Be Fascinated

Chapter 24

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Chapter 24

The temple had not changed at all. As soon as Claude got off, the priests came out to meet him.

“Welcome, Grand Duke.”

Grand Duke? Philia opened her eyes wide and looked at Claude. Why was Claude the Grand Duke? The priest’s gaze shifted to Philia.

“No…”

Philia bowed her head. Even the priest could not hide their awkward expression.

“I’m going to see the saint. Send the message.”

“Pardon? I understand…”

While turning around, the priest looked at Philia. Claude asked Philia.

“Saint, when you claim that you are the real saint, why are you not proud?”

Philia blushed at his mocking question. Why was Claude so proud of himself? Why…

“Will, will you let me meet High Priest Irik?”

“Stop saying that name.”

“…….”

“Do not provoke my patience.”

Claude’s eyes changed again. Philia nodded her head quietly, not wanting to go against his heart.

Soon, a priest appeared to guide them.

“Miss Philia!”

It was one of the priests who followed her well. Philia raised her head. The priest had a friendly smile.

“How are you?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t have time to pay attention to you because of the situation. I’ve always worried, but I’m glad.”

He said he didn’t pay attention because he didn’t have time? To say he didn’t pay attention, the priests who followed the detailed procedures do not know that they deliberately ignored Philia.

Because everyone turned to the new saint, they deliberately didn’t pay attention to her.

“Still, there seems to be something to do with the Grand Duke. That’s good.”

The priest looked at Claude and her, and smiled knowingly. What’s good about that? Philia wanted to say that.

The room they were guided to was a great sanctuary that presided over ceremonies.

Philia also offers her prayers here, and she blesses everyone when they sometimes have big events. Philia gave a puzzled look.

This was because the holy water, which only came out when she presided over the ceremony, was flowing out. In the dark place, only holy water shone softly. Each of the water bottles was being filled with holy water from the water bottle that the baby angels held.

“Philia!”

Then a voice was heard. It was Irik. Philia flinched.

“Brother!”

Philia’s heart pounded with joy. He was alive. Nothing happened and he was alive. Philia was able to smile broadly at that moment.

“You’re safe.”

As Irik was about to come closer, Claude grabbed his shoulder.

“It’s been a while, High Priest.”

“It’s been a while?”

Irik clenched his teeth and said. His dark green eyes were filled with hatred.

“Haa… Now that the temple has become this way, are you saying that?”

“What are you talking about?”

At Claude’s words, Irik said.

“Isn’t the Grand Duke the one who took control of the temple and made it an accessory of the Imperial Family!”

“If the temple becomes an accessory of the Imperial Family, is there any big benefit to me? I am not the Emperor.”

“Grand Duke!”

“My brother became His Majesty the Emperor, but you also know well that we had no affection. What does my brother’s policy have to do with me?”

Did his brother become Emperor? The second prince who had no power? Philia opened her eyes wide. There couldn’t have been a rebellion led by the prince. Claude was unharmed here. If that had happened, Claude would have been decapitated.

“It’s a little noisy.”

A rare female voice could be heard in the temple. She was Bianca. She looked at Philia and Irik with a cold face.

“Long time no see, Grand Duke.”

“Long time no see, Bianca. We’ve been talking since then.”

“Because we took care of each other.”

Claude and Bianca did not hide the sign that they knew each other. Aside from her fear of Claude, Philia felt a strange feeling.

That the woman sitting there, where it should be her own place, seems close to Claude. It hurt her badly. As if she noticed the gaze, Bianca turned her gaze away.

“It’s the first time we’ve met face to face like this.”

“…….”

“Miss Philia.”

Bianca greeted her politely. If dignity and grace could separate the saints, it was already a devastating defeat for Philia.

It was Philia who was taught to keep her composure at all times. But why does she get along better?

“Do you have a reason to greet me?”

So, for the first time, she became aggressive towards someone. Bianca opened her eyes wide and drew an arc across her lips.

“You are the one who has been in charge of the temple before, so I have to treat you with respect.”

“….….”

“It seems that the people of this temple don’t know why…”

“Didn’t you intend it?”

“Excuse me, why me?”

Bianca laughed softly. Instead, she looked at Philia.

“You look free.”

“Free?”

Philia said as if it was ridiculous. For Philia, who was always gentle, the tone was too aggressive. Bianca, Irik, and even Claude could palpably feel her emotions.

“I understand how you feel about me, but it’s not something to be that angry about.”

Bianca smiled. She held out what she had been holding in her hand since before.

“It is the Bible of proverbs.”

“…….”

“It’s a book of oracles that says either you or me is the saint.”

“…….”

“I promised to bring it to you and show you, High Priest Irik. As promised, I helped you to read it.”

Bianca opened the precious bible. And finally, she put her hand on the page engraved with the oracle.

Riiipp.

And ripped it off.

“Wait, what is that!”

Philia and Irik shouted in surprise. It was a paper on which the oracle of the gods was engraved. To tear it apart! Bianca even tore the paper on which the words were engraved in two.

“Stop it! What sacrilege!”

“You still don’t know?”

Bianca turned the page in front of her, she said. When she tried to tear it apart, the fluttering paper did not wrinkle, as if it were made of iron. Philia realized what that meant.

“The oracle itself is fake.”

Irik widened his eyes as if surprised. Claude was smiling strangely.

“Lies.”

“Do you think it’s a lie?”

Bianca said.

“There was no oracle of a saint that arrived in the temple, so they were nervous. They made a fake oracle. You and I are both fake.”

At Bianca’s words, Philia bit her lip. She thought one of them was real. But both were fake? She felt that everything she had believed was being shattered.

“Isn’t it enough proof why no one can exercise divine power? You and me.”

“…….”

“Look at the holy water over there. In the old days, when a saint immersed herself in this place, the holy water shone brightly white? Let’s both go in.”

Philia went in front of the fountain with the little angels.

As Philia stood tall, Bianca grabbed her hand and dragged her, almost forcing her to dip her hand.

Holy water flowed through her body, Philia. Bianca, who confirmed it, also touched the holy water of another fountain. Bianca and Philia put their hands together, but no light came into the holy water.

As if to prove the truth.

“No one had ever told you, but the High Priest who interpreted the oracle was an opportunist who dreamed of gaining power in the temple. And it was possible to force the creation of an oracle.”

“…….”

“That’s why the saint was created.”

“But in winter, the flowers…”

“It’s easy to manipulate things like that. It wasn’t that difficult to falsely testify that there were blue flowers.”

Bianca said sweetly. She looked at Claude.

“The Grand Duke knew that.”

“…….”

“And, instead, he put me in. That’s all.”

Philia looked at Claude, who was standing next to her. Claude laughed.

“Why didn’t you tell me that beforehand?”

“Did I need to tell you? After all, this place was not yours.”

“…….”