Chapter 91

I greeted him while doing my best not to be conscious of the Duke.

“You’re here, Supreme Justice.”

The Duke was silent for a few seconds before speaking.

“…It seems it’s been a long time.”

“…Ha ha… Is that so?”

Reyra, the finance officer opposite me, said as she rhythmically sliced her steak.

“It’s because you always bring the kid and make her work asking for help with tasks. I think it’s almost the first time we’ve had a conversation like this since then. Of course it’s awkward.”

“….”

“….”

A lot had happened in the meantime, but Reyra didn’t know, so I stayed silent. I was mechanically shoveling food into my mouth as if I couldn’t tell whether it was going into my mouth or my nose, when the Duke spoke to me again.

“I heard you met your eldest brother; was everything all right?”

He was referring to Olgard, whom I met at the banquet. Many people had asked about him afterward. It was a timely topic to liven the mood.

“Ah, yes. He originally went to study in the Mokoko Kingdom, but before I knew it he had become the Yuno Envoy here. I was surprised.”

“An envoy, huh, that’s remarkable. It’s rare for sacred power to manifest so late.”

“It seems he caught the eye of the Yuno Envoy while studying abroad and ended up here. I’m relieved he managed to accomplish something, at least.”

I meant it. If he had no degree or anything, they would have thoroughly punished the Libertas family for the sin of undermining its pillar. After exchanging a few words, we were able to converse more comfortably than before.

“You looked more embarrassed than pleased. I thought you weren’t particularly close.”

“That’s because… I hardly have any memories of my brother. It’s been a long time since I last saw him, and last year I suffered a severe fever that damaged my memory a bit. So I couldn’t remember his face well.”

It was a kind of smokescreen to prevent questions and suspicion that might come later.

“Oh. Are you all right now?”

I can’t say about the illness, but when I came to the only shock left was that my move to a big company had vanished.

“Yes. As you can see.”

“You should take care of your health. You seemed to faint often. And you do a lot of reckless things, too.”

“Eh? What are you saying. I’m not on the same level as the Duke, but I’m perfectly ordinary.”

“Well. Hearing you had a fever makes me unsure if I can trust you. Were you healthy in your childhood?”

“My childhood was…!”

For a moment I was at a loss for words. Was he asking about Cornelia’s childhood or my real childhood? That thought hit me and my head suddenly went cold. I froze completely.

“Secretary, are you all right?”

Seeing me suddenly stiffen, the Duke asked in surprise. I could no longer continue the meal.

“I suddenly feel unwell. Excuse me, I’ll get up first. I’m sorry.”

Then I fled the place as if running away.

I hurried out of the palace, thinking I’d be bound to run into someone if I stayed. I grabbed a carriage, got off roughly in the city center, and started walking without direction.

‘Why did I do that?’

I knew full well my earlier behavior was so rude it was hard to justify even to myself — standing up in the middle of a conversation. What must the Duke have thought?

‘He must have been hurt…’

Standing there in self-reproach, I stared up at the sky. Dark clouds were pushing away the previously clear sky. In Yuno, famed for good weather, days like this happen only a few times a year. It looked like it would rain soon. I had no umbrella, but I walked on aimlessly anyway.

‘What, am I some tragic heroine or something?’

Walking and thinking, I realized how ridiculous I was. In novels, when someone is possessed they accept it without question. I’ve rarely seen anyone agonize over the possibility of returning to their original world. Or maybe everyone instinctively knew they could never go back.

But I wasn’t like that.

‘I’m anxious.’

Maybe it’s just my worrying nature. Or perhaps it’s because I know all too well the pain of those left behind.

Rumble.

Thunder rang across the darkened sky. It sounded as if it were scolding me: Did you think life would be easy just because you came to this world?

‘How petty, how petty I am acting now.’

I wanted a clean break from work, to be able to say what I wanted, a quicker promotion — and yet here I was plunged into this torment.

The problem was there was no answer. Whether to stay or to return someday — neither option was clear.

If so, I had no choice but to live with the thought that I might always return. Why?

‘Because that’s how I’m made.’

A bad habit showed itself: imagining things that haven’t happened and worrying in advance — a habit that seemed of no use anywhere.

As I grew older I realized it was a habit that ate away at my mind, but it was hard to break. I let out a self-mocking laugh.

I walked for a long time with my head bowed, staring at my feet. I reached a dead end and when I looked up, the Yuno Temple stood before me.

“Come to the Yuno Temple.”

Olgard’s words — ‘Come to the Yuno Temple’ — popped into my head. I didn’t feel like going back right away, so I slowly stepped into the temple. The gatekeeper at the entrance asked me to prove my identity.

‘I ran out during the meal and didn’t grab my ID.’

I thought of course my luck would be like this.

“I am Cornelia Libertas, a first-rank secretary of the Chancellery of the Seraphina Empire who has come as part of the Yuno royal court delegation. I’m here to see Envoy Olgard.”

I said my identity verbally just in case, not expecting much. But the gatekeeper’s expression changed pleasantly, as if he’d been expecting it.

“Envoy Olgard informed us in advance. He said he’d be meeting a sibling he’d been apart from for a long time, and you resemble him so closely that you don’t need ID. Please go in.”

I found it strange how third parties could so easily notice resemblances that blood relatives might miss. Even I, now possessed, had grown used to this face and didn’t really notice how similar I was to Olgard aside from eye color.

When I entered, a young priest who looked like a novice approached and asked my business.

“I’m here to see Envoy Olgard.”

“You’re his sibling! I’ll guide you!”

“….”

Word seemed to have spread around; there was no one who didn’t know me. I even felt the glances of composed priests sitting nearby. It was embarrassing in a different way.

The young priest led me deep into the temple and knocked on a door.

“Envoy, your sibling has arrived.”

Then the door swung wide open.

“Thanks. Coco, come in.”

The priest offered a few well-wishes hoping for a pleasant conversation and left. At that age, such a mature attitude — it made me think back to how impressive he would have seemed when I was young.

The envoy’s room was simple yet spacious — a desk and a sofa and table for guests. But it didn’t feel lacking. The finely carved furniture matched the temple’s atmosphere perfectly.

“It seems you expected me to come?”

He skilfully poured tea and offered it as he answered.

“Our conversation last time was cut off. I thought you’d come.”

All right, since I was here I decided to slowly ask the questions that had been on my mind.

“So, what happens now? Will you stay here for good?”

“Well. It depends on the will of the gods.”

I swallowed the irritation that welled up in me.

“Do you know how long everyone waited, believing you would return? Do you know how hard it was for them all that time?”

“I’m sorry, but it was the will of the gods; there was nothing I could do.”

I once again held back the anger rising to my throat.

‘That blasted god, gods — what are they to toss aside their family like that!’

“While you were studying abroad, Rio could have been harmed.”

“….”

He’d called me to the temple yet didn’t answer my questions properly. It was frustrating. I thought of Marcella, Julie, and Rio, who waited anxiously for their eldest brother, and I felt even choked up.

If he hadn’t been able to sell even a strand of hair, Rio really… I couldn’t bear to imagine it and shook my head hard. Olgard smiled faintly and tried to soothe me.

“I knew you were doing well. If something had happened, I would surely have felt it. That was enough for me.”

Was this one of the priest’s abilities — to sense the life or death of kin? It wasn’t enough. What good is it if only he knows? I snapped at him in frustration.

“Aren’t you curious how your family has been?”

He gave a sly smile. After a moment’s pause as if considering, he spoke.

“To be honest, I am a little curious.”

He sounded so flippant I wondered whether he had understood me properly.

“About what?”

“Cornelia — you.”

“What?”

Suddenly his gaze turned sharp.

“You’re not really my sibling, are you?”

It was a look that pierced straight through to something.