ITHMF 28

Chapter 28

“The ones I circled are plants that can become poisonous if used incorrectly.”

“Poisonous?”

“Yes. On their own, they’re medicinal herbs, but when mixed with certain other things, they become poisonous. So you need to use them carefully. In the case of recovery potions, most are based on herbalism, so you have to be cautious.”

“Ah, I see. Then which plant should I be most careful with?”

Lovelle seemed to think for a moment, then pointed to an open page and spoke.

“Hmm, first of all, this Tirakus is incompatible with a plant called Levitan. You need to be careful when making potions, but more than that, both of them are also grown as tea leaves, so you must be cautious about consumption.”

“Whoa. So if I drink Tirakus tea and then drink Levitan tea shortly after, that would be a big problem, right? And they just sell this stuff?”

“That’s right. But having it once or twice is fine. They’re not the type where toxicity appears immediately, and unless you drink them frequently, it’s at a level where your body can detoxify on its own. That’s why not many people know about it.”

“Has there never been an issue?”

“Hmm, I don’t think there’s ever been a major problem here. For one thing, mermaids don’t particularly enjoy human tea.”

“What about on land?”

“I remember it being similar there too. Well, I don’t know everything about land circumstances, so I can’t say for certain. Anyway, as long as you don’t mix large amounts, it’s fine, so don’t worry too much. I just noted it down so you’d know.”

“Okay. I’ll make sure to remember it for now.”

“I’ll organize the rest and tell you by next time. Shall we stop here for today?”

“Yeah! Good work today!”

After parting ways with Lovelle, I went straight to my room. I tossed the plant encyclopedia onto the bed and walked over to my desk.

On the desk were some papers and a pen I hadn’t put away.

Ah, I’d been writing a letter and left to go to class. I stared at the blank paper for a moment, then picked up the pen beside it.

—

[To Brother Leric.]

—

I needed Leric’s help to make the camera and voice recorder.

Even though I’d succeeded in making the transparent cloak, my skills were still far below Leric’s. I missed a lot of things too, so Leric’s help was essential.

Actually, asking Dad would have been the fastest option, but… Dad already had so many things to take care of besides me, and I didn’t want to bother him with such trivial matters.

I neatly folded the finished letter, placed it in an envelope, and sealed it.

“I hope I get a reply soon.”

Just thinking about making new magical tools made my heart pound with excitement.

“They both went for horseback riding practice?”

“Yes. They said it will be a while before they return.”

The maid who answered my question bowed politely and withdrew.

I’d arrived at the mansion later than usual because I was working on the magical tool blueprint, and the two of them had already been gone for quite some time.

Hmm, should I just go back too?

Just as I thought it would be best to go back and finish the magical tool blueprint, a soft voice called out to me.

“Oh my, Serenel?”

Riose, who had spotted me, approached with a glad expression. She smiled warmly as I bowed in greeting, then tilted her head.

“Didn’t you go for horseback riding practice?”

“Ah, I came a little late today…”

“Oh my, what brings you here? It’s rare for you to be late, Serenel.”

“I had something that ran a little late. But where are you coming from, Duchess?”

Before she could ask what I’d been doing, I asked her first. I was afraid that if I brought up magic here, I’d have too much to explain.

Fortunately, Riose just smiled gently without saying much.

“I was about to go for a walk. And you can just call me Riose.”

“Huh? Is that really okay?”

“Of course.”

Riose looked at me as if urging me to try calling her that.

But I couldn’t bring myself to call her by just her first name. Is it really okay to call an adult so casually? I hesitated, thinking it might be rude, and Riose urged me with her eyes.

After deliberating, I finally smiled awkwardly and said,

“Then I’ll call you Lady Riose.”

“Alright. I’m glad it makes us feel closer. Ah, Serenel. If you have time, would you like to take a walk with me?”

“A walk?”

“Yes. Maybe it’s because I ran into you? For some reason, I feel like walking alone today would be a little lonely.”

“If it’s alright with you, I’d be happy to.”

I had something I wanted to confirm with Riose anyway. More precisely, I wanted to find out what that black smoke still lingering around Riose really was.

Ever since I’d first spotted that smoke, I’d looked into it from various angles, but I hadn’t found anything definitive.

It was also strange that it had disappeared last time but appeared again. Could it be related to Riose’s death?

The ominous feeling emanating from the black smoke made me frown involuntarily. I figured I’d need to make contact with Riose one more time.

But how?

We weren’t close enough for me to touch her without hesitation, so finding a way was tricky. Lost in thought, I followed Riose as she suggested we go out to the garden.

“How about having some tea outside too? The weather is so lovely today.”

“I’m fine with anything.”

“Then I’ll have them prepare it. Until then, would you like to look around the garden with me?”

“Of course!”

Pushing my worries aside for now, I focused on the conversation. The garden was exquisitely maintained. Riose, who apparently took great interest in gardening, knew an enormous amount about flowers. Every time I asked, she had an answer, which made me admire her anew.

“Ah, Serenel. Do you like flower crowns?”

“Yes! But I don’t know how to make one…”

“I’ll teach you. Have a seat here.”

At Riose’s gesture, maids approached and spread a large cloth in the middle of the garden.

A short while later, a gardener brought some leftover flowers. It seemed he’d gathered the ones in good condition from among the cut stems and fallen petals.

Riose and I sat side by side on the cloth laid out like a picnic mat. She kindly taught me how to make flower crowns and flower bracelets.

“A flower crown might be a bit difficult, but you should be able to make a flower bracelet quickly.”

The bracelet did seem simpler than the crown. Following Riose’s example, I fidgeted and wove my own bracelet.

Should I give this as a gift and try to make contact?

The bracelet I’d made with a hidden motive was a little clumsy, but it at least held its shape.

“I guess I’m not very good with my hands.”

Compared to Riose’s work, mine was truly pathetic. As I smiled sheepishly, Riose waved her hand, saying that wasn’t true.

“Serenel, yours turned out well too! Everyone’s like that at first. When I first started, I couldn’t even get the shape right.”

Was she trying to comfort me? Riose lightly touched my bracelet and smiled gently.

“Really?”

“Yes. Francesca laughed so hard at me. I was so embarrassed that I remember practicing until I could make them perfectly. Ah, Francesca is my cousin. Just in case you were curious.”

I thought the name sounded familiar, and it turned out she was a character who’d appeared in the original story too.

She’d actually had more screen time than Riose. I recalled that the two of them were close—it seemed they’d grown up like real sisters since childhood.

“Shall we make one more?”

A bundle of flowers was placed into my hands. This time, I put even more effort into making the flower bracelet.

I couldn’t exactly give that ragged-looking one as a gift.

Thankfully, my effort paid off. I handed Riose a pink flower bracelet that looked much more presentable.

“Oh my, is this for me?”

“You taught me how to make the bracelet. Would it be alright if I put it on you myself?”

“Of course.”

Riose beamed and held out her arm to me.

Finally!

All my efforts to find an opportunity had paid off. Feeling a little nervous, I swallowed dryly.

Last time, the smoke had definitely disappeared the moment I touched her. I carefully watched the smoke as I fastened the bracelet around Riose’s arm.

“It’s so pretty, Serenel. Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”

“Thank you for accepting it. I’m the one who’s grateful.”

Smiling back at Riose, who was smiling beautifully, I slowly let go of her arm.

Sure enough, the moment I’d grabbed Riose’s arm, the smoke that had been rippling grew faint. It didn’t disappear completely, but it was clear that the smoke reacted every time I made contact.

Was it because of my ability?

I hadn’t fully awakened yet, but it was about that time.

Without Riose noticing, I bit my lip. If that smoke really was reacting to my purification ability, it was far from a good situation.

“This one is my gift.”

Riose placed the flower crown she’d made onto my head. I smiled along with her bright expression as she said it suited me perfectly.

I should search for answers when I get home.

It seemed it was time to look into purification abilities—even if I had to dig through the entire vast library.

“Mei, come here!”

“Huh? Why?”

Mei, who had been organizing my desk, approached with a puzzled expression. I was staring at my forehead in the mirror with a serious face.

It was so faint that I wasn’t sure if I’d actually seen it correctly.

“Princess? What’s wrong?”

“Don’t you think there’s something on my forehead?”

I turned around, tilted my head back, and raised my chin. Mei leaned forward slightly and stared intently at my forehead.

“Oh? It looks like there’s a mark?!”

“Right? It’s not just my eyes playing tricks on me?”

“Yes! It’s faint, but there’s definitely a mark there!”

Mei made a fuss and seemed excited.

I’d suspected it, and sure enough—it seemed it was time for my ability to awaken.

When mermaids awaken and when they use their abilities, a specific mark appears on their foreheads.

“So I really am awakening an ability…”

“Of course! What kind of ability do you think it will be, Princess? The light ability is the most likely, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I guess so.”

I vaguely played along with Mei. I couldn’t suddenly bring up the fact that I was awakening with a purification ability out of nowhere.

“This is no time to be idle! We need to tell Lord Roahim and Lady Gracia this wonderful news right away!”

Mei, who had no idea about my inner thoughts, shouted enthusiastically. I hurriedly waved my hands.

“Ah, no. I’ll tell my parents myself.”

“Well, it would be better for the Princess to tell them directly, wouldn’t it?”

Nodding, Mei said she would tell the servants herself and made to run out of the room.

For a mermaid, awakening is the first step toward adulthood, so it’s a very joyous occasion. That’s why Mei seemed unable to stay still—she wanted to spread the news far and wide.

I stopped her again.

“Shouldn’t I tell my parents first, don’t you think?”

“Oh! Then I’ll hold back a little longer. When are you planning to tell them?”

Seeing Mei ask with sparkling eyes, I subtly averted my gaze.

“Well… For now, I have something I need to do.”

“Something? Is it more important than the fact that a mark has appeared?”

“Well, it’s something similar. I’ll talk to my parents right after I finish this. Just hold on until then, Mei.”

“Okay…”

She seemed a little disappointed, but obediently nodded.

What a relief! Letting out a sigh of relief, I said I was going to the library and fled the room.

“I almost ended up gathering all the servants in the castle.”

Mei’s disappointed face lingered in my mind, but I didn’t have the confidence to go that far for her.

Receiving congratulations from everyone felt a little overwhelming.

Once my parents found out about the mark, they would definitely hold a grand banquet.

Then everyone would fix their gazes on my forehead, talking about what ability I would have and how wonderfully I would grow in the future, showering me with praise.

Whether it was flattery or not, I thought I’d find that situation a little embarrassing.

I just wanted to quietly tell my parents and receive modest congratulations.

Cooling my heated face at the mere thought, I hurried toward the library. Since the mark had appeared, I wanted to research the purification ability.

While I was at it, I hoped there would also be a record of how to pass the ability on.

“Hmm, but last time I looked, there weren’t that many records.”

Scanning the large library, I headed to the section where ability-related books were collected. As I remembered, there weren’t many volumes, and most of them were only about light abilities and magic.

“Purification, purification…”

As I quickly scanned the book titles, I spotted the word “purification” and stopped in my tracks.