The Princess’s Final Wish Before Her Time Runs Out - Chapter 58

It hadn’t been long since Tericia remembered the con artist named Orzo.

It happened shortly after she had asked Rashid to find an alchemist to help develop fragrance oils.

At first, she had only a vague need in mind when searching for one. But then, someone came to mind—someone very important, even though she had never met him in person.

Setting down her teacup, Tericia closed her eyes. A memory she had long buried flickered back.

It was from before her death—when she was still living her previous life.

When Rashid was away, fighting on the battlefield, Tericia had taken charge of managing the Hespelt estate’s finances. What she focused on most was the supply line for the Hespelt knights.

When barbarian forces from the Eastern Kingdom unexpectedly crossed the natural fortress of the Membrox Mountains, it sent shockwaves through the capital’s nobility.

No one had imagined an army could pass through those treacherous peaks.

But the young king of the Eastern Kingdom had done it—and succeeded. The eastern front tilted heavily in their favor. For the Empire, it was the first real crisis of its kind.

The Emperor abandoned the defense of the Eastern Mountains.

“The Duke of Hespelt must lead the frontline.”

“Isn’t he the Empire’s most formidable military man?”

The same people who had once said Rashid was too young to inherit the ducal title, the same ones who had delayed his formal recognition, were now demanding he fulfill his duty.

They pressured him to win a war where the balance had already tipped against them—with minimal support and supplies.

Rashid had no choice.

“I’ll go.”

And so, he did.

In his early twenties, Rashid had already seen his share of battle—unlike most nobles his age. But he had never before led the Empire’s entire eastern army as its supreme commander.

Many hoped he would fail. They wanted the Hespelt house to take the blame for a losing war. He was given barely enough to survive, then sent out to the front.

“Just come back alive. Don’t die. If you can return—even barely—no one will ever dare look down on you again.”

That’s what Tericia had wanted to say to him before he left.

But in the end, she never said it.

She didn’t offer encouragement or comfort. Instead, she did what she could—sending supplies to him and his knights, desperately trying to make up for what the Empire refused to give.

All but one essential thing.

“Please… grant us the elixir. I’ll do anything the temple asks. Just… please, allow Hespelt to receive the elixir.”

In war, the temple’s sacred elixir was essential. It was the most powerful healing potion in existence.

The reason the Latran Empire’s temple still held authority was due to this divine power. Priests blessed by the gods could perform miraculous healing.

As long as someone wasn’t fully dead—or missing vital organs—they could be restored almost instantly.

But with fewer and fewer priests born with that divine gift, the temple turned to crafting holy elixirs to maintain their relevance and control.

And those elixirs were vital for knights on the battlefield. They healed wounds sustained during the day and gave soldiers the strength to fight again tomorrow.

Whether or not an army had access to the elixir could determine victory or defeat.

The Hespelt knights were denied it.

No matter how hard Tericia tried, she couldn’t secure any. She visited the temple daily. She knelt outside its gates and begged them. Pleaded to be allowed to send just the elixir to the front lines.

There was nothing else she could offer the dying soldiers. Nothing.

Eventually, she realized it wasn’t just neglect. It was sabotage—from within the temple and the Imperial family itself. And the one who orchestrated it? Count Clue.

That was when she first heard the rumor. About an alchemist. One who had created something with effects rivaling the temple’s elixir.

She searched high and low.

But when she finally found him, it was too late.

Someone—fearing the loss of the temple’s authority and profit—had killed him.

“Rashid…”

That night, Tericia cried until morning.

She didn’t wail. She didn’t scream.

She simply repeated his name over and over as tears streamed down her face, unable to stop.

She believed there was nothing left she could do for him. Nothing practical, nothing real. And that belief broke her.

It was the last time she cried alone.

Tericia opened her eyes.

She looked at the man in front of her—his face full of confusion and wariness.

He looked so… ordinary. Maybe late twenties, or early thirties. Just a young man. Nothing special at first glance.

If I’d found him earlier… Could I have helped Rashid? Could I have prevented his death?

She didn’t know. Maybe not. But one thing was clear now:

If she could claim this man as her own, no matter what future came, he could be a true asset to Rashid.

Tericia looked him straight in the eyes and said calmly:

“You made something the temple forbade, didn’t you?”

“……”

Orzo didn’t reply. His pale gray eyes trembled as they stared back at her.

“…How do you know that?”

A bitter smile tugged at Tericia’s lips.

“Because I once needed it more than anything.”

A voice echoed in her mind from the past.

“Please…”

Wiping the smile away, she spoke quietly.

“You probably didn’t notice earlier, but the contract you signed—there’s a clause that says everything you create is my responsibility. That makes you mine. And protecting my people… that’s my job. I’ll fight for you. I’ll protect you.”

“……”

Orzo bit his lip and lowered his head.

After a long pause, his voice came out—quiet and small.

“…I’m being hunted by a mercenary group.”

“I know.”

“It’s not that I did anything wrong… I was just unlucky and ended up owing them money.”

“……”

“I was scammed and lost everything I had.”

“You lost it trying to make that medicine, didn’t you?”

“…I don’t have a family. It’s just me, so there’s no one they can use against me.”

“That’s good. That means you’re free to do whatever you want.”

Tericia smiled softly—genuinely, with a calmness that put others at ease.

“My medicine…”

Orzo’s voice trembled.

“To be honest, it’s better than what the temple offers. I… I was born with a talent. I may not be good at much, but I can make medicine.”

“Then I chose the right person.”

“I… really…”

Orzo swallowed hard, choking up.

“I’ll do my best, my lady. I’ll make you something truly exceptional. Whatever you ask me to make, I’ll do it.”

Before he realized it, he was crying.

It was the first time someone had offered to protect him. The first time someone had told him to do what he wanted. His chest swelled with emotion he could no longer hold back.

“That’s exactly why you keep getting conned. You shouldn’t make promises so easily.”

“I won’t anymore.”

It was naïve, but Tericia decided to believe him. Now that he worked under her, every major purchase or decision would go through her. That, at least, she could control.

Once Orzo had calmed down, Tericia spoke again. Her expression was now serious, her smile gone. Seeing the shift, Orzo straightened up instinctively.

“Make the elixir, Orzo. I need one that can restore vitality from any injury—something stronger than what the temple offers.”

“……!”

This was the reason she had started the fragrance business. She created oils and opened a workshop to gather materials for the elixir—using the business as a cover.

“You’re a genius alchemist. I believe you can do it.”

Oddly, Orzo could sense a deep urgency behind her words. Though he didn’t know the source, it felt real.

“Uh… I’ll need sedamen flowers.”

“I have them.”

“I need a lot.”

“I have a lot.”

“…What?”

He blinked in disbelief. Sedamen was notoriously difficult to obtain. To say she had a large quantity was hard to believe.

“I’ll show you someday—a whole greenhouse full of sedamen.”

She smiled again, gently.

And in that moment, Orzo thought it was the most radiant smile he’d ever seen.

Later

Tericia personally paid off Orzo’s debt to the mercenary group.

She also assigned a trustworthy knight to accompany him, ensuring he could face the mercenary leader and repay the debt directly.

It was only natural that Orzo became even more devoted to her.

He was officially appointed as a researcher at her workshop. With the debt cleared, the mercenaries no longer had a reason to pursue him. And since the temple couldn’t openly investigate him, they were forced to back off.

There was no proof that Orzo could make the elixir, so they had no grounds to continue.

Thus, Orzo was now fully under Tericia’s employment.

“What exactly did you do to make that man praise you so much?”

“Praise?”

“He keeps going on about ‘our lady this, our lady that,’ like it’s some sort of hymn.”

Tericia smiled brightly.

“I paid off his debt.”

Her nonchalant reply caused Adler’s brow to twitch.

“How much was it?”

“Enough to buy two houses near the central plaza.”

“……”

Adler’s eyes widened—a rare reaction.

Properties near the plaza were in the heart of the capital. One house there cost enough for a commoner to live comfortably for twenty years without lifting a finger.

“…What exactly did he do to rack up that kind of debt?”

Adler asked carefully. Tericia simply smiled.

She hadn’t asked for the full details. She could guess well enough—he probably blew it all trying to buy rare materials. Given his naïve nature, he’d likely been scammed a few times too.

“I know it’s not my place to criticize how you use your private funds…”

“But?”

“I’ve also seen the amount of capital you’ve put into the merchant guild recently.”

Tericia feigned surprise.

“You’ve tracked that too?”

“My lady.”

“In that case, you must also know that I’ve already recouped those costs through fragrance sales.”

“……”

“And Rashid knows everything, doesn’t he?”

Adler went silent.

“As long as no one says anything, that’s all that matters.”

“…True.”

Still, he didn’t look entirely convinced. Adler kept the rest of his thoughts to himself.

Though he didn’t show it outwardly, Rashid was clearly restraining himself when it came to the new alchemist.

He disliked Orzo’s constant praise of Tericia. He disliked how often Tericia went to see him. The only reason he tolerated it was because he knew it was all part of her work.

“Don’t get too close to him, Lady Tericia. The Duke doesn’t like it.”

“I’m just assigning him tasks. We’ll naturally need to meet often.”

She laughed as if the idea of it being a problem was ridiculous.

The brighter her smile, the more conflicted Adler’s expression became.

Support The Princess’s Final Wish Before Her Time Runs Out