Irene Decided to Die - Chapter 94
Broken toys and pieces of shattered furniture lay scattered on the floor.
These were the things that had been broken on the day his mother died and he was taken away.
‘Mother.’
Guy picked up one of the broken toys. He wound the spring on its back, but it no longer moved.
It felt sad, as if it was telling him about the passage of time.
The sentiment didn’t last long. Someday, after achieving what he desired, he might erase all these traces.
But that time wasn’t now, so he decided to return.
“Anyway, I can’t stay in that room any longer.”
Until then, Guy would rely on the saintess and her entourage.
Saintess Irene welcomed Guy back.
“How was the room you used to stay in?”
“It was unchanged. But it wasn’t suitable for staying.”
“I see. I’ll have a room prepared for you here, so you can rest.”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
Guy was given a clean room and had a late dinner.
He would have eaten at the welcoming party, but he hadn’t had the chance.
Afterward, he took a clean bath, changed clothes, and fell asleep in a soft bed. He felt like he could sleep without nightmares tonight.
The next morning, after breakfast, they gathered in the living room.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, Guy.”
Guy sat across from Irene and enjoyed some tea for a moment. Then the serious conversation began.
“Does Lady Saintess wish for me to become king?”
Guy asked directly without beating around the bush.
“Yes.”
“But isn’t it too late for that? Garan is the king now, and many nobles support him.”
“There may be many, but not all.”
Irene’s words were further explained by Burt.
“Garan is selfish and greedy, and he has many enemies as well as allies. He has even used his royal power to commit massacres on a village scale.”
“Why did he carry out the massacres?”
“Because they didn’t pay their taxes properly.”
“If it was to set an example, it might be understandable.”
“If it’s one instance, yes. But when there are many such examples, it turns into deep-seated fear.”
“People paralyzed by fear don’t act easily.”
“We intend to make them act.”
Irene responded clearly, as she had been taught.
It might be possible to cover up or evade the wrongdoings. But what if the opponent was the saintess?
Would all those things still be possible?
The answer is no. The saintess is the world, and the world is the saintess.
In such a world, the saintess’s words are like a form of truth.
“Who would dare lie to me?”
“In reality, you cannot lie, can you?”
While lying wasn’t punished directly, it was said to cause immense suffering.
“Is that something to worry about? I only speak the truth.”
“I see. But what if I become a king more terrible than Garan?”
“Would you?”
As if that could happen.
Guy shook his head. Given the situation, even if he ascended to the throne, he would be cautious.
“Garan must have greatly displeased you, Lady Saintess.”
At Guy’s words, Irene gave a chilly smile.
After that, Guy stayed in the saintess’s quarters and, along with Burt, met various individuals.
Some had turned against Garan’s policies, while others remained neutral.
Initially, most were reluctant to meet Guy, but they couldn’t refuse Burt. In more difficult cases, Irene would accompany them.
Refusing the saintess when she came to your mansion? That was impossible.
Thus, Guy slowly began to establish his foothold.
Many people found Guy’s black hair unsettling, but they didn’t express it openly. The saintess carried more ominous symbols than Guy did.
The world was changing, little by little. And the one contributing most to that change was Irene.
* * *
“Annoying. So annoying.”
Garan paced around the room, irritated.
Guy was steadily building his power base, while there was little Garan could do.
The best solution would be to kill Guy, but how? The saintess was always by his side.
Any significant injury would be quickly healed by the saintess. He needed to separate her from Guy first.
“Damn it.”
Regret for the past surged anew. If he had prevented the saintess from being tortured back then, would it be him, not Burt, at her side now?
“No, that’s all in the past.”
Garan decided to stop dwelling on the past.
“Come to think of it, there’s that.”
He recalled a ritual he hadn’t thought of for a long time.
The rain-making ceremony, one of the rituals the saintess could oversee.
During the ceremony, the saintess couldn’t meet with outsiders. Depending on her abilities, the duration could exceed a week.