Only for Your Well-Being - Chapter 8

“Thank you, Ruelli.”

 

Simon Henrietta accepted the ointment that Ruelli had given him and expressed his gratitude.

 

Ruelli made an ointment for Simon’s father from the flowers she collected on the mountain.

 

Of course, making the medicine was not an easy task. The process of making it was perfect in Ruelli’s mind, but implementing it was another matter.

 

Coal acid was needed to prevent infection and decay, and animal fat was needed for a smooth coating, but herbs were also something that she could not afford.

 

Therefore, Ruelli had to find a vegetable material that could replace the expensive ones and spent a long time to find grass that contained eucalyptus and menthol.

 

And she didn’t tell her father that she always put her divine power in the end product. The ointment with its cleansing power instantly healed people’s wounds and even their pain.

 

“The ointment you made for me the other day. Its effect is truly amazing. You can’t tell if there was a wound.”

 

Simon was about a foot taller than Ruelli, and his face was innocent.

 

“This one will be a little better. The instructions are the same as before. You apply it twice a day with a thumbnail sized scoop.”

 

The cut on his father’s leg was more serious than she thought. If it was left untreated, it could have become infected or rotten.

 

“Ruelli, you’ve improved a lot.”

 

“I made it with grass from the mountain, anyone can do it if they know how to.”

 

Ruelli had no intention of putting pressure on the skinny boy.

 

“No, it’s only you who can do it.”

 

“That’s all I have to say. Take care of your father.”

 

Ruelli said with a playful smile.

 

“Oh, Simon. Can you do me a favor?”

 

“Tell me anything.”

 

“This is the last ointment I have, so please don’t tell people I gave it to you.”

 

While going in and out of the monastery and making ointments, Ruelli had become quite famous around the area. She started out just to help people, but the unwanted fame was starting to get her into trouble.

 

Simon asked cautiously.

 

“You are not going to make any more ointment?”

 

“No, it’s not like that. But I don’t want to go up to Nordard during the hunting season. It’s dangerous…….”

 

Actually, it was for her father’s sake that she decided not to go up the mountain.

 

Then suddenly, she was reminded of the boy who was looking at her with an emotionless face.

 

“Who left signs on my private property without permission?”

 

Ruelli thought he was simply a spoiled aristocrat, but no one would have guessed that he was the eldest son of the Duke of Bertrand.

 

A voice like a long hanging sunset with a grace that overflows from shoulder to toe. The young master seemed to be a year or two older than her. (*TL: No idea what that voice sounds like…)

 

“Anyway, I’m not going up to Nordard for the time being.”

 

“I see. My heart sank when I thought you weren’t going to make medicine anymore.”

 

Simon, who had been fiddling with the ointment in his hand for a while, changed his voice as if he wanted to change the subject.

 

“Ruelli, I am grateful to have this precious medicine for free, but you can’t just keep giving it away like this. So……..”

 

Simon’s voice was quite serious as he leaned towards Ruelli.

 

“Why don’t you sell it for money?”

 

“Money?”

 

“Yes, Uncle Samuel’s medicines are all terrible. But people like us can’t go to doctor clinics.”

 

Lorek had a famous medical school and attached clinic called Asburn College, but the huge cost of treatment meant that commoners like Ruelli and Simon couldn’t even dream of going there.

 

“That’s true, but…”

 

“Uncle Samuel is a sham. He sells stupid pills at a high price just because he’s Sir Xavier’s cousin.”

 

Ruelli couldn’t bear to argue with those words, and only shrugged her shoulders.

 

“It has no effect at all. Of all the things Samuel has made, the only decent one is probably the second daughter of that family.”

 

This time, Ruelli couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“My father and I can vouch for the quality of the medicine you made. So please try to sell it for a reasonable price.” Simon said.

 

“Thank you for saying that. But it’s not enough to sell for money. I don’t know if I can.”

 

“What’s wrong with selling it like Uncle Samuel?”

 

Samuel Gross was the only pharmacist in Lorek. He was a distant cousin of Sir Melson Xavier, a trusted surgeon in the royal family.

 

Samuel was also known to have studied Pharmaceutics at Asborne College, but no one believed it.

 

“Simon, who do you think would buy medicine made by a twelve year old?”

 

Ruelli slammed the table with a serious expression.

 

“Why wouldn’t they! We’re all happy to get an ointment from you.”

 

“That’s because it’s free.”

 

“No, Ruelli. They’ll line up even if you sell it for money. I’ll take care of the publicity. Now, let me introduce you all. Ruelli Fadenos’s ointment for all illnesses! Only 10 clans!”

 

“Stop it.”

 

Simon looked satisfied as if he enjoyed making Ruelli laugh. The mood was lighter than it was, and there was more joking and laughing around the table.

 

After a while, Simon took out four or five potatoes from the kitchen and offered them to Ruelli.

 

“I’m sorry, but this is all I can give you.”

 

Simon had four younger brothers, so he had twice as many mouths to feed as her family, and Ruelli could not take precious food with her, knowing they needed more than she would.

 

“A thank you is enough.”

 

“No. Take it. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you something better, Ruelli.”

 

“…….”

 

“If you don’t take it, I’ll think you reject my sincerity.”

 

Simon forced the potato at Ruelli.

 

“Thank you, Simon.”

 

“Have a safe trip home. Say hello to your father for me.”

 

“Yes.”

 

The air was very dry outside.

 

Ruelli paused for a moment, surveying the noisy street, and then hugged the basket tightly.

 

Coming out from the crumbling hut, Ruelli quickly made her way to the grocery store.

 

She was going to sell the potatoes Simon had given her and buy a bag to hold the ointment. With five potatoes, she should be able to get at least two clans.

 

“No, shall I just take it home?”

 

There was not enough food and five potatoes were good for one meal.

 

However, there were still some medicinal herbs left over from the other day on the mountain.

 

She used all the flowers for Simon’s father, but there was still some grass root that could be used for fever and sore muscles.

 

Without the covers, it would have withered and become unusable, and all the bags for the ointment were gone.

 

“Will he buy three potatoes?”

 

Ruelli, who was distressed, walked with her eyes cast down to the road.

 

“Ruelli? Yes, it’s you.”

 

As she raised her head at the friendly call, a tall man was looking at her.

 

 

It was Gauner, who ran a cotton shop nearby.

 

“Hello.”

 

But Gauner passed over Ruelli’s greeting roughly and immediately said,

 

“Ruelli, you repaired Madame Innette’s shoulder, didn’t you ? I heard you made ointment for Henrietta as well?”

 

Ruelli smiled awkwardly, thinking that it was already too late for the request she asked Simon to keep a secret.

 

“It works differently for everyone.”

 

“Anyway, I’ve heard that you make a very good ointment for wounds. Give me some. The last time I tried to remove a thorn from my hand, it made the wound worse.”

 

Gauner’s finger was so swollen and puffy that she could feel the pain just by looking at it. It didn’t look good, but all the material for making ointment for wounds was used for Simon’s father.

 

Ruelli lifted her shoulders lightly and replied.

 

“I’m sorry, Uncle, but I don’t have any ointment right now.”

 

“What? You don’t have any?”

 

“The ingredients that can make ointment are on Nordard mountain, but my father won’t let me be up there until hunting season is over….”

 

“My, I need it now.”

 

Gauner removed the smile from his face and looked at Ruelli. He brushed his hair once and murmured,

 

“If the ingredients are on the Mountain, why don’t you just climb up and get them?”

 

“But it’s hunting season now and it’s dangerous. I promised my father that I wouldn’t go to the mountain for the time being.”

 

Gauner’s face became more stern than before, as if he didn’t like the answer.

 

“Why don’t you go with your father?”

 

Gauner’s voice was as rough as his swollen fingers.

 

Ruelli knew she had to leave quickly.

 

“My father is busy with work. I have to go now.”

 

“Hey!”

 

At that moment, Gauner, who was now red on the forehead, grabbed Ruelli’s fragile wrist.

 

“I told you I need it now!”

 

“It hurts, Uncle!”

 

“What’s that in the basket?”

 

“Let go of this!”

 

“I think you have some ointment hidden inside.”

 

Ruelli tried to run away, shouting at the top of her lungs, but Gauner had no intention of letting go.

 

“Put it down!”

 

“Take everything out of the basket, or I promise you, you won’t make it to tomorrow.”

 

Ruelli’s body shook violently with the force. Her anger began to heat up to her throat, but it didn’t come out of her mouth.

 

No matter how strong she was, she was completely helpless in front of the power of a grown man who was much bigger than her.

 

It was at this moment that she almost burst into tears from the uncomfortable pain that started in her wrist.

 

“Put it down.”

 

The cold voice from behind made Gauner stop moving.

 

His red face turned pale in an instant. It was because of the sharp sword that touched him just below the chin.

 

“Hey, what the…..!”

 

Gauner leaned his head back and laid his eyes downward. The sharp tip of the sword was getting more and more powerful, pressing against his skin.

 

“One more word and I’ll cut your throat.”

 

It was Ethan Seymour Bertrand who was holding the sword.