Chapter 148

Once the nobles and attendants had cleared out, Ren finally broke into a wide smile and greeted Nerys.

“Nerys! Have you been well?”

Only then did Nerys return his friendly smile.

“It’s been a while, senior. As you can see, I’ve been doing well. What brings you to Maindulante?”

“A volunteer mission. Priests can sometimes leave their diocese to serve in places where their help is needed. If I had known you were here, I would’ve come sooner.”

Was it just her imagination, or was he being overly cheerful? Nerys felt far more familiar with this puppy-like side of Ren than the divine demeanor he had shown earlier.

“Did you come to treat the people of Maindulante? There’s a shortage of priests here, after all.”

“Exactly. It’s what a servant of the Lord should do.”

“And a great opportunity to build your reputation too.”

Cledwyn cut in, his voice cold.

Was he being overly frosty? Nerys tilted her head and pushed the thought away. There was no reason for him to act like that—Ren had just been incredibly helpful.

“That’s impressive. Not many people come all the way out here. How did you show up at just the right moment?”

“Really? I helped?”

Ren smiled again, this time with a different kind of innocence—not saintly, but genuinely happy.

“Yes. Did you originally plan to visit the castle?”

“Yeah. If possible. I heard news about you.”

Though he was still smiling, Ren shot a quick glance at Cledwyn. The words didn’t match the look in his eyes.

“Luckily, His Grace invited me before I even asked.”

“Really? How did you time that so perfectly?”

This time, Nerys aimed her question at Cledwyn. He replied with a slightly sulky expression.

“Just happened.”

“No, I timed it perfectly. People here talk about you a lot.”

Ren naturally took over the conversation again. His eyes sparkled with emotion.

“After graduation, I got so busy I didn’t even get to write you. You look great. What happened to your eyes?”

“Oh… these? It just happened suddenly. As far as I know, I don’t have any close blood ties to the imperial family.”

Nerys deflected casually. Ren’s clever eyes sparkled for a moment, then he nodded.

“Yeah, I guess so. The Elandria family has intermarried with the imperial line more than once. It could be a recessive trait. Either way, it’s incredible.”

“Ahem.”

Cledwyn suddenly cleared his throat. Ren tried to keep chatting, but Nerys assumed Cledwyn had something important to say and focused on him.

“We can’t spend all day reminiscing. When will you be leaving?”

“Leaving, Your Grace? You said earlier I’d be staying for a week.”

Ren replied in that same polite tone, but with the smug face she remembered from school. It was a far cry from the holy image he had shown in front of others, but this cockiness suited him better.

“You’ve done your part. And you’re a busy man.”

“Of course. But I’ve been working day and night caring for poor souls—it’s true I’m a bit tired.”

Both men bared their teeth in forced smiles.

Nerys still didn’t understand why the two disliked each other so much. As far as she knew, their only real connection was that Ren had treated Cledwyn a few times. That hardly seemed enough reason for such hostility.

Soon, Ren turned back to Nerys and said sweetly,

“I’ll be leaving soon, it’s true. But before I go, let’s at least have one meal together.”

“Of course, senior. You seem exhausted, so you should get some rest first.”

Coming all the way to this isolated region must’ve been tiring. And thanks to Ren, she’d gotten exactly what she wanted out of that earlier incident.

So Nerys’s tone was fairly kind. Ren blinked as if to say something more, but Cledwyn quickly agreed before he could.

“Right, you’re tired—we’ll prepare a room for the future ‘Car-din-al.’” (T/N: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Cledwyn the Jelly-Petty boy. ROFL. I really love their dynamic. I hope we get to have more of them in the future.)

Why was he breaking it up like that? Nerys thought his tone was strange, but didn’t press the matter.

❖ ❖ ❖

The day after the Marquis of Tipion’s arrest, Adrian visited Nerys’s office. As always, he came without courtesy.

“So, what are you gonna do with the marquis, smart girl?”

Smart girl… The administrator working with Nerys looked exasperated. So did Dora, who had been assisting her.

But Nerys, the one being called that, responded indifferently.

“The one who placed the poison claimed to be a servant of House Tipion.”

“Scared you almost died, huh? Phew, terrifying.”

“Don’t you find it odd? There’s no one named Javel on the list of the marquis’s servants. But that name does appear under yours, my lord. Are you aware of that?”

“Still, can you really just lock up a noble of that rank like this? That pearl ring? So what? Just because it turned up at the scene doesn’t mean the marquis killed his own daughter.”

“Who do you suppose gave the order? The marquis? Or you? It’s a shame we don’t have clarity on that, but time will tell. The investigators of Maindulante are very capable.”

“Go talk to the duke and get him released, smart girl. I’m counting on you, okay?”

They were both just talking at each other. The ones listening on the side were exhausted. After staring hard at Adrian’s shameless face, Nerys finally said bluntly:

“The summary trial was completed earlier. He confessed.”

There was no way they could’ve arranged a proper trial in a single day. And a confession? How intense must the interrogation have been?

Adrian grinned.

“So you’ve been playing him from the start?”

“I don’t think he’s the sort of person anyone would enjoy playing.”

“Really? I thought it was fun.”

It showed. He had come up acting like he’d defend the marquis to Cledwyn, but then testified that the ring belonged to the marquis during the banquet. The poisoner also confessed readily to being from House Tipion, so it had clearly been staged from the beginning.

Adrian chuckled and added,

“Still, I think playing with you would be more fun. If you ever want to switch sides, let me know.”

Nerys crossed her arms and smirked.

‘Utter bastard.’

But not entirely useless.

‘He’s so shameless, if you just stroke his ambition, you can push him where you want.’

That was exactly how Camille had handled Adrian. Nerys despised Camille, but she didn’t deny having learned a lot from her former sister-in-law.

“Since you’re here, if you need the trial records, I can have a copy made. Final verdict is life imprisonment, just so you know.”

“No way. You passed that so fast?”

“Why not? This is among the worst crimes in Maindulante’s recent history. Killing one’s own child. And the victim had higher status than the criminal, so it falls under crimes against kinship. As you know, in the Bistor Empire, sentences for such crimes are increased by 50%.”

“You studied law?”

“I’m just stating the official policy.”

Liar, Adrian thought. He had ties with high judges in the capital, and many of their successors courted his favor. Yet few of them could explain the law as crisply as she just had.

“Still, the marquis is the head of an old noble house. You can’t treat him like this.”

“He’s not anymore.”

Nerys smiled faintly.

“Will House Tipion try to reclaim a fallen lord, or accept a new one? I believe I know the answer.”

And which answer would benefit everyone.

❖ ❖ ❖

Autumn had reached the trees in the West Palace garden.

The late duchess’s greenhouse, now neatly restored, was pleasant and warm. Nerys lay stretched out on a long sofa placed beneath a large tree and looked up at the blue sky through the rustling leaves.

“Omnitus…”

The name of the current pope left her lips.

Ren, having finished what he came to do, was about to leave Maindulante. Nothing was set in stone, but with everyone casually calling him “Cardinal,” Nerys understood the situation well enough. He was surely going to be very busy.

Like the imperial palace, the temple was not something Nerys could touch lightly. Timaeosism held sway over the minds of Bistor’s people.

But if Ren was stepping into the heart of the temple—

‘Then there’s an opening I can exploit.’

Nerys remembered something Valentin had said before she died—how Nellusion had married Brigitte, the daughter of Omnitus, and was now living happily.

Illegitimate children couldn’t marry nobles by law, but plenty of nobles were willing to call Brigitte a daughter in exchange for the pope’s support.

Was Nellusion really the type to cherish anyone? Nerys doubted it—but maybe that was because she had been the one he betrayed.

‘Maybe he did plan to treat Brigitte well. After all, her background came with incredible power.’

Nerys had no resentment toward Brigitte. In fact, the two women had never even met.

When she first realized she had returned to the past, Nerys had already drafted a plan on how to use the temple. But if Ren had survived and risen this high, maybe it was time to revise those plans.

‘Just because I don’t resent her…’

If someone in the temple’s upper ranks held goodwill toward her side, the possibilities would be endless. Compared to Omnitus, Ren was far more useful.

So then, what could she do in Maindulante to support Ren?

She was still pondering that when she heard the greenhouse door open.

“What is it?”

There were few people who would come here. Seeing her rise, a smile appeared on his face.

“Just came for some air. If you like this greenhouse, should I build more?”

“No need. I like this one. It’s out of sight.”

This garden was rarely visited, and while some western-facing windows from the main palace could overlook it, the way the light reflected off the glass and the trees meant no one could spot her lying underneath.

Cledwyn’s smile turned slightly curious.

“I’ve noticed—you like places where you’re hidden.”

Do I? Nerys had never thought of it that way. But now that he mentioned it, he was right.

In her past life, she had always feared being seen. At school, being the target of others’ cruelty was a game. As an adult, her every move had been scrutinized by her family.

No wonder she disliked attention. She always hid away in her room or sought out secluded places when she needed change.

And in this life, that’s exactly how she’d met Cledwyn.

But she couldn’t explain that, so Nerys just gave a crooked smile.

“Being watched is annoying. Don’t you ever feel that way?”

“I’ve never cared what others think. As long as I’m safe, I don’t mind how I’m seen.”

Fair enough. Given his upbringing, he had every right to say that. Nerys studied him curiously and motioned with her hand.

“Sit.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

The long chaise was built for one woman to lie comfortably, so the two of them had plenty of space to sit side by side.

The greenhouse walls were covered in branches and leaves, and the ceiling—except for the top 30 percent—was too. Late autumn sunlight streamed through the skylight and the leaves.

The shifting patterns of light painted radiant shapes across Cledwyn’s beautiful face. As she looked into his gray eyes, Nerys recalled the last time they had sat this close. Just the two of them.

Her face flushed. She blinked. Cledwyn met her gaze with a deep smile.

She didn’t even know what that smile meant. Nerys thought his gray eyes were stunning. And she realized her clear thoughts from earlier had completely scattered the moment Cledwyn appeared.

“The marquis—or rather, the soon-to-be former marquis. Don’t you want to do something to him?”

“No. But there is something I want to ask you.”