Episode 94
Theo felt a fleeting sense of relief upon recognizing the person approaching him.
“Oh, yes. Of course.”
The name of this middle-aged man was Kaden. He was a chamberlain positioned quite high up in the hierarchy of the temple, and he had been one of the few people to treat Theo with uncommon kindness since he first joined the order of knights.
Indeed, it wasn’t just Theo; Kaden had a reputation for being kind to everyone. Theo, having received much help from him in various ways, held a favorable opinion of Kaden.
With a warm smile, Kaden approached Theo and lightly tapped his back.
“I heard you were out and about. Your attire is quite plain. Were you visiting an orphanage?”
“I was on my way back from visiting a friend at the orphanage.”
“In that case, how about we have a drink and you can tell me about your outing, Theo? I happened to have some free time. Are you not too busy?”
“Of course, yes.”
“Great, then come this way.”
Satisfied with Theo’s brisk response, Kaden smiled and led him somewhere. As the door opened, the interior of the room revealed the scent of tea, perhaps indicating that preparations had been made in advance. On the table sat a teapot and, behind it, a large crystal.
Kaden closed the door behind Theo and gestured kindly, lifting the corners of his mouth.
“Shall we share some conversation under the grace of the Divine, Theo?”
* * *
Clang!
The sound of utensils clashing echoed loudly through the dining hall. It took Lillian a moment longer than it should have to realize that the noise came from the dish in her hand. Her mind had been elsewhere.
Swiftly turning her gaze, she found Cedric looking in her direction. Cedric wasn’t usually stern, but it wouldn’t bode well to show any shortcomings during dinner with him.
Lillian quickly set down the dish.
“Sorry, Dad. I was lost in thought for a moment…”
“It’s alright, sweetheart. Is your health not good?”
“It’s not that.”
“Then it must be something on your mind.”
Instead of answering, Lillian pursed her lips inward. Cedric didn’t press for a response. He simply wiped his mouth with a napkin, giving Lillian time to remain silent before he spoke again.
“Is it because of Viscount Fitzroy?”
“….!”
Lillian’s eyes widened. She hadn’t mentioned Asher at all, so how did Cedric know? Cedric seemed to read her thoughts and chuckled softly.
“If there’s something bothering you enough to call it a concern, it must be related to that. The list of suitors you’ve received, I’ve had someone look into each of them separately. None seemed particularly problematic, and there didn’t seem to be any significant flaws in their characters… However, that doesn’t mean there are no issues.”
Indeed, Asher didn’t seem particularly problematic on the surface. Except for the fact that he was trying to lure her into the den of heretics disguised as a reading society.
“But Viscount Fitzroy hasn’t pressured me in that way. He said he wasn’t rushing into marriage himself. Our encounters… have been enjoyable.”
“Then what’s troubling you?”
Lillian fidgeted her fingers under the table. Unable to confide in Theo anymore, Cedric’s gentle voice sounded all the more tempting. Lillian felt the urge to pour everything out. But as strong as the impulse was, so was her patience.
“I can’t tell Dad everything.”
Cedric had long stopped chasing after the kidnapper. Prioritizing Lillian’s safety over revenge against the kidnapper and his wife. So if Cedric were to hear about Lillian’s reckless plan to contact and meet with the heretics again, he would surely put a stop to it.
But Lillian prioritized Swan’s revenge over her own safety.
“I don’t know who to trust. I don’t know who might be deceiving me, or how much I should trust.”
“It’s certainly a difficult problem.”
“How did you handle it, Dad?”
At Lillian’s question, Cedric nodded slowly, then spoke.
“At first, I didn’t trust anyone. People are hard to trust, as you said. Even Isaac, who had been with me since I was young, felt like he was my father’s spy back then, so I didn’t trust him properly.”
“Past tense.”
“Yes. It wasn’t very efficient. Not trusting people seemed most convenient. But my heart still felt heavy and suffocated. I felt something was wrong. Eventually, at some point, I had to admit that some degree of trust would make me most comfortable.”
You couldn’t live perfectly alone. That’s why people started living together.
Lillian nodded her head at Cedric’s explanation.
“Did you… trust those around you in the end?”
“I think I’d be okay if I were betrayed by this person at least once.”
Cedric didn’t go into detail, but it was clear that he was talking about Agnes. Cedric always spoke about the same person when he smiled like that.
“In the end, trusting someone is a decision. It requires determination.”
There’s a limit to moving forward with fear pushing your back.
At Cedric’s words, Lillian nodded slowly.
“Thank you. It helped, Dad.”
“Did your worries ease a bit?”
“Yes.”
Lillian’s eyes glowed with resolve.
“I think I should meet Viscount Fitzroy again.”
* * *
The oath of silence is a covenant engraved in blood.
To be engraved in blood means to stake one’s life, in other words, to carry this secret to the grave.
Because it is essentially a form of black magic, it is strictly forbidden among those who manipulate divine power. However, unlike implications that require high divine power and skill, this method was also secretly researched among priests because it is much easier.
That’s why Lillian had heard about the oath of silence from the priests of the Boswick Kingdom a few times.
— Once the oath is taken, it can never be erased. It completely changes one’s body.
— Unless it’s heresy, who would actually use such an oath?
Their words were correct. In fact, the heretics Lillian encountered had offered her the oath of silence.
And Lillian decided to accept that proposal.
“I will take the oath of silence.”
Victoria, sitting across from her, smiled knowingly.
“An excellent choice. You knew how to choose us.”
“But before that, I have a demand too.”
“A demand? I’m not particularly inclined.”
Victoria’s smile faded slightly. Perhaps she guessed it would become troublesome even without listening closely.
“First, prove that what you say is true. That you truly intend to destroy the temple.”
“Oh, that’s not difficult. Our hatred runs much deeper than you think. If you take the oath of silence, we can tell you anything. Of course, you’ll have to act for us as well.”
Ensuring safety from the temple isn’t difficult, Victoria said with a smiling face.
“Is that all the conditions?”
“No, there’s one more important thing.”
Lillian’s hand, hidden in her lap, slowly emerged.
“Do you know where Damien Fortier is?”
“…Why are you looking for him? I know our relationship isn’t particularly friendly.”
“Damien knew how to handle implications. If it’s Damien, he might be able to unravel the implication placed on my friend.”
Lillian’s second condition was simple.
Find Damien. Or.
“Release the implication on my friend, Theo.”
