Chapter 122
The Viscount and Lady Viscount had a special relationship. They deeply respected each other, but weren’t in love—more like close friends.
In fact, they had been friends since childhood.
The occasion for their marriage came when Lady Viscount Rosetta faced being sold as a concubine to an elderly Count, and the Viscount stepped in.
He proposed they marry and live together as good friends for life.
So while there wasn’t passionate love between them, they shared a friendship where they understood and cherished each other more than anyone else.
The Viscount, unable to father children, had told Lady Viscount that even though the child wasn’t his, if she wanted to keep it, they would raise it together in the Viscount house.
Taking in someone else’s child wasn’t easy, especially a child of the wretched Second Prince who had threatened his life. The fact that he would accept the child proved the Viscount was a far better person than she’d thought.
And the Second Prince, trying to kill a woman who only wanted to quietly raise an unwanted child he’d caused, was a despicable bastard no matter how you looked at it.
Anyway, after comforting Lady Viscount and leaving the room, Alice immediately ordered a servant to deliver the letter to the Rosetta Viscount house.
Then she hurried to her room to organize what she’d learned from Lady Viscount to tell Kylus.
But upon reaching her bedroom, Alice paused at the sight of two people standing in front of her door.
“Sienna? Your Highness?”
Indeed, the people standing at her door were none other than Sienna and the Third Prince.
Hearing her voice, Sienna rushed over and examined Alice’s body carefully.
“My lady, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? Should you be walking around already? What if you haven’t fully recovered yet?”
Sienna fired questions rapidly. Her green eyes were uncharacteristically trembling.
Alice took her hand reassuringly, seeing Sienna’s face filled with anxiety beyond mere concern.
“I’m fine. You came because you were worried about me.”
“Of course. You returned unconscious in my brother’s arms yesterday—I was so shocked. They said your injuries were healed by holy power long ago, but you remained unconscious, and your complexion was so pale… I thought something terrible had happened.”
Sienna spoke with a grave expression.
Alice hadn’t known since she was unconscious, but her condition must have been truly serious, judging by Sienna’s expression.
“Besides, the Duke strictly prohibited anyone from seeing you, even for a moment.”
The Third Prince added as he joined Sienna’s side. Alice’s eyes widened slightly at his words.
Kylus had blocked visitors? That seemed… unnecessary.
“That’s right. My brother wouldn’t leave your side for even a moment. I felt a bit hurt, but I understood. It meant he was so worried about you that he couldn’t take his eyes off you for a second.”
Alice suddenly recalled Kylus from the dawn hours, who hadn’t taken his eyes off her for a moment.
And the lips that had pressed against hers with burning eyes.
Alice hastily pushed the thoughts aside as her mind heated up in broad daylight.
“Haha. So that’s what the Duke did. Well, I’m really fine now. Completely recovered.”
“That’s a relief.”
“I’m glad, Your Grace.”
Sienna and the Third Prince said with similar smiles.
What was this unfamiliar dual shot?
“Did you two… meet in front of my room? Or…”
“We came together.”
“I had breakfast with His Highness.”
“Oh…”
They ate breakfast together. Not threw it at each other.
Alice wondered if she’d misheard, but both still wore faint smiles.
They didn’t look like they were on bad terms at all. Come to think of it, their relationship had been subtly changing since before the hunting competition.
As Alice looked at them curiously, Sienna spoke.
“More importantly, to attempt assassination on the Duchess at an imperial hunting competition—truly fearless villains. Daring to target the lady of House Dearrut… they must be caught and taught the true meaning of fear and terror.”
“Indeed. We must thoroughly expose those behind this so they never dare raise a blade against the Duchess again. If we cut off their limbs one by one, they won’t be able to keep their mouths shut.”
“What an excellent idea, Your Highness. If we burn their fingers joint by joint, no matter how they try to endure, as long as they have a tongue, they’ll have to speak.”
Sienna smiled smoothly at the Third Prince, who nodded in agreement.
They seemed quite satisfied with each other. It was truly a frightening exchange of violent ideas.
Cutting off limbs and burning fingers joint by joint—Alice shuddered involuntarily at the mere thought.
Yet at the same time, she looked warmly at the two, who had somehow grown close without her noticing.
Their violent talk aside, seeing the spark of romance between Sienna and the Third Prince was a joyous thing.
Yes, keep getting closer, until you’re walking hand in hand down the wedding aisle.
Hiding her sly smile, Alice said to the Third Prince.
“Your Highness, isn’t it nearly time for your lessons?”
“Ah, yes. Now that I’ve seen the Duchess is well, I should prepare for my lessons.”
“Yes. Work hard today. Soon the day will come when you’ll be revealed before many people.”
The Second Prince’s trial.
Alice would go there with the Third Prince. The protagonist always appears when the villain falls.
The Third Prince hesitated at Alice’s meaningful words, then nodded in understanding before leaving.
Sienna’s gaze followed his retreating figure.
My, look at that.
In the past, she wouldn’t have cared whether the Third Prince left or not—or rather, she would have looked at him as if wondering when he’d leave.
It was a remarkable change. And Alice grew curious about what had happened to suddenly transform their relationship.
“Sienna, if you have time, would you like to have tea in my room?”
Kylus wouldn’t return for a while anyway. So organizing Lady Viscount’s matter could wait.
Just as Alice suggested teatime with a meaningful smile, the butler appeared.
The butler approached Alice with somewhat hurried steps.
“Butler?”
“My lady, urgent news has arrived from the temple.”
“Urgent news?”
“Yes. Sent by High Priest Prion. He instructed the servant to ensure the Duchess sees it personally.”
Prion sent me something?
Could it be… related to yesterday’s hunting competition incident? According to Kylus, Prion had helped her.
Alice erased her smile and received the letter. She immediately opened it to check its contents.
[Come to the temple as soon as you read this letter.]
Alice’s eyebrow twitched upward. For what was called urgent news, the content was just one line asking her to come to the temple immediately. What could this be…
Could it be a trap?
Suspicion flashed through her mind. Was the Empress trying to lure her to the temple to kill her?
It was possible, considering this woman had created an alternate space with black magic to kill her.
But… Prion couldn’t be the Empress’s man. Besides, killing her at the temple in broad daylight wouldn’t be easy.
It was a place with the deity’s power, contrary to black magic. The black magic had been broken by the deity’s power that day…
Alice clearly remembered hearing the deity’s voice then.
She couldn’t forget the final words she heard while coughing blood. She’d truly wanted to grab the deity by the collar.
So perhaps it was related to the deity.
This seemed more likely. After all, Alice had heard the deity’s voice.
Alice folded the letter and spoke to Sienna first.
“Sienna. I’m afraid I’ll have to postpone our tea. Sir Ostein.”
Alice turned to Ruyd.
“Yes.”
“Assemble a guard of skilled knights immediately. We’re going to the temple.”
“Understood.”
Finally, Alice spoke to the butler.
“Butler, send someone to the palace to inform the Duke that I’ve gone to the temple.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Nearly dying in that alternate space once was enough.
Alice left for the temple after thoroughly preparing for any possible incident.
“My lady. We’ve arrived.”
Ruyd’s voice sounded as the carriage door opened.
Alice took Ruyd’s hand to exit the carriage, then paused when she saw a familiar person standing in front of the temple.
“…Violet?”
The person waiting at the temple entrance was none other than Violet.
She approached Alice as if she had indeed been waiting for her.
“Duchess. It’s been a while.”
“It has indeed, Priestess. Did you come to escort me?”
“Yes. High Priest Prion ordered me to bring you to him when you arrived. But… are all these people your guard knights?”
Violet smiled, then startled at the sight of the knights behind Alice.
Her expression was quite bewildered.
Understandably so. It was far too many guards for someone visiting the temple to pray to the deity.
Before leaving for the temple, Alice had asked Ruyd to select knights from the Duchy for her escort, preparing for any possibility.
And Ruyd had assembled a somewhat excessive guard—ten knights in total.
When leaving the mansion, Alice was quite surprised, even shocked, at the number of guards. But Ruyd was adamant.
He insisted they couldn’t reduce the number of guards when it had been barely a day since the assassination attempt.
Since he wasn’t wrong, Alice eventually accepted it.
But from Violet’s perspective, it must be very disconcerting.
Not only were there many guards, but they were perfectly armed in full armor, looking as if they’d come to wage war on the temple.
Alice smiled awkwardly and answered Violet.
“It’s a bit much, isn’t it? Haha. But since I experienced an unfortunate incident so recently… please understand.”
“Oh, I heard. That you nearly faced a grave incident at the hunting competition… I’m truly glad you’re safe, Duchess.”
Violet composed herself and continued.
“For the purpose of protection, it’s fine as long as they don’t draw their swords without special reason inside the temple. Now, please follow me, Duchess.”
Violet led the way with Alice following behind.
Alice hurried her steps while gazing at the magnificent ceiling of the Grand Temple she hadn’t visited in a while.
But the place Violet led her to wasn’t the prayer room Alice usually visited. Nor was it the poor relief center.
After passing through an arched corridor connected to the Grand Temple, they arrived at an annex where the priests resided. And Violet went even deeper into the annex.
As the surroundings grew quieter with fewer people around, Alice began to wonder with foreboding if this really was a trap.
