Chapter 62

"……!"

"Still, you managed to find your way to my mansion despite everything."

Oblie's body stiffened.

Seeing her confusion, Ellie became even more certain.

At first, she had foolishly thought that the vagrant might be her father.

But upon reflection, it seemed strange.

There were too many coincidences.

'Besides, the foul smell that Demian detected.'

How could such a smell come from an angelic priest?

There was only one conclusion.

'This person is not a priest.'

Seeing her suddenly lose her composure, the hypothesis turned into certainty.

"That, that’s…."

Oblie repeated the same words like a parrot.

Then, she noticed that she was fumbling in her chest and quickly dropped her hand.

But it was too late.

Everyone had already realized where the holy water was.

What should I do? What should I do….

"Sir Franz."

At that moment, a servant entered the reception room.

"What is it?"

"T-they say you should come outside. They’ve come from the temple."

The servants' eyes widened at the mention of the temple.

The Schuetz family would only be sought out by the temple in the event of something as serious as a war.

Oblie's face stiffened even more.

"…I am truly sorry for the sudden visit without prior notice."

An elderly priest bowed to them.

"We received a report that a priest had stolen the holy water…."

The priest's gaze fell on Oblie.

"May we first check the holy water?"

"Go ahead."

The priest approached Oblie. She, who had been pale and frozen like a statue, finally came to her senses.

No.

What she had in her bosom was the real holy water.

Oblie had hidden so many things under her name.

If these were exposed, it wouldn’t end with just being expelled from the temple.

"I, I don’t know anything!"

She shouted in a voice filled with anger.

"I, I was just…."

She stammered, wondering where it all went wrong.

As she stammered, trying to find an excuse, old memories began to resurface.

Erhardt Schuetz.

She had come here just to see him. But….

'It’s all because of that girl!'

Oblie's bloodshot eyes met Ellie's.

"You! You knew all along, didn’t you!"

"P-priest?"

"Filthy woman!"

Oblie's madness reached its peak. Everyone gasped as darkness emerged at her feet.

It was black magic.

A realm forbidden to priests.

"…I’ll kill you."

Her sinister gaze fell on Ellie.

"Aaah! Lady Ellie!"

"Priest, please help us!"

The reception room turned into a chaotic scene. The priest seemed surprised that someone could use black magic, and he fumbled.

At that moment, someone stepped in front of Ellie.

It was Demian.

"Hehe. I am the old master, and that girl is the new one, is that it?"

Oblie laughed bitterly.

"Right. Since it’s all over anyway."

She drew up the darkness from her feet.

The rising darkness transformed into sharp, needle-like points, as if ready to cut off their breath.

The moment it pierced through, Ellie instinctively closed her eyes and hugged Demian.

Crack!

The sound of piercing rang out, but she felt no pain.

Ellie slowly opened her eyes.

A giant mountain-like man, his face covered in blood.

"What’s all this commotion?"

It was Duke Schuetz.

"…Duke?"

Ellie muttered in disbelief.

"How did you…."

She saw drops of fresh blood falling in her dazed vision.

"D-Duke. Your arm, your arm…!"

Ellie stammered, her face pale.

"It’s fine, just a scratch."

The Duke’s attitude was indifferent, as if it wasn’t his own body. Then he paused.

He realized it might be too gruesome for the children to see.

"Ante."

"Yes."

Ante quickly separated Ellie and Demian.

The Duke, now a bit more composed, ignored his arm and looked at Oblie.

"Unbelievable…."

Oblie seemed unable to believe that her darkness had attacked the person she loved so much.

"I didn’t mean to…."

She stammered, trying to defend herself. To prove her innocence, she withdrew the darkness. The dark points that had pierced the Duke also disappeared.

"I’ve been with you for so long…."

At that moment, her limbs were pinned to the ground.

The knights of the Duke’s mansion bound Oblie.

"N-no. This isn’t right…."

Oblie muttered, half in a daze.

Then, from her bosom, there was no doubt—the real holy water.

The priests’ faces hardened.

"Then, would you like to explain?"

The Duke, who had received the vial from a knight, muttered in a low voice.

"Coming into my mansion without permission wasn’t enough…."

His gaze fell on Ellie and Demian. The Duke’s aura became even sharper.

"What did you intend to do to my children?"

His gaze was as usual, expressionless, but it was filled with killing intent.

'How could he look at me like that….'

He never used to look at her that way….

"No, that’s impossible. No…."

Oblie muttered in a dazed voice.

The Duke raised an eyebrow as if bored and shifted his gaze.

"You."

"Y-yes, yes!"

The man, who was pointed at, answered in a trembling voice.

"Explain."

"Y-yes…?"

The man, sounding like a fool, asked again, and the Duke clicked his tongue.

It was exhausting to deal with someone who didn’t understand.

Further words were unnecessary. He drew his sword.

"I, I…!"

The terrified man blurted out.

"I, I came to find my daughter…."

"Your daughter?"

The Duke’s eyes narrowed.

'What is this guy saying!'

Oblie tried to stop the man, but he seemed too terrified to realize what he was saying.

"So, you just wanted to find your daughter, and that’s why you came to… conduct an inspection…."

"Conduct an inspection?"

The Duke chuckled.

"If you’re going to lie, at least…."

His face turned cold.

"You should have hidden that smell."

He knew this smell well.

Those who forcibly mixed mana often emitted such a foul odor.

'That means… he used blood….'

Indeed, the man with blond hair and green eyes did resemble Ellie a little.

But if he were her father,

'Shouldn’t he protect his daughter first?'

How could he just tremble in fear from behind?

"Ellie."

Ellie looked at him in surprise when her name was suddenly called.

"…Yes, Duke."

"Does this man really look like your father?"

Ellie remained silent.

She didn’t think so. But he might be.

A part of her kept thinking that.

But even if he were her father, she didn’t want to go with him.

'But, can I make such a choice?'

Who am I?

A useless person… who just found her family.

Should I follow him? What right do I have to refuse….

"Ellie."

Then, a gentle voice whispered in her ear. It was the Duke’s voice.

"You can make a choice."

"…."

"Blood doesn’t always mean family."

Family.

Ellie tightly closed her mouth.

The word, which she had never experienced, made her heart feel constricted.

Her lips trembled and closed repeatedly.

"…Can I, even I, make a choice?"

The voice she finally managed to utter was trembling.

"As you know, Duke, I am the daughter of a thief, and everyone hates me when they know my background. Even I, no, everyone… doesn’t want me…."

Incoherent words spilled out.

She shouldn’t say this.

Everyone here, even the maids who had always been kind to her, would know this fact….

Ellie’s mouth closed tightly, as if speaking to herself. Finally, she slowly moved her lips.

"…Can I, even I, make a choice?"

She knew it was a meaningless question, but she couldn’t help but ask.

Knowing what the answer would be.

She felt like a condemned prisoner awaiting execution. Ellie tightly closed her eyes.

At that moment, a warm hand touched her.

"Ellie isn’t useless."

"…Demian."

Ellie blinked in a daze.

Demian, with red-rimmed eyes, held Ellie’s hand.

"Ellie… isn’t useless."

The boy, eyes tightly shut, struggled to say the words. His hand trembled more than hers.

As tears welled up in Ellie’s eyes, following Demian’s, the Duke slowly spoke.

"You’ve been upstaged."

"Even if it’s an adult’s matter, I have to handle it."

Before anyone could understand what he meant,

Swish! He mercilessly poured the holy water.

"Ugh!"

The man screamed as the holy water hit him.

As the holy water poured over his body, the forcibly entangled mana began to unravel.

The man’s appearance slowly changed. His golden hair and green eyes turned black.

"There you are. The source of the foul smell."

The Duke’s red eyes were filled with cruel killing intent.