C166
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Isidor listened seriously to my words, which might sound absurd in a certain way, about the relationship between a kind young lady and the terrible rifts.
"The timing was always right. After each rift, there was a situation where Mia could be elevated."
In response to my words, he lightly rubbed my sharp chin.
"Last winter, when Philap Montes passed by the Bisque Temple, you mean it wasn't a coincidence that a rift occurred."
"Yes."
Philap was the third generation of a founding family and, unlike Isidor, was active in central social circles.
If I saved his life, he would be the one who could gain the most in return.
"Even when there was a rift in the forest this time, if Duchess Orge had been injured, and Mia had healed her, she would have shone even more during her debutante."
Isidor, who had been silent, opened his mouth.
"It was a coincidence that the timing was very complicated, but Sir Rosad, the princess's older brother, also became a war hero through a rift. It's hard to say that Miss Mia was the only one who benefited."
In the original work, Rosad didn't have an improved formula during the battle, and Mia healed his leg injury.
Contrasting the changing circumstances of my intervention with the original novel gave me confidence, but to Isidor, my words might seem like mere sympathy.
"Deborah."
As I bit my lip, he affectionately called me by my name.
"Is there any other reason you have such a confident expression?"
"...!"
My stomach sank at Isidor's sharpness.
Although I thought I might have to tell my story when I mentioned it, I might have wanted to avoid revealing my secret.
I hesitated for a long time, just as he hesitated to reveal that he was the Master.
He looked at me while I wrung my damp hands in tension.
"I like the princess's eyes. I wonder what she thinks every time I meet her sharp gaze. I am a selfish person to the core, so I didn't care what others thought..."
He said slowly.
"At first, I wondered what you were thinking and what secrets you had. I was proud to be an exclusive Master, but my self-esteem was hurt because the information I had and the princess I really knew were very different."
"..."
"But at this moment, it's not important to satisfy my curiosity. The princess's mood and happiness are more important than the secrets you have. Even if you're the devil, I will trust you, support you, and love you as passionately as I do now."
"...Anyway, I'm not a demon."
It was so extreme that I smiled unintentionally.
"If the princess were a demon, and the goal is to possess my soul forever, that would be quite attractive. It would be better if you take my heart right here."
He said as he took my hand to his chest, and I sighed.
How should I tell Isidor the secret I have?
This place was once the world of a novel I read, and I hesitated for a moment because it seemed to say that Isidor was just a character from a novel.
"The body temperature I touch is warm, and I can feel his heart; he's not just a printed character."
And I also accepted this place where Isidor is, not the past life where I was alone, as my world.
I bit my lip for a moment and then said.
"I... have Nayla's memories. It hasn't been long since the old memories began to surface."
Isidor wasn't as surprised as when I said, "baby." It must have been because I restored his life with my divine power when he was gravely injured.
"...The incarnation of the Saint."
He murmured softly.
"Well. People revered Nayla as a great saint and goddess, but she was just an ordinary person with strong divine powers."
On the contrary, as young and ignorant as Yoon Do-hee, she was always influenced by a man who looked like Isidor.
"And I... have glimpsed not only the early days of the Empire but also the future of the Empire... I'll tell you more about this later."
It might surprise him with my vain words, but his eyes were sincere.
Perhaps Isidor has given me absolute trust, so I gradually told him part of my secrets.
"In the future I saw, Mia Binoche was called the incarnation of the Saint, and, like the flower of the year, the Marquise of Baslein was chosen as her chaperone. But the rift didn't occur in the Forest of Heaven but in another place."
"..."
"It's probably because of Visconti and Baslein. As it happened with Montes."
"It means that you can control the rift at will."
Isidor drummed his fingers with a serious expression before speaking.
"The witches who were so eager to find the Saint posing as priests and kidnapping children did no harm to Mia Binoche."
"Yes."
"So, I assumed there must be something insidious about the witches and Mia Binoche. But I didn't think they could cause rifts..."
In the past, priests believed that the rifts were caused by the weakening of the barrier established by the goddess and tried to repair the barrier.
That was completely wrong.
"However, it's difficult to see what purpose the witches have in making Mia a saint. In fact, I never saw it in the future."
I rubbed my eyes as I cursed the author again, and Isidor pursed his lips sternly.
"What people do is always the same. The person who benefits the most from turning Mia Binoche into a Saint is probably behind the scenes."
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Thanksgiving, the empire's largest festival, ended, and the weather began to seriously turn into winter cold.
"I'm tired of being cold."
Mia frowned as she remembered the old Binoche family home, which had a strong draft.
Mia, who wanted to wear a silver fox fur coat but was dressed in a worn-out robe to appear modest and simple, stopped by the nursery she had visited in the past with an assistant assigned to her by Marquis François.
"I'm working so hard, why do the nobles doubt me?"
Mia, who received suspicious looks from some nobles and the Crown Prince at the ball, obsessively tried to show good deeds.
"As expected of Mia-nim. Anyone could believe she is truly the incarnation of the Saint."
A priest passed by the orphanage and praised her dedication, but she was not satisfied.
It wasn't the admiration for low and insignificant things that made her feel good, but the envious looks of aristocrats pretending to be noble.
"If you do good deeds, you can change the public's negative opinion of you."
Remembering Marquis François's words, she handed over the jewels she had received from the nobles to the orphanage director with a stiff smile.
"It's small, but I hope it helps the children."
"Oh my! Miss Mia. My heart is very grateful, but I can't accept a gift like this."
The orphanage director waved his hand.
"The Armand Foundation regularly sponsors a fairly large amount of money. There is no shortage of operating expenses, so I hope Mia-nim can use these beautiful jewels."
"If it's Armand... isn't it the store run by Princess Deborah?"
"Yes. Princess Deborah, starting with the top scholarship she received at the academy, continued to send a portion of the store's profits as a monthly donation."
Even in this place, the name of Princess Deborah came up, and Mia's expression hardened.
"In reality, I had no idea that Princess Deborah had done such a great job since she initially sent more donations through the top."
The assistant, who passed by and straightened things out, added.
"The rumor that she was an arrogant person who liked to show off was a lie."
"In addition to support, they sent toys and books, which are hard to find in such a small neighborhood, as Thanksgiving gifts. Like Mia-nim, there are many great noble ladies, so the future of the empire is bright. Hehe."
Upon the director's words, Mia felt a strange sense of betrayal and pursed her trembling lips.
Seymour's villain, an idiot, had argued with her for a while, but then changed her attitude.
Mia, who had felt a strange sense of superiority while enjoying the contrasting image with her, suddenly felt like a disgusting mud loach when her personality was compared on the same line.
"Mia-nim, I will accompany you to the carriage."
Mia had a cold expression that he had never seen before, so the director closed his mouth while speaking.
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Returning with Marquis François, Mia walked towards her residence and found Marquis François feverish in front of a carriage.
"Darn it! Things keep getting more complicated. More and more aristocrats are suspicious of Mia because Mia acted foolishly in the Forest!"
Marquis François scratched his smooth face with an anxious expression.
His mistress was not a patient person, so the marquis couldn't bear the fear and began to self-injure.
"Public opinion didn't go according to plan, and the Senate wants to see the power Miss Mia created in the incense. It's a mountain beyond a mountain!"
"Anyway, Mia Binoche has a good image. Rather, it's more important to find the Saint who appeared during the incense ceremony."
"What?"
So, it wasn't something the 4th Queen did. In reality, there is a Saint...
Mia stopped breathing with an expression of astonishment.