Chapter 5 Part 1
Xenoph was anxious, but the Pope’s voice remained calm: “Xenoph, the Goddess has given us trials as she always does. So don’t be too hasty. It’s not time yet.”
The white hand that gently comforted the bowing Xenoph shimmered faintly from the edge of the memory.
“This is impossible.”
Literally, this was an impossible situation.
In the original story, Hertiana was the Holy Maiden, and she remained the Holy Maiden until the end.
There was even a spin-off story!
Naturally, in the previous two lives as well, Hertiana was the only Holy Maiden.
I came into the Cardinal’s memories to find answers… but instead, I felt like I was embracing even more unanswerable questions.
‘Your Holiness, the night of the Goddess’s third oracle approaches. Please allow me to accompany you to the altar that day. I want to know the truth.’
“Huh? Is this the end?”
The fragment of memory ended just as Xenoph desperately sought permission from the Pope.
But this can’t be everything… there should be something more after this, right?
“Ugh, already time…”
While trying to dig deeper into the memories due to the unsettling feeling that I was missing something important, suddenly my fingertips began turning blue.
This was a warning that the ‘black magic’s activation time limit was ending.’
If I didn’t leave the Cardinal’s memories right now, there would certainly be a strong magical backlash.
“…Surely I won’t die.”
However, there was no guarantee I’d have another chance to directly access the Cardinal’s memories.
Inevitably deciding to be somewhat reckless, I began searching through the memories for the next scene.
During this search, I touched a very brief but strangely glowing fragment of memory.
‘Your Holiness, I will wait here.’
‘Very well.’
Then the Pope’s long, pure white robe appeared.
But because Xenoph was bowing, once again I couldn’t see the Pope’s face.
The soft sound of the Pope’s footsteps ascending the stairs echoed gently through the spacious room.
Soon after, sacred language that couldn’t be understood was heard briefly, and then Xenoph spoke with a clearly surprised voice, stammering:
‘Y-Your Holiness! Then the true identity of the Holy Maiden…’
“Gasp…!”
Just as Xenoph’s shocked voice was heard after listening to the oracle, an intensely sharp pain I had never felt before shot like a spike toward my heart.
My heart began beating frantically.
The unbearable pain blurred my vision.
“Ugh, I need to get out of here…”
Before I could escape from the Cardinal’s memories, the sharp pain quickly spread throughout my entire body.
“Ah, no… I can’t collapse yet…”
A savage sensation like being carved all over by knives swept through me.
Finally, I lost consciousness.
* * *
“Ugh…”
As I slowly raised myself up, holding my throbbing head, I hazily met purple eyes that were anxiously watching me from beside the bed.
What’s… going on here?
“Rosiel, are you conscious?”
Beyond those usually firm purple eyes, uncharacteristic anxiety had deeply seeped in.
“…Abel?”
“Yes, it’s me. You didn’t wake up for three days, and I was so…”
When I carelessly spoke his name without honorifics in my confusion, Abel nodded as if he had been waiting for this and softly curved his previously stiff lips.
But… wait, what did he just say? Three days?
I had expected some major backlash from the black magic, but…
Even so, three days? That’s no joke.
I’ve used large-scale magic several times before, but I’ve never been sick for three straight days.
As Caligo said, this wasn’t magic to be taken lightly. I should have heard the true Holy Maiden’s identity then…
My face automatically frowned at the regret that came rushing in as I regained consciousness.
Abel, seemingly worried about me, covered me with a thick blanket and urged me to lie down again.
“Where is…”
“The Imperial Palace. This is my bedroom.”
Abel’s following answer gave me another fresh shock.
It was already surprising that I had been unconscious for three days, but to be not only in the Imperial Palace but in the Crown Prince’s bedroom no less.
This was impossible.
At least according to the original story, this absolutely should not and could not happen.
For me, not Hertiana, to be the first to enter Abel’s room… This alone showed how far things had already deviated from the original story.
“…Why?”
I truly had no words other than questions.
Why would Abel go so far as to risk the scandal he’s usually so sensitive about, just to take care of me?
He seemed upset at the last party… but looking at him now, he doesn’t seem that way at all.
“What do you mean why? Taking care of you is natural. You’re my person.”
After giving this gentle answer, Abel once again urged me to lie down.
No matter how much I insisted I was fine, Abel persistently made me lie down.
“Rosiel-“
“Your Highness, His Majesty requests…”
Abel, who was about to say something with a peculiar expression, clicked his tongue briefly and stood up at the knight’s voice calling him.
“They never leave me be.”
Abel ran his fingers through his hair irritably, let out a short sigh, and left the room saying he’d be right back.
Though I didn’t know what Abel was going to say, I had a feeling it wasn’t something I wanted to hear.
Still dazed by the surprising developments right after opening my eyes, I lay in bed staring blankly at the door Abel had disappeared through, then soon called for Raphla.
Appearing at my call, Raphla settled near my shoulder and fluttered its wings briefly while whimpering.
“…Are you worried about me?”
Raphla’s faint crying sound was heartbreakingly pitiful.
If a first-class magical beast was this agitated, my condition must have really hit rock bottom.
“Raphla, show me the moment I collapsed three days ago.”
This would require consuming even a small amount of my magic power, so Raphla hesitated briefly, only proceeding to slowly project the image in the air after receiving my reassurance twice.
‘Rosiel!’
‘My lady!’
‘Miss…!’
As soon as I collapsed, voices calling from different directions mixed together and echoed strongly through the party venue.
