Please Provide Compensation Through Divorce-Chapter 29

A week… That’s shorter than I expected. Still, I could probably spare some time to visit.

After a while, the carriage arrived at the back gate of Baron Farham's residence. Farham was waiting for me and led me through the back door.

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“The laboratory is in the basement. Please be careful on the stairs.”

I followed him down the steep stairs. We descended for quite a while before entering the laboratory.

“Oh, this is impressive.”

The laboratory was more sophisticated than I expected. The distillation equipment and experimental tools were quite elaborate.

“How did you manage to gather all this?”

“Some of it was difficult to acquire from abroad, and I also requested some items from glassworking artisans.”

“You must have gone through a lot of trouble.”

“No, not really. I collected these things as a hobby over time.”

“May I see the indigo you have refined?”

“Of course. This way, please.”

Farham took out a glass dish from a drawer. Inside was indigo, which had turned into a blue paste.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, for wasting such precious indigo…”

“It’s alright. We still have some raw materials left. Don’t worry too much. If necessary, we can ask the guild for more.”

“I apologize.”

I touched the indigo on the dish. It felt slick and wet. It was clear that oil had been used.

Using oil for plant extraction was a good choice. So, the problem was likely the type of oil used.

“May I see the reference book you used for the extraction?”

“Yes, here it is.”

He handed me an old research book. It was so dusty that I could smell it. The section marked with a bookmark detailed plant extraction.

“…Hmm.”

After reading it, I understood the cause of the failure.

“Did you perhaps use nut oil?”

“Yes, the book mentioned it was widely used for plant extraction.”

I had hoped he could manage with the knowledge of this world, but the information was insufficient. Relying on existing literature alone wasn’t enough.

It seemed I needed to provide some guidance.

“Nut oil isn’t bad, but olive oil would be better for indigo.”

“Olive oil? But…”

Farham seemed troubled.

“I understand. Olive oil is quite expensive. But His Majesty is providing support, so don’t worry about the cost. Use it generously.”

Leto wouldn’t skimp on funds for this. If the medicine were produced, he’d even buy an olive grove.

“Once the extraction is successful, making the ointment won’t be difficult. Just mixing it into a cream used by noblewomen will show results.”

I smiled at Farham.

“We’re almost there, Baron Farham. Please hang in there a bit longer.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Farham nodded resolutely. He reminded me of myself in the past, struggling to create medicine.

I truly hoped Farham would succeed, for his own sake.

Separate from this, the issue with research books was more serious than I had thought.

Sharing my knowledge had its limits. This place had its own customs. This empire needed its own research books.

Farham and I ascended the stairs back to the back gate.

Something felt off. The knights were standing by the carriage, unusually alert.

“Why are you all out here? You could have waited inside.”

“Your Majesty, it’s—”

At that moment, the carriage door burst open.

“…!”

Someone I didn’t expect was sitting inside. Farham exclaimed in surprise,

“Your Majesty?!”

Leto put a finger to his lips. Farham covered his mouth. But I was just as shocked.

“How did you get here?”

“I came to pick you up. It’s late.”

I looked up at the sky. It was just sunset, not exactly late. How long had he been waiting?

I suddenly recalled our conversation from a few days ago.

"Did you think I planned to sit idly and wait to win your heart? I’ll do everything I can."

Could this be part of his “everything”?

Leto waved a hand at Farham, signaling him to leave.

“Well then… Please return safely.”

Farham stepped back. Leto extended his hand to me. I took it and stepped into the carriage.

I hesitated. Papers were scattered around him. Had he been working in the carriage?

“You seem busy. You could have sent someone to pick me up.”

“You have a talent for making people feel unappreciated.”

He folded the papers and placed them aside.

“With a husband who has eyes, who else would I send to pick you up?”

Husband. No matter how many times I heard it, I couldn’t get used to it.

The carriage started moving. Leto pointed to Farham’s house, growing smaller in the distance.

“I saw you coming out of a cave-like place earlier.”

“The laboratory is deep underground. It would be nice if he had a better environment.”

Leto nodded.

“We’ll see to it. How is the progress on the indigo?”

“They seem stuck at the most difficult stage. I gave some advice, so I think they’ll succeed soon. And—”

“And?”

“They might need some funds to get past this stage.”

“I’ll tell them to charge it to me.”

He didn’t even ask what the funds were for. Reliable in this regard.

He looked at me curiously.

“You look like you have something else to say.”

Sharp as a knife. I was hesitating.

“Farham’s failure was due to the lack of proper research books. This empire needs proper pharmaceutical research books.”

He listened intently.

“If possible, I’d like to gather people and write a research book. Even if it has to be done secretly.”

I had to live in this world. If so, I wanted to continue my life as a researcher.

Also, writing research books could pave the way for my future. I couldn’t just remain the divorced empress.

Leto was silent. Did he dislike my proposal?

“Well, I’m not asking for permission. I was hoping for some support. If you don’t want to, I’ll do it on my own.”

“Why do it secretly?”

“Pardon?”

“Why do it secretly?”

“The Temple won’t sit idly by. I don’t want to be disturbed.”

Leto extended his hand. Did he want me to hold it? I hesitated but gave him my hand.

He opened my hand and gently stroked my palm with his thumb.

It tickled and felt strange. It was as if he was searching for something important in my palm.

“I have no intention of keeping anything you do a secret.”

He kissed my palm gently. His lips were warm and soft. It was surprising, but not unpleasant.

“What should we do?”

“About what?”

“How can I make the whole world know how amazing my wife is?”

“Do you want to show off?”

“More than just wanting to, I’m desperate.”

I tried not to smile but couldn’t help it. He was so earnest with such foolish-sounding words.

“I’ve been thinking about something for a while. Tell me if you think it’s a good idea.”

“Go ahead.”

“We should establish a medical office in the palace. As an official institution of the royal family. It will write research books, develop and distribute medicine. Of course, it will have many staff and significant funding. And you—”

He kissed the back of my hand this time.

“You will be the head of it. A sort of chief officer.”

I widened my eyes.

…It was a wonderful idea. Almost like a dream. I wanted to agree immediately.

But practical concerns came to mind. I suppressed my excitement and spoke.

“The Temple won’t sit idly by.”

“I’ll protect you.”

His blue eyes were unwavering. They promised to shield me from any anxiety.

“We need the approval of the nobles in the council. They might oppose it because of the Temple.”

“I know. There will be a commotion in the council. But many nobles have realized the need for drug development after what happened with Master Quinass. If we persuade them well, we might have a chance.”

I had felt that, too. Many nobles had asked me about the painkiller and its effects after the funeral. Some even expressed their willingness to invest.

“We only need to suppress the nobles close to the High Priest. It all comes down to the High Priest. Leave it to me.”

But there was one last problem.

“Even if I become the chief officer, I won’t be there for long.”

I subtly reminded him of our agreement. We would get divorced.

He smiled and moved to sit beside me.

“We’ll see about that.”

“You’re confident. Is this also part of ‘everything you can do’?”

He tucked my loose hair behind my ear.

“If you’ve noticed, I hope you’ll commend and encourage my effort.”

“Noticing it makes me worry. I might give you false hope.”

“Disappointment is my concern. You should focus on whether you want to do this.”

…I wanted to, of course. But could I really start with just this desire?

Then Leto spoke.

“Just accept it for now. You can discard it later. No harm, right?”

It was a straightforward way of thinking. It cleared my mind.

“Alright. I’ll stabilize the medical office before I leave the palace. Then I’ll hand it over to Baron Farham.”

“Really?”

He smiled. He looked calm, but he must have been hopeful.

“And I’ll write the proposal for the council.”

“You?”

“It should be written by someone who understands medicine. I want to prepare the ground for where I’ll be.”

“As you wish.”

He kissed the back of my hand. This time, a bit longer.

“When is the council meeting?”

“In a week. Can you manage?”

“I’ll try.”

I would be busy for a while. I had to be prepared.

Colorful lights passed by outside. Leto followed my gaze.

“What are you looking at so intently?”

“The night market starts tomorrow. It lasts a week.”

“Do you want to go?”

“No, I need to write the proposal.”

Leto quietly looked outside. The colorful lights reflected in his glassy eyes.

“If you finish the proposal within a week, let’s go.”

“With you?”

“Yes. You want to go, don’t you?”

Every time, I was amazed. It was as if he knew my heart. Even parts I didn’t know myself.