Sister-in-law of the Heroine in a Childcare Novel - Chapter 97

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

Chapter 97

“It’s simple. Just hurt Princess Titania a little. Then, as her birth mother, claim you’ve been negligent toward her and insist on taking her far away for recovery. I’ll secure His Majesty’s permission. Once you’re outside the Imperial Palace, I’ll see you safely to some refuge—a pleasant villa with a doctor and servants where you can live out your days in peace.”
If only Titania, who’d departed for the Dedication Ceremony, could fail to return to the Imperial Palace safely.
Though Cleo had entrusted Gregory with even Kronnen’s weaknesses, impressing upon him the gravity of it all, she couldn’t shake a nagging sense of foreboding.
Titania had been thriving lately, unnaturally so.
The girl clung to life like a cockroach, stubborn in her survival. The odds of her returning were uncomfortably high.
So Cleo needed to prepare now for when Titania came back to the Imperial Palace.
If she followed her heart, she’d laugh and offer her own children poison. But that wasn’t possible.
However much Cleo seemed to hate her own blood, the gulf between her and Elaine ran deeper than mere words could convey. They were latent rivals. Even if Elaine professed no desire to compete with Cleo for the Emperor’s favor, Cleo would never appear favorably in her eyes.
Moreover, should Titania—who had already gone through a betrothal ceremony with the Castrain Family—die at her own mother’s hand within the Imperial Palace, the Emperor would rage. The Castrain Family would do the same. One couldn’t even be certain that Empress Elaine’s corpse would remain intact. Such risk was too great; no one would comply with such an order.
So it was enough merely to help set the wheels in motion.
Empress Elaine and Titania would vanish outside the Imperial Palace. Should the truth ever emerge, if it came to light that the Empress had abandoned her daughter of her own volition and fled, the princess’s honor would plummet. Many would argue: no matter how indebted the Castrain Family might be to her, how could a princess with *such* a mother become the future duchess?
Just as Titania’s birth had shackled her own mother, now Elaine would become the chains binding Titania.
Was that not a delicious revenge?
Elaine, her eyes glistening like moss-dampened moss, watched Cleo for a long moment, then slowly nodded.
Cleo felt surging exhilaration and smiled wickedly.

* * *

Time flew like an arrow.
We did our utmost to prepare for the Dedication Ceremony. In the meantime, Bibi—who’d been listless, saying Papa wanted us to wait a while longer just in case—was replaced by Gloriana’s Curtain, which arrived ahead of schedule.
We mobilized every scrap of intelligence from Flux and Nabira, namely Hecate’s Tavern. Kronnen kept the Temple under ironclad security, ostensibly while repairs were underway, but he couldn’t seal every eye and ear. Especially not when he was spouting nonsense like some charlatan prophet—”Believe only in me! If the Dedication Ceremony succeeds, this will all be over!”—every day before crowds, creating ample opportunity for us to glimpse what lay within.
Our forces were modest in absolute numbers. Barely thirty men, if that. To begin with, Raymond had carefully selected only those he could immediately deploy without compromising the front lines—elite soldiers.
Yet thanks to Flux’s cooperation as the city’s next master, we could position the city’s security forces exactly as we pleased. The population’s anxiety had reached all-time heights since the Magic Beast attack last time, so when we used “for your safety” as a pretext to control traffic, people accepted it without question. That was fortunate.
With the Castrain Family’s help, I committed the standard Dedication Ceremony procedures to memory. It wasn’t particularly long.
The real problem was simply that I had to walk through the Temple’s threshold myself.
“Should we just set one more fire?”
Lisianthus spoke seriously. I glanced at my ceremonial vestments that a Priest had delivered that morning, answering half-heartedly.
“Wasn’t it you who was always telling me to go easier on the flames?”
Fire at the Imperial Palace, fire at the Temple. Ever since, Lisianthus had seized every opportunity to click his tongue at me, asking if maybe it was *I* who should have been born with the Fire Ability, not him.
Not that I’d intended to go around setting fires everywhere. Somehow, that’s just how it had ended up.
As I dwelt on this bittersweet memory of hearing “go easier on the flames” from the original story’s legendary arsonist who’d torched the Imperial Palace, the Emoticon Sword hidden beneath my deliberately knotted waist spoke in a displeased voice.
-Honestly, Contractor, you’ve been using Fire more than Light lately… (￣◇￣;)….
‘No, that’s not true. Didn’t I catch plenty of Magic Beasts with Light?’
-That’s right… (￣◇￣;)……. But you caught *people* with Fire…….
‘The fire at Rose Palace—that was you. Are you jealous that I use fire so much?’
-Me?!(」゜ロ゜)」?!?!!!?! Y-y-you, using Fire, jealous……! No! I’m not jealous!!｡｡(ﾉ´д)ﾉ At most, Fire just burns forms in the material world, so comparing it to the noble and all-encompassing Light Ability doesn’t even make sense!!
‘Definitely jealous.’
-Kyaaaaaaaaaa!!
While I listened to the Emoticon Sword whimper in wounded pride, Lisianthus—his anxiety growing so intense his legs trembled—continued.
“If fire breaks out in the Temple again, this time they really will demand we hold the ceremony somewhere else, won’t they?”
“Wouldn’t that be too reckless a thing to say for a second son of the Castrain Family who needs to succeed at the ceremony no matter what?”
“As if I don’t know what schemes those bastards have cooked up.”
A strange regret colored his voice. I let out a soft laugh.
“It’s fine, really! We’ve prepared extensively. Even if Magic Beasts attack like last time, we can defend against it.”
What mattered was money.
The ceremonial vestments were fashioned in the style of ancient Roman garments—broad, thin cloth wound around the body and fastened with knots. The Temple’s initiate Priests had hurriedly delivered them only at dawn that day, but we’d successfully stitched numerous Mana Stones deep into the folds, undetectable from outside. Even if discovered, we’d claim they were jewels. Barbara had done most of the work, and she’d done it flawlessly.
Gloriana’s Curtain also appeared to be made of white cloth indistinguishable from the ceremonial vestments, so we’d managed to drape it over my shoulders as if it were a decorative cloth. The Emoticon Sword had even confirmed it: in this state, I could pull off an unstoppable rampage just like at the Imperial Palace.
“Your Highness.”
I turned my gaze toward Raymond, who’d approached my side.
Having come here and seen him nearly every day, I’d grown slightly better at reading his emotions. His expression was as blank as ever on the surface, but there was a faint rigidity to his posture. Was he nervous?
The great Raymond Young Duke had wielded a sword since he was five years old, or so I’d heard. He’d been thrust into many hopeless battles.
Today’s situation—while we couldn’t perfectly predict how many enemies would emerge—we’d made all the preparations we could. Even I, who’d been the weak link that day, was now armed to the teeth.
“Should danger arise at any point, you’re free to flee.”
“Haha, really?”
“No one will blame Your Highness.”
But you won’t run away.
Instead of saying that, I simply smiled. In my crystalline gaze, the tall man’s golden eyes reflected something that looked oddly troubled.
“Don’t worry. Let’s go. I’m quite fond of dragging them into the very water they prepared for drowning.”
If they’d intended to make innocent people into water ghosts, they ought to know that they themselves would drown in those same waters.

* * *

The Dedication Ceremony is relatively simple.
First, one kindles a Sacred Flame in the Temple’s center.
Originally, that Sacred Flame meant a holy fire—specifically, a blue flame conjured by a Fire Ability user of the highest grade.
Now it’s simply…. a metal that burns blue when ignited, Indium, or something like that. You just toss it and light it. From what I understand, a Wind Ability user was traditionally supposed to amplify this flame and release a distinctive scent to drive away Magic Beasts, but obviously none of that exists now…. We just burn the incense along with it.
In any case, the entire ceremony must take place while this Sacred Flame burns, and the fire absolutely must not go out.
Then the Priests gather and recite a venerable Blessing Prayer passed down from ancient times to the present.
A member of the royal family, having cleansed their body in purifying water and dressed in blessed white cloth, listens to their prayer while slowly walking several circuits around a circle inscribed with a Barrier Formation. Notably, this circle is engraved on the floor of a room whose ground is entirely white stone. The Temple, despite being ravaged by fire, had somehow kept this chamber pristine even as fake Sacred Objects burned to ash.
After completing the circuits successfully, the royal family member drops their own blood onto the Sacred Object at the circle’s center.
Typically, one carries a small dagger or needle and cuts one’s fingertip to draw blood.
Once that happens, the Sacred Object glows brilliantly, the Barrier Formation inscribed on the floor responds, and the Dedication Ceremony concludes successfully.
As I understand it, the original Dedication Ceremony required those with divine power to demonstrate the *entirety* of their strength. But in modern times, no one possesses a stage sufficient to prove such power. I wonder if the winter Dedication Ceremony held at Castrain’s main house might be different….
“Welcome, Your Highness Princess Titania.”
Kronnen, dressed in white Priestly robes like myself, greeted me with an air of affected reverence. I surveyed my surroundings. The Temple had the clean, fresh smell of a new building. During the ceremony, outsiders are barred from entering. However, people can gather outside the Temple and observe the Sacred Flame burning at its center from a distance while offering prayers.
But during the Dedication Ceremony, only those directly involved in the ritual are permitted. It was the perfect moment and setting for them to make their move.
“This is your first Dedication Ceremony, isn’t it? Simply follow my instructions.”
With a friendly smile, Kronnen handed me a cup. It contained a crimson liquid that looked like blood.
“Please drink this first.”
I hesitated. Should I go along with this farce or not?

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