Chapter 65

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I looked at him coolly.

‘Has it been almost a month?’

We’d nearly run into each other a few times since then, but this was the first time our gazes had truly collided.

He must’ve had a rough recovery after being badly injured last time. Raul looked gaunter than before.

And the one with him seemed to be the knight commander, Michelle.

The moment she saw me, her expression hardened, and she shot Raul an uneasy glance.

“…….”

With a faint, mocking curl of my lips, I waited in silence until they dismounted and approached.

Raul strode down the narrow path between the garden plots without hesitation and stopped right in front of me.

Michelle stood just behind him like a shadow, eyeing me with a sidelong glance.

When I lifted my chin, Raul gave a faint frown and opened his mouth.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing here?”

“Farming.”

“…What?”

“Can’t you tell? It’s a farm.”

At my smooth reply, his face crumpled even further.

Letting out a soft scoff meant for him to hear, I pointed to the simple chair and table set off to one side of the yard.

“Let’s sit and talk.”

“…….”

Looking thoroughly displeased, Raul sat down.

Michelle remained standing behind him like a guard, and I took the seat across from him, lifting the lid off the basket I’d prepared in advance.

Inside were five or six sweet potatoes, still faintly warm from steaming.

I picked one up and held it out to him.

“Eat.”

“…What is this?”

“Sweet potatoes. I grew them myself.”

“…….”

If I ever ran into Raul again, I’d sworn I’d make him choke down a sweet potato.

And now my wish had finally come true.

I beamed at him, shoving it forward in open mockery.

Raul’s expression turned vicious in an instant.

“Are you playing games with me?”

“Games? I’m treating you as a guest. Do you even know how special that sweet potato is?”

I wasn’t just saying that. It really was special.

It even came with this effect.

Where else would you ever get to eat a sweet potato like this, Raul?

Grown by a Purifier who appeared for the first time in a thousand years!

“Ha….”

With a disbelieving sigh, Raul smacked my hand aside.

At the question that followed, I blinked in surprise.

“Where is the illusionist?”

“What are you talking about?”

“This scenery—none of it is real, is it? It’s all fabricated with illusion magic. It won’t work on me, so stop this nonsense.”

“Haah… what now?”

“What did you just say?”

“Illusions? What kind of illusion looks this clear? It’s all real.”

“…….”

Still frowning in disbelief, he abruptly rose from his seat.

He walked over to the garden, touched the crops with his own hands, even plucked a ripe tomato straight off the vine.

Why the hell are you picking my tomatoes, you bastard?

Standing crookedly behind him, I sneered.

“You must be pretty hungry. For a lord of a territory, stealing someone else’s tomatoes like that.”

“…….”

He tossed the tomato to the ground and strode back toward me.

I scowled, heart aching for my poor tomato.

“Why are you throwing perfectly good tomatoes on the ground?”

“Muriel Tierney.”

A dangerous aura rolled off him—so intense it felt like he might strike someone at any moment.

“Stop playing games and confess. What are you plotting here?”

This man is impossible to talk to.

‘As expected. A human brick wall.’

Keeping my composure steady, I said calmly,

“You’ve always been like this. You see only what you want to see. Hear only what you want to hear.”

“What?”

“Whatever answer you’re looking for, the truth is what’s right in front of you. I purified this contaminated land and turned it into farmland. I built a pretty, cozy house. That shack you left me in? It doesn’t exist anymore.”

“…….”

Raul stared at me, then glanced past my shoulder at the red-roofed house before turning to survey the garden.

He fell silent for a long time.

Slowly, faint confusion spread across his face—like ripples across a lake.

As if he were finally confronting a possibility he’d long refused to acknowledge, he looked back at me and asked, his voice shaken,

“You’re truly a Purifier?”

“Yes, that’s right—would you like a demonstration?”

I led Raul and Michelle to a section that was still contaminated and called out,

“Purify!”

There was no need to say it aloud. I did it so they could hear.

Fwaah!

As always, a brilliant light enveloped the area, and a four-pyeong stretch of land regained its healthy color.

Both of them went pale with shock, frozen stiff like statues carved from stone.

Beside them, I dug lazily at my ear.

What did I tell you? It’s real.

‘Now you’ve got no choice but to believe it.’

After standing frozen for a long while, Raul slowly turned to me.

His blue eyes were filled with shock and confusion.

Still unable to fully recover, he asked,

“You truly… possess the power of purification?”

“Looks that way.”

At my breezy answer, Raul let out a low, hollow laugh.

As if he genuinely couldn’t comprehend it.

“How could someone as wicked as you….”

His glare burned into me.

‘Wicked?’

A cold smile tugged at my lips.

This man—and this entire situation—was nothing but absurd.

When would he finally admit he’d been wrong?

Though even if he realized it later and begged forgiveness, I wouldn’t accept it.

“At the seaside dungeon….”

He spat the question like he was chewing it.

“Why did you save me?”

I was about to answer when he continued rapidly,

“Don’t tell me you still have feelings for me?”

“…?”

What the hell is this bastard saying?

The sheer absurdity left me speechless, my lips parting uselessly.

Perhaps he interpreted my reaction however he pleased, because Raul gave a cold, mocking chuckle.

“Ha…. You still don’t know your place.”

‘This son of a—.’

Before I knew it, my fists had clenched tight. I wanted to smash that smug face in.

But I’d probably just hurt my own hand.

I’ll have Lycian beat him up later.

First, let’s correct this narcissist’s delusion.

“Get over yourself, will you? I’m not pathetic enough to cling to someone who says he doesn’t want me.”

I snapped, irritation thick in my voice—but Raul didn’t look convinced in the slightest.

“So what are you plotting now, pretending everything’s fine? Turning this place into a farm is just a cover, isn’t it? You’ve gained the power of purification, and you expect me to believe you’re content just farming?”

“Just farming? Are you looking down on farmers? Do you have any idea how incredible they are? Every vegetable that ends up on your table was grown by one!”

“…….”

Raul shot me an incredulous look, then let out a long sigh and spoke again.

“What is it you want? To return to Winterberg Castle and resume your role as lady of the house? I’ll tell you in advance—there will never be a day when I truly accept you as my spouse and live with you like a normal married couple.”

“God, you’re seriously pissing me off.”

“What did you say?”

“Hey! Wake up! I’ve got a sly nine-tailed fox trailing after me—why the hell would I spare a glance at someone like you?!”

Maybe it was because my anger had boiled over. My body moved before I could think.

Whiik!

Thwack!

With my tightly clenched fist, I punched Raul square in the face with all my strength.

The impact sent a sharp sting through my knuckles.

‘Fuck, I was so pissed I actually did it.’

“M-My lord!”

Michelle cried out, her voice trembling.

Raul’s head had only turned slightly; otherwise, he remained standing, unmoving.

Though his cheek did look a little red.

Ding!

Is this system bastard munching on popcorn right now?

Still, it seemed I’d at least dealt a blow to the narcissist’s pride.

Slowly turning his head back, Raul stared at me blankly.

Wow. I’ve never seen a face that completely soul-departed before.

Just then, I sensed two presences approaching my side.

I told them to wait inside until I called, but they couldn’t even manage that.

‘Well, I was about to ask for backup anyway….’

Raul’s gaze shifted slightly to the right of my face.

At the same time, a solid arm wrapped around my waist.

A voice, as if struggling to suppress a fury boiling deep in his chest, slipped into my ear.

“Master, I heard everything. From start to finish.”

How did he overhear?

Did he use magic?

When I turned slightly to face him, Lycian’s eyes curved into a soft smile.

“Can I kill that bastard?”