Note: An update today as I won’t be able to update tomorrow!
< Translated at Blessed Empyrean wordpress. >
“May I ask what this is?”
“It’s a special cure made by Marquis Medus. It has been known among the nobles for several years to have an effect comparable to that of Fairy’s Tears.”
“I think I’ve heard about it a few times before. Its name…… Was it Snake’s Breath?”
Baikal respectfully received the vial and traced his old memories. Despite being dishonorably kicked out of the Imperial Academy and becoming a backstreet doctor out of debt, he didn’t live with his eyes and ears closed.
On the backstreet where all kinds of crime took place and illegal transactions were rampant, rumors spread quite quickly. Seeing the precious cure he had only heard of, Baikal’s eyes lit up.
“Yes. It’s Snake’s Breath. The main ingredient of the medicine is my blood.”
“Aha, I see…… Pardon?”
Baikal, who casually nodded his head, opened his eyes wide. His voice also cracked. He was so shocked that he nearly dropped the vial from his hands.
“Your, Your Imperial Highness’ blood? You mean using fairy blood as an ingredient?”
Barely managing to avoid dropping the vial, Baikal stammered with an astonished face. His tongue almost got twisted out of surprise.
“But I think it’s a serious crime to make medicine from the imperial family’s blood regardless of status……?”
“That’s right. Extenuating circumstances might exist, but even an imperial family member will be severely punished if they are discovered to use fairy blood for private matters. Those who aren’t from the imperial family will be punished under the crime of treason.”
Renato nonchalantly explained. Since time immemorial, people who tried to use fairy blood, such as collateral imperial family members pushed back in power struggles and scholars crazy about research, had constantly appeared.
Therefore, the Empire strictly supervised the direct imperial family as well as the collateral. It was to protect fairy blood from enemies and to monitor its use for private purposes at the same time.
“Then aren’t you in danger too, Your Imperial Highness?”
“Uhm, maybe? If I’m found to have cooperated with the Marquis, I will be punished.”
“Huff!”
Baikal took a deep breath at Renato’s answer. Unlike him who was surprised, the person saying he might be punished was calm.
“Why are you so surprised? Don’t worry too much. There is a way out. I can request His Majesty the Emperor to grant me a pardon if need be.”
“It can’t be that easy…… No, rather than that, how did it not get caught so far?”
It took a lot of manpower, ingredients, and time to make new medicine. And Baikal heard about the Snake’s Breath early last year. Considering when the rumor spread, it must have been completed two years before, or earlier than that.
Then when did the Marquis start taking blood? How much blood was drawn? At least 5 years…… Baikal gulped, hoping his guess was wrong.
“Because nobody cared about me.”
Renato answered as if Baikal had asked an obvious question. Not knowing what to say, Baikal blankly opened his mouth. He was reminded that Renato was a Beta Prince without succession rights.
Still, was it possible to treat a direct imperial family member and the Emperor’s first child like that? How could he think of doing research and making medicine from his grandchild’s blood?
Baikal could not understand at all. To him who had unwavering familial love, the Marquis’ behavior was terrible and nauseating.
“And Marquis Medus is my maternal grandfather and personal doctor. He can make an excuse that he drew my blood for health check-ups. If someone felt strange, they wouldn’t be able to come forward and report it, either. The inner palace and the palace doctors’ office are almost in His Majesty the Empress and the Marquis’ control.”
“If you told His Majesty the Emperor……”
“It’s embarrassing to say this, but I didn’t think of it at the time. I was scared…… His Majesty was seriously ill, and I had no courage.”
Recalling his miserable and helpless past, Renato bitterly smiled. Marquis Medus first asked for his blood when he was 11 years old. At first, it was definitely a study to change Renato’s trait, but from some time on, the goal became developing a cure similar to Fairy’s Tears.
Despite knowing that, Renato couldn’t refuse to have his blood drawn. He had no power to do so in the first place. The fear constantly engraved on Renato’s body and mind since childhood did not allow him to think of rebelling. If he rejected, Blanche would get angry again, and the two of them might really abandon him.
‘It’s the first time you have been useful.’
Useful. Blanche’s words pierced the young Renato’s heart. To a child who was treated as if his birth was a sin, the moment he became useful was venomously sweet and painful. Ultimately, Renato was obliged to obey like a disarmed prisoner of war.
“It was like that in the past, but why now……”
“Now, I am waiting for the time to gather evidence and tie the Marquis down.”
“Ah.”
“As you know, my strength is still weak. His Majesty the Emperor has only recovered a bit. In this situation, if I hastily attack without any solid evidence, I will be counterattacked.”
“Hmm.”
At Renato’s explanation, Baikal distressingly murmured. Renato’s words reminded him of when he was framed by the professor because he had no evidence to prove his innocence.
“So I hope you succeed in replicating the Snake’s Breath as soon as possible. This will be the first step in the attack.”
“What do you mean?”
“Marquis Medus, despite being a Beta, rose from Viscount to Marquis rank with his excellent medical techniques and medicine-making skills. How could he achieve such an unusual rise in titles and become the noble faction’s center, where the Alpha and Omega ratio was enormous?”
“Uh, uhm, I don’t really know……”
“Just like you, many people in this world can do anything for the lives of their loved ones like family members or lovers. The Marquis became those people’s benefactor and gained money, political support, or family weaknesses, which in turn increased his power.”
“I see.”
Baikal nodded in understanding. He could do anything if Vienna was healed. He also became loyal to Renato because Renato could help heal his sister.
“Marquis Medus has quite a few clients that need continuous treatment. A lot of nobles also want the Snake’s Breath. I’m going to replicate this medicine and take them away.”
“Hoo……”
Hearing Renato’s plan, Baikal involuntarily exclaimed, but soon looked worried.
“I have understood your intention, Your Imperial Highness. But to make the medicine, we have to constantly draw your blood. That will put a strain on your body.”
“Sir Baikal, this is war. It’s a game where you lose everything once you are defeated. What do you think will happen if those people win? Maybe they will keep drawing my blood until I die. If I resist, they may gag me and bind my hands and feet to forcibly take my blood.”
“Pardon? H, how, how could that be?”
“I’m not exaggerating. It may actually happen.”
When he refused to have his blood drawn in his previous life, Renato was knocked unconscious by Maximo. And while his blood was taken, he was gagged to prevent him from biting his tongue, his hands and feet tied to stop his struggles. At that time, it was Baikal who drew his blood.
“Shouldn’t I do everything I can to avoid the worst possible outcome? What’s the point of staying healthy when one mistake can instantly lead to my death?”
Gaining military power through Khalid, receiving political help from Tristan, and shaking public opinion with Arche’s information guild. He had been quite successful so far, but it was too early to overpower Marquis Medus’ faction. To confront them, Renato needed a certain amount of power and authority to support himself.
However, as Renato was a Prince without succession rights, the nobles wouldn’t bow their heads to him. So Renato decided to follow Marquis Medus’ method. Replicating the Snake’s Breath was the only way to entice and wield the prideful nobles.
“I believe that you can draw my blood moderately so that it doesn’t put any strain on my body.”
“Of course I will……”
“Good, then there will be no problem. We don’t have time, so let’s start right now. Tell my aide if there are any ingredients you need.”
Renato rolled up his sleeve himself as if he would not listen to any further refutation. Baikal’s eyes widened when the white, slender wrist was exposed.
I study fairy blood to make medicine from it?
When he had that thought, his heart started pounding. To a life-saving doctor and truth-seeking scholar, there was nothing more attractive than fairy blood. He gently held Renato’s wrist like a bewitched person.
* * *
“Aigoo, my back. We are coming back after work at midnight again.”
On a night when the moon was covered by clouds, Nasir got off his horse with a fatigued face. During the past few days, he was busier than anyone else. There was too much work to be done before leaving the kingdom.
“Good job. Since all the urgent work is over, we will be able to breathe a little tomorrow.”
Khalid lightly patted Nasir on the shoulder to compliment him. The two of them were busy because of the issue regarding the Black Wolf Knights’ positions.
The Black Wolf Knights Order was a private knight order founded by Khalid but officially belonged to the royal family. Since Khalid would receive an Empire’s title when he married Renato, there was talk about the knights’ future.
Most of the knights wanted to follow Khalid to the Empire, but neither the royal nor the noble faction liked that. The royal faction had no choice but to oppose it because they were losing power, while the noble faction was wary that Khalid’s power would be stronger than now.
“Still, it’s fortunate that the knights’ issue ended well. I thought we would lose around twelve…… But ultimately, only five people left.”
“It’s thanks to His Imperial Highness.”
A small smile appeared on Khalid’s lips when he thought of Renato. All the knights wishing to remain in the kingdom were those with families.
When Khalid was a diplomatic ambassador, they would only have to stay away from their families till the end of his term, but things became complicated when his political marriage with the Prince was decided. Perhaps they would have to stay in the Empire for the rest of their lives if they chose to follow Khalid. Not knowing that his marriage was a contract with a fixed period, the knights were in agony.
Knowing that either leaving their families in the kingdom to settle in a foreign country alone or moving their entire families to the Empire was difficult, Khalid decided to respect whatever choice they made.
At that time, Renato offered to support the knights so that their families could settle in Esteban territory if they wanted to. He looked for places for the knights’ families to live as well as jobs for them.
Note: An update today as I won’t be able to update tomorrow!
< Translated at Blessed Empyrean wordpress. >
“May I ask what this is?”
“It’s a special cure made by Marquis Medus. It has been known among the nobles for several years to have an effect comparable to that of Fairy’s Tears.”
“I think I’ve heard about it a few times before. Its name…… Was it Snake’s Breath?”
Baikal respectfully received the vial and traced his old memories. Despite being dishonorably kicked out of the Imperial Academy and becoming a backstreet doctor out of debt, he didn’t live with his eyes and ears closed.
On the backstreet where all kinds of crime took place and illegal transactions were rampant, rumors spread quite quickly. Seeing the precious cure he had only heard of, Baikal’s eyes lit up.
“Yes. It’s Snake’s Breath. The main ingredient of the medicine is my blood.”
“Aha, I see…… Pardon?”
Baikal, who casually nodded his head, opened his eyes wide. His voice also cracked. He was so shocked that he nearly dropped the vial from his hands.
“Your, Your Imperial Highness’ blood? You mean using fairy blood as an ingredient?”
Barely managing to avoid dropping the vial, Baikal stammered with an astonished face. His tongue almost got twisted out of surprise.
“But I think it’s a serious crime to make medicine from the imperial family’s blood regardless of status……?”
“That’s right. Extenuating circumstances might exist, but even an imperial family member will be severely punished if they are discovered to use fairy blood for private matters. Those who aren’t from the imperial family will be punished under the crime of treason.”
Renato nonchalantly explained. Since time immemorial, people who tried to use fairy blood, such as collateral imperial family members pushed back in power struggles and scholars crazy about research, had constantly appeared.
Therefore, the Empire strictly supervised the direct imperial family as well as the collateral. It was to protect fairy blood from enemies and to monitor its use for private purposes at the same time.
“Then aren’t you in danger too, Your Imperial Highness?”
“Uhm, maybe? If I’m found to have cooperated with the Marquis, I will be punished.”
“Huff!”
Baikal took a deep breath at Renato’s answer. Unlike him who was surprised, the person saying he might be punished was calm.
“Why are you so surprised? Don’t worry too much. There is a way out. I can request His Majesty the Emperor to grant me a pardon if need be.”
“It can’t be that easy…… No, rather than that, how did it not get caught so far?”
It took a lot of manpower, ingredients, and time to make new medicine. And Baikal heard about the Snake’s Breath early last year. Considering when the rumor spread, it must have been completed two years before, or earlier than that.
Then when did the Marquis start taking blood? How much blood was drawn? At least 5 years…… Baikal gulped, hoping his guess was wrong.
“Because nobody cared about me.”
Renato answered as if Baikal had asked an obvious question. Not knowing what to say, Baikal blankly opened his mouth. He was reminded that Renato was a Beta Prince without succession rights.
Still, was it possible to treat a direct imperial family member and the Emperor’s first child like that? How could he think of doing research and making medicine from his grandchild’s blood?
Baikal could not understand at all. To him who had unwavering familial love, the Marquis’ behavior was terrible and nauseating.
“And Marquis Medus is my maternal grandfather and personal doctor. He can make an excuse that he drew my blood for health check-ups. If someone felt strange, they wouldn’t be able to come forward and report it, either. The inner palace and the palace doctors’ office are almost in His Majesty the Empress and the Marquis’ control.”
“If you told His Majesty the Emperor……”
“It’s embarrassing to say this, but I didn’t think of it at the time. I was scared…… His Majesty was seriously ill, and I had no courage.”
Recalling his miserable and helpless past, Renato bitterly smiled. Marquis Medus first asked for his blood when he was 11 years old. At first, it was definitely a study to change Renato’s trait, but from some time on, the goal became developing a cure similar to Fairy’s Tears.
Despite knowing that, Renato couldn’t refuse to have his blood drawn. He had no power to do so in the first place. The fear constantly engraved on Renato’s body and mind since childhood did not allow him to think of rebelling. If he rejected, Blanche would get angry again, and the two of them might really abandon him.
‘It’s the first time you have been useful.’
Useful. Blanche’s words pierced the young Renato’s heart. To a child who was treated as if his birth was a sin, the moment he became useful was venomously sweet and painful. Ultimately, Renato was obliged to obey like a disarmed prisoner of war.
“It was like that in the past, but why now……”
“Now, I am waiting for the time to gather evidence and tie the Marquis down.”
“Ah.”
“As you know, my strength is still weak. His Majesty the Emperor has only recovered a bit. In this situation, if I hastily attack without any solid evidence, I will be counterattacked.”
“Hmm.”
At Renato’s explanation, Baikal distressingly murmured. Renato’s words reminded him of when he was framed by the professor because he had no evidence to prove his innocence.
“So I hope you succeed in replicating the Snake’s Breath as soon as possible. This will be the first step in the attack.”
“What do you mean?”
“Marquis Medus, despite being a Beta, rose from Viscount to Marquis rank with his excellent medical techniques and medicine-making skills. How could he achieve such an unusual rise in titles and become the noble faction’s center, where the Alpha and Omega ratio was enormous?”
“Uh, uhm, I don’t really know……”
“Just like you, many people in this world can do anything for the lives of their loved ones like family members or lovers. The Marquis became those people’s benefactor and gained money, political support, or family weaknesses, which in turn increased his power.”
“I see.”
Baikal nodded in understanding. He could do anything if Vienna was healed. He also became loyal to Renato because Renato could help heal his sister.
“Marquis Medus has quite a few clients that need continuous treatment. A lot of nobles also want the Snake’s Breath. I’m going to replicate this medicine and take them away.”
“Hoo……”
Hearing Renato’s plan, Baikal involuntarily exclaimed, but soon looked worried.
“I have understood your intention, Your Imperial Highness. But to make the medicine, we have to constantly draw your blood. That will put a strain on your body.”
“Sir Baikal, this is war. It’s a game where you lose everything once you are defeated. What do you think will happen if those people win? Maybe they will keep drawing my blood until I die. If I resist, they may gag me and bind my hands and feet to forcibly take my blood.”
“Pardon? H, how, how could that be?”
“I’m not exaggerating. It may actually happen.”
When he refused to have his blood drawn in his previous life, Renato was knocked unconscious by Maximo. And while his blood was taken, he was gagged to prevent him from biting his tongue, his hands and feet tied to stop his struggles. At that time, it was Baikal who drew his blood.
“Shouldn’t I do everything I can to avoid the worst possible outcome? What’s the point of staying healthy when one mistake can instantly lead to my death?”
Gaining military power through Khalid, receiving political help from Tristan, and shaking public opinion with Arche’s information guild. He had been quite successful so far, but it was too early to overpower Marquis Medus’ faction. To confront them, Renato needed a certain amount of power and authority to support himself.
However, as Renato was a Prince without succession rights, the nobles wouldn’t bow their heads to him. So Renato decided to follow Marquis Medus’ method. Replicating the Snake’s Breath was the only way to entice and wield the prideful nobles.
“I believe that you can draw my blood moderately so that it doesn’t put any strain on my body.”
“Of course I will……”
“Good, then there will be no problem. We don’t have time, so let’s start right now. Tell my aide if there are any ingredients you need.”
Renato rolled up his sleeve himself as if he would not listen to any further refutation. Baikal’s eyes widened when the white, slender wrist was exposed.
I study fairy blood to make medicine from it?
When he had that thought, his heart started pounding. To a life-saving doctor and truth-seeking scholar, there was nothing more attractive than fairy blood. He gently held Renato’s wrist like a bewitched person.
* * *
“Aigoo, my back. We are coming back after work at midnight again.”
On a night when the moon was covered by clouds, Nasir got off his horse with a fatigued face. During the past few days, he was busier than anyone else. There was too much work to be done before leaving the kingdom.
“Good job. Since all the urgent work is over, we will be able to breathe a little tomorrow.”
Khalid lightly patted Nasir on the shoulder to compliment him. The two of them were busy because of the issue regarding the Black Wolf Knights’ positions.
The Black Wolf Knights Order was a private knight order founded by Khalid but officially belonged to the royal family. Since Khalid would receive an Empire’s title when he married Renato, there was talk about the knights’ future.
Most of the knights wanted to follow Khalid to the Empire, but neither the royal nor the noble faction liked that. The royal faction had no choice but to oppose it because they were losing power, while the noble faction was wary that Khalid’s power would be stronger than now.
“Still, it’s fortunate that the knights’ issue ended well. I thought we would lose around twelve…… But ultimately, only five people left.”
“It’s thanks to His Imperial Highness.”
A small smile appeared on Khalid’s lips when he thought of Renato. All the knights wishing to remain in the kingdom were those with families.
When Khalid was a diplomatic ambassador, they would only have to stay away from their families till the end of his term, but things became complicated when his political marriage with the Prince was decided. Perhaps they would have to stay in the Empire for the rest of their lives if they chose to follow Khalid. Not knowing that his marriage was a contract with a fixed period, the knights were in agony.
Knowing that either leaving their families in the kingdom to settle in a foreign country alone or moving their entire families to the Empire was difficult, Khalid decided to respect whatever choice they made.
At that time, Renato offered to support the knights so that their families could settle in Esteban territory if they wanted to. He looked for places for the knights’ families to live as well as jobs for them.
