On the way back from the imperial palace to the duke’s townhouse. Before even arriving at the mansion, Akkia asked Leah, who was about to get off the carriage.

“Are you going to visit Professor Rams?”

“Yes. I saw him at the apothecary the other day, and he said he was researching poisons. I made an appointment to meet him today to get some advice on treatment.”

I was worried he might not like it. But the duke surprisingly easily gave Leah permission to go out.

Leah turned away from the departing carriage and headed towards Rams’ laboratory. Rams’ laboratory was located not far from the city center.

As she stood in front of the large mansion, befitting his renowned status, Leah unknowingly grew tense. Leah followed the laboratory’s servant and walked inside.

“Welcome.”

“Thank you for inviting me, Professor.”

“Not at all. I wanted to talk to you, Leah. I’m just grateful that you visited me like this.”

Rams’ unpretentious laughter echoed through the laboratory. As if he was in the midst of his research, there were several researchers gathered in the laboratory.

As they entered the office, warm sunlight shone into the room through the wide open window.

“So. You used spider venom in the mixture?”

“Yes. I wanted to consult you about the side effects anyway.”

Leah took out a paper with the mixing method and a table of side effect progress and handed it to Rams. Rams was silent for a while, as if looking at the materials Leah had handed him.

“Hmm. This is a new combination. Using spider venom to detoxify the Porarium poison.”

“…….”

“Right. As I said before, the only side effect was a high fever?”

The side effect progress table only mentioned short-term memory loss due to high fever. But that wasn’t the only side effect of the new drug.

Moreover, Rams, whom Leah had first met at the apothecary, seemed to know about the ‘other side effect’ Leah had experienced.

[It’s one of the typical side effects of Priapus. There must have been other side effects besides that?] [Are there any other side effects?] [There are, but…… it’s a bit awkward to say it here. By the way, would you mind stopping by my lab sometime later?]

‘He must know something for sure.’

Rams, who had put the paper down on the table, adjusted his glasses that had slid down to the bridge of his nose. Rams’ deepened eyes met Leah’s.

The side effect progress table only mentioned short-term memory loss due to high fever. But that wasn’t the only side effect of the new drug.

“That’s…… as you said, high fever isn’t the only side effect. My memory of that day is hazy, but……”

I clearly remembered my body getting hot with fever. And even kissing the duke after that. But I couldn’t remember what happened after that.

‘I can’t even ask the duke how I was that day.’

Leah trailed off, hesitating.

“That, I mean……”

I couldn’t honestly tell Rams, ‘I was so vigorous that I caused an accident.’

While I was hesitating, not knowing how to bring it up indirectly.

“Wasn’t excessive virility enhancement a side effect?”

“Oh, so you knew?”

Leah was so startled that she almost knocked over the teacup in front of her.

“So it was that side effect after all. I had heard stories of the Priapus spider being used as an aphrodisiac since ancient times. This is quite interesting.”

Leah blinked her eyes.

‘Oh my gosh. So that folklore was true?’

One of the orally transmitted stories about the Priapus spider was its effect as a virility enhancer. Of course, it wasn’t a story verified by research results.

The revealed academic research results only showed that boiling the Priapus spider like medicine enhances the patient’s vitality.

Wasn’t it that you had to boil it after removing all the venom from the venom sac?

“You must not know the origin of the Priapus spider’s name. In ancient mythology, wasn’t Priapus the god of reproduction?”

“I know that, but…… I just thought it was a story passed around among people.”

‘Who would believe such a mythical story?’

Leah hurriedly reached out and grabbed the paper placed in front of Rams. Leah’s eyes, looking at the mixing paper as if in disbelief, shook violently.

“Besides, I directly used the venom sac.”

“Right. Originally, it’s made by removing the venom from the venom sac and boiling it. However, the trace amount of venom left behind also helps enhance vitality.”

Dismay rose on Leah’s face.

‘Then…… what happened that day was really a side effect of the new drug?’

Of all things, this kind of side effect had to occur. Leah’s hand, which had picked up the progress paper at some point, trembled.

“Then, Professor. Is there no treatment for the side effects? Or even results from your laboratory research……!”

Desperation was evident in Leah’s eyes as she asked Rams.

I couldn’t prescribe this drug with such side effects to the duke as it was. The problem was that the deadline I had promised the duke was approaching.

“Well. No treatment has been developed yet for that kind of side effect. Even if there is, it’s just a rumor.”

“……”

“Although the laboratory is researching spider venom, your combination is so new. Hmm.”

If Rams said this much, no doctor would be able to treat the side effects of the new drug.

“Professor. I’ll visit you again later.”

“Oh my. You’re not staying longer?”

“No. I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

Leah, who felt it was tight to even develop another treatment right away, hurriedly got up from her seat.

Then, before Rams could finish saying something, Leah left the laboratory.

“Side effects……”

Rams, who was rubbing his chin, continued.

“It won’t end with just one time.”

[This is the timeline separator]

After returning to the mansion, the night was getting late. Perhaps because she had learned about the side effects of the new drug, Leah couldn’t fall asleep easily.

‘How can the side effects be treated?’

Since virility also shows different symptoms for each person. The side effects manifested in Leah could appear differently in Akkia.

In the first place, there are physical differences between women and men. The words Professor Rams had said during the day kept circling in Leah’s mind.

[Well. No treatment has been developed yet for that kind of side effect. Even if there is, it’s just a rumor.]

Rams, who only said that the circulating treatment methods were just rumors. In the end, Leah, feeling disturbed, lifted her eyelids.

“It’s hot.”

Was it because she was thinking about the side effects that she got a fever? Strangely, Leah felt the room had been stuffy for a while.

Seeing the chemise that was soaked with sweat at some point, she took off the thin garment she was wearing.

“Ha, it’s weird. Why is it so hot?”

The burning heat that came back again even when taking off clothes and feeling better for a moment. It felt like all the moisture in her body had dried up as if she were standing next to the sun.

‘What is it?’

Although it was summer, the capital was a place with more wind than the Hyderne estate. Leah fanned herself with her hand, but eventually couldn’t overcome the heat and abruptly got up from the bed.

‘It’s not even the sweltering summer yet?’

Thinking it was strange, Leah began to feel her own body. Leah was startled as every place her hand touched felt like it would burn with the hot heat.

“What the……? Why is my body like a fireball?”

As if it would get even hotter, her whole body felt like a lump of iron that had swallowed fire. A deep sense of unease rushed to her neck.

Leah’s hand trembled at the familiar heat sensation.

“No way.”

The sensation that had been poking her lower abdomen wasn’t unfamiliar.

As if…….

“I think it was like this that night too.”

Naturally, the memory of that night tangled in Leah’s mind. The image of herself straddling the duke’s body and lowering her head.

Leah got up from her seat, thinking she couldn’t stay like this any longer. If this was indeed the manifestation of side effects, the events of that day would repeat themselves again.

“That can’t happen.”

‘Absolutely not!’

It was already difficult to face the duke with just the memory of that day. Leah bit her lip, thinking it should never be repeated again.

There was no time to hesitate like this. The only thought was to cool down the heat by taking a bath with cold water.

So she left the room and wandered around looking for the bathroom.

At first, she thought it would be fine for about an hour, but the side effects progressed faster than expected. With each step, her legs felt heavy like a sponge soaked in water.

In the end, unable to go far, Leah exhaled a deep breath while leaning against the wall. At some point, the chemise she was wearing was soaked with sweat.

“Haa…… Haa……”

Her two legs that stepped on the ground trembled as if they would collapse at any moment. Leah tightly grasped her mind that kept trying to drift away.

If she collapsed in the hallway like this, the duke might find her. Thinking she had to cool down the heat somehow, she started taking one step at a time.

The heavy sensation that weighed down with every movement. Leah’s whole body trembled at the thrill that came up her legs.

“This is crazy……”

Where on earth was the bathroom? It was perplexing to find the bathroom in an unfamiliar mansion and in an abnormal state.

Then, Leah’s gaze fell on a door. A small console table blocking the front of the door. But that door was undoubtedly the bathroom to anyone’s eyes.

Leah had no time to think about why the console table was blocking it. She went straight in and opened the door.

There was no time to take off the chemise she was wearing. As she slowly immersed her body in the bathtub filled with cold water, the water in the bathtub overflowed and spilled out.

As the boiling heat subsided with the cold water, Leah finally sighed.

“Haa.”

The water in the bathtub was already being heated by the heat emanating from Leah. But still, a sense of relief washed over her, thinking she had put out the urgent fire.

‘I’ve done all I can.’

Now, as if she could no longer avoid it, the strength left Leah’s entire body.

‘I wish I could just fall asleep like this.’

Then, dreaming the vain dream that ‘the side effects might pass?’, she was about to close her heavy eyes.

At that moment, the sound of the doorknob turning and rattling echoed through the bathroom.

‘Who……?’

Leah’s half-closed eyes turned towards the slowly opening door.

Even in the blurry and hazy vision, the approaching figure was too clear. As if it were etched.

‘Why.’

Why was that man here? That man was the one she should avoid the most right now.

Leah bit her lip tightly.

“Leah.”

At the voice ringing in her ears, Leah felt all the sensations in her body awaken. Because with a single word from the man, the tension that had armed her whole body melted away.

“Why are you here?”

Until she came to the bathroom. The countless moments she had endured turned to bubbles, and Leah could no longer deny it.

That she wanted that man.