I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 173

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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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I carefully opened my mouth.

“That day, you must have been very worried. When I suddenly disappeared from the forest….”

“….”

“Anita said my ability was fake, and I had vanished somewhere… You must have been bewildered.”

Father, who had been keeping silent, smiled and shook his head.

“I wasn’t bewildered. I wasn’t even greatly surprised.”

“….”

“I was just worried.”

I paused and looked at Father.

“Selene. Everything I said a few days ago was sincere.”

The day I went to purify the Emperor.

I recalled Father’s words telling me not to feel burdened, that I didn’t need to reveal everything.

“It would have been nice if you had told me from the beginning, but I don’t resent you for not doing so.”

Father gestured toward my relic dangling over my indoor dress and smiled warmly.

“Besides, in the end, everything was resolved safely and well.”

“…Yes.”

Until now, the fact that I drew power from the relic had been a fatal weakness.

However, this time I had recruited Michael, cornered The Order, and received the title of Saint.

Thanks to that, there was no longer any reason to hide the relic’s existence.

‘It’s not false that holy power lies dormant within Lady.’

‘It’s also not false that Lady’s vessel is incomparably vast compared to His Holiness the Pope.’

According to Michael, there really was a hidden power within me.

The reason I had been able to communicate with the souls sealed in the relic,

and the reason I could store others’ holy power in the relic and use it as my own—it was all because of that.

‘Someday, when Lady’s vessel is completely opened, you will wield tremendous power.’

‘…That’s impossible. Then why didn’t I know about it until now?’

‘Because it was sealed. From now on, I will help open Lady’s holy power, so there’s no need to worry.’

Once I returned to Rishion, Michael was scheduled to visit me regularly.

The plan was to circulate the relic and the divine power within my body to open the sealed holy power.

When Estelin showed interest, he even explained in detail how to infuse holy power into my body.

Just then, Father, who had been sitting across from me, stood up.

He approached the desk in the study and brought something back.

It was a heavy box decorated with blue stones.

“What is this?”

When I asked with wide eyes, Father opened the box without answering.

Something silvery and mysterious revealed itself inside. It was a shimmering cord.

The cord, made by bundling thin silver threads, twisting them, and then braiding them again, emitted a mysterious light.

Father’s voice reached me.

“The relic, for a moment.”

I quickly removed the pendant I was wearing around my neck and handed it to Father.

Father placed the pendant in his hand and released magic power with his other hand.

Soon, with a soft click, the pendant’s main body separated from its cord.

“It’s an old item, so the cord looked weak.”

Father placed the separated cord on the table.

The cord showed traces of being broken once and then reattached.

It was something I had crudely repaired when I retrieved it from Anita’s hands after it had been broken.

“…You noticed.”

Father smiled.

Then he took out the silver cord from the box and attached it to the pendant.

“…It’s pretty. And it looks sturdy too.”

“That’s good. But it’s not finished yet.”

“Pardon?”

Father channeled magic power into the pendant with the new cord again.

Soon, red markings appeared around the cord and completely enveloped the pendant.

“I’ve inscribed magic power into the cord.”

“Inscription?”

“From now on, if this cord is destroyed or moves away from your body, I’ll receive a signal immediately.”

I accepted the pendant Father handed me without being able to give any response.

“Until your holy power is completely opened, it’s much safer to have the relic.”

“…Yes. That’s right, thank you.”

As I carefully put the pendant around my neck, Father asked.

“Are you planning to make the temple you’re building in North District into a Temple of Pluma?”

I nodded.

“That’s right. I’m planning to proceed with Cardinal Michael’s help. It seems like the power I possess is the power of the god Pluma….”

“I see. After hearing that you communicated with Dearmant, I thought so too.”

“But it’s still strange. After all, Pluma and I have no connection whatsoever. Yet they say I was born with tremendous ability….”

“There might not be absolutely no connection.”

I quickly looked up at Father.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Looking back, it seems Hemera’s ancestors knew of Pluma’s existence.”

My eyes widened.

“Before I married Hemera and had you, I went to her hometown just once.”

“Her hometown?”

“Yes. It was a small village at the northeastern edge of the Empire, adjacent to the Kingdom of Sorad. There was a temple on the outskirts with only pillars remaining, and it had a statue of some goddess, not Frater.”

I stammered with a surprised expression.

“Then that goddess statue was….”

“I didn’t think much of it at the time, but recently I’ve been thinking that goddess statue might have been Pluma.”

“That’s possible.”

With a serious expression, I quickly continued.

“Cardinal Michael also investigated the ancient tribes of Sorad when looking for clues about Pluma. But if Mother’s hometown was also near Sorad….”

Father nodded.

“One more thing.”

“….”

“Hemera’s great-great-grandmother. She was the one who guarded that old temple until the very end.”

My eyes widened again.

“Are you saying the last priest who served the god Pluma was… Mother’s great-great-grandmother?”

“Yes. It shouldn’t be wrong information. I heard it directly from Hemera myself.”

I blinked and slowly nodded.

If Selene’s maternal ancestors were priests who served Pluma,

then there couldn’t be said to be absolutely no connection between this body and Pluma.

‘This is something that will be revealed in detail someday through investigation.’

I quietly looked down at the table and caressed the relic hanging around my neck.

‘I need to find it as soon as possible too.’

Amicus, who would be sealed in the third relic.

‘Father. Ten years ago, when Mother passed away.’

Aleon leaned back in his chair and reflected on the words Selene had spoken before leaving.

‘Haven’t you ever thought it was strange?’

His expression was calmer and more settled than ever before.

‘Duchess Laurent and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager both passed away around the same time. Though each for different reasons.’

‘…Yes. They did.’

‘I was too young to understand then. But thinking back on it now, the more I consider it, the stranger it seems. Could someone have been involved?’

Selene had spoken carefully, watching his complexion.

Aleon couldn’t give her any answer.

If asked whether he had never once found it strange, that wasn’t the case.

But the problem was that while he had a feeling something was off, there were no clues anywhere.

He had desperately wanted to find whoever had harmed Hemera and left not even a corpse behind.

In the end, he had been unable to do so.

Kione, who had been Calypso’s wife, had undoubtedly died of illness a few months before Hemera’s death.

‘Former Empress Shalina’s death was also suicide.’

Of course, he had considered the possibility that someone had killed the Former Empress and disguised it as suicide.

But at that time, Aleon had neither the will nor the driving force to uncover the truth.

He had already lost his close friend, the Former Emperor,

and was in a situation where he couldn’t stay in the Empire long due to managing the conflict regions.

‘I think there’s something strange about the Temple.’

‘…’

‘The Temple is involved in every incident, every affair. That’s too strange.’

Selene’s expression had been filled with conviction.

‘Father. I intend to bring down The Order. I think that might be how we can learn the truth.’

Aleon looked at the seat where Selene had been sitting.

After pondering something thoughtfully, he soon pulled the bell cord.

A few seconds later, there was a knock and Walter entered.

Aleon immediately spoke.

“When Selene falls asleep, bring her personal maid.”

“You mean Anna Bardi? Why that maid all of a sudden…?”

“I’m going to reinvestigate Joanne Bardi’s death.”

Walter froze in place with a start.

Joanne Bardi.

The woman who had been Anna Bardi’s sister, and who had been found dead in the Duchess’ Chambers ten years ago.

At the time, Walter had seen the deep wounds carved into the corpse’s hands and judged that she had died trying to save the Duchess.

He looked at his lord with serious eyes.

“Your Grace. When you say you’ll reinvestigate Joanne Bardi’s death…”

“Yes. I’ll also reexamine Hemera’s death, far more thoroughly than before.”

Walter’s lips parted slightly.

Long ago, the Duke had frantically delved into Hemera’s death, then suddenly stopped all investigations.

After abruptly stopping everything, he had seemed to lose his will to live.

So Walter hadn’t even dared to suggest resuming the investigation.

“Gather those who were staying at the manor at the time, and find out again what happened that day.”

Walter nodded, placed a hand on his chest, and bowed.

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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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