NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 10
“Your Highness. It’s time to honor your promise.”
Siena stared boldly at Alan Medoff, who was making a firm demand.
Until recently, Alan was treated merely as an errand dog, but his sudden rise in worth had caught everyone’s attention. The promised reward was 1 million talers and an extended holiday lasting more than a month.
While the holiday seemed reasonable, the 1 million talers felt excessive, being 10 times his official annual salary. Although Alan did earn a significant side income through his own schemes—granted, with Siena’s tacit approval—1 million talers was still an enormous amount.
Still, this wasn’t a burden for Siena. For all her notoriety, she was the Second Imperial Princess of Britannia Empire.
Every year she received significant funds for the operation of Temseugung Palace and maintenance of her regal image. On top of that, her private fortune was already substantial. If ever it seemed insufficient, she could simply go to her father with a fabricated excuse and return with more money—openly, unlike her half-siblings.
‘That’s right. I should definitely reward him.’
Alan’s contribution was almost incalculable. Not only had Anais’ political standing diminished, but seeing the frustration on her face had been incredibly satisfying.
Ever since childhood, that insolent half-sister had acted superior just because of their mother, the Empress. Now, the older she got, the more she attempted to infiltrate the Academy, even recruiting fellow students. Although Siena reluctantly acknowledged Anais’ influence, she no longer felt the threat.
Now, thanks to Alan, Anais’ carefully cultivated image as a kind-hearted and diligent princess had collapsed. Anais now planned to take a leave of absence, but Siena was determined to ensure her departure came in the form of a dropout.
‘In return for his work, 1 million talers seems like a bargain.’
Alan seemed to be aware, making his demands with confidence.
“Your Highness. Why hesitate? I’ve done everything you’ve asked.”
“…”
“Believe me, the Empress will be unable to live without psilocybin. Not because of any withdrawal symptoms, but because she’ll crave that blissful memory from when she took it. Physically, she’ll be fine.”
“I see, that seems plausible.”
“Naturally, the Third Princess won’t dare retaliate with my help at your disposal. She knows well enough that her supply could be cut off if she misbehaves.”
Yes, the Empress could indeed be controlled with drugs. While she might not be fully recruited to this side, at least she wouldn’t become an enemy.
Everything was good. Almost perfect. Except…
One thing nagged Siena’s curiosity.
‘He knows too much. Too many secrets.’
Where exactly had Alan Medoff gathered all this knowledge?
Opium, psilocybin—there was clearly more beneath the surface. It definitely wasn’t from the Academy. Siena had made sure her subordinates investigated but found no educational institutions in Britannia teaching such things. And it wasn’t a secret technique passed down in the declining Medoff family.
So, it was personal knowledge acquired through some unknown channels. Elven teachings, perhaps? Though it sounded absurd, it wasn’t impossible.
Siena wanted to uncover what he was hiding.
What did Alan know? How valuable was his expertise? And most importantly, could it be turned into profit?
Deciding to stall, she decided to probe gently.
“Alan… Now that I think about it, I’m worried the Empress might try to procure the drugs herself. It’s just mushrooms, after all.”
“Perhaps she can try, but unless she wants an accidental poisoning, it might not be wise. Even seasoned herbalists struggle with identifying them correctly.”
‘So why do you know so much about it?’
Siena bit back her curiosity before giving a voice to her thoughts. Of course, Alan wouldn’t answer honestly. He’d likely come up with some excuse and dodge the question.
It made sense. He wouldn’t hand over such valuable assets for just 1 million talers.
“Your Highness. Please honor your promise.”
Alan’s impatient prompting made him seem like nothing more than a materialistic man. It appeared he was worried that his reward might be withheld, which would prevent him from indulging in pleasures.
“How do you plan to use the money? Is it too much to ask?”
“Heh… Women and gambling.”
“Both?”
“Sure, why not? No argument there.”
Alan chuckled, sizing up her reaction, confident of his plans. The man seemed excited about rolling the dice in brothels and casinos.
But somehow, Siena didn’t quite believe this was all of it.
There was something else, but extracting it from him now seemed unlikely.
She wasn’t disappointed though. She had her own plan to naturally uncover his secrets, even without direct admission from him.
“Alright. I’ll pay you by tomorrow morning. Don’t worry.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“Your vacation starts tomorrow too. You can return whenever you please. Though I’ll need you should an emergency arise.”
“Of course!”
Alan finally cracked a smile. The atmosphere brightened briefly.
Siena truly intended to keep her word. In fact, she considered going above and beyond. Alan was worth it. Unlike other sycophants, he proved incredibly useful in various ways.
It would be foolish to neglect someone of his caliber. She planned to help him thrive, unleashing his full potential.
—
Alan had been promised his reward for the following morning. Vacation? Already approved.
Siena wasn’t the type to backstab allies who’d done their jobs. Especially since he had transformed her image into that of the ideal princess.
‘There’s no way she’d risk conflict over 1 million talers.’
Even so, Alan couldn’t simply relax and wait.
He couldn’t ignore the suspicious comment Siena had made before:
“I’ll give you something far more valuable than your 1 million talers in goods.”
Goods didn’t necessarily mean broken promises. A prestigious mansion near Temseugung or a small farm filled with artisan goods wouldn’t be bad.
But Siena wasn’t exactly “normal.”
‘There’s no way she wouldn’t hint at real estate if that was the case. She’s playing something else.’
An eerie suspicion lingered as Alan returned home.
His residence, a 30-minute walk from the palace, was a shared apartment block. The ground floor housed shops, while the upper three floors were residential units. It was respectable for a palace bodyguard, though its interior was starkly bare—a place just for sleep.
As he sat on his bed, worries flooded his mind, particularly about the reward he was about to receive.
“Nothing makes sense, no matter how I think about it.”
Something was nagging at his instincts, though he hoped they were wrong.
—
“Sir Alan. Could you spare me a moment, please?”
The next morning, Gordon, the head valet overseeing the palace, arrived. A nobleman of high standing, he treated Alan with surprising deference.
Perhaps it was out of fear for Alan Medoff’s questionable past.
The contract presented, however, wasn’t nearly as welcoming.
Receiving the reward in kind wasn’t an issue—it was standard.
But it wasn’t property or priceless art Siena intended to gift him. Whatever it was, it was worth more than 1 million talers.
“Is this… some kind of strange farmland deal?”
A soft laugh escaped Alan upon reading the contract.
“Sir Alan? Is there something funny?”
“No, please continue.”
“Certain crops grown in the main gardens of Temseugung Palace are being transferred to your ownership. Specifically, you’ll own the refined extracts harvested from these plants.”
“All of it?”
“Yes. You don’t need to worry about the contract’s validity. Once you sign, it will go straight to notarization.”
That wasn’t the concern.
It was the identity of the “goods” Siena intended to bestow.
“Isn’t there just one crop grown in the main garden?”
“Yes.”
Of course—the poppies.
The gardeners were reportedly extracting opium from these flowers day and night, using over 100 servants and slaves to meet production demands. Alan didn’t care much about the process—only about receiving the final product.
“Did Her Highness leave any other instructions?”
“Ahh, yes. She said she wouldn’t interfere with how you dealt with the opium. She advised you to use your discretion and not worry about her judgment.”
Gordon appeared almost envious, if not genuinely impressed. To him, opium was likely seen as a remedy for headaches and dental pain—far from the complex web Alan now found himself tangled in.
“All yours.”
The sigh escaped Alan as he re-examined the contract. It detailed the rights to all opium produced on a 30-hectare plot surrounding the palace—granted freely to him.
‘Of course. This was it.’
Siena had chosen opium as her reward.
She really was something extraordinary.