Chapter 64

1/8. I have kept you waiting.

The moment I opened the door, all eyes in the room turned to me. ...And when they realized I was the one who had barged into this important meeting, the room became even more chaotic. The only ones who didn’t seem surprised to see me were Father, the Dowager Queen, and Priest Rapha Simons Christopher... They alone knew I was coming.

I moved forward into the room, which was opulent and filled with authority. On either side stood the stern-faced nobles, and at the far end sat the members of the royal family... though only the Dowager Queen and Princess Elria were present... along with the members of the Daryl Church.

All of this felt terribly frightening to me, and despite the courage I had just gathered, my hands began to tremble again.

...It’s okay. I tried to convince myself, clenching my hands tightly, but the trembling wouldn’t stop.

What felt like a long time to me... but in reality was just a short moment... I finally managed to reach the back of the room. Then, I noticed someone.

Priest Rapha Simons Christopher. A thin man with glasses, he looked intellectual. His expression was blank... but his gaze felt different from the others, as if he was testing me. It was as if he was asking whether I could turn the tide and make the best use of the pieces given to me.

The moment I felt this, my trembling stopped. I thought of him, the one who had helped me establish a connection with the priest.

...Why not? I won’t waste his kindness. And I must live up to the trust of everyone who has come with me.

I stood next to Father. Opposite us was an empty throne, with the Dowager Queen and Princess Elria seated on either side. In front of them, slightly closer, sat the members of the Daryl Church.

“...Why are you here, my lady?”

Princess Elria’s cold words, along with her gaze, pierced me.

“...I am here to report on the situation, as I believe it is my duty as a party involved to explain.”

“There’s nothing to report... The fact that you, a noble, destroyed the sacred church remains unchanged. This is not a discussion about your excommunication, but a hearing to decide how the House of Armenia will take responsibility for your actions.”

Pope Vermots Lutasha nodded calmly. One of the second prince’s followers... the father of Van Lutasha and the Pope of the Daryl Church.

“Airis Larna Armenia. You destroyed the church, the land of God, without the church’s permission. This is an act of disrespect to God... and behavior unbecoming of a believer... and certainly not the action of someone in a position of authority. God must be very disappointed.”

“That is true, Your Holiness. Destroying the place of prayer, the land of God, is indeed an act of refusing dialogue with God. I can understand why God would be disappointed.”

The mocking look in Princess Elria’s and the Pope’s eyes was clear.

“Similarly, the sale of church land is an act of disbelief, don’t you think?”

“What are you trying to say?”

Princess Elria laughed through her nose and placed a fan in front of her mouth to hide it.

“What... do you mean, Lady Elria?”

“I don’t understand what you mean. Is destruction bad, but transferring to others good? That’s absurd. It’s clearly an act of disbelief.”

“Yes, that’s true. I agree. But in fact, I have a contract for the sale of church land here.”

I held up the contract I had brought. It was the contract that emerged during the search of the homes of those involved in human trafficking. The seller was, of course, the Daryl Church, and the buyers were the individuals involved in the human trafficking.

The noisy spectators... or rather, the audience, fell silent. They were likely watching the proceedings. ...The followers of the second prince, as usual, were still noisy.

“...I was also surprised to learn that someone would sell the sacred land of the church. As Lady Elria said, the sale of church land should not happen. But in reality, the land of the church in my territory was sold immediately after the church’s administrator passed away. The contract was signed by a priest... What do you think of this?”

“Ridiculous... A priest would never sell the land of the church, the land of God. Impersonating a priest in such a way is a grave sin.”

“Yes. I wish I could have believed that. But the fact is, this buyer, as the owner of the church land, destroyed the church after the administrator’s death and demanded that the children living there vacate the premises.”

“Of course, it’s just a plot by those people. To doubt those who serve God and believe in unknown individuals... That’s not the behavior of a noble. Truly, it’s deplorable.”

Princess Elria mocked and negated my words.

“I also thought, ‘Surely not...’ But as you know, I hold the position of acting lord. Since my father, the Duke of Armenia, entrusted me with this position, I have been working to reform the administration of our territory. Revising taxes, clarifying the status of the people, reviewing the personnel involved in administration... and also clarifying land ownership.”

“...What’s your point?”

“I am clarifying one of the assets, land. Naturally, I inquired with the owners of each piece of land. ...Of course, I also inquired with the church. I clearly stated that this was to confirm land ownership within my territory. In other words, if they answered ‘not owned,’ it would mean that the land within my territory did not belong to the Daryl Church.”

I thought it was a good thing that I had clarified land ownership early, even though it wasn’t my original intention.

“...The result was ‘not owned.’ I was surprised. I never thought the Daryl Church would actually sell the church... I have kept the letter from that time. Here it is.”

I held up the letter. At the bottom, the name and seal of a Daryl Church priest were clearly visible.

“As a devout follower of the Daryl Church, I found it very regrettable that there was no church in the capital. Therefore, I inquired with the Daryl Church about demolishing the old church and building a new one. I also reported this to the kingdom’s officials. I have kept the letters as well.”

“About the kingdom’s officials... Do you have any proof that you inquired with the church? As I said before, it could be the work of someone impersonating a priest. Or perhaps someone who conspired with you created these documents later.”

Princess Elria asked in a hard voice, her brows furrowed. In other words, show me the evidence.

“Well... Impersonating the name of a royal official and inquiring with the palace... Could such a thing happen? If so, all future interactions with the palace must be approached with suspicion.”

I said this with a mocking tone. Princess Elria closed her fan with a snap, looking displeased.

“You are being too bold. That’s enough. With your smooth talk, you are trying to escape your sins... As I said before, there is no proof that it was actually the Daryl Church. No matter how much you fabricate evidence, I won’t be fooled.”

Just as Princess Elria was about to say, “Step down,” I spoke over her.

“I have evidence. Right here in my hands.”