Chapter 7
The Reason to Enter a Forbidden Relationship
Why was Mürse here?
My nerves, already on edge, bristled with wariness toward the priest before me. Sensing my unease, Mürse hurriedly offered an explanation.
“I came to the imperial palace to prepare for the Proof of Blessing ceremony. However, I’m not accustomed to such grand and crowded places. I was looking for a quiet spot to rest and ended up here.”
“…I see.”
With that, I fell silent.
I had wanted to be alone, hoping that Mürse would take the hint and leave. But unfortunately, he did not. Instead, he stepped closer.
Tracing the neatly trimmed garden hedges with his fingertips, he slowly approached and sat down on the edge of the fountain, maintaining some distance between us.
“May I ask what brings you here, my lady?”
…My lady?
It had been a long time since I’d heard that term.
After my debutante ball, I was quickly engaged to Tristrian and married soon after. Because of that, I had almost never been referred to as a lady. The title was reserved for unmarried women, after all.
My lady… That meant he didn’t know who I was.
Well, that made sense. We had never met before, and with my vision obscured by a blindfold, there was no way he could recognize me unless I introduced myself.
The idea of speaking with someone who was unaware of my identity was both surprising and refreshing.
My heart pounded.
“…I apologize if my question was rude. As one who serves Benedictus as a Listener, inquiring about others’ circumstances has become a habit.”
“It’s fine.”
He must have thought I was offended since I had remained silent for so long.
If he could see my face, he wouldn’t have come to that conclusion. It was a curious experience.
“Hmm…”
A person who didn’t know who I was…
Normally, I would never openly express what I was thinking or feeling. In the imperial court and high society, even a single veiled remark from me would give rise to endless speculation.
But this man before me was a priest, blindfolded and unaware of my identity.
Perhaps… it wouldn’t hurt to share a little of my troubles.
‘I went to Benedictus Cathedral last month and confessed to Priest Mürse! It felt as if I was receiving forgiveness directly from Benedictus himself—how divine!’
I recalled one of my ladies-in-waiting making such a remark in passing.
After hesitating for a moment, I carefully voiced my thoughts.
It was the first time I had ever done so.
“…I nearly caused harm to something precious because of my actions. I wanted to do better, but things didn’t go as I had hoped, and I was left feeling frustrated. I was afraid of making the same mistake again. I resented the fact that these things kept happening to me, and I lamented this painful life I was forced to endure. I even thought… perhaps it would have been better if I had never…”
If I had never woken up again after dying…
I swallowed the rest of my words before I could utter them aloud.
No matter how confidential a confessional setting might be, that was something I could never say.
Had I let the words slip, they might have sounded as if I were saying, I want to die.
The thought alone sent a chill down my spine, but there was no way to take back what I had almost said.
Swoosh—. Chirp—.
The sounds around me suddenly grew louder.
The gentle cascade of water from the fountain, the birds singing, the rustling of the leaves in the wind—everything blurred together and overwhelmed me.
What do I do?
I had never spoken so openly about my thoughts and feelings to another person before. This was my first time making such a blunder.
The only small comfort was that the one listening was a blindfolded confessor.
I had let my guard down.
My heart pounded faster and faster.
Was this why Mürse was such an exceptional priest?
To think that I had just confessed so easily when I had never done so before…
Marveling at the experience, I lowered my head.
“…I’ve said something shameful. I apologize for my rudeness. I will take my leave now.”
“Ah.”
Mürse seemed to want to say something, but I didn’t wait.
I turned and walked away from the fountain before I could say anything more.
I had things I needed to protect.
⋆∘✦∘⋆
After Isoletti disappeared from sight, Mürse, now alone, removed his blindfold.
Beneath the fabric, his sharp, straight eyebrows and dark green eyes—so deep they were almost black—came into view.
In an instant, the kind and gentle priest was gone, replaced by a man with an eerily piercing gaze.
It was forbidden for a confessor to remove their blindfold in the presence of others.
Keeping the blindfold on was a solemn vow—to protect the secrecy of confessions.
To nobles, confessors were nothing more than emotional garbage bins.
They were used to unload hidden secrets and sordid desires, without concern for the person receiving them.
No matter how handsome or popular a confessor might be, their fundamental role never changed.
If anyone ever caught sight of a confessor with their blindfold removed, they might feel threatened that their secrets would be exposed.
It wouldn’t be surprising if someone tried to cut out their tongue, gouge out their eyes, or even sever their hands.
And yet, despite the risk, Mürse had removed his blindfold.
He wanted to see, even just once, the place where Isoletti had stood.
“Isoletti Ruined Vepis…”
To the world, she was known as a cold and capable empress.
But the woman he had just met… she was nothing more than a fragile bird with broken wings.
As he silently recalled their conversation, another priest—this one without a blindfold—hurried over, panting.
“Sorry I’m late… Wait, are you serious?! How many times have I told you not to take off your blindfold in public?! Every time I look at your face, I suddenly feel sorry for my own!”
Ignoring his friend’s grumbling, Mürse asked,
“The task?”
“It’s done, it’s done. Damn, my heart was racing like crazy! Do you even realize what we just did?! Giving the emperor a laxative-laced holy water—good lord! I just made history today!”
“….”
Is that really something to be so proud of?
“Hah! All thanks to our dear late archbishop, who conveniently decided that holy water should cleanse both the soul and the body! Makes perfect sense now, doesn’t it?”
As his companion laughed uncontrollably, practically stomping the ground in amusement, Mürse quietly turned his gaze toward the imperial palace beyond the garden hedge.
Well, it doesn’t really matter.
The bastard deserved much worse.
My half-brother, Tristrian Ruined.
⋆∘✦∘⋆
Serenity paced nervously in her lavish private parlor, chewing on an herb known to ease morning sickness.
“Whew…”
Catching sight of her reflection in a long mirror, she frowned.
The fabric of her dress was soft and flowing, yet it felt too loose.
After learning of her pregnancy, Isoletti had strictly instructed the maids not to let her wear just any outfit.
Biting her lip, she pressed her hands against her still-flat stomach.
“…I thought he’d at least look at me if I carried his child.”
She knew Tristrian had many women.
Despite his arrogance, he never chose his bedmates based on status or power.
And yet, she had believed that she was special.
The daughter of the most powerful duke in the empire, carrying the emperor’s child—what could be more noble, more precious than that?
But Tristrian had turned away from her and instead sought out Isoletti’s chambers.
Tears welled in her eyes.
She had thought that the forbidden nature of their relationship meant love.
…Clearly, she had been wrong.
Even so, she couldn’t give up.
Steeling herself, she rang the bell.
She needed to act.
NOTE
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