Episode 82

The situation quickly turned in my favor.

“Indeed, that’s true.”

“Well, he could have filed a complaint quietly after the event… Tsk.”

The calm arrogance exuded by the Duke earned nods of agreement from a few high-ranking nobles. No one could have imagined that supporting a child would lead to such humiliating accusations.

The Marquis’s face flushed an angry red.

“Your Grace! Isn’t that too much?”

“What exactly is too much?”

“Embezzlement, you say! No matter how difficult the finances of the Barelotte family have become, suggesting that we’d stoop so low as to commit such a disgraceful act for a mere 100 gold…!”

“The true disgrace is coming here to serve the children and then turning around to accuse one of them of theft.”

“Ugh…!”

“Is this all worth making such a fuss over a few coins in a place meant for the children? How undignified, tsk.”

The Duke muttered under his breath, clicking his tongue.

His words implied that it was just a gathering for children, and failing to become a Saintess candidate wasn’t such a big deal. Though it seemed like he was exaggerating to put the Marquis in his place, I couldn’t help but feel relieved by his words.

As I’d thought earlier during the talent submission, I felt certain that the Duke wouldn’t be deeply disappointed even if I failed to become a Saintess candidate.

‘But even so, he’ll do everything he can to help until the end.’

Just like he was doing now.

The Marquis, enraged by the Duke’s disdain, shook with fury, his face turning an alarming shade of red.

“How dare you! Duke Kallios…!”

“What?”

It was a situation that seemed on the verge of exploding, with the Marquis ready to throw down his gauntlet at any moment.

“Enough of this!”

Suddenly, a thunderous voice rang out.

It was the Pope.

“Quarreling within these sacred temple walls—what do you think you’re doing? The Goddess is listening; do you have no shame?”

The Marquis, his voice thick with indignation, protested.

“But, Your Holiness! There’s clearly been a theft—how can we…?”

“Silence, Marquis Barelotte! The Duke’s words aren’t entirely without reason either!”

“…”

“How can you jump to such hasty conclusions when the matter hasn’t been fully confirmed?”

The Pope’s stern rebuke made the Marquis flush with humiliation. But in the end, he clamped his mouth shut and fell silent.

The heated atmosphere slowly cooled down.

The Pope, taking a moment to steady his breath and regain his composure, turned to me with a calmer expression.

“Belze.”

“Yes?”

“As the owner of the booth, you should provide an explanation.”

He held out the ledger towards me and asked gently.

“Could you explain in detail about this anonymous customer who purchased goods worth 100 talents?”

All eyes turned to me once again.

I swallowed the sigh that almost slipped out.

‘Damn Crown Prince… I wasn’t even there when it happened.’

This unexpected situation with the 100 talents was just as frustrating and uncomfortable for me as it was for anyone else.

And Grandpa Gordon hadn’t seen the Crown Prince’s face because of the hood he wore.

‘It seems he doesn’t want to reveal that he participated in today’s volunteer work…’

I clenched my fists tightly.

Rustle.

The note inside crumpled, making a faint noise.

Whatever reason the Crown Prince had for hiding his identity and participating incognito, it wasn’t my concern.

Nor did I have any reason or loyalty to support him in this.

‘But still…’

I hesitated, recalling the original story where he was supposed to miss this event due to an injury.

“…Belze?”

The Pope’s expression grew puzzled as I struggled to find an answer.

“Look at her! She can’t even answer properly!”

Marquis Barelotte seized the moment, quickly accusing me.

“If she has nothing to hide, why can’t she answer right away…!”

“I gave those 100 talents.”

A young voice rang out through the hall.

Everyone’s attention turned to the source as a figure rose from the most secluded table.

A small frame, too slight to be an adult, threw back the hood that had been hiding his face.

Bright red hair emerged, and gasps of shock spread through the room.

“Th-The Crown Prince?!”

All eyes turned to the Crown Prince as he strode confidently toward the platform.

“We greet the Empire’s shining sun!”

The nobles, catching on, hurriedly rose from their seats and bowed their heads in reverence.

I stared at the approaching Crown Prince with wide eyes.

‘Didn’t he already leave?’

I had no idea he was still here.

He reached the platform in a few quick strides and stood right before me.

It was then that I noticed a white bandage across one side of his forehead.

His arm was also wrapped in layers of bandages.

These were the remnants of injuries that I hadn’t fully healed.

As I stared at him in a daze, the Crown Prince suddenly winked at me with one eye.

“You see the Crown Prince, and you don’t even greet him?”

His words snapped me back to my senses.

I blurted out reflexively.

“H-Hello!”

“…”

His green eyes held a slight edge of mischief.

No response came back.

Silence fell over the room.

Only then did I notice the scene around me—everyone else had their heads bowed low, completely prostrate before him.

‘Oh no.’

Hurriedly, I placed my hand over my belly button and bent forward at a 90-degree angle.

“W-We greet the Empire’s shining sun…!”

I hastily echoed the greeting I had heard from the others.

And at that moment…

A sudden clicking sound brushed past my ear, as if in reproach.

“You used to call me ‘brother’ so easily back then…”

I flinched instinctively at the voice and almost turned to look at him.

“…Everyone, raise your heads.”

The Crown Prince commanded, his voice authoritative.

I, already half-risen, straightened up with a casual air, pretending I’d been waiting for the command.

He stood confidently before the nobles, exuding the dignity of a true Crown Prince, far different from that day.

Watching him, I felt a cold sweat bead on my forehead.

‘No way. He couldn’t possibly remember everything Gomdori said back then, could he?’

 

“Want to play together? Play together? Play together?”

“How about I separate your arms and legs one by one?”

 

Recalling those chilling words from the deranged teddy bear and comparing them to the current situation sent a shiver down my spine.

‘I nearly got killed as an assassin targeting the Crown Prince before the original story even started…!’

The nobles, having taken their seats again, continued to murmur amongst themselves, still puzzled.

“Why was His Highness at Baron Lancelot’s table…?”

“What happened to his injuries? I hadn’t heard anything about that…”

Even the Pope seemed caught off guard by the Crown Prince’s unexpected appearance.

“Your Highness, we assumed you wouldn’t be joining us today since you hadn’t arrived…”

“I heard someone was selling a miracle elixir, so I thought I’d stop by.”

“Such…”

I turned to him with a horrified expression.

‘Don’t make it sound like you came here because of me!’

He was originally supposed to attend—what was this nonsense about buying a miracle elixir?

Besides, we weren’t supposed to have any kind of connection in the public eye!

But the Crown Prince took it further, gesturing to the bandages on his forehead with a hand similarly wrapped in cloth.

“As you can see, I’m a bit injured.”

“T-That’s…”

“I intended to seek healing, but the line was far too long. And I wasn’t keen on showing my injuries in public.”

“…”

“Then I happened to hear that another Saintess candidate had made a miracle elixir, so I decided to purchase it.”

He subtly revealed the reason for hiding his identity beneath a hood.

By attending the event, he’d managed to hinder the Second Prince’s movements while concealing his own injuries.

‘Is he revealing this because of me…?’

I felt a pang of guilt, knowing that he didn’t necessarily have to involve himself. I had planned to show the Pope the note as evidence.

The high-quality paper alone would have made it clear it came from the Imperial Palace, even if the Crown Prince’s identity wasn’t immediately revealed. It would have been enough to prove that the anonymous customer wasn’t a fabrication.

Now, it felt as though the Crown Prince had exposed a part of himself unnecessarily because of me, and that weighed on my mind.

“Now, it seems the matter of the anonymous 100 talents is resolved, correct?”

“Yes, that appears to be the case.”

The Pope nodded in acknowledgment after hearing the full explanation.

The nobles seemed to accept this as well, their expressions indicating they were satisfied with the explanation.

“B-But, Your Highness! If you had told me earlier, I could have arranged for your healing right away…!”

Only Marquis Barelotte, who had been so adamant about accusing me of theft, remained pale and agitated.

Yet the Crown Prince ignored him completely and addressed the Pope.

“The 100 bottles of miracle elixir I purchased are with Baron Lancelot. You may verify it with him.”

“That won’t be necessary… After all, Belze wouldn’t have known who Your Highness was.”

For once, the Pope’s words rang true.

“My apologies, Belze. You must have been quite distressed.”

“Huh? No, not at all! I-It’s totally fine!”

“I assure you, it wasn’t because we doubted you. We simply needed to clarify the situation…”

“Forgive my interruption, Your Holiness.”

It was at that moment that a new voice cut through the air.

One of the young priests, who had been poring over the ledgers, suddenly interjected.

“There’s another oddity in Belze’s ledger.”

“An oddity?”

“What is it?”

The Pope and the Crown Prince questioned simultaneously.

‘Finally!’

I barely managed to hold back the triumphant shout that almost slipped out, instead turning my gaze sharply toward the priest. This was the moment I had been waiting for, enduring Marquis Barelotte’s slander and false accusations in silence!

The priest who had raised the issue scratched his head and explained.

“Well, there’s a fine listed in some of the ledgers for each booth…”

“A f-fine?!”

“Yes. But in the ledgers from other booths, the fines are no more than 10 talents at most. Yet, in Belze’s ledger, it lists a fine of 50 talents.”

“Is that true?”

The Pope’s expression grew severe as he furrowed his brow.

At the same time, I directed my gaze toward the tent next to the children’s area—toward the Headmistress and priests who had overseen the event.

The Headmistress, her face deathly pale, fidgeted restlessly, clearly anxious.

‘See? You should have just listened to me, taken your probiotics, and kept quiet.’

Why did she have to poke at the sleeping bear?

Imagining the soon-to-be twisted expressions of the Headmistress and Marquis Barelotte brought me immense satisfaction.

‘Now it’s your turn to pay the price.’

But it wouldn’t end with just those 50 talents.

Because I always make sure to repay what I receive—twice over!