Chapter 1

The Marquisate of Talpiot, a family of scammers who sold “love potions.”

They were neglecting their duty and responsibility to manage and supervise their potion makers!

Every social season, young noble ladies longed for love. The potion makers cleverly took advantage of their feelings and sold them “love potions.”

And yet, the Talpiot family continued to turn a blind eye because of the enormous profits they earned.

As a result, even the Empire’s hero, Grand Duke Penminid, had fallen victim to their schemes…

Crunch!

“Osram, you piece of trash!”

Kassia tore the newspaper to shreds, using language that was hardly appropriate for a noble lady.

Perhaps it was because of her rough movements.

Her bright red hair fell forward, blocking her vision.

Why was this bastard always targeting her family?!

No matter how many times she read articles attacking the Talpiot family, she couldn’t help getting angry.

Her rage boiled over.

And at that very moment, her golden eyes flashed through her messy hair.

“How should I kill this bastard so that everyone will say he got what he deserved?”

She really wanted to give him a proper death.

She would chop him into tiny pieces and put his body in a pretty box.

Then she would burn it along with all the articles he had written!

“Hehehe.”

Every time Kassia went wild, pieces of the newspaper flew through the air.

Soon, the scraps settled on her red hair like snow.

Just as she was about to disappear beneath the growing pile, the study door opened smoothly, and someone entered.

“My goodness. Anyone would think Osram was the lover of a young lady whose heart he’d broken.”

The warm voice carried a gentle reminder not to get angry.

Unfortunately, since the topic was Osram, it had no effect.

“Wet nurse, if that bastard were my lover, I would’ve chopped off his hands long ago so he couldn’t write such garbage.”

“How did our young lady end up with such a foul mouth?”

“I’m only like this when it comes to him.”

Kassia frowned and ground her teeth.

Her angry face looked as though she might attack someone at any moment.

Her wet nurse watched her silently.

Had Kassia ever hated anyone this much before?

She was always smiling mischievously and saying, I’m a peaceful person who loves everyone.

She was usually so cheerful and bright. So why was she acting like this…?

Understanding Kassia’s feelings, the wet nurse spoke gently.

“It’s not as if Osram started writing articles like this yesterday.”

As she spoke, she removed the newspaper scraps stuck to Kassia’s hair.

“Just treat his words as nonsense. Think of him as a poor man who has to earn his living by writing such things. Try to pity him.”

“I can’t do that. I want to be like you, Wet Nurse, but I just can’t.”

Kassia pouted and looked at her.

Agatha Caroling had been her wet nurse when she was young. Now, she served as the head butler of the household.

Her generous heart was just as big as her plump figure.

She was so kind that she could even show mercy to someone like Osram.

“But those ridiculous articles he writes are hurting the potion makers.”

“…Like what happened yesterday?”

“Yeah. Some idiot believed his articles about potion makers being scammers and tried to stone one of them to death.”

“…”

Remembering yesterday’s incident, sadness filled the kind wet nurse’s brown eyes.

Kassia also wore a bitter smile.

Distrust and persecution of potion makers had existed for a long time.

But over the past few years, things had gotten much worse.

It all started when Osram began publishing one malicious article after another.

“I want to pour a whole bottle of Skotos’s Blessing down that bastard’s throat!”

“Young Lady!”

“I’m joking, I’m joking.”

Kassia tried to brush it off as if nothing had happened.

But the wet nurse gave her a stern look that clearly said, You mustn’t do that.

She even opened her mouth, ready to lecture Kassia about having a kind heart.

Realizing the danger, Kassia quickly flashed a dimpled smile to stop her from speaking.

The smile was meant to say, I’m a harmless person.

“Really! I won’t use a cursed potion.”

“Promise me. And I don’t just mean cursed potions. If you try to play tricks on him like you used to, by giving him something that causes an upset stomach…”

“I promise.”

Kassia raised her right hand with a sly smile.

Then she waved it around to distract the wet nurse.

Just as she intended, the wet nurse’s eyes followed her raised hand.

Meanwhile, Kassia quietly picked up the leather bag on her desk.

She needed to escape before the lecture began!

“Oh! I almost forgot. I’m going out on patrol. It’s the social season, and we’re short on workers. As the heir to the Talpiot family, I can’t just sit around doing nothing!”

She spoke quickly, chopping her words into short pieces before jumping to her feet.

Then, at lightning speed—

“I’ll be back! Love you, Wet Nurse!”

She threw in a little affection to smooth things over.

After that, she rushed out of the study without looking back.

At the crossroads of Talpiot Street, Kassia had escaped under the excuse of going on patrol.

As befitted the social season, the street was so crowded that there was barely room to walk.

“Our perfume, perfect for making your secret night with your lover even more passionate! Only a few bottles left! Come and get yours!”

“Come buy our soap made from crushed Cattleya flowers! It’ll make you even more attractive!”

Potion makers shouted from their shops, trying to attract customers.

After all, more customers meant more sales.

They didn’t let anyone passing by get away without a try.

Instead, they tempted people with products they might find appealing.

Love fortune-telling flowers, potions that increased someone’s affection for you, accessories that enhanced your charm, and all sorts of other things.

No matter how I look at it, everything here is about love.

As if drawn in by the atmosphere, couples wandered from shop to shop like moths flying toward a flame.

Whether they wanted love for one day or ten years, they were all searching for something that could bind their hearts together.

Perhaps because their desperate wishes filled the air like bubbles, the atmosphere on the street was not just passionate but almost intense.

Honestly, this is getting ridiculous…

Kassia’s gaze settled on someone standing in front of a yellow building.

A middle-aged woman and a slippery-looking young man were clinging tightly to each other.

They could barely stand straight, as if their spines had been broken.

Hmm. Couples like that are the most dangerous.

People whose relationships were secret or improper often bought potions illegally.

They purchased untested products from places outside Talpiot Street.

And that often led to trouble.

Of all the potions in existence, the one that caused the most problems was the love potion.

“It used to be the greatest masterpiece of a potion maker.”

The love potion had been invented by the first head of the Talpiot family.

With this potion, anyone could make another person fall in love with them if they wanted to.

It was less of a miracle and more like a curse.

Eventually, it earned the fearsome nickname The Witch’s Breath because it could manipulate people’s minds.

It was then banned, and even making it was strictly forbidden.

However, demand for the potion remained high, so illegal trading spread instead.

No matter how hard the authorities tried to crack down on it, people always found clever ways to trade it.

“Sigh.”

By the time Kassia’s thoughts reached this point, she had lost all motivation.

“I need to crack down on illegal potion trading, but…”

Ah! Whatever! Whatever!

She didn’t care about patrol duties or anything else anymore.

She needed to improve her miserable mood first.

And wasn’t alcohol the best way to soothe a tired soul?

Just thinking about the wonderful drink that would wet her throat made her whole body react with excitement.

She turned left and began hopping along happily.

About fifty steps from here was a tavern that served delicious alcohol at cheap prices.

“I’m going to drink a ton!”

After making that firm declaration, she turned the corner.

Her destination soon came into view.

The Joy of the Oak Barrel

When Kassia arrived at the tavern, she walked straight toward her usual spot without even looking around.

It was a table at the far right end outside the tavern.

Even when the place was packed with customers, that particular table always remained empty, as if it were waiting for someone.

Being a regular for five years really pays off.

Kassia grinned and sat down naturally.

This was, in fact, her reserved seat.

The tavern owner had practically given it to her.

Every evening, no matter how hard it rained or how fiercely thunder and lightning struck, this hyena would still come to drink. The owner had rewarded her dedication by giving her the table.

Clack.

As soon as Kassia settled into her seat, a waiter approached and placed a bottle of vodka in front of her.

She hadn’t even ordered anything, but he knew exactly what to do.

It was as if this were part of their daily routine.

“The owner isn’t here today. He said you could have this for half price whenever you came.”

The waiter winked and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

“Oh-ho! Special treatment for regular customers!”

Less time spent ordering meant more time spent drinking.

Satisfied, she gulped down the vodka in one go.

She drank, and drank, and drank some more, letting the strong alcohol warm her entire body.

They said alcohol wasn’t poison but medicine when you drank it to soothe an aching heart.

“Ah! Now that’s good stuff!”

She kept pouring the smooth liquor down her throat until her vision began to split into two, then three.

She narrowed her eyes and stared blankly into the air, trying to make sense of her blurry surroundings.

Then—

“…Huh?”

Something caught her eye.

A boy with jet-black hair was looking around nervously.

He looked about eleven years old.

Judging by his awkward behavior, he was clearly just a child.

Go ahead and pickpocket me or kidnap me. I’m ready for it.

She had planned to ignore him!

But then she remembered the early lessons and lectures from her kind-hearted wet nurse, Agatha.

Young Lady, you must never walk past someone in trouble. That’s one of the basic principles of being a potion maker.

Unfortunately, those lessons chose this exact moment to take effect.

…Darn it!

In the end, Kassia couldn’t throw away the tiny bit of conscience she had left.

It wasn’t as if her kind heart could magically turn into dragon scales or hydra breath!

“Hey, kiiid!”

At her slurred call, the little boy silently looked at her with a questioning expression.

Me?

Yes, you!

“Hey, kiiid, did you come here alooone?”

“…”

The boy’s expression was surprisingly mature for his age.

What a cheeky little brat! He was just a child, yet he was making the face of an old man.

But who cared whether the kid was being rude?

Adults had a duty to protect children.

So Kassia made the boy sit down beside her and began rambling.

You shouldn’t wander around alone in this dangerous world.

These days, people will even steal your organs if you’re as careless as you are.

She seemed to have said all sorts of things that sounded like they were coming from an old woman…

Or at least, she thought she had.

By then, Kassia had long since become a slave to alcohol.

She was practically ready to stop being human and turn into a dog.

So she didn’t know what happened next.

Perhaps…

She had grabbed someone’s broad back and shaken it around.

“Argh!”

Kassia opened her eyes to a splitting headache.

Her eyelids were stuck together so tightly that she struggled to open them.

After rubbing them furiously, she finally managed to open her eyes.

…Where was she?

The ceiling was completely black, so this definitely wasn’t her bedroom.

Then was it another room in her house?

My family doesn’t use materials this luuuxurious.

Her heart began to pound for no reason.

She was in an unfamiliar place, and her memories of the previous night were completely blank. Of course she would be nervous.

Stay calm.

Repeating those words to herself, Kassia lowered her head to check the situation.

…She had lived with her own feet for twenty-three years, and she definitely had only two feet.

“Then… whose feet are the other two?”