Chapter 10 (1/2)
Translator and Editor: Lea and Ishy
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Chapter 10
As much as I was surprised, I was relieved to find out that Lennox was not Carinne’s accomplice.
‘Why do I feel so relieved?’
Just because he recognized the Qualum leaves did not prove that he had nothing to do with Carinne.
Still, why did I want to believe in him?
I just met him.
‘Wake up.’
Pushing the complicated thoughts aside, I returned to the original topic.
“But isn’t the Rutoru Forest a prohibited area? How can the leaves of a tree growing there be distributed here?”
“I’d like to know more about that.”
“Could it be that someone sneaked beyond the boundary and stole it?”
“No creature can step into the forest without my permission.”
“What about someone who stepped out of the forest?”
Lennox paused for a moment before he continued,
“Likewise, it’s impossible to get out of the boundaries. Unless…”
“It’s an evil spirit.”
I shrugged when he looked slightly surprised.
“I just guessed. I heard that the forest is home to many evil beings.”
In addition, I witnessed Lennox destroying evil spirits.
Either way, it was not a very hopeful situation.
‘I find it impossible to believe that something so illegal was being mixed in my everyday tea.’
About time I felt hopeless.
Whine’The wagon stopped with the cry of the horses.
Lennox said while glancing out of the window,
“So, you were going to the herbal store to see what those tea leaves were.”
“Right. But… honestly, I don’t think it’ll be worthwhile now that I’ve talked to Your Grace,”
I muttered helplessly, looking down at the leaves on the handkerchief.
A normal medicine herb dealer would not be able to recognize the Qualum leaves that only grew in the forest of Rutoru, let alone tell if they were poisonous.
Now, I could only say that I was lucky to have met Lennox.
Except for the person who fed me these leaves, he was the only one to know the identity of these leaves.
“The tea leaves of your drink were mixed with the Qualum leaves…”
Silence filled the carriage as Lennox narrowed his eyebrows in thought.
His long fingers began to tap the table.
Tap, tap.
“I don’t know how to interpret this situation.”
The Qualum leaves, which should have been in the Rutoru forest, were found in the teacup of a noble lady.
It was not very difficult to understand what was going on.
“Perhaps this leaf is not from the Qualum tree…”
“Impossible,”
He shook his head firmly.
“Things from the Rutoru forest have a unique energy and I can feel it. This must be a Qualum leaf.”
“Ah…”
[If I had to explain it, I’d say it doesn’t belong here in this land.]
I smiled bitterly, recalling what Ash had said earlier.
Then Lennox muttered, frowning a little,
“I don’t understand. Why would someone secretly add Qualum leaves that have no effect?”
“It’s not toxic?”
That was surprising.
I thought I was in danger of being poisoned.
However, Lennox calmly informed me about the facts without any agitation.
“The toxicity of the Qualum trees is only harbored in its fruits. The colorless and odorless leaves are just like any ordinary leaves.”
“How could that be…”
This was really unexpected.
‘So I ran for nothing?’
If this was true, I was back to square one. I wasted my energy.
I was motivated a minute ago, but now I didn’t know what to do.
“Are you okay? It doesn’t seem you were relieved by the information.”
“I think it’s because I’m tired. I’ll get better soon if I rest a bit,”
I waved my hand and laughed it off as if nothing had happened.
But I failed to hide the twisting feeling in my stomach.
Lennox sighed quietly when he saw me like that.
“I don’t know your situation, but…”
He stopped for a while as if to agonize over something before he continued in a rather cautious tone,
“Whatever choice you make, I hope it’ll be for yourself.”
‘What does that mean?’
The words were too vague for me to come to a conclusion.
Yet somehow, they felt comforting.
Throughout my return to the Viscount’s mansion, I pondered on the words.
***
Lennox contributed a lot to returning me to my bedroom safely.
Not only did he walk me, but he also helped sneak me in through the side of the mansion to avoid being caught.
There was a hole on the wall through which a small person could barely get in and out. It was often used by Olivia in the original work.