Chapter 9
It was Emilia.
“Miss, please wait just a moment!”
After confirming that Ritia had woken up, Emilia had hurried out to prepare bath water and had just come back in.
“It’s fine. Take your time.”
Normally, she would have gone to the bathroom and received help from Emilia and the other maids, but today she felt uneasy about it. So she insisted on bathing alone inside, which made things a bit difficult for Emilia.
It seemed to be because of the Duke’s order to never leave her alone. But since she hadn’t had a chance to check her body after returning, she worried there might be traces left behind. If even that were reported to the Duke, she might not be allowed to go out again. Because of that, Ritia argued with Emilia for quite a while. In the end, they compromised: a screen was set up, all the attendants were dismissed, and only Emilia remained while Ritia bathed.
After finishing the preparations, Emilia neatly stacked towels beside her and smiled brightly.
“Miss, it’s all ready! Are you sure you don’t need my help? You’ve never bathed alone before…”
At that, Ritia smiled.
No matter how inexperienced she was, she wasn’t a child.
“It’s not like I don’t know how to wash myself. If it’s too difficult, I’ll call you.”
“Yes, miss!”
After Emilia pulled over a screen from the dressing room to form a simple wall and stepped back, Ritia finally relaxed, undressed, and sank into the bathtub filled with water.
She carefully examined her body with her eyes, checking for any signs that might give her away.
Whether he had used magic again or there had never been anything there to begin with, she found no noticeable marks.
“…That’s a relief.”
She didn’t even know how to properly use her holy power yet, and she couldn’t imagine being able to erase traces with it.
Only after confirming there were no marks did Ritia lean back fully into the tub and close her eyes.
“Ah…”
But why did her shoulder hurt so often? At the sharp, digging pain, Ritia half-leaned back and rubbed the back of her left shoulder.
When she touched it, she felt nothing.
Maybe she’d been drained since the banquet yesterday—she even felt like she had a slight fever. Come to think of it, the pain had disappeared when he kissed her shoulder earlier.
There’s no way I’ll end up looking for him again because of this, right?
Could she calm it down with holy power? It might work—she should practice that first.
‘If I just endure for one week, nothing will happen.’
His image, burned into her eyes, would probably linger for quite a while though.
“Hold me.”
“Closer. Even closer.”
His heated voice still echoed vividly in her ears.
The ragged breathing.
The hot skin pressed against hers.
The voices exchanged between them.
Even the lips that tangled and touched without rest.
“This is really unbelievable.”
That she had done something like that.
Her entire body flushed as the memories resurfaced, Ritia buried her face in her hands and sank under the water with a bubbling sound.
After that, Ritia asked Emilia to bring her any books that might contain information about this place—anything at all, even newspapers. Less than an hour later, servants came in carrying bundles of newspapers and more than a dozen thick books.
“If you need anything else, I’ll come right away! Anything at all!”
Since Ritia had woken up again, Emilia looked genuinely happy whenever she showed signs of being active.
Ritia dismissed the other servants, kept only Emilia by her side, and began scanning the newspaper headlines.
“Um, Emilia.”
“Yes?”
“I still don’t remember this either. Do you know how I use my power?”
Since Emilia was a commoner and hadn’t been born with power herself, Ritia hesitated for a long time about asking.
But Emilia was the only person she could trust right now, and she’d said she was always by her side, so Ritia thought she might know at least a little.
Even if Emilia was secretly watching her under Duke Mont’s orders, this question wouldn’t hurt her.
As expected, Emilia looked a bit troubled.
“M-my power?”
“Yes… I’m slowly recovering now, and I think Father… is hoping for it too.”
“Ah… I don’t really know, but a long time ago—before you lost your memories—you explained how to use it to me once.”
“Really? I did?”
Emilia smiled softly, as if recalling the past.
“You said that everyone is born equally loved by God, and that if I kept trying, I might be able to use power someday too. You even grabbed me and told me to practice.”
“I see.”
“But I never felt anything, so I don’t know if what I say will help. Or maybe you could talk to Count Bazenti?”
“Bazenti? …Ah, Ellar?”
“Yes! And this might be overstepping, but… you didn’t like using your power before, so Master probably won’t force you either.”
“I just want you to be happy, miss.”
Emilia said it quietly, almost like a confession.
It didn’t feel fake or forced.
Instead, Ritia felt her conscience prick, guilt stinging somewhere in her chest.
“Thank you for worrying about me. I’m just going to practice lightly, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
Emilia nodded and held out her hand.
“Alright. Then, miss, could you give me your hand?”
Ritia obediently held it out.
Emilia turned Ritia’s palm over and pointed to the center as if marking a dot.
“I don’t know what it feels like myself, but you said that finding the light in your heart was important. You said to take deep breaths, focus, and imagine gathering power in one place until you feel a refreshing sensation.”
“Focus… a refreshing feeling…”
Ritia followed Emilia’s words and tried to gather the formless power.
At first, she thought it all sounded vague, but after closing her eyes and focusing for a while, she began to feel a clear, cool energy filling her body.
‘Is this it?’
As she concentrated harder to draw out the elusive power, sparks crackled inside her.
Startled, Ritia pulled her hand away.
“Ah.”
“Miss, are you okay? Do you get it? I think I just saw a little light!”
“Oh—r-really? I think I understand a bit… but does it sting or hurt for you?”
Emilia widened her eyes, clearly surprised.
“No…? That shouldn’t happen. You said it would feel pleasant. Maybe it’s just because you’re still practicing?”
This was supposed to feel pleasant?
It felt more like something crackling and being swallowed inside her—unsettling and unpleasant, not nice at all.
Ritia steadied her breathing and focused again. This time, more slowly and deeply. The power filled her faster, and the vague light behind her closed eyes suddenly burst brightly.
“Miss, that’s it!”
But the moment Ritia opened her eyes, the light vanished. Still, having seen it, her expression relaxed noticeably.
The unpleasant sparks didn’t happen this time.
“I think… I understand the feeling now.”
“If you keep doing it like that, it should be fine. As expected of you, miss—you caught on right away!”
“That’s because you helped me.”
“I’m just happy if I can help you at all.”
Emilia smiled shyly, her cheeks flushed.
In the afternoon, Ritia practiced drawing out the power of Teos while also reading through the piles of books and newspapers.
“So the candidates have already been mentioned.”
In the year when Tenia’s oracle descended, noble ladies frequently visited the temple, donating and volunteering. That was how the Tenias selected the next candidates.
Most oracles descended upon those chosen by their eyes, so their judgment was almost treated as absolute faith.
Along with the High Priest, their words carried near-absolute authority, which was why everyone struggled so fiercely for it.
That position—said to belong to the most noble and pure.
Ritia didn’t want power, but if she wanted freedom, this could be one way.
After being selected as a candidate, even more active participation was required. It seemed there were five candidates in total, including Ritia.
As expected, articles about the already selected noble ladies stood out. Among them was Roa Cavendish, who had tormented Ritia relentlessly.
The woman who firmly believed she would become Tenia if Ritia were gone—and who even caught the Crown Prince’s interest.
She was certainly greedy. In any case, that meant Ritia would also have to participate without exception.
It seemed her suicide incident had been kept out of the newspapers, but there was little other news about her. That was probably why Duke Mont had made her attend the banquet yesterday.
According to Emilia, Ritia hadn’t used her power often before, so moderate donations and volunteer work would probably be enough.
Still, the phrase “the most noble and pure” bothered her. Surely it didn’t mean something outdated?
There was no way to turn back time now.
“…It’ll be fine, right?”
“You’ll come looking for me again.”
“If you don’t, I’ll pretend it never happened.”
“If you do come looking for me…”
“Then you’ll have to take responsibility.”
“Fine. One week. If you come looking for me, I win.”
One week.
The word “one week,” from the deal she had made with Caliph, resurfaced in her mind.
