Eleven

Just as she expected, the tea she was served is laced with poison. The liquid is shining and the smell is different from usual. How did she know? The tea they served her was the tea she always drink in her mansion. Lucienta and Marco knows how to serve the tea, making her familiarize with how it looks, taste, and smell.

She didn't have to drink it to know if it's poisoned, for all she knows, it could be laced with lethal poison. So, instead of drinking it, she swirled the cup and kept pretending to smell it.

"It's still hot." Jannah said, putting the tea down on the table with a smile, "I don't drink hot tea, unfortunately."

That was a lie though, but it will have to do if she doesn't want to risk herself being poisoned. Upon hearing her excuse, the maids exchanged looks, one that could be read as anxious. She kept smiling at them, not wanting to alarm them and have her order cancelled.

Luck seems to be ok her side because the door slammed opened with Viscount Coleen rushing inside, four male servants trailing behind him while carrying a crate each.

"Forgive me, Countess, but I may have miscalculated. I only have four crates stored. I thought I had six, but alas." Viscount Coleen gestured towards his servants, "Will you still buy them?"

Without wasting her time, she stood up and beamed at him, "Yes, I would love to have them load in my carriage."

"You heard the Countess! Load those to the carriage!" Viscount ordered loudly, pointing his finger at the door. His servants flinched on their spots, shakily running out of the door at how scary his glare was.

"You don't have to yell at them, Viscount."

"Pardon such undignified look, Countess." Viscount Coleen sheepishly rubbed his palms together, "I trust that you'll send the money as soon as possible?"

"Of course, I would. Who do you take me for?" Jannah teased him, they may take it as playful, but she's quite serious.

"I see, I see!" The viscount laughed awkwardly and looked at his servants who are standing behind Jannah, the maids only shook their head at him which caused for him to scowl. He was quick to replace it with a smile though, gesturing his hand towards the door, "I'll walk you out, Countess."

Jannah nodded her head, unbeknownst to them that she noticed the exchange. The walk towards the door was quiet, the only sound that resonates in the hall is her heels clicking against the carpeted floor. The two of them descended the stairs, the front door in her reach.

"I'll send the money tonight." Jannah smiled at the Viscount, "If you have more stored, I would love to order those as well so don't think twice to send those in my state."

"Yes, Countess." Viscount Coleen smiled back at her, "I'll have them dried and turned into powdered like the ones I gave to you."

"That would be lovely." Jannah nodded her head and turned in her heels to get down the stairs of the manor, but she stopped in her tracks and looked at the viscount over her shoulder, "Where do you grow Echinacea? Would it be able to grow on north?"

"That differs on the seed, Countess. As you know, Echinacea came from the family of dandelions. Some of the dandelions can be grow in north and south." The viscount didn't bother hiding the information because it's a general knowledge that can be seen in books. Echinacea isn't rare, it can be found blooming everywhere outside the kingdom's walls which is why he was quite puzzled as to why would the Countess be interested with wild flowers.

"I see.. Thank you." Jannah said, walking down the stairs and meeting Jeremiah half way to the carriage.

The knight took the parasol from her hand and gave her a handkerchief, Jannah discreetly wiped her hands and glanced around the manor. As per the rumors said, the Viscount do have a unique taste when it comes to his garden. The flowers blooming in front of his manor are all violet and vibrant in color— it emitted a sweet yet sickening scent that made her nauseous.

"Let's get out of here." Jannah told Haile as she gets inside the carriage, getting assisted by Jeremiah.

Kirie was quick to disinfect her master's hand, cleaning the skin and wiping it dry with a clean handkerchief then threw that handkerchief out of the window.

It wasn't long before the carriage started moving, she looked out of the window. Her eyes caught the servants shuffling around the garden, surrounding someone, and the knights of the manor running to that small crowd before the view of the manor slowly disappeared from her sight.

She blinked, wondering why did the servants started forming a crowd in the garden.

Ah, nevermind them, I got the powder I needed. All I need to do is let my people consume them nasally or orally. Jannah thought, watching the stars illuminate the night sky. She doesn't know how long she needs to stay in the capital since she gets anxious as the seconds pass by. She had gathered supplies, sent the people she needs to Philipia, had her friends sent to the base, and got the powder she needs to fight off the infection. She lets out a huff, feeling uneasy.

Why do I feel so nervous? She wondered, eyebrows furrowed as she look at the sky, What is this dread I'm feeling? Shouldn't I be relieved because I'm preparing for the apocalypse?

Her questions remained unanswered until she reached the mansion.

She saw her little sister getting inside the carriage and stopped in her tracks when she saw her big sister. "Welcome home! I thought you'll take longer than that, what got you running off?"

Jeriel stepped down from the carriage and tuend to her sister. She blinked rapidly, noticing the troubled and anxious expression on Jannah's face almost immediately. She looked past her to see Kirie, the maid only shook her head, answering her question. So, she could only nudge her in the shoulder, "What's wrong? You look like you had seen a ghost or something."

Jannah pursed her lips, she looked at Jeriel and looked at the carriage. Right then and there, she made up her mind and dragged her little sister inside the carriage.

"Wha— ow! Hey, hey!" Jeriel exclaimed as Jannah unceremoniously forced her inside the carriage, "Why in the Starlian Kingdom's name are you coming with me?"

"I feel anxious." Jannah stated and looked at her straight in the eyes, "I don't know why, but I can't let you go out by yourself."

"Huh?"

"Jeremiah, fetch me my sword!" Jannah ordered, sticking her head out of the carriage to yell at the knight who was carrying the crate of powdered Echinacea.

"Yes, my lady!" Jeremiah answered, passing the crate to Anthony who almost dropped the crate by how quick Jeremiah gave it to him.

"Are you serious?" Jeriel raised an eyebrow at her, "I'm a knight just like you. I can take care of myself if I ever got myself in a situation."

"I know, I know, but my heart won't calm down. It got worse when I saw you going inside this carriage." Jannah frowned as she spoke, placing her palm on her chest, feeling her heart beat against her ribcage, "It's nauseating. I don't know, Jeri. Something in me is telling me that I need to go with you."

Jeriel didn't say anything and kept staring at her sister. The look of disbelief is clear on her face, but she didn't tell her sister to get out. The two of them waited until Jeremiah arrived and gave the sword to Jannah, he was panting and sweating. It was obvious that he panicked from the sudden order thrown at him.

"Tell Anthony to start the carriage. Count Nige is expecting us at his doorsteps tonight." Jeriel told Jeremiah as he close the door of the carriage.

"Sorry." Jannah murmured, feeling bad and upset at herself for being like that.

"Don't be." Jeriel lets out a sigh, "It's normal to feel anxious. I felt the same when the King announced that you'll lead Duke Zacharias' knights in the battlefield. I dreaded for the day to receive the news of the war finally coming to an end because what if you don't come home?"

"But I did." Jannah mumbled, her voice almost quiet as the wind.

"You did, but I didn't know at the time." Jeriel smiled at her big sister, "The anxiety is unavoidable. I know how it feels. It's the reason why I'm letting you come with me to Count Nige's state when you clearly told me that I should be the one to strike the deal with him."

"I'll stay at the carriage." Jannah assured her, "I'll stay here. I think I might be okay to stay here because I know that you're safe inside his state."

"Yeah. You don't have to worry anyways, I have a dagger and needles hidden somewhere in my body." Jeriel assured her sister as well, "I'll let you know if something bad happens so don't worry too much, okay? Calm down and relax."

"Okay." Jannah nodded her head as the carriage slowly skidded into a stop, "I'll calm down."

"Good." Jeriel smiled, reaching out to her sister and squeezed her hand reassuringly, "I'll be okay. You're here with me so you can rescue me if I need to be saved. I'll be quick— well, I'll make it quick."

As soon as she said that, the carriage door got opened. Jeriel pulled her hand away from her sister and got out of the carriage, she glanced over her shoulder to give her big sister one last look before she closed the door.

Anthony flinched in his spot when Jeriel suddenly pulled him a little farther from the carriage, "Keep an eye out on her, alright? She feels uneasy for some reason. Something bad might happen after I step foot inside that mansion so be on alert."

"Yes, Lady Jeriel." Anthony nodded his head, his hand touching the handle of his sword and gripped it tightly, "I'll protect the Countess."

Jeriel didn't say anything else and stepped inside the open gate of the Count's state. The knights guarding the place briefly lowered their heads before they returned to their posts.

She said that she went back in time. If she's feeling anxious about this then something is going to happen. I don't know what that is, but my sister needs those gunpowder from him. I can't mess this up. Jeriel thought, determined to get what her sister wants and finish the deal with the Count.

Even if it mean fighting the monsters that her sister told her.