Episode 183

“Elisha.”

Elisha climbed into her carriage escorted by temple knights. Across from her carriage sat Rosaria, with a serious face.

“Why……. What's going on? I……. I couldn't imagine. Do you know anything about this matter?”

Elisha shook her head.

“I was really surprised too. Undine-sama has a story like that…….”

“If that were true, the entire empire would be overturned, not to mention the Cartier family. In her lifetime, Undine-nim was the most important person in the temple. She said that was the title of a saint. Of course, it is true that he was sick and almost invisible until right before he passed away, and it is also true that Merha managed all the saints and prophets…….”

Rosaria sighed as she spoke.

“Ah, while I was away from the power of the temple, this place had become so corrupt. There is no way that the previous great pope did not know how Undine was being treated. Even the temple cannot escape responsibility now.”

Any cool and intelligent person is bound to be shocked when he encounters a reality that goes beyond what he can perceive. Elisha decides to remind Rosalia of her composure.

“Lady Rosaria. Do not worry. The main perpetrator is the High Priestess Merha. He's still alive, what are you worried about?”

Rosaria paused. She was right. It was Merha who imprisoned Undine and drugged her into half-mad. It should have been to make Merha responsible.

“Besides, Lucerne is the only official heir to the Cartier family now. Lucerne will soon hold the power of the Cartier family. It would be much easier to sort this situation out if you worked with Lucerne rather than the head of household.”

Bondi Rosaria and Lucerne were good friends. So it was clear that in the long run it would be helpful for Rosaria as well.

Rosaria stared at Elisha.

“You always have the right answer. Elisha. Like someone who knows something.”

“It's thanks to having a good teacher.”

Elisha calmly replied. Rosaria seemed to have noticed something too. It's a problem because there are too many people with good intuition in the world. Elisha thought so.

Rosalia shook her head slightly.

“Did you see the chaos in there? Gaju has collapsed. I've never seen anything so confusing, even on a battlefield. Really……. Cartier is a trembling family.”

Rosaria originally lived a life far from the power of the temple. Besides, in the years before Undine's death, she rarely went before instead. So she really didn't know anything. Elisha said softly.

“Oh, you're falling down. It's a common occurrence at his age. I was also very surprised.”

Rosalia looked at Elisha with her suspicious eyes.

“Will you keep your promise?”

“Yes. Miss Rosaria kept her promise. He said he would tell you the location of the real saint if you could get me out.”

“Really. A child like you.”

Rosalia clicked her tongue.

“You are probably the only woman who uses a country's princess as a standard bearer to convey information.”

Elisha calmly listened to the words. That was the promise Elisha made with Ilione in the first place.

'If you cannot contact me for a certain period of time, please go to the great pope and ask how I am. I can't get in touch with Elisha, but she must be well, like this.'

And that was a kind of signal. The Saint Verification Plan. A signal to do it.

Since Ilione was from Lucerne, information could leak out. But even so, it didn't matter. Lucerne must have thought that Elisha was begging Rosaria to save her. And Lucerne must have judged that Rosaria could not save her.

…… But that was wrong. No one drools and humps in front of their own desires. In the case of Rosaria, the desire is only more sublime.

“It is not easy for me to be at odds with Lucerne. Elisha. I'll do my best to protect you for the time I promised, but it won't last long.”

Elisha smiled.

“Don't worry, I'm Lady Rosaria's apprentice. We don't do foolish deals that will only hurt each other. Besides, protecting me is only 100 days. I decided to let you do that. So that won't break her relationship with Lucerne.”

On the back of Elisha's neck was a trace tattoo from the Cartier family. Lucerne will find her wherever she runs. But there are no numbers at all.

Sanctuary. It was a territory only for the temple, and it was an area that could not be easily invaded from outside. Moreover, candidates for sainthood are beings that are thoroughly protected throughout the sainthood verification process.

'I don't care if you know where I am. You'd have to go to war with the whole temple to get me. Lucerne, no matter how crazy you pretend to be, I know. You're always a rational person, so I won't make such a foolish choice.'

Moreover, the Lucerne of yesterday and today are different. He has his hometown a stone's throw away.

Now that he has secured a way to escape, the future that Elisha wants is not far away. The borrowed-name account and identity have been blocked, but the day will soon come when we will say goodbye to this family.

“Elisha, are you really okay?”

Rosaria asked.

“If what we saw today is true……. Lucerne is…….”

Elisha hesitated. She shut her mouth.

Today she ruined and took away the only good memory in his life. All the memories of his mother, which he kept as a sanctuary in his heart, were false.

The idiot woman who raised him. She said that the woman was not even her biological mother, and that she was the one who ended up using Lucerne as a substitute for Jacob. From her name to the memories she told me. Not all of them belonged to their biological father and biological mother. The foundation of his life was built in a hell full of lies.

Moreover, the reunion with Undine wasn't heartbreaking at all, it was nothing more than a continuation of terrible hatred.

Perhaps his world has collapsed and been shaken. And through it all, he was alone, as always…….

Even Elisha, who loved him in her past life, tried to kill him. In the past and in the present……. In the end, he will only have memories of being used and sacrificed by someone throughout his life.

And Lucerne might really be a mindless monster.

Elisha gave her one unconscious stroke to her left heart.

But, I want you…….

You me…….

She closed and opened her eyes.

“Lady Rosaria. Don't worry about me. And I will definitely keep my promise. If you keep me for one hundred days, the first test period of the holy woman verification test……. I will definitely tell Miss Rosaria the location of the real saintess. As I said before, real saints are in very hard to find places. You will never be able to find the real saint without my help.”

Rosalia nodded her head. She said briefly and heavily.

“I know you're not stupid enough to lie about this.”

Elisha greeted her with a wink of gratitude.

“Then, I won't go away. Because I have to deal with that crazy inside.”

Rosalia hesitated.

“I told the Guardians to keep you close,” She said. You'll have to hurry. The only thing I can protect you is within the Sanctuary.”

“Yes, I know. See you at the Sanctuary.”

Said Elisha. And when Rosalia got off, her carriage began to move.

*​ *​ *​

Elisha took off her jewels that were hanging on her. And she pulled up the hem of her skirt. He also released the jewels he had brought from the garter belt hanging from her thigh.

'I needed an emergency fund because I didn't know what would happen in the future.'

She placed the chattering gems on the coach seat. She asked Sophie to decorate her elaborately and splendidly today in order to add one more thing.

Multiple, multiple.

“Hey!”

I heard the driver shouting.

The wagon quickly got out of the back road of Daeshinjeon. The guardians on horseback surrounded it and ran as if protecting it.

However, the wagon did not run long.

Soon the carriage stopped. Elisha drew back her curtains.

“What is this…….”

“I'm sorry, candidate saint.”

One of the Guardians rode up, leaned over, gasped, and whispered.

“Black lions are blocking the way.”

Elisha quickly judged people's appearances. Fortunately or unhappily. There seemed to be no Sid among the knights blocking the path. She closed her curtains. She sighed.

After passing through the knights, Lucerne mounted a black horse and approached. The road was so remote and quiet that the sound of her horse's hooves echoed loudly.

*​ *​ *​

“The General must show his face to the people. I hope all nobles will see the general.”

The knights were all excited. The most famous family in the world. Cartier's direct successor was their master. Now the lord will have everything. Besides, the elegant, beautiful, and violent beast-like mother of the master was the great Undine.

Lucerne could have entered the chaos and asserted itself. He could have gone to the fallen family head and put a wedge into it.

But he didn't. At this moment when he could grab everything, he only moved his knights to ambush the single road to the shrine sanctuary.

“General, wouldn't it be better to at least go to the imperial palace?”

“In there.”

Lucerne said quietly.

“There is only one thing I wish for.”

And Lucerne moved his horse and approached the carriage.

“Elisha, get down.”

Lucerne said to the inside of the carriage.

“The candidate saint is inside.”

One of the Guardians said as if warning.

“None of you guys has the right to stop me from taking my wife.”

A shadow appeared behind Lucerne's back. The Guardians hastily drew their swords. A shrieking sound resounded in the ears of the knights.

At the same time, Lucerne's knights also drew their swords. A tense standoff has begun.

*​ *​ *​

Then the carriage window opened. One of the Guardians approached it.

Something passed through the carriage window. The Guardian came with it in his hand. He got off his horse and spoke politely to Lucerne.

“The person inside wants you to pass it on.”

Lucerne glared at him silently, and when he mentioned Elisha, he got off his horse.

What the Guardian gave to Lucerne was a small silk pouch.

Lucerne opened the silk pouch. What came out of it was a kingfisher feather and a clipped tuft of blond hair. The two were tied together and surrounded by a blue ribbon.

Lucerne's eyes wavered. Anyone can see that it was Elisha's hair.

“The person in the carriage wants you to deliver it.”

The Guardian said cautiously.

“Next time.”

“…….”

“He said he would cut something else.”

Lucerne's eyes trembled. He squeezed the silk pouch tightly. The knights were silent. They looked at Lucerne without making a loud sound. The world of the man with the strongest power in the world, the man with the poison more like Cartier than anyone else, collapsed at once without knowing shame in front of people's eyes.

Lucerne seemed to be imagining something, and he seemed to be overcome with fear.

Then he squeezed the ribbon in his palm with trembling hands.

“Everyone withdraw.”

Lucerne ordered briefly.

The road was empty again, and Elisha's wagon slowly passed in front of him.

The carriage curtains were never opened.