Chapter 10 – Chasing Clues (Part 4)

Since she was going to the temple, Ellerdin dressed in white. As she adorned Ellerdin’s hair, Celine exclaimed in admiration.

“I always think this, but Madam, you’re so beautiful.”

Celine’s eyes sparkled. Ellerdin, flustered, let out an awkward laugh.

“That’s only how the people here see me. Thank you for seeing me that way.”

At Ellerdin’s response, Celine’s eyes widened.

It was the first time Ellerdin acknowledged their words. She usually waved them off, saying it wasn’t true.

Seeing her change, Celine became teary-eyed and hugged her tightly.

“Madam…”

Ellerdin laughed and patted the head of the sniffling Celine.

Having moved on from the past, she began to see those around her more clearly.

“Thank you so much for always being there for me.”

Ellerdin lightly kissed Celine’s forehead.

“Huh?”

At the same time, she felt something warm enveloping her body. As Ellerdin left the room, Celine absentmindedly touched her forehead.

Descending to the first floor, she found Fernan waiting for her. He approached and caressed her cheek.

“You look radiant today.”

“You still look handsome.”

Ellerdin chuckled. Unable to resist her smile, he kissed her lips. The light kiss startled the servants passing by, who quickly hurried away.

As their lips parted, she noticed Fernan’s ears had turned red.

“Wh… Why did you do that suddenly…”

Ellerdin spoke with her head bowed, but she didn’t seem displeased. With her face flushed, she cleared her throat.

“By the way, are you sure you’ll be okay without me?”

Fernan held her hand with a worried expression. Ellerdin, with a confident look as if telling him to trust her, spoke.

“The chances of failure are high, but I’ll give it a try. I’m not afraid of failure anymore. It’s because of you and the people here.”

Ah, they’re not people. What should I call demons and dragons?

As Ellerdin pondered for a moment, Fernan burst into a loving laugh and kissed her lips again.

“If anything happens, break this orb.”

Fernan handed her a small orb. She looked at the transparent orb with a black glow.

“This is…”

“If you break this, I’ll appear by your side. Now that my power is fully restored, don’t hesitate to call me.”

“Got it. Don’t worry too much.”

Ellerdin stood on her tiptoes and kissed Fernan’s cheek. The frown of worry on his forehead smoothed out, and a foolish smile appeared.

Ellerdin laughed at his honest reaction.

***

Upon arriving at the temple, she saw priests asking visitors about their purpose.

The long line shortened, and soon it was Ellerdin’s turn.

The priests, looking bored, wrote something on paper and blocked Ellerdin’s path.

“What brings you… Gasp.”

The priests, who looked up to confirm her identity, gasped. Blue eyes were staring at them.

“A Goddess…”

The words slipped out unknowingly, and a junior priest covered his mouth. The priest next to him stared at Ellerdin with his mouth agape.

Her bright blonde hair, almost white, was styled in waves, and the silver accessory holding it reflected the sunlight, sparkling brightly.

Her upright posture exuded nobility, and a soft yet firm sense of authority was felt.

They even felt an urge to kneel at her feet.

At that moment, they saw a high-ranking priest hurriedly running from afar.

“Greetings to Gabriel.”

At the appearance of the high-ranking priest, the junior priests quickly bowed their heads. The man called Gabriel showed a wary expression towards Ellerdin.

“What brings the Duchess here?”

At the words ‘Duchess,’ the junior priests were startled and exchanged glances.

“I came to pray. Where is the chapel?”

Ellerdin asked with a gentle smile. Gabriel, with an unsatisfied expression, began to guide her personally.

As Ellerdin was about to follow the people who had gone ahead, Gabriel blocked her path.

“This way, Duchess.”

Gabriel pointed to the empty path on the right. Unlike the dusty left path, the right path was paved with golden tiles.

“…”

Ellerdin silently watched the people walking in line on the left path.

Looking at the chapel the commoners were heading to, Ellerdin asked.

“Why are they going there?”

Gabriel glanced at the left path and answered.

“That place is for commoners. Nobles all pray on this side.”

“…Is there a status even in approaching God?”

Ellerdin spoke in a subdued voice.

“…”

Gabriel, without answering, led Ellerdin down the right path.

The golden road was wide and clean enough for a carriage to pass. Statues made of white marble were beautifully arranged on both sides of the road.

Soon, they arrived in front of a large door, and Gabriel gave a short bow.

After he left, Ellerdin looked around with a complicated expression.

‘Even in a place like this, where those in need of the most help come, they are not welcomed.’

Ellerdin, looking at the garden full of white roses, turned her head without hesitation.

Entering through the giant door, she saw a lavishly decorated chapel. Perhaps because it was a weekday afternoon, there wasn’t a single person praying.

Ellerdin walked to the front row, sat down, and clasped her hands together.

After a short prayer, Ellerdin began to wait for someone to arrive.

‘They should be here soon.’

Ellerdin glanced at the back door. Gabriel would have informed Yurishien right away that the Duchess was here.

She thought Yurishien would come right away, but she was much later than expected. Without a clock in the chapel, Ellerdin couldn’t tell how much time had passed.

At that moment, the chapel door swung open.

“I didn’t expect the Duchess to really come here.”

It seems you’ve already forgotten what happened then.

Yurishien spoke with a voice mixed with ridicule. She seemed to be acting nonchalant, but her breath was slightly rough, as if she had hurried over.

Ellerdin lowered her praying hands and stood up, looking at Yurishien. Yurishien let out a soft laugh at the changed atmosphere.

“So, what brings you all the way here?”

Though she was smiling, her stance was clearly cautious.

Ellerdin silently scanned Yurishien’s body. On her left shoulder, there was a black, smoke-like dust. It was partially hidden by her hair, but the trace of dark magic was unmistakably felt.

Yurishien bit her lip at the silent gaze.

She had been beside the princess just before and hurried to the temple upon hearing Ellerdin’s arrival.

The princess alone was a headache, and Ellerdin’s appearance was unwelcome news.

‘The progress is too slow.’

She was in the process of transferring the dark magic affecting Diana to her own body, but since holy power couldn’t interfere with dark magic, it wasn’t easy. Even after trying all day, only 1% could be transferred.

Fortunately, the dark magic transferred was in such a small amount that it couldn’t harm her as a Saintess.

Feeling Ellerdin’s gaze, Yurishien looked at her own shoulder.

‘Is it the residue from that time?’

It was literally residue. Like the ashes of dark magic burnt by holy power. Such things could only be left to disappear naturally.

‘But to see this, what exactly is her identity? Does she possess holy power?’

People with even a little holy power, like high priests, could see evil things. Of course, no one had holy power strong enough to see the dark magic on the princess, but Ellerdin seemed to have even greater holy power than them.

As she considered Ellerdin as merely someone with high holy power, Ellerdin reached out and precisely grasped Yurishien’s shoulder where the residue was. As soon as her hand touched, the black smoke disappeared instantly.

“What the!”

Yurishien, surprised, grabbed Ellerdin’s wrist. It was unbelievable to see someone who could eliminate evil and do what even she, a Saintess, couldn’t accomplish so effortlessly.

“What exactly are you?”

Yurishien gripped her wrist as if to crush it.

“….”

Ellerdin looked at Yurishien with a calm expression. A heavy silence passed, and Ellerdin spoke.

“Why are you carrying something like this? Can’t you get rid of it yourself?”

Especially, it’s best not to keep such things around.

At the last words, Yurishien’s eyes flashed, and she grabbed Ellerdin by the collar.

“What do you know to be babbling like that?”

A fierce energy surged from her body. It was a bright and powerful force, blinding enough to obscure vision.

However, Ellerdin was undeterred by the force and stared straight into Yurishien’s eyes, asking.

“Tell me. Why is something like that attached to you?”