"Oh, I also have a few magical artifacts for sale, if any of you are interested," Drake said, hoping to make another profit. Aside from the detective, both Rose and Scale seemed likely to have the means.
"What kind of items? Can I use them?" Elizabeth perked up at the mention.
"One suitable for you is a brooch, known as the Mermaid's Tear. It can keep the wearer's skin moisturized for a long time. As for the price, I'll need to discuss it with the seller. I'll give you a demonstration at the next meeting."
"Alright, good night everyone. I need to go back and prepare the elixir."
Back in her own world, Elizabeth's eyes snapped open. The 20 banknotes she had prepared were gone, and in her hand, she now held a crystal vial filled with a small amount of golden blood, alongside a crystal. She tucked them into her purse and hurried home, feigning intoxication.
"I'm going to find something to eat; you two prepare my bath," she instructed her maids.
"As you wish, Your Highness." The maids were accustomed to Elizabeth's routines. As the only daughter of King Charles, the princess naturally had a kitchen staffed and ready to prepare meals for her. Pushing open the door to the kitchen, she saw a three-pit stove and a copper roaster. She first found a silver kettle, lacking professional equipment, and had to make do. As for pure water, the royal supply was distilled, which wasn't hard to find.
"First, half a pound of pure water." In the tea room, she found drinking water in delicate transparent glass bottles, each precisely half a pound, so no weighing was necessary. Struggling with the cork, she poured the clear water into the kettle.
"Next, a crystal from the Eastern Continent." Elizabeth unwrapped the paper to reveal a small, purple solid. Called a crystal, it felt more like a gel. Odorless, she resisted the urge to bite into it.
The semi-transparent crystal reflected the light from the gas lamps in varying angles. She carefully placed it into the kettle, where it quickly dissolved into the water, turning it a shade of purple. It looked like a big cup of blueberry juice.
"Lastly, the blood of a Flying Fish." Elizabeth muttered to herself as she removed the stopper from the crystal bottle. The slightly golden blood, which had a fishy scent, poured out like thick tar. She had to shake the bottle to get all the blood out.
The pale golden blood mixed with the purple solution, turning it a steely gray. Bubbles began to surface in the kettle. It was time to boil it. The royal kitchen used gas as fuel, avoiding the need for fire-starting.
Bubble, bubble. The potion boiled in the kettle, emitting a faint odor that reminded Elizabeth of a maid accidentally setting the curtains on fire. To avoid any trouble, she opened the window. She didn't want her kitchen maids to get scolded because of her.
"Right, I need to add sugar." As the liquid in the kettle began to boil, Elizabeth remembered. Fortunately, lump sugar was also available in the tea room. The royal family used the purest, most transparent high-grade sugar, unlike the brown-tinged, impure stuff used by a certain self-proclaimed detective.
Using tweezers, she added three or four lumps of sugar to the liquid, waiting for the elixir to finish.
After about fifteen minutes, the bubbling potion turned from grayish-white to deep blue, eventually reducing to a small, slippery semi-solid. It seemed to be done. Elizabeth turned off the heat, poured the potion into a teacup, and waited for it to cool before consumption. The elixir looked more like an exotic foreign delicacy than a potion of awakening.
"Knock, knock, knock, Your Highness, your bath is ready," called a middle-aged woman dressed as a maid with a white floral headpiece, entering the room. Elizabeth glanced at her; it was Mrs. Renan, her lifelong personal maid, known for her sternness and caution, whose ancestors had been close attendants to the royal family.
"I'll be there in a moment. I got this drink from the northern continent at the party today; I'll drink it and join you."
"A drink? Oh, I thought Your Highness had gotten some new toy."
The potion in the cup certainly didn't look appealing, but Elizabeth didn't bother explaining. She took a sip.
Bitterness hit her taste buds first, followed by a hint of fishiness. No wonder the sailor suggested adding sugar. Elizabeth thought she might need to add nutmeg to mask the fishy taste, but then it would seem more like a beverage than a potion.
The slick potion slid down her throat, and once inside her stomach, it seemed to stimulate every cell in her body. Elizabeth felt as though she had been struck by lightning.
"Is something wrong, Your Highness? Is there a problem with the drink?"
Elizabeth shook her head. The potion was all gone, and she felt her body beginning to change. She felt a warmth as if an endless strength was about to burst forth.
"I'm just tired. Let's bathe."
With the help of two maids, Elizabeth shed her corset and tight dress. In this era, noblewomen sought to accentuate their figures by cinching their waists and pushing up their breasts.
Why so hot? Elizabeth felt as if she was burning up, but the heat quickly dissipated from her body. She must have succeeded; her strength and endurance had surely improved.
While being dressed, Elizabeth noticed the maids' tired and uneasy expressions.
"Is something troubling you?"
"Oh, the price of grain has gone up again, and my parents are struggling. Oh, I'm sorry, Your Highness, I shouldn't have said that. Please don't tell Mrs. Renan."
The maid quickly apologized. Talking about such matters with the princess could lead to fines or even dismissal, and a princess's maid earned more than a high-ranking household servant.
Grain prices? Elizabeth had never paid attention to such matters. When hungry, the chefs were responsible for preparing food, and her company was usually nobility.
But since joining Mr. Orb's mysterious meetings, Elizabeth had started to understand the lower classes mentioned by Mr. Scale. After drinking the potion, she felt not only a physical enhancement but also an improved observation ability. Tomorrow, she would run a lap to test her new strength.
The downside seemed to be an increased thirst; Elizabeth found herself drinking twice as much water as usual, leading to more frequent trips to the washroom and stifled laughter from the maids.
Curse it! Gaining supernatural powers wasn't easy.