“There is still hope for Her Highness’s mana disorder,” Anis said in a low voice. “There is an external force inside her body, forcibly interfering with her mana’s self-regulation. As long as we clear it, she will recover.”
Sherry and Sibyl stood to the side, not interrupting.
Anis took out the potion, her movements incredibly steady. She didn’t rush to make Rubia swallow; instead, she first diluted some of its concentration with water before applying it to the Princess’s bloodless lips.
After waiting a moment to confirm there was no rejection, she slowly fed it to her.
Time passed bit by bit, but nothing happened. The Princess’s breathing remained weak, and Sibyl’s expression gradually grew tense.
Sherry, however, never looked away. She watched silently until the Princess’s body showed a slight reaction, and only then did her eyelids flicker.
Rubia’s breathing pattern shifted slightly. The originally chaotic mana fluctuations gradually leveled out, as if being combed through by an invisible force.
Anis was highly focused, observing Rubia’s condition every second to respond to any sudden changes.
A moment later, Rubia’s fingertips twitched.
Then, she slowly opened her eyes.
They were extremely clear eyes, devoid of chaos or confusion; instead, they carried a slightly unfamiliar clarity, as if she had just woken up.
She tilted her head to look at Anis and whispered a name.
“Sibyl?”
“I’m here, Your Highness.”
Sibyl quickly stepped to Rubia’s side. After the Princess’s gaze drifted to the side for a moment, her eyes slowly widened.
Clearly, she had realized the person who had fed her the potion was not Sibyl.
In that moment, her gaze changed.
It wasn’t simple gratitude, nor the dependence a patient feels toward a healer, but a sort of… focused interest.
“Who are you?” Rubia asked.
“Anis Fronst,” Anis replied. “I was the one who prepared the potion you just took.”
Rubia stared at her for a long time, looking her over carefully before speaking again. “If I remember correctly, the last potion I took was also prepared by you, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“You aren’t a Royal Alchemist, are you?” Rubia said suddenly.
Anis was taken aback. “I am… indeed not.”
Her heart suddenly hammered like a drum. ‘What does Her Highness mean by that?’
‘Could there be an unexpected surprise?’
Rubia smiled faintly — a thin smile, yet one that possessed an indefinable edge.
“Interesting.”
***
The Second Princess’s condition continued to stabilize over the next few hours.
She hadn’t fully recovered, but she was conscious, and her mana fluctuations remained within a controllable range.
Supported by Sibyl, she propped herself up and slowly sat against the headboard.
“The last time I took your potion, my spirit recovered significantly. After taking it this time, I can actually sit up.”
She looked at her withered hands — nothing but skin and bones — and laughed self-deprecatingly. “I never thought that getting out of bed to bask in the sun would become my greatest luxury.”
“You will be fine,” Anis offered as comfort.
“Thank you.”
The Princess’s lips quirked up. After a moment of silence, she looked behind Anis. “Sibyl, Sherry, could I trouble the two of you to step out for a moment? I have something I wish to discuss with Miss Anis in private.”
“As you command.”
The two bowed respectfully and retreated outside the door.
Anis felt she wasn’t mistaken; before Sherry stood up, the look she gave Anis was complex.
And somewhat uneasy.
The bedside became much quieter. Rubia looked at Anis and spoke slowly. “Are you also a witch?”
“Yes,” Anis nodded slightly.
“Do you currently have a job?”
“The Fronst family adopted me. I clear magic beasts within their territory as repayment.”
“Was the injury to your eye also caused by that kind of dangerous work?”
A ripple of emotion appeared in Rubia’s gaze.
Anis replaced an affirmative answer with silence.
“It’s a pity for an alchemist of your caliber to be doing such dangerous things.”
Rubia paused. “I want to hire you.”
“Me?”
Anis pointed to herself. “Your Highness, my strength is far inferior to the Royal Alchemists.”
“You’re being modest. The purity of the potion I just took is beyond the level of the Royal Alchemists — otherwise, I wouldn’t have been lying here for so long.”
Rubia looked Anis up and down, then suddenly spoke. “You long for freedom.”
The statement came without warning, making Anis flinch slightly.
“I can feel that your mana is unwilling to be bound by anything. It is struggling.”
Anis pursed her lips and did not deny it.
“This isn’t a state a family would allow,” Rubia continued, her tone as calm as if she were stating a fact. “They prefer things they can control.”
“Your Highness,” Anis said, her voice remaining steady. “I am under strict family supervision. So… I apologize.”
Having her heart seen through at a glance, Anis decided to reveal a bit of the truth. Rubia was also a witch; there was no point in lying to her.
Rubia glanced at her meaningfully.
“That is why I think it’s a pity.”
She said directly, “I can see that there is a binding magic on you. This kind of magic is difficult even for us witches to perform. The person who placed it on you must be a powerful individual.”
“However, I don’t want to give up. Once my body recovers, I will try to communicate with the Head of the Fronst family. During this time, I’ll be in your care.”
“It is my duty.”
Anis bowed respectfully.
“By the way, I have another idea.”
Rubia spoke suddenly, as if she had just remembered something. “Would you be willing to be directly responsible to me? Like this, bypassing the family system.”
Anis’s heart rate quickened slightly, but she didn’t look away.
In that moment, the air seemed to freeze.
It was an extremely dangerous proposal, but also an incredibly tempting exit.
With the backing of the Royal Family, she would have a giant tree to lean on.
Even though Rubia currently had nothing, Anis firmly believed that she was the only one capable of being the successor to this kingdom.
After hesitating for a moment, Anis gave her answer. “Could you give me some time?”
“Yes. We still have time.”
***
Anis retreated outside. After a brief exchange with Sibyl, she and Sherry began walking down the mountain.
Along the way, they were silent.
While Anis was lost in thought, she used the corner of her eye to observe Sherry’s movements.
Sherry’s expression was still calm — perhaps even too calm.
Based on her knowledge of Sherry, this kind of calm often hid something.
It wasn’t anger or possessiveness, but an indescribable sense of pain.
If she had to use a metaphor, it was the feeling of ‘I cannot make this decision for you.’
Sherry remained silent for a long while before letting out a soft sigh.
“Decide for yourself,” she said.
Anis raised an eyebrow. “You don’t object?”
“Actually, I also want Anis to obtain freedom. Then, we can interact again under a brand-new relationship.”
She stepped forward and naturally took Anis’s hand.
“If that happens, it will definitely be better than it is now.”