Chapter 10
Without even a proper greeting, the Marquis asked for time with the High Priest. The priests around them grew tense. What kind of important conversation would a former knight commander and the High Priest need to have in private? Since the Marquis requested a private audience, the priests waited outside the room.
As soon as the large doors closed and they were alone, Silbert (the High Priest) forced down the smirk on his lips. He leaned back into the sofa and let out a tired breath. The Marquis clicked his tongue and sat across from him.
“Smiling all day is hard work. I might collapse soon. I miss being young.”
“Well, you are getting old enough to be with the gods now.”
“Tch. That tone of yours hasn’t changed. So, what brings you here?”
“You seem excited.”
“Since retiring, you’ve never asked to speak with me alone. It’s rare.”
Silbert glanced at the Marquis with just his eyes and gave a dry chuckle. He clearly already knew why the Marquis was there.
The Marquis furrowed his brow and got straight to the point.
“I came to see the Saintess. Where is she?”
***
‘Did Grandfather really confront Rieta?’
In the Agent Empire, where God is everything, the Saintess is seen as a divine messenger. Even after stepping down from her role, she’s respected until death. So even the mighty Marquis would be risking everything if he touched her.
Charlotte asked urgently.
“Did Grandfather really write that?”
“It was something like that!”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Do you not trust me?!”
“Not really?”
“That’s so mean!”
But when Charlotte actually looked at the letter—though the wording was different—it really did say what Anna claimed. It didn’t include all the details, but it was clear he had done something.
“I couldn’t publicly reveal what Rieta Rosanac did to you, but I’ve made sure she won’t be able to do it again. Even if you return, she won’t be able to harm you directly like last time. Don’t worry.”
What did he mean by “made sure”? Did he do something that could harm their family’s reputation? Her heart pounded. But knowing her grandfather, he wouldn’t have gone that far… Maybe she shouldn’t have told him about it in the first place.
She felt a bit down and quietly stroked Aria’s hair—until someone approached.
Looking up, she saw a woman with pale-blue hair. Her eyes were covered by a white cloth. Why is her face covered? Can she even see? Charlotte stood up slowly.
Despite the cloth over her eyes, the woman smiled warmly.
“Are you the lady carrying the Valiant family’s brooch?”
“!”
“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Cassandra Laverté.”
Charlotte had thought she’d meet Viscountess Rossi, but this wasn’t her. Cassandra introduced herself in a soft, fragile tone—like she could break at any moment. Her presence was calm and delicate. Laverté? Charlotte had never heard of that family. Was there another noble house in the North I didn’t know about?
As she looked up at Cassandra—who was taller than her—Charlotte’s brows furrowed.
Something felt off. Cassandra wasn’t looking at her, but rather straight ahead. Charlotte was shorter by about two hand spans, so Cassandra would’ve needed to look down to face her.
That’s when Charlotte realized—Cassandra couldn’t see. That must be why she wore the cloth. Cassandra’s gaze drifted in the air, then slowly followed Charlotte’s voice.
“Anna, take Aria for a little walk.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Oh, no need. She seems to enjoy the cookies—let her continue.”
Anna hurriedly picked up Aria, but Cassandra stopped her.
Wait… How did she know Aria was eating cookies? Isn’t she blind?
Even with the cloth over her eyes, there was no way she could have seen that.
Charlotte, slightly confused, continued calmly.
“I’m Charlotte Blanche, daughter of the Blanche family.”
“Then you’re the granddaughter of the Marquis Blanche, and daughter of Ronan Blanche?”
“Yes.”
“I see…”
Cassandra paused for a moment. Instinctively, Charlotte tensed, worried that Cassandra might know about the rumors.
But unexpectedly, Cassandra smiled with admiration.
“I had a feeling… What a precious guest we have.”
“!”
“It’s an honor to meet the daughter of a prestigious family known for producing generations of Holy Knights.”
Cassandra then slowly turned her head toward Aria. She looked at her fondly and chuckled softly.
“She’s adorable. Has she healed from the wild animal injury?”
“…How did you know she was injured by a wild animal?”
But instead of answering, Cassandra simply gave a mysterious smile. While Charlotte grew more serious, Aria had already eaten all but one cookie. She finally looked up at Cassandra, tilting her head at the cloth over her eyes.
“Were the cookies tasty?”
“Yes!”
“Still, dusting something off doesn’t make it clean.”
Dusting…? Even Aria blinked, confused.
“I wish we could talk longer, but someone is looking for me.”
“Huh?”
“Not now, but we’ll talk again someday. There are many people who want to speak with you, my lady.”
Charlotte stood up in surprise, but somehow, she couldn’t stop Cassandra from leaving. As Cassandra had said, it felt like they would meet again soon.
Anna, who had been standing nearby, watched Cassandra leave, then whispered quietly:
“I’ve never heard of the Laverté family.”
“Me neither… Laverté… Cassandra Laverté…”
If Cassandra had attended the salon, she must have received an invitation from the Viscountess Rossi. So she must be a noble. But even after thinking hard, Charlotte couldn’t remember ever hearing that name. Cassandra had a calm yet strangely intimidating aura. And that cloth over her eyes…
“Lady Cassandra is a visitor from another land.”
“!”
“Sorry, I overheard. It’s rare for Lady Cassandra to start a conversation with someone… Are you Lady Blanche? I’m Jillian Rossi.”
“Charlotte Blanche. Your salon is beautifully arranged.”
So much for staying under the radar, Charlotte thought, forcing a smile.
“The lady you just spoke with is a bit… special.”
“?”
“As you saw, she’s blind. But she can see the future.”
“The future? Like fortune-telling?”
“I don’t think so. She acts like a noble and follows all the proper etiquette. We’ve asked, but she never answers—just smiles. Oh, I did hear Duke Valiant once call her ‘Baroness Laverté.’”
“Are there other members of the Laverté family?”
“No. She has no husband or children. She lives alone in a distant castle. Sometimes she comes down and gives us predictions. Thanks to her, we’ve been able to prevent disasters. Everyone really likes her. By the way, did she say anything to you?”
“Nothing that sounded like a prophecy…”
Could she have known about Aria’s injury because she saw the future?
Come to think of it, Charlotte remembered hearing something similar once.
There was a secret in the temple—only a few knew it. Some priests or high-ranking clergy members who served the gods for a long time would sometimes develop mysterious abilities. But in the entire history of the empire, only five such people had ever appeared. And even then, it was always kept strictly secret. Charlotte remembered her father once laughing and saying, “We already have black magic. A little divine power doesn’t scare us.”
He got scolded by her grandfather afterward for talking carelessly about temple secrets.
Could Cassandra have once belonged to the temple? Maybe she retired? Or was expelled for breaking the rules? No… she predicts danger to help people, so probably not expelled. And even if she retired, she’d be in contact with the temple. Grandfather would’ve told me if she was living here.
Charlotte rubbed her chin in thought.
But just then, she realized something—Aria was gone.
“Aria?”
Right on cue, Aria crawled out from under the table holding a cookie.
“Mommy, I dropped my cookie…”
“Aria, you shouldn’t eat food that fell on the ground.”
“But it’s clean!”
“It might still hurt your tummy.”
Charlotte gently took the cookie, wrapped it in a napkin, and placed it in the basket. While brushing dust off Aria’s clothes, she remembered something Cassandra had said:
“Dusting something doesn’t make it clean…”
Was that what she meant? She really could see the future. And if she was right about meeting again, then what about the part where others wanted to talk to Charlotte?
Right then, she heard several people rushing toward her. Turning around, she saw the noble ladies she had passed when entering—all gathered together.
“Oh my, is this the Marquis Blanche’s granddaughter?”
“My goodness, the rumors were true.”
So this is what she meant…
Charlotte tried not to show her surprise, but instinctively hugged Aria closer when so many people approached at once.
“Excuse me, may I ask you something—if you don’t mind?”
“Of course.”
No, it’s not okay.
As the youngest-looking lady asked for permission, Charlotte felt a chill run down her spine. What if they bring up my childhood…? She had prepared herself mentally, but her mind went blank.
But then, the question was nothing like she expected.
“Is it true the Marquis Blanche is very handsome?”
“Huh…?”
