Part 2, Chapter 13
Part 2, Chapter 13
Translation: godsn
Rachel looked up at Medeia with fearful eyes as she continued speaking.
"Moreover, Her Highness the Princess ordered me to stay at the Cottage House. She forbade me from leaving this place, saying I shouldn't wander the palace grounds carelessly."
The bewildered people finally understood the implication of Rachel's words.
The traces of a horrific curse discovered at the Cottage House.
The severed forepaws of rats overlapping with the Saintess's injured arm.
Now the Saintess was pointing to the Princess as the mastermind behind this terrible black magic.
At that moment, the reactions in the hall split sharply.
"Your Holiness must stop these baseless speculations at once! What outrageous disrespect!"
The Valdinans bristled, furious that someone dared to slander their Princess within Valdina Palace itself.
Dianzel's face flushed red with overwhelming indignation.
But among those present were not just Valdinans—there were also dignitaries from the Holy Kingdom who had come to attend the Saintess.
They immediately leapt to Rachel's defense.
"Do you really think Her Holiness would accuse the Princess without reason?"
Then Rachel, as if drawing strength from the High Priest's outburst, continued speaking.
"I know my very existence is an inconvenience to His Majesty. But Your Majesty, I am one who carries out the Goddess's will. Even if you cannot look upon me with favor, I beg you to show me but a sliver of mercy. I have not the slightest intention of usurping Your Majesty's position."
Her final words carried such a sorrowful sob that they sounded even more pitiful.
People hesitated.
'Come to think of it, the relationship between the Saintess and His Majesty has been unusual.'
Among gossipers, there had even been whispers that they might soon see a Queen of Valdina.
The bond between the Pelleus siblings was famously strong.
But if one lifted the veil of that beautiful, close-knit familial love, the truth might be that the Princess harbored intense possessiveness toward her brother the King.
Enough to scheme against the Saintess and drive her away from her brother's side.
High Priest Paolo, appearing even more enraged by Rachel's words, brandished a dagger with blazing eyes.
The decisive evidence they had just secured.
"Look here! The proof is before you!"
Paolo, swelling with triumph, boldly displayed the engraved emblem on the dagger to the Valdina royals.
"Do you see? Here, coincidentally, is the royal crest. Along with Her Highness the Princess's initials."
"Her Highness the Princess? High Priest Paolo, mind your words."
At Siseo's warning, Paolo raised the dagger even higher, thrusting it forward.
"Can you not see this emblem? If your eyesight is poor, shall I bring it closer for your inspection!"
He revealed the engraving.
The Valdina royal crest and the initial "M" carved into the dagger.
Among the only two royals, only one name began with M—Medeia.
The evidence was undeniable.
Six rat corpses symbolizing demonic rituals had been found.
The remains of rats intended for black magic rituals, one of which mimicked Rachel's wound, skewered on a mithril dagger.
And that dagger belonged to Medeia.
"Your Highness the Princess..."
"Would you care to explain this?"
As if drawn by some force, all eyes turned to Medeia.
"Oh heavens, I truly can't believe... Ah, I'm sorry, it's my fault. I shouldn't have come here from the beginning. I've only caused discord."
Tears fell steadily from Rachel's eyes.
Her ceaseless, sobbing tears struck a chord in people's hearts.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness the Princess. I didn't know you would misunderstand me like this. That you hated me enough to curse me... I only ever..."
Rachel broke down weeping again.
Sob "It's my fault. Sniff... I've cracked the peace of the royal family and drawn a line between His Majesty and Your Highness the Princess."
Mass brainwashing was inherently unstable.
'Now. I must shake them.'
But unable to let slip this chance to push Medeia off the cliff, Rachel risked the hypnosis breaking and poured out repeated word spirits.
"Your Highness, what is the meaning of this?"
Elinar, Captain of the Holy Knights, demanded in a rough tone, angered by the Princess's silence.
The Agema warriors also turned their gazes toward the Princess.
"Surely... Your Highness did not do this?"
"Right? Please, tell them. This can't be true."
Their eyes were filled with shock, disbelief, and a desperate plea for denial.
Attempting to harm the Saintess was akin to striking at the goddess herself. And yet, the accused was none other than the Princess of Valdina.
"Hah! As if she would admit to it! I've long heard of Your Highness's wicked reputation!"
Unable to hold back any longer, Paolo hurled a dagger in accusation.
At once, the Agema guarding the Princess drew their swords in unison. Though still disoriented by Rachel's mind control, their reflexes kicked in at the insult to their liege.
"......"
Yet the Princess, standing at the eye of the storm, remained silent.
She simply stared, unblinking, at the scene before her.
Her emerald gaze slowly swept over the Agema, then to the fuming High Priest and the Holy Knights, before lingering on the scattered remnants of the ritual strewn across the floor.
At times like this, the present and the past overlapped.
As if this situation and atmosphere were nothing new, moments long etched into her skin resurfaced.
"Iason... It's my fault, I—"
"Don't say such things, Rachel! What could you possibly have done wrong?! Medeia! You truly are vile. Was this not enough for you?"
No one had listened to her words.
No matter what Medeia did, she and Rachel were forever cast as the power-hungry villainess and the saintly peacekeeper.
Paolo pressed the silent Princess.
"Your Highness, I demand you speak—"
At that moment, a single tear rolled down Medeia's cheek.
Why had she suffered so?
Why had she tried so desperately to prove herself?
In a well-scripted play, the truth was irrelevant.
Only now, realizing that cruel truth, did a soundless laugh escape her. Or perhaps it was a scream that reached no one's ears.
Medeia, you foolish, pitiful thing.
"......"
Everyone froze.
Even Paolo, who had been raving like a madman, was left speechless.
The moment they spotted the transparent droplet falling from her impassive eyes, their hearts plummeted as if they had committed an irreversible mistake.
The Princess offered neither excuse nor apology.
Was she admitting guilt or denying it? Her expressionless face revealed nothing.
Yet, the single tear tracing her pale cheek struck the Agema like a boulder crashing into their chests.
Rachel's painstakingly woven mind control may have gnawed at their minds, but it could not make their hearts beat like this.
"High Priest, do not assume Valdina will tolerate your discourtesy indefinitely."
Dianzel was the first to regain his senses, drawing his sword and pressing it to Paolo's throat.
"Your wagging tongue should not touch the ground."
"Y-You insolent—! How dare you threaten me?!"
The Holy Knights stiffened as well, sensing the lethal intent radiating from the Agema.
The Agema stepped forward, standing beside Dianzel as they faced the Holy Knights.
A tense standoff ensued.
Paolo should have insulted Valdina instead of Medeia.
The moment he spoke the Princess's name, the fury boiling in the Agema's chests shattered Rachel's mind control.
Had Rachel known—after months of painstakingly pouring false Holy Power into them and planting her marks—she might have collapsed on the spot.
Neither the Holy Kingdom nor Valdina yielded an inch, locked in a precarious stalemate.
Amid it all, Pelleus watched with icy calm before raising his hand.
"Enough."
His voice carried a murderous chill, freezing the air in the room.
The atmosphere turned glacial.