Chapter 6.1
Even after returning from the temple, the Crown Prince’s words bothered me, and I pondered over them for several days.
A person who could give Rubellian greater benefits. Someone who could also replace my position.
Combining these two factors, I could roughly grasp the clue. To replace my position, one would first need to become the duchess, and then providing greater benefits would mean—
“Being able to provide evidence to overthrow the imperial family? That’s the only thing that could be of greater benefit to Rubellian.”
“Eve, are you busy?”
“Rubellian?”
I smiled brightly at the figure who opened my office door and entered.
Temporarily setting aside the thoughts in my head, I greeted him with a bright smile.
“Haven’t you been busy lately?”
“I came to see you briefly. I have to leave again soon.”
“Oh dear.”
Rubellian seemed very busy these days—he got up before me in the morning and came home after I had fallen asleep at night, so I actually hadn’t seen him for several days.
Rubellian paused to choose his words, then lightly kissed my lips.
“Because of the assassin who escaped from the imperial palace, I haven’t been able to spend much time with you lately. I’m sorry.”
“Are you still looking for the assassin?”
“Something like that.”
Well, something like that—but what does “something like that” mean? While inwardly puzzled, I continued my questions.
“Don’t you have any rough idea who it might be?”
“No.”
“That’s unfortunate. If we found him first, we could use him to strike at the imperial family.”
“Whether to strike at the imperial family or House Colica, I don’t know yet.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing. Anyway, you should be careful during the Holy Spirit Festival.”
“About what?”
“Since the imperial family wants to get their hands on Rachel, they’ll obviously approach her. They might not look favorably on your relationship with Rachel.”
“Ah, now that you mention it, last time at the temple…”
Suddenly remembering the conversation at the temple, I bit my lips and firmly grasped his arm.
“Rubellian, If someone comes with better deal conditions than me—no, with better conditions than my father while asking you to abandon me, never give in. Understood?”
At my words, Rubellian’s expression changed subtly. Catching that slight change, I hastily added.
“I’m worried it might be a trap. I’m not trying to stop your revenge.”
“Before that.”
“Yes?”
“Before any deal conditions, if there’s something that requires me to give you up, I absolutely have no intention of doing so.”
“That…”
I was speechless and blinked.
Rubellian, who had spoken decisively, stroked my chin with his long, firm fingers. His eyes, which had grown cold, warmed again as they gazed at me.
“So don’t worry.”
“It’s not that I’m anxious about that…”
Or am I? Actually, was I a bit anxious? With confused feelings, I lowered my gaze, and Rubellian, who had grasped my chin, bent down and kissed me deeply.
“Mmm.”
The hand that had wrapped around my neck slowly moved down my back. As strong arms embraced my waist while I sat in the chair with my head raised, I wrapped my arms around his neck.
After a time of silence filled with quietude and heat passed, I whispered softly as we parted lips.
“Alright. I won’t worry.”
“Good.”
“And don’t worry about Rachel’s side. You just take care of the Crown Prince and House Colica.”
Rubellian nodded and smiled broadly. Watching his face show satisfaction with his smile, I closed my eyes once more and kissed his lips.
* * *
The Holy Spirit Festival lasts for a total of ten days. If romance had bloomed at the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet as in the original story, the two would have watched the fireworks ceremony together during this Holy Spirit Festival, but—
“Fireworks ceremony my ass. I’ll be grateful if Melina doesn’t shoot Rachel to death with fireworks. It would be nice if she shot the Crown Prince to death instead.”
Why isn’t Melina a yandere with the attitude of ‘If I can’t have it, I’ll kill everyone!’ That would be interesting.
Oh no, I shouldn’t. This isn’t a novel but reality. Since it’s not my business, I shouldn’t have such unwholesome thoughts.
Following the stream of consciousness with random thoughts, I sighed deeply, then Rubellian beside me glanced at me.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, the road ahead just seems hopeless. But we’re not sleeping at the temple tonight, right?”
Please. I want to sleep comfortably at home, at least.
Rubellian smiled upon discovering my earnest expression.
“I never intended to stay at the temple in the first place.”
“I thought so, right?”
“So don’t worry and sleep well at the ducal house.”
I nodded with a moved expression.
Soon the carriage stopped, and I brightened upon seeing Alfred standing at the temple entrance.
“High Priest!”
“…Why are you so happy to see me?”
“There wasn’t a delivery accident, was there?”
“Delivery acci… That letter was properly delivered to the Saint.”
Though Alfred stepped back at my excessive reaction, I didn’t care and quietly asked him.
“But didn’t His Highness the Crown Prince also visit that day?”
“How do you know that?”
“Calculate the time difference between when I visited and when His Highness the Crown Prince visited. So, what did His Highness the Crown Prince say?”
“I cannot tell the Duchess that.”
“Tch.”
“And…”
At his firm refusal, I snorted and sneered. I thought so. This guy who’s so upright that if he bent even one degree, he’d break immediately.
While internally cursing Alfred plenty, he continued with unexpected words.
“…Please don’t particularly mention that part to the Saint either.”
“What?”
“I mean, don’t bother telling the Saint that His Highness the Crown Prince came.”
“…?”
“Considering the relationship between the temple and the imperial family, it would be better if the Saint and His Highness didn’t encounter each other…”
“Ah?”
I blinked while looking at Alfred’s blunt expression.
No matter how bad the relationship between the temple and imperial family was, was there reason to be so wary of public entanglement?
But above all, could the honorable Alfred truly have stopped that?
I glanced at Rubellian. Am I the only one feeling something strange right now? Am I the only one who’s quick to notice?
Come to think of it, in the original story, around this time Alfred would gradually develop personal feelings for Rachel…
I covered my mouth while looking at Alfred’s unusually wavering eyes.
“Anyway, do you understand?”
“Oh my, of course I do. High Priest, you’re absolutely right.”
“…Why are you smiling so frighteningly?”
“Oh my, when did I? Hoho, hahahaha.”
I gracefully closed my eyes while covering my splitting lips with my hand.
So things are flowing this way again? Focusing only on the male and female leads, I momentarily forgot about Alfred’s existence. Right, it’s about time for Alfred to develop feelings for Rachel. Why did I forget that?
“Ha, how cute.”
“Eve? You’re scary.”
As I smiled ominously while passing by Alfred, Rubellian muttered quietly. However, I just continued walking with a smile on my face.
A male lead who gets on the bad side of a possessed girl has no place to stand, especially if that possessed girl is me.
‘Things will become easier from now on.’
The Crown Prince and Rachel, and Alfred. Perhaps even considering the relationship with the Second Prince who might jump into this love and war in the future, I smiled ominously.
* * *
As Rubellian and I entered the hall, nobles bowed their heads toward us. Slowly making our way through them and stopping at a position close to the platform, I raised an eyebrow at the seating arrangement.
Usually, since the imperial family doesn’t attend, Rubellian and I, along with Duke and Duchess Colica, should have been in the highest seats at the prayer ceremony. However, having one more seat in front meant…
“It seems the Crown Prince is coming too.”
“Of course he would. He’s shown such interest in the Saint.”
I had expected it, but irritation surged up at having to see that face again.
Then the back door became noisy. Now I could tell without even turning around who it was.
Sure enough, people’s voices drifted in.
“His Highness the Crown Prince has come too. And the person beside him is… Lady Melina Barnes.”
I glanced back. The Crown Prince was making his entrance with Melina. However, Melina, who would normally hold her back arrogantly straight, had her face completely stiff today.
“I heard she was severely scolded at the last birthday banquet. Has their relationship really soured?”
“Still, they’re people who will marry, so surely they wouldn’t break up over something like that.”
Soon, the Crown Prince and Melina, who had appeared amid everyone’s attention, stopped right in front of Rubellian and me. After giving a slight bow, the Crown Prince looked at us briefly, then passed by with a meaningful expression.
Now he’s completely ignoring us. Is that fortunate? I was worried about what nonsense he might spout again.
Soon the sound of bells ringing from the temple tower could be heard. It was the sound officially announcing the start of the Holy Spirit Festival.
With that, large doors opened and a figure appeared through them.
I gasped in admiration watching Rachel slowly walk out.
Wow, it’s exactly like the novel.
Rachel’s appearance wearing a pure white veil was incomparably more beautiful and elegant than what I had seen at the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet. The white ceremonial dress trailing on the floor was spotlessly clean, and her face visible through the veil was utterly serene, making her seem more like a goddess herself than a saint.
Indeed, style is more important than beauty for people.If my strength lies in overt beauty, Rachel’s lies in the kind of atmosphere that makes her seem effortlessly refined, like a filter applied by nature itself.
‘I must have been crazy to try to take the female protagonist’s position by proposing to the Crown Prince. If I had known this would happen, I should have found Rachel first and proposed to her!’
Rachel, who had reached the platform, slowly placed her hand on the candlestick. She was about to begin the sacred fire work of lighting the flame that wouldn’t go out throughout the Holy Spirit Festival.
I watched with a tense expression, wondering if the fire would really light as described in the novel, when suddenly white light leaked from her fingertips and pure white flames flickered and caught on the candlestick.
And—
Whoosh—
Whoooosh—
“Oh my, all the fires in the temple…!”
“Ah…”
As flames whooshed and caught on all the candlesticks that had been decorating the hall, a scene worthy of the scriptures unfolded before us.
I gaped at the sacred light filling the temple hall. She’s not a human lighter—how can she do that?
“She really is the Saint. Still, the power of demons…”
“Shh. Don’t you know what happened to Lady Barnes that day?”
“But no matter how amazing she is… I’m a bit hesitant to get close to her.”
Ha, do you really think Rachel’s someone you can just cozy up to if you feel like it?
I smiled while watching Rachel, who smiled brightly after safely completing the prayer ceremony. She also responded to me with a smile upon discovering my face.
But then…
“Saint.”
Someone called to Rachel as she was coming down from the platform after finishing the prayer ceremony. The nobles, who had been watching for a chance to approach the Saint, stopped in surprise.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince?”
“What an honor. To see such a spectacle in my lifetime.”
After finishing his words, the Crown Prince slowly approached Rachel.
I frowned, unable to know what he was trying to say. Then, seeing Melina’s expression behind him, I was newly amazed at how a human could have such terrible eyes.
“Wow, look at Melina.”
“She looks like she could devour someone.”
Melina stood behind the Crown Prince with a trembling face.
That Crown Prince is also quite vicious. What does he gain by deliberately provoking Melina like that?
The Barnes Marquessate was definitely not a family to be taken lightly. Though Melina had been going around giddy over the Crown Prince until now, it was clear that the imperial family shouldn’t treat them carelessly.
“Your Highness?”
Rachel was equally surprised by the Crown Prince’s actions.
To the bewildered Rachel, the Crown Prince extended his hand. Rachel, who reflexively offered her hand while frowning, watched as he lightly bent his waist and—
Kiss.
“What an honor.”
What the hell.
He lightly kissed the back of her hand.
“His, His Highness the Crown Prince, to the Saint…”
“What does that mean? Does it mean the imperial family and temple will officially get closer?”
“But House Colica…”
“What about Lady Barnes?”
The nobles murmured in confusion.
I too was shocked by the Crown Prince’s advances, when I heard Rubellian’s mutter beside me.
“He’s digging his own grave.”
When I looked up, Rubellian was smiling coldly. That appearance was quite eerie, enough to make me lower my head again.
No, why is everyone acting like this today? Did their eyes suddenly turn into daggers or something?
The Crown Prince, who had kissed the back of Rachel’s hand, met her gaze. I couldn’t speak for anything else, but with that polished face of his, I could only pray Rachel didn’t get swayed.
No, why! Why was I born as a woman! I can also kiss the back of her hand! I can even do it on the lips! If I had been born a man, I could have seduced Rachel too! I’m so good at seducing women!
However, reality was utterly bleak. Bound by my status as a married woman, unable to step forward, I just ground my teeth.
And at that moment—
“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
Duchess Colica called to the Crown Prince. Her low voice filled the hall.
“Lady Melina Barnes is behind you.”
“Doesn’t that not matter? I was merely greeting the temple’s Saint.”
The Crown Prince leisurely countered Duchess Colica’s words. As soon as those words ended, Duchess Colica’s face crumpled.
Come to think of it, while the Crown Prince protected House Colica, his mother’s family, he disliked their interference with him.
What a complicated relationship. As I was thinking that, the Crown Prince stepped back and spoke.
“Well then, Saint, I’ll see you later.”
“Pardon?”
“Oh my, didn’t the High Priest tell you? I had requested a meeting.”
At the Crown Prince’s words, Alfred behind him flinched. Rachel looked at Alfred briefly, then sighed deeply and said.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. It would be difficult to have private meetings during the Holy Spirit Festival.”
When Rachel gave her refusal, the Crown Prince raised an eyebrow, but as if nothing had happened, he soon relaxed his expression and nodded.
“Fine. If the Saint comes out like that, I can’t force it.”
Leaving ambiguous words, the Crown Prince walked away, leaving behind people’s perplexed expressions and Melina, who was trembling while biting her lips.
I firmly grasped Rubellian’s arm and whispered quietly.
“Rubellian, I just had a really good idea.”
“What?”
“This right now, House Colica and the imperial family…”
After saying that much and meeting his gaze, Rubellian chuckled.
“Right.”
There was no way Rubellian wouldn’t know what I had realized.
The people of House Colica had been showing discomfort ever since the Crown Prince kissed the back of Rachel’s hand.
Couldn’t this become a breakthrough?
While pondering the relationship between House Colica and the Crown Prince, I caught sight of Melina burning with resentment alone in the distance.
Melina’s face had already gone crazy. She was glaring at Rachel with eyes that could debut in stardom if she filmed a high school horror story.
Somehow I had a feeling that Melina would cause some trouble tonight. If Alfred didn’t have a delivery accident, and if he took my words about being careful of Melina to heart, we could prevent it to some extent.
Even in the original story, she was just a supporting-level villainess, so I must stop her. If I stumble there, my pride would be too hurt!
Even so, I nervously swallowed my saliva from the tension.
* * *
And that late afternoon—
“My lady!”
“Ah, why again. There’s no one like Speedwagon. Isn’t it about time you came calmly? And just how amazing is your infiltration ability that you keep going somewhere to gather information?”
I clicked my tongue at Anna, who had hurriedly entered my room. What’s with their information network? At this level, aren’t they ninjas of the servant world?
As I was thinking that, Anna hastily held something out.
“What’s this?”
“Huff… M-my lady… huff… just now, from the temple, huff, a message came. The temple said, to inform quietly, so I, huff, huff…”
“What is it?”
Suddenly remembering Melina’s gaze from this morning, I flinched. At my expression, Anna caught her breath for a moment, confirmed that only Lilith and I were around, then opened her mouth.
“They say someone poisoned the Saint.”
“Poison?”
I bolted up from my seat. However, soon realizing that the only person who would commit such an act was Melina, I let out a slight sigh of relief.
If it was poison that Melina would use, it could only be Barsetium that blooms in the Barnes region. It seemed like Melina had skipped all the stages of tearing dresses and framing, and tried to kill Rachel directly.
Still, there wasn’t a big problem. I had definitely told Rachel to prepare an antidote for this moment, and Barsetium was a poison that could be sufficiently resolved with an antidote.
I asked with a somewhat relieved expression.
“What kind of poison is it?”
“Um… uh, the name is too complicated so I don’t remember it well. But, um… ah, ah- what was it?”
“What?”
I frowned. It shouldn’t start with ‘ah’. Could she be remembering it wrong? At this unexpected answer, an uneasy feeling began to creep up in my heart again.
“By any chance, wasn’t it something like Barse…?”
“Um, no it wasn’t. It definitely was ah- something, but what was it? S-sorry, I can’t remember well.”
I stiffened while looking at Anna, who was speaking hastily with a guilty expression. Not Barsetium? Th-then what, what is it?
No, really, why is the original story doing this to me? Does it hate me? Does it dislike me? It absolutely won’t twist what I want twisted, but it picks only the things I don’t want twisted and twists them.
I grabbed my head and slumped down in front of the vanity at the situation that went contrary to expectations. If it wasn’t Barsetium, if it was poison that couldn’t be solved with ordinary antidotes, this would be serious.
“This isn’t the time for this. I need to go to the temple quickly.”
After grabbing my head, I realized time was urgent and hastily grabbed my coat. After instructing them to prepare a carriage to go to the temple, I hurriedly left the ducal residence.
* * *
