Chapter Twenty-nine: Achievement Reward
A week had passed since the attempted poisoning.
After monitoring Sara’s recovery, Karen was finally truly relieved of her duties.
As expected, it seemed that panacea wasn’t something that could be made normally, and Helfried had warned her never to speak of it. If the royal family found out, she might be imprisoned and forced to make a panacea for the rest of her life. If some evil organization discovered it, she would likely meet the same fate.
Since both options were undesirable, Karen intended to keep her mouth shut tight as a clam. Besides, even though she had made curry several times since then, she couldn’t recreate the panacea. Almost certainly, the cause was the powdered herb she added as a secret ingredient at the end, but that’s precisely why recreation had reached a dead end.
Karen knew nothing about herbs. Something among her various thoughts must have grazed the essence of the herb. But she couldn’t remember at all what had grazed what. She wanted to make it for Sara, Sieg, and the Ehlertt family members who were apparently always exposed to such dangers, but it ended up being just something delicious they all ate together.
“Thank you for lending me the carriage.”
“We couldn’t possibly let the alchemist who healed Sieg walk back home.”
It was helpful since she had brought various things from home. She gratefully had them loaded into the carriage.
All members of the Ehlertt family had gathered in the garden to see Karen off.
Helfried, Alise, Sieg… and Julius.
In the distance, she could see Sara, Sophie, and the people from the east wing.
While feeling overwhelmed by such a grand send-off, there was an important matter to discuss.
Karen cleared her throat and began:
“I would like to discuss the reward for achievement, if possible.”
“I was about to bring that up myself. When you accepted the request, you wanted marriage to Julius as your reward. But after thinking it over for a night, you withdrew that. Is this correct?”
“Yes, that’s exactly right.”
That’s why they agreed to let her think about the reward for her achievement later. Now should be the time for Karen to voice her wish.
As Karen gulped, Helfried spoke:
“I appreciate your noble intention of not wanting to make Sieg’s life a gambling chip. However, isn’t your true wish still marriage to Julius?”
“…Pardon?”
“In my request, I stated ‘The reward is yours to name.’ I don’t intend to go back on those words. Knowing that you desire marriage to Julius, I shall arrange for you two to marry.”
“Wait, please. I would be fine with a completely different reward.”
“There’s no need to be modest.”
“It’s not modesty. It’s just that marriage to someone like Master Julius is far too much for me.”
“As a nobleman, I am prepared to pay a proper reward. I cannot possibly allow myself to gloss over this with some other compensation.”
Karen was at a loss for words.
She had heard from Sara why Helfried was frequently away from the mansion. According to her, Helfried too had been fighting for Sieg’s sake.
When Julius would conquer the royal capital’s dungeon and achieve great merit by it, it was to ensure he could claim a worthy reward from the king—specifically, the legendary magic-sealing artifact said to be in the royal family’s possession. To ensure they wouldn’t try to settle with some other reward.
Sara had said he was flying around social circles, laying the groundwork.
This was Helfried’s iron will.
No matter what Karen said half-heartedly, that will would not waver.
Karen looked at Julius.
Upon meeting her gaze, Julius showed a sweet smile, as if he had known his brother’s intentions. It was a beautiful, bewitching smile.
It would be incredible to marry this man. The most desirable bachelor in the royal capital. Though he would no longer inherit the Ehlertt family title now that Sieg had recovered, Julius would likely be capable of earning his own title someday.
His undeniable beauty.
His noble bloodline as a member of the Ehlertt family.
A kind-hearted person who, while possessing pure strength enough to win sword tournaments and conquer the capital’s dungeon, would even risk his life for his nephew.
The only person who believed her when she said she had made a panacea.
The person who protected Karen when she was nearly killed.
When offered marriage to such a person, normally one would jump at the chance.
In fact, Karen desperately wanted to marry Julius.
As his wife, she could boast to everyone, hold her head high, and look down on Lyos and Marian.
But was that really Karen’s true wish?
If she asked whether this was what she had truly desired from the depths of her heart since her previous life, the answer was absolutely not.
“Let me speak honestly.”
“Yes. Tell us your true feelings without concern for status, our benefactor.”
“At first, I thought there was nothing I wanted more than marriage to someone like Master Julius.”
At Karen’s words, Julius’s eyes widened.
Though trembling under his golden gaze, Karen forced herself to stand tall.
“But now… I don’t want to settle for marriage to Master Julius.”
“…Do you mean you want to become my wife? Or Sieg’s?”
“That’s not it! I want to live as an alchemist!”
Karen shouted and closed her eyes.
Too afraid of what response would come, she couldn’t open them for a while.
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