Chapter 53: Schemes Unravel One After Another part 1
Please… please… please… Let it be here!
Rustle.
Unfolding the small note that had been tucked away at the bottom of the basket, she found a shocking report written in the middle. There was no need to look at the rest.
[…As such, due to a lack of rainfall throughout winter, a fire broke out in the residence of Viscount Karris and the surrounding area.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and all those inside are presumed dead. The nearby village was unaware of the fire’s origin and had no opportunity to mount a rescue.
The house was completely burned down and left in ruins. No one has dared to retrieve the remains. It is said that burial fees in the Chionel cemetery are prohibitively expensive. Additionally…]
‘What? What? What did I just read?’
It was an astonishing report. She knew that dry winters often led to springtime fires. Da**ed Morgana had gone on and on about such things back at the monastery.
But… dead? They’re dead?
Dott was not the type to grieve over people she had already killed once before. She wasn’t sad; far from it. Instead, a peculiar emotion washed over her at the thought that this matter had been resolved without her even lifting a finger.
‘I… I didn’t even put out a request, didn’t make any move to kill them. And yet, by sheer coincidence, they just happened to die in a fire? Unbelievable.’
Before, even when she had used the dark guild to dispose of her former family, it had left her feeling uneasy.
Would they one day uncover her true identity? Would they try to retaliate once they discovered why she had ordered their deaths?
But now, all of those concerns had vanished.
The Chionel territory had an unusual climate. Though its agricultural output was small, it occasionally produced rare crops unique to the region.
‘I’ve already made myself out to be a connoisseur of fine foods. Even if this request comes to light later, I have a solid excuse. I can just say I wanted to taste something that only grows in Chionel, right?’
The more she thought about how to spin it, the more exhilarated she became.
‘It’s true that knowing the right nobles makes acquiring goods easier, so I don’t even have to over-explain myself. Ah…! Everything is going my way. Perfect. Next up is Morgana!’
Even if she was using the dark guild for assassinations, placing back-to-back kill orders was… a little excessive.
No matter. For now, she was safe.
A sense of satisfaction and a strange kind of euphoria coiled around Dott’s body. She convinced herself she was a master strategist, intoxicated by her string of victories. Whatever unexpected developments arose, she could deal with them. No matter what!
Meanwhile, within the Grand Temple, someone was diligently writing a letter.
Saintess Kaphia.
[I have heard news of Lady Klein’s return.
However, as I am the wretched sinner who failed to care for her to the very end, I have hesitated to visit her and have delayed my greetings. Now that she has successfully made her debut into society and will soon be fully engaged in the social scene, I am deeply relieved. It is all as the Divine Will intended.
I will be traveling there soon. I do not know if the young lady will remember this insignificant servant, but I have long awaited the day we would meet again. I pray each day that I may spread the blessing of the Divine to all.
From Saintess Kaphia.]
“Hah…”
As she set her pen down, Kaphia’s face turned cold.
For far too long, she had been cowering in this lonely space, reduced to insignificance. If she was truly a child of the Divine, then surely there must come a moment in her life when she would spread her wings and soar.
And if the Divine did not grant her that chance then she would create it herself. With these very hands.
“Deliver this to the Imperial Palace.”
“Yes, Saintess.”
“After the letter is sent, make preparations for a pilgrimage. It will be a long journey.”
“Saintess, you mean… you will go yourself?”
The young priest was so startled that he asked again, only for Kaphia’s smile to deepen.
“Yes. The Holy Knights have just returned from their penitential march to welcome the spring. How could I remain idle? A person must work to fulfill their purpose.”
“…Yes, Saintess.”
With a face full of reverence, the young priest carefully took the letter and left.
Left alone in the quiet room, Kaphia’s eyes grew cold once more.
Child, how long will you continue to look at me with such eyes? Over the years, many have gazed at me with admiration, only for their awe to turn into disillusionment, then apathy. All because of something as trivial as my fluctuating divine power. I have endured this for decades.
Will you change as well?
I refuse to suffer through it again. For that, I must act – to live as a saintess who commands respect. You, at least, must understand me.
Good and evil did not exist in Saintess Kaphia’s heart. Everything she did, every word she spoke, was simply a battle for survival.
* * *
“Is that really true?”
“Yes, Lady Fay. Why do you ask?”
The top floor of the Mijuang Hotel.
After the Spring Ball had concluded, Fay had finally found a chance to meet with Kassel alone. And she had just heard a shocking piece of news.
Saintess Kaphia! She was going to enter the Imperial Palace? Unbelievable.
“…Lady Fay?”
Snapping out of her thoughts, Fay lifted her gaze.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just surprised that the saintess, whom I’ve only heard about in passing, is coming to the palace to give a sermon.”
Even in front of Fay, Kassel did not show the slightest trace of a smile.
“It’s not so surprising. Until the previous generation, it was common practice for the saintess to visit the palace every year to promote charity and mercy. It has simply become less frequent in recent times.”
He did not explain why.
And Fay, who had gathered information from various sources, did not bother to ask.
“I see…”
The reason the current Saintess was being treated coldly was something Holtdayne was well aware of. The real question was, why was she, who had remained quiet until now, suddenly stretching and preparing to rise?
……
T/N: The Saintess is doing a self-justification hmph
