The disturbance at the cathedral had somewhat settled, and Jareem came to find me.
“Your Majesty, the Empress. I have reported to His Highness, but I thought it would be better to tell you again.”
“Yes, do as you feel comfortable.”
“……Just as you said, Your Majesty. We have confirmed something strange mixed in the water from the bishop, saying that only the high priests who were afflicted with the plague drank separately.”
“Something strange?”
“According to the direct examination by the bishops gathered at the cathedral now……”
Jareem hesitated to speak. He seemed to want to avoid the cruel reality.
“It was confirmed to be the contaminated blood of the victims of the Ferdak experiment.”
“……What?”
“The Ferdak experiment is an experiment that injects the sap of the dry World Tree into the human body. Eventually, everyone died, but do you know what changes occurred inside the body while they were dying?”
At Jareem’s question, I shook my head.
“The organs and blood become contaminated and decay. It’s the result of the human body’s rejection of the sap of the World Tree. And if you make them drink the blood, as in this case, the contaminated blood will cause a plague inside the body. It’s even hard to cure with ordinary divine power, because of the decayed power of the World Tree. So the high priests probably had no chance.”
“So this incident is……”
“Yes.”
Jareem answered with a stern face.
“The leader of the Ferdak experiment. It is highly likely that Generba is involved.”
Hearing Jareem’s report, I turned my head and stared at the Hamster House.
‘Is Mu okay, knowing that the power of the World Tree she bestowed is being misused?’
But Hamster Mu seemed uninterested, peacefully eating the small cut meat inside.
“And it was revealed that the people who brought the high priests into the cathedral were not actually the apprentice priests.”
“Did you catch them?”
“Yes. Thanks to what you told us, Your Majesty, we caught them before they escaped. Although it was announced that all were killed, two committed suicide, and one was captured. This was reported only to His Majesty, Elihu, and you.”
Jareem let out a deep sigh.
“He hasn’t confessed anything yet, but…… Well. Time will make it hard for him to hold out, and we’ll get some information.”
“I don’t know. If there was something to gain, I would have gained it by now.”
“Yes?”
Even at Jareem’s question, I turned my head. The moon was up, so it would soon be time for Levanfell to come.
“Is there anyone who doesn’t know that Bishop Elihu has returned to the cathedral?”
“……No. Probably not.”
“Is there anyone who doesn’t know that the holy ritual is taking place?”
“Unless it’s a newborn baby, they would know.”
“Then why now?”
Beyond the window, the night sky had no twinkling stars in sight. A world abandoned by the gods was darkness where no light could be seen.
“If the purpose was to spread the disease in the capital…… Hmm. If it were me, I would have waited until Elihu was gone. Elihu goes on many prayer expeditions, anyway. If they had waited a little longer and spread the disease after Elihu left, there would have been no one to treat it.”
“……Could they have waited for the holy ceremony? It’s a schedule where many people gather. If they spread it as much as possible at that time……”
“Really?”
I tilted my head, resting my chin.
“If an epidemic spreads where many people are gathered…… It’s natural to close it off to prevent leakage. They respond quickly. If it were me……”
“……”
“If it were me, I would just spread it normally. Whether it’s a holy ceremony where hundreds of people gather, or a regular visit to the cathedral by a hundred people to pray, it’s the same.”
“……”
“If you infect hundreds at once, you’ll get caught more quickly. Rather, quietly infecting a hundred people and spreading it would be faster and more certain.”
“……”
“If the simple purpose was to spread it in the capital.”
“Do you mean there might be another intention?”
I turned my gaze from the black night sky to Jareem. I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the sight of his tense face.
When I laughed loudly, even Mu, who was eating meat in the Hamster House, turned his head.
“Jareem, why are you so tense? Whether there is another intention or not, I don’t know either. It was just what I would have done if it were me. But……”
“……”
“It won’t hurt to keep open the possibility that there might be another purpose.”
Jareem gulped dryly and nodded.
“……If you ever grow tired of His Majesty, the Emperor, the position of assistant……”
“Yes, goodnight. The exit is that way.”
Certainly! Here’s the translated passage:
When I interrupted her and sent her away, Jaelim showed disappointment as she left the bedroom.
After Jaelim left, I changed into a shumizu with the maid’s help.
The room felt eerily quiet once everyone had left.
“Mu.”
“Why are you like this?”
“You said before that you had no thoughts of destroying the world.”
“That’s right.”
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
