The house that seemed extremely narrow at first glance changed its scenery once you entered. Grete felt as if she had stepped into a strange maze.

Upon entering the door, a very narrow space that almost looked like a ruin appeared. Whether pentagonal or hexagonal, there were shelves along the wall with strangely bent corners that reached the ceiling, and there was nothing in them but garbage.

The man did not say anything to Grete but slightly pushed one of the shelves aside. Surprisingly, it budged a bit, making just enough room for a person to pass through. Grete dumbly stared at the man’s hunched back disappearing into the darkness before hurrying to follow him.

Inside was more spacious than outside, filled with a putrid and toxic smell. On one side was a large iron pot, and Grete thought she never wanted to know what was boiling inside.

And countless medicine bottles… Suspicious herbs and some kinds of powders were spread on what seemed like a makeshift cooking table.

Grete quickly realized what this place was for.

The man spoke.

“Who referred you here?”

Grete hesitated for a moment. She wasn’t sure if it was okay to mention Jocelyn’s name. How did Jocelyn the housekeeper know about this place? She had only been ordered to accept whatever her master gave her without questioning. Then Jocelyn must have been here before…

Growing impatient, the man urged her with an annoyed tone.

“Speak up quickly. I am a busy man. If you’re not going to speak, then get lost. This isn’t a place where we sell cough syrup to just anyone.”

“Uh, I come from the Count’s estate. It’s…an errand.”

The man’s expression changed. Grete thought his face looked like the moist skin of an aged beast…seeing his crumbling lips made her feel nauseous.

The man spoke.

“So, you’re from the Count’s estate, you say? Alright, wait a moment.”

He turned around casually and returned with a creaking footstool, climbing onto it. Grete had a momentary image of the footstool wobbling, the man tumbling sideways into the boiling iron pot…

“Here.”

Nothing like that happened. Grete looked down nervously at what the man handed her. Half-filled in a brown bottle of the length of a finger was an unidentified liquid.

Grete picked it up with trembling fingertips. As the man had said, this was clearly not a cough syrup. She didn’t want to know what it was…or perhaps she already did.

The man grinned, revealing rotten teeth.

“Tell that woman. This one is much more expensive than the last.”

Grete’s eyes widened. She backpedaled, stuffing the bottle into her pocket, and darted out of the place like a mouse. Nettles scratched at her ankles. She leaned against the fence. Where? Where was the opening? She couldn’t find a way out no matter how hard she tried.

As Grete pushed the fence like a confused person, she pricked her finger on a thorn. Then, one section suddenly moved as if it were a lie.

She felt like she was expelled from that place, from there. As she took deep breaths, a nauseating and toxic smell seemed to linger at the tip of her nose.

Grete clenched her pocket tightly. What was inside, solid…it was entangled with her and Jocelyn’s hatred.

Without looking back, Grete exited the alley. Her task was now complete. All that remained was to wait.

Fortunately, Sedilroy quickly adapted to playing ball with Arianate. Watching Arianate chirping with joy and Sedilroy catching and throwing the ball with a fatherly expression, Meiana couldn’t help but smile contentedly.
“This way, their relationship would gradually grow closer.”

Meiana thought.

Certainly, the lack of respect the servants showed Ariante was partly due to Sedilroy’s insufficient presence.

No matter how busy he was, even if he frequently left the estate due to matters in the royal palace, who would dare mistreat Ariante if Sedilroy showed he valued his only daughter as a gem in the palm of his hand?

Fortunately, it did not seem like Sedilroy disliked or hated Ariante. He simply did not know how to deal with a young child like her. At least, that’s how Meiana saw it.

In such situations, the best course of action was to somehow make them spend time together.

“My lady! Come rest for a bit. You’ll get tired if you keep running around for too long.”

As Meiana called out, Ariante, who was holding a ball in both hands, glanced at Sedilroy. When he wiped his forehead and nodded, the child finally ran toward Meiana.

“My, your face is flushed. It’s not even that hot a day… Let me wipe off your sweat.”

After touching Ariante’s cheek with the back of her hand, Meiana took off her hat. The child’s forehead was warm enough to indicate a rise in body temperature. Her cheeks were as red as freshly-picked apples in autumn, and her breath had a sweet aroma.

When Meiana wiped Ariante’s forehead, cheeks, and neck with a cool damp cloth, the child closed her eyes and showed a look of comfort. Meiana then took the ball from the child’s hand and naturally led her to sit down.

“Are you having fun?”

“So much fun!”