Chapter 19
Giselle Marlehein
“I, it’s not just Giselle High Priest who’s troubled. I was also quite taken aback. I, uh, prepared a welcoming ceremony for the Duke, but it all fell through, you see?”
Dietrich Lester said, recalling his aloof and fierce nephew.
Dietrich was the half-brother of Josef Lester, the late Duke who adopted Shed.
Originally, there was a significant age gap between him and Josef, and because Josef adopted Shed as his heir when Shed was already grown, there was only about a five-year age difference between him and Shed.
In fact, Dietrich was closer in age to Shed.
Therefore, he had been diligently preparing a welcoming ceremony for Shed Lester for several days.
‘I was planning to surprise him…’
Dietrich was no less disappointed than Giselle.
“It seems Duke Leicester still needs to learn more about etiquette.”
Giselle’s beautiful and haughty voice leaked through her clenched teeth.
Dietrich glanced at Giselle and sighed deeply.
‘Her pride must be quite wounded…’
And rightfully so.
Frankly speaking, Giselle Marlehein was too good for Shed Lester.
Giselle Marlehein stood at the pinnacle of all Clerics.
No current Cleric was born with as much Divine Power as she was.
Even the Pope was inferior to Giselle in his ability to wield Divine Power.
She had saved countless lives, changed destinies, and was therefore revered.
In Marlheine Territory’s largest Grace Square, there even stood a large statue of Giselle.
This also signified Giselle’s influence and power.
Clerics were qualified solely based on their abilities, so there were no restrictions on marriage or starting a family.
Therefore, Clerics were a pillar of power within the Empire and a crucial currency in political deals.
Thus, Giselle Marlehein was the most excellent bride and the most valuable currency in the Empire.
It went without saying how many marriage proposals had been sent her way before her engagement to Shed.
Giselle was entitled to choose the most appealing man among the unmarried men in the Empire.
And her choice was Shed Lester.
In other words, this engagement was not Shed’s choice, but rather he was the one chosen.
‘I never imagined she would choose Lupus as her husband.’
Although the Marlehein family was relatively progressive and open-minded, they were still traditional aristocrats.
Moreover, she was a Cleric, belonging to the Temple, which was known to be more conservative than the Imperial Family.
The unconventionality of it all was beyond words.
Those who opposed it? There were many.
‘There was even an assassination attempt on Shed Lester…’
There were more than a few men who were so enraged by the fact that he had stolen her from Lupus that they nearly died of apoplexy.
Her family and the Temple constantly nagged her to reconsider the engagement.
But who was she? Giselle Marlehein.
A woman who did what she said she would do. A strong, stubborn, and ill-tempered woman who was unmoved by the words of others.
She eventually secured the engagement she wanted.
Not even the great Shed Lester could refuse the engagement she had decided upon.
Well, he would have been crazy to refuse.
How could Lupus dare to refuse when the Goddess herself was bestowing her grace upon him?
After his engagement to Giselle, his position became secure, and Duke Josef Lester willingly passed the title of Duke to Shed Lester before his death.
Giselle Marlehein’s contribution was significant in Shed Lester inheriting the title of Duke.
And yet, he dared to stand up his fiancée.
“Giselle High Priest is right. How could Duke Leicester do this!”
Other Clerics who followed Giselle also poured out their criticism of Shed.
Dietrich watched the scene and chuckled awkwardly.
Giselle glared at him sharply.
“Do you find this situation amusing, Dietrich High Priest?”
“Ah, no…! It’s not that, um, I just wondered why you’re so angry. Didn’t you know that Duke Leicester was like this even before the engagement?”
Dietrich was the kind of person who, even while stammering, would say everything he wanted to say.
He thought their reaction was rather belated.
“Has Duke Leicester ever taken the easy path?”
Shed Lester had been taking on all the dangerous tasks ever since he entered the Duke’s family.
There was probably no one in the Empire with more combat experience than him.
‘It’s as if his life is too boring, perhaps?’
A heretic who created historical anomalies.
He carried all sorts of rumors and titles, but somehow, he seemed indifferent to everything.
He was lukewarm when Giselle proposed, lukewarm when he inherited the title of Duke, and lukewarm even when he achieved dramatic victories on the battlefield.
Someone in his position could have joined high society, managed his connections, and enjoyed parties…
Sometimes, it seemed as if he was deliberately trying to create extreme situations to make his life more interesting.
He had no qualms about going into battles where his life was on the line, and he was indifferent to the gossip that everyone whispered behind his back.
‘Sometimes, it seems like he deliberately causes trouble.’
Shed would commit a great deed and then seem disappointed that it wasn’t as interesting as he had expected.
It was as if the part of his soul that felt the joy of life was broken.
Dietrich, as a member of the Lester family, had relatively more opportunities to interact with Shed, but he had never seen him smile.
Whether it was a victory banquet or someone congratulating him on his engagement, he always remained the same.
So, it wasn’t particularly surprising that he had ignored Giselle Marlehein and headed to the cursed land, Ideana.
“Well, it’s been a while since the engagement, so, so, so, by now you should have grasped your fiancé’s tendencies, Giselle High Priest…”
“So, you’re saying this situation is my fault? Dietrich High Priest?”
“Uh… to some extent?”
Dietrich raised an eyebrow.
Giselle’s fist trembled beneath her white Cleric robes.
Dietrich thought it was fortunate that Giselle was a refined Cleric and a cultured young lady from the Marlehein family.
Otherwise, that weeping fist would have struck him right in the face.
Dietrich recalled the time when he and Giselle were at the Monastery together.
When Dietrich was preparing to be ordained as a formal Cleric before graduating from the Monastery, Giselle was a tempestuous freshman who had just entered.
Just the fact that she was the daughter of the Marquess of Marlehein drew great attention to her at the Monastery.
However, Dietrich remembered the shrill voice that echoed through the Monastery while he was studying for the exam to become a formal Cleric.
“Did you bully her!?”
Followed by the loud wails of children.
He put down his pen and looked out the window, where he saw a pretty girl standing proudly in the middle of the Monastery, clenching her fist.
In front of her, a boy with a nosebleed was sitting on the ground.
Soon, the Monastery’s monks and Clerics came running out in surprise.
“He kept teasing Helen!”
‘How dare she talk back to the Cleric like that? She must have been spoiled and doesn’t know her place…’
Dietrich clicked his tongue as he watched Giselle, her eyes wide, arguing with the Cleric.
Fortunately, Giselle did not receive a severe punishment, thanks to the power of being the daughter of the Marlehein family.
After that, she, who had been a tomboy, became the leader among her fellow Monastery students.
If there hadn’t been people with Divine Power all over the Monastery, there would surely have been a scar somewhere on Giselle’s pretty face.
Certainly, Giselle had been a great general from a young age. If she hadn’t been born with Divine Power, the Marlehein family would have raised her as a knight or general.
But fortunately, she was dramatically and perfectly socialized, and became a beautiful and holy High Priest who was revered by the public.
“I need to hear a full explanation from Duke Leicester about this…”
“Giselle High Priest!”
Just then, a maid who followed Giselle came running from afar.
Giselle lowered her eyebrows, which had been sharply raised until just now, and turned to look at the maid.
“What is it, Justine?”
Giselle erased the sharp tone she had just used and asked in a much more affectionate voice.
Dietrich shuddered.
She was a remarkable woman in many ways.
“That is, a messenger has arrived from Marlheine…”
Justine’s face was full of embarrassment.
He had a bad feeling.
And that feeling was right on the mark.
“Duke Leicester is said to have set fire to the Brillon Port…!”
The maid Justine said, handing over the letter she was holding with a trembling hand.
“…What?”
“W, what did you say?”
Giselle and Dietrich’s eyes widened simultaneously.
Brillon was a port in Marlheine Territory, not Lester Territory.
Why would he suddenly set fire to the Brillon Port when he said he was going to Ideana?
Giselle hurriedly unfolded the letter that Justine had handed her.
Dietrich fidgeted with his long silver hair, anxiously awaiting Giselle’s reaction.
And soon, he saw her quietly moving her lips again, offering a prayer to God.
‘Such a devout person…’
It seemed that the news the maid had brought was true.
“C, could I take a look at that news…?”
Dietrich cautiously asked Giselle.
“Ha, do as you please. The Lester family will probably be contacted soon anyway.”
Giselle said, suppressing her irritable voice, and handed the letter to Dietrich.
The sender of the letter was not from the Marlehein side, but from Shed’s side.
He began by apologizing for burning down the Brillon Port in Marlheine.
But he didn’t seem particularly sorry, and it seemed like he had written it as a formality.
He had already fully compensated for the port’s restoration and the burned ships, and the Lester family would also provide financial support for the fishermen who had lost their livelihoods for the time being.
He also added that if there was anything else lacking, they should bill the Lester family.
The writing style was extremely businesslike, almost like a report.
