Chapter 54: The Holy Maiden
BACK in the ceremony room, Camille and Iris stood on either side of Lyrial.
“Camille du Pont has been chosen as the next Holy Maiden,” she declared loudly.
The Baron of Pont smirked, the headmaster heaved a sigh of relief, and the other aristocrats all lost their minds…except for Iris’s father, who actually seemed to be taking it well. What a relief! I was worried he was going to make a scene.
“But this is unprecedented! She may be the daughter of a baron now, but she is of humble birth, is she not?!” one of the nobles raged, pointing an accusatory finger at Camille, who flinched.
Yes, yes, I heard it all while I was playing the game, thank you! Iris looked over at the Earl of Sade. In Cytisus’s route, this was the part where he announced that he was Camille’s true father, but he wasn’t saying a word.
Guess we’re not on Cytisus’s route, then! Total annihilation: officially rejected! Mentally, Iris did a fist-pump. Now one of the other love interests would reveal her family ties instead.
Meanwhile, the Baron of Pont snorted. “Sometimes new legacies have more value than the old.”
“Do you denounce the House of Chevalier?!” the noble from earlier shot back. Iris’s father, however, remained silent.
Iris scowled. This competition was between her and Camille; she didn’t appreciate them co-opting it into class conflict. The “Holy Maiden” was just a title!
“I, um…” Camille began timidly.
Iris couldn’t risk the possibility that she would step down in response to the backlash. She needed to buy time until the mystery of her heritage was brought to light!
“What a fascinating sentiment,” Iris declared loudly, for all to hear.
Everyone’s eyes turned to her. Iris raised her left arm and rolled up her sleeve, exposing the soilpox scars that still lingered there. The nobles began to murmur, and her father looked at her in alarm.
“In case you’ve forgotten, I was ‘punished by God,’ remember?” Iris sneered at the room like an all-knowing witch. The aristocrats recoiled, then started shouting back.
“B-But I’ve heard it told that you received the blessing of a Fairy Leader!”
“Precisely! There’s no need to revisit that senseless superstition!”
“Everyone should have known it was nonsense from the moment you were named as a Holy Maiden candidate!”
Oh, NOW you want to take my side? Rolling her eyes, Iris looked at her father. He didn’t say a word, but he was thrusting his chest out proudly.
Next, she snuck a glance at Lyrial, the Holy Maiden. She was smiling calmly, but Pavot behind her was looking away. Behind them, the royal family all stared at the scene in shock…except for Reseda, whose shoulders shook from suppressed laughter.
“In that case, you ought to know that Miss Camille has been acknowledged not just by a Fairy Leader, but by a Sacred Beast as well!” Iris informed them haughtily.
For a moment, the room went silent.
“B-But…you are the Green Holy Maiden! And she’s a commoner!” one of the nobles sputtered.
The ceremony room doors suddenly opened, and light streamed in from outside. There, silhouetted by the light, was Nigel, carrying a salver in front of him. “I apologize for the interruption, but I come bearing proof of Miss Camille’s heritage.”
“Come this way,” Pavot responded.
He strode right up to the Holy Maiden and kneeled before her, offering up the salver. Sitting atop it was a lock of blue hair and the amulet bearing the House of Sade’s eagle crest, plus the pouch embroidered with camellias, tied with navy blue string.
After Nigel retrieved the memento from the pond, he had held onto it in Camille’s place. When he saw the contents, he realized their significance…and deep down, he was desperate to protect Camille from harm. When he explained all this to Iris, she told him that if there were any complications in the Holy Maiden race, he might need to bring the contents of the pouch to the palace.
“…It can’t be…”
At this, the Baron of Pont grew flustered. He never knew Camille possessed any proof of her heritage—otherwise, he wouldn’t have tracked her down to adopt her the moment he heard rumors that she would be nominated as a Holy Maiden candidate. He knew her previous family periodically received valuable items as payment for her care, so he bribed the servant who delivered them, then told her family that he had been formally asked to take her in.
The baron figured that if his family could “produce” a Holy Maiden, their first-generation aristocracy would last for years to come. And even if Camille didn’t win, she would surely marry into a wealthy family. He envisioned that such material connections would come in handy. Besides, Camille’s real father would never take her in—he had good reason not to—so the chances of him revealing himself were slim. If he was going to admit it, it would probably happen in secret; otherwise, the baron intended to demand gratitude for his noble sacrifice.
Pavot took the salver from Nigel and showed it to Lyrial. She looked at the Earl of Sade. “Lord Sade, I do believe this is your family crest, is it not?”
The Earl took a step forward, pressed a hand to his chest, and bowed. “It is indeed. Camille is my daughter by blood,” he announced solemnly.
This sparked an uproar as all the nobles looked at him. The House of Sade had a long legacy of magic and had produced several Holy Maidens and Maiden’s Aides over the years. If Camille was a Sade, then no one had any room to complain.
“Father…?” Camille whispered in shock.
“Your mother refused to live as an aristocrat, so I decided it was best that the two of you live freely in town.”
The Earl glanced over at the Baron of Pont; Cytisus sighed quietly.
“But if you wish to be the Holy Maiden, then I shall gladly lend you my support,” Lord Sade continued. “You are a welcome member of the House of Sade.”
At this, Camille looked over at Iris, who grinned at her. This was her moment. With Iris’s blessing, she looked back at Lord Sade…and nodded firmly.
Smiling, Lyrial looked around the room, which had gone as silent as the grave. “Camille de Sade has been chosen as the next Holy Maiden,” she corrected herself.