Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Downfall, Windfall (XII)

“Bringing her here?”

“Elder Derek, do you have an idea?”

The elders’ ears perked up.

“Everyone, stop. That’s not going to happen. The saint was even attacked from inside the temple. They must have a lot of antipathy toward us now.”

Sharon looked pitifully at Derek and the elders who agreed with him.

“Right now, it’s best to wait and do what we can. Find out who the assailant was.”

She asked again.

“Everyone, don’t forget to thoroughly shut down the inside so that no news about the saint leaks out.”

In a situation where they had not brought Esther over yet, the rumor there was another saint was not allowed to spread outside.

If the general public knew that there was no saint in the temple, they wouldn’t believe in it.

The elders agreed to say that the saint was not feeling well and was receiving treatment if an outsider inquired about the whereabouts of the saint.

“It would be better to postpone the prayer ceremony to a later date.”

There were many things to discuss, so the elders split for a short break in the middle of the meeting.

Frustrated, Derek went outside to talk with an elder he had friendly relations with.

“Godmother is too soft.”

“That’s right. If you think about it, isn’t the child originally from our temple? Grand Duke Deheen took her by force.”

“Hmm, should I send a priest to the grand ducal residence? Even if the saint had just left, we might be able to communicate with the grand duke.”

“That grand duke? Well… Doesn’t he hate the temple?”

“Even though he hates the temple, he is a person who thinks of the empire. It might be a little different if he knows that only the saint can stop the plague.”

Having grown up in a strict noble social system, Derek thought that no matter how much Deheen liked Esther, there would be a clear line.

“In the end, she is an adopted child. I will take care of it.”

“You’re not going to tell godmother?”

“It’s obvious she will say no. Someone has to do it for the temple.”

Derek said he would settle it, straightening his shoulders like a triumphant general.

“We must save the empire.”

He firmly believed that Deheen, who had always been at the forefront of war defending the empire, would know how to sacrifice small things for great things.

★★★

Duke Brions departed from his territory early in the morning and arrived in the capital city where the Imperial Palace was located half a day later.

Normally, it would be polite to make an appointment at least a few days in advance to meet the emperor.

Insisting it was an urgent matter, he requested a private meeting with the emperor.

Duke Brions naturally thought that they would be able to meet in a day. But he received a completely different answer.

“I’m sorry, but the fastest possible date is in three days.”

“Did you say that it’s urgent?”

“Yes. I told His Majesty as it is, but his schedule for the past few days has been filled with very important matters.”

There wasn’t much Duke Brions could do. He must wait for several more days.

The emperor’s secretary, who conveyed the message to Duke Brions, went to the office after confirming he left the palace.

Contrary to the reason that he was busy, the emperor was leisurely drinking tea with Noah.

“He just left.”

“Good job. If he comes again in the meantime, delay it like today.”

“I understand, Your Majesty.”

While watching the secretary leave, Noah took a sip of coffee.

“Father, what would you do if what happened at this temple was really the work of Duke Brions?”

“Hmm. Like it or not, he is the head of one of the four great families that lead the empire.”

“Seeing how Grand Duke Deheen called a meeting without the duke, it’s definitely related. Perhaps, at that meeting, there will be a discussion about the expulsion of the Brions family.”

“Yes. I thought of that too. But Noah, expulsion is not a matter to be decided easily.”

The imperial family, the four great families and the temple were the largest systems that maintained the current empire.

It was not an easy decision even for the emperor because if one of them was knocked out, the current balance would collapse.

“First, let’s wait and see what Grand Duke Deheen will bring.”

The emperor was very distraught, and hurriedly reexamined the date of the meeting exchanged in letters.

★★★

While Duke Brions was away, Ben visited the ducal residence and brought Lucifer back.

None of the staff stopped him as it was within the promised period.

“They listened right away without wasting time.”

Deheen, who was waiting for Lucifer, went straight into the interrogation.

Lucifer had already been brainwashed and had no will to resist Deheen, so he revealed everything.

“…And he used the expression ‘my child’ for Catherine’s child.”

Deheen’s lips parted slightly as he listened to the questions Duke Brions asked Lucifer.

“Did he really say that? Are you sure you heard that?”

Agitated, Deheen grabbed Lucifer’s shoulder tightly, but the latter, whose body and mind were weakened, trembled and even showed tears.

“Yes. Undoubtedly. I listened carefully…”

“Ah, my fears turned out to be true. I had hoped…”

Muttering to himself, Deheen staggered back.

“Your Grace, Lady Catherine…”

Even Ben couldn’t easily continue his words.

If the man Catherine hid was Duke Brions, Esther’s biological father would also be Duke Brions.

After confirming everything he was curious about, Deheen pressed his throbbing forehead.

“Let me rest for now.”

As soon as Lucifer was picked up by the knight, Deheen collapsed on the sofa.

“Duke Brions is the one who caused Esther to suffer terribly 14 times. This time, he even tried to kidnap her. It’s obvious what he would have done if the kidnapping had succeeded, right?”

Sadness appeared on his face, which he covered with his hands.

“As in the past lives, he would have tried to draw her blood again. But that guy is her real father.”

Angst bloomed around Deheen, who mulled over it and suffered for a long time. It encroached on the surroundings.

It was such an intense energy that the immediate surroundings seemed dark.

“Your Grace, Lady Esther would be very shocked if she found out about this.”

“You must never let Esther know.”

Even if they had no relationship now, it was clear that Esther would be hurt if she knew all this.

“I will protect her.”

Deheen turned his head to the small picture frame on the desk.

Inside was a picture of Irene and Catherine laughing together.

“If Duke Brions knew this, he would definitely try to take advantage of it.”

“It will remain. He might already be moving.”

“But he doesn’t know that Catherine was my wife’s sister.”

If Duke Brions tried to claim any rights to Esther, he could refute it as much as he wanted.

“Wasn’t a meeting scheduled?”

“Yes. It’ll be in three days.”

“He got caught sooner than I thought.”

Considering the family heads’ tight schedule, it was about the speed when an emergency happened to the empire.

“It’s thanks to His Majesty’s help.”

Deheen’s eyebrows twitched for a moment at the words that the emperor himself stepped up.

“…Anyway, good. I need to get ready to leave right away.”

“Shall we take both Albert and Lucifer?”

“Yes. I have to explode everything and make it impossible for him to recover.”

“Evidence like this would suffice to expel even one of the four great families.”

Getting up from the sofa, Deheen picked up only urgent tasks, going through them quickly in order to return to the Imperial Palace.

★★★

Meanwhile…

As Deheen was preparing to go to the Imperial Palace, the priests sent from the central temple arrived in Tersia.

“This is my first time here.”

“Yes. I thought it would be a mess because of the epidemic, but it looks much more peaceful than expected.”

A new priest, Pedrik, scanned the faces of the lively passers-by with disapproving eyes.

“It must be because the saint is here. The saint shouldn’t be monopolized in a territory like this.”

The other priests who came with Pedrik continued to converse as they headed straight to the grand ducal residence.

They didn’t come with an appointment, but they were guided into the mansion with a letter of introduction stating that they were guests from the central temple.

“By the way, have you thought about how to persuade the grand duke?”

“Aren’t we coming with a reasonable request?”

Pedrik’s eyes shone viciously as he answered the other priest.

The group was escorted by Delbert to the drawing room. On the way there, they found Esther playing in the garden.

“Oh, oh! I never expected to see her right away like this.”

“Ah, didn’t Priest Frederick say he was acquainted with the saint?”

“Yes. We do have a relationship.”

Pedrik smiled and turned to Esther.

Esther, who had been keeping an eye on the sudden arrivals, recognized Pedrik. Instantly, there was a shadow of displeasure on her face.

“It’s been a while. Do you remember me?”

“…What are you doing here?”

The day Esther left the temple.

It was Pedrik who took her out.

Wary, Esther held Cheese, who she was playing with, in her arms.

“Who are you? Do you have something to do with your lady?”

When Victor saw that Esther was on edge, he intervened and separated them.

“Ah, of course I have business, I’m here to see His Grace.”

“Then please go.”

“Heh heh, it’s not something that wears out just by looking at it. I just wanted to say hello, it’s been a while.”

Pedrik smiled and held out his hand as if to shake Esther’s hand.

“You look very happy. I almost didn’t recognize you for a moment because you’re completely different from what you looked like back then.”

“Nya!”

However, before Esther could react, Cheese ferociously scratched the back of Pedrik’s hand.

Then she jumped out of Esther’s arms and ran away.

“What’s this…!”

“The office is over there.”

Esther smiled at Pedrik, who was fuming at the pain, and then ran after Cheese.

“Are you okay, Priest Pedrik?”

“Everything is fine. It’s nothing.”

Pedrik forced himself into a smile.

‘To be so arrogant when she accidentally gained the power of a saint… such a dirty and lowly orphan.’

He tried to get along with her by forgetting her previous ugly appearance, but his stomach simmered when he was ignored.

Pedrik glared at Esther’s back as he walked into the drawing room.

★★★

Tok tok.

Deheen, who was hastily going through the papers, raised his head at the sound of a knock.

“What is it?”

“The priests sent from the central temple are in the drawing room.”

Deheen frowned, taken aback by the sudden visit.

“Who did you say are here?”

“The priests of the central temple. They said that they have something to discuss, and that they must see Your Grace today.”

With a mind still occupied with Brions, Deheen sighed deeply and roughly brushed a hand through his hair.

“Bring them in at once. I don’t want them to meet Esther, just in case.”

“All right.”

When permission was granted, Pedrik and the other priests were immediately escorted to the office.

“I’ve seen you from far away many times, but this is the first time I’ve formally greeted you. I’m Priest Pedrik. I see you, Your Grace the Grand Duke.”

Pedrik, who had been in a bad mood ever since the back of his hand was injured, smiled pretentiously in front of Deheen.

“As for me, my name is Edwin. I’m a priest.”

“All right, what did you come for?”

Deheen asked in a cold voice, not taking his eyes off the papers.

Ame: Very little Esther, no despairing Rabienne, but plenty of annoying temple people ;-;