A Web of Whispers and Curses

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted completely. The old man, who had looked as though he would accept anything I said, now bore the expression of an inquisitor who wouldn't let even the slightest slip of the tongue escape him.

"That is a rather strange thing to say, Princess. A curse? Speaking with such certainty makes me feel a strange certainty of my own."

"It seems ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you have gravely misunderstood, Moot."

I stood my ground against the First High Priest, matching his intensity not with sharpness, but with a gentle smile.

"If I were the one who cast the curse, I would have no reason to come and tell you this myself. I am merely here to warn you of the dark hand reaching out for you."

"Hmph..." Moot leaned back, coughing dryly several times in rapid succession. It was clear that his body had grown frail under the influence of the curse.

"Perhaps I was too hasty. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I apologize for my rudeness. You say someone is targeting me? I would be grateful if you would continue."

Stepping back here shows how experienced he is. He hadn't cast aside his suspicion of me yet, but he was willing to listen first and use my words as a basis for judgment. I spoke without a hint of hesitation.

"It is my stepmother."

"Lady Carmel...? But why?"

"I do not know the exact details. However, when I was confined to her chambers recently, I found a note. The characters written on it were entirely foreign to me—I believe it was the language of the barbarians."

"Hmm. And?"

"Even as a princess of this kingdom, I had never mastered the barbarian tongue. So, I had to study it. Since I was confined anyway, I had plenty of time... That was what was written on the note."

"Forgive me, Princess, but I do not know the language of the barbarians. I assume you have deciphered its meaning?"

"Of course. It means, 'Curse Moot.' I can think of no one else who would wish to curse you other than my stepmother."

Part of what I said was true. While confined to Carmel's chambers, I had indeed studied the language of the Kakas tribe to decipher the words of the witch in my dreams. When you mix truth with lies, the lie becomes more convincing than the truth itself.

Once I left, Moot would undoubtedly use his own channels to verify my story. When he did, the truth I had woven in would work its magic. The fact that the confined princess had suddenly requested books on the barbarian tongue, and the actual meaning of those words... While not definitive proof, it would look close enough to the absolute truth to Moot.

After listening to my story, Moot stared down at his skeletal hands resting on the bed. Soon, he looked up and asked,

"But why are you telling me this? Is Lady Carmel not your stepmother?"

I replied, my face clouding over with deep sorrow.

"Yes. She is. That is why I hesitated for so long. Even if she is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Queen, attempting to assassinate the First High Priest is not something that can be easily overlooked. That is why... if you, the victim, would allow it, I would like to resolve this matter quietly. I know it is an incredibly shameless request, but... I beg of you, First High Priest Moot."

A desperate princess trying her best to cover up her stepmother's sins. How would that look to Moot, a staunch royalist?

Moot let out a heavy sigh. No matter how loyal he was to the crown, he could not easily forgive someone who had directly threatened his life.

"What kind of resolution do you have in mind?"

"I will persuade her to kneel and apologize to you, along with a promise never to use curses again. If she does that, could you find it in your heart to forgive her?"

"No, no, kneeling is... entirely out of the question. If the new Queen offers a sincere apology, that will be more than enough."

"Really?" My eyes sparkled like someone who had finally found the light of day after wandering through a long, dark cavern. Combined with the most lovely face in the kingdom, the effect was bound to be outstanding.

The cold, sharp aura Moot had exuded moments ago was gone, replaced once more by a warm, benevolent expression. He looked just like a grandfather gazing at his beloved granddaughter. Struggling to suppress a sudden fit of coughing, he spoke.

"Cough, hack! Ahem, yes, of course..."

I let worry color my expression as I spoke.

"To think the curse has taken such a toll... I will do my absolute best to persuade her. I heard that only a cleric can lift a curse... Is it impossible to do it yourself?"

"It is not impossible. It is simply that lifting a curse requires the rare ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠talent of divine power. Saintess Rielia is scheduled to arrive tomorrow."

Saintess Rielia. I remembered that name. Where had I heard it? Ah. Right. It was a name that had been briefly mentioned in the original novel.

It was when the novel described the fate of the fallen church after Carmel completely seized control of the kingdom. 'Saintess Rielia and the other nuns became playthings for the vagrants who turned the church into their den.' It was something along those lines.

In a way, she had shared a similar fate to Princess Sera in the original timeline. Well, I suppose that is simply the destiny of those who bear the title of Saintess.

"May I attend the purification? I want to witness the gravity of what my stepmother has done. I believe it will make it easier for me to persuade her."

This had been my goal from the very beginning. Framing Carmel was merely a secondary benefit. My true objective was to use my Mana Sight to directly observe the scale of Saintess Rielia's divine power.

With my ability to visually gauge the density of mana, I would be able to see if Saintess Rielia possessed a vessel large enough to handle Mistylia. Winning her over to my side would be a matter for later.

Moot readily agreed.

"Very well. Originally, I intended to keep this a secret known only to a select few priests... but since you already know my illness is due to a curse, there is no harm in it."

"Thank you, Moot. I will make sure to persuade her!"

Seeing me clench my fists with determination, Moot looked troubled. After a few more coughs, he spoke.

"You do not need to push yourself so hard, Princess."

"Pardon? What do you mean by..."

"Living in the royal palace, one cannot help but hear all sorts of rumors. The new Queen is... not the type of person who would ever apologize. She does not care a whit for what others think... Ah, forgive my rudeness. In any case, it will be difficult for her to listen to you."

Of course I knew that. There was no way Carmel would ever meekly apologize. After all, I was the one who had cursed Moot, not her. If I asked her to apologize for something she hadn't even done, she would fly into a rage immediately.

In fact, I had chosen this path precisely because I wanted to see that reaction. But I couldn't let my dark intentions show. It was time to droop my shoulders as if I had just heard the most tragic news in the world.

"How could this be..."

"Your kind heart is more than enough for me, Princess. If—and this is strictly a hypothetical—a prince is born between His Majesty and the new Queen... I still believe it would be best for you to retain the right of succession."

Well, obviously. I had no intention of letting Pehart and Carmel conceive a child in the first place. Pushing that thought aside, I looked at Moot with an expression of profound gratitude.

"Moot..."

"No, no, that was a slip of the tongue. It is not a topic to be discussed while His Majesty is still healthy and active. Please, forget I said anything."

"Very well, I shall pretend I heard nothing. Until the time comes."

I needed to show him that I possessed at least some ambition worthy of a ruler. No matter how benevolent a leader might be, no one would want to support a completely naive fool.

"Yes, quite... Cough! Hack, cough!"

Leaving Moot to his violent coughing fit, I wished him a swift recovery and stepped out of the room.

The moment I left his room, fatigue washed over my facial muscles. Wearing the mask of the ideal Princess Sera was truly exhausting.

As I made my way back to my chambers, I ran into Carmel walking down the hallway, accompanied by her maids.

"Have you been well, Mother? To run into you in a place like this, what a wonderful coincidence."

"Wonderful, my foot... You seem busy lately. I hear rumors that you've been poking your nose into all sorts of places."

It seemed news of my dealings with Juliana had already reached Carmel's ears. Even so, she likely didn't know exactly what I had instructed her to do.

"The same could be said for you, Mother. How is your collusion with Lorencia progressing? You seem to be conducting it quite stealthily."

Neither Lorencia nor Carmel had made any visible moves yet. Frankly, that was a significant source of anxiety for me. The fact that their ultimate play remained hidden even at this stage was concerning.

But then again, the feeling was likely mutual. Carmel, after all, had absolutely no idea that she had just been practically framed as the culprit behind the attempted murder of the First High Priest.

"Who knows? A present is always most exciting right before you open it, isn't it? Look forward to it, Sera."

Her smug, relaxed expression was slightly irritating. It was because she had brought back that needlessly powerful curse that I was going through all this trouble in the first place.

When the next opportunity arose, I fully intended to make her body pay for this frustration.

"You would do well to keep those words in mind yourself, Mother."

And that day would likely not be very far off.