The Ugly Wife of the Shady Duke - Chapter 64.2
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‘Did I handle that well?’
After speaking, anxiety always rushed in like a tidal wave.
“You were remarkable.”
As if reading her anxiety, Benjamin said.
“…I wasn’t that great.”
“No, you handled it well.”
Benjamin truly believed Grace had done her utmost.
‘If you need help, let me know.’
Boris Benedict was a high-ranking priest within the temple.
For her to casually tell someone of his stature to seek help if needed was an implicit statement that the Felton Duchy held a position even above the temple in this expedition and was in fact the leader of the expedition.
‘Moreover, she even left before he could reply.’
A gentle smile spread across Benjamin’s face.
“Your Highness, did something amusing cross your mind?”
“It’s a secret. We’re busy, we should get moving.”
“Yes, take care, Your Highness.”
Distancing herself from Benjamin, Grace headed towards the tent where Sally awaited, intending to prepare once again before moving to the next area.
There were always moments when she felt anxious, lacked self-confidence, and became fearful. However, those feelings would mysteriously vanish after a conversation with Benjamin.
Grace glanced down at the hand that was just holding Benjamin’s arm, clenching it into a fist as she quickened her pace.
Her heart fluttered in a different way, and a sense of relief washed over her.
Then, shortly after, a theft occurred.
The victim of the theft was Aria Miller, the sole saintess of the empire.
⋆★⋆
“I think I’ve gotten quite used to the tasks now.”
“Since the Madam herself is getting involved personally, it naturally motivates everyone.”
“Oh, come on. That can’t be the case.”
When Sally spoke with a hint of teasing, Grace immediately countered, but her voice was no longer as weak as it once was.
Sensing the newfound strength in Grace’s voice, Sally felt an inexplicable warmth. However, in her position as a subordinate, she didn’t reveal those emotions.
“Now that the saintess has arrived, we can leave once the purification is complete, right?”
“Yes, we’ve finished what we came to do.”
“Looking at times like this, I wish there were more than one saintess. The empire is so vast, and since there’s only ever one saintess, we can’t restore damages quickly.”
“There’s nothing we can do about that…”
‘It’s how the original story was set.’
The timing and location of the saintess’s discovery weren’t consistent. Only one per generation. That was the defining trait.
‘Considering that, it’s impressive how the temple consistently finds the sole saintess.’
Was that due to the plot setting?
Even if it started as a mere setting, now that it was a reality, there must be some principle behind finding her, right? Grace pondered. She soon shook her head.
‘It’s pointless to think about. Even if there is a method, it won’t increase the number of saintesses from one.’
“Hmm? What’s going on there?”
Before sunset, eager to finish their tasks and leave, Sally and Grace noticed a gathering of people.
“Is something wrong?”
There was no reason for a crowd to form now. With Grace’s approval, Sally approached them to inquire.
“What has happened?”
A man, who looked like a temple knight, answered Sally’s question.
“The saintess’s belongings have been stolen.”
“…What?”
Grace furrowed her brows as another twist, deviating from the original plot, unraveled.
‘Why?’
She was aware that different events might occur if she acted differently from the original storyline.
But she couldn’t possibly fathom how this theft was in any way related to her actions.
“…Can you tell me what was stolen?”
Grace swallowed nervously before asking the temple knight.
The temple knight, towering over both her and Sally, looked somehow intimidating.
‘I think he’s about the same height as Boris.’
She hadn’t felt as threatened when she confronted Boris, so why did this knight feel so daunting?
Although she hadn’t done anything wrong, she couldn’t meet his gaze and unconsciously hunched her shoulders.
“…The gift from Duke Jarte has gone missing, creating quite an unsettling situation. If the Duke learns of this, he might feel his goodwill was disrespected, given that his gift disappeared.”
‘So that’s the issue.’
Duke Jarte’s patronage was not present in the original work, so there was no reason for a theft to occur.
As Grace mentally sorted through the sequence of events, she felt that something was amiss.
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