Chapter 25

#025 Pride and Prejudice Curriculum (1)

I must have slept for about ten hours.

The protagonist, Christel, declared that she would take on a new job, and Prince Sedric was incredibly similar to someone I know.

On top of that, there was a mystery surrounding the stolen sacred artifact from the temple.

I thought I would have a lot to think about and wouldn't be able to sleep, but as soon as I washed up and lay down on the bed, I passed out.

When I opened my eyes, it was 9:00 AM.

- Tweet tweet...

"Feels so peaceful."

I agreed with Benezaim's words and sipped my cinnamon tea.

Even though I have a regular morning tea time, it felt like it had been a long time due to the long night.

The garden, which I had decorated more carefully than usual to welcome guests, was as quiet as a library.

It seemed like a storm had passed.

"From now on, I should pretend to be sick a few days before any event."

Benezaim nodded at my words.

I fed a piece of apple to Demi, who was sitting on my lap, and looked down at the notebook on the table.

Benezaim never looked at me when I was writing in the notebook, even by accident.

He seemed to think it was something like 'The Tragic Diary of a Hostage.'

Since his guess wasn't entirely wrong, I didn't bother to correct him.

∙ The stolen sacred artifact from the Temple of the Boundary

The possibility that it was used rather than stolen

This is the first thing to consider.

From here on, it's all speculation, but having a hypothesis and acting on it is worlds apart from being swept away without any thought.

I mulled over the story the Duchess of Sarnes told me in front of the carriage last night.

Perhaps the sacred artifact from the temple, which should have been used to save Christel, had already fulfilled someone else's wish and exhausted its power.

As a result, the Duchess had no choice but to use the 'Blessing of the Sea,' the item that, in the original story, secured the engagement between Christel and Prince Sedric.

This was a powerful variable that could alter the protagonist's path.

And as far as I know, there is only one external factor capable of such a feat right now.

It's me.

- Creak

"Dem, you're not supposed to climb on the table."

I held Demi's black belly as he tried to put his feet on the table and fed him a grape.

The leshy panda quickly calmed down.

'Yeseo Penethian' definitely died in the story.

The next day, a possession and a regression to save him happened simultaneously.

Until now, I thought this was a kind of 'phenomenon.'

Why? Because in web novels where the protagonist possesses a character in a book, such cases do exist.

It's not because of some powerful interference but just a coincidence that the possession happened.

Stories that focus more on life after possession than the process of possession.

Until yesterday, I believed I was in a similar situation.

The theft of the sacred artifact from the temple was a bit annoying, but I was too busy overcoming a life-threatening situation to think deeply about it.

But it wasn't just a simple theft.

Someone had made a wish at the temple to save 'me,' and as a result, I was possessed.

∙ The stolen sacred artifact from the Temple of the Boundary

The possibility that it was used rather than stolen

- Who made the wish?

- Do other sacred artifacts have the ability to grant wishes?

If so, who is the culprit?

I'm curious, but knowing might not make much of a difference.

Even if future Christel heard about the death of Prince Yeseo, the current Christel doesn't know about it.

I naturally thought about Eun, but that was even more hopeless.

I couldn't fathom how Eun, who exists outside the story, could perform such magic.

Therefore, the second point is more important to me.

Do other sacred artifacts have the ability to grant wishes?

The sacred artifact from the temple is known to have the power to grant wishes, but the 'Blessing of the Sea' does not.

From what I've read, it's just a powerful water attribute artifact.

However, if it could save Christel, it might be the author's forced handling, but I couldn't ignore this tiny hope.

If other sacred artifacts also have the ability to respond to human wishes, could they grant my wish to return home?

It might be overly optimistic, but...

"Sir, Sir Eliza is here, Prince."

I snapped out of my thoughts. My notebook was filled with underlines and circles.

When I looked up, I saw Sir Eliza walking confidently with her short olive hair swaying.

Ganael was with her.

"Good morning, Prince Yeseo."

"Hello, Sir Eliza."

The Grand Marshal looked very cheerful, perhaps relieved to have completed a major event.

I closed my notebook and put it in my pocket.

While Benezaim got up to pull out a chair for her, Ganael talked to me.

"Cardinal Boutier will contact the Dueum Marquisate directly. He asked if 3:00 PM today would be convenient."

"I'm fine with that, but it's surprising that His Eminence is okay with it. Thanks, Ganael."

Ganael also told me about Demi's news and that the private tutoring with the Cardinal, originally scheduled for 11:00 AM, had been moved to the afternoon.

I had planned to skip today's class because I overslept and had a lot to sort out, and this was the response I got.

Benezaim skillfully cleared the empty cups and, saying 'Please talk comfortably,' left with the boy for the Julliette Palace.

"Thank you for coming despite your busy schedule. You must have worked hard yesterday."

I poured cinnamon tea into Sir Eliza's cup.

She smiled and took the cup, her gray eyes sparkling as she checked the dessert.

"Since you can call me officially, I'm always welcome. Yesterday, I worked until just before I died, but now I feel so relieved."

She sipped her tea and told me about the big and small episodes from the Spring Ball.

Most of the stories were about troublesome nobles, who only showed respect when the heir of a viscount family like her appeared.

So, Sir Eliza had to visit every site of bullying.

"By the way, I heard you visited the Strada Palace briefly."

"Only the balcony. Because of this guy."

I pointed to Demi, who started climbing my chest.

"Is it the same one you saw before?"

"Yes, I thought he had left, but he stayed in the palace. I'll probably go to the Dueum Marquisate's territory, where another sacred artifact is located, soon."

- Creak

Demi made a small sound. I stroked his head and smiled.

I called Sir Eliza in the morning because I had something to talk about, but it wasn't easy to start.

I wondered if it was really okay to ask, but on the other hand, I felt I had the right to know.

"You can speak freely, Prince."

She opened the conversation, perhaps reading my expression.

I finally spoke the sentence that had been bothering me since last night.

"I recently saw a child in the palace. He asked me to keep it a secret, but I can't do that anymore."

"Yes."

She brought the cup to her lips.

"He has black hair and orange eyes. He's about this tall..."

"Cough, cough! Cough, cough, cough!"

Sir Eliza started coughing violently, as if she had choked.

Demi, startled, raised his tail.

I quickly handed her a napkin and poured water into an empty cup.

After a while, she calmed down, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Are you okay?"

"Please, continue."

"Ah, yes. He and I have a bit of a connection. His name is Sadi."

"Hmm..."

She sighed and covered her mouth with a new napkin. She seemed to be hiding something.

"He looks a lot like Prince Sedric. I think you would think the same if you saw him."

"Yes..."

"Have you met him before?"

Sir Eliza nodded with a resigned look.

"Do you know him?"

Another nod.

"Does he come and go in the palace as he pleases? Is he a member of the royal family?"

A moment of hesitation, then another nod.

Indeed, the 'Prince's best friend' knew everything.

A picture was forming in my mind.

Eun, who often called the prince 'trash.'

The novel, 'I Quit My Job and Became a Noble in Another World,' which mixed old clichés and fresh settings and was loved.

It seemed more like a melodrama than a fresh story, but if such a character were the main male lead, I would want to keep reading out of curiosity.

"Does he have a separate place to stay? Does the prince take good care of him?"

"Excuse me, I didn't hear that clearly?"

She looked at me blankly.

"The child sometimes hides in the palace's confessional, and I'm worried about his poor living conditions. I know it's not my place to say this, but..."

"Wait, Prince. I'm sorry."

Sir Eliza held out her hands to stop me.

"May I ask who you think the child is?"

"Whatever accident the prince had when he was young is none of my business."

I said firmly.

Sadi seemed to have divine power and had learned how to use it.

However, he claimed he was neither a priest nor a paladin.

He wouldn't even say which family he belonged to or how old