179 – 183
He did not return last night.
“What could be the matter?”
Perhaps to confirm if he was working late into the night, I sent a maid…
“Your Majesty, I apologize. The Duke informed that the Princess and a woman from Senara rode a carriage alone and left the palace.”
-Thud!
The maid’s words hit me like a hammer in the head.
“W… What?!”
Is having such a big chest really that good?! Is it that good?!
“T… That can’t be true.”
I’m too shocked to even speak.
“Just let them in! I’ll deal with these idiots myself!”
I won’t let those two off the hook.
It was now clear that the woman from Senara was his lover.
No wonder he picked a woman who was just pretty and no different from an ordinary country girl.
Making a stupid woman with a big chest his lover…
-Sigh…
While I’m here, he’s fooling around?
Without even touching me?
Did he really look at such trash?
Disappointment, astonishment.
I firmly believed that Devian was not that kind of man…
If a man and a woman leave the palace alone at night, what else could it be?
“Just come back! I won’t just let this slide!”
***
From Noble mtl dot com
After dealing with the disastrous scene from last night, I finally returned to the palace at dawn.
I changed into clean clothes stained with blood from the Grand Study immediately, and took a quick wash.
Then, I finished some morning work in my office.
-Creak!
“Y… Your Grace?”
Seeing Lucius entering without even knocking, his usually composed face now looking troubled, I glance at him briefly.
Lucius, who usually observes proper etiquette, seems so flustered that he forgets his manners.
Feeling nervous, I ask him what’s going on.
“Have the demon worshippers appeared?”
Are the demon worshippers attacking the city?
Or did the vital agents who were injured yesterday in the intelligence department die?
I try to stay calm, expecting the worst possible scenarios.
Stay calm. You can handle anything. You’ve done well so far, haven’t you?
My left eye starts to twitch.
“Something serious has happened. Y… Your Majesty!”
“Teodora? Why her?”
Could she have been kidnapped?
No… Over a hundred soldiers were stationed when she traveled.
That’s impossible.
When I think like that.
“Your… Your Highness is looking for Sister Sena, calling her the government of the Grand Duke!”
What?
Who is calling whose government?
Startled by Lucius’s sudden words, I rise from my seat as if possessed.
-Can’t you even say where that vulgar wench is?!
As I open the door of my study, a voice is heard from outside.
Certainly, it’s a female voice, but the words are outrageously vulgar.
What… What is this?
-Well… I took a sick leave today…
-Hmph! You must have been busy with that wench all night if you’re in pain! I will charge her with adultery, so tell her to come here immediately!
What? Who is a wench, and adultery?
If someone cheats after marriage here, it’s considered a crime.
No… But to speak of Sena, a candidate for saint and a high-ranking member of the Papal Court, like that.
My head is spinning in this chaotic situation.
I said I was taking the day off to report to the Pope, and the timing is perfect.
Mueller tries to calm her down with a troubled expression, looking at Theodora, but…
Many officials passing by are watching their conversation with amusement.
Ah… Really. Not easy.
How embarrassing is this?
I grab my flushed face and try to compose myself.
Right now, I really wish I could disappear into a mouse hole.
“Sigh…”
I exhale heavily and approach Theodora.
“Theodora! What are you doing?!”
“What?! You! Where were you last night?”
Theodora responds confidently to my question.
“Last night?”
Last night, I went to spy on the meeting of the demon worshippers.
But as someone who wants to hide the fact that demon worshippers are still active, it’s hard to say it as it is.
Especially… the officials here are not supposed to know about it.
“Sigh… Let’s talk in my study.”
I lead her to my study that way.
-Thud!
I slam the door harshly and say, “What in the world is going on?!”
Theodora might not understand, but Sena, despite being a nun in the Papal Court, holds quite a high position.
If rumors spread between her and me, the trust painstakingly built by the Papal Court could crumble, so I shout in anger, but…
Instead, she seems to think I’m angry and exhales loudly before speaking.
“Phew! You, of all people, what on earth were you up to with that girl last night?”
“What do you mean, ‘what on earth’?!”
She glares at me, arms crossed, and retorts.
“Last night, word has it that you went out of the palace with that girl and only returned this morning. Did you really think I wouldn’t be upset hearing that?”
It’s a misunderstanding.
Even if I were to search the skies, I have a clear conscience.
“Teodora, just a moment. I can guess what you might be thinking, but there was nothing of the sort going on as you imagine.”
From last night until dawn today, I was busy rescuing survivors from a building swarmed by demon worshippers.
So, the events she envisions did not take place.
I was about to explain that I was simply preoccupied with capturing demon worshippers when I pause for a moment.
As far as I know, the named demon worshipper is just one: Amon.
The other four are hiding in Roman.
Judging by the way they speak, one of them seems to hold a high position.
There are also a few individuals in the circle she associates with that are hard to trust.
Notably, former Minister of Justice Johan and Academy Chancellor Cosimo.
These two are not close to me and their identities remain unverified.
Would it be appropriate for them to convey to her that I am ready to capture demon worshippers?
First… it’s best to keep it a secret.
They won’t bring anything good by letting demon worshippers know I’m involved.
“Lies! Then tell me where you were and what you did!”
Under her piercing interrogation, I can’t help but hesitate.
Since I can’t tell the truth… how should I dance around it…
“Just…”
In that moment, a good idea pops into my head.
“Senia is a woman, right? How would it look if she went out of the palace late at night and got into trouble? So, I just took a carriage and brought her back.”
“What?!”
Teodora’s eyes turn cold at my words.
She glares at me.
“For heaven’s sake! Are you asking me to believe such nonsense? Then why didn’t you return at night?”
With a tone implying she will see through any lies, she speaks.
“Well… the carriage wheel got stuck halfway, so I stayed the night at Senia’s place before coming back. Oh, of course, Senia’s parents were there too. There was absolutely nothing like what you’re thinking.”
Teodora’s eyes grow even colder at my words.
“From what I’ve heard, Senia is a country girl, right? But there’s no way her family would be here?!”
Her words make me feel uneasy.
Senia is an orphan.
I know her parents aren’t around, but I never thought Teodora would know that fact.
At times like this, the best course of action is to brazen it out.
If I avoid the situation now, I might somehow reconcile with Senia or forge official documents.
“Oh?! No wonder you two were complaining about urban life being too stifling. It must have been shortly after you moved in, right?”
I shamelessly nod my head, as if I’ve realized something, and speak.
“Sen’s parents said that the Roman poems are too complex and crowded, making it hard to distinguish one from another.”
It’s true, but I deliberately add some embellishment.
I’ve always believed that a lie needs a touch of truth to be undetectable.
However, to my surprise, she responds with a bewildered expression.
“Huh? Are you kidding with me right now?”
I shrug my shoulders in response.
“What’s there to joke about?”
She stares at me intently after my words.
It feels like an unspoken pressure of ‘spill the beans,’ but I can confidently speak.
“If not, we can borrow the token of purity from the Vatican.”
A token of purity.
A token used to prove one’s purity before becoming a priest or nun.
When a pure person touches the token, it’s said to emit a blue light, a treasure known for purity.
Theodora smiles significantly and asks, “Can you stand by what you just said?”
“Yes, of course.”
Maybe in a past life, but my current body is pure.
And the token of purity is a treasure of the Vatican.
They wouldn’t easily lend it to us.
As I’m thinking this, she seems to have a different idea and nods her head.
“Alright, let’s ask for the token of purity from the Vatican.”
“Huh?”
“Is there anyone outside? Tell the Vatican we request the token of purity.”
-Yes!
Theodora commands.
“Huh?”
Wait, are we really going to borrow it?
“Seriously borrowing it?”
Theodora nods like someone with OCD, her eyes gleaming red.
“Why? Feeling nervous all of a sudden?”
I shrug my shoulders.
“Not really, but…”
The Vatican won’t lend it out easily.
Despite thinking that, I sigh and say, “Do as you please. I’ll be working on what I have to do.”
And so, I silently continue with the paperwork.
-Knock, knock.
-Your Highness, a letter has arrived from the Vatican, containing the token of purity and a message for Your Majesty.
What? Why did they lend it so readily? And a letter for me?
Feeling puzzled by the unexpected reaction and the letter, I speak.
“Come in.”
A novice I have never seen before, followed by another nun carrying a large chest, says.
“We greet the esteemed ones.”
“We greet the esteemed ones.”
Nodding to them, I say, “I apologize deeply for making you travel so far, Sisters.”
In response to my words, the nun replies.
“It is a request from the palace, and we are fortunate to be of some assistance. Also, we have brought a letter from His Holiness the Pope.”
“Ah… Please hand it to me.”
From Noble mtl dot com
Taking the Pope’s letter, I nod to Theodora.
“What are you waiting for? Let’s check it quickly.”
Already busy, I want to finish this unnecessary task promptly.
MC you carp brain. Just tell her the truth. You know for a fact she’s not a demon worshipper. Why would she go spreading this specifically around to her people?