Chapter 60

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 60

Chapter Title: Juicy Rumors and Dress Shopping

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"Sam, the second butler, was a drug distributor. And Jane from the laundry room? She's a famous pickpocket. They say she even swiped a seal from some earl's family."

I committed Laura's words to memory and nodded along.

"What about you, Laura?"

"I don't have a record yet!"

"Planning to get one?"

"Not yet... but sometimes I get this urge to crack open the skulls of people who really piss me off. Might happen sooner or later."

Laura said this with a shy smile.

"Laura, watch your mouth in front of the little one."

Lea scolded her sternly, and Laura clapped a hand over her mouth with an "Oops!"

"Sorry! I don't have a record, but I was born in prison, so my language is a bit rough."

"Born in prison?"

"Yeah. My mom was the leader of some cult. They found out she was pregnant after they arrested her. So she gave birth to me there, and I lived with her until I was three. My aunt took me in when I was four."

That was why it had been so hard for Laura to find work.

Even when she scraped together a job, it always came out eventually, so she'd bounced around noble households in the capital.

"That's why I know all the servants worth knowing. The Five Great Ducal Houses? All of 'em. Even the servants from marquis and count families. I'd bet I hear the capital's gossip faster than anyone!"

Laura said proudly, and my eyes lit up.

"Then spill. What's the latest rumor?"

"The juiciest one's about Lord Constance. Turns out he's been sleeping with his fiancée's mother!"

Gasp!

Rough intakes of breath erupted around me. Everyone looked shocked.

What fresh scandal was this?

It wasn't what I was really after, but even I couldn't help perking up at the thrilling tale.

"The servants were all waiting for him to get caught, but get this—the affair was mutual! His fiancée's with Lord Constance's uncle...!"

Gasp!

Another round of sharp gasps.

I felt like I needed to pop some popcorn. I swallowed hard and listened in.

"Besides that. Any other good ones?"

"Sir Lane's story is fun too. He's so dashing, Lady Roavang's totally smitten. She even skipped her own tea party to go see him..."

"Something else."

"Well... Baron Mollywood defied his retainers and grandmother to marry an opera singer—a commoner, no less. And guess what? Turns out the singer was a man. The real kicker? The baron didn't find out until after their wedding night."

The maids couldn't help blurting out, "How is that even possible?!"

Laura crossed her arms and said gravely,

"The wedding night was in a pitch-black opera house dressing room..."

The servants clamped hands over their mouths, screaming silently in horror.

I focused hard, trying to memorize every word.

That's when something in my pocket buzzed faintly.

'The communication magic tool.'

This was the insanely expensive magic device I'd bought recently, tears streaming down my face the whole time.

It cost an eye-watering fortune—the kind that made me think my eyes were actually bleeding when I paid.

And the magic stone it needed was just as pricey.

I hadn't bought just one, either. I'd gotten ones for Ceria and the chairman too, and supplied the stones for all three. My back was still killing me.

With something this precious, we only used it for real emergencies.

I snuck a glance into my pocket. It was Ceria's code.

[Bait taken.]

The Empress Dowager had finally bought the Luminous drug.

I patted my pocket and dove back into Laura's stories.

Adolph, one of the 21 high priests managing the Central Temple, bowed before the Empress Dowager.

"Your Imperial Highness."

"Sit."

As always, she greeted him with a kindly face.

As Adolph rose and took his seat, he scanned her expression.

'Damn old hag.'

She looked meek as a lamb on the outside, but he knew better than anyone how greedy she truly was.

Five years ago, Adolph's superior had gone to a condemned fugitive's cell to administer last rites. He'd come back pale as a ghost.

[I found out where the original Holy Scripture is.]

[What? We'd searched high and low without a single clue.]

[The fugitive knew. It's in the Empress Dowager's secret library.]

[Impossible... If she found it, she'd have handed it over to us.]

[Her people were guarding a warehouse at the spot he described. There's definitely a library we don't know about.]

The fugitive's tip had checked out.

When Adolph casually brought up her secret library to test her, she'd immediately moved it.

Later checks confirmed that seven years prior, laborers had dug up an old plateau on her orders—evidence secured.

'Pretending to trust the temple while secretly swiping the Scripture for herself?'

She knew better than anyone that the temple was combing the empire for the original Holy Scripture.

He had to get his hands on it, no matter what.

With the original Scripture, he could rise not just in the Central Temple, but to the Papal Throne itself.

That's why Adolph had kept it secret from the temple and spent five long years buttering her up.

The Empress Dowager lifted her teacup nonchalantly.

"I hear the Child of Destiny will attend this year's Sowing Festival banquet. The Papacy will take notice. They've kept her so hidden away in Duvered—I've been dying to see how she's grown."

Adolph replied indifferently, "Yes, well..."

A lucky orphan girl born with holy power on the oracle's fated day—February 29th—meant nothing to him.

Her power had grown enough to save the temple some face, sure. But that was it.

The prophecy said the world-saving child would descend bearing the mark of God.

Reexaminations showed her power was far too ordinary for that.

No divine mark, either, and "descend" was ambiguous at best.

Even with the boost, the temple was split: real or fake?

"How's your condition today?"

"Much better. Winters always dragged me down, but spring's made it bearable."

"I've prepared holy water. A bath with this should ease you even more."

"Oh my, how thoughtful."

Adolph watched her chuckle softly, then spoke in a sly tone.

"By the way, Your Highness... about that library you promised to show me..."

"I thought it over, and it's embarrassing. Nothing particularly rare in there."

Adolph's eyes hardened.

'This old bat...!'

When her skin condition flared up, she'd acted like she'd do anything for treatment. Now she was clamming up.

He forced an awkward smile.

"Any book touched by Your Highness is a treasure. If I could read them, I might find something even better for your ailment next time."

"You're right. No need for separate treatment visits from now on."

"...Pardon?"

"I found a good medicine."

"Medicine?"

"They say it makes you younger."

She set a vial on the table.

"Probably hype, but it works wonders. The itching's way less than with priestly healing."

The priest's face twisted.

The temple had its eye on that drug.

Nobles seeking treatment were already dwindling because of it.

Offerings followed suit, leaving him red-faced in reports to his superiors.

'Hope Company, was it?'

They'd been a thorn in his side for years.

Five years back, when pressuring Spinel Duvered, they'd bungled it thanks to that merchant group popping up out of nowhere.

And they'd crashed the market price of spinel, tanking the value of the temple's mines.

In the end, they'd sold off the worthless mines. Now Hope Company monopolized the spinel trade.

'Rip them apart.'

Adolph clenched his fist tight.

With the banquet approaching, I'd headed to the shopping district with my brothers to buy dresses.

As the empire's busiest street, it was packed even on a weekday.

"Don't let go, okay?"

Ishak gripped my hand tight.

"Yeah, one glance away and the crowd'll swallow you up."

Henri took my other hand, warning me.

"Got it!" I replied, squeezing back.

'This is near the temple—no way I'm losing my brothers.'

I marched determinedly. Luckily, the dress shop was close, so we made it without issue despite the throng.

As we entered, a long-haired man who seemed to be the owner rushed out with clerks in tow.

"Greetings to the jewels of House Duvered. I'm Melbein of Melbein Tailoring."

The greasy-faced man rubbed his hands eagerly.

'Melbein?'

Melbein was the designer all the duchesses and marchionesses raved about.

His dresses cost a fortune—only high nobles could dream of them.

Most ladies mended theirs for years.

"The young masters look dazzling as ever today."

Henri and Ishak brushed it off and plopped onto the sofa.

"We've just finished a design perfect for the second young lord. Pure white fabric embroidered with silver thread, two-button suit..."

"My clothes can wait. Look after my sister."

Only then did Melbein turn to me.

"And this is the Child of Des—"

"Lady Duvered."

Ishak scowled, correcting him. Melbein flinched. "Ah, yes!" and nodded.

"My shop has plenty of lovely pieces for a young lady like you. Alia!"

He clapped twice, and green-dressed clerks approached.

"Lady Duvered, let us show you our selection."

She smiled brightly and led me to the racks.

Meanwhile, Melbein stuck to Henri and Ishak like glue, chattering away.

"I heard you valiantly crushed the enemy in your first battle. I was so moved, I..."

He clearly had zero interest in me, the duke's adopted daughter.

News from far-off Duvered wouldn't reach here, and the place was so insular anyway. No one knew I was truly beloved like blood.

"How's this dress? The lace at the chest is one of Master Melbein's signature designs..."

She showed me several, but none clicked.

My lukewarm reaction prompted her to fetch unlisted designs.

As I browsed the racks, my eyes widened.

'Oh, that's the one I wanted in my second life.'

Lace collar, puffed sleeves.

'So this is what it looked like back then.'

I remembered seeing it in Melbein Tailoring's window—like a fairy-tale princess gown.

Wonder if I'd look like a princess in it.

I loved that design. I held it up to myself.

"That one!"

A childish voice piped up.

It was a girl my age, with sleek black hair and pumpkin-orange eyes.

"I... I want that one."