As night fell, the air in Mom's room felt heavy, almost suffocating. The curtains were drawn, letting in only a sliver of orange light from outside, just enough to illuminate her pale face against the sheets.

  Lilith sat beside her, dabbing her forehead with a damp cloth. Zac stood near the door, silent, his arms crossed, as if unsure where to stand without getting in the way.

  According to Dad, Lilith was supposed to take care of her most of the day. Lilith had been born with the gift of healing magic. Her healing magic was weak and unstable, barely enough to alleviate pain but not to cure her.

  Even so, it was more than most people could offer.

  Magic wasn't commonplace. Even among the Naerun, being born with talent was almost a miracle. Lilith possessed it—weak, yes, but innate. Born to a commoner and a slave, she had inherited something that neither blood nor status could guarantee.

  "She looks terrible..." Lilith murmured, her eyes fixed on Mom's face.

  "Mom" could barely speak, only emitting soft sounds and slow breaths, but her eyes remained open, conscious, staring at us. That was what hurt the most.

  She knew who we were. She knew what was happening.

  I swallowed hard and uncorked the vial in my hand. The cork came out with a dry pop.

  "It's not the best I could do, but..." I said, unable to meet their eyes. "I'm not an alchemist or a doctor. I just... improvised."

  Lilith slowly turned to face me.

  "Then... why do you want to give it to her?" Her voice trembled slightly. "They're poisonous plants, Liang. I saw them. Even if Dad doesn't know... how can I be sure you're not poisoning her?"

  I didn't know how to respond immediately.

  "If you don't trust me, that's fine," I said finally, extending the vial to her. "After all... I wouldn't be sure either."

  Zac remained leaning against the wall. The old man was gone. After shopping, the guards had practically dragged him back to the mansion. I didn't know what had happened, but it didn't seem good.

  Lilith hesitated for an eternity.

  "What's your verdict, Mom?" Lilith whispered, holding out the flask.

  Mom raised her hand with difficulty... and nodded.

  Without hesitation.

  She took the flask with trembling fingers and brought it straight to her lips.

  She didn't smell it.

  She didn't taste it.

  She didn't ask any questions.

  She drank it all in one gulp.

  I felt my heart stop.

  "W-wait! Drink it slowly!" Lilith tried to stop her, but it was too late.

  Zac pushed himself off the wall and immediately approached.

  For a few seconds... nothing happened.

  The silence was deafening.

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  "It doesn't have an immediate effect..." I murmured, almost to myself, resting my chin in my hand. "That's... bad."

  Mom coughed. Once. Twice.

  "It burns quite a bit..." she said in a hoarse voice, "but... I suppose that's because of the moon lily..."

  "Moon Lily?!" Lilith cried out, her face pale. "D-don't pretend to be strong! Tell me how you feel!"

  Mom let out a small, weary laugh.

  "That's no way to treat your mother..."

  And then... she raised her hand.

  Lilith startled at Mom's touch.

  It wasn't weak.

  It wasn't clumsy.

  It was strong.

  The same hand that had fractured a finger just from leaning on it... now felt firm. Normal.

  Zac carefully took both of her hands, almost afraid they would break again.

  "N-no..." he murmured. "They're... fine..."

  Lilith stared at them in shock.

  "...It worked?"

  Mom took a deep breath. For the first time in days, her expression wasn't one of pain.

  "I feel... lighter," she said. "Like something has lifted from my chest."

  Lilith suddenly hugged her tightly.

  Zac joined the embrace without a word.

  I stood still.

  I felt air rush back into my lungs.

  Nothing had exploded.

  I hadn't killed her.

  I hadn't screwed up.

  It had just... worked.

  I shrugged, genuinely relieved, and let out a soft sigh. The achievement wasn't really mine; I had only remembered the recipe for a potion from the game that might help her. And boy, did it take some effort to recall.

  In the game's lore, there's a brief mention of how the protagonist healed her father, who suffered from the same illness. This protagonist, a genius in transmutation, alchemy, and herbalism, possesses unparalleled knowledge and is the sole user of light magic.

  I warned you that the game is full of otome clichés, right? Well, that doesn't change the fact that the brutality of this world is something you don't see in just any story. And honestly, I prefer to stay as far away from it as possible.

  "Liang," Mom said with a firm tone.

  I raised an eyebrow and looked at her. Zac and Lilith had released her; Lilith was wiping away tears, while Zac grinned smugly.

  "How did you know this potion could heal me, or even work at all?"

  I shrugged again.

  "I didn't know that. I saw it on one of my trips to the capital with Zac—the recipe for a potion that could cure curses if used correctly."

  "So that's why the holy water..." he murmured, his dull eyes suddenly glowing with a vibrant blue light.

  He examined the vial intently.

  "These ingredients are incredibly strange... No alchemist would ever think to make something like this."

  "But what about a Goblin?" I tapped my head with my finger several times.

  "G-Goblin...?" Zac raised an eyebrow, equally puzzled.

  "You know how Gnomes and Goblins compete to create the best inventions? The Dwarves withdrew from the competition long ago because they couldn't keep up with the madness of these lunatics."

  "But how do you know all this...?" Lilith sounded suspicious.

  "I read quite a bit in my free time," I lied quickly. "Dad's books in his office are actually quite interesting."

  "Hmm..." She seemed only weakly convinced.

  "But what's your point?" Mom asked firmly.

  "That I copied the recipe from a Goblin, Mom." I nodded. "They're obsessed with their inventions, and even more so with alchemy."

  "I think I remember something about that..." Zac scratched his head. "I lost Liang for a few moments about two months ago when we went to buy the Mare."

  Mom and Lilith stared at him.

  "I lost Liang when I left him standing still for a moment while I paid for the Mare. Then I found him with old Hao and his partner, Hi... Hu? Hob... Hob the Goblin, he called himself."

  "Wait, and he just gave you the recipe like that?"

  Zac nodded.

  "That sounds too..." Lilith remained skeptical.

  Mom gave her a sharp rap on the head.

  "Agh! What was that for?!"

  "Don't raise your voice at me like that!" Mom raised her hand again.

  Lilith flinched, and Mom sighed.

  "We shouldn't be ungrateful for something that practically saved us, and neither should you." Mom lowered her head in gratitude. "Thank you, Liang, to you and... Hob the Goblin?" she said, chuckling slightly.

  I nodded in agreement.

  After that, Dad was amazed. I think he cried the most when he saw his wife finally returning to normal.

  Zac was tasked with planting the seeds the old man had bought and using his talent to make them germinate. Meanwhile, Lilith was relieved of her responsibilities of healing and caring for Mom, so she was now free to do practically whatever she wanted.

  I lay back in the grass, gazing up at the starry sky. It was breathtakingly beautiful at this altitude, and being so close to the stars gave my heart a gentle flutter. I smiled contentedly as I connected the stars to form shapes.

  "I changed the destinies of three people with a simple potion," I murmured, sighing softly. A smile tugged at my lips. "I'll never change... helping others will always be what makes me happiest."

  A shooting star streaked across the sky before me, and I saw the halo smiling even brighter.

  "Then that's what I'll do..." I sketched a rough plan in my mind. "Maybe I'll become an alchemist or herbalist... but"—I clenched my fists, filled with determination—"I want to live a peaceful life helping others."

  It's a simple dream, but... in this fantasy world, I don't want to gamble on being a hero who defeats villains. No... I just want a quiet life.