Bab 44: [Chapter 44] The Queen of Rumors
Beni Shayer, a quiet and reserved student, secretly had a crush on Hiss.
Although Hiss was rough around the edges, he sometimes showed chivalrous behavior. After he had returned Beni's pen, which had rolled out the window during class, Beni's gaze often fell on him.
However, Beni was aware that Hiss had a crush on Idalia, and so she had consulted with Alecto a few times.
You're good with people, how can I naturally talk to Hiss? What should I do to approach someone who's not interested in me?
Alecto found the trivial love counseling boring, but she listened anyway. And she even offered some advice. You're not popular because you're too quiet, so go and make a move!
But what had she done wrong?
Was it the content of the counseling? What was wrong with the advice? Come to think of it, Beni hadn't shown up to class yesterday. Had she really gotten hurt from making a move?
"What did I do?"
Since Alecto couldn't explain the situation to Hiss, she defensively asked back.
Idalia took advantage of the opportunity to take a few steps back, and Hiss took a step closer to Alecto.
"Beni Shayer likes me! What am I supposed to do if you go around talking like that? Beni hasn't even left the dorm since yesterday."
What? Alecto was shocked.
The rumor has spread, so she's saying that. Beni might have consulted with someone else too. But why is she saying that Alecto is the source of the rumor?
"That's not true! I never said anything like that."
To be honest, Alecto had talked about Beni to someone else. In front of the two quietest kids in the class.
But they wouldn't have said anything, would they?... Ah, and she had also talked about it in front of Angard and Rianon? They wouldn't have said anything either...
But Alecto couldn't say that, so she denied it.
"You're lying! Who else could it be? Beni said she only told you!"
Aesling, who lived in the room next to Beni, approached and scolded Alecto. While Alecto was taken aback, Aesling picked up Alecto's ink bottle and threw it on the floor. The kids around her screamed and quickly moved away.
The ink bottle shattered, and black ink splattered onto Alecto's clothes and shoes.
Aesling was also covered in ink, but she didn't seem to care, and she shouted with her face twisted in anger.
"Just you wait! You think you're so great, but you're just a rumor-spreading, two-faced liar! If Beni gets hurt because of you, I'll kill you!"
Aesling's threat was simple, but her tall stature and long limbs made her intimidating. Another kid snickered from the side.
Finally, Diane couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. She clasped her hands together and whispered a confession.
"I have to admit, it's a bit satisfying to see Alecto being bullied."
Neris responded immediately, without batting an eyelid.
"Me too."
"Really?"
Diane's eyes sparkled.
She knew how Alecto talked about the MacKinnon family, as well as herself and Neris, behind their backs. Alecto didn't even try to hide it, and would often say it right in front of them.
Hey, who's really worthy of their social status, and who's only here because of their money?
Hey, honestly, if I were in a position where I didn't have to attend school, I wouldn't! I don't want to owe favors to distant relatives.
It was winter, but the dormitory where Diane stayed was warm and cozy, with a fire burning in the fireplace. The two girls were sitting together, doing their homework, with a woolen blanket draped over their knees. Neris was working on her own assignments, while Diane was working on hers.
As they sat together, Neris suddenly spoke up to Betty, who was watching them with a warm smile.
"Betsy, I have a favor to ask."
"Yes, Miss Neris? Anything at all."
"You're from Malsoz, right? I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about Letorne."
Letorne was the larger region that included Malsoz, Betsy's hometown.
Betsy was the third daughter of a large family, and had been introduced to the MacKinnon family through a distant connection. As a result, Letorne was quite far from the MacKinnon earldom. Diane's eyes sparkled with interest.
"I've heard of it! Isn't Letorne famous for its herbs?"
Betsy smiled and replied.
"Yes. The herbs from Letorne are said to be more effective than those from Vistal, so even noble people use them. The most famous one from Letorne is the Via's herb, which is mentioned in the scriptures. And there's also the Quagmire herb, which only grows in the Kinia village. It's good for neuralgia..."
Neris listened patiently to Betsy's explanation, which was a bit disjointed. She asked questions and listened attentively, and then spoke up after Betsy finished.
"Letorne is really amazing. But as I was listening, I started to worry - does the Kinia village only rely on the Quagmire herb for their livelihood? If the supply of Quagmire herb were to suddenly decrease, wouldn't it be difficult for them to make a living?"
Betsy chuckled.
"Oh, there's always more than enough Quagmire herb to go around. It's like a weed in that village."
Betsy's answer was casual, as if she didn't think it was a big deal. Neris smiled.
"That's good to know."
Although her words were calm, Neris's mind was filled with excitement. It seemed that her goal in asking Betsy about Letorne might be achieved sooner than expected.
The homework was just an excuse. Neris needed a way to earn money that she could use freely, aside from the tuition and allowance provided by the Elantria family and the small amount sent by her family. After all, money was necessary for her plans.
However, as a 12-year-old academy student, the only official jobs she could do were helping the teachers with their tasks and receiving a small scholarship. She couldn't ask Clewin for pocket money.
She needed money that could buy her something bigger than a flower seed. She needed money that she could earn quietly, without drawing attention to herself.
As she thought about this, Neris remembered something from her past life. It was something that had happened when she was the crown princess and was attending to the needs of the Dowager Empress.
The Dowager Empress wasn't actually bedridden due to illness, but she did have joint pain from time to time. One of the doctors she had was from Letorne.
He boasted that he used special herbs, and his medicine was indeed very effective. However, he refused to reveal the ingredients, calling it a trade secret. Neris remembered the words of another doctor who didn't like him, who would often complain while drinking.
"That crazy guy is taking credit for his assistant's discovery! If I had an assistant from Lantville, I could..."
The Dowager Empress laughed when Neris mentioned this.
"Ah, Lantville? I see."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I knew he had a woman from Lantville. I think I understand now."
The doctor from Letorne had been using the fact that he knew herbs that only people from Letorne knew to demand more and more money from the Dowager Empress.
The Dowager Empress was normally strict with everyone, so the doctor didn't realize it, but Neris, who was always by her side, knew that she was looking for an alternative.
Later, the doctor from Letorne was expelled from the capital on a small pretext. He was replaced by his assistant, a young boy who was also his illegitimate son.
The boy trembled with fear as he told the truth. He didn't like his father, but at a young age, he had no one to rely on but his father.
Neris could see that the boy was terrified, and it was pitiful to watch.
"The Quagmire herb has been extinct for over 15 years, but if I had it, I could cure the old man's joint pain instantly... My father searched the area around Kinia village for it, but only found a few roots, which withered quickly... I accidentally mixed it with Hallogras from my mother's hometown and it grew healthily, and the effect was much better."
The Quagmire herb, which was now growing in abundance, was expected to disappear suddenly due to a disease in the near future.
The people of Kinia village had quickly introduced other herbs and started cultivating them, so they were not greatly affected, but the Quagmire herb became a relic of the past.
At the time, Neris had become interested and looked into it, and by her current standards, the disease would start within half a year. Then, what if she used Hallogras before the doctor from Letorne did?
Neris had only recently found out that Betsy was from Letorne. She thought this was an opportunity.
There were many old people who suffered from joint pain, not just the Dowager Empress. The doctors she had seen at the Dowager Empress's estate were all dressed in expensive clothes and acted with high noses.
Neris herself couldn't grow enough plants to sell. Her experience with flowers was limited to the brief time she had spent growing them in her past life. But Betsy might be able to introduce her to a trustworthy person.
Someone who could grow a "new" herb that could change the medical landscape of the social circle.
"Thank you. You've been a great help."
Neris's sincere thanks were met with a naive response from Betsy.
"No, Miss. If you need my help, just let me know anytime."
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone