Baby Pharmacist Princess

“Pope?”

“Yes, His Holiness the Pope. Surely he can awaken the Princess. Unlike a humble servant like me, he is truly chosen by God!”

Please, let this work!

The girl lying behind the curtain showed no signs of movement.

She was barely breathing, and that was all.

Beside her, the Prince stood, preventing anyone from approaching the bed.

Even his own twin sons were kept outside the curtain, a decision that had made the high priest curse him as a madman.

But now, seeing that even the twin princes were also kept away, the high priest realized the severity of the situation.

The high priest wiped the cold sweat from his shiny forehead with a handkerchief from his pocket.

“What are you doing?”

“Yes, yes?”

“Go get the Pope immediately. If you don’t bring him within an hour, you won’t be able to walk properly ever again.”

The tone was calm, the expression serene.

But the content was terrifyingly deadly.

‘Oh no!’

The high priest forgot all dignity and ran out, sprinting through the palace halls to save his life.

One hour.

Exceeding that would surely result in misfortune for him.

While the Holy See might use his misfortune to pressure the royal family, what about his life? What about all the bribes he had paid? He had just started to live comfortably!

Grabbing his bulging belly, the high priest ran, his thick chin wobbling with each step.

Idsys watched him go with a look of disdain, then spoke in a weary tone.

“It’s my fault.”

His voice was filled with self-reproach.

Gergys pressed his temples and shook his head.

“It’s because of Genovia. Who knew he’d go on a rampage like that?”

“For a moment, he matched my power. I couldn’t protect Cherishe because of it.”

“No, she’s not injured. Her clothes are just a bit singed… she’ll wake up soon.”

“I shouldn’t have called him to apologize. I should have just killed him. Then Cherishe wouldn’t be like this…”

Idsys looked tormented.

Gergys, equally anxious, couldn’t offer more comfort.

Why hadn’t she woken up yet?

Why?

‘Why am I so worried?’

He barely knew his sister, yet he was terrified she might never wake up.

In truth, Gergys had never seen anyone this ill before.

Their mother had perfect control and mastery over her body, and their companions and friends were all wild predators.

It wasn’t just because he had the Dragon Heart; he had genuinely never seen anyone bedridden.

So Gergys was in shock.

Pale lips.

The eyes that always sparkled with curiosity were hidden behind tightly closed lids.

“Father, may I come in for a moment?”

“…Yes.”

A heavy voice came from behind the curtain.

Gergys could see Cherishe well enough through the curtain but stepped inside anyway.

Standing next to his twin made him feel suffocated with guilt.

“…Do you think Cherishe will wake up faster if I stay here?”

“Maybe.”

“Hey, little one. If you wake up, I’ll show you Du every day and give you rides. You wanted to learn to ride properly, right? I’ll let you ride a pony, not a lion.”

He regretted not letting her ride Du more gently. Was she refusing to wake up because she was upset?

“Um… excuse me. I was wondering if there’s any improvement today…”

At that moment, a cautious voice came from outside the forbidden door.

The old woman’s voice was filled with hesitation, breaking the silence in the room. The Prince and the twins slowly turned their heads.

“I made a flower crown with her favorite flowers. The cook also baked her favorite apple pie, golden and crispy. I thought maybe the smell might wake her…”

Madam Maya spoke hesitantly but finished her sentence.

The twins didn’t respond immediately but looked to their father.

The decision was his.

“Let her in. It might help.”

His heavy voice granted permission, and Madam Maya, representing the palace staff, entered cautiously.

She made no noise, trying not to provoke the monsters in the room.

“The gardeners and kitchen staff all wish for Princess Cherishe’s quick recovery.”

The apple pie, freshly baked, steamed invitingly.

Golden-brown and flaky, it revealed slices of cinnamon-sugared apples through the cracks.

It surely smelled delicious.

Cherishe would munch on it, puffing her cheeks, and then glare at him if he teased her.

But if he coaxed her, she’d smile like a fool.

“I hope you wake up before this gets cold.”

Gergys looked away from the pie on the bedside table and buried his face in the blankets.

His nose twitched, and his eyes felt wet. He thought he might cry.

He regretted finding her annoying for insisting on tea time, picnics, or dragging him to the diplomatic office when he was exhausted.

“Hey, little bird. Are you not waking up because I found you annoying? You don’t hate me, right?”

Please, say no.

One day, two days, three days… and now a week.

White Night Palace had lost all its joy.

All because Cherishe wasn’t there.

She wasn’t dead, just breathing normally. Just sleeping. Just in a deep sleep.

“…I’m afraid you won’t wake up.”

Gergys’s honest words made Vikal’s shoulders shake.

“My lord.”

At that moment.

A sharp knock echoed twice, and Solip entered the silent room.

“Miss Sophia has asked about Princess Cherishe’s condition again. And here is today’s report.”

Luckily, Sophia had regained consciousness two days ago.

Though critically ill from inhaling smoke, the high priest, forcibly brought by the Prince, had poured holy power into her, saving her life.

Cherishe’s maids had begged to be killed if the Princess didn’t wake up, blaming themselves, but their punishment was deferred.

For now, the focus was on Cherishe waking up.

The maids, who had tried to open the door and suffered severe burns, had their hands, shoulders, and backs healed with holy power to be ready in case Cherishe awoke and worried about them.

“Daughter.”

Vikal whispered to Cherishe, who lay limp, for the umpteenth time.

“I don’t want to lose you too.”

He couldn’t bear to lose Cherishe, as he had lost Kienna without understanding why.

“…Ugh.”

Thinking of Kienna brought on another severe headache.

That day, someone had said something, but who?

[You’ve done well. With this, it is… established.]

[Take care… Don’t worry.]

Fragmented memories. He couldn’t even tell if the speaker was male or female, or what was established.

Only the last sentence seemed clear.

‘They must have meant to take care of Cherishe.’

‘This is the first time such a memory fragment has surfaced.’

Why did it resurface now, when Cherishe was ill?

Vikal twisted his fingers.

He had not eaten or drunk for a week, handling work here, not wanting to show an empty bedside if Cherishe woke.

He didn’t know what the young Pope could do, but it was the last hope.

However, one thing everyone was unaware of was this:

Cherishe, who was the center of all this worry and concern, wasn’t in as much distress as they thought.

Or maybe, in some ways, she was.

—

‘Where am I?’

It was a hazy place.

A vast space with no landmarks, signs, or paths.

Fluffy white clouds covered the ground, and above… was a bright blue cosmos.

‘Oh, right.’

Genovia had come and trashed my room.

Staring blankly at the twinkling stars, I finally remembered the last thing that happened.

‘Is Sophia okay? Dad? Idsys?’

What happened to everyone?

Why did I wake up here?

Just as I was about to call up the system window in my confusion.

[♡Administrator Message♡]

Player Cherishe has suffered a sudden shock to the body during play.

(Current HP 2%)

If all HP is depleted, you will die.

Would you like to enter Emergency Self-Recovery Mode?

The initial cost for using Emergency Self-Recovery Mode is a special price of 100 gems.

From the second time onwards, it will cost 100 million gems.

TIP: While in Emergency Self-Recovery Mode, you cannot move until recovery is complete.

‘This is insane!’

[Would you like to enter Emergency Self-Recovery Mode?]

[Yes/No]

‘Recover me immediately!’

I frantically pressed Yes, feeling like steam was coming out of my ears, and collapsed.

If I game over here, it’s the end.

I haven’t used the save point dart yet!

‘Once I wake up, I’ll use the save point dart immediately.’

Oh, my heart is pounding.

It’s best to automatically save important documents every five minutes, and the same goes for games.

If all data gets lost and you have to start over…

Yeah, I might go crazy!