Irene Decided to Die - Chapter 205
Luna’s approach, which disregarded others’ feelings while fixating solely on her own, was unpleasant to witness. Had she always been like this? As Burt pondered, he felt a light tap on his back from Irene.
“Wait a moment.”
“Why, Irene?”
“Let me try talking to her.”
“No. Lady Luna is being rude right now, and there’s no reason for you to tolerate it.”
Burt’s refusal was firm, but Irene wasn’t ready to back down. Rising onto her tiptoes, she leaned in to whisper into Burt’s ear.
“Something feels off about this.”
With those words, Burt took a closer look at Luna. Hearing Irene’s perspective, he began to see the oddity in the situation. While Luna’s feelings for him had always been apparent, it was out of character for her to behave so brazenly, especially at someone else’s engagement ceremony.
Burt searched through his memories for anything that might shed light on the situation.
“Very well. But it’s too risky for you to approach her directly, so speak from where you are.”
“Isn’t that a bit rude?”
“To me, Irene’s safety is far more important.”
In the end, Irene had to address Luna from behind Burt’s protective stance.
“Lady Luna.”
The moment Irene spoke her name, she could feel a sharp hostility radiating from Luna. Her glare was fierce, but Irene remained undeterred. Beneath that surface hostility, she sensed something disturbingly familiar—an aura she recognized from her battles with the heretics.
Until now, Irene hadn’t been close enough to sense it, but now it was unmistakable.
Someone had interfered with Luna, and that someone had ties to the heretics.
“I think I need to get a little closer.”
“No, you cannot.”
Burt showed no intention of stepping aside.
‘I have no choice, then.’
Irene sighed softly and began to recite a sacred chant. She understood Burt’s concerns, so she decided to do what she could from a distance, without moving any closer.
The garden, bathed in warm sunlight, gradually filled with the presence of divine power. A revitalizing energy swept through the area, clearing minds and lifting spirits. Many felt their mood improve, even those northern guests who had worn disapproving expressions throughout.
“Suddenly, I feel a sense of calm,” one remarked.
“Indeed, it is as if a weight has lifted,” another agreed.
The atmosphere of the party softened, turning more serene.
However, not everyone present found themselves soothed by this shift. Among those who felt the disruption were the senior priests and the holy knights. As the divine energy filled the air, it became easier to detect anything foreign or out of place within the garden. Allen, who had been quietly sipping his champagne, tapped the hilt of the sword resting in its scabbard at his side.
When others suggested leaving weapons behind, arguing that no madman would dare disturb a gathering attended by the temple’s priests and knights, Allen had objected. His duty to protect the saintess came first, and danger could arise when least expected.
‘It’s a good thing I brought it.’
He thought, as he pointed his sword at Luna, who had now collapsed to the ground. A nearby guest gasped sharply at the sight.
“Sir Allen?”
“What’s happening?”
Meanwhile, other holy knights began to surround Luna, forming a tight circle around her.
“Heretic.”
One of the senior priests spat the word with a look of utter revulsion. Hearing this, the guests from the northern lands were visibly shocked. The idea that Lady Luna—a noblewoman raised with every comfort—could be a heretic was unthinkable.
“There must be some misunderstanding.”
One of the leading nobles from the North protested, but the holy knights did not waver.
“A misunderstanding? When the taint of a heretic is so clearly present?”
Allen’s voice was harsh, as if he were biting out the words. A few guests instinctively stepped back, trying to distance themselves from Luna.
“Th-That’s impossible.”
The northern noble persisted. He had been entrusted with Luna’s care by her father, his dear friend. He couldn’t accept the idea of losing her so senselessly. Yet, as time passed, the malevolent aura surrounding Luna grew stronger. It became so palpable that even those without divine sensitivity could see and feel it.
“Deal with her.”
Allen’s cold voice rang out as he raised his sword.
“No, please!”
A scream soon echoed through the garden, cutting through the previously serene atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Anne had been staring out the window, lost in thought, but she turned away from the scene outside. Behind her stood Ramiel, the one acknowledged by the goddess as the true saintess—the only person who could save Anne from her torment. Clasping her hands together as if in prayer, Anne approached Ramiel.
“Are you ready?”
Ramiel asked with a gentle smile.
“Yes, I’m ready.”
Anne was a fallen noblewoman, who had faced hardship from a young age. Even after her family’s fall, her parents clung to their former life of luxury, while her siblings remained reckless and irresponsible. She had been fortunate to secure a position as Lady Luna’s maid, but it hadn’t improved her situation by much.
Whatever wages she earned were always taken by her family, leaving her future bleak. Trying to break free from the shadow of her family had seemed nearly impossible.
It was during that time that she found solace in the group that others called heretics.
