“It’s about the same today. I had to sit down and rest for a bit.”

At this rate, when would I ever get to explore the capital and try its delicious food? My situation felt so frustrating.

I let out a small sigh without realizing it.

“You’re taking your medicine properly, right?”

“Of course.”

My servants were so meticulous that there was no way I could miss taking my medicine.

“What’s happening with the Saintess… and her side?”

I cautiously changed the subject.

Kyron hadn’t told me much about the situation with the Saintess.

She was probably using the incident where I pushed her as an excuse to demand money.

“For now, I’ve given them the money they wanted to shut them up. So, you don’t need to worry about it.”

Should I consider this a relief? Or should I feel indignant that a large sum had to be paid for something that wasn’t even my fault?

“Don’t concern yourself with such things. Just focus on getting better.”

“Alright, I will.”

“You know the doctor said no going out until your condition improves, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

Kyron spoke as though he would lock me inside the estate until I recovered.

“If I go out and get sick again, I’ll just be more of a burden.”

I spoke, resigning myself to the situation.

“…Exactly, which is why you shouldn’t go out.”

Am I really just a burden to him? Feeling wronged and upset, I glared at Kyron. As always, his face remained indifferent.

***

The capital, bustling with the festival, was several times more crowded than usual. Nobles and commoners alike had flocked to the city from all over the empire to witness the festivities.

In a place so crowded, rumors naturally spread quickly.

Among all the topics of gossip, the Saintess garnered the most attention.

Stories about the Saintess spread from person to person, taking on various forms as they traveled.

The more the Saintess became the subject of rumors, the more her reputation suffered…

“Do you know why the Saintess hasn’t been releasing her divine power as often lately?”
“Why is that?”
“This is supposed to be a secret, but… someone attacked the Saintess.”
“What? Attacked?!”
“Yes, attacked.”
“Who? Who would dare attack the sacred and beautiful Saintess? How did they do it?”
“Shh… Watch your words. If this gets out, we might be in danger too.”
“Who was it?”
“…It wasn’t just anyone. They say it was her.”
“Who?”
“The Duchess.”

…Of course, rumors could also be twisted to work in the Saintess’s favor.

***

“Master, I’ve brought the documents you requested.”

“Alright, let me see them.”

Kyron’s subordinate handed over the documents.

Ever since Ekette collapsed due to the Saintess, Kyron had begun investigating her.

Although he had been preparing operations to bring down the temple, he had never once looked into the Saintess herself. The Saintess had always been the Crown Prince’s matter, not his.

His sole focus had been on eliminating his half-brother, Grego.

But after his wife collapsed because of the Saintess, she was no longer someone he could ignore.

Above all, the reason why the Saintess had clashed with his wife was still a mystery. Ekette could be in danger.

Kyron reviewed the documents his subordinate had brought. They detailed the Saintess’s past and present.

“Master, we also received information from that priest.”

The subordinate interrupted Kyron’s concentration as he was reading.

“What information?”

Recently, Kyron had bribed one of the priests close to the Saintess. It hadn’t been difficult to buy him off. A little money was all it took.

The priests had lost their sense of duty long ago.

“Apparently… there’s been a bit of a problem with the Saintess recently.”

“A problem?”

“It seems her ability to release divine power hasn’t been functioning properly.”

Her ability to release divine power?

“But didn’t she successfully release it last time?”

“Yes, she did. However, it seems she’s been unable to draw out the same level of power since then. Originally, she was supposed to perform a strong release of divine power to captivate the empire’s citizens, but because it wasn’t as powerful as expected, there was dissatisfaction with her within the temple.”

Divine power release.

He had already suspected that there might be some issue related to divine power.

Ekette had said, “The Saintess wants divine power.”

He felt like he was slowly piecing together the puzzle.

***

As the festival approached its peak, I remained confined to my room.

Confined. That word perfectly described my situation. I felt like I was completely cut off from the world, drifting alone.

It was probably because I had no one to interact with. I didn’t have any friends in the capital.

“Even now, making friends… would be difficult, wouldn’t it?”

I let out a deep sigh.

How could I make friends when I could barely walk for a few minutes? And with my husband standing guard, stopping me at every turn?

When would Kyron finally leave this estate?

Even though I was unwell, I could still go out and rest in between if needed. But with Kyron using my health as an excuse to prevent me from leaving, I had no options.

“I just want to go outside…”

All I could do was sigh while staring out the window. This was nothing like the festival I had imagined.

“Madam!”

At that moment, Lia burst into the room, calling out to me.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

A few hours earlier, I had sent Lia out to the festival. I had asked her to enjoy it on my behalf and tell me all about it later.

Lia had promised to bring back some tasty treats and had left.

Had something happened at the festival? Lia seemed out of breath, as if she had rushed back.

“Was there an incident at the festival?”

“Well, Madam… that is…”

Her expression wasn’t bright. It didn’t seem like good news.

“I-I overheard people talking at the festival…”

“What were they saying?”

Lia hesitated for a moment, unable to speak right away.

“Hurry and tell me, Lia.”

“Well…”

She wasn’t usually one to hesitate before speaking.

Today, Lia seemed particularly cautious.

“They were… talking about you, Madam.”

“About me?”

“About you and… the Saintess.”

Me and the Saintess. I had a bad feeling about this.

“They were saying that you attacked the Saintess… that’s what they were talking about.”

Lia spoke in a small, strained voice, as though confessing a crime.

“Ah…”

“Will you be alright, Madam?”

“They’re saying I attacked the Saintess, is that it?”

“Yes…”

The situation I had dreaded had become a reality.

I didn’t need to hear it to know how people would judge me. Lia’s uneasy expression told me everything.

I had likely become a reckless, irrational woman who dared to lay hands on a noble and sacred figure.

In the empire’s history, no one had ever attacked the Saintess.