I Became the Wife of the Hero Who Killed Me - Chapter 28

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#Episode 28

“The Duke has unavoidably stepped away from his duties. There was a matter requiring attention at the Northern Wall.”

“Ah, what could be the problem when the Duchess is here? Temple patronage is originally the lady of the house’s domain, so we could say the right person has come.”

The Archbishop seemed to harbor considerable feelings toward the Duke who had long neglected religious matters.

In truth, the Duke had his own circumstances for keeping religion at a distance, but I simply nodded without showing any particular reaction.

Just then, someone suddenly appeared from among the bustling crowd.

“Madam!”

When I turned my gaze, I saw trainee Joseph and several volunteers from the monastery, along with Vincent wearing his usual modest black cassock.

They ran over with welcoming faces and competed to boast about how wonderfully the monastery, treatment center, and auxiliary facilities had been transformed.

Young Joseph was especially excited and chattered enthusiastically.

“Now we don’t have to worry about rain leaking or materials falling from the ceiling anymore. I can hardly believe it’s the same monastery I knew!”

“Everyone is truly grateful to Madam.”

“Even if you flatter me like that, nothing’s going to come of it.”

“It’s not flattery! Not just us, but everyone in the village feels the same way. The bureaucrats don’t care about the outer castle walls where we live. It’s all thanks to Madam.”

“Save your thanks for the guest from the Holy Capital who will arrive in Lombard soon.”

I didn’t bother to hide the purpose of this construction project.

I openly announced that it was to welcome a distinguished guest coming from the Holy Capital with a special mission from His Holiness the Pope, someone the Duke particularly cared about.

Because of this, a budget worth a whopping 20,000 gold coins passed without any particular opposition.

This was despite the fact that even the temples of the outer castle walls, which were utterly useless from the officials’ perspective, were included in the construction.

‘I’ve always wanted to try infrastructure construction projects.’

The construction period taking longer than expected was also due to the temple construction in the outer castle walls.

The inner castle walls had a high standard of living, so donations were abundant, but many temples in the outer castle walls barely managed to survive day by day.

Particularly in the outer castle walls, treatment centers, scriptoriums, libraries, schools, and such weren’t separate entities but were often operated together as auxiliary facilities of the temples.

During the construction period, there were many voices complaining about the inconvenience, but now the citizens’ lives would surely improve.

‘This is exactly killing two birds with one stone.’

Of course, since I currently had no interest whatsoever in the citizens’ lives, the biggest reason for the construction was indeed to make a good impression on the Inquisitor!

Hehe, I smiled wickedly to myself and turned my gaze.

“Brother Vincent, seeing you here feels quite refreshing.”

“I too feel moved seeing Lady Elisia in the temple. Is it just my imagination that today’s event feels more meaningful?”

The other priests were wearing ceremonial robes with silver embroidery to commemorate the completion ceremony, but Vincent alone wore his usual modest attire, no different from usual.

Wouldn’t he get scolded by the Archbishop or someone else for that?

Just as I was about to casually ask, Joseph’s eyes sparkled as he interjected.

“Madam, if it’s alright with you, could you visit the monastery soon? We’re holding a modest banquet in a few days to celebrate the completion, and if Madam would grace us with your presence, everyone would be delighted…”

“How dare a lowly Lombard thing speak of whose safety!”

Before Joseph could even finish speaking, a sharp slapping sound echoed through the corridor.

Lady Olden, who I thought was in conversation with the Archbishop, had struck Joseph’s hand with her fan.

The sound was so loud that even Count Baron, who had been standing far away chewing on his handkerchief because he couldn’t approach due to the lady’s intimidating presence, jumped in surprise.

“Step back immediately!”

“I’m, I’m sorry…”

Joseph, struck on the hand, retreated in confusion, sniffling.

All eyes around us turned this way. I could hear people whispering quietly to each other.

Lowly Lombard thing.

Making such a statement without hesitation at today’s event, where Lombard people were the majority, was tantamount to disgracing me as the host.

Could someone like Lady Olden, who had long experience in Imperial Palace life, really be unaware of this fact?

It was hard to think of it as coincidence.

‘Now, what should I do.’

Actually, my reputation didn’t matter. I had no intention of appearing at public duties after today anyway.

However, young Joseph’s stifled sobbing particularly bothered me.

Because he was a parentless child like I had been in the past…

I eventually raised my hand to restrain the lady.

“Don’t be so harsh.”

“But Madam!”

“Isn’t today a good day? It’s not good to raise voices in a sacred place.”

The lady rebelled against my restraint as expected. She stared at me intently in silence.

When I showed no sign of backing down, she ground her teeth, then for some reason glared fiercely at Vincent beside me instead of me, before turning away sharply.

The timid Brother quietly hid behind me.

“Did, did I perhaps offend her?”

“Who knows.”

Even though he was hiding, he was still a head taller than me.

I mumbled some random words for the Brother who didn’t live up to his size.

“She’s probably embarrassed. The lady gets flustered when she likes someone. Probably.”

“…Excuse me?”

Vincent’s eyes looked at me as if I were somewhat crazy, so I quickly added.

“Haven’t you looked in a mirror? It’s presumptuous to say to a priest, but you’re handsome, Brother.”

“Am, am I handsome?”

“Why do you have that expression?”

“It’s, it’s the first time I’ve heard it. Being called handsome…”

“The people from the Holy Capital must all have crooked eyes. To not recognize a handsome man like Brother.”

Though I hate to admit it, the Duke was the most handsome man I’d seen in my life, but Vincent possessed outstanding looks that weren’t inferior to his.

If the Duke was a neat and elegant handsome man like a lily, Vincent was a gorgeous handsome man like a rose?

There probably wasn’t another priest for whom a cassock was so unsuited.

‘Seeing that his personality has some problems, God is fair in His own way.’

I ignored Vincent, who was muttering something to himself, and went inside.

After the completion ceremony service ended, scripture reading followed.

The Archbishop offered a prayer of gratitude before the congregation that filled the chapel, then finally called me to the podium.

Originally, it was a place where only the clergy conducting the ceremony could stand.

In other words, it was special service.

“Now let us hear words from the Duchess who sponsored this temple construction.”

I stepped forward, feeling the worth of the money spent. Lady Olden followed closely behind me.

Suddenly, old memories came to mind.

In the past, I had seen the Duchess of Lombard from a distance several times.

No matter how willful Elisia was, there were times when she had to show her face at important events like harvest festivals or victory ceremonies.

At those times, her surroundings were firmly surrounded by Imperial servants including Lady Olden.

Even when someone tried to speak to her, they couldn’t even approach, and eventually everyone came to avoid Elisia’s side.

Looking back now, Lady Olden hadn’t protected Elisia with sky-high pride, but had deliberately guided her toward isolation.

But why?

‘No matter how much I think about it, I don’t understand. Why she attacks her own master.’

I was curious but decided not to think about it for long.

I would find out the reason soon enough.

I pretended to adjust my dress hem while gripping the edge of the podium covering.

The dress decorations were so elaborate that a few decorative tassels getting caught wouldn’t even be noticeable.

The moment I finished adjusting and turned around, the velvet cloth covering the podium helplessly came along with me.

The candlesticks and objects placed on top of it rolled around on the floor with a loud crash.

“Duchess, are you hurt anywhere! We should have secured the cloth more firmly, I’ll scold the manager more severely. Please call a physician for an examination immediately!”

The shocked Archbishop rushed over, first worrying about my safety.

I shook my head.

“I’m fine, Archbishop. It was entirely my mistake, so there’s no need to scold anyone else.”

“If the Duchess understands so generously…”

The Archbishop, noticing that I wanted to quietly move past this, had someone clean up the floor.

He then tried to bring a new podium cover, but I stopped him, saying there were many people waiting, and offered the thanksgiving prayer as scheduled.

Afterward, I expressed my gratitude for the Archdiocese’s pastoral activities and took out a thin check and pen.

I wrote in an appropriate amount and handed the check to Lady Olden.

“I should dedicate this to the temple. Since it’s such a good day, I want to share this joy with everyone.”

“Ah, Duchess!”

The Archbishop’s eyes gleamed as if he would kiss me if there weren’t so many watching eyes.

Since I had previously made a large donation, his eyes were filled with anticipation.

Lady Olden followed procedure by putting the check in an envelope and left to seal it with wax bearing my seal.

“The ground is messy—would you assist me?”

“It is my honor to serve you, Duchess.”

Sister Godelina, one of the Archbishop’s close retainers, supported me.

As I descended the podium with her, my gaze turned to the podium’s surface, deeply scratched by the pen nib.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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