Chapter 86
Translator: Yonnee
-
"Ahem, well then. Shall we practice more outside? Let me help you."
She had guided him just now, but the impure energy in him that had accumulated thus far wouldn't easily disappear just like that. Irene offered to be with him longer with the intention of giving him more radial guiding.
Morgan, on the other hand, could only look at her as though he was possessed. He kept his head down and nodded slowly.
* * *
As Ciel was preparing his gifts for Irene, he had just been ignoring the crown prince's daily correspondence. He was already feeling impatient as it was, and the crown prince's letters just served as yet another annoyance.
If anyone were to hear his thoughts, he wouldn't be able to deny any accusations that he's committing disloyalty.
Even so...
"Hah, so that guy even used the official seal this time."
The official seal of the crown prince was firmly stamped on the short letter, which had the brief message of, 'Come to the Imperial Palace and apologize to the Saintess'. This was nothing short of a command.
Though he was a duke, he could not disobey the order of the crown prince.
With a look of annoyance, Ciel spoke to the butler as he put on his suit.
There's nothing he could do.
He was in the middle of finalizing his proposal letter and gifts, but now that he's being forced to leave the manor, he's not in a very good mood.
"Did that cunning woman say something to His Highness?"
The energy that a Guide would provide was both poison and medicine, leaving the Esper yearning for more without knowing that they're slowly getting addicted.
In the process, it's a foregone conclusion that an Esper would bow down in front of that Guide, doing anything that they're told to do.
Ciel made a request to Rouman, the head butler.
"Even if she rejects it, make sure to stay at the Barony for as long as possible. I will make sure to arrive before you leave."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Thus, after sending Rouman off first, Ciel hurried to the palace. And upon hearing of his arrival, the crown prince had him ushered to the saintess's designated room. They were both waiting for him there.
Led by the palace's chief attendant, Ciel arrived and greeted the crown prince with an expressionless face.
"Your Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince. I, Ciel de Leopardt, convey my greetings."
Then, he immediately turned to the saintess who was sitting up in her bed, greeting her.
"Have you been well in the meantime, Saintess?"
Just by the tone of his voice, it was clear that he was not interested in her. Strangely, Seo-yoon felt displeased.
But even so, her curiosity for him overpowered her negative feelings.
Why didn't her guiding work for this Esper?
"...I'm alright."
Seo-yoon pretended to be weak by speaking with a faint voice. In all honesty, it had been a long time since she had gotten back in shape.
However, this palace was comfortable and leagues better than that suffocating temple, so she's been feigning her illness to continue living here.
"Duke."
Jace was terribly angry. He wanted Ciel to come here and apologize of his own volition, but he did not. And as if it's not enough that he came only when an imperial order was given, Ciel was even so curt with the saintess now, as if he'd rather not ask about her well-being had he not been forced by the situation. The sight of him disappointed Jace immensely.
"What are your orders, Your Highness."
And here, seeing Ciel continue to speak with such indifference, Jace uncharacteristically gave an order with an overbearing attitude.
"Must you ask? Apologize to the saintess now!"
Jace's snarl echoed throughout the tense room. It's true that he was the empire's crown prince, but it was still too much for him to be acting this way towards a duke of the country.
The chief attendant knew this, but he could do nothing. Instead, Seo-yoon reached out to Jace.
With her eyebrows furrowed to the fullest in lamentation, she held the crown prince's large hands tightly in her own as she whispered.
"I'm alright, Your Highness."
Anyone who didn't know her would think that she was the very picture of benevolence-that she was the perfect fit for her role as the saintess.
However, Ciel easily figured her out. She's doing this because her pride must have gotten hurt when her guiding didn't work on him. She's petulantly acting up.
It's impossible for him not to know.
After all, it's something that she did quite often in the past.
"With all due respect, Your Highness."
After Ciel met the high priest, he started to think about it seriously.
How exactly would he be able to indirectly inform the crown prince that this saintess was a fake?
"I don't understand why I must apologize."
"What did you say?"
It was not long ago that Jace felt the warmth of a Guide's energy, and he couldn't help but feel displeased by Ciel's behavior.
"Isn't it strange, Your Highness? The Saintess's blessing-her guiding-did not work on me. So why should I, the Duke of this Empire, bow my head when my circumstances have plummeted to such a degree?"
"...You!"
"The Saintess is supposed to provide her guiding energy fairly to Espers. Isn't that the kind of saintess we've studied about since we were young? That's why we've been waiting for so long."
Though Jace had been uncompromising with Ciel just now, his rationality gradually returned as he listened to the duke. Ciel was always so fair and impartial even compared to Jace, so he could sense that something was off.
Obviously enough, he was under the impression that Ciel had made a mistake and caused the saintess to fall ill... but perhaps that's not the case?
