Chapter 06
Late at night. The study of the Duke of Agnito.
The Duke of Agnito let out a deep sigh.
The High Priest had not left until he had examined every last remaining ledger.
“I trust you will make up for the discrepancies in the accounts… dear Duke of Agnito.”
He knew very well what those words meant. Even with his eyes closed, the humiliation was vivid before him.
“Damn it…!”
In the end, the Duke crushed the document he had been holding, swearing under his breath.
Today had been the Day of Mercy—the day Agnito was meant to show the other nobles that the house still stood strong.
Though the Saintess’s line had been cut off, Agnito’s authority supposedly remained intact. His daughter Esther was still there, and the noble society still believed that ties with the Temple had not been severed.
And yet, not only had he been openly humiliated in front of other nobles, but the donation funds they had secretly siphoned off were thoroughly investigated.
“Damn it…”
His head throbbed.
Strained relations could be repaired with money. But as long as Hanisha existed, the disgrace of that day would continue to resurface.
If he tried to hide the child again under another excuse, it would only invite suspicions of abuse.
He could neither reveal the tainted Hanisha nor hide her again.
‘Hanisha… I’d like nothing more than to get rid of that thing, but…’
Strangely, the Temple was excessively protective of people—especially children. Even orphans were given names and recorded individually in the Temple registry.
Names could only be removed from the registry upon adulthood, and the records were managed in such meticulous detail it felt almost obsessive.
It was laughable.
The increase in war orphans had been caused years ago by a religious war instigated by the Temple itself.
They had killed those children’s parents in God’s name.
And now, in that same name, they opened their granaries once a year and paraded their hypocrisy.
Of course, that fact was the only reason Agnito, who had committed corruption, could feel even slightly justified.
Even so, his anger did not subside.
If only his youngest sister, Serpina, had obediently married the man chosen by the Temple, the Saintess’s power would never have been severed…
Just then, as he let out another deep sigh, someone knocked and entered.
It was Esther’s nanny and her maids.
“Did the child return safely?”
“Yes. As always, she completed the event without issue.”
That was a relief. At least the Empire had been shown that Agnito still stood strong.
“However…”
The nanny, who should have left after delivering her report, hesitated.
“Lady Esther cried a great deal today.”
“She cried? Why?”
“She said she was startled because Your Grace did not come to fetch her… but she seemed far more anxious than that alone would explain.”
Before she finished, the Duke of Agnito shot to his feet.
He went straight to Esther’s room, knocked once, and opened the door.
Esther, who had been sniffling, looked up in surprise.
“F-Father.”
“Why are you crying? Were you that upset I did not come to meet you?”
Esther blinked and hurriedly wiped her eyes.
“No, it’s just that my eyes hurt…”
She rubbed at them roughly, but the Duke gently stopped her.
“With eyes this swollen, people will tease you. They’ll call you the lady with the puffed-up eyes.”
He pulled something from inside his coat and handed it to her.
A handkerchief made of the softest silk—something Esther was already accustomed to.
When the tainted Hanisha was born and Agnito fell into despair, Esther had followed.
She was the only future that could free Agnito from disgrace.
From that point on, anything related to Esther was prepared in the finest quality. This handkerchief was one of them.
Seeing her father’s affection with her own eyes, her heart began to ease.
No—if anything, it made her more upset.
She had represented Agnito from morning until night, working hard at the event, only to return to Hanisha’s insolence.
Perhaps that was why Esther suddenly wanted to cling to her gentle father.
“It’s nothing. I just… argued a little with Sister.”
“…By ‘sister,’ do you mean Hanisha?”
Esther nodded.
“She made me carry things, and she was… mean to me.”
She deliberately did not mention Hanisha saying she no longer needed to take her place.
What if Hanisha had truly awakened some other power?
What if she had to share the affection that was hers alone?
In truth, Esther did not hate Hanisha.
When she had grown old enough to think for herself, she had even felt sorry for Hanisha when she saw her being mistreated.
At least she herself had memories of their mother.
Hanisha did not.
But as everyone showered her with love and acknowledged her as the only true lady of Agnito, those thoughts gradually faded.
Her father’s warm embrace. The ever-kind servants. Sweet desserts. The title of Agnito’s future.
But Hanisha—who was the true Saintess’s daughter.
If she had to share what was hers with her…
Then she… Esther…
“Sniff…”
Tears welled in Esther’s eyes again.
Once she started crying, she rarely stopped.
The Duke of Agnito, who knew that better than anyone, felt a flicker of irritation in his eyes.
There was a mountain of work left to do.
And yet here he was, soothing a child over trivial words.
Still, he suppressed his rising anger.
“Do not worry, Esther. I will reprimand Hanisha properly.”
“Really?”
Esther’s face brightened—then she hesitated and lowered her shoulders.
“N-No, it’s alright. Sister isn’t bad… so just scold her a little.”
“Yes, yes. My good daughter.”
The Duke stroked Esther’s hair.
Her mood lifted, and she began to chatter about the day’s events.
Soon, exhaustion overtook her, and she fell asleep.
As her breathing evened out, the Duke’s expression hardened once more, as if it had never softened.
He checked the time. It was already past midnight.
A spark flashed in his eyes.
This was already the second incident today—caused by Hanisha.
Would this be the last?
No. He could not be certain.
If anything, she might continue to linger by Esther’s side and unsettle her.
Esther was the only child who could cleanse the family’s disgrace.
She had to be raised as gently and innocently as possible.
Only then could she inherit the Saintess’s line.
‘There can be no more disturbances.’
In his heart, the Duke of Agnito reached a conclusion.
He turned to the subordinate at his side and gave an order.
“Prepare a carriage. Only one driver. Someone so lowly that it would not matter if he disappeared.”
If a great stain continued to grow larger—
It could simply be erased.
After that, the ducal estate was quiet for a while. The other nobles who used to visit almost daily to discuss business with the Duke of Agnito stopped coming.
‘Of course, they won’t completely sever ties. There are still ventures underway.’
But what mattered was that such an incident had occurred at all.
“Still, thanks to the Temple’s audit that day, it seems support for the children will increase for a while.”
Lisa relayed the rumors circulating in the estate with a bright voice.
She seemed happy that Bert and Esther were no longer bothering me.
‘Of course, they’re probably sharpening their knives, waiting for the right day…’
I kept that thought to myself for Lisa’s sake.
“Done,” she said, bringing a mirror in front of me.
In the mirror was me—my hair braided on both sides, blinking quietly.
“How is it? Do you like it?”
“…It doesn’t feel like me. It’s too cute.”
“What are you saying? You’ve always been cute, my lady.”
Lisa smiled fondly and adjusted the slightly crooked hairpin one more time.
“If the priests see you like this, they’ll fall for you at once.”
She spoke with complete confidence.
Judging by her sparkling eyes, Lisa truly believed I would win the priests’ affection.
“Mm, thank you—achoo!”
“My goodness, are you cold? I’m sorry.”
Startled by my sudden sneeze, Lisa quickly wrapped my scarf tighter around me.
“They say the Eastern Temple borders the north and is terribly cold… and they were right. If I’d known, I would have brought more clothes.”
Instead of answering, I sniffled.
She was right. It was very cold here.
Because—
One week after the Day of Mercy.
The door to my room, which had remained closed for so long, suddenly opened.
The head butler—someone I had never even exchanged words with—appeared and said bluntly:
“The Eastern Temple has sent word. You are to visit as soon as possible.”
All children of noble houses receive the Temple’s blessing.
But I, born tainted, had never once visited the Temple.
The Duke of Agnito had never allowed me to leave the estate.
For someone like me, a summons from the Temple meant freedom—
Or forgiveness for my impurity.
That was why Lisa had rolled up her sleeves and personally dressed me up.
