Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Hometown Visit (1)
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While mana-infused messenger birds pursued the carriage.
While black-clad agents leaped across rooftops.
A modest baggage cart carrying commoners slipped quietly out through the city gates.
――――――.
The cart rattled along toward the outskirts of the capital, heading for Cornell.
Eventually, a woman in a nun's habit stepped down from it.
The habit clung tightly to her waist, unfamiliar as it was.
Even her pale thighs peeked out from the slight side slit.
She didn't look the least bit like a devout nun.
"Finally made it."
Irina pulled off the stifling veil.
She let her silver hair, which had been tied up, flow freely down her back.
"Haa..."
A faint fruity scent wafted from her swaying locks.
The Empire's Second Imperial Princess savored her freedom as she strolled down the quiet country road.
Soon enough.
「Owl's Nest」
The representative tavern in Cornell, the one she'd visited with Veil last time.
She'd arrived at the Owl's Nest.
"Let's check it out."
Irina pulled at the door handle with a relaxed smile.
But...
"...!"
The door was firmly shut.
The windows were hidden behind thick curtains too.
The Owl's Nest, always open even at dawn, had closed at 6 p.m.
"Closed for the day...?"
A woman in a black nun's habit pacing in front of a tavern.
The country folk eyed her curiously.
"That's weird..."
Irina crossed her arms alone and looked up at the Owl's Nest sign.
As she imagined places where Veil might be.
It suddenly hit her that the orphanage where he'd grown up was in this area too.
"Right, that place..."
The princess turned nun wandered quietly through the night streets.
She figured people wouldn't bother her much dressed as a nun.
After all, few dared ogle a holy woman devoted to faith.
But...
"..."
The men glanced slyly at her, disguised as an ordinary nun.
Some even whistled, drinking in her figure.
It couldn't be helped.
The nun's habit she wore was too small.
Being hastily acquired, it didn't fit right at all.
Her prominent bust and full hips stood out despite it—or rather, because of it.
Even a woman devoted to faith was tempting like that.
Irina slipped quietly into a back alley to avoid the stares.
There, she encountered some young boys smoking cigarettes, hiding from adults.
"Hey, kids?"
A nun in strange attire approached them.
The boys gulped hard at the sight.
"Wh-who are you?"
She was a head taller than them, with a sturdy build—they tensed instinctively.
Plus, that inexplicable noble charisma emanating from her.
"What brings a nun to a place like this?"
It was more than enough to fluster the kids.
"I wanted to ask if there's an orphanage around here."
Cornell was a rundown area, and the locals were wary.
Especially the kids.
But the silver-haired nun before them.
Her pale face and the provocative curves hugged by her habit looked warm, like a saint caressing children.
"There's an orphanage... one nearby."
"Could you tell me where? Your big sis here needs to go 'volunteer,' but I'm lost."
The boy, enchanted by the woman's soft voice, stubbed out his cigarette.
He cleared his throat and spoke.
"Come with me. I'll show you."
The little leader took the front.
The saintly Irina responded with a benevolent smile.
"Thanks."
The boy coughed awkwardly and led the way.
His face flushed red—his first time seeing a young nun up close.
'Ugh... that waist is squeezed tight...'
But Irina's inner thoughts were different.
The too-small habit stretched taut, outlining even her navel.
Every step was agony.
She wanted to change the moment she reached the orphanage.
But the price for outpacing all the other princesses and taking the lead was harsh.
Because...
After passing through various streets, they arrived at a small orphanage.
Other nuns had already arrived before her at the stone building.
They were even sweating from cleaning already.
"Here it is."
The boy politely pointed at the entrance with his palm.
Some nuns spotted Irina and their eyes lit up.
"She's here...!"
The women, already short-handed and exhausted.
They welcomed the late-arriving silver-haired nun warmly.
"Are you the sister from Ludwig?"
Irina stared blankly at the approaching nuns for a moment.
She'd never dreamed other religious folk would be here.
They'd scoured every corner of the orphanage while cleaning.
Volunteering let them go anywhere inside.
"Yes, that's me. Sorry I'm late."
Irina flashed a bright smile at the approaching middle-aged nun.
She sauntered over casually.
"No apologies needed. Coming from Ludwig, you're bound to be late."
Cornell was remote, so most volunteer nuns came from far away.
Thus, the Second Princess blended in naturally without suspicion.
"Thanks for coming, even if late."
The nuns greeted her with compassionate expressions.
Irina tittered behind her hand, half-victorious.
But.
Snap!
A worn rag thrust into her pale hand.
Her beautiful princess smile vanished instantly.
"Time to clean now?"
"You arrived late, so work extra hard."
Irina's eyes twitched beneath.
Even in her poor past life, she'd never cleaned herself.
Cleaning an orphanage?
"Yes, got it..."
But she bit her lip and accepted the dirty work.
Maybe because of Leah's bombshell earlier that day.
The Second Princess felt she had no time to waste.
"Let's go. I'm amazing at cleaning!"
And so began the princess's housekeeping lessons.
「Rinse the rag once and reuse it!!」
"Y-yes...!"
On her knees, scrubbing the old wooden floor.
Following the head nun's orders, she raised her hips and scrubbed hard.
「I've never seen a sister so bad at wringing a rag...?」
"S-sorry...!!"
Just hours ago, she'd toyed with the First and Third Princesses and escaped.
Now here she was, doing chores and embarrassing herself.
「When washing the kids' clothes, don't use your hands—get in and stomp with your feet.」
"Understood...!"
Irina gazed at the sunset and headed to the orphanage yard.
She stomped firmly in the tub full of clothes.
Skirt hiked way up.
The grueling cleaning lasted until dinner.
Everything finished only after the sun set.
「Good work. Dinner's soon—wipe off the moisture and come.」
"You've worked hard..."
After hours, she was a total mess.
The tight nun's habit clung stickily to her sweat-drenched body.
"Haa..."
Irina trudged into the orphanage dining hall.
Soon...
――――――.
She faced a swarm of young orphans.
The kids had bathed recently thanks to the nuns—their faces were fresh.
But their clothes were still ragged.
"Hey, that's mine—why're you eating it!!"
"I thought you weren't gonna since you left it!"
"I was saving it!"
Fighting over a single meatball.
As one of the Empire's leaders, watching them made Irina feel oddly bitter.
"Sister Estina, over here!"
A black-haired young nun calling her.
They'd called the Ludwig nun Estina, so that's what they used for the princess.
"Y-yeah..."
Irina joined the serving line naturally in response.
She got soup and steamed potatoes, then returned to the table.
'I'm starving...'
After working all day, her stomach growled.
Still, ever the noble princess, she didn't eat right away—instead, she eyed the seated nuns.
「Let us pray before the meal.」
As expected, the nuns prayed in unison before eating.
Irina reluctantly closed her eyes and waited silently.
But the head nun's prayer dragged on endlessly.
It finally ended after nearly five minutes.
'The soup's cold now...'
Irina sipped the cooled soup slowly.
Thin and fishy.
Her brows twitched, but she forced it down somehow.
She was that hungry.
Meanwhile.
The orphanage director entered the dining hall right on time for dinner.
"You've all worked hard, coming to volunteer in person."
A burly, large-framed man.
A middle-aged guy with a sword scar on his face—maybe a soldier or mercenary captain in a past life.
He went to the nuns' table, greeting each and thanking them for the volunteer work.
"With a male director, it's no wonder there are so many domestic issues."
The head nun said solemnly while ladling soup.
Director Hans scratched the back of his head and apologized.
"Sorry... With manpower short, it's tough..."
The stern-faced, wrinkled-lipped head nun glanced up at him.
Then, pretending to grumble, she spoke kindly.
"Well, no matter. Running a place like this alone isn't easy."
The director bowed repeatedly in apology.
Afterward, he approached Irina too and expressed his thanks.
"Even someone so young and beautiful... Truly grateful."
"No, just doing what I should."
The faux saint Irina smiled brightly.
After cleaning and laundry, acting was second nature now.
Moreover...
If this was where Veil grew up, then this Director Hans was.
Like a father to Veil.
To Irina, a hugely significant figure.
"But, Director—"
Irina looked up at the brown-haired man with a clear, gentle smile.
She asked cautiously.
"Among the kids who grew up here, any who've made it big and come back?"
Hans pondered the unexpected question from the nun.
Then he grinned and nodded.
"Yeah, one son who 'fully succeeded' just returned recently."
"Fully succeeded?"
Her instincts kicked in—Irina's eyes sharpened like a wolf's.
"Yes, got a noble title from His Majesty this time. Didn't believe it at first, but it's real, huh?"
The director rattled on proudly about his 'son.'
"Oh, I see—"
Irina's lips curved up.
She narrowed her eyes in a seductive smile unfit for a nun.
Like a succubus in nun's clothing.
"Is he here by any chance?"
At Irina's question, the director crossed his arms.
He answered flatly.
"Yeah, just got back and crashed. Even as a noble, old habits die hard."
Irina slowly nodded at the big man's words.
"Hmm—"
Recently granted a noble title by His Majesty.
Orphan origin.
Irina realized who it was and smiled inwardly.
"Does he stay here too?"
"Yes, upstairs in our orphanage..."
The director nearly answered reflexively to Irina's soft smile.
But he caught himself, furrowing his brow.
"Why's a nun so curious about that kid?"
"Oh, just... I'm from far away too, so I planned to stay here overnight anyway."
She casually aimed to lodge at the orphanage.
The other nuns backed her up.
"Ludwig's a five-hour trip, right?"
"Yeah, too exhausted to head back like this."
Maybe from cleaning together.
They took her side.
"Ah, from far away? Can't be helped then."
After dinner, the director asked her to follow him.
Thus, Irina secured a room quite naturally.
"Come on, this way."
After the meal, Irina followed the director up the creaky old stairs.
He glanced at her, embarrassed by the squeaks.
"It's shabby—you might not sleep well... Tell me if it's too much. I'll book a nearby inn."
"No, if a noble stays here, how could I complain and go to an inn?"
Irina replied with narrowed eyes.
Hans laughed heartily and shook his head.
"Haha, that guy's a weirdo. He's the type who falls asleep anywhere—"
He spoke boldly, as if knowing everything about Veil.
Treating the baron like his own son, he chatted freely.
"Probably wouldn't notice if you carried him in his sleep—"
"Hmm—Really?—"
Wouldn't notice being carried.
Irina nodded quietly at that.
"Here’s your room."
The rickety door opened to a dusty chamber.
At the shabby sight, Irina swallowed hard.
"Bed and blankets are freshly washed, so should be fine."
"Thank you."
The saint thanked the director.
Once he kindly closed the door and left, she could finally rest.
"Whew..."
The sweat-soaked, clinging tight habit.
Her overheated body too.
The princess desperately wanted a shower.
The fruity scent lingering on her had turned sour.
But no such facility here.
Irina sat on the bed, zoning out helplessly.
That moment.
――――――.
A faint snoring from the other side of the wall.
The old building carried the sound clearly to her room.
"...!"
To others, it'd be an annoying noise.
But not to Irina.
"This sound..."
She knew who made that small, animal-like snore.
As if she'd heard his drunken ramblings before.
Irina's lips curled up.
"Found you."
The saint rose from the bed.
She followed the sound, opened her door, and approached the next room.
Creak—
Orphanages had no locks on doors.
Irina peeked inside carefully.
"There you are."
A man lay on the shabby bed.
A fox-like figure, shirt undone, sleeping defenselessly.
"Cain, I can't drink anymore..."
Irina swallowed hard, eyeing his faintly visible bare skin.
And...
She slipped inside quietly, closing the rickety door.
Drenched in sweat, exuding a seductive fragrance.