A few days later, the bustling harvest festival finally began.
Astelle found herself occupied from dawn to dusk, tending to endless details of the celebration. The whirlwind of preparation left her drained after the first day alone.
"Are you all right, Your Majesty?" Hannah asked, eyeing her with concern.
Astelle gave her a reassuring smile. "Yes, I'm fine. I just need to head to the stadium today."
As was customary, the Emperor and Empress were expected to attend together, though it was often the Empress alone who announced the start of the events.
Astelle and Theor set out from the palace in an elegant carriage, departing early to make a brief stop at Gretel's newly established herbal laboratory in the heart of the capital.
"Welcome, Your Majesty the Empress, Your Highness the Crown Prince!" Gretel greeted them warmly as they arrived.
"Aunt Gretel!" Theor ran to her with an enthusiastic hug, his face lighting up.
The lab was still a work in progress. On the lower level, a laboratory was set up for research and preparation of herbs, with a modest shop selling medicinal herbs and potions near the entrance. Upstairs, there were living quarters for Gretel.
"Everything seems to be coming along nicely," Astelle remarked, admiring the lab's progress.
As they walked through the lab, her gaze fell on a newly written herbal manuscript Gretel was working on. This book contained detailed notes on herbs from various regions, each accompanied by meticulous illustrations.
Astelle's attention was caught by a vibrant blue flower among the drawings. "I don't think I've seen this herb before."
Gretel nodded. "It's a rare herb with detoxifying properties."
"Does such a herb actually exist?" Astelle asked, surprised.
In truth, no single herb was known to counteract poison entirely; antidotes had to be custom-made for each type of toxin. The methods of detoxification varied widely depending on the poison, and there were many toxins for which no cure was known.
"I saw it once, in the southern mountain range, though I didn't bring any back with me."
"I'd love to see it," Astelle replied, intrigued.
Theor, who had been watching a bubbling pot on the table, dashed over to the door with sudden excitement. "Uncle Fritz!"
Fritz stepped in, dressed in the formal attire befitting a duke.
"Brother, what brings you here?" Astelle asked, smiling warmly.
Though Fritz had not yet fully inherited their father's title, he was already addressed as 'Duke' and had started attending official meetings in that capacity. He greeted Gretel with a polite smile before turning to Astelle.
"I heard you were stopping here on your way, so I thought I'd join you," he explained, his tone more reserved than usual given their surroundings.
Astelle leaned in slightly, her voice lowered. "How is Father?"
Fritz quickly reassured her, noticing the faint worry on her face. "He said he's not feeling well and won't attend today's events, but he promised he'd be at tomorrow's banquet."
The Duke had shown no alarming behavior recently, keeping mostly to himself at the mansion and refraining from meeting others.
Astelle turned to Gretel. "Gretel, would you like to join us for today's events?"
