Chapter 142
If I Disobey the Duke
Shattered (1)
âAs you can see, I am fine. Please tell Vlad that I am okay.â Lily sat down. She was seated across from the tea table, leaning restlessly and folding her arms.
âYeah, I can see it. But if I neglect my job right now, Iâll be killed. I donât know if Madam has any hobby of collecting high priestâs earsâ¦â
âOh, okay.â Lily lowered her legs and took off her burgundy cloak. Her comfy indoor dress was revealed, with a wide, semicircular neckline.
She lowered her head slightly in embarrassment. She looked down at her toes with slippers and she licked her lips.
After checking her pulse and feeling hot, the priest slumped back into his chair.
âI will report to the lord that there is nothing wrong.â
Lily covered her body again with her cloak. It looked like he was going to quietly ignore the bruises and teeth marks that colored the nape of her neck.
âPriest Ivan. You said the situation is not good right nowâ¦â She paused. âIs it because⦠of my brother?â
Ivan denied it without hesitation, âItâs because no one caught the person who was banned from entering Cadis.â He shrugged as he stood. âMadam was threatened by him in Cadis Jail. No one was to prevent him from sneaking around Cadis and hurting you. Above else, the image that I want to show you of the lordâ¦â He bit his mouth. He looked like he was trying to swallow something he was trying to say.
Lily, who had been restless in her mind, immediately shook her head.
Itâs not confirmedâ¦
Her heart was pounding. It was like everything she tried to do well was actually just a headache. Disappointment filled her head.
âThere is absolutely nothing you are to blame for. The fort guards didnât do their job properly. Whenever the lord is not here, the hostess of this land cannot be imprisoned in the castle.â
It wasnât consolation. It was sincere.
âThen, is the Lord of Cadis being reprimanded?â
âYou donât have to worry about him. He is one of the two people who dare to speak back to the duke. Him and the High Priest of Nerva.â
There was no sign of intentionally omitting her.
Lilyâs eyes widened. It was because she heard an unexpected name. âHigh Priest Nerva⦠Is she alive?â
Ivanâs eyes widened. âDo you know her?â
Lily was surprised that he was even surprised. It wasnât even that much of a shock. âWho does not know her?â
A high priest and sage with divine power that surpassed that of the Pope. She was a seeker from the lowest places, looking out for the most miserable. Rejecting any power and honor, she spent her later years in Rakuna. She was known to have ended her life when someone set a fire and burned the village.
âAs expected. Sheâs famous enough for everyone to know. Yes.â It was a strange tone of speech that conveyed disappointment and relief at the same time. It was him who soon regained his lax and natural expression. He laid his hand on the back of his chair and crossed his legs as if drooping like a laid-back cat. There were crooked wrinkles on the neat black uniform. âAt a carriage speed, about a month and a half was spent in the north, the Taurus Mountains. It is a beautiful mountain range facing the sea to the east.â
Lily remembered the Arcadia map that she had memorized all night long.
Because if there was an ocean, it could be opened for ports and widen trade routes. It was a well remembered place.
Ivan continued his explanation, drawing a map in the air with his long finger, âShe has been living in a rare valley in the Taurus Mountains, taking care of children for 15 years. Itâs top secret, but itâs happening on Madamâs land, so you should know.â
It wasnât just children who stayed in the chapel, though. She didnât know what she would be like if she stayed there. In the end, Ivan was also a selective supporter this time.
Lily couldnât hide the excitement that came out of her cheeks. She was really alive.
Her heart was thrilled. She looked like she was looking into the colourful memories she had put in the most precious box in her memory.
Right before life turned to achromatic colors. It was the last splendid period of ignorance.
âI saw her when I was little.â
The momentum to confide suddenly stopped abruptly. It was a story she wasnât ready to tell anyone yet.
Lily carefully looked into Ivanâs eyes. âCan I go see⦠him?â
âWell⦠We should ask first.â Ivan wiggled his leg nervously, standing with a bitter smile on his face.
Lilyâs green eyes, which gradually regained their color, followed him. Her complexion had returned to her pale face. âThank you. Is Vlad in the Knights Templar now?â
âNope.â He sighed. âThe Lord told me not to tell you⦠He is in the dungeon. With your brother.â
Lilyâs heart sank.