~CMWDD 17~
Chapter 17
‘But even if they heard, there’s nothing I can do about it.’
Right now, asking Count Odor for help was the most important thing. That thought floated constantly in Ollentia’s mind.
She was about to speak urgently when Count Odor politely interjected first.
“My niece seems to have something urgent to discuss. May we go inside first?”
Diomidius nodded readily.
“Of course. I’ll return to my room. Please speak freely.”
Diomidius walked away with long strides and ascended the stairs. It was a relief he didn’t pretend to know more than he did. Ollentia didn’t want anyone to know they were acquainted unnecessarily, especially not in front of Count Odor.
Once Diomidius was out of sight, Count Odor’s face turned stern.
“What on earth is going on? What are you trying to say?”
“This isn’t a conversation for such an open place. Let’s go to your office or your bedroom.”
“What’s gotten into you… Ugh!”
Despite his complaints, Count Odor followed her suggestion into the office, not forgetting to summon his aide. He ordered the aide to search the Scentmi River and then turned his gaze back to Ollentia.
“Is this all? Speak quickly. You need to be honest and tell me everything.”
He usually acted friendly, but in moments like this, he mimicked the sternness of an uncle.
Ollentia took a deep breath and shared all the truths she had witnessed and learned that day. The priests of the Odor Main Church had laughed uproariously at the story of Ankedo, so she wondered how her uncle would react.
“…So I think the culprit is Priest Ankedo.”
The moment she finished, Count Odor’s expression darkened. It was as if he had just heard the most absurd story imaginable.
‘Ah… maybe I shouldn’t have told him yet. Do all people from Odor’s territory react like this?’
Still, Count Odor was the most reliable person in the region. He also had unquestionable authority to investigate.
After a long pause, he cleared his throat and spoke.
“I don’t think you have any reason to lie, so I’ll consider it seriously.”
“Really?” Ollentia’s eyes lit up.
“But I can’t accuse anyone without evidence. Ankedo is extremely trusted in the Odor territory. He even received the ‘Meritorious Person of the Year’ award for Odor Territory.”
“That award… you gave it, didn’t you?”
Count Odor scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“Yes. I gave it. He rescued children from a burning house—how could I not?”
“Ha… no matter how I think about it, I still feel like his true nature is different.”
“I’ll look into it, so don’t worry. Just stay put, okay?”
Count Odor’s expression grew stern again, warning that he wouldn’t tolerate her getting involved in dangerous affairs.
Ollentia nodded calmly.
“If I intended to handle this alone, I wouldn’t have told my uncle in the first place.”
“You!”
“So there’s no need to worry unnecessarily.”
Ollentia winked. Despite her words, she knew she had to reassure her uncle while handling things separately. Of course, her uncle might manage well on his own, but since he liked Ankedo, he might miss important details.
The urgent matters included the death of Thomas, the administrator of the Odor Main Church, and the embezzlement case. She also secretly hoped that if the archbishop were involved, the wedding might even be canceled. Perhaps that was why she was so fixated on this situation.
After leaving Count Odor’s office, Ollentia headed back to the villa beside the daisy field. Along the way, she thought of Morling, who wore the orange shell hairpin. Maybe she could find something by visiting Ankedo’s ex-girlfriend.
‘Start with the search for the body, quickly.’
Ollentia had clearly said that. Her face looked pale, and she kept clenching and unclenching her fists. She seemed extremely anxious.
Back in the guest room, Diomidius was still contemplating when he spoke to his aide Killun.
“Check if any missing person or murder cases have been reported in the Odor territory tomorrow.”
Since Ollentia requested a body search, Count Odor would likely take action, and the case would be officially registered in some form. It might not necessarily be a disappearance or murder, but his instincts told him it wasn’t for anything trivial.
Diomidius planned to start there. He needed to understand what Ollentia was up to.
Killun, knowing more than he let on, asked anyway.
“Yes, understood. But is this also related to Lady Armeniaca?”
Diomidius didn’t answer. He saw no need to.
Killun smiled faintly and continued.
“She’s the one you need most right now, isn’t she? Lady Armeniaca. You needed someone with divine power to awaken the demonic force, and it would be helpful if she supports you.”
“You talk a lot today.”
“You asked me to find out where the Lady went from Odor Station, didn’t you? I’m curious why you’re pretending otherwise.”
Adjusting his mask, Diomidius said seriously:
“I’m not pretending. I just observe without expecting anything. I don’t know if she’ll take my hand when I reach out.”
Ollentia didn’t seem fully aware of her own divine power yet. Of course, he didn’t think she would remain ignorant of it forever. She would eventually discover her strength—and it would be greater than expected.
Diomidius recalled the moment he had held her hand and swallowed hard.
He had never expected that handling the phantasm flower would lead to something more important. Not before boarding the train in the capital, Geranium.
Because of Ollentia, he had awakened the demonic force. Now he hoped she would support him…
Ollentia had no idea that the person who wanted her help was quietly holding back here.
Late at night, she dreamed.
In her dream, it was Ankedo who appeared. He was in a room full of mirrors, with mysterious magical tools stacked to the ceiling on the table.
“Ankedo, sir. These are the newly arrived magical tools.”
In the dream, Ankedo was a smuggler of forbidden magical tools. He had many subordinates and, unlike in the church, wore luxurious accessories.
Examining the magical tools, Ankedo laughed heartily.
“A gender-changing tool? That’s on the list, huh? But who really uses these? How ridiculous.”
Ankedo smuggled and secretly sold forbidden magical tools for profit. He looked at the mirrors, which reflected his plump face. A smile spread across it. Feeling pleased, he stood and stepped back.
“My money! I stole it, but in the end it’s still my money! I wonder if it’s all right to check on it?”
Ollentia tried to follow his movements in the dream but was suddenly struck by an intense headache, and the scene changed.
Platinum hair and honey-colored eyes—hers. In the dream, Ollentia was at Morling’s grave, crying bitterly. Photos and flowers surrounded her.
“If only I had met Ankedo and solved this… none of this would have happened!”
She shouted, filled with self-reproach.
Tears poured down like rain, and she woke up.
“Ha…”
She let out a deep sigh and sat up. Morning sunlight poured through the large window, but a chill lingered.
“What… a premonition? That can’t be…”
Premonitions were not included in the use of divine power. In the Bonus Empire, only Saint Daphne could have such visions.
‘Ridiculous. Why would I have the saint’s ability too?’
It had to be impossible. Premonitions were terrifying.
Dreams featuring Ankedo, or her crying at Morling’s grave, shouldn’t happen.
Ollentia brushed away the chill on her arms. She had planned to visit Morling first, but now she needed to confirm if the premonition was real—even if it was risky.
She wrote a letter at her desk and called Bobby. Bobby received the wax-sealed letter early in the morning, looking puzzled.
“Who should I deliver this to?”
“Priest Ankedo of the Odor Main Church.”
“Why a letter to him all of a sudden?”
“Oh, he’s close to the archbishop, and I want his advice on how to change the archbishop’s mind.”
Ollentia lied to Bobby to prevent worry.
Bobby prepared to go out and said cheerfully:
“Yes! I’ll deliver it properly.”
Ollentia nodded and watched Bobby leave. Her heart raced at the thought of the letter reaching Ankedo.
‘I hope Ankedo isn’t a smuggler of forbidden magical tools.’
She desperately hoped it wasn’t a premonition. If it were, dreams of Morling falling or her crying at the grave would be a nightmare.
Moreover, if it was true, the dream with the masked man was troubling. The most famous masked man in the Bonus Empire was Diomidius Belial.
‘Marrying Diomidius? And being the wife who calms a rampaging husband…’
Ollentia’s hands shook.
“Impossible!”
Ankedo appeared alone in front of the main hall of the Odor Church—a rare opportunity.
Bobby quickly ran and stopped before him.
“Ankedo, sir! Wait a moment!”
Ankedo paused and smiled gently.
“What is it?”
Bobby, thinking him kind, spoke.
“Miss Ollentia Armeniaca asked me to deliver this letter.”
Finally, Ollentia’s letter was in Ankedo’s hands. He stood there for a long while, perplexed.
Once Bobby left, Ankedo opened the envelope. The handwriting was rushed but legible.
After a moment, Ankedo’s mouth opened in shock.
“…What is this.”
His black eyes trembled. He was confronted with a situation he had never expected.
The letter clearly stated Ollentia’s firm desire to purchase a gender-changing magical tool. Such tools were not available for ordinary purchase—they were forbidden.
The little girl was a client seeking forbidden magical tools!
Ankedo had sold dangerous tools to politicians and businessmen before, but this was truly surprising.
Ollentia was from the prestigious Armeniaca family—the famous heiress known as the essence of the Apricot Tree family.
