Chapter 74: Eureka? Eureka!
by rosalie“Melvin!”
Xavier called out to Melvin as he jumped up from his seat. He looked down at me with a pale face and pressed urgently.
“You don’t need to go there. The Cursed Land is a terrifying place!”
“I’m not saying I’ll go there.”
I’m scared too. But I want to do what I can.
I couldn’t just stand by watching Xavier and Prince Richard suffer.
“But what if I could share holy power with more people without direct contact? What if I could ease their pain?”
“Yuria.”
Xavier sat back down with a stern face. Meanwhile, Melvin, who had been sitting straight without showing any emotion, maintained a gentle smile.
“Then let’s try. First, you should learn how to release holy power.”
“Yes. Then, where can I find the person who made the holy power absorber?”
“I’ll let you know once you become familiar with using holy power.”
“I understand.”
It’s disappointing, but there’s nothing I can do. Since he probably won’t tell me easily, I decided to follow Melvin’s instructions for now.
“Thank you, Your Eminence.”
Suddenly, Melvin stood up and bowed deeply.
“Holy Father?”
Xavier also looked up at Melvin in surprise.
“That compassionate heart that cares for the unfortunate is truly befitting of a saintess. Your Eminence will be the first saintess to show concern for the beastmen. Thank you.”
He bowed even deeper.
“…Ah.”
I smiled awkwardly, feeling guilty. It would be best if we could eliminate the curse completely.
I just felt sorry for Xavier and Richard. That was truly all.
*
‘Have I been found out? Did something go wrong?’
Margaret, who had been watching Butler Albert closely, spent several nights in anxiety. Seeing that Count Willem wasn’t responding either, something must have gone wrong.
Late at night, she threw off her maid’s uniform and changed into her original clothes, hurriedly packing her travel bag. As Margaret was about to put something in the bag along with her luggage, she tightly gripped ‘it’ in her hand.
‘I should leave now. Before I lose my head over this.’
After hesitating briefly, she put ‘it’ inside her underwear as usual.
Bang.
Margaret was startled by the door opening without a knock in the middle of the night.
“Butler?”
A group of knights and Butler Albert stood beyond the door.
“Margaret, come out.”
“Why are you doing this, Butler?”
This wasn’t the always kindly smiling Albert. He had transformed into the Duke’s faithful butler with stern and cold eyes.
“General Jude failed in an attempt to poison His Grace and the Madam. Margaret, you need to come with us for a while.”
“What? Poison?”
The young girl shook her head side to side while sobbing. However, Albert coldly gestured with his chin, and the knights rushed in to grab Margaret’s arms and drag her out.
“I didn’t do anything! Please believe me!”
Albert watched Margaret being dragged away with expressionless eyes, then began searching through her travel bag.
*
“So nothing was found.”
Xavier muttered while stroking his chin, checking the letter brought by the carrier pigeon. Beside him, I was practicing the holy power control methods 1, 2, and 3 that Melvin had taught me last time.
Step 1 was diaphragmatic breathing, step 2 was image training to guide the air breathed through the diaphragm into where holy power pools.
“Whew, Margaret?”
“Yes. They conducted sudden inspections for several days but found nothing.”
“Hm. Could Margaret not be the person behind this?”
“That’s possible. Or we might have been too late.”
As I was about to start my final movement, Xavier gave water to the carrier pigeon in the cage by the window.
“Well, we’ll have to be satisfied with having her in custody.”
“I think so too. If necessary, we’ll have to interrogate her.”
Xavier’s trailing words revealed his feelings. It must have been so frustrating to be betrayed by his most trusted aide and to have to suspect even the child that aide brought in.
Just as I was concentrating on controlling holy power and entering the final stage–
“Xavier. Look at this!”
Finally, at stage 3, light began gathering at my fingertips. Xavier quickly approached the bed where I was sitting.
“Is it working?”
“Yes, I think it is!”
My voice rose an octave higher in excitement. The star on my back emitted brilliant golden light.
“Oh. If this works…”
Poof.
“Oh.”
The ball of light seemed to gather round but then scattered. I could manage stages 1 and 2, but stage 3, condensation, just wouldn’t work.
Could a Saintess’s holy power not be gathered or shared without contact? My shoulders slumped in disappointment.
“Yuria, it’s not your fault. Saintesses have always been this way.”
“But Xavier, the Pope and priests’ holy power has decreased too, so I’m the only source now.”
“I know your heart for the beastmen. But you can’t kiss everyone, can you? And you can’t give away parts of your body either.”
“Parts of my body?”
This feeling like I might know something but don’t quite get it. Ah, my mind is tingling.
“I have a meeting, so I’ll go now.”
“Alright. I hope it goes well today.”
“Thank you.”
Xavier looked pitiful thinking about how difficult the meeting would be.
“Will you be okay?”
“Don’t worry. I have something in mind.”
But Xavier just sat blankly beside me with no intention of getting up.
“…Aren’t you going?”
“I should. But haven’t I forgotten something?”
“What?”
He tilted his head slightly while giving me meaningful looks.
“Still don’t know?”
“Ugh, you beast.”
“Beast? This is charging, charging.”
Finding Xavier’s behavior both thrilling and annoying, I shrugged my shoulders and fluttered my eyes.
“Here.”
“Acting coy when you’re going to do it anyway.”
First came the hot breath, then the hot lips. The burning flesh that bit and pulled at my lips as if to devour me heated up my mouth from morning before withdrawing.
There was a long thread connecting him and me before disappearing into his mouth. A large golden light filled the room, wavering on Xavier’s face.
“Thanks to this, I’ll be able to endure well. This should end today.”
“Yes. Take care.”
Xavier left the room with an attractive smile while waving. I waved back slightly and wiped the saliva from my mouth with my hand.
At that moment, my conversation with Xavier flashed in my mind.
‘But you can’t kiss everyone, can you? And you can’t give away parts of your body either.’
“Body parts… and saliva?”
I suddenly jumped up on the bed.
It’s not contact with the Saintess. Parts of the Saintess’s body become mediums for sharing the goddess’s holy power!
I jumped around wildly, raising both hands above my head and screaming.
“Eureka!”
I’m a genius!
Hahaha.
“Oh my, my lady! What’s wrong?”
Maya, who brought my breakfast, rushed in from the hallway. Behind her followed Rosetta’s surprised face.
“Maya, Rosetta! I’m a genius!”
“What?”
“Yes, that was it! Eureka!”
Unable to contain my joy, I jumped so hard the bed sank. Maya quickly ran over and grabbed both my hands to stop me.
“My lady! Have you gone mad? Stop jumping!”
“I’m just so happy! My control of my holy power wasn’t the problem!”
“Why are you really acting like this? Rosetta, help stop the Madam too. There’s such a thing as a Duchess’s dignity!”
“My lady, please settle down. Please?”
“Haha, alright.”
I stopped jumping and sat calmly on the bed, but my excitement wouldn’t subside so I took a deep breath.
“Really. Living with Madam, I see all sorts of things.”
“Sorry, sorry. I’m just too happy.”
I laughed while looking at Maya giving me the side-eye. I met Rosetta’s gaze as she stared at me with round black eyes.
“Rosetta.”
“Yes, my lady?”
“Are you still upset?”
When Rosetta hesitated to answer, Maya quickly turned and glared at her.
“Rosetta, even with how well Madam treats you. How can you be like that? That’s sacrilege!”
“Ah, I know. I’m fine now, Madam.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Don’t worry about it anymore.”
Rosetta linked arms with me, smiling brightly like before. I felt relieved seeing Rosetta act comfortably around me again.
That’s good. I should be more careful from now on too.
“We’ll return to the Duke’s residence soon after today’s meeting ends. Just hang in there a bit longer.”
“What? Yes.”
The neutral country of Berg has many beastmen living there, so Rosetta must be uncomfortable.
“Madam, please eat your breakfast now. The soup will get cold.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Today’s breakfast tastes like honey.
*
The obsidian eyes glared at the treaty document brought by Crown Prince Arthur. Lucas, who opened his mouth, shot out a sharp response.
At the reopened compensation negotiations–
Lucas tried to maintain his composure to avoid another violent incident like last time, but seeing the damned treaty the Crown Prince presented, he couldn’t help but feel his eyes rolling back.
“As expected of an Empire that has historically kidnapped saintesses. Now you’re trying to steal our territory with this hastily prepared treaty?”
Arthur stood his ground and countered.
“Kidnapped? Hastily prepared… Moirai was originally Imperial territory!”
“You mean you invaded, don’t you? Choose your words carefully.”
The Crown Prince who detested beastmen and the Crown Prince who picked fights with imperial people bared their teeth while growling. Today’s negotiation meeting was showing signs of becoming a mess again.
“Can’t both of you be quiet?”
Teal eyes flashed above interlocked fingers. A black aura seeped out around Xavier.
Seeing Xavier emanating such a terrifying energy, Arthur and Lucas turned their heads away with sour expressions. They’d seen enough blood yesterday. Half of their attendants were wrapped in bandages.
Xavier intended to finally conclude this tedious meeting today. He first urged Crown Prince Arthur.
“Your Highness, please do not dispute what has already been decided.”
“Whose side are you on, Duke? Brillante or the Beast Kingdom?”
He wasn’t surprised at all since he expected that kind of response. Now that damn raccoon would probably say something.
“Your Highness, it’s Moirai, not the Beast Kingdom.”
Snap! Xavier and Lucas’s gazes clashed in mid-air.
‘What did you say?’
Lucas turned his head away sharply while shrugging his shoulders. Though his teeth were grinding, Xavier exercised superhuman patience in this official setting and asked calmly.
“Your Highness Crown Prince Lucas, this won’t be advantageous for you either. Didn’t you want to tour the Empire?”
“Hmm.”
“Tour the Empire?”
Arthur shot up as if having a fit.