Chapter 36

Opening the page written about two hundred years ago, he traced the relevant part with his finger and told me.

"Knowing that I could read difficult characters in books, Father deliberately traced the words for me."

"The first king of the Farnese dynasty, who was concerned about the suffering people, overthrew the Holy Royal Family and ascended the throne."

"Is Farnese the same as Father's name?"

Father's name is Graf Valois Farnese.

"Yes, it is. He is my and Luria's ancestor. ... The first thing the first king did was—"

The first thing the first king did was to disestablish the Church of the One God and strip it of its privileges.

"He judged that the Church of the One God's violent actions were the cause of the series of great disasters."

"But the church still exists, right? I heard that the church gave Luria her name."

"Yes, it does. There are many believers among the nobles and the people, and even the king couldn't completely eliminate it."

"Hmm~"

"For those who believed that the spirits caused the disasters, the doctrine of the Church of the One God was convenient."

The spirits should be managed by humans. That was the basic doctrine of the Church of the One God, as I remember.

"Managing the spirits, who are part of nature, is beyond human capability."

"From here on, it's something you shouldn't talk about outside."

"Hmm?"

"The royal family and the Church of the One God appear to be on good terms, but in reality, they are not."

It seems they are political enemies.

The Church of the One God seeks to strengthen its authority, and the royal family naturally tries to suppress it.

"The naming ceremony for the royal family was also forced by the Church during the reign of the king two generations ago."

"Huh~. Why was it forced?"

"Do you understand what an 'outer relative' is?"

"Um, the father of the queen?"

"Yes, you know well. The father, grandfather, or brother of the queen. In short, the family of the queen."

The king two generations ago borrowed the power of the outer relatives to defeat his rival brothers and ascend the throne.

After ascending the throne, the Church of the One God expanded its influence through the outer relatives.

"The king cannot ignore the nobles who supported him during his ascension."

"Hmm~"

"The true goal of the Church is to regain the right to crown the king during the coronation ceremony."

During the time when it was the state religion, the Pope crowned the new king during the coronation ceremony of the Holy Royal Family.

Recovering that right is the Church's long-held wish.

If that happens, the Church will formally be the entity that grants authority to the king.

If the form is established, the substance will follow over time.

Ultimately, the situation will be such that the king cannot ascend the throne without the Church's recognition.

"Is it a tense situation?"

"Yes. Luria knows difficult words. Yes, it is a tense situation. The royal family cannot ignore the Church, and the Church is not strong enough to do as it pleases without the royal family."

"I see, I see."

"Well, Luria is still a child, so you don't need to think about difficult things. Shall we continue studying history?"

"Ah, I want to know about Luisa!"

"…The wicked woman of calamity, Luisa. Where did you hear that?"

"Um, well, um…"

I was in a bind.

The servants, my siblings, and my parents never mentioned Luisa.

Father must have told everyone not to tell me.

I know about Luisa because I was her in my previous life.

Since my rebirth, I have only heard Luisa's name from the Archbishop during the naming ceremony.

However, I can't tell him about my past life or the memories from the naming ceremony.

"Um…"

"Kyuru"

Caro, who made a small sound, pointed at the open book with her small hand.

There was the word "Luisa."

The book Father opened was a history book, so it wasn't strange that Luisa's name was there.

"Here! It's written here!"

"…Really… You can read a lot of characters."

"Hehe"

Thanks to Caro, I was saved.

I stroked Caro's head to thank her.

"So, Father. What did Luisa do? How is she described?"

"Hmm… I might need to explain."

After thinking for a moment, Father began to explain about the wicked woman of calamity, Luisa.

"Luisa was the daughter of the second-to-last king of the Holy Royal Family."

"Uh-huh."

I know that.

"The second-to-last king was assassinated by his younger brother, the last king, and it is recorded that Luisa, who was five years old at the time, was also killed."

"Hmm? Then why did she become a wicked woman?"

"That's because ten years after the assassination, the headquarters of the Church of the One God disappeared. It was the first event of the great disasters two hundred years ago."

I remember the disappearance of the headquarters. I did it to help the spirits.

According to Crow, the spirits managed to escape, so I have no regrets.

"After the great disasters began, the members of the Holy Royal Family and the Church of the One God started saying that Luisa caused the disasters."

"Huh? But she was dead?"

I was dead when the headquarters disappeared.

"Yes, even though she was dead. That's why serious historians don't believe that Luisa caused the disasters."

"I see."

"But there are people who believe it. There is also a record that Luisa was kept alive and imprisoned for about ten years after the assassination of the previous king. The reliability of this record is debated among scholars."

That's true. I was kept alive and lived in a stable.

"I see? What kind of record is it?"

"It's the records of maids, soldiers, and stable managers. They mention a child who was treated like an unnamed animal."

"Hmm. Poor thing."

I think it's pitiful even for myself.

"Yes, it's pitiful. It's almost certain that there was such a pitiful child, but it's not clear if it was Luisa."

"Hmm~"

"I believe that Luisa was never a wicked woman of calamity."

"Uh-huh."

I hugged Father's right arm tightly.

Father stroked my head with his left hand.

"So, Luria. There's something important I need to tell you."

"Uh-huh."

"Luisa was a member of the royal family with red hair and red eyes."

"Like me?"

"Yes. So, people might say mean things to you. But you must never take it to heart, okay?"

"Okay."

"If someone says something mean, no matter how trivial, you must tell me."

"Okay, I understand."

But I think it might be a bit much to tell Father about every little insult.

I feel sorry for the person who might get in trouble.

As I was thinking this, Father emphasized his point.

"Luria, you don't have to worry that the person who said something mean will be pitiful or that you don't want to make a big deal out of it."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. The consideration is something the adults, Father and Mother, will handle. Luria, you should tell us about anything, no matter how trivial. Father and Mother won't make a big deal out of trivial things. Don't worry."

"Okay!"

I don't understand the political intricacies.

So, I decided to leave all the difficult things to the adults.