Chapter 55
Claudia’s Decision
They were talking about Sedric’s daughter… which would be me, now in Claudia’s body. But it didn’t seem like they meant me. I hadn’t saved anyone. They must have been talking about Marianne.
At Dantellion’s coronation, so many nobles had heard that Marianne had been chosen as a saint by God.
The temple hadn’t officially declared her a saint yet, but most nobles already knew about her and that the empire had a new saint.
“I heard about her too. They say she’s healing people in the slums with holy power.”
“Looks like the empire really has a new saint.”
Even though this was a private room, the walls were thin, and my hearing was sharpened thanks to my contract with the demons. I could hear the nobles’ conversation perfectly.
Also, nobles tend to speak louder when they think no one else is listening.
If Vincent or Veronica had been here instead of Branden, they would have overheard everything too, just like I did.
“I hear the temple will officially appoint her as a saint soon.”
The nobles’ voices carried clearly.
The empress had a very good reputation among the nobles. Most didn’t know her true self, and many were loyal to the temple, so they followed the saintly empress.
‘And then there was that incident before she entered the palace.’
Before becoming the consort of Emperor Sensen, the empress had been a representative of the temple at a hunting festival. A monster had rampaged, and she had been badly injured stopping it.
The temple declared she could never use her holy power again. Sympathy grew for her, and people thought she should become the consort despite losing her holy power.
‘She couldn’t use holy power from the start anyway…’
Thinking back, it was ridiculous. She had contracted with an ancient demon and could barely use holy power at all. She probably staged that incident to become the consort. She was a formidable woman.
“Dia, which strawberry dessert do you want?”
“Hmm?”
While I was distracted by the nobles’ conversation next door, Branden and Abel were struggling to choose from the menu.
Abel studied the menu seriously, and Branden spoke firmly:
“Let’s just order everything.”
Better to act before radical forces like Diandre could threaten Dantellion and Winston.
Even though I had already hidden Nataniel, the temple’s influence couldn’t be ignored. Money was overflowing everywhere.
“Come on, Dia. Try it all.”
“Mm.”
I wanted to say something but held it in. Nothing I said would change them.
The desserts arrived, blocking my chance to hear more conversation.
“I want this and that!”
“All right, all of it. I’ll order it for you.”
Looking down, the table was covered with a huge amount of desserts.
Branden’s eyes turned into hearts as he nodded happily. Thanks to that, we didn’t waste money or effort ordering everything individually.
Even trying to order less, this was already too much. I sighed.
“I also want some for Grandpa and Mom.”
“Dia, should I feed you?”
“Oh, our kind Dia!”
“What? That’s my job as your uncle!”
“Dia really is so kind.”
I just wanted to eat by myself. I wasn’t even using my own money, so why did they make such a fuss?
I muttered to myself, stretching my fork toward the strawberry cake.
While Branden and Abel ordered even gifts to take home, I turned my ear back to the next room.
Then I heard a troubled voice:
“Still, it feels strange that a bastard child is a saint.”
“Oh my, you shouldn’t say such things.”
[Ugh, I want some strawberry cake too… That tart looks so pretty.]
It seemed Marianne’s background was the problem. People would probably talk about it for her whole life.
“Hmm.”
It might be time to finally give Desmond a real body. What would he like? A dog? A cat?
He’d been in the teddy bear form so long that imagining an animal body was hard.
I muttered to myself, but a loud crash shook the area.
Boom!
Remember, Sedric was the bad one. Gloria was just like Veronica—a victim.
“Dia!”
“Master!”
I felt sympathy for her—she’d continue to be exploited by Sedric, the empress, and the temple.
Abel was the first to shield me, and Sophia quickly turned to protect us as well.
Even I had to face the truth: to save the Winston family, we had to bring down her and Marianne.
“Ahhh!”
My heart ached, but it couldn’t be helped.
The elegant café turned into chaos in an instant. People screamed as explosions went off outside.
What’s happening?
The empress controlled an ancient demon, and the temple supported her. Then there was the Apocrypha.
I couldn’t grasp the situation at first. Then Desmond’s deep voice rang in my head:
“Focus, Master!”
Even in the original story, the Apocrypha’s chaos increased the reputation of the main characters who solved the problem.
This time would be no different.
Suddenly, I realized someone had deliberately caused the chaos.
Protected by Branden and Abel, I stopped near the carriage. Could they really be targeting me again?
“Dia?”
But aside from the buildings shaking, nothing else happened.
“Uncle.”
“Yes?”
“Check what’s happening outside.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
I looked up at Branden. He gave strict orders to the guards and pointed toward the burning streets.
The Winston family worried a lot about me going outside, so Branden had assigned many guards.
“I want to help those people!”
“Look outside…”
“…!”
Abel peered through the window and muttered. I followed his gaze.
The streets were on fire—the most magnificent and bustling street in the capital.
“It’s a terrorist attack! The Apocrypha did this!”
Someone shouted loudly. The Apocrypha was a notorious group in the story—anti-temple extremists who committed indiscriminate attacks and studied forbidden magic by worshiping demons.
In the original story, they were a terrifying force threatening Dantellion and the main characters. But now that I knew the temple’s secrets, I saw it differently.
“Dia, let’s return to the mansion for today.”
“All right.”
“Next time, we’ll come back, okay?”
“Mm.”
Branden and Abel tried to comfort me, thinking I was upset. But I wasn’t sad over dessert.
The Apocrypha might even be part of a temple plot.
The empire only associated demons with the Winston family, so after the house fell, no one suspected Apocrypha was connected to anyone.
Even when I was just a regular reader, I hadn’t thought of it that way. But now, things were different.
