Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 302

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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302. Drug Treatment and Physical Therapy

‘Drugs?’

Serena’s expression became extremely disgusted.

‘They say a dog can’t quit eating shit, so does a drug dealer remain a drug dealer even in death?’

He was already dead, and she had tried to view him favorably since he died honorably, but now he suddenly brings up drugs?

‘He’ll be a bad influence on Neet and turn the lobby into a den of addicts. I need to cancel the contract immediately and send him back to his tomb.’

In the Pakling siblings’ dictionary, there was no mercy or tolerance to be given to drug dealers and addicts.

She was about to add a clause that no mercy should be shown to dead drug dealers either, when Grey beat her to it.

“Drugs, huh. That sounds fine.”

“What do you mean by that!”

Of all people, the stubborn old man was defending drugs, which shocked Serena.

Grey looked up at the princess with confusion as she asked in startled surprise.

“Huh? Don’t you normally prescribe medication for sensitive kids who can’t sleep at night? Isn’t it like that in Huji?”

Hearing Grey’s words, Serena realized she had overreacted. Knowing Krom’s profession had made her thoughts drift toward narcotics.

“Ah, you mean regular medicine. Yes, that would be fine too.”

If one couldn’t suppress anxiety on their own, borrowing external help was also a good method.

Serena tried hard to calm her startled heart and excited mind.

They say someone startled by a snake jumps at a rope, and she hated herself for being born under drug-addicted parents and thinking of narcotics first when hearing about drugs.

‘And I hate even more that others might notice this way of thinking.’

Serena managed her expression while observing the faces of those present.

Countess Nex was already wearing a pitying expression, and though Grey had turned his head away making it hard to see, she could feel his sympathy for Serena.

Her insides boiled with anger. Noticing the princess’s uncomfortable mood, Countess Nex hastily said something random.

“I’m not sure what kind of medicine would be good. I only know stomach medicine and painkillers well.”

“Mark will know. We should ask him when he returns.”

Herbs or medicine to soothe an anxious heart. Serena needed them right now too. Her chest felt stuffy as if something was stuck there, and irritation kept rising.

Serena objectively judged that she was currently in a dangerous state and bit her lip.

‘I used to be like this often. How did I calm my irritation back then?’

Many people turn to alcohol, tea, or delicious food when feeling bad. Serena had avoided these when feeling down, thinking they too were addictive.

‘I would call musicians to listen to music, or walk through the royal palace gardens. Or I would bathe and get a massage.’

Thinking of massages, she felt as if various scents that massage parlors always burned for relaxation were brushing past her nose.

Even though she hadn’t actually lit any incense and had only imagined smelling it, her tensely stiff neck loosened slightly.

Serena released her painfully bitten lip.

‘This might be okay too?’

The alchemist’s return was still far off. The princess walked with large strides toward the herb garden.

***

Meanwhile, in the herb garden, Lavenda was listening to Sesi’s complaints. Sesi was completely dejected, just poking at the innocent soil.

“I really tried to work hard.”

“I know.”

“What can I do when things don’t go well? What if I get kicked out of the strategy team?”

“You can help with my work. There’s plenty to do even staying in the lobby.”

“But that’s work anyone can do. I need work that only I can do.”

Work anyone can do. Work others can replace. Deep down, Lavenda had been thinking the same thing, so she was at a loss for words.

Lavenda wanted to get angry at having her fears pointed out, but she held back. She understood the anxiety of thinking one had secured a stable position only to have that status become precarious.

‘Be patient, Lavenda. She’s still a child. She’s only an adult on paper, but doesn’t even know her real age. She never received proper family education either.’

If Lavenda had fallen into the labyrinth with other people, she wouldn’t have been able to show such adult consideration.

Fortunately, Lavenda had fallen into the labyrinth with the princess. Princess Serena was someone who practiced consideration for the weak not with words but with her body and actions – noble not only in bloodline but in soul.

“Sob. What if they get fed up with me being a freeloader who wastes food and even potions?”

“The princess isn’t that kind of person.”

Lavenda reached out to comfort Sesi. Sesi dodged sideways like a crab.

“You have to pay to touch me.”

Hearing Sesi’s words that reached the extreme of absurdity, all of Lavenda’s remaining anger completely disappeared.

For such a young child to say such things so casually. Her anger wasn’t toward Sesi but toward that person called the Leader.

“Sesi is the princess’s sinner. Let’s change it so you need the princess’s permission from now on. And you know the princess paid money to touch me too, right?”

So they’re even.

Convinced by Lavenda’s argument, Sesi nodded. Lavenda stroked Sesi’s small head. Sesi seemed to like the warmth of Lavenda’s hand and leaned her head toward Lavenda.

Cluck, cluck cluck.

While the two women shared body warmth, Chicken was excitedly roaming the herb garden. The Chicken Leader who had followed Sesi stood motionless like a statue.

Chicken, who had been happily running around the herb garden, seemed to want to show off and suddenly stretched its neck long and raised its voice.

Cock-a-doodle-doo!

“Aaah!”

Sesi was startled by the sudden sound and fell backward. The equally startled Chicken Leader attacked Chicken.

The massive, sharp claws of the Chicken Leader, a Labyrinth Chicken and a leader among them, flew toward Chicken. Chicken leisurely dodged the attack by walking on two legs.

The excited Chicken Leader flapped its wings. The wind created by the wings became a small whirlwind that swept through the herb garden.

“Oh no, the vegetable garden! Sesi! Snap out of it!”

“Aaahhh!”

Sesi, who had fallen backward, couldn’t get up because her hair was caught in grass stems and screamed.

Fortunately, the Chicken Leader didn’t attack people, and Chicken, who was targeted for attack, leisurely dodged the Chicken Leader’s attacks.

However, the immobile plants in the herb garden took direct hits from the giant chicken’s attacks.

Leaves were torn to shreds by the whirlwind, and watching vegetables being uprooted entirely, Lavenda was breathless when she saw a tree in the whirlwind’s path and her eyes widened.

‘The princess’s staff tree!’

The tree that Countess Randy lovingly tended, watering it with her sorrow and resentment at not being able to accompany the labyrinth exploration, happened to be in the whirlwind’s path.

The Mysterious Stranger resolved to block the wind with her body if necessary to protect the tree and stood up.

“Sesi! Snap out of it!”

“Aaahhh!”

“Because you’re scared and anxious, you need to keep your wits about you even more!”

Lavenda half-forcibly pulled Sesi up and pressed the most painful pressure point among the body’s acupoints. It was so painful that Sesi couldn’t even scream and just opened her mouth wide.

“Grrgh!”

“Quickly stop the Chicken Leader. Hurry!”

“Stop it!”

Sesi commanded the Chicken Leader to cease its attack. The Chicken Leader folded its wings that had been flapping vigorously. The whirlwind that had approached the staff tree stopped just in time, then disappeared.

Sesi, who had regained her senses, made a tearful face at the strong grass smell coming from the leaves torn by the wind. The herb garden that supplied precious vegetables to the group had been completely overturned. Because of Sesi.

“This is a lie. This can’t be real…”

Frightened Sesi denied reality. Lavenda scolded Sesi.

“Sesi! I told you to keep your wits about you! Don’t deny it, think about how to fix this!”

“Sob, but.”

Tears welled up in Sesi’s vivid blue eyes.

“The princess will be angry. She’ll be disappointed. She’ll think I’m unnecessary.”

A useless freeloader. Sesi had always been like this. Her hands weren’t as capable as her older siblings’, so she couldn’t properly help with household chores and was called a freeloader.

It was the same after being taken in by the troupe. She somehow developed flexibility, but couldn’t learn acrobatics that required extreme concentration and delicacy. The same went for dangerous techniques using daggers.

As she grew, her appearance was recognized and she switched to dance and song, but she had no talent for dance and song either.

On days when she made mistakes during performances, beatings followed the scolding of ‘You useless parasite!’

When Sesi trembled in pain and fear, crying alone, her sisters would somehow approach and comfort her.

Hana would say ‘That’s not true! Sesi is my precious sibling! You’re not a parasite!’, Duri would also say ‘Duri likes Sesi!’, and Neet would tell her to apologize together.

Her sisters’ comfort was kind, but it couldn’t change reality. It was just vague.

“Yes. She might be angry, disappointed, and think you’re useless.”

Lavenda was different from Sesi’s sisters. Without a single word of comfort, she only poked at Sesi’s painful points.

“But you can’t run away or turn away. You have to tell the truth and ask for forgiveness, work hard not to repeat the same mistake, and show improvement so it doesn’t end with just words. That’s how you slowly wait for the princess to calm down and work to earn her trust. Before whining about not wanting to be a parasite, you need to prove your worth.”

Lavenda had crossed the continent with grand ambitions, but she hadn’t moved solely chasing romance. She believed in her own abilities.

The realistic Mysterious Stranger presented what needed to be done to the Monster Tamer who was crying, not knowing what to do.

“Even torn grass is edible, so gather it while it’s fresh and store it in subspace. Same goes for plants pulled up by the roots. We won’t be able to eat vegetables for a while, but since this is a labyrinth, it’ll be restored quickly. Let’s start cleaning up from here.”

“Yes.”

Sesi wiped away her tears and gathered the herbs and vegetable leaves scattered everywhere. The Chicken Leader plowed the field with its feet that had giant claws and pulled out obstructive roots with its beak.

“Hmm.”

Serena, who had rushed over after hearing Sesi’s scream but then leaned against the wall listening only to sounds after seeing Lavenda subdue Sesi, slightly raised the corners of her mouth.

‘Rather than revealing myself like this, it would be better to wait for Sesi to come apologize for her mistake.’

The Old Man next to the Princess seemed to have similar thoughts and didn’t step forward, then followed the Princess heading toward the lobby.

After walking far enough that the conversation couldn’t be heard by the two, Serena spoke.

“Don’t press Sesi too hard.”

“…If she stays the same even after this, she’s not even worth being called a weed.”

Grey pressed firmly on her shoulder with his staff.

“Well, it should get better if combined with medicine.”

Serena and Grey exchanged knowing smiles.

However.

“I don’t get startled anymore! When I press hard here it hurts so I don’t get startled! If I press right when I think I’m going to be startled, kyaaaah!”

When Sesi, who had good grip strength from learning acrobatics since childhood, pressed the pressure point that was truly painful, she pressed it mercilessly. She screamed as if she might faint from how much it hurt, then smiled brightly.

“This way I don’t get startled! For real!”

Who would have known that Sesi herself would prefer easy and quick physical therapy over drug-assisted treatment.

Serena suppressed her bursting laughter and held her forehead.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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