Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Her cheeks were pale from lack of sunlight, and her old dress, although not new, hung loosely from her body.

‘It seems that she is still scorned by her family.’

Gamal could tell with one glance as he had already seen other noble young ladies with plump cheeks receiving their parents’ affection. The last time he visited here was three months ago, and her skinny physique remained the same except for the fact that the Princess’ attire was neat. He could even see the slender bones on her wrist, perhaps because she had lost more weight.

‘But… there is something different in her eyes as if she has become another person.’

Maybe it was because of this, the appearance of Leticia calmly drinking tea was very unfamiliar to Gamal.

“Ehem, that is alright, you just wanted to avoid me. Did the Duke harass you too much, Princess? How can I, as the priest, not understand how you must’ve felt upset….”

“You understand it very well since you’re a priest from the Central Church.”

Leticia had her eyes opened wide with a surprised expression, then smiled lightly. It was an innocent smile like a child. Seeing that smile, Gamal was rejoicing inside thinking that everything would go well. It would be a piece of cake for him to ask the little girl to forgive her grandfather, so as Leticia was drinking her tea, Gamal curiously asked.

“You have already become accustomed to the proper etiquette within three months. You were definitely something before that… where did you learn – ehem, I am surprised that the Princess has changed so much.”

What he said as a joke was rude, but Leticia didn’t really care.

‘Rude to the end. No matter, I am now the author of my life.’

It wasn’t difficult for her to imitate how a Princess acts in front of outsiders, since she already took the intensive etiquette classes in her previous life. Gamal wasn’t aware of that fact, so he was truly moved that she had changed in the course of three months.

“I have something I want to say to the priest.”

Gamal put down the tea cup and nodded at her calm yet polite request. Instead of directly bringing up the subject to the priest, Leticia used her eyes to signal the knight standing at the door to leave.

“This isn’t right, young lady. I can’t leave you with a middle-aged priest.”

The knight Faver, who was being dismissed, frowned and expressed his strong concern. This was because Priest Gamal had broken the precedent law by giving Baron Momonto a pardon for raping a child. Although it was an unpleasant fact, Faver regarded the priest with displeasure as he couldn’t say it in front of the Princess.

“What are you worried about? I also have two daughters the same age as the Princess. Did all the knights here forget that I came from the Capital Church?”

“I’m sorry young lady, but you can’t be alone with an outsider. Besides, there is a silencing magic around the parlor, so I can’t give you help right away if something happens.”

Faver’s strong objection was paired with an annoyed expression on his face, and losing his brazen smile, Gamal exploded in anger.

“Ha! I really can’t believe this!. This body has been serving the Maner family for a long time already! Hey, it looks like you didn’t understand me. Didn’t you hear me saying that I have two daughters?!”

Faver ignored Gamal’s protest and looked at Leticia.

‘It’s okay to be naïve.’

Although they were in the Duke’s residence, he was only an escort knight so his loyalty was insignificant. However, he couldn’t have the Priest Gamal who defended a rapist, be alone with the young lady. Leticia knew why Faver was reluctant to leave.

‘This knight didn’t even escort me properly, but he possesses a conscience?’

Leticia looked at the knight with a surprised expression, then showed the harmless smile of a child.

“There must’ve been some misunderstanding, Sir Faver. Priest Gamal isn’t like that, and I also don’t want you, Sir, to listen to what others say about the Priest’s past actions.”

I don’t have a priest to confess to, so you’re doing it to a bastard like that? Faber looked at Leticia with a puzzled expression. Eventually he bowed his head.

“…I understand, Milady.”

Faver had nothing to say since the Princess was stubborn. Gamal then smiled contentedly when the persistent knight went out.

“Was that knight deaf? You’d better replace him.”

“You’re right. While he’s not very sincere, he is very loyal.”

Leticia reviewed her memories of the knight and also finished her evaluation of him. Since the Princess told him to go out, he was then free and lit up a cigar. Apart from that, Leticia raised her valuation of the knight to just below the mid-low. It was because of the attitude the knight had shown to the priest before he went out.

‘I should warn the priest that the young lady is still a descendant of the Maner.’

Shing! The knight even took out the sword from the scabbard on his waist and pointed it toward Gamal. The priest Gamal kept his mouth shut at the scary knight, because it was clear that he would cut off his wrist if he ever did something inappropriate to the Princess.

Faver took a small clock from his pocket and gave it to Leticia before leaving. If she turned the clock then it will signal the knight that she is in danger, while also being a fashionable item at the same time. She had received this item several times in her past life, but she had had no use for it.

“Are you saying that knight is loyal? Pfft.”

A little girl who doesn’t know anything gives her judgement of a knight. Gamal found it so funny that he couldn’t hold back his laughter. Even if Leticia was a Princess, she is still only an 11-year-old girl. As an illegitimate child, she couldn’t have received successor training, so the Princess in front of him was just like the other ignorant children of other noble families. Her calm demeanor didn’t make sense to him at all.

Gamal grinned at the thought of finally convincing this stupid little brat. He had already received a down payment of 20 golds from the Duke Maner. Gamal could fill his pocket with another 30 golds if she forgave her grandfather. In return for fulfilling the contract, after Gamal had been silent for a while, Leticia set down her teacup and called him.

“Priest.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“I am curious about one thing, can I ask you about that?”

“Sure, ask me anything.”

Leticia had a gentle smile when he gave permission to ask anything.

“Did Priest Gamal protect Baron Momonto? …I heard that you gave him a pardon.”

Gamal’s expression stiffened as soon as he heard Leticia’s calm question resonating through the drawing room.

“As I’m still too young, I don’t have many people to talk to, so Priest, you don’t have to lie in front of me.”

Leticia put down her tea cup and smiled softly. Her smile was so elegant that it reminded Gamal of Hildegardt’s statue and he unconsciously blushed. It was also because of his worn-out conscience.

“To tell you the truth, I indeed gave Baron Momonto a pardon. But Baron Momonto also had his own reasons….”

That undisposed garbage is in some kind of circumstance?

Leticia hid her cynical expression as she nodded her head.

Priest Gamal pardoned the pedophile Baron Momonto, but Leticia already knew this. It was an unforgivable act to pardon the Baron when he wasn’t the legal guardian of the child who died in the prison.

Abusing their right to give punishment, the priests themselves were filling their pockets and vaults. They only claimed it would be used for the church’s construction and missionary work, but that was just propaganda. Leticia’s grandfather, Graham, was guilty of abusing his granddaughter for so many years. But if he is faithful, he wanted to personally be forgiven by Leticia instead of accepting punishment. It wasn’t due to guilt.

‘Because he’s afraid of going to Hell.’

Her grandfather judged that punishment written by Priest Gamal would be ineffective as a preventive measure against Hell. What effect would it bring if it was from a priest who pardoned a child rapist? Even if he is a priest from the Central Church.

Leticia concealed her contempt and nodded her head as if she understood everything.

“Because Baron Momonto realized his wrongdoings and confessed them sincerely, the priest forgave him, right?”

“Yes… that’s right.”

He took out a handkerchief folded in a straight line and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

‘What forgiveness because of his sincerity? That’s nonsense.’

Baron Momonto, an obese old man with a big fat belly, staggered to walk as he arrived in the temple, but he never begged for forgiveness.

‘Hey, when will the indemnity come out? What does it take you so long to write? Are you busy with other business? Let’s hurry up, ehem!’

‘You piece of a crap Baron. You ruined their mood, but you were left alone since they got the money.’

Recalling that day, Gamal shook his head and sighed.

“The Princess is very generous compared to that knight. That is right, Princess. I just followed the teachings of the Great Saintess as a priest: ‘Don’t hate people even if you hate sin’.”

‘You must’ve wanted me to give you some gold coins.’

What is this ‘don’t hate people’. Hildegardt never said that. Leticia knew but she still tilted her head and asked, “Oh, I see. That’s what the Great Saintess said, isn’t it?”

“Certainly. How can a priest lie about the Doctrine?”

It’s a money-making doctrine. Leticia rolled her eyes and slowly wiped her teacup.