Chapter 17 The Foolish Fiancé Regrets It, But It'S Too Late Now
Pharmacist Leaf Chemist had made a big name for himself in the capital city, meanwhile.
On the other hand, Leaf's former fiancé, Dokuonna, was...
"Ugh, I'm so tired... I'm done..."
Dokuonna was in the workshop of an apothecary in Dead End Village.
She sighed in front of a large cauldron.
Not long ago, Dokuonna was wearing glamorous dresses and shining in beauty.
But now, she was sleep-deprived, with dark circles under her eyes. Her hair was messy and her cheeks sunken.
It was clear evidence that she hadn't been getting enough sleep and food.
"Why is making potions so difficult?"
Inside the cauldron, there was a potion that had turned completely black.
There was a world of difference in quality between the potions Leaf made.
But still, even though it had degraded, a potion was still a potion.
Feeling dizzy, she pours the finished potion into bottles.
"Making potions... is this hard? Leaf... you've been doing this every day... Leaf..."
Then it happens.
Knock, knock! Someone knocks on the door.
"Leaf!"
Unaware, light shines into her eyes.
There weren't any visitors planned for today, so if someone's coming... it must be...
Her former fiancé who left!
Dokuonna hurries out of the workshop.
"Oh, Leaf! You've come back!"
As she walks out, burdened by struggles... she finally realizes.
She needed him.
With a smile, Dokuonna opens the door.
"Leaf!"
"It's me."
"..."
Standing there was village head Arthur.
Thinking it was Leaf, Dokuonna slumps her shoulders in disappointment.
"Why isn't it Leaf?"
"It's impossible. That child will never return to the village again."
"Why is that!"
Mentally and physically exhausted, Dokuonna reached her breaking point.
She directed her inner frustration towards Arthur, the village head.
"I'm going through all this trouble! Why does Leaf just leave me behind and fool around in the capital city! Don't you think that's terrible? Don't you care even a little bit?! It would be nice to hear 'I'm fine' or something!"
However, with a cold look, Arthur replied to Dokuonna,
"It's your own fault."
"Why is that!"
"Have you not realized that everything you just said... is the same thing you did too?"
"What...?"
Dokuonna couldn't understand at all what he was talking about.
Arthur sighs as he explains. Even though it might be obvious, he feels compelled to mention that she is the granddaughter of the once helpful Medicine God Asclepius.
"You, too, didn't you used to neglect your fiancé (Leaf) and frolic around as a noble? "
"Uh..."
"Leaving your fiancé to work while you indulged in luxury. While he worked hard and wore himself out, didn't it bother you even a bit? Didn't you say anything like 'It's okay' or 'Are you alright'?"
"..."
It's true. Exactly right.
While she was fooling around, she never once thought about how Leaf was doing.
"It's absurd to expect from others what you yourself didn't do."
"..."
"If you wanted to be treated kindly, you should have treated others kindly. Didn't your grandfather teach you even such simple things?"
...At that moment, Dokuonna recalls the words of her late grandfather.
'Dokuonna, never forget to be grateful.'
'The goddess of heaven always watches your actions.'
'If you do good things, good things will come back to you. If you do bad things or greedily seek your own gain, you'll face consequences.'
'So... always be kind to others and never forget gratitude towards them.'
Dokuonna fell silent.
Arthur sensed that there might be something bothering her from her reaction.
"Are you in trouble right now? What's troubling you?"
"...Orokan-sama ordered a large quantity of potions. Monsters are attacking the territory, causing many injuries..."
The Votslak territory ruled by Orokan has been under attack by monsters from the Abyss Wood.
Soldiers have been sent to deal with them, but the monsters in the forest are too strong.
As a result, there are injured people almost every day.
Injured people need healing potions, but the Silver Phoenix merchant guild, their business partner, won't come to their territory anymore.
There's no one to bring medicine to this remote territory. Rare healers wouldn't be found in such a desolate place.
So... he has no choice but to have Dokuonna make the potions. Only the famous Medicine God's granddaughter, Dokuonna.
Technically, Asclepius taught her how to make the potions.
But she has hardly practiced.
Plus, her grandfather's manual is too advanced for her to understand.
Since Leaf was the one making the potions, she lacks practical experience. She hasn't learned how to efficiently make a lot of potions.
...As a result, she's stuck making barely usable potions through hard work.
"I'm... tired... I want to stop... Leaf... come back... Leaf..."
Now, she really wished Leaf would come back.
She's so busy with work that she hardly get any sleep. There's no one to cook for her when she's hungry.
...Until now, she has been able to live comfortably without doing anything because Leaf was there.
"Leaf... I didn't know you were such a capable person. I didn't know making potions was so difficult... While you were working, you also cooked and did laundry for me, your kindness... I didn't notice... I was wrong..."
She jumped at the superficial happiness in front of her and couldn't see what was really important.
The glamorous life of nobility blinded her, and she overlooked the [true happiness] that was right there.
"Leaf... come back... Leaf..."
As Dokuonna broke down in tears, Arthur said...
"Even if you cry like that, Leaf-chan isn't coming back."
He confronted her with reality. It's not like he wanted to be mean. Being kind here wouldn't make a difference.
She is emotionally immature. Asclepius spoiled his granddaughter, which led to the current situation.
If she shows kindness again, this woman will once again become arrogant.
Only Arthur, the village head who knows this woman named Dokuonna well, understands how twisted she is.
"What...what should I do?"
"You have to figure it out yourself."
Arthur returned a strict glance and left the apothecary.
He felt a bit pained for treating his benefactor's granddaughter coldly.
But he knows very well that if she is treated kindly by others, she will just take advantage of it.
She needs to reflect on betraying Leaf properly, or she will repeat the same tragedy.
That's why he was being cold.
"WAIT! HELP ME! HELP MEEE! SAVE MEEE!"
But Arthur doesn't look back.
"I won't help. And nobody in the village will help either."
"Why not!?"
...Oh, Arthur sighed, truly thinking what a fool she was.
Reluctantly, he answered.
"Did you forget what I said earlier? If you wanted help, you should have helped others first. Like Leaf-chan."
If you want to be treated kindly, you have to be kind to others.
"Leaf-chan always helped us when we were in trouble. Whether it was early in the morning or late at night, without a single frown, he made medicine for us. That child really put his master teachings into practice."
Arthur confronted Dokuonna, who had a look of despair on her face.
"More than his own granddaughter by blood... he inherited that person's good soul. Leaf-chan did."
After Arthur left... Dokuonna slumped down where she was, unable to move.
Yes... she finally realized that all this situation is her fault.
She couldn't make the potion because she was slacking off.
Her life falling apart is because she pushed everything onto Leaf and took it easy.
No one lending a hand when she was in trouble... is because she didn't lend a hand to anyone.
So, ultimately...
It's all the result of her own actions.
"L...Leafff! LEAFFFFFFFFF!"
Dokuonna fell on her back, crying out.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so SORRRRRRYYY!"
...But her words didn't reach. Leaf wouldn't come back to her anymore.
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