SPMB - Chapter 91
My Body Has Been Possessed By Someone
A few more days have passed since I comforted Lucy. Chloe was still sick, Isabelle cried every day, and the servants muttered ominous words.
And Kanna was called by the Emperor.
'Why me?'
I had an ominous feeling. I wanted to avoid it somehow, but the Emperor's orders were not avoidable.
"Sir Claude, I'm going to the imperial court. Please prepare a carriage."
"Yes, Duchess."
For the first time, Kanna called the escort knight assigned by Kalen.
'Nothing will happen, right?'
Kanna was very nervous. What on earth is the Emperor calling her for?
'I don't think it's a good thing.'
***
"Go to Palen Island."
It was somehow ominous. Kanna looked down at the floor blankly and then raised her head. Her eyes met with the pale-complexioned emperor.
'Go to Palen Island?"
Palen Island was the place where Orsini disappeared.
"I apologize, Your Majesty. There is something I don't understand."
"Something?"
"I am a relative of Addis, but I was not baptized. That's why I can't manifest holy power like Orsini, Kallen, or my father."
"I know. I don't expect the Duchess to fight the island's Black Fog."
"Then...?"
"I have heard of the Duchess's reputation. You cured Princess Amelia's skin disease and even solved strange diseases of trade sailors on the Eastern Continent."
Kanna should be proud, but strangely, she felt uneasy.
"Something strange happened on Palen Island even before the Black Fog appeared."
"Is this a strange thing?"
"They say that at a certain time every year, islanders suffer from mania as a group."
The Emperor looked out the window. It was raining.
"Now is the time."
Quack!
Lightning strikes.
"They say that during the rainy season, villagers suffer from mania as a group. Isn't it strange, Duchess?"
"... yes."
Because it was strange in reality, Kanna had no choice but to admit it. If this happens every year at the same time, it could definitely be a disease.
"Such a strange thing would require someone like a Duchess. Please go and check it in person."
Then he added.
"It's a golden name."
***
“Kanna!”
Did he hear the news?
As soon as she arrived at the mansion, Chloe came to welcome Kanna.
"I heard you are going to Palen Island. Please find Orsini!"
"No, I..."
She's not going to look for Orsini. Kanna doesn't care if he got out of there or not.
"Orsini can't be dead! Yes? He'll be alive!"
"..."
"Orsini is like that! He's so arbitrary! He must be drinking alcohol somewhere on the island, right?"
"..."
She knows her son very well. Kanna wanted to say that, but Chloe's face was so serious that Kanna kept her mouth shut.
Chloe cried out, tears streaming down her face.
"Please find Orsini. Huh? Then..."
"Mother... Duchess of Addis."
Kanna smiled and interrupted her.
"Don't you know who I am?"
Chloe looked blankly at Kanna.
“I’m Kanna.”
"..."
"It's Kanna. Don't you remember?"
Kanna, whom she and her son viciously tormented.
Kanna burst out laughing. No more words were needed. She shook off Chloe's hand that was holding her hand.
"I am going to investigate the illness in the village under orders from His Majesty the Emperor."
"..."
"I don't know if I'll have time to do anything else. I do not know."
Kanna wanted to speak a little harsher, but she decided to be patient.
'Because she's Kalen Addis's mother.'
And Kalen Addis is a very useful chess piece. Because it's not time to throw him away yet. So Kanna said this.
"Trust Orsini."
Saying things she didn't even mean to say.
"Orsini isn't the type of person who would be a guest anywhere, is he?"
Kanna said this without thinking.
"That's right... Okay. You are right. Kanna, you're right."
"..."
"Orsini, my son. Okay. I have to trust Orsini. That kid is trustworthy."
Funny enough, Chloe seemed comforted by those words.
'What? I said it for no reason.'
If Kanna really knew it would comfort Chloe, she wouldn't have said it.
Kanna became displeased.
***
Palen Island's companion was Sir Claude, a knight of the guard.
"Don't worry about safety, Princess. I earn 100 won per day."
Claude smiled even in this situation.
"100 per day?"
"Sure. If I had gone to Palen Island with Lord Orsini, my colleagues would not have been wiped out."
"..."
As Kanna stared, Claude furrowed his eyebrows as if he was embarrassed.
"Oh my, sorry. It was a joke."
"No. You don't have to apologize to me."
"No, no, sorry. It's like this even though Lord Kallen warned us to be careful."
Claude scratched his head.
"I'm such a no-nonsense person. I made a joke even though it wasn't something to joke about."
"Honestly, yes."
"As expected, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Even so, I get criticized a lot. I was told many times that if I didn't tell jokes when and where, I would be stabbed to death on the streets at night."
Kanna chuckled.
"Who says that?"
"My colleagues who died this time."
Claude shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know why Lord Orsini sent such a letter."
The knights have been wiped out, but never send reinforcements.
"And lost contact with us after sending such a strange letter..."
"I'm not going to look for Orsini."
Maybe he has such expectations. Kanna spoke clearly.
"So you won't waste any time looking for Orsini."
"Oh, of course. Don't misunderstand, Duchess."
Claude grinned.
"I'm sure Lord Orsini is doing his job without a problem."
"..."
"So there's no reason to waste time looking for him."
Kanna was speechless. Surprisingly, Orsini seemed to be highly trusted by the knights.
Ugh, that sparkling faith.
'I'm Upset.'
It was unpleasant, but other than that, Kanna quite liked Claude.
'He doesn't seem like a normal person.'
In fact, he feels sadder than anyone else when his colleagues die, but he doesn't show it. Instead, he made a joke. Moreover, he shows no signs of discomfort with her black hair and black eyes. It wasn't like he was pretending to be like that, but he genuinely seemed like he didn't have any thoughts.
'I quite like this no-nonsense type.'
There may be extreme differences in likes and dislikes, but it was a good thing for her. On the contrary, if he was an extremely serious or down-and-out type, he would not have been the right fit for her.
'He said it was Claude Azel.'
Not only the eyes but also the personality are similar to Seon-hong, Kanna liked him more.
'Maybe we can get along.'
***
On the way, Kanna thought about Palen Island.
It's an island that was recently discovered. Palen was not originally part of the Empire. The island's indigenous people have been living without contact with the outside world for about 200 years?
An imperial noble discovered it by chance, and the Emperor at the time felt it was a waste to leave it as is, so he included it in the imperial decree.
'In the end, it was taken by force. It's a world where thieves run rampant.'
However, about a hundred years ago, a severe epidemic occurred on the island, killing half the population.
However, rather than providing support, the Empire is said to have turned a blind eye to the situation, almost abandoning it. In the meantime, they are just committing robbery by collecting taxes.
Maybe that's why she heard that Palen Island has a clear hostility toward the empire.
"You must always be careful on the island, Duchess."
Sir Claude said with a grin on his face.
"The people of Palen Island have extremely low loyalty to the imperial family. Furthermore..."
"Furthermore?"
"Currently, there is a high priest staying on the island."
This was her first time hearing this story. The high priest, or high-ranking priest of the great temple, is on Palen Island?
"It is said that the residents of Palen Island have been suffering from mania for a long time. You know that, right?"
"Sure. Because of that madness, I ended up going there."
"Yes. It is said that the high priest who heard the story entered and declared that he would save the island."
"Seeing as I was being dragged away, it looks like the high priest hasn't been able to save them yet."
"Yes, not yet."
High priest. He must be a very high-ranking person in the Great Hall.
'Is he similar to Raphael?'
Polite, blunt, inflexible, upright, and naive.
'Maybe all the priests in this world are like that.'
As I thought about Raphael, I wondered what kind of person the high priest was.
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