Chapter 17……………………………….
I lightly clapped my hands to cheer on the visibly flustered young marquis.
“If you walk just three steps, you can sit in the chair. I’ll cheer for you, so hang in there just a little.”
The young marquis’s expression twisted.
So he can understand cursing pretty well, despite being “drunk.”
“Hey, you. Seems you’re acting up because you think that pretty face of yours will get you somewhere.”
“I’m not just pretty—my personality is great, and I have divine power too, Lord Young Marquis.”
“If you keep acting so insolent, I’ll step outside right now and submit an evaluation report.”
So he meant he’d write a bad evaluation for me.
I was tired of smiling.
I wiped the smile completely off my face. He wasn’t even worth the emotional labor.
“Did Leia tell you to do this?”
“How dare you speak someone’s name without permission!”
Seeing him snap like that made it certain.
He intended to ruin my reputation so I couldn’t get promoted.
“At this rate, I’ll submit an evaluation with the Marquis Septentus name on it. That you’re such an incompetent priest you can’t even give proper counseling.”
He had already decided to write a terrible evaluation no matter what I did.
“Well… that’s troublesome.”
I let out a soft sigh. His eyes went straight to my lips as I exhaled.
The young marquis smirked.
“Yeah, you’d be in trouble if you can’t become a full priest. But I’m a merciful man, so I’ll give you one chance. Strip and apologize, and I’ll forgive you.”
“……”
“What are you so shy about? It’s just us two here, isn’t it?”
I couldn’t hear his words anymore.
My father’s warning echoed over and over in my head.
Father often sat Lancelot and me down and repeated:
“You must be careful when you raise your hand.”
I slowly walked toward the young marquis.
Drunk on anticipation, he ogled my body openly and grinned lecherously.
“Come on, take it all off. Or should I undress you myself?”
He grabbed my shoulder with a greedy hand.
This perverted bastard.
SLAP!
I struck his face with all my strength.
“Aaagh—!”
The Marquis Septentus’s son rolled across the floor from a single slap.
Even when Lancelot suffered all kinds of terrible things from those obsessive madmen, he endured because everyone in our family had always been sturdy.
Strength and endurance ran in the Theodore bloodline—perfect for careers in swordsmanship.
I dusted off my hands.
“When I said it was troublesome, I meant I thought I might have to use violence. I don’t really enjoy hitting people.”
Father had warned me so many times that I had tried not to raise my hand if possible.
The young marquis covered his reddening cheek, staring at me in disbelief.
“H-How dare… you hit me, the young marquis?”
“Magnus said, ‘Do not strike people carelessly.’ But he also said, ‘Sexual predators are not people.’”
Meaning—you?
You’re allowed to be hit.
He trembled as he stroked his cheek, already swollen.
“You crazy bitch! Do you know who I am?! How dare you—!”
“How could I forget, Lord Septentus Young Marquis?”
“You know that, yet a mere count’s daughter lays a hand on me?!”
Leia really was his sister.
Just the same—they always brought up family when they had nothing else to say.
“This is the Holy Nation of Magnus. Secular ranks don’t matter here.”
I hadn’t expected to use the same line on both Leia and the young marquis.
He ground his teeth furiously.
“You think your family will be fine after this? I can wipe out a count family in an instant!”
My father, the Count Theodore, was the Commander of the Imperial Knights.
No matter if they were a marquis family, they couldn’t act recklessly.
In The Predator’s Domain, our family was ruined because three obsessive male leads clung to my brother, but one little marquis family? Whatever.
I smiled with my eyes.
“Oh my, how scary.”
Anyone could see it was blatant mockery.
“You…!”
Bloodshot, his eyes turned crimson.
I guess now that talking didn’t work, he planned to rush at me.
I didn’t let my guard down.
I might have landed a hit when he was careless earlier, but a real fight could injure me too.
But I don’t need to fight.
Inside my robes was a sacred crystal that could summon a holy knight in emergencies.
“You insolent bitch, I’ll make you regret this!”
Hmm?
The young marquis suddenly pulled out his own sacred crystal.
Visitors to the temple were also issued one summoning crystal for emergencies—after all, anyone could face danger.
“There’s clear evidence of violence on my body.”
He tapped his cheek with a nasty grin, then activated the crystal.
“I’ll expose every one of your crimes—raising your hand against a noble of the Empire!”
He was the one who tried to assault me, but sadly, I had no evidence.
If this went wrong, I might really be screwed.
A chilling air filled the reception room.
Schwarz, who had come to the Holy Nation, was radiating pure displeasure.
His sharp aura chilled the room as if winter had arrived.
One priest couldn’t handle it, so an additional priest had been dispatched—but even then, no one could calm him, and everyone trembled.
Didn’t they say he reformed and became a proper person? I definitely heard he was much calmer now!
He was calm up until he entered the reception room.
Yes. He came in quietly. His expression wasn’t this terrifying either.
But the moment we informed him that Priest Sonia was meeting another guest first, his murderous aura exploded.
The priests exchanged nervous looks.
No one said it aloud, but they all thought the same thing.
Clink—
The Grand Duke lifted his teacup.
Even the soft clatter of cup against saucer made the priests flinch.
One of the tables on the floor was broken in half—Schwarz had flipped it earlier.
The one currently before him was newly brought in.
Please, Priest Sonia! Get here soon!
His murderous aura was so suffocating it felt hard to breathe.
While the priests sat pale as ghosts, one who had gone to check on Sonia finally returned.
Schwarz sipped his tea and fixed a frosty glare on the priest.
“Where is Sonia?”
“It seems her counseling is not yet finished.”
“Tell her I’m here. Immediately.”
“I would like to, Your Highness, but… there seems to be a problem…”
“A problem?”
He openly revealed his irritation.
His predatory rage was so overwhelming it felt like one’s mind was being crushed.
The priest barely held onto his sanity.
“I don’t know the exact details, but… holy knights have been summoned to the prayer room where Priest Sonia is.”
Schwarz set down his teacup.
CRASH!
He slammed it down so hard it shattered into pieces.
A terrified priest collapsed on the spot.
But Schwarz didn’t even glance at the unconscious man.
Holy knights had been summoned—meaning something serious had happened.
He growled through clenched teeth:
“Take me to Sonia. Now.”
The holy knights had already been dispatched to where the young marquis was.
There was no one left to summon—so they had no choice but to obey Schwarz.
At the very least, they had to prevent casualties.
The trembling priest led the way.
“Y-Yes, Your Highness… I will guide you.”
The holy knights of the Holy Nation were outstanding.
From the moment the summoning crystal was activated, it took them less than three minutes to arrive.
Praise the Holy Nation’s security. It’s the best.
If anything happened, they would protect me too.
Seeing how quickly they responded made me feel a comforting sense of safety.
Outside the prayer room, the sound of armor clanking echoed.
The holy knights were opening the door with their gauntleted hands.
Time to prepare.
I approached the young marquis and gently stroked his cheek.
He smirked.
“Changed your mind about stripping? Too bad—it’s already too late.”
As if I would strip.
Just before the door opened, I let myself collapse to the floor.
The door burst open and silver-armored holy knights rushed in.
“What is the situation?!”
The young marquis grinned triumphantly, but I cut in immediately.
“Lord Young Marquis used the summoning crystal by mistake.”
Nothing serious here!
“As if! Now you’re even trying to cover your sins?!”
The knights’ gazes turned to him. He pointed at me furiously.
“Is this how the Holy Nation trains priests? This priest struck me!”
“The priest used violence against you, my lord?”
“Yes! I summoned you the moment she hit me!”
He didn’t even feel ashamed about calling holy knights because a woman slapped him.
“Priest Sonia, is that true?”
“Of course not. Hit someone? I would never commit such vulgar behavior…!”
“I have evidence right here! Dare you deny it?!”
He proudly pointed at his cheek.
The holy knights also looked.
His cheeks… were too fair.
Too smooth.
Their eyes narrowed.
Even with careful inspection, there wasn’t a wound— not even a faint mark.
“…I cannot see anything. Where were you struck, my lord?”
“Here! The left cheek!”
The knight inspected him several more times, then looked troubled.
“No matter how I look, there is no injury. My lord.”
“That’s impossible! It was swollen moments ago!”
He shouted as if they were idiots for not seeing it.
But the knights did not change their stance.
“You dare side with her because you are all from the Holy Nation?!”
“In the name of Magnus, we would never commit such dishonorable conduct. Your lordship’s face is uninjured.”
