TVOWW 89

Chapter 89 

Jealousy Indeed

The expressions of the priests darkened at Erich’s threat.

“What should we do about this?”
“Even if it’s the Holy Kingdom, openly clashing with the Blanchet Duke family…”

Under Erich’s sharp scolding, the priests shrank back like prey cornered by a predator.

At that moment, Cardinal Simon appeared and confidently responded.

“Do not worry. Where is this place? This is not an ordinary temple, but one where the Saintess herself is honored. Baron Blonay need not rush; I will handle it properly.”

“C-Cardinal Simon!”

Cardinal Simon had been away briefly to escort the Saintess, who collapsed from overexertion while treating Estelle, back to her room.

“You all have worked hard. Now, I shall deal with Baron Blonay myself.”

The other priests looked at Cardinal Simon with admiration and, as if they had been waiting for this, quickly scattered.

Erich glared at Cardinal Simon with his piercing gaze.

“Why have those who claimed they could handle it offered no solution yet?”

“It is not a matter that Baron Blonay can resolve by pressuring us. Every matter has its proper order. Now that my divine power has been restored, I shall examine the Blanchet Duchess once more.”

Though his answer sounded calm, Cardinal Simon’s expression as he looked at Estelle was uneasy.

“Why isn’t she waking up?”

He had drawn in not only the Saintess but every priest capable of using divine power, forcing them to exert themselves.

Yet Estelle’s condition showed no improvement.

“I heard last time she recovered through the Saintess’s treatment…”

Neither the Saintess’s divine power nor that of others was taking effect.

“Why is it different this time?”

Honestly, it was so strange that it was almost disorienting.

The problem was that this was not an issue that could be ignored simply because divine power had no effect.

“As Baron Blonay said, the Blanchet Duke will not stand idly by.”

If this matter reached His Majesty, it would become even more complicated, since the letter used to summon the Blanchet Duchess had the Emperor’s seal, used without permission.

“I never imagined it would escalate this much.”

Erich’s gaze on Cardinal Simon grew increasingly menacing.

“Why are you doing nothing instead of treating her—”

“…I was gathering my emotions. I will begin with a prayer.”

Cardinal Simon quickly began a solemn prayer.

“Merciful goddess Athea, grant me your grace.”

He was the highest minister beneath the Emperor, and had enough divine power to become cardinal at a young age.

Within this temple, he possessed the second greatest divine power, after the Saintess.

“My divine power is having no effect at all…”

The holy white light emanating from Cardinal Simon’s fingertips shone warmly and seeped into Estelle’s sleeping body.

“The power is entering… clearly.”

Cardinal Simon studied Estelle closely. Lying on the bed in the temple’s VIP room, hands clasped tightly and eyes closed, she was indeed beautiful, just as the rumors said.

“Like an angel from the scriptures.”

Perhaps it was the long white lashes and the shining platinum hair, but compared to the glamorous blonde beauty Stella, Estelle seemed imbued with a more sacred aura.

Unconsciously staring at her pink lips, Simon blushed and immediately shook himself back to focus.

“This is no time for that.”

Recalling his trainee days, Cardinal Simon refocused his divine power. Yet he sensed something strange in the power entering Estelle’s body.

“Is her body rejecting divine power?”

He had heard of peculiar constitutions like this, but this was different. If it were such a case, the divine power would have been completely deflected.

“The Saintess’s power healed her before…”

Yet Simon’s divine power brushed past her body and leaked out somewhere, like pouring water into a broken vessel.

“I must understand this fully.”

Grasping Estelle’s hands, he concentrated further.

“I am a cardinal of the Holy Kingdom! There is no problem I cannot comprehend!”

He closed his eyes tightly and traced the point where his divine power was escaping. As expected, inside Estelle’s body, there was a massive void.

It was so deep and wide that one could hardly imagine how she was still alive.

“This is not just leakage—it’s connected to somewhere—”

Simon intentionally inserted divine power into the void to investigate its true nature.

“Alright, let’s see.”

The moment he peered inside, he felt as if he had been thrown into immense darkness alone, a chilling and fearful sensation.

“What is this?”

Simon’s focus faltered; he opened his eyes wide. Estelle, whom he had been holding, was nowhere to be seen, nor was Erich glaring at him.

Goosebumps ran over his entire body.

“Wh-what is happening?”

Panicking, he looked around frantically.

“Some absurd… help! Somebody save me!”

A grotesque darkness rose from his feet, slowly erasing his body. He lost all sense of direction, feeling only his body vanishing.

As Simon struggled, he heard eerie laughter tickling his ears. His body was disappearing. He was being erased.

“No, no—”

“Cardinal Simon?”

A familiar touch landed on his shoulder. A junior priest was looking at him with concern.

“I apologize for interrupting your focus on the treatment, Cardinal Simon, but you didn’t seem well…”

“What?”

Simon asked, pale as if possessed by a ghost.

“Where… am I?”

“You were treating the Blanchet Duchess…”

“Hmm… I was told a cardinal would be different, but what is this? The duchess hasn’t awakened. Can she really be healed?”

Erich’s irritated tone snapped Simon back to reality. His robes were soaked in sweat.

“My apologies, Baron Blonay. And you—did you just see nothing?”

“Nothing?”

Simon frowned, looking at the priest in disbelief.

“Were you overwhelmed by the treatment? Then I can—”

“No! I mean…!”

Raising his voice unintentionally, Simon wiped sweat with a towel and swallowed nervously. He glanced at Estelle again.

“Was what I just saw a hallucination?”

But how could one hallucinate mid-treatment?

Knock. Knock.

A knock came from outside the VIP room. The Saintess appeared, smiling, her fatigue gone.

“I came to see the duchess again… oh, Cardinal Simon, what happened?”

Tears in her eyes, she approached the nearly fainting Simon and gently wiped his sweat with a handkerchief.

“It’s all my fault. I should have treated the duchess as the Saintess.”

The surrounding priests comforted her.

“No, how could the Saintess handle everything alone?”

“Even if that were the case, we would have no reason to exist. Isn’t that right, Cardinal Simon?”

“Ah, yes…”

Habitually nodding, Simon felt a strange sensation prickling through him—an odd feeling emanating from the Saintess herself.

“Am I imagining this?”

As the atmosphere returned to praising the Saintess, Erich interrupted.

“Shouldn’t we be focusing on the patient instead of this? Everything is a problem—from this temple to the Holy Kingdom!”

“Do not worry. The duchess will awaken.”

The Saintess smiled gently and clasped one of Estelle’s hands with both of hers.

“Earlier was unexpected, but now we are fully prepared.”

“Prepared?”

“Yes, I have prayed to the gods to fulfill my duty as the Saintess.”

Erich crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes.

“Something is off.”

Simon nearly died during treatment, yet the Saintess returned calmly.

“Something is going on…”

Erich’s sharp gaze fell on the distressed Simon.

“I must extract something from the author.”

Meanwhile…

Thud! Boom!

Footsteps echoed as if shaking the cave but gradually receded.

“Too close.”

It seemed the space was designed for Johann to hide alone, so they had to stay pressed together.

Trapped in a small space, Johann’s solid body was felt even through his clothing. His long, strong arms held me protectively.

“Crazy.”

I was conscious of Johann’s large hand over my mouth.

“Is now really the time?”

My heart raced, probably loud enough for Johann to hear.

“But what can I do?”

Even if I didn’t know where we were or if monsters lurked outside, Johann beside me was all I could focus on.

“How did I pretend to be normal before?”

Actually, I wasn’t normal even then; my heart fluttered almost as much.

“Estelle.”

Johann, who had been looking outside, breathed softly and gazed at me. His handsome face staring so intently made my face flush even more.

“Uh, yes?”

“Why are you here?”

Johann lowered his head and their foreheads touched.

“Closer!”

His hand slid down from my mouth to my shoulder, one hand naturally on my waist. A jolt of heat surged through me. A strange current flowed.

“Weren’t you supposed to go to the temple today?”

“Well… I don’t even know why I’m here.”

His hand on my waist distracted me completely.

“I might as well be honest.”

No point in lying when I had no clue; I couldn’t lie to Johann anymore.

“I met the Saintess at the temple, and when I came to, I was here. Do you know where this is?”

“This is the royal tomb.”

“The royal tomb? This cave?”

“Yes. It’s an altar where the royal family sacrificed to demons to maintain power. Ordinary people don’t even know it exists.”

“So that’s why the Crown Prince was here.”

The goblets and magic circles outside were probably linked to the sacrifices.

“But why am I here?”

Suddenly, I remembered the Crown Prince shouting at me earlier:

“I want that offering.”

Though confused, I tried to understand the situation calmly.

“How did you find out about this place, Johann?”

“I discovered it while investigating the royal family’s weakness. As long as I know it, the royal family dares not oppose me.”

Johann’s lips curved coldly as he asked:

“And you didn’t know why you ended up here either?”

“Yeah. I didn’t even know this was the royal tomb.”

“Then how exactly…?”

“Oh, I did fall in front of a strange magic circle when I arrived. The Crown Prince was dripping blood onto it. Maybe it’s connected?”

I mentioned what I noticed, and Johann’s expression grew serious.

“The Crown Prince was dripping blood?”

“Yes, and when he saw me, he suddenly started talking about old events…”

At that moment, I noticed Johann’s face stiffen slightly.

“What…?”

I jumped back slightly.

“Anyway, can we leave now? I don’t hear anything outside.”

“We can leave.”

“It’s hot anyway, good.”

Fanning myself, we stepped out. Johann followed, staring at me.

“So, the Crown Prince?”

“Huh?”

“You said he talked about old events. Tell me from there.”

Johann smiled lazily, but there was something intimidating about it.

“Well, there’s not much to say; it’s a trivial story.”

“Then why can’t you tell me?”

Johann tilted his head meaningfully.

“Even small things could be crucial clues. So tell me everything.”

“Even things that happened before meeting you?”

“Ah, before you met me.”

Johann’s gaze softened.

“That’s interesting. I’m curious.”

Nervously, I laughed awkwardly.

“It’s not really worth expecting. Johann…”

I lightly tapped his shoulder.

“You know nothing really happened between the Crown Prince and me. That’s all.”

Everyone knew I was treated as a foolish girl for not even being engaged to the Crown Prince. Johann would know.

“By asking like that, it seems like you’re jealous of the Crown Prince.”

“Jealous indeed.”

Johann twisted his lips into a smile, but his eyes didn’t laugh.

“I’m jealous because I might be missing something between you and the Crown Prince.”

“…”

“It’s nothing, so just tell me everything. What happened with that guy, and what did you hear here?”

I rolled my eyes.

“Feels like being questioned about a nonexistent ex-lover.”