CH 143

It was the day of the temple trial.

Sylvester looked really fine, but as a small citizen, my heart was beating wildly. 

I try to calm down, but it doesn’t work.

‘Should I have taken some relaxing medicine?’

Ah, well. There is no such thing here.

Anyway, I got off the carriage with a trembling heart.

As soon as I came out of the carriage, a temple boasting great dignity unfolded in front of me.

The outer walls of the building, which are long on both sides, are white enough to be dazzling. To the point where I wonder if they’re cleaning the exterior walls every day.

And then there’s the carpet from where I get off the carriage. Paladins are standing around it.

At the same time as I felt pressured, I felt like I was being dragged, so I was more nervous.

I folded my arms to Sylvester, gulping down my dry saliva.

“What’s wrong?”

What do you mean ‘what’s wrong’?

I’m sitting down and asking the obvious thing.

Sylvester smiled at my words.

“Because it’s nothing. And don’t we have a plan we’ve come up with?”

Sylvester patted my cheek and said.

“There’s nothing to worry about. Never.”

I know that.

But why? Why is my heart beating like this?

This strange anxiety—.

I couldn’t erase it easily.

So I took a deep breath, sweeping my chest over and over again with my hand.

A bowl of water placed at the entrance is filled with holy water.

After washing our hands there, we briefly greeted the statue.

And slowly stepped into the temple.

“Look, who is this!”

At this time, a man in a white priest’s uniform approached from not far away.

“Isn’t it the Duke of Ryzen?”

The priest greeted Sylvester with his arms wide open.

“Nice to meet you. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

“I think it’s been about three years. how are you?”

“I didn’t do well because you didn’t come to see me.”

The priest spoke in a very friendly tone.

Sylvester shrugged his shoulders.

“If anyone hears it, it will be misunderstood, so keep it small.”

“Haha! As expected, you are fun!”

The priest patted Sylvester on the back and shouted.

I don’t know what’s funny, but he was laughing, so I thought I should laugh along with it anyway.

So, with a smile similar to that of a priest, I pulled my chin. Then the priest turned his gaze to me.

“It’s my first time greeting you. Nice to meet you. My name is Michael.”

It’s really the name of a priest to anyone who sees it.

I greeted Michael lightly, trying to stop the laugh that was about to come out.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Ophelia Ryzen.”

“Oho.” 

Michael stroked his chin and narrowed his eyes.

“Aren’t you really different from the rumors?”

Then he mutters.

“I thought you were going to spit out swear words as soon as you saw my face.”

“Why are you talking about old rumors? My wife is a very nice person.”

“A nice person will be brought to the temple trial?”

Michael burst into laughter again. I don’t even get angry because he’s being sarcastic. So I answered with a smile.

“I know. Can you summon such a nice person to the trial? I don’t know about that.”

I frowned slightly and continued speaking.

“If today’s trial finds me not guilty…”

“If?” 

“We’re not going to stay still.”

I opened my eyes sharply and said. Then, Michael’s lips went up at an angle.

“That’s the Duchess. It’s amazing how you talk.”

He reached out to me.

I wondered if it meant shaking hands, so I reached out and he grabbed my hand.

“I hope there are no problems.”

Then pat the back of my hand.

“By all means.”

The patting touch didn’t feel good. But I smiled again, and we got into the temple together.

******

As I entered the temple, a more majestic building spread out as if overwhelming me.

I feel more nervous. I took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from my palms on my dress.

“Honey.” 

And whispered to Sylvester.

“Who is that priest earlier?”

“A person who is useless to know.”

Sylvester answered with a sigh.

“I met him on the battlefield before. He had been following me since then. But on a day like today, I didn’t know that he would come and greet me.”

“It didn’t feel right.”

“He’s close to the 2nd Prince.” 

“Ah!” 

As expected, my feelings weren’t wrong. No wonder it was weird—!

“Was he here to see what we were doing?”

“Maybe so. But there’s no need to worry. We’ve got everything ready.”

Sylvester said in a confident voice. But I just couldn’t put my mind to it. So I bit my nails without realizing it, and Sylvester took my hand and said.

“Are you nervous?”

I frowned slightly.

“I told you. I am very nervous.”

“It’s nothing special.”

He spoke in a relaxed tone as if to reassure me.

“After being summoned to the magic circle, escape from the forest with my knights there. Then everything will be over. With this as an excuse, we will reveal to all the world that the 2nd Prince was gathering the magic circle illegally.”

“It would be great if that was the case.”

I took a deep breath and grabbed his hand.

“But my hunch tells me. Something is going wrong…”

“What’s wrong?”

Sylvester tilted his head as if he didn’t understand me.

I mean, my hunch tells me this is a little weird—.

“You have to enter.”

At this time, the paladin appeared and said to us. I couldn’t help but shut my mouth and grabbed Sylvester’s arm.

“Let’s talk later.”

Sylvester agreed, and we entered the courtroom side by side.

******

“Defendant, Ophelia Ryzen, is your name correct?”

The high priest said in a solemn voice.

Standing at the defendant’s seat, I took a deep breath and pulled my chin.

“That’s correct.” 

The high priest pushed his glasses up on his nose and looked at the paper he was holding.

“The report said that you were using black magic illegally as revenge and so the trial was held.”

“I know.”

“The only way to confirm this is to test how much black magic you’ve used.”

The high priest continued.

“I will use the priest’s divine power.”

So far this is what I expected.

“I understand.” 

So I answered with a nod.

It was at this time.

“Wait a minute.”

Someone in the audience spoke up. I knew who it was without looking at it.

“I have an objection.”

It was Largo. 

Sylvester and I frowned at him at the same time. But Largo continued with a nonchalant tone.

“I hope that Ophelia Ryzen’s soul test will also be done.” 

As expected, I knew this would happen.

I bit my lips.

“Ophelia Ryzen has changed a lot lately. It’s like she’s become a different person.” 

“That’s not a reason to do a soul test.”

Sylvester countered. As soon as he did so, Largo smiled and raised one hand as if he had been waiting.

“I’ll set up a witness.”

Witness?

Sylvester and I made eye contact. And immediately, we turned our heads along the direction pointed by Largo.

That place is—.

‘The Grand Duchess?’

There was the Grand Duchess. 

She has been quiet these days, but! 

“What does it mean to be a witness?”

“It’s a witness who will testify about Ophelia Ryzen becoming a completely different person.”

Largo said with a grin.

Ah, I didn’t expect the Grand Duchess to appear.

I put my hand on my forehead and glanced at the Grand Duchess, but she didn’t even look at me. She  was such a bad person. 

“In that case—”

The high priest seemed to ponder for a moment, then raised his hand.

“Put it on the witness box.”

“But!”

Sylvester shouted. 

“Isn’t it a trial to determine whether my wife used black magic illegally or not? I can’t accept anything else.”

Sylvester’s argument is also true. However, the person sitting next to the high priest is none other than Michael.

He whispered something to the High Priest, and the High Priest came straight out and spoke in a sharp voice to Sylvester. 

“She may have used black magic to change souls illegally. Shouldn’t we hear the testimony of this? And if necessary, we’ll have to take a soul fitness test.”

Sylvester bit his lips tightly.

Yeah. 

Largo and the temple were on the same side. 

There was nothing we could do here.

That’s—.

“I can’t help it.”

The only way to hit Theo with SOS.

Sylvester winked at me. I nodded and slowly lifted myself up.

“I’ll respect it, High Priest.”

I looked at the High Priest and Michael, and placed my hand on my chest.

“I’m innocent.”

Then I continued, slightly lowering my eyes.

“So, I can get any testimony or test.”

Ha? 

A laugh was heard from the audience.

It was obviously Largo.

“That’s funny.”

Largo raised his voice, pointing his finger at me.

“Then why don’t we proceed with the test right now? There’s no reason why you can’t come out so confidently!”

Whoo. 

I want to punch that bastard in the face.

But I have to be patient. If you are patient three times, you will also avoid murder—. I muttered and nodded my head.

“I understand.”

Not only the high priest, but also the other priests seemed to be surprised at my words.

Even so, it is shameful enough for your lady to be brought to trial. Bu, they even do a soul fitness test here. It was nothing like denying her everything. 

So everyone was surprised, but I opened my mouth calmly.

“But if I’m found innocent, I’ll make a formal complaint to the 2nd Prince who proposed it.”

“Ha?”

Largo snorted again.

“You think you’re innocent! But I don’t think so. Because you’re a different person!”

Largo now seemed convinced that I had a completely different soul.

Whoa. I took a deep breath and secretly wiped the cold sweat from my palms on my handkerchief.

“Then, call the priests first. We have to conduct a test, so we have to perform a proper ceremony.” 

The high priest looked at me and said, as soon as I nodded, the priests left the courtroom. No, I was going out.

“W, wait!”

At this time, a blue light shot up just below my feet.

“W, what’s that?”

“Magic circle?”

The soaring light drew a circle and gave off a brighter light in a geometric pattern.

“No!”

Someone shouted, but the light did not stop, and the light, which was glowing enough to fill the courtroom, soon poured into my body.

“Ophelia!”

And I open my eyes in a completely different place.

******

I had to open my eyes in the middle of the monster forest, where Sylvester’s knights clear the monsters.

But—.

“I knew this would happen.”

I murmured as I looked up at the blizzard-cold sky.

“That bastard Largo.”