Chapter 107

“Hunf, this little. Are you skipping one and asking two questions at once?”

“I definitely believed it would go well.”

“Why?”

“Because the best recognizes the best.”

Gallius burst into laughter, at Luciel’s witty comeback.

“I mean, the little kid is no joke.”

He rubbed his chin and told her the results.

“I decided to get support from Bellstein. On the condition that it’s three times the amount set to be given by the Baluk Guild. I think we’ll come to an agreement to pay some money to Baluk instead of working on the rest of the buildings decided on the prior contract.”

“Wow, that’s good. Then you don’t have to pay attention to them anymore.”

Luciel was really happy that the negotiation went well. That way, Gallius can focus only on Bellstein’s work.

“Congratulations.”

“I’m not forgetting your help. Is there anything you would like to have?”

After thinking for a while, Luciel decided to save it for the future. There’s still a long way to go before reinforcing the Black Wall.

Ellington, who followed Gallius with the contract documents from the office, greeted Luciel lightly and smiled.

“Little Madam, are you here? With this sponsorship, Bellstein now has a strong architect, so everyone is looking forward to it. Did you know that it’s all thanks to you? When I get paid, I will buy you something delicious.”

“It’s not all thanks to me. But I won’t say no to delicious things.”

After she answered with a smile, Ellington greeted Gallius with his eyes and went on his way.

As Luciel entered the office, the Duke barely took his gaze off the documents before bending his eyes.

“Luciel?”

“I came because I had something to report.”

Luciel placed the report on his desk with a small hand. The Duke looked at it for a long time until the tea cooled, then opened his mouth.

“It looks like you met the citizens.”

Luciel nodded her head. She thought it would be better to properly deliver it all at once if possible, so after she met the citizens with Kizef, she had met them about two more times.

The first aid kit was made and distributed by Cicline, but it was only temporary.

“The most pressing issue is the health of the citizens. Currently, there is a problem that medicine is not easily available in the territory.”

“Hmm…….”

“So I thought about it, and I think it would be good to set up a shop that sells simple emergency medicines made by Cicline in a place frequented by the citizens.”

“…… It’s a problem I see often.”

“As a demonstration, how about setting it up on my little fief first?”

“It’ll cost you a lot to make medicine, be it manpower or resources.”

“The medicine will be made by Cicline. I will use the pocket money grandma gave me. So, I would like to recommend her as a pharmacist for Bellstein.”

“She didn’t even graduate from a formal medicinal academy, right……?”

The Duke questioned Luciel’s opinion.

“As I said last time, she has a talent for medicine. The knights and servants of the castle also benefited from her medicine. I and Leoni did the same.”

“Hmm…….if you say so, it’s fine. Let’s put it on the agenda of the meeting of political affairs. But it’s good to be aware that the Vassals may be picky about her qualifications.”

Luciel was in trouble for a moment. The Academy of Herbal Medicine was a place that took more than four years to graduate once entered. And usually when someone graduates, they get a job in the Imperial Palace. It was a field of study that took a lot of time, effort, and money.

It would be nice to let Cicline go there, but until she can graduate, the difficulty for the people to find medicine persists, and the time to make the mana nutrients is also delayed.

Moreover, in Luciel’s eyes, Cicline was already knowledgeable enough about medicinal herbs.

Wouldn’t there be some other way to prove your credentials?

At that moment, Luciel’s eyes caught the Imperial newspaper lying on the desk. There an article was written.

<The schedule for the Imperial Exam of Qualification for Certified Pharmacists.>

‘This is it. The pharmacist qualification exam is to be held next month! If she passes, she’ll be fully qualified.’

“Father-in-law, if she passes this test, will she be recognized by the vassals?”

Luciel gave a broad smile as she showed the article.

“Surely she will be recognized. I have a lot of work to do thanks to Luciel.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“No. I meant it in a good way.”

In addition to Cicline’s topic, Luciel smiled brightly at the Duke’s promise to discuss other things and put the proposal that she brought on the agenda of her meeting.

Luciel grabbed the Lenny cookies and walked out the corridor of the Duke’s office, and suddenly looked outside the windows.

Rain was pouring down.

“Right, come to think of it……! I saw an article in my previous life that around this time Bellstein was damaged by a great drought.”

A newspaper article reported that the farmhouses of the Duchy of Bellstein were suffering because of the drought that came less than a year after the Lafayette landslide. Failure to prepare for droughts in the past caused damage to the territory, as well as the death of citizens who suffered from starvation due to food shortages.

It must have been a horrific incident in which the entire estate suffered great damage.

“I-I have to tell him about this too……”

Luciel hurriedly returned to the Duke’s office.

***

Upon hearing the news of the drought prophesied by Luciel, the Duke immediately convened an emergency meeting, summoned his vassals, and began to discuss countermeasures.

Luciel also attended the meeting and sat on a special children’s sofa.

The restless vassals approached Luciel to inquire.

She accurately predicted the landslide event, it was also Luciel who discovered the mithril not to say that recently she even changed the mind of the architect Gallius, thanks to all those achievements the suspicions about her have disappeared.

Instead, they seemed confused by fears and worries about drought.

“Little Madam, how long exactly will the drought last?”

Viscount Berga, the oldest vassal, asked Luciel while stroking his beard.

“Probably in a month or two it will begin, and the drought will last more than two years.”

At Luciel’s words, the vassals were agitated and chatted with each other in chaos.

“It’s a really big deal. In the next two years, the estate will suffer a lot of damage.”

“Little Madam, why are you telling such a thing to us now?”

Viscount Theo grumbled against Luciel and stomped his feet. He was a person who had doubts about Luciel’s visionary dreams in the past. Count Gillen then rebuked him.

“What kind of rude thing are you doing now? It’s not like the Little Madam can have prophetic dreams every day! It’s already a great favor to let us know in advance, but you don’t even know how grateful you should be!”

At Count Gillen’s words, Viscount Theo pursed his lips. Luciel, who had not thought about it because of her busy schedule, bowed her head in guilt and quietly listened.

The Duke coldly looked at Viscount Theo, then gently held Luciel’s hand and listened to the vassals. However, except for Viscount Theo, all the other vassals expressed that what the Little Madam had told them now was already of big help.

Luciel finally had a bright face, and Viscount Berga said.

“How lucky are we that there are still two months before the drought comes?”

Viscount Rufus said looking out the window.

“Then, shouldn’t we have to catch the rainwater that is falling now?”

“Well, will it be enough? Why don’t we recruit more mages and make it rain with weather magic, sir.”

Count Gillen said with a giddy smile.

“There is a large lake within the estate, so the water can be drawn to farmland.” (Luciel)

As Luciel brightened her eyes and added her opinion, the vassals also nodded their heads. The Duke got up, looked around the hall, and said to the vassals.

“Let’s keep thinking of solutions. If we carefully think about it systematically, there is always a way. If Viscount Theo once again misrepresents his opinions, he will lose three months’ worth of pay.”

“……I have been rude to the Little Madam.”

Viscount Theo apologized to Luciel without even making another reproach sound. But even though he gave such an image on the outside, he secretly let out a sigh of dissatisfaction.

‘Everyone is crawling on fours to a single child.’

* * *

After returning to the Imperial City, Princess Claudia put conservation magic on the yellow bouquet, left it in the most used parlor in a well-seen place, and thought of Luciel every time she saw it.

The Countess, her etiquette teacher, also praised Luciel for the meaningful present.

“The flower language of yellow silk gerbera means friendship. The young Princess seems to really want to be friends with Your Highness.”

“Yes, I do seem so. Me too. She was a child I wanted to give my heart to.”

Claudia smiled brightly as she recalled Luciel, who was small and fluffy like a Snow Rabbit. Then, all of a sudden, she remembered the story that Luciel told her while they were alone.

‘Your Highness the Princess is so beautiful and pretty, I hope you get married as slowly as possible. You have to stay in the Tyra Empire for a long time and play with me. All right?’

Even so, the little princess was already married, right? Claudia laughed it off.

I don’t know what the little Princess knew to say such a thing, but coincidentally the Crown Prince of the Maynard Kingdom was scheduled to visit soon. Although it is said that he was visiting for a meeting with a friendly ally, there were rumors that he was actually preparing a proposal for me.

As a princess, Claudia thought that political marriage was a natural turn of events, but maybe Luciel’s words stirred something in her.

Claudia was somehow not happy with the crown prince’s visit.

“Your Highness, His Highness Prince Reynold, has arrived.”

“Reynold?”

“Yes.”

Claudia doubted her ears. After returning separately from Bellstein, Reynold was said to be locked in his Palace enjoying only hunting?

Moreover, he behaved unnaturally in the Duchy of Bellstein. Strangely, he seemed to be hostile to the Duke.

His eyes occasionally showed bitter anxiety and big impatience.

Until the banquet was held, he was especially friendly to me, so I thought the awkwardness in sibling relationship would be resolved now, but it seems more awkward than even.

I thought I wouldn’t see him until the next dinner.

Claudia was reluctant, but she ordered.

“Tell him to come in.”

Reynold said with a bright smile.

“Sister, you would be surprised to know what I brought.”

What Reynolds brought was a very large bouquet of purple iris. The thick scent was so strong that it suddenly filled the room and suffocated Claudia.

Iris was Maynard’s national flower.

It must have been sent by the Crown Prince of Maynard.

‘Wait, did Reynold and the Crown Prince know each other?’