Chapter 97: Time to Face the Past
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 97: Time to Face the Past
The temple carriage entered the estate. The person who stepped out was Miella.
"Where is the patient?"
"This way, please."
The butler, who had been waiting for her, led her to the estate's backyard.
A tea party for noblewomen was in full swing, their cheerful laughter echoing from afar. It was hardly an atmosphere that suggested someone was in need of a cleric.
As Miella approached, one of the noblewomen spotted her, scowled deeply, and gestured for her to come over.
It was the lady of the house, Countess Ronan.
"Goodness, I thought I was going to die of impatience waiting for you."
Miella strode to her side and offered a gentle, sweet smile as she greeted her.
"Hello, Countess. Where does it hurt?"
"I spilled hot tea earlier and burned myself. I felt like my foot was going to melt off while I waited."
The maid, who had been wrapping the Countess's foot in a towel soaked in cold water, stepped aside, revealing a red mark on the top of her foot. Though it was red, the burn did not appear to be severe.
"Your beautiful skin has turned so red. It must have hurt terribly. I will treat it right away."
"Honestly, I was about to be deeply offended," the Countess huffed. "Do you have any idea how much our family has donated to the temple? To treat me like an afterthought… it's truly upsetting."
While even nobles dared not treat the Pope—the messenger of God—lightly, many clerics were commoners, so they were often subtly looked down upon. Countess Ronan was merely nitpicking, displeased that anyone had dared to make her wait, even though Miella wasn't particularly late.
Yet, Miella showed no sign of offense and simply beamed.
"I am well aware of the countless donations you have made to the temple and to us, Countess. In fact, the very robes I am wearing were made from fabric you donated. We are always so grateful. I am truly sorry for my late arrival."
Hearing Miella's words, the other noblewomen reacted with surprise.
"Oh my, I heard the fabric for the clerics' robes is quite expensive. The House of Ronan donated that?"
"I heard the Count's business was a massive success recently, but to make such a generous donation! Your generosity is on another level."
As the noblewomen showered her with praise, Countess Ronan's expression softened, as if she had never been fussy with Miella in the first place.
"Ahem. It is only natural to assist those who serve the will of God."
In truth, the claim that the House of Ronan had donated the fabric was a lie Miella had fabricated on the spot. The Countess herself had likely only ordered her subordinates to donate a certain value of goods; she wouldn't know the exact details of what had been delivered.
Having lived in the temple since childhood, Miella had mastered the art of social navigation and knew exactly how to handle nobles.
Once the atmosphere settled and Miella began treating Countess Ronan, the noblewomen moved on to another topic.
"By the way, the trial is tomorrow."
"What trial?"
"The Empress's Palace Fire Incident from ten years ago. Duke Delmark requested a retrial, didn't he?"
"Ah, right. That is tomorrow."
"Then, were those rumors from a few months ago true? The ones that said the Duchess uncovered the truth of the incident alongside the Duke, and that Her Majesty the Grand Empress Dowager kidnapped her because of it."
"Now that you mention it, that makes sense. That must be why the Duchess hasn't been making any public appearances."
"But what will happen to the Duchess once the trial is over?"
"Won't she sever ties with the Imperial Family?"
"Forget the Imperial Family. If the late Empress was truly falsely accused, then the Duchess is the daughter of the Ducal Family's enemy. Even if the Duke tolerates it, would his vassals just stand by and watch?"
Everyone seemed to agree, murmuring, "That's true." Just then, one of the noblewomen spoke up.
"Oh, then could that be true?"
"What is?"
"Not long ago, I stopped by my husband's merchant guild and saw some goods being delivered to the Delmark Ducal Mansion. When I snuck a peek, it turned out to be the very elixir my husband procured for me when I was carrying our first child!"
"An elixir? Is the Duchess ill?"
"I don't think she's ill. I suspect she might be pregnant. That elixir is famous for being highly beneficial for expectant mothers."
At the mention of Blair's pregnancy, Miella's hands, which were treating Countess Ronan's foot, froze.
Pregnant?
If that was true, Herdin would be completely bound to Blair. Miella's heart began to throb with anxiety.
"If that's true, it makes sense," one of the ladies mused. "The Duchess has something to fall back on. Surely, even if she is the daughter of his enemy, he wouldn't kick out a woman carrying his child."
"That would be true," another noblewoman added casually, "assuming the child is indeed the Duke's."
The words, tossed out so lightly, turned the atmosphere ice-cold. Though none of them were particularly fond of Blair, she was still an Imperial Princess. They all hesitated to openly slander her.
Sensing the shift in the air, the noblewoman who had spoken laughed awkwardly and tried to smooth things over. "Oh, no, I just mean… in popular novels, women sometimes get pregnant with another man's child and lie about it to keep their position… I was just letting my imagination run wild."
"But that might actually be the case…"
Miella's murmur rang out exceptionally loud over the now-silent tea table.
Hearing this, the noblewomen's eyes snapped toward her all at once, like predators that had just spotted their prey.
"Cleric, do you know something?"
"Ah, it's nothing. Your treatment is complete, Countess. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day."
Miella waved her hands in feigned fluster and rose from her seat. At that moment, Countess Ronan hastily grabbed her hand.
"You'll make yourself sick working so hard. Sit back down and tell us a bit more about what we were just discussing."
One corner of Miella's mouth curled up slightly. It was the exact reaction she had been waiting for.
She looked back at the noblewomen with a troubled expression and cautiously began to speak.
"Actually, a few months ago…"
* * *
"Madam, are you sure you'll be alright? If it feels even slightly overwhelming, please don't go."
On the day of the trial, Lina was a nervous wreck, worrying right up until the moment Blair was about to board the carriage.
"Don't worry so much, Lina. I'm not as fragile as you think."
"Still…"
"I'll return once everything is settled."
Blair gently squeezed and patted Lina's hand, which was reluctant to let go, before boarding the carriage with Herdin.
Soon, the carriage set off.
Herdin rested his chin on his hand, gazing at Blair, who sat across from him. As always, she was looking out the window, but her hand was resting over her stomach as if to shield it—a habit she had developed recently.
Her belly showed no signs of pregnancy yet. He wondered what on earth she was trying so hard to protect.
Herdin’s gaze shifted between Blair and her stomach before he finally spoke.
"Blair."
Instead of answering, Blair simply turned her gaze from the window to look at him.
"If you feel even slightly unwell, you may return to the mansion first."
"Didn't you want me to testify in court?"
Herdin froze at her simple question. Belatedly, he recalled the words he had used to hold onto her. As she pointed out, he was the one who had ultimately pushed her to attend the trial, making his current concern seem rather ridiculous.
"…There was no child back then."
"Do not worry. I decided to attend not for your sake, but for the late Empress."
Blair made it clear that attending the trial was her own choice, not something she was forced into. At the same time, her words conveyed that she wasn't doing it for him in the slightest.
The words, devoid of malice, stung Herdin sharply. Yet, a moment later, a laugh escaped him.
In the end, as long as he held her, even her hatred and resentment could belong entirely to him. For now, that alone was enough.
A moment later, the faint rumbling of the wheels inside the quiet carriage came to a halt.
The two stepped down from the carriage and entered the central building of the Imperial Palace, where the trial was to be held. Inside, many nobles attending as jurors had already arrived and were making their way in.
Some bowed their heads upon spotting the couple, while others hurried into the courtroom as if fleeing. Even before the trial began, it was glaringly obvious which side they were on.
"His Majesty the Emperor enters!"
As the two entered the courtroom and took their seats, the upper doors swung open and Ivan appeared. Katrina walked by his side. Although she was the central figure of today's retrial, she still held the status of the Emperor's mother until the truth was officially revealed.
Katrina sat with her usual lofty demeanor, looking as though she had absolutely nothing to do with the incident. Her seat looked directly down at Blair. Her intention in choosing that seat, rather than one on the opposite side, was painfully obvious to Herdin.
Is she trying to play on her daughter's guilt?
To a child, a mother is the law of the world, an absolute existence. The more obedient the child, the harder it is to break free from that, even as an adult. His wife, who had grown up as a dutiful daughter, must be feeling guilt and reluctance about opposing her own mother.
But contrary to Herdin's worries, Blair remained in her seat with a calm expression, never once averting her eyes from Katrina's gaze.
And her hand, as always, was resting gently over her stomach.
Once all the jurors were seated and the courtroom doors were closed, Ivan rose from his seat.
"Today, I stand here in response to Duke Delmark's petition requesting a retrial of the Empress's Palace Fire Incident from ten years ago," he announced, his solemn voice ringing through the silent assembly. "I express my gratitude to all of you for sparing your valuable time, and I ask for your wisdom so that the truth may be brought to light, leaving no falsehood unaddressed and no truth buried."
"I shall now begin the retrial of the Empress's Palace Fire Incident."