I’ll Be the Heroine’s Competent Divorce Partner - Chapter 93
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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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Chapter 93
A moment later.
The Crown Prince and Elodie appeared outside the Great Temple, holding the sacred flame torches side by side.
The Empire’s citizens who had come to watch the torch relay ceremony erupted in cheers.
“Waaah-!”
Elodie involuntarily stopped in her tracks for a moment.
‘Th-there are too many people!’
This was her first time standing before such an enormous crowd, so she was somewhat overwhelmed.
There were even reporters who had come to cover the harvest festival bustling about.
It was a place where you could see famous figures of the Empire all in one location.
And since the harvest festival itself was quite a meaningful event in the Empire, reporters naturally followed along.
But then.
Joshua whispered quietly to Elodie.
“It’s alright.”
It was just a single word, nothing more.
Yet surprisingly, her rigidly stiffened body became somewhat softer.
“…Thank you.”
“Not at all.”
Joshua responded to Elodie’s small thanks with a gentle eye-smile.
Then he began to escort her forward.
Elodie, having relaxed slightly, looked around her surroundings.
A vast plaza stretched out in front of the Great Temple.
And in the center of the plaza was a large altar prepared outside the Great Temple for the common people to see.
‘The order of the torch ceremony is…’
They would transfer the flame from the sacred torch to the altar.
Then burn a handful of this year’s new grain as an offering to the gods to conclude the ceremony.
‘If the god is satisfied with the offering, the flames turn bright blue, right?’
Although magic and the presence of gods rarely manifested in daily life.
Whenever she encountered such miraculous events, she truly realized that the world she lived in was a fantasy world.
After all, even the current Emperor maintained his position for a long time through the healing power of sacred relics.
However, the last recorded ‘blue flame’ was about 30 years ago.
‘Since then, not once have the flames burned blue.’
Instead, after Joshua and Isabel confirmed their feelings for each other and offered the sacrifice together.
Bright blue flames blazed up for the first time.
That’s why the comments enthusiastically cheered that the two were indeed destined partners.
‘…Destined partners.’
Come to think of it, there were too many things in life that were already predetermined.
Just look at this torch ceremony.
The gods taught that women and men were born equal, so the offering ritual was also conducted by both men and women together.
But the reality she experienced was not fair at all.
Even Elodie herself had to live watching the moods of David, the family head.
Even Isabel, the original female protagonist, had to endure terrible in-law troubles.
Somehow, it left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Just as her blue eyes were sinking deeply.
“Are you alright?”
A worried voice reached her ears.
Elodie snapped back to attention.
“Pardon?”
“Your expression doesn’t look good somehow. Are you feeling unwell by any chance?”
If it had been the usual Elodie, she would have drawn a line saying ‘No, I’m fine.’
But somehow…
‘It’s uncomfortable.’
A foreign sensation, as if a large thorn was stuck deep in her throat.
She wanted to spit out this thorn right away…
Perhaps that’s why.
“I was thinking it feels rather unfair.”
The answer popped out like a cough.
‘Oh no, did I say something too out of the blue?’
At the same time, Elodie quickly turned to look at the Crown Prince.
“Ah, I don’t mean anything else by it. I mean…”
“You’re right.”
Huh?
Elodie blinked her eyes blankly.
Joshua continued with a sunken expression.
“The gods created women and men equally, yet it’s very rare for women to actually participate in society.”
“…”
Words that seemed to peer into her very thoughts.
It felt as if she had been struck on the head.
Elodie moved her lips slightly.
“…Don’t you think I’m being unreasonable?”
“Not at all.”
Joshua asked Elodie back with a serious expression.
“Do you see me as such a narrow-minded person, Princess?”
They had just arrived at the altar.
The two tilted their torches together and lit the large brazier in the center of the altar.
As the heat blazed up.
A small voice mixed with laughter reached Elodie’s ears.
“Rather, I’d like to thank you, Princess.”
Joshua quietly added while keeping his gaze fixed on the altar.
“Since interacting with you, Princess, my perspective on the world seems to have broadened.”
Elodie was momentarily speechless.
Whether from the heat of the sacred flame, her face was burning uncontrollably.
Did this man know?
That every single word he casually threw out made her heart flutter.
He probably had no idea at all.
That’s why he could…
“Now, it’s time to offer the sacrifice.”
…smile at me with such a refreshingly youthful face.
‘Enough, why have I been having so many pointless thoughts since earlier?’
Elodie bit her lower lip gently and reached for the box of new grain prepared beside the brazier.
She grabbed a handful of new grain and threw it into the flames.
But then.
-Whoooosh!
The flames swelled up enormously.
And the color of that flame was…….
“Th-the flame is blue!”
“This can’t be!”
The spectators and reporters who had gathered like clouds.
The security guards maintaining order.
The priests overseeing the ceremony.
Even Elodie and Joshua who had offered the tribute.
Everyone present widened their eyes in shock.
“Oh, the gods…….”
The high priest quietly opened his mouth.
“The gods have joyfully accepted this offering!”
He was so moved that his voice trembled faintly at the end.
“Under the gods’ protection, the future of our Eisenach Empire will be brilliant!”
“Waaah-!”
Clap clap clap!
Thunderous applause followed the great cheers.
Meanwhile, Elodie stared intently at the blue dancing flames.
The blue flames were etched in her wide-open eyes.
The miracle that had been granted to Isabel, the original female protagonist.
Blue fire.
But that miracle was now given to Elodie.
Was it just her imagination?
She felt as if the gods were telling Elodie that the path she had walked was not wrong.
‘Then perhaps I too.’
Light slowly dawned in her blue eyes.
‘Can change the future?’
Not just avoiding marriage with Marquis Bartsen.
……Couldn’t she look a little more honestly at her feelings of attraction to someone?
“Princess!”
Just then, someone called Elodie with an excited voice.
It was Joshua.
“The gods must truly cherish you, Princess!”
“…….”
Elodie, who had hesitated for a moment, smiled brightly.
“I hope that’s the case.”
* * *
With the dedication ceremony concluded.
The spectators began leaving one by one with excited faces.
“To think I could see blue fire with my own eyes in my lifetime. It’s been 30 years, hasn’t it?”
“Indeed, there will be a good harvest next year.”
“I can talk about this for the rest of my life. Haha!”
Meanwhile, the reporters gradually focused their attention on the Crown Prince and Princess Laventess.
They were trying to get at least one interview with those two people somehow.
But then.
“Duke Laventess!!”
Someone called out to Duke Laventess at the top of their voice.
At the same time, a woman pushed through the crowd of people and stepped forward.
Her red hair fluttered vividly under the clear autumn sky.
That Lady in a gorgeous dress, as if she could attend a party right now…….
“Isn’t that the daughter of Viscount Scofield?”
“Why is she suddenly calling Duke Laventess…….”
People who were about to leave glanced at Catherine with curious eyes.
‘Catherine!’
Marisa was silently shocked.
She had definitely told her to stay quietly holed up at home, so why was she popping up here?
But there was someone even more surprised than Marisa.
‘I definitely told her we should end our relationship!’
David, grinding his teeth, turned around while pretending to be calm.
Then he opened his mouth with a composed voice.
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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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