Ch#179
The woman, who had been staring at the altar with eyes full of malice, flashed him a provocative smile.
“Maybe I should wear a Brishin next time?”
His face hardened into a cold mask.
The Brishin was a traditional Eastern garment notorious for its extreme exposure of the upper body. The mere thought of her crossing the Great Cathedral in a thin silk dress that barely clung to her, leaving her shoulders and back completely bare, sent a surge of heat rising from the pit of his stomach.
“Do not even dream of it.”
At his low, growled response, her face soured.
“It was just a joke. There’s no need to be so serious.”
He didn’t reply. He knew all too well that she hadn’t been joking.
Before her leg injury, she had often caused uproars by appearing in scandalous attire. The current Talia was behaving exactly like the troublemaker of those days.
He wasn’t sure whether to welcome this change or remain on guard. He didn’t want her to stay cooped up in the castle forever, avoiding everyone’s gaze. However, he also didn’t want her flaunting her beauty in every direction and causing trouble.
In particular, he had to make sure she stopped clashing with the spiritual leader of the Easterners.
“After the ceremony ends, I intend to meet with the Grand Priest privately to discuss the matter of that monster… Khan.”
He leaned his head close to hers to ensure his voice wasn’t drowned out by the choir’s song.
“I will negotiate so that he can no longer criticize you regarding Khan, so please refrain from any actions that might cause unnecessary friction with the Church.”
“……It’s not like I was truly trying to cause trouble.”
She suddenly looked flustered and awkwardly lowered her gaze.
“As long as they turn a blind eye to Khan’s existence, I have no intention of getting under that stuffy old man’s skin.”
Relieved by her softened attitude, he straightened his posture.
Just then, the choir’s anthem concluded, and the Grand Priest stepped onto the pulpit.
After offering a prayer of blessing in Ancient Osirian, the priest slowly scanned the congregation before beginning his sermon in a booming voice.
“Today, I wish to speak of temptation. In this world, there exist countless temptations that lead humanity toward sin. We must remain ever vigilant against them.”
The priest soon launched into a passionate speech about the allure of the flesh that leads humans to ruin and the fatal dangers of beauty that paralyzes reason. Barkas, looking down at the Grand Priest’s gaunt face with cold eyes, checked her complexion.
Talia’s face, which had seemed relieved that the sermon wasn’t a warning about the dangers of monsters, gradually stiffened. As everyone in the chapel began to steal glances at her, she seemed to realize the Grand Priest’s arrows were aimed directly at her.
He gently covered the back of her hand resting on the armrest.
“Do not worry. I will ensure he never speaks this way again.”
Her lips parted as if to say something, but she simply nodded.
He turned his gaze back to the altar. The priest continued his blatant criticism of her in a forceful voice. Most of the believers gathered in the chapel seemed absorbed in his sermon.
It seemed he would have to speak with the man as soon as possible.
After forcing his wife—who insisted on waiting for him—into the carriage and sending her back to the castle, Barkas headed straight for the Grand Priest’s residence. As if expecting his visit, a young priest who appeared to be a secretary guided him to the drawing room without delay.
“It has been a long time, Grand Duke.”
Upon entering the modest but neatly decorated room, he was greeted by the Grand Priest, who was wearing a simple gray robe instead of his ceremonial vestments.
Barkas responded with a slight nod and took a seat opposite the old man. The priest placed a steaming teacup before him with a polite smile.
“I have heard much of your exploits in the North. I wish to express my gratitude for your devotion to the Empire. Surely, the Lord has watched over you with pride.”
“I didn’t come here to listen to such empty pleasantries.”
At the blunt reply, the old man’s face darkened as he brought his teacup to his lips. Barkas got straight to the point.
“Let’s not waste time. Stop these unjust attacks on my wife.”
“On what grounds do you conclude they are unjust?”
The Grand Priest countered in a stiff tone.
“You do not know the reality of the situation, Grand Duke. The Eastern Church is currently being patient to its absolute limit. Had I not intervened, a heresy trial would have been held long ago.”
Barkas shifted from his leaning position against the back of the chair. That was no different from a threat against her safety.
Suppressing the urge to crush the priest’s stubborn face, he put on an expression as if he had just heard a joke.
“You are exaggerating the issue excessively. My wife is merely keeping a single wolf. If one must stand trial for such a thing, every mage on the continent of Robiden would be wiped out.”
“They treat monsters merely as experimental materials. But the Grand Duchess regards that Dire Wolf as if it were her own child.”
The priest retorted sharply and let out a long sigh.
“The reason I have turned a blind eye to her actions until now is that I pitied her circumstances. I watched closely how much the young Grand Duchess suffered after losing her child, which is why I ignored her pouring her affection into such a dangerous creature.”
“Then continue to ignore it,” Barkas snapped with a harsh edge to his voice. “I intend to take every possible measure to ensure that wolf causes no trouble. So, I hope there will be no more harassment of my wife.”
“It is not simply because of that hideous beast.”
Setting down his teacup, the priest let out a heavy sigh.
“I assume you have received reports that the Grand Duchess has been going out frequently since last spring. It was likely to accompany that wolf… but the Grand Duchess has mainly been wandering the suburban areas outside the castle walls.”
“What is the problem with her going for an outing outside the castle for a change of pace?”
“There are eyewitness accounts that the Grand Duchess attended pagan gatherings held in those outskirts.”
A chilling silence fell over the room. After staring at the priest’s face without moving for a while, Barkas eventually let out a scoff.
“You have a wicked sense of humor.”
“I am not so idle as to play such jokes in front of the Grand Duke.”
The priest continued with a solemn demeanor.
“This is not a matter of rumors circulating in the marketplace. These are the contents of a report submitted to me directly by the heresy investigators.”
Barkas immediately poured out a sharp rebuttal.
“My wife is strictly protected by the warriors of the Sheikan family. In particular, I have ensured that a dozen soldiers follow her whenever she goes out. Are you claiming that my wife managed to evade all those guards to attend a pagan gathering?”
“According to the investigators, the gatherings were held in the dead of night. Is it not possible that the Grand Duchess slipped out of the castle in secret while everyone was asleep?”
“That is absurd slander.”
Barkas lowered his voice to a growl.
“You know well that my wife’s leg is impaired, Grand Priest. You also know she has only just recovered her health. Are you saying such a woman evaded all the scouts and slipped out of the castle?”
He let out a blatant sneer.
“A script written by a third-rate poet would be more convincing than this.”
“I do not intend to determine the truth of the matter in this setting. I simply wish for the Grand Duchess to cease any problematic behavior before things escalate further.”
The priest leaned back in his chair with a weary air.
“Furthermore, I would like you to cooperate in cracking down on the heresy that has begun to spread alarmingly since a few years ago.”
Barkas let out a hollow laugh.
“Are you asking for the cooperation of the Grand Ducal family while branding my wife a heretic?”
“If the Grand Duke roots out the pagans of the East, the suspicion toward the Grand Duchess will naturally fade,” the Grand Priest persuaded smoothly. “Moreover, according to recent reports, there are signs that the pagans have been colluding with the wildmen. For the safety of the citizens, the Grand Ducal house must step forward for the subjugation.”
At the continuous stream of troublesome news, Barkas rubbed his brow.
He couldn’t entirely trust the words of this cunning priest, but it seemed better to handle the matter himself than to let the heresy hunters dispatched by the Osirian Papacy run rampant.
After pondering for a long time, he finally spoke.
“Fine. However, there is a condition.”
“Speak.”
“Destroy the report submitted by the heresy investigator. If the story you told me today ever reaches another person’s ears…”
Barkas’s gaze suddenly sank into a chilling coldness.
“We will be meeting face-to-face in an atmosphere far less friendly than this.”
The priest’s mouth tightened, but he eventually nodded.
“……I shall keep that in mind.”
