Episode 98

“The Heretic Questioner is investigating the suspicion that High Priest Merha manipulated the ledger and stole the holy relic. High Priestess Merha is a scary person. Afraid he'll dispose of those involved, he's trying to find and protect them from the Heretic Inquisitor. That's a big deal. The Cartier family is very cruel.”

“…….”

Rosalia thinks Elisha's behavior is bizarre, but she got her rhythm right before she knew it.

“I am Rosaria, the Great Pope. No matter what crime you commit, you don't get the death penalty in the temple. That's why I'm desperate to save people. Could you tell me about any of the people who work here who are usually acting suspiciously?”

Anton's body stiffened and his face turned blue.

“Don't worry. First of all, everyone will be investigated, but not everyone will be punished. However, it would be nice to embroider. If you don't turn yourself in, the temple may seek out the person involved and demand compensation for damages. Then he might be in big debt to his family, let alone the severance pay he gets when he leaves the temple. However, if you can surrender and take into account the injustices, you may be able to preserve your position.”

Elisha quickly saw through Anton's psychology. It was a matter of life and death for a few pennies of money for those who came from slums and were clinging to poor families. For Anton, even the small salary he received from the temple was his sister's way of life.

He would rather die than die if he owes a great deal of damages. Elisha knew her well because she had been in a similar situation.

She said, “If you know anything, tell me. I will use my name to help those involved in any way.”

Rosaria's kind words had a considerable effect. Anton, who had been trembling, stopped crying.

“In fact…….”

Anton told the truth.

“I'm sorry, High Priestess Merha knows my worldly family……. He said he would retaliate somehow if I misbehaved.”

That's what Anton said. When Merha was strong, she had no choice but to follow. But she said that now that Merha had fallen, she could not sleep at night because she was afraid that her own head would be blown off if she continued to cooperate with the crime.

“Besides, stealing the holy relic. Wouldn't that be punished by heaven? Such beautiful relics…….”

Anton whimpered. Then she told her amazing words.

“Marco came this morning on the pretext of returning the holy relic, and went looking inside?”

Rosaria said. Anton nodded his head.

“What the hell did you steal?”

“That is……. I don't know why they stole so many worthless things.”

Anton stammered.

“I took an old box that contained one of the treasures of the fallen god, the evil spirit. The inside was empty. Rumor has it that evil spirits bring luck, and the state of preservation is the worst, and it's just a worn-out paper box, so I wondered why they took it…….”

Elisha had a pensive look on her face. And she said

“Lady Rosaria, may I go to the secret library of the temple?”

*​ *​ *​

Mumble, mumble. Arien repeated the words she had memorized in her head several times.

She said 'she points the ring to the wine glass and presses the blemish on the part of her ring…….. Then the ring works and the poison falls into the wine glass…….'

There was a bottle of the finest white wine in Merha's mansion. The wine, made in commemoration of her founding 20 years ago, was made from the finest grapes, and even the bottle was gilded and luxurious.

The grape farming status of that year was very good, and it was very expensive because it was a wine that had not been made in a few bottles.

Arien thought to herself once more.

'I can do it too.'

Carola was a woman who would not let her enemies go. She skillfully destroyed her own enemies both at the Imperial Palace and at Cartier. She always succeeded

Arien, a relatively ordinary lady, was always defeated. But Arien, who was thrown into the world without anyone's help, realized that she could become a scammer as well as herself.

First, Arienne called one of her ladies, whom her own breath touched. She passed by at a glance and heard that the maid she favored was an old employee at the cafe 'Breath of the Spring Breeze' that Elisha frequented.

'I've been to that cafe a few times, and she's good at her job, so I scouted her as my maid.'

Okay. She obviously said so. She said she had worked long enough, so she handed the money and she asked to find out who she would embrace in the breath of the spring breeze.

She said, 'I think she can subdue one clerk. She says she'll blow everything she knows for money.'

She did so and the information she obtained was not great. Elisha came to the breath of spring breeze at a certain time.

According to her, Lucerne was overprotective of her wife to the point of being almost obsessed with it, so it seemed that the cafe was the only place Elisha could go out alone. In addition, on days when Elisha stopped by in the evening, Spring Breeze Forest emptied the entire space on the third floor and only entertained Elisha.

Elisha said that she always drinks white wine on such days. She's picky about it, too, so she won't even touch it unless it's a top-notch white wine, she said.

She's like, 'I'm putting this in his wine glass.'

Arien squeezed her ring. Today, Arien's decision to give Elisha the medicine herself moved Marco to tears.

'Arien, my wife is only you for the rest of my life. I won't forget this.'

Marco hid in a safe place with 'Devil's Tears', or three pills of antidote, just in case.

The three pills of antidote were in a paper box that Marco stole from the reliquary he had blackmailed Anton into.

The followers of the evil god hid a pair of poison and antidote in the bottom of a shabby paper box to hide their heinous relics. Even the people of the temple did not know the information Merha had given them.

'If Elisha takes the poison, she blackmails her into going to her hideout and joining Marco.'

Arien has been splendidly decorated for the first time in a while.

'There's nothing I can't do. Just do it.'

Arien thought, hiding her trembling hands.

*​ *​ *​

Elisha was watching the capital from her window, which began to light up. Someone approached Elisha. Elisha lifted her head and checked her opponent's face. The opponent was an unexpected person.

'Arien?'

Elisha's face immediately frowned. She was Arienne, thin and pale.

“What's going on here? I know the cafe that her wife goes to is not here.”

“I came to see you.”

Arien tried to put on a friendly smile. Elisha became even more puzzled.

“Why me?”

“That is……. May I sit down for a moment?”

Elisha was surprised inside. It was because Arien was acting servilely, like a merchant trying to sell her goods.

She had what is called etiquette among nobles. No matter how much Elisha hated Arienne, she couldn't even refuse this request. Elisha is reluctant. But she spoke calmly, as she always does.

“Sit down.”

Arien nodded her head. Arien said her words as soon as she sat down.

“I……. He has a very high status. So she's not used to sounding wistful.”

“So what?”

Elisha asked quietly. Arien's face in her blushed. She seemed very embarrassed.

“Help me.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The only way for our couple to survive is the general.”

Arien said biting her lip.

“As you know, it was thanks to her father that my husband maintained his position as her heir. Now that my father-in-law has fallen, we are living a hard life without money to maintain our dignity.”

“Someday, the head of the family will calm down.”

“When? 5 years later? 6 years later? What if Jacob becomes the family head in the meantime? So you think you'll just leave us alone? As soon as Jacob becomes the head of the family, the first thing he will do is to organize our couple.”

Elisha's body stopped. For the first time, interest flashed in her eyes.

“That must be so. But what does that have to do with me?”

“I came to tell you about my husband's proposal.”

“A suggestion?”

“This is what my husband thinks. Anyway, no matter how much the general flies and crawls, he is not in the red, so he will never become the master. So my husband becomes the household head in name only……. Behind that, the general wields power.”

Elisha was quite surprised. I didn't know that Marco and Arien would think this far. They were born aristocrats, so they would rather die than bow down to the Lucerne couple, illegitimate children and fallen nobles.

“You made an amazing decision, but why are you telling me that? What power do I have?”

“We are not fools.”

Arien said. Her hands trembled and her clenched mouth even groaned.

“It has already been rumored that you are the stepdaughter of the next Grand Pope of Rosaria, and that you blew on her and told Lucerne to make her her Grand Pope.”

“Has there been such a rumor? Do great How did everyone know?”

Elisha said nonchalantly.

“Besides, the general is a person who can't communicate. Even if I approached her and started talking to her, she would try to slit her throat.”

“Oh, that's right.”

Elisha said without hesitation.

“So I'm trying to convey the words through you. Hey. If we fall like this, it's not good for you either. If we are gone, Jacob will automatically become the next head of household. Then you guys are done too.”

“…….”

“This is a proposal that we all live together. I'll do anything you want. I will leave evidence of this secret agreement, if you will. Please, give me a chance. We enjoy the status of members of the Cartier family, and we are content to be well-fed for the rest of our lives. To begin with, Marco is not a man with great ambition. Power will let you wield it.”

Elisha touched her chin at those words.

“Okay?”

Elisha's eyes deepened. It was blue eyes that were as beautiful as ten roads in the water, yet completely incomprehensible.

“You say something very interesting.”

At that moment, Arien felt chills. Elisha was like a woman who, by her very nature, would stand on top of others. She was like an elegant princess, not a tyrannical ruler.

'Since when the hell did this woman do this? Carola says she used to do laundry like a slave. Since when did she change her appearance like this? That lowly, filthy woman of blood…….'

Even in this situation, Arien was surprised by that.