Chapter 66
66
"I'll come again."
"Please do."
After receiving Seria's farewell, I tore the Teleportation Circle card that was being sold at the Magic Tower. When I opened my eyes again, I was in my room.
In my hand, I was holding the torn Teleportation Circle card.
'What a waste.'
It can only teleport things that weigh 30 kilograms or less and can't move more than 5 kilometers, but it costs a whopping 300,000 francs per card.
Even Mina, who received an allowance comparable to that of a Young Lady of a High noble thanks to the Temple's care, was shocked when she heard the price of the scroll.
[300,000 francs, so that's... 300 million won in Korean currency?!]
I don't know how much 300 million won is, but I do know that 300,000 francs is the annual private fund of most noble ladies.
'Two of those Teleportation Circles...'
My heart aches when I think about how much I spent today.
'But the Empress Dowager and the Temple will be irreconcilably estranged, so this amount of money is nothing.'
Thinking that, I changed into my pajamas, wriggled into bed, and hugged the doll I had laid down.
Adolf, who failed to prove that there was nothing wrong with his medicine, was imprisoned.
Since it was a matter involving the Empress Dowager and the Priest, it was natural that the country was turned upside down.
The Empress Dowager woke up, but she was in a state where it was difficult for her to move.
Regardless of intention or mistake, the Emperor was very angry at the fact that the Temple had harmed the imperial family. Even the Pope tried to appease him, but the Emperor's will was very firm.
Adolf's public execution.
It was like a bolt from the blue for the Temple.
If Adolf, who belongs to the last of the three powers of the Neriad Church—the Pope, the Cardinal, and the 21 Priests—is publicly executed, the Temple's reputation will plummet.
It wasn't just a matter of reputation; it was as if the Emperor had declared that he would reduce the Temple's power.
Of course, the Temple tried to blame the Hope Merchant Group and get Adolf out.
Since they couldn't find any evidence of side effects through thorough management and supervision, they tried to threaten them by searching their surroundings.
However, since they had finished all the preparations, starting with the ledger, there was no excuse to threaten them.
'Sweet.'
I chuckled inwardly as I watched the situation.
I only wanted to separate the Empress Dowager and the Temple, but I even got the Emperor involved.
It was thanks to Adolf himself that he snowballed the situation.
I scurried down the stairs and approached Dad, who was about to leave through the door.
"Are you going out again today?"
"Yes."
"Be careful."
When I said that with my shoulders drooping, Dad gritted his teeth.
It was only yesterday that he said he would tear Adolf to death with his own hands, saying that his plan to come out to The Capital and play with me had gone awry.
Dad became very busy because of the Adolf incident. High nobles meetings were held every day, and the Emperor took Duke Dubled, who had a bad relationship with the Temple, with him as if to show the Temple.
I saw Dad off by giving him a hug.
Even after Dad left, I was lingering in front of the door when Javelin approached the doorway.
Javelin also has a schedule at the Imperial Palace today. It was because the leaders of high society were gathering to visit the Empress Dowager.
I looked at her and let out a small groan, "Wow..."
Javelin, wearing a coat with rich fur over a dark brown pants suit and a peacock feather hat shaped like a sailboat, was really cool.
"Have a good day!"
When I said that, Javelin's gaze briefly touched me.
"Go in."
I obediently replied, "Yes."
'Yes, I made eye contact for 10 seconds today!'
I've been diligently seeing Javelin off whenever she goes somewhere recently.
She has a schedule outside almost every day, so I wake up like dawn every day, rubbing my sleepy eyes, and see her off.
At first, she didn't even acknowledge me, but now she even makes eye contact!
Leah, who was waiting behind, said.
"You'll be alone again today. Shall I bring you a book to read?"
Then Javelin stopped as she was about to leave through the door.
"Alone?"
Leah replied.
"Yes. The two Young Masters have gone to the prodigy academy meeting."
Isaac grumbled but was dragged away by Henri. The prodigy academy meeting was also the reason why parents were desperate to send their children to the prodigy academy.
It is an opportunity to build a solid network because it is a place where the children of High nobles or future powerful people gather.
The other family members have many schedules, so I've been mostly alone recently.
Javelin, narrowing her brow and glancing at me, sighed and said.
"Have her prepare to go out and come down."
"The Young Lady?"
"Yes. I'll take her."
Leah and I widened our eyes.
I was surprised because I didn't expect Javelin to say such a thing.
Originally, she, who is in charge of Dubled's social activities, should take me around and introduce me, but she didn't seem to want to take me around.
Dad and my brothers didn't force Javelin to introduce me because they thought flies would swarm around me if I engaged in social activities.
Leah hurriedly took me away, saying, "J, just a moment!"
"Clothes...! A coat and shoes for going out too!"
Laura and the maids, who heard the news from Leah, ran around in a hurry and dressed me up.
When I hurriedly prepared and came down, Javelin was waiting.
"Let's go."
"Yes!"
I followed behind her and got into the carriage.
The carriage to the Imperial Palace was quiet. I looked at her and said in a small voice, "Um..."
"Thank you."
"For what."
She looked like she was asking why I was thanking her when the introduction was her duty.
"You're taking me because I keep being alone, right!"
When I said brightly, she narrowed her brow with her legs crossed.
"You're really a strange child."
"Yes?"
"Knowing that I'm avoiding you, how do you keep hovering around me every time?"
"But it's natural that Javelin doesn't like me, right?"
When I tilted my head and said that, Javelin asked.
"Why?"
"I'm a child sent from the Temple. Adopting an orphan from a commoner damaged Dubled's reputation, and I went into Javelin's room..."
As I counted them one by one with my fingers, her expression completely distorted.
"Who told you that?"
It wasn't something a child would say, so she must have thought someone had said that.
"Everyone says that. It's natural for the Dubled people to hate me. I think so too."
There were many noble ladies who whispered like that even at the Sowing Festival banquet hall.
Whenever I was introduced anywhere in The Capital, they would make a lukewarm expression, saying, "Ah, that..."
Javelin sighed deeply with her arms crossed.
"The reason I avoided you wasn't because of you."
"Yes?"
"It's because of my narrow mind."
"..."
"Whether you were sent from the Temple or you're an orphan from a commoner, that can't be a reason for you to be hated. That's just the adults' business, and the child is not at fault."
I stared at Javelin.
My heart was pounding because I had never heard such words directly. For some reason, my nose was stinging, so I fidgeted with my hands.
"Thank you..."
"Wear your hat properly. Your ears will freeze."
With those words, Javelin turned her gaze away.
I answered energetically, "Yes!" and diligently pressed down on my hat to cover my ears.
Arriving at the Imperial Palace, Javelin briefly introduced me to the noble ladies.
As noble ladies who had been in high society for a long time, they didn't say things like "Ah, that..." in front of a guardian.
After greeting them, we entered the Empress Dowager's palace.
There was a pearl screen in the room, so we couldn't see the Empress Dowager's face.
"You've come."
The Empress Dowager's voice was almost dying. The noble ladies offered words of comfort with troubled faces.
"How could a Priest create such a terrible situation, Your Majesty."
"I hear that an investigation is underway, so the person who created this situation will be severely punished."
It was Javelin's turn.
"Get well soon."
That was the end of it.
'Well, everyone knows Javelin's personality.'
She's so popular that just coming will attract a lot of attention, so that's enough to be satisfied with.
"I heard you brought the Child of Destiny."
"That's right."
"Oh, child, come here. Hold my hand with your body born with a prophecy."
The Empress Dowager stretched out her hand a little outside the pearl screen.
Even the noble ladies, who were the leaders of high society, had absurd expressions at her actions.
It meant that even after being harmed by the Temple, she still believed in God. Even at this time when the Emperor was at odds with the Temple because of her.
'She probably doesn't believe in the power of God.'
The Empress Dowager must have completely turned her back on the Temple because of this incident. It's just that the only thing she can rely on is the power of God.
A faint red rash was visible on the outstretched hand.
'Rebound.'
Since it was revealed that she collapsed because of the Luminous drug, she must have stopped taking it completely.
If you stop taking the Luminous drug at once, your condition becomes more serious than before you stopped taking the drug.
'The reason she put up the screen is because her skin disease has become severe due to the rebound.'
She must have wanted to hide her skin disease.
But at this point, rumors of her skin disease must have already spread.
As expected, the noble ladies were all pretending not to notice the rash on the Empress Dowager's hand.
I said without hesitation.
"Your Majesty, there's something red on your hand."
The Empress Dowager, startled, tried to pull her hand away, so I innocently grabbed it with both hands.
"It must be very itchy, right? I know, this."
"What...?"
"This is called 'atopy'!"
"Atopy?"
It's not a common disease now, but it will become a problem in the near future.
Noble children were especially suffering a lot, and the reason was revealed after I turned eighteen.
'Divine Healing.'
Children who received Divine Healing from their mother's womb are strangely less healthy than other children.
That's because Divine Healing completely purifies the body and eliminates almost all germs.
Germs are not only bad. They also strengthen the immune system as the body heals, and some germs are beneficial in themselves.
But when they are all purified, the immune system weakens. And for some reason, it even causes these skin diseases or makes them born with them from the beginning.
Now, Divine Healing is special, so only people who have been raised with great care receive it often, but in the future, most nobles will receive it due to the Temple's friendly policy.
'So it appeared in many children with atopy.'
This is why the Luminous drug was developed.
"Doesn't it get itchier when you eat greasy food?"
"Y, yes."
"And it gets worse in the winter."
"That's right!"
"I saw it when I was in the orphanage."
Everyone focused on me with wide eyes.
"Goodness, if it was when you were in the orphanage, you must have been at least five years old, but you remember that?"
"Rather, I'm more surprised by your observation skills."
While the noble ladies were whispering, I looked at the shadows inside the pearl screen with subtle eyes.
"I know how to make it less painful."
Clatter-!
The excited Empress Dowager pushed aside the pearl screen and revealed herself.
"What on earth can I do...!"
I'll serve you at a high price, customer.
I smiled inwardly and looked at the Empress Dowager.
