143 - Evil Husband (15th Anniversary Edition) Chapter 143
143
====
It was an appearance Aileen had never anticipated. So startled, Aileen froze for a moment before belatedly calling out to her.
“…Ornella.”
Upon hearing her name, Ornella frowned and laughed aloud. Unlike her usual self, she didn't seem to care about others' opinions and acted freely as if they were alone.
Aileen slowly shifted her gaze past her shoulder. The priests were looking at them with benevolent smiles. Although they were all different people, their smiles were identical, giving off an eerie feeling.
The priests all looked at Ornella with great favor. It was only natural, as the Parbellini Dukedom always donated a large sum to the temple.
Aileen didn't know who had orchestrated this, but one thing became clear.
Like Ornella, Leone also didn't think highly of Aileen. Otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed this to happen.
“……”
Aileen quietly clenched the watch in her hand. She knew very well that she wasn't fit to be the Archduchess of Erzeht. She also knew how undeserving she was of this position.
She had expected that there would be those who didn't like her. But Leone wasn't a complete stranger, and she had secretly liked his kind and gentle nature, so it hurt a little.
Perhaps Leone felt like she was a foreign object attached to his perfect sister.
‘It can't be helped. It's all my fault for being inadequate.’
She might not be able to satisfy Leone in the future, but she had to at least try to be less hated.
And if possible, she wanted to have a good relationship with Ornella as well. After all, they would have to see each other often.
‘Although it seems very difficult.’
Aileen put the lukewarm watch in her arms. Then, she met Ornella's gaze again.
With the priests behind her, Ornella leaned closer to Aileen and whispered.
“Since you're here, how about I teach you a few things? I'm sure it's your first time inside the temple.”
She grabbed Aileen's wrist. Aileen was startled by the sudden touch, but she didn't shake off her hand and quietly followed.
Ornella led Aileen to the altar. The marble altar was decorated with fresh flowers, just like the one she had seen at the Hunting Festival. However, instead of piling sandalwood directly on the altar, they placed incense burners around it.
A priest standing in front of the altar greeted them politely. And starting with him, other priests gathered around and spoke to them as if they had been waiting.
“We never expected the Archduchess of Erzeht to visit the temple.”
“His Highness will recover soon, so please don't worry too much. The gods will surely hear your prayers.”
Ornella, who had been listening to the priests with a smile, interjected at the right moment.
“The Archduchess of Erzeht has not visited the temple because she did not know the will of God, but she will not do so now.”
Then, she playfully shook Aileen's wrist, which she was still holding.
Aileen didn't say anything, but the priests thanked Ornella as if they had already heard an answer.
“Lady Parbellini always leads the lost in the right direction, so we are always grateful.”
“Did I do anything great? It's all thanks to the priests' prayers.”
Ornella seemed to have told the priests that Aileen, who was an atheist, had visited the temple thanks to her.
It wasn't entirely wrong. If she hadn't been pulling strings behind the scenes, Aileen wouldn't have visited the temple.
Ornella handed Aileen a flower. Aileen examined the flower in her hand. It was a perfect flower with both pistils and stamens.
“Offer flowers here, kneel, and pray… Oh, right.”
Ornella, who had been nodding towards the altar, widened her eyes as if she had just remembered something.
“You said you would give away Aspilia for free before, right?”
The story that she thought was over was suddenly brought up again. Aileen looked at Ornella with the flower in her hand.
“I was thinking, how about donating it through the temple? It would look a little bad if you only distributed Aspilia to the nobles. I mean, to the general citizens of the empire.”
She shrugged as if she were making a bad joke.
“You didn't make the medicine to make money, did you? You're the Erzeht Grand Duke family, after all.”
The priests were overjoyed at Ornella's words. They praised Ornella, saying it was a good opportunity for the Grand Duke family and the temple to become closer.
It was an atmosphere where it was difficult to refuse, but Aileen answered firmly.
“I wish I could, but it's not realistic.”
The priests were slightly surprised when Aileen, who had been obediently following, expressed her opinion so bluntly.
Aileen lowered her trembling hand to hide it. She had a firm expression on the outside, but her heart was pounding.
But what couldn't be done, couldn't be done.
“The production volume has already reached its limit. If we increase it forcibly, the quality of the medicine will drop. And if we give away the medicine that we are already selling for free through the temple, it would be unfair.”
Aileen expected Ornella to sneer and mock her words. But for some reason, Ornella fully agreed with Aileen, saying, "That's right."
As if she had been waiting for her to say that.
“So, Aileen.”
Ornella raised Aileen's hand, which she was holding. The flower shaking with the trembling of her hand was revealed.
“I'm going to distribute a medicine with similar effects to Aspilia to the citizens of the empire with the temple.”
Ornella pulled Aileen's hand to the altar.
“Um, here. You can put the flower here.”
She spoke in a teaching tone and urged her to offer the flower. Aileen followed her words, placed the flower, and asked.
“A similar medicine…?”
“I told you before, to me. That it's made with ingredients extracted from willow trees.”
“……”
“I gathered the most talented pharmacists in the empire and developed it. They are excellent graduates of the College of Pharmacy and have been researching medicines for a long time, so maybe… it might be a little better than Aspilia?”
After offering the flower, Aileen blankly looked at Ornella. She had expected that a similar medicine would come out since Aspilia's popularity was sensational. It was just that she was embarrassed that Ornella was the subject.
However, Aileen couldn't help but worry.
The time she told her about the ingredients of Aspilia was during the Hunting Festival. She didn't even tell her all the ingredients accurately, she just mentioned that willow was the main ingredient.
And only about a month has passed since then. It didn't make sense that she had developed the medicine in that time.
It was much more likely that the pharmacists, under the pressure of the Parbellini Dukedom, had hastily created a new medicine by simply adding salicylic acid to existing painkillers.
Since they were distributing the medicine to the powerless general citizens of the empire, not the nobles, they must have focused on quickly releasing it without proper verification.
After thinking carefully, Aileen asked her the most important part.
“Have you conducted enough clinical trials?”
Then Ornella waved her hand as if it were ridiculous.
“That's not my job. I'm just the one who gives orders. From top to bottom.”
Seeing her attitude, there was nothing more to ask. The Dukedom's new medicine was not a proper medicine.
‘What should I do?’
A medicine with unknown side effects would spread to the citizens of the empire. With the label of Aspilia's copycat.
If a medicine that was heavily promoted as a copy of Aspilia had side effects, it would also affect Aspilia.
But more than that…….
‘I can't let a dangerous medicine spread.’
She had to stop Ornella at all costs. But she wouldn't back down easily. In a moment, Aileen thought hard until her head became hot. Then, she slowly opened her lips.
“I heard that Aspilia didn't work for Ornella before, but have you found the right painkiller?”
Ornella raised her eyebrows at the unexpected question.
