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Chapter – 30
“Ah! Ouch! It’s hot!”
“What, rebellion or affair? Sorry, but to me, an affair is a bigger sin than a rebellion. I think you’ve lost your mind, so let me make it clear—I have no intention of getting back together with you.”
“Re-Rachel… what are you saying?”
“I’m saying erase that thought from your head and never come back.”
Steam rose from Theodore’s head where the hot tea had spilled.
“How can you say that to me? Didn’t you love me? I only did what I did because I loved you! I just covered it up with Carl!”
“What nonsense are you talking about? Are your ears blocked? I already told you it was to sow discord between you and Jane. I never loved you.”
“Discord? How could you do something so vile…”
“You’re the vile one. You were dating Jane before the wedding. I read all those letters. You wrote that you had no choice but to marry because of your family, and now you’re clinging to her? Pathetic.”
Theodore’s hope was shattered; his face fell completely.
Would Rachel have looked like that if she had realized Theodore had never loved her?
It was a meaningless hypothetical.
Rachel stood up.
“Don’t come here again. You trespassed on a mansion granted by His Majesty the Emperor. I can report you for that. Or I could send your townhouse address to the Noble Council.”
“Rachel, wait!”
Theodore, still wanting to speak, ran after Rachel. It was amusing that he was even grabbing the basket with letters in it in this chaos.
Was he planning to return to Jane since I won’t accept him?
Rachel quickly turned to distance herself, but Theodore grabbed her wrist tightly.
“Rachel Ellosa! I said wait!”
“I’m not Ellosa!”
Ellosa had been wiped out, leaving no trace in the registry. Weeks had passed, yet Theodore still couldn’t let go.
Rachel roughly shook off his hand and hurried around the corner of the building.
Theodore chased her but couldn’t find her.
“Rachel! Come back, Rachel! Damn it!”
The mansion Siann had prepared was in the center of the capital. It had been around since the capital and the royal palace were first built.
Because it was old, the mansion had secret passages and hidden spaces. Rachel entered a small room hidden in the wall as soon as she freed herself from Theodore.
“Rachel!”
Persistent Theodore was already circling the mansion’s walls, searching for her.
The room Rachel had entered was cramped, meant only as a temporary hiding spot. She could barely see outside, only enough to watch Theodore pacing through a small gap.
‘Just a little longer. He should be arriving soon. Ouch… my wrist hurts.’
Her wrist throbbed from Theodore’s tight grip. Even briefly, it had left a bruise.
‘I thought he might cling, but I didn’t expect him to be this rough.’
As she held her wrist, suddenly a voice came from outside—one she didn’t recognize.
“Demon, begone!”
The person Rachel had been waiting for had arrived, albeit in a different manner than expected.
Theodore screamed and dropped the basket.
“Ah! W-what is this?”
Peeking through the gap, Rachel saw flames erupting from the basket. Surprisingly, the flames weren’t red—they shimmered silver.
A stranger appeared: a middle-aged man with silver hair and black eyes. He was Lyrus Van, the only bishop of the Yenice Church and a friend of Rachel’s father, Count Jamesworld.
He had said he would arrive around this time, and indeed, he had lured Theodore here deliberately. He had planned to give Theodore a lesson in his own way. Rachel thought she could rely on him if anything went wrong.
She hadn’t expected him to make silver flames like that.
Pointing the long rod at the basket, Lyrus shouted,
“Step aside! This is a demon’s letter!”
“A demon’s letter? Nonsense! These are letters from my lover!”
“You are the one speaking nonsense! You have no lover!”
Rachel had to suppress a laugh. Indeed, Theodore now had neither a wife nor a lover.
As the silver flames consumed the letters, Lyrus calmly said,
“The evidence of the demon is gone. You may rest assured.”
“Who are you, burning someone else’s love letters? That was the last proof of my love!”
“My apologies. I am Lyrus Van, a bishop of the goddess Yenice. And you are Theodore, former head of the Ellosa family, correct?”
“Uh… Yenice? Ah… silver hair…?”
“You recognized me.”
“Why are you here…?”
“Why would a bishop come here? I heard rumors of a demon and came in the name of Yenice to exorcise it. I have just eliminated the evidence of the demon, so rest easy.”
Contemplating the meaning of the names, the silver hair, and the silver flames, Theodore’s eyes widened. Only now did he seem to believe in the demon talk.
“Was… there really a demon in these letters?”
“No. There was evidence of a demon.”
“So I was possessed by a demon? No wonder strange things have been happening lately. If the letters are gone, but I still feel no different… is that just me?”
Lyrus, staring at Theodore, struck his head sharply with the rod.
Bam!
“Ah! B-b-bishop! What are you doing?”
“Demons only learn when struck. You should change now. For your information, this is a sacred rod of the Yenice Church.”
Theodore scratched his head, and Lyrus bowed politely.
“Now, leave. You shouldn’t linger here.”
“Ah! Of course. I almost lingered in the place haunted by a demon. Thank you, Bishop.”
“You’re welcome. May misfortune follow you.”
“Huh?”
Theodore tilted his head, unsure if he heard correctly. Lyrus only smiled kindly.
After Theodore disappeared completely, Lyrus said,
“Come out now, Rachel.”
At a light tap from his rod, a hidden door opened, and Rachel appeared.
Rachel smiled awkwardly and gave her greeting.
“Hello, Bishop Lyrus Van. I’m Rachel. Thank you for saving me.”
They faced each other in the sitting room. Lyrus, unlike when confronting Theodore, was calm, refined, and serious.
Unable to bear the awkward silence, Rachel spoke first.
“I didn’t expect you to really come. I hope your precious visit wasn’t wasted because of me. Earlier, did you mean Theodore was a demon?”
“Yes, that’s right. Who else but a demon would torment you? That scoundrel.”
“Thank you so much. It was… quite entertaining.”
“Rachel.”
“Yes, Bishop?”
“You may call me ‘uncle’ as before.”
Ah, Rachel had once called Lyrus “uncle.”
Not difficult, Rachel nodded.
“It’s been six years since your wedding. If you had attended your parents’ funeral, it would have been five years.”
Five years ago, Rachel’s parents died in a carriage accident. Theodore had prevented her from attending, claiming he would handle everything. Truly despicable—keeping her from saying goodbye and taking their estate.
“I’m sorry. I should have gone then.”
“No, I should have noticed you weren’t there. I was too caught up in my own grief. Please accept my apology.”
“You did nothing wrong. Don’t apologize.”
“From now on, I will take care of you. I will use the powers granted to you by the miserable goddess Yenice to make sure you are happy.”
“…Goddess Yenice? Are you allowed to say that?”
From the previous letter and when confronting Theodore, Lyrus had seemed serious yet quite free-spirited.
Lyrus smiled slightly.
“Yenice is generous, so it’s fine. I have prayed that you be happy, so a few curses are justified. If she dislikes it, she might just take back her foresight.”
He then spread his arms as if inviting her to take whatever she wished.
Rachel laughed out loud. Lyrus watched her with satisfaction.
“Seeing you smile is lovely. Smile a lot from now on.”
“Yes, I’ll try.”
“Rachel. I came all the way here because I have something I want to ask you.”
“Please, go ahead.”
Lyrus, serious now, placed the rod marked with Yenice’s emblem on his lap and clasped his hands in reverence.
“In the name of the goddess Yenice, will you accept me as your new father?”
