I Ended Up Saving the Duke Who Was Meant to Die - Chapter 5.3
At his words, I had a hunch. The members of the organization must have known what they were doing. They knew and did as they were told anyway. There was no one who could oppose or question what Michaelo said.
Children with nowhere to go had to stay in Michaelo’s good graces to remain in the temple. It wouldn’t have been easy to defy the only one who had reached out to them.
‘Maybe I was the only one who didn’t know.’
Perhaps the reason I was never given a mission was because he was worried about me, with my abilities, slipping out of his hands.
I couldn’t gauge where Michaelo’s true self began.
“…Maybe the other priests knew. No, it seems I was the only one who lived in the temple without knowing anything.”
So that’s why everyone was in such an uproar when I disappeared. It would have been troublesome if the only one who knew nothing while in the temple went outside and learned the truth.
“Irene.”
He came to my side, hugged me, and patted my back. The trembling didn’t stop. He waited silently until I calmed down.
“From now on, we can set things right. So don’t blame yourself.”
“What should I do?”
Yes, as he said, we can correct what’s wrong. It’s not too late yet. There were still many children and priests in the temple. If they were being held against their will, we had to save them.
However, one thing I couldn’t understand was why he insisted on bringing children with holy power specifically to the temple. He could have hidden them elsewhere and formed an organization, but he insisted on the temple.
“But why the temple specifically? It seems like there must be a reason it had to be the temple.”
“The High Priest secretly brought in countless people besides those who would carry out missions. There must be a reason he brought them in, even buying children with money. Is there anything you suspect?”
As he said, it bothered me that he consistently recruited children, even paying money. No matter how I thought about it, the puzzle pieces didn’t fit.
“I don’t know. Until now, I just thought he brought them to the temple because they had holy power.”
“He must be hiding something. A thousand children have disappeared without a trace.”
“A thousand?”
That was certainly strange. No matter how big the temple was, there wasn’t enough space to accommodate the continuously increasing number of children. Even those who moved as a group weren’t that many in number. Rather, I heard that a small number were selected to carry out missions.
“We need to go to the temple.”
“That’s not possible. If we go now, we might not be able to escape.”
“I know. But there’s no other way, is there?”
The children captured by him will never change their minds, even as adults. It wasn’t an easy thing, so we had to approach it differently. And as long as I have my ability, Michaelo won’t be able to treat me recklessly.
‘If Michaelo is hiding something, others won’t be able to find out.’
So it would be faster if I went directly to find out what he was hiding.
But while the old me might not have known, now he wouldn’t be able to trust me completely. I wonder if there’s a good way…
Knock knock.
Lost in thought, I looked at Severus at the sound of knocking.
“Your Grace, it’s Albert. I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation. The appointed time has come. And there’s also an urgent letter from the temple.”
“An urgent letter?”
At the mention of a letter from the temple, I nodded. If the temple is involved in this matter, it would be a request to send me to the temple.
“Severus, were there any survivors from the gate?”
“I don’t remember clearly, but a few must have survived.”
“Then it will be written to send me. If people from the temple have returned alive, they’ll need me for healing.”
“Even so, those who returned alive failed their mission, didn’t they? So he wouldn’t have kept them alive.”
I shook my head.
“He wouldn’t have killed them yet.”
There was a high probability that Michaelo had kept them alive to lure me in. I didn’t mind using my abilities for those in the temple during my stay. Sympathy? Compassion? While it was different from such emotions, Michaelo knew that I pitied them anyway.
Just as I know him well, he knows me well too.
“We can check the contents of the letter, right?”
At my words, he let out a short sigh and told Albert he could come in. Albert entered the room and handed him the letter. Severus immediately opened the envelope with a paper-knife and checked the contents.
His neat eyebrows twitched slightly, distorting. Judging by his expression, it seemed my prediction was correct.
“Does it say they need help?”
Severus nodded lightly. Now that everything is certain, what can I do? I didn’t mind healing the injured.
However, once they recover, they might have to repeatedly carry out missions again.
“Reply that I’ll go to the temple.”
“That’s not possible.”
“You said we need to find out what he’s hiding. If I go, I might be able to find out.”
“It’s still dangerous.”
“We don’t have any other options.”
“Even so, I can’t send you alone.”
Severus was adamant. Albert looked back and forth between me and Severus during our exchange, then let out a deep sigh.
“They didn’t say Madam should come alone. You two can go together.”
“What if they don’t let us in?”
“Then say you can’t help. You’re good at that, aren’t you, Your Grace?”
“What am I good at?”
“Yes, being unreasonable. I heard you even blurted out that you’d destroy the temple without hesitation.”
At Albert’s words, Severus nodded, saying that would do. Then, as if something was strange, he tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes.
“Albert. Come to think of it, it seems you’ve been thinking of me as a reckless person. Have you thrown away your respect for your lord?”
“How could that be? I respect that side of you as well, Your Grace. If you insist on not letting Madam go, even the High Priest would have no choice.”
Albert looked at his watch. Come to think of it, didn’t he say there was somewhere we had to go together?
“By the way, where is it that Severus can’t go alone?”
“That’s why many people were waiting outside. How about continuing your unfinished conversation in the carriage?”
“I have no choice. If I create something to be criticized for, it’ll be troublesome for me. Irene, you need to come with me to the palace.”
“…The palace?”
