Chapter 181

Chapter 153 – Suspicion

I held onto Victoria’s skirt with one hand and climbed up the railing with the other, staggering to my feet. I took a deep breath and looked at her urgently, saying, “Theresa, see… Abel gave me, small crossbag, stuffed… uh!”

Ah! I bit my tongue. It hurts so much…

I hurriedly covered my mouth with my hand. I was too hasty just now, and this bite was quite severe, causing tears to well up in my eyes. But now was not the time to groan. After licking my tongue around in my mouth a couple of times and feeling the pain ease a little, I immediately spoke again, “Theresa, and the heretics… might be related…”

Saying this sentence, my heart was filled with mixed emotions.

I didn’t want to admit this fact, and I still harbored great hope in my heart. Perhaps someone wanted us to think this way to achieve their own purposes… Maybe in the end, it would all turn out to be a misunderstanding, and that was the most likely scenario. But no matter what, we should start investigating from here.

At least, I need to figure out the relationship between Katharoma and the heretics; I must ensure Alice’s safety.

That understanding and adorable little girl, who dreamed of becoming a saintess so that all children could have enough food, always reminded me of the chatty, skinny but lively sister, Aelia, in the small village of Silgaya.

They were really alike. So… I wanted to protect her.

Thinking about this, I became increasingly eager to look at the stunning beauty right in front of me.

Victoria remained calm, her cold face showing no emotion. She looked at me indifferently for a moment before speaking, “I know, go rest.”

Her tone had a dismissive quality, and I felt she wasn’t taking my words seriously. I became even more eager to explain clearly to her, “What I mean is, Theresa—”

Suddenly, my eyes widened.

“You said you knew…”

What did Victoria mean? Did she already have her sights set on Theresa?!

I suddenly remembered that yesterday on the rooftop, Tenis, the deputy captain of the Caneli Sword, told me that Her Majesty already had a suspect. This suspect… was it referring to Theresa?

I looked at her with surprise and doubt, but saw Victoria respond lightly.

“Hmm.”

“Uh… You’ve suspected her for a while…”

“I told you not to act rashly,” Victoria said as she helped me walk upstairs, “Theresa is a public figure with strong influence among the people. In recent years, she was hailed as ‘the most qualified to become a saintess.’ At that time, the current saintess, Margaret, was very young, and her votes were less than half of Theresa’s. Although she later voluntarily gave up her qualifications, the public’s adoration for her only increased.”

“We need to handle such people carefully. We can’t take action until we find decisive evidence, and we shouldn’t speak recklessly, do you understand?”

I listened attentively to Victoria’s words and lowered my head in silence for a moment.

“Have you… confirmed that she is…”

“I’m not sure,” Victoria replied, “Before things are settled, any speculation isn’t absolute. The network of Truth’s Gate in the royal city is complicated, and there are more than just one or two people involved. If you want to root out these rats, you need to stay calm, understand?”

… How could I not understand.

“Then, the orphanage children…” I tilted my head in thought, “Can we… protect them first…”

Victoria glanced at me lightly when she heard this.

Just from that glance, I understood her meaning.

It was impossible to take such actions because it would be equivalent to openly telling the other party: I am coming to arrest you, hide quickly.

Suddenly, I felt lost.

The information I had was too limited, and I had no trustworthy companions. I was just one person, and I was in an unfamiliar city.

I was still sick… Despite having strength, I felt restrained… This feeling was truly uncomfortable.

I didn’t know what had happened to Abel, perhaps he was already in danger… If Carlos were still here, he would definitely know what to do… If only he were here…

Victoria helped me onto the bed, covered me with blankets, and lay down beside me. Waves of drowsiness began to wash over me.

“What should I do…”

I muttered these words to myself, as if asking the question of myself.

Victoria’s face gradually became blurred in my vision.

“Wait,” she said to me. “The child’s situation is being tracked by the Sword of Kallie. You don’t need to worry about that. First, you should rest and recover your health. Your participation in the subsequent actions is crucial. If…”

Victoria paused, then gently shook her head.

“Rest.”

“…Okay.”

In this way… it’s also good.

At least, when it comes to tracking, the experienced Sword of Kallie is much more reliable than I am. Instead of worrying here, it’s better to rest and recover my health…

Victoria soon left again, and the room fell silent once more. I looked up at the exquisite chandelier hanging above me, trying to calm my mind, but countless scattered thoughts kept swirling in my head. Unconsciously, I thought of Sister Theresa’s face, which wasn’t beautiful but had a certain charm.

Such a kind person… To call her a heretic or a reckless madman is really hard to believe.

I actually agree with her.

Whether it’s the awards and medals she received in the past, or the things she said in class on the subject of the Abyss, they all prove that she is different from those who only talk big. She is someone who genuinely does things honestly. I could see that she has strong beliefs of her own, just like Carlos; their eyes shine with the same light, the light I yearn for.

That kind of belief was once considered by me as the determination to slay the Abyss. I thought she and I were similar, and I couldn’t help but want to be close to her.

She voluntarily declined to become a Saint… Teresa, what exactly is your belief…

…………

When I woke up, the rain was pattering outside the window.

It was already past noon, the sky was gloomy, and a cool breeze blew through the half-open window, bringing some comfort… Hmm, I’m not cold anymore?

My mind was unusually clear, and the weakness in my body had subsided significantly. My lower abdomen still ached slightly, but it was negligible. It must be the medicine working… No, it shouldn’t be.

This illness was very unusual; it probably wouldn’t be cured by just one dose of medicine… I felt that the chaotic power within me had become even more abundant. Even though I hadn’t eaten anything in the morning, I didn’t feel hungry now, and I had no appetite.

Something subtle seemed to have changed in my body… or maybe it was still changing.

This was just my feeling, and I wasn’t sure. But my intuition told me that this illness might not be a good sign.

Shaking my head, I tried to push away those scattered thoughts. My mind was a bit jumbled earlier, but now that my body has recovered… I need to find Victoria and discuss the next steps with her.

I quietly got out of bed, opened the bedroom door, and held onto the banister of the stairs. I cautiously called out to the empty living room below, “Victoria.”

“Victoria!”

After calling twice with no response, and hearing no other sound, she must have already left. It made sense; Her Majesty wouldn’t have the leisure to stay here.

I ran down the stairs, then went to the kitchen… I prepared to force myself to eat something.

The leftover honey pie was still there. I took it out and smelled it… It hadn’t gone bad yet, so it was still edible. I took one out of the bowl, put it in my mouth, and picked up the rest, planning to quickly finish it in the living room.

At that moment, I heard an argument coming from the neighboring room.