"Of course... nothing major happened. He brought a lawyer, so I told him to go ahead and sue if that’s what he wanted," Penelope replied.
Ahwin frowned, clearly displeased. The word "lawsuit" seemed to bother him.
Penelope’s thoughts quickly shifted away from Daniel. She was far more curious whether the “tower” Ahwin had mentioned was truly that tower.
“By the way, did you visit the Mage Tower again? Why this time? Was something wrong?”
“No particular reason.”
Ahwin answered nonchalantly, landing lightly on the parlor floor and casually waving a hand. The window slammed shut with a sharp click.
Penelope was no longer surprised by such abnormal sights.
Ahwin began rummaging through his robe. One by one, he pulled out ornate bottles and set them on the table.
“....”
Penelope stared in silence as he arranged the bottles in a neat row. Inside were vivid liquids—greens, reds, and blues—all swirling in strange, alchemical hues. The unmistakable scent of alchemy hung in the air.
She finally asked, “What are those?”
“They’re potions. All of them. You need to drink them.”
“W-what?”
Penelope’s eyes widened. All those colorful liquids... potions? What kind of potions?
“W-wait a second! They’re all potions? And why do I have to drink them?”
She couldn’t close her mouth in shock. Selling those potions could probably fund the Halo estate for half a year, yet he wanted her to drink them all.
“I’ve been thinking. Your body is far too fragile. You get sick from stress and fall ill after the slightest strain.”
“That’s what normal people are like, you know?” Penelope retorted.
In this world, Penelope was the epitome of an ordinary extra. She had no physical strength, no magical abilities, and no talent for alchemy, divine power, or spirit magic. Her only advantage was the lingering knowledge from her previous life, which gave her a slightly unconventional way of thinking.
Ahwin looked genuinely troubled as he replied, “That’s the problem. You never know what could happen. It’s better to prepare in advance.”
“....”
Penelope couldn’t respond immediately. The seriousness in Ahwin’s expression rendered her speechless.
‘But I’m perfectly healthy. Why do I need to drink potions? Even a low-grade potion costs at least 100 gold!’
And those potions—clearly crafted by the Mage Tower Master himself—were worth far more. Their price would be whatever Ahwin decided to set, and even that wouldn’t feel high enough.
In short, drinking them was an absurdly inefficient use of resources. She’d be better off giving them to someone like Sir Lance, whose health was directly tied to the estate’s security.
‘No, that wouldn’t be right. Ahwin went all the way to the Mage Tower to get these for me. It would be rude to think about efficiency now.’
It took a while for Penelope to calm herself. Finally, with a resigned sigh, she asked, “What’s the benefit of drinking those potions?”
“They’ll make you immune to toxins.”
“Wait... what?”
Her speech faltered again as the shock sank in.
Perhaps realizing she hadn’t fully grasped his words, Ahwin began to explain calmly.
“Think about it. The most ridiculous way a person can die is by poisoning. Even if someone notices immediately, if they don’t know what poison was used, they can’t administer treatment in time. Even if they manage a miracle cure, the victim could be left permanently disabled or die early from organ damage.”
“....”
‘Why didn’t I think of this?’
Penelope felt as though she’d been struck on the back of the head. It was so obvious, yet she hadn’t considered it before. She was almost annoyed with herself for not thinking of it before Ahwin.
‘He’s absolutely right. Poisoning is my biggest concern right now. Especially with Baron Halo’s relatives.’
There were already three people desperate to get rid of her, and who knew how many more among the extended family viewed her as a thorn in their side?
If she were to die, the lordship of the estate would be left vacant. And poison—a silent, undetectable killer—was the cleanest way to accomplish that.
If she was honest, Penelope had been a little complacent.
‘I thought I was safe as long as I had Ahwin and the knights around me.’
As long as Ahwin was by her side, any direct physical attack was nearly impossible. Even a dragon would struggle to defeat the Mage Tower Master.
But it had been a foolish assumption.
If there was even the slightest gap in the castle’s security, she could be dead before she realized it—victim to a poisoner’s plot.
‘I need to listen to Ahwin.’
As her expression turned resolute, Ahwin added, “Take a teaspoon of these potions each day. After about a month, most poisons won’t be able to kill you.”
“...What?”
Penelope’s face turned pale. The minuscule dosage had her deeply concerned.
“How potent are they that I have to take just a teaspoon a day for an entire month?”
Ahwin, like a strict professor, sharply rebuked her complacency. “You don’t just develop poison resistance overnight. Normally, this process starts in childhood, with poisons diluted to incredibly small amounts. The method we’re using for you is fundamentally the same.”
“So these aren’t potions—they’re poisons?”
She had suspected something was off about their unusual appearance.
Ahwin replied nonchalantly, “Well, technically, I suppose they could be considered poisons. Even strong medicinal herbs can be toxic to a weak body. But don’t worry—there’s nothing harmful to you in them.”
“I’m not going to get sick from drinking them, am I?”
When Penelope’s face crumpled into a distressed expression, Ahwin’s own face seemed to shift awkwardly. His throat bobbed slightly, as though he were holding something back, and for a moment, Penelope thought she saw the faintest hint of redness in his ears.
“...Not here, not now,” Ahwin muttered under his breath, though the meaning of his words was unclear.
Sensing something odd, Penelope hesitated before asking cautiously, “W-why? Will it hurt a lot?”
“Hurt? No, not really. You might feel a little burning sensation in your stomach, that’s all.”
“Are you sure?”
Penelope stared at him with suspicion. Ahwin raised his voice sternly, “Even if it hurts a bit, just endure it! Do you have any idea how much these cost?”
“Fine... I’ll try,” she said, pressing her lips together and nodding reluctantly.
After thinking it over again, Penelope decided that even if it hurt, it was worth it to avoid being poisoned to death.
“But there’s no chance these come in chocolate flavor, right?”
Ahwin shook his head firmly.
***
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.
The potion tasted indescribably awful.
It was bitter, spicy, sour, greasy, and salty, all at once. Then, as if to mock her suffering, the aftertaste was excessively sweet.
If it hadn’t been for that final sweetness, Penelope would have spat it out immediately. It seemed this was what people on Earth used to call “bitterness before sweetness.”
“Ugh, I feel like I’m going to throw up! This is way too disgusting!”
Even the sweetness at the end was so cloying it made her stomach churn.
Her insides roiled with nausea.
Ahwin’s stern gaze didn’t waver as he watched Penelope force herself to swallow the potion.
It wasn’t until she bit into the chocolate Giselle offered her that she managed to calm her queasy stomach.
Ahwin reached out and placed his hand on her forehead.
“You’re running a slight fever. How are you feeling?”
“It’s honestly the worst thing I’ve ever tasted. This isn’t a flavor of this world,” Penelope grumbled.
“Not the taste. Is your stomach bothering you?”
“I feel like my head hurts, and I might throw up...”
“That’s not just in your head. Stay seated for about an hour before you try to move around.”
“But I’m busy,” Penelope said, glancing at the mountain of paperwork waiting for her. Ahwin shook his head firmly.
“You need to rest for at least an hour while your body processes what you drank.”
“You didn’t mention this earlier.”
“I didn’t realize your body was this weak.”
“...Fine.”
Sighing heavily, Penelope trudged over to the sofa and collapsed onto it. Only then did Ahwin look satisfied.
She felt like the world was closing in on her.
“Good grief, how am I supposed to drink this for an entire month?”
To her dismay, as time passed, her condition worsened. It felt like she was caught in a storm at sea, suffering from seasickness. Her head spun, her stomach churned, and cold sweat trickled down her spine.
Barely holding back dry heaves, Penelope managed to speak.
“Ugh, you didn’t say it’d be this bad.”
“If you were a normal person, it wouldn’t be. It’s just tough at first. If you stick with it, it’ll get better.”
“Can’t you dilute it a little more?”
“It’s already as diluted as it can be.”
“Ugh...”
Ahwin flinched. A faint flush spread across his cheeks. Crossing his arms, he finally said.