Chapter 26
Chapter 26. Inescapable Fate
On the day Vinea resolved the epidemic in Haksya Village, Eurene was immediately confined to her private room upon returning home. The punishment came from the Duchess of Castallo, who discovered that Eurene had stolen a letter addressed to the lady of the Castallo household and visited the Empress.
Locked away in the guest room, Eurene’s only connection to the outside world was the newspaper delivered each morning by a servant. Lately, Eurene’s fingers had crumpled the recent editions of the papers in frustration.
“Radiance of Blessing….” she muttered. The content beneath the headline was even more frustrating.
[When asked if she was afraid, Her Majesty the Empress responded, ‘I am the Empress of this empire. Even if I am afraid, I cannot ignore my duties.’ The Dawn Knight Order claimed that the Empress’s actions, disregarding status, were a divine blessing bestowed upon the empire….]
Eurene closed her eyes tightly. The conversation she had with the Empress replayed in her mind, causing her further anguish.
‘I wish to accompany you, Your Majesty.’
‘Why?’
‘Even if I am afraid, I cannot ignore my duties. I am a noble, after all.’
Those were her words, the words she had spoken to the Empress. Who would believe her if she said it now? The lying Empress. This was clearly an attack on her. But why?
“I haven’t done anything yet…!” Eurene exclaimed. Despite having shared childhood memories with Tatar, that didn’t justify such hostility from the Empress.
Her unspoken feelings had remained unchanged even when the Empress arrived in the empire. Because of her mother’s interference, she couldn’t step forward, and as a result, the Empress lost nothing. The same was true now. Eurene had done nothing, yet she was being attacked so viciously.
The Empress was an evil person, persecuting her for simply trying to protect her innocent love. Eurene ripped the crumpled newspaper and threw it to the ground.
“I don’t need Sefitiana to bring you down…!”
Eurene recalled what she had heard and seen that day. While the Empress gained the ludicrous title of “Radiance of Blessing,” Eurene had discovered a different truth elsewhere.
* * *
That day, with Asha’s help, Eurene entered the prayer room and the first thing she saw was something covered with a white cloth. Lifting the cloth revealed a statue in the form of a tree made of pristine white marble. Though it was undoubtedly a masterpiece, as Asha had said, many branches of the statue were broken.
‘―They did something unspeakable in the prayer room.’
Asha’s words echoed in her mind. Eurene quickly shook her head.
“That’s nonsense. My brother would never….”
The idea that her brother had engaged in such activities in a sacred place with the Empress was ridiculous. There wasn’t even a sofa or chair in sight. Unless he was a beast blinded by lust, he wouldn’t treat a woman on this cold floor.
Still, there was no sign of a passage leading to the basement.
“How does one even get there….”
She fiddled with the statue, but there was no response. Considering the state of the statue, it seemed unlikely that the temple would have left Sefitiana there if it were hidden below.
Just as she was about to leave, thinking her visit was pointless, she heard a commotion outside.
Panicking, Eurene looked for a place to hide and quickly ran behind the statue, concealing herself beneath the long fabric trailing on the floor.
Soon, three people entered the prayer room.
Thud.
The door closed, and an angry voice of an old man rang out.
“Check it immediately, now!”
“Yes, yes….”
“Calm yourself, Your Eminence. The statue may be broken, but there are no signs that ‘the item’ was stolen.”
“Do you call that reassurance? I will certainly bring this to the royal family’s attention, Chief Priest!”
“If someone had taken the item, they would have been caught before leaving the temple due to its light.”
“That’s not the only issue! Since the statue was broken, the passage to the basement has been sealed! Tsk, it took so long to bring him back.”
The Grand Priest clicked his tongue and berated the man.
“What are you doing? Check it immediately!”
“Yes. I, I’m sorry.”
The cloth covering the statue rustled as it was pulled away. Fortunately, only the front cloth was removed, leaving the back intact. Eurene listened intently.
“As I mentioned before, there’s a weight mechanism under the statue. Normally, breaking the branch over here would balance the mechanism and open the entrance… but it’s already broken.”
The other two groaned.
“I’m not sure. It must be that specific branch, but since many others are also damaged… as long as they didn’t break that exact branch initially, there’s no need to worry.”
“So, is there no way to open the passage?”
“No, we have a contingency plan. Fortunately, that part hasn’t been tampered with. However, it requires further breaking of the statue. Is that acceptable?”
“It’s already this damaged. What difference would it make? Just do it!”
“Yes, then….”
With a few taps, the statue vibrated. Eurene, startled, shrank back as the vibrating statue pushed her against the wall.
“Grand Priest, what exactly is down there…?”
“You don’t need to know. The compensation you received was not just given away. If you want to keep your insignificant life, be cautious about what you say. Now, leave. No one should know you were in the temple today.”
The man quickly exited the prayer room, and soon footsteps heading downward were heard.
‘What is going on…?’
It seemed Sefitiana was indeed below, but Eurene, hiding, couldn’t risk revealing herself. She nervously bit her nails.
Soon, the sound of footsteps climbing back up accompanied heavy breathing.
“It’s them, they must have taken Sefitiana! How else could the basement be empty?”
Did they steal Sefitiana?
Eurene widened her already large eyes in shock and covered her mouth to stifle a gasp.
“Lower your voice, Your Eminence.”
“It was the Emperor and the Empress! They stole Sefitiana!”
“But we have no evidence. Many saw them leave the prayer room without anything suspicious.”
“They committed lewd acts in the sacred temple! Who knows if the Empress hid it in her skirts!”
“You know Sefitiana’s light can’t be hidden by mere cloth.”
Eurene trembled, barely managing to keep her hand over her mouth in utter shock.
The news that Sefitiana had disappeared was shocking, but the fact that her brother and the Empress had actually been intimate in that place struck her more deeply.
‘It wasn’t just a rumor. My brother and that woman….’
If the Grand Priest and the Chief Priest had witnessed it themselves, there was no room for denial. Even so, Eurene shook her head vigorously.
‘No, it must have been that woman. She must have seduced him or used a potion….’
It would be easier to believe that, but why did her heart feel so heavy? Clear tears like glass filled Eurene’s green eyes.
“For now, I will formally protest to the royal family about the damage to the statue. If it’s a sudden visit, they won’t be prepared. I will personally uncover the truth, Your Eminence.”
“You must! If it becomes known that Sefitiana was hidden, your life won’t be safe either. The royal family can’t use Sefitiana anyway, so hurry!”
“I understand.”
After the two men hurriedly left the prayer room, Eurene finally let out the breath she had been holding.
“Haah, ha….”
Once her breathing calmed down, she emerged from her hiding place and approached the statue. In the spot where the statue had been moved aside, a staircase leading down to the basement had appeared.
The pitch-black stairs were completely obscured. She had no idea how deep they went or what the structure was like.
Hesitating, Eurene turned away, unable to overcome her fear. Soon, the door to the basement closed.
Just from eavesdropping on their conversation, she had gathered enough information, so there was no need to take unnecessary risks.
Stolen Sefitiana, the suspicious Emperor and Empress of Tessibania. Suddenly, she remembered the last part of the priests’ conversation.
“What did he mean, they can’t use Sefitiana?”
According to legend, it was said to grant its owner a single wish. There were no other conditions or restrictions mentioned.
“They said its light can’t be hidden even with cloth. Is it because using it would draw attention…?”
Confused and frustrated, Eurene sighed deeply and closed her eyes. If she wanted to obtain Sefitiana, she needed to act before the Chief Priest did, but no plan came to mind.
“Moreover, I wonder if it’s really with the royal family.”
The Grand Priest spoke with conviction, but the Chief Priest’s reaction was hesitant. Given Sefitiana’s brilliance, there was no ordinary way to hide it. Considering the nature of the prayer room, where nothing could be brought in, it made even less sense.
Her heart pounded with anxiety. She had gone to great lengths to steal her mother’s invitation and sneak out; she couldn’t return empty-handed.
“No, I can’t go back like this. I just can’t….”
…But did she truly gain nothing?
What she heard today was no light secret.
Sefitiana. The two empires had waged war for a hundred years to obtain it.
Now, they had finally signed a peace treaty, but someone had taken it? And that someone was the Empress from Veshnu?
“That devilish Empress stole Sefitiana for her own gain….”
Those who feared war, those who rejoiced at the end of it, even those who stood by the Empress from the enemy nation—if this truth were revealed, everyone would condemn her. Hurt and weary, she would ultimately have to leave his side.
“Haha—”
Eurene laughed softly. Surely, the gods do not abandon those who strive. She felt as if the gods blessed her love that she sought to protect.
Eurene knelt devoutly before the broken statue and clasped her hands in prayer.
“Oh, gods, please protect the love between my brother and me. Let no evil interference shake it….”
That prayer would soon be answered.
The next day, as she returned to her room at the mansion, Eurene found a newspaper titled “Radiance of Blessing” before her.
Her prayer had not reached the gods.
