Episode 151
Marquis Fortrun entered the reception room of the Imperial Princess’s Palace, escorted by Alberich.
He finished his tea, and just then, the door opened, and Sarah, the daughter he had been waiting for, appeared.
“Father.”
“Sardia.”
Marquis Fortrun stood up, relief washing over his face. Sarah, however, remained standing, her expression guarded, as if addressing a stranger.
“If you have something to say, you could have sent a letter. What brings you here?”
Marquis Fortrun smiled sadly. She had already guessed his purpose.
He fidgeted with his teacup, then began hesitantly,
“There was a meeting today.”
“I know.”
“…Lady Hellington has become the new Marquis.”
Sarah knew what was coming next. She turned away.
“Father, whatever you’re about to say, I’m not interested. Please leave.”
“Sardia, you have to face reality.”
“But I haven’t finished my duties at the palace yet.”
“Sardia, look at me.”
Marquis Fortrun approached her, and she reluctantly met his gaze. She was startled by what she saw.
‘…When did Father get so old?’
It had been a while since she had last seen him, but he looked much older now.
It wasn’t surprising. She was over forty, so he must be close to seventy.
His hair was completely white, his face deeply wrinkled, his eyes filled with worry, his skin sagging.
She hadn’t realized how much he had aged. As if reading her thoughts, Marquis Fortrun held up his wrinkled hand.
“Look, Sardia. I’m too old now. I can’t protect the estate anymore. This title wasn’t meant for me. It belongs to you. It was wrong for me to hold onto it for so long.”
“…But you’re doing a good job.”
“Even so, it’s not my place. You’re the true heir of House Fortrun. You deserve this title.”
Sarah bit her lip. She knew her father was struggling, but she couldn’t leave the palace yet.
Just as she was about to refuse, he continued,
“Sardia, you know about the potion Heilan is spreading. I heard Lady Fiona was affected.”
Anger flared within her. She was the princess’s godmother, and yet, she was perceived as weak. She retorted sharply,
“I won’t be affected by such a trivial potion, Father.”
“You might be immune, but the people in our estate aren’t.”
His words hit her like a physical blow. She hadn’t thought about the people in their estate.
Marquis Fortrun took her hand, his voice pleading.
“I wasn’t born to be a ruler, and I’m old and weak now. I can’t protect them. Please, Sardia, help me.”
Sarah was also hesitant. How could she, an inexperienced ruler, manage the estate in such turbulent times?
She pulled her hand away, trying to rationalize her decision.
“I can’t do it either, Father. How can I manage the estate? The people trust you more than they trust me.”
“Sardia.”
“You know why Mother didn’t want me to learn swordsmanship. She always worried about me, saying I was too indecisive, too afraid. She was right. I can’t protect the estate if I’m not willing to fight.”
“Then, according to your logic, I can’t protect the estate either, since I can’t wield a sword. Wouldn’t it be better for you, the younger one, to take over? Can you argue with that?”
“…”
“Sardia, strength isn’t just about wielding a weapon.”
His grip on her hand tightened, his blue eyes, the same color as hers, filled with conviction.
“I saw how you raised the princess. You can be a strong ruler and protect our estate.”
The purification potion wasn’t a preventative measure. It was a cure.
It was useless if the patient didn’t even know they were sick. And this illness could make people kill themselves and others.
That was what Marquis Fortrun feared most.
“We can’t afford to lose our ruler during these times. And you need to establish your authority now, so you can support the princess when she becomes Empress. Please, Sardia.”
“…”
Sarah hesitated. She couldn’t abandon Elonia, not now.
She had a duty to Philemon, who had entrusted her with Elonia’s care.
But her father was right. She couldn’t hide behind Elonia forever.
“Sardia, you’re strong. You can protect our estate better than I can.”
Sarah looked away, conflicted.
She knew her father had struggled, wearing a title that didn’t suit him. His aged appearance was proof of that.
But still…
“I apologize.”
Elonia and Lucius had to apologize repeatedly to Valerian. He had healed Lucius, but he was still furious.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep it a secret…”
“…”
Elonia felt slightly wronged. It wasn’t her fault that the only way to identify the holy relic was through an apostle’s blood. And Lucius could be quite stubborn.
“I apologize for causing trouble.”
“Trouble?! Is that what you think this is?!”
Valerian exploded. He had been somewhat lenient towards Elonia, but Lucius’s apology only fueled his anger.
He paced back and forth, fuming, then sighed, running a hand through his hair. He wouldn’t yell at Lucius like this if Elonia wasn’t present.
She was busy. She didn’t have time for his tantrums.
“If you do this again, I won’t heal you.”
“Sorry…”
“It’s not your fault, Your Highness. He must have insisted.”
That was exactly what happened. Elonia nodded silently, and Lucius, feeling slightly remorseful, lowered his head.
Valerian sighed again, then, crossing his arms, asked, his voice weary,
“So, Lucius, was it the real thing?”
“Ah, this dagger…”
Lucius trailed off, his expression darkening. The answer was obvious.
Elonia felt a wave of disappointment.
‘I thought it might be real, since it was Mother’s…’
Oh well. They would have to keep searching.
She stood up.
“I’m sorry for wasting your time, Valerian.”
“Your Highness.”
He wanted to comfort her, seeing her disappointment, but empty words wouldn’t help. Elonia, putting on her mourning hat, forced a smile.
“I’ll go back and see if I can find anything else. Let me know if you think of another way.”
Her smile didn’t reach her eyes, but she didn’t want Lucius to worry.
“Then I’ll be going.”
She left Lucius’s room. Valerian, watching her leave, murmured,
“She really cares about you.”
“…?”
Lucius looked up at him, puzzled. Valerian chuckled and shrugged.
“Well, she’s usually more mature than her age. Especially when dealing with Princess Olivia and Prince Simon. But with you… she seems different.”
Was that so? Perhaps it was because he was also an apostle, like Philemon. She did seem unusually concerned about him.
Valerian stood up.
“Anyway, I have to go. I’ll send you a letter if I find any clues at the Madicte Temple.”
“Thank you.”
“And even though you’re recovering, you’re still fragile. So don’t stab yourself again unless Her Highness and I are present. Got it?”
“…Yes.”
Fragile? It bruised his pride, but it was true. Lucius watched him leave.
‘I thought it would react. I thought it was an active holy relic…’
It had been a holy relic, but it was dead. And it seemed to have died recently.
“Sigh…”
Lucius sighed deeply. If he wasn’t so weak, he wouldn’t be causing so much trouble for everyone.
He conjured a small orb of Holy Power in his palm.
It glowed brightly.
‘My Holy Power is returning.’
But his apostle’s power and his stamina were still depleted. He would be a burden.
He had never been a burden before. It was a humiliating feeling.
He leaned back against the bed, thinking,
‘I should create a protective tool… I can still use my Holy Power.’
Yes, that was a good idea. He couldn’t rely on his apostle title or Elonia’s protection forever.
‘And that dream… it will come true eventually.’
Elonia would be attacked by Artius.
He wasn’t sure if he could change the future, but he had to try. Lucius stood up.
Elonia returned to the Imperial Palace and went straight to Artius’s office.
“Dad, I’m back.”
“Elonia.”
Artius, looking exhausted from the meeting, stood up as soon as he saw her.
He took her mourning hat and asked,
“How was the Luneus estate?”
“…Devastating.”
Elonia collapsed onto the long sofa, stretching out her legs.
She noticed a white chrysanthemum petal stuck to her dress and picked it off.
‘This was my first time visiting a cemetery.’
She had killed countless people, but she had never witnessed the aftermath, the grief of the families, the solemn atmosphere of a funeral.
“How was the meeting?”
“As expected, some nobles demanded an immediate attack on Heilan.”
Artius frowned.
Elonia, staring at the petal, lamented,
“I thought they would be more cautious after the potion of luck incident… But now they know about Tristan, so his power must have grown.”
Artius nodded. All they could do now was reveal a smaller threat to prevent a larger catastrophe.
“The interrogation ended today. What did Simon say?”
Olivia and Simon had returned to their respective estates today. They had been cleared of suspicion, but the real culprit behind the prison break hadn’t been found yet.
“He revealed everything he knew. But he couldn’t pinpoint the location of the Resurrection God Church headquarters in Ravanta.”
“Not even in the Peace Treaty Zone?”
Artius shook his head. It wasn’t going to be easy.
Elonia, setting aside the petal, asked,
“Dad, do you remember any metal objects from Heilan that were brought to Ravanta after the war?”
“Suddenly?”
“Yes. I was wondering if the holy relic might have been mixed in with the war spoils.”
She explained what Lucius had told her about the holy relic, about the golden chalice, and the possibility of other relics.
Artius stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“I’ll have to check the treasury.”
The war spoils were still stored there. He didn’t remember seeing a golden chalice, but it was worth checking.
And speaking of holy relics…
“…Still no word from him. He was so confident about finding the holy relic and protecting you.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
Elonia blinked, confused.
“Lucius returned a long time ago. What are you talking about?”