Chapter 142
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Chapter 142
It was an unexpected proposal.
'Why the Nemea Marquis Family?'
Theo was innocent enough that it didn't matter, but Marquis Nemea was someone I'd rather not deal with.
The fact that he'd sent Theo to me as a guard knight at the Basilian Count Estate made his intentions obvious.
'He's scheming.'
Marquis Nemea harbored hostility toward Basilian.
There was no reason to expect anything good from meeting him, yet I couldn't fathom why he was inviting me to the Nemea Marquis Territory.
When Chesa didn't answer and merely stared at him, Theo's form seemed to shrink smaller and smaller.
Soon he would disappear entirely.
A sigh escaped me.
I exhaled quietly in resignation.
Still, it wasn't as though he meant to take me there with ill intent....
"I understand."
Theo's face brightened instantly.
He truly was a transparent little bear.
With an oddly determined expression, Theo spoke.
"Thank you so much! I promise I'll ensure you receive the finest hospitality...."
"Chesa!"
A loud cry cut off Theo's words entirely.
Aran came bounding toward me from a distance.
She called out my name grandly while waving her hand enthusiastically.
In her other hand, she clutched an enormous bouquet, and as she ran with all her might, petals scattered to the ground with each step.
The spirited princess reached me in an instant, moving at full speed.
As a result, Theo couldn't say another word.
While Aran's attendants hurried after her, I jumped down from the horse.
And I offered her the cookie I'd been holding.
"Would you like this?"
"Thank you."
Aran swallowed the cookie in one bite with a delighted sound.
The princess, having consumed it without leaving a single crumb, gazed at me with adoring eyes.
"You're truly kind and gentle."
What did I do to deserve this....
I merely gave her one cookie.
Aran smiled shyly and offered me the bouquet.
"It's a gift."
As I accepted the sparsely-petaled bouquet, a flicker of unease stirred within me.
It was because her older brother, who had been a follower of The Witch, kept overlapping in my mind.
'No, how could I compare Aran to Itar!'
That thought was unfair to Aran.
Chesa offered a brief word of thanks, reflecting quietly to herself.
Aran boasted proudly, flaunting her abilities.
"I did everything you asked! Everything went smoothly without a hitch. You'll be able to achieve what you want."
Aran burst into laughter, declaring she could easily accomplish such tasks.
"What about Remy?"
"Prince Remil? I took care of him too, of course. But...."
Aran trailed off, releasing a short hum of contemplation.
She glanced briefly at the sky, then at Chesa, and finally turned to look at the attendant standing behind her.
"Samid."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The attendant, who had been stealing curious glances at Chesa since earlier, quickly straightened his posture.
"Was something odd about it?"
It was a question without context or conclusion.
Yet Samid answered promptly.
"Yes, something was odd."
"I thought so...."
Aran scratched her cheek with a small finger.
She seemed hesitant about something as she pointed to her own eyes.
"Chesa. Do you know what the Golden Eyes of Skaya mean?"
Skaya was a kingdom founded by pirates who once roamed the seas.
In Skaya, children born with golden eyes were held in great esteem.
This was because of a legend that called them "eyes that can see the truth."
Those with golden eyes possessed exceptionally sharp intuition, and could occasionally make judgments that resembled premonitions.
It was said as a maxim that one must always bring a golden-eyed child on important sea routes.
"My intuition is quite keen. When I have a feeling, I've never been wrong even once...."
Aran's eyes narrowed slowly.
She fell silent for a moment, choosing her words carefully, before she spoke.
"Prince Remil seems to have become a bit strange. It's as if his personality has changed."
Chesa, clutching a bag of cookies while listening, tilted her head to the side.
'But when I saw him just recently, he seemed perfectly fine?'
Could it be that peeking into Hailon's memories had become a problem?
Chesa was a fairy who had experienced all manner of things, but Remil was still young.
It made sense that witnessing such terrible memories would cause him psychological distress.
"In any case, the matter was resolved well enough.... Be careful, Chesa."
Aran delivered her vague warning with a smirk before changing the subject.
"But what happened to Cardinal Milliod? Was he really dragged off to the Heresy Interrogation Chamber?"
Aran burst into delighted laughter, asking if he was now locked in the room next to her brother's.
Following her amusement, Chesa laughed along, feigning ignorance.
'It seems Kieran is having quite the time with him....'
The proposal Chesa had made to Kieran and Hailon was exactly two things.
Do not kill Norman, my fake father.
The plan was to punish Milliod for lying that he'd brought a monster.
There were other schemes woven in as well, but explaining everything in detail wouldn't suit a child, so I only mentioned the simplest and easiest part.
Yet with just that much, Kieran demolished Milliod far more brilliantly than I'd expected.
Now that the shield of being a Cardinal had vanished.
There was no way Kieran would leave Milliod unscathed.
He would likely torment him so thoroughly that death would come as a mercy.
Chesa trembled slightly for a moment.
I was grateful he was my father.
If he'd been someone else's, getting entangled with him would have made life unbearably difficult.
Shaking my head inwardly, I turned my gaze toward where the Grand Temple stood.
I stared at the towering, pristine white structure and bit my lip.
Not much time remained.
Would he be happy?
I kept remembering the light in Kieran's eyes as he gazed upon the Fairy Queen's crown.
His eyes looked as though he might weep at any moment.
I wanted to see him smile with genuine happiness.
Even if it meant walking down the wrong path.
What did it matter?
After all, I was an abnormal fairy myself.
And after obtaining the crown....
I would have to decide whether to choose the life of Chesa Basilian or the life of Lichesia.
Thinking of the choice that awaited me, I smiled deliberately.
Otherwise, my heart would feel a little too heavy.
***
Ninety-nine saints of Hilderd gathered in one place.
It was the Council Chamber where the Holy Empire's momentous decisions were made.
The Council Chamber was structured like a circular amphitheater, with tiered seating stacked in layers that curved around the central floor.
Light fell in a perfect circle upon the center, designed so that any voice spoken there would resonate throughout the entire chamber.
Ninety-eight sat arranged around the circular chamber.
In the center stood the last one—Hailon.
His appearance in the uniform of the Heretic Inquisitor with his face exposed was somewhat incongruous.
It was the first time a Heretic Inquisitor had ever publicly revealed their face.
Many had already suspected that Hailon might be the Heretic Inquisitor.
Yet vague suspicion harbored in one's mind and the reality confronted before one's eyes carried vastly different weight.
Those who had directly witnessed Hailon wielding the Chains of Condemnation could not hide their fear, their eyes repeatedly darting toward his wrists.
Despite the weight of dozens of gazes upon him, Hailon stood in silent composure.
Sianor, seated at the lowest tier and the seat of honor directly opposite Hailon, regarded him with a cool gaze.
Like a bird desperately attempting to escape its cage.
Part of him wished to throw Hailon into the Education Chamber this very instant.
Yet the moment to realize his long-cherished dream was drawing near.
If he could only endure a little longer....
Sianor could restore everything to its original state, and possess far more besides.
He opened his mouth as the Holy King.
"We have gathered here to determine the champion of the Pure Child Prayer Ceremony."
The circular chamber fell silent.
An eerily unsettling stillness pressed down upon the Council Chamber.
"But before that, I wish to discuss the matter of Cardinal Milliod's demon incident, as well as the breach of precepts by the Heretic Inquisitor Hailon."
Sianor raised one hand.
"Hailon, you are permitted to speak."
Perhaps it was the light pouring down from above.
For a moment, it seemed Hailon's lips curved upward.
"I have not violated the precepts."
The audacious declaration caused the chamber to stir momentarily.
Some Holy Priests let out loud rebukes.
Yet Hailon paid them no mind, speaking with deliberate slowness.
"The Fairy."
Before Sianor could even respond to the brief utterance, the words that followed resonated throughout the circular chamber.
"Where are you conducting the experiments?"
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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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