CHAPTER 95………………………………………………………
For some reason, his gaze looked fierce.
I grabbed Cassius’s priestly robe and tugged on it. He leaned toward me as he was pulled closer.
Matching the pitch of my voice, I whispered.
“I don’t know what you’re planning, but stop thinking such scary thoughts.”
“…Some blood will be shed, but it can be done quietly.”
I couldn’t know his exact intentions, but it seemed he was planning some bloody incident.
If I subdued him with force, no one would dare oppose Cassius, even out of fear.
“Instead, let’s think of a way to keep hiding it, like we’ve been doing.”
If necessary, as a saint, I could take Cassius under my care.
Still, the fact that both the Emperor and Schwarz knew was surprising.
“Please, just continue to pretend you don’t know, Your Majesty.”
I hoped so.
Walking and talking with Cassius, we eventually arrived at the main palace.
I could roughly guess why the Emperor wanted to see me.
The morning star rising meant I had completed my final awakening.
The Sanctuary of Healing, where the test was held, was in the Empire.
But this imperial delegation did not include any healing priests.
So my awakening meant I had come to the Empire while hiding my identity.
Fortunately, Cassius was with me, so even if the opponent was the Emperor, I wasn’t afraid.
At the entrance of the main palace, the Emperor’s attendant bowed.
“I am here to see the ruler of the Holy Kingdom. The meeting location changed, so I waited to guide you.”
“Where is it?”
“His Majesty, after finishing the meeting, said he wasn’t feeling well and went to his bedroom.”
Following the attendant, we went to the Emperor’s bedroom.
Cassius leaned close and whispered so only I could hear.
“I heard rumors that he wasn’t feeling well. Seems like it’s true. Even in the morning meeting, his complexion didn’t look good.”
His words reminded me of what Sertina and Schwarz had said.
Sertina had mentioned:
“His Majesty’s recent behavior is strange. Seeking a god he ignored before… I suspect he might be ill. Unable to act, he relies on divine help, uncharacteristically.”
They thought the Emperor might be sick.
I whispered to Cassius.
“It seems he needs healing power. Maybe this could be an opportunity.”
“You mean to use it as leverage?”
“Yes.”
It would be perfect to make a deal: heal his illness in exchange for him keeping Cassius’s secret.
But there were others who knew Cassius’s secret.
I decided to think about Schwarz later since we had reached our destination.
The attendant stopped in front of a massive door.
“We’ve arrived. His Majesty is waiting inside.”
The guards at the entrance opened the Emperor’s bedroom doors wide.
A bitter smoke, like burning herbs, wafted out.
The attendants rolled up the long curtains hanging over the bed, revealing the Emperor lying down.
“Everyone, step back.”
His voice was rough, likely due to poor health.
The attendants who had been treating him tidied up the room.
Among the items, there was a glass bottle containing a shimmering silver substance.
Having studied it many times as a trainee priest, I recognized it immediately.
‘That’s mercury.’
Mercury, a basic material in alchemy, was also used as a medicinal treatment in the Empire.
Even in my past life, mercury had been a universal remedy, though toxic, requiring careful handling.
‘The Emperor’s condition must be serious.’
If he’s using mercury, it must be a significant illness.
Though I felt guilty thinking this with a sick person before me, he was an ideal bargaining partner.
The more desperate he was for healing, the more I could protect Cassius’s secret by helping him.
Once the attendants left with the items, only Cassius, the Emperor, and I remained in the room.
The Emperor spoke first.
“Please forgive me for receiving you while lying down, Your Grace. I would like to request something from the Priestess of Healing.”
I cautiously approached and greeted him.
“I pay my respects to the Sun of the Empire. I am Sonia Theodore, the owner of the morning star.”
“You are the Saint of Healing who recently awakened. I wish to ask for treatment of my illness.”
With fully awakened healing power, I could cure most ailments.
Even serious diseases could be restored enough for daily life, even if complete cure was impossible.
“May I know what kind of illness it is?”
The Emperor, leaning against the bed, rolled up his sleeve to show his arm.
Red plum-shaped spots covered it.
‘These spots…’
It was a typical symptom of the Plum Disease, known as divine punishment.
Plum Disease earned the nickname divine punishment because it was caused by promiscuity.
Particularly in the Magnus Church, sexual offenders were severely punished, and those infected were considered less than human.
‘No wonder people like Shane appeared down there!’
Shane was also notorious for reckless relations with courtesans.
“If you’ve awakened healing power, this disease should be easy to treat, right?”
I stared at the Emperor’s arm. The disease seemed advanced; many scars remained.
‘I can cure it.’
With my awakened power and knowledge, I could fully cure Plum Disease—but I hesitated.
I stood at a crossroads.
Should I protect Cassius while curing a disease caused by his vile actions?
Or uphold my own principles?
Naturally, there was no way to achieve both.
The choice was mine.
Cassius, observing the situation, gently held my wrist.
“I never wanted to leverage my status against Sonia. But this time, as a patron, I must give a command to a priest of the Holy Kingdom.”
“……”
“I cannot allow a priest of the Holy Kingdom to use divine power for unjust acts.”
Cassius blocked me before I could decide.
The Emperor intervened.
“Do you not owe me a debt? If you refuse, I will reveal everything.”
His polite phrasing was thinly veiled threat.
If I didn’t heal him, he would expose Cassius’s secret.
Cassius glanced at the Emperor.
When he didn’t answer, the Emperor boldly added another demand.
“If you grant me absolution as well, I will remain silent about all your affairs in the future.”
I learned a new fact I hadn’t known.
‘What? The Emperor is asking for absolution too?’
Absolution was a priestly ritual granted only to those who had committed great sins that ordinary prayers couldn’t cleanse.
The priest’s blessing lessened the weight of their guilt, but it wasn’t given freely.
Only a reformed sinner who had performed many good deeds could receive it.
For the Emperor to request this meant his sins were severe.
‘Ugh, disgusting.’
I didn’t even want to know what he had done.
Cassius, looking down at the Emperor with a calm gaze, spoke.
“I told Your Majesty once: those who sin must receive punishment corresponding to their crime.”
“You too commit sins by deceiving everyone.”
“My sins will be judged by the Divine.”
“I’ll help you cleanse your sins faster!”
Seeing his demands weren’t working, the Emperor tried to pull the cord to summon the royal guards.
If he did, the royal knights waiting outside would burst in.
‘Father will come!’
My father, rarely seen since I became a priest, led the Imperial Knight Commander.
I had met my mother a few times, and corresponded with Lancelot, but my father rarely appeared after I left the nobility to become a priest.
He disapproved of me leaving my noble position.
I didn’t want to reunite with him under these circumstances.
But Cassius moved faster than the Emperor.
With one hand, he grabbed the Emperor’s face and slammed him onto the bed.
I could only blink in shock.
‘Is this allowed?!’
With Cassius’s immense strength, the Emperor couldn’t utter a sound or struggle.
I imagined he might be thinking:
‘What insolence! How dare they lay hands on the Emperor in the Empire!’
“Cassius…”
“Don’t worry. This was the plan all along.”
Cassius met my gaze and used his remaining hand to release the rolled-up curtains.
The long curtains slid down to the floor, blocking my view of Cassius’s face.
But I could still sense his actions through the shadow.
I heard his voice behind the thin fabric.
“I haven’t revealed my ability without precaution. I just left it unused for someone not worth it.”
“……”
“You won’t remember anything about my ability going forward.”
I realized what Cassius intended.
He planned to use his power to erase the Emperor’s memory.
I heard him mutter in a cold, frustrated voice.
“I didn’t want to use my ability like this… especially in front of Sonia.”
Cassius had feared being hated because of his power.
He restrained even reading others’ thoughts, and had never used it like this.
That was why he lowered the curtain—he didn’t want to show me mental manipulation, like Lloyd did.
‘Doesn’t matter.’
This removed any threat to Cassius, and I wouldn’t be forced to heal unwillingly.
I clasped my hands together tightly.
“The Divine will forgive punishing a villain.”
I heard Cassius chuckle.
“Yes. A villain who has done many bad things.”
“……”
“So much so that saving him feels like committing a sin.”
