“What is your name?”

“It is Adrienne, Madam.”

“Is that so? I'll be straightforward with you about that medicine you made.”

“Yes.”

The tense Adrienne gulped.

“What exactly does it do?”

“Th- that's…”

Adrienne was very nervous and stumbled over her words.

“So this medicine, if you eat it for an extended period, it will clear the blood, help the mind focus, clean the lungs and also, uh, the heart, it makes the heart stronger…”

She didn't seem to know the full extent of its true effects yet.

“Give it to me.”

Agnes calmly straightened her back and reached her hand out.

Adrienne took the medicine out of her pocket one by one and offered it to Agnes with both of her hands. (Using two hands to perform an action is a form of respect in Korea.)

It was the right one. Agnes had picked up a pill and smelled it.

Although the smell of gra.s.s was a bit strong, it was definitely similar to what she had taken before.

She still remembered its peculiar smell after having eaten it for over a month. She chewed on it a little before swallowing it.

Adrienne who was sitting across her, let out a gasp. But Agnes didn't care and only became more sure after tasting it.

“Adrienne. Have you ever tried this?”

“Yes, of course. I made this.”

“For how long?”

“I've been eating it for a year now. In fact whenever I'm hungry and out of food I would eat some…”

Adrienne seemed a little frightened, but answered Agnes' questions sincerely.

“I have one more question, Was your skin this pale from birth?”

“Ah, no. Perhaps it turned white since I wear a cloak and don't get exposed much to the sun.”

There was no need to die. A genuine smile could be seen on Agnes' face since earlier.

Adrienne peeked at Agnes who was smiling without saying anything.

“This medicine…”

The rush of excitement made her forget to breathe. Agnes inhaled deeply.

“Yes?”

“I really like this medicine.”

“Th- thank you, Madam.”

Adrienne seemed perplexed at the situation, wondering if it was for real.

“You.” (Agnes uses a friendly ‘you' to adress Adrienne, like in the tone of ‘mate' or ‘buddy”)

Agnes' eyes were s.h.i.+ning vigorously as she grabbed Adrienne's hands.

Only G.o.d and the princess knew why the rough hands of a herbalist that were used to digging for herbs were so fair and pale.

“Wouldn't you like to sign with me?”

Persuading Laslo was not difficult.

That night, when Agnes had praised Adrienne's skills with a bright face, he nodded easily.

“Princess should do whatever she wants. It wouldn't hurt to have another herbalist at the castle.”

It was such a basic answer that it was discouraging.

She asked him if it would be fine to produce and sell a medicine which brightens the skin together with the herbalist. To which he indiscreetly answered with: “Is there anyone who would buy such medicine?”.

Right, he's been a knight his whole life.

He wouldn't understand what women used or their interests. It didn't mean that he treated money as dirt, but he was not a person who lived for money either.

It was the same for Agnes.

She, too, would not have been persuaded to do so easily if she had not known that the drug was guaranteed to be a sure success.

So Agnes called for Niall, who pursued and valued money.

“Brightens the skin?”

At first, Niall was skeptical.

She brought Adrienne and showed him, explaining how this and that would work, but he didn't seem to believe it easily.

Even Adrienne, who created the medicine, firmly thought that her skin was pale because of her wearing a cloak.

Agnes was not discouraged.

She didn't believe it at first either. It sounded like magic to be able to achieve fair skin after only taking the medicine for a month. Therefore, he selected three dark-skinned maids who worked at the castle to take the medicine for a month. After exactly a month…

“This, this!”

Niall could not suppress his excited face.

When he first saw the results, he stood there stiffly with his mouth open.

His eyes doubled in size looking at the three maids in front of him.

Adrienne also had her mouth wide open as she kept her eyes on the maids. All three of them were fairer than before.

Anyone could see that their skin had become brighter.

On top of that, the freckles on one of the maids' face had now faded to the point where they would only be visible if one looked closely.

“Mmadam, how on earth did you know?”

“Ehem. I had a theory since Adrienne's skin seemed too fair to be only from avoiding the sun. Dark skin doesn't brighten just like that.”

“Niall.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

Niall's eyes were twinkling as if there were stars in them.

“Is there a merchant group that the duchy interacts regularly with?”

“There is, but it's not a big one. They connect the west to the centre. You would have to at least contact a merchant group with distribution networks across the country.”

His voice was overflowing with energy.

Agnes was in trouble.

She understood that selling stuff was of greater importance than making stuff.

The problem that had been troubling her was unexpectedly easily solved after a few days.

“This is Andrássy.”

Béla said with a smile on his kind face. (Sorry for always changing stuff, but I did some research and most names seem to be Hungary-inspired. Béla was previously Beller and he isn't the only one with a modified name. Check glossary .)

“It is an honour to meet you, Madam. My name is Andrássy Anke.”

A skinny middle-aged man with brown hair bowed his head.

“I've heard a lot about you from Lord Béla. You must've had a hard time traveling here in the cold weather.”

Agnes smiled gently as she offered Andrássy tea.

Although she had known that Béla had his fair share of connections within the social circle, but she didn't know that he was even familiar with the merchant group representing Niršeg.

When she had asked him: “Do you know any merchant groups?” She hadn't expected him to bring five people within the span of 10 days.

Andrássy was the fifth merchant group leader and the one with most influence that Béla had brought.

“I've made such a busy man come all the way here, so I'll keep it short.”

It was already the fifth time Agnes had done this, so she got a knack for this.

She called in the maids she had prepared.

“As you can see, these two are twins.”

The idea was to showcase the difference between the twins where one had taken the medicine and the other had not.

“This… When I heard it from Lord Béla I didn't believe it, but this is for real.”

Andrássy's eyes were full of astonishment, and Agnes only smiled leisurely and called another maid.

She put a box of the medicine in front of Andrássy.

“I a.s.sure that it becomes effective after a month of usage, but there is a small visible change even after 15 days. This amount is enough for five people to use for a month. Test it for yourself and come back in a month.”

“Thank you, Madam.”

Agnes got up from her seat without hesitation. Less than 10 minutes had pa.s.sed since Andrássy had entered the parlour.

“You're the fifth.”

She left with a vague remark. Andrássy, who realised the meaning belatedly, hurriedly left the room holding the box.

“Has something good happened?”

“Duke Alphard.”

Laslo asked as he approached Agnes in the hallway who was donning a bright smile on her face unlike her usual straight face.

“The fifth merchant came today.”

“Oh? Were you introducing that medicine to sell?”

The two of them started naturally walking side by side whilst chatting.

“Yep, it was Andrássy who owns the largest merchant group in Niršeg. I'm on my way back from giving a month's worth of product to him.”

“The largest merchant group. That's great.”

The tone of the congratulation was stronger than admiration or joy. He seemed to have no idea how much wealth it would bring to the duchy if this were to be successful.

“Duke. Is there anything that you want? Just tell me.”

Agnes asked in a smug manner.

“Something that I want?”

“Right. Please tell me without holding back if there's anything you have in mind.”

As she spoke, she became surprised when she examined Laslo's appearance closer.

The part that secured the cape was loose and on the verge of tearing apart.

Not only that.

The shoes he was wearing were covered in dirt and its toe caps had started peeling off, whereas the handle of the iron sword he wore on his hip was all worn down.

Agnes felt speechless. It was difficult to call this a duke's outfit.

‘Did you fight them all in this?'

She was told that he alone had remained and cut down many enemy soldiers and knights up until the castle walls fell. She knew he was a renowned knight who excelled at sword arts. But fighting with this old iron sword…

Her heart wrenched at the realisation. Agnes quickly rubbed her eyes which had turned red.

“There's nothing.”

“Nothing?”

However Laslo's answer was unexpected.

“There's nothing I lack. I'm fortunate enough that I feel sorry for others.”

Agnes stopped walking, and in unison, Laslo also stopped walking.

Her heart was shaken again. She didn't know what to say, and kept opening and closing her mouth.

“I must.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

Instead of repeating the words she couldn't utter, she squeezed Laslo's cape.

She would buy a new one as soon as the money came rolling in.

The hem is all worn down.

And what about the boots and the worn out sword handle?

She would commission the best blacksmith in Niršeg to smith a new handle.

“Please believe in me.”

Agnes said, looking up at Laslo with determination in her eyes.

Laslo looked down on the princess's small face and let out a small chuckle.

“Of course I believe in the princess.”

“You believe in me?”

“I believe in you.”

Laslo nodded his head without hesitation.

Agnes laughed in delight.

Lila's notes:

I don't exactly support skin-whitening or this kind of ideal where fair skin=beauty and dark skin=ugly. So this makes me a bit uncomfortable. But I guess it's the norm in many asian countries. Still though…