Chapter 56
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 56
Gods, what is wrong with this man?
"You already know the answer," I said. "Madame Toten just wants her child to live a little longer, but how can a dead person come back to life unless you put another soul into their body?"
Melek was a similar case—a ghost possessing a corpse.
Realizing there was no solution, Gabriel hung his head in sorrow. His blue eyes wavered, looking as if he might burst into tears at any moment. Why cry over something like this? Chin up! Fortunately, like a true male lead, Gabriel was good at holding back his tears.
"I see. Madame Toten will probably never return to the temple," Gabriel said with certainty. "The Goddess has betrayed her faith."
It was an incredibly blasphemous thing for a paladin to say. Gabriel looked so gentle, yet he could be surprisingly cold. He was always so soft around me, though… Was this another side effect of the "cold to everyone but warm to my woman" male lead trope?
"I heard Madame Toten made a deal with you, Sir Gabriel."
Surely he wasn't lamenting the loss of a VIP customer, was he? Because Gabriel was a "warm only to my woman" character, I couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious.
"Yes. I provided Madame Toten with holy water."
Was he running a black market operation?
Of course not. Gabriel explained everything from the beginning, even adding details here and there for my benefit, since I lacked the common knowledge of this world.
"When holy water has no effect, as in the case of Young Marquis Toten, people say the person has been abandoned by the Goddess. Or that they are cursed."
Goddess Rachel was not a deity who was benevolent to all. Where the sun shines, shadows are bound to fall. Being immune to holy water was like being cast into the deepest of those shadows. Even death row inmates were granted mercy, so it was no wonder people called it a curse when the holy water failed. Some even claimed that the person's soul was so corrupt that the Goddess refused to embrace them.
In truth, those were just rumors. Gabriel explained that since holy water was essentially a recovery potion, it was useless if someone was simply born with a weak constitution. Ah, so Evangeline was in the same boat.
Madame Toten had always been devout, visiting the temple frequently. After holy water helped heal her body, which had been ravaged by a difficult labor, she became an even more devoted believer.
"However, the holy water did not work on the Young Marquis."
The child had been born prematurely and was frail. Since she had experienced its miraculous effects herself, Madame Toten believed it would work on her son as well and fed him the holy water. When one bottle didn't work, she tried two, then three. As she purchased countless bottles, rumors began to spread.
"They said the Young Marquis was cursed."
Conscious of the rumors, the temple banned the sale of holy water to Madame Toten. Desperate, she knelt before Gabriel, an acquaintance of hers at the time.
"I couldn't turn away from her plea for help."
That was how their arrangement began. Gabriel would provide Madame Toten with holy water, and she would donate an equivalent amount to the temple. It was a backroom deal, but it satisfied both of their consciences. Since she wouldn't have been able to obtain holy water at all otherwise, it was safe to say Madame Toten owed him a great debt.
That explained why Madame Toten had so readily agreed to my sudden request to have her chaperone me.
"It would be best to find another chaperone," Gabriel said.
"Isn't it too short notice?"
"I believe it would be better for Madame Toten to spend what little time she has left with the Young Marquis."
Gabriel decided he would put in the legwork to find a replacement. With only two days left, though, would anyone actually agree? It might be better to postpone the debutante ball. After all, I wasn't making a formal debut through an official audience; I was just sneaking in using one of the Crown Prince's invitations.
"Alright."
Following Gabriel's lead, I felt a wave of melancholy wash over me.
It was tragic that the child was dying, but there was nothing I could do. If only I knew the original novel, maybe I could find a clue. My extensive reading experience allowed me to guess almost everything else, but I was utterly powerless in a situation like this. If there was anything I could do, like I had for Daisy's children, I would have helped in a heartbeat.
"If my efforts fall short, I will ask Duchess Bael to chaperone you," Gabriel added.
"Duchess Bael?"
"Yes. She is Sir Raphaella's mother."
I was startled by the sudden mention of a powerhouse like a Duchess, but to hear she was Raphaella's mother? My jaw nearly dropped. I knew Raphaella was a pretty boy and probably some young master, but a Duchess's son? His status was higher than mine! Don't tell me Gabriel is secretly a Duke or something, too. He said he was from an orphanage, but what if he's the long-lost child of the late emperor? You know, that classic trope.
But if he had such a powerful connection, why didn't he ask her before Madame Toten? Did she refuse to chaperone someone like Evangeline?
"It will be difficult, since they are practically estranged after Raphaella became a knight. But the Duchess dotes on Sir Raphaella."
Ah. So she was a last resort. Raphaella… He didn't look the part, but he was quite the rebel.
"Then, may I ask why you summoned me, my lady?"
Ah, right. The main point. Why else would I have called for Gabriel? To practice dancing, of course. If we were postponing the debutante ball it wouldn't be necessary, but Gabriel didn't seem to want to delay it, even if it meant resorting to his backup plan.
"I need a dance partner."
"I heard you hired a tutor."
"He couldn't last long and ran away, so only Doline is left."
When I mentioned Doline, Gabriel frowned. Not long ago, he had suddenly run a background check on her and asked if it would be better to fire her, claiming she was a drug addict. For a moment, I thought Gabriel had evolved into one of those obsessive male leads who systematically severs all the female lead's relationships.
When I asked Doline about it, she had wept and begged me not to fire her, swearing she had only succumbed to temptation for a brief moment and would never touch the stuff again. She kept crying about how much she loved the Rohanson Mansion. Talk about insane company loyalty. Since she was clearly remorseful, I decided to overlook it. This isn't reality, it's a novel—what's a little drug use?
Gabriel hadn't opposed my decision, but he still looked highly displeased.
"So, you must be my partner, Sir Gabriel."
I stood and reached out my hand. Gabriel hesitated. For a second, I was reminded of the tutor who had fled because he didn't want to hold my hand. Will it kill you to hold my hand? Seriously, Gabriel, it's not like you haven't held it once or twice before!
"You don't want to?" I asked, pouting.
"Of course not," he said, hurriedly taking my hand. "It is a great… honor."
Gabriel stood, led by my hand. As our bodies drew close, my gaze drifted upward. Our breaths mingled, our eyes locked. I could see his long eyelashes, which shaded his eyes, trembling slightly.
While we stood there, hands clasped, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside. Is that Mary? She's the only one who runs around the mansion like that. But the footsteps sound a bit heavier… Just as the thought crossed my mind, the door burst open.
"My lady! The dress is fin—!"
It was Misha. Having locked herself in her room for days to work on the dress, she had apparently finished it.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Have a wonderful time!"
Slam!
Misha slammed the door shut, her face beet red. Gabriel froze, looking as if he’d been caught red-handed in a secret rendezvous. Wow, the timing is straight out of a novel. Well, I suppose this is a novel.
"Schmitiana?" Gabriel muttered.
The timing was truly incredible. Our posture made us look guilty, but we were just about to dance! How was I supposed to explain this? Then again, Gabriel was my partner, so did I even need to? As I was racking my brain, another knock came at the door.
"My lady, it's Misha."
Didn't she just run away?
"Misha."
When I called her name, Misha poked her head back in, scratching her cheek awkwardly.
"Sir Gabriel was just acting as my dance partner."
"Yes! Of course I believe you!"
I had explained quickly, but Misha's half-hearted reply and knowing smile made it clear she didn't believe a word. To make matters worse, I had sent Daisy outside so Gabriel and I could discuss important matters in private. With just the two of us in the room, it looked terrible. We had been cast as a pair of lovers enjoying a secret tryst after dismissing the maid.
Well, let's look on the bright side. I was trying to keep Gabriel on the hook anyway, so this isn't necessarily a bad thing. First, I needed to divert Misha's attention.
"What is it?"
"Haha. Well, since the two of you are already standing so close, why don't you try on the dress and stand together? I really want to see the whole picture!"
She had fled in embarrassment just a moment ago, but the thought of her creation must have drawn her back. Misha was truly dedicated to her craft.
"Of course. Sir Gabriel, would you mind waiting a moment?"
"Certainly. It will be easier for you to get used to dancing if you are wearing the dress, my lady."
Having secured Gabriel's cooperation, I turned to follow Misha, but he didn't let go of my hand.
"Sir Gabriel?"
"Ah. Oh… I'm sorry."
Gabriel seemed completely unaware of what he was doing. He quickly released my hand and covered his face in embarrassment. He must be mortified. His ears, peeking through his fingers, were bright red. Right. A classic trope. I decided to give him some time alone to let his blush fade.
Misha wore a deeply satisfied grin as she glanced at Gabriel, then led me out of the room.
"You'd better not gasp the moment you see how beautiful it is, okay?"
We stopped in front of the room assigned to Misha. Nearby, her tailors and seamstresses were huddled together. Why is everyone waiting out here?
"You have to be the very first one to see the finished dress, my lady!"
Ah, Misha must have made them wait outside so they wouldn't spoil the surprise. Drumroll, please. Before opening the door, Misha even made her own sound effects.
"Ta-da!"