Chapter Nineteen: Countess
“I am Alise, Sieg’s mother.”
“I am Karen, an alchemist. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“I’ve heard from my husband that Sieg’s condition has improved significantly since you took on the request. Thank you for accepting.”
Saying this, Sieg’s mother, Countess Alise Ehlertt, smiled faintly.
She was thin, though not as much as Sieg, with blue eyes sunken deep. The white powder around her eyes was likely due to heavy makeup. Apparently, she cried every night, hiding the redness of her eyes with white powder. Though a potion could easily remedy this, she stubbornly refused to use one.
Glancing briefly at Sophie, the head maid standing beside Alise, Karen noticed her desperate gaze. Karen recalled what Sophie had told her, Alise believed her son Sieg’s illness from the Bloodline Blessing was her fault.
She had a higher magical power than Helfried. Because of this, she was consumed by guilt, blaming herself every day.
When Sophie asked to share some potions with the Countess, who looked like she might collapse at any moment, Karen readily agreed. However, the self-blaming Countess apparently won’t even touch them. Since Sophie looked discouraged, Karen decided to meet Alise directly.
“I explained to the Earl, but I’ve come today to help you understand the treatment plan for Master Sieg as well.”
“My, is that so?”
Alise appeared puzzled. She probably thought Karen had come to make her drink a potion. Sophie also looked like this was unexpected.
But this woman, crushed by her sense of guilt and refusing potions, would surely not drink one no matter what Karen said.
“May I spread my documents on that desk?”
“Of course. I’ll have tea prepared right away.”
“No, please allow me to take care of the tea myself.”
“Oh my… might you be demonstrating potions?”
Alise spoke with a wary look, to which Karen nodded with a smile.
“Exactly. Some of the potions Master Sieg is taking are in the form of tea. I thought you might be interested in what your son consumes, so I’ve brought them. You can even drink them if you’d like.”
“…Potions Sieg is drinking?”
“Please see for yourself what they taste like and what effects they have.”
She seemed to have piqued Alise’s interest. Sophie immediately pushed in a wagon with a tea set.
Karen was offered a chair, and after sitting down across from Alise, she placed a sheet of paper before her.
“Regarding Master Sieg’s future plans, the basic approach is to lower the fever from magical power with potions, temporarily suppress his condition’s deterioration, and have him eat meals necessary for his health.”
“My husband said that with your potions, Sieg has been more comfortable, able to eat, and able to sleep. Is that true?”
“So far, it’s working well.”
There was a precedent with Lyos, where things went well. Though she felt awkward prescribing treatment without being a doctor, she intended to continue since the effects were real.
“Did my husband instruct you to say that just to comfort me?”
Karen was taken aback by Alise’s suspicion and then wondered.
“I’ve received no such instructions. Has something like this happened before?”
“Yes…”
“Even if I say otherwise, you wouldn’t believe me, would you?”
“Indeed… I asked something meaningless.”
Saying this, Alise scrutinized Karen’s contract mark. She didn’t seem to know what kind of contract it was but appeared to recognize that it was one with Helfried. It would be futile to argue that it wasn’t a contract to deceive Alise—her expression suggested as much. Certain now that Sieg inherited his stubbornness from his mother, Karen proceeded to prepare the tea.
“This is the first potion I had Master Sieg drink.”
“It looks just like tea. May I have it examined?”
“Please, feel free to check.”
Sophie had arranged for the appraisal mirror to be brought over as well. After examining it, Alise murmured the results aloud.
“Reduces fever… a blended tea?”
“Would you like to try it? This is what Master Sieg drinks almost every day. So far, we haven’t observed that it would excessively reduce the body temperature of someone without a fever.”
“Oh…”
“I brought it because I thought you might be curious about the taste. Master Sieg said he doesn’t dislike it.”
From the corner of her eye, Karen caught Sophie gesturing as if to say, “That’s not the one.”
Karen was well aware of this, of course. Alise wasn’t running a fever. A fever-reducing potion would be meaningless to her. That’s precisely why Alise would be genuinely curious about the potion her son drinks.
“It’s a potion made from non-magical ingredients, so any side effects would be hard to detect. So if you’re afraid—”
“Since Sieg drinks it, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
With that, Alise gently took the cup and brought it to her lips.
“…It tastes of ginger.”
“It’s included.”
“Aren’t recipes considered trade secrets in alchemy? Is it alright to reveal such things?”
“The taste is obvious, so it doesn’t matter.”
It was something to be mindful of if she planned to sell it in the future. Even when writing research papers, not everything was disclosed. Recipes, in particular, were the lifeline for alchemists. Recovery potions might be said to be made simply with medicinal herbs and water, but some enhance effects by mixing in other ingredients. Magic stones were a famous additional ingredient, but there were likely other recipes unknown to the public.
When the main ingredients exceed three or four, the naming often becomes ambiguous, so she planned to mix various ingredients to obscure the composition when selling. However, in some situations, a potion with ingredients openly listed might provide more reassurance—just like now.
“Would it be inappropriate to examine the other potions?”
“Please feel free to appraise them. That’s exactly why I brought them.”
A chamomile tea to increase appetite, a lavender tea to induce sleep. A honey-lemon water to recover from fatigue.
After examining each one, Alise gave a wry smile.
From here, the potions also began showcasing effects potentially beneficial to Alise herself.
“These are all things Master Sieg consumes daily. Please feel free to confirm.”
Although Karen thought she might not drink, Alise eventually picked up the honey-lemon water and took a sip.
“It’s sweet and sour. Seems like a flavor Sieg would enjoy.”
Wearing a motherly expression, Alise tasted each potion in turn.
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