The rain was so intense that I couldn't see in front of me. In just a few seconds, I was drenched. My ceremonial attire, already heavy and cumbersome, soaked up the water and pulled me down even more.
I could feel the blood draining from my face as I heard the people's cheers.
'No, this can't be. This can't be happening...!'
My unease was rarely wrong, and I was certain it would be the same this time. I had only wished for enough rain to make Duke Javier squirm, but now it was pouring down in front of everyone.
'It'll be like I made it rain.'
Usually, such situations would be attributed to the virtue of a leader. Moreover, since I was called the "Seed of the Divine," all the praise would inevitably be directed at me. The people, who had been cheering at the falling raindrops, gradually regained their composure. I hurriedly pulled myself together and tried to manage the situation. But—wobble.
My body felt weak, perhaps from using too much divine power. It was the same symptom I had experienced when I used bees to exert force in the past. I tried to steady my wobbling legs. I couldn't collapse here.
'If I collapse... it will really look like I made it rain!'
I did make it rain, but still! I could feel the burning sensation in my body and my vision started to blur. Lisandro, holding an umbrella, came up to the altar and held the umbrella over me.
'Ugh. I can't hold on any longer.'
Through the loud cheers of the people, I could hear the Emperor's voice.
"Lisandro. Take Mabel to the tent."
Lisandro picked me up and hurriedly descended from the altar. Amid the fading ceremony, the joyful cheers echoed loudly.
"The gods have been moved to send rain!"
The rain continued to pour heavily. The dark clouds covered not only the sacred site but also three nearby territories, pouring rain over a wide area. Although the drought in distant regions of the Ermanno Empire was not alleviated due to its vast territory, the fact that the royal family had performed a rain ceremony for the drought-stricken area and it had rained was enough to demonstrate their divine favor.
Duke Javier, who had witnessed everything, was in a state of shock. The sky had been clear, without a single cloud. How could dark clouds suddenly gather and pour rain?
Even as he muttered this, he already knew it was impossible with magic. The rain was still pouring outside the makeshift tent. No matter how pure and large the mana stone, it was impossible to cast a rain spell for such a long time. It was beyond the capabilities of any human. At that moment, Enrique entered the tent.
"Father, the rain is too heavy. We need to wait a bit longer."
"Yes... It would be unreasonable to set off in this downpour..."
The stunned Duke slowly lifted his head. His son, whose hair was still dripping wet, had entered. Javier clicked his tongue.
"Did you finish what I asked you to do?"
Enrique's expression darkened. His father's scolding never got easier, no matter how many times he heard it. However, this time, his father's command was absurd. To manipulate the Emperor to secure a position in the imperial court...
'I didn't want to approach His Majesty with such impure intentions.'
Enrique was afraid his genuine wish for Mabel's happiness would be distorted. But sometimes, he wondered if his feelings were truly genuine.
'Am I really approaching His Majesty with pure intentions?'
Every time he thought he might have unconsciously followed his father's orders, he felt disillusioned with himself. The cold, sharp voice of Duke Javier pierced Enrique's bowed head.
"Incompetent. Can't even manipulate a two-year-old? Did I raise you to be this weak?"
"The Emperor... is not a pawn in your game, Father."
"Where did you learn such insolence? To defy your father? Disgraceful."
The enraged Duke glared at Enrique. His weak, cowering son did not please him.
'How did such a weakling come from me?'
The Javier family had been a humble baronial house just a few generations ago. Their rise to a dukedom began when the mine they owned turned out to be a gold mine. Using the gold as a financial base, they expanded their business, achieving great success each time. The baron of a few generations ago had exceptional business acumen, and his wealth grew like a snowball, making him one of the wealthiest men in the empire. Like most nouveau riche, the baron craved honor. When an unprecedented drought hit the empire, causing a financial crisis, the baron came to the rescue, and the empire was able to overcome the crisis. In recognition of his contributions, the baron was elevated to a duke. Perhaps because the imperial family had once been below them, the heads of the Javier family had always been arrogant. The previous dukes were the same, and he himself was no different. However, Enrique did not fit the family's character. He was almost too kind.
"You are eroding the family's honor."
"Unable to accomplish even a simple task. Tsk."
Duke Javier, dissatisfied, sighed. His plan to weaken the imperial authority by using the failure of the rain ceremony had failed, leaving him with significant losses. The duke calmly devised a new plan.
'It's fine. Since the damage is done, we can enhance the family's reputation by donating supplies and transportation.'
But he couldn't shake off the bitterness. Duke Javier stood up from his chair and looked down at his disappointing son.
"A weakling like you doesn't fit in the Javier family. If you don't want to be a disgrace, show some results. Understand?"
Duke Javier shook his head and left the tent.
'If Enrique can't do it, maybe Emilie can.'
A girl of his age would be easier to break down than a boy. The problem was that, unlike the kind Enrique, Emilie's personality was quintessentially "Javier."
I was awakened by the noisy conversation.
"Check again. Isn't she burning up?"
"No, her temperature is normal..."
"Then why isn't my daughter waking up?"
"Are you trying to talk your way out of this with your poor skills?"
"Unthinkable, Your Majesty!"
One was clearly the Emperor, and the other was probably the quack doctor. I opened my eyes slightly to confirm my guess.
The Emperor, gripping the quack doctor's collar, was relentlessly pressing him. The doctor's face was alternating between white and blue.
The Emperor, who had thrown the doctor to the ground, rushed over. The doctor fled the tent without looking back.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Alright. Don't overexert yourself. Lie down and rest. Let me know when you feel better."
I nodded slightly, and the Emperor gently smoothed my hair with his large hand. His touch was so gentle that it tickled.
"Look, Mabel. This is why I opposed taking you outside the palace. It's too dangerous for someone as small and fragile as you."
To be precise, it was more due to my lack of control over my abilities than my fragility.
'I didn't know I was that strong.'
Usually, I only conversed with animals, so I hadn't used my abilities properly since I controlled the bees. I wondered if the holy artifact I had absorbed in Abellard might have had some influence.
"Strange. I'm still sweating even though I'm not moving."
I had expected my body to feel heavy after using divine power, but not to sweat.
"Because it's still raining heavily, we might not be able to return to the palace today. Should we stay at a nearby lord's castle?"
"Yes. It's pouring so hard you can't see in front of you."
'The sound of my divine power draining away!'
No wonder I felt so exhausted. If I had fainted after using my power, the rain should have stopped, but why was it still pouring?
The moment I thought this, the intense sound of rain hitting the tent abruptly stopped. Drip, drip. Only the sound of the remaining raindrops hitting the ground remained.
I answered naturally, wiping the sweat from my forehead with my sleeve. I felt lighter, as if the divine power was no longer draining. I pushed the blanket aside and lowered my legs from the makeshift bed, but the Emperor easily lifted me with one hand.
"Then we can return home now."
I blinked my eyes. For some reason, my chest felt tight.
I had always envied my friends who had a place to return to, where their families waited. But that was just a childhood memory. As I grew up, I realized that I didn't have such a place. Envy only brought me pain. But...
"When we get back to the palace, I'll make sure you eat lots of good things. We'll try all the precious herbs on the continent. How does that sound?"
Listening to the Emperor, I felt a glimmer of hope. Could I have a place to return to? I awkwardly smiled and shook my head.
"Then let's try half of them. Okay?"
I glanced at the Emperor, who was pleading earnestly, and subtly touched his fine silver hair. Courage I didn't know I had welled up inside me.
'Would this person forgive me no matter what I do?'
I clenched my fist and tousled his hair. But the Emperor didn't get angry; he just smiled affectionately.
"Then I should cut it all off and give it to you."
I gaped at the Emperor's offer. A bald Emperor? That had to be prevented.
"No, no, I don't want that!"
"Then... I have no choice."
Fortunately, the Emperor seemed to have given up on the idea of going bald. I let out a sigh of relief.
I almost lost the Emperor's beauty, a famous feature of the palace.