When Leon had left for the kitchen, Rachel had woken up not long after.
"You're awake. How do you feel?" Amelia asked with a gentle tone.
"I-I'm fine?" Rachel body still feel a bit shaken, but she had already forgotten what happened earlier.
It was like her self defence mechanism kicked in to protect herself, as the unpleasant memory was pushed to the back of her mind.
Seeing her mother, she could only think about the engagement as her mood dropped.
Amelia could easily tell what was on her daughter's mind. Which mother wouldn't know their child best?
"Be honest with your mother. What do you think of Leon? Do you like him?" She shifted the topic to her favour.
Rachel's face pale. Why did her mother ask this? Was her mother going to do something to Leon if she said yes? would she harm him?She was filled with worry.
"Don't worry. Mother wouldn't do anything to harm him." Amelia assured her. Why would she harm her own son-in-law?
"Really?" Rachel was rather sceptical.
Seeing her daughter's doubt, she couldn't help but tease her.
"You still haven't figured out who the prince is?" Amelia said with a smile on her face.
Huh? Her mother's word seem to imply that she's already know the prince, just not aware of it. Leon's image seem to cross her mind.
"Leon?" She blurted out.
Amelia's smile grew bigger.
Rachel was stunned by the twist of events. Her face felt hot under Amelia's big smile as she flushed with shyness and buried her face in the blanket. Her heart started beating rapidly at the perspective thought of marrying Leon.
If she had to choose between someone she know and someone she didn't, she would naturally choose the former. But when the two were one and the same, she felt strange that she was quite accepting of the matter and wasn't repulsed by it.
Due to her trauma, she was afraid that she would get attached to any new friend she make, only to watch them die in front of her. The feeling of watching her friends killed in front of her was something she never wanted to experience again.
Because of such reasons, she built a wall around her heart and did not have many friends. People can only be acquainted and not befriend her.
...yet despite the walls she built, Leon walked right into her life and they became friends very easily without resistance. It was a surreal and mysterious feeling.
Like a game of chess with the king as her heart and the pawns as her wall, other people would have to work to take down her defenses before they could reach her heart.
But Leon did not follow convention and completely flipped the chess board. The so-called wall did not exist for him.
His existence was an enigma, but she did not hate it. The hand of fate have brought them together and it felt especially strong now that she had learned that he was the prince, whom she was engaged by birth to.
"I... don't know." Rachel collected her thoughts and gave her answer. she did not know if she like Leon, but she did not hate him.
"It's fine as long as you don't hate him." Amelia nodded. All relationship has to start somewhere, but the marriage must be carried out.
The sound of Leon's footstep was heard as he came back with a steaming hot teapot. A young maid had followed right behind with an expression of being wronged and wanting to cry.
Leon had suddenly barged in her kitchen and prepared his own tea before carrying it back in her teapot. He was the esteemed guest of the Duke's wife. Such menial task should have just been left to her as it was her job to prepare tea. To have the guest prepare the tea and carry the teapot himself, she felt she was useless and not needed. Since Amelia had not said anything, she did not know what to do and could only follow Leon helplessly and Mentally prepare herself for punishment for not doing her job properly.
"Tea?" Amelia was dumbfounded. She glanced at her young maid behind him after. Did he bully her?
Leon smiled at the question directed at him.
"This isn't any ordinary tea. This is herbal tea." Leon explained. Spirit-tier herbal tea, he mentally added.
The Achromous Valerian Root was one of the many miscellaneous herbs he had collected. He didn't expect it to be useful so soon.
"It has the effects of curing insomnia and relieving anxiety and psychological stress. Such a tea will also be useful to you, m-mom." Leon added. He was not use to calling someone he just met by such an intimate term and couldn't control his eye from twitching.
Rachel blushed when she heard Leon address her own mother as 'mom'.
'Stupid, I haven't agreed to marry you yet.' She mentally protested. It was still a lot for her to take in and she wasn't ready to accept things as they are even though she knew she had no choice in the matter. She was just throwing a silent tantrum.
Having been evolved to spirit-tier, the effects of the herbal tea can only be stronger and not weaker.
Leon did not have the time to prepare the herbal tea the standard way by drying it before boiling it in water.
Instead he used his alchemic skill to extract the medicinal essence from the herb and dilute it in the boiled water to bring about a similar effect.
The difference in preparation would only affect the taste and not the effect. He was a doctor to begin with, not a tea maker.
"Oh? In that case, I should definitely have a taste first." It's not that Amelia didn't trust Leon's skills, but she was indeed mentally tired and could use some of the tea if the effects was as he described. "Serve the tea, Lily."
"Y-Yes, Your Grace." Lily finally heaved a sigh of relief as she took the teapot from Leon politely. She thought she was going to be reprimanded, but thankfully she was just overthinking things.
"Your tea, Your Grace." She served the first tea to Amelia.
Amelia brought the teacup close and took a whiff of the tea before her eyes lit up. It was very aromatic. She could tell a good tea by its smell. She took a sip and savored it in delight. The warmth traveled throughout her body and she felt refreshed as the fatigue was washed away.
"Good tea." She sighed in relaxation. She felt calm and at peace. "I don't think I can drink normal tea again."
Her words seems to have a hidden meaning. Leon smiled wryly as he seemed to understand her meaning.
"I will leave a batch of the herbs here and the servants can prepare the tea for whenever m-mom wishes to drink it." His eye twitches. But in any case, the Achromatic Valerian Roots was a common herb found in various places of the kingdom.
It just need to be upgraded to spirit tier with his Book of Life. It didn't cost him much to gift them his mother-in-law. It can be shown as a form of filial piety and earn her good will in return. It would make his life with Rachel easier if he got along with his mother-in-law after all.
In his heart, he already accepted this pie that had fallen out of the sky and taken Rachel to be one of his wives. He already has two, another one wouldn't hurt. But such was a dangerous way of thinking. Who knows how many more would end up joining them later.
There was no lover or girlfriend in his vocabulary, only wife. If they decided to enter a relationship with him then they are stuck with him for life. Sorry ladies, but there's no backing out after boarding the pirate ship.
"That's great." Amelia was pleased by Leon's answer, but she was also confused as she eyed his schoolbag dubiously.
It's too much of a coincident for him to carry the herbs with him, right? He seem to have came prepared. Maybe her daughter already knew of his medical skills had told him about her?
Ah...my daughter is so thoughtful and caring. Amelia looked at Rachel with affection.
Rachel didn't know what was going on and just smiled back. She wasn't going to deny it if she heard her mothers mental compliments. She would be an idiot if she didn't accept the free caring look and warmth from her mother.
"Well, I should get going. Thank you for having us." Leon thought it was a good time to leave as he picked Mia up. They had stayed long enough. He still had things to do, but he should visit home first and drop Mia off in his parent's care.
"What? Leaving already?" Amelia was astonished. The sun was setting. She still wanted to take him to surprise Elizabeth! "You should stay with us for dinner at least."
Leon smiled wryly as he shook his head. He knew it wasn't as simple as just a dinner, not to mention he was a bit afraid of meeting the Duke, who would be present for dinner.
He was the son of the Divine Medicine King, why should he cower? However, the fear of meeting the father-in-law for the first time seems to be an instinctual trait of all men.