– Shaaaaaaa……!

Everything became dyed in a radiant light pink before changing to a bright gold once I blinked. It was the combination of Marquis François’s mana and my ether. I made sure to put on Julite’s headdress this time because I once fainted after teleporting with him. Thanks to that, I was able to come down to the ground without any nausea.

The pirate ship gently rocked in the night sky thanks to Sir Johann’s power.

“It’s been a while. Have you been well?” I smiled.

“P, Prince Jesse……!” Morris teared up as he called out to me.

I did not feel good seeing his pale and teary face. I slowly walked toward him, which made the event staff who were grabbing onto him gasp and lower their heads to the cold ground. I took a breath and decreased the size of my Holy Land. Sssssssss……

“Please be careful, your highness.”

[Please don’t worry. Everybody may get up.]

François whispered to me and I calmed him down as I consoled the crowd. My circle was already open and my friends were watching in the air, so everything was fine.

The people bowing all raised their heads. Cloud-like breath could be seen coming out of all of their mouths. I knelt down on one knee in front of Morris, and-

“Gaaaaaaaaasp!”

“How could such a respected person do that?!” The crowd around the platform gasped.

I flinched at the reaction and looked around the stage. The endless crowd all started to bow from the front to the back like a wave. It was a rare sight to see. ‘Mm, there’s no need for them to do that……’

“May I take a look at your hand? I think you are bleeding.”

“Ahhh……” Morris started to shake after hearing my comment.

I didn’t know what they used to threaten him, but I couldn’t help but pity him after seeing him so scared. It had been less than one year since the Lucas Villagers got out from someone’s suppression and could breathe freely again. I barely managed to control my rising anger.

‘Why do they need to go through something like this again?’

“M, my hand.”

“Yes, it is the hand I healed for you when we visited. I need to make sure the follow-up is thorough as well.”

I gently spoke to him and Morris opened his mouth as if he finally remembered. When we stayed in the inn on our way down to the Duhem March, he had worked diligently to attend to me and my belongings. I still thought about the Crêpes Suzette I ate there from time to time.

I carefully opened Morris’s right hand. His palm, which was scratched by the dry beanstalk and showed signs of his nails digging into the skin, had red drops of blood. Thankfully, the left hand holding the magic amplification device did not seem to be injured. I immediately deactivated my Holy Land and quickly opened a healing circle.

– Ooooong, paaaaaaaa……!

“Ohhhhhhhh!”

The spectators fell back. I quickly chuckled at their exaggerated reactions.

[The Almighty God’s tears shall gather your blood.]

Everybody blanked out as ether pebbles rose from the blue circle once I gave the incantation. Now that I thought about it, I was told that it was rare for commoners to meet with healing priests. ‘There is the difference in status and I also heard it costs a lot of money.’

– Sssss……

The sky-colored particles gathered together before descending into his palm. Healing Morris was the first time I healed someone, but I had been using my healing powers quite a bit, which increased my control significantly since that time. It seemed like fate to see him again like this at the end of the year.

The young boy looked at me and blinked his teary eyes. Tears dripped down his cheeks and his lips were shaking.

“I, I’m sorry, your highness. Sob, ugh…… I, I’ve committed a grave sin. I dared to say such things about such an esteemed person like you…… I deserve severe, no, divine punishment, sob. I beg for your forgiveness, your highness……!”

“I know it isn’t your fault, Morris.”

“But still, I still, I was still shaken by those words…… Sob. Us, to the person who saved us-”

“Using a person’s weakness against them is the worst. The person who threatens the weak knowing that their prey has no other choice is the evil one. It is even worse if such a person is someone with a higher status. They are cowards who are not ready to dirty their own hands.” I calmly answered. Morris blankly looked at me.

I had no idea what exactly he went through, but I had a decent idea based on the fact that he came all the way up to the Imperial Capital to speak badly about the Marquis and me. ‘Sniff!’ The event staff members, who had been listening to our conversation, sniffled and teared up as well.

‘Maybe I should have brought some blankets too.’

“Please don’t worry. I’ll make sure that you are well-protected, Morris. I am on my way to the Imperial Palace. I will inform her Eminence as soon as I arrive. The two seniors will investigate everything and help you out.”

“Your highness…… Why would you treat someone like me so well……”

“Prince Jesse!”

Someone suddenly stood up from the crowd and called out to me. We turned our heads in shock. A middle-aged man with a long beard was looking right at us.

François immediately stood in front of me. Thankfully, he had recovered quite a bit on our way here. He was still holding his mace to stand, but his fever was gone and he was no longer staggering.

The middle-aged man opened his mouth. “I know I have no right to ask, but I have a question I would like to ask. May I please ask this question?”

[Yes, you may ask.]

I answered with a Divine Oracle. I used it like a microphone because I thought he might not be able to hear me, but the commoners who heard it gasped and bowed again. The man who spoke out twitched his scary-looking face as well. I had to admit that I was a bit scared.

“The person you are healing right now said something about you, your highness. He said that you and Marquis Duhem are plotting a rebellion!”

‘Mm, I heard that as well.’

“I love my dear Riester and am willing to give my life to protect it! I am ready to do anything and everything for my motherland. That is why I will ask this question knowing it may lead to my death!”

“……”

Swoooooosh. A cold gust of wind blew through Claire Plaza. The streets were full of all sorts of decorations and magic lights. It felt like a scene from a horror movie with a Christmas-like background mixed together with this heavy silence.

The man undid his scarf as he shouted. “Did you really do such a thing, your highness?”

[…….]

“My wife next to me said that she saw a weird pamphlet in the plaza recently. She thought it was nonsense and didn’t pay it much attention, but she heard something similar again today!” His voice echoed through the entire plaza. Some people were poking their heads up to look at him.

This was an expected result. Even if the majority believed me, it was impossible to erase the suspecting minority. A free country shouldn’t erase those who didn’t agree with them.

“Furthermore, the item on your head right now…… It looks the same as the one worn by the greatest villainess in history. I may be a stupid commoner, but even I know that much!”

Even the people who had been indifferent flinched and peeked toward me. I had to admit I was a bit reckless. I didn’t even think that anybody would be able to recognize this.

Duke Simon de Sarnez had been trying to plant distrust starting from the roots of the Empire. He used a child to commit a terrible terrorist incident and framed me, attending it in person to create an alibi for himself. He thought that they would not question one of the victims of the incident. He then spread hundreds of pamphlets in the central plaza of the Imperial Capital. He was trying to start by shaking the commoners, who lacked information and were easy to trick.

According to the Imperial Crown Prince, Gerrit and Sand took care of all of those pamphlets. He aimed for the press by using Robert Blanquer as well, but I heard that it failed because Lady Belliard chose to ignore it.

But the Duke did not stop there……

“There’s no need to answer him, your highness.” The Marquis snapped me out of my thoughts. His handsome eyes elegantly curled up. “There is no need for an esteemed person like yourself to personally answer such absurd allegations.”

I could read anger in his eyes as he looked up at me.

“……It’s okay, François. I will answer.” I answered with determination. This was not just an issue for Prince Jesse or me. The handsome man in front of me, as well as his family and his territory, had suffered significantly because of this incident.

It wasn’t just being framed for rebellion or revolt. Captain Hervé had to personally kill members of the Imperial Guard that he had accepted as his subordinates. François traveled all the way to the vassal state, despite being sick, in order to get me out. I didn’t even need to talk about Maria, who saw all sorts of terrible things while journeying with us. There was also Antoinette and Thérèse, who were still at a standstill with the Imperial Capital Garrison and are probably worried and anxious. What about Isabelle, who had trusted and relied on Duke Sarnez for over a decade and Christelle, who is definitely shocked at his betrayal?

Who would compensate them for their pain?

There was also Baron Bellang and his family, who had already lost two sons but suffered once again. They were such good people who deserved all of the happiness in the world and would still deserve more. Why does a family, who had only been doing good, have to suffer through such humiliation in the middle of winter?

[Both Marquis François Duhem and I… Neither of us have committed any crimes against the Riester Empire or the Imperial family.]

My voice came out without shaking at all. My eyes were open wide as I looked at the person who asked the question. I could see his Adam’s apple moving.

[It is the same for the Baron’s House of Bellang, which your wife read about in the pamphlet. They have been rescuing and helping refugees from the Holy Kingdom coming down the Unité River. They built an orphanage to look after the children, and they are such warm people who have taken in a dying stray cat and have been taking care of it for over ten years. They are an honorable family who have never done anything that would shame them in her Majesty’s eyes.]

“……”

[That is why I only have one answer to your question. I swear to the Almighty God that we are all innocent.]

My words reached all corners of the plaza. I was silently continuing my staring contest with the middle-aged man who asked the question, when-

– Kee-eeeeee-rr……!

I heard the sound of a hawk in the air.

Our eyes opened wide and we looked up.

*

“Holy Almighty God, is this a dream?”

“Oh my goodness, mother……!”

Claire Plaza turned into a place of worship and reverence. Simon de Sarnez, who was hiding in the crowd, questioned his senses.

“Don’t push, please don’t push!”

He wondered if his right eye went blind from the burns or his right ear had gone deaf. The prayers and praises of the commoners relentlessly filled his ears. Everybody had gotten up and was pushing and shoving. Seeing these unplanned things happen one after the other was terrible for the Duke.

– Squawk!

– Flap, flap, flap!

A crimson bird that was glowing purple was adventing with wings that looked as if they were burning. Its long tail feather radiantly glowed gold, green, and red. On its head was a blue corona larger and more radiant than that of a peacock. It got much closer to the crowd with every flap of its wings. The thousands of jaws in the crowd dropped in shock. Someone finally pointed and shouted.

“It’s a phoenix! A phoenix has appeared!”

“Wooooooooooooooooow!”

“Long live her Majesty!”

The noise was quite loud. The phoenix was a talking companion of the Almighty God that appeared in Holy text. People in buildings, regardless of their status, ran out to witness the miracle. The Duke pushed down hard on the mask covering his face. He felt like he might be revealed if he continued to stay in the chaos.

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Extremely loud shouts exploded throughout the plaza. Simon scowled and looked up at the stage. He then gasped.

– Flap……

The phoenix had elegantly folded its wings and landed on the Prince’s arm. The Prince looked shocked but smiled beautifully while looking at the bird. The phoenix, which was the size of an eagle, touched foreheads with the prince and closed its light purple quartz-like eyes. One wing opened to touch the Prince’s cheek as well.

“His highness has received a holy blessing!”

“He must have been telling the truth right now! The Almighty God has confirmed it!”

“I can’t see! Can you all crouch up front?!”

He felt his blood going cold. It was at that moment.

“Her Majesty, Empress Frédérique Riester and her Eminence, Cardinal Aurélie Boutier!”

A loud voice echoed from far in the back. The crowd all looked back at once as if it was planned. Simon thought that it was impossible but still got anxious.

The surprising thing was that nobody was calling out this clear lie. These revered names were ones nobody dared to lie about. That was the dignity of the Riester imperial family.

Rumble…… The crowd moved out to either side like waves. This had to be someone joking. It HAD to be, but…

“Long live the Riester Empire.”

“Oh Almighty God……”

He could hear mumbling from all around.

This was a different reaction from when the Prince had caused a miracle. The crowd filling the streets started to kneel down from the back and placed their foreheads on the frozen ground. Their backs were shaking and they couldn’t even breathe properly. He could even see people crying or dry heaving.

– Flap, flap!

This was impossible. ‘She’ should not be coming down to such a shabby place. So why…

“The Imperial family coat of arms……” He blankly mumbled. The flag of the Imperial family, decorated in dark red velvet and gold threats, was flapping wildly in the winter gust. He could see the cherry-colored eyes burning like lights in the night. The Duke shook while on the ground.

– Step.

Frédérique Riester stepped toward the center of the plaza. At the same time…

– Shaaaaaaa……

Tulips started to grow by her feet.

They were purple tulips.

—
Translator’s Comments

Oh snaps! Them purple tulips?!

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