MFWSP 69

Chapter 69

A long silence fell over the room.

Balthazar. This was Balthazar Parnassus.

A man born with everything, who went mad from jealousy of his older brother.

A future madman and tyrant—one who could drag the empire to the brink of destruction.

A cruel and violent character hated by readers everywhere.

“Did you not hear what I said?”

“I-I did.”

Grace barely pulled herself together and adjusted her expression.

“I am a prophet chosen by the gods. Everything I say is the truth.”

“Is that so?”

Balthazar’s smile deepened.

“O-of course, there’s no concrete evidence. There’s no way to search the duke’s estate… But what I saw is the absolute truth.”

Hastily, Grace added the disclaimer, hoping to sound more credible.

Balthazar nodded as if he knew everything already, never wiping the smirk off his face.

“How amusing. You’re telling me Iris Apellemeon has imprisoned one of my relatives in her dungeon out of revenge?”

Balthazar’s voice echoed through the banquet hall.

“To become a duchess and then do something so barbaric? Torturing her uncle’s family in the dungeons?”

Gulp.

Grace and a few others swallowed hard.

It was only then that Grace realized Balthazar’s true intention. He was deliberately tarnishing Iris’s reputation out of hatred.

She had thought the rumor about Balthazar proposing to Iris and being rejected was mere gossip… Could it have been true?

“If the goddess-sent prophet saw it in a vision, then it must be true, right? Damon, what do you say?”

Balthazar raised his voice, making sure everyone could hear.

“She is without a doubt the Bloody Duchess. A villainess.”

Damon Gideon replied eagerly.

Those seated nearby began to murmur.

“Bloody Duchess… Her eyes were fierce from the first time I saw her.”

“No wonder. A normal person couldn’t tame a Pegasus…”

“It sounds believable. And more importantly, it was Lady Serbe who said it. Didn’t she predict the sea wolves and the flood?”

Many people who were close to Balthazar readily sided with him.

Words like Bloody Duchess, villainess, and Witch of Apellemeon spread quickly throughout the hall.

Though there were quite a few who supported Iris, any attempt to speak in her defense turned into heated debate. In the end, rumors about Iris spread even faster.

Grace hadn’t expected it to go this far.

She anxiously scanned the banquet hall. Thankfully, Iris wasn’t there.

“It’s a relief that Lady Serbe is here. She can see the evil deeds hidden from others.”

Louis said to her with admiration.

“If not for you, we might’ve all praised that villainess as a hero.”

“Exactly, no one can fool Lady Serbe’s eyes.”

Celine chimed in as well.

A smile slowly spread across Grace’s lips.

Yes, perhaps this was for the best. If she was to carry out her future plans, it would be better to destroy Iris’s reputation now.

If Iris had too many allies, many would oppose the downfall of Apellemeon—even if it were for the empire’s sake.

Besides, hadn’t Iris coldly rejected her goodwill just moments ago? That deserved some kind of payback.

In any case, this rumor couldn’t be proven or disproven. The Penten family wouldn’t show up in the capital again, and even if they did, they wouldn’t be able to reenter society.

And if they tried—well, Grace would make sure someone stopped them.

“Of course.”

Grace finally relaxed, leaning back in her chair.

“If I’m wrong, I’ll kneel before the Duchess of Apellemeon and beg for forgiveness.”

Knowing full well that would never happen, she smiled gracefully, utterly reassured.

Sigh.

I let out a sigh for what felt like the hundredth time.

“If seeing you in pain makes me go strange…”

That night, my plan to erase Karsiel from my thoughts completely did not go well.

If I erased his face, I recalled his gestures. If I erased his gestures, I recalled his scent. If I erased his scent, I recalled his warmth.

Thanks to that, my focus shattered, and my paperwork was piling up.

“Can’t I use this to erase memories?”

I opened the drawer and glared at the two fruits inside.

The red fruit of “Return” and the blue fruit of “Purification.”

Once black lumps, the two now glowed brilliantly, having absorbed plenty of magic.

Perhaps because of that dazzling glow, the turmoil in my heart seemed to settle—just a little.

I gently stroked each fruit once.

After several experiments, I was now comfortable using them.

Unlike some other spirit tree fruits, these could be reused multiple times, as I had confirmed.

“There’s still time before the Evil God arrives…”

I began to predict Grace’s next moves in my mind.

Having prophesied the Evil God’s curse before the Emperor and Empress, she would now desperately try to stop it herself—by any means.

If she didn’t find the spirit tree fruit she was looking for, she’d likely find another way.

And until then, she’d probably work to strengthen her position in the capital.

She’d use her knowledge of the original story to predict certain events, build connections…

Once she gained everyone’s trust, by the time the Evil God’s curse needed to be lifted, everyone would believe her.

Even if I held the key to breaking the curse, I might not get to use it.

“Duchess!”

The study door burst open, and Ray and David rushed in.

“Sorry for barging in! But there’s a rumor spreading from the palace that we had to tell you—”

Both looked unusually pale.

“What rumor? There wasn’t a whisper when I left the banquet just a moment ago.”

“They’re saying you’re enacting a blood revenge on the Penten family. That you’ve locked them in a dungeon and are drinking their blood…”

“…What?”

I lowered the spirit tree fruit and straightened my expression. David gave a quick summary.

“Don’t tell me Grace said all that?”

“That’s what I heard.”

David shrugged.

“Honestly, I never understood why you were so wary of her… but now I get it. That woman is completely insane.”

“She’s not insane. She just figured out we’re enemies, same as I did.”

I chuckled bitterly, leaning back in my chair.

Though I said that, I was fuming inside.

That wretch dares to attack me like this?

Saying she saw it in a dream means there’s no need for evidence.

She just spat nonsense, knowing people would believe her because she’d already earned the title of prophet.

No, she probably planned to solidify her position with this prophecy—dropping information others wouldn’t know.

But…

“She’s kind of an idiot.”

Ray murmured as if reading my mind.

“What if the Penten family does return?”

“It’s unlikely.”

I replied.

“They lost their title, so they’re not nobles. They lost their home, so they can’t stay in the capital. They have no connections, so rejoining society is impossible… They might even be dead. That’s probably her calculation.”

“But it’s still a risky move.”

Ray said.

“If she had to fake a prophecy, she should’ve staged something—like pretending someone was sick and then miraculously healed them. Use someone she can control. That’s less risky.”

I was reminded of a rumor I’d heard in my second life—about Grace healing a sick person.

So that had been your scheme, huh, Ray?

“What are you planning to do?”

“Well, I was about to ask the star of society that very question.”

I turned to David.

“David, what do you think about me pushing someone into high society who’s neither a noble nor particularly talented?”

“It’s not impossible.”

David answered.

“If you present them as your relative, it gives a legitimate reason. There’s precedent.”

“Really?”

I turned to Ray again.

“Who do you think would be good?”

Understanding my meaning instantly, she smiled.

“There’s only one Penten person who’s usable in this situation.”

“…”

“And only one person the Duchess would want to give a second chance.”

I smiled back at her.

She really does read people well.