Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Peace's Determination
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“Evelyn Sister is like a lovely little sister to me. Who would kill Sister?”
A slender finger approached from behind Rachel, brushing against her neck and collarbone.
Rachel felt chills run down her spine.
The Peace priestess she had seen up until now had been gentle and the epitome of softness. But right now, she felt like a finely honed blade.
“Evelyn Sister sacrificed so much for love. I want her to live happily for a long, long time.”
The Peace priestess stood behind Rachel, so Rachel couldn’t see her face. But she could sense the sincerity in her voice.
‘This is the real deal! True love.’
Regardless of Rachel’s inner thoughts, her words continued.
“But she’s going to die? Why?”
‘If I knew that, I wouldn’t be in this mess.’
Rachel shook her head side to side in response to the question coming from behind her.
“I don’t know. Mother’s death is all foggy, so I can only tell that she dies two years from now.”
Rachel turned her body to face the Peace priestess. Then she mixed truth into her lie and spat it out.
“That’s why I need an advanced priestess who can wield divine power.”
Not everyone who believes in God can wield divine power.
Being able to heal external wounds and perform purification rites qualifies as an advanced priestess.
“It’ll cost money to have her stay for about three years, and Father’s salary isn’t enough.”
Rachel didn’t care how Henri interpreted her words.
“So I’m going to use my ability to see ominous futures to trade with merchants and make a fortune.”
Rachel had knowledge of the future. Things like an upcoming famine or what would happen to the future king.
In the 13th round, she had tried to work for Paris Emporus’s merchant group and use that knowledge to make money, but she failed.
So this time, why not go to a merchant on the opposite side of Paris Emporus, give them the information, and earn money?
It would also be a nice bonus to shove it in Paris Emporus’s face.
“There’s no need for that.”
The Peace priestess said in a firm tone. She was smiling. Rachel tilted her head, unable to grasp the meaning of that smile, and the priestess continued.
“Huh?”
“If someone is targeting Sister’s life, I can’t just stand by as a priestess.”
“How are you going to help? Donations will still be short.”
“Why does helping Sister involve talk of donations?”
She asked so innocently.
The temple receives donations from those seeking priests and dispatches them accordingly. The higher the level of priest, the greater the donation.
That was what Rachel had naturally assumed.
“Priestess, you have to help so many people. I didn’t think you’d act just for one person—my mother.”
“I never said anything about staying here?”
Rachel wanted to ask what she was thinking, but there was a knock at the door.
The Peace priestess opened the door to reveal a maid.
“Guest, dinner is… Oh, the master and young lady are here too. Dinner is ready.”
It seemed she had checked the study and Rachel’s room before coming here. She looked pleased to find the two and delivered her message.
“We’ll come down soon. I’ll escort the guest. You go ahead.”
“Yes. Understood.”
The maid slowly backed away and closed the door. Her footsteps moved toward the guest room next door.
The Peace priestess approached the door and said,
“Then let’s attend dinner for now.”
The conversation wasn’t over, but they couldn’t make their guest late for dinner, so Rachel and Henri couldn’t hold her back.
“Let’s continue the talk later, Father.”
“As you wish.”
***
“We need to catch the black sorcerer.”
Amid talk of whether the food suited their tastes, the Peace priestess suddenly said this.
“An evil being is targeting Sister.”
Curses were a form of black magic. Meaning a black sorcerer targeting Evelyn with curses.
“Sis, what are you talking about?”
“Shh, just stay quiet.”
Her younger brother Deyner, who knew nothing, tugged at Rachel’s skirt and asked what she meant. Rachel gestured for him to be quiet.
“The enemy won’t stop there. Sister is strong, but she can’t detect ominous energies.”
“That’s right. I have no talent for that.”
“So I want Enoch to stay in this mansion. This child can immediately sense if any evil objects appear.”
Everyone’s gazes turned to the silver-haired boy eating beside the Peace priestess.
They had all witnessed his abilities, except for Deyner. The radiance that poured out when he prayed to God. There was no room to doubt his skills.
If he resided here, he could detect cursed objects the moment they appeared. Catching the culprit would be secondary.
The Peace priestess had solved the problem Rachel had been agonizing over.
“Black sorcerers wield power not permitted by God. We must catch them.”
The temple had a duty to execute black sorcerers who contracted with demons.
“I agree.”
Henri chimed in astutely.
“Sister, so I was wondering. Since your swordsmanship is already known anyway, could you ask for Enoch’s swordsmanship instruction?”
The table shook slightly. Rachel saw Enoch gripping his fork and knife tightly, staring at Evelyn. He looked pleased right now.
At this point, even Rachel was curious about Evelyn’s true identity.
‘Just how skilled is she with the sword?’
When Enoch first arrived, he hadn’t reacted to Evelyn, but after her name was revealed, his attitude changed. Meaning Evelyn’s name was known at the temple.
“He already has the basics down and is walking his own path.”
“Please, at least a sparring match!”
For the first time at the table, Enoch raised his voice. She looked at Enoch’s face, then at her husband’s.
Evelyn, who had been silently tapping the table with her index finger, finally nodded.
“Very well. While you reside in the mansion and serve, I shall be your sparring partner.”
The boy’s face broke into a huge grin.
The initial goal of having the priestess stay had been achieved.
‘Next, I need to meet Abyss.’
At first, she had planned to gather money to hire the priestess.
But now that she knew her enemy was Paris Emporus, she absolutely had to meet Abyss.
She didn’t know the reason, but Paris Emporus was targeting her.
If left alone, he would become a count in a year, making it easier to target her.
‘Circumstantially, he’s the one who hid the curse medium in the mansion. Maybe he cursed Mother because she’d get in the way of taking me?’
Henri was away from home more often. If targeting her, Evelyn would be a hindrance.
‘That’s it!’
Her game brain came up with a plausible hypothesis.
“Rachel, we have a guest. Your table manners are atrocious.”
Rachel noticed the gazes focused on her. In her excitement, she had unknowingly pulled the tablecloth.
The food had slid toward her, and the plate in front of her looked like it would fall.
“I’m sorry.”
Seeing his sister get scolded, Deyner giggled beside her.
“Deyner, help your sister.”
Soon he got an earful from Evelyn and pushed the precarious plate back toward the center of the table so it wouldn’t fall.
Enoch across from her pulled the tablecloth toward himself, adjusting the food that had shifted toward Rachel back to the center.
“Thank you.”
Enoch nodded in response to Rachel’s thanks.
“By the way, Mother, I’m going to the capital with Father this time!”
The one chewing his food at Rachel’s words turned his head. Though he said nothing, he pointed at himself with his fork, his expression saying, ‘When did I say that?’
“You told me that Father’s been too neglectful toward me lately, so let’s go together!”
Rachel said it with the most innocent expression she could muster.
‘This is the condition, Father!’
Rachel wiggled the finger that had been pricked and bled. A red dot-like wound was visible.
Seeing that wound, Henri had no choice but to heed Rachel’s words.
“We decided on that. Honestly, I raised the eldest quite strictly.”
‘That wasn’t strict; it was something else.’
Rachel speared some salad with her fork. Regardless of her feelings, Evelyn was delighted.
“I see. It’s Rachel’s first trip to the capital. What should we prepare?”
She looked forward to her daughter’s first trip to the capital. Rachel wondered if this was something to look forward to.
“When I first went to the capital, everything around me was so fascinating.”
She reminisced about her first trip, chattering away happily. Henri smiled warmly, as if sharing in his wife’s memories.
After dinner, Rachel was held back by Henri. Mindful of his wife’s gaze, he said he’d talk with his daughter for a bit and took Rachel to the study.
“What are you thinking?”
Rachel didn’t answer Henri’s question right away. She flopped down into his chair beyond the desk.
“Uncle is targeting me, and I have no power. So I’m going to ally with Abyss, Uncle’s enemy. His merchant group is in the capital, so I’ll meet him this time.”
“You’re still on about that!”
At his daughter’s words and actions, he pressed his temples and said. In response, Rachel tapped the desk with her index finger.
“Want to bet? The crown prince will die soon.”
The death of the king-in-waiting would shake the entire nation. Even Rachel, confined to the mansion, had heard the news.
“Ridiculous!”
Henri spat out that it was absurd, but Rachel looked up at him with eyes full of confidence.
“Father will have no choice but to acknowledge my words soon.”
“Are you really Rachel?”
He asked. Rachel felt no guilt. She had lived as Rachel long enough not to flinch.
“Of course. Who else would I be?”
“You’ve changed so much from before.”
Whose Rachel from before was he remembering? He hardly ever came home, so Rachel wasn’t afraid even if he suspected her.
“Must be my rebellious phase. Honestly, isn’t it weirder that I’m fine after learning Father doesn’t see me as his real daughter?”
Rachel answered shamelessly.
The real Rachel had liked Henri enough to rush to save him when she saw him being dragged away by a monster right in front of her. Her diary made it clear how much she admired and loved her Henri.
That’s why the betrayal hurt. Even though she wasn’t the real Rachel, knowing her feelings made it worse.
“I’m truly sorry about that.”
“Father, let’s go back to how things were. Even if you’re kind to me now, I won’t forget what happened today.”
The one he should apologize to was the real Rachel, not her. She couldn’t forgive him, nor did she want to.
On the contrary, learning why he had been cold to her actually relieved her.
“You’ll be heading to the capital soon, right? Drop me off at the capital inn and handle your business. I’ll approach the Abyss merchant group meanwhile.”
Rachel stood up from the chair. She had said all she wanted to say.
“Good night then.”
Rachel left Henri’s study. Henri couldn’t stop her.
Rachel headed back to her room after leaving the study. But there was someone in the hallway.