Warning: This text contains depictions of death. Please be advised.
It was a forest of withered trees, white as bones.
In the distance, mountain peaks loomed like giants, illuminated by the sinking moon.
"I'm sorry, my knight. I have no more medicine to stop the bleeding. I can't help you anymore."
A faint breath. The sound of a shallow exhale, barely a breath. The unstoppable blood soaked my hands.
"My knight, this is the end. Forget your loyalty to the kingdom and your knightly duties; in your final moments, focus only on your heart. Your life belongs to you alone. So, my knight, as you think of the things you love, let yourself pass away with fidelity to your heart. What do you love, my knight? Surround yourself with beautiful things as you go. I will shower you with words like rain."
The forest was filled with a deadly miasma, making our pursuers hesitate to enter this nightmarish wood, where even sunlight seemed to rot. To chase us meant death by the miasma's corruption.
"In spring, there's the haze, the hazy moon, the thawing snow, the budding trees and blooming flowers, and the birds returning north, disappearing into the clouds. The white blossoms of the pure apple trees, the pale purple wisteria swaying in the breeze, and the yellow flowers of the yamabuki, so abundant that their slender branches bend under their weight—how beautiful they are."
My knight was never meant to die covered in mud and blood like this.
He was a hero who had saved the kingdom many times.
"In summer, there's the wind, the scent of green leaves, the rippling sea, and the night sky filled with bright, fast-moving shooting stars, like silver sand scattered across the vivid heavens. The morning glories, daylilies, and moonflowers, all with their pale beauty, the fresh fragrance of lavender, and the delicate water lilies floating on the surface of the water—how beautiful they are."
But then, the king passed away.
The new, young king grew envious of the knight's fame.
He resented the knight for being more beloved than himself.
"In autumn, there's the mist, the moon of snow, flowers, and wind, the sound of insects, and the trees dyed in beautiful shades of red, both falling and lingering. The golden and silver osmanthus flowers spreading their fragrance, the cobwebs adorned with morning dew, glittering like a lady's diamond necklace—how beautiful they are."
So, under the guise of saving a nation weary from long wars, the king secretly arranged to hand the knight over to the neighboring country as a condition for a ceasefire.
It was the knight's shield that had protected the kingdom from being ravaged by the neighboring country.
"Winter is... "
Breathing is difficult.
My weak, trembling breaths catch in my throat, silencing my words. A fatal wound had pierced deep into my abdomen, and drops of blood dripped onto the ground.
Of course, openly selling the heroic knight to the neighboring country was impossible, both politically and in terms of public support, so the king devised a plan to make it appear as if the knight had been captured by the enemy during the conflict.
Thus, the knight was betrayed by the very knights who should have been his allies and was left isolated on a battlefield filled with enemy soldiers.
I was an apothecary.
The kingdom's doctors and apothecaries were ordered to the battlefield. I was forcibly put in a carriage and brought to the front lines.
But when the enemy soldiers attacked, I, a young woman, was left behind, thought to be useful as a decoy—a night on the battlefield.
I ran and ran, escaping until I met the knight. We fled into the forest of miasma, but both the knight and I were gravely wounded, hovering between life and death. The fact that the knight could still move was nothing short of a miracle.
Blood dripped steadily, the knight's life flowing away with it. The light in his blue eyes was fading.
Yet, the knight’s legs did not falter as he carried me, continuing to walk through the depths of the night, inching closer to our destination.
Because of his fame, the knight's body, even in death, would still hold value. Surely, his head would be severed, displayed, and desecrated. As a young woman, I too might suffer terribly.
That’s why, knowing our wounds were beyond saving, we decided to protect our dead bodies ourselves.
"Winter is..."
Ah, the sun was rising.
Without finishing my words about winter, I was bathed in the dawn’s golden light, like an arrow of gold. Clasped tightly in the knight’s embrace, I leaped off the sheer cliff with him.
* * *
These are the memories I have from a past life.
I was only eight years old, but I was utterly shocked because I had thought reincarnation was just a fairy tale.
My hair color, eye color, and facial features were all different from my previous life. And yet, my voice remained the same, which I found quite mysterious.
I even researched the country from my past life, and unsurprisingly, or perhaps inevitably, it had perished.
How foolish.
They probably thought they were safe because they still had the knight’s elite troops under his command, but it was the knight himself who made them the strongest. His individual prowess also acted as a deterrent to the neighboring countries, but the new king didn’t understand that. He didn’t even try to understand.
I had thought it was foolish when I overheard the knight's deputy, who had betrayed him to claim his position, blabbering on that last night while we were on the run.
So, in this life, born as the daughter of an earl...
I vowed to myself to never become someone who only sees what they want to see, hears what they want to hear, and believes only in what is convenient for them.
After all, in my past life, I experienced being exploited instead of protected, despite paying taxes. I would never wish that kind of life upon my own subjects. When those in power are foolish, those beneath them suffer immensely, a life that truly makes one sick.
Well, I can understand that in a society based on social hierarchy, there are few nobles who care about the joys and sorrows of commoners. I don’t have the power, authority, wisdom, or resolve to dismantle the social system itself. Therefore, I decided to at least cherish the earl’s domain that is within my reach.
But quietly, without attracting attention.
Like the knight in my past life, being outstanding doesn’t always lead to good outcomes.
They say, "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down," and in aristocratic society, this is terrifying.
More than anything, people can barely tolerate suffering losses themselves, but they cannot stand the thought of someone else benefiting from it. In the dangerous world of the aristocracy, where jealousy, desire, and power all come into play, a small count’s family like ours could be blown away as easily as a feather.
My wish is for my subjects to live without hunger or thirst, to have access to a doctor if they fall ill or get injured, and to enjoy a modest standard of living with some leisure.
Fortunately, my circumstances have been kind to me.
I am the only daughter and heir of the count's family. My parents, rather than dismissing the thoughts of an eight-year-old, listened to me seriously and allowed me to use my knowledge from my past life to cultivate medicinal herbs.
I kept my past life a secret, even from my parents. While they might have believed me, there was a high risk that if anyone else found out, rumors would spread about me being a witch or having some disease, tarnishing the family's reputation.
The medicinal herbs I chose to cultivate are in high demand.
They can be eaten raw, used as seasoning, rubbed onto meat, or added to stews. They can also be infused into water to create fragrant drinks. But most importantly, they have medicinal properties. Depending on how the apothecary prepares them, they can be used to treat various ailments, from digestive issues to colds.
Previously, people thought of medicinal herbs as something you foraged from the forest. My goal was to change that perception and show that these herbs could be cultivated.
The count’s domain, bordering a forest teeming with magical energy, is an area where magical beasts frequently cause trouble, making it difficult for humans to live there. However, this environment is ideal for growing potent medicinal herbs.
The depths of the magical forest are so dense with magical energy that it turns into a deadly miasma, where few humans dare to tread. But the rest of the forest is a bountiful place that provides for the villagers. Despite the threat of magical beasts, the villages have managed to survive.
A soft breeze from the open carriage window caressed my cheek.
The wind from the mountains carried the scent of newly sprouted greenery and the earthy aroma of snowmelt.
My carriage was heading towards a village at the base of the mountains.
Those giant mountains were the same ones I had seen on that last night with the knight.
So I prayed.
May the knight rest in peace.
And if he has been reborn like me, may he be happy.
The spring sun shone on the towering peaks, making the remaining snow gleam like silver. I clasped my hands together in reverence to the majestic mountains, like the thrones of gods.
I traveled from village to village, explaining in detail how to cultivate and dry the medicinal herbs.
As the daughter of the lord, even at a young age, the villagers could not disregard me. Moreover, when they heard that this could provide a valuable source of cash income, most villagers listened intently.
After all, it was just a matter of growing herbs in their gardens. There was no risk even if they failed. However, it did require a great deal of care and attention, so large-scale farming wasn’t feasible. Thus, each household planted herbs in small, flowerbed-like plots.
This herb cultivation succeeded as a side business for the villagers. Although the income was modest, it was enough to allow for more frequent servings of meat at their tables. It also became a popular way for children to earn pocket money, as carefully tended herbs became a common sight across the land.
Next, I introduced the concept of fertilizers.
In the kingdom where I was born, fertilizers didn’t exist.
Even in my previous life, this knowledge was passed down quietly in my homeland, but that place was also burned down by war.
I didn’t keep the cultivation of herbs or the use of fertilizers a secret.
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