IDIBC Chapter 15

The Witch Who Took the Saintess’s Place

“You remember our Ricardo’s childhood.”

At the voice that suddenly rang out, I let out a brief cough.

“Yes… that’s right.”

“I know that Lady Fennel helped Ricardo’s manifestation. Thanks to you, he was able to return to the ducal residence quickly. I’m grateful.”

The timing of Rochester’s manifestation wasn’t set in stone, but according to tradition passed down through generations, it most commonly occurred around age 20. The time it took until awakening after that varied greatly. In any case, as long as one survived until manifestation, there were few who could touch him afterward.

For God and Rochester would step forward to protect him.

“Duchess. If it’s not too presumptuous, may I ask you one question?”

“Go ahead.”

“How are you certain that I helped with the manifestation? It might not have been me.”

Of course, when I struck his forehead with the wooden sword, light and darkness alternately covered the world, but it could have just been a rare natural phenomenon.

The Duchess, who had been staring intently into my eyes, chuckled. For a moment, Ricardo’s face overlapped with hers, making my heart lurch.

“You sound like you rather hope it wasn’t you.”

“N-no. Well, rather than that…”

“Because it’s different from the legend passed down through generations?”

As I listened to her gentle voice, I somehow had this intuition. That the Duchess, rather than Ricardo, could resolve my questions. With that conviction, my body stopped trembling.

“Yes, that’s right. I heard that throughout the Empire’s history, all Rochesters who receive divine power are destined to have a saintess and companion from birth. Of course, Rica—I mean, His Grace manifested in front of me, but I wondered if perhaps the saintess was nearby… or if not that, then perhaps she helped with the manifestation from somewhere far away… something like that…”

“…..”

“That didn’t happen, did it?”

“Absolutely not.”

With her beautiful face, she crushed my hope and took a very elegant sip of tea.

“I heard that after Ricardo manifested, Lady Fennel was bedridden for quite a long time. Nearly on death’s door. That’s the proof. That you helped Ricardo’s manifestation.”

At that moment, a maid who had brought news from outside whispered something in the Duchess’s ear. I thought I saw her wrinkle her brow for a moment, but her expression soon relaxed. The drawing room door opened immediately.

“Darling.”

I turned toward the person the Duchess called “darling” as she rose to her feet.

And I came face to face with the master of this castle. Because of that, the trembling that had barely stopped began again. As I bowed deeply and stepped back, the Duke’s good-natured laughter rang out.

“Oh my, oh my. It seems I’ve visited while my wife has a guest. Lift your head. Anyone would think the Emperor himself had arrived.”

Is there really such a big difference? Rica’s father?

Following his command, I raised my head to see the Duke smiling with crinkled eyes.

Jet-black hair and jet-black eyes. Would Ricardo look like this in 20 years? No, while they looked similar, the feeling was completely different. So Rica has his dad’s face with his mom’s personality, something like that?

“Darling, didn’t you say today was the day you were playing Pallium with the vassals?”

Pallium? Did I hear that wrong?

Pallium was a very… intense sport where stakes were planted in a designated location and whoever pulled out the stake first won. The kind you’d only see at village fighting arenas.

“But why on earth did you come here?”

Was it my imagination that the Duchess seemed to be gritting her teeth?

“Ah, that’s right. But Jeremy broke his arm, so we finished early.”

He went and sat next to the Duchess. The low voice saying “Everyone sit down” was very similar to Ricardo’s.

“So what were you talking about?”

Thinking he would ask who I was, I prepared my answer with a trembling heart, but he asked something else first.

“Darling, this young lady is Ricardo’s guest. She’s the Lady of the House of Fennel who helped Ricardo’s manifestation.”

“Ah, I see. That’s right.”

When I tried to stand again to greet him, both he and the Duchess gently stopped me.

“Do it sitting down.”

“It’s my pleasure to meet you. I am Lienne Rowe Fennel.”

“Darling, we were talking about Ricardo.”

“Ah, so you spent your childhood with our Ricardo. Is that right?”

The Duke stared piercingly into my eyes with a smiling face. I didn’t know if he was a successor who had manifested Rochester’s ability, but somehow those eyes seemed deep and straight, as if they could gauge all truth.

“Yes.”

“Our Ricardo… what was he like? In his childhood, I mean.”

What was his childhood like? That one question tangled with countless thoughts. Ricardo, who had received an oracle that he would kill his father and become Emperor, and was banished to the principality.

So wasn’t the Duke also afraid of him? But why did his seemingly indifferent gaze feel sad?

Moreover, Fennel had kidnapped Ricardo. So as the daughter of the House of Fennel, wasn’t I their enemy?

What on earth should I say to preserve my life?

“He drew… many pictures.”

“Pictures?”

“Yes, landscapes… birds and trees, he drew them often.”

“Landscapes? He doesn’t draw anything like that now. Now he only…”

To his muttering, I replied awkwardly with just an “Ah” of exclamation.

“But really, your face…”

At that moment, thump—the Duchess lightly kicked the Duke’s foot. She must have thought I wouldn’t see, but to me, with my head slightly bowed, her action was very visible. It clearly meant to shut his mouth.

“Is pretty. Hahaha, you’re pretty.”

“Y-you flatter me.”

Because it was behavior too unsuited to the dignity they possessed, I thought I must have seen wrong and tried to focus on the situation again.

The Duchess glanced at the Duke for a moment, then turned to me with a warm smile.

“The conversation seems like it will get too long, so I’ll get to the point.”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“I called you to tell you about why Ricardo brought you to the ducal castle.”

Would I find out this easily? Without realizing it, I gripped the teacup I was holding until my knuckles turned white.

“Emperor Dermeier has ordered that all remaining members of the House of Fennel be killed.”

“What?”

With a clatter, I dropped the teacup from my hand and heard the sharp sound of glass striking.

“And the Saintess’s Star has risen again.”

The Saintess’s Star, which had appeared with Ricardo’s birth and was the star of Rochester’s companion, had been hidden in darkness all this time. That star had begun to shine again. It was a very belated appearance, coming after Ricardo had completed both his manifestation and awakening.

“But what does the Saintess’s Star have to do with my family?”

“You weren’t born with the Saintess’s Star, but you helped Rochester’s manifestation.”

“…”

“Until now, that fact has been thoroughly hidden, but this time the Emperor learned of your existence. I don’t know through what channel the secret leaked, but the first oracle, which had never once been wrong, has been broken.”

Ah, forgetting that I was in front of the ducal couple, I covered my face with my hands. I recalled the many things I had done to protect him. Up to the moment I struck his forehead with the wooden sword.

“So you are currently the Dermeier Empire’s greatest source of anxiety.”

As I became confused, the Duchess gave me time to calm my emotions.

“The Emperor fears Ricardo. I can’t explain the reason for that. To be precise, he fears Ricardo becoming complete.”

While the Duchess continued speaking, the Duke remained silent throughout. Rochesters inherit their title upon marriage. When that happens, all of Rochester’s power would become Ricardo’s. What the Emperor feared was precisely that absolute power. That which could completely shake his own position.

“I know it was Ricardo who moved you and your family to where you’re living now. Ricardo doesn’t remember, but that’s exactly when it happened. The time he awakened. Right after he met you again.”

“Ah…”

“That’s why I believe you also brought about Ricardo’s awakening. So while you’re not a saintess, you’ve done the work of Rochester’s companion.”

“The awakening… I did that?”

“Yes.”

I squeezed my already closed eyes shut even tighter. The things from the dreams I had forgotten repeated in my ears again.

[The great sin is that a witch dared to take the saintess’s place.]

So this has become reality. I learned to read and write, but that was all. I had forcibly looked away until now, but I had ultimately become the witch who took the saintess’s place. So now all that’s left is to burn to death?

“Then… where is the saintess now?”

“She’s also in the Principality of Resotia. We haven’t met her yet either.”

From birth, she received the protection of Rochester and the Temple of Hadeima. Only they know of her existence and location. So she was safe. However, until the Saintess’s Star rose again, she was meaningless to them.

“The Emperor will of course try to harm the saintess as well. Just like you.”

“…”

“To be honest, you’re also a source of anxiety for Rochester. But protecting you comes first. That’s why you were brought to the ducal house.”

Now that the Saintess’s Star has risen, she who would soon become the most noble woman in this Empire would arrive at this mansion soon. Ignoring the heavy pain pressing on my chest, I raised my head stiffly.

“If what you’ve just said is true… you’re saying you brought me here to protect me.”

“That’s right.”

“In other words, I can’t save my family.”