Contender #2 - Herb Researchers

The Pharmacy Lab had been a highly regarded department when they spearheaded the study of treatments for the Ashen Nightmare back when the plague was sweeping over the kingdom. Now that the disease had gone dormant and the country was on its way to recovery, their research lab had been relegated to the shadows, as if all the importance once placed on them had never existed.

Given how humans processed emotion, it wasn’t unreasonable for things to end that way. Now that the smell of death no longer hung thick in the air and things had gone quiet, no one wanted to dig up memories of the past by associating themselves with the researchers. While people understood the importance of their work, those same people gave the department a wide berth. Who wanted to remember the shadows when they were finally stepping out into the light?

Ostracizing the researchers became the norm, and in the blink of an eye, ten years had passed. The researchers had grown weary with fatigue, on the brink of giving up all hope, when one day a pampered-looking princess wandered into their midst without warning.

While none of the other court ladies or maids in the palace would approach their lab, this girl frequented it with a curiosity about their research and an eagerness to learn more. It was clear from the earnest light in her eyes and the way she readily jumped in to help that she wasn’t there to mock them like other noble ladies might.

Her appearance alone was plenty adorable. It was obvious by the way their faces glowed that these social outcasts regarded her as a Fairy Princess that had abruptly fallen into their mix. Not long ago they’d all looked gloomy and lifeless, boiling their herbs in the darkness, leading to rumors that they were witch’s henchmen. Now, not even a trace of their melancholy remained.

They still spent their days in a dark corner of the palace where the sun didn’t reach, but the lab was now being meticulously cleaned and fresh air was filtering through. Any suspicious, unidentifiable objects that were once hanging from the ceiling had been removed, and the eerie atmosphere had softened into something a bit less discomforting. Granted, the reason it was being so thoroughly cleaned was because of a small incident Lady Elianna had caused.

Regardless, while the rest of the palace avoided them, she came with a passion to learn. How could any of them resist her? No doubt her adorable appearance made them even more fond of the girl.

“Miss Elianna, could you get me the aloe and turmeric vials?”

The crown prince’s betrothed had smoothly transitioned and made herself an unofficial apprentice in the research lab. Even today she was obediently assisting the other members in their work.

Lady Elianna had introduced herself properly from the beginning. The chief herbalist had realized who she was, but the other members of the department were estranged from the rest of society. Unaware of her title, they thought of her as just an ordinary person. Thus, they showed no hesitation in treating her like an assistant.

After handing off the requested supplies, Lady Elianna peered curiously at the researcher’s hands. “What medicine is this?”

“Stomach medicine. We already filled a request for it from the prime minister just the other day. Apparently his stomachache still hasn’t gotten better, though.”

“That certainly is concerning,” she said, seeming genuinely worried for him.

I had to clap a hand over my mouth to keep from doubling over in laughter.

Just the other day, the prime minister had come to the research lab complaining about his stomach. When he spotted Lady Elianna there, he’d looked utterly horrified. “Why in the world are you here...?” he’d muttered.

At the same time, Lady Elianna had accidentally dumped sulfur powder everywhere. After inhaling and choking violently on it, the prime minister had fled the scene, unable to say another word. The rotten egg smell contributed to rumors that the researchers were carrying out highly suspicious “experiments,” though the stench alone was enough to make people avoid the lab even more than they already had. Both of these things had only further contributed to the prime minister’s stomach pain.

“Oh, Miss Elianna, that’s powder from a charred monkey’s head. It’s quite precious, so don’t touch it, all right? The chief herbalist went to great lengths to acquire that.”

“Yes, I understand.” Curiosity filled those ashen gray eyes of hers as she examined the monkey’s skull. The chief herbalist had left it perched on top of a velvet cushion, treating it with as much reverence as one might with the king’s crown.

I thought the chief herbalist had strange tastes, but the same could be said about the researchers. They were rambling about the efficacy of burned newts and dragonflies in an attempt to woo Lady Elianna. The girl hanging on their every word with great interest was no doubt a rare and incredible woman, but she also lacked the common sense of most normal people. Using her as a basis for comparison against other noble ladies would give a warped sense of the fairer sex.

This was probably also why it never even occurred to them that she might be the crown prince’s betrothed. I pitied them for their ignorance, but at the same time, their daily comedy was helping me build some strong stomach muscles as I tried to hold my laughter in.

“Uh, um, Miss Elianna? They’re going to have a lecture downtown called Doctor Faust’s Beloved: The Demon’s Poisonous Plant. W-Would you like to go together?” One of the relatively younger researchers managed to pluck up his courage and invite her out on a date.

There was another researcher nearby, actively mixing together some herbs in his mortar. He scowled the moment he heard and interrupted, “Wait just a minute. It’s not fair for you to jump in front of the rest of us. Miss Elianna, some rare carnivorous plants at the botanical gardens are supposed to be in bloom right now. How about we go see them together?”

“Carnivorous plants? You must be joking. Someone as adorable as Miss Elianna wouldn’t have any interest in that. Your lack of sense is why your herbal mixtures are always second-rate.”

“You’ve got some nerve. A demon’s poisonous plant is far less tasteful than what I’m suggesting.”

“You’re wrong about that. It’s the beautiful flowers that tend to be the poisonous ones.”

As the two broke out in a verbal spat, the lady caught in the middle just stared blankly between the two of them.

There was one other place in the palace Lady Elianna frequented: the royal archives, curated by Prince Theodore. Since Marquess Bernstein had worked there previously, the staff was already familiar with Lady Elianna and her engagement status. Additionally, the prince had kept a watchful eye on her, so none of the noblemen in society could casually approach her and strike up conversation. She’d scarcely talked to men, much less received romantic advances from them. Thus, Lady Elianna seemed to think the opposite sex didn’t hold much interest in her.

The chief herbalist ignored his quarreling subordinates, cradling documents in one hand as he called out to the girl. “Gehehe. Milady, The Travels of Parco Molo certainly was an intriguing read. Eastern medicine proposes a concept of meridian channels in the body. It seems to be similar to acupuncture... If you strike someone in the right place, you can put them in a state of paralysis that mimics death. It also has some stuff about how to handle a bear if you encounter one in the mountains.”

“My lady,” an elderly researcher chimed in behind him, “the medicinal herb in this book is something we don’t have on the Ars Continent. However, as you had hoped, it may be effective in treating that internal imbalance affecting some women.”

“Truly?” Instantly, all of her attention and interest were drawn toward the two old men, and the three began talking animatedly over the contents of the book. By the end, they were already prepping to create a sample of this medicine.

Lady Elianna was even popular among the older, married men. They were delighted to have a girl as young as their granddaughter eagerly taking part in their research.

Sadly, what next unfolded was nothing short of a comedy skit. One of the two that had been squabbling bumped into someone who had been in the midst of mixing. The man cried out as he stumbled, sending powder flying everywhere as the pestle slipped from his hand. Miraculously, it landed in someone else’s mortar, sending the herbs inside shooting through the air. This airborne mixture just happened to land right in the pot that Lady Elianna and the two elderly researchers were using to create their sample.

“Ah!” everyone cried out in unison the minute it happened.

A second later, the contents of the pot exploded, sending pitch black smoke billowing throughout the room. The whole room froze, and everyone went silent.

The girl with the platinum-colored hair that so resembled a doll now looked like a baby tanuki, her entire body covered in soot. Her ashen gray eyes blinked in surprise as she coughed.

Things only got worse after that.

“What in the world was all that noise?” The man who suddenly appeared had a dazzling smile on his face, but there was something about his voice that made me seize in terror.

This adorable flower was not only deadly in her own right, but she also had a demon lord attached to her.