So I Was the Persecuted Grand Duchess Destined to Die? Chapter 93

Chapter 93

“…Ahem. Be more careful next time.”

After deliberately looking elsewhere for a moment, Xavier Celeste’s gaze returned to me.

“Yes… Honestly, I didn’t mean to get that carried away talking with the Second Prince. It’s just—when someone shares the same interests… And it didn’t seem like His Highness has anyone to talk opera with either.”

“And how would you know that?”

“You can tell just by looking. He looks like he has no friends.”

“I don’t have friends either.”

“……”

…I know that.

The atmosphere, which had been softening, instantly froze again.

I quickly turned toward the window.

“Oh?”

Something outside caught my eye.

A thought struck me.

“Xavier, do you have any other plans tonight?”

“No. You seemed tired, so I intended to return home.”

“Then… come somewhere with me.”

“Hm?”

Without waiting for his answer, I slid open the carriage window and told the coachman to stop.

Before Xavier could react, I grabbed his hand and pulled him out.

The place I pointed to was the bakery café where we once failed to buy salt bread.

He likes sweets. Salt bread. Ice cream.

Sigh. I’m the adult here. I’ll smooth things over.

Love or not, we are married.

Somewhere along the way… I must have grown attached.

“Didn’t you say I should talk about the opera with you instead? I’m still riding the high. I have so much to say. Will you listen?”

It was my version of a peace offering.

We weren’t exactly fighting—but he’d gone through the trouble of getting tickets, and he’d watched over me the whole time.

Thankfully, the meaning reached him.

The corner of Xavier’s mouth twitched.

“Well… I suppose I wouldn’t mind staying up all night. With you.”

Because we’re married.

It almost felt as if that unspoken phrase lingered between us.

Later That Night

After enthusiastically dissecting the opera over bread and coffee, we returned to the townhouse quite late.

I was just about to prepare for bed when—

Knock knock.

“I’m here.”

It was Ternox.

“Did you enjoy the opera?”

“It was amazing!”

“What brings you here at this hour?”

Xavier’s tone was dry.

Ternox smirked.

“Ah, did I interrupt your precious couple time?”

“Spare me. Get to the point.”

“Oof. Scary, descendant.”

You don’t look scared at all.

We gathered around the table.

Ternox didn’t waste time.

“I went snooping near the Grand Temple.”

“Today?”

“Yes. And something’s off. The entire place reeks of blood.”

“…What?”

I blinked.

“Not real blood,” he clarified. “It’s mixed into the mana. Thick.”

Mana mixed with the scent of blood?

Xavier’s face drained of color.

“Then that means…”

“Yes. It feels like black magic.”

Black magic?

Well… dragons exist. Swordmasters exist.

Why not black magic?

And the two sitting in front of me are proof enough that this world isn’t exactly normal.

Ternox sighed.

“This is worse than I thought. Performing black magic inside a holy temple? That’s not something a sane person does.”

“But the Rembrandt Temple’s power is divine healing,” Xavier said. “Does black magic even include healing?”

“You’ve been asleep too long,” Ternox scoffed lightly. “You’ve forgotten how things work.”

Apparently, the temple’s influence had surged when the current High Priest rose to prominence.

Some even called him the Messiah.

He gained fame for two things:

• His ageless appearance

• His miraculous healing power

“And… he’s the second son of the former Blanche house.”

Of course.

In noble families, younger sons often entered religion or knighthood.

But Blanche?

Of all houses.

Was this fate? Narrative inevitability?

“He left home for ‘spiritual training’ and claimed to receive divine revelation. After that, he healed the sick and rose swiftly, entering the imperial court.”

“He says his youthful appearance is a blessing from God.”

“Blessing my tail,” Ternox scoffed. “It’s a trick.”

Xavier turned to me.

“Renée, do you know anything?”

I shook my head.

“In truth, no. I was always excluded from that household… And I’ve never even seen the High Priest’s face.”

“He seemed eager to erase any trace of Blanche from his history,” Xavier murmured.

“But black magic…” Xavier frowned. “Magic itself is rare now. Black magic even more so.”

Ternox explained:

Magic normally aligns with the natural flow of mana.

But black magic defies it.

Especially time.

“True healing doesn’t reverse time,” Ternox said. “But black magic might temporarily rewind a body’s condition. Not cure it—just revert it.”

So those who were ‘healed’ weren’t healed at all.

“They were deceived.”

My stomach tightened.

“To know for sure,” Ternox continued, “we need to enter the temple. Fortunately, they invited you first.”

Xavier didn’t look pleased.

“Why?”

I asked gently.

He hesitated.

“…The official visit to the temple has been scheduled.”

“When?”

“In three days.”

“So soon?”

“Yes. A letter came. It was less a request—more a notice.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

We were out eating pastries while this loomed over us?!

“I was debating whether to delay it,” he admitted. “Why would they invite us so readily? There’s something behind this.”

“Still… we have to go.”

It was dangerous.

But it was also an opportunity.

A double-edged blade.

“…Renée. What if I go alone?”

He stepped closer and placed his hands gently on my shoulders.

His gaze locked onto mine.

Serious.

Protective.

And just slightly afraid.