Ten'yuu, the eighteenth prince, never had any illusions about being a ruler, but he did love his mother and was heartbroken when she developed a wasting disease that would eventually leave her bedridden. He rushed to Salutania as a transfer student to look into a rumor that Sei had given the sea captain a high-grade potion.


He asks Sei to present his case to them even though it appears he no longer believes Sei to be the alchemist he is looking for. Ten'yuu's inability to identify the particular illnesses his mother is afflicted with makes the process of creating a remedy even more challenging. While his mother is too frail to make the trip to Salutania, the alchemist has every chance of reaching Zaidera.



It's quite the pickle, but Sei tells Johan she plans to create a treatment, something Ten'yuu can bring back to his nation to treat whatever illness his mother may have. Sei feels bad for having to keep hiding who she really is. Johan thinks the plan is good as long as Sei stays discreet and cautious.


As soon as Sei reaches a dead end, Al comes home having fulfilled his vow to see and welcome her before anybody else. In addition, he gave Sei a unique present as a mark of his love—a jar of apple blossom honey that would go well with her tea.


Though she's loving the apple honey so much that it not only calms her down after worrying about the dead end to her research, but also advances it, this may have been the ideal opportunity for Al to finally tell Sei how he feels about her. She never considered including apples in her remedy.


Johan is able to obtain an apple sapling, which he has hidden away in the royal conservatory. Using her magical abilities, Sei expedites its growth and causes it to bear fruit beyond its usual season, yielding an abundance of apples that she requires to finish her cure. But I do wish they had explained how she discovered the formula in a bit more depth.


Instead, Ten'yuu is brought before the king, who claims to have prepared the potions from the royal pantry, that they were created by a renowned alchemist, and that the formulas for them have been lost to time, all in keeping with everyone's need to keep Sei's hands off of this.

At first, Ten'yuu declines the present since he cannot repay it, but the king assures him that he doesn't have to worry about paying him back right immediately. Jude and Sei talk about how Ten'yuu returned to Zaidera after making the potions. She was able to assist Ten'yuu and his mother in this way without giving away her saintliness. Everyone benefits!


I couldn't help but think that Sei's description of the apple honey in her tea—"a gentle sweetness"—sounds like the ideal way to characterize both herself and the program overall. Sei is exactly that—kind, gentle, sweet, and talented. If only she had believed that she was deserving of Al's love and confidence!