*****
When she opened the letter in a plain white envelope, it was written without even saying hello.
<5>
The paper looked more like a memo than a letter, with only numbers written on it, but she knew what it meant. It was meant to come to the meeting place on this date.
On the day of the appointment, Regina went out to the designated place and made Iz who was followed by other escort, wait and went inside. She said that the person she was meeting today was a friend she knew before, so Iz had no doubts about catching up. Although it was difficult for her to read anything from Iz expression at first.
Ding.
The bell on the door shook and made a clear sound. She looked around and sat in an empty seat, and roughly ordered a cup of coffee.
Her hand touched the box lying on the table. Wrapped like a gift to her friend, it contained a special potion she made herself.
"Are you the one who's going to sell potion?"
Hearing the voice from above without any sign, she looked up and saw a plain but neatly dressed woman.
She was wearing cold-looking silver-rimmed glasses, and Regina quickly realized that it was not for practical use.
Even in her previous life, she sometimes saw people wearing glasses for fashion, so she ignored it and nodded her head.
"Yes."
And as she glanced at the box, the hazelnut-colored eyes beyond the glasses followed her and looked at the box.
Eventually, the pharmacist, who was seated across from Regina, nodded slightly as if to take it out.
She pushed the coffee to one side of the table, opened the lid of the box, took out a glass bottle, and held it out in front of the pharmacist.
A light brown liquid floated in the bottle. She picked up the light-transmitting potion and looked around, then put it back on the table.
"I've never seen this medicine before, but where is it supplied?"
"It's the potion I made."
The pharmacist gave a slightly suspicious expression as Regina looked straight at her. She understood, because at first glance she could tell that Regina was not a commoner, although she did not come out in a fancy dress.
It would have been suspicious if a well-dressed girl suddenly brought a medicine she had never seen before and said she made it.
"Is it effective?"
"Of course."
"What is the basis?"
Regina also had to come up with appropriate answers to her valid doubts and questions. So she took a glass bottle and opened it.
"You'll know when you try it."
Regina then took a sip first to prove it wasn't poison.
It would have been faster to experience it in person than to explain the results of the experiment day and night.
The smell of herbs filled her nose as the potion passed. It was a potion that had little effect on her because she had healing power, but she could give a little confidence to the pharmacist sitting opposite her.
When Regina put the glass bottle back in front of the pharmacist, she, who had hesitated, picked up the bottle and smelled it first.
"It's herb. There must be a lot of ordinary herbal tea already on the market."
"Try it for now."
Regina nodded lightly at her, who still looked at her in disbelief, as if she was asking why she sells the ordinary herbal tea as if it were a great product.
After a pause, she put her mouth on the glass bottle.
Regina unknowingly clasped her hands under the table. There was no problem with the effect when she tried it on others, but it was the first time she sold something to someone she didn't know.
"Hmm?"
The pharmacist took a sip while analyzing the subtle scent of herbs, and then took a few sips because she felt something strange.
Then she took the bottle out of her mouth for a moment, took a look at the plain herbal tea, and then looked at Regina.
"What are the ingredients?"
Her eyes extended a little as if excited to find something unexpected. The gaze that she had seen suspiciously just now evaporated in an instant.
"I know Palopia, Anheliga, and Cornus. But seeing the speed of the immediate reaction even after one or two sips, I don't think that's the only thing."
Regina was surprised by the pharmacist who could guess all the herbs she put in, in just one drink. She also felt a little goosebump.
She seemed to be curious about the recipe for the bizarre effect of a normal-looking herbal tea, but of course she couldn't tell her.
"It's a trade secret."
She couldn't say she used her healing powers, so it was a bit of a secret. The pharmacist drank the remaining tea, as if analyzing the rest of the tea again and made a serious expression on her face, but did not ask further.
Regina showed her the rest of the glass bottles inside the box. The special potion in the glass bottle swayed and glistened in the sunlight coming through the window.
"What do you think? Would you like to sign a contract with me?"
Unlike the first time, the pharmacist fidgeted with her chin as if she was tempted by this suggestion, and then lifted up the glasses that had fallen off. Her eyes, which were exposed through her glasses, were round, giving the impression that she would have looked very gentle without her glasses.
"How much do you think the price is?"
In response to the expected question, Regina pulled out her paper and pen. She wrote her price she had in mind on a small note and pushed it away from her.
"This much?"
The pharmacist who saw it nodded. She thought this was a reasonable price for her, and she seemed to agree with her.
Holy Water was a price that would make one hesitate to purchase it every time. So instead of going to the temple and using holy water that can be applied to torn flesh at once, people mainly used herbs that had to be applied and eaten over several days.
Regina lowered the concentration of the healing ability a bit and set the price several times cheaper than holy water. It wouldn't heal as quickly as holy water, but it was an amount that could be bought with a lighter mind due to the comparable effect.
The pharmacist seemed satisfied with all of this. It wasn't revealed much, but she could feel it with the eyes that were clearly changed.
She was about to take out the contract with that positive look, but then she realized that they hadn't even introduced each other. Regina belatedly asked for her name.
"Come to think of it, what's your name?"
The pharmacist, who had been staring at the glass bottle, looked up. Hazelnut-colored eyes shone brightly in the sunlight streaming through the window.
"It's Ella."
"All right, Ella. My name is Leah."
Since she was the person who would be responsible for her escape funds in the future, it was necessary to form a moderately good relationship. When she stretched out her hand, Ella, who had paused for a while, grabbed her hand.
Regina who shook it lightly and released her hand, put the paper she had prepared on the table. She gripped the pen fiercely as if it were a sword.
“Then shall we write a contract now?
*****
Isota tilted his head at Regina's expression, which looked very relaxed.
"Did something good happen? Your face is bright."
"Really?"
Regina, who was groping her face, said with a smiled.
"One of the problems I was worried about worked out smoothly."
She didn't know what the problem was because Regina never tell her worries, but Isota was happy because her friend looked happy.
"That's a relief."
"What's been going on with you? That's right. How was it after I'm leaving during the foundation festival? I heard there were a fireworks."
She's sure she heard that at the Duchess of Haynes' tea party. But she didn't see it because she left the palace early and went straight to bed right away. When she thought about it, she had heard the sound of firecrackers exploding in the distance.
When she recalled that day for a moment, she couldn't think of what she was trying to think, but his purple eyes passed by for a moment. The close face, the straight nose that seemed to touch, the mixed breath, the hard chest that her hands touched......
Regina, whose ears were red in an instant, shook her head and fixed her eyes on Isota.
Then she found Isota staring blankly at her coffee cup as if in distress.
Normally, she would have explained how colorful and noisy fireworks were. Regina had a hunch that something had happened to Isota.
"What happened? What's wrong?"
"Huh? No, it's nothing....."
She rolled her eyes here and there for a moment as if choosing her words before finally spitting out in her own personality.
"I think His Majesty the Emperor is interested in me."
"Yes?"
She waved her hand slightly as Regina pink eyes widened at her direct words, then added an explanation.
"Oh, it's not like he's interested in me as a woman, but should I say that he is curious about me?"
Isota tilted her head as if she was recalling what happened at that time.
To Regina, who read the original book like a prophecy, it seemed as if a prophecy had come true. Perhaps she had a sudden thought that they might follow the original fate.
When she was trying to think about whether that was their fate and how far the compulsion of the original story could go, she heard a lively voice from somewhere.
"Oh, Lady Blois!"
Regina and Isota's eyes turned sideways at the same time. It turned out that lady Aconite Hilluens had called her.
Isota's head tilted at the face she was seeing for the first time.
"Who is she?"
"Aconite Hilluens, a relative whom Countess Hiluens brought to the Duchess Haynes Tea Party. We've met a few times."
Regina covered her mouth slightly so that Aconite, who smiled warmly at her, couldn't see the shape of her mouth.
Isota blue eyes glanced briefly at Aconite after hearing her explanation.
Aconite, with her orange hair fluttering, quickly approached them. The bright brown eyes seemed to gleam. It was like a child's reaction to the candy.
"Nice to meet you, Lady Blois. I didn't expect to see you here, what a coincidence!"
She was quite lovely, smiling with a rosy face.
It was not a great coincidence to run into a cafe like this, but Regina accepted it as an exaggerated expression and passed it.
"Hello, Lady Hilluens. Isota, this is Lady Aconite Hilluens. This is my friend, Lady Isota Rosé."
After briefly introducing them, they made eye contact and introduced themselves formally.
Aconite was smiling continuously as if she was happy to meet Regina's friend. However, Isota managed to avoid making the cold look.
Aconite chattered nonchalantly, as if she had not felt the atmosphere.
"Come to think of it, Lady Blois. Maybe later... Can I invite you to tea time sometime? It would be a great honor if Lady visited our mansion...."
Regina felt embarrassed to see Aconite twisting her body with that shy expression. She didn't think they're that close yet, but she liked her so much over there. And didn't hide it at all.
"If I have a chance someday, I think it would be good."
She couldn't say no to the face she might see at the tea party soon. She answered in a roundabout way that did not give a definite answer.
"I'm glad! I'll do my best to prepare, Lady Blois!"
But Aconite took it only as a positive answer, not noticing that she didn't say she would go for sure.
Eventually, Regina decided to decline the invitation once again in writing when she sent out her formal invitation.
After chatting a little more, she said hello to her group and went elsewhere.
Isota frowned at the back of her moving away and spat out.
"I don't like her."
"Why?"
She had expected it to some extent because her expression was not good from the time Aconite came to greet her. Regina wondered if it was because she didn't like people approaching her.
"I just have a bad feeling about her."
Isota grumbled and drinking the cold coffee. She felt so childish that the words she couldn't bear to say lingered in her mouth and went down her throat along with the coffee.
'You should stay away from her.'
*****
I'm sorry if I'm late to update, because I translated 3 novels. I do everything myself, although I just do mtl. But I tried to edit it as good as I could, to making it easier to read.
If you would like to support me please buy a coffe~
https://ko-fi.com/mrspotatoo
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Loving the story! Thank you so much for your continued effort in translating it for us!
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