Chapter 26: BWCGD

Chapter 26

Two days later.

A dangerous secret meeting was taking place in a hidden chamber beneath the dark temple.

A curtain hung around a bed heavy with the scent of lust. Inside sat a beautiful woman with long black hair and a handsome middle-aged man.

The atmosphere was heavy.

The man, the High Priest, sat on the golden bed and glared at the woman kneeling below the steps.

"Useless fool!"

Crash!

"I picked you up when you were dying in the back alleys and made you the Count's wife. Yet instead of repaying my kindness, you couldn't even deal with one insignificant little girl and caused this disaster?!"

The sacred chalice rolled noisily down the platform and stopped in front of the trembling woman.

Louise hurriedly picked it up and looked up with tear-filled eyes, trying to defend herself.

The High Priest clicked his tongue at her stupidity.

"The day that person learns that everything has gone wrong, neither you nor the daughter you gave birth to will survive. You understand that, don't you?"

He had summoned Louise, who was imprisoned in the temple's underground dungeon, to warn her not to do anything foolish during tomorrow's interrogation.

The High Priest wanted the Crown Prince to ascend the throne as soon as possible.

For that reason, he had secretly been preparing his plans for many years.

By filling the Empire's common people with fear, he intended to weaken the Emperor's authority and create a reason for the Crown Prince to seize the throne.

To him, the Grand Duke—who was destined to spend his life as the Empire's hope and Babel's greatest enemy—was a thorn in his side.

If Babel were destroyed, peace would return to the Empire.

That could never be allowed to happen.

So he had used every trick imaginable to prevent the Grand Duke from earning achievements, and now his plan was nearing its final stage.

If only the fool before him and the Crown Prince had not interfered.

Cedric, you idiot!

A few days ago, a palace servant whose lower body had been ruined after being abused by the Crown Prince had taken his own life.

Love affairs between men and women had become so common they no longer even made the newspapers.

But because the victim was a palace servant, the incident caused a huge stir.

People inside and outside the palace began criticizing the Crown Prince, saying his perverse tastes—which had not even spared brothel prostitutes—had finally disgraced the dignity of the imperial family.

Enraged, the Emperor declared he would exile the Crown Prince.

However, the Empress cried and begged until his anger subsided.

Recalling the incident, the High Priest twisted his lips in displeasure.

"The Count seems deeply troubled. Erze has apparently fallen for Viscount Fairfield's tricks and is demanding permission to marry him immediately."

"Mm! Mm!"

Louise desperately shook her head and gestured with all her might, making it clear that such a thing must never happen.

The High Priest nodded.

"I don't want to send Erze to such a lecher either. But what should I do? I hear the Grand Duke is desperately searching for the one behind everything you've done..."

As he trailed off, Louise widened her eyes and frantically waved her hands as if telling him not to worry.

"Good. Then this father will trust only you. Surely you wouldn't play games when your own daughter's life is at stake."

Only the dead could keep a secret forever.

The High Priest's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Louise clenched her teeth as she glared at the High Priest lounging carelessly on the bed.

At the age of fifteen, she had been registered as the adopted daughter of the then twenty-three-year-old High Priest.

His reason for taking her in had been obvious.

At the time, he had just begun carrying out his plan to place the newborn Crown Prince safely on the throne.

Having grown up in the underworld and mastered many secret techniques, Louise was someone he intended to tame and use as his own.

For someone to actually need her...

That alone was enough to intoxicate Louise, who had spent her entire life being treated like garbage.

To her, the High Priest—who openly revealed his plans—had seemed utterly sincere.

Captivated by that honesty, she had sworn her loyalty to him.

So none of this is my fault! He said he needed that girl, so I only did what I was told!

She was the one who kidnapped Marcella after she had lost her memories and took her to the hunting grounds.

She was also the one who led her husband to discover Marcella.

It was all because the High Priest had ordered that the girl Marcella gave birth to must be used as a sacrifice.

If Marcella gave birth somewhere else, stealing the child would not be easy.

So they had used Count Lawrence, allowing them to draw the child's blood regularly and keep her under control.

At least she gave birth to a daughter in one try. Did you think I enjoyed watching my husband pant after another woman?

But the High Priest was backed by someone far too dangerous for her to disobey.

In the first place, she had never been in a position to refuse.

She was furious.

Their goal had been right within reach.

If only it weren't for that damned Grand Duke...!

Still, there was one fortunate thing.

Because she was the High Priest's adopted daughter, she had escaped execution by beheading.

And after contributing so greatly to the High Priest's ambitions, there was no way he would simply abandon her.

So I just have to endure a little longer. Father still needs me.

After frowning slightly, Louise nodded as though she finally understood.

After Louise was dragged away, her place was taken by a man whose face was covered by a black cloth.

He was one of the assassins being sent after Kallian.

"The Grand Duke has departed from Eldin."

"This time don't fail like idiots again. At the very least, bring me one of that bastard's fingers. Otherwise, I'll cut off your heads. Remember that."

"Yes, sir!"

The assassin vanished like smoke, leaving the room silent once more.

Only then did the black-haired woman, who had remained hidden behind the curtain all this time, confirm that they were alone before embracing him from behind.

Her smooth, silk-like fingers seductively traced the High Priest's broad chest.

"What are you planning to do? Even you know those mercenaries can't leave so much as a scratch on Kal."

Her voice was filled with deep worry.

Feeling a dull ache in his chest, the High Priest gently embraced her slender body.

"There's nothing to worry about. They may not be able to wound him, but they can create a crack."

"A crack?"

"Yes. The price of that cursed power. The more he uses it, the redder his eyes become, as though drenched in blood. His heart pounds as if it will burst from his chest, until nothing remains but the instinctive desire to kill whoever stands before him. Madness."

"But... I still can't stop worrying. What if something is already going wrong? What if Kal has realized everything?"

The High Priest shook his head.

"Impossible. And even if he has, it doesn't matter. That girl is already cursed. The more magic she uses, the faster she shortens her own life. That's something we should welcome."

She would die on her own eventually.

What was there to worry about?

There was no chance that foolish girl would suddenly discover how to awaken her true ability.

As long as she continued provoking the Grand Duke as she had been doing, even if they reached Richev Village, there would be nothing he could accomplish.

Instead, if the Crown Prince cleaned up the situation after the Grand Duke lost control, public opinion would recover.

The Saint's body was also nearly restored.

There was nothing left to worry about.

The corners of the High Priest's lips curled upward cruelly.

As if blessing him, the eyes of the Sun God's statue guarding the temple flashed with light.

Meanwhile—

"...Mm..."

Evelyn had a terrible nightmare.

She couldn't remember what it had been about.

But when she opened her eyes, her face was soaked with something that could have been tears or cold sweat.

The world was still shrouded in pitch-black darkness.

Outside the window, rain poured down in sheets.

The temperature had dropped sharply after the day-long rain, leaving the air chilly.

Pulling the blanket around herself, Evelyn let out a deep sigh.

The reason she had a nightmare after so long was probably because Kallian wasn't beside her, and because she was worried about going to the temple.

Her anxiety had simply followed her into her dreams.

"Maybe a walk will clear my head."

She wrapped herself in a robe and quietly left her bedroom.

The mansion was as silent as a grave.

Only the sound of rain striking the windows echoed loudly.

Lightning occasionally flashed through the long windows lining the dark hallway.

As she descended the stairs and walked through the corridor leading to the indoor garden, she suddenly heard voices.

"Don't you think she doesn't look like a noble?"

"Who?"

"Who else? The young lady living with our master. The other day... can you believe it? She ignored all those expensive dresses and borrowed Eva's clothes instead."

Realizing they were talking about her, Evelyn stopped in her tracks.

Eva was the name of the maid assigned to her.

"Oh, that young lady? I heard she's the one he'll marry."

"Really? Her? That's... strange."

"Strange? Why?"

Evelyn simply stood there, listening as though they were talking about someone else.

It felt awkward to walk away, yet equally awkward to interrupt them.

They weren't insulting their master, nor were they saying anything particularly cruel.

Besides, she already knew there had once been another woman in his life.

It was only natural that the maids would wonder.

"You know I'm in charge of the glass greenhouse in the indoor garden, right? Well... I found a portrait of another woman there."

Clutching one of the pillars, Evelyn lowered her eyes.

Her slightly curled fingertips trembled faintly.

"She looks somewhat like the young lady... but her whole atmosphere is completely different."

"My goodness... Could something like that really happen by coincidence? Unless it was intentional."

"Honestly... that's what I think too. Maybe he couldn't forget the woman he loved and deliberately searched for someone who looked similar— Eek!"

Just then—

"You two... care to explain what exactly I'm hearing?"

A cold voice suddenly echoed through the darkness.

The person who stepped out of the shadows was Benjamin.

The maids immediately turned pale.

"Ah! W-We... we're sorry, Deputy Butler."

"We thought no one was here..."

"Enough."

Even the black eyepatch that usually contributed to his cheerful appearance now looked frightening.

Benjamin cut off their excuses without hesitation.

"No more explanations. As soon as dawn breaks, leave this estate."

"Deputy Butler! Please forgive us just this once!"

"There is no reason to employ maids who gossip about their master's private life. Return to your quarters immediately."

Despite their desperate pleas, Benjamin mercilessly dismissed them.

After he, too, disappeared into the darkness, heavy silence settled over the corridor once again.