Until The Real One Shows Up

Count Hazel was taken to the dungeon right after he confessed, and Avelin also spent a day in custody.

The next day, Avelin’s supporters, who attended a political meeting, expressed dissatisfaction with the emperor’s treatment.

“Your Majesty, it is wrong for Lady Hazel to try to steal Her Majesty’s necklace, but it doesn’t seem like a crime severe enough to detain her.”

Wilhelm watched for a long time as the nobility clamored over what they believed to be excessive punishment, and then opened his mouth.

“You seem to be misunderstanding something, but Count Hazel and his daughter were detained, not because of the crime the lords have mentioned.”

“Yes?”

“Bring Count Hazel inside.”

Immediately, Count Hazel, who had been brought in by the soldiers, appeared in the conference hall.

When the people saw Count Hazel being dragged resolutely, everyone could not hide their unknown expressions.

“Count, tell me in detail what you said yesterday.”

“… Avelin Hazel is not the real oracle!”

As if waiting, the same statement as yesterday flowed out of Count Hazel’s mouth.

“One day, a commoner girl came to visit me… I’m ashamed, but she threatened to send it to His Majesty if I don’t adopt her, saying that she stole the books which recorded my corruption. I was forced to adopt the child by pretending to be a distant relative of hers.”

The audience began to stir at the unexpected story. Count Hazel continued to speak steadfastly.

“And before long the new oracle fell that the child was real, but that’s not true. None of the maids in Hazel’s mansion saw the sign of the goddess on the child’s shoulder.”

Now the people were so startled that they couldn’t even make a sound and stood still, watching Count Hazel tell the truth.

“In spite of the shame… At least now, I can tell you the truth. But I was threatened and I had no choice but to do it. At that time, I was afraid of losing everything I had worked for…”

“Take him back.”

As Earl Hazel’s whining began to begin, Wilhelm cut him off with an annoyed look.

“Everyone, please have pity on me…!”

Count Hazel, who was still confident that Wilhelm would take care of him, desperately pretended to be a victim in order to return to the social world, but it was a no-brainer.

In the end, he hid the fact that the oracle was manipulated and asked the person who he deceived to take pity on him.

“Of course, we have the evidence. These are the books that prove the that Count Hazel embezzled from the imperial family over the years.”

Wilhelm’s lips twisted naturally as he spoke those words. This is because the image of Count Hazel, who was trying to prove his innocence by gathering all the evidence, came to mind.

Like a person who had no idea that the evidence was nothing but revealing his own flaws.

“Your Majesty, if the revelations just made by Count Hazel are true.”

It was Duke Barantes who first came to his senses and opened his mouth.

He was the only aristocrat gathered there who knew the truth, and calmly evoked the atmosphere.

“Isn’t it certain that the High Priest was also involved in the manipulation of the oracle?”

“At least the former High Priest was.”

Wilhelm nodded his head.

“However, there is no clear evidence that other than the person responsible for delivering the oracle, that the current High Priest and others in the Great Temple were also involved.”

“Then, are you going to leave the High Priest alone?”

“Of course not. If they’re really innocent, Hazel’s daughter will prove it. Sir Colton, bring in the High Priest and the sinner.”

After Wilhelm’s instructions fell, High Priest Antero appeared first. He was the new High Priest after Lyell’s death.

Then, with a gag in her mouth and tied up, Avelin struggled to get inside, supported by the soldiers.

“…”

Avelin was surprisingly calm. She didn’t even claim his innocence, only had pathetic tears.

His appearance was no different from usual, and even the nobles present were doubting whether the situation was real.

“I’m sorry to summon you to such an unfortunate place, but High Priest, is there anything the temple has to say about Count Hazel’s revelations?”

“Lord of the supreme Rosenberg.”

Antero opened his mouth, unable to hide his sorrow.

“Even if this situation is all true now, at least I didn’t do anything shameful to the goddess. I had no idea.”

“Is what the High Priest is saying true, sinner?”

If there’s any involvement, Avelin would never wait and watch him pretend otherwise.

Avelin was silent, and Wilhelm felt more at ease then. If they saw no response from Avelin, it must mean that there are no conspirators other than the dead Lyell.

In a situation like this, she was not going to keep her mouth shut and try to protect the future or keep net loyalty. Without clear evidence, a false accusation would be useless.

“Trust me, Your Majesty. I can swear by my high priesthood.”

“Okay. Then, I trust you, High Priest, and I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Feel free to order me, Your Majesty.”

“I and the Empress think the sinner concocted all these things using black magic.”

At those words, not only Antero, but also the nobles who were present were all in turmoil.

It was difficult to accurately estimate Avelin’s expression as she was still only weeping pathetic tears, but it was certain that she looked disgusting.

“Even after the High Priest died, she still has the Goddess’ sign and can use her divine power, isn’t this possible if she makes a contract with a dark being?”

“Yes. Your Majesty is right.”

“Fortunately, since the demon has not yet manifested, I think there is a possibility of purification.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. I have selected a few priests I can trust right now…”

“Wow, the sign of the goddess is gone!”

At that moment, at the sound of someone’s cry, everyone’s eyes fell on Avelin’s shoulder in an off-the-shoulder dress.

Indeed, the mark of the Goddess, which seemed to hold onto that position forever, had disappeared.

Antero chuckled and muttered.

“He is a cunning demon. It seems that he noticed it and ran away.”

“Then is there trouble?”

“No, Your Majesty. Unless he borrows the contractor’s body, the devil cannot manifest. It’s rather a relief if he runs away like this forever.”

Antero went on seriously.

“However, we don’t know when he will appear again, so I’m going to put Lady Hazel in the temple and monitor her.”

“I will send the soldiers, so make sure to do so before the beheading. When will the execution be possible?”

The fraudulent body contracted with the devil could not be killed carelessly. If even a bit of the unclean energy remained, the devil could give an excuse to come up from hell again, so he had to execute the sentence with a tool filled with divinity.

Antero replied by bowing his head as if not to worry.

“We will prepare as soon as possible.”

“Ah! Oh!”

Avelin, who had been quietly shedding tears at the word “beheading,” then suddenly shouted out. Everyone’s attention was focused on it.

“Oh! Ah, ah, ah, ah!”

“Are you asking for help now?”

Wilhelm smirked in surprise.

It was indescribable how blatantly daring she was, contracting with a forbidden dark being and trying to harm Anastasia.

“What you have done now is such a severe crime that I can issue a summary judgment without trial. So no matter what kind of favor you ask, it won’t be granted. You will not be able to die gracefully for the sin of deceiving the entire empire.”

“Ah! Ah!”

“Take the criminal away.”

In the end, Avelin was led by the soldiers and disappeared from the conference hall.

There was a time when everyone remaining was struggling to accept the situation with a puzzled expression on their faces.

“Your Majesty, I have a question for you.”

A nobleman cautiously raised his hand and asked.

“Why did the former High Priest help Lady Hazel? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“That…”

“Because he believed that Lady Hazel was his daughter.”

Anastasia’s voice resounded throughout the spacious hall.

Everyone looked back at her with their surprised expressions. Anastasia continued to speak after a moment of silence.

“But the truth is, Lady Hazel was not the real daughter of the former High Priest.”

Anastasia began to reveal the truth with a complex expression.

~~~~

A guest had arrived in the dungeon of the Great Temple.

The place, which was created for the purpose of confining and purifying the existence of darkness, was gradually forgotten and rusted as the evil power ceased to appear in Rosenberg.

So it was a place much shadier, damper, and dirtier than the dungeons of the Imperial Palace.

Moreover, since she was the only one here, it was significantly more difficult to endure the gloomy atmosphere.

In the extreme stillness, Avelin suddenly remembered the end before her return, and naturally had a seizure.

“Ah! Oh!”

However, no matter how hard she tried to speak, no proper sound came out of the gagged mouth. It just took her breath away.

Avelin was so scared that she was really going to die as miserable as before her return.  It was a situation that seemed obvious, so she was very afraid and terrified.

“Hmm, heh heh…”

At the end of the day, Avelin was sobbing with grief.

– Bump bum bum.

Upon hearing the sound of footsteps, Avelin naturally pricked her ears and looked away.

‘The purification process is so painful… What about dying on a holy execution table?’

She hated being purified. Avelin was nervous, thinking it was a priest who came to purify her. 

However, it was not the priest who eventually appeared. But even more than that, it was a presence that astonished her.

“… Uh!”

“Hello, Scarlett.”

Selene looked down coldly at Avelin, no Scarlett, beyond the grate with an expressionless expression on her face.

It was amazing that she tried to change her name and made up all that horrible stuff.