing away his life again, so she was startled by the unexpected apology.
“Oh, no, I didn’t mean it like that! I just thought it was a sign of how much you care for your son. I really mean it!”
Helfried narrowed his eyes at Karen’s defensive explanation.
“I appreciate your understanding, Karen. Since you’ve already received sufficient direction, let’s take this opportunity to remove the contract seal.”
“No, I’d prefer to keep it attached a bit longer, in case Master Sieg develops strange worries again.”
“Hahaha, keep it attached to observe, is it?”
While Sieg looked wonderingly at Helfried’s loud laughter, Karen gave him a wry smile and advice.
“Master Sieg, you’re too intelligent and tend to overthink things. Right now, because of your poor health, your thoughts are leaning toward the negative. Just be a little aware of that.”
“…So I was just thinking negatively.”
Sieg breathed as if remembering how to breathe.
His face was turning red.
Just as Karen noticed, Helfried seemed to notice Sieg’s complexion too.
“Sieg, your face is turning red, so you should eat the fever-reducing potion soon.”
“Eh!? Father, you don’t need to feed me! Sara is here! Karen could do it too!”
Helfried brought the miso soup to Sieg’s lips with a spoon.
Sieg turned even redder and became flustered.
But realizing that Sara, radiating a joyful aura despite her expressionlessness, and the grinning Karen had no intention of helping him, he trembled and was happily fed by Helfried.
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