She Became The Devil’s Stepmother Who’s About To Be Killed - Chapter 25 – I’ll Start Adapting

“Sire, all the things you have ordered just now are the things I have been handling.”

“That’s right.”

“If you speak in this way, it will be difficult for the Grand Prince to adapt.”

“Our Theo… Even if you can’t break the curse… So that Theo can solve it on his own… Please show a lot of love. A lot, a lot…”

Gerard recalled what Sinclair was saying to herself as she lost consciousness. His gaze automatically turned to Theodor. He was grinning as if it was good.

“Adapt… Now that I see it, I think you should adapt.”

“…!”

Gerard said only this much and carried Theodor into the palace. At those words, Molli’s heart cooled. She looked at Gerard’s wide back as she suppressed her rising emotions. Even if he was busy when she called, he always turned around to meet her gaze. But now he was striding away without making eye contact with her. She was shocked. Molli’s heart was beating rapidly with anger. To the point it was unmanageable.

“I’m jealous. Madam Molli’s work has lessened. A few days ago, we wrote a year-long curriculum and passed it, but I wonder if she’ll even read it… tch.”

“..”

“I have a lot to prepare. I’ll excuse myself first.”

Viat headed to the main palace with a look full of dissatisfaction with the sudden drop of work. Molli staggered and leaned against a tree in the garden as she moved away. She had been insane since last night when Gerard entered the castle with the Grand Duchess in his arms, with her curly purple hair fluttering down. Saying she had lost consciousness after saving Theodor and needed to relax, Gerard carefully moved her to a separate annex, and Molli’s jealousy exploded as if an active volcano erupted.

‘In addition, to be hit like this early in the morning…’

She definitely felt it in her whole body. Her world was collapsing.

* * * 

“Hello, I am Sophia.”

I was taken aback by the maid who greeted me brightly when I emerged after soaking in the hot water. It was because there was no one there when Gerard left earlier.

‘Well, it doesn’t make sense being without a maid.’

Sophia was busy cleaning the bedding before approaching me to dry my hair.

“It’s okay, I’ll do it.”

“No. It is my greatest pride to provide the best service to those in Saios annex. Besides, I’m going to serve the Grand Duchess. It is an honor.”

She started drying my hair by gently rubbing my hair with a towel. Thanks to her cheerful voice, one octave higher than an average person, like a soprano, my mood naturally brightened. She led me to a room to the side of the living room. It was the dressing-room. Although it was small, it was equipped with my necessary clothes, and the small jewelry box, hat, and shoes were pretty, so it was pretty cool.

‘Did you decorate it all night?’ Gerard had a subtle, meticulous side. Sophia sat me down at the dressing table.

“Wait a moment.”

She brought a new towel, squeezed the water from my head, and brushed it out.

‘It would be nice to have a dryer…’

Too bad.

Sophia pulled something like a pinwheel from her apron. Then she pinched and squeaked the spring next to the handle. After a while, the pinwheel turned and the wind tickled my hair.

“…!”

My eyes widened and I looked at Sophia in the mirror.

“My hobby is to create things. It’s refreshing, isn’t it?”

Sophia’s face was shy, and she quickly dried my hair using one hand with a towel and the other with a pinwheel.

‘Awesome, how could such a talented person be hidden in an annex?’

I sat back and grabbed Sophia’s hand.

“Hiik!!” Sophia’s eyes widened.

“Madam?”

“Perhaps, would you like to be my assistant?”

“Pardon? I am your assistant right now “.”

“No, no. Not this kind of assistance.”

“…?”

“My hobby is inventing, too.”

Her eyes widened as the corners of my mouth rose up.

“What’s your name?”

I asked her name again.

“Is Sophia.”

“Yes, Sophia. Perhaps… from the academy?”

“No, I’m from St. Shlezen’s orphanage.”

“Orphanage?”

It was my first time hearing about it.

“It’s an orphanage established by the late Empress in the Karikas estate. It’s a place where children orphaned by the Demon War were raised.”

“Ah…”

“Now that the new Madam has arrived, the orphanage children will be waiting for you.”

“Right. I should go there. There must be a lot of hidden talents like you.”

“Hehe. That’s an undeserved compliment.”

“Not at all. I’ll have to make an appointment.”

I sat looking in the mirror again and asked Sophia through the mirror.

“But how did you conceive this pinwheel idea?”

“I saw the windmill.”

“Oh, I see.”

As expected, all creation comes from discovery. Humanity has progressed as technology develops, and by repurposing something that felt commonplace or unnecessary and discarded into something else. Napoleon improved the gun’s accuracy with contours that someone had previously discovered. In addition, a lightweight gun that someone made and abandoned because of its weak firepower was dragged onto the cliff and used to win. With this much observation and talent, we are sure to fit well together.

“Do orphanage children go to an academy as scholarship students if they have the talent?”

“Of course. The Shlezen Scholarship Foundation was founded by the late Empress.”

“Then why didn’t you go?”

“I wanted to make money.”

“Money?”

“Yes.”

“…?”

“I have two younger siblings. One is now majoring in healing at the Academy, and the other is taking knighthood classes.”

“Healing?”

‘Oh, talented people are so close to me. What kind of bonanza is this?’

“You’ll have to invite your younger siblings sometime.”

“My siblings? It’s an honor, Madam.”

I smiled. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing the dream trees of the future. That was why I wanted to be a teacher.

“But should they become independent when they become adults?”

“Yes.”

As soon as she finished talking, her expression darkened.

“Would you want any support funds?”

“No. Instead, write a recommendation letter. If Madam writes a letter of recommendation to become a maid or a knight, at least the room and meals will be provided.”

“Oh, I see.”

My expression darkened, too.

“Ah, but where would you see that? In fact, there is only one estate with these orphanages throughout the Empire. That’s why orphans sometimes walk all the way here at the risk of their lives.”

‘Hmm… Right.’

There must be no place for welfare in the wastelands. For some reason, I thought I had to make a lot of money.

“Then why didn’t you think of selling this pinwheel?”

“This one?”

“Yes?”

“Eishh, who would want to buy it?”

“Who would buy it…? The nobles would.”

I smiled slyly and nodded my head. As I was changing clothes, goosebumps trailed from my body to my arms.

“Are you cold?”

“Yeah, a little bit.”

“Wait for a moment.”

Sophia took a small bolt of lightning from the corner of the fireplace and placed it on the firewood. Then she pulled out a small shiny silver container from her apron pocket. And when she banged on the small handle, the wood started burning.

“Oh, Sophia! Can you show me that?”

“P-pardon?”

Sophia held out to me what looked like a small, silvery, cylindrical lid and toothpick.

“Did you make this too?”

I put my nose to it and smelled it.

‘Oh my, this is sulfur, sulfur!’

Looking at the new concept lighter with a pungent smell, and back at Sophia, her cheeks flared up.

“Where did you get this material?”

“That’s— In the Demon Realm. So there’s a hot spring place, and there’s a lot of powder like this next to it. But sometimes there was fire in it, so I did an experiment. Then it really caught fire.”

Amazing, she was using a brand new lighter instead of a flint. Since the heating is poor, this place also relies heavily on fireplaces, so it would have been inconvenient to hit flints every time. As expected, discomfort inspires new technology to mankind!

In addition, the Karikas estate was close to the Demon Realm, so they used magic stones, but there were still many places where they still used wood. Although coal is consumed here, it naturally took a long time to burn it. But Sophia made something like lightning coal with sawdust and briquette powder.

‘Aren’t you pure gold?’

“By the way, Sophia. Actually, to make sawdust and briquette powder, four steps are involved.”

“Right.”

“But there is a substance called methanol. If you make it in a gel state, it is very easy to make a fire.”

“Methanol?”

I didn’t miss Sophia’s sparkling eyes.

“Yeah, if you make it in the form of a jelly, it doesn’t emit toxic smoke, there’s no waste, and above all, there’s no risk of overflowing if it falls over.”

“Wow, is there such a thing?”

Sophia was slack jawed. I smiled.

“Is it magic?”

“What do you mean magic? What you made is not magic. What I said was also an invention through research and analysis.”

“Perhaps, Madam is also from the academy?”

“No. I tend to read a lot of books. Randomly. Would you like to work with me on this kind of research?”

“Of course.”

“But it’s a secret, you know.”

“Of course. It’s a secret. One can’t just get caught on a witch hunt for nothing.”

Oh, Come to think of it, I could roughly guess now why Sophia secretly used it alone even after inventing so many things. There is no countermeasure if you are turned into a witch, let alone commercialization. It was a bit of a sad reality. However, if people are tamed by the new product while using it, no one will be caught in such an ideological frame about being magic or a witch. Because humans prefer to be comfortable. Unless, of course, it’s only being used politically.

I’ll pull it together myself. I decided to be greedy to make my future a little easier.

* * * 

Suddenly my living room was littered with papers. The materials I received from the butler last time and the materials that the maid brought were overflowing. Of course, I was checking about Theodor.

“Madam.”

I raised my head.

“The court physician and the healer have come.”

“Oh yeah?”

At Sophia’s announcement, I got up in awe. A tall man in his 40s with brown hair and a woman with voluptuous silver hair in her 50s entered.

“I greet the Grand Duchess.”

“I only saw you when you were unconscious, so you don’t remember, unfortunately.” The woman with the voluptuous silver hair said with a smile.

“I am Ellie from Shlezen Castle.”

“I am the healer Schumann.”

“Thank you for yesterday morning.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m glad Madam looks different from yesterday morning.”

“Please both sit down.”

“Yes.”

The two politely sat side by side in front of me. I held Theodor’s material I had read this morning before them.

“I don’t understand why Theo is so much smaller than average height or weight, even though he hasn’t been very ill.”

“He had a minor illness for up to thirty months, but he is basically strong because he inherited the lineage of the late Emperor.”

At Ellie’s words, I asked.

“Then, is there such a thing as an allergy? Thomas, the butler, said it was confidential, so he didn’t keep any record… ”

To see how far these people could go, I covered my face with a teacup and gave it a little time.

Silence.

It won’t work.

I put down the teacup and added one more thought.

“From today on, I will make Theo meals here myself.”

Ellie’s mouth was wide open. Biting her lower lip, she opened her mouth as if determined.

“Basically, the Grand Prince was allergic to egg yolk. Fortunately, thanks to Schumann’s healing, there is almost no itching or rash now.”

Schumann nodded proudly and raised the corners of his mouth. I smiled as I looked at it, and quickly made notes in my notebook.

“Crab is fine, but crayfish gave him rashes and swelling.”

Yes, let’s skip the lobster dish. I should pay special attention to the banquet.

“Other than that, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”

“But… he has a tree allergy.”

Schumann quickly helped out.

“He’s vulnerable to rosewood and cedar, but it’s nothing serious.”

Finally, I expected to measure the ingredients and risks of some of the most basic herbs through him.

“Are there any kinds of vegetables or grass?”

“There is not.”

“Is that so?”

From the floor near my feet, I pulled a stem of herbs from the garden and placed them on the table.

“May I know the names of these plants and whether they are poisonous?”

The herbs I put out were basil, tarragon, dill, and lemon balm.

“Why these?”

“To use on food.”

Schumann’s mouth hung agape, and Ellie looked at me with a strange expression.