“You remember our Ricardo’s childhood.”

I coughed at the sudden voice.

“Y-yes…”

“I know that the Pennel lady helped with Ricardo’s manifestation. Thanks to that, he was able to quickly return as the Duke’s son. I’m grateful for that.”

Although there was no set time for Rochester’s manifestation, according to tradition passed down for generations, it most often occurred around age 20. The time until awakening after that varied greatly. In any case, as long as one survived until manifestation, there were very few who could touch him after that.

God and Rochester would protect him.

“Duchess. If I may be so bold, could I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“How are you certain that I helped with the manifestation? Couldn’t it have been someone else?”

Of course, I did strike his forehead, causing light and darkness to alternately envelop the world, but it could have just been a rare natural phenomenon.

The Duchess stared intently into my eyes and smirked. For a moment, Ricardo’s face overlapped with hers, making my heart skip a beat.

“You sound like you rather hope it wasn’t you.”

“Ah, no. Well, it’s not exactly that…”

“Is it because it’s different from the legend passed down?”

As I listened to her gentle voice, I somehow got the feeling. That the Duchess, rather than Ricardo, could resolve my curiosity. With that certainty, my body stopped trembling.

“Yes, that’s right. I heard that throughout imperial history, all Rochesters who receive divine power have a saint and companion determined from birth. Of course, Ric- I mean, the young lord did manifest in front of me, but perhaps there was a saint nearby… Or maybe she helped with the manifestation from afar… Something like that…”

“…”

“Wouldn’t that be the case?”

“Absolutely not.”

She crushed my hopes with her beautiful face and very elegantly took a sip of tea.

“I heard that after Ricardo’s manifestation, the Pennel lady was bedridden for a very long time. Almost to the point of being at death’s door. That’s the proof. That you helped with Ricardo’s manifestation.”

At that moment, a maid who brought news from outside whispered something in the Duchess’s ear. She seemed to frown slightly for a moment, but her expression soon softened. The reception room door opened immediately.

“Darling.”

I turned towards the person the Duchess called ‘darling’ as she stood up.

And I faced the master of this castle. With that, the trembling that had barely stopped began again. As I bowed deeply and stepped back, I heard the Duke’s good-natured laughter.

“My, my. It seems I’ve interrupted my wife’s guest. Raise your head. Someone might think the Emperor himself had arrived.”

Is that really so different, Lord Ricardo’s father?

Obeying his command, I raised my head to see the Duke smiling with crinkled eyes.

Black hair and black eyes. Would Ricardo look like this in 20 years? No, while their features were similar, the impression was completely different. So Ricardo had his father’s face but his mother’s personality, or something like that?

“Darling, didn’t you say today was the day for pallium with the nobles?”

Pallium? Did I hear that wrong?

Pallium was a very… intense sport where stakes were driven into a set location and the first to pull out the stake was the winner. In other words, something you’d only see in village fighting arenas.

“So why on earth did you come here?”

Is it just my imagination that the Duchess seems to be gritting her teeth?

“Ah, that’s right. But Jeremy broke his arm, so we finished early.”

He sat down next to the Duchess. “Everyone, sit,” he said in a low voice very similar to Ricardo’s.

“So what were you talking about?”

I thought he would ask who I was, so I nervously prepared an answer, but he asked something else first.

“Darling, this young lady is Ricardo’s guest. The Pennel family’s young lady who helped with Ricardo’s manifestation.”

“Ah, I see. So that’s it.”

As I tried to stand up again to greet him, he and his wife gently stopped me.

“Please remain seated.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Lienne Lowy Pennel.”

“Darling, we were talking about Ricardo.”

“Ah, so you spent your childhood with our Ricardo. Is that right?”

The Duke stared intently into my eyes with a smiling face. I’m not sure if he had manifested Rochester’s abilities, but somehow his gaze seemed deep and straightforward, as if able to discern all truths.

“Yes.”

“What was our Ricardo like… in his childhood?”

What was he like in his childhood? Countless thoughts tangled at that one question. Ricardo, who had been driven out to the duchy after receiving the prophecy that he would kill his father and become emperor.

So was the Duke afraid of him too? But why did his seemingly indifferent gaze feel sad?

Moreover, Pennel had kidnapped Ricardo. Then wasn’t I, as a daughter of the Pennel family, their enemy?

Just what answer would allow me to keep my life?

“He drew a lot of pictures.”

“Pictures?”

“Yes, landscapes… He drew many birds and trees.”

“Landscapes? He doesn’t draw anything like that now. Now he only…”

I awkwardly responded to his muttering with just an “Ah” of exclamation.

“But really, your face…”

Just then, the Duchess lightly kicked the Duke’s foot. They probably thought I couldn’t see, but with my head slightly lowered, I could clearly see her action. It was clearly meant to tell him to keep his mouth shut.

“Is pretty. Haha, you have a pretty face.”

“Y-you flatter me.”

Because it was behavior so unfitting for their dignity, I tried to focus back on my seat, thinking I must have seen wrong.

The Duchess glanced at the Duke for a moment before turning to me with a gentle smile.

“The conversation seems to be getting too long, so I’ll get to the point.”

“Yes, please do.”

“I called you to tell you the reason Ricardo brought you to the duchy.”

Is it this easy to find out? Without realizing it, I gripped my teacup so tightly my knuckles turned white.

“Emperor Dermeyer has ordered the execution of all remaining members of the Pennel family.”

“What?”

With a clatter, I dropped the teacup from my hand and heard the sharp sound of glass shattering.

“And the saint’s star has risen again.”

The saint’s star, which had appeared with Ricardo’s birth and was the star of Rochester’s companion, had been hidden in darkness all this time. That star has now shone its light again. It was a very late appearance, after Ricardo had completed both his manifestation and awakening.

“But what do the saint’s star and my family have to do with each other?”

“You may not have been born with the saint’s star, but you helped with Rochester’s manifestation.”

“…”

“Until now, that fact has been thoroughly concealed, but this time the Emperor has learned of your existence. We don’t know how the secret leaked out, but the first prophecy that had never been wrong has been broken.”

Ah, I covered my face with my hands, forgetting I was in front of the Duke and Duchess. I recalled the numerous things I had done to protect him. Up to the moment I struck his forehead with the wooden sword.

“So you are currently the greatest source of anxiety for the Dermeyer Empire.”

Seeing my confusion, the Duchess gave me a moment to calm my emotions.

“The Emperor fears Ricardo. I can’t explain the reason in detail, but to be precise, he fears Ricardo becoming complete.”

While the Duchess continued speaking, the Duke remained silent throughout. Rochester inherits his title upon marriage. When that happens, all of Rochester’s power would become Ricardo’s. What the Emperor feared was precisely that absolute power. One that could completely overturn his position.

“I know it was Ricardo who moved you and your family to where you’re living now. Ricardo doesn’t remember, but that’s when it happened. When he awakened. Right after meeting you again.”

“Ah…”

“That’s why I believe you also brought about Ricardo’s awakening. So while you may not be the saint, you have done the work of Rochester’s companion.”

“His awakening… me?”

“Yes.”

I squeezed my already closed eyes even tighter. The forgotten events of the dream repeated in my ears.

So this has become reality after all. I learned to read and write, but that was all. Until now I had forcibly turned a blind eye, but in the end I became a witch who substituted for the saint’s work. So now all that’s left is to burn to death?

“Then… where is the saint now?”

“She is also in the Duchy of Lesotia. We haven’t met her yet either.”

She receives the protection of Rochester and the Hadeima Temple from birth. Only they know of her existence and location. So she was safe. However, until the saint’s star rose again, she was meaningless to them.

“Of course, the Emperor will try to harm the saint as well. Just like you.”

“…”

“To be frank, you are also a source of anxiety for Rochester. But protection takes priority. That’s the reason you were brought to the duchy.”

Now that the saint’s star has risen, she who will soon become the noblest lady in this empire will arrive at this mansion. Ignoring the dull pain pressing heavily on my chest, I raised my head stiffly.

“According to what you’ve said… you brought me here to protect me.”

“That’s right.”

“In other words, I can’t save my family.”