I Ended Up Saving the Duke Who Was Meant to Die - Chapter 6.7
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“That’s right. He’s insane. How else could he do something like this? But just because someone is mentally ill doesn’t mean their crimes disappear.”
It didn’t make sense by any normal standards. He looked like a demon, dressing up priestess to look like me and being intimate with them. Michaelo probably knew his behavior was strange. That’s why he had been continuing these acts secretly, away from others’ eyes.
“He shouldn’t be in that position.”
He wasn’t suited for the position of High Priest. It was no different from deceiving and betraying everyone. He must have been able to preserve his position as High Priest for a long time under the pretext of handling the Imperial family’s dirty work. Their collusive relationship needed to be exposed.
“There are many children in the temple. It’s not too late. We need to rescue the remaining children. If we leave them as is……”
They would meet a miserable death like those I had seen. I wanted to prevent that at least. I still couldn’t forget the pile of dead bodies I had seen.
“There were definitely dead bodies piled up in the underground space. They too were dressed similarly to me.”
“If we move rashly, it could backfire. You might be in danger of being accused as a witch. But if we reveal everything at once, they might destroy the evidence, so we can’t let this leak out.”
“Also, we need power to confront both the Imperial family and the temple.”
“I think I can handle that.”
Severus said confidently. I believed in him. So if he said he could handle it, then that’s how it would be. We needed to bring down the temple and correct these unreasonable things.
The children who needed help needed proper adults who could truly help them.
***
Michaelo sat watching the Imperial Princess who was arrogantly frowning. Prince Gabriel, who had come with her, stared intently at Michaelo.
“You were so confident, yet you haven’t resolved anything.”
“I told you as well, didn’t I? That nothing should happen to endanger that child.”
“She’s alive. One might think she was dead. They say she left on her own feet.”
Michaelo inwardly clicked his tongue. The one who attacked the temple had no right to say such things. If they had waited and moved when Irene went to the villa, the result might have been different.
Though he had vowed to kill the Duke, it wasn’t easy.
“I heard assassins infiltrated the Duke’s residence too. Didn’t I tell you? To ensure he wouldn’t be in danger. I believe we had an agreement.”
“Hah!”
Gabriel burst out laughing at the words of the Imperial Princess and Michaelo. What agreement between people who don’t trust each other? This was the result of not believing each other’s words and having the same desire to kill one another.
“Are you saying you really didn’t know this would happen?”
“Brother, did you know? That the High Priest would ruin everything! If you knew, you should have given me a hint!”
The Imperial Princess glared while breathing heavily. Michaelo drank his tea and kept his mouth shut at her words. His determination not to provide any excuse was apparent.
“His Majesty the Emperor also wanted to eliminate the Duke, so isn’t this for the best?”
“Does he think I don’t know that since the temple doesn’t move officially, we’ll be the only ones taking the fall if things go wrong?”
Gabriel slightly raised the corner of his mouth while looking at Michaelo. He had known from the beginning why Michaelo had approached him. He must have thought they shared the same desire to eliminate the Duke.
“Even if my sister is too blinded by the Duke to make proper judgments, I’m different. Michaelo, I don’t know what thoughts you had or what picture you drew, but things won’t go as you please.”
It failed even when Father joined in. How did the High Priest think he could catch him? Hasn’t this mess happened again as a result?
“If word of this foolishness reaches other ears, it would lower the Imperial family’s honor. Rather, it would only serve to elevate Severus more.”
Gabriel rose from his seat. There was no need for further discussion. Since whatever they did only provided better opportunities for him, it would be faster to use that woman Irene instead.
“Sereny. It would be better not to meet with the High Priest behind my back again. That is, if you don’t want to take responsibility for the consequences.”
“That’s why! You prevented my marriage to Severus! Brother, were you also afraid I would gain power by marrying him?”
To the Imperial Princess’s words, Gabriel answered without hesitation.
“You know well. But you can’t marry the Duke either. Sereny, I’m the one who will succeed Father. When you marry, you don’t gain power – you become a helper who gives power to me.”
Gabriel left first with a cold smile. The remaining Sereny clenched her fists with an angry face.
“You deceive me? This could have been easily resolved, but you ruined everything. You will pay the price for this.”
Michaelo looked at Sereny who was threatening him with fierce eyes. Then he said to her.
“It seems you couldn’t even break Irene in social circles, Your Highness must be having a headache. However, if you threaten Irene’s life again, I’m afraid I won’t be able to look after the lovely Imperial Princess anymore.”
“Are, are you daring to threaten me?”
“So please persuade His Highness the Crown Prince well. Surely you haven’t forgotten who resolved all the Imperial family’s unsavory matters in the first place?”
When you borrow someone else’s hands because you don’t want to dirty your own, there’s always a price to pay. When he smiled slightly, Sereny made a face as if she had goosebumps and stood up.
“It seems you don’t mind if everyone learns the true nature of the High Priest.”
Michaelo nodded. As long as Irene didn’t know, nothing else mattered. Others weren’t important. The ignorant Imperial family members who tried to eliminate her without even knowing what she possessed were irritating. They shouldn’t know yet. He needed Irene. The moment she turned away from being favorable to him, he wouldn’t be able to achieve what he wanted, so he planned to move carefully.
***
Severus’s strength lay in none other than the Empire’s people. They supported him more than the Imperial family. Even while fearing him, they considered him indispensable to the country.
After receiving the list of missing children, we secretly contacted the parents who had lost their children. We separated those who were sold to human traffickers from those who suddenly disappeared and took their statements.
“Why did he take so many children to the temple? It makes even less sense if it was to offer them as sacrifices.”
He wouldn’t pile up sacrifices like that. From the beginning, it was strange that they weren’t burned but dressed up to look similar to me.
“Did you notice anything unusual about the dead bodies?”
At Severus’s question, I tried to recall the scene I had witnessed in detail. It wasn’t a graveyard or a place to honor the dead. Those corpses looked just like dolls.
“Though dead, they were clean. They hadn’t decomposed and looked as if they were just sleeping. I know it doesn’t make sense, but that’s how they appeared to my eyes.”
It was beyond bizarre. I wanted to open his head to see what he was thinking. The children must have felt tremendous fear when he suddenly changed from someone who extended his hand with a gentle smile.
“The priests must have known about Michaelo’s true nature like me. Those who remained by his side must be the ones who accepted it.”
Albert nodded in agreement with my words. Eventually, as if he had looked into various things, he pulled out papers on the table and spoke.
“I found this part strange too and searched through documents, but I couldn’t solve the mystery. There’s no reason to offer sacrifices, and even if there were, why would someone with holy power like him engage in heretical acts?”
“Perhaps he did such things because he was lacking something?”
There must be something we’re missing. I tried to recall my time at the temple, searching for any peculiarities.
“How was Michaelo selected as High Priest?”
“It must have been after his strong holy power became known.”
“……I see. Did the temple handle the Imperial family’s dirty work from the beginning?”
