The Libertan symbol disappeared in an instant. As if what he just saw was an illusion. But there was no way John would be mistaken about that.
‘It wasn’t found by Estelle.’
The unpleasant woman called the Saint had the Libertan’s protective symbol.
‘Is this a coincidence?’
Stella adjusted the hem of her dress and stood up carefully. She was filled with pride as the saint looked at John with her innocent face.
“I wiped it with a handkerchief as much as I could, but I still couldn’t completely remove the moisture.”
The distance was closer than before. To the point where they accidentally bump into each other or hug each other. But Stella’s blue eyes were pure, as if she knew nothing.
‘Disgusting smell.’
The closer John got to Stella, the more he smelled an indescribable odor.
‘Estelle always smelled nice.’
“…If you don’t mind, I’ll wear similar clothes next time-”
Just as Stella’s delicate hand was about to gently touch John’s shoulder. John ignored Stella and passed by. It was not the time to worry about holding on to that woman right now.
Libertan’s protective emblem.
There was only one person who would have received the protective emblem that Estelle did not have.
Yestella Libertan.
The woman who was originally the target of John’s revenge.
‘But she, Yestella Libertan, died of an incurable disease.’
Above all, Stella’s face was completely different from Yestella.
‘Is this the Libertan lineage that I couldn’t figure out?’
If she was under the protection of the Holy Kingdom, there was a possibility that she would not have been discovered.
‘I need to check.’
That way, John immediately went to the imperial palace dungeon. There, the Duke and Duchess of Libertan, who were about to be executed, were there. The situation of the Duke and Duchess of Libertan, who suffered from harsh torture, was miserable.
“Wake up.”
The jailer woke the Duke and Duchess of Libertan by pouring cold water on them and left.
“…Estelle? Finally, to save us-”
The two people still looked dazed, as if they were wandering in a dream.
“Are you awake?”
John, sitting elegantly on a chair with his legs crossed, asked them.
“Why is my wife coming to see you?”
“Duke Blanchett?”
“I want to ask you one thing.”
The Duke and Duchess of Libertan cried out in fear.
“Ooh, we told you everything we know! I even told you that I committed treason!”
The Duke and Duchess of Libertan falsely admitted treason. John looked down at the two people with a cold face.
“Where did you put your own daughter?”
Their biological daughter. Rosalia sighed with sad eyes in her eyes.
“…I don’t know.”
“Don’t even think about lying.”
John warned, his red eyes flashing.
“Don’t worry about dying now.”
“I really don’t know, I…”
As Rosaria began to sob, Damian coughed up a light amount of blood and beat her up.
“She’s dead! It looked like we were going to find the girl’s body, but they had already taken the girl from her temple, rape her and cremated her. She’ll be resting in a place where she can’t be disgraced!”
A strange look appeared in John’s red eyes.
‘She was taken away from the temple?’
John slowly got up from his seat and walked one step.
“You seem very confident. As if you had seen it for myself.”
“Yes! I saw it with my own eyes. That poor child… Even turning into a handful of ashes and performing the temple’s purification ritual.”
The temple’s purification ceremony was the highest level of funeral service that leads to the presence of God.
John pointed out a question in those words.
“So you didn’t see it in person?”
This was because even parents couldn’t witness the purification ceremony up close.
“So what happened? My angel-like daughter must have gone to heaven. That’s enough for her…”
“But honey.”
Then Rosaria, who was reeling from her actions, made her impression as if her head was in pain.
“Is my child really dead? But why…”
“What on earth are you talking about? Come to your senses.”
“No. That can’t be possible. Why did I keep feeling like I was seeing our Yestella after her funeral?”
Rosaria muttered, looking down at the floor.
“It seemed like she came back alive and hugged us, but I guess that was a mistake.”
“Stop saying that!”
“She said it was like Stella came back to life?”
But John didn’t miss that little clue.
“Say it properly. What does that mean?”
John took hold of Rosaria and examined her.
“No, that child is dead. I am saddened by the loss of my child…”
Rosaria’s eyes were blurry. Just like Libertan’s vassal last time.
“I will ask you one last favor. Please.”
At that time, Rosaria grabbed John and begged him.
“Please let me see Estelle just once. At least once before being executed… I want to see her face.”
“Please. I don’t know why…”
Damian said quietly, stopping her.
“Please allow me to apologize to her one last time. Weird, I think I owe her an apology.”
When John saw the Duke and Duchess of Libertan, he thought they were very strange.
‘At first, I thought it was because of their favorite child…’
It’s as if their personalities kept coming and going and they were saying something completely different.
“No. You can’t see my woman.”
The faces of the Duke and Duchess of Libertan fell. John smiled leisurely as he looked at the two people.
“I can’t let you pretend to be a good parent because I feel sorry for you when you sell your daughter just to save your precious life.”
“…”
“Stop acting like that now.”
* * *
The Duchess’s office.
“I left the letter expressing their affection for you, my lady, here.”
Patricia sorted the letters that arrived with her noble face.
“But in the case of these letters, the level of insult is so severe that I think it will be difficult to process them properly.”
Patricia’s face was so serious that she was curious.
‘How long?’
Everyone said it in an appropriate way, but to put it simply, these were the words.
[I heard that the parents who adopted you are being executed. Are you doing well?]
[They said the fake became the daughter of a traitor. You won’t come forward to do anything, right?]
[If she makes a move to engage in social activities, please invite her to our family. Let me help you understand the topic.]
This was nothing new.
‘Anyway, it looks like the Duke of Libertan’s execution will be held soon.’
Even though her parents had been bothering her for a long time, she still felt that way when she heard the news that her parents were dying.
‘It’s something I don’t need to worry about.’
She smiled bitterly and checked the new repertoire.
[What do you think Lady Gilite’s relationship is with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? Do you really think there was something between the two?]
[Is it true that Count Hettel’s family was brought down by a self-made play?]
[I heard she was chasing the Prime Minister at Count Hettel’s house, but the thought of trying to stick to the Prime Minister…]
‘Ugh. Every time I go out, there’s a lot of talk.’
[There are victims who were harassed by that fake, but shamelessly and without a word of apology. Please stop her from socializing. Mrs. Gillite also knows what morality is.]
‘Victim bullied by me?’
She laughed at the most absurd story she had heard in a long time.
“Everyone is very excited.”
She wasn’t a popular person in the Libertan duchy, but victims came out all over the place saying they were harassed by her.
‘That wicked woman acted wickedly and stole her dress.’
‘Even though I greeted her first, she ignored me, as if she were a real duke’s daughter.’
When she first heard that story from the Duchess of Libertan.
‘How on earth do you manage your reputation, so this kind of talk goes around! I can’t go out because of you!’
Honestly, it was so unfair. She hadn’t even left, so what could she do when everyone was using her for all kinds of bad things?
‘You should have behaved better. Why would they do that for no reason?’
The Duchess of Libertan also had little influence in the social circles due to her lack of talent for a duchess. In the meantime, there was nothing she could do as she had not yet debuted in the social world. The situation worsened when she was caught up in rumors of an affair with the crown prince and was even rejected.
‘It must be difficult for this to happen.’
Shaking her head, Betty looked at the letter with her lips pursed and asked.
“This is all nonsense. It’s not what you did…”
“The matter regarding Count Hettel will be explained as it was carried out by the Prime Minister.”
Of course, suspicions arising from her notoriety would still remain.
“Betty, you know that it would be difficult if an influential noblewoman in the social world didn’t come forward.”
“There is definitely a problem with that.”
Patricia said expressionlessly.
“Then I will record their names in the kill register. You will soon become a celebrity in the social world.”
“I? No… Rather, the kill register?”
“The kill register is of course necessary to deal with those who have no special cause.”
There was no hesitation in Patricia’s voice.
“Also, madam, you will become the most prominent lady in society. I guarantee it.”
“What on earth are you looking at?”
“Because you were sorting out the situation rather than dwelling on nonsense at the moment. Even if it’s truthful, there will be all kinds of gossip going around.”
“There are cases where people get buried because of those false rumors.”
“But if you are someone as outstanding as Madam, I think you will be able to turn this crisis into an opportunity.”
She was shocked because she felt so much trust.
‘While on probation… Where did you get any mental education?’
Patricia, she was the one who bullied her in the original. A villain who ostracized the noble Duke Blanchett from fitting in and tried to take on the role of hostess.
“But will there be a chance for me who hasn’t even debuted in the social world?”
“I thought you could say that, so I prepared it.”
In response to her question, Patricia sternly took out a letter and held it out to her.
“This is an invitation to a celebration of the United Kingdom’s Supreme State. The invitation came in the name of the Blanchett family, so of course you can attend.”
United Kingdom. A union of kingdoms gathered around the coastal kingdom of Royam.
‘It is rich in various resources, including trade. It’s a place even the empire can’t ignore.’
In particular, the central Kingdom of Royam was treated as important even by the empire.
“There will be few people in the empire, so I recommend broadening your network by becoming friends with the upper-ranking nobles of the United Kingdom.”
“It’s okay.”
The United Kingdom was so commercially developed that identity manipulation was easy.
‘If you know someone from the United Kingdom, it will be easy to create a false identity or find an escape route.’
She nodded and was just about to write a reply to the invitation.
“…my lady?”
Her hand holding the quill trembled due to the sudden headache she felt. She put her head down and took a deep breath.
“Why am I suddenly like this?”
She hurriedly spoke to the trees.
– Hasn’t that curse been lifted now? Why all of a sudden…
-What’s going on?
The tree asked in a confused voice.
-I can’t hear you clearly, but you’re talking to us, right?
It started to get dark before her eyes. Had the curse become stronger again?
‘Is it because I haven’t absorbed the spirit power yet?’
At that moment, the knight knocked on the door of the office and came in.
“My lady. It is said that the saint felt Madame’s pain and came to see her. What are you going to do?”
The knight was very surprised when he saw her pale complexion.
“It’s an emergency! My lady is not feeling well.”
Before she collapsed without being able to respond right away, Patricia shouted loudly.
“I don’t know how she came, but please bring the saint immediately. I will take responsibility for her.”
* * *
Tingling-
She blinked at the strange pain. Her vision, which had become blurry as if there had been a fog, cleared, and she could clearly see the woman sitting elegantly in front of her.
The saintess looked at her and smiled.
“Are you conscious now?”
Unlike last time, she was wearing the same white veil with a design that covered her entire body.
“Saint Stella?”
“Sorry. He told me not to come.”
Stella said, lowering her tragically long eyelashes.
“Once I felt the lady’s pain, I couldn’t bear to turn away.”
“It’s okay, I’m feeling a lot better thanks to you. But do you know how I fell?”
“I don’t know that either. Maybe…”
Stella said in a heavy voice.
“I think you started to feel unwell because of the sudden stress. Have you often felt burdened or exhausted recently?”
Stella’s slender hand grabbed one of her hands.
[—————————————————–]
“I don’t know what it is, but it’s better to let go of the greed in your heart toward your husband.”
“…”
“Because all illnesses originate from the mind.”
Strangely enough, Stella’s words bothered her.
‘I am grateful that you treated me.’
The more she shared her words, the more her gratitude seemed to diminish. Actually, she thought the situation in which Stella appeared was very elaborate.
‘Is it a coincidence?’
Last time, the saint said that she could sense people’s pain. That may be why she felt her curse and came to visit her.
‘But for some reason I feel suspicious…’
Stella, who was examining her, smiled sweetly at her body.
“Still, I’m glad the lady is safe. If you need help at any time, you can-”
At that moment, Stella touched her forehead as if dizzy. At that time, the priest behind her hurriedly ran to Stella.
“Saint! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Stella breathed heavily, her face gaunt.
“I was just a little tired from exerting myself.”
“Shouldn’t you lie down and rest right now?”
“You’re right. The saint’s health is no different from the health of the entire empire.”
“But…”
Stella glanced at her sadly and muttered.
“What should I do if you feel uncomfortable with me?”
Was that something she wanted Estelle to hear?
‘Last time, I pointed out that it was rude.’
The priest heard the saint’s reversal.
“No, isn’t it so difficult to treat Duchess Blanchett? You should provide a place for her to rest.”
“No. There is nothing in this world that is taken for granted. She is already sick, but if she is stressed because of me…”
“The problem is that the saint is too soft-hearted.”
Looking closely, she realized that the priests surrounding her were not the ones she saw last time.
‘You came with new people.’
Seeing her fidgeting like that with everyone she met gave her a good idea of how precious the saint was being treated. The priest who comforted her saint looked at Estelle questioningly.
“Duchess, could you prepare a room for the saintess so she can rest?”
It seemed that they didn’t like her for not having advised the saint to rest a long time ago.
“You are my benefactor, so of course I should treat you well. I will prepare a room for you.”
“The saint was in such a hurry to come to the Duchess that she did not eat anything. Can you prepare a dinner for her?”
When she looked at Patricia, she slowly nodded her head.
“It’s dinner time, so we can get ready right away.”
“I’m glad.”
She didn’t like the attitude of the priests, but she never knew when she would need divine power again.
‘Let’s take it easy for now.’
Just until this damn curse was somehow resolved.
“I will prepare a dinner for you.”
“Thank you.”
Stella smiled softly.
“I wanted to eat with the Duchess.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I have been living in a temple since I was young, so I don’t have many friends.”
The blue eyes became moist as if slightly sad.
“That’s why I want to become friends with as many people as possible. And with Duke Blanchett.”
—————————————————————
Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
If you like my work please support me with Ko-fi or Patreon. Next post will be released on March, 1.
Want to read more?
SHE MAKES ME WANNA HURL