“How did you know about this?!”
Black magic enveloped the entire room.
Those outside seemed to sense that something was wrong, but when they tried to push the door open, they were repelled by a mysterious force.
Just as several soldiers were about to break in, a voice commanded, “It is fine. You may all stand down.”
Augustin sat calmly in his seat, dismissing his subordinates.
He looked directly at Idledra, who had already exposed her black magic.
Although Hailey was startled, she quickly summoned her weapon.
While gently comforting Idledra, she remained wary of when the calm man before them might suddenly attack.
A “Forbidden Creation” was no minor matter in either the Empire or the Holy See.
An artificial life form with its own consciousness would have been treated the same as a witch being burned at the stake in the Middle Ages of her past life.
This was exactly why nearly half of the Grand Priests and high-ranking officials of the Holy See had opposed the proposal when the Isar Church first made such an outrageous suggestion.
It was only because Idledra herself had stepped forward…
But if it had been that easy to gain their approval, the high-ranking members of the Holy See would not have treated her as a dispensable tool, nor would there have been those kidnapping and extortion attempts.
Ultimately, the people of the Holy See still harbored prejudices against her.
So, if people outside the Church learned that the Saintess they worshipped and loved was actually a manufactured “Body Double”…
“How did I know… Heh, because how could a dignified Saintess possess such pure power? Mana that is purer than a blank sheet of paper can be stained by a single drop of ink.”
Augustin was referring to Hailey’s unique magical constitution.
Originally intended as a Body Double Puppet for Idledra and a source for replenishing her mana, the real Hailey was inherently that pure.
“By comparison, this lady’s mana is what can truly be called divine—and, to some extent, the most extreme form of darkness.”
Augustin looked jokingly at Idledra, who remained silent.
If Hailey had not been holding her hand, she likely would have been unable to resist fighting the man before them.
The outcome would have been uncertain, yet the Emperor’s arrogant tone sounded as if he were merely describing an undisputed fact.
“I do not know why the Saintess possesses mana that is half dark and half light, and I have no need to investigate. After all, even if you and that Pope were to join forces, you might not necessarily defeat this sword.”
Whether it was Idledra, Hailey, or even if the real Pope of Issar appeared, they could not judge the truth with absolute certainty.
“In any case, my proposal ends here. There is still a long time before the banquet begins. If you two are feeling frustrated, you may use the door behind me to go to the back garden.”
In truth, the banquet should have already started, but the ruler did not care for such details.
As long as he willed it, no one could change his mind—except, of course, his Empress…
The thought of his wife fiercely summoning him to her room because little Tracy had been blocked at the door by the Second Prince’s men made him regret agreeing to this matter in the first place.
Imperial Family affairs were never simple or pure, whether it concerned marriage or offspring.
His Empress knew this well, which was why she was willing to accept some of his less-than-ideal actions.
However, whenever Tracy was mentioned, she became a brave mother who would not back down, regardless of whether the person before her was her husband or the master of the Empire.
‘Augustin, remember this: My little Tracy must never be entangled in these despicable, dark things. I only want her to live happily as a free girl…’
She had even caught him and scolded him last night.
‘Heh… Why does that sound so sentimental? My Empress is perfectly fine.’
***
“This place is huge. As expected of the Imperial Family’s back garden. Every little corner feels as large as our villa…”
Walking through the garden, Hailey noticed many strange flowers and plants, many of which were species she had never seen before.
Some flowers even emitted a faint, shimmering powder, much like the scales on a butterfly’s wings.
“Hey, Idledra, why do you look so distracted? Did that guy’s words really scare you?”
Hailey seemed a bit airheaded and forgetful.
Although she had been terrified herself just a moment ago, the peaceful and secluded garden seemed to make all those troubling thoughts vanish.
However, Idledra looked perpetually uneasy, which made the empathetic Hailey feel a bit downcast.
To keep from wasting their beautiful time, she first had to coax this “unlucky child.”
“If you’re worried about our secret being discovered, then let them find out. At worst, we’ll just stop being this so-called Saintess. We can run off to the countryside and open an Otherworld farmhouse…”
“Hai—”
In a momentary lapse of focus, Idledra suddenly pinned Hailey down onto the soft lawn.
Coming to her senses, Hailey looked at Idledra’s blurred gaze and felt a sense of dread.
‘What is happening now?’
The flowers that had been releasing scale-like powder seemed to sparkle with starlight.
Within that powder… Hailey took a light sniff and felt her head spinning.
‘Is the Imperial Palace haunted?’
Inside the room, the Emperor waved his hand, and the black mist instantly vanished.
His anxious subordinates were finally able to push the door open, only to see the Emperor sitting peacefully in his chair, the tea in his hand still warm.
“Your Majesty, those two ladies…”
“They went to the back garden to relax. If the Empress finds out, just tell her they are Tracy’s friends. She shouldn’t be angry.”
Faced with the Emperor’s nonchalant tone, the subordinate felt somewhat helpless and awkward.
After all, the Empress had specifically instructed him earlier not to let anyone enter her garden because…
“Her Majesty the Empress said that a new batch of Hallucinogenic Flowers was recently transplanted into the garden. She intended to use them to make some soothing potions…”
“Um… Well, my mistake,” Augustin replied helplessly.
Meanwhile, in the garden, Hailey could no longer control the delirious Idledra.
The girl pressing down on her seemed to have lowered all her defenses, her eyes filled with nothing but the excitement of devouring her…
“Hailey, have I ever told you…”
“Huh? Told me what?”
Idledra suddenly bit Hailey’s ear, hard.
Hailey, yelping in pain, tried to cry out, but her lips were forcefully blocked.
After a moment of struggle, Idledra pulled away, looking unsatisfied.
“Actually, the reason I wanted Hailey to appear in the first place was never to control those people in the Holy See.”
“It was because of me… Because I wanted Hailey to stay by my side forever.”