Chapter 21
‘That, that person is…!’
Zeke Califer, the outlaw of the backstreets!
Ever since Adelheid started making nightly trips to the backstreets like it was a routine, the timid Sophie had been gathering all the news related to the area.
She needed to be prepared in case something happened to her lady and she had to quickly alert others for help!
The reason she came across Zeke Califer’s wanted poster was precisely because of this.
“Hey, why are you so slow? Dig faster!”
“Ah, I’ll do it….”
To think that the lady was the one behind controlling such a heinous criminal!
When had it started? Adelheid, sitting above Zeke Califer like a supreme being, appeared to Sophie as the most infamous villain in the world.
And it didn’t end there.
“Ah, well, since everything’s going back to the earth, let’s just share it nicely, alright?”
Adelheid muttered strange things, as though talking to something invisible, staring into the empty air.
Her behavior was so eerie, Sophie almost fainted right there.
‘Ah, Miss Adelheid…’
No matter how bad she had been, Sophie never expected her to dabble in dark magic!
Could it be that Adelheid was a follower of the Evil God Shinar…? Or perhaps she had been cursed for her repeated evil deeds and was now possessed?
Sophie couldn’t push Adelheid to the authorities, and pretending not to notice scared her too much.
So, the fragile Sophie, seeking peace of mind, went to the confession booth at the Patelles Temple.
“What should I do? Miss seems to be… possessed by something evil.”
In fact, Adelheid had returned to her room only at dawn after what Sophie assumed was some horrifying act. Since then, she had slept soundly, showing no signs of waking, which gave Sophie a brief moment to relax.
‘Maybe she didn’t dig up a grave this time, but buried a body instead?’
As her imagination ran wild, the horrors of what Adelheid might have done grew even darker.
Sophie wanted to dismiss these thoughts as mere exaggerations, but considering Adelheid’s recent actions, they only seemed to escalate.
Unable to hold it in anymore, Sophie burst into tears.
“No, maybe… maybe she really has become a follower of the Evil God. Digging up graves… ugh.”
Wiping her tears with a handkerchief, Sophie confessed her fear.
“If this gets out, will my lady be cast out by the master of the house? I’m really afraid…”
It was heartfelt. Considering Adelheid’s recent behavior, Sophie felt that she could easily be accused of witchcraft and put on trial by the temple.
And if the strict Duke Ulmer found out, Adelheid would probably end up locked in the dungeon.
“Sniff… I’m so scared. What should I do…”
In Sophie’s eyes, Adelheid had gone beyond being the world’s villainess—she now seemed like a bride of the devil herself.
“That’s not your burden to bear, believer.”
Then, from beyond the confession booth, a very warm voice reached Sophie, making her snap her head up in surprise.
She briefly wondered if she had shared too much, but…
“Let go of all the pain in your heart and find peace, believer.”
“Yes, yes…” Sophie’s heart, worn thin by worry, was soothed by the soft voice.
“Anyway… I’m so scared of Miss, but I’ve been serving her all this time… I just hope she changes her mind. Sniff.”
“That will happen. Even if she has been taken by the Evil God, the goddess will have mercy and watch over her.”
“Th-thank you… sniff I hope Miss realizes it soon…”
After crying for a while, Sophie left the temple, feeling much lighter in her heart.
‘It will be alright, right?’
Confessions, no matter how serious, are held in absolute secrecy in the Patelles Temple, as decreed by Goddess Demeter. Sophie felt comforted, assured of her privacy.
But…
“Selling her soul to the devil?”
The man on the other side of the confession booth wall thought differently.
Ernst Heine, the apostle chosen by Demeter and known as the ‘Shield of Protection,’ pulled the bell, summoning his loyal knight, Victor.
“No, Commander. We’ve searched for a long time… but you’ve been here in the confession booth again.”
In the Demeter faith, priests and knights were separate, but Ernst, chosen by the goddess, was the exception.
“That’s not the important thing, Victor.”
“Eh?”
“Evil forces are spreading throughout the Bregenze Empire. We must act to protect Demeter.”
According to the information obtained from the confession booth, the woman who was said to be possessed by the devil was from a prestigious noble family.
In fact, only a few names could come to mind when thinking of the ‘villainess’ described by the workers, and the adopted daughter of Duke Ulmer was one of them…
‘The servants tend to think their masters are demons anyway.’
It was impossible to pinpoint the Evil God’s follower based on subjective information alone.
But if she was indeed the daughter of a prestigious family, there was no doubt she would attend the upcoming Spring Ball.
“I’ll send a letter to the royal family.”
“…As the goddess wills.”
“As the goddess wills.”
Ernst’s silver eyes gleamed dangerously.
The much-anticipated Spring Ball had arrived.
While noble daughters in the Bregenze Empire were likely up since dawn, frantically preparing for the event, I, who had no intention of attending, lay lazily in bed, feigning disinterest.
Perhaps to prevent me from breaking my promise to Paula and attending the Spring Ball, her maids kept a constant watch on me, making it necessary to keep up the act.
Though, truth be told, lying in bed was rather comfortable, considering the recent hardships.
“Miss, are you really not going anywhere today?”
“Huh? What?”
“Eek!”
Sophie, upon meeting my gaze, froze in place and stumbled back.
…What was going on?
Lately, Sophie had been showing me all sorts of system messages, gradually raising my Infamy score, like she was doing now.
[SYSTEM] The poor ‘maid Sophie’ is afraid you will erase her without a trace before you bring the world to ruin! Infamy +5
I appreciated the concern, but what exactly was going on?
I raised an eyebrow in confusion, and Sophie, snapping out of her momentary panic, bowed her head and spoke rapidly.
“Oh, I just wanted to ask if you’re not going anywhere for the Spring Ball today!”
“Oh, that? Well, actually…”
I had been planning to explain my secret outing to Sophie, and now seemed like a good time.
Just as I was about to speak, there was a knock at the door.
“It’s me, Paula.”
“…Come in.”
With my permission, the door opened, and Paula stepped in, looking like a bride with her elegant, though somewhat worn, white dress—an outfit that reminded me of the financial struggles of House Ulmer.
“Well, well, hello?”
Despite not shining as much as her daughter, Paula was still quite the beautiful woman, with long golden hair and sapphire-studded jewelry that matched her blue eyes.
She had come to show off her outfit, no doubt.
“How pitiful, Adelheid. You, who were once the envy of every noblewoman in this country, won’t even be able to show your face at the Spring Ball.”
I watched Paula with a smile on my face, though I was quite satisfied with the situation. I hadn’t encountered Paula much during my previous playthroughs of the game, and my first impression of her had been less than favorable.
She had once forced me into a marriage meeting with Marquis Vente without asking my opinion.
But strangely enough, I had grown somewhat attached to her over time. Still, I couldn’t help but find her a bit… annoying.
‘A bit cute though?’
Ha, funny thoughts, but I guess I’m getting used to this now…
I quickly erased those distracting thoughts and answered with a sad expression.
“Yeah, I’m so upset I could cry.”
I wanted to please Paula, but despite my intentions, no tears actually came.
Because of that, Paula seemed to think I was mocking her.
Her face turned bright red with anger as she glared at me.
“Ha! I bet you’re just acting all calm to hide your wounded pride, huh?”
“How’d you know? I’m trying to act like I’m calm, but really, my heart is full of sadness.”
“What?! Are you mocking me, Adelheid?”
“Aren’t you the one mocking me?”
I countered, and Paula, shaking with rage, shouted.
“Me?!”
“Yep, you’re mocking the poor me, lying in bed and not going to the ball, when all I wanted to do was go to the Spring Ball…”
I expected Paula to deny it, but what she said next surprised me.
“…I didn’t come here just for that.”
She bit her lip and, with a face full of mixed emotions, spoke, revealing a touch of guilt and irritation.
