My Friend
The mistake that began with the discovery of the gold vein was something the parents should naturally bear. However, she regretted blurting out the incident involving Capia afterward. It was something she had not even told her husband yet.
The Duchess clasped her hands together as she recalled the mage who had just entered the room.
They were said to be best friends. If he learned of the secret Raphael carried in his heart and how it tormented him, she prayed he would offer comfort and help, even a little. Please… help him.
Pay, unaware of the Orleans Duchess’s feelings as she prayed behind her, parted her lips and then closed them again.
“……”
His bedroom was utterly silent.
If she had not seen Raphael’s chest rising and falling as he lay stretched across the bed, she would not have known anyone was there at all.
Pay’s expression grew serious as she approached.
“Raphael…!”
Raphael’s breathing was labored and strained. When she placed her hand on his forehead, there was little fever, just as the Duchess had said, but his skin felt damp.
How much had he sweated?
This was truly serious.
She turned sharply to look for a wet towel, then activated her mana instead.
“Cure.”
Water-colored mana swirled around her hand before flowing into Raphael. His gasping lips and racing heartbeat finally calmed.
If it had been poison, he would have found a solution long ago. It did not seem like a deep illness. Then what was causing the pain?
Since his body had responded to the magic and improved, Pay fell into deep thought.
At that moment—
Thud!
Raphael, eyes still closed, suddenly grabbed Pay’s nearby wrist. She called out to him without surprise.
“Raphael?”
“……”
He had grabbed her wrist yet gave no reply?
Pay’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief.
“Handsome knight?”
“Ugh…”
The rumors in the imperial palace claimed that even if Raphael Orleans were dragged to the guillotine, he would still wave endlessly at the maidens watching him. There was no lie in those words.
He ignored his name but reacted when called handsome. Pay peeled his fingers away one by one and spoke clearly.
“Sir Raphael Orleans, the most handsome knight in the imperial palace? If you have come to your senses, please open your eyes.”
“Pay… Lady Pay…! Ugh…”
Pay removed the ring and little fingers still clinging to her wrist and replied nonchalantly.
“Can you get up?”
“Ugh…”
Thanks to the Cure, Raphael’s body felt much lighter. He barely managed to open his eyes.
As his blurry vision cleared, brilliant, sweet pink hair came into view.
It was Pay.
“Pay…? Lady…?”
“No fever, yet you cannot even recognize people. This is a problem. Just lie still.”
Still not fully conscious, Raphael rambled incoherently.
“It is a big problem, huff. Lady Pay.”
“What is?”
“The lady who returned to the Klein ducal family… the lady… huff, is a fake!”
“……!!”
Pay, whose heart had been focused solely on Raphael’s condition, was startled.
With his eyes half-closed after great effort, he poured out the secret he had swallowed like a burning lump in his chest.
“Does this… make sense? Huff, it is an unbelievable fact. I wonder where the real lady is and what she is doing, wandering about…. They say they do not know if she is dead or alive. It is too pitiful.”
“……”
“It is not because she is… huff, a fellow noble, but I want to help somehow. It is obvious she lived a hard life, and now her identity has been stolen….”
“Did Mother tell you?”
Pay now understood why Raphael had suddenly collapsed.
Considering the Orleans Duchess’s deeply worried expression… that must be it.
“Yes… huff, is there no way…?”
She could not answer right away.
How could she? Raphael, the mage standing before you is that very person.
The real lady knew exactly who her family was yet pretended not to.
She had never even placed the broken ruby pendant on the Truth-Reading Statue in the Magic Tower and asked whether it was the gift given to Tiana Marietta Klein.
“……”
“To establish justice, huff, we must drive out the fake and find the real lady…. Whether she is dead or alive, we cannot leave things like this. The truth… must be revealed….”
After pouring out his heavy confession, Raphael’s head dropped onto the pillow.
Soon, a soft breathing sound came from his nose. He had not fainted—he had truly fallen into a comfortable sleep.
Pay placed her hand on his forehead, wondering whether to cast a second Cure, but then simply left.
It would be better to let him sleep deeply.
“Lady Morgana.”
The Orleans Duchess was still standing outside the bedroom.
Had she been waiting?
Pay smiled and spoke politely.
“Sir Raphael has fallen into a deep sleep. He briefly opened his eyes and greeted me. I used some recovery magic I know. You may send a servant to check on him.”
“He opened his eyes….”
“Yes. I will be heading back now.”
After Pay quickly left the main building and boarded the carriage, some time passed.
The Orleans Duchess, lost in thought, suddenly lifted her head.
‘Oh dear, what was I thinking? No matter how urgent the matter, this will not do. I sent off a guest who kindly came to visit the patient without even inviting her to the drawing room for proper hospitality.’
She hurriedly called the butler to chase after the carriage, but it was already too late.
Next time, without fail.
* * *
Only after Pay was alone in the carriage did she release the shock she had been holding back.
“Hah…!”
She could roughly guess. Even if Raphael had regained his past memories like her, Cassel, or Dotricia, he would not immediately know the truth about the fake lady. There had never been any connection between them from the beginning.
‘The Orleans ducal family is said to be closely tied to the Saintess. Cornered, they must have told her that fact and tested the Duchess by suggesting they use the fake lady. After much deliberation, the Duchess shared the secret with her son, and Raphael was shocked. It fits perfectly.’
Even Pay, who tried to remain indifferent to most things, felt anger rise.
Honestly, before stepping into the carriage, she had felt the impulse.
Should she just stop everything and ask Lucius to end Capia and Dotricia’s misdeeds? How far would they go before stopping this mad conspiracy?
But the flare of emotion did not last long.
Of course, she did not summon Sylphid to send to the Magic Tower and then regret it, clutching its tail. Sitting still and calming herself, she thought it fortunate she had endured to the end.
Yes. Now she could not stop at merely ending and cleaning up their crimes. True revenge was the right thing. She would do it herself.
“Hoo….”
The more she thought, the more despicable and cunning Capia’s actions seemed.
‘I should ask Brother Cassel to perfectly protect that person—presumed to be Mr. Lument—and also find the whereabouts of the rest of the family. They are probably being held somewhere in the main temple.’
Pay’s anger would have somewhat subsided if she had known in advance about the operation to subjugate the Lycansloth King that would soon unfold.
The subjugation order that fell upon the Saintess who returned to the imperial palace.
“Yes…?”
Slot ignored the Saintess’s bewilderment and smiled with satisfaction.
“It is the greatest honor as a member of the main temple to receive a cooperation request from the imperial family. Saintess, please prepare and depart. We will escort you.”
‘Wait a moment! What is this again?’
Lycansloth.
A monster infamous as the mad wolf beast, known to be difficult to deal with. The imperial knight Baliet did not even glance at the Saintess’s ashen face and only conversed with Slot.
“Indeed, the Holy Knight Commander and the Saintess. The Lycansloth discovered this time is much larger than previous specimens and its movements are agile, leaving everyone astonished. Following the traces of its large footprints should make it easy to encounter, but since it is so fast that it would escape if it tries to flee, we have requested cooperation.”
“What is there to fear when together with the Saintess who receives the blessing of the main god.”
Be quiet, do not say that! I am! Not prepared!
The Orleans Duchess had left arm in arm affectionately with her beloved husband, and now this terrible bomb had fallen on her, left behind in the imperial palace!
“Very well. When shall we depart?”
“Since its power is strongest during the full moon… hmm, is tomorrow not the new moon? There is no need to delay; it would be best to depart immediately. We will form an encirclement to capture it in one go.”
As the Holy Knight Commander spoke almost definitively, Baliet smiled contentedly.
“It worked out well! I would like to go as well, but since I have sworn to protect only the imperial direct line, other knight orders will inevitably be dispatched. Saintess, Sir Slot. I entrust this to you.”
Thus, Capia was pushed out to the outskirts of the capital without even a chance to refuse.
What is this situation, what is this!
A Lycansloth…. They wanted her to exterminate such an evil monster with her already insufficient holy power?!
Why were they doing this to her when there was a perfectly fine Sword Master! The eldest son of the Klein family was almost at that level too, yet they were sending her without him!
Capia scanned the holy knights who came with her with dark eyes.
Since their holy power was insufficient, it would be difficult for them to deal with the Lycansloth that was especially active at night.
Even if Capia still possessed her former holy power, she could not guarantee defeating it…. Now that she had barely avoided suspicion with the Holy Stone, falling into such a crisis.
It was infuriating.
‘Kugh….’
“There are footprints here!”
When Capia glanced over, the size of the footprint pressed into the soil was large enough to connect two adult men and then half again.
“Indeed large. And such footprints without even dragging on the ground—remarkable.”
She wanted to shove the holy water bottle upside down into the mouth of Sir Slot, who was clicking his tongue as if talking about someone else’s business.
Could they really take it down before the giant monster reached her?
That worry was short-lived. As they entered the forest following the footprints, instead of camping, they only pitched a single camouflaged tent.
Since no campfire was lit, the Saintess secretly trembled. Unlike the city, summer nights in nature could make the unprepared catch a cold.
Kiiiii!
At the time when the sun had fully set, some bird on a tall tree let out a tearing cry. As if it were a signal, nearby birds all flew up and left somewhere.
One of the imperial knights who came along muttered nonchalantly.
“Birds usually hold their breath when predators come at night, but it is strange.”
Rustle—
Even without wind, the leaves brushed against each other, making an eerie sound.
Capia looked around with trembling eyes.
As was always the case with forests, it was hard to tell directions. The space where light had significantly decreased did not even give time to calm the mind.
This place was gloomy, with the shadows of tree auras and the shadows cast by overgrown grass tangled together.
Every breath she exhaled brought in cold air that made her trembling body even more miserable.
‘Ugh…!’
The Lycansloth was said to be weakest on nights without a moon. Since it could not exert its superhuman strength, those experienced in battle should be able to handle it. Please, please!