The Medicine That Betrayed Her

Chloe, who had been sitting dazed on the floor of the inner chamber, only managed to steady her blurred vision after a long while.

‘I need to see Sophie.’

The only person who could tell her about the switched medicine was that eccentric scholar.

Chloe sent word to Sophie using the method they had agreed upon.

She hid a note with the time and place of their meeting inside the split trunk of the massive tree.

The days of waiting gnawed at her.

If Hector discovered their connection, Sophie would not escape unscathed.

The exorbitant price she had paid for the medicine had included hazard compensation, yet she still feared Sophie might already be rotting in some dungeon.

Fortunately, Sophie appeared at the appointed place unharmed.

The moment she spotted Chloe, she ran over and grabbed her hands, bouncing excitedly.

“I found an incredible book in the library. It’s all thanks to you, Lady Chloe.”

Sophie looked as if she owned the world, her freckled nose twitching with delight.

She chattered on about the book she had discovered, as though nothing else in existence mattered.

Chloe had urgent business, but Sophie gave her no room to interrupt, so she listened for a moment.

“Do you know how hard it was to get into the restricted section? The guard insisted not even a fortune would sway him. I must’ve tried several times.”

“I see.”

“It was practically a war.”

Sophie bragged without pause.

“I selected my target carefully from the rotating guards. The one with the weakest mental fortitude. I brought money, of course, but I also prepared a hypnotic fragrance I developed.

While negotiating, I casually reached into my pocket now and then and let the scent drift. Don’t I sound like a first-class spy?”

“……”

“His eyes glazed over almost immediately. He was half-conscious by then, and that’s when I sealed the deal. The scent is so subtle he probably still doesn’t realize he was affected.”

Listening to her boastful tale left Chloe uneasy.

Bribing a guard to enter a forbidden area was one thing.

Using a drug on top of it was worse.

Sophie’s lack of moral restraint became unmistakable.

Her intellectual hunger overflowed, but her ethics fell outside the bounds of ordinary people.

“What book was worth all that trouble?”

With no trace of guilt, Sophie rummaged in her arms and revealed a small volume.

It was made of aged parchment rather than paper.

Thin, worn, and clearly ancient.

Even at a glance, it did not seem ordinary.

No wonder it had been placed in the restricted section.

“Do you know how extraordinary its contents are? I plan to experiment with it soon. I’m so excited.”

Her voice sparkled with enthusiasm.

Chloe, too, felt curiosity, but if she asked more, Sophie would chatter all night.

She recalled the real reason she had come.

“Sophie, there’s something urgent.”

Chloe briefly explained what had happened and presented the substituted pills.

“Can you tell what this is?”

She handed over the pouch, unsure whether Sophie could truly solve it.

Not every scholar in the Hall of the North Star was versed in pharmacology.

Last time, asking for contraceptives had not worried her.

The formula was common knowledge.

Analyzing an unfamiliar medicine was far more difficult.

Sophie narrowed her eyes and examined the pills carefully.

She rolled one between her fingers, sniffed it, then crumbled a piece to inspect the dried leaf fragments inside.

“How long do you think it will take?” Chloe asked.

Sophie did not answer.

Instead, she popped one into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully before spitting it out.

“Are you sure that’s safe?” Chloe asked, startled.

“It won’t kill me instantly.”

Her reasoning was disturbingly simple.

“I’ll test it for a couple of hours. If it’s straightforward, I’ll know quickly. If not, it may take longer.”

“A couple of hours?”

The time was far shorter than expected.

Sophie turned briskly toward the Hall.

“If you’re waiting, you can stay in my lab.”

Chloe followed discreetly.

Inside the research chamber, geometric diagrams covered the walls and scattered papers.

It was clear Sophie was not primarily a pharmacology expert.

Still, Chloe had no choice but to wait.

Time pressed against her nerves.

If Hector returned from the Privy Council meeting before she did, suspicion would follow.

After what felt like an eternity, Sophie let out a triumphant cry.

“I’ve figured it out, Lady Chloe!”

“What is it?”

“This medicine is a fertility enhancer.”

“…It encourages pregnancy?”

Sophie nodded eagerly.

“It’s not a common tonic. It contains rare ingredients found only in the northern tundra. If you’ve taken it, your monthly bleeding will likely stop next month. The chances of conception are very high.”

Without thinking, Chloe placed her hand over her lower abdomen.