Episode 81

“A whole 100 talents are missing!”

The cry of Marquis Barelotte stirred up the crowd.

“Did you say 100 talents are gone?”

“Is there really a thief among us?”

This wasn’t just about 1 or 2 talents.

The disappearance of 100 talents was not a matter that could be taken lightly.

It was the maximum amount a single household could exchange.

Moreover, Diana, who had received 10 talents, had healed a total of 10 people.

Glancing over at Diana, it was clear she was unaware of the situation; her face had turned pale.

“We must find the thief immediately! This isn’t just 1 or 2 talents, but a whole 100 talents!”

Marquis Barelotte demanded, his voice strained with urgency, veins standing out on his neck.

The hall became chaotic in an instant.

“Everyone, please remain calm!”

The high priests overseeing the Saintess selection event quickly raised their voices.

Only then did the crowd start to settle down.

“There is no need for such a fuss.”

As the murmuring quieted, the Pope began to speak.

“Since no one in attendance today has left their seat, we should be able to find the culprit soon enough.”

With a weary expression, he signaled to a young priest holding a censer, clearly exhausted by this unexpected commotion.

The young priest then called out toward the section where the orphanage children were seated.

“All the booth assistants, please bring forward the ledgers you’ve kept for today!”

It was customary for the day’s helpers not only to assist with the children’s sales but also to maintain simple records in the ledgers.

Even if it hadn’t been a strict rule, it was common sense to record sales to track one’s ranking.

There was little concern about Grandpa Gordon—he was always diligent in keeping detailed records.

However, not all assistants could be expected to have his meticulous nature.

Voices of discontent began to rise among the children.

“What? Does that mean there’s a thief among us?”

“Why are they suspecting us first?”

“I swear it’s not me! I nearly died from dancing all day…!”

It was hard not to empathize with the children’s frustration.

But, it was only natural that the temple wouldn’t suspect the nobles.

After all, they had gone through the trouble of exchanging gold coins today just to practice noblesse oblige.

Such people would never commit the dishonorable act of stealing money meant for the orphans.

Besides, using talents outside the temple grounds was strictly forbidden, making theft pointless.

‘It would be better to not spend a single coin today and exchange it back before taking it home.’

A few of the daily helpers hesitated, likely because they hadn’t kept their ledgers properly.

“Here it is! Belze’s booth!”

Among them, Grandpa Gordon hurriedly submitted his ledger, being the first to do so.

A short while later…

Once most of the ledgers had been gathered, the Pope and the priests gathered together and quickly began to review them.

“Panacea and hair mist… sold by Belze.”

It didn’t take long before my name was mentioned by the Pope.

“Come forward for a moment.”

It was something I had expected.

Though there were other children who received sponsorships, I was likely the only one who had received 100 talents twice.

I calmly stood up and made my way to the platform, my steps quick and light.

“You are…”

The Pope looked a bit surprised to see me wobbling up the stairs.

However, he quickly masked his expression behind his long, white beard and asked with a solemn tone.

“Belze. I am not accusing you, but according to the records, you are the only one who received 100 talents twice. Were both amounts earned at your booth?”

“Yes!”

I nodded, my face showing a hint of nervousness.

The Pope examined our booth’s ledger closely before asking further.

“One of them is noted as coming from Duke Kallios, but the other is marked as anonymous. It seems to be from your last customer…”

“…”

“Can you explain this?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall buzzed with chatter.

“I knew it! I just knew it!”

In the midst of the commotion, Marquis Barelotte pointed his finger at me, hurling accusations.

“You call yourself a Saintess candidate, yet you don’t even compete fairly with your healing powers! Instead, you sell dubious potions!”

“A Saintess candidate?”

“Oh! She’s the one whose abilities are said to be lacking…”

“I heard she gained the support of the Kallios family…”

The crowd murmured again at the mention of my status as a Saintess candidate.

I was used to hearing such talk about me, even in my past life, so it didn’t bother me.

But hearing the Duke’s family dragged into the discussion weighed heavily on my heart.

‘…The Duke’s family is tied to my every move.’

Why hadn’t I realized this sooner in my past life?

Just as regret and dejection began to wash over me…

Seeing me like that, the Marquis seemed to think my guilt was obvious, and he grew even more confident, shouting louder.

“No matter how much you envy Diana for being more popular, how could you stoop so low as to steal?!”

“…”

“You little brat, running wild and learning nothing but bad habits…!”

That was when it happened.

Boom!

A deafening noise erupted not far from where the Marquis stood.

Everyone turned, startled, to the source of the sound.

And then they gasped in shock.

“Gasp. Th-That…!”

“T-The Duke… The table…!”

A thick cloud of dust rose into the air.

Through the haze, a table split cleanly in two came into view.

It was where Duke Kallios and his son were seated.

Thanks to the commotion, it was easy to spot both the Duke and Edwin, whose location I hadn’t known before.

‘Did he just… break the table with a single punch…?’

I was astonished by the Duke’s immense strength.

However, he casually retracted his fist from the air and elegantly rested it on his crossed leg.

As if he hadn’t just shattered a table.

Surprisingly, Edwin, seated beside him, remained just as calm.

Even though his father had caused such a scene, he didn’t so much as blink.

Instead, his eyes, sharp and icy, turned toward Marquis Barelotte, glaring at him.

“Gulp…!”

“Ugh!”

The nobles who met the fierce gazes of the father and son hurriedly averted their eyes in fear.

The Duke surveyed the hall with his piercing golden eyes, before locking his gaze on the Marquis.

“Watch your mouth.”

“…”

“Be careful, Marquis.”

“H-Heek!”

Overwhelmed by the Duke’s chillingly ominous aura, Marquis Barelotte flinched and staggered backward.

“Do you have any evidence?”

The Duke spoke heavily, asking again.

“Any proof that our Belze stole?”

“W-Well…”

“If you have no proof, you shouldn’t go around accusing people of being thieves.”

“But there’s that anonymous 100 talents that were given, isn’t there?!”

The Marquis stammered, sweat dripping from his face as he tried to defend himself.

Yet the Duke remained unfazed.

“And so?”

“P-Pardon?”

“What does that even mean?”

“What do you…?”

“All we know is that an unknown noble, much like myself, came and purchased goods worth 100 talents… Why accuse our child of theft based on that?”

“…”

“It’s almost as if you want Belze to be the thief, doesn’t it?”

The Duke’s voice was calm as he questioned, his gaze unwavering.

“Indeed, it seems that way.”

A few nobles started to nod in agreement with his words.

Marquis Barelotte, looking around with a flustered expression, eventually responded with a face full of frustration.

“I just thought… that based on the circumstances, it’s highly likely that child is the culprit…”

“Circumstances? How could there be suspicious circumstances when she’s done nothing wrong?”

“Your Grace! There’s a limit to how much you can protect her…!”

“I find it more suspicious that the Marquis is so quick to make baseless accusations.”

The Marquis’s temper flared, and he raised his head indignantly.

“W-What makes me suspicious?!”

The Duke shrugged.

“Who’s to say you didn’t embezzle those 100 talents yourself and stage this whole scene?”

“W-What nonsense…!”

The Marquis’s eyes widened in disbelief.

It was an insult severe enough to potentially spark a feud between their families.

Seeing the escalating tension, the nobles around them quickly began to assess which side they should align with.

Yet the Duke, unconcerned, continued with an even bolder accusation.

“Isn’t it odd? The missing amount just so happens to match the maximum exchange limit for each household.”

“Your Grace!”

“I’ve also heard that the Marquis’s finances have been in trouble lately… Perhaps it’s not that you’re supporting a Saintess candidate, but that you did this out of desperation?”

“T-That’s absurd…!”

“You’d walk away with 100 gold coins if you could brush this off as a theft.”

Naturally, nobles could exchange unused talents back into gold coins.

If they claimed not to have spent any, they could take 100 gold coins back home.

Several nobles nodded quickly, finding the Duke’s theory quite plausible.

“That makes sense!”

“Yes, I’ve heard rumors that Barelotte’s arms business has been struggling lately…”

100 gold coins was no small sum.

‘That’s about 10 million won in Korean currency.’

For a noble in financial difficulty, it was enough to keep them afloat for a month or two.

However, everyone in the room knew that, for the Duke, this sum was insignificant—something he could easily gift to a child he supported.

“That’s probably why he’s so agitated, over a mere 100 talents.”

“…”

“Wouldn’t you all agree?”

The Duke looked around lazily, seeking support, with a rare smirk curling up one corner of his mouth.

It was a side of him I had never seen before—he looked utterly villainous.

As I watched him, I was filled with shock.

‘He looks… just like a villain!’