Laboratory of the Kanista Kingdom 3
「What is it? Is there a problem?」
Because I suddenly let out a loud voice, Ashren-sama
looked at me with an anxious expression.
「Ah, no. I remember the formulas, but
I just realized that I have never officially written them down.」
I have handed over the documents containing the existence of
the formulas and the process to derive them to Carter-sama before. But,
he said he couldn't remember such detailed things and explaining it if asked
would be a pain, so he told me he wouldn't announce it officially, and the
documents were disposed of.
「Then, is the Jilgista Kingdom
not utilizing such precious research results?」
「No, the people from the Medicinal
Herb Department came to ask me for today's drying time every time, so I told
them.」
To be precise, the people from the Medicinal Herb
Department came to ask Carter-sama. After that, I would go deliver a
memo to them, claiming it was a message from Carter-sama.
「Then, what are they doing now that
you are gone, Layla?」
「Exactly! I completely forgot about
it. Without the formulas, they won't know the drying time.」
What should I do, everyone is going to be in trouble. Even
though it is the most important thing for quality control. As I was panicking
in a fluster, I heard a chuckling laugh from next to me.
「Ashren-sama? What is the matter?」
Even though someone is panicking, I thought, glaring at him sullenly.
「No, I'm sorry. So much has happened
from the annulment of your engagement up until today, yet you were completely
unfazed, so seeing you in a panic like this is quite rare, Layla.」
「Is that why you were laughing?」
「I told you I am sorry. Besides, you
are very kind, Layla.」
「Eh?」
At the sudden words of praise, strength went into the space
between my eyebrows. For Ashren-sama to praise me, could there be some
ulterior motive?
「Do not make such a difficult face. I
have no other intentions. I am purely admiring your good nature to be able to
worry about the people you left behind, even after being treated so coldly. If
it were me, I would probably be thinking, 'Serves you right.'」
It seems I was being purely praised. The moment I realized
that, heat gathered in my cheeks with a flush.
I am not used to being praised, so I do not know how to
answer at times like this. If it were Aisha, would she cutely say,
"Thank you very much"? Or would she humbly say, "That is not
true," looking embarrassed?
Which is the correct answer? What should I do? Not knowing
how to answer, having no choice but to place my hands on my cheeks and fidget,
I surely must lack charm.
「U-Um. Anyway, I remember the
formulas, so I will write them down. Should I write them in the order of
frequently used medicinal herbs or in alphabetical order?」
「In alphabetical order, then. You do
not have to rush; take the whole morning and do it slowly. I am going out on
business to another department, but if you have any trouble, just call out to Flora.」
「Understood.」
Letting out a small breath with a fuu, I calmed the
heat in my face and dipped the pen nib in ink. Stay calm, I thought, and
as I recalled the formulas, my embarrassment faded, and I focused, letting my
pen run across the documents.
From the afternoon, I joined Flora-san and the others
to make medicines. The two of them were making more salves and poultices than I
had expected.
「You made quite a lot.」
「I remembered the people from the Medicinal
Herb Department saying they didn't have enough salves. Since I was already
at it, I made extra.」
Even while talking, Flora-san briskly packed the
salve into small bottles. Next to her, Tick was making tags with the
manufacturing date and hanging them on the bottles. Carter-sama would
absolutely never do chores like this.
In that case,
I thought, and started on packaging the poultices.
For poultices, the finished medicine is applied thinly to a
cloth, and then a thin cloth made of a certain tree fiber is placed over it to
prevent drying. When using it, you peel off this thin cloth and apply it to the
affected area, however.
「There is room for improvement with
this thin cloth as well, isn't there.」
「Is that so?」
「With this, the medicine we went
through the trouble of applying will dry out. It lasts for about a month at
most, doesn't it?」
「Yes, so does that mean you know a
better method, Layla?」
「Yes. It can maintain its quality
without drying out for half a year. Shall we make it tomorrow?」
「By all means! Then, let's leave the
poultices packed in jars for today, and do the application to the cloth
tomorrow.」
The poultices packed in large jars had their lids closed
tightly and were placed in the corner of the desk for now. Then, I also joined
in on packing the salves.
While working silently, I heard the lively voices of
children from outside the window. Hm, children? And quite a large number of
them at that.
「Are there children in the royal
castle?」
「Ah, those are the children of the
servants working here. When their parents are working, they are left at the
daycare center near here.」
I see, nobles have wet nurses, but it's impossible for
commoners to hire someone. That's why it seems the royal castle takes them all
in together while their parents are working.
「Sometimes the civil officials teach
them reading, writing, and calculations.」
「The knights also teach them
swordsmanship and such.」
Standing up and looking out the window, about ten children
were running around. Hm? Could the person in the center of them be the Director?
「Um, there is someone who looks like
the Director out there; are my eyes deceiving me?」
「No, it is surely her. The person who
built that daycare center was the Director's husband, who was the Prime
Minister at the time, so it seems she still checks in on it from time to
time.」
Wow, that's amazing. Ah, our eyes met, I thought, and
then the Director came over here.
「Good work. I heard from Ashren,
but it seems you have been playing a huge role since this morning.」
「Not at all! All I did was hand over
the recipes for the salve and poultice, and compile the drying times for the
medicinal herbs.」
「It is not 'all'. Those few hours are
equivalent to several years of technological development for this country. Have
more confidence.」
「Thank you very much.」
Fidget, fidget,
as I thought, I am not used to being praised. With the Director joining
us, the bottling was finished by evening while listening to the future
policies.
「Good work. I will take these to the Medicinal
Herb Department, so the rest of you please clean up. Also, Layla, I
would like to introduce you to the people at the Medicinal Herb Department,
so won't you come with me?」
「Understood.」
When I tried to hold the wooden box lined with the finished
bottles, Ashren-sama smoothly reached out his hand from the side.
「Could you hold these recipes, Layla?
Also, the documents where you compiled the drying times of the medicinal herbs
from this morning.」
「Yes.」
I returned to my desk, took the documents in hand, and decided to head to the Medicinal Herb Department together with Ashren-sama.
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