Chapter 100

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 100

Chapter Title: The Lupis Flower Trap

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Aaron Muen was in a complete panic.

It was only natural. His mother, who had been happily chattering about her enjoyable shopping trip, had suddenly clutched her throat and collapsed.

Her entire body was swelling up, and she could barely breathe.

Her condition looked dire at a glance.

And yet, a woman had inserted herself into the situation as if it were all a game.

A woman peeking out from atop a vine of flowers with an unusually thick fragrance.

She reacted as if she had been waiting for him.

Aaron found it strange.

But his suspicions were insignificant compared to his worry for his mother's well-being.

What Aaron didn't know was that this had been his first impression even before his regression.

Of course, that impression had flipped when Evangeline saved the duchess's life.

The more he had doubted her at first, the more devoted he became to Evangeline afterward.

Aaron ignored the woman and directed his attendants.

"Arrange for the nearest physician! No, just confirm the location. I'll carry her there myself!"

Running while holding his mother would be several times faster than a carriage.

He was a knight who could wield aura, on the verge of becoming a Sword Master.

That was when the woman who had been watching from the terrace of the adjacent building came lightly tripping down the stairs.

She approached Aaron with a peculiar smile.

"The lady looks to be in very poor condition. I can help."

Aaron didn't take her words seriously.

She clearly looked like a noble lady raised in luxury.

There was no sign she had any deep knowledge of medicine.

At that moment, the duchess in Aaron's arms began making sounds like she was on the verge of death.

"Gasp! Gurk!"

Aaron's face went deathly pale.

Evangeline's soft voice pierced the panicked young man's heart.

"Let me help for a moment. My mother had similar symptoms once."

In the meantime, the blonde woman had drawn close to the carriage.

In the end, desperate like a drowning man grasping at straws, Aaron moved his mother outside the carriage.

She examined the duchess briefly, then pulled a potion from her bosom.

She tried to administer it to the duchess.

Aaron asked in surprise.

"What is that medicine?!"

"It's something that soothes these symptoms. As I mentioned earlier, my mother had these before, so I carry it as an emergency remedy."

It was hard to believe.

That she just happened to have medicine prepared for something like this?

She smiled brightly and said.

"This will ease the symptoms in about an hour. If anything happens to the lady, I'll take responsibility in the name of the Ruth Marquis family."

For a noble to stake their family name was no light matter.

Aaron was suspicious but had no choice but to allow her to give the medicine to his mother.

That was when it happened.

"Wait a moment."

The door of a nearby stopped carriage opened, and a woman stepped out.

A voice that oddly resonated in his mind, Aaron thought as he turned his head.

There stood a woman like spring cherry blossoms blooming wildly, as if time itself had forgotten her.

Aaron found himself unwittingly captivated by her.

This was a different reaction from before the regression. Back then, Hilia had seemed overshadowed by Evangeline, lacking confidence and appearing faded.

Now, she shone like the sun.

Even before the regression, Evangeline had saved the duchess with a potion.

He hadn't known it then, but now he knew what that medicine was.

'An allergy treatment.'

The sudden swelling and respiratory distress were due to a severe allergic reaction.

I glanced up at the terrace where Evangeline had appeared moments ago.

A place where red flower vines naturally entwined the white marble railing.

'That's... a Lupis flower.'

A flower not commonly grown in the south or near the capital.

It mainly grew in the west.

Before the regression, the location and time of the duchess's collapse had varied three times.

But the incident itself always occurred.

Whether I witnessed it or not.

There were three elements that made the incident happen.

The duchess and the Lupis flower.

'And Evangeline.'

This couldn't be coincidence.

The rare Lupis flower in the capital, and the Muen Duchess had a life-threatening allergy to it.

I had anticipated that Evangeline would recreate the same incident this time to bring the Muen Ducal family to her side.

Arpad had secured information on the movements of an important house like the Muens.

So, he deliberately leaked the Muen family's movements to Evangeline through a bribed servant.

And as expected, Evangeline acted just as I predicted.

It seemed she didn't know the duchess or her son were also allergic to the flower.

In Korea, it could be treated immediately with pills or inhalers, but this world was different.

Only by refining very expensive and rare herbs with special magic could one achieve an allergy-soothing effect.

It was just as Evangeline was about to pour that precious potion into the duchess's mouth.

I opened the carriage door and stepped out, saying.

"Wait a moment."

"...!"

Evangeline's face went pale.

Her lips moved. No sound came out, but I could tell she was trying to say, 'Why are you here?'

It seemed her last shred of reason kept her from voicing it.

I ignored Evangeline and approached the duchess.

"Let me check her condition."

Before Aaron could step forward, Evangeline shouted sharply.

"I was first!"

Aaron looked at her incredulously and asked.

"Do you think being first gives you any rights?"

The duchess's condition was worsening by the second.

Evangeline, who had been hovering close, glared at me and tried to force the duchess's mouth open to administer the medicine.

"Guh!"

The duchess let out a pained cry.

But Evangeline didn't care in the slightest. Unable to stand it, Aaron moved faster than the wind.

Snatch!

He had taken the potion bottle from Evangeline's hand.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"Trying to save your mother!"

"By being so rough?!"

With my appearance, Evangeline must have been desperate. Unlike before the regression, her forceful behavior earned Aaron's resentment.

In the meantime, I approached Aaron and the duchess.

I held out a vial to Aaron and said.

"Try this."

A bottle containing a transparent liquid like perfume. Seeing it, Aaron looked bewildered.

Seeing his bewilderment and wariness, I unhesitatingly opened my mouth and sprayed the inside with the medicine.

Hiss. The liquid, in fine mist particles like perfume, dispersed into my mouth.

This was an immediate-relief medicine that soothed swollen airways from allergic reactions.

I had commissioned the creator of the recording magic tool to prepare it in spray form beforehand.

After demonstrating it was safe by using it myself with no ill effects, I placed the vial in Aaron's hand.

And explained simply.

"It's non-toxic, as I just showed you. Open the lady's mouth like I did and spray the inside of her throat."

"...?"

"It'll work right away. If it doesn't, find another doctor or..."

I flicked my eyes toward Evangeline.

"...!"

Evangeline's face went ashen, as if she had seen a ghost.

"Try her medicine, or do as you wish."

Aaron looked confused. It was understandable.

'His mother collapses, and suddenly two strange women appear insisting he use their medicines.'

How could it not be absurd?

But he didn't throw away the vial I gave him.

I said no more and turned back to the carriage.

As I boarded with Sir Beltein's escort, who had stayed by my side, I glanced across the street.

I saw Evangeline, dazed.

The maid clinging to the duchess screamed.

"Ma, madam! She's stopped breathing!"

"!"

In shock, Aaron finally used the medicine I had given him on his mother.

I knew it would come to this.

Before the regression, a similar situation had unfolded when saving the duchess.

Her condition had deteriorated faster than expected, and her breathing stopped.

Evangeline's prepared medicine took time to take effect.

In her panic, Evangeline improvised with artificial respiration on the duchess.

I had been surprised to see it.

'Artificial respiration exists in this world too?'

When I asked later, Evangeline brushed it off as something she learned from a doctor.

'But it was her using possessed knowledge.'

A little late, Evangeline came to her senses and shouted.

"I-I can do emergency treatment! Get out of the way!"

Unlike then, now Evangeline had no chance to use her possessed knowledge.

"Haa...!"

The duchess's breathing quickly stabilized.

I gave Evangeline a brief mocking smile before boarding the carriage.

Evangeline couldn't comprehend the situation.

'What? How did this happen?'

Why had Hilia appeared here of all places?

And she left after giving Aaron medicine that immediately alleviated the duchess's allergy symptoms, as if she had been waiting.

Evangeline's medicine was taken orally.

Naturally, it took time to be absorbed and take effect.

But what Hilia gave Aaron was a direct spray into the mouth and throat.

If effective, the medicine would circulate instantly.

Before Evangeline could even attempt artificial respiration, Aaron used Hilia's medicine.

The effect was immediate. The duchess began breathing easily right away.

"Mother! Are you conscious?"

"A-Aaron?"

Her voice calling her son was stable. No more whistling sound.

While Evangeline stood frozen in disbelief.

Aaron asked her.

"Do you know the name of our benefactor, lady?"

"...!"

Evangeline's shoulders trembled.

This wasn't right. Not the situation she had planned and anticipated.

Aaron, with a grateful and moved expression, should have been asking for her name.

She felt like a supporting character providing information about the protagonist.

A crushing sense of humiliation overwhelmed Evangeline.

'This can't be. Why did this happen? It's like... like Hilia knew everything in advance.'

Just like she did, having read the 'original story.'

A chill ran down her spine.

When I returned from my outing, an unexpected message awaited me.

Yulken came with his hand over his mouth to relay Arpad's words personally.

"His Highness has temporarily left the Crown Prince Palace due to unavoidable important business."

"Unavoidable important business? What is it?"

"If I told you, His Highness would kill me."

"...?"

"In any case, he said he trusts that you, the Vice Her Highness, will hold the fort well in his absence."

Yulken had his hand over his mouth, but his lips were curved up so much it was pointless.

He grinned oddly and said.

"Anyway, it's absolutely nothing bad for you, Vice Her Highness, so don't worry."

I tilted my head, then realized something and asked.

"Wait! So he dumped all his work on me and left?"

Yulken shook his head.

"Don't worry. He's finished everything so there won't be issues for a week."

"...?"

I was even more baffled.

Meanwhile, the absent Arpad stood before ruins discovered deep in the eastern mountains of the imperial capital.

The monster guarding the ruins let out a 'Kaaak!' screech.

Arpad calmly drew his sword.