The Verdict

[Portia's POV]

"Are you reading my book without my permission?"

My hand trembles with fear as I look up and see Oliver's cold gaze. "S-sorry, I was just curious to read about your magical plant research. It was so wonderful! I mean it! I just learned that flowers and wild plants that live out there could be powerful medicine. Even people could think of them as a part of the magic."

Oliver does not say anything after that, making my courage disappear, and I drop my head. "Sorry. I promise not to do that again."

However, he suddenly scratches his head and turns his look aside. "Well, I'm not gonna scold you if you really like it that way. Still, it would be best to get a permit before borrowing someone else's thing. It's the basic etiquette, Young Lady."

I blink in surprise. Is he not mad at me?

That Oliver Wood, the hot-headed genius doctor well known for his stubbornness?

I look up to see Oliver again. I realize that Oliver is still very young. He became a doctor at the age of seventeen, and now he is twenty-one. But his stiff and unfriendly face makes most people think he is older. I also have the same thought, looking at how Anthony kept saying that Oliver was his friend.

However, those two first meet at Oliver's graduation ceremony and build a good relationship after Anthony gives him a gift—a shiitake mushroom, a rare mushroom that could only be found on the East continent—which always became Oliver's dream to cultivate it. From that time, both of them become close friends.

"You can read it again until dinner time arrives." He returns the book to me.

I almost received that book before I remembered something. "Ah! Doctor Oliver!"

He startled. "What?"

I take the journal book from Oliver's hand and turn to the last page, right on the page with a dried blue flower pinned on there. "This! Please tell me more about this flower!"

"That …," Oliver furrows his eyebrow as he leans closer to me and looks at the book's explanation. "The Blue Lily. Ah, I haven't finished this research because of a lack of information. Why are you interested in that flower?"

Of course, I am! All the explanation about this mysterious flower is very similar to the symptoms of The Blue Dot. I would not be surprised if this flower was the source of The Blue Dot illness, and if that is true, the antidote could be made earlier. I will do anything to make it true.

"I had a friend. She passed away a long time ago. She suffered a strange illness that made her unable to speak or move, and her body was covered with blue flecks. At first, I thought she had been cursed by someone, but looking at your research journal, I'm sure this flower is the cause of my friend's death!"

Before he can open his mouth, I continue to speak. "I just want to help others so they will not encounter the same fate as my friend did. It's so miserable whenever I think about her. If only I had known about this earlier, would she be able to survive and play with me again? Sob—"

Haha. For a thirteen-year-old girl, my acting is not too bad.

When I peek at him from the corner of my eye, he seems to think about something. I hope he does not find me lying—wait, I am not lying, only distorting the facts a little. Whatever it is, I hope Oliver will help me in the end.

"You said … your friend is dead after going through the same symptoms?"

I nod in an instant.

"Could you tell me more about your friend? I can't confirm if this Blue Lily is the cause of your friend's death yet, but still, I will include it in the research."

My eyes twinkle with joy. I know it! Oliver is a kind-hearted person! Fuck all bad rumours about him!

"O-of course, Doctor. I will explain all to you."

After that, I told everything I knew about the Blue Dot according to my previous memories, starting from the beginning symptoms until my body was covered with the blue flecks. I could not do anything unless laying on my sickbed and kept breathing to stay alive, even though it felt like my chest was being squeezed by a huge rock every time I pulled out a breath.

Oliver also listened to my words with a serious expression. He is already curious about that mysterious flower after finding it for the first time. Despite the fact that the Blue Lily has a beautiful appearance, who would know if the pollen of that flower could be the source of lethal illness?

If neglected, Tamerlaine may fall into an endemic disease period and cause hundreds to thousands of deaths.

"… that's all I know, Doctor."

"I see. I have written down all your statements and will do more research after returning home. My condolences. What happened to your friend was tragic."

Hearing his sincere words, my emotions became all mixed up, and my eyes filled with tears. Even though it happened in the past, the pain and the feeling of being unable to do anything still linger in my heart every time I remember that. I drop my head down and smile a little. "… thanks."

Not long after that, Diane comes into the greenhouse with sweat all over her face. She must be worried because she did not find me in the bedroom after the meeting and searched for me everywhere.

"Lady Portia!"

"Diane, calm down. Take a long breath."

She obeys me and takes a deep breath before she exhales it slowly. Her red face began to return to normal again. She then realizes that I am not here alone but with Oliver.

"Greetings, Doctor—"

"No problem. I plan to go out anyway. Excuse me."

"Ah—" I stretch out my right hand to stop him and ask more about the antidote recipe or a particular plant to strengthen my resistance to the Blue Lily pollen, but I pull it back. That is right. There is no need to be rushed. I have known the source of the Blue Dot illness. I need to avoid the Blue Lily flower … or get rid of all of it forever.

Oliver was gone, leaving me alone with Diane in the greenhouse.

Diane's face looks gloomy. "Sorry, Lady. I came at the wrong time and interrupted your conversation with Doctor Oliver."

I shake my head. "Hm-mm. No problem. Anyway, we have already talked a lot since the afternoon. Ah, Diane?"

"Yes, Lady?"

"I'm hungry. Is the dinner ready yet?"

Then, as if remembering something, her eyes flash in realization. I faintly smile, purposely steering the conversation to other subjects.

"Of course! I come here to deliver the Duke's word. He called you into the dining room."

'Ah, time for the final verdict has come.'

I rise up from the couch and clean my gown with both hands. "Alright, let's go now. It's no good to make others wait for too long."

We get out of the greenhouse and walk toward the dining room. I clench my hands, hoping that Anthony's final decision is according to my plan.

'Even though it didn't go along with my plan, I will not give up. For the sake of saving all the people who died for me in the past, I need to grow stronger. I will do anything, even sacrificing myself.'

Once in the dining room, everyone has gather there and sat on their chair.

"Sister!" Yuri waves her hand joyfully at me. I give her a faint smile before sitting down beside Oliver. Some of the maids place a plate with tonight's cuisine for dinner. I stare down at my plate. Tonight's menu is Chaliapin Steak, one of the best gourmets in Tamerlaine. It is very tender and does not require much effort to chew, because the garlic sauce on top of the steak makes it tender until a point where it melted when bitten in the mouth.

Ah, all my anxiety suddenly disappeared and was replaced with the sound of my hungry stomach.

"Ekhem, Portia."

When my hands almost pick up a fork to start eating my dinner, Anthony calls me with a nervous voice.

I can sense an uneasy feeling from his tone, but I try to control my expression as normally as possible and keep smiling like a normal thirteen-year-old girl when getting called by his father. "Yes, Father? Do you call me?"

"Ah … here's the thing, it is related to your request."

Anthony glances toward Oliver, but that man does not pay him any attention and focused on his steak. It is like he tells Anthony to handle this problem alone since it is his internal problem. I also agree with Oliver's thought.

"So … after I think about it for some time and consider all the aspects for your future related to this decision …,"

I shut my eyes. Ugh. I hope this will be a good sign.

"I allow you to go to the academy."

"Father!" I get up and scream in happiness. "Thank you, Father—"

"With some exceptions, of course."

"Huh?"

What is that?

Anthony pulls out something from his back. It was a scroll of parchment. When the parchment is being opened, my eyes are wides open looking at all those 'exceptions.'

Oliver sighs, he looks like already knows about that from the start. While Anthony grins wide with an innocent face.

I drop my jaw open from the shock.

This … is too much, Father!