The Executed Saint Reincarnates as a Princess and is Loved by Her Older Brothers - Episode 33

Returning to the castle, Lionel put away his discarded coat himself and headed to his nearly empty private room.

No matter how much the Rochelle territory was revitalized and became more vibrant, the lord’s castle remained as old and lacking in splendor as ever.

When Lionel entered the castle, all the furnishings he sold off have still not been replaced, and even the removed paving stones have not been repaired.

“Jill…”

Lionel murmured and gently touched the only treasure in his private room.

What is contained in a small box that can fit in one hand is the hair of the deceased Juliet.

The executioner carelessly cut off and discarded the hair, which was then picked up and kept.

A few strands of her hair are tied with a purple ribbon, the same color as her eyes, and have been carefully preserved all this time.

Despite being a saint, Juliet, who was forced into excessive frugality, left behind no possessions or heirlooms.

“Jill”

The hair of Juliet, who was mocked by heartless people as having “a dull color like an old woman” and “a filthy gray like a rat,” appeared to Lionel as beautiful as platinum.

“Lil!”

If I close my eyes, even now, the pure smile of Juliet comes to mind.

“Jill, really? Can you eat potatoes?”

“It’s okay, Lil. The ones that are poisonous are the buds and the fruit that has turned green.”

Juliet explained it that way and showed me how to peel the skin and remove the buds with a knife.

“See, there’s no problem with this. It’s a very excellent ingredient that can even grow in cold regions like the one I used to live in.”

Juliet grew up in a destitute orphanage, so she endured hunger by eating potatoes instead of bread.

Lionel learned various things from Juliet, such as that green potatoes should not be eaten, and that the berries of belladonna, which resemble blueberries, are poisonous and should be avoided.

It feels like all I’ve been thinking about is food, but it’s only natural since neither of us have been getting proper meals from the priests.

“Jill…”

Lionel averted his eyes in agony, holding deep within his heart a pain that would never fade.

When I placed Juliet’s remains back in the box and closed the lid.

“Welcome home, sir.”

A young maid brought tea to the room. A bundle of letters was also on the tray.

“Many letters have arrived, would you like to go through them?”

“Is there something I should take a look at?”

The maid smiled mischievously.

“These are all letters from young ladies who wish to become the wives of the currently popular Duke Rochelle.”

“There’s no point in looking at it.”

“Well, what a waste. They are all young ladies from impeccable families.”

When Lionel gave a wry smile, the maid winked at him teasingly.

“Prince Rochelle is now more popular than His Majesty the King, you know?”

“That’s not something you should say.”

It would be utterly unacceptable for the narrow-minded Nathan to see that Lionel, the hidden child of the late king, is more popular.

I don’t care if that half-brother hates me, but I want to avoid the people’s hatred being directed at the people of Rochelle.

“Well then, I will return the letter without opening the seal.”

The maid said, and Lionel replied, “Please do so.”

“I will never have a wife for the rest of my life.”

The woman I loved is no longer here. It was this country that killed her.

There will never be a woman I could cherish more than Juliet.

“This title will also end with this generation. Even if I accumulate wealth, there is no one to pass it on to.”

No matter how prosperous the territory became, Lionel’s stance was that he wouldn’t even allow a single nail to be repaired in his own castle.

…Jill…

A wound that runs through the heart, one that will never heal.

This pain has already become a part of Lionel.

I have no intention of healing. A wound is fine as it is.

As long as Lionel’s life continues, he will live with this pain forever.

“M-Master!”

Right after the maid left. The one who rushed in with a worried face was the butler.

“Master! It’s a disaster!”

“What’s wrong?”

The butler spread the letter with trembling hands. Imprinted on the seal was the royal crest and the king’s personal emblem.

“It is a royal decree from His Majesty the King!”

It is rare for a direct order from the king to be issued.

Nathan seems to find his half-brother Lionel annoying and tries to undermine him at every turn.

That brother going out of his way to send a royal decree to Lionel gave me nothing but a bad feeling.

“In order to deepen the friendship between our country and the Sapphire Empire, it is said that we must arrange for the marriage of the imperial princess…”

“Huh?”

Nathan and Queen Hortense have no children. So, I knew that Nathan was considering remarriage, but I thought he wouldn’t go through with a divorce in front of his father-in-law, Duke de Turenne.

Indeed, if the remarried partner is a princess of the empire, even Duke Turenne would not stand a chance. However, that is a problem for another time.

“Are you seriously thinking of marrying the princess? That’s incredibly reckless…”

Lionel was astonished.

Princess Angela is the fourth child and the first daughter of the Emperor. She is reputed to be a beloved princess, cherished by her three older brothers.

It is easy to imagine that the empire would never let go of such a precious princess, whom one could say is the jewel of their palm.

Even considering the difference in national power and the fact that it would bring no benefit to the empire, it’s utterly impossible.

“Sir! Please refuse!”

The butler cried out desperately.

“Even His Majesty the King must know that it’s impossible! His Majesty just wants to demean my husband. You must not accept it!”

Duke Rochelle is renowned as a great ruler, but he couldn’t fulfill even one of his brother’s wishes satisfactorily—Nathan seems to want to scorn him for that.

I understand Nathan’s foolish thoughts. However, Lionel quietly shook his head.

“Sir? No way…”

The butler’s eyes widened in shock, but Lionel remained motionless, staring intently at the letter.

The Sapphire Empire…!

I am strangely drawn to that country’s name.

“I’m sorry to ask this of you, but… could you watch over things while I’m away?”