~ Chapter : 9 ~
It was Emilia.
“Miss, please wait just a little!”
Litia had stepped out in a rush to prepare water after confirming that she had woken up, and had just returned now.
“It’s okay, take your time.”
Normally, she would have gone to the bathroom and received help from Emilia and the other maids, but today felt uneasy. So, she made things slightly difficult for Emilia, insisting she would bathe alone.
It was probably because of the Duke’s strict order never to leave her alone. But having returned without checking her body, she worried if there might be any traces left behind. And if the Duke were to find out, she might not be allowed to go out again.
So, Litia spent quite a while squabbling with Emilia, and finally, after reluctantly setting up a screen and sending all the servants away, she ended the fuss by bathing alone with only Emilia nearby.
Emilia, having finished the preparations, neatly placed towels beside her and smiled brightly.
“Miss, everything’s ready! Are you sure you don’t need my help? You’ve never done this alone before…”
At that, Litia laughed. Even if she had never bathed alone before, she wasn’t a child.
“You don’t mean you don’t know how to bathe, right? If it’s too difficult, I’ll call for help.”
“Yes, Miss!”
Emilia pulled the screen from the dressing room to form a simple wall and stepped back. Litia finally relaxed, removed her clothes, and immersed herself in the bathtub.
She scanned herself with her eyes to check for any traces on her body.
Whether he had used magic again or there had been none to begin with, there were no unusual marks.
“…Thank goodness.”
She didn’t yet know how to properly use sexual energy, and she hadn’t thought she could remove traces with it anyway.
After confirming there were no traces on her body, Litia leaned back into the bathtub, closing her eyes.
“Ah…”
But why did her shoulders hurt at the most random times? The piercing pain made her half-lie back, rubbing the back of her left shoulder with her hand.
Touching it again, she felt nothing. Perhaps she had lost energy at the banquet yesterday, and she even seemed to have a slight fever. Now that she thought about it, the pain had disappeared when he kissed her shoulder earlier.
Surely, she wouldn’t have to seek him out again because of this.
Could sexual energy alleviate this? She should practice that first, just in case.
If I can just last a week, nothing will happen.
The image of him etched in her mind would probably linger for quite some time.
“Hold me.”
“Closer… closer.”
His heated call still vivid in her memory.
Rapid breathing.
Their warm, touching skin.
The voices exchanged in that space.
Their lips that had met in a ceaseless tangle.
“This is just… impossible.”
Having committed such a thing.
Blushing from remembering, Litia buried her face in her hands and submerged herself in the water, trembling all over.
Afterward, Litia asked Emilia to bring any books that could provide information about the place, even newspapers. In less than an hour, the servants returned carrying stacks of newspapers and a dozen or so thick books.
“If you need anything else, I’ll bring it right away! Anything!”
Ever since Litia woke up, Emilia had been delighted whenever she acted actively.
Ignoring the other servants, Litia focused on the headlines of the newspapers with only Emilia by her side.
“Um, Emilia.”
“Yes?”
“I still don’t remember this, so… do you know how I use my power?”
Since Emilia was of commoner origin, Litia knew she wasn’t born with any innate power, so she hesitated to ask.
But Emilia was the only person she could trust, and she had always been nearby, so perhaps she knew a little. Even if Emilia were monitoring her on the Duke’s orders, this question wouldn’t harm her.
As expected, Emilia’s face turned somewhat troubled.
“Y-Your power?”
“Yes… now that I’m slowly recovering, Father… might secretly hope for it too.”
“Ah… I don’t really know, but long ago, before you lost your memory, you explained to me how to use it.”
“Really? I did?”
Emilia smiled faintly as if recalling something.
“You said that everyone is born equally blessed by God’s love, and that if I tried, I could someday use power too. You made me practice by holding onto me and all.”
“Uh-huh.”
“But I can’t really feel the power, so I’m not sure if what I say will help. Or maybe you should ask Count Vazenti?”
“Vazenti? …Ah, Ellar?”
“Yes! And forgive me for being presumptuous… since you disliked using your power before, Master wouldn’t force it on you either.”
“I just want you to be happy, Miss.”
Emilia confessed quietly. It didn’t feel artificial; it didn’t seem as if she was trying to manipulate anything. Instead, Litia felt a prick of conscience and a pang of guilt somewhere deep inside.
“Thank you for worrying. I just want to practice lightly, so don’t worry too much.”
Emilia nodded and extended her hand to Litia.
“Alright. Then, Miss, may I have your hand?”
Litia obediently gave her hand. Emilia turned her palm over and pointed to the center, like placing a dot.
“I don’t know exactly how it feels, but you said it’s important to find the light inside your heart. You should breathe deeply, focus, and concentrate your power in one spot until you feel a sense of clarity.”
“Focus, clarity…”
Following Emilia’s instructions, Litia tried to gather the intangible power.
At first, she thought Emilia’s words were nonsense, but as she closed her eyes and focused, she gradually felt a refreshing energy filling her body.
Could this be it?
As she concentrated more, trying to pull the elusive power, sparks crackled inside her body.
Startled, Litia pulled back from Emilia’s hand.
“Ah.”
“Miss, are you okay? Did you feel it? I think I saw a little light just now!”
“Uh, r-really? Maybe I did… But does it sting or hurt?”
Emilia’s eyes widened, showing an expression Litia had never seen before.
“No…? That shouldn’t happen. You said it would feel pleasant. Maybe it’s just because it’s practice?”
Pleasant?
It didn’t feel pleasant; it felt like sparks were shooting and being absorbed inside her. It was more uncomfortable than anything else.
Taking a deep breath, Litia concentrated again. This time, more slowly and deliberately, she felt her power rising faster. The faint light she sensed behind her closed eyes suddenly burst forth.
“Miss, you did it!”
But as Litia opened her eyes, the light instantly vanished. Fortunately, having glimpsed it, she felt much more at ease.
No unpleasant sparks occurred this time.
“Oh… I think I understand now.”
“You can keep doing it like that. You really are amazing! You noticed it immediately.”
“It’s thanks to your help.”
“I’ll do anything to help you, Miss.”
Emilia smiled widely, her cheeks flushed.
In the afternoon, Litia was busy both practicing drawing out Theos’s power and reviewing the piles of books and newspapers.
“So, the candidates have already been suggested.”
It was said that in the year the Tenia prophecy was delivered, noble daughters frequently visited the temple, donated, and volunteered. This was because such acts increased their chances of being chosen as the next Tenia.
Most prophecies were made from candidates selected this way, making the process almost revered.
Their influence, combined with that of the envoy, was absolute, which was why everyone exerted themselves so intensely.
It was a chance to become the most noble and pure person.
Litia didn’t care for power, but to gain freedom, this could be one of the methods.
The books noted that once selected as a candidate, one had to engage in more active work. Five girls, including Litia, were already chosen…
As expected, she saw articles about the actions of the selected candidates. Among them was Roa Cavendish, who had tormented her relentlessly.
She was someone who believed she would become Tenia if Litia were gone, even desired by the crown prince.
Ambition knows no bounds. In any case, this meant that Litia also had to remain active.
Her suicide incident had been suppressed from the newspapers, so there was no news about it. That must have been why Duke Mont made her attend the banquet yesterday.
According to Emilia, Litia hadn’t usually used her power, so simple donations and volunteer work should suffice.
Still, the idea of selecting the “purest and noblest” made her uneasy, though she hoped it wasn’t some old-fashioned notion.
It was too late to change anything now.
“…This should be fine, right?”
“Anyway, you’ll come looking for me again.”
“If you don’t, I’ll act like it never happened.”
“If you do…”
“Then you’ll have to take responsibility for your words.”
“Alright. One week. If you seek me, I win.”
One week.
The word reminded her of the week she had made the deal with Caliph.
