Chapter 57
Translator: Latte Editor: Sasha
Caville had been reading Elody’s letters all night long. He read them so slowly that there were still plenty of them left.
While watching Caville, Ifrit dozed off beside him.
“……”
Tears were coursing down his cheeks. There was no way to stop them from flowing as he read each of the letters.
He felt like he was finally comforted after being so lonely in the past 7 years.
Elody recorded her daily life as if writing a diary. It was also filled with love and affection for Caville.
He was foolish to have thought that a wife like this might have ever forgotten him.
Caville felt like his heart was torn apart. He would never feel better even if he ripped all the Temple people to pieces.
“……”
But on the one hand, his heart was full of happiness. It was as if he had just received an enormous amount of Elody’s affection pouring out to his entire body like heavy rain.
Unfortunately, Caville looked miserable the next morning as his eyes were puffy from crying himself to sleep.
“…What in the? How the hell did your eyes get so swollen? You look awful,” Ifrit spoke.
Caville was startled once he looked into the mirror.
“……”
As Ifrit said, his eyes were incredibly swollen.
‘If my wife sees me like this, she will think that I’m ugly…’
Caville ordered a servant to bring him some ice. He couldn’t meet his wife looking like this.
Sadly, the ice did not get rid of his puffy eyes.
Thanks to this, Caville had to avoid Elody throughout the day.
He didn’t want to show his swollen eyes, but…
For some reason, he felt really shy when he stood in front of his wife. His heart was pounding so loud that he started to wonder if he had heart disease.
* * *
In another place…
Just like Caville, there was also a man who stayed awake last night.
He was Theodore, the Commander of the Paladins from the Temple of Thysser.
The reason as to why he couldn’t sleep was also because of Elody’s letter.
He was also the leader of the paladins on the battlefield.
However, the paladins were fully controlled by the priests of the Temple of Thysser. In particular, the high priests’ words were the law and they were absolute.
Theodore was dissatisfied with that, but he never broke their orders.
He was originally the second son of a great noble family in the capital.
When he volunteered as a paladin, people were shocked.
His father was a noble with several titles. It was clear that his second son, Theodore, would be given a lower title.
However, Theodore knew.
That his father would not give him anything.
It was late, but after realizing that, Theodore suddenly volunteered to be a paladin.
There were many rumors circulated around him, saying that he was insulated from his family… and it was unfortunately true.
Theodore’s parents were his biological parents, but the couple’s love was directed only to their first son.
Theodore, the second son with little resemblance to the couple, was just a puppet for his older brother.
Even if his older brother tormented him and hurt him, his parents would never blame him.
Theodore was ostracized by everyone in the mansion. Nobody took care of him, and even the servants ignored him.
After years of neglect and abuse, he grew up having a cold personality that knew no affection.
Before becoming an adult, Theodore left the family on his own so that he would not be hurt by them anymore.
He had never regretted that decision.
Theodore, too, once begged for the love of his parents. But he was no longer an innocent boy.
He had made up his mind while being isolated from my family. He promised himself that he would not be greedy for love and affection.
He didn’t want to be hurt by useless hopes and expectations.
That was what he thought…
Until he saw Elody’s letters.
* * *
“Ugh, to think that the Temple would arrive at that time of all days. They ruined the banquet!” Carolina complained as she brushed Larissa’s hair.
“It’s all right…”
Princess Larissa was sad, but it couldn’t be helped.
Larissa was disappointed that they had to wrap up the banquet earlier than what they had planned, but she was sadder about the fact that she could not speak with the Duke of Cernoir.
“……”
Every time Larissa recalled the face of Duke Cernoir, her heart fluttered.
Somehow, her feelings for him seemed to be getting deeper and deeper.
Although she didn’t ask for this, she couldn’t help but feel that way towards him.
She didn’t even hope to marry the duke.
‘Of course, if that happens, I’ll be very happy…’
She just wanted to be close friends.
But even when he was close, he still seemed so far away. Like he was out of reach.
“Princess, shall we go to see the duchess’s greenhouse today?”
“But the door is locked.”
“We’ll have to open it somehow! There must be evidence there that could reveal the duchess’s evil schemes! If we could reveal her antics, she’ll definitely get divorced by the duke! Right?”
“…But, Carolina…”
“It’s so obvious that she’s abusing Olivia!”
“……”
“We’ll just check it out and come back afterwards! Please? If the princess is worried, then I’ll go in there secretly!”
“No, I’ll go with you but we’ll have to get permission first.”
“Sheesh, will that woman even allow us?”
“Nothing has been revealed yet, so you shouldn’t doubt her that way.”
“Princess… You’re sweet but you’re way too soft on other people! If you want to capture the duke’s heart, you have to be more aggressive! Don’t you know that a lot of young girls are also aiming for the duke?”
“…Yes. Well, he’s a very nice guy.”
“You know what I think? I think that the barons’ granddaughter, Iris, or whatever, came here to seduce the duke as well! So the princess must try harder too! Alright?”
“But how…?”
“You must tempt him with your beauty! In my eyes, you are the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world.”
“……”
“I actually have a plan….”
Carolina whispered into Princess Larissa’s ear with a cunning smile.
At the start, Princess Larissa was curious about her plan. But as the maid continued on, Larissa’s face grew redder and redder.
* * *
Elody took the red pills that were laid in a small tray and gulped it down with a glass of water.
She was exhausted because she had been very busy these days.
She wanted to lie in bed all day and sleep, but Elody stood firmly on her ground because she wanted to do something.
“Anna, do you know what this is?”
“What is it, madame?”
“This is a sacred magic tool. Have you heard of it?”
“Wow, is that so?”
“Yes, and right now… I’m going to dismantle it.”
“What? Something so precious?”
Elody grinned as if she were dying from happiness. Making a magic tool was definitely in her bucket list.
She thought she would never be able to see it because only the imperial family and high priests could have it…
When the Temple gave her the communication tool as a gift, Elody’s heart sang for joy. She wanted to disassemble and study it as soon as possible.
Elody opened a drawer and pulled out a large bottle of blue reagent.
Then she started pouring it into a large basin.
The reagent was a substance that could lower the binding magic power and eliminate any toxins in medicinal herbs.
This reagent solution was used to break down herbs that were made by mixing various effects. A drop of it could also dissolve the poison from toxic herbs.
It was easy to make, but it, unfortunately, had little to no use.
‘I’ve made a lot of them just in case, and look! It turned out to be quite useful.’
Elody soaked the sacred magic tool into the basin.
After one minute, she took it out and wiped it with a towel.
“It’s finished.”
After confirming that the bond had been weakened, Elody cut the magic tool in half without hesitation.
Then, she disassembled the pieces of metal and started studying the coding structure of the mana which was written in an ancient language.
“……”
Anna didn’t know how to do magic, so she could only stare at her in wonder.
It looked like she broke it… However, she was very serious about studying the magic tool.
Elody began to write down the codes on a blank piece of paper.
“……”
Anna quietly stepped back.
Elody seemed so focused. So she didn’t want to disturb her.
But suddenly…
Bang bang!
Someone started pounding on the door from the outside.
Anna put her arms on her chest in anger and shock.
“…What the?” Elody raised her head in confusion.
“I’ll go check it out, madame.”
At Anna’s words, Elody grabbed her pen again and began to write. Elody was someone who could not be bothered once she started doing her research.
“Who in the world…?”
Anna opened the lab door and came out to see the person who knocked on the door.
The people standing at the door were none other than Princess Larissa, Carolina, and Olivia.
“As expected! Knocking from this door works!” Carolina exclaimed.
Then, she arrogantly asked, “Why is the door to the greenhouse over there locked?”
“…We don’t use that door at all. The greenhouse only uses the back door.”
“The back door? Then open the back door!”
“……”
Anna was dumbfounded by her impudence. She glared at Carolina with furious eyes.
Olivia had been standing behind the princess the whole time. She just shrugged as if this was how the rude maid acted everytime.
“…I’m sorry, but I can’t. The greenhouse is full of rare plants for madame’s research.”
“Hmm… Are you sure she’s not hiding something strange? Why can’t you show it to the princess? Don’t you know that she is the emperor’s niece?”
“……”
She was being ridiculous.
Anna stared at Princess Larissa that stood next to Carolina.
“…I want to see the greenhouse, can you please show me?” Princess Larissa said kindly.
Larissa actually didn’t want to do this.
However, as Carolina had said before, it would be a big deal if the duchess was actually hiding something strange.
As the emperor’s niece, if the duchess was exploiting her servants, it was her duty to uncover the truth.
“…I will ask the madame first.”
Anna eventually turned to Elody.
“See, princess! I told you it would work!”
“…Yes.”
Carolina laughed with excitement. Olivia, who had been silent the whole time, cursed at Carolina in her heart.
Yesterday, Carolina pretended to follow Olivia all the way to the bathroom.
Because of the wounds on her body, Olivia hated bathing with other maids.
That’s why she usually bathed alone when the others weren’t using it.
Unexpectedly, Carolina was spying on her.
In the end, she managed to outrun Carolina and took a bath alone, but Olivia was still offended.
It was because Carolina seemed to be curious about the wounds on her body and acted so rudely about it.
Olivia was irritated.
“Madame, the princess wants to see the greenhouse…” Anna said.
“…Is that so? Alright. I’ll guide her myself.”
Elody put down her pen and rose from her seat.
As Elody walked to the entrance, Anna pouted her lips.
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