Chapter 8
“Father, who cursed my body? It wasn’t you, was it? Or was it Aunt Liza or Uncle Peter? They don’t have that much magic power either…”
“Who…? It was me, I cast the spell!”
Eren blurted out, his voice laced with panic. His heavy movements caused the table and even the floor to shake.
As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, Cheryl finally joined in, cornering Sue.
“What are you thinking, saying such things?! Honestly… ever since you left home, your personality has become so strange.”
*It seems like her personality was strange even before she left home…*
*Sigh.*
Sue sighed inwardly. It didn’t seem like they were going to have a proper conversation anymore. She finally lowered her head and raised the white flag.
“I was just asking. I’m sorry.”
“Just asking…?”
Eren and Cheryl narrowed their eyes.
“Father, Mother, don’t you know me? I wasn’t really thinking of breaking the curse. I’ve never even thought about it. It’s just that I had a similar topic for an assignment at the academy, so I was just curious. Besides, even if I knew how to do it, would I even have the ability to actually break it?”
Sue laughed nonchalantly. Cheryl, seemingly dissatisfied with her response, pouted and exclaimed,
“Don’t ever say such things again, not even as a ‘just asking’!”
“Alright, I’m sorry.”
“Sue Byron, I think we need to forbid you from entering the underground workshop from now on.”
Eren declared in a low voice. It was his way of threatening her.
“…Do as you please.”
Sue shrugged indifferently.
She couldn’t help but think that it was a bit much to forbid her, the heir to the Byron family, from entering the workshop, but that was all.
Even if she continued to search the workshop, she wouldn’t find any research materials related to counter-curses. On the contrary, after spending half a day investigating, she was convinced that there was no information about the two snakes in the underground workshop.
She had already instructed Ten to gather any materials that seemed even remotely useful, so it should be fine. If necessary, she could try to coax Laura into helping her.
So, this was where the conversation should have ended.
“It’s because you’re not serving Lady Enzhe properly that things like last year happen!”
However, like a child throwing a tantrum, Eren, still agitated, began to unleash all the frustrations he had accumulated towards his daughter.
“You have no talent, you’re not particularly beautiful. If you were going to be born a girl, you should have at least charmed a man from a high-ranking family! You’re completely useless…!”
“Father.”
Sue cut Eren off sharply and smiled sweetly. This smile was her only talent, the one thing Sue Byron excelled at.
An artificial smile that could conceal everything, whether it was fear, anger, or the urge to cry.
“Don’t worry. I’m doing well. You know that.”
They were the only ones. Eren Byron and Cheryl Byron. They were the only two people in the world to whom Sue could express her anger and frustration.
“You know how well Lady Enzhe Lopetrefer and I are getting along, don’t you, Father?”
*You’re in no position to say such things.*
Having coldly spat out her last words, Sue no longer felt like dealing with her parents. She ignored the commotion behind her and left the drawing room.
“Miss…? Are you alright?”
The door slammed shut. Nine, who had been waiting outside, cautiously peeked in, checking on her master’s condition. Sue nodded curtly, clutching her right side tightly. The fabric of her dress crumpled in her grip.
Her face was pale and drawn from a long day without rest. But Sue decided to cling to the last shred of hope she had left. The sun had already set beyond the window, but it wasn’t quite nighttime yet.
*They’ll still be receiving devotees.*
Sue clenched her fist and spoke in a raspy voice.
“Ten, you take the materials and go back to the townhouse. Nine, come with me.”
“Yes? Where are we going?”
Nine tilted her head, her eyes full of questions.
*Going somewhere again? Sue Byron?*
Sue ignored the bewilderment in Nine’s eyes and answered immediately.
“We’re going to the Grand Temple.”
***
In truth, Sue didn’t believe in God. No matter how hard she tried, it seemed she couldn’t develop faith. She didn’t understand why she had to regularly visit the temple, pray, and drink holy water.
However, due to rumors that Fritz and Acrea, whom she admired, often visited the temple, she had been pretending to be a devout believer for quite some time. Although her efforts had never been rewarded.
The reason Sue went to the Grand Temple was because of the priests’ holy power.
The temple priests use a special power called holy power, not magic. Holy power is mainly specialized in healing and purification. In other words, she speculated that the high priest’s holy power might be able to break the curse.
‘It’s like grasping at straws, but it’s all I’ve got.’
* * *
A short while later, the Byron carriage arrived at the entrance of the Grand Temple. Stepping out, Sue was dressed far more neatly than when she had visited her family home.
As she entered, the priests were just beginning to clean the temple. It seemed she had arrived just in time.
While she was wondering who to approach, a familiar old priest called out to her.
“Well, well. If it isn’t Lady Sue of Byron.”
“Ah, High Priest Jephyr.”
He was Jephyr, one of the high priests of the Grand Temple. ‘Sue’ had never bothered to remember the names of all the priests, but she was acquainted with Jephyr.
“Greetings, High Priest Jephyr. Glory to the empire.”
“Glory to the empire.”
After exchanging greetings, Jephyr smiled kindly and asked her the reason for her visit.
“It’s rather late. What brings you here, Lady Sue? You can still offer your prayers, but would you like me to guide you?”
“No. Um… High Priest, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”
“Discuss? Lady Sue, with me?”
Sue nodded hesitantly. But the next words wouldn’t come out easily. She was still hesitating.
No, rather than hesitating…
“It’s been a while, Lady Sue.”
While she was faltering, another priest approached her.
The man, with a deep, resonant voice, was wearing the High Priest robes embroidered with silver, just like Jephyr.
And once again, Sue knew the name of the imposing man.
“H-High Priest Andley, it’s been a while. Glory to the empire.”
“Glory to the empire.”
Andley greeted her with a kind smile, like Jephyr, but his large physique exuded a certain sense of intimidation.
It was a rare sight to see two High Priests attending to a mere viscount’s daughter, especially so close to the end of prayer time.
And the reason for this went back to the alliance between the Lopetrefer and Byron families.
“…By the way, how is Lady Enzhe doing?”
It wasn’t just High Priest Jephyr and High Priest Andley. Most of the priests in the Grand Temple were connected to the Lopetrefer grand duke family.
And this was the reason why Sue Byron had considered the holy power of the Grand Temple as a last resort, ‘grasping at straws’.
“You’re asking about Lady Enzhe?”
Sue asked back hesitantly, and Andley nodded.
“Yes. She hasn’t been seen around lately. You two are close friends, are you not?”
“Come to think of it, Lady Enzhe hasn’t visited the temple since last winter… I wonder if it’s because of that incident.”
Jephry, who was standing next to them, chimed in, perhaps because a familiar name had been mentioned.
“It’s understandable. It hasn’t even been a few months since that incident.”
Andley looked solemn, as if his own daughter had been through an ordeal.
*…This isn’t going to work.*
Sue clenched the hem of her dress and tried to appear composed.
“Yes. There was that unfortunate incident involving the former Count Keron last year. Lady Enzhe has been deeply affected by it. Of course, Lady Enzhe is completely innocent.”
“Of course.”
She wasn’t sure what was so ‘of course’ about it, but they would never try to criticize the Lopetrefer family. Because that was how things had been arranged with the Lopetrefer family.
“The Lopetrefer grand duke family has always been a generous benefactor to the temple, and we are deeply grateful for their support.”
It wasn’t just Andley. Jephry, the old priest beside him, the priestess cleaning the altar in the distance, the priest praying even further away – everyone in this temple was under the jurisdiction of the Lopetrefer family.
Even if it weren’t the Lopetrefer family, the Grand Temple in the capital of Atlantis would never defy any of the grand ducal families.
This place, which appeared so radiant, beautiful, and devout, was in reality, utterly corrupt.
“…Hehe. It’s getting late. I think it’s best to come back another time with Lady Enzhe.”
Sue finally gave up, the words coming from the depths of her heart.
“Hmm? Didn’t you say you had something to discuss?”
Jephry, perhaps recalling her earlier words, asked with wide eyes.
“It was nothing important. I’ve been having some trouble with my cousins lately… I was thinking of praying to God about it.”
“Hahaha. Well, I’m sure it’s not your fault, Lady Sue. It’ll be alright in time.”
Kind words of encouragement and consolation, like a benevolent grandfather. But he too was one of those receiving offerings from the Lopetrefer family behind the scenes.
“Then I’ll come back another time. Glory to the empire.”
“You are always welcome. Glory to the empire.”
After Andley’s farewell, Sue, the coward, left the temple without even uttering a single word about the curse.
It was over.
The straw Sue had been clinging to had been mercilessly torn away, leaving her with nothing.
😿😿
God, everywhere is a dead end…