RBAR 28

Chapter 28

I mentioned a man to support the possibility of my development method. More precisely, a demon.

“Even Grand Duke Orpheo recognized the usefulness of this development method.”

“Grand Duke Orpheo…?”

Michelle’s voice changed slightly when I mentioned Killian.

He seemed surprised by the unexpected name, but also showed some unpleasant feelings toward him.

Did they fight?

His gaze turned cold again.

“You’re using magic? That’s absolutely not allowed.”

“If it’s His Highness, it’s possible. I know it’s a dangerous treatment, but we can’t just watch people suffer from that illness.”

“…This is not something we should decide on right here.”

His answer was vague, but I knew he would accept it eventually.

After all, it was about the life of the princess he had treated seven years ago.

Other patients with excessive sacred power had also passed through the pope’s hands.

He must know their time is short. I approached Michelle and said,

“But the princess collapsed recently.”

“…Isabella collapsed?”

“Yes.”

Michelle’s face immediately hardened when he heard my words.

The room suddenly went quiet. For the first time, his eyes met mine, but they wavered.

Huh?

His gaze wouldn’t drop.

His green eyes, like a summer reindeer’s, shook uncontrollably.

“Is there something on my face?”

I tilted my head, and his mouth slowly opened.

“There’s something on your body… no, I must be mistaken.”

I looked at him, puzzled.

He frowned like someone who had seen something strange.

What is it…?

Michelle’s face looked like a shaman seeing a possessed person.

Feeling uneasy, I touched my face.

Suddenly, I remembered a detail from the original story and gasped inside.

“Ah!”

I realized what he had noticed.

Logos, Saint Michelle La Bahardi Logos.

Besides his excellent sacred power and control skills, he could see the sacred power hidden in others’ bodies.

In the original story’s later parts, he helped discover Edith’s sacred power, proving she was the real daughter of Duke Adelheid.

So judging by Michelle’s hardened face, he might have discovered traces of sacred power in my body.

In this awkward situation, I scratched my face.

I have no intention of revealing the truth.

Even if it’s revealed, the only option left would be to return to the Duke Adelheid family.

Why should I expose the truth?

I will never go back.

His calm gaze held a mix of discomfort and suspicion.

This conversation was going nowhere. I decided to speak.

“I will leave now. When I get your reply, I’ll share the detailed formula.”

Ignoring his gaze, I quietly turned to leave, but suddenly remembered the magic on me and hurriedly said,

“Also… please take care of yourself.”

“…?”

Michelle looked at me with a puzzled expression as I left the office.

After sending the visitor away, Michelle’s frown didn’t relax.

“Take care…? Is that a threat?”

A threat that if he doesn’t accept the treatment, he won’t survive?

If that was a threat, it was so blatant it belonged in a cheap novel. I laughed bitterly.

This threat was impossible.

The one at a disadvantage was Edith Diehl.

If this treatment isn’t developed…

Edith Diehl would be destroyed by the powerful Adelheid family.

That’s why I accepted the princess’s request to meet Edith.

Rogue nobles obsessed with gaining power might betray the princess anytime.

But Edith, trapped, had no connections or power.

So the fact that she discovered the treatment actually made her more believable.

If you lead a group, observing things like this is essential.

If I knew this would happen, I wouldn’t have taken such a troublesome position.

No one told me this, and the former pope handed the papacy to him and quietly left for rest.

Damn old man.

Michelle cursed the former pope and sighed deeply, pressing his brow.

Grand Duke Orpheo guaranteed it.

There was no better proof than the grand mage’s guarantee.

But Michelle didn’t like him.

His humanity was perfect, but there was some deep rejection.

Still, those were secondary feelings. The important thing was the treatment.

It’s good news there’s a formula to cure the untreatable excessive sacred power disease.

Suppressing overflowing sacred power with magic.

It was the most credible and possible method compared to previous hypotheses by the clergy.

…Maybe.

It might save the princess. Maybe it could save others.

With faint hope and expectation, Michelle exhaled lightly.

But he still felt uneasy, like dirt stuck to his heart.

He realized why.

It was because of Edith Diehl.

More precisely, something faintly seen on her body.

It was definitely…

Traces of sacred power.

But wasn’t it said publicly that Edith had no sacred power? The previous pope confirmed it.

However, the previous pope, while kind, lacked the talent to control sacred power.

His judgment wasn’t fully reliable.

This naturally led to one conclusion.

Edith Diehl is the real daughter of Duke Adelheid.

Girls of the Adelheid family naturally have sacred power.

But that conclusion required accepting that Elisa Adelheid was fake.

That judgment was too hasty.

If Edith has sacred power…

And if Edith Diehl was really Duke Adelheid’s daughter,

There was no reason she couldn’t save Stella Adelheid.

Annoyed by these tangled thoughts, Michelle frowned and closed his eyes.

It wasn’t his concern anyway. Now was the time to focus on the princess’s condition.

After leaving the papal office, I headed straight to the Orpheo duchy.

To break the magic binding me to the pope.

This is so frustrating!

The magic would expire today anyway, but how could I trust the demon’s words?

I needed to break the magic myself.

No matter how fearless I became because of the twins, my life was precious.

I did this all to survive!

I couldn’t let a magic trick take me down so easily.

I wanted to cut this life’s connection as soon as possible.

When I entered the Orpheo castle, Russ Marty came out to greet me.

“Hello, Miss Diehl.”

He greeted me politely, and I returned the greeting.

“Is His Highness in the garden as usual?”

I remembered him taking care of the garden at this time.

Russ shook his head.

“No. I will take you to the reception room.”

Following Russ, I entered the reception room.

Unlike last time, the scent of lilies filled the room.

Russ served chrysanthemum tea, but I didn’t feel like drinking.

I didn’t like flower tea in general.

Still, it smelled fresh and strong, probably the best quality.

This wasn’t just liking flowers. It was serious.

Killian sat opposite me and smiled.

“Long time no see.”

“I think I saw you two days ago. Please, get rid of my magic quickly, Your Highness.”

“Two days ago, you asked me to put the magic on you. I thought you were brave, but now you’re not?”

He had agreed to put the magic only for my own sake.

Now the forced life link with the pope was unbearable.

He leisurely sipped tea, which annoyed me.

I’m the one begging here!

But I was the weak one in this situation.

“…Yes, I’m not brave. So please remove it quickly.”

I felt humiliated.

Killian put down his cup and said,

“I must tell you one thing.”

One thing?

His lips opened slowly. I felt something bad.

Please don’t say you won’t remove it.

But what he said was completely unexpected.

“I never put magic between Edith and the pope.”

“Huh…?”

I stared at him in disbelief.

He said in a dull tone,

“Magic requires hair or body fluids from both connected people. But I had no contact with the pope.”
“Then, was it just a show in front of the princess?”“If you put it that way, yes. Did I look scary enough to put such magic on you?”

He smiled as if it was obvious.

I didn’t know how to react.

In the end, it was like tricking the princess.

He really was something.