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Chapter 22
“Did you mean to stop others from approaching your body carelessly?”
“Just think of it as making your surroundings more pleasant for you.”
Ah, so like an air purifier?
Like one that purifies everything around to remove the bad air.
“But honestly, tsk tsk. You really don’t know anything about the divine power in your body?”
“Nope. I only found out just now because you told me. Even knowing I supposedly have it, I don’t feel anything.”
“Then maybe Jer’s curse actually awakened your divine power…”
Joshua trailed off and glanced at me.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…You do know that anyone with divine power must be affiliated with the temple, right?”
“But nobody knows about it.”
I smiled darkly, and Joshua nodded enthusiastically.
“Exactly! Nobody knows!”
If I were to be affiliated with the temple, I wouldn’t be able to stay here anymore.
Once you’re in, you can’t leave without permission. And unless the temple grants approval, you can’t freely use your divine power either.
Even if I said I was staying to break the boss’s curse, if the Pope or the Saintess refused, I wouldn’t be able to do anything.
Once affiliated, all authority belongs to those two.
The Pope’s been unwell lately, so that power’s shared between the Saintess and the High Priests.
That’s why my divine power had to remain an absolute secret.
“I can’t trust the Saintess. It would’ve been better if the Pope were still healthy.”
Joshua seemed to think quite favorably of the Pope.
“Since your divine power’s completely hidden, even mages wouldn’t notice it. No one will suspect you, Titia!”
“When I met the Saintess before, she didn’t say anything strange, so it must really be hidden well.”
“Right! Exactly!”
Joshua, who used to call me “Tte-Tte,” had suddenly switched to “Titia.”
That boy—
I can read him like a book.
He’d realized I might be useful to the boss and changed his attitude accordingly.
Changing your stance for personal gain—well, I do that too.
From now on, we’re one big opportunistic family.
“This is top secret! Got it?!”
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard “top secret” since coming here.
“Yes!”
“…”
I answered briskly; the boss said nothing.
We couldn’t afford to celebrate too soon.
It would’ve been nice to be sure, but neither Joshua nor I dared ask the question the boss avoided.
What if it’s only the range that’s expanding?
What if one day that range just stops growing?
What if the range ends at this mansion?
We couldn’t pour cold water on the only lead we had.
But strangely, I was certain—
That I could lift the boss’s curse.
Still, if I ended up failing, it would only hurt the boss, so I kept quiet.
Joshua, sensing my silence, started fussing.
“Don’t go around running your mouth, okay?!”
Why say that while looking at me?
“I don’t do that. Maybe the boss would.”
“He can’t even leave, what would he say?”
“Oh, right.”
“…”
I didn’t even glance at the murderous look on the boss’s face.
Joshua folded his short arms and ground his teeth.
“Especially that Saintess and the Crown Prince! If they find out we’re experimenting, they’ll meddle in everything! No, even worse—they’ll claim it’s ‘for the good of the people’ and forbid us from doing anything! I hate them so much!”
A voice came from afar—the wizard, apparently awake.
“I agree. If that happens, I’ll just leave. My mind will leave, the Tower will leave, everything will leave.”
Why are you spinning the Tower, though?
“So everyone here dislikes the Saintess, huh. Didn’t expect you to hate the Crown Prince too.”
“I hate him more than garbage.”
The sincerity in his tone was unmistakable.
What on earth had they done to make everyone connected to Eclipse despise them this much?
Lost in thought, I stayed silent until Joshua nervously shuffled forward and placed his small hand awkwardly over mine.
“D-don’t worry!”
“The way you stutter just made me start worrying even though I wasn’t.”
“Why, you—!”
“Divine power won’t harm you,” the boss said calmly.
Joshua jumped to agree.
“Yeah! If you’ve lived all this time without knowing, it can’t possibly be bad!”
“Then why are you still stuttering? You’re killing your credibility.”
“It’s not harmful.”
“Credibility restored, vertically.”
The boss stared at me, speechless, as if unsure what to say.
Under that gaze, I suddenly felt itchy and scratched my arm.
“Look, dead skin’s coming off!”
“What? Why would it—”
“Never mind!”
Joshua deliberately stepped on my foot before stomping back to his seat.
Ow. My poor foot.
“Joshua, don’t be so rough with me.”
“No! I won’t!”
“I love it when you’re rough.”
The boss let out a long, exasperated sigh, and Joshua froze for a moment before shouting,
“Fine! I’ll be gentle! Super gentle!”
So me liking it is somehow painful for you?
The wizard, who had been quiet, suddenly pointed at me.
“But boss, can you really trust this woman?”
Where did he even learn to talk like that?
Joshua giggled and pointed at me too.
“You don’t trust her?”
“She doesn’t look trustworthy.”
“How am I supposed to respond when you say that right to my face?”
He looked uneasy, but there was no need to worry.
I repeated what I’d once told Joshua—word for word.
“I’ll never betray you. Why? Because if I spill this secret, my future’s doomed. But if I keep it, my future’s shining bright!”
And if I manage to lift the curse too, the benefits I’ll gain will be enormous.
“See? She’s not some loose-lipped sidekick… I believe the boss won’t betray me either.”
“Believe it. I pay back kindness twice over.”
“The boss is so reliable. So, to seal our partnership—can I give you a hug?”
“Get lost.”
“No, really, just once!”
Joshua, ever the meddler, shoved me toward the boss.
“Come on, hug already!”
Pushed forward, I stumbled closer, and the boss jumped away like I’d burned him.
“You didn’t have to look that disgusted. I wasn’t actually going to hug you.”
“Liar.”
“I’m serious.”
“Then why’d you open your arms?”
“Ah.”
Why did my arms just do that on their own?
I quickly put them down.
“Joshua, sorry. Even with your passionate support, I couldn’t win the boss’s heart—or his body.”
“You… ha.”
The boss glared at me with those beautiful eyes.
“Stop talking in ways that make people misunderstand.”
“You did the same earlier.”
He turned his head away, clearly out of retorts.
“No, but seriously—try holding hands again!”
“What’s with you, Joshua?”
Why are you so insistent?
The wizard approached, pushing a small cart, and explained Joshua’s reasoning.
“When you touched before, we detected divine energy. If you touch again, it might appear once more.”
And now you tell me that?
Reading my look, the wizard muttered,
“I’m in pain, you know.”
“You’re not sounding very mighty for a great mage, Yoreleih.”
“Who’s Yoreleih? I’m Lolly.”
“Whatever, Roulette. Anyway, I’m not someone with a loose tongue. If you’re still anxious, grab me by my weakness.”
“What’s your weakness?”
“Not having any weaknesses—that’s my weakness.”
“…”
Roulette quietly closed his eyes as if he’d given up on life.
The boss tried to console him, poorly.
“He’s always like that. Don’t mind it.”
“You’ve had it rough, boss. And it’ll only get rougher.”
The wizard gave a half-serious sigh of sympathy, then gestured for us to begin.
I stepped forward and reached out to the boss. He hesitated briefly, then took my hand.
Joshua and the wizard both came close—way too close.
“Hey—”
“We need to be this close to feel it properly!”
I squeezed the boss’s hand tighter. Joshua, eager for any clue, asked again,
“Titia, are you sure you don’t know anything? Think carefully! You did something even the Saintess couldn’t! It was just for a moment, but the divine power was terrifyingly strong! You’re sure you don’t remember anything?”
“Hmm… don’t think so.”
“Ugh.”
Don’t look at me like that, Joshua.
Your big sister really doesn’t know.
