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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: An Alchemist's Mishap
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The door flew open.
“Yulia!”
As I threw it open, acrid smoke poured out from inside. The stinging in my eyes made me grimace.
The milky white smoke obscured the view, making it impossible to see inside.
“Yul…!”
“Whoa~. I didn't think it would actually explode.”
Just then, a voice came from behind me. I whipped my head around to see Yulia walking in from the hallway.
“Oh? Emily, what are you doing here?”
“I heard an explosion. I was worried something might have happened….”
“Ah~. It's nothing. I just made a little mistake during my alchemy. My fingertips aren't quite used to it yet.”
Yulia smiled brightly, as if it were no big deal.
“The potion suddenly started boiling over, which gave me a shock. It blew up right after I left the room.”
Seeing her nonchalant face, the tension drained from my body.
“Were you worried about me? I'm so touched~.”
“I'm glad you're safe, but… be more careful next time. Do you have any idea how startled I was?”
“Sorry, sorry!”
Yulia apologized repeatedly, pulling me into a tight hug. She seemed inwardly pleased.
“My ladies! Are you all right?”
Before long, Sir Heuril, the head of the manor's security, appeared.
Several of the Duke's knights followed behind him.
“Was it an attack?!”
“No. Just a failed experiment.”
“Lady Yulia….”
Sir Heuril's eyes welled up with tears.
“I'm so moved! To see you dedicating yourself to alchemy again, my lady, it truly sets my mind at ease…!”
Oh, dear. It seems he was worried about Yulia suddenly holing up at home, not going to work and just lazing around.
To others, it must have looked like burnout or depression.
In the midst of this moving scene, a familiar voice cut in.
“I heard a loud noise from this direction and came to investigate. Is everyone all right?”
Tristan stepped out from among the knights. Dressed more casually than usual and wearing a practice sword, it looked as though he had been sparring with the knights and rushed over with them.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
“No need for formalities.”
Tristan wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. Well-defined muscles rippled beneath the thin fabric.
His usual ascetic appearance had an unreal beauty, but this more relaxed version of him was like looking at a famous statue that had defined an era.
I wondered if this was what a legendary sculptor—one who had supposedly sold his soul to a demon for genius talent—would create if he poured his heart and soul into his work.
“Um, it was an explosion that happened during an experiment.”
Yulia hastily explained the situation. After listening carefully, Tristan also seemed to conclude that the possibility of a terrorist attack was low.
“Lady Yulia, is there any chance of another explosion?”
“No, I don't think so.”
“Sir Heuril, you may return to your duties. I will wait here a short while to guard against any potential threats.”
“Yes! Understood!”
Sir Heuril earnestly told us to call him anytime if it looked like something might explode again, then withdrew with his men.
I peered through the open door at the wrecked laboratory. Most of the smoke had cleared, and it looked like it just needed the broken debris cleaned up.
“……?”
Just then, I felt a heated gaze on me and turned my head. Tristan was staring down at me. Wondering if I had something on my face, I needlessly touched my cheek.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Ah, no. I was nearby and rushed over when I heard it. I wasn't caught in the blast directly, so I'm fine.”
Tristan's brow furrowed slightly at my words.
“Next time, don't come running straight here. If, by some chance, this had been an assassination attempt, your own life would have been in danger.”
“Ah… you're right. I'm sorry. I didn't think that far ahead. I was just so worried Yulia might be hurt….”
As I gave an awkward laugh, Tristan pulled a small dagger from his sleeve. It was a concealed weapon, so well-hidden I hadn't even known it was there.
“Take it.”
He pressed the weapon into my hands without preamble.
“You should have at least one weapon to protect yourself.”
He was right, but this looked like a custom-made, specialized weapon. Besides, if it belonged to Tristan, it had to be quite expensive. Was it really okay for him to just give it to me?
“Don't get hurt.”
Huh? I didn't even have a chance to ask. Tristan brushed past me, picked up a piece of a broken flask from the hallway floor, and asked.
“Was there any progress with the experiment?”
Yulia's eyes sparkled.
“Yes, of course!”
I stared blankly after him. I even wondered if what I'd just heard was a figment of my imagination.
Especially since Tristan's expression was so calm for someone who had just said something so intimate.
‘Well, he probably didn't mean anything by it.’
It's best not to have such expectations of Tristan. He probably didn't even consider how his words might be perceived.
“Ahem. To start with the bad news, key parts of the recipe have been lost… so it might take longer than I initially thought.”
As she spoke, Yulia pushed up her safety goggles, looking every bit the cool alchemist.
I perched on a sofa in the corner and quietly looked up at Yulia as she began her briefing on the experiment.
Her eyes, filled with a passion so different from her usual self, felt unfamiliar.
‘If I weren't a warlock, could I have had eyes like Yulia's?’
I knew it was a futile thought, but I couldn't stop it. Anyone would have such useless worries when looking at that brilliantly shining girl.
We were twins, yet we weren't alike at all. Looking at Yulia made my chest feel tight.
“……so, this part seems to require additional experiments. If that's the case….”
Even while I was lost in thought, Yulia's explanation continued endlessly.
“But that means we'll need an intermediate catalyst. There are several candidates, but the most promising one is…”
The longer the story went on, the more vacant Tristan's expression became. I could tell from years of experience that his soul was about to depart his body.
I used to step in like this when we were young, whenever Yulia would explain the aesthetics of alchemy to other children.
Feeling a sense of nostalgia, I subtly inserted myself between them.
“Yuli.”
“Hm?”
“About the experiment you mentioned earlier, it seems there are a few things to keep in mind to proceed. I think we'll need to cross-validate, too.”
“Ah! Right. I've thought about that part, too! So…”
Yulia turned to me and started talking. I subtly gave Tristan a look.
‘You can go now.’
I mouthed the words, and he looked slightly surprised before giving a nod.
‘Thank you.’
And with that, he quietly slipped away.
I was used to it, having taken classes with Yulia when we were young, but it must have been an ordeal for Tristan, a layman in alchemy.
I watched the chattering Yulia and smiled faintly, thinking what a silly thought it was—how beautiful the face of someone who truly loves something is.
***
Every year, during the last week of March, a grand festival was held for the empire's one and only crown prince, Tristan Bellonde.
It was said that the emperor, who doted on his only child, threw a more magnificent banquet for the crown prince's birthday than for his own.
It was such a large-scale event that we scribes were swamped with related work, with no time to even breathe.
After several all-nighters to get the work done, the party was suddenly the very next day!
“Goodness, my lady. Your skin has gotten so rough!”
“I haven't been sleeping well lately….”
“I can't bear it! This won't do. I'm taking drastic measures, starting now!”
Riley said, clenching her fists. It was something I heard every year around this time. From the crack of dawn, Riley worked hard to scrub and polish me.
“Oh my. My lady, you look so beautiful today.”
Riley offered the empty compliment. Well, looking in the mirror, I had to admit the atmosphere was quite different from usual, which was fascinating.
My pink hair, which I usually wore long, was tied up, emphasizing the slender line of my neck. The light green dress, seemingly chosen to match my eyes, felt both elegant and vivacious.
And when I put on the ornate necklace to adorn my bare nape, it was truly the finishing touch.
“Wow~. When did our Emily get so grown up?”
“Isaac.”
“I'm your escort today. Ed went with Yulia.”
Isaac strolled in and perched on the sofa. My brothers always took turns escorting Yulia and me, and it seemed today was my turn to go with Isaac.
I whispered in his ear.
“Will you be okay?”
Isaac was still clumsy at controlling his eye color. Thankfully, they were their usual green now, but there was no telling when or how they might change.
“Well, what can you do? We can't just not show up. It'll be fine, though. It's just a party, right?”
True. It was a party we attended every year.
‘I mean, what could possibly go wrong?’
