<Chapter 43>

“Inosensia.”

“Hm? Who is it…? Ah, Bishop, you’re still here?”

Inosensia briefly showed a look that seemed to say, You’re still not leaving?, but soon brightened with a warm smile and turned to address the others around her.

“Please excuse me for a moment. It seems the Bishop has something to say to me.”

“Of course, Duchess. We’ll wait as long as needed.”

Those who had finally managed to catch the Duchess for a conversation shot Bishop Roam a disgruntled look. However, in front of Inosensia, they quickly donned courteous smiles and stepped back.

Since becoming a bishop, this was the first time Roam had experienced such treatment. He barely managed to suppress the anger bubbling up inside.

“Bishop, was there something else you needed to say?”

“Ahem, I realized I hadn’t yet offered you my congratulations.”

“Oh, there’s no need to trouble yourself. And from now on, please address me as Duchess, not by my name. Even as my former guardian, you didn’t exactly do anything noteworthy for me.”

Her voice and expression were so cheerful that it took everyone a moment to realize her words carried a sharp edge.

At the mention of Roam being her former guardian, the onlookers’ gazes froze instantly.

‘Just how poorly must he have treated her for someone as gracious as her to say something like that…?’

The murmurs that followed were hardly subtle, and Bishop Roam’s face turned beet red.

Temenos was the one to drive the final nail into the coffin.

“Seeing how flushed you are, it seems the wine has already gotten to you. David, escort the Bishop to his room.”

“Understood, Your Grace.”

“W-wait! Hold on! I came to deliver a gift from His Holiness the Pope!”

“A gift from the Pope?”

All eyes turned toward Bishop Roam.

‘Hah, even these ignorant Northerners recognize the authority of His Holiness,’ Roam thought smugly as he presented the wine he had brought.

“This is wine personally blessed by His Holiness. Since it contains divine power, I regret that I cannot share it with you. I trust you’ll understand.”

“You… insolent…!”

“That’s enough,” Temenos said, waving dismissively as if to avoid further disturbance on such a joyous occasion.

David glared daggers at Roam, but the bishop, unbothered, held out a glass to Inosensia.

“Inosensia, this is a celebratory drink from His Holiness. Accept it with honor.”

Was it just his imagination? Inosensia seemed to openly grimace at the offering.

“Ah, thank you. I’m truly honored. But as I said earlier, please call me Duchess. I’ve been away from the Great Temple for quite some time now.”

“…Fine. My mistake. I’ll address you properly from now on.”

With a forced smile on his face, Roam poured the wine for Inosensia, though inwardly, he ground his teeth.

‘Hah, just because this orphan rose to the rank of Duchess, she thinks she can act so high and mighty…!’

But this arrogance will end today.

Though they were drinking the same poisoned wine, Roam, having taken the antidote beforehand, would survive. Inosensia, on the other hand, would cough up blood and die soon after.

Of course, suspicion would fall on him initially, but he had already prepared an airtight plan to exonerate himself.

‘You’ll die as punishment for impersonating the Saintess!’

“May the Lord bless this union!”

Roam raised his glass and drank in tandem with Inosensia, watching her intently.

And then…

“……Ugh!”

As expected, Inosensia covered her mouth with her hand.

At the same moment, a searing pain tore through Roam’s throat, as if it were being burned from the inside.

‘Kghh, I was told the antidote process would hurt, but this is unbearable!’

“Argh!”

Clutching his throat, Roam collapsed to the floor, overcome by the agony.

It felt as though the wine was dissolving his very insides, leaving him barely conscious.

“My stomach… It’s burning! Agh…!”

Unable to endure it any longer, Roam stuck his fingers down his throat and vomited violently, causing horrified screams to erupt around him.

“B-Bishop!”

“Poison! The wine must be poisoned!”

“What are you doing? Fetch a doctor! Now!”

Panic spread as no one could fully grasp what had happened. People backed away from Roam, who continued to retch.

The only one who approached him was Inosensia.

“What on earth happened, Bishop? Are you all right?”

“You… you… cough… ugh!”

Tears welled up in Roam’s eyes as he looked up, only to freeze at the sight of her.

It was a poison so lethal that even with the antidote, the pain was excruciating. Inosensia, having consumed the same wine, should have been vomiting blood and dying by now.

But instead, she stood before him, perfectly fine, and even helping him to his feet.

There wasn’t the slightest sign that she had ingested poison.

“How… how are you…?! Gah, ugh!”

“Oh dear, did the wine upset your stomach? Your digestive system must be quite weak.”

“W-what…? Urgh! Ack!”

While one man writhed on the ground, clutching his stomach, another stood watching with a bemused expression. Temenos raised the glass Inosensia had left behind and inspected it carefully.

“You said the wine tasted off?”

“Yes. Just a sip and it tasted strange. I nearly spat it out.”

“It tasted strange, and…? Was there anything else?”

“Well… Oh! My tongue felt a bit numb too. That’s probably why I thought it had gone bad.”

“Numb, you say…”

At his repeated emphasis, everyone turned their attention back to Roam.

‘So he made such a scene over a bit of numbness?’

Their gazes were filled with disbelief and even ridicule.

But Roam, utterly exhausted and unable to move, was oblivious to the eyes on him. He lay sprawled on the floor, consumed by his torment.

‘Why… I took the antidote… So why…?’

It was then that Temenos, without hesitation, took a sip of the wine from the glass.

Roam’s eyes widened in horror.

‘Ah, no! If he drinks that…!’

As he imagined Temenos collapsing and vomiting blood, Bishop Roam squeezed his eyes shut.

‘No matter how monstrous he is, he’s still a duke! If I’m accused of attempting to kill the Duke, I’ll die here in the North!’

An eternity-like minute passed.

But no matter how much time went by, no scream was heard.

Instead, Temenos’ calm voice pierced through his eardrums.
 

<To be continued>

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