“Yes, I made the medicine. Now tell me you didn’t fake it, alright? Answer me!”
Flora felt an overwhelming mix of anger and disgust, but she forced herself to suppress those emotions.
She climbed down from the bed, sat on Tatashimi’s stomach, grabbed her collar, and glared fiercely.
“Please, our healer lady, think carefully. If this kind of thing gets exposed, what will happen to Emerald Heart? The risk far outweighs the benefit. How could I possibly allow it?”
For the first time, Tatashimi looked at the girl before her with genuine sincerity and admiration.
But Flora had no interest in returning that look; she simply loosened her grip and slumped weakly.
“Good people with principles and a conscience like you are rare.”
“I don’t want to talk to you. Get out.”
“Alright then. But I have to say, I’m serious about what I said earlier—I really admire capable people. Honestly, if you had confessed sooner, I might have actively pursued you. You wouldn’t have had to secretly sell medicine to buy gifts to please everyone.”
Though Tatashimi spoke these words, all Flora could hear was her joy at winning this game of strategy and her delight in discovering Flora’s hidden talent.
In other words, as long as Flora obediently shined and contributed, Tatashimi could treat her coldly while expecting complete submission.
Flora was painfully aware of this.
“I said, get out!”
She refused to look at Tatashimi, instead pointing at the door.
“You could actually be more hostile.”
Tatashimi turned around with barely a change in expression, savoring the effect she’d achieved, and started walking toward the door.
“Oh, right.”
After a few steps, she added casually, “We will definitely add this point to the wanted notice for Fros. That report was signed and delivered by the trade company—it’s the genuine article.”
“……”
[Are they really going to treat me like this? Just to make me not want to go back, just to make me give up the identity of Fros…]
Flora felt something welling up in her chest.
Was this the urge to cough up blood?
It probably wasn’t that serious.
With a little composure, she could endure this.
But she had to do something about this person’s behavior.
Looking up at the scholar already at the door, about to leave, she made up her mind.
Supporting herself, she took a step forward toward Tatashimi before even standing fully upright.
[Maybe I’m going too far. According to Moliya, given her personality, she probably just wants to vent a bit? Letting her land a surprise punch or two wouldn’t hurt.]
Tatashimi, thinking this as she slowed down and prepared to turn and face the girl’s attack, was caught off guard.
No punch came.
No curses either.
What she received was a hug.
Flora embraced her from behind.
Tatashimi immediately stiffened.
This action was completely unexpected and left her even more puzzled.
“Now that you’ve made this discovery, you must be curious about what else I’ve done without you knowing, right?”
Tatashimi couldn’t see Flora’s expression and couldn’t read any more from her flat, emotionless voice, but naturally replied:
“Yeah, now you’re a gold mine waiting to be mined in my eyes.”
She didn’t think there was anything wrong with that statement.
Then a cold laugh came from behind her, followed by words that only deepened her confusion.
“Now let me tell you something else: those pastries, the gifts I gave you—they were all made by me. One of a kind. Who would waste money buying things for a bunch of scoundrels like you?
Oh, that idiot Fros might have done that, because he really considered you partners.”
With that, a shove came from behind.
Tatashimi staggered forward, instinctively turning around to see Flora looking down at her with eyes devoid of any sparkle.
“Too bad, he’s dead.”
A heavy door slammed after this hateful sentence—a final dismissal to the stunned Tatashimi.
“So… what? I just picked an angle at random. It’s not like the gifts were really for you…”
She instinctively wanted to retort, to respond to Flora’s words that, to her, even sounded laughable.
But as the words reached her lips, Tatashimi found that the scene she had just witnessed was deeply imprinted in her mind, robbing her of the strength to string a coherent reply together.
A dumbstruck feeling.
But why was she speechless?
She had only been following her own ideals, carrying out Moliya’s orders, making necessary efforts for Emerald Heart and this young lady’s ambitions.
Why did this action steal her ability to respond…
[Did she use some magic on me? Tch, I underestimated her.]
It had to be that hug, some harmless trick.
Tatashimi quickly convinced herself to ignore the complicated feelings.
“Miss Tatashimi, this is a hallway. Sleeping isn’t allowed here. If you’re tired, I can help you to a place to rest.”
“Hm?”
A calm female voice came from behind.
Tatashimi pushed herself up to stand and looked at Rinko holding a broom.
She had an inexplicable feeling that this maid was mocking her.
“Or maybe you’d like a cup of sweetened black tea to replenish your energy?”
Rinko tilted her head slightly in confusion.
Tatashimi couldn’t detect any flaws in her expression.
She glanced toward the study and asked, “Where is Moliya now?”
“The young lady didn’t say, but she hasn’t returned since going out at noon. As for Miss Elka, she’s resting in her room and doesn’t want to be disturbed. If you have any messages for them, you can tell me. I’ll find a time to relay them.”
“The two of them…”
Tatashimi frowned.
She recalled Moliya had indeed told her she was dealing with people sent by the Royal Family, so she ignored Rinko and briskly walked to the end of the corridor.
Now that the tasks she had been assigned were complete, it was time to get back to managing the financial chain.
Knowing Flora was the one who made the special medicine gave her more confidence to be bolder with her plans.
Whether Flora cooperated with them in making medicine was irrelevant.
As Moliya put it, holding such a person in hand was equivalent to weakening and suppressing competitors.
If asked whether the past Fros had been a worthless existence, Tatashimi would absolutely deny that.
Calling someone worthless was just a means to attack or control them.
The scene from earlier flashed again in her mind as Tatashimi stepped out of the villa and onto the street, muttering a string of fragmented thoughts.
She was not wrong; the fault lay with Flora.
It was Flora’s own low self-esteem and weakness that doomed her to be oppressed like this.
If she had Flora’s talents, she certainly wouldn’t have lived the way she used to.
[If I had that divine skill, I definitely wouldn’t settle for being just Moliya’s aide. There are plenty of geniuses out there—not worth envying—but someone like you, who has ability yet lives as powerless, it’s truly unbearable to look at. My words were no lie.If you were willing to have the attitude and demeanor a genius should have, I would never treat you the way I did before.]
Yes, it was Flora’s own fault.
Tatashimi soon convinced herself of this as she walked down the quiet streets of Dolun City, looking at the house tucked away in its peaceful corner, silently thinking.
[Hopefully, you can truly become the shining star of Emerald Heart that Moliya wants you to be, Miss Flora Emerald.]
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