chapter 70

Esther became the purpose and direction of the life Noah had lost.

“I will become the Crown Prince.”

As Noah pointed out, it was only those surrounding him that yearned for his becoming the Crown Prince.

Now that Noah was the one revealing his devotion, he appeared dazzling on a different level. Palen raised his sleeves to stop the tears from escaping his eyes.

“…You have grown significantly.”

“I’ll have to grow more in the future. Palen, please remain by my side.”

“You speak obvious words.”

The two stared at each other. Even as they remained silent, each could feel the other’s genuine heart.

“I need to see my father.”

“Are you prepared enough?”

Palen retorted in surprise.

“Yes, I have no reason to remain still.”

Originally, Noah had planned to postpone meeting the Emperor for a while.

He wished for Esther to adapt to her new life. He anticipated a year at most.

However, Esther stood fiercer than he thought.

A person who established their place and progressed without any need of assistance. She was already taking her first steps forward.

“If I just play around like this, Esther and I will become distant. I’ll have to stop and mature.”

To be of help to Esther, he was compelled to rise.

So that he could stand by her side as a grown person.

“Once I meet my father, I’ll work to lift the ban and take careful steps.”

Noah’s dedication remained unwavering.

It was a pity he wouldn’t be able to reside in peace as he did now upon his return to the Imperial Palace, but there existed no regrets in Noah’s decision.

He was arranging to lay the foundation for his coronation from this point onward.

“Then I’ll pay a visit to the Imperial Palace as soon as the sun rises.”

Palen nodded and readily put his trust in Noah.

He was a person who would follow Noah even if his path turned to be a thorny road.

“Thanks.”

Noah and Palen’s warm gazes crossed the table once again.

***

Following the anniversary,

The Duke of Braons immediately sent a letter to Rabienne. He was concerned over the words the girl named Elisha spoke.

‘However, it could be a lie…’

He wasn’t able to readily leave the matter be. His cursive writing swiftly filled the paper.

“This must be delivered to Rabienne as soon as possible.”

“I understand.”

The messenger left for the temple, and the following week, the paper reached Rabienne.

After completing her saint candidate class, Rabienne headed for the envoy upon his arrival. “What is going on?”

“The Duke has sent you a letter. He asked for you to read its contents as soon as the time given.”

The waiting messenger put forth the neatly sealed envelope.

Rabienne accepted his gesture, pleased to hear it was sent from her father.

“Why is it so urgent…? Hm…?”

Rabienne’s expression gradually stiffened as she scanned the letter.

「…They say that the child adopted by the Grand Duke was from the Central temple. Her name is Esther. Do you know of her? Please look into the rumors and question anyone who would have a clue.」

Just as the aristocratic young ladies didn’t spare a thought of Elisha’s words, Rabienne’s reaction wasn’t much different.

“The Grand Duke adopted a child from the temple? That isn’t possible.”

She snorted at the ridiculous thought. Considering the relationship between Darwin and the temple, the possibility was nonexistent.

“This is the first time I hear of the name Esther.”

She wasn’t aware of all the children’s names in the temple, but if the Grand Duke were to adopt them, they would have a noble title. In the least.

None of the nobles Rabienne knew of were named Esther.

“Is this all there is? Anything else?”

Rabienne tilted her head as she folded the letter back to its original form.

“Yes, He asked me to deliver the letter and listen to the lady’s response.”

“Tell father that this is my first time hearing of the name. I will find out more on the matter and contact him.”

“I understand.”

The messenger turned and left.

Rabienne slowly pondered the name as she headed towards the saint’s chambers, where Cespia was resting.

“Esther… Esther.”

Had the Grand Duke taken a child from the temple, rumors were bound to have spread. This was the first time she heard of such an occurrence.

“It must be a rumor.”

It was highly likely that someone lied to attract attention at the party.

Still, her father, the Duke, was worried, so she would consult the priests. At that moment, Kyle, a mid-ranking priest, could be seen walking opposite Rabienne.

“Priest Kyle, it’s been a while.”

Rabienne quickly put forth a bright facade so she could approach Kyle.

“Ah, Lady Rabienne. I heard that you were preoccupied with the saint candidate classes.”

“What do you mean preoccupied? I am happy enough to have been bestowed with the opportunity.”

As they exchanged light greetings, Rabienne took the opportunity to convey her purpose.

“Perhaps, if it were true. Among the temple children, was there a child adopted into the Grand Duchy?”

“Pardon? Is that possible?”

Kyle waved his hands dismissively, a ridiculous expression on his face.

“Is that so? There have been strange rumors as of late.”

“I can’t believe such false gossip is circulating. I will make sure for now. It is impossible, but I’ll be sure to let you know if anything new emerges.”

“Yes. Please do.”

Kyle grinned at her words. He seemed to have taken this as an opportunity to construct connections with Rabienne, the next saint.

Rabienne preceded walking with a relieved mindset when she froze in place.

“Wait. If it’s Duke Darwin…”

A scene flashed in her mind.

A few months had already passed, but she was aware of the fact that Duke Darwin had taken in one of the saint candidates.

“What was her name? Dena? Dia… Ah, Diana!”

Rabienne earnestly searched her memory for the name. She clapped her hands and exclaimed.

“That’s right. He bought her with him. There’s no way, right?”

A laugh escaped her mouth as she compared Diana to the Grand Duchy. It was ridiculous.

Diana was simply a foolish orphan who had nothing to offer. That was Rabienne’s perception of her.

A feeble, minuscule girl, dressed in shabby clothes that didn’t fit her.

She pretended to know her once in a while, and whenever that happened, the child would offer her anything.

“I don’t know why she came to mind.”

Rabienne shook her head, dumbstruck at how she thought of the child.

It was just absurd for her to believe she’d been adopted by the Grand Duke.

‘…Let’s find her whereabouts just in case.’

She wasn’t that big of a deal, but it was better to clear things off.

Rabienne needed to relieve her exasperation.

***

Rabienne reached Saint Cespia’s room and greeted Knight Verdo who stood in the hallway.

“I’m here.”

“Ah, Lady Rabienne. There is something I need to tell you…”

Verdo’s expression seemed troubled. Rabienne’s face gradually hardened in response.

“What’s wrong?”

“Saint Cespia is awake. It is alarming as she is often conscious as of late.”

Verdo glanced at the drink Rabienne held between her hands.

“She’s awake…”

Rabienne gazed through the tightly closed door, her eyes alert.

Rabienne doubled the amount of poison she had been administering to Cespia ever since her nomination.

However, one way or another, Cespia’s condition did not worsen. Rather, her complexion grew healthier.

In the past, for Cespia to regain consciousness, Rabienne had to shake her a few times; even then, the woman wouldn’t have such a sense of focus. But now, she remained awake for a considerable amount of time.

“Has she become more resistant?”

Rabienne suspiciously eyed the small glass bottle which contained the specified venom.

“Even so, she was already too addicted to recover…”

“I might have to change the prescription.”

Rabienne, disturbed by the sudden information, poured all the liquid into the bowl.

As usual, the toxin fused within the medication and vanished without a trace.

As Rabienne opened the door and stepped inside, she could see Cespia looking outside the window.

Rabienne bit her lip at the appearance.

“Saint! Goodness? You’re awake?”

“Ah, Rabienne has come. I seem to be in good condition today.”

Cespia turned around and smiled kindly as she welcomed Rabienne.

“That’s good to hear. I think the saint is finally recovering from her illness.”

“That would be nice.”

Cespia smiled and situated herself on the sofa. Although her movements remained deliberate, it was a miracle for her to even budge.

“Please take the medicine first, Saint.”

“That would be alright. I don’t think I will require medication today. I prefer my condition as it is now.”

“Yes? You must drink the medicine well to get better soon.”

Rabienne placed the spoon in Cespia’s hand, dismissing her words as unreasonable.

For a moment, the atmosphere turned cold as Cespia and Rabienne crossed gazes midair.

“Then I’ll drink it later.”

“The timing is also important. Please drink the bowl now, saint. Okay?”

Cespia’s eyes subsided coldly as she observed Rabienne’s ugly appearance forcibly pushing forth the medicine.

“Why would that be? Is there a reason why I must drink the medicine now?”

Cespia, who at the moment was sane, remained a saint despite her condition.

Rabienne was still too young to face Cespia, a person who had gone through many hardships.

“Ah… Well. There isn’t. I’m just truly delighted that the saint has recovered… It didn’t mean much.”

Rabienne smiled awkwardly and took a step back. If she raised more suspicion, things would go awry and convert in the wrong direction.

Cespia swallowed her saliva. She was aggravated by Rabienne.

“Do not worry. My body has already lost purpose, even if I am taking the medicine. It is only a matter of time whether I drink the prescription or not.”

Her diseased body was already inferior.

The moment she learned of the venom in the bowl, Cespia pretended to drink the liquid and vomited the contents soon after.

Therefore, her condition wasn’t worsening. However, there was a limit to how long she could endure. Two years at most?

“Rabienne, you don’t know how happy I am to have you as the next saint.”

Cespia sincerely wished for Rabienne to become the next saint. That way, Esther could thoroughly destroy the temple.

‘You must be punished.’

The thought of herself having been killed countless times in those many lives that she couldn’t even recall aroused her fueling anger.

Not only herself but also Esther’s past. Her teeth trembled whenever she thought of the terrible, horrifying moments she witnessed in the child’s memories.

She intended to buy time to continue her life so that Esther would be able to succeed in her revenge.

“Surely, you will become the next saint and share your destiny with the temple.”

***