The Obsessive Male Lead Is Obsessed With Me! - Chapter 29

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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 29

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With the quiet bell tolling to announce the sunrise, people line up in front of the massive marble gates of the Central Temple.

Prayer, donations, healing, and various other reasons bring these people to visit the Central Temple.

However, there was an uncomfortable yet undeniable fact that no one spoke aloud: the number of people visiting the temple was steadily decreasing.

This was quite a troubling matter for the temple. The number of believers offering prayers to God was nothing less than a measure of faith itself.

Therefore, they devised a strategy.

“God has selected those who will righteously guide the order of the world to lead us. The proof of this is right here in these stone tablets.”

Namely, publicly displaying the Oracle of Destiny.

Of course, there was resistance from the imperial family during this process. In fact, it took decades for the temple to make this decision and obtain permission from the imperial family.

The reason the imperial family, which had held out for decades, finally changed their mind was because a very significant incident had occurred at that time.

Specifically, the forgery of an oracle.

“Actually, forging an oracle is impossible. But that foolish deposed prince didn’t know that fact and dared to commit such an act!”

Today was the once-monthly ‘Oracle of Destiny’ public viewing day.

Perhaps children from some orphanage had come together to see the stone tablets, as nearly twenty young children were gathered closely together in front of the tablets in the first-floor viewing area, chattering away.

Following my intention to quietly observe and leave, I was guided to the inner side of the second-floor railing and was quietly looking down at the scene with Uni.

“Priest, priest. Why is it impossible to forge an oracle?”

“That’s a very good question. Now, look at the stone tablets.”

The priest, speaking in a gentle voice to the young children, pointed toward the dais.

Above the golden, ornate dais where brilliant multicolored light poured through the massive stained glass window, three stone tablets floated within the space inside a huge hexahedral translucent barrier.

The oracle floating alone at the top, forming the apex of a triangle, belonged to the current Emperor. The two stone tablets placed side by side below belonged to the First Prince and Lionel.

“Now, everyone is looking, right? What color are these stone tablets showing?”

“White!”

“That’s right! Then what color are the oracles carved on the stone tablets glowing?”

“Golden!”

“Correct. Now, here…”

The priest carefully lifted a wide basin that had been prepared beforehand, supporting it with both hands.

“The water here is holy water that His Holiness the Pope personally imbued with sacred power. When we sprinkle this holy water on the stone tablets…”

The priest supported the basin with one hand while cupping the other hand to scoop up holy water and sprinkle it over the stone tablets.

At that moment.

-Flash!

“Wooow…! A halo is pouring from the stone tablets! It’s such a beautiful color!”

Literally, radiance scattered over the stone tablets where the holy water was sprinkled. Like an aurora appearing in the sky.

“This is proof that these are genuine oracles sent directly by God. If you sprinkle holy water on tablets that aren’t genuine, the stone tablets will immediately shatter.”

“Me, me! Why are there only three stone tablets? Aren’t there any for His Majesty the Emperor’s grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather?”

“No, there aren’t. When an oracle is fulfilled, the stone tablet crumbles on its own.”

“What was the content of His Majesty the Emperor’s grandfather’s oracle?”

“Can’t I receive an oracle?”

“I want to receive an oracle about eating lots of candy!”

“Excuse me, children. One at a time, step by step… Ugh!”

The children who had been listening intently to the priest seemed to lose focus and began chattering distractedly.

Feeling like I might get swept up in it if I continued watching, I quietly stepped outside.

Then Archbishop Seiji, who had been waiting by the door, greeted me with a smiling face.

“Have you finished observing?”

“Yes, thanks to you. Thank you for your consideration, Archbishop.”

“Not at all. We’re the ones who are always grateful for your consideration.”

The ‘consideration’ Archbishop Seiji spoke of was, simply put, donations.

Perhaps because when Mother gave birth to me, she nearly died from severe labor complications and barely survived?

From that year on, House of Roheim began donating enormous amounts of gold coins to the Central Temple every year.

And at that time, the person who rushed to House of Roheim and saved both Mother and me was none other than Archbishop Seiji.

“But Lady Duke, if it’s not presumptuous, may I ask why you came to see the stone tablets?”

“Oh, it’s nothing special. I got engaged to the Second Prince recently, right? So I wanted to see the oracle that the Second Prince received with my own eyes again.”

Thus, the stone tablets with carved oracles were regularly displayed once a month, and the priests performed a ‘holy water sprinkling show’ each time to stimulate people’s faith and curiosity.

So naturally, Lionel’s oracle that I knew and his oracle carved on the stone tablet matched perfectly without a single discrepancy.

[You shall ascend to a supreme position regardless of your own will]

“Hmm… It’s certainly content that would concern you, Lady Duke. If the supreme position that the Second Prince will ascend to happens to be His Holiness the Pope’s position…”

“I would have to break off the engagement.”

The reason was simple. From novice priests to the Pope, the Church of the Empire that the empire served prohibited marriage for clergy.

What if they wanted to marry?

Then they would have to lay down their clerical duties and return to secular life.

But the Pope couldn’t even return to secular life. Once someone became Pope, they had to remain Pope until they died and returned to God’s embrace.

“There’s one more thing I’m curious about. They say that the Oracle of Destiny sometimes descends upon people who aren’t royalty, right?”

At my question, Archbishop Seiji showed a momentarily surprised expression before smiling.

“Yes, I’ve heard that such things occasionally happen. Are you curious about whether there are oracles that have descended upon non-royalty, Lady Duke?”

“No. What I’m curious about is whether oracles are only given at birth.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I see…”

I had briefly entertained the romantic fantasy notion that an oracle might have descended upon me at the same time I regained my past life memories, but apparently that wasn’t the case.

“Don’t you have any other questions?”

“Hmm… I don’t think so for now. Instead, I’d like to purchase some sacred items as gifts.”

“That’s very welcome news. Please come this way.”

The sacred items sold at the temple were the temple’s main source of income after donations.

I purchased various items in abundance, if only for Archbishop Seiji who had taken charge of guiding me today.

“This is pretty, that’s pretty, and this is pretty too! I love spending money. It’s thrilling.”

“Haha, thank you for your generous purchases, Lady Duke. The novice children will be very happy today.”

“I’m happy too from buying pretty sacred items, so we’re helping each other! …Hm? Uni, are you looking for something?”

Uni, who had been looking around as if searching for something, answered my question.

“Ah. The physician asked me to buy some sacred medicinal herbs if they were available.”

“Sacred medicinal herbs? …Are there sacred items made from medicinal herbs?”

Since I had never heard of them, I looked at Archbishop Seiji, who nodded with a slightly surprised expression.

“Yes. The sacred items that my adopted daughter Bishop Nicole makes are precisely sacred medicinal herbs.”

“Oh my, really?”

So she had an adopted daughter.

It wasn’t strange. For clergy who couldn’t marry, adoption was the only way to create a family.

“Archbishop. If it’s not presumptuous, may I ask why Bishop Nicole stopped trading?”

“Hmm… I can’t tell you the detailed story. But I can only say that she has other uses for them and can’t sell them for the time being.”

“Ah… I understand.”

Although Archbishop Seiji answered evasively instead of explaining in detail, Uni nodded as if she understood what was happening from just that.

I also roughly guessed what was going on.

‘It seems she’s taken on someone’s long-term treatment.’

“If she has other uses for them, there’s nothing we can do. Let’s look for something else instead of sacred medicinal herbs. …Ah, that over there looks good too!”

After finishing my various purchases, I gave each of the orphanage children returning from their temple visit a pretty bead sacred item as a gift and returned home.

“Have you returned, Miss?”

Upon arriving home and getting out of the carriage, I was greeted by the head butler and two footmen.

While the two footmen carried the items I had bought inside, I held Uni’s hand as I got out of the carriage and looked around.

“Where’s Mother?”

Sister had gone to work at the Imperial Palace, and Brother had gone out saying he had some reading group meeting today.

Mother said she had no particular reason to go out today, so she should be home, but why hadn’t she come out to greet me?

As if knowing I had such doubts, the butler spoke to me with a gentle expression.

“Madam is receiving a guest.”

“A guest? Was there a guest scheduled to visit today?”

“Actually….”

The head butler’s mouth opened, but it was a different being that gave me an answer.

-Flap flap!

“Ah, Snowy!”

An owl with snow-white feathers like snowflakes flew toward me as if to greet me.

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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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