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Chapter 7
“You’re right. Ever since the young Crown Prince of the Holy Kingdom was kidnapped and disappeared, the prophecies have continued to be wrong because of the Goddess’s curse.”
Before Rurutie was born, the young Crown Prince of the Holy Kingdom, who was said to have inherited the Goddess’s bloodline, was kidnapped by unknown assailants.
The Holy Kingdom suspected the Empire, but they could not find any evidence. Everyone assumed that the Crown Prince had been killed.
When the Empress, devastated by the loss of her only son, passed away as well, the direct bloodline of the Goddess was completely severed.
For quite some time, rumors spread that the Goddess, enraged that her bloodline had been cut off, had cursed the world.
December 31st.
It was a plausible-sounding story that claimed the enraged Goddess would personally descend to the mortal realm and destroy the world.
When the day actually came, however, nothing happened except for the weather being unbearably cold.
The real problem occurred the next day, on New Year’s Day, at the Papal Court.
The Pope could no longer properly hear the Goddess’s voice.
“Well, we managed to endure for about ten years, but we’re reaching our limit now. Especially recently, when we had to compensate the Imperial Family for the enormous damages, Commander Incruder has had a particularly difficult time…”
It was something she had read in the book.
The Eastern Imperial Family had demanded compensation, bringing up the previous commander’s mistakes along with the rent they were already collecting.
That wasn’t something he should have been telling an outsider.
Kronu quickly changed the subject.
“No. It would be better if you heard the details directly from Commander Incruder.”
Kronu, who had been lamenting his circumstances at length, suddenly stiffened.
Rurutie noticed Kanechel slowly walking toward them.
His lips were tightly pressed together, as though something had angered him. He was glaring fiercely at Kronu as he approached.
“Lady Brücke.”
Inside the old, shabby building, it seemed as though Kanechel alone was shining.
Even the usually confident Kronu had been intimidated by the dilapidated temple, but Kanechel didn’t seem to care about such things at all.
His appearance was so immaculate and perfect that, standing alone amid the ruins that were falling apart around him, he almost seemed inhuman.
He called me by name, so I suppose I should answer in kind.
Kanechel had never appeared at any official functions, so very few people knew his name.
Rurutie knew his name precisely because she had read the book in her previous life, but she had intended to pretend she didn’t know it.
That is, if Kronu hadn’t just told her.
“Commander Incruder.”
The moment his name came from her lips, he stopped approaching.
Then he resumed walking and came to stand beside Rurutie.
“Even after seeing the condition of the temple, you still intend to stay without changing your mind?”
Did he think she would be frightened by the decrepit state of the temple?
Well, if she hadn’t regained the memories of her previous life, she might have screamed that she couldn’t spend even a single second in such a filthy place.
Although she had grown up under a father who regarded his child as a bargaining chip, Rurutie was still the daughter of a duke.
Despite suffering domestic violence and being used as an experimental subject, she had lived a luxurious life befitting a high-ranking noblewoman, surrounded by gold.
She had never set foot in such a poorly maintained, chaotic place before, so it was true that the surroundings felt unfamiliar and repulsive.
However, perhaps because she had endured so much hardship in her previous life, she also felt that there was nothing here she couldn’t endure.
It wasn’t as though she would die simply because she had to stay somewhere old and shabby.
If anything, she had felt that her life was in greater danger inside Duke Brücke’s mansion, surrounded by gold.
“Yes. It looks quite cozy and nice, actually. More than I expected.”
She pointed toward the hideous chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
“You’ve removed all the useless decorations and left only the practical parts. What a novel idea. I suppose a chandelier only needs to provide light. What use are crystals, anyway?”
“……”
“There are so many traps on the floor that I have no choice but to concentrate while walking. Did you design it this way so that you could train even during your everyday activities? It seems like quite an effective workout.”
Admitting outright that the place was dirty would probably get her thrown out, so she decided to pretend she didn’t understand the situation.
If she was going to do that, she might as well completely dress up the shabby temple as though it were a perfect establishment, leaving Kanechel unable to find a single fault with her words.
At her shameless performance, Kronu lowered his head to hide his laughter.
Anyone could tell that she was teasing Kanechel.
Rurutie smiled brightly and spoke with confidence.
“Where else would I ever get the chance to see architecture like this? It’s so unique that you can’t easily find anything similar elsewhere. I don’t think I’ll be bored.”
Only after she had finished speaking did Kanechel quietly open his mouth.
“You would be better off changing your mind. We won’t be able to treat you properly here.”
Kronu, his face bright red from holding back his laughter, suddenly cut in.
“Please don’t worry. We’ll do our utmost to make up for whatever is lacking. If it’s something the young lady requests, there are more than fifty Holy Knights who would gladly throw themselves into action…”
Before he could finish, Kanechel placed a finger on the hilt of the sword hanging at his waist.
“Gasp.”
Kronu clearly wanted to say more, but he held his breath and covered his mouth.
Rurutie looked at Kanechel’s finger as it tapped lightly against the sword hilt.
His fingers were so slender and delicate that it was hard to believe they belonged to someone who wielded a sword.
She had thought only his face was perfect, but even his fingers looked like exquisitely crafted sculptures.
When he noticed Rurutie staring intently at his fingers, he took a pair of black leather gloves from his pocket and put them on.
Then he looked at Kronu standing beside him.
“Kronu, I’d like to speak with Lady Brücke alone.”
Kronu stiffened before bowing dramatically.
“I was being terribly insensitive! The two of you should be alone if you’re going to develop a good relationship!”
“Kronu.”
Rurutie, standing beside him, was startled.
His normally emotionless voice could, at best, be interpreted as calm.
But the way he uttered Kronu’s name was so cold that it felt as though the entire area might freeze in an instant.
Realizing that the joking was over, Kronu straightened his posture.
“My apologies. I’ll take my leave.”
Kronu disappeared at lightning speed, practically fleeing.
“Well then, Lady Brücke.”
The man who had just been radiating icy hostility immediately returned to his former calm demeanor once Kronu was gone.
“It’s noisy here, so I’ll explain everything once we’ve moved to your accommodations. Shall we go?”
He politely raised a hand.
It was flawless court etiquette.
Although he was the commander of the Holy Knights, his original status had been that of a commoner.
Even if he had later become a high-ranking clergyman and studied etiquette, his humble origins should have made it difficult to completely erase a certain awkwardness.
Yet he escorted Rurutie with such perfect manners that he could have been born into one of the most prestigious noble families.
The place they headed to was a building where female guests visiting the temple stayed.
The building was called the Mleize Pavilion.
Young noblewomen and married ladies occasionally stayed there when they visited for spiritual cultivation, so it was carefully maintained.
Although it was sparsely furnished and rather bleak compared to the building where the servants of Duke Brücke’s mansion lived, at least she didn’t have to worry about tripping over something.
She had been worried that it might be even more dilapidated than the Holy Knights’ quarters, but the place was better than she had expected, which relieved her.
“You’ve already arrived. We’re still preparing the room, so please wait in the reception room.”
A priest guided them into the reception room.
Reception room?
It was barely the size of a storage room for cleaning supplies…
Look, there’s even a tea table. It really is a reception room… Right?
It was supposed to be a tea table, wasn’t it?
It was so tiny that she even wondered whether it might actually be a round stool.
“Welcome. We’ve been waiting for you.”
The priest who spotted them led them toward what Rurutie assumed was the table.
Before long, a teapot was prepared, and the priest left them alone so they could speak privately.
Realizing anew just how luxuriously she had lived, Rurutie repeatedly brainwashed herself into believing that this was a reception room and not a storage closet.
Kanechel, seated across from her, took a sip of tea.
The way he drank it quietly, savoring the aroma without making a sound, was so refined that he seemed like someone who had been born a nobleman.
Rurutie quietly drank her tea as well, following his example.
The smell of earth was so strong that she almost spat it out, but she barely managed to swallow it.
He was the first to speak.
“My introduction is rather late. I am Kanechel Incruder, Commander of the Holy Knights of the Cresentia Order.”
It was indeed quite late for an introduction, but Rurutie wasn’t exactly in a position to criticize him after being the one who had ignored all proper procedures and gone straight to kissing him.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Rurutie Brücke.”
He quietly looked at Rurutie.
Should I introduce myself a little more?
“Is there anything else you’d like to know?”
“No. I already know about Lady Brücke.”
It seemed that even the Holy Knights knew about Rurutie.
They had clearly never met before, so something felt strange.
“Have we met somewhere before?”
He slowly shook his head.
“I officiated your wedding. I was given a profile about you.”
A profile containing some personal information must have been handed over so that the wedding could be conducted properly.
She had heard that the officiant had been changed at the last minute, but apparently he had had enough time to read it.
“Please forget the profile you were given.”
My father was the one who wrote it.
If he intended to sell Rurutie for a high price, there was no doubt that he would have dressed her up as perfectly as possible, filling the profile with all sorts of praise.
And most of it would have been lies.
