The Saintess Became the Northern Grand Duke's Daughter - Chapter 88

 

The Duke, who was looking at Liriette with longing, turned his gaze slightly.

 

Raphael was standing a step away.

 

“You’re going with the Prince again this time?”

 

“Yes. Thanks to His Highness the Prince, I was able to study the Kukurk fruit and change my perception.”

 

Thus she readily accepted Raphael’s offer to go with her.

 

Although the Duke had heard the story in advance and knew that Raphael would be accompanying her, his blue eyes became as cold as ice.

 

The gaze was so dreary that Gull, next to Raphael, sweated and took a step back.

 

However, Raphael, who met the Duke’s gaze head-on, smiled brightly.

 

‘That guy is no ordinary brat.’

 

The Duke looked at Raphael with a fierce expression, then turned his head toward Liriette.

 

“Then be careful.”

 

Liriette, who was hugged by his huge body, smiled brightly and nodded.

 

“Be careful, Duke.” 

 

After the heartfelt greeting, the Duke flew up onto the giant deer with his cloak fluttering.

 

Liriette also rode the deer with Villaim.

 

After a while, the two began to move, leading the knights.

 

The Duke headed north where the monsters were.

 

Liriette headed west where Kukurk’s village was.

 

***

 

When Liriette arrived at Achita Village, the villagers welcomed her with tears of joy.

 

Ran, whose face was covered in purple spots, spoke with a noticeably brighter face.

 

“Until just a few months ago, this village was a land of death. No one except those with purple spots would dare to come near it.”

 

But not anymore.

 

Dozens of people came every day.

 

To see the rumored Kukurk land or to buy Kukurk fruits.

 

There were even those who wanted to buy the entire land.

 

“More than anything, people who left their hometown, saying that there was no future but starvation, have started to return.”

 

Ran guided Liriette with a face full of emotion. In the vast land, people were sweating and planting seeds.

 

“We all joined forces to start growing Kukurk fruits.”

 

The villagers didn’t know much about the fruits. Nevertheless, they had hope that they would grow well.

 

“Because it’s a plant that grows better than anything else in the land contaminated with the poison of Kukurk.”

 

She smiled brightly as she saw purple sprouts sprouting one by one in the once barren land without a single weed.

 

Liriette, who was looking at the farmland with a happy face, handed Ran a thick notebook.

 

“This is a book with information about Kukurk berries.”

 

Liriette had been researching the berries until recently. This time, she wasn’t alone, but invited experts together.

 

The book was written in detail about the poison of Kukurk fruits.

 

About where exactly the poison is and how the poison can be effectively removed.

 

“For now, I’ve focused on the poison, but I plan to gradually expand the scope of my research.”

 

Effective methods for growing the berries, storage methods, processing methods… As the research progressed, the Kukurk fruit would become a more commercially viable product.

 

Ran held the thick book in her arms and shed tears.

 

“Thank you, Princess.”

 

With this, Ran was able to live with her family without leaving her hometown.

 

However, Liriette knew that her suffering wasn’t over.

 

“The perception of Kukurk fruit has changed dramatically, saying that it’s a precious food for nobles… but not for people, right?”

 

Ran’s eyes widened at the sudden remark.

 

It was just as she had said.

 

Unlike the purple fruit that was gaining explosive popularity, those with purple spots on their bodies were still criticized.

 

Liriette said, holding Ran’s hand.

 

“However, as Kukurk fruit becomes more popular with people, that perception will gradually disappear.”

 

And someday, people will think of purple spots not as traces of a curse, but as ordinary scars.

 

She added.

 

“I will try to make that happen. In the name of the Duke of Windsor-Ice.”

 

“…”

 

Ran stared blankly at her, then she burst into tears, saying, “Huwaaa, Princess!”

 

Liriette patted the back of Ran, who was older and more mature than her.

 

Raphael, who was standing one step behind, watched her with excited eyes.

 

***

 

The road back from the village to the Windsor-Ice Castle was arduous.

 

They had to walk on the rough mountain path for three days without stopping.

 

“I’ll take a short break and go.”

 

A break was given along with Villaim’s words.

 

Taking advantage of the gap, Liriette took out a leather pouch. The pouch was filled with all sorts of things.

 

A doll made with crooked stitches. A ribbon made of worn-out cloth. A deer statue carved from a dry tree.

 

The things that looked old and useless at first glance were gifts given to Liriet by the villagers.

 

[Princess Windsor Ice. Thank you.]

 

Liriette smiled brightly as she read the letter with the picture of winged Liriette. Raphael, who was sitting next to her, raised the corners of his lips.

 

“You look happy.”

 

“Yes, I am.”

 

The eyes of the people who were thanking Liriette as she left the village were different from before.

 

The emotion in their eyes was no longer frustration, but hope.

 

That was so satisfying and happy.

 

“Wasn’t that the case for you too?”

 

The villagers didn’t just thank Liriette. They bowed their heads to Raphael several times.

 

Raphael muttered to himself, recalling the people who had been looking at him with tearful faces.

 

“It wasn’t bad.”

 

No. It was pretty good.

 

At least it was much better than the moment when he had to smile and laugh to gain people’s favor.

 

Liriette said as she looked at Raphael, who was looking down at her with his eyes closed and lost in thought.

 

“Now that I think about it, I haven’t said something important yet.”

 

“…?”

 

 Liriette bowed her head to Raphael.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“…!”

 

“Your Highness helped me, so I was able to achieve good results. So if you need help at any time, please let me know. I want to help Your Highness, too.”

 

Raphael looked at Liriette with slightly wide eyes, then lowered his eyebrows.

 

“Didn’t the Young Princess dislike me?”

 

“Dislike and gratitude are two different things. And to be exact, I didn’t dislike you, I was wary. The Duke and His Imperial Majesty the Emperor aren’t on good terms.”

 

That relationship hasn’t changed even now.

 

However…

 

Liriette and Raphael have spent quite a long time together, and they have learned a lot about each other. Above all, they have accomplished great things together.

 

She didn’t want to simply define him as the ‘son of the enemy.’

 

And in order to do that, there was something she had to say.

 

“Your Highness, may I ask you something?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Liriette, confirming that there was no one nearby, opened her mouth in a small voice. 

 

“Is Your Highness involved in the snake bite incident that happened to the maid Marie?”

 

“…!”

 

Raphael’s eyes widened at the unexpected words.

 

To be exact, it was the servant’s doing. He said he had to check if Liriette could use divine power.

 

However, no matter what, Raphael was clearly an accomplice.

 

He clenched his fists.

 

‘It happened without evidence or witnesses.’

 

So if he shook his head with a blank expression, the Princess would eventually believe him.

 

Just like everyone else.

 

…Yet strangely, he didn’t want to lie to Liriette.

 

So Raphael nodded with a stern face.

 

“Yes.”

 

Liriette wasn’t surprised.

 

She simply nodded indifferently and asked.

 

“Why did you do that? Did you do it as a joke?”

 

“No!”

 

“Or did you want to hurt Marie?”

 

“No!”

 

“…Then was there an unavoidable reason why you couldn’t tell me?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Although it was a bit harsh, it was true.

 

Raphael couldn’t refuse Gull’s words that he had to check if Liriette was using his power at all costs.

 

All the young prince could do was persuade him to change it to a snake with less lethal venom, since even if a single maid died, things would get worse.

 

In the still silence, Liriette reached out.

 

Raphael tightly closed his eyes, thinking that she would slap him, asking how he could do such a vicious thing.

 

However, Liriette’s hands reached out to Raphael’s cheeks.

 

She squeezed his cheeks.

 

With all her might, tears welling up under Raphael’s large purple eyes.