The High Temple in the Capital.
“What the hell are you talking about—!!”
A furious voice echoed through the conference room, accompanied by the sound of a fist slamming down on the table. The gathered priests flinched and bowed their heads.
On the opposite side of the room sat an elderly man, his eyes blazing with a cold, blue fire.
“You’re telling me you didn’t even manage to enter the prison cell?!”
The voice was that of a furious beast. The priests hunched their shoulders even more at the sound.
“How weak must you appear for the priests of the High Temple to be cast out so easily?!”
One of the trembling priests clenched his eyes shut and stepped forward.
“M-my apologies! But the young lady had not yet regained consciousness, and the atmosphere at the Duke’s estate was completely unwelcoming, so…”
The old man, who had been glaring at him, clicked his tongue and turned away. His brow was deeply furrowed.
He lifted his lips, stiff with rage, and muttered coldly,
“So you lot think this High Priest is someone you can take lightly.”
The priests’ faces turned pale.
“You must think of Callista Edelman as nothing more than a toothless old tiger.”
“N-no, of course not! We—we were just—!!”
“Silence!”
At the booming roar of High Priest Callista, the priests immediately shut their mouths. A chilling silence filled the room.
“For the past three months, you’ve visited the Tigris estate four times. And yet, not once have you even set foot inside the estate walls.”
“H-high priest, that’s—!”
“Should I chalk this up to simple incompetence… or should I consider it a direct act of defiance against the Temple?”
The priests’ faces turned to horror.
Defiance against the Temple was a grave crime—one that could result in the harshest of punishments.
‘This is bad.’
One of them collapsed to the ground.
“P-please, don’t say it’s defiance against the Temple! Please take back those words!”
Callista raised one eyebrow sharply.
“Take them back? That’s not for me to decide—it’s for the gods.”
The priests’ lips turned deathly pale. For the gods to judge? Did he really intend to bring them to trial?
All this… because of Meyer?
One of the priests, desperate now, blurted out,
“P-please give us just a little more time! We swear, this time we’ll convince the Duke!”
Another priest quickly chimed in,
“Yes, yes! On our way back, we even heard that the young lady has regained consciousness. Surely the Duke’s anger has cooled somewhat by now…”
“What? Ha, haha—!!”
The priest fell silent as Callista burst into loud laughter.
Callista’s eyes now regarded them with utter contempt.
“You think the Duke’s anger has cooled?”
“……!”
“Since when have we ever needed to tiptoe around a Duke?”
The priest trembled violently.
“T-that’s… well…”
“Defying the Temple is defying the gods themselves. And our god—!!”
Callista’s eyes shone with a piercing gleam.
Unable to hold back his rage, he let out a heavy sigh and muttered low,
“…is the god that the royal family serves, and soon, the god that all citizens of the Empire shall worship.”
One of the priests quickly prostrated himself.
“I misspoke! Please, just grant us mercy this once…!”
Callista, looking down at him with disappointment, rose from his seat.
“All of you, say no more. Prepare to return to the Duke’s estate. And this time…”
He gritted his teeth and said,
“I’m going with you.”
The priests widened their eyes at the solemn expression that spread across Callista’s face.
But he didn’t say another word. He simply turned on his heel and left the meeting room.
As soon as he stepped out, he began walking quickly down the corridor.
“That arrogant Tigris…”
He muttered lowly. In truth, he didn’t care whether Meyer Lusse, who had been tortured, lived or died.
The only thing that mattered was…
“You will take responsibility and retrieve it.”
The voice of that person, who had once gently grasped his hand with a warm smile, still rang vividly in his ears.
“I must retrieve it. No matter what.”
Even if he left before sunset, it would take at least three days to reach the Duke’s estate.
Callista crossed the Temple corridor with urgent steps.
Tigris Estate Castle.
I sat up in bed, not believing what I’d just heard.
“Meyer Lusse went mad?”
My eyes widened in disbelief. Walter, who stood by my side, nodded solemnly.
He had been checking on my condition for several days now. But today, he finally brought me this shocking news.
“He lost his mind in less than a day after the torture began. Since then, no amount of interrogation has worked.”
“…Unbelievable.”
I muttered, stunned.
It had already been three months since I collapsed. I assumed that by now, the truth behind it all would have come to light.
I thought the owners of the voices I’d heard in the mansion had already been exposed.
But because Meyer lost his mind… we’ve gotten nothing?
“What about the Temple?”
“They came four times while you were unconscious. The priests of the High Temple came in person.”
I narrowed my eyes calmly.
“If the High Temple sent them themselves, that says enough. What did they want?”
“They demanded Meyer be handed over. They said they would hold their own trial and punishment.”
“What?! That’s ridiculous!”
As I exclaimed in shock, Walter nodded.
“Yes, so His Grace refused to even let them into the castle. Eventually, the Temple changed its request.”
I looked up at Walter, frowning.
“They changed their request?”
“Yes. When they couldn’t get Meyer released, they asked if they could at least see him once—just a visit to the prison.”
I tilted my head.
Why would they want to see him, and not even ask for his release?
Walter noticed my strange expression and asked,
“Is something bothering you, my lady?”
I shook my head. I needed time to think.
And then—
Knock, knock, knock—
A knock came at the door.
Who else could it be?
Puzzled, I said,
“Come in.”
The door opened, and someone stepped inside. When I saw his face, my eyes widened.
“I heard you had awakened. It’s an honor to finally meet you!”
The man laughed heartily as he stepped forward with firm, heavy steps.
“Do you remember me?”
He was a towering man with broad shoulders.
Even while smiling, his sharp eyes held an eerie weight. And behind those eyes, the authority of age and experience was unmistakable.
He placed a hand the size of a pot lid on his chest and bowed.
“Müller Bastin, at your service. I greet the young mistress of Tigris.”
I blinked at the commanding presence radiating from him.
“I couldn’t visit while protecting the territory. But from now on, I hope we meet often!”
This was my first meeting with Count Bastin—known as the old general of Tigris.
I watched Count Bastin with curiosity as he awkwardly fit himself into a chair much too small for his size.
Every time he adjusted his position, the chair creaked ominously. I worried it might collapse at any moment.
Then, out of nowhere, he said,
“Children really do grow up fast.”
When I gave him a puzzled look, he laughed and added,
“Don’t you remember? You once came to the training grounds and begged me to catch a rabbit for you. Feels like just yesterday.”
I forced a smile.
“D-did I really?”
“Oh yes. You used to run around the training yard like it was your playground. His Grace didn’t stop you, and the soldiers were flustered…”
Count Bastin chuckled heartily at the memory.
“Lady Duchess had to come fetch you each time before we could resume training.”
But then, he suddenly stopped, gasped, and fell silent. Glancing at me, he muttered cautiously,
“…Forgive me. A slip of the tongue from an old man.”
He must’ve worried he’d upset me by mentioning the late Duchess.
I quickly shook my head.
“No, it’s fine.”
The count simply smiled kindly in return. As I watched him quietly, I reflected on his words.
So even Selenea was once a lively child when her mother was alive.
It struck me as strange.
When I’d read the original novel, I only thought of Selenea as a villain.
But the story I’d heard from the Duke a few days ago, and now this…
Her mother’s name was Hemera, right?
I never imagined Selenea had such a backstory.
She not only lost her mother at a young age, but ended up entangled with some twisted person who drove a wedge between her and her father…
Her life seemed truly tragic. I frowned slightly.
Then… the Selenea who killed Eria in the novel, who committed all those cruel acts…
Perhaps it hadn’t been her will after all.
In the end, she was a victim too.
Just who was it, and what did they want, when they brainwashed Selenea into doing all this?
That, I had to find out.
But of all times, Meyer had to lose his mind before he could be thoroughly interrogated.
After a moment of hesitation, I finally made up my mind. With a firm expression, I spoke.
“I heard you were in charge of Meyer’s torture, Count Bastin.”
Surprised by the unexpected question, he looked at me with wide eyes and nodded.
“Yes. Regretfully, I didn’t get anything useful.”
I stared him straight in the eye.
“Actually… I want to visit the prison myself.”
Walter looked at me in shock. But I continued in a serious tone.
“Could you take me to where Meyer is being held?”
Count Bastin’s eyes widened in surprise.
