Chapter 100. A Saint who was Adopted by the Grand Duke
Updated: Mar 17
“…Pardon?”
Khalid doubted his ears for a moment. He tried convincing himself that he indeed malfunctioned for a second, since there was no reason for that name to appear here.
“I am talking about Diana. I have seen you two together a few times before.”
Rabienne took her hand off Khalid's shoulder, slowly circled him and spoke in a bright voice.
“Are you talking about the former candidate Daina?”
“That's right.”
When Khalid confirmed, Rabienne stopped moving with satisfaction and leaned towards him.
Khalid and Rabienne's eyes met head-on.
Khalid couldn’t help but feel flustered as he saw his reflections in Rabienne’s alluring red pupils.
“You're the only one who talked to Diana, so I remembered you. Why did you act that way?”
TN: …what the actual fck?
“I just…”
As he continued aiding Esther, Khalid couldn’t help but feel concerned for her. His feelings eventually developed beyond friendship.
However, Khalid had no reason to tell Rabienne that, so he kept his answer superficial.
“I simply helped Diana because the other candidates seemed to bother her a bit too much.”
“As expected, I'm glad I chose you.”
Rabienne raised Khalid from his kneeling position, her smile deep.
“Your first mission is to meet Diana.”
“What do you…”
Everything was thrown at him so abruptly. Khalid was flustered at the sudden order he received.
“I am somewhat baffled… Do I just have to meet Diana and return?”
“No. You will meet and then.”
As if Rabienne had been waiting, she opened the drawer and pulled out a glass bottle.
She placed the finger-sized object on Khalid’s palm.
“You must obtain Diana's blood here.”
A sweet voice flowed through Rabienne’s lips as she uttered grim words.
“Bloo…d?”
Khalid flinched at the mention of blood and looked down to face the glass bottle.
He was very perplexed at the incomprehensible command given to him.
“What does the Saint plan to use it for?”
“I can't tell you because the matter remains confidential. But it is all for the Temple. I’m sure you understand?”
Her creased eyes presented such a naive expression that one wouldn’t consider to be fake.
Khalid closed his eyes, reaching a conclusion that this would be the right choice that would contribute to the Temple.
He was just worried that in the process, he would end up hurting his friend, Diana.
“…I'll do it.”
“Thank you. I'm relieved now that you are in charge of this mission.”
Rabienne put on a relieved act and held Khalid’s hand.
While swiftly delivering the information he would need to carry out the order.
“Ah, Diana is now residing in the Tersia residence. She is now called by the name Esther.”
“She must be working there.”
Khalid nodded, recalling the unfamiliar Esther he had met the last time.
“It's not that, she was adopted into the Grand Duchy. How great is that?”
“I-Is that true?”
Khalid froze in shock at the unbelievable news. His jaw dropped.
“Yes. You can meet, congratulate her, and receive some blood. Have a safe trip.”
Khalid was kicked from the room with a holy sword and the glass bottle given to him, still having not fully processed the conversation.
Then, High Priest Lucas, who had been waiting for an audience, entered the room.
He glanced back at Khalid, his expression doubtful.
“Will only Khalid be enough?”
“Perhaps.”
Esther had always been the soft type, so using a person she was acquainted with, Khalid, would be the most convenient strategy.
She also believed that the loyal Khalid would somehow succeed in retrieving the blood as his first mission.
“What happened?”
“We have been observing closely, but there was no sign from the two candidates.”
They have been scrutinizing the two candidates whose appearances matched the revelation, but no awareness appeared from either one.
“…I’ll have to come up with extra measures.”
Lucas nodded silently, took out two glass bottles from the box he was holding and handed them to Rabienne.
“Yes, and this is blood collected from the two candidates.”
“You have suffered. I will examine them, so please rest for today.”
Everyone was overexerted from holding the Saint’s appointment ceremony.
The responsibility was now in Rabienne’s hands, so Lucas excused himself and left the room.
Rabienne, now alone, held one bottle in each of her hands and shook them.
Her eyes locked with the red blood and they slowly bent.
“I learned this because of stupid Saint Cespia.”
During the time Cespia believed in Rabienne’s innocence.
Cespia distributed a small potion of her blood to Rabienne when she was dejected at her deteriorating mana strength.
She then realized that drinking the blood of a Saint could greatly amplify one’s mana, even if temporary.
“If there is a Saint amongst the two… I would be able to tell right away.”
Rabienne’s red pupils glimmered evilly as she elegantly sipped the glasses filled with blood, one after the other.
“Ugh, ptt.”
Her face crumpled as she spat out the blood in her mouth into the handkerchief.
The moment she drank Cespia's blood, a strange energy emerged instantly, unlike the fishy taste from these two candidates.
As expected, these two candidates weren’t the owners of the revelation.
This further increased the probability that Esther was the Saint. Rabienne already sent Khalid, so all she had to do was wait.
“Fufu. Anyhow, I am now the Saint. No one can take my place.”
Rabienne’s happy eyes were filled with greedy, endless desire. Her lips, smeared with blood, glistened red.
***
Irene's room was neatly organized over the past few days.
The dull and old carpets were exchanged for new ones, and clean furniture was added.
The window was unlatched, and the white curtains Irene preferred were added to complete the renovation.
Esther stopped playing with Shur and rushed into the hallway as she heard the workers leaving.
“It’s finally over.”
She excitedly reached the last room in the hallway to find a guest had arrived before her.
“Brother?”
As Esther tried to enter, she spotted Dennis staring at the portrait alone.
He seemed on the verge of tears. Esther hesitated as she saw her brother’s expression.
“Why’re you standing there?”
However, she was pushed inside by Judy, who entered excitedly without giving her a moment’s notice.
“Wow, this room’s really refreshing.”
Judy busied himself with looking at the completely changed room.
Like a child with no sense, he didn’t notice Dennis’s eyes were red.
“I was surprised with the change. I’m sure mother also likes it.”
“Yeah. Now I can see her as much as I want to. I'll come and see her every day.”
As if Dennis's eyes had infected him, Judy quickly became teary.
“You miss her so much you’ll see her every day?”
Esther, unfamiliar with such feelings, tilted her head confusedly.
“Of course. She's my mother.”
Judy stroked the portrait, his expression gentle.
Esther stood absent-mindedly as she saw that even the playful Judy had become a gentle sheep.
‘I don't want to see her.’
It had been the longest time since Esther blamed her mother for abandoning her as a young child.
“Esther, don't you miss your mother?”
“No. I don't know who she even is… As soon as she gave birth to me, she abandoned me.”
Those were the words the owner of the slum she lived in would tell her.
As soon as her parents gave birth to her, she was abandoned, so the man demanded she pay for her meals if she wanted to stay here.
“She threw me away because she didn’t love me, right?”
Esther's sight blurred. She was a bit sad at the fact that she wasn’t loved since birth.
“No. I'm sure your mother had a complicated situation.”
Judy wasn’t the best at comforting someone, but he hugged Esther and rubbed her back as if to relieve her wounds.
“Is that so?”
Esther didn't take his words to heart, but she warmly hugged Judy so he wouldn’t feel embarrassed.
“Of course, what did you think? Anyhow, thanks to that, we met like this.”
Dennis looked back to see the two embracing each other and intervened between them.
Thanks to this, Esther, attacked from both sides, smiled foolishly as she scarcely ran out of breath.
“Brother, I can't breathe…!!”
“Judy, hurry up and let go of Esther. It's because of you.”
“Sorry. Did I hug you too hard? But I won't let you go.”
Still, he loosened his arms enough to let her breathe. A smile formed Esther’s mouth as she continued being held by the two.
Darwin, who had arrived to check the room, watched the three from outside.
“Do go in and join the group hug.”
Delbert, an emotionally sensitive person, smacked his eyes with a handkerchief and hinted at Darwin.
“I just… I feel like I was a father who lacked so much.”
Whenever the twins brought up their mother, he would scold them fiercely, afraid they would have false expectations for their mother who would never return. At that time, he thought it was best to turn a blind eye.
He was sorry and heartbroken. He would have opened the door much earlier had he known they would like it so much.
“This was also the first time for your Grace. I think you did a job good enough.”
Delbert replied affectionately, cautioning Darwin not to blame himself too much.
“The young masters grew up very well.”
Both Judy and Dennis seemed stubborn and selfish because they resembled Darwin, but the truth was that they were very friendly and kind.
“Just look at them. Your Grace doesn’t know how surprised I was to hear that the young masters went to the outskirts with the young lady.”
“I was also surprised. To think that the children were better than me for once.”
Darwin gazed at the children inside the room with warm eyes. It was a waste that only he was able to witness this lovely scene.
At that time, Ben ran all the way across the third floor until he was out of breath and whispered to Darwin.
“Your Grace, I just received a call informing me that they have found out where Lucifer is.”
“Really?”
As much as he had been earnestly waiting for the news, Darwin couldn’t help but feel disappointed as he turned to Ben.
***
Your comments chapter 99 were just something I LOVED reading, I can tell y'all are suffering but don't worry the satisfication's coming real soon. Just wait
Other than the fact that Khalid is damn foolish and ignorant (in a bad way), and that Rabienne keeps reminding me what being a human being genuinally should be like, HAPPY CHAPTER ONE DOUBLE-ZERO!! WHOO-HOO, WE MADE IT EVEYONE!
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