Chapter 13

"Tuberosum?"

"That’s the weed that grows everywhere in the mountains, right? The one with the poisonous leaves."

"Poisonous...?"

Gasp.

The people, now pale, shouted in alarm.

"Lady, you shouldn’t touch that! You’ll hurt your hands!"

"It’s poisonous! You need to throw it away immediately!"

Those who knew more about Tuberosum sighed in relief as they saw Beatty’s hands wrapped in cloth.

"Luckily, she’s not holding it bare-handed," they muttered.

The most potent part of Tuberosum was its leaves. Just a brush against the tips of the leaves could burn the skin red with a painful rash.

"If she had accidentally let it touch her skin... her skin could’ve been burned terribly..."

Shivers ran down their spines just imagining the sight of the Duke’s reaction when he saw Beatty’s condition.

Pushing past the shivering onlookers, the boy stepped closer to Beatty, his tone difficult to read—was he scolding her, or encouraging her?

Beatty, still startled, couldn’t help but glance at the boy.

He had stripped his shirt off.

Why is he shirtless?!

She had seen him fully dressed moments ago. His well-toned upper body, still young but already defined, would have likely caused other girls to swoon, but for Beatty, it was simply uncomfortable to see.

"Ugh!"

Beatty, unable to help herself, took a step back. The sight of her older brother’s bare chest made her fluster, and she involuntarily made a squeaky sound, like a squirrel.

The boy, noticing her backing away, frowned and quickly closed the gap between them.

"Where did you get this?" he asked, grabbing the Tuberosum she was holding.

"Ah!"

The boy murmured in recognition. "This is the... what’s it called? ‘Devil’s Seed’?"

Tuberosum.

A useless, highly reproductive weed that grew everywhere. It was entirely poisonous—not just the leaves, but even the roots and fruits. It had earned many unpleasant names, such as "Devil’s Seed," "Poisonous Excretion," or "Hellweed," and even animals refused to eat it.

"Well, it was called that," the boy muttered as Beatty carefully rewrapped the plant.

"Actually, that’s not what it should be called."

"Hm?"

Beatty, full of confidence, looked at the plant and spoke proudly.

“‘Miracle Plant.’ This is the one that will solve the problem.”

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she declared it.

“Ah!”

At that moment, Count Zelot, who had approached without her noticing, interjected.

"I’m sorry, but miss, you think this will solve anything?"

His face betrayed little concern, and he pointed at the plant in Beatty’s hand.

Why would anyone pay attention to such a pitiful weed?

"Your intentions are admirable, but this is hardly the time for child’s play. I’m afraid we can’t indulge in games now. If you’re bored, I’ll have a play servant brought for you."

The Count’s tone was dismissive, his words hinting at a firm "no" in the context of the current urgent situation. He was speaking as though scolding a child trying to distract others.

"..."

The boy, his cold eyes narrowing, seemed ready to call out the Count's words.

Before he could, Beatty stepped forward.

"Count Zelot," she said confidently, looking up at the man who had taken on the role of the Duke’s right hand.

"Do you know the benefits of Tuberosum?"

"Excuse me?"

The Count blinked in confusion as Beatty raised her finger.

"First, Tuberosum grows anywhere."

"Well, I suppose... it's a weed."

"And secondly..."

She held up a round fruit from the plant.

"The fruit attached to the roots grows as large as a fist when it matures."

Clenching her fist, Beatty showed it to the Count, then, thinking it wasn’t clear enough, she glanced around before grabbing the boy’s hand.

"Look, like this—"

The boy’s hand was indeed large, and Beatty couldn't help but emphasize it with her expression.

“See? This size should be enough for a full meal.”

"…It is large," the Count said, his tone reluctant.

Beatty's confidence didn’t waver as she looked directly at him.

"Yes, but are you aware that the fruit is poisonous?" the Count said with a hint of sarcasm.

“Of course, if you have no other choice, you could eat it,” he continued with a sneer. "But you’d probably suffer from stomach issues."

Beatty, unshaken, stared at him.

“If you ate it, you’d be bedridden with a stomachache,” he added, voice dripping with disdain.

The Count's tone became even colder, almost as if he was mocking her—threatening her with the idea that the soldiers would be able to easily take down anyone who ate the fruit.

"…"

After a brief silence, Beatty spoke again, her voice calm but resolute.

"So, if it doesn’t cause a stomach ache, then it’s fine, right?"

The room went quiet, everyone unsure of what she was going to do next.

Without anyone being able to stop her, Beatty quickly tossed the fruit into her mouth.

“!”

"A-a lady!!"

The shocked faces of the onlookers only encouraged Beatty further.

‘Alright. I’ve eaten it in front of everyone now. This will prove it’s not dangerous!’

But then, immediately after…

Beatty’s face went pale, and she started coughing violently.@@novelbin@@

“Cough, cough!”

It wasn’t the poison.

"Spit it out!" The boy rushed over and forcefully turned Beatty’s head, smacking her back.

"Ugh!"

"Spit it out... spit it out!"

Beatty was forced to vomit by the boy’s strong grip.

“Cough, cough! What... is going on?!”

As Beatty tried to calm her throat, the boy turned to look at her pale face, asking softly.

“Are you okay? Did you spit it all out?”

Beatty fell silent, seeing his worried expression, and after a moment, she nodded.

The doctor was immediately called and after a quick examination, declared that Beatty had suffered no ill effects.

"See? I told you so!"

“Hm…”

The boy, still looking suspicious, turned to the doctor.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, miss shows no signs of poisoning.”

“Really?”

“Certainly. Normally, even if you eat a small amount of poisonous plant, there would be traces of poison left on the tongue. But... there’s nothing of the sort with her."

The doctor adjusted his glasses as he made the final declaration.

"It’s as though she never ate any poison at all."

“‘Poison,’ huh…” The boy muttered, thinking deeply.

"Now, do you understand?" Beatty grinned proudly.

"‘Tuberosum’ is edible food!"

The boy tilted his head, still unconvinced.

“It’s definitely poisonous if eaten, but what you ate was not the same.”

"Exactly!" Beatty exclaimed, her voice full of pride.

“Hm. Then…”

The boy paused, thinking carefully, before finally speaking.