TLPIF 10

Chapter 10

“Uwaaaaah!”

Kassia let out a strange scream and rolled around on the floor of her laboratory.

Perhaps it was because she had removed the carpet for the summer.

The cold marble floor chilled her entire body.

She had hoped the cold would cool her head, but the more she rolled around, the angrier she became.

“Of all people, why does my pure and innocent love life have to involve that dark and scheming Grand Duke!”

A night when their flesh and bones burned? What nonsense!

And lovers?

What kind of ridiculous nonsense were they talking about?!

Kassia grumbled, her lips sticking out like a duck’s beak.

But her empty cries seemed to be saying only one thing.

It’s already ruined~. No matter how much you struggle, you can’t escape~.

Yes, when you realized things were ruined, they were usually already beyond saving.

There was no point in holding on and lamenting about it.

Kassia straightened her skirt, which had ridden up to her thighs.

Her hands moved with stubborn determination.

“Why should I make myself suffer? It’s not even true.”

Holding on to something she couldn’t change and suffering alone wasn’t her style, so she shook off her lingering feelings.

“As long as it doesn’t interfere with my life, I don’t care about those ridiculous rumors.”

Whatever happened, it was all fine.

More importantly, there was something she needed to prioritize right now.

“I have to make an antidote. That way, I can break up with the Grand Duke as quickly as possible.”

Her gaze shifted to the mountain of books piled up nearby.

The Mysterious Potion Encyclopedia That Makes Me Dream

It was a secret book containing the recipes for all kinds of special potions.

Including love potions.

Kassia struggled to pull the book out from the middle of the pile.

Instead of moving the books on top, she had tried to take a shortcut.

Naturally, the entire pile came tumbling down in a chain reaction.

“Oops.”

She shrank her neck and pushed the scattered books aside with her feet.

Her nanny would definitely scold her if she saw this, but…

Even though Kassia knew that, she was too lazy to clean up.

Ugh! Whatever! I don’t care!

Quickly ignoring the mess, she opened the book in her hands.

Page 15: Koham Chieng.

It was the official name of the love potion.

Kassia carefully reread the information she already knew by heart as she turned the pages.

“Hmm. No matter how many times I look, there’s no record of anyone turning into a child as a side effect…”

Perhaps the Grand Duke had a special constitution.

Or perhaps there was something in the potion that had not yet been discovered and was worth researching.

Either way, it was not a bad thing for her as a researcher.

She could leave records for future generations.

“…If I look at it that way, I guess the Grand Duke isn’t entirely a bundle of misfortune, right?”

Discovering something new to investigate was always exciting.

Humming to herself, she turned to the next page.

She continued reading for another ten pages.

The love potion information continued until page 25, but from page 26 onward, the book covered other things.

Still, she couldn’t stop reading.

It was a kind of habit.

Ever since she had first held this book at the age of three, she had always longed to bring the potions written inside it into reality.

Her fingers flipped through the pages with a mixture of joy and frustration until she finally reached the last page.

Page 571.

Wish. Dream. And achieve it.

Her eyes fell on the short message left by the first head of the Talpiot family, who had founded Talpiot Street.

Kassia stared at the words for a long time before…

“Ahh! Just because I wish and dream about it doesn’t mean I can achieve it!”

She shook the book, expressing her frustration with all her might.

The Mysterious Potion Encyclopedia That Makes Me Dream.

Of all the special potions listed in this book, she could only make a few.

Unfortunately, only a few!

The rest were impossible to make because she couldn’t obtain their main ingredients.

“The heart of a Spartna!”

She stamped both feet in frustration.

A Spartna.

It was a bird shaped like a hawk, with red wings and a golden body.

Its heart was a key ingredient in special potions.

Unfortunately, terribly unfortunately, the forest where the bird lived was a forbidden area.

“I want to make it. I really, really want to make it so badly~!”

She buried her face in the book and screamed.

She needed to focus on researching the antidote, so this was no time to get distracted.

But she couldn’t help herself.

It had been her lifelong dream.

Just then…

Creak.

The blue wooden door of the laboratory opened.

Through the open doorway, her nanny entered with a worried expression, pushing a trolley.

Rosemary tea and rich cheesecake.

As she pushed the trolley loaded with desserts, she began to scold Kassia.

“Sigh~. You should be enjoying romance instead of doing research! I was relieved, thinking you wouldn’t lock yourself in the laboratory for months and skip meals anymore…”

But her nanny couldn’t finish her sentence.

She had intended to tell Kassia to cut back on her work, but the state of the room…

It looked as if someone had set off a magic bomb inside.

Everything was tangled together, making it impossible to tell one thing from another.

After seeing the filthy room, her nanny’s topic of scolding changed completely.

Placing both hands on her waist, she called out angrily.

“Lady Kassia!”

“…”

Oh dear. She knew this would happen as soon as her nanny came.

Kassia awkwardly stood up and hurriedly picked up a few books scattered across the floor.

See? I’m cleaning up.

She made a show of it and neatly stacked the books she had picked up beside her feet.

Her hands were working very diligently, but her mind was up to no good.

Avoid the nanny’s scolding. It’s scarier than monsters.

As soon as she received this urgent mission, her gaze shifted toward the trolley.

Her nanny hadn’t given birth to her, but she loved Kassia even more than her own child.

And there was only one time her nanny would remain quiet.

When Kassia was eating.

“Nanny~.”

Kassia picked up a dessert spoon and began eating the cheesecake.

After taking a bite, she also sipped the rosemary tea.

Just as she expected.

“That’s right. Have another bite.”

Her nanny had completely forgotten the situation from a moment ago and looked pleased.

Now that she had successfully changed the subject, it was time to escape.

Kassia gently took her nanny by both arms and slowly moved her around.

By the time Kassia’s back was facing the door, their positions had switched.

Her nanny was now inside the room, while Kassia had a clear escape route.

Hehehe.

Kassia glanced toward the door and began her next move.

She scooped up a generous amount of cheesecake and put it into her nanny’s mouth.

“The Portus Guild’s caravan is leaving for the south of the Empire today, right? I need to ask them for something.”

“Lady Kassia… munch. It’s improper to go out without even bringing a maid…”

“Would bringing ten maids make me any more proper?”

If she let her nanny continue, the lecture would get even longer.

So Kassia quickly slipped out of the room and waved at her nanny.

“I’ll be back soon!”

“The guild’s mercenaries are rough people, so be careful not to get hurt. Make sure you bring your whistle and self-defense potions!”

“Okay, okay!”

As if to show her worried nanny that she had everything under control, Kassia patted the small leather pouch hanging from her waist.

Then, with a bright smile, she thundered down the stairs.

Her behavior was anything but noble.

And yet, she was the heir to the Talpiot family…

“Honestly, she’s so innocent.”

Left standing alone, her nanny shook her head.

Although she interfered in Kassia’s affairs from time to time, she didn’t want to change her.

To her, Kassia was nothing less than a beloved daughter.

Please…

Someone who would love her wild and innocent young lady just the way she was.

Her nanny sincerely hoped that person would be the Grand Duke of Penminid.

With a warm expression mixed with worry, she prayed for it.

“My nanny worries too muuuuch.”

Having successfully escaped, Kassia had already reached the entrance of the mansion.

How could she not know how much her nanny loved her?

The only problem was that all that love came with a little too much nagging.

Of course, she didn’t dislike it.

She knew her nanny wasn’t trying to change her.

She knew it was simply the heart of a mother.

“Hehe. I’ll buy Nanny some cream puffs on my way back. She likes those.”

Once again, Kassia hummed a strange little tune.

Before long, she was skipping through the gate.

“You’ve been working hard, Tommy.”

Kassia warmly waved at Tommy, the footman.

The moment he saw her, Tommy quickly removed his blue-gray cap and smiled.

Even though he had seen her just yesterday, he looked as happy as if they hadn’t met in days.

“Lady Kassia, are you going out?”

“Yeah. The Countess of Clovis is visiting this afternoon, right?”

“Yes. This will be her third visit already.”

“Sigh. Her daughter’s unrequited love won’t disappear just by taking Matrica.”

Matrica was a potion with an excellent calming effect on the mind and body.

As could be guessed from the potion they had requested, the Clovis family’s request was simple.

They wanted to cure their daughter, who was madly in love with the Grand Duke.

But how could that be easy?

They wanted to erase her feelings of love for someone.

Good grief. Everyone thinks they can easily control people’s hearts with potions.

Kassia let out a deep, weary sigh.

As if he had a vague idea of what her sigh meant, Tommy quickly spoke up, as though trying to comfort her.

“The rumors surrounding the Grand Duke of Penminid are so terrible. If it weren’t for those rumors, I don’t think they would oppose their daughter, since they’re such devoted parents…”

Tommy suddenly stopped and hurriedly covered his mouth.

While talking so casually, he had accidentally made a mistake.

He had openly insulted his young lady’s lover.

He gave an awkward smile and watched her reaction.

Kassia was about to tell him that there was no need to worry.

After all, she and the Grand Duke weren’t in a relationship.

But before she could speak, Tommy changed the subject.

“…The wind feels so damp. It looks like the rainy season will begin soon, Lady Kassia.”

Tommy took a deep breath of the humid air around him.

The scent reminded him of something, as though the two were naturally connected.

“Ah, it’s about time for the Portus Guild to leave on its trading journey to the south.”

“Yeah. That’s why I’m going to ask them again.”

“Lady Kassia, you’ve been so persistent. I hope you can finally obtain a Spartna’s heart…”

“I’m sure I’ll get one someday.”

The Portus Guild had to pass through a certain forest whenever they traveled south.

Veloskaya, a forbidden area.

It was teeming with all kinds of monsters, beasts, and carnivorous plants.

And that was exactly where the Spartna lived.

So…

If you ever obtain the heart of that bird, please sell it to the Talpiot family.

Kassia had been making this request to the Portus Guild for thirteen years.

This time, I have a good feeling about it.

With a hopeful expression, Kassia looked up at the sky.