Chapter 13 Part 2
“During the current Emperor’s reign, we’ve lacked a Holy Maiden. For a full decade. The people’s trust in the Empire has long since bottomed out. But if Your Majesty can produce a Holy Maiden, not only will you gain their support, but even those in political circles who have questioned your abilities will acknowledge you without protest. The Emperor himself, too, of course.”
At Xenoph’s honeyed words, the corners of Abel’s mouth curved upward.
His violet eyes narrowed with interest.
I had to admit, it was an irresistibly sweet offer.
Who would refuse the chance to secure the throne?
“You certainly have a way with words. I don’t usually care for such flattery.”
“I’m merely stating facts, Your Majesty.”
Whatever pleased them so much, the two continued exchanging light conversation, smiling at each other.
Their relationship seemed much closer than I’d thought.
I wondered when they’d become so friendly, but now I realized it was all since the day the oracle declared I was the Holy Maiden.
Xenoph was using Abel, and Abel was using me… that was their game.
This confirmed that the temple ultimately wanted to manipulate me for their own purposes.
Abel was just their means to an end.
Not the most pleasant truth.
I’d seen enough of these memories.
Something in my heart ached.
Before leaving, I searched the corners of his memories a bit more, but unfortunately couldn’t find the decisive reason why I’d been designated as the Holy Maiden.
This left me with only one speculation:
The story changed when I suddenly intervened after having previously conformed to the original plot… and of all things, the female protagonist’s defining trait had transferred to me.
Looking at it this way, it was as if I’d stolen the female protagonist’s position.
Unfairly, I had never once coveted that role.
That was a fact that remained unchanged, both then and now.
Escaping the High Cardinal’s memories, I left the cathedral immediately.
The prayer service would end soon anyway, and it was almost time to receive the oracle.
Fortunately, I didn’t think I’d experience too much pain this time.
It seemed I’d managed to allocate my time appropriately, if just barely.
Still, I had to prepare for the magical backlash.
The backlash was coming faster than before, so I needed to conserve as much time as possible.
“Better hear the oracle quickly and head back.”
I couldn’t understand the divine language of the goddess anyway.
So I would only be able to “pretend” to receive the oracle.
The scattered puzzle pieces finally seemed to be falling into place.
When the oracle came down, I was going through that noisy period with Abel.
And his obsession with me when I demanded to break our engagement started right around that time.
With the oracle saying that a light close to me would purify me, the temple naturally assumed it referred to Abel.
In that situation, if Abel and I broke off our engagement, the purification would be harder to achieve—so they tried to keep us together.
This explained the uneasiness I’d felt toward Abel all this time.
Even if he had developed an interest in me, his blind devotion had seemed too strange.
But now that I knew his claim to the throne depended on me… his behavior finally made sense.
That desperate desire not to lose me.
“Hmm, strange. Is the light mentioned in the oracle really Abel?”
But nowhere was there confirmation that Abel was actually the light.
The darkness in the oracle undoubtedly referred to my heart, but was the light truly Abel?
Contextually, it seemed more likely that the oracle referred to Abel rather than Hyle.
Abel was not only in my circle but also close to me.
Of course, Hyle fulfilled those conditions almost equally well, but Abel and I had even received a blessing from High Priest Garend.
This meant we had a relationship that the goddess Renesia could easily misinterpret.
But setting all that aside, my heart was already being purified by Hyle…
Suddenly, the image of Hyle coughing blood flashed through my mind.
If the oracle truly referred to Abel, then Hyle was suffering needlessly.
But if it referred to Hyle… that wasn’t exactly good news either.
Hyle already had so little sacred power, and if the oracle designated him… that would place an even heavier burden on him.
I had pushed for the broken engagement precisely to prevent such unfortunate circumstances, yet I still hadn’t managed to accomplish it…!
“Lady Laté, you’re early.”
I was leaning against the cathedral wall, lost in confused thoughts, when Xenoph approached me with a kind smile. The prayers seemed to have ended.
“Is it time?” I asked.
“Yes, it is.”
Perhaps tonight’s oracle would resolve the questions weighing on my mind. Let’s just hear what it has to say first.
Xenoph wore a thin, deep blue cape over his pristine white robes. Something about his incongruously pure appearance repulsed me.
After all that scheming behind the scenes, he stood before me with that artificial face, pretending to know nothing. It was utterly contemptible.
To think the Empire’s High Cardinal could be such a weasel.
At this point, even if he told me Hyle was my light, I wouldn’t readily believe him. Better not to argue about the oracle.
Besides… I wasn’t entirely certain myself yet.
To receive the oracle, I climbed back onto the altar where I’d previously taken the sacred power test. Xenoph appeared quite pleased with my accompaniment.
“Renesia will be delighted. The Holy Maiden she personally chose is now receiving her oracle.”
Whatever, I thought, staring vacantly into space. There was no point in me being here anyway, since I couldn’t understand the divine language.
“Please, this way.”
Following Xenoph’s instruction, I knelt beside him and—though reluctantly—folded my hands in prayer as he did.
If Caligo had been here, she would have retched at least ten times by now. With the demon’s power still lingering in my body, I felt the same urge, but… I held back.
The oracle descended in an instant. There was no brilliant flash of light, no voice to be heard, but somehow I just knew the oracle had arrived.
It felt like incomprehensible, mysterious language was swirling through my mind. Strangely, the sensation wasn’t particularly unpleasant.
“…Xenoph?”
The oracle seemed to have ended, but for some reason, Xenoph remained motionless. Frozen like a statue, he looked like someone who’d received a terrible shock.
He was staring blankly with despairing eyes until I nudged his shoulder, which finally brought life back to his gaze.
“I can’t understand the divine language, so you need to interpret…”
I was about to ask Xenoph to explain the meaning of the oracle when suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my heart with an unpleasant sense of foreboding.
Of all times, the magical backlash was hitting me now. I knew the backlash was coming faster each time, but this was too much…!
I’d come all this way, but I had no choice. I had absolutely no intention of collapsing in this space alone with Xenoph.
“…Please send the interpretation to the mansion separately.”
After saying this, I immediately left that suffocating space, opening the door with a stiff expression. I had no time to wait for Xenoph’s response.
Quickly returning to the Laté mansion, I collapsed onto the corner of my bed, panting heavily.
“Haah…”
I wanted to put a magic stone or anything in my mouth immediately. The desire to survive surged through me. Though not as agonizing as before, pain was still pain.
How many people could endure this excruciating sensation—as if someone were carving out my chest with a knife—while remaining conscious?
“I’m dying…”
Peep.
I thought Entrie was buried in his feed trough, but somehow he had approached my side, watching me with concerned eyes. Remarkably, meeting Entrie’s calm green eyes seemed to slightly ease the pain in my heart.
Though that shouldn’t be possible.
“Entrie, I prepared some raspberries for you. Want some?”
Leaning against the bed, I magically lifted the raspberry container from the table and placed it in front of Entrie.
To be honest, Entrie reminded me of Hyle. They looked so similar that I couldn’t help but associate them.
Like master, like bird—they both had the same green eyes, and Entrie’s behavior, except when eating, was quite dignified, just like Hyle.
