The Abandoned Heiress Gets Rich with Alchemy and Buys an Enemy General
Vol. 1 - Ch. 3 - Julius Craft, the Black Prince - 3

I carefully washed his wounded eye, creating plenty of foam. Although Julius didn't appear to be in pain, he seemed bothered. Still,  even if he had a displeased expression, I wouldn't show any mercy. After all, uncleanliness leads to mental unhealthiness. And in order to fit my specially made prosthetic eye, the affected area needs to be clean.

"What color should the prosthetic eye be, Julius-san? Since your other eye is blue, how about deliberately choosing a different color? Mismatched eyes can be quite intriguing, don't you think?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Well, since it's blue, how about going for red? It's quite exciting, don't you think? You can also have various abilities. After all, I'm the renowned alchemist in town. My specially made prosthetic eye is extremely valuable, so you should be more appreciative, Julius-san."

"Weren't you supposed to avoid things that don't bring in money, Chloe?"

He called me by my name, catching me off guard as I momentarily paused. I rinsed his wounded eye thoroughly with the showerhead. The overflowing water disappeared down the drain, making my feet feel warm from the water. 

Maybe I should take a bath when Julius is done. After all, my clothes are wet, so that might not be a bad idea.

"Prosthetic eyes are free. Clothes, meals---everything is free. Julius-san belongs to me now, so providing these things for you is my duty as the master. In return, Julius-san..."

"You said I should work like a carthorse."

"Exactly. That's right. Julius-san, you're strong, right? I heard you performed quite well in the slave arena and had significant accomplishments in the recent battle. Although I don't know the details, but..."

Julius was the neighboring country's general.

When they heard the name 'Black Prince Julius,' everyone in the Astoria Kingdom would tremble in fear. Except me.

The neighboring Dystiana Empire was a vast country. The alliance of small countries, including the Astoria Kingdom, had long been threatened by their invasion. However, three years ago, when Julius, the Black Prince, was betrayed by his own country and sold to the Astoria Kingdom, the Dystiana Empire put an end to its aggression.

I didn't know about it at the time because I had my own struggles, but I heard rumors about it later on.

"Even though you have blond hair, you're called the Black Prince because you wore black armor and rode a black wyvern. And you inherited the Dukedom of the Kraft family in the Dystiana Empire at a young age, right? But then you were sold to the Astoria Kingdom and ended up in the slave arena. I'd say we're a perfect match, Julius-san."

"Who's a perfect match with whom?"

"You and I, Julius-san. We have similar unfortunate circumstances."

"Was that the reason why you bought me? Out of sympathy?" Julius said dismissively.

Perhaps it was because I had cleaned him up nicely, but Julius was starting to regain his original beauty. Beautiful golden hair, pale skin, long eyelashes, a high nose, and thin lips. His gaze was somewhat sharp, and his eye color was dull, but he was indeed a handsome man, as rumored.

"It's not like that at all. I bought you because you're strong. Not just anyone, but someone exceptionally strong. You see, Julius-san, gathering alchemical materials is quite dangerous, you know?"

"How ridiculous."

"It's not ridiculous at all. Both you and I are no longer nobles, so if we're careless with our money, we'll be penniless in no time. I'll earn the money, so please defeat monsters efficiently. I'm counting on you."

"As long as I have this collar, I have no choice but to obey you," Julius said indifferently.

Then he immersed himself in the bathtub and closed his eyes. Despite being the one treating Julius's hair, it felt more like I was his slave rather than his master.

I wrapped Julius in a fluffy towel after he got out of the bath and led him to the room. Then I had him sit on a single-seat round chair.

Quickly changing out of my wet apron dress, I decided to take a bath later; after all, Julius was still naked, so I couldn't just leave him like that. After grabbing a black and white apron from the closet and hastily putting it on, I quickly returned to Julius.

Using warm wind magic, I dried Julius's damp golden hair. I had considered creating alchemical devices for drying hair, but using warm wind magic was more convenient, so I hadn't developed such devices yet.

Warm air gushed out from both of my hands, quickly drying his hair.

"Oh...! Julius-san, you look beautiful! Now that you're cleaned up, you appear even more stunning."

His golden hair, sparkling like sunlight piercing through cloudy skies, had regained its luster. It was straight with no curls, cut unevenly. Some parts reached shoulder length, while others were as short as the base of his neck. His pretty eye, framed by long, golden eyelashes, peered through the gap in his bangs that partially concealed the other eye. He was tall and muscular, and the scars scattered across his body somehow accentuated his beauty. 

He appeared to be considerably older than me, perhaps in his late twenties at most.

My former fiancé, Cyril, was indeed handsome, but compared to Julius, I couldn't help but feel that something was lacking.

"You look quite ordinary, Chloe."

"Stop it. I used to be considered quite attractive. Nevertheless, I'm still a beautiful alchemist, you know!"

"Well, that's a relief."

"You just made fun of me, didn't you? Well, no matter. Kind Chloe has already prepared some clothes for you. It's an all-size robe that anyone can wear, though, because I don't know your size."

I enthusiastically retrieved a black robe from the closet. But since I had chosen the largest size available, it was surprisingly heavy. They say big things can accommodate smaller ones, and considering Julius's size, it should fit him just fine.

I draped the robe over Julius's head, covering him from head to toe with the hooded garment that also had sleeves. I took the towel he had been using and tossed it into the changing room.

Returning from the changing room, I saw Julius comfortably lying on my bed. It was a simple double bed with no canopy or anything fancy, just covered with a pretty floral-patterned sheet that I had bought somewhere.

Julius, in his pitch-black robe, seemed at ease on the bed, although it didn't quite suit him. Stepping closer, I reached out and tugged on his robe.

"What are you doing, lying down like that? This is my bed, you know."

"I took a refreshing bath, so I want to take a nap."

"Do you think you have the freedom to do that? Come on, get up. We still have things to do, like shopping for your clothes and weapons."

"I'm fine with anything simple. Just a sword and a spear will do. Even if they're dull, it's fine."

"I can't carry such heavy things by myself, and you're my slave, so you can't leave my side."

"Then let's do it tomorrow."

"Are you being a spoiled child now? This is my bed, you know. Please get out of the way."

Julius looked up at me with a hint of amusement as he lay down.

"The first constraint is that I have to be within the distance of your voice. In other words, it means we have to sleep in the same room. The second constraint is that I'm not allowed to do anything that makes you uncomfortable, but it seems that there's no penalty here. So that means you don't dislike it."

"Are you playing detective, Julius-san? Please don't speculate on your own. Are you perhaps... already tired?"

"I've been constantly vigilant every day to avoid getting my throat slit. Talking to you, an idiot, makes me lower my guard," Julius said before letting out a light yawn.

He really did look sleepy.

"Well, I guess there's no helping it. I'll go make the prosthetic eye, so please rest. You're getting quite the special treatment, Julius-san, so be grateful."

"Thank you for that."

After a casual response, Julius closed his eye, and soon, I could hear his gentle snores.

He must have been through a lot, just like me.

I quietly left the room, letting him rest. There's no urgent request at the moment, so it should be fine. Moving away from the sleeping Julius, I took a bath and prepared myself for my next task.

Even when I got out of the bath, Julius was still sleeping. I observed his peaceful sleeping form, noting that his long golden eyelashes cast shadows on his cheeks. I wished I could fill the hollow where his eye used to be, which seemed out of place on his beautiful face. His skin was slightly wrinkled. With a prosthetic eye and a healing spell, he would probably look much better.

I went downstairs and stood in front of the alchemy furnace.

"The materials for the prosthetic eye are an Evil Eye's eyeball, a crystal that has seen the unseen, and sparkling holy water. I'll also add a ruby because I want it to be red. As for the ability... maybe something like the 'True Anagram.'"

I took the materials out of my infinite storage trunk and placed them into a large black alchemical cauldron, which was larger than my outstretched hands. The materials melted in the purified water inside the cauldron. With my hands raised above the cauldron, I poured my magic into it while assembling the materials. The purified water emitted a rainbow-colored light, and the prosthetic eye floated up into view.

I picked up the perfectly round eyeball with my fingers. There was a red iris at the center of the white eyeball.

"This looks good. Now, let's see... the effect will be the 'True Anagram.' It seems to be functioning properly. As expected of me, the genius alchemist Chloe-chan."

I placed the prosthetic eye on a tray on the table. The red part of the eye had a hexagram pattern and it looked quite impressive. I was sure Julius would be satisfied. I took the prosthetic eye and returned to my room. The sun was beginning to set, and Julius seemed to be still asleep.