The Tragedy of The Villainess

“Stern!”

Several weeks have passed since then.

Even after Lesche’s wrists were completely healed, the high-ranking priests who ran from the entrance hall of the castle with happy faces immediately asked.

“Long time no see. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

The priests turned red to the tip of their noses and asked how I was doing. I reassured them by reciting all the precious medicines I had taken during that time. It was because I was well aware of the feelings of the priests who cared so much about me.

“Who is the high priest?”

“High Priest Henoch has arrived.”

“I see. Ben?”

“Welcome to Berg, priests. I will show you to your accommodations.”

The priests followed Ben, and I and Susan looked inside the castle meticulously.

When I injured my ankle, I had nothing to do, so the interior of the castle was splendidly changed. Rather than wallpaper with large patterns, I preferred expensive looking wallpapers and carpets because of the luxurious material instead of soft patterns. Thanks to that, the castle was thoroughly decorated according to my taste.

Just until yesterday.

It was covered with a simple cloth and all the decorations were removed, so it looked much more simple.

“I didn’t know that High Priest Henoch would come.”

It had been a week before I received a notification that the High Priest had decided to stay in the castle due to some sort of incident.

“Is the food ready?”

“Yes, Grand Duchess. I’ve got it all ready. Bread, stew, and dessert were prepared with fruits. Oh, the chef said that the bread was also made in a very rustic style.”

“Great.”

A thought occurred to me as I nodded at Susan’s words.

If the frugality of the priests was not widely spread, the nobles who served the priests would have sprinkled gold powder on the bread, right?

A world where the divine power lived and breathed, and the evidence that God was alive was vivid. Even if it wasn’t for that, I used to think that if I hadn’t put any restrictions on it… it would have been corrupted soon. In fact, just look at the tremendous hospitality Sterns received.

Considering this, it was undoubtedly a custom to be followed. I was the Grand Duchess of Berg, so I was bothered and I had a lot to worry about.

After checking everything, I went horseback riding after a long time.

“Grand Duchess! Look!”

Linon, who was riding a horse from behind, shouted in a proud voice. Of course, even if he didn’t shout, I could see him.

The sun was clearly softened.

Below that, a huge silver tree stood tall enough to be alien to the plain. The leaves shining in silver were thick.

There were many priests around.

In the center of it stood High Priest Henoch. After simply saying hello to each other, we met the surprised eyes of High Priest Henoch, who couldn’t hide it.

“Actually, it looks like the size of the world tree. It’s such a huge silver tree.”

These were the words of High Priest Henoch. The silver laurel tree towering over this field was almost the same size as the world tree that was protected in a separate garden at the Great Temple.

It was because of this huge silver tree that a high priest was dispatched from the Great Temple. Of course, the aristocrats and residents of Berg were also very surprised. I slept and woke up to see a huge silver tree suddenly sprouting out of the plain…

High Priest Henoch asked with an incomprehensible expression.

“Stern. Do you have any guesses?”

I looked up at the shade of silver leaves. There was something I could guess. This was the place where the moonlight that Liegel shed when he died permeated the earth.

So, I thought that the moonlight was stagnant, and this huge silver tree was blooming. It was a guess, but there was no good reason other than that.

Not telling everything about Tuban and Liegel, but also lying at all.

I spoke moderately conscientiously and as close to the truth as possible. Because he had the right to know the truth considering how much the Great Temple had suffered.

“That… it’s a gift from the star guardian to Stern.”

“Yes.”

“It’s exactly what the Grand Duke said.”

High Priest Henoch smiled in regret.

“So Berg transferred ownership of this silver tree to Stern. Grand Duchess….”

“I have no intention of giving it away, so it will be mine.”

High Priest Henoch let out a small laugh.

“Yes, I understand. We’ll deal with that. By the way, I heard that you were injured a lot during the battle of defeat. I can’t believe you’ve helped the star guardian and killed the ghost of the demons…”

“I didn’t kill it. The guardian did it.”

“Nevertheless.”

High Priest Henoch looked up at the silver tree with a new look. Then he slowly opened his mouth.

“Then….”

A slightly shaky voice.

“The Magi that was encroaching upon her…”

High Priest Henoch euphemistically expressed ‘Her’, but I couldn’t help but understand who he was talking about.

“The Magi attached to Lina belonged to that ghost (Liegel).”

“…I see.”

For a moment, High Priest Henoch was silent. I thought he would be very surprised, but he was more calm than I thought. I learned a fact while drinking tea together. The Great Temple was already aware that Lina was made of Magi. I knew when Lina was locked up in the holy prison.

“High Priest Jubelud is busy these days. He was about to resign as High Priest, but I said that I would accept his resignation next year because I don’t have a lot of divine power to use for the boundary.”

“I see.”

I heard that High Priest Jubelud decided to spend the rest of his life wandering the slums. For a priest who was ordained a high priest to go around the slums, the admiration would be tremendous.

“By the way, Stern.”

High Priest Henoch tilted his head.

“How long will you be here? Haven’t you been here for five hours?”

“…I have to go back.”

I coughed and lifted my head.

***

“Seria.”

Lesche opened his mouth as he looked out the large window in his office.

“Did she go to the silver tree today?”

Ben nodded his head.

“Yes, my lord. She had breakfast and went with High Priest Henoch.”

“It’s the third day.”

“The Grand Duchess seems to like it very much.”

Ben’s shrill voice rang out. Lesche tilted his chin lightly. Henoch’s words came to his mind.

“I think she’s particularly attracted to the silver tree because she’s a Stern. I’m not sure, but that’s what I see. If Myote Stern comes, it will be more certain.”

Thanks to that, Myote Stern will also come to this Grand Duke’s castle tomorrow.

“It’s good for Berg. Your Highness.”

Linon, who was standing with them, said slyly.

“Yes. That’s a good thing.”

Grand Duke of Berg, who struggled to bring Stern every winter. Decorate the room with expensive things, cook and offer food from the most precious prey, but the only trouble with the central territory was that even though the vassals were at their wits’ end to serve, it was difficult to win the hearts and minds of the Sterns.

It was very pleasing for the Grand Duke of Berg to come up with something that could capture the hearts of those difficult Sterns. It was something that should be considered to be good but Lesche….

His wife kept going there from morning to evening.

“It will be a problem in winter.”

Lesche frowned slightly. The place where the silver tree stood tall was not far from the borderline of the demons.

Still, the winter of the Grand Duchy was harsh. And if Seria kept going to the silver tree like that…

“It must be a matter of time before she catches a cold.”

“Should we build a new hut over there?”

At Ben and Linon’s question, Lesche’s brows furrowed slightly.

“If we build a hut, she won’t be able to see the silver tree. If she can see it from inside and she doesn’t need to go outside in the cold, it would be better to build something like a glass greenhouse.”

Having said that, Lesche tilted his chin slightly.

It was a place that Seria liked so much, but the fundamental question of whether she would like the glass greenhouse has passed.

With a more honest heart, Lesche wanted to present something much better. Just like a man in love always does.

After checking the last document, Lesche without delay went down to the first floor and got on the horse.

“Grand Duke Berg.”

The paladins who were guarding the silver tree’s perimeter, backed away and bowed as they saw Lesche.

Lesche raised his gaze.

The overwhelmingly gigantic silver tree, with its lush leaves shining beautifully with a soft silver color, catches the eye. Was it because of the dense shade? The strong sunlight fell softly like the moonlight.

Lesche looked at Seria’s back, clearly speaking with High Priest Henoch.

In the not-so-short time, Lesche, who had only been staring at her, looked at the silver tree again. Sunlight scattered like shards of crystal through the dense leaves. Perhaps that was why Seria liked this silver tree so much and came out to see it so often.

“We’d better make a greenhouse ceiling out of crystals.”

“Crystal? Yes, I’ll prepare it right away. Your Highness.”

“That would fit the status of the Grand Duchess.”

Lesche, who gave a simple order, quickly strode towards Seria. Linon murmured to Ben, who was accompanying him.

“Ben, did you hear that? In my opinion, it would fit the status of the emperor.”

Ben grinned.

“But for His Highness, that is not good enough when it comes to the Grand Duchess.”