Chapter 132
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 132
It wasn't him. The person who sickened me wasn't Gabriel, but myself.
How could I be like this?
It was as if I’d just witnessed a fragrant wildflower blooming from a rotten, long-abandoned pot. In that moment, something inside me screamed to cherish this budding life. The flower cried out, begging me to look at it, to see how admirably it had forced its way through the cracks of a parched wasteland just to bloom. It whispered, pleading to be loved.
"Are you feeling unwell? Did something unpleasant happen at the Duke's estate, or..."
Completely unaware of my inner turmoil, Gabriel hovered anxiously, reaching out to support me.
I wanted to shove him away. But the memory of his hurt expression the last time I’d rejected him was too vivid, and I couldn't bring myself to refuse his touch. And so, the warmth of his hand felt so… utterly normal. No different from any other human’s.
I gritted my teeth.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about it."
My reply was too cold, a blunt dismissal of his kindness. I quickly changed the subject.
"You look quite haggard yourself, Sir Gabriel."
I forced a composed, worried tone. Realizing I wanted to shift the conversation, Gabriel willingly went along with it. I let out a quiet sigh of relief at his unwavering consideration.
"I suppose the stress of being so close to Bishop Marik is getting to me. I'm not overexerting myself, so there's no need for you to worry, Lady Evangeline."
It was obvious he was pushing himself to the limit. But since he was the one telling me not to worry, I used his words as an excuse to look away.
"How is Bishop Marik?"
"She's acting radically, like someone running out of time. She claims to be acting in God's name, but her methods are so harsh that she's drawing widespread criticism."
"Do you think she'll use this as an opportunity to target House Hosaquin?"
"House Hosaquin?"
I explained how Bishop Marik had been using the butler's daughter to gather information on the Duke's estate. Gabriel organized his thoughts for a moment before shaking his head.
"No matter how great her influence, Bishop Marik wouldn't target House Hosaquin directly. It's one of only three ducal houses in the Empire, and the Duchess's condition is something only spoken of in whispers."
As he said, there were only three ducal houses in the Empire.
I nodded at his words, but a lingering anxiety remained.
I hadn't provoked the Duke today without reason. A suffocating sense of urgency had driven me to act rashly, though I hadn't realized it at the time.
I decided to set aside this nameless anxiety for now.
"That's a relief. We should resolve the estate's issues before Bishop Marik takes an interest. Sir Gabriel, what about the holy water I asked for?"
"As the Duke's butler instructed, I had it brought to the greenhouse, out of sight. By now, Raphaella is probably cursing my name as he hauls it all," Gabriel joked. He hadn't come alone; other knights had accompanied him.
I could easily picture Raphaella grumbling. Uriel, on the other hand, was likely moving it without a single complaint.
If the knights were cursing as they moved it, just how much was there? I needed to see how much holy water Gabriel had smuggled out. Of course, I wasn't getting it for free; I planned to pay for it in gold.
"The greenhouse… As it happens, Duke Hosaquin's greenhouse is quite beautiful. Since you've come all this way, Sir Gabriel, I'd love to show it to you."
Under the pretext of giving him a tour, we headed for the greenhouse. It was the perfect hiding spot, as servants rarely had reason to enter. There was a reason the water tank filled with rat carcasses was located there.
"Lady Rohanson, it's been a while."
"Greetings."
I greeted Raphaella warmly, and Uriel offered a polite bow. Next to them, Michel fidgeted, practically vibrating with the urge to speak to me. The only reason he wasn't already showering me with embarrassing praise was that Gabriel or Raphaella must have warned him beforehand.
Raphaella tried to squeeze between Gabriel and me to continue the conversation, but Uriel grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dragged him back outside to carry more vials.
Rico, who was helping the knights organize the holy water, saw me and walked over.
"Thank you for your hard work, Rico."
"It's nothing, my lady."
"There's much more than I expected."
I marveled at the sheer volume of holy water piled behind Rico. And they weren't even finished moving it all.
"Did you overdo it?"
The words slipped out as I stared at the containers in the greenhouse. There was so much that I wondered if they had cleaned out the temple's entire reserve. There were dozens of bottles the size of water jugs. No wonder Raphaella was cursing Gabriel's name.
"No. It's about the same amount we provided to Duke Hosaquin before."
To think I had poured this much holy water onto the ground. Even though it had been contaminated by rats and couldn't be reused, it still felt like a waste.
Speaking of which, how much was all this going to cost? As I tried to estimate the price, Rico informed me of something else.
"The Duke has already paid for it."
He did? I was planning to pay. Well, I wasn't the one using it. It was for the Duke's estate, so it was only right that he pay. Besides, wasn't I working for him for free?
Looking at the holy water, I felt a bit uneasy. It had all been purchased under the pretext of House Hosaquin aiding the poor, but in reality, it was just being used to deal with rats.
Perhaps Rico felt the same, because she made a cautious suggestion.
"Since there is so much, why don't we use some of it for its original purpose?"
Even a fraction of this amount could heal dozens of people. It wasn't a bad proposal, so I nodded. But could we do that without the Duke's permission? As I tilted my head in thought, Gabriel, who had overheard Rico, replied with a strange expression.
"The holy water intended for the purpose Rico mentioned has already been moved elsewhere."
So they had already set aside the portion for donation? And this much was still left? Did they really empty out the entire temple? Rico was startled.
"Then isn't this far too much?"
"You don't need to worry. The amount of holy water being produced has increased significantly recently, so it's fine."
"The holy water has increased?"
Come to think of it, how was holy water made? In other fantasy stories, priests used healing spells, not holy water. But in this world, the water itself was the embodiment of divine power.
It wasn't as if it simply gushed from a fountain in the temple. Something had to make it holy.
Perhaps sensing my ignorance, Gabriel offered an explanation.
"Holy water is water that has been blessed by priests."
I had imagined some special omen or miracle, but it was man-made. Blessed by priests?
"And what do you mean the amount has increased?"
"It means the number of believers and the depth of their faith have grown."
So, according to Gabriel, priests created holy water through prayer. In essence, it was no different from a healing spell, but the amount they could bless depended on their faith.
A sudden chill ran down my spine.
I knew, then, why the supply of holy water had increased so dramatically. It was because of the pagan massacre Bishop Marik was carrying out. As more people died, the temple's power swelled. The priests believed, without a doubt, that the sins they committed were in God's name, and they entrusted those sins to Him. Thus, their faith only grew deeper.
"One priest mentioned that their faith hasn't been this strong in twenty years."
The holy water before me suddenly felt heavier. This wasn't some naturally occurring miracle; it was faith built on the blood of executed heretics. For the first time, I was relieved that holy water had no effect on me.
"My goodness, so this is..."
Rico covered her mouth in distress. If things went wrong, either I or House Hosaquin could become ingredients for that holy water.
"So you don't need to feel burdened by it," Gabriel said, not broaching the topic again.
A heavy silence fell over us.
"Hmm? Why the long faces?"
Raphaella returned just then, carrying a huge bottle with an energetic grin, as if it weighed nothing. He seemed to guess what we had been discussing and quickly changed the subject. As expected of the male lead's right-hand man, he's quick on the uptake.
"By the way, someone is here to see Lady Rohanson."
Wasn't that Gabriel? Seeing my confusion, Raphaella widened his eyes and looked at his commander.
"Commander, you didn't tell her?"
What didn't he tell me?
"Someone else came to see me?"
"...Yes. It's someone you'll be happy to see, Lady Evangeline."
Gabriel seemed far from pleased as he said it. Someone I'd be happy to see? A few faces flashed through my mind. Someone I would welcome, but Gabriel wouldn't? It couldn't be Jelly. Was it Canna?
"My lady!"
"Canna?"
Speak of the devil. The moment I thought of her, a familiar voice echoed from the greenhouse entrance. Canna, struggling under the weight of a holy water vial, flushed with excitement the moment she saw me.
She set the bottle down with the others, spun around, and rushed straight toward me.
"S-She hugged Lady Rohanson..." Rico gasped.
"My lady! I missed you so much, I had to come find you!"
Canna clung to me, putting on a cute, pleading act. Her words were remarkably similar to what Gabriel had said earlier. So that's why he didn't mention her.
She was whimpering like a puppy reunited with its owner after a long separation, so I just patted her back and told her to calm down.
"I was so happy when your innocence was proven, my lady! I thought you would return to the Rohanson Mansion right away. I was so disappointed when I heard you were coming to House Hosaquin instead..."
Listening to Canna's sniffling complaints, I chimed in with "Yes," "You must have been disappointed," and "I missed you too." As I comforted Canna, Rico stared at us, muttering in utter shock.
"L-Lady Rohanson is… smiling…"