The Baby Who Regressed Refuses Childcare - Chapter 76

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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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Currently, Owen and I were thoroughly managing the production of Lubarinna and Lubaven.

From the cultivation and harvesting of medicinal herbs to the pharmaceutical processes and distribution.

We even went so far as to modify them to prevent seed collection, just in case the herbs were leaked to the outside.

“As you know, the demand for Lubarinna and Lubaven is very, very high. Nobles are lining up at the pharmacy to buy those medicines. But the amount supplied by the duchy is significantly insufficient…”

The Apothecary Dean drooped his eyebrows as if troubled, then soon lowered his voice and asked.

“If production is burdensome for the duchy, I was wondering if there’s anything our pharmacy could help with.”

I deliberately made a surprised expression.

“Oh my, Apothecary Dean grandfather! You’re so kind!”

“Haha, well, this much…”

“But it’s okay! We’re fine even if the Apothecary Guild doesn’t help!”

The Apothecary Dean shut his mouth tight.

Then he gave an awkward smile.

“But really? If we stepped in, we could greatly increase production, you know? How about discussing it with His Grace the Duke…”

“There’s no need to discuss it with the Duke! My teacher and I are the ones making the medicine!”

“Just the two of you?”

“Yes!”

When I remained stubborn, the smile disappeared from the Apothecary Dean’s face.

And in its place appeared a look of annoyance.

I laughed inwardly.

‘Did he think I’d eagerly hand over the manufacturing process and Lubarin grass seeds if he offered to help?’

Sure enough, the Apothecary Dean spoke with a slightly more stern expression.

“However, having such precious medicine manufacturing methods held only by the Abner Duchy is a bit…”

Now he seemed to be changing tactics to try scolding me.

He must have thought this approach would work better than gently coaxing me.

“Wouldn’t it be better to share with our pharmacy? Princess seems too young to understand properly…”

“That’s right! I don’t understand! I only know that I made that medicine!”

“…Pardon?”

“Everyone says if I made it, then it’s mine, right?”

The Apothecary Dean’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

He spoke quite seriously.

“Then what about the commoners when supplies run short?”

“Huh?”

“Since supplies are limited, you know that people wanting to buy Lubarinna and Lubaven are lining up at the pharmacy even now, right?”

“Yes.”

“But countless people can’t buy the medicine and just go home! Naturally, commoners often can’t even get a look at the medicine.”

I rolled my eyes around.

‘How ridiculous…? The pharmacy is the one that doesn’t sell to commoners and lets nobles hoard as much as they want.’

Owen and I were currently supplying a considerable amount of medicine to the pharmacy.

It was practically enough for everyone who urgently needed it to purchase.

Yet commoners couldn’t get the medicine because of noble hoarding and the pharmacy’s indifference to it.

“I heard Princess also came from an orphanage, but this is really too much. Commoners’ lives are lives too!”

The Apothecary Dean shook his head as if I were being childish.

“Lubarinna and Lubaven are great discoveries, aren’t they? We should increase production as quickly as possible so both nobles and commoners can buy them without burden. Don’t you feel sorry for them?”

“Um, grandfather.”

When I carefully interrupted, he looked at me.

“For commoners, I mean the residents of Abner Territory, Lubarinna and Lubaven are free…?”

“What?”

“We provide medicine to the territory residents for free.”

The Apothecary Dean’s eyes gradually widened.

I smirked inwardly.

Because of that, imperial citizens have been flocking to Abner Territory in droves lately.

The Apothecary Dean seemed completely unaware.

“Also, even if they’re not Abner Territory residents, if they say they need medicine, the Duke’s Castle provides direct support.”

“What, what did you say?”

“You don’t need to worry about commoners!”

The Apothecary Dean’s lips trembled and his eyes widened.

“Then, then you’re saying only nobles have been paying money for medicine all this time?!”

“Yes. Why?”

“Why?! This is inequality…”

“But we can’t not give medicine to commoners. Don’t you feel sorry for commoners? Commoners’ lives are lives too.”

The Apothecary Dean closed his mouth.

“If we don’t give it for free, commoners can’t get the medicine. Because nobles buy it all up.”

“…”

“Since Annellia is also from an orphanage, I understand that heartbreaking feeling so well…”

I drooped my eyebrows pointedly.

“I’ve already thought of ways to make it easier for commoners to get medicine. So don’t worry!”

As long as they come to Abner Territory, commoners can get medicine as much as they want.

The Apothecary Dean was restless.

Since he was the one who brought up commoners first, he seemed to have nothing to refute.

‘That’s what you get for trying to deceive me, grandfather.’

When I heard the Apothecary Dean wanted to meet me, I was secretly happy.

Though I’d heard corruption was severe, the pharmacy was still a large research institution.

Naturally, the Apothecary Dean was also a scholar whose abilities were recognized.

‘I thought when we met, we’d talk about pharmaceutical research or future possibilities for pharmaceutical development.’

Who would have thought he’d try to steal the Lubarinna and Lubaven manufacturing methods from a snot-nosed kid…

Shaking my head inwardly, I pretended not to know and added.

“But grandfather. How much does the pharmacy usually sell Lubarinna and Lubaven for?”

The Apothecary Dean’s face turned pale.

“That, that is.”

He couldn’t answer in the end.

Instead, he ran off somewhere without even saying goodbye to me.

I watched him and crossed my arms smugly.

“I clearly said one thousand tera per bottle.”

One thousand tera is the price of half a sandwich.

So if they had sold at the price I stated, Lubarinna and Lubaven wouldn’t have been expensive at all.

But the pharmacy didn’t do that.

‘Eek, they’re charging 100,000 tera per bottle?!’

‘That’s what I’m saying. They put that price on it claiming the supply amount we gave them was woefully inadequate, so what should we do.’

A few days before coming to the Imperial Capital, I learned that the pharmacy was making astronomical profits from my medicine.

Owen immediately suggested sending an official document, but I thought differently.

‘Let’s just leave it alone.’

‘Leave that alone?’

‘Yes. The nobles are hoarding anyway. Let them sell at high prices. They’ll have to cough it all up later anyway.’

I looked toward the crowd where the Apothecary Dean had disappeared and tilted my head slightly.

‘When it’s revealed that medicine worth 100,000 tera was free for commoners.’

The nobles who hoarded the medicine will obviously storm the pharmacy.

And they’ll protest to the Academy of Pharmacy.

‘Hmm, is the Academy of Pharmacy also a card to discard?’

There are many capable scholars there, and I’ll need to complete the gifted program later, so I was trying to maintain good relations.

But seeing how greedy the Apothecary Dean is, I felt a bit uneasy about entrusting him with the medicines I create.

‘I should reconsider what I discussed with Owen before.’

The trade caravan business to officially distribute the medicines that will be released from Abner in the future.

If there’s an original price distributed through the trade caravan, the Academy of Pharmacy won’t be able to arbitrarily set prices for my medicines.

‘And they’ll have to be somewhat mindful of Abner, fearing their supply might be cut off, right?’

Then they won’t be able to pull dirty tricks like trying to extract manufacturing methods like today.

‘The problem is that the law would need to change for that to happen.’

Under current Imperial Law, all medicines can only be distributed to the market through the Academy of Pharmacy.

This system has been maintained since the advent of the Age of Learning, so overturning it won’t be easy.

We’d probably need to enact new laws or reform the system itself.

But it was fine.

‘I know someone very, very capable and powerful who’s a former Chief Justice.’

And that person likes me very, very much.

The Dowager Empress.

“Hehe.”

I smiled quietly to myself, feeling excited.

‘You should have been a respectable Apothecary Dean.’

If the Apothecary Dean had shown just a bit more dignity, I would have found a way to coexist with the Academy of Pharmacy.

Not a way to diminish the Academy of Pharmacy’s authority.

“Hmm.”

I hummed while looking around.

The Imperial Palace’s grand hall was bustling with countless people.

A few steps away, I could see Sharon Abner dealing with other nobles.

Just as I was about to approach that direction.

“Oh my, how adorable!”

A group of young girls suddenly appeared and blocked my path.

They were noble young ladies dressed in luxurious gowns and beautifully adorned.

“Aren’t you the new Princess of the Abner Family?”

The red-haired young lady at the front approached me.

“You’re really as cute as the rumors say. I heard you’re the developer of those popular healing medicines lately…”

A white, smooth hand extended toward me.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Bella.”

Bella smiled, her magenta eyes, similar to her hair color, sparkling.

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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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