Chapter 22.2

“Tell me whenever you feel sleepy. You can go right away.”

“Yes.”

“If you receive a dance request, write it down on the dance card. The order should not be messed up.”

“Yes.”

I’ve been seriously beat deaf since my previous life.

My singing was at the level of creating a new song, and the dancing was somewhere between a creaking wooden doll and an anguished performance artist.

‘The Duke told me not to worry too much about the other kids anyway, since their dancing skills are similar…….’

Seeing as he allowed me time every time I said I wanted to practice dancing, there was no doubt that he was secretly paying attention.

Regardless of my worries, Janus’ carriage stopped in front of the portico of the imperial palace.

“This way.”

There were many footmen to help me get out of the carriage, but the Duke dared to carry me.

Following the attendants’ composed of low ranking priests, I went into the cloak room, left my coat and bonnet, and came out to see several high-ranking priests who had come out to greet guests.

“May Miss Betty’s wishes blossom.”

The priest, who confirmed my name through the list, bent his knees at eye level and held out a flower that was still in its bud.

‘…… !’

I was thinking of bending my knees and accepting the flowers as a thank you, but the insensitive face of the priest who handed me the flower felt somewhat shocking.

It wasn’t that his appearance was shockingly ugly. Rather, he had a very decent appearance.

I could not guess his age. Priests who support the Tree of Life do not age after they sacrifice their souls to the World Tree.

But they did not become something immortal. Like ordinary people, they go through minor illnesses and die when their life span is over. They are simply free from all emotions and desires.

It is the result of the World Tree, concerned that their own will will be distorted by people, taking away their free will.

“Why? Don’t you like flowers?”

“N, no…….”

I quickly shook off my shock at the Duke’s question, took the flower from the priest, and moved on. As I passed, he held out another flower to the child behind me with a very insensitive face  repeating the same words.

While I was guided by the attendants to the throne room, I pondered the shock I had felt earlier.

‘What does that feel like?’

It felt like my heart was about to drop.

Why was that?

“Duke.”

“What?”

“The person who gave me this flower is a great person?”

“Do you remember that he was wearing a purple belt, right? Then it means cardinal.”

“Um, I see.”

“By the way, priests cannot get married. There are things they can do, but they can’t.”

I was not that curious about it, but I nodded roughly and induced a conversation.

“Why?”

“They are just human skin. They have no emotion or desire other than to serve the World Tree. If someone cut off their arm, they’d just stare blankly at the severed arm. It’s hard to call it a person.”

“Really?”

“Ambrosio is the most creepy among them, the priest who gave you flowers. Did you notice anything on his face? I thought you were scared by that.”

The empty expressionless face was certainly almost grotesque.

Did that surprise me? Sometimes it seemed like it could be explained, yet sometimes it didn’t.

‘The name…… did he say Ambrosio?’

It is also a name that appears in <Just a Small-fry Villain>.

Ambrosio, a high-ranking priest who is closest to Princess Katerina, emerged from the flower that the World Tree bloomed after 500 years. As Princess Katerina appears as the female lead in the original story, her importance was ambiguous, and the priests who assisted her had almost no importance.

Among them, the scene where Ambrosio appears were roughly like this.

[“Princess, this is a letter from Count Mceuena.”]

[“It’s time for the meeting.”]

[“Her Majesty does not want visitors right now.”]

It’s safe to say that he’s almost an NPC.

However, there was one point that was different from <Just a Small-fry Villain>.

“But, Duke.”

“What else?”

“Is a Cardinal different from a Pope?”

“Different. The pope wears a red belt and the cardinals wear a purple belt.”

Ambrosio was originally a pope.

Because he was the pope, who is also called the first servant of the World Tree, he was able to take care of the original female lead, Princess Katerina, since she was a baby.

However, Ambrosio was wearing a purple belt now, and he seemed to be in a position that had nothing to do with the princess. It was in a completely different position from what is depicted in <Just a Small-fry Villain>.

***

The throne room of the empire with the world tree as its emperor was a kind of large greenhouse.

As soon as we entered it, the priest at the entrance announced in a loud voice.

“This is Duke Janus, who will dedicate his fidelity to you, and Miss Betty, who is sponsored by him.”

The voices that had been heard in the greenhouse suddenly disappeared, and the people who had lined up to have an audience with the World Tree split into sides in an orderly manner. It’s nothing, but at the same time, it was somewhat embarrassing to walk by the duke’s side and follow him.

As people lowered their heads, I could feel the quick glances at me from all sides. Before I had time to adjust to that gaze, I lost my five senses as I was bewitched by the majestic appearance of the World Tree.

The tree of life that supports the sky continent, the end of which cannot be seen even if one lifts their head until their neck hurts. And bushes of pure white flowers blooming profusely around the trees.

It was only then that I realized that I was surrounded by the sweet fragrance of the passion flower.

It was a burst of pure wonder, like seeing the world’s largest waterfall, endless desert, or lush, untouched forest.