LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 246
After waking up after three years, I found myself buried under a mountain of tasks.
The hospital had been managed by Hugo in my absence. Somehow, things were maintained, but there were crucial decisions that had piled up, and I needed to approve a large number of expenses.
“How come the cash flow is fine?”
“Thanks to the Royal Princess’s advice.”
Acella had used her experience managing Moonlight Palace to directly oversee the accounts. As a result, potential embezzlement incidents during my absence were thankfully averted.
“Lars, I found more bad guys making fake medicine. I turned them into mush along with Acella, ha ha ha!”
Gishta excitedly shared tales of their recent adventures. They seemed to have become quite close. The Thunder Tribe was celebrating my return with a festival that would last several days.
“The list of new drugs that have been developed and distributed is as follows. The verification tests were assisted by the Royal Princess. I was a little worried despite replenishing the alchemists, but I’m at ease now.”
Neria had doubled the size of the pharmaceutical factory. Every time a new drug was launched, it became a hit.
Acella had apparently also been researching alchemy in the meantime. She’s truly a multi-talented Royal Princess.
“This is the list of countries and noble houses currently in diplomatic relations with the Former Country. After that is the combat record of recent demon incursions and bandit attacks.”
Diplomacy and national defense were managed by Tanya. She had returned to the Former Country after leaving behind her achievements as a hero and resumed her role as the Commander of the Knights.
“I guess I don’t need to ask who represented us in diplomatic meetings.”
Tanya shrugged her shoulders, effectively answering for herself.
After handling urgent matters and completing a brief health check, I asked Cervus to help me move my things.
Now I’m occupying the entire third floor of the East Wing of Marquis’s Estate, originally built for guests.
I notified the maid, and she soon came out to the door.
“Lars? Isn’t it still time for you to be at the hospital?”
It seemed Acella hadn’t expected me to come by. She was already dressed in a night gown and had her hair styled elegantly for the evening.
“The hospital was suffocating. It’s faster to heal myself than to stay hospitalized.”
“Oh, then…”
“I was planning to move rooms anyway, so it doesn’t matter right now, does it?”
Seeing the attendants busily carrying my luggage, Acella understood what I meant. She looked away and flushed red.
So cute.
“Would you like to have some tea?”
“I’ll serve you.”
We sat across from each other at a small table, quietly sipping warm black tea while the attendants finished their work.
“Have a comfortable night.”
Cervus politely bowed and gently closed the door behind him.
Soon, in the dimly lit room, only the candlelight and the two of us remained.
Before leaving, Cervus had sprinkled some rose petals on the lace-draped bed. There was a pleasant floral scent—did this room always have so many flowers? Quick hands indeed.
I spoke to Acella.
“I’ve been all over the Former Country.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Everywhere I went, there were traces of the Royal Princess.”
“…I didn’t think it was that significant.”
Acella slightly turned her head away. I took her hand.
“Thank you for holding things down while I was away.”
“Well… It’s only natural. This precious land you’ve worked so hard for. How sad would it be if it fell apart?”
Though Acella said it was natural, it surely wasn’t an easy choice.
Her managing the Former Country here meant that Moonlight Palace had been completely left unmanaged.
For me, Acella had given up her path to becoming the Empress.
The dream she had long desired.
Regardless of the price, I wanted to repay her adequately.
“I brought a new vitality potion for the Royal Princess. I’ve mixed in some vitamins too.”
I pulled out a small flask from my pocket. It was barely the size of two fingers’ lengths.
Inside, a fantastic liquid swirled and rhythmically changed colors, looking like a captured rainbow.
“Would you like to try it? Since it’s a prototype, I’d appreciate your feedback on the taste.”
Acella took the potion from me. She peered at it under the flickering candlelight, then narrowed her eyes.
“Lars, you make me realize again what kind of person you are.”
“What do you mean all of a sudden?”
“Am I supposed to get mad like old times just to knock some sense into me?”
Her voice turned cold, laced with thorns. I gulped without realizing it.
Hmm, I had completely forgotten that this was who she really was.
“I said, there are no secrets between us.”
“We agreed on that. Yes, it’s an elixir.”
I readily admitted it. As expected of Acella, she saw through my thoughts quicker than anyone.
Thanks to the pharmaceuticals having spread throughout the world over the last three years, I received a bonus in experience points. I completed the elixir’s manufacture in just an hour, hence why I had rushed here to give it to Acella.
My plan to slip it to her unnoticed had failed.
“Lars, be honest. You had that check-up today, and with your skills, you must have a rough idea of how much time is left on your life.”
“Whoa.”
Unbeknownst to me, my expression hardened. Indeed, just as Acella had said, I had already completed my self-diagnosis.
And it was quite precise.
“About 1 year and 3 months, I suppose.”
Acella’s movements froze at those words.
“To put it simply, there’s a limit to how much stamina can be restored, but the number is gradually decreasing. From 40 to 30, from 30 to 20. Once it hits 0, I’ll die. The rate of decline has surpassed the rate of recovery. That’s my estimation.”
As she listened to me, Acella slowly parted her lips.
“…Is there a treatment?”
“Only the elixir.”
Unknown cause, untreatable.
The only option was to cover up the debuff with the elixir’s ‘immortality’ buff.
Acella handed me the elixir bottle.
“Of course, you should take it. And… find a way to treat me.”
“Your Highness.”
I took Acella’s hand.
“We may be using the same means. Your symptoms are likely not so different.”
“Then you must drink it even more. It makes sense for you to survive.”
“If you’re saying that because of a future you saw, it doesn’t make sense. That’s already a thing of the past. We arrived at this point through our joint efforts.”
“You really don’t listen to me, do you?”
“When have I ever?”
“Right. You never did listen. It was always you who was right.”
Acella gave a bitter smile.
And then.
Wham!!
Before I could react, a magic circle was drawn from her hand.
“Your Highness!”
“Forgive me, Lars.”
Constructed like a bizarre triangular prism with no end, three circles activated, and the magic instantly hit me, paralyzing my body as I crumpled to the floor.
“Paralyze. This is an offensive magic that paralyzes the target. I weakened the power. You shouldn’t be injured.”
I couldn’t react; my body lay motionless on the floor, and all I could do was watch as Acella opened the cap of the elixir.
“Stay alive, Lars. Even if my life only lasts until tomorrow.”
She knelt, carefully pouring the elixir into my mouth.
The moment all the liquid entered my mouth—Splash!
I lunged upright and toppled the unsuspecting Acella to the floor.
“What…?! How?!”
I held her startled arms down.
No matter how long I’d been bedridden, the strength difference between a man and a woman is inescapable.
Struggling to escape, Acella was pinned beneath me, unable to move.
Wheeze—
I roughly leaned in towards her face.
Our lips met.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to part her lips, but as I gently probed with my tongue, I eventually infiltrated through the gap.
Through our joined lips, the mysteries of the world flowed into us.
After all, there was no way for me to return it, and Acella knew it was a waste to spit it out, considering it was something that couldn’t be made again.
She must have realized the dilemma.
Ultimately, with a gulp, she downed the elixir that had entered her mouth.
Hah, hah—
Then, breathing heavily with a furious expression, she shouted at me.
“Hey!!”
I chuckled softly and shrugged my shoulders.
“You wouldn’t have taken it if I hadn’t done this.”
“As if! You told me to drink it!”
“I’m just trying to find a solution. Don’t you trust me at all?”
“That’s not what—I mean, how did you move after being hit by my magic!”
“I foresaw this coming and injected myself with a detox prior.”
I showed her the injection mark on my neck. Acella sighed.
“This is insane… So what happened? Lars, are you still fine while I’ve become immortal?”
“I suppose that’s how it is. Let’s see…”
I checked my Status Window.
Messages popped up in a flurry.
―――――――――――
· Great Achievement!
· Used [Elixir]!
· Acquired Achievement [Ultimate Alchemist]!
· Notification: Consumed only half of the elixir.
· Buff [Immortality] duration significantly decreased from [Eternal] to [300 years].
· Buff [Long Life] duration significantly decreased from [1000 years] to [300 years].
· Notification: A target existed who consumed the elixir simultaneously. The target receives the same buff effects.
―――――――――――
“Hmm.”
It seemed that while kissing Acella, the elixir also flowed down my throat.
“What happened? How did it go?”
“Not good news, Your Highness.”
“What do you mean? What happened?”
Acella looked at me with an anxious expression, her eyes watery.
“I think we can only live for another 300 years.”
At my words, Acella’s face went blank.
“…300 years?”
“Yes. Normally, you’d live for a thousand years after taking the elixir. My apologies.”
“…Both of us?”
“Yes. Both of us.”
“Hah.”
As if losing all strength, a tear slipped from Acella’s eye.
Seeing her cry was a first for me, and I was taken aback.
The princess of all people… crying?
“Your Highness.”
“No, I really thought you’d die. I was so shocked, thinking it went wrong because of me, and then I…”
“I’m sorry. I may have gone too far.”
Acella sniffled and shot me a reproachful look with her reddened eyes.
“Don’t tell anyone.”
“Come on, I wouldn’t dare.”
“…Just let go of me.”
Only then did I realize that I was still holding onto her arms.
Hmm.
Do I really need to?
“You look pretty even when you’re crying. I kind of want to see it a bit longer.”
“Ugh, I should have just let you die!”
“Just kidding, just kidding.”
I embraced Acella and stood up. She clung to me like a koala, seemingly intending never to let go.
“Shall we head to the bed?”
“I’ll carry you.”
Feeling as if we’d returned to childhood, I took her into the bedroom, and as before, I gently patted her back.