And so, I freed Heinz from his engagement duties...and fled the Academy.
When I’d requested the annulment, the kind Heinz confirmed with me. “Mira... Are you truly sure?”
I’d paused, then said, “Yes.”
“I see. Thank you for everything.”
But Heinz never asked why, never tried to persuade me to reconsider. I would be lying if I claimed I didn’t feel lonely.
After that, contact with Heinz had ceased. Yet, using my ability to conceal my presence and my heightened hearing—honed by the sacred beast’s blessing—I’d gathered as much information about him as possible. Watching over him was all I could do.
That was how I’d learned, through the schemes of that ill-tempered lady, that Heinz had fallen from grace to commoner status. That he frequently met the lady at her villa on the outskirts of the city. That it was called her atelier, and that whenever he emerged, his face looked utterly drained... What on earth was that lady doing to him?!
Driven solely by the desire to free Heinz from the lady, I’d searched for the sacred beast Drogolena. If it bestowed its blessing, perhaps I could even become a pact-bearer!
Since the demise of Princess Beljeanne, that unparalleled villainess, no one had become a sacred beast’s pact-bearer. If I could become one, I would surely be granted an audience with His Majesty the King. If the pact-bearer made the request, Heinz’s status could surely be restored!
It was precisely because I had gained the protection of the sacred beast Drogolena that I was able to track and pursue the thickening aura immediately after the nightmare. I never expected that at the very moment I feared Drogolena might have provoked the attack, I would be assaulted by a magical beast and meet the lady in question...
The lady had been laughing happily with the orphans at an orphanage—she didn’t seem like the wicked person the rumors described. She was definitely in Class D, so her magic reserves and academic ability were undoubtedly low.
Come to think of it, there was Priest Nax, Prince Regulus, and a boy who was the lady’s classmate there with her. Watching the three of them, I was secretly swooning, thinking it looked like one of those popular novels about male romance that were going around.
Before I knew it, the lady was staring intently at me. Why? Could it be that the lady also...? No, she was a lady from one of the Four Great Ducal Houses. To think I’d felt kinship with her? How rude of me.
Anyway, the lady’s character as I’d directly experienced it was quite different from the rumors. I became certain that the punishment Duke Asche had imposed on Heinz must have been an overreaction born of misunderstanding or miscommunication. If that was the case, perhaps if I asked that seemingly approachable lady again...
Just as I thought of a way to restore Heinz’s status, the chapel door opened.
“Since I made a donation when registering our marriage here, you ought to provide commensurate assistance. Please intercede with Laiyevist Robur to restore my authority within the House of Robur.”
What?! Duchess Robur?! The lady’s mother?!
Keeping my presence hidden as I turned around, I caught sight of the sullen-looking black-haired duchess and Priest Nax, whose face bore a forced smile.
“Indeed, you did have your marriage certificate issued by the church,” said the priest. “Formally, marriages within the Four Great Ducal Houses—including annulments—require church registration to prevent the parties themselves from treating them lightly. However, this church does not meddle in such family matters.”
“I beg your pardon?!” the duchess exploded. “Then return my donation immediately!”
“This is a difficult situation. You are the first noble to demand the return of a donation.”
“That’s irrelevant! I’m leaving the residence in the royal capital for a while, so I need cash on hand!”
“Then how about this? If you bring your daughter, Lady Laviange Robur, with you, we can arrange for you to stay at the church for a time.”
“Excuse me?! Why Laviange?!”
“With all due respect, I understand your daughter also faces a difficult position within the Robur household. From what you’ve shared, it seems Lord Mihail Robur, the heir apparent, is wielding his future authority as head of the house to act as he pleases.”
“But why me?!”
“With all due respect, according to you, there are also rumors of abuse toward Lady Laviange. Given the Church’s position, it is fundamentally unacceptable for her to remain where she is.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! It’s not me... It’s Mihail! Mihail is the one doing it!”
“Yes, naturally. But it’s undeniable that there are rumors. Therefore, it would preserve the Church’s dignity for both the lady and the duchess to leave the residence. If that proves difficult, we have no choice but to see you off.”
“You’re taking advantage of my situation... Fine! I’ll just bring Laviange with me, then!”
“Yes, absolutely.”
She sounded very impatient. I seized the chance to speak up and make my presence known. “Oh, excuse me!”
“Who’s there?! Eavesdropping? How terribly ill-mannered!”
“I-I’m terribly sorry! But I wasn’t hiding...”
“Miss Faltan? When did you... No, why are you here?” Though his expression remained unchanged, it was no wonder Priest Nax seemed puzzled. He was a high priest, after all. There had never been a single instance in the past where he, a high priest, had met me, a common believer, in this publicly accessible chapel.
“Ah, um... I’m a follower of the church...so, so I came to pray and repent. Um, well... So... Please let me help too! I beg you!” I bowed my head sharply.
“Excuse me?” said the duchess. “Why should I?”
“Um, well... I have something I need to ask Lady Robur, so...”
“Calm down. Could you tell me your reason?” Priest Nax asked gently. But unlike the time we’d first met, his eyes held no discernible will.
“Actually...” I felt a faint chill, but knew that if I missed this chance, there wouldn’t be another. I steeled myself and explained to the two of them how Heinz had become a commoner, and that there was a possibility that Lady Robur had been involved.
“Very well,” said Priest Nax. “Duchess, could you take Miss Faltan with you?”
“Taking that child with me...”
“You can’t use magic, can you?”
“Well...” The duchess stiffened visibly. I’d heard she’d once accidentally injured Lady Robur with magic and, tormented by guilt, deliberately rendered herself unable to use it again. I’d heard she’d spoken of it tearfully.
“The young lady, on the other hand, can use everyday magic. If you encounter any resistance, Miss Faltan, blessed with the protection of a sacred beast, could be of assistance. And, thanks to that blessing, she seems quite skilled at concealing her presence.”
“Ah, is that it? Well, I can’t use magic myself, so it can’t be helped...but you, a high priest, failed to notice a seemingly ordinary young lady hiding?”
Ordinary I wouldn’t deny it...but wasn’t Duchess Robur being just a bit harsh?
As I inwardly hesitated, Priest Nax took a ring from his pocket and handed it to the duchess. “But just in case, you may take this, Duchess.”
“This? The color is sienna... Ah, it’s like my former foster daughter’s hair color.” The ring was a peachy brown shade, seemingly wooden, and so it seemed a bit cheap for a duchess to wear.
“It’s a ring-shaped magical device I received earlier from the pope. Wearing this should temporarily allow you to use magic. The rules are that you must not intentionally use magic to attempt to take someone’s life. Continuous use is limited to one minute, and you are limited to spells at the level of Wind Blade and Fireball—which were your specialties.”
“The duration is too short, and it’s only basic magic.”
“That’s because the sealing power placed on you is so strong. If you dislike it, you may refuse,” Priest Nax replied, smiling coolly at the duchess’s displeasure. He reached out to take it back from her, but the duchess hastily snatched it away.
“Hey! I didn’t say I disliked it! It doesn’t cost me anything!” she protested, slipping it onto her left middle finger. “Is it safe to use magic now?”
“Yes. Are you going to cast an attack spell at me?” Ever the high priest. No sooner had he spoken than she deployed a barrier spell around herself.
“In that case...” The lady closed her eyes, and I could sense her gathering magic power within her body. When she snapped her eyes open again, a wind blade shot from her left hand. The blade was blocked by the barrier magic and dissipated into mist.
“How about that?” Priest Nax asked.
“Well, I suppose I should thank you.” The duchess beamed with delight. It made me question the rumors that she had sealed herself away due to worry.
“So, you also wish to speak with Laviange, hm? Unfortunately, my son just told me to stay away from her. Do you have any better ideas?”
“Well, um... If you want to speak with the lady somewhere private, surely if you wait there...” I mentioned the place Heinz sometimes met with the lady—her atelier. “My family owns a villa nearby... Ah, well, it’s just a humble count’s villa, and there are no servants...”
“Hmm, I see. Can you prepare meals? You learned that during your Academy training, right?”
“I... I’m on leave, but simple things I can...”
“Then I’ll have the church provide you with some provisions,” Priest Nax said.
“Thank you!”
Thus, I boarded the reluctant Duchess Robur’s carriage and headed for the villa near the atelier.