Cheion’s eyes widened at the unexpected statement.
“Contagious?”
“Yes. That’s what healers have always said. It’s an illness with an unknown cause, and there’s a chance it could spread to others...”
Alex couldn’t finish his sentence. When he saw Cheion’s face, the man looked like he was barely holding back tears.
“You... You’ve been hearing things like that your whole life?”
“......”
His voice trembled slightly. The thought of his younger brother having to endure such words seemed to pain him deeply.
Cheion stepped closer and pulled Prince Alex into an embrace.
“..Haha.”
A hollow laugh slipped from Prince Alex’s lips.
“He would be horrified if he ever found out.”
“What?”
“...Nothing.”
Prince Alex shook his head. He met Cheion’s gaze with a faint smile and hugged him back tightly.
***
“Did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
“About Mr. Paino next door.”
“Ah, you mean the one who lost his leg to a monster after going into the forest recently?”
Two women in their thirties chatted as they drew water from the village well.
“Still, at least he made it out alive.”
“You still haven’t heard?”
“Heard what?”
The woman gave her a puzzled look.
“Mr. Paino’s leg grew back!”
“What?”
The bucket slipped from the woman’s hands and splashed back into the well.
“What nonsense are you saying? How could a leg eaten by a monster grow back?”
“Exactly! That’s why everyone’s calling it a miracle.”
“Really?”
The woman stared back in shock, completely forgetting about the bucket sitting at the bottom of the well.
Seeing her reaction, the other woman lowered her voice and whispered.
“Apparently...”
“......?”
“It was the work of a Saintess.”
“A Saintess?”
“You haven’t heard? They say there’s a woman going around the villages near here healing the sick.”
Recently, rumors had been spreading among the villages closest to the Principality of Persia. A young woman who appeared to be in her twenties was said to be traveling around and curing those suffering from illnesses.
At first, everyone thought it was nothing more than a rumor. But it turned out that the one who healed Mr. Paino, who lived at the edge of the village, was none other than this Saintess. They said that the right leg he had lost to a monster had grown back completely, as if it had never been injured in the first place.
“That can’t be true.”
“That’s why everyone finds it so unbelievable. Could she really be a Saintess?”
“A Saintess...”
“Why not? They say that long ago, there was another Saintess who restored a severed arm and healed a damaged hand completely.”
“Really? Was there someone else like that?”
“Who was it again? I heard she was the head of a very famous family in the capital. They said she lived more than 300 years ago, but... huh?”
As their gazes turned toward a certain direction, the conversation came to an abrupt stop. A man and a woman were walking a short distance away from them.
“Isn’t that Mr. John?”
“It is. But who’s the woman with him?”
John, who lived in the same village as them, was hurrying somewhere with a woman they had never seen before. It was the woman beside him who immediately caught their attention.
Her silver hair shimmered beneath the sunlight, and her flawless pale skin stood out against the ordinary surroundings. Anyone could tell that she wasn’t someone who belonged in a remote village like this.
“......”
As though she had sensed their eyes on her, the silver-haired woman turned toward them as she walked.
When she greeted them with a bright smile, the two women could only stare, momentarily captivated.
“This way.”
“Yes.”
At John’s urging, the woman quickly followed after him.
“Who was that?”
“I wonder.”
It was only after the two had disappeared from sight that the women finally started talking again.
“Isn’t John’s wife seriously ill?”
“She is. I heard she accidentally touched a poisonous herb, and the rot had spread through almost her entire left hand.”
“Hmm... I should visit her later.”
“Good idea. I’ll come with you.”
With one more thing added to their list for the day, the two women hurried to haul the bucket back up from the well.
***
“Ugh... haa... ngh...”
Painful groans escaped endlessly from the woman lying in bed.
“H-How is she?”
A small, pale hand carefully examined her condition. John’s eyes filled with tears as he looked at his wife’s hand, where the spreading rot had already blackened everything up to her wrist.
“It’s gotten quite severe...”
The woman sighed before looking back at John with a gentle smile.
“But I think I can heal her.”
“R-Really?!”
John’s voice trembled. He had allowed himself a small glimmer of hope, but could she really save his wife?
The woman didn’t answer. Instead, she placed her hand over the one that had been consumed by rot.
Whoosh!
A white mist-like light flowed from her palm and seeped into his wife’s hand.
“Gasp!”
John’s eyes widened. The blackened hand that had been rotting away returned to its original state in an instant.
“D-Dear...”
His wife, who had been unable to even open her eyes from the pain, called out to him. Her voice was still weak, but the agony that had filled it earlier was gone.
“Ah...”
The tears John had been holding back finally spilled over.
“Thank you... Thank you so much!”
He clasped his wife’s hand tightly and bowed repeatedly. Watching him, the silver-haired woman smiled and shook her head.
“I’m just happy I was able to help.”
Overcome with gratitude, John bowed to her once more.
“Saintess... I don’t know how I could ever repay you for this kindness...”
The woman thought for a moment before making a request.
“Then, could you tell me the way?”
“The way? Just tell me where you need to go. I’ll take you there myself!”
“No, that’s alright. Just telling me the way is enough.”
“Where to...?”
“The Principality of Persia.”
“Huh?”
John’s mouth fell open in shock before he immediately shook his head.
“Why would you go there? It’s far too dangerous!”
The Principality of Persia was no different from the Ice Tree Forest. It was a place where one could run into monsters several times a day.
And yet the Saintess herself was saying she intended to go there!
“There’s someone I must meet.”
The woman’s smile grew warmer.
“An old friend.”
***
“.....You’re the worst.”
“......”
“You’re seriously too much.”
“What?”
Ceres glared at Kainel as he walked beside her with his usual calm expression. But no matter how fiercely she looked at him, the smile on his lips never disappeared.
“You’re ridiculously wealthy, but you’re still planning to make me pay back every last coin?”
I mean, I already told you I’m Grace.
“Business and personal matters should always be kept separate.”
“Sure, sure. You’re amazing.”
Kainel smiled as though she had just praised him. That only made him more irritating.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you getting ready?”
“Getting ready for what?”
“There’s an Imperial Council meeting today.”
“...You want me to come with you?”
“Yes. You need to pay back your debt.”
“.......”
She was going to pay it back anyway, but having him openly demand it was very annoying. No, maybe annoying wasn’t the right word. It was a little hurtful.
You and I aren’t strangers who should be acting like this over money, are we?
Even after she revealed that she was Grace, he still showed up with the contract and refused to offer any reduction. Somehow, that left her feeling disappointed.
“You’re so rich, yet you’re being this petty.”
“Having money doesn’t mean I enjoy wasting it.”
“Am I a waste to you?”
“Then maybe you should have told me who you were before signing the contract.”
“...Ha. So that’s what this is about.”
He was getting back at her for not telling him sooner.
“Fine. I admit it. It’s my fault.”
“Good. At least you understand.”
Could you stop smiling like that? It’s seriously annoying.
Once again, Ceres ended up following Kainel to the Imperial Council Hall. She was grumbling under her breath the entire way.
“Hm?”
But when Ceres stepped inside the hall, she immediately sensed something was wrong.
The place, which was usually filled with noisy discussions, was eerily quiet. It was almost as if Kainel had already taken his seat inside.
Everyone sat quietly, carefully watching someone’s reaction. After following their gazes, Ceres widened her eyes.
“Ah.”
Two familiar faces were sitting there.
At the sound of her voice, Duchess Elkein and Duke Nora, who had been sitting with bored expressions, turned their heads toward her. Their eyes widened as well.
“Ceres?”
“My dear!”
The two immediately rose from their seats and hurried over.
“Wow, I can’t believe we’re seeing our Ceres again. What brings you here?”
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter