“[This is a time marker.]”

“Your Grace, I’ve brought your meal.”

The day was no different from any other. 8 AM. As the clock struck the hour, a maid would wheel in a trolley carrying the Count’s breakfast.

A warm mushroom soup and freshly baked bread that seemed to release white steam when torn apart. By appearance, the meal seemed nothing short of a feast fit for the Count.

However, the problem was that Akkia didn’t think so.

The time was shortly after his arrival at Count Heidern’s residence, post his departure from the palace. Akkia had suffered for days from the poison present in the soup.

Fortunately, it wasn’t enough to claim his life. Just enough to make him severely ill for a few days. There’s a saying that even the hardest rock gets eroded by constant water droplets.

Even a trace amount of poison, if continuously exposed, was dangerous. And that’s exactly what they had intended.

‘To slowly die in this small territory where there was no one on his side.’

Yes, there was no one on his side in the Count’s territory.

Hence, Akkia was on his guard against everyone, waiting, suspecting, longing for the day when he could leave this unbearable, transparent prison.

And then.

[It would be inconvenient if I caught a cold from you. Drink this, quickly.]

Recalling the absurd excuses and juvenile behavior from last night made Akkia frown.

It was too impulsive. Making a medic concoct a medicine for a cold.

For some reason, his nerves were on edge that day.

The way her fair cheeks flushed with fever, the usually melodious voice turning hoarse and punctuated with a hacking cough, everything.

‘Redhaired…’

Was it because that color was rare in the empire? She stood out like a droplet of blood on untouched, pristine snow.

Perhaps, she was the first woman to leave such an impression on him.

Or perhaps, it was out of pity for the medic who braved the storm on his command to gather herbs from the mountain.

[You mentioned that there had been poison in your food. You might have already ingested it over time, so I’ve made an antidote.]

Was that statement really out of concern for him?

“There’s no way.”

But he denied that thought. How could someone he had only met a few days ago be genuinely concerned about him? If he were to die or get hurt, they would lose a lot. That must be the reason.

There was no way she would be concerned for him. The ones who truly cared for him were already dead.

Suddenly, he felt as if the scent of blood, which used to pervade his body in the past, brushed past his nose. Feeling nauseous, Akkia pushed the trolley away with his foot.

And then, Lea entered with a knock.

“Your Grace, I apologize. I’m a little late.”

She rushed into the room with the tea, seemingly having overslept again. Lea placed the teacup on the table where the Count was sitting.

“I’m relieved that you haven’t started eating yet. I was worried about what I would do if you had already begun.”

He glanced at Lea, who was panting heavily as if she had run all the way. Judging by her flushed cheeks, it seemed her cold hadn’t fully recovered.

‘I’m having unnecessary thoughts again.’

He scoffed at himself. He then watched Lea, who was bustling around.

After tasting a bit of the soup and bread on the trolley, Lea flipped the hourglass. Her actions were as natural as if it were the most normal thing to do.

‘What will she do if there really is poison?’

As a medic, she should know the danger of poison better than anyone else. Was she not scared, or did she just not think about it?

As he observed Lea with a puzzled gaze,

“Your Grace, it seems there’s no problem with the meal. Please start with the tea first. Sanjoin is more effective on an empty stomach.”

Lea pushed the teacup towards Akkia with a shy smile. Eating food that might have been poisoned and yet, such an innocent smile.

He started to get annoyed with such a woman.

“[This is a time marker.]”
Lea, having finished lunch, stepped out into the backyard for a walk. Her body felt heavy at times, perhaps due to the severe cold she had suffered a few days ago.

“Ah, I should drink this.”

From her possession, Lea pulled out a small potion bottle emitting a yellow glow. It was a blend of fruits and herbs rich in vitamins and minerals colloquially, a vitamin supplement!

Originally, it was being researched to boost the Count’s energy.

Coincidentally, a human test was needed, and Lea was testing its effects by taking it herself.

“Ah, it’s sour.”

‘I wish it could be a little less acidic, should I add flavoring?’

Perhaps due to the high concentration of vitamins, taking it consistently for a week definitely had an effect on fatigue relief. It seemed that her skin was also becoming brighter.

Lea was lost in thought, looking at the empty vitamin bottle she had emptied. A group of passing maids approached her.

“Miss Alchemist, what are you drinking?”

“Oh, this is a vitamin supplement.”

“A supplement? What is that?”

“Does it provide nutrients?”

The maids cocked their heads at the unfamiliar term ‘supplement’.