Chapter 23

“Ahh, what do I do? What should I do?”

The priest must have realized the status of the person he had bumped into. He fidgeted anxiously and kept breaking into a cold sweat.

At this point even his size felt wasted. Unable to bear watching it any longer, Gilbert called out to him.

“Brother Vincent, calm yourself. Do you think Madam is some kind of monster.”

“I am sorry. I am really sorry. I could not see well and… I need to get new glasses soon but I have had no time…”

If they got any thicker those glasses would not be spectacles anymore but soup bowls.

Anyway, the man apologized over and over before finally calming down enough to introduce himself.

“I, I greet the Duchess of Lombard. I am Vincent, a priest of the Lombard Archdiocese.”

Vincent was such a common name it practically rolled under one’s feet.

It was because he was the prophet who first received an oracle from the sun god Leto. So if you stopped a random priest on the street at least one out of five would be named Vincent.

I pushed away my wandering thoughts and nodded.

“Nice to meet you Brother Vincent. Your accent is unusual. Where are you from.”

“I am from the Holy City Argenbach. I, I completed my priestly training there last year and have just been assigned to the Lombard diocese.”

Argenbach was the city under direct papal control where the Great Cathedral stood.

Meaning Vincent was someone deeply familiar with the Holy Church.

‘Maybe I can get some hints about the inquisitor visiting this time…’

I offered him a friendlier smile.

“Brother Vincent, even if you have been assigned to Lombard you are still a citizen of the Holy City. There is no need for you to be so formal before a Lombard native like me. Call me by name.”

“W, what. H, how could I be so disrespectful…”

Startled, Vincent bounced back like a frog. Only after I insisted several times did he cautiously speak again.

“E, Elicia. Is it really alright if I call you that. I, I do not think it is.”

“In Lombard, I am the law.”

Goodness, that line felt perfect.

I decided I should start using it whenever possible. Riding the newly softened mood, I carefully probed him.

“Come to think of it, if you are from the Holy City you must know the people of the Great Cathedral quite well.”

“I am only a low-ranking priest so I did not have many chances to meet the central clergy directly. But I have seen them from afar several times.”

“The truth is I have a keen interest in the Great Cathedral. Especially the department that carries out divine justice on this land, the Inqui… I mean the Holy Office.”

“Ah yes, they are truly admirable.”

Through the thick lenses, Vincent’s eyes sparkled brightly.

Hands clasped in front of his chest and a suddenly confident voice suggested he knew far more about them than he let on.

Pretending to have no ulterior motive at all, I continued as if making a general observation.

“There are some harsh rumors about the Holy Office but my thoughts differ a bit. They are precious servants who dispense grace and mercy in the name of God.”

“It is truly upsetting. If people could meet the Prefect in person those ridiculous rumors would all disappear…”

“Is it that serious?”

At my question, Vincent answered without hesitation.

“He is merciful. He loves all that God has created. Deeply.”

Then he smiled devoutly as if nothing in the world mattered more.

I smiled with him.

* * *

Without realizing it, Lady Olden bit her lip.

Standing alone at a corner of the private garden path attached to the inner chambers, her expression was rigid.

“Something is off.”

Elicia had changed.

Sometime along the way she had become someone completely different from the young lady Olden had known for years.

Lady Olden had personally raised Elicia after the girl lost her parents in an unexpected accident.

She controlled everything around her and eventually succeeded in isolating her completely and keeping her in the palm of her hand.

Even if Elicia acted arrogant and violent before others she always submitted meekly in front of Lady Olden.

Lady Olden had spent years shaping her exactly that way.

‘So why?’

Thinking back, it had started when they arrived in Lombard.

That wretched girl had begun resisting her control at every turn.

‘Is she going through a late rebellious phase…’

But it did not matter. Lady Olden still controlled everything around Elicia.

Every piece of food that entered her mouth, the clothes she wore, every person allowed to serve at her side, all passed through Lady Olden’s approval.

So she could overlook a single stray animal sneaking into her care.

That was what she thought at first.

“But now she wants to hire a maid from the outer wall.”

Not only had she informed Lady Olden without permission, she even insisted that once construction was finished she would keep the girl at her side so Lady Olden should prepare suitable lodging inside the inner wall.

Show a girl mercy a few times and she dares to step over the line.

It seemed she had forgotten the lessons of the past since it had been too long since Lady Olden had truly disciplined her.

As a bitter laugh escaped her, a sudden thought struck.

‘Could it be that she has been pretending all along and hiding her true nature?’

Lady Olden immediately shook her head.

‘Impossible. It has been eleven years. Could someone really hide her true nature and pretend to be stupid for eleven whole years.’

No one knew better than she did that Elicia was not remotely that clever.

Even so, unease crept through Lady Olden.

Even the smallest possibility had to be checked. If she got careless her carefully built tower could collapse in an instant.

“Did you call for me Madam?”

Just then, a familiar presence approached from the other side of the garden.

He was a servant working in Lombard Castle’s stables and someone from Lady Olden’s hometown, with whom she had personal ties.

After checking their surroundings, Lady Olden lowered her voice.

“From tomorrow I want you to observe the Madam’s every move.”

“Yes, leave it to me.”

“Just figure out who she meets and what the atmosphere is like. Be careful not to get caught. You know what I mean.”

“Do not worry Madam. I will keep my distance and pull away if needed.”

Whether her uneasy instinct was truth or simply paranoia, she would verify it herself.

A sharp light flickered in Lady Olden’s eyes.

* * *

I was inspecting the church inside the inner wall with Vincent.

“Wow, this is incredible. It seems comparable even to the churches in the Holy City.”

“Hearing that puts me at ease.”

I answered with a confident expression.

Even the strictest inquisitor would be struck speechless at the sight. I had prepared everything perfectly.

To be honest, I did not even fully trust my own existence. I had died, come back to life, and possessed someone else. The normal reaction should have been panic, not acceptance. If anything, assuming I was not possessed by a demon would be stranger.

And on top of that, the inquisitor had sent an unusual advance notice of his visit. Of course I was terrified enough to shake.

The fear only pushed me to review doctrine even more thoroughly.

I redesigned the church according to the traditional standard layout. The materials were elegant and high quality but never excessive or decadent.

The clinic, scriptorium, library, and school attached to the church were all renovated into new facilities as well.

‘Even Brother Vincent from the Holy City is impressed. This should be enough.’

During the inspection, Vincent pointed out without hesitation any detail that deviated from doctrine or regulations.

Despite being timid in every other aspect, he was exceptionally strict when it came to matters of faith.

Thanks to him, construction progressed more smoothly.

I even started thinking he must be an angel sent by God to help pitiful me.

“Ah…!”

“Are, are you alright?”

Lost in thought, I failed to watch my step.

I had thought nothing was there, but something caught my foot and I nearly fell. Vincent quickly grabbed me and steadied me in his arms.

Only then did I notice the dangerously stacked materials beside us.

Imagining myself falling into them made my vision spin.

“Are you hurt anywhere.”

“Thank you. You saved me.”

The relief lasted only a moment. Then I stiffened.

My palm had landed on Vincent’s large, firm chest.

Through the rise and fall of his breathing, the sensation pressed clearly against my hand.

Since I had lived my entire life as a woman with zero interest in men I found myself staring blankly before snapping out of it and trying to pull my hand away.

“Madam!!”

Administrator Ramon came rushing toward us with several soldiers in tow.