Chapter 110
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I'll purchase divine power with money.
Chapter 110
"You've endured much, Victoria Lawrence."
I soothed Victoria, whose grip on her sword hilt remained white-knuckled.
Her jaw, clenched rigid as stone, showed no sign of relaxing.
"The High Priestess...."
Her lips trembled as she glanced toward Karen, then pressed them shut once more.
I wanted to ask if she'd always been treated this way, but with eyes upon us, she held her tongue.
I shrugged my shoulders.
"It's fine. I came here to repay all of it anyway."
Needling Yoanna hardly qualifies as revenge—it's merely petty spite.
True vengeance belongs to the entire House of Kiris.
"How should I conduct myself here?"
She was asking how to navigate the behavior of the Count Kiris Mansion's inhabitants....
"Don't mind me. Do as you wish."
Now that Lute Sheary has openly displayed her favor toward me, I hold the position of power in this mansion.
The Count won't raise his voice to me—not when he needs continued access to information about Lute through me.
Not that it would matter if he did.
"Understood. I'll inform the Holy Knight Commander as well."
"Speaking of which, where is the Commander?"
"Ah, I know. He's currently inspecting the mansion."
The one who answered was none other than Karen.
"He's investigating with Count Polton to ensure there are no dangers."
"Thank you for telling me, Karen."
"Yes. And there will be a banquet this evening to welcome the High Priestess and the Duke."
A banquet. The dining hall—I have quite the memory of that place.
It was where I first possessed this body, where I was mocked by all and driven out in utter chaos.
"That sounds rather promising."
Back then, I couldn't eat a thing before being expelled. I wonder how today will unfold.
"The Duke mentioned he'll take a walk until then. What will you do, High Priestess? If staying in your room feels stifling, would you care to go out as well?"
"No. I'll rest. You and Victoria Lawrence should rest too."
Karen's expression grew peculiar for a moment at my response, but she soon nodded.
"Then I'll return this evening to help you prepare."
"Prepare? I won't be doing that."
Why would I? I despise dining with the detestable people of this mansion.
Still, since Lute Sheary will be there, I suppose I should at least comb my hair.
"Then please rest, High Priestess."
"I'll take my leave as well. Call if you need anything."
Karen and Victoria Lawrence, who had helped me change into comfortable clothes, left the room together.
Once the surroundings grew quiet, I surveyed the room and enveloped my vicinity with divine power.
"God, are you listening?"
I kept my conversation with the Sun God quiet so no one could overhear.
I had no idea who might be listening from where.
【'Sun Crawling from Death' responds that it is listening.】
I had wondered if the Spirit Death God might appear, but since we weren't at the Death God's Temple, there was no response.
Thank goodness. When both gods are present together, it's genuinely chaotic and conversation makes no progress whatsoever.
"Does my sensitivity become more acute as my divine power grows stronger?"
Having trained my body during my years as a detective, I had always possessed keener instincts than ordinary people.
Yet ever since possessing this body in this world, my senses had grown progressively sharper—so much so that sometimes they became uncannily accurate enough to raise goosebumps.
More precisely, the stronger my divine power became.
【'Sun Crawling from Death' affirms that this is so.】
My suspicion had been correct after all.
"Is this unpleasant sensation—the kind that makes my stomach turn—also connected to that? Or is it simply indigestion?"
【'Sun Crawling from Death' responds that it is certainly not indigestion.】
I exchanged only the most indirect questions and answers to avoid triggering the system's tiresome warnings about revealing heavenly secrets, yet even this was sufficient to obtain the answers I sought.
The reason I hadn't sensed this unpleasant feeling when my divine power was merely 2%, yet now perceived it with such clarity.
There was no doubt—'Evil' had coiled itself within this place.
Unlike me, Lute Sheary's black stain showed no significant reaction. She seemed to feel no discomfort whatsoever.
Could it be that because she wore the Sun God's divine artifact, there was no major problem?
Regardless of the reason, I was grateful. At least I wasn't the only one suffering.
"Since it's a minion of Evil, I can eliminate it without hesitation. Excellent."
If this had merely been about Ordel Kiris's revenge, I would have merely played some petty tricks on the Count's family and called it done.
But a minion of 'Evil' that dreams of world destruction?
Then it's absolutely a destruction ending.
【'Sun Crawling from Death' smiles with satisfaction at the user's unwavering resolve.】
【'Sun Crawling from Death' cheers for the user enthusiastically.】
"Yes, please cheer enthusiastically. If I fall, you fall too."
A god as a community of shared fate. I truly wanted to sigh, but what could I do?
I supposed this was my destiny.
【'Sun Crawling from Death' is deeply satisfied with the friendship between the High Priestess it directly chose and the noble Holy Knight.】
I had obtained the answers I was curious about, and was about to withdraw my divine power and lie down when—
Satisfied with the friendship between the noble Holy Knight and me? What on earth did that mean?
Wait. Could it be—
I immediately rose and flung open the bedroom door.
"Where are you going?"
At that same moment, a warm and tender voice reached my ears.
Seth Noel stood alone before the door, just as he had done once before, supposedly while touring the estate with Yuri Polton.
The memory of that day suddenly surfaced, and I felt a flutter of unease.
"...I must say, that doesn't seem like appropriate attire for going out."
Seth, who had been smiling affectionately, suddenly stiffened and hastily removed his outer robe, draping it over my shoulders.
"I understand it must feel heavy, but if you're not planning to return to your room, it would be better to keep it on."
After draping the outer robe over my shoulders, Seth couldn't bring himself to look at me.
He seemed bothered by my pajama attire, but the fabric was thick enough that nothing showed through—what was the problem?
Was my Seth turning into a Confucian prude?
"You've seen me in pajamas plenty of times at the Temple of the Sun God."
Ladies apparently don't wander around in sleepwear, but I'm no lady.
As a Korean, wearing pajamas at home was second nature, so I'd often wandered the Temple of the Sun God in them at night.
People had grown accustomed to my eccentricities—neither Seth nor anyone else had complained before, so why today?
"Because this isn't the Temple of the Sun God."
Seth answered firmly.
"There are many disreputable people here, so it's best to be cautious."
Ah... so he was basically calling the Count Kiris Mansion a den of scoundrels?
The man really didn't bother hiding his disdain for this place.
"You're not calling me one of those disreputable people, are you?"
At the sudden interjection, we both turned our heads at once.
Lute Sheary, her expression looking rather sullen for some reason, was approaching us.
"You flatly rejected my request for a walk together, yet here you are having a cozy chat with the Holy Knight Commander."
Clearly displeased about something, Lute Sheary was glaring daggers at my shoulder.
There was nothing on my shoulder but Seth's outer robe—what was she staring at?
"When you said you'd take a walk, you meant for me to join you? Why do you have to speak in such roundabout ways? Just say what you mean directly."
"Our High Priestess really has no sense of the atmosphere..."
Before Lute Sheary could even finish speaking—
"Huh? Holy Knight Commander?"
Seth suddenly grabbed both my arms and lifted me clean off the ground.
Then he set me back down inside the room and shut the door firmly behind him from the outside.
"...?"
What just happened? In an instant, I'd been separated from both men and left alone in the room.
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
"Holy Knight Commander?"
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
"Why are you locking me in like this?"
I stared blankly at the closed door before knocking on it.
Should I just try to leave again?
But when I pushed the door handle repeatedly without success, it became clear that Seth was holding it shut from the outside.
"My apologies. However, since this is not the Temple of the Sun God, it would be best if you didn't wander about in such casual attire."
It was a one-piece pajama dress that didn't reveal anything underneath—what difference did it make?
"And since the Duke is here now, I would recommend you simply remain in your room."
Lute Sheary? She should be used to my pajamas.
We'd had pajama parties with drinks every night while preparing for the consecration ceremony.
At least I wore pajamas—Lute Sheary sometimes wore nothing but a robe.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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