Chapter 144
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I Will Purchase Divine Power with Money
Chapter 144
"Ahhhhh."
An involuntary sigh escaped me as I sank into the warm water.
The exhaustion from travel melted away instantly. There's nothing quite like a proper bath.
And this wasn't just any bath—it was spacious enough to accommodate ten more people.
"I had no idea the bedroom suite would have such a grand bathing chamber."
Karen smiled warmly at my words as she checked the water temperature.
"The current Duke ordered several rooms extensively renovated."
Lute Sheary did?
"The Duke greatly enjoys bathing, you see."
Could it be related to his condition?
It seemed likely he sought to ease his suffering, however slightly, with hot water.
Much like how he'd had the carriage sofa specially cushioned.
"Then please wait a moment. I'll send attendants to assist you with your bath."
I was submerged up to my neck, groaning contentedly, when Karen's words made me freeze in horror.
"No! That's really not necessary!"
Bath attendants? The very thought sent shivers down my spine.
"I can manage on my own. Please."
"Understood. I'll wait in the room, so please call if you need anything."
Karen left with an amused smile at my desperate plea.
Now that I thought about it, I needed to reveal the truth about my identity soon.
I didn't care if I was branded a liar.
But I couldn't stand by and watch Lute Sheary's honor be tarnished because of me.
I absolutely had to speak with Lute Sheary about this.
* * *
While Ordel Kiris wrestled with her identity crisis in the bath,
the Sheary Duchy Mansion had been thrown into complete upheaval.
Lute Sheary bringing a young woman as a guest—of all things!
Even Karl Rahin, the butler for whom composure was a virtue, couldn't contain his excitement.
"After all these years, such a day has finally come. The master arriving with a lady."
Karl, who had been waiting in the office, spoke the moment Lute Sheary returned after personally escorting Ordel Kiris to the bedroom.
Karl dabbed at his moist eyes with a handkerchief, overcome with emotion.
Had she been married, he would have called her "madam," but since she wasn't, she must certainly be unmarried.
And more than that—
"He's even given her the Golden Rose Room!"
The Golden Rose Room.
Named for its ornate gold decorations that resembled roses, it was traditionally reserved for the Duke's consort.
In all the generations of this house, not a single person who stayed in that room had failed to marry the Duke.
"Shall I begin preparations for the engagement ceremony?"
Because of this, Karl was equally convinced that Ordel Kiris would become the future Duchess.
"An engagement ceremony? That lady is the High Priestess."
So when Yuri Polton, who was with him, said this, Karl was taken aback.
"She is...?"
Ordel Kiris, High Priestess of the Sun God.
She had already become quite famous within the Duke's House.
After all, she was a capable woman who had captivated the notoriously fickle Lute Sheary and even concluded a business deal with him.
"However, the High Priestess will still hold a marriage ceremony, will she not? Even the Sun God Grand Temple does not forbid such unions."
Neither the Sea God nor the Spirit Death God forbade marriages between their clergy and followers.
Therefore, the Sun God would surely be the same.
"That may be true, but does one marry alone? Two hands must clap together to make a sound, after all."
"Pardon? Do you mean our Master harbors... unrequited love...?"
Karl covered his mouth in disbelief.
That Lute Sheary—who possessed not only beauty but also unparalleled power and wealth!
Suffering from unrequited love, no less!
"Why on earth? Ah, could it be that the Master's personality is not to her liking?"
That much, at least, would make sense.
Yuri Polton and Karl exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
"It seems everyone wants to be cast out naked."
Lute Sheary, who had been listening quietly, smiled softly.
Yuri Polton and Karl immediately fell silent.
"If you two are like this, the others must be even worse."
Lute Sheary clicked her tongue as she looked at the two men.
"You two are responsible for keeping everyone's mouths shut. I haven't said anything to Ordel yet, and if anyone makes a careless remark in front of her and ruins everything, I won't let it slide."
This warning was sincere.
If even one person made a mistake, those responsible would face punishment as well.
"Yes, we will keep that in mind!"
"We will not make a single mistake!"
Karl and Yuri Polton shouted loudly and bowed deeply.
"Treat Ordel as you would treat me. Serve her with utmost respect and care, so that she wishes to remain here and not leave. That is my command."
At Lute Sheary's command, Karl kept his head bowed but rolled his eyes.
Lute Sheary clearly had feelings for Ordel Kiris.
So this order was to serve Ordel as if she were already the Duchess—with courtesy, yet without burdening her.
Everyone in the mansion knew Lute Sheary's temperament well enough to conduct themselves accordingly.
Besides, only such people remained in her service.
"Master, I have a question."
At that moment, Yuri Polton raised his hand.
"When did you start calling the High Priestess by her name alone?"
Indeed. Karl had been wondering the same thing.
It was the first time he had seen Lute Sheary address a woman who was not even her retainer so familiarly.
"And the High Priestess won't be returning to the Sun God Grand Temple? She'll be staying here?"
"That's right. I should tell you now—Ordel Kiris has stepped down from her position as High Priestess and left the Temple."
"Pardon?"
"She's stepped down from her position? How is that even possible?"
Yuri Polton and Karl Rahin were visibly shocked by Lute Sheary's words.
Just like priests, the High Priestess held a lifetime appointment—how could she simply abandon it?
"I don't know all the details, but it seems the Sun God granted his permission. A new High Priestess to replace Ordel Kiris should be announced soon."
"I see. The Sun God truly is magnanimous."
When a god had given his blessing, who would dare object?
Yuri Polton quickly accepted this and nodded in agreement.
"But what about the business ventures we've been conducting with the Temple?"
"Of course we'll continue. If we stop, those vultures will swoop in and monopolize both the potion trade and the holy stone sales. You think I'd let that happen? Especially with competitors from the Western Region circling?"
"Absolutely not, sir."
"Then don't worry about the business side. Focus on settling on the proper way to address Ordel Kiris within the mansion."
"Her title, you say? Since she'll be becoming the future Duchess, we certainly can't address her carelessly."
The moment Karl Rahin spoke those words, both men witnessed it.
The corners of Lute Sheary's mouth twitched upward in an unmistakable smile.
Clearly, the title "future Duchess" pleased him immensely.
"I'll make sure to brief the servants appropriately."
They likely already understood the situation to some degree anyway.
After all, wasn't she the woman Lute Sheary had brought home—the man among all the Dukes of House Sheary known for having the foulest temperament, the one everyone assumed would live alone?
Regardless of status or bloodline, if anyone wanted to prevent the Duke's House from losing its heir, they had no choice but to pin their hopes on Ordel Kiris.
She was Duke Sheary's only lifeline.
After Karl Rahin and Yuri Polton left, Lute Sheary remained alone, absently fingering the sacred pendant around his neck—a habit he'd developed without realizing it.
'If Ordel Kiris stepped down of her own accord, she won't have to bear any disgrace.'
The fact that it was a lie didn't matter.
When the Duke of Sheary himself said it was so, who would dare contradict him?
Even if the Sun God Grand Temple proclaimed the truth, people would believe his words instead.
'Though I doubt the Temple will say anything anyway.'
Ordel Kiris had left behind only a letter before departing; had she announced it in person, everyone would have clung to her legs, begging her not to go.
There wasn't a single person at the Temple who disliked her.
In fact, most of them watched from afar, hoping for a chance to approach her.
They used to keep their distance out of fear, so Ordel Kiris still believed people avoided her—but that was no longer true.
From an outside perspective, it was obvious, yet when it came to herself, Ordel Kiris seemed incapable of objective judgment.
'But that works in my favor.'
I closed my eyes, and the image of Ordel Kiris standing in the Golden Rose Room materialized in my mind.
Standing at the center of the most magnificent and beautiful chamber in the entire Sheary Duchy Mansion—more splendid even than the Duke's own bedroom—Ordel Kiris had lost none of her radiance.
If anything, she was perfectly suited to that room.
Because Ordel Kiris had left the Sun God Grand Temple alone, without telling anyone, I had been granted the privilege of witnessing that magnificent sight with my own eyes.
"I could never give her back."
By now, the Sun God Grand Temple must be searching frantically for Ordel Kiris.
Yet Lute Sheary had no intention whatsoever of letting her go.
At last, he had obtained a precious opportunity to monopolize Ordel Kiris entirely—to release her now would be foolish beyond measure.
Since Ordel Kiris had entered the Duke's Residence of her own accord, he would never let her leave.
He would give her everything to ensure she remained satisfied here, to make her forget the very thought of departure.
This was precisely what Lute Sheary, wealthy beyond measure, could do better than anyone in the world.
* * *
"What? You're saying you won't reveal that I'm a fake High Priestess?"
After bathing, during the meal hour.
The moment we met in the Dining Hall, Lute Sheary spoke to me.
To conceal the truth and weave another lie...?
What on earth was he thinking?
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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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