Julietta’s Dressup

Chapter 252. The Proof of Blood, Part VIII

Translator: Khan

Editor: Aelryinth

Several carriages carrying the Prince and the princess’s personal items passed them and were pulled over on one side. Subsequently, the carriages of other nobles stopped one after another.

"I’m very happy that some of the most valuable people in Austern are visiting us." Unlike most priests who wore blue bands on top of their white garments, a priest dressed in a red band greeted Killian.

"Hello, Archbishop. Well, if you had sent priests to Austern, you wouldn’t have been so bothered like this."

Of course, this was not going to happen, unless magicians could be sent from Austern.

The archbishop responded with a smile at the meaningless greeting, and greeted Julietta standing next to Killian, "You must be Princess Kiellini."

"I see you for the first time, Archbishop. Our family is receiving a lot of help from Archbishop and the Vicern Temple these days. I hope we will continue to have a good relationship with this as a beginning."

It was just a greeting, but the words were full of hidden meaning. This was something the fiancée of the Prince who was going to be the Crown Prince said, and it meant that Austern would take a very friendly attitude toward the Vicern Temple in the future.

The archbishop simply smiled and guided her inside, but his innermost thoughts were complicated. ’Is there something going on? Don’t tell me that Princess Kiellini is a fake, as it is rumored. If so, she would not have visited the Vicern Temple with such confidence, while being accompanied by the Prince.’

Archbishop Paulo looked at the back of Prince Killian, who was walking in front of him. He would be the Emperor of Austern. Although the Archbishop was a person of the Vicern Temple and was at the opposite extreme from a fortune teller, it was not possible to ignore the prophecy of the fortune teller, because the priests could also read the energy of heaven.

They could not say which was better between oracle and prophecy. The number of those who heard the voice of God and read the heavens was also decreasing, so they were all the more precious.

He believed the fortune-teller’s prophecy that had excited Austern. In addition, how much the next Emperor, Prince Killian, loved his fiancée had been heard even inside the Vicern Temple’s high walls.

"It’s noon prayer time, so people will be streaming in. After the prayer is over and the preparation is ready for ordination, I’ll come to you. It’ll be about three or four o’clock in the afternoon," the archbishop said, guiding Killian and Julietta to the largest and best room in the Vicern Temple. Other nobles would be assigned their own rooms, too.

The Austerians did not attend the prayer session, because they did not believe in God. Although the guests were in need of the Vicern Temple’s hospitality, the priests did not force them to attend.

Not intruding on one’s own territory was the unspoken law that had been handed down between Empires since the war four hundred years ago.

Even if it was only place to stay for a short time, it was a resting place fit for a Prince. The servants who had already arrived in advance laid out expensive carpets, cushions, and even new seats. Because of the status of the Prince, who could not drink water as he pleased, the servants brought tea sets, water, and refreshments from the carriage that followed them from Austern.

After the priests left the room, Ian said, "Your Highness, Marquis Anais is here."

When he saw Julietta’s hard face at the mention of the Marquis, Killian stroked her face reassuringly. "Will you go and rest?"

"Yes." Julietta escaped the room and went into the inner bedroom.

"Let him come in."

After Killian’s order was given, the Marquis entered quickly. He looked about the room and greeted the Prince with disappointment after he could not see Julietta.

"Come and sit down."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Killian offered tea and refreshments to the Marquis who looked nervous. "The Archbishop said he would go ahead with the ceremony after prayer time. The Marquis, you should take forty winks for a while. I am guessing you could not sleep at all last night."

When Killian said, Robert’s head bowed.

"I’m sorry to have brought you all this way to Vicern, even though you have to hold the funeral of your late wife."

"No, Your Highness. It’s okay."

The sympathy he felt when he saw Ivana’s body vanished shortly after he found out that she had sent a letter to the Duke of Dudley saying that his daughter was not real Princess Kiellini.

He was upset by Duke Dudley, who had run straight to the Imperial Castle with the letter in his hand, rather than mourning over his daughter’s death at all. Christine had entered Prince Francis’s palace and not returned, and so didn’t know of her mother’s death.

He was worried about Christine, even though he thought Christine so like those with the blood of Dudley that it made him shudder. The child’s ambition nearly killed Julietta, but he still couldn’t give her up.

He quickly became disillusioned with himself, knowing he had to get back from work in Vicern and try to save Christine. ’Can Julietta forgive me like this?’ Robert looked toward the partition where Julietta would be.

At the sight, Killian sighed softly. Maribel would carry out his order. Soon enough, the Marquis would hear the sad news of his daughter’s death after the death of his wife.

He wasn’t comfortable, but he couldn’t leave Christine alive any longer. She had to pay for her crimes.

After the noon prayer, the Archbishop offered prayers of blessings to the congregation and tried to return the people. Believers snooped around to speak to him, but he ran out of time due to the preparations for the afternoon ceremony.

He returned to his room when he saw the initiate priests walking around to shoo out the remaining people. He meant to calm down by drinking tea for a while, until the ceremony was ready.

"We are ready for the ceremony, Archbishop." At that time, a young priest, who had been promoted to a regular priest after eight months of probation due to his strong holy power, entered the room.

Paulo looked at his watch. "We’re half an hour faster than the needed time. Let’s take a break for a while."

The young priest dissuaded him when the archbishop tried to brew tea with a gesture of sitting opposite him. "I’m fine. I have to go because there was a fallen female believer during the prayer time."

"Is she seriously ill?"

No matter how strong he was, he was just a newly promoted priest, and it could be beyond his power. However, the archbishop himself could not come forward and heal at just any time, and so he simply asked in passing words.

"I think it’s time for her to pass today. She seems to be an aristocrat of Austern, but I feel sorry for her."

The archbishop felt strange at the words of the young priest. If any of Austern’s companions had a sick woman who could hardly have survived the day, the Prince or his attendants would have asked him for treatment, but there was no such request.

The archbishop, who had been lost in thought for a moment, rose from his seat. "Let’s go see the sick woman."

The young priest led the archbishop to a small room inside the temple. The archbishop entered a somber room with no light allowed in, despite the warm afternoon sun, and there was a woman lying on a hard bed.

Paulo approached the woman lying in bed and put his hand on her forehead. He stood up and said, praying with his eyes closed for a while. "Her thread of life is almost burnt down."

He didn’t know if she would last the night. It was strange that a noblewoman of Austern came to the Vicern Temple ahead of her death.

The archbishop’s eyes were slightly enlarged as he looked at the woman lying there with a cautious look. The woman, who had closed her eyes without energy, opened them, and the color of her eyes was a rare green.

Paulo then shifted his gaze to the bedside. Blonde! It was a rare coincidence.

"Let me see Duke Dudley," the grimly skeletonized hand grasped Paulo’s priestly suit.

Her request embarrassed the young priest.

"I’ve already sent a message to the Duke of Dudley, but he said he did not want to come and see anyone he didn’t know."

Even at the priest’s regretful remarks, Regina ignored him and looked only at Paulo. "Tell him that there’s someone here to tell him the truth about Princess Iris Regina Kiellini."

Her whole body was covered with the shadow of death, but her eyes shone brightly.