chapter 12
【 We should run away 】
At that time, in front of the Grand Temple—
Madame Mare was extremely anxious. The knights were also at a loss.
They shouldn’t have let the Empress go like that. It felt unsettling that the High Priest had separated her from her maids and guards. If something happened, who would protect her?
Why isn’t she coming out… This is making me nervous…
At that moment, someone caught her eye.
“……!”
She ran toward them with all her strength, crossing the garden and dirtying her shoes—but she didn’t care.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
The person she called out to was Leto. He had just finished a meeting and was on his way out.
“Madame Mare?”
Leto asked in surprise, immediately sensing something was wrong.
“Where is the Empress? Why are you alone?”
Madame Mare struggled to catch her breath.
“Y-Your Majesty… Her Majesty the Empress has gone into the Grand Temple.”
“I know that. I’m asking why you’re not by her side.”
“Well… only Her Majesty was permitted to enter.”
“…You mean she went in there alone?”
Madame Mare couldn’t bring herself to answer. Leto frowned.
“What were you even doing?!”
She shut her eyes tightly.
“My deepest apologies. I did try to stop Her Majesty, but…”
Leto fell silent. He had allowed the private meeting, but that didn’t mean she should walk alone into a tiger’s den.
“…That fool.”
He immediately moved to head toward the temple—but suddenly stopped and changed direction.
As Leto strode forward, Yuten hurried after him.
“Your Majesty, where are you going? It’s time for tea with the ministers.”
“Cancel it. Postpone it until after the next meeting.”
“But, Your Majesty… all the ministers are already gathered.”
Yuten whined, but Leto didn’t listen at all. He even waved his hand as if telling him not to follow.
Yuten trudged back. The ministers stood there, confused.
With an awkward smile, Yuten addressed them,
“Haha… the weather is quite nice, isn’t it? How about we all take a walk instead of tea?”
Cleaning up the situation was, as always, Yuten’s responsibility.
“So, what do you think, Your Majesty? Will you grant our request?”
The High Priest asked. Baron Orléans stood beside him, wearing a servile smile.
I want to stop this fraud. If I do, Orléans won’t become rich—and he won’t be able to fund the High Priest either.
The problem is what comes after exposing it. The High Priest will start targeting me. Just like Leto said.
Still, it’s a wall I have to cross at least once. I can’t let myself be used just because I’m afraid. I am the Empress, after all.
Even if he attacks me, I just have to endure for one year. After that, Meryl will take him down.
And… Leto will take my side in this matter.
…At least, I have to believe he will.
First, I need to bring the authenticity of the “Goddess’s Snow” into public debate. Reveal openly that it’s just alum.
I took a slow breath and began to speak.
“However, High Priest, to me, this ‘Goddess’s Snow’—”
Just as I was about to say it didn’t feel divine at all—
The door burst open.
“What are you all discussing so happily?”
Someone completely unexpected entered.
“Your Majesty…?”
“Y-Your Majesty!”
The High Priest and Baron Orléans jumped to their feet in shock. I could only stare at him wide-eyed.
Leto walked over and casually sat beside me, crossing his legs.
The High Priest asked calmly,
“Your Majesty, what brings you here…?”
“I heard my wife was here.”
He turned his head toward me.
Close.
His usual indifferent expression—but those cold eyes… felt different today. As if they held worry… and relief.
“The Empress doesn’t even greet me. Are you not glad to see me?”
“…I was just too surprised.”
“……”
“I’m glad to see you. Truly.”
He took my hand from my lap, as if to reassure me.
Unlike his smooth face, his hand was full of calluses—the hand of a swordsman who had trained for years.
And… it was warm.
Only then did I realize—my hands had been cold from tension.
“So, what were you all talking about?”
The High Priest answered,
“We were discussing the ‘Goddess’s Snow’ with Her Majesty.”
“‘Goddess’s Snow,’ huh. This?”
Leto gestured toward the velvet pouch.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
He touched the powder briefly, then brushed it off carelessly. The grains scattered and sparkled.
“Good timing. I actually had something to say about this.”
Leto pulled something out from his coat—a pouch about twice the size of theirs.
“I think I made some ‘Goddess’s Snow’ too.”
He tossed it onto the table. The contents spilled out.
“Th-this…!”
Orléans was shocked. It was clearly the same “Goddess’s Snow.”
The powder in both pouches was identical.
I sighed in relief internally.
So he understood my hint. Impressive—he managed to find alum stone and produce this in such a short time.
Their faces turned pale.
Leto spoke,
“It’s an unidentified rock found in coastal canyon layers. Transparent and sparkling enough to catch the eye—so I had a hunch. Seems I was right.”
“This is…”
“If you’d like, we can have both powders examined to see if there’s any difference.”
The High Priest couldn’t respond.
Leto looked at him coldly.
“But High Priest, this rock can’t be found anywhere near the capital. Isn’t it strange that it appeared in Baron Orléans’s estate?”
His tone was calm, but laced with mockery and coldness—more terrifying than outright anger.
Baron Orléans trembled, looking only at the High Priest.
“…Your Majesty.”
The High Priest finally spoke.
“As for this powder… I swear, it is something I had never seen before. I had no idea it was ground stone.”
“You didn’t know? You speak of divine miracles over something you don’t even understand? If you feel divinity in stone powder, how can I trust you with the Empire’s faith?”
“I am deeply ashamed…”
For a moment, the High Priest seemed shaken. But he quickly bowed his head deeply.
“My body has grown frail, and I made an error in discerning divinity. I nearly caused great harm to the Empire.”
“Ha, ‘frail,’ you say.”
Leto mocked him openly.
“Fine, let’s say it’s due to your frailty. Then what about you, Baron Orléans?”
Orléans flinched and immediately dropped to his knees.
“Y-Your Majesty! I-I know nothing! This is a conspiracy—no, it was the High Priest who—!”
“Baron Orléans.”
The High Priest called him in a low voice.
“You stand before His Majesty. Be careful what you say.”
A clear threat.
Orléans turned pale and shut his mouth.
The High Priest stepped forward.
“Your Majesty, for the sake of the temple’s honor, I ask that this matter be settled here. I will never forget your mercy for as long as I live.”
Instead of answering, Leto turned to me.
“It seems the Empress was almost involved in this. What do you think we should do?”
He was leaving the decision to me.
I looked at them—Orléans pleading, the High Priest silently bowing.
“Honor is important. The temple’s honor must be protected.”
Relief spread across Orléans’s face.
I continued,
“Therefore, the truth of this matter must be revealed. Publicly.”
The High Priest looked up at me, clearly flustered.
“If we do not reveal this incident—one that nearly stained not only me and the High Priest, but the Goddess herself—would that not truly harm the temple’s honor?”
“Your Majesty…”
“Also, until you recover your divine power, you should refrain from judging miracles. Wouldn’t you agree?”
A vein bulged on the High Priest’s forehead. He clearly didn’t want that. Miracle verification was the temple’s hidden source of income.
He suppressed his anger and bowed deeply.
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
The situation seemed settled.
Leto spoke,
“Good. The High Priest will focus on recovering his divine power, and Baron Orléans will report to the Imperial Guard. I will interrogate him personally soon.”
Orléans turned pale—almost blue. He tried to say something, then rolled his eyes back and collapsed.
Pathetic. To attempt fraud against the imperial family with such nerve.
He must have been manipulated by the High Priest. But now, there’s no way out for him.
Leto took my hand again.
“Let’s return to the palace, Empress.”
We walked slowly through the grand garden of the imperial palace.
The sun was already setting. Seeing the sunset eased my tension.
Leto was still holding my hand.
Did he forget to let go?
“Um, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm?”
“You can let go of my hand now.”
I thought he would release it if I said so—
But he held it even tighter.
“What did you think of meeting the High Priest?”
“He seemed like an excellent person.”
“Don’t lie.”
“He was like a sly snake. Testing people as a baseline, subtly threatening and persuading, and skillfully backing out when it matters. Baron Orléans needs to grasp the situation quickly and confess.”
“Thank you for your honest opinion.”
“It’s nothing.”
I wondered if I had been too blunt—but Leto seemed to like it.
“By the way, I’m glad you understood the note I left.”
“‘Sand by the sea sparkles. Perhaps a certain white stone does too?’”
“Yes.”
“I searched every rock in the canyon. Studied dozens of samples in secret from the temple. I only got the result this morning.”
That was cutting it close. It’s a relief he arrived in time.
“Anyway, I’m glad everything worked out.”
He stopped walking and looked at me.
Curiosity and interest filled his gaze.
“How did you even come up with that idea? The rock is one thing—but how did you know it would be near the sea?”
“I never said it was by the sea. I only compared it to sand.”
“Sounds like wordplay.”
I smiled and shook my head.
“Let’s just say I was lucky.”
“Fine. Thanks for bringing me that luck.”
Was that praise? It didn’t feel bad.
But only for a moment.
He suddenly spoke seriously,
“There’s one thing I want to address.”
“What is it?”
“Why did you go into the temple alone? You could’ve refused the private meeting or told me so we could go together.”
Was it really something to say this seriously?
In the end, everything worked out fine.
Was he upset that he had to rush over because of me?
“I was prepared for that much. I didn’t want to back down.”
“And if I hadn’t shown up?”
That was a sharp question.
Almost like he was blaming me.
