The Princess’s Final Wish Before Her Time Runs Out - Chapter 87

The next morning, the estate buzzed with a quiet urgency that felt different from the usual routine.

At dawn, Tericia made her way to the central hall to see Rashid off to the imperial palace. As always, the butler, Harris, followed respectfully behind her.

Rashid, already dressed and descending the stairs, paused when he saw her. For a moment, he simply stood there looking at her before resuming his stride calm, composed, just like moments before.

Their eyes met. It was Rashid who spoke first.

“It looks like I’ll be away from the estate quite often from now on.”

“Don’t worry about things here,” Tericia replied evenly.

“Please don’t overdo it,” he said.

“Harris will help with everything. You’re the one who shouldn’t push yourself.”

At the mention of his name, Harris gave a polite bow as if to reassure the duke. Rashid observed him for a beat, then turned his gaze back to Tericia.

“I say this every time, but…”

He let out a breath—almost like a sigh.

“You do have a knack for finding trouble.”

“When have I ever—”

She stopped herself mid-protest. It was a conversation they’d had before.

Even then, she’d tried to argue—but in the end, he had been right. The memory made her frown slightly, and Rashid’s lips curled into a small, amused smile.

“You’re not the type to rest just because someone tells you to. So instead, please take care of yourself enough that I won’t need to worry.”

He had given up on trying to stop her completely. It was better, he thought, to appeal to the part of her that was vulnerable when it came to him—just as he was with her.

Sensing his master’s intent, Harris offered a gentle smile.

“Please don’t worry, Your Grace. Mandy will make sure the young lady stays healthy, and I’ll be paying extra attention as well.”

Rashid nodded, then stepped outside. His horse was already waiting.

The morning sun had begun to rise, casting a soft warmth over the courtyard. It was time.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Mounted on his horse, Rashid gave one last reminder not to overdo things, and then set off.

Even after he disappeared from view, Tericia stood there for a while—trying to come to terms with the reality she had feared.

Eventually, she let out a small sigh and turned around.

“After breakfast, call Orzo. Bring Sarah too,” she instructed Harris before walking back inside.

Just like Rashid was preparing for war, so too did Tericia begin her own preparations.

Not just managing the affairs of the duchy—she also had to oversee the readiness of the Hespelt knights heading to the front.

To be precise, she worked alongside Adler, who had received joint orders from both Tericia and Rashid. Knowing Tericia would never fully listen to anyone, Rashid had made sure Adler was assigned from the start.

While Tericia pressed through a grueling schedule, Mandy and Harris teamed up to ensure her health didn’t fall by the wayside.

Whenever she missed a meal, food would appear before her, no matter where she was. Every time she said she’d eat later, every time she claimed to be fine, Mandy firmly insisted she wasn’t.

“So that I can be at ease. So I won’t have to worry about you.”

In the end, Tericia took Rashid’s words to heart, and accepted the care and concern shown by those around her.

Almost a month had passed since preparations began when Tericia summoned Sarah and Orzo once again. They arrived together, seemingly having met on the way.

“I heard you called for us,” Sarah said, bowing politely before getting to the point.

“Just a moment. Let me finish this first.”

Without even looking up, Tericia continued reviewing the documents on her desk.

Sarah, used to this kind of thing, waited quietly. Orzo, on the other hand, shifted awkwardly, sneaking glances around the office.

The room wasn’t large. With all the bookshelves, it looked more like a personal study than a formal office. The sheer number and variety of texts gave him an idea of just how much Tericia knew. And yet, he still wondered—has she really read all these?

“If there’s something you’d like to borrow, go ahead.”

Startled, Orzo looked up. Tericia had already finished her work and stepped out from behind her desk.

“You like reading, don’t you?”

“Well, yes, I suppose…”

He trailed off, casting a side glance toward Sarah.

She was the noblewoman who, on Tericia’s orders, had recently begun working with him. Word had it her family had just been granted noble status.

Unlike the lively and talkative Mandy, Sarah was calm and efficient. The type of person Orzo found hard to approach—so he instinctively found himself tiptoeing around her.

Sarah ignored his glances and simply followed Tericia as she moved.

“Shall we sit and talk?”

At Tericia’s suggestion, the three of them took their seats.

“Is the storage facility in Alpen finished?”

“Yes, my lady. We finished building it right after the greenhouse was completed.”

“And transporting goods through the merchant guild—is that working?”

“Yes. We do regular shipments once a month, but we can add more if needed. Transport isn’t a problem.”

“Good.”

Tericia paused in thought, then turned to Orzo.

“Orzo, how far along is the Panarin production?”

He glanced at Sarah hesitantly, unsure if he should answer. Tericia gave him a small nod to indicate it was fine.

“About ten thousand doses… have been prepared.”

“That’s not a small amount.”

For the Hespelt knights alone, it was a decent number. But for an entire battalion of soldiers and support staff heading to war, it was not nearly enough. Better to have too much than not enough.

“Sarah, help Orzo. I’d like to increase production speed, if we can.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Sarah didn’t know the full details of what Panarin was, only that it seemed to be at the center of everything Tericia was preparing.

“Storage at Alpen will be ready by next week,” Sarah added.

“Good.”

The visible relief on Tericia’s face was unmistakable.

When she had first summoned the two of them, she had given Orzo a direct order: increase both the quantity and speed of Panarin production. And to Sarah, she had given instructions to construct a warehouse in Alpen—her own land—to store food, fragrance oils, and Panarin.

She’d emphasized again and again that it must all look like it was strictly for the perfumery business. Meanwhile, she began quietly acquiring supplies and rations.

Rumors of war with the Eastern Kingdom had only recently begun to spread, but Tericia had been preparing long before that. Her efforts were completely separate from Hespelt’s official wartime logistics.

“We can move the food straight into storage. Only Panarin needs to be transported from here.”

“I plan to handle that transport personally,” Sarah said.

“You?” Tericia blinked in surprise.

“It’s the most important of everything you’ve prepared. I think it’s best if I take it myself.”

“…That’s a good idea.”

Tericia spoke softly, slightly flustered—clearly not having thought of it herself. Seeing that, Sarah couldn’t help but smile.

Her lady was still so unused to receiving help. She was always focused on what she could do for others, never herself.

“No wonder the Duke is so worried about her all the time,” Sarah thought wryly.

Tericia had built up a merchant guild, elevated the once lesser-known Lace family to nobility, and turned them into loyal vassals. There was nothing she couldn’t do, and yet she never seemed to expect anything in return.

“I—I’ll work hard to finish the medicine too!”

Orzo suddenly blurted out, perhaps feeling the need to contribute something in the moment. Tericia burst into laughter at his sincerity—it had been a while since she laughed so freely.

Just then, a knock came at the door, followed by Mandy’s voice.

“My lady, it’s Mandy.”

“Come in.”

With permission, Mandy entered, pushing in a cart. She already knew there were guests, so the food piled high was plentiful.

“I figured the meeting would run long, so I brought some snacks. Please eat while you talk.”

“That sounds great. Mandy, join us too.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Mandy sat down beside Sarah—who she hadn’t seen in a while.

As they casually sipped tea and nibbled on pastries, Sarah eventually asked in a soft voice:

“If I may… why Alpen?”

It was a vague question—one that, taken out of context, made no sense at all.

“You mean the land the lady inherited? The one with the greenhouse?” Mandy interjected eagerly, then looked at Tericia for confirmation.

Tericia offered an awkward smile but said nothing.

When she had first ordered the warehouse construction and announced she would store supplies there, Adler had figured it out right away:

She believed that was where the battle would happen—or at least close to it.

“And what makes you think that?” he had asked her once.

But Tericia only smiled in reply, never giving an answer. He had wanted to ask more, but in the end, he chose not to. Knowing she appreciated his discretion, Tericia had smiled again.

One day, she thought, I hope I can tell you everything.

“Oh! I almost forgot—Sir Adler said he’ll be visiting this afternoon,” Mandy said, remembering something.

“Then I should prepare the documents and letter for Rashid,” Tericia replied and stood to gather the things she had to send.

But just as she stood—

Suddenly, her vision spun. The room tilted sharply, and her world went black.

“My lady!”

With a thud, Tericia collapsed.

Mandy screamed her name, panic flooding her voice. Sarah and Orzo leapt to their feet, their faces pale with alarm.

I’m fine… I’m really fine…

Tericia tried to say the words, but her voice wouldn’t come out. The darkness in her eyes didn’t clear, and the dizziness only grew worse.

“…Mandy, don’t… tell Rashid… not… him…”

Those were the last words she could manage before her consciousness slipped away.

“Someone gets Dr. Carlson!”

A voice rang out, desperate and echoing in her fading awareness.

And then, blackness.

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