ATP 20

Chapter 20

“Oh dear. I’m sorry if I startled you, child.”

A middle-aged woman with gray hair, aged like frost settled upon it, had entered the chapel.

Over her white priestly robes, a long crimson stole draped over both shoulders. At a glance, it was clear that this was the attire of a cardinal.

And indeed, a powerful divine aura could be felt from her.

Whoa, a real cardinal? What perfect timing.

“Were you praying at dawn?”

“Ah, yes. I do it every morning.”

“What a rare, devout child. And…”

The cardinal trailed off, her gaze resting above my head.

“…a special child as well.”

For a moment, it felt like something about me had been read, and I instinctively flinched.

Who exactly is this person? And what business does she have with the count’s family?

“It seems you’re wondering who I am. Since this is the count’s estate, you may address me as the Grand Madam of Gillette.”

“Ah!”

The Grand Madam of Gillette. In other words, the countess’s mother-in-law—and Bianca’s grandmother.

As a servant of the Gillette household, it was impossible not to have heard many stories about her.

The servants remembered the Grand Madam as a strict and devout mistress.

Strict. Devout.

People described with such weighty words usually had conservative tendencies, so it seemed she had never been a particularly warm mother-in-law to the countess, who came from commoner origins.

Still, there hadn’t been any major conflict.

A few years after Bianca was born, the Grand Madam had declared she would devote herself to religious life and moved to the Elfenheim Theocracy.

I had only heard she was deeply religious… I never imagined she was a cardinal.

Since the church allowed marriage, it seemed family relationships like this were possible.

Pushing aside my wandering thoughts, I decided to greet her properly.

“I greet the Grand Madam of Gillette. I am—”

“Ailette Rodellein. I remember you.”

…Maybe the body I had possessed had quite a strong presence after all.

Just then, the corridor grew noisy, and a group of people appeared.

At the front were the countess and Bianca.

“O-Oh, Mother, you’ve arrived?”

“Welcome, Grandmother.”

The Grand Madam studied Bianca, who greeted her expressionlessly. Her seasoned eyes once again looked not at the face—but above the head.

That gaze height feels strange again.

At that moment, the Word Spirit gave me a hint within the limits of what it could reveal.

[“The Word that Constructs the World” observes Cattleya Gillette with interest.]

What? Cattleya Gillette?

Cardinal Cattleya?

“…Ah. I see.”

The moment I heard the name, I remembered.

Not just her divine power—but the unique ability she was born with.

✠

People of the church, who valued diligence and restraint as virtues, ate breakfast at the crack of dawn.

To match Cardinal Cattleya’s daily routine, the count’s family forced themselves to eat a breakfast they normally wouldn’t even have.

After the family meal ended, Bianca returned to her room and let out a small sigh.

I handed her a digestion potion and asked,

“You don’t look well. Did something happen during breakfast?”

“No. It’s just… Grandmother is difficult.”

“Difficult?”

Bianca herself was often described as someone difficult to deal with, so hearing her say that about someone else made me feel oddly fascinated.

Is this the food chain at work?

Come to think of it, Cardinal Cattleya and Bianca did share a similar atmosphere. Maybe it ran in the family.

“Grandmother really dislikes me.”

“What?”

I decided to stay quiet and listen.

“She didn’t approve of Mother because she was a commoner, so she probably doesn’t like me either. Mother said that when I was a baby, Grandmother didn’t even try to see me. Then suddenly she left for the Theocracy.”

“….”

“But it’s strange. When Romdio Oppa was born, Grandmother personally baptized him as a priest, and I heard her relationship with Mother wasn’t that bad either. So why me…?”

“….”

Bianca tried to hide her hurt and forced herself to say something positive.

“Still, today’s family meal was better than three years ago. Back then, she didn’t even look at me or speak to me.”

“She spoke to you this time?”

“Yeah. She asked what kind of relationship I had with you. I just said we were playmates…”

Bianca’s complexion, which had brightened slightly, darkened again.

It was obvious she was worried that her grandmother might do something to her commoner friend.

“…It’ll probably be fine. Even if Grandmother seems cold, she isn’t someone who bullies those beneath her.”

Even while believing she was disliked, Bianca still defended her.

That made my heart ache.

Ah, this kid… she’s too kind for her own good.

If that was the case, then I should step in.

I placed a hand on Bianca’s drooping shoulder.

“Hey, Bia. Everything you think about the Grand Madam… might actually be a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?”

At that moment, a knock sounded, and the butler entered.

“Excuse me, Lady Bianca. The Grand Madam wishes to see Ailette Rodellein.”

“…Grandmother wants to see Ailette?”

Bianca’s eyes trembled slightly.

“I’ll go with her.”

“My apologies. The Grand Madam requested a private meeting.”

“….”

Right now, Bianca’s mind was probably filling with worst-case scenarios.

I squeezed her hand gently.

“Bia, don’t worry. And…”

I whispered in her ear.

Bianca’s eyes widened at what I said. Looking at her rabbit-like red eyes, I smiled.

It was the smile of someone with a plan.

✠

Within the count’s estate, the Grand Madam was treated as a VIP of the highest order.

The countess and the servants put all their effort into attending to her.

Even the setting prepared for our private meeting was proof of that.

In a charming garden, the countess had personally arranged a lavish tea table.

It was hard to believe this feast was meant for nothing more than tea with a commoner child maid.

There are a lot of desserts.

The church considered gluttony a sin, yet the table was filled with desserts that looked like decorative ornaments.

Are all these really for me?

“Eat as much as you like.”

“Ah—yes.”

I was just about to take a bite when Cardinal Cattleya sipped her chamomile tea and asked,

“What is your relationship with Bianca?”

Hmm. Straight to the point. Not bad.

I had originally planned to give a businesslike answer and say I was just her playmate—but I changed my mind.

“We’re friends. Very close friends.”

One of the cardinal’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

I continued cheerfully.

“Bia is the best. She’s pretty, smart, and kind! She’s read every book in the mansion, memorized all the servants’ names and faces, and she’s even better at math than most adults.”

“…Is that so?”

“And that’s not all. Once, when my brother was getting beaten up, she saved him too…”

Cardinal Cattleya listened with intense focus as I spoke.

When I finally stopped talking and looked up, her eyes were filled with deep satisfaction.

As expected, it’s hard to hide sincere feelings. Especially for someone like Cardinal Cattleya.

I poked at the matter lightly.

“I think Bia resembles you a lot, Cardinal.”

“Yes, I’ve thought so myself for a long— ahem.”

She quickly covered her mouth with her teacup, as if she had almost agreed too quickly.

Her expression returned to its usual coldness, but I didn’t back down.

“You came to the estate this time to see Bia, didn’t you?”

“……”

That silence was practically confirmation.

“Forgive me if I’m being rude, but wouldn’t it be better to spend time with Bia instead of me?”

“I’ve seen that Bianca… is safe. That is enough.”

It was a meaningful statement.

At least, for someone who knew her ability.

It was time to strike the heart of the matter.

“Now that you know Bia’s fate has changed, isn’t there any reason to keep distancing yourself from her? Shouldn’t you be kinder to her?”

“What?”

“You saw that Bia’s lifespan changed.”

“You….”

Eyes that could see the lifespan already lived and the lifespan remaining.

The Eyes of Life and Death.

That was Cattleya Gillette’s unique ability, which was why she habitually looked above people’s heads instead of into their eyes.

The reason she called me “special” earlier was probably because she could see that the lifespan I had lived didn’t match that of a ten-year-old girl.

“I wondered why you remembered the name of a mere maid. It must have been because Bia and I had the same remaining lifespan. And you suddenly came to the estate today because the death you expected didn’t happen.”

Cardinal Cattleya didn’t deny it.

“You truly are no ordinary child. So tell me—what exactly are you?”

“If you looked above my head, you should already have a rough idea.”

Reincarnation, possession, or regression—one of the three.

“I see. One who returned to the past. That explains how you knew the future and twisted Bianca’s fate.”

Out of the three options, Cardinal Cattleya chose regression.

She believed I was just an ordinary child with no power, so the only way I could have avoided fate would be by knowing the future precisely.

Actually, it’s possession.

But I had no intention of correcting her.

It was enough that she accepted the situation and lowered her guard.

Besides, explaining possession would practically be an act of rebellion against this world.

Perhaps sharing secrets created a sense of closeness, because Cardinal Cattleya soon showed a regretful expression.

“I regret it deeply. If I had known things would turn out this way, I would have treated her as my heart wished. I did something terrible to my granddaughter.”

Her ability only warned her when death would come.

She couldn’t see how, where, or why it would happen.

Nor could she intervene.

She could only remain a silent observer, accepting the destined death.

How much despair must she have felt when she saw the short lifespan hovering above her newborn granddaughter’s head?

She must have tried desperately not to grow attached.

But Bianca, who resembled her and was all the more lovable because of it, must have made that impossible.

So she forced herself to be cold—and eventually even left home.

“Bianca now has a normal lifespan. Thank you. Truly.”

After a brief hesitation, she removed the necklace she was wearing and handed it to me.

The cross pendant looked like pure gold at first glance.

“Take it.”

“What is this?”

“A relic from a dear friend. I give it to you as a token of my request that you remain good friends with Bianca. Please do not refuse.”

“Ah—yes! Thank you!”

I accepted it immediately.

Cardinal Cattleya’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

“I expected you to refuse out of politeness at least once.”

“Hehe. If I refused when you’re giving it with that kind of request, Bia might get hurt.”

“Hmm?”

Cardinal Cattleya felt something was off and paused mid-sip as she tilted her teacup.

At that moment—