Chapter 46: The second princess

Anis stared at the bottle of highly refined potion on the table, resting her chin on her hand in deep thought.

It was well known that after brewing a potion, there was one final, crucial step — testing it.

This was a completely new brewing method. She had no idea if a potion brewed with natural energy would have side effects, so a clinical trial was mandatory.

‘Maybe…’

Anis lifted the potion and pulled the cork. The refreshing scent of Frost Lily pollen drifted into her nose.

As an expert in potionology, she could react immediately if any side effects occurred.

‘For freedom, here goes nothing.’

Anis gritted her teeth and poured out a few drops, diluting them with water. While this would significantly weaken the effects, any resulting side effects would also be very mild.

*Meow!*

Mimi jumped out from the side, pressing her fluffy little paw against Anis’s hand as she raised the cup. The cat’s small head shook like a rattle.

“Hmm? It’s alright. I’m a witch, after all.”

Anis soothed the cat’s emotions and raised the cup again to take a small sip.

The reaction was almost instantaneous. Her mana flow speed increased noticeably, yet there was no sign of it going out of control.

The interference of the external cold on her magic circuits was significantly weakened, and the synchronization between her mind and body became clearer.

Stable.

It wasn’t a suppressed stability, but rather the stability found within a natural cycle.

And most importantly — she could barely feel any side effects.

Anis sat in her chair, her hands trembling slightly.

It wasn’t out of fear. It was because she realized that success was waving at her.

‘No problems, not a single problem…’

The purity was higher than any of her previous attempts. More importantly, the recipe she had successfully formulated didn’t exist in the original book at all!

No, this was a potion that had never been recorded in this world!

The significance of this potion went far beyond its immediate effects.

Anis’s thoughts began to wander. If she used this as a base, adding a few drops to the next batch while refining her brewing techniques, could she increase the purity even further?

It was worth a try.

However, she was out of raw materials. She needed to find Sherry again.

Just as Anis put on her witch hat and prepared to head back to find Sherry, there was a knock on the cabin door.

“Anis? Are you there?”

Sherry’s voice called from outside. Anis quickly waved her wand, covering the small bedroom she had set up with illusion magic.

Once that was done, she opened the door to greet Sherry’s smiling face.

“What’s up? I was just about to look for you.”

“Oh? Looking for me? Do you want to have a sisters’ late-night chat with me?”

Anis took a sharp breath. ‘When did Sherry become such a weirdo?’

“Enough joking. It’s serious business. I’m out of Frost Lily. Can you get some more?”

“No problem! I can go by myself this time!”

To Anis’s surprise, Sherry agreed instantly, as if the hardships they faced while picking that flower before didn’t exist.

“Are you really going to be okay?”

“Mm-hmm!”

Sherry nodded vigorously, her expression firm.

“I’ll leave it to you then.”

Regarding the matter of saving the Second Princess, their positions were aligned, so Anis wasn’t worried.

“How is the progress?” Sherry skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

Anis pushed a vial of potion across the table toward her. “I’ve tested it. It’s fine. The purity is even higher than the previous one.”

Sherry didn’t touch it immediately. She just stared at the vial for a long time before asking in a low voice, “How far are we from reaching 100% purity?”

“We’ve only just started. It will take… some time.”

Sherry’s eyes flickered as she changed the subject. “And… the side effects?”

“I haven’t observed any obvious side effects so far,” Anis paused for a moment before adding, “At least, that’s the case for me.”

Sherry’s fingertips finally rested on the tabletop. She took a deep breath, as if organizing her words.

“The Second Princess’s condition is starting to become unstable.”

A brief silence fell over the room as those words landed.

Anis looked up at Sherry. She didn’t ask why, nor did she press for details. She knew exactly what this meant.

“Her mana is starting to become disordered,” Sherry continued, her voice steady but kept very low. “The original stabilizing potions can no longer suppress it.”

Anis’s heart skipped a beat. She looked down at the vial.

“You want me to test it on her?”

Sherry didn’t deny it. “I want to know if you’re confident.”

Anis remained silent for a while.

It wasn’t hesitation, but rather calculation — weighing how much benefit she could gain from this contact with the Second Princess.

“If it’s just to stabilize her, I am.”

Sherry looked up. “Is there any chance for a miracle?”

“That depends on her,” Anis answered frankly.

It was the truth, but it was also a risk.

Sherry closed her eyes, seemingly having finally made a decision.

“Follow me.”

***

The princess’s residence was exactly as Anis remembered — an abandoned snow cabin deep in the mountains.

The whole place could be described in two words: quiet.

It wasn’t a luxurious silence, but a deliberately isolated, almost empty space.

The snow cabin only had basic insulation, protected by a layer of concealment magic and repulsion magic to prevent intruders.

A white-haired girl lay on a thin bed. Her body was thin, her face was pale, and she looked haggard.

This white hair wasn’t natural like Sherry’s; it was caused by extreme malnutrition.

Anis remembered that the book’s setting for Rubia described her as having beautiful, natural emerald-green hair and being a world-class beauty.

Now, she didn’t resemble those descriptions at all.

Rubia’s breathing was very weak, carrying a subtle sense of discord — the rhythm of her mana and her body were out of sync.

Anis stood by the bed, closed her eyes, and briefly sensed her mana.

Disordered. She was on the verge of losing control and collapsing.

To one side of the bed, Sybil sat kneeling quietly. Her eyes were moist, filled with heartache.

“You’re here.”

Sybil had completely disregarded maid etiquette. Her voice was weak and faint, likely because she hadn’t closed her eyes for two days and two nights.

“Anis,” Sherry whispered her name.

“I understand.”

Anis pursed her lips and knelt by the Second Princess’s bed to examine her.

The princess’s slender wrist could be easily circled with just two fingers. Beneath her smooth skin, it seemed like only hard bone remained.

This was muscle atrophy that only occurred with long-term confinement to bed.

*Whew…*

Anis took a deep breath and began her diagnosis of Her Highness the Princess.