The first to greet us was Killian.1
“Prince Edmond, I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Reinhardt, who had been focused on talking with the knights, looked at us. His face turned cold, probably because he didn’t expect me to be here.
“...Hello, Your Highness.”
“I heard the news. Congratulations on your engagement, Prince.”
“...Thank you.”
The conversation was simple and polite. Reinhardt’s sharp blue eyes glanced briefly at me, then something felt strange.
What’s going on?
I thought his gaze would quickly move away, but it didn’t.
He kept staring like he wanted to start trouble. I was already getting tired.
“...Why are you staring so much?”
I almost spoke rudely, but noticed Killian next to me and awkwardly added more words.
Reinhardt realized his strange behavior and awkwardly looked away.
That was lame.
Compared to Caleb’s rude words, Reinhardt wasn’t too bad since he didn’t openly cause trouble. I sighed and started to walk away.
Meanwhile, Reinhardt passed by and finally took his eyes off Edith, who was already walking far ahead. Left alone, his face hardened coldly.
What’s that feeling?
From Edith’s body, I could strongly feel Killian Orpheo’s magic. He had clearly used magic on her.
If Orpheo Duke secretly did something to her without her knowing...
It wasn’t impossible. As a great mage, he could cast magic on her anytime without her noticing.
“Wait, Edith Diel, can you please leave for a moment? I have something to say.”
I almost spoke impulsively, which wasn’t like me.
Hearing Edith’s cold voice and sharp look, Reinhardt suddenly realized how strange his words sounded.
Right, this isn’t my business anymore. I don’t need to care.
Thinking of the dead Stella, even that thought felt sinful. But the unconscious mind didn’t stop.
“...What if Edith knows why Duke Orpheo’s magic is around her?”
What if he allowed the Duke to cast magic on her and ignored it? Edith wasn’t someone who easily gave up her space.
If so, that would really be...
Reinhardt’s jaw tightened as he closed his mouth.
About two days later, a notice arrived from the Vatican allowing my visit.
The timing was perfect—arriving just as the magic’s effect ended.
It seems nothing happened to Michelle during that time.
I breathed a sigh of relief knowing my fate-linked companion was okay this morning.
If Michelle had been hurt or assassinated last night...
She definitely wouldn’t be fine now.
It was a scary magic, but since I didn’t have nightmares and slept well, maybe I wasn’t truly afraid. Thanks to the Corneli twins, perhaps.
“Thanks to this, I’ve gotten braver for such things.”
I smiled bitterly and got into the carriage.
When we entered the holy land of Litrisha, I saw the white castle covered in snow—the Vatican.
“Arrived.”
The driver, Luk, announced, and I got out, pulling my wide-brimmed hat down and walking toward the Vatican.
Knights stood in line guarding the entrance. The security was so strict that it looked impossible to sneak in.
“What's your business here?”
A knight asked, and I quickly showed the papal permission letter. The knight hesitated, then glared at me.
I was sure it was because my name was on the letter.
I’ve been completely labeled a fraud in the empire.
Ignoring his warning glare, I entered the Vatican.
As I looked around, someone approached me.
“Miss Edith.”
A man in white priest robes came up.
“The Holy Father is calling you. This way.”
He must be from the Pope. I followed him and reached the Pope’s office, swallowing nervously.
The 23rd Pope, Michel La Bahadir Logos.
I had only read about him in the original story.
He was known to rarely show his face, even to regular followers.
He became the young pope a year after Stella died.
I’m worried about actually meeting him.
His personality was no joke. Readers called him “The Hedgehog” because of his sharp and prickly speech.
He had no reason to be friendly to me, especially after hearing my rumors.
After knocking, I entered the office and awkwardly greeted him.
“Hello?”
A handsome man sitting behind the desk coldly stared at me.
“...Then I’ll leave now.”
The priest who brought me closed the door and left.
Silence filled the room with only Michel and me inside.
I unconsciously looked at the man.
Pure black hair, clear green eyes.
He looked like a clean, pure angel—handsome and gentle-looking.
But his personality was not good.
Born with overflowing spiritual power, he was raised to be the next pope.
He had great power and skills, but grew up spoiled and was very arrogant and prickly.
Just a really annoying personality.
In the original story, he was a candidate for the male lead and later proved that Edith was really Adelheid’s daughter.
His lips slowly parted.
“Edith Diel.”
His gaze was not friendly at all.
“You’ve been silent until now, but now you say you want to develop a cure for the princess?”
By the way, Michel hated people who lied.
“Do you know your intentions look suspicious?”
His voice was soft but sharp, making it even colder.
“No matter how you tricked the princess, you should expect serious consequences this time.”
Oh, I was marked as a fraud from the start. It wasn’t surprising that he looked at me with distrust.
Knowing this, I answered calmly.
“Even if you don’t say it, the princess has His Majesty’s strict protection behind her.”
“...”
If I lied, the emperor would destroy me first. When I pointed that out, Michel fell silent for a moment. I took the chance to speak.
“Even if I’m a fraud, wouldn’t you at least hear what I have to say?”
He frowned slightly at my confident gaze. With a small sigh, he motioned for me to go ahead.
At least I’m not kicked out right away.
I passed the first test. The Pope allowed the meeting only because he saw the princess’s face.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
He also wants the princess to live.
Michel had been responsible for the princess’s treatment.
Though arrogant and prickly, he had a lot of care inside and was now deeply focused on the princess’s healing.
“So, about that—”
I got straight to the point. There was no time to waste.
“I’ve found a way to make a spiritual medicine that can heal the princess. I need Your Holiness’s help to make it.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes, it’s real.”
He looked doubtful again. After calling me a fraud, it was natural not to believe me.
He murmured.
“You discovered it so quickly...?”
Even over many eras, no one had developed such a cure. And now someone famous as a fraud, Edith Diel, claims she found it.
It’s foolish to believe it right away.
I mixed some lies into the truth.
“Yes, after more than eight years of research, I discovered the cure.”
Actually, I just remembered the recipe Edith researched in the original story.
“Eight years.”
He repeated my words stiffly. The meaning of eight years was unclear to him.
As Pope, he had treated the princess for seven years.
One year's difference was too short to develop a cure.
His look screams ‘fraud.’
But Michel didn’t blame the princess, who trusted me enough to arrange this meeting.
Because the princess arranged this.
Understanding her feelings, his green eyes showed a troubled look—the first sign of humanity in his usually cold gaze.
His lips slowly opened.
“Go back. And don’t use desperate people like that.”
“The medicine will be filled with monster’s energy, magic energy. But the power of monsters is dangerous for ordinary people to handle. Please make a small barrier around the medicine.”
Michel’s face hardened. As Logos, he understood the principle of how the medicine worked.
