<Chapter 35>

“Pardon?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

With one hand propping up his chin, Temenos stared intently at the documents on his desk, his expression grave.

David, who had been cautiously awaiting the scolding he expected, tentatively raised his head. He was a bit startled when he saw Temenos’ face.

No, more precisely, it was the muttering he overheard that surprised him.

“Twelve years ago… No, but she would have lost her memories… Could it really be back then too…?”

It seemed Temenos thought there was some credibility to the rumor, not just idle gossip.

David’s mouth fell open in shock at the unexpected reaction.

“Um, Your Grace.”

“What?”

“Well, so……”

David kept stealing glances at Temenos’ face. Contrary to his expectations, there was no sign of displeasure in Temenos’ expression as he studied the report detailing the rumors.

Feeling it might just be his imagination, David hesitated but decided to test the waters.

“Um, if such rumors spread widely, wouldn’t it damage the reputation of the Prospective Duchess?”

“Reputation? …Well, it’s true. The idea that the Saintess fell in love with the Monster Duke at first sight isn’t exactly flattering to her…”

“No, that’s not what I meant!”

As Temenos referred to himself as the Monster Duke, his face instantly turned blank, devoid of emotion. His right side, frozen like a mask overshadowing the left, gave off a chilling, inorganic vibe that made David’s heart drop.

In a rush, David blurted out anything that came to mind: “Generally speaking, it’s the man who courts the woman, isn’t it? A rumor suggesting that a woman chased after a man could imply, uh, that the woman lacks appeal…”

“Ah, is that what you meant?”

Temenos’ right side regained some color, and the contemplative look on his face as he stared at the documents was far more pleasant than before.

David sighed in relief, smacking his lips in frustration at his own panic. But just as he was calming down, Temenos seemed to make a decision and spoke: “Spread the rumor in the opposite direction.”

“Sorry? The opposite direction, Your Grace…?”

“Claim that when I went to the capital twelve years ago, I fell for Inosensia at first sight and demanded her as a bride.”

Wait, that would only cement His Grace’s already dubious reputation as the Monster Duke…

David hesitated before voicing his concern: “And… what about the two previous bride candidates?”

“Add that the Emperor tried to deter me by offering those two women as candidates, but I refused to give up on Inosensia, so they were dismissed.”

“But, Your Grace, wouldn’t that tarnish your reputation even further…?”

“Whether the rumor is that the brides ran away because they didn’t want to marry the Monster Duke, or that I dismissed them because I wasn’t satisfied, either way, the Emperor saves face. That should keep him content.”

The Emperor had already tried to kill Inosensia over his fragile pride.

In the end, Temenos was resigned to being seen as the Monster Duke who behaved monstrously. He had nothing left to lose.

“If the Monster Duke defied even the Emperor to claim her, no one would dare suggest that Inosensia lacks charm.”

“Y-you’re right…”

Still dazed, David nodded along but couldn’t stop himself from asking: “But… is there truly a need to go to such lengths for the Prospective Duchess’s reputation?”

Temenos responded as if David had just asked the most obvious question in the world: “If a husband doesn’t protect his wife’s reputation, who will?”

“Of course… that’s true.”

Hearing Temenos’ response, David came to a realization.

‘He’s not making her the duchess because the Emperor ordered it… He genuinely intends to accept her as his wife.’

It explained why Temenos had issued orders to treat Inosensia properly as the duchess.

‘I should warn the staff once more just to be safe.’

David also decided to prepare all the documents he had handled as the acting authority of the duchess’s position while the seat was vacant. Once the wedding was over, they would all need to be handed over to her.

Planning each step carefully, David bowed to Temenos.

“I’ll proceed with the rumor as you’ve instructed. But I wonder if the Prospective Duchess might be shocked to learn such gossip is circulating. Shall I inform her in advance?”

“Hmm…”

After some thought, Temenos replied: “I’ll tell her myself. Where is she now?”

“At this time… she’s likely at the confessional.”

“The confessional…”

The moment he heard the word, irritation flared within him.

He had ordered the confessional’s repairs himself, but according to Cesare’s report, the retired knights had shamelessly taken all the credit.

‘So they had enough time and energy to sneak off to see her?’

He had ensured they were thoroughly punished, stripping away their leisure, but his frustration still lingered.

Determined to pay them another visit, Temenos thought of Inosensia, who would likely still be at the confessional.

‘Even after losing her memories, why does she devote herself so fervently to her faith?’

Is her selflessness what makes her so beloved by God?

For a moment, Temenos wondered if it had been a mistake to block those seeking treatment from her.

‘I stopped them early to prevent an endless flood of requests… but…’

Resolving to address the matter, Temenos headed to the confessional without hesitation.

*  *  *

Hmm, I’m bored.

‘No one’s coming today either?’

The day when dozens of people begged me to treat them feels like a past life now.

‘I thought treating the retired knights would make me more famous, but…’

Should I start handing out flyers?

*Free treatment for any illness! Just pray to God in return.*

‘Wow, that sounds like a total scam.’

Even I wouldn’t come.

Spreading faith in a place with zero belief is harder than I thought.

‘Sigh, I wanted to complete at least one sub-quest before the wedding.’

◆ Ultimate Objective: Save the World

◇ Current Objective: Raise Northern Faith to 1,000 | Confessions 9/10

 

*Northern Faith: 243

*Key Items in Possession: 3 Divine Oracle Tokens

 

▼ Replay Divine Oracle

Thanks to calling in the two knights who initially showed me to the confessional, along with Kei, Cesare, and some maids, I managed to gather nine people.

But the tenth confessor hadn’t shown up.

Honestly, getting to nine was already a big deal. Since there had been no priests in the North for a long time, most people didn’t even know what confession was.

Even when they did understand, they hesitated to step inside the confessional. Of course, I could understand why.

Revealing one’s sins in front of another person isn’t exactly easy.

Not that I would know firsthand…

‘Ah, forget it. I’ll just find the tenth after the wedding.’

I figured I could always ask one of the retired knights later and started tidying up my things.

Thunk.

“……Hm?”

Before I could fully dismiss it, I heard footsteps on the other side of the wooden panel. They were heavy, with wide, deliberate strides—a sound unmistakably belonging to an adult.

“Is someone there?”

As if answering my question, the sound of someone sitting on the chair beyond the panel reached my ears.

Filled with unexpected excitement, I immediately addressed the presence.

“You’re here for confession, right?”

“Well… uh…”

The response was neither a clear yes nor a no, but I decided to take it as a yes.

Why else would someone come into the confessional if not to confess?

“God is listening. Nothing spoken or heard here will ever leave this place. Rest assured, brother, and confess your sins.”

Hopefully, it’s something light that I can deal with quickly.

Whether he understood my sentiment or not, the man on the other side finally spoke after a long pause: “I have… a wife.”
 

<To be continued>

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