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Translator: FusionX

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“So that’s what happened. For the time being, I’ll be working together as the Grand Duchess’s deputy.”

“Aha.”

“… Are you perhaps angry?”

“No, why would I be angry?”

Even as she smiled, she had some doubts about whether she was sincerely laughing.

Even she thought her tone wasn’t gentle just now, wasn’t it just that another woman had called his name?

It was too early to call it jealousy since their relationship wasn’t that close.

Then what should she call this?

“Then I’ll contact you again later when I have time. I’m sorry if I bothered you today.”

“It’s alright. I have plenty of time anyway.”

Adriana, who had been pondering for a moment, opened her mouth with a small laugh.

From a certain point, her mind had become complicated, so it was quite difficult to continue the conversation.

As the contact with the artifact was cut off, Miragen’s voice came from the crystal ball.

“You said you had something to say, but you just hung up?”

“… Yeah, it’s a bit hard to believe. It’s just a bit difficult to talk about it right away.”

“Is it that prophecy-like thing you mentioned before? Don’t worry too much, there was never any problem.”

Could what she had seen be called a prophecy?

It was too old to be called a prophecy, it was like something from a very long time ago.

However, the timing was close to the present.

She didn’t know how to judge this confusion of time, but what was certain was that it was related to Robert Taylor.

“Yeah, can I rest for a bit?”

“Okay, I was busy too anyway. I’ll contact you again in a bit.”

Tuk-

The room became quiet as the connection with the crystal ball was cut off.

The words that came to mind were the name Robert had said earlier.

Adriana, that voice that sounded so gentle.

She had no idea why she couldn’t say that name in the end.

Why was she acting like this alone? In the silence that followed, her lips parted slightly.

Rober… Adriana, who was about to murmur that name, shut her mouth with a bitter smile.

Who knew calling someone’s name would be this difficult?

In fact, Lord Taylor was calling her comfortably, wasn’t she the only one making a fuss like this?

Adriana, who had been touching the place where her eyes should be, let out a small sigh.

These eyes could no longer see light.

The last thing she had seen was the bright moonlight at a very young age, but with eyes that had lost color and light, she could face a completely different world.

Looking not at the exterior, but at the interior.

Adriana herself did not know whether this was a blessing or a curse.

When people’s intentions and words differed, it hurt her heart, but when she met someone who truly cared for her, her heart would feel warm.

Of course, it wasn’t all good things.

Seeing someone’s heart was always a chilling experience.

If the person looking at her actually harbored different feelings, wouldn’t it be most difficult to trust that person?

And when she looked at the interior, she could also see things like that person’s destiny.

The future that person would live, their fate, their path. So she didn’t look.

Miragen was the only person close to her, and even with her, she had lived while deliberately avoiding looking at her interior.

Adriana no longer used the eyes bestowed upon her by God.

… If she hadn’t looked at the interior of the man named Robert, could she have treated him normally?

Adriana, who laughed slightly, wiped her cheek.

A chance encounter, a connection that was reconnected by chance again.

Even as she was startled by the chill she felt whenever he was by her side, on the other hand, she could see the gentleness in his voice.

He wasn’t a bad person. But why were the rumors so bad?

As time passed and the intensity of the rumors increased, she wanted to see his interior.

If he was truly a bad person, there was no way he would treat her so kindly.

Yes, at the Moon Tower.

The interior of Robert that she encountered there seemed almost empty.

She couldn’t feel anything, not even a ray of light or warmth.

She was already familiar with people who had this, so she couldn’t help but be surprised by his interior that was almost like a living corpse.

When she reached out and touched his chest, she could finally feel relieved by the faint pulse at her fingertips.

This man was alive – but his heart was dead.

Why?

When he spoke to her, the gentleness in his voice remained the same.

Warm and kind.

The interior of such a person was simply empty, so she couldn’t even guess what kind of past he had lived.

And on top of that, what else these eyes showed her.

Holding her throbbing head, Adriana slowly recalled what she had seen.

She hadn’t seen much.

What she had seen was probably just a fragment.

Memories that were too vast for one person to hold, and memories that were too cruel.

“There’s no way… one person can die multiple times.”

Dying by his sister’s hand, having his throat slit, being hanged.

Being abandoned by the person he loved, and starving to death locked in an empty room.

She thought it was an illusion, but she knew well that it was not just an illusion.

But could it really be called reality?

What should she think of these memories where one person remembered several deaths?

It was neither the past nor the future.

The Saint’s ability was not to read prophecies or memories, but simply to see that person’s destiny and interior.

But this man named Robert had gone through several deaths alone.

Rustle, cold sweat flowed from the forehead of Adriana, who had clenched the bedsheet.

If the memories she had seen were true, was that emptiness a result of the several deaths?

The anxiety that suddenly rose was one of the emotions that had been tormenting Adriana since then.

If the man named Robert suddenly disappeared, if his existence was forgotten at some point.

Even though she knew it wouldn’t happen, this anxiety didn’t go away and kept lingering around Adriana.

When she suddenly turned her head, the direction Adriana’s gaze was facing was where the North was.

The cold north wind was tapping on Adriana’s cheek through the slightly open window.

“… Robert.”

What were those deaths she had seen?

She wanted to ask but couldn’t.

If she asked about this, what would Robert answer her?

Her hazy gaze turned towards the void.

Although she couldn’t see anything, she slowly clenched her fist at the sensation felt at her fingertips.

She could feel the faint pulse at the fingertips that had touched his chest that day.

Perhaps this strange anxiety wouldn’t go away unless she saw him in person.

But she had to endure it.

She was the Saint, the Saint of the church who shouldn’t leave her place carelessly.

“Ha.”

Adriana smiled bitterly.

The fact that she was the Saint made her feel resentful for the first time.

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“You’re unexpectedly calm.”

“I’m not too worried. I think they’ll all be good people.”

“What made you judge that?”

Adele’s footsteps, which had been walking forward, stopped.

She seemed to find it quite surprising that I was unexpectedly calm, as if she thought I would be scared thinking about the deputies I would meet this time.

It was natural.

I already knew them.

Lothos, Toby, Bunta… and Adele.

In addition, there were several occasions where I had been quite close with many people.

They weren’t bad people.

They were people who had been serving Adele as their leader even though she was several years younger than them in the first place.

If one had good skills, they would welcome them, not dislike them for that reason.

However, since I couldn’t answer that I already knew them, I pondered for a moment and carefully opened my mouth.

“Intuition…?”

Adele clicked her tongue as if dumbfounded, but still had a convinced expression.

Since she was the one who relied on intuition more than anyone else, it would be difficult for her to refute.

Adele, who had been staring at me blankly for a moment, soon began walking forward.

Then, as if she had remembered something again, she opened her mouth while still looking ahead.

“By the way, who were you talking to earlier? As far as I know, no one entered the room.”

“I had received an artifact from Her Highness the Princess before. It’s an item that allows us to talk even when we’re apart.”

“Hmm, was there such a thing?”

“Would you like to try using it?”

When I asked, Adele stared blankly at the artifact in my hand.

Normally, there should be one more artifact, but if I used a little mana, it wouldn’t be impossible to have a short conversation.

The artifact in the shape of a long rod, about the length of a fountain pen, Adele’s eyes narrowed as she took it.

“How do you use it?”

“Just slightly bring the tip to your ear.”

As I gestured appropriately with my hand, Adele then awkwardly brought the artifact to her ear.

As I chuckled at her suspicious expression, she gestured to me as if telling me to do it quickly.

The mana that rose from my hand began to vibrate slightly as it touched the artifact.

When Adele operated the artifact as I had instructed her, I quietly whispered to the hand where the mana had risen.

“Can you hear me?”

Twitch-

Adele, who had hurriedly removed the artifact from her ear, blinked her eyes several times.

If what I had just seen wasn’t a mistake, did she tremble in surprise?

Eventually, Adele, who had been staring intently at the artifact, carefully brought her hand to her ear again.

“It seems you can hear me properly.”

Twitch.

This time, she trembled a bit less than before, but she still seemed surprised.

A faint blush appeared on her pale cheeks.

She also seemed embarrassed about being surprised, as she returned the artifact to me and muttered softly.

“… It seems like a useless toy.”

“It’s unexpectedly useful. Because it’s faster than sending a letter.”

“I’ll just use a messenger pigeon. This doesn’t suit me.”

“Aren’t you just surprised?”

“Huh? No way.”

As I laughed slightly at her unusually grumbling appearance, Adele glanced at me and turned her head abruptly.

Was she sulking?

Even after calling her name a few times afterwards, she didn’t answer, so it seemed she was angry.

Still, the office where the deputies would gather soon was just ahead.

Although they were subordinates of the group connected by her friendship rather than deputies, their influence in the North could never be ignored.

Those who had belonged to the mercenary group led by Adele were all skilled enough to subdue a region.

Even Bunta, who had lost to me, had been the leader of a mercenary group that had rivaled Adele.

Their power was not limited to just martial prowess, so as soon as the door opened, their gazes poured onto me.

“You’ve arrived? You came together.”

Lothos, who smiled slightly at me after seeing Adele, and Bunta, who had a sullen expression.

Toby, who was looking at me blankly, and others like Argos and Imanda were all at the top of the army she led.

Adele, who had left me in one place and walked alone, then plopped down on her chair and looked around.

The Grand Duchess’s throne made of wolf’s head and bear’s skin.

It was a little later when Adele, who had been keeping silent for a moment, opened her mouth.

Unlike just now when she was sulking, a quite serious voice flowed out from her.

“As you all know, a temporary deputy has been appointed. The reason for appointing a deputy this time is… well, even though I made excuses, you all must have noticed.”

“It’s probably because of the upcoming subjugation, right? But are you sure about this? Isn’t he a nobleman?”

Lothos, who glanced at me, answered.

He seemed to expect me to be surprised at the word ‘subjugation,’ but I already knew about it before coming to the North.

By the time I arrived here, the plan for the subjugation would have been somewhat established.

The reason for appointing me as a deputy would be simple.

Didn’t she think my skills would be helpful for her subjugation?

So there was no reason to refuse.

As I continued to show a calm expression, Adele stared at me intently and opened her mouth.

“I think it won’t matter. From the looks of it, it seems you had already noticed to some extent. Am I wrong?”

“I had expected it. Why else would I have come in winter?”

“… Clever, good. If you had already expected it, there’s no need to hide it further.”

Sling, Adele, who had drawn her sword, thrust it into the map placed in front of the throne.

What was drawn on that map was the territories of the tribes that Adele, the Grand Duchess of the North, had not yet exerted her influence on, outside of the areas she had occupied.

“The reason for trying to bring in a new deputy this time is simple. First, Robert Taylor’s skills are outstanding. Second is-”

As Adele spoke, the deputies waited for her words with serious expressions.

Even when she led the mercenary group, Adele’s speeches were short and concise.

That hadn’t changed even after she became the Grand Duchess, so when she gave orders, most of the time, only the main points were mentioned.

Adele, who grasped the sword and cut the map, then quietly murmured.

“To subjugate the tribes.”

Winter always brought a cold north wind. The winter in the North was the same.

An even more severe and biting cold approached, a cruel season where they tore each other’s throats to survive.

So I came in winter. Participating in this subjugation was the optimal way to gain Adele’s support.

The cold wind blew in through the slightly open window.

It was the north wind, whose chill reached the bones even with a slight touch, I blankly looked at the pale sky in that coldness.

Soon, it was time for the hunt.

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