'What?'
But before Odette could ask a question, Shion opened the carriage window and spoke to the porter.
"This is Marquis Kleist. Open the door so I can enter the palace to meet the Emperor."
"Yes!"
The gatekeepers didn't bother to look inside the windows. They didn't even dare ask who the man with his coat over his head was.
As Margrave Kleist was the Emperor's guard dog, it was forbidden to question him about anything or anyone he brought into the palace.
Because whatever it was, or whoever it was, it was considered a head of state secret.
Eventually, the carriage passed the gatekeeper's guard.
"Huh?"'
What? Was it a coincidence that he hid it? Wasn't the situation resolved too easily for that to happen?
"You're still wearing your coat. You came here because you wanted to meet the Pope secretly, right?"
Shion spoke calmly. His expression was still blank, just like when he said there was no need for a deal.
"How did you know?"
"I saw the bottle you had in your handbag earlier. The label on the bottle says it's where Raphael bought the arsenic."
How much information does he have? And how can he conclude that she's trying to meet the Pope secretly just from that one label?
"You want to call the Pope and meet him secretly? Would it be okay if it were in the carriage? That would be better than having him come out."
"Didn't you say there was no need to deal?"
"There's no need for a deal, Odette. From now on, I intend to do whatever you want."
For some reason, Shion's face looked a little miserable as he said that.
'Why...? Suddenly?'
What kind of whim is this?
Although she was curious, Shion didn't seem to want to talk about it for long.
Odette wasn't curious enough to ask that question so persistently.
"Wait a minute. I think we need to take action against the coachman just in case."
He seemed to know the palace as well as his own home. He found the most deserted spot, parked his carriage, and got rid of the coachman.
Judging by the golden glow in the coachman's eyes, it seemed like it was 'action'.
In addition to that, he blocked the palace people in a way that made you wonder if it was okay to do that, and then she soon brought in the Pope.
'Is this... this easy? It was supposed to take much longer than I had planned.'
They say he took care of all the dirty work in the palace. He was quite skilled.
In an instant, the situation was resolved, and the Pope arrived before Odette's eyes.
"Why have you called me here, Saintess Odette?"
...It did look a little uncomfortable to plant, though.
Shion was outside the carriage, saying he would stand guard.
'It feels weird not paying the price against Shion... I think he'll come looking for me later like a debt collector and demand repayment.'
That thought crossed her mind, but for now, Odette was focused on the Pope sitting in front of her.
Those high-level personnel are organizing the situation so neatly and even serving as escorts. It would be a shame if she can't persuade the Pope.
"It is somewhat uncomfortable for you to request a meeting so abruptly, Lady Odette. And you even use the name of the Marquis. If you have any business, it would be sufficient for you to call me at the cathedral."
Instead of asking for understanding, Odette reached into her white handbag and pulled out a wad of paper.
"I think the conversation will go faster if you read this paper first, Your Majesty."
"What is this paper..."
The moment he read the first line, the Pope's words became slurred.
Moeller was competent. He organized his data so neatly that anyone could understand it at a glance.
Even if that person has no prior information.
The Pope would by now have a thorough understanding of the symptoms caused by the arsenic that Raphael had purchased.
"I have come to save Your Majesty."
The Pope simply turned the page without answering.
"I heard you've been having trouble digesting food lately. You've been having trouble breathing a lot."
"..."
"You even developed brown spots on your palms and soles of your feet. These are typical symptoms of arsenic poisoning."
"..."
"If you don't believe me, go to any member of parliament. Everyone except the cathedral council will tell you the same thing."
"...Phew."
"Do you still feel uncomfortable meeting me, Your Majesty?"
The Pope pressed his fingers between his eyebrows as if he were tired. Odette saw this and thought, It seems like the Pope is ready to talk.
***
Shion tried to keep as much distance from the carriage as possible out of respect for Odette, but he couldn't just walk away. He had to keep a distance that would allow him to maintain his escort.
So, to some extent, the sound of the conversation between the Pope and Odette could not help but flow into his ears.
The Pope seemed to believe Odette's words.
They also agreed that a counterattack was necessary, as it was clear that Raphael would assassinate the Pope as soon as he became a candidate for the post of Pope.
But there was a problem.
"How can I believe in you, Saintess?"
The Pope's question meant, 'I cannot be the only one who is vulnerable to you.'
'You old toad. If Odette writes for you, you will burn the rest of your life in gratitude.'
The Pope held a lifelong position. In addition, the cathedral had its own share of political strife, though not as much as the imperial palace.
As a Pope who had spent 40 years in it, he knew full well that an alliance was possible only when one exploits the other's weaknesses.
And Odette understood exactly what the Pope meant when he said, 'Give me your weakness.'
"I intend to frame Fernand for the murder of Archpriest Raphael. This bottle contains wasp poison that I will use in the process."
And she willingly gave the Pope her weak point.
"Are you curious as to why I would do something like that?"
The Pope did not answer, but Odette knew that his silence was an affirmation.
"I was adopted into the Count's household as Fernand's plaything. As that man's plaything."
The problem is that Shion also... heard about Odette's weakness.
***
Shion had already tortured the traitors of the Count's mansion and squeezed out all the information. So he knew everything about the treatment Odette received at the Count's mansion.
And yet... Surprisingly, every story sounded new. Simply because it came straight from the victim's mouth.
"Living as a toy meant being reminded every day how ridiculous I was."
Even though she spoke calmly, as if trying to keep her emotions out as much as possible, the emotions that young Odette must have felt inevitably came out.
At 15, Fernand liked to hurt. At 18, he liked to control. From 23, he liked to tease. At that time, Odette was only 6, 9, and 14 years old.
"I loved the Count, I loved the Countess, I loved Fernand, but maybe it was my cowardice. I thought it would be too painful if I didn't even love those people. If there was no reason for love, there was no reason for me to be treated like this."
Shion knew what form violence took, but he had never thought about the scars it left on Odette.
Shion also took revenge on his father, but... In the process, he never experienced feelings of helplessness, shame, or endless self-doubt.
Fear that the same thing might happen again. Anxiety that maybe he was the one who deserved to be treated that way, and became a victim.
The feeling that if you confide in someone, they will find out how insignificant you are. The feeling of actively hiding the abuse for fear that others will notice.
It was different from Shion, who could easily take revenge because they had everything.
"Maybe my anger for myself is the only narcissism I have left."
Shion realized that the Transcendent were different from ordinary humans.
It is difficult to understand the Purifier because they are not easily influenced by others and are far removed from loneliness or suffering.
'I understand why Odette reacted that way to my actions.'
Odette's life was always made up of things that tried to control her. A pretty toy, nothing more, nothing less.
She couldn't help but see Fernand in Zion, who was trying to brainwash her, put her in the palm of his hand, and confine her.
And Shion called it love, just as the Count's family had done.
Shion now seemed to understand why even Odette's hallucinations had been so cruel to him.
Because Shion was such a terrible person to Odette.
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