Chapter 125
The moment she saw Princess Sunrise’s eyes gleaming with fury, Asil realized.
If they left like this, the princess would take out her anger on Sol.
Even if Jet had not asked her to, tormenting an innocent divine beast was a bad thing.
So Asil rushed toward Selena and got straight to the point.
“The divine beast of the Sunrise ducal house seems to be sick!”
“Yes?”
Selena, who had only heard that there was a request and had not yet been informed of the details, asked back in bewilderment.
A divine beast that heals itself just by staying on the ground is sick?
Then, upon seeing Princess Sunrise’s menacing glare, she quickly grasped the situation.
In the original work, there had been content about Sol, the divine beast of the Sunrise ducal house, being abused.
In the original, the White Shadows, unable to bear the abuse any longer, had staged a rebellion, but it seemed the situation was flowing differently due to Asil’s appearance.
Quickly composing her expression, Selena spoke solemnly.
“I see. It appears she has contracted a fatal illness.”
“Yes?!”
Mistaking the words for truth, Asil was startled. She really has a fatal illness?!
Thanks to Selena tapping her foot to snap her out of it, Asil realized it was a lie and hurriedly nodded.
“Yes. She must have caught a terrible disease!”
“What are you talking about now.”
Eokaste, who had tried and failed once again to leave with Asil, frowned and voiced her doubt.
“She looks perfectly fine, yet you say she has a fatal illness. Well, there have been rumors that the Sunrise ducal house is not managing their divine beast properly—”
“N-No! Our family is doing our utmost to coexist with Sol!”
Princess Sunrise, suddenly accused of neglecting divine beast care, hurriedly defended herself.
“I don’t know where you heard such baseless rumors, but they are nonsense spread by those who envy and are jealous of our family. Sol is perfectly healthy! Right?”
“……Yes, I have no ailments.”
Sol, who had frozen at the sudden topic, answered a beat late. However, her expression was strangely dark.
Noticing this, Eokaste was about to say something when Selena stepped in faster.
“There are many illnesses where the afflicted person remains unaware until the affected area begins to fester and rot. I swear on the honor of a saintess: if she is not treated now, there will come a day of great regret later.”
Since she had no interest in the honor of a saintess, the lies flowed out smoothly.
However, those unaware of this looked at Sol with worried expressions, wondering if she truly had a serious illness.
Even Jet, who had asked to have Sol admitted to the Great Temple, glanced at her with a face full of concern, thinking, ‘Has she really caught a serious illness……?’
Meanwhile, Selena, now fully immersed in her acting, continued like a traveling medicine seller.
“For now, please have her admitted to the Great Temple for an examination. In the meantime, Princess, you may return to the ducal house.”
“……N-No. I will stay with Sol too.”
Anxious that her abuse of Sol might be discovered, Princess Sunrise forced a smile.
“This is a major family matter; I cannot simply rest comfortably at home.”
That won’t do. Do you think I’ll let it go your way? With her eyes sharply narrowed, Asil looked up at Princess Sunrise.
“Princess. A sick divine beast needs time alone. Having someone hovering around when you’re ill is really unpleasant.”
“This matter is not for a young lady like you to interfere in—!”
“Since the young lady was the first to notice the divine beast’s illness, I believe she has sufficient qualification to speak.”
Until then silent, Eokaste interjected.
“Moreover, looking closely, it seems the Sunrise divine beast finds the princess quite uncomfortable—”
“N-No! Sol and I do not have such a relationship—”
“This is already the second time you have interrupted me. Do you realize that?”
Eokaste looked at Princess Sunrise coldly.
“I wonder if I can simply overlook it a third time.”
“…….”
Princess Sunrise, turning pale, hurriedly shut her mouth.
Taking advantage of the opening, Asil quickly asked as if she knew nothing.
“By the way, Saintess. What kind of punishment does someone who hits a divine beast receive?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure if there is such a deranged person in this empire, but if there were, they would receive more pain than what the divine beast endured.”
Needless to say, Princess Sunrise’s face grew even paler.
Biting her lip, she avoided others’ eyes, tightly gripped Sol’s arm, and mouthed silently.
‘If you spout nonsense, I won’t let it slide.’
“The princess is threatening the divine beast.”
“W-What!”
“You mustn’t threaten a sick divine beast.”
Having detected Princess Sunrise’s intentions with the keen sharpness of a beast, Asil stepped in front of Sol.
“The divine beast needs to go receive treatment quickly. So, Princess, please go home now.”
“……!”
Unable to believe that a mere count’s young lady had said such audacious words to her, Princess Sunrise gaped.
She wanted to slap her cheek right then and there, but with Eokaste and Selena watching wide-eyed, she could only grit her teeth and glare at Asil.
“Young Lady…… I will absolutely never forget what happened today.”
“Yes. Ah, and as soon as you get home, please give me the diamond mine too. As promised.”
“Ughhhhhh!”
Letting out a sound as if a thousand fires were raging inside her, Princess Sunrise disappeared quickly with a face red and blue.
Having left behind her only attendant, Sol, she ended up alone—something she had always looked down on.
“Y-Young Lady, just what…… what kind of connections…….”
Jet, who had completely frozen during the standoff between the princess, saintess, and another princess, finally let out a groan-like mutter.
‘See? I told you there was no need to worry.’
With that expression, Asil proudly lifted her head.
At that moment.
For an instant, a strange energy was felt from Sol’s direction.
Asil turned to look.
It felt like an illusion that the red bead necklace she was wearing had ominously flashed for some reason.
* * *
Having lost Sol, Princess Sunrise returned to the ducal house in a great rage.
“Aaaaaah!”
Startled by her appearance—throwing aside the dignity she normally valued so highly—the servants rushed out.
At the forefront was Sebastian.
“What is the matter, Princess!”
“You! You said I could trust only you!”
Princess Sunrise, exploding from head to toe, grabbed Sebastian by the collar and shook him.
“You said you would make sure that Young Lady Erzébet could never come before me with documents!”
At those words, Sebastian’s face darkened for a fleeting moment before returning to normal.
It had been such an instant that Princess Sunrise did not notice.
Soon, Sebastian calmly soothed her.
“Please calm down first and tell me slowly.”
However, it had no effect. The highly agitated Princess Sunrise raised her voice even more.
“Calm down? Do I look like I can calm down right now?! Because of that young lady, I lost the diamond mine, missed the thanksgiving festival, and even had Sol taken away!”
“Taken away Sol—what do you mean?”
The one who said this was her younger brother, Young Master Leon Sunrise.
His eyes were swollen as if he had just been crying.
Princess Sunrise, who disliked her mama’s boy brother, shouted irritably.
“What’s with you now!”
“Well, I just received contact from the Monlepe ducal house…….”
Leon, intimidated by his sister, mumbled with a cowed expression.
“They replied that there is no responsibility on the Monlepe side for Father and Mother’s deaths, so they cannot provide compensation…… His Highness the Crown Prince clearly said they were responsible…….”
But only for a moment. Suddenly brightening, he spoke to Sebastian, who was still being grabbed by the collar by Princess Sunrise.
“That’s what those people are for at times like this!”
“Yes?”
“I mean White Shadow. Let’s send them to Duke Monlepe. Father said that when the family faces difficulties, using them resolves everything!”
“Yes, our family has them, doesn’t it?”
Recalling their existence at last, Princess Sunrise nodded arrogantly.
“Sending them to that impudent Young Lady Erzébet would be perfect. Sebastian, summon White Shadow immediately.”
However.
“Ah…… Well…….”
Sebastian, who should have immediately agreed, made a troubled face.
Seeing Sebastian hesitate, Princess Sunrise—already in a bad mood—shouted.
“What is it now!”
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