WMAO 10

Chapter 10

“As His Majesty has asked for the opinion of me, Beleno, the High Priest, I shall offer my thoughts. I believe that, more than the spirits, the blessings of the god Licht now rest upon the Ortia Empire. Therefore, I think this year’s Founding Festival should be dedicated to praising the god Licht.”

“I object! A festival meant to honor the founding heroes should not suddenly become a celebration of the god Licht!”

“What nonsense! We’ve honored the founding heroes for years. This time, we should praise the god Licht instead!”

Voices of support and opposition clashed throughout the chamber.

Watching the heated debate, Emperor Rasis let out a quiet sigh. His eyes were filled with unmistakable fatigue.

The weary look lasted only a moment before his expression hardened into one befitting an emperor.

“I have heard everyone’s opinions and reached my decision. This year’s Founding Festival shall be held under the theme of praising the god Licht.”

The heads of the Spirit Master families and a handful of nobles immediately voiced their objections.

The Emperor, however, did not reverse his decision.

The corners of the snake-like High Priest Beleno’s lips curled upward in satisfaction.

* * *

“Where have you been running off to so often lately?”

Roselia ran into Sven in the hallway.

Suppressing the irritation threatening to show on her face, she answered calmly.

“Oh my, isn’t this the talented Brother Sven? Since I have no abilities whatsoever, I’ve simply been keeping myself busy here and there. So please don’t concern yourself with me. If you’ll excuse me.”

With that, Roselia briskly walked past him and entered the dining room first.

“Hah! Just you wait!”

Glaring at her retreating figure, Sven followed her inside.

Count Felis was already seated when Roselia entered. Sven greeted the Count before taking his own seat, and servants began placing dishes on the table one after another.

Today’s main course was a fragrant meat stew accompanied by grilled salmon.

“So,” Count Felis said as they began eating, “I’ve been quite busy, so it’s been a while since we’ve had a meal together. How have the two of you been?”

He looked at Sven first.

“I’ve been practicing spirit-taming regularly.”

So you’ve been doing that excuse for training again.

“I see. Don’t neglect your training, and make sure you keep up with your studies as well.”

The Count nodded before turning to Roselia.

“And you, Roselia?”

“Yes, Father! Instead of staying cooped up in my room, I’ve been doing all sorts of things. Taking walks in the garden, going outside for fresh air… things like that. I think my health has actually improved because of it.”

“Good. It’s always a blessing to become healthier.”

A faint smile appeared on Count Felis’s face after hearing her answer.

Watching from the side, Sven’s lips twisted ever so slightly.

“I’ve heard that the fever epidemic spreading throughout the Empire has finally reached our territory as well. Be careful, both of you.”

That was all the warning the Count gave before the rather dry, brief meal came to an end.

After lunch, Roselia went for a walk in the rear garden.

In one hand, she carried the gardening shears.

I only ordered these as an excuse to keep visiting Kardian… but they really are well made.

She wanted to take a walk while also testing how well they worked.

After walking a short distance, she came upon a beautifully maintained flower bed overflowing with red and yellow tulips blooming as though competing with one another.

“Oh… these tulips are perfect. No one will even notice if I take a few.”

She gently grasped the stem of a red tulip and cut it.

Snip.

The cut was remarkably smooth.

Just then—

Roselia suddenly froze and looked toward the entrance to the garden.

“I could’ve sworn someone was watching me…?”

But no one was there.

“Was I just imagining it?”

Shrugging it off, she continued cutting a balanced mix of red and yellow tulips until she had gathered a lovely bouquet.

For her first time arranging flowers, it had turned out surprisingly well.

“Now then… shall I take these to Father’s office?”

Holding the bouquet, Roselia headed toward the main building.

At this hour, her father was unlikely to be in his office.

As expected, the room was empty.

Beside the desk stood an elegant antique vase.

It had belonged to her late mother, Violetta.

Three years earlier, a fire had destroyed the room that held nearly all of her mother’s belongings.

Only this vase and a handful of other keepsakes had survived.

Afterward, according to the butler Jayden, Count Felis had moved the vase into his office.

Roselia carefully placed the bouquet on the table before filling the vase with fresh water.

She gently arranged the tulips inside and set the vase back in its place.

Simply looking at it lifted her spirits.

“I hope Father feels happier when he sees it too.”

Satisfied, she left the office and returned to her room.

As she relaxed on the sofa, Mary entered carrying tea and a plate of fruit.

“How did the thing I asked you to do go?”

“I did exactly as you instructed.”

Roselia nodded and took a sip of the lemon tea Mary had prepared.

Its refreshing flavor spread pleasantly across her tongue.

Just then—

Someone knocked urgently at the door.

Mary opened it to find the butler Jayden standing outside, his face deathly pale.

“What is it?”

“The Count requests that you come to his office immediately.”

“I understand.”

Roselia quickly straightened her clothes and headed for the study.

When she entered behind Jayden, she found Count Felis standing there with Sven beside him.

The way they looked at her immediately felt wrong.

“What did you call me here for—”

Her words caught in her throat.

Her eyes widened.

“W-What in the world…?”

The elegant vase that had held her bouquet now lay shattered across the floor.

Fragments of porcelain were scattered everywhere.

“Roselia,” Count Felis said coldly, “were you the one who placed this bouquet of tulips into the vase?”

“Yes… I did.”

“Then are you also the one who reduced the vase to this state?”

“No.”

She met his gaze directly.

“I didn’t do this.”

“That’s a lie.”

Sven spoke up immediately.

“I saw Roselia with my own eyes. She entered the study carrying that bouquet of tulips and hurried back out afterward.”

“Is what Sven says true?”

“It is true that I entered the study with the flowers and left afterward. But as I’ve already said—I did not break the vase.”

Count Felis continued staring at her with an icy expression.

There wasn’t the slightest sign that he believed her.

Felis Hylen believed only what he personally saw and always placed the interests of the family above those of any individual.

Wasn’t that why he had adopted his younger brother’s son as his heir simply because his own only daughter was frail and had never awakened as a Spirit Master?

Even now, despite being his daughter, he refused to believe her because all the circumstances pointed against her.

Roselia turned her eyes toward Sven.

The corners of his mouth rose ever so slightly before settling back down.

“So… no matter what I say, you won’t believe me.”

“I’m merely asking you to tell the truth.”

“In that case, I’ll bring in a witness who can prove that I’m not the culprit.”

“A witness?”

“Yes.”

“Very well. Bring them.”

After Count Felis granted her request, Roselia glanced toward Mary standing behind her.

Mary quietly slipped out the door and returned less than a minute later with a young maid.

“I’ve brought her, Lady Roselia.”

The maid stood beside Roselia with her hands neatly folded and her head respectfully lowered.

“She is my witness, Father.”

Count Felis looked the maid over suspiciously.

“And who are you?”

“M-My name is Mona. I’m one of the maids responsible for cleaning the rooms in the main building.”

“So. You claim to be a witness. Speak.”

“Yes, sir. I had just finished cleaning the rooms upstairs and was walking down the hallway past your office. Lady Roselia had just left the study… and immediately afterward…”

“And afterward?”

Mona raised her head slightly before continuing.

“…Lord Sven entered the study. A short while later, I heard something shatter inside, and then Lord Sven hurried back out.”

“You! What are you talking about?! When did I ever do that?! It wasn’t me! I didn’t do it!”

As soon as Mona finished speaking, Sven shouted furiously, veins bulging from his forehead.

“Enough!”

Count Felis’s voice thundered through the room.

“Silence, Sven. And you—Mona, was it? If there is even the slightest falsehood in your testimony, dismissal from your position will be the least of your worries.”

“I—I swear it. Every word I said is the truth.”

Bang!

After hearing Mona’s testimony, Count Felis slammed his fist onto the desk.

His clenched hand trembled with barely restrained fury.