Seriphila’s Tears

Author: Nao Komai

“Are you content with your lovely fiancée?”

“…… you brought me here because you wanted to talk.”

“What? Do you really think she’s beautiful? What’s wrong with your eyes?”

“I’m just being polite. You can’t speak ill of the daughter of the Marquis.”

“How did she come from the Shartnak family, which is renowned for their beauty?”

“Well, it’s fate that she was born into a duke’s family. Give it up, just commit to a political marriage, and get yourself a beautiful concubine.”

“……”

“Better yet, it would be convenient if she died before the wedding, wouldn’t that liberate you?”

　

I held my ears to keep my voice from leaking out as they giggled and laughed at each other, and then I ran away, tears streaming down my cheeks.

I am Jeremia Shartnak, the second daughter of the Marquis of Shartnak. I am engaged to Duke Klaus Malkanny.

I was an oddity, even among the Marquis of Shartnak family, which had produced many beautiful men and women. I am a daughter who was born when my father laid his hands on a village girl in his domain.

My walnut-colored hair is an oddity in a household where blonde and silver hair is the norm. I have freckles, a very swollen body, and a chubby build. Although I have similar facial features as my father, I am rather unfortunate in appearance. However, the only thing I am proud of is my muscat green eyes, which are called the jewels of Shartnak.

Since I was born when my father was elderly, my family spoiled me with kindness. My older sister, who became queen, and my newly married older brother and his wife were both gentle people who recognized me, an illegitimate child, as their younger sister and treated me kindly. I think they took pity on me because of my poor growth after birth, and the fact that I had lost my birth mother soon after I was born.

　

… In the midst of all this, Klaus and I got engaged when I was five years old.

Klaus was a child who was good at feigning friendliness.

He had an angelic, cute face and was polite in the presence of adults, but when we were alone, he showed the face of a bully. On our first meeting, he suddenly put a frog in my dress and made fun of me.

　

“You’re so boring, you always have a droopy face.”

“The only thing you have that resembles the Marquis and the Queen are your eyes.”

“Oh, don’t cry. You’ll just look even uglier. I’ll be in trouble if they find out I made you cry.”

　

That day, I hated my fiancé.

　

But I persevered. In fact, illegitimate children were not allowed to enter the family register of nobility, but they went to great lengths to get me registered, and my brother and his wife had always treated me kindly, even though they must have been severely criticized for it. I didn’t want to do anything that would further damage my sister’s reputation as Queen.

So, I swallowed all the heartless words and the contempt of those around me. I worked tirelessly to learn the language, manners, and behavior so that I would never be looked down upon.

In such a stressful environment, my face and limbs became prone to edema. My eyelids and cheeks were bloated to the point where my skin was swollen and greasy.

This made me look even more miserable when compared to other delicate young ladies.

Even so, Klaus didn’t break off our engagement. Although he was spiteful, he was a sincere man, and he never failed to give me a gift, and escort me to evening parties as my partner. Each time, I was laughed at and Klaus was ridiculed. The young ladies who adored Klaus were always hostile to me, and sarcasm and harassment were commonplace.

　

“…… I want to die.”

　

No matter how hard I try, it’s all for nothing in the end. It breaks my heart when people talk about my appearance like that.

I wish I had never been born.

　

I know I shouldn’t say such things. I’m so lucky that my family loves me.

But I didn’t want to see my father belittled by other nobles because of me.

I couldn’t bear to see my sister being ridiculed because of me.

I couldn’t tolerate my brother and his wife being neglected at social gatherings because of me.

I did not want to see my earnest fiancée being pitied and laughed at because of me.

Unable to repay my family and my fiancé for being ridiculed, I felt so worthless, so full of frustration.

　

I ran out into the courtyard of the royal castle and walked deeper and deeper into the rose garden.

　

“Eh, why?”

　

After passing through the rose garden of the royal castle, I came across an unfamiliar store.

Where the East Residence is supposed to be located, there stood an old-style house. Although out of place, the apothecary emblem on the entrance suggested that this was an apothecary.

The words “royal castle”, “apothecary”, and “mysterious house” suddenly reminded me of a certain legend.

　

“The Witch of Artaq’s Apothecary?”

　

Yes, legend has it that the castle is inhabited by a witch contracted by the first king.

The Witch of Artaq, a witch who is said to appear only to people seeking salvation, and to bestow upon them a single rare potion.

　

Before the founding of the country, the Witch of Artaq fled from the brutal witch hunts carried out by the Church of the Holy Spirit at the time.

She came to this land of Ellisden in search of a place of peace and tranquility. Together with Johannes, a young man she met there, and his companions, she raised an army and incited the people who were dissatisfied with and hated the Church of the Holy Spirit, which oppressed other gods as well. They destroyed the Church of St. Adrim, the head temple of the Church of the Holy Spirit, and wiped the Church of the Holy Spirit off the face of the earth.

Johannes, who also annexed the lands of the Church of St. Adrim and became its first king, made a pact with the Witch of Artaq. The Good Witches are good neighbors and allies, so the whole country will protect them. In return, the pact asks that they lend their power from time to time. Since then, the Witch of Artaq has occasionally appeared before the people.

There are stories such as one about a queen who suffered from infertility but was blessed with a child thanks to the witch’s potion, and a stableman with 10 children who had both legs severely broken in an accident but fully recovered with the help of the Witch of Artaq’s potion. The truth of these stories is uncertain, however, as they are said to have happened over 400 years ago. Over time, witches came to be considered fictional, and now they are the subject of children’s picture books..Such legends are no longer used in official national history.

　

When I entered the building with trepidation, I found an old woman in a bad mood, spreading a newspaper.

She was the kind of old woman with a crooked back you see everywhere. The only thing that was a little different was her apple-red eyes. Other than that, she was generally unimpressive. However, it was the eyes that told me that it was indeed Artaq herself.

　

“Er, erm….”

“Dear me, no good customers come here.”

　

The old lady glanced at me with her cold crimson eyes, folded up the newspaper, and disappeared into the back.

　

I stood there in front of the door, feeling uncomfortable but wanting to know where I was, and she came back to the counter.

　

“Jeremia Shartnak, I have the potion you desire. The price is, hmm, I’ll take your blood? Hold this vial.”

“Whoa.”

　

The moment I held the vial, a bright red liquid filled it. Is this blood, perhaps?

　

“Give it here.”

“Y, yes.”

　

When I returned the vial to the old lady, my body staggered for some reason. I felt lightheaded and dizzy.

　

“You’re young, you shouldn’t be so shaken up with just this much blood being drawn, right? I told you, this is the price.”

　

The old lady put the vial on the shelf and brought an object in front of me.

What was presented to me was a dried blue flower.

It was a small vial containing only six petals, but I was so fascinated by it that I was left breathless.

What a beautiful blue, like a jewel.

　

“These are Seriphila’s Tears. The potion you seek.”

“Potion?”

“Over the course of six days, dissolve one petal in your meal tea and drink it. Be sure to expose the petals to the moonlight for an hour before drinking. The only side effect is frequent urination for the first two days, and on the last day, it will put you into a peaceful sleep. Literally, you’ll have a sleeplike death.”

“… Death?”

“However, if you truly intend to drink it all, never look in a mirror. Ah, this is truly hopeless! To think I have to give this to some idiot who wants to die before my eyes.”

“…….”

“I tell you, I hate stupid young ladies like you. Especially a whiny, gloomy girl who blabbers that she doesn’t want a life where she is loved by her father, brother, sister-in-law, sister, fiancé, and the mother who gave birth to her! If you weren’t a patient, I wouldn’t offer my help. Go home! Unfilial child!”

　

The moment she yelled at me, I was kicked out of the store, and before I knew it, I was standing in front of the East Residence in the rose garden.

　

The Witch of Artaq’s Apothecary was nowhere to be found, and I simply stood there, stunned, in the still night air.

　

　

＊＊＊

　

　

Not knowing what to do, I stared at Seriphila’s Tears for a while, then I remembered that night, rang the bell, and called my maid, Lil, into the room.

　

“… did you call for me?”

“Remove the mirrors from this room. And please prepare me some meal tea.”

　

The Witch of Artaq’s Potion…… if there’s any worth in my life, I’m going to put it on her potion.

As Altaq said, when I left Seriphila’s Tears in the moonlight for an hour and added them to the meal tea, they dissolved like sugar. Once I was sure they’d completely dissolved, I took a sip.

Sweet. If it were not for the astringent meal tea, I would have found it difficult to drink.

The astringency of the meal tea neutralizes the sweetness nicely.

And then, suddenly, I was hit with the urge to urinate.

　

Day 1

　

I had to drink water and go to the toilet repeatedly. The urine was blue, and to be honest, I was scared out of my mind. Will I be all right?

　

Day 2.

　

After all, I can’t stop urinating. For the time being, the color has faded, but it’s still blue.

　

Day 3

　

My frequent urination has gone away, but I feel exhausted. I can’t stand for long periods of time.

My father was worried and called a doctor, but the doctor couldn’t seem to find the cause. The urine has returned to a normal color, which is a relief.

　

Day 4

　

I can barely go to the bathroom and take a bath, but I can hardly get out of bed. Lil says I smell good. My body odor has apparently changed. I feel like I’m sleeping more.

　

Day 5

　

Klaus came to visit. I wondered why, since he had said he was going to inspect the Malkanny territory. I could barely sit up and I couldn’t open my eyes. I couldn’t eat anymore, but strangely I didn’t feel hungry. For some reason, Klaus was interrogating Rill, angrily yelling at her, so I told him to stop. No, she’s not at fault. Klaus, seeming panicked, mentioned something about going to the royal castle, then quickly left without even saying a proper goodbye.

What’s going on? When I asked my brother and his wife, they cried for some reason. In the evening, my sister came from the royal castle and hugged me for the first time in a long time. I feel like I’m having a good dream. I’ll have to make sure I drink some tea.

　

Day 6.

　

　

　

“…… Her condition is critical. Please prepare yourselves.”

“Mia…”

“It’s a lie, it’s a lie! Mia can’t die! My sister was so healthy just six days ago! She was fine!”

“My dear……….”

　

Suddenly I came to, I thought there was some kind of commotion, and I found a disaster all around me. I couldn’t open my eyes. I could only hear voices.

I could hear my father’s sad crying. The sound of my brother’s bewilderment, my sister-in-law’s sniffling,

Oh, is my precious family in mourning right now?

I felt an overwhelming sense of remorse. Why had I caused my loved ones so much grief? Why did my desire to die cause so much pain to those around me?

I don’t want it to end like this.

I’m an idiot. A big fool. I’m as stupid as the witch of Artaq said I was. I was loved so dearly. I received so much love!

At the very least, I want to say thank you one last time, but I couldn’t move.

　

　

At that moment, I heard the door slam. Maybe someone was coming in.

　

“Haa, haa, just in time.”

“Sister!? Huh? And even Klaus…” “

　

Then, suddenly, someone grabbed me by the chin.

　

“Hey, Klaus!?”

“You idiot! Don’t mess with me! You rushed to your death on your own!”

“Hey, don’t be rough with my sister!!”

“Master Klaus, calm down!?”

　

The confusion is spurred by the voices of my enraged brother and horrified sister-in-law.

　

“Ariana… no way.”

“Yes, Father, Jeremia was prescribed a potion by the Witch of Artaq.”

　

The atmosphere of the room changes with the voice of my older sister who nods mysteriously.

　

“The Witch of Artaq… what do you mean?”

“Are you saying that a fairy tale witch like that actually exists?”

“She does exist. I met her once after our wedding.”

　

The room fell silent as the Queen’s sister spoke. Ah, so she knew.

　

“Earlier, Lord Klaus was invited to the Witch of Artaq’s Apothecary to receive an antidote.”

“An antidote?! Was Mia given poison by the witch?!”

“It’s not a poison, it’s a deleterious potion. Seriphila’s Tears. A medicinal flower called the tears of the angels. It is said to have the power to cleanse the body of all toxins. According to the Witch of Artaq, Mia has had kidney problems since birth.”

“Kidney?”

“According to the witch, it is one of the organs that induces a self-cleansing effect on the body. Apparently, humans have this organ so that any excess substances that they take in can be excreted in urine. But Mia was born with a weak organ and has severe edema. Both her organs were at their limit, and if things continued as they were, she would have died before she even reached the age of 20.”

“I haven’t heard anything about that. Have you?”

“I, I-“

　

Father’s voice, as he crawled along the ground, was apparently directed at a nearby doctor.

　

“…… Marquis, the witch told me not to blame the old man. She said that Mia should have died a long time ago, but the doctor had been using medicines to remove toxins from her body, and had carefully restricted her salt intake to manage her physical condition, which is why Mia is with us today.”

“Then why?”

“There was only one way Jeremia could be saved with today’s medicine, and that was through surgery.”

　

Surgery. It was a medical technique that had recently been established on the Western continent. It is said to be a technique that involved a huge amount of money and risk.

　

“…The only option was to remove Jeremia’s deteriorating kidneys and replace them with artificial magic organs. However… Surgery is a very dangerous medical procedure, and while there have only been four successful cases, there have been complications and even deaths. The side effects were also severe, and I couldn’t tell the Marquis or the Lady about it. All I could do was delay it… I am sorry.”

“…… Huh?”

　

In the silent room, it was Lord Klaus who made a move.

　

“…… Lil, I’ll have a cup of Meal tea. Has it cooled down?”

“Y, yes!”

“Marquis, according to the Witch of Artaq, Seriphila’s Tears are a medicinal flower that purifies toxins from the organs, reviving and revitalizing them, but if humans drink them, the side effects are severe and intense pain. However, when mixed with the Tears of the Night Spirit King, the pain is neutralised and the person is placed in a state of suspended animation until the organs are regenerated. However, you must give the person the antidote to Seriphila’s Tears by mid-day on the sixth day.”

“The antidote? Wow, it’s a bright red rose!”

“Here it is, Deva’s Tears. Deva’s Tears are the tears of a female sea dragon. If you mix these tears with the tears of the Night Spirit King, expose them to sunlight for an hour, dissolve them in meal tea, and drink them, you can counteract the effect of the tears of the Night Spirit King and awaken Jeremia.”

“But wouldn’t that cause the intense pain of Seriphila’s Tears to be felt in Lady Jeremia’s body?”

“According to the witch, on the fifth day after drinking Seriphila’s Tears, her organs seem to have revived and is now pain-free and healthy. Apparently drinking it for six days would result in death. I’m glad she hasn’t drunk it on the sixth day yet.”

　

I heard the sound of clacking and stirring. Perhaps the meal tea had been mixed with the tears of the Devas. As I was thinking this, my upper body was suddenly raised.

　

“Huh…… uhmp!”

　

At that moment, my lips were parted with something and liquid was poured into my mouth.

The sour taste of rosehip opened my eyes. I was astonished to see my fiancé standing so close to me.

　

“Y, you bastard! What are you doing with my sister?!”

“What, you ask…? Just feeding her mouth-to-mouth?”

“Oh dear.”

“H, how bold.”

“My lady! Th-that was wonderful!”

　

My older sister was smiling and hiding her mouth with a fan, while my sister-in-law was looking at me with a shy and confused look. On the other hand, my older brother and father had scary faces, and Klaus looked unconcerned in front of them, which was scary in a way.

　

“Mia”

“Klaus……?”

“Why did you go home before us that night?”

“B, because…”

　

I didn’t want to be hurt by their words anymore, so I looked at Klaus without saying a word, and he sulked and patted my head.

　

“If we’re together anyway, stay until the end. My heroic efforts in beating those guys to a pulp are all gone. Because of that, I spent the night in the dungeons of the royal castle.”

“Huh?”

　

This person fought at the night party! I had no idea!

　

“Lord Klaus, I certainly understand your feelings, but that was too much. It was slander against the royal family’s in-laws and defamation of your fiancée, so you barely got away with it…”

　

Judging from the way Older Sister sighed, he must have done something quite outrageous.

　

“Wh, what did you do?”

“I broke all their noses and front teeth.”

　

Klaus’ attitude of “I’m not to blame” made me want to hold my head in my hands. How could a young lord of a ducal family break a person’s front teeth with his bare hands? The sight of a blood-covered Klaus would surely have been shocking in high society.

　

“As for that, I don’t blame you, Klaus. However, it’s inexcusable to take a young lady’s lips.”

“Well, there’s blame here. But the moment you laid a hand on my sister, you were courting death.”

“Hey, everyone. You all come together at the weirdest times.”

“Seriously, such a hassle.”

　

I feel relieved when I see the difference in attitudes between family members.

I’ll apologize. I’ve caused you to worry.

I also want to thank the red-eyed witch.

　

“The Witch of Artaq never sees a patient who has recovered from their condition again.”

“Huh?”

“That’s a message…… from the witch.”

“…… okay.”

　

Somehow, I felt like that…

“Mia.”

“Yes.”

“You’re my fiancée.”

“Y, yes.”

“……… You’re the only one I’ll ever marry.”

　

My eyes widen at the words and stare at Klaus.

　

“I was looking forward to walking down the aisle with you in your bridal gown, getting married in the cathedral, having a lavish wedding reception, going to a relaxing resort for the honeymoon, living together, laughing, crying, fighting… and becoming a family with you.”

　

Klaus’s arms tightened around my shoulders. I gasped as I felt my tear ducts loosen.

　

“…… Don’t you leave me.”

　

Unable to stop the tears from falling, I buried my face in Klaus’ shoulder.

　

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

　

　

　

＊＊＊

　

　

　

The witch sighs at the disastrous state of the store, with its windows shattered, the cupboards smashed, and the doorknobs broken.

　

“You’ve had quite a run-in with him, haven’t you, Witch?”

“Oh, it’s you. I’m afraid I’m closing up the store for the day. Go away.”

“……… I heard the details from my wife. I’m here to apologize for my sister-in-law and brother-in-law.”

　

As the man said this, he gently placed a high-quality bottle of wine on the cracked counter.

　

　

The witch glanced at him, snorted, and snapped her fingers. At that moment, the shop was restored to its original state, and the broken lamp came back to life, illuminating the handsome face of the visitor.

　

“That boy, such narrow-mindedness is not a good quality. I gave my price for the potion, and this is what I get.”

“By the way, what was the price?”

“A handkerchief, hand-sewn by his fiancée, which he kept with him for 10 years.”

　

Hearing this, the man scratched his cheek in embarrassment, “Ah.” It was the first embroidered handkerchief that his sister-in-law had ever sewn for her fiancé. He realized that he must have been very upset, and that this had developed into an argument with the witch.

　

“That mad dog, maybe he loves that girl too much? I think it’s too heavy.”

“Well, at least he’s still sensible. Although he beat all the men who spoke ill of her almost to death.”

“That won’t do.”

“That’s right. Ah, I visited her after the edema had subsided. Just as you would expect from the final bloodline of Shartnak. She has completely transformed into a soothing beauty. When you told her not to look in the mirror, was that to make sure she took the potion until the fifth day?”

“If she had looked in the mirror, she might have stopped taking it. There’s no point in taking that potion unless it restores your organs to full health.”

“Thank you very much. It seems that my wife had a vague idea about her sister’s illness… she must be relieved.”

“You’re quite a heavy-handed man yourself. You didn’t care about your sister-in-law’s life. But you thought it would be great if the source of your wife’s anxiety was gone.”

“…… That’s harsh.”

　

The witch narrowed her eyes at the man who was smiling slyly, rested her chin on her hand, and with a snap of her fingers, the door to the apothecary rang open with a bell.

　

“Go home before your wife gets fed up with you, I’ve had enough of heavy men. Don’t show your face here anytime soon, you good-for-nothing.”

“Haha…… I’ll be back.”

　

As she sees the man walk through the door, the witch looks out the window.

The witch narrows her eyes gently at the pale moon.

　

“And so, happily ever after…”

　

　

　

　

Legend has it that a witch who made a contract with the first king lives in the royal castle.

　

She is called the Witch of Artaq, and is said to only appear to those who seek salvation, and to bestow upon them a single rare potion.

　

Surely, she’s quietly running her shore somewhere today too.