Chapter 107 – Because I Think I’d Only Want More

‘Is it just not to Axion’s taste?’

Even so, she had chosen the gift with such care, so couldn’t he at least show some sort of reaction? Evelyn felt a sting of disappointment begin to settle in her chest. But refusing to be discouraged, she stubbornly pressed on.

“Hey, look at it again. I bought this myself.”

“Did you?”

“Yes, it kept lingering in my mind, so I went back to the boutique…!”

Before she could finish speaking, her hand flew to her mouth in shock. She hadn’t intended to tell her fiancé that much.

Sure enough, a strange glint sparked in Axion’s crimson eyes. In that instant, Evelyn sensed she had made a grave misstep. His mouth curved in a soft, amused smile, and the dimple in his cheek deepened.

“This is rather touching.”

“….?”

When she looked at him with a hint of unease, his gaze softened, his eyes curving with a quiet amusement.

“You’ve been thinking of me this much.”

Only moments ago, he had seemed so indifferent, but now there was a teasing glimmer to his smile.

There’s no doubt he’s doing this to make fun of me.

“You… You planned this all along, didn’t you?”

Evelyn, feeling wronged for reasons she couldn’t quite name, widened her eyes at him.

Axion only let out a low, amused laugh, his voice maddeningly calm.

“Who’s to say? I don’t recall saying anything in particular.”

Look at him, so shameless.

As she bit down on her lower lip in silent frustration, Axion drew his mouth into a satisfied line.

“I truly like it.”

“Hmph—”

It was far too late for flattery now.

When she shot him a sharp, defiant glare instead of replying, a keen light flickered in the man’s crimson eyes.

“To the point that I wish I could keep it in my sight alone, for the rest of my life.”

Why on earth would you say something like that while looking right at me…?

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

Within the lush, fragrant embrace of the greenhouse, mingled scents of fresh grass and earth filled the air. Evelyn checked the temperature and humidity, ensuring the plants had precisely what they needed to thrive.

“Perfect. This should be just right.”

She murmured while jotting a few notes onto her paper. Only after carefully examining the plants’ condition did a faint smile settle on her lips. Then, she made her way to the small laboratory tucked inside the conservatory and retrieved a bottle of Dirkworth solution from the darkroom. Since succeeding in cultivating poisonous herbs, she had managed to extract a toxin nearly as potent as the mysterious poison once used by the imperial family. Yet, her progress had stalled on the next, far more difficult step.

It was because researching an antidote to this lethal venom was proving to be more complicated than she’d ever imagined.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she reached for the botanical encyclopedia on the bookshelf.

‘Where was the section on purifying plants…?’

After locating the spelling in the index, she slowly began reading through documents about purification plants. Then, her gaze suddenly locked onto one page.

“…Oh?”

Illustrated in the encyclopedia was a coral-like plant painted in soft pink and lavender hues.

That herb had only been mentioned briefly in the original story. In the novel, Dahlia had once fallen victim to a scheme at a banquet and unwittingly drank poisoned wine. To save the unconscious female lead, Axion had offered her an antidote made from Colbera.

It had been such a minor detail in the narrative that she had completely forgotten about it until now. However, as she recalled the original plot, a trace of unease flickered across Evelyn’s face.

Biting down firmly on her lower lip, she forced herself to keep reading.

「 Colbera’s primary habitat is the island of Molita, where, at night, it glows as brightly as a lantern. 」

If the herb had been potent enough to save the female lead’s life, its efficacy was beyond doubt. Evelyn suddenly remembered a conversation she’d had with Jactor not long ago.

“Sister, have you ever heard of Molita Island?”

“You mean that little island belonging to the Kingdom of Calypso?”

“Yes! They say all sorts of rare medicinal herbs grow there!”

Molita Island, famed as a picturesque resort, was home to countless exotic species rarely seen in the Baltian Empire. But there was one complication…

“The only way to obtain it is by crossing the sea.”

The Kingdom of Calypso was notoriously insular, strictly forbidding entry to outsiders. In other words, there was little chance she would ever be able to visit.

‘I’ll have to think this through a bit more.’