Chapter 24

He protested that Count Blanc had stolen the Alosi poison herb from him and that he had been thrown into prison because of his scheme—until the duke pulled him out.

“The merchant guild may look shabby, but isn’t that man essential for producing the antidote? You don’t need to run it as a real guild. Don’t feel pressured. Think of it as a gift.”

The duke spoke in a teasing tone. A gift? The word reminded me of my father for some reason.

No… he must be joking…

I let out an awkward laugh and looked away. Fortunately, Duke Weiss didn’t seem to mean anything deeper; he simply followed the servant ahead. I trailed behind, glancing around. I needed to see what kind of state this building was actually in.

Creaking wooden boards, cobwebs in the corners… and most importantly, no people. Which meant no workforce.

I was planning to start an herb guild… but was this even possible?

My meticulous plan suddenly had cracks.

And what about funds?

I was silently stressing behind him when the duke, having noticed my thoughts, spoke.

“I’ll provide plenty of funding. It’s for Evan. Use as much as you need to create the antidote.”

As if to say my worries were useless, his hand came down lightly on my head.

“I have paperwork to prepare. Meet with that man in the meantime. Lead the young lady to him.”

“Yes, sir.”

The duke seemed to have something else to handle and left. The servant began guiding me. Most workers had resigned, so who exactly was this servant? Was he someone still remaining in the guild?

“Um… do you work here?”

“Oh, no. I’m a retainer from the duke’s household. But since someone needed to manage this place for now, I was dispatched temporarily.”

“Ah, I see.”

But why did he look so pale?

He was probably dispatched not to guard the building, but because of the person named Pat who had brought back the Alosi herb. Maybe that man was causing trouble? Someone who gets arrested and has a poison herb stolen but still throws a fit… naturally, I imagined someone big and intimidating.

My uneasiness grew as we arrived at the greenhouse. They said it was at the outskirts of the grounds, and behind the building indeed stood a large greenhouse. Just seeing it raised my expectations.

If he owns a greenhouse, he must have considerable knowledge about plants.

I reached for the door, but the servant panicked and grabbed my hand.

I stared at him suspiciously, and he shook his head firmly with a resolute expression.

“You can’t go in like that! It’s dangerous!”

“…What?”

“You must follow procedures before entering.”

He thrust a vinyl suit at me with a stiff face. I pinched the suit between my fingers.

He wants me to wear this?

He nodded firmly. With a shrug, I obediently put it on. The suit he gave me covered everything except my face—something people would wear when entering hazardous zones.

I guess I should be relieved he didn’t give me a gas mask…

Not that I even knew whether gas masks existed here. The servant simply stood there.

“…Am I going in alone?”

“Oh, yes. I’ll wait outside. Please shout if anything serious happens.”

He gave me a forced, uncomfortable smile—clearly unwilling to step inside. Was it really okay for him to leave me alone in there? And his face was turning even paler.

Tilting my head, I said I’d go in. And the moment I opened the door, I understood exactly why he refused. And why he’d made sure I put on the suit so thoroughly.

It was a greenhouse—just not a pretty, decorative one. Actually, it was pretty. The plants were all stunning, the kind that naturally made you want to reach out and touch them.

If only every single one of them wasn’t deadly.

The earthy smell and the strong fragrances stabbed my nose—violently. These were scents that were dangerous in the worst possible ways.

Every plant grown in this greenhouse was poisonous. And not just ordinary poisonous—highly toxic. Many were the type that caused severe symptoms just from brushing against the skin.

But with my suit on, I looked around calmly.

“So… where is this Pat person?”

I muttered while scanning the greenhouse, and suddenly, something round popped up from behind a row of plants. His head. I jumped.

He looked around drowsily, then his eyes met mine—eyes half-dazed as though still half-asleep.

Who in their right mind sleeps in a greenhouse full of lethal poison plants?

He had tanned skin and black hair—radiating a distinctly wild aura. And surprisingly young. Early twenties at most.

He squinted at me, still groggy.

This is the one who found the Alosi herb?

He looked unmistakably like someone from Zeiran Empire, where Alosi grew naturally.

With no visitors ever coming in here, he must have felt free to just sleep openly. Honestly, who would want to enter this place?

He seemed ready to fall asleep again, so I spoke up.

“Are you from the Zeiran Empire?”

He blinked slowly—then his eyes finally sharpened in sudden alertness.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

I greeted him politely with a bright smile. And then—

“K-KYYYAAACK!”

Pat shrieked.

I flinched, one eye squeezing shut as I covered my ears. His scream was like a dying pig. He started trembling all over. I was dumbfounded.

They said he was a troublemaker, so I expected someone aggressive… but this was a different kind of handful entirely.

I moved my lips silently.

‘Sir… you’re much bigger than I am…’

I understood now why the duke found him bothersome and hard to deal with. If he reacted like this to a tiny girl, how terrified was he in front of the duke?

The large man thrust a flowerpot toward me while hiding his face behind it. I didn’t even know what to say. Was he seriously trying to hide behind that?

When I took a step forward, he jumped back two steps.

“Y-you! You’re planning to steal my cutie again, aren’t you?! You think I wouldn’t notice!!”

He looked around frantically, then began pulling nearby pots toward himself as if assembling a powerful arsenal. And honestly, they were powerful weapons—every single pot contained toxic plants.

Only after building a barricade of poison plants did he look relieved, glaring at me triumphantly with bright red eyes full of meaning: Scary, isn’t it? Bet you can’t come closer.

But he still hid behind a flowerpot.

“Your age and your behavior really don’t match…”

It was like playing Red Light, Green Light with flowerpots. He kept hiding and popping back out. It was ridiculous.

I let out a small laugh. Even that startled him, making him jump again. Ignoring his trembling attempts to be intimidating, I calmly examined the surroundings and stepped closer.

Only a few of these plants were the kind that could send someone straight to the afterlife with a simple touch. And I was protected head to toe. So instead of frightening, he was… adorable.

“Don’t underestimate my Bella! My Bella’s leaves—one touch and you’ll be poisoned for days!!”

“…So that’s why you’re pointing the pot at me?”

He held the so-called Bella toward me like a weapon while desperately signaling me to stay away. But I leaned in to look closely at the plant—and my eyes widened.

I’ve never seen a Bellian in such perfect condition.

Bellian was a highly toxic plant. It required exact humidity, temperature, and water levels. It grew in tropical regions, which made people assume it needed tons of sunlight.

But that assumption was wrong. Bellian grows beneath broad-leafed trees—meaning it loved shade.

People killed so many by placing them in direct sunlight until their leaves literally burned.

There was a pervasive misconception here: that plants grow well with plenty of water, sunlight, and fertilizer. But that was wrong. Each species needs tailored care.

Which is why the heroine’s plant knowledge shined so brightly in the game… protagonist buffs are always like that.

Fascinated, I leaned in further to see the flowers. Pat flinched again.

“T-this shouldn’t be happening…”

“This is Bellian, right? You raised it very well.”

“…You… know what it is?”

“Of course. It’s a lovely plant.”

Bellian’s leaves were deadly, but its roots were invaluable medicine.

“People think Bellian needs full sun to thrive, but nothing is more sensitive to sunlight. Not a single burn mark on the leaves…”

I couldn’t help but admire it.

“It shows how much love you’ve given it.”

“……”

“Even though it’s classified as poisonous, it’s used in medicine. And the flower is beautiful. I like them.”

Toxic plants were often stunning—strikingly so. Their beauty was unique to them.

“R-right?! Isn’t she wonderful?!”

Pat suddenly sparkled with excitement. Putting the pot down, he grabbed my hands and shook them enthusiastically. If he’d had a tail, it would’ve been wagging hard enough to launch him into the air.

He began excitedly explaining how beautiful Bella was.

Many poisonous plants thrived in his greenhouse. And since I had decent knowledge myself, we clicked easily. Pat, thrilled to have finally found someone he could talk to, couldn’t stop smiling.