Chapter 23: The Cure

“Ugh.”

The moment I took a bite, an incredibly bitter taste flooded my mouth.

It was a taste I had never experienced in my nine years of life.

“Ugh. It’s disgusting.”

It wasn’t just bitter, it was also fishy.

I almost spat it out, but I forced myself to chew it thoroughly.

If I eat this, my illness can be cured.

When her white eyes, a characteristic of the Muelia family, turned black. She despaired.

The mystical white eyes that only a Muelia could possess.

The fact they were turning black made it seem like she wasn’t a Muelia.

The direct descendants of the Muelia family usually discover their talents within ten years.

The current head of the family, Delkarmen Muelia, picked up a sword at the age of seven, and Emily was confirmed as the next successor at eight.

Both displayed overwhelming talent at a young age.

But what about Yona?

She had no talent for swordsmanship, nor for politics.

On top of that, she was sickly, which worried those around her.

So she smiled even brighter. So that they wouldn’t worry.

But the moment she took the elixir, everything changed.

Srrk.
The eyes she saw in the mirror were gradually turning white.

The black spots that had covered more than half, making them look hideous, were disappearing.

At the same time, her head throbbed.

Her head was burning, and her vision was dizzy.

But she knew instinctively.

That this pain was part of the healing process.

In fact, as her cells absorbed the elixir, they naturally became immune to all poisons.

Simultaneously, it was neutralizing and detoxifying the divine poison accumulated in her body.

It’s like when you catch a cold, your body fights the cold virus with white blood cells, and you get a fever.

That’s what it felt like.

And that wasn’t all.

She herself wasn’t fully aware of it yet, but the combination of the Poison King’s legacy and the Muelia bloodline was starting to cause a mutation.

An unexpected talent was beginning to take root in her empty white eyes.

When the black spots completely disappeared, exclamations of awe erupted from all around.

Yona felt an overwhelming sense of relief that she no longer had to suffer from the pain.

And all of this.

“Sister Rachel.”

It was all possible because of Rachel.

The color of her eyes is returning.

The moment everyone present confirmed this, they were relieved. Especially me and Emily.

“Haa. Thank goodness. Really.”

Luckily, the disease she had was, as I predicted, what the priests had said.

How much had I studied to witness this moment?

I had read hundreds of books on alchemy.

I hadn’t slept properly, completely engrossed in this one task.

Afterward, alchemists and priests came in to examine her body.

What I was paying attention to was the priests’ divine power.

Whenever they used their divine power, Yona showed no particular reaction.

That’s a relief.

This means that even if she’s exposed to divine power in the future, she won’t suffer like before.

Of course, just because she’s immune to divine poison doesn’t mean divine power will have a healing effect.

The Poison King’s elixir only grants immunity to all poisons.

It doesn’t change the fundamental constitution that perceives divine power as poison.

A little while later, the examination was complete.

“Her condition has improved significantly. No. It’s almost a complete recovery. We’ll have to monitor her progress, but… there won’t be any danger like before.”

The priests and alchemists, who could be considered the doctors of this era, all made that assessment.

“Yona. Congratulations. You don’t have to be in pain anymore.”

“Sister Emily. Sister Yona, thank you. Haaam. I’m going to sleep for a bit.”

Yona’s eyes slowly closed.

“I’m glad she looks comfortable.”
“Yes, she does.”

Yona wore a peaceful smile, unlike before.

We confirmed this and quietly left the room.

“Would you like to have a cup of coffee before you go?”

“No. I have to report to Father, so there’s likely to be a bonus, you can look forward to that.”

“I didn’t treat Yona for the money.”

“I know that.”

Emily smiled and started walking away.

I watched until she was completely out of sight, then I started walking too.

My destination was the library.

A sign on the door indicated that it was closed for vacation until tomorrow.

“What should I do?”

I had two days of vacation left, including today.

Yona’s illness, the most important thing, had been successfully resolved.

I wanted to rest properly during my vacation.

It was a reward for all the hard work I’d put in.

“First, I’ll have some coffee, then get some sleep.”

I had woken up early again today, so I was sleep-deprived.

As a result, my body felt heavy and my eyes were gritty.

And so, I fell into a deep sleep, the kind I hadn’t had in two months.

Emily tried to suppress her joyful feelings.

To become the head of the family, she had to learn to conceal her emotions.

That’s why she had always worn a mask of smiles.

A smile is a surprisingly effective weapon.

It can induce the other party to let their guard down, and it can also increase intimacy and favorability.

Of course, there’s no need to wear such a mask now.

She’s the only one here anyway.

And the man entering now is her father.

It was just a kind of habit.

Delkarmen Muelia hurriedly approached and sat down.

He quenched his thirst with tea prepared in advance by a maid.

“So, what happened, Emily? You say Yona has recovered? It’s a disease that even the Cardinal couldn’t cure?”

“Do you remember the person who was appointed as the librarian a few months ago?”

“Of course. I remember her clearly. Didn’t you personally request her? Her name was… Rachel, wasn’t it?”

From then on, Emily began to explain the situation at the time.

“So, in short, Yona was cured by the medicine given by that woman, Rachel?”
“Yes.”
“I must go see her immediately.”

Delkarmen Muelia, forgetting all about decorum, quickly rose and tried to head to Yona’s mansion.

But Emily stopped him.

“Yona is sleeping now. Her fever is also going down, so it would be best to see her in the afternoon.”

“Khm. Alright. Then tell me more about this woman, Rachel. What kind of medicine could possibly cure Yona?”

Emily shook her head.

“I don’t know much about that either. But I know someone who might.”

She checked her watch.

It was almost time for the appointment.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Aris, dressed in light casual clothes, entered.

“Aris?”

“Greetings, Master.”

“I’m doing well, but what brings you here?”

“Aris accompanied Rachel as her escort at the time. Rachel obtained the elixir then.”

Aris sat down in the empty seat between the two.

After lightly quenching her thirst with tea, she spoke.

“The place we entered at the time was a dungeon. To be precise, it was a dungeon created by the Poison King.”

The two tilted their heads in confusion.

Especially Emily’s eyes widened.

“A dungeon of the Poison King? Could it be the Poison King’s legacy?”

“Yes. The dungeon was hidden deep in the mountains. It was protected by a secret and powerful barrier that even I couldn’t detect.”

It was understandable if the dungeon was set up by someone called the Poison King.

The previous Poison King was a master assassin.

“But how did Rachel know about it?”
“I’m also curious about that, but the moment we entered the dungeon, the dungeon lord said, ‘Welcome, heir of the Poison King.'”
“Heir of the Poison King. Does that mean Rachel is the one who inherited the will of the Poison King, who disappeared about 100 years ago?”

“It’s highly likely.”

It’s unlikely that the dungeon lord was mistaken.

It’s also absurd that Rachel, an ordinary person, knew about that place.

Aris nodded. Emily was stunned.

The heir of the Poison King, no less.

Of course, she wasn’t the only heir of the Poison King.

But who was the Poison King?

He was a legendary assassin who suddenly appeared about 100 years ago and poisoned everyone who opposed him.

Even renowned masters of the time were found poisoned, and the emperor of the empire trembled before this reaper.

And Rachel was the one who inherited his legacy.

“Of course, Rachel hadn’t mastered any aura, and her physique wasn’t great. I heard from Riella that she has excellent knowledge.”

Delkarmen Muelia, who had been listening quietly, changed the atmosphere.

“Since it’s certain that she cured Yona, there should be a reward. It seems best for her to choose the reward herself.”

He thought for a moment and said to Emily.

“Then I’ll arrange a meeting immediately.”

“Yes. I’ll call her right away.”

Emily rose from her seat.

She could have asked a servant to do it, but she wanted to go get her herself.

At that moment, Aris clapped her hands.

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention this. Last night. There were assassins targeting Rachel.”
“Assassins?”
“Yes. The assassin confessed to being a member of the Meren family. The last remaining leader is currently in prison, so you can interrogate him.”

At the word assassination, Emily’s eyes turned cold.

A chilling glint appeared in her pupils, and the corners of her mouth turned down.

She was furious.

Seeing his daughter genuinely enraged, Delkarmen Muelia’s expression also turned grim.