Chapter 176: Breaking the Seal (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 176: Breaking the Seal (2)
That night, a strategy meeting was held in the secret library of the East Wing.
The gathering included myself, Loik, Norton, Enolius, and the priest, Miel.
While everyone else wore heavy expressions, Miel alone could not hide his joy.
"It seems Her Highness the Consort is finally manifesting her holy power!"
He shouted, crossing himself.
"White light! The holy power of ordinary priests isn't even visible to the naked eye. Once you begin to wield it in earnest, I can only imagine what incredible feats you will perform...!"
Loik, who was gently holding my hand, looked down at the bandage on my finger with a pained expression.
"It looks like a deep cut. Are you sure you shouldn't have a mage treat it?"
"It’s really just a scratch. Besides, I told you it’s better for these little nicks to heal naturally."
Enolius, watching this scene with a click of his tongue, turned to Miel and spoke gruffly.
"This confirms it: the Grand Temple is nothing but a den of swindlers."
"Watch your words!"
As Miel flared up, Enolius let out a snort.
"If that’s not the case, then who is this woman named Constine? Why is she running around playing Saintess when the real one is standing right here?"
Words poured out of the mage’s mouth as if he had been holding back his fury.
"She goes around bragging about her slum origins, but do you really think a woman like that could deceive everyone and play the Saintess on her own? The High Priest and the rest of them must be in on it."
Enolius’s logic was irrefutable.
Miel, perhaps unable to bring himself to admit the Grand Temple was corrupt, spoke with a flushed face.
"I only met Lady Constine once, but she was a very warm and kind person."
"And a fraud," Loik spat out, his face clouded with displeasure. Miel fell silent.
"But why on earth would the Grand Temple do such a thing...?"
"They probably feared their influence would wane if word got out that the oracle was wrong."
I picked up where Loik left off.
"Or perhaps they were worried about the Empress’s influence becoming too strong. The Temple and the Empress are constantly at odds, checking each other's power. They wouldn't have liked the idea of a Marquis's daughter being hailed as the Saintess."
Especially since that was around the time the Marquis had aligned himself with the Empress.
Loik gently stroked the back of my hand, as if worried I might be hurt by the realization.
"I’m fine."
I tilted my head toward him affectionately.
"I’m not particularly hurt by it."
"I will help you reclaim the position you lost, Your Highness," Miel said with a look of sincere determination.
"I appreciate it, but being the Grand Duchess is enough for me right now."
At those words, Loik’s face brightened slightly.
"And unless the Dragon is after my holy power, I don't particularly care to know more about it."
"But Your Highness, are you not the true Saintess?"
Miel looked bewildered, as if he couldn't understand how someone could find such a noble calling bothersome. He looked around for support, but Loik, Enolius, and even Norton remained indifferent.
"Your Highness, possessing this level of holy power is a monumental event in the history of the Empire."
I held out my injured index finger.
"You said that even with such strong holy power, I can't even heal a tiny wound like this."
"Holy power does not work on the user themselves."
"Exactly."
"In the end, it just means I’d have to spend all my time healing others."
Imagine the guilt I’d feel every time I couldn't help someone. And to be a Saintess praised by the masses?
There’s no corset quite like it.
If I so much as lost my temper once, people would lose their minds, wondering how a Saintess could ever get angry. If I made money, they’d accuse me of seeking private gain; if I spent it, they’d gossip about my extravagance. I didn't need to recall the original novel to know how it would play out.
"I don't want to be a Saintess."
When I turned to Loik and said this, he gave a bright smile and nodded.
"Do not worry. If you do not wish it, we will keep it hidden forever."
Surprisingly, no rumors of me being the Saintess had spread outside the castle yet. Of course, inside the castle, everyone was already treating me like a holy figure.
I suppose that’s unavoidable, given how many people saw it.
Still, it was impressive how stories from the Grand Duke's Castle rarely made it over the walls.
"I do want to learn how to control the power, though," I said.
Loik looked at Miel.
"Until the Dragon issue is resolved, teach the Grand Duchess how to manage her holy power."
"But my own power is so meager... Your Highness would likely find the High Priest’s power a better reference."
"Are you saying you’re of no use, then?"
Seeing Loik’s unimpressed face, Miel hurriedly added, "Of course, I am well-versed in the theory."
"For now, I just need to make sure the power doesn't go leaking out at random," I interjected. I had no intention of doing anything grand with it. "I just want to understand my own strength to some extent."
Miel’s eyes sparkled.
"I have already submitted a request to visit the Grand Temple’s library. Once it’s approved, I will borrow several useful books."
He added that the library contained the records of past Saintesses, which would surely be of help.
"To think I would be teaching the Saintess herself..."
Miel’s eyes grew moist once again.
"It was worth the long wait, never giving up on the Goddess’s providence."
The priest clasped his hands together, his voice trembling. Loik, watching this with a look of distaste, eventually left me with a firm instruction to always have Norton accompany me whenever I was with Miel.
It had been an exhausting day.
Seeing the sleepiness taking over my face as we finished talking, Loik swept me up into his arms.
"You must be tired. Lean on me. I’ll take you to your room in no time."
"It’s not that bad. I can walk."
"Please, let me use this as an excuse," Loik said, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. "I’ve been dying to hold you all day."
"...Alright."
The sweet sentiment made my fatigue melt away. Leaving a disgusted Enolius behind, Loik carried me out.
As we passed through the corridors of the East Wing, catching the cool night breeze, I saw the garden ahead shimmering with light.
"Loik, look over there!"
I pointed toward the main castle’s garden, and Loik stepped out from the corridor to head toward it. The flowerbeds where the Blois were planted were emitting a soft, ethereal glow.
"I want to see them up close."
Loik sat on a bench in front of the flowerbed, keeping me settled on his lap.
"It’s so strange that flowers can glow on their own."
Every time the wind blew, the Blois flowers swayed gently, creating ripples of light. It felt like peering into a night belonging to tiny fairies.
"The flowers resemble you, Annette," Loik said suddenly.
"The Blois?"
"They glow from within, melting everything around them. And..." Loik wrapped his arms around my waist, his gaze softening as it met mine. "The way they sparkle with blue light... it’s like looking into your eyes."
"Loik, how do you say such beautiful things?"
When I spoke as if praising a clever child, Loik let out a small laugh.
"You’re likely the only person in the world who would say I speak beautifully."
Loik then leaned forward, resting his face against my chest. I tenderly stroked his black hair before speaking softly.
"I... I saw my real father’s face."
Loik, who had been quietly enjoying my touch, lifted his head.
"Countess Selvanis gave me a portrait."
I told Loik about my father and the fact that I had received the locket from the Countess. It was a very delicate subject for me. While the fact that I was illegitimate was public knowledge, I had never spoken of it myself.
"To be honest, I hesitated to tell you."
After all, in this world, illegitimate children were treated as half-people. Moreover, I had ascended to the position of Grand Duchess despite such an unstable status.
Understanding the weight of my words, Loik tightened his arms around my waist.
"Why would you think that? Such things don't matter at all."
He nuzzled his head against me.
"For me, it is enough that you were born into this world."
He added softly that he would like to see what kind of man he was.
"I’ll show you later."
Strictly speaking, he was the father of the original Annette, so it wasn't as if I had a deep personal bond with the man in the locket. Yet, every time I looked at his portrait, a strange sense of sorrow and longing welled up within me. Perhaps it was because I had seen his nameless tombstone.
"Let’s go visit him together next time."
He is the one who protected Annette so she could come into this world, so I want to give him my thanks.
As I gave a small nod to his words, he spoke again.
"I have something to tell you as well, Annette."
"...I will tell you soon."
Loik seemed to be in a particularly good mood as he said that.
"Soon? Why not now?"
"Because I want it to be a surprise."
Please bear with me for a little longer.
Loik’s eyes curved into a gentle smile before he leaned in to kiss me. Amidst the scent of flowers carried by the wind, I shared a deep, warm breath with him.
*
Night had fallen.
Loik walked down the stairs of the dungeon, his footsteps echoing. Norton and Enolius followed behind him.
As they moved toward the deepest part of the underground prison, there was a sign of movement from behind the iron bars.
A pair of filthy, stained hands desperately gripped the grating.