Chapter 40
“Word… Spirit?”
“Yes, it’s also called the power of the divine. They say the gods created the world and mankind with a single word.”
The power of a god—such words sounded impossibly distant.
“And it’s also a power that people have longed for, for ages. Perhaps even to this day.”
He began telling stories from long ago—about people who sought to obtain divine power through various means.
There were those who prayed every full moon, those who chose a life of self-imposed hardship, and even those who built magnificent temples.
“Did they eventually obtain the Word Spirit?”
“No. Why would the gods grant such a punishment?”
“A punishment?”
“Of course.”
How could such a tremendous power be considered a punishment? Lucien looked puzzled, and Alfie grinned at her.
“I mentioned it once during our lessons, remember? The world maintains a remarkable ‘balance.’ You recall that, right?”
Lucien nodded—she did remember.
“It’s like how there are shadows behind sunlight. Now imagine someone who could obtain anything through the Word Spirit—what do you think would happen?”
Lucien didn’t answer out loud.
But Alfie seemed to know she had figured it out. He gently tousled her hair and continued.
“That’s why I can’t understand the people who tried to attain the Word Spirit. Humans were never meant to wield divine power. And even if they somehow did…”
Lucien, feeling a strange tightness in her chest, clasped her hands together and asked,
“Eventually, wouldn’t they lose something—because of that power’s backlash?”
“Yes. Probably one precious thing after another.”
After hearing the tale from the wandering troupe leader, Benedict immediately dispatched investigators to Ashdown Orphanage.
It turned out that the orphanage had been shut down last winter on charges of child abuse.
The children were safely relocated to other orphanages, while the director and some of the teachers ended up imprisoned in the royal dungeons.
On the surface, it was a justified and righteous outcome—nothing especially worth dwelling on.
But there was one detail that weighed on Benedict’s mind.
The timing of the orphanage’s dissolution coincided closely with the accident involving Lucien and her father.
If one were to assume that both events had been orchestrated by the same individual with a specific purpose…
“When the Duke carried me outside that day… actually, I saw someone.”
“I don’t know who it was, but I saw golden hair disappearing into the bushes.”
“The royal investigators told me not to say a word to anyone. They even told me not to tell Benedict.”
“I’m telling you, it was the most dazzling blond I’ve ever seen. Like sunlight itself. I’ve never seen such a stunning color anywhere else!”
Even just imagining the possibility made Benedict uneasy.
And yet, the seed of suspicion had already firmly taken root in his heart.
