Chapter 123
I had spoken boldly, but there was no escaping the wave of tension rolling over me.
After all…
“The public chapel isn’t some small courtyard!”
This wide outdoor space was filled with hundreds of people.
Even in the seats reserved for nobles, I recognized a few familiar faces from the social circles.
As I clutched the curtain, my face tense, a large hand gently rested on my head.
“Don’t worry too much. This is simply to make those heretics keep their mouths shut.”
When I had told my father that today the High Priest would verify parentage in front of everyone, he had smirked and said this.
“Finally, a moment to deal with these flies legally.”
Those who had spoken without proof would face punishment close to a crime of insulting the nobility, starting from the moment the High Priest confirmed my legitimacy.
Without a doubt, the House of Rayes would sweep them away like fish in water.
“Father, we’ll need to summon the lawyers we met last time again.”
“Yes, make sure not a single one is left unhandled.”
The three of us, so alike, seemed to have already completed the parentage verification and were now discussing the next steps.
“They must have a lot piled up.”
Just like me.
“Saint, Duke. The service will be ending soon.”
Count Halo said, handing the ceremonial robes to my father and me.
The nobles’ ceremonial robes were pristine white, with delicate gold embroidery.
After changing into them and returning, the service had already ended, and the High Priest had asked the congregation to wait a moment before leaving.
As the worshippers exchanged questioning looks, the High Priest began to speak.
“Until now, the temple has observed the debate surrounding the two saints.”
It seemed to be the first time he had mentioned it publicly, and murmurs began to spread.
“However, considering that the Saint of Rayes has even faced threats from the sole saint faction, and given the ever-growing atrocities of these heretics, it is time to put an end to this. Most worshippers know I possess the ability to discern bloodlines.”
It was not widely known outside, but inside the temple, this was common knowledge. Some visitors had even asked for parentage verification before.
“Could it be…?”
“The High Priest will verify whether the Lady of Rayes is truly the Duke’s child?”
“That’s impossible. If the result shows they are not related, the temple itself will bear the consequences.”
“That old man must be senile…”
Despite the murmurs of the crowd, the High Priest signaled me from behind the curtain without wavering an inch.
“Just a moment, Saint.”
As I was about to step forward hand in hand with my father, Count Halo stopped me.
“It’s a golden crown. Wear this.”
The Count placed a crown shaped like a wooden branch atop my head. It matched the white ceremonial robes perfectly.
“Thank you. I’ll be back soon.”
As my father and I stepped forward, the crowd gasped even more.
Some nobles who had spoken ill of me hurriedly bowed their heads upon making eye contact with my father.
“Until now, the heretics’ claims were as follows: The Saint of Rayes is not the Duke’s child. Her manifestation of holy power is due to an unjust force.”
The High Priest walked before us, smiling gently, as my father and I held hands.
“If the Saint can prove that she is indeed the Duke’s child, all disputes will end.”
Then he raised both hands toward us.
A dazzling light enveloped our sight.
A gentle breeze arose from his wrinkled hands, and a golden chalice filled with holy water appeared.
Next, a thin dagger was handed to my father by the High Priest.
Without hesitation, he cut his palm, letting drops of blood fall into the holy water.
A red haze rose, and soon the holy water turned red.
“If a direct descendant drops their blood into the holy water, it will turn blue.”
The High Priest’s words came to mind.
“Now, if I drop my blood…”
I took the dagger from my father’s hand.
He had cut his palm without worry, but now he looked at me with concern as my turn came.
I made a small cut in my palm and let drops fall into the holy water.
The blood began to mix with the red holy water.
And then, the color changed.
“…!”
“Th-this can’t be!”
“…Impossible.”
It immediately turned purple.
Blue meant parentage confirmed, purple meant not.
“….”
I couldn’t speak.
To see something I had never doubted being denied before my eyes felt like the ground was collapsing beneath me.
“Ah, da…”
Could I even call him my father…?
Seeing my confused expression, he wrapped me in his warm embrace.
“Calm down. It’s okay. Whatever happens, you remain the Lady of Rayes…”
“But… they said I’m not my father’s daughter. Then why do I have silver hair? Why can I use healing magic…?!”
And on top of that, I carried the chronic incurable disease of the Lady of Rayes…
Even the High Priest seemed taken aback.
“Everyone, step back.”
At that moment, Count Halo approached us protectively.
“Unjust forces have interfered with the sacred ritual.”
“Unjust forces…?”
He clasped his hands and began chanting prayers.
His golden hair fluttered as gentle breezes swept through the wide area.
He was the leading candidate for the next High Priest.
“I found it.”
At his barely audible mutter, a terrible scream echoed through the crowd.
[“KRAAAH! AARGH!!”]
It was a beastly scream, not human.
A man in white robes, clutching his head and screaming, was dragged before us by waiting paladins.
Even as he was dragged, he screamed without pause, as if in extreme agony.
“What are you?”
Count Halo drew his sword and removed the man’s hat.
“…!”
The man’s form kept shifting—sometimes human, sometimes serpent.
He seemed to writhe in pain, attempting to return to his original form.
[“How dare a human…!! KRAAAH!”]
From his words, the serpent seemed to be his true form.
“This one tampered with the holy water to make its color appear different. The holy water itself was not corrupted, but a layer above it was.”
“So… that reptile was cheating?”
I felt a moment of relief.
And then, a surge of anger.
How should I make him pay for reminding me of that stomach-dropping feeling from riding a rollercoaster?
“How else… I’ll make it as painful as possible.”
I approached the serpent, who resisted even Count Halo’s interrogation.
“Saint, it’s ferocious. It’s dangerous!”
“Don’t worry. I’ve become more ferocious.”
I summoned my red sword after a long time.
The blade was sharply honed.
The reptile shivered violently, sensing the terrifying aura before it.
I smiled and enhanced the red sword, striking the serpent.
[“KUGH!”]
It howled in pain and returned to its original form.
A massive black serpent.
“Wait, you!”
I widened my eyes.
“Isn’t this the pet snake my master raises?”
[“Gah… no! Nonsense! I am not that senile mage’s pet snake!”]
“But it looks exactly like the snake in my master’s laboratory cage.”
[“I had trouble destroying the cage he sealed. I couldn’t just stand by after hearing what the red-haired mage said!”]
Perhaps he meant Richard, the red-haired mage.
The serpent had come to interfere with today’s parentage verification.
“Why…?”
“Wait, that snake…! It was definitely Saint Sernia’s summoned creature!”
Kael, the young priest who guided me, jumped up.
“I’ll never forget… It threatened me with that huge snake!”
He said, choking back tears.
“Sernia’s summon…?”
But no matter how I looked, it didn’t seem like a summon.
Summons can only communicate with magicians, and this one didn’t.
“Rather…”
Judging by the dark aura, it seemed more like a dark-magic-affiliated creature.
“Speak. Did Sernia send you?”
Of course, the serpent did not answer easily.
But its silence was enough for anyone to know it was an affirmative.
Amid the terrifying silence, someone clenched their fists and then erupted in anger.
“Impossible! How dare a fake Lady insult the Saint!”
The commotion began among the worshippers.
“She bears no ill will toward the Lady of Rayes, but trying to link her with Saint Sernia and that snake is transparent trickery.”
“You cannot do this to the Saint, who is fighting for the empire with noble spirit!”
“You there, boy! Speak properly! A fool who can’t even find their way dares to speak lightly!”
Members of the sole saint faction, hiding their true colors, began to appear one by one.
The chaos of the chapel was quelled by a cool, commanding voice.
“Quiet, all of you.”
It was the Duke of Rayes, who held the highest position here.
His steel-blue eyes scrutinized each person who caused the disturbance.
“Count, are you certain the serpent used deception?”
“Yes, yes! During the ritual, an unjust force interfered, and tracking it led us to this serpent.”
My father faced the massive serpent.
“Good. It seems it won’t speak until the end.”
[“Of course…”]
“Then die.”
[“What…?”]
A black snake was summoned in my father’s hand and pierced instantly.
The sharp sword’s energy flashed brilliantly. The weakened serpent, after breaking free from the sealed cage, could not withstand such a powerful strike.
[“KRAAAH!”]
Its monstrous scream made everyone cover their ears.
The attacked serpent disintegrated into irregular particles, and soon disappeared into the air in purple flames.
Disappearing in purple flames is characteristic of monsters.
The long-lived serpent vanished, leaving only its white robes behind.
“W-what…?”
At the same time, the High Priest’s trembling voice rang out.
“The color of the holy water has changed!”
Indeed, the purple holy water, which had denied my bloodline, turned a clear blue as the serpent vanished.
Some turned pale upon seeing the High Priest raise the chalice filled with blue holy water. The interference of a monster had been revealed.
I looked down at the blue holy water reflecting my face and murmured.
“It’s right, isn’t it…? I’m really my father’s daughter?”
“Yes, Saint. If you weren’t a direct descendant, the water could never be this clear blue.”
The High Priest smiled gently, answering my question.
I looked at my father, still holding the sword.
“Dad, I’m really your daughter. Of course, you’ve told me countless times before…”
Before I could finish, my father dropped the sword, approached me in a single step, and embraced me warmly.
Soon, Drehan and Miller broke their promise to just watch and came up onto the stage.
Miller gently stroked my head as I leaned against my father.
Drehan bowed, unable to speak, letting a few stray tears fall.
“Finally…”
I had once thought I was an outsider to everyone else’s eyes.
Yet I had felt the warmth of my family and decided not to care about that anymore.
But had I secretly held onto that and still cared?
I wanted to show not only my family but everyone that the House of Rayes had become whole again.
The victim of a historic kidnapping, the flashy yet hollow and incapable three Rayes men, the foolish family deceived by a low-born con girl in the past.
The daggers that had pretended ignorance but knew everything.
“Now I can finally shout at all of it: stop the nonsense!”
I smiled broadly, unable to even consider wiping the tears at the corners of my eyes.
At the same time, tears scattered, but I didn’t care.
“Dad, Drehan, Miller.”
And perhaps my mother, who bore me, so much like you, and may continue to be with us.
“I truly love you all…”
For keeping my place until I returned.
For enduring all those long years.
