CH 38

“Ah, I’m bored.”

Rosé Mikhaela Illide, the Empress, was taking a foot bath with her dress rolled up to her calves.

Two maids were carefully washing her feet in warm water. And in a chair a little further away, her younger brother, Alberto Mikhael, was sitting crookedly.

“The boredom is short-lived, Sister. We’ll see something interesting soon.”

At those words, the tip of Rosé’s lips rose at an angle.

“I asked them to send the Saintess as soon as possible under the pretext of miscarriage, so she’ll be here at least within a week, right?”

Rosé remembered the face of the Saintess, Ariel.

Prince Kyle’s birthday banquet. At that time, there was an incident that was just right to lower his reputation, and her brazen face protected Kyle, and everything was thwarted.

‘She’s like a nasty bitch.’

“She’s daring for such a fake thing.”

Rosé said to Alberto with a venomous smile.

“I had no idea that you would play such an important role as Count Mikhael’s prodigal son. This sister is very happy. When this is over, I’ll give you a lot of compliments.”

Alberto shrugged his shoulders.

“The Saintess and the High Priest would have thought it would be over if they killed a maid who knew the secret. Well, who knows? I didn’t know that girl was into me.”

Alberto’s female bias was very strong. He replaced women with the vast background of being the Empress’s younger brother, including Annie, one of the temple maids.

Her face was pretty flat, and she was a woman he met for fun sometimes when he went to the temple.

But she fell in love with him and started giving him gifts that didn’t fit the theme.

She gave him a pair of shoes for 500 franc, thus he asked where the money came from, and she told him a very surprising story.

She told a secret that the current saintess is a fake saintess, and that she paid a lot of money in return for closing her eyes to herself who knew it.

He could fully guess from Annie’s words that the Saintess was a stupid and naive woman.

A few weeks later, Annie disappeared.

‘It’s unsatisfying, but well.’

After hearing the truth from Alberto, Rosé was always worried. What would she get from the High Priest using this enormous secret as an excuse?

However, at Prince Kyle’s thorny birthday banquet, after seeing the secret moves of the two and the Saintess protecting him, she decided to use this fact for something bigger.

If Kyle is involved, it could be a great cause to attack Crown Prince, Kyle.

And she took as a witness a servant who knew about Kyle sending a letter to the fake saintess. The servant testified that Ariel had written several letters to Kyle.

“It’s unavoidable that the divine power of the Saintess has disappeared and a new saintess has appeared…”

Rosé hardened her eyebrows and raised the corners of his lips.

“It’s a different story if she was a fake saintess in the first place.”

At her words, Alberto responded with cool eyes.

“The wind and blood will blow in the country.”

And he went on.

“If things go wrong…”

“Alberto.”

“You can put the blame on her and Kyle for your miscarriage.”

Rosé looked down and let out a small sigh.

The hands of the maids washing Rosé’s feet were shaking. They instinctively knew that what they had just heard was not something they should listen to.

“The news that my brother was trampling on people with a horse’s hoof isn’t good for this sister’s prenatal education.”

Rosé raised her hand and ruffled her slightly messy hair behind her ear.

“I see that this is how you rebel today.”

“E-Empress.”

Rosé, who had lifted her foot and pushed a trembling maid straight away, blinked at Alberto.

“I got tired. Take care of it yourself.”

At that, Alberto chuckled. Then, in a loud voice, he called his henchmen, the knight commander of Mikhael.

Soon, ugly-looking knights came in and dragged the maids out.

“Then rest, Sister.”

As if the maids had never been dragged out, Alberto greeted her calmly.

The head maid, who came in, bowed to him, took a towel, and wiped Rosé’s feet.

Rosé walked with her bare feet on the marble floor to the bed with a canopy. The music good for prenatal education was softly resounding from the small magic music box.

***

The temple annex went into restoration work. I often stop by to see the restoration work, and the wreckage, now exposed to the ground, has largely disappeared.

If they ever find the Holy Sphere buried in the ground, Reihausd might call me right away.

In addition to the salary I received recently, the money I secured by going to and from the auction houses several times is now 3,500 franc.

I clenched my fists as I recalled a certain relic in <Shop>.

It was a little bit difficult for me, but to think that I could go to Lloyd’s Merchant one more time, on the contrary, I just need to hold on for today.

“Saintess, the carriage is ready.”

Dwayne’s voice was heard.

“Yes. Thank you.”

Wearing a white lace dress, I gently climbed into the white carriage bearing the Elium pattern.

Today was the day I went to the Imperial Palace.

Not long after the carriage departed, it passed through the entrance to the Imperial Palace. And soon we stopped in front of the latter, where the Empress lived.

As Dwayne escorted me, I got off the carriage. No matter how strong the influence of the temple was, Elium didn’t reach the splendor of the Imperial Palace.

The pond, the gorgeous bridge, and the grandeur of the palace seemed like another world.

‘Whoaa.’

I looked at them curiously and entered the building.

When I walked down the long corridor and arrived at the Empress’ room, I took a deep breath.

And as soon as the door opened, I bowed slightly to greet them.

“May the blessings of the Nine Gods rest upon His Imperial Majesty the Emperor and the Empress.”

On a large bed with a canopy, the Empress leaned unnaturally.

The Emperor and Kyle stood around, and next to them, I saw a stranger’s face. He had the same hair color as the Empress, blond hair, and the same eyes.

‘Hmm? Where did I see him?’

It was a face with a strange feeling.

“Oh, the Saintess is here.”

The Emperor greeted me with a friendly face.

“How have you been?”

I smiled lightly and greeted him.

But Kyle’s complexion wasn’t that good.

It has to be. It’s not good news for Kyle that the Empress is pregnant.

It was when I walked lightly to their front.

A woman who had been sitting holding the Empress’s wrist and hadn’t been seen abruptly stood up. She was a woman who looked a year or two younger than me, with blue hair and black eyes.

She was wearing a white lace dress similar to mine. And she was staring at me with a very static and calm expression.

“…?”

As I wiggled my eyebrows, the Empress opened her mouth.

“The blessing was urgent, so I stole the carriage from Thiago in advance. I hope the temple will understand generously.”

At those words, I began to have an ominous feeling.

Then the Emperor’s voice was heard.

“It is said that the divine power of a saintess has been newly manifested. It’s uncommon to have two saintesses in a generation, although it’s hard to understand… Anyway, we need a blessing, so I called her right away.”

“It’s not uncommon…”

The Empress followed.

“It’s impossible.”

Kyle was looking at the Empress with stern eyes.

She looked at me with a little sigh.

Her face was alluring, but her eyes were young with ferocious poison.

“I’m telling you, Your Imperial Majesty. In fact, the reason I brought these two saintesses together is because I have recognized the impure and unscrupulous problems that exist, as well as the problem of blessing for our baby.”

The girl from Thiago lowered her eyes down a little.

Actually, I didn’t expect this to happen at all.

I tried not to be agitated and calmed my mind.

“It’s an unscrupulous matter.”

“Ah, my head.”

The Empress rested one hand on her forehead and laid back on the bed. I saw her at Kyle’s birthday banquet, but I could guess what kind of character she was.

“Rosé, don’t overdo it now and rest. I will investigate the matter.”

The Emperor spoke to her with a worried face.

“Sister isn’t feeling well due to pregnancy, so may I speak on her behalf?”

There was a voice intervening in the gap. He was an unfamiliar, yet strangely elusive man.

The Emperor turned his gaze to him and spoke in a stern voice.

“Tell me what happened, Sir Mikhael.”

If it’s Mikhael, it’s the same last name as Rosé’s before her marriage. So he might be her brother.

‘Alberto Mikhael?’

And at that moment, the man who struck down the child of the Burglar’s Guild flashed through my mind.

Oh, this punk! Isn’t he that bastard?

So… they’re villain siblings, right?