Chapter 103
Evgenia called me. “Nepheli.”
“I remember you saying it would be good to distribute these along with the coquo supplements. But from the reports I’ve received, it seems you’ve kept them stockpiled without distributing them.”
That’s right. Back then, I was worried the information might leak, so I had said as much.
“You seemed to foresee this situation, judging by the books you read. Why did you keep stockpiling them instead of distributing them? Could you explain?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I took a deep breath before speaking.
“As the Duke has presented suspicions against me, I also thought this might happen when Duke Futurum said he would distribute a substitute.”
“Are you admitting guilt?”
“No, not at all. I’ve done nothing wrong. I was merely preparing for the unexpected. Since it was uncertain, I requested your permission but refrained from distributing them. However…….”
I lowered my gaze to appear as pitiable as possible, then muttered softly, feigning sadness.
“I never imagined they’d twist the situation and accuse me like this after I merely shared some iron supplements.”
“Are you saying what you distributed was different?”
“The coquo supplements I developed are iron supplements. They may look like mere lumps of iron at first glance, but they’re different. They’re processed using electrical magic to apply a specific treatment.”
“Processed? Why is that important?”
“Yes. Generally, as the Duke mentioned, untreated iron rusts over time, especially when submerged in water.”
Rusting is an oxidation process. Oxygen in water or air seeps into untreated iron, forming anions, which bind with the iron’s cations, resulting in rust.
‘This is one reason untreated iron can’t be used.’
Coating it would prevent it from functioning as an iron supplement. To serve its purpose, the particles need to be ingested, but coating blocks their release.
“To prevent this, a processing step was necessary. Once processed, the iron doesn’t rust even if exposed to water or left in the air for a long time.”
By applying an electrical shock through magical means, the electrons are removed beforehand, preventing anions from forming even when oxygen contacts the iron.
The remaining positively charged iron powder is ground finely to create the iron supplement.
This was the essence of the ‘coquo’ supplement I developed.
“So that’s why you said a mage was required for production.”
“Exactly.”
I nodded. I was glad I had presented this to Evgenia earlier and explained it in advance. Without the support of the aristocratic faction, Evgenia’s backing was my strongest pillar.
“Duke Futurum.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Was the medicine you produced processed?”
“Of course…….”
Duke Futurum hesitated, unable to answer confidently.
‘Of course not.’
If it had been processed, it wouldn’t have rusted so quickly.
That was precisely what I had aimed for.
When Morris Futurum had Cirilla spy on me, I deliberately made it look like mere lumps of iron. Being young, Cirilla would have relayed exactly what she saw.
Additionally, when Morris Futurum initially followed me around, I had asked Killis to handle the processing for the demonstration materials.
There was no way they could have known Killis used magic. Eager to outpace me, they must have rushed their product to market without proper verification.
Now that the situation had spiraled, they were attempting to frame me.
“The rusting issue wasn’t due to any trickery on my part but rather a mistake made by the Futurum family. The entire batch must be recalled and addressed immediately.”
A brief silence followed. Duke Futurum was left opening and closing his mouth, unable to respond.
“I’ve heard enough from Her Highness the First Princess.”
It was Morris Futurum who spoke.
“However, can Her Highness truly guarantee the safety of her product?”
Having remained silent until now, he seemed to decide he couldn’t let things end this way. He continued speaking.
“Even if processed, it’s merely Her Highness’s claim. Isn’t it suspicious that the same iron doesn’t rust in one case? If our product must be recalled, then Her Highness should also be withdrawn.”
“That is…….”
“This matter has already been verified. We completed our checks before distribution.”
Evgenia stepped in before I could answer. I was relieved, as I had been unsure how to explain further.
“If you wish, I can show you the records. The coquo supplements developed by the First Princess are safe and effective.”
If I had said this myself or if someone else had spoken up, they would have nitpicked endlessly.
But this was Evgenia. Morris Futurum had no response to her firm declaration and fell silent.
“Do you have anything more to say, Duke Futurum?”
“Uh…… no. It seems I was mistaken.”
“Is that all? Your actions nearly tarnished the reputation of the First Princess.”
Evgenia furrowed her brows, openly displaying her displeasure. Neither Duke Futurum nor anyone else dared to challenge her.
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