[Chapter 129] Doris's present

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The next morning at the Acacia Count's mansion.

People with sleep-deprived faces began to gather in the first-floor lobby.

Amidst the busy servants who were struggling to entertain the suddenly increased number of guests, Vincenzo, who had finished packing his belongings and picked up his briefcase, called everyone to sit down.

"You seem to have slept well all by yourself. You look so refreshed."

Ignoring Epero's still fierce gaze, Vincenzo took several newspapers out of his heavy-looking bag.

"I'm going to see my grandmother on my way there and tell her about His Highness the Second Prince's intentions and the truth."

Roaldness crossed his legs and tilted his chin as if to say, "Go on."

"But before that, I think you should know what's going on in the capital. In fact, that was the main purpose of me coming here to deliver this news. It seems you don't know much about the capital."

The tired eyes of the people immediately widened.

The face that was plastered on the newspapers that Vincenzo had laid out was none other than Doris and Duke Castagna.

"Duke Castagna has collapsed."

"What?"

Epero exclaimed in surprise. It was certainly unexpected news that the healthiest-looking duke in the world had collapsed.

"It happened on the same day the procession to Elacon left the capital, so I thought you wouldn't know."

Vincenzo explained seriously.

"After Duke Castagna suddenly collapsed, and the quiet Crown Princess suddenly expressed her intention to become a priestess of the Great Temple, an oracle was revealed. The content is..."

Vincenzo pushed the newspapers further towards Roaldness.

[Her Highness the Crown Princess has expressed her intention to become a priestess of the Great Temple.]

[Under the influence of the Great Priest, who was moved by Her Highness the Crown Princess's sincerity, an oracle was received.]

[Oracle: A saint who can quell the legend that 'red eyes will destroy the nation' will appear.]

[Could that 'saint' be Her Highness the Crown Princess?]

"Nonsense. That woman, a saint? Even a passing dog would laugh! Damn it!"

Epero shouted, his temperature rising.

"And in the Imperial Daily that came to us, why did they leave out this news? What is it? Did the Crown Princess intercept it in the middle? No wonder there are more gossip magazines than newspapers!"

"Let's investigate. And this is today's newspaper."

[The dramatic revival of the criminal adoption system! Is it the will of the main god to save Ronta from the ominous red eyes?]

"Last night, Earl Railon and the western nobles united to revive the old law that had been abolished."

Criminal adoption system!

If the brother dies, the younger brother takes the elder brother's wife.

Adrienne's eyes widened.

"It means that His Highness the Second Prince, who is the highest in the order of succession by law, may have to marry Doris Castagna."

****

Noura Juseta watched Doris take out her belongings one by one and distribute them.

"Elacon Mountain ruby, Katarinan Duchy diamond... I'll give this brooch especially to Irene. It's a heirloom that my mother gave me when I got married into the royal family. Use it well at your debutante."

"Such a precious thing? Your Highness, please reconsider. If you become a priestess of the Great Temple, you won't be able to wear such things anymore and live."

"My mind is made up. My husband was called a saint of Ronta and died, so I can't live the rest of my life in luxury in the imperial palace. I will follow his will and spend the rest of my life praying only for the Lord and my husband who is in Abadellia."

Irene hugged Doris with tears in her eyes. Doris patted Irene's back willingly.

"I'm sorry, Irene. I promised to be your chaperone at Irene's debutante next year... I'll promise to find a noble lady of high rank to be Irene's chaperone before I leave the Crown Princess's palace."

"Your Highness! How can you only care about others? Don't worry about my debutante. And just trust me. I'll strongly tell my father to treat Your Highness with the utmost respect!"

After talking affectionately with Doris for a while, Irene clenched her fists and left the palace, leaving only Noura next to Doris.

Doris wiped away her welling tears and opened a small jewelry box on the table, handing it to Noura.

"Everything else is for Nora. With His Highness the Crown Prince, and even my father suddenly collapsing... I felt like I was all alone in the world. I don't know how much of a support you've been to me, Nora."

Noura stared at Doris, who still called her 'Nora', and looked inside the jewelry box she had handed over.

Large pearls, sapphires as brilliant as the sea, and rubies shaped like roses that the Blier Acacia had popularized.

'They're all the things I gave to His Highness.'

All the truly valuable treasures had been given to Lady Irene Siscometin, and all that was left for Noura were things that originally belonged to Noura, which she had given to Doris.

Noura was momentarily offended, but she forced a smile.

"And before I enter the Great Temple, I have one request for Nora."

When a look of question appeared on Noura's face, Doris took out a heavy black wooden box from the shelf under the table.

As soon as Noura saw the box, her face stiffened with a smile.

"Do you remember the incense that I really cherished and never burned in this palace?"

Of course she remembered.

Noura clenched her trembling hand under the table.

"I want to thank Blier, who has faithfully served me and His Highness the Crown Prince, and who has embarked on a long journey to Elacon."

Noura felt her suppressed fear surge and clamped her mouth shut.

She was certain that the incense in the exact same box as this one had caused Duke Castagna to collapse right after she had delivered it to him.

And this was just speculation, but...

She suspected that it had contributed to the death of Grand Duchess Adrienne.

She clearly heard him say to put it in the medicine that the Crown Prince was sending, and tell the maid-in-waiting of the Grand Duke to be careful to burn the incense.

He said it was a very precious incense made from herbs that he had learned about, and that it was for taking care of the sick.

At that time, she had thought nothing of it.

Noura secretly rubbed her arm, feeling a shiver run down her spine.

Her suspicion turned into certainty when she recalled that he had never burned it in his own palace, despite claiming it was precious, but had only sent it to the Grand Duke's residence.

Moreover, the incense he had sent to the Duke and Blier did not even have the cautionary note to dilute it.

"Now that I'm going to become a priestess and give up all my worldly possessions, I won't need this incense anymore. I'd appreciate it if Nora would deliver it. I heard that the Second Prince is staying temporarily in the Acacia County."

Doris frowned slightly at the mention of the Second Prince, but then smiled gently again.

Noura's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden request to go all the way up north.

"Oh, do you mean to say that I should go to the Acacia County myself to deliver it?"

"Yes."

Doris replied firmly, despite making such a demanding request.

"Since I'm giving it to you as a token of friendship, I'd like you to burn it alone when you have time and think of me."

Her smile was rather cold for someone talking about friendship.

Naturally, Noura recalled the moment she witnessed Duke Castagna's death at the Castagna manor, where she had visited to deliver a message.

The herbal scent that had stung her nose amidst the maids' screams.

Noura slowly pulled the box in front of her. Doris's side profile, as she sipped her tea calmly, was as beautiful as ever.

That made her even more horrified.

****

Several days had passed since Vincenzo delivered the shocking news and left the Acacia territory.

Roaldness was busy with his own affairs.

Besides the monsters he had encountered on the first day, various types of monsters appeared regularly, forcing him to go out on extermination missions with Epero and Victor.

When he heard the news that the criminal adoption system had been revived, Roaldness simply said, "Disgusting."

He told me I had nothing to worry about, but I wanted to get rid of my anxiety, so I focused on awakening my magic with Lottie.

Thanks to Lottie, who had sincerely started to help me.

I was just about to succeed in recognizing the magic flowing warmly in my body, transferring it to the mana stone, and bringing it back.

"Madam, there's a visitor looking for you from the capital."

"A visitor?"

A sudden visitor came while I was taking a short break.

When I went down to the first floor lobby, I was surprised to see the face of the person who had come all this way to find me.

"Countess Juseta?"

"Hello, Countess Acacia. Long time no see."

It was Noura, with a pale and haggard face.

Perhaps because our relationship had not been so bad recently, I was quite pleased to see her and quickly ordered the maids to serve her.

However, the more she was served, the darker Noura's expression became.

Even though she was sitting on the expensive sofa that Count Acacia had hurriedly bought for us, she couldn't relax and kept glancing around restlessly.

"It will be some time before His Highness the Second Prince returns. So you can relax."

Remembering how she would be amazed but also scared whenever she saw Roaldness, I patted her comfortingly.

"Was it difficult to come all this way? If I had known you missed me so much, I would have written you a letter."

Even at my joke to relieve her tension, Noura didn't loosen her stiff face and took a black box from the maid who followed her and placed it on the table.

"You've heard the news that Her Highness the Crown Princess will be returning to the Great Temple, haven't you?"

I quietly stared at her mouth, which blurted out news about Doris's situation without any other greetings.

"Her Highness said that she no longer needed them, so she gave all kinds of valuables to us maids. Of course, she also gave a final gift to the Countess, praising her for serving Her Highness."

Irene might not know, but Noura and I knew that Doris wasn't that kind.

I watched her sweat for a while and smiled wryly.

"That's very kind of her. To think she would even care about me who is always out and about... Please convey my gratitude."

I forced a friendly reply and took Noura's cold hand and held it tightly. Her hand, which had been trying to hide its trembling, twitched.

"Your Highness is so kind. I'll visit her when I return to the capital, but why did she send you all the way to this remote north...? While you're here, why don't you take a bath? This place is close to Elacon and has a large bathhouse. There are two large baths in this mansion as well. One is for guests, so I'll specially... "

"...Countess."

As I stroked the back of her hand, saying that it was okay, Noura stared at my mouth and interrupted me.

"Why, Lady Noura?"

"I can't, Countess."

She grabbed her cheeks and distorted her face.

"What's in this box is incense. But after I leave... after those maids sent by Her Highness to follow me confirm that you've burned the incense... please, please pour it all out and throw it away!"

Noura shouted in a low voice, looking miserable.

I smiled benevolently as if I had been waiting for it. And I sincerely took her hand warmly.

Because I had been waiting for her to tell the truth.

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