One bright spring day.

Several months after passing the pharmacist exam, Leah was finally able to secure employment in a small domain tucked away in a corner of the empire.

And today was Leah’s first day of work at the place she had struggled to get hired.

On this long-awaited first day of work, she sat in the office with the butler to hear some brief instructions.

But then.

“I’m sorry, but could you repeat that? Who did you say?”

“I said, the former prince of this empire and Duke Haidern.”

‘Ah. I’m doomed.’

Leah, sitting in the reception room listening to the butler, quietly murmured.

Duke Haidern – there would be no citizen of the Croatean Empire who did not know that name.

Because he was…

‘Wasn’t he said to have not much time left to live?’

Duke Haidern. He was the eldest son of Philip III, the former emperor of the Croatean Empire.

The ill-fated prince who should have become the current emperor. It was a fact known to all citizens of the empire that the duke had been sickly since childhood.

And because of that, it was also known that he didn’t have much time left. No. More people probably thought he was already dead.

That’s why Emperor Philip had no choice but to place his nephew from a collateral line on the throne as crown prince.

After Emperor Philip entered his eternal rest, the duke’s cousin ascended to the throne as the current emperor in place of the sickly prince. After the duke left the palace, public interest in him ceased.

‘Then doesn’t that mean the duke is on the brink of death right now…?’

As that thought occurred to her, Leah’s body seemed to tremble slightly.

She had heard that when a member of the royal family dies of illness, even the doctors and pharmacists in charge of them cannot escape death.

‘No wonder. The salary was outrageously high.’

Why had she forgotten? That there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

Moreover, hadn’t she learned this firsthand in her previous life in South Korea? And yet she had forgotten such an important fact.

‘I should have known something was up when the monthly salary was 5 silver coins. Ah, this is driving me crazy.’

Five silver coins was enough to cover 2-3 months of living expenses for a family of three commoners. And they were offering that much as a monthly salary.

‘And to a rookie pharmacist with no experience at that.’

In her 22 years of life, she had never heard of a place offering such a huge amount as a pharmacist’s salary. Let alone in an outlying domain she had never even heard of before.

A silent scream escaped her lips. Her fingertips trembled as they gripped the hem of her skirt.

It was clear that everyone else must have refused. Who would risk their life trying to save a terminally ill duke?

At eight years old. As usual, while doing menial tasks, Leah suddenly recalled memories of her past life.

As time passed, the memories gradually became clearer, and those memories were quite helpful in this life. At least she didn’t have to worry about going hungry.

But if there was one thing she realized through those memories.

“Nothing is more important than life.”

After recalling that she had died while running away in her past life, her attachment to life grew stronger.

‘Living a long and steady life.’

That became the goal of her life.

‘As much as I love money, I can’t take a job as a pharmacist where I might die at any time!’

As if she had made some decision, she raised her head.

“Butler, there seems to have been some misunderstanding. I am still an inexperienced novice pharmacist. For someone like me to be Duke Haidern’s pharmacist… It’s too grand a position for me. So please find someone more skilled…”

“We don’t mind. We’ve already had the most renowned people in the empire come and go. Rather, we’d like to see the spirit of a newcomer like Miss Leah.”

She tried to convey her refusal indirectly, but was flatly rejected.

‘If that’s the case. I’ll have to be direct.’

“I apologize. I am not suitable for the duke’s household. Let’s consider the contract null and void.”

Hoping that her room in the capital was still available, she expressed her intention to terminate the contract.

“Oh my, then there’s nothing to be done.”

Only then did the butler stroke his chin and sigh, which made her expression lighten considerably.

“Thank you for understanding, Butler.”

“Please pay the penalty fee of 50 silver coins by the end of this week.”

“Yes, I understand… Pardon?”

‘Penalty fee?’

At the sudden mention of a penalty fee, Leah’s body stiffened. As if he had expected this, the butler handed her a paper and said,

“You must have received 5 silver coins as a contract deposit before coming here. Read that contract carefully. What happens if you unilaterally terminate the contract after receiving the deposit.”

With trembling hands, she skimmed over the contract the butler had handed her.

‘I’m doomed.’

Unbelievably, there were words about a penalty fee written in the contract.

‘The penalty fee is 10 times the deposit. How could such tiny letters have been written there.’

Was it because of her desperation for employment and being blinded by the large sum of money? She felt like slapping her past self if she could meet her.

After a while, Leah carefully handed the contract back to the butler and said,

“…Come to think of it, I feel quite concerned about leaving the ailing duke. Although my skills are lacking, I will do my best.”

50 silver coins, there’s no way she would have such a large sum. Having quickly resigned herself, she answered.

“So, about that. Could I meet the duke’s attending physician? I’d like to prepare medicine while referring to the previous medical records and the physician’s opinion.”

Butler Bayern interrupted Leah as she spoke with a serious expression.

“Oh my, Miss Leah, it seems you haven’t heard.”

“Pardon? What…”

“The duke has no attending physician.”

“Excuse me?”

Leah asked back with a face that seemed to say ‘what are you talking about’. No attending physician for the duke? At first, she thought she had misheard.

“What do you mean…?”

Butler Bayern’s eyes took on a strange glint as he closed the file he had been reading. Then, sitting back in his chair with his arms crossed, he continued.

“The reason for the salary of 5 silver coins is because the pharmacist must also act as a doctor. That’s why we hired someone like you who is also skilled in medicine.”

‘What?’

At the butler’s words, Leah recalled the somewhat strange interview she had before leaving for Duke Haidern’s estate.

The interviewer she met in the capital before departing for Duke Haidern’s estate had not asked her the usual questions.

To ask a pharmacist about medical skills and healing abilities.

Generally, such things were not required of pharmacists, so she had only thought it was strange.

‘No wonder… They didn’t even ask about experience related to drug compounding, but suddenly asked about medical skills.’

Leah felt a throbbing headache. In the end, she reluctantly became Duke Haidern’s pharmacist cum attending physician.

“Follow me.”

Not noticing her face that now looked almost ready to cry, the butler said he would introduce her to the duke as he walked up the stairs.

The butler was busily continuing to say something, but Leah couldn’t focus on his words. Only the name Haidern echoed in her ears like a mantra.

“Do you understand, Miss Leah? The main points to be careful about when serving the duke are…”

After walking for quite some time, the butler stopped in front of a large door at the end of the mansion’s corridor and said,

“Ah, and just in case, let me tell you this.”

‘What else is there to know?’

Leah’s face clouded over at the fact that there was something more she needed to know.

“The duke has a very sensitive personality.”

“…Pardon?”

Sensitive?

Leah stared blankly at the butler’s words, feeling a strange sense of discomfort.

– Click.

As soon as he finished speaking, the butler opened the duke’s door. As the door slowly opened, a peculiar scent wafted past Leah’s nose.

‘This scent is…’

It was then that she was trying to recall the identity of the scent.

– Crash!

A loud shattering sound rang out as something flew towards her.

‘Huh?’

While Leah was slowly blinking her eyes to assess the situation.

She felt a hot sensation on her left cheek, along with warm liquid trickling down.

‘What on earth…’

Leah slowly raised her hand to wipe her cheek. Then she saw warm liquid seeping into her palm.

“…Blood?”

As she turned her gaze, she saw shards of broken glass scattered on the floor. Only then did Leah come to her senses.

‘This isn’t just being sensitive!’

It was the moment she raised her head again, slightly trembling hands behind her back. A shadow approached and blocked Leah’s view.

She swallowed hard at the shadow that exuded a fierce aura beyond mere sensitivity.

The dark room with thick curtains drawn as if unable to tolerate even a sliver of light.

Because of that, she couldn’t see well, but she could tell. That the person standing in front of her was that rumored duke.

A heavy silence fell between the two as they seemed to be sizing each other up.

‘…Is this really the Duke Haidern I know about?’

That can’t be. The oppressive aura of the shadow blocking her way was almost suffocating.

She clenched her fists tightly, feeling an inexplicable fear.

The numerous rumors surrounding Duke Haidern were mostly tinged with pity.

The ill-fated prince born of noble blood as the emperor’s eldest son, but waiting for death due to his weak body.

A pitiful man driven to the outskirts after having everything taken away by his cousin. And all those rumors had one premise.

‘A terminally ill person with not much time left to live due to poor health.’

Yes, the Duke Haidern she knew was sickly. So sickly that no one would doubt it if he died at any moment.

‘But…’

Dark red eyes gleaming in the darkness swept over Leah.

‘Those eyes can’t belong to a sickly person.’

Just as Leah was rolling her eyes, wondering if she had misunderstood something.

– Swoosh.

The room suddenly brightened as the curtains were opened.

“Ugh…”

Startled by the sudden flood of light, Leah furrowed her brow.

“You were still keeping the curtains closed.”

As if this wasn’t the first time, the butler naturally tied back the curtains and approached.

“This is why the duke’s illness isn’t getting better.”

The tone seemed a bit impertinent for speaking to the duke, but she had no time to care about that.

“…Huh?”

Soon after, the intense light coming through the window illuminated the duke’s figure. Could it be that her eyes were dazzled and she was seeing things?

Leah opened her eyes that she had squeezed shut.

‘What is this…’

As the dazzling light subsided, she carefully examined the appearance of the man standing in front of her.

Duke Haidern. His appearance was not what she had imagined just a few minutes ago.

Unlike his intimidating gaze, he had a skinny build and sunken eyes. And above all, a boy who looked much younger than her was staring at Leah.

‘Younger than me?’

She was sure the duke was at least four years older than her.

The man, no, the boy in front of her looked no older than seventeen at most.

It was then, as she was examining the duke with trembling eyes, seemingly shaken by his unexpected appearance. Her eyes met with those of the man with the fierce gaze.

‘That man looks just like…’

A kitten hissing at a stranger. A stray cat whose wary appearance was so pathetic and insignificant that it was pitiful.

That was Leah’s first impression of the duke.