Yuna knelt in the academy garden, yanking out a particularly stubborn weed like it had personally wronged her. Gardening was supposed to be a peaceful activity, wasn't it? So why did it feel like manual labor?!
Honestly, why was she the only one who could produce Elezar potions at the academy?
…Oh. Right. Because her master had the tendency to "borrow"—read: shamelessly snatch—rare study materials from other apothecarists and then dump them on Yuna like some benevolent scholar. The method for brewing Elezar potions? A highly classified process known only to the upper ranks of the apothecary guild. But thanks to her master's sticky fingers, Yuna now had access to this priceless knowledge.
Lucky her. Cue the sarcasm.
Whenever Yuna thought about Elezar sickness—like a million ants relentlessly gnawing at a person's body—just the mere thought sent a shiver down her spine.
No one deserved to suffer through that kind of agony.
With a resigned sigh, she gave a firm tug, yanking out yet another stubborn weed. Elezar herbs, for all their supposed medicinal value, had an infuriating tendency to attract weeds like a magnet. Worse yet, while the weeds thrived, the delicate Elezar herbs would wither and die if left unchecked.
Truly, what an annoying plant.
Yuna wiped the dirt off her hands just as footsteps approached. 'Ah. Here come the usual suspects'
Scilla, her two younger brothers, and the boy she had dragged into the academy all stood before her, wearing their signature awkward expressions. Yuna didn't even bother waiting for them to speak—she already knew what they wanted. Without a word, she pulled out a potion and handed it to Scilla.
Scilla took it carefully, as if it were a sacred relic. "Thank—"
"If you say 'thank you,'" Yuna interrupted flatly, "I'm going to start charging you a gratitude tax."
The boy chuckled under his breath, but Yuna ignored him.
'There. Transaction complete. Now I can get back to work'
Or at least, she thought she could—until she realized none of them had left.
They were all staring at her garden.
She blinked. "What?"
No answer. Just… more staring.
Her patience thinned. "What?"
Scilla hesitated before finally asking, "You… planted these?"
Yuna gave her a blank look. "No, they magically appeared overnight," she deadpanned. "Of course, I planted them."
Scilla's younger brother rubbed the back of his neck. "You never mentioned it."
The three siblings, having done their own research on Elezar, knew exactly what kind of plants were required to make the potion. They also knew that these particular herbs were notorious for being fragile, expensive, and a complete pain to grow.
Meanwhile, Yuna just shrugged.
What was the big deal? She had a habit of planting leftover herb stalks from any potion she learned to make—the easy ones, at least. Well… Elezar herbs weren't exactly "easy," but hey, a plant was a plant. Might as well grow it.
"It's just a hobby," she said nonchalantly.
Which, technically, wasn't a lie.
As an apothecarist, she shouldn't be picky about what kinds of herbs she tended. She should want to plant everything! Yes! That was the correct mindset!
Look at her mindset! Her master should be really proud of her right now!
Scilla's grip on the potion tightened. "You're really—"
She caught herself just in time. If she said "kind" or "thoughtful," Yuna would probably look at her like she had just committed a grave sin.
Silence settled between them.
Yuna finally pointed toward the other heart class students tending the garden. "Go get your potions from our heart class apothecarists and alchemist."
"Umm…" The boy acknowledge softly.
Heart class potions were the cheapest, but there were only two apothecarists and one alchemist producing them, and demand far outweighed supply. That was why Yuna had generously opened a backdoor for these four, ensuring they always had a private stash of potions set aside.
They always come back with wounds of different degree, it's an annoying sight so Yuna merely instruct her classmate to reserve a stash of potion for them to buy.
Behind her, the four exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable. They were grateful—deeply so—but Yuna, in her usual fashion, didn't seem to notice. As far as she was concerned, they got their medicine, and she got her garden. End of story.
Still, they lingered a little longer, watching her work, their gazes filled with unspoken appreciation.
Yuna, however, remained blissfully unaware.
...
The students who went out to forage in the academy forest usually took advantage of the two-day break from classes. Normally, Yuna wouldn't bother seeing anyone off—why waste the energy? But this time, because she was the one who suggested that Scilla, her siblings, and the boy team up with Austin, she lazily dragged herself over to send them off.
Austin, for once, declined to join the Crown Prince's entourage, choosing instead to hunt separately with the new team. Yuna, ever the dutiful supplier of sustenance, handed him a potion she personally concocted. He took it without question, as expected.
The moment Austin and his group left, a voice full of thinly veiled displeasure piped up.
"Did you win over Austin by giving him your cheap potions?"
Yuna sighed internally. Here we go again.
The source of the pettiness? Cailum.
The reason for his tantrum? Austin choosing to go with someone else instead of sticking to the Crown Prince's group. And since no one but Yuna could make Austin change his mind, the blame naturally fell on her.
The Crown Prince, standing nearby, didn't say a word but made no effort to stop Cailum's passive-aggressive tirade either. Clearly, he found the drama amusing. To him, Yuna was nothing more than a clingy parasite latching onto Austin, constantly hovering around him. He had encountered plenty of people like her before—shameless, insufferable, and downright irritating.
Yuna rolled her eyes so hard she nearly saw her past life. She turned to Cailum and, without an ounce of warmth, stated:
"You're such a nosy bitch." As she had said before, she has a temper.
Yuna does not even bother to minced her word and straight out cuss at him.
Cailum's face turned an impressive shade of red—whether from anger or embarrassment, she didn't care to find out.
Without another glance, Yuna turned on her heel and walked away, paying his outrage as much attention as she would a buzzing mosquito.
....well....buzzing mosquito is irritating as heck, she want to slap it to death.