Chapter 8: A Potion’s Unexpected Side Effects

After a quick meal, I resumed my day’s work. It wasn’t about opening the shop, though; with most of the day already gone, it hardly mattered if I opened it or not.

We headed to the backyard, where I cultivated a small patch of herbs. Ideally, I wanted to grow all the necessary ingredients for my potions here, eliminating the need to wait for merchant caravans.

However, the local soil and climate were restrictive, allowing me to only plant common, easy-to-grow varieties.

I had initially planned to manage the garden alone, but Nina insisted on helping. I could do little but agree to her request.

She was likely still worried about me, perhaps due to the fright she’d experienced earlier.

“Dad, Nina’s finished over here.”

“Dad’s done too. Alright, let’s head back.”

“Mm!”

The work didn’t take long. It wasn’t harvest time yet, so we simply watered the plants, checked their growth, inspected the soil, and then called it a day.

“Nina!”

As we prepared to return to the house, a shout echoed from outside the yard. It was three boys from the village.

“Come play with us!”

They had come to find Nina. Children of that age always loved running around, just as I once did.

No, I wasn’t so lively as a child, and there weren’t many places to run. A royal palace could be explored in a few days, and peers to play with were almost nonexistent.

My companions were primarily maids and guards. Although my mother doted on me, I still felt a certain loneliness.

If I were pressed to name a playmate, I certainly had one: my younger sister, my adoptive sister, my mother’s biological daughter. She would follow me everywhere, clinging to me, sometimes even sneaking into my bed.

However, those were all memories from the past. After many twists and turns, I had snuck out to become an unknown hero, and now I was a father. My life was truly fulfilling.

If possible, I still hoped Nina could interact more with children her age. I didn’t want her to be like me, who, apart from that adoptive sister, could barely recall any other companions.

“Nina, if you want to go…”

Before I could finish, Nina tugged my hand and led me back into the house, immediately closing the door.

“No, Dad still has work, and I want to help. Goodbye.”

“Nina, what are you…?”

“Dad must think I want to play with them, right?” Nina interjected again. “But Dad hasn’t fully recovered yet, and you still look so tired.”

“It’s… it’s fine, I just didn’t sleep well. If you want to go play, just go.”

“No! Nina doesn’t want to play with them! Nina wants to stay with Dad and take care of Dad!”

“Nina…”

“Or… does Dad not want to be with Nina? Can’t Nina stay by Dad’s side?”

Nina’s expression suddenly clouded, her eyes glistening. She clutched my hand, her pleading gaze making it impossible for me to refuse her.

At this point, I was at a loss. I would never allow Nina to cry, much less be the one to make her cry.

“…Alright, then… if you don’t want to go, you don’t have to. Stay with Dad.”

“Mm!”

Nina nodded happily, then threw herself into my arms, hugging me tightly.

“Dad’s the best!”

Ah… what an incredibly blissful feeling. It wasn’t a bad thing for my daughter to be so clingy. As for playing with her friends, we could wait until she felt like it. For now, simply being by her side was enough.

***

Although Nina’s declaration of wanting to help me was a way to fend off those boys, it wasn’t entirely untrue. So, for the rest of the day, aside from dinner, Nina and I remained in the workshop, primarily focused on me guiding her in potion-making.

Of course, this wasn’t my request. For a long time, Nina had been exclaiming, “What Dad can do, Nina can do too!” I couldn’t argue with her, so I reluctantly agreed to dedicate a little time each week to instructing her.

Watching my daughter receive my guidance with adoring eyes was an immensely joyful experience for me. Hearing phrases like “Dad’s so amazing!” never grew old, no matter how many times I heard them.

However, perhaps it was the talent of a Demon King’s descendant, for Nina’s learning ability was exceptional. Not only was she diligent, but she never failed a single potion.

At her pace, it felt as if I could hand over the shop’s backend management to her in no time.

Therefore, I deliberately slowed down my teaching.

Even when Nina expressed dissatisfaction and wanted me to teach her more, I would refuse her requests with the phrase, “Potion-making is no joke; it must be foolproof, so practice must be repeated!”

Opportunities to be admired by my daughter were rare. Even if it was just once or twice, I wanted to hear her tell me, “Dad’s so amazing!”

As a father, I believed this thought was perfectly reasonable, and thus, my decision was perfectly reasonable!

“Is this enough?”

“Hmm… try adding a little more.”

“Mm.”

However, today’s guidance wasn’t about teaching Nina a known formula, but rather experimenting with her to develop a new one.

She already had a solid foundation, so researching together occasionally was an excellent option.

We ground the new herbs purchased yesterday, placed them into a small pot, mixed them thoroughly with other ingredients, then poured in hot milk. After a period of soaking, the new formula was complete.

Though it was called a potion, the final product might have no medicinal effect at all; it could turn out to be a new kind of milk candy instead.

Upon completion, I secretly used the Prism to check that it contained no toxins, making it safe to consume. It could even be sold as a snack—though the ingredients were a bit pricey.

“Oh~”

Nina watched me pour the filtered potion into a small, clear glass bottle, seemingly filled with anticipation. Yet, the finished potion was pure white, not at all resembling something that had steeped herbs.

“Hmm… it doesn’t seem special. Is it because of the milk? Did the medicinal compounds fail to dissolve?”

“So, why did Dad use milk? Wouldn’t it have been better to do it the usual way?”

“Don’t jump to conclusions yet. We’ll only know after tasting it.”

“Then let Nina…”

“No.”

“Let Nina do it! It’s always Dad, that’s so unfair!”

Nina tugged at my sleeve, demanding to try it, but I wasn’t so easily swayed.

“No means no. What if strange symptoms appear?”

“Then it’s fine for Dad to personally test the medicine? That’s dangerous too!”

“This…”

Indeed, she had a point. But I had already checked for toxins, so there was no need to worry. I couldn’t reveal the existence of the Prism; after all, I was just an ordinary father, and such a terrifying tool shouldn’t be discovered by my daughter.

“Dad is an adult, and my body is stronger than yours, so of course it’s fine.”

“Boohoo—Dad’s bullying Nina!”

“Oh, Dad’s just worried about you. How is that bullying a child?”

“What if it turns out to be poison!”

“It won’t. Dad confirmed it wasn’t poisonous before making it. I’ll teach you how to distinguish toxins later, alright?”

“If it’s not poisonous, then let me try it first!”

“Even though it’s not poisonous, the effects are unknown, which is why Dad has to try it.”

“Boohoo—I don’t understand at all!”

“In any case, Dad will test this potion. Nina’s objections are not accepted.”

“…Hmph!”

Nina puffed out her cheeks and turned away.

Was she worried about me, or simply feeling indignant? Probably both. However, this was all for Nina’s own good; I just hoped she could understand.

“Alright, Dad’s going to taste it now.”

“Hmph! Do whatever you want! If anything happens, Nina won’t care!”

Ah, she was completely sulking, but Nina was quite adorable like this. I almost wanted to take the opportunity to tease her a little—but it was probably better not to mess around.

I poured a small amount of the pure white potion onto a spoon, brought it to my nose, and indeed caught a whiff of herbs, though it wasn’t pungent. Taking a deep breath, as if steeling myself, I drank the potion.

“Hmm…”

“How is it?”

Nina couldn’t resist her curiosity. She turned back, looking at me anxiously, but with a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

I didn’t answer immediately, savoring the taste. It was sweet, but the fresh creaminess of the milk was gone, confirming that the medicinal compounds had indeed dissolved.

But…

“It seems… to have no effect at all.”

“Then let Nina try it!”

“No, wait a little longer!”

“Boohoo—”

It seemed Nina simply wanted to test the potion herself. However, the effects might take some time, so I couldn’t let her try it immediately.

A few more minutes passed…

“Hey~ Dad~ Is it not ready yet? What’s happening?”

“Don’t rush. This potion… it really feels like… it’s doing nothing.”

I had been constantly checking my body’s condition with the Prism hidden in the workbench drawer, and it hadn’t reported any harmful symptoms. So, it should be fine, right?

“So, it failed?”

“Well… it could also be considered a new dairy product.”

“Then let Nina try it!”

“Mm.”

Nina immediately picked up a small spoon, poured some out, and like me, brought it to her nose to smell before putting it in her mouth.

“How is it?”

“Hmm~ It’s sweet, but… it feels a little strange.”

“Does it taste bad?”

“It’s not that, it’s just… hmm…”

After a few seconds, Nina inexplicably began to look peculiar. Her cheeks gradually flushed, her eyes became hazy, and her body swayed a few times. Her fingers relaxed, the small spoon clattered to the floor, and then she collapsed onto me.

“Wait… Nina!”

“Dad…”

Nina hugged me tightly, looking up with moist eyes fixed on mine. Her voice, calling my name, was soft and tender, and the warm breath escaping her lips stirred my heart.

Something was wrong. It wasn’t that I thought she had an illness, like a fever or cold, because Nina currently looked… like… a small animal in heat!

No! How could I describe her like that! What was I thinking!

“What’s wrong! Is your body uncomfortable anywhere!”

“No, Dad, Nina just… feels so hot… so uncomfortable…”

Hot? It felt like a fever, but regardless, I needed to get Nina to lie down first.

“It’s alright, Nina, come, let’s go to—whoa!”

I was about to carry Nina to the nearby bed, but she moved faster than me, pushing me towards the bed and then pinning me down.

“Nina, what are you…?”

“Hey~ Dad~”

“!!!”

Nina braced her hands on the bed, her knees raised as she knelt, her body pressing against mine. Her cheeks flushed, she gazed at me, and I seemed to have the illusion that her pupils had turned heart-shaped.

If this continued, I feared I would be the one to lose control first! This was definitely because of those potions!

No! I had to get Nina off me quickly!

“Nina! Get off first! Dad, I…”

“No~ Don’t tell me, Dad hates me?”

“It’s not that, it’s just…”

Hearing my daughter say those words, I finally realized the strangeness of the situation, a fact I had overlooked from the very beginning.

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