Chapter 170

Chapter 170

TL:Zimming

Emeline's eyes widened. She licked her lips a few times as if she was trying to say something, but I stopped her by grabbing her shoulders.

"We can get along well, right?"

Augustine smiled kindly. However, only the dirty desire that permeated his eyes was not hidden at all.

***

Before leaving the Dubbled mansion, Augustine said goodbye to Emeline alone.

"May God's blessing be with you in your life."

"I...,Priest..."

Emeline, who was restless, grabbed Augustine's sleeve.

"My mother is not a maid. It's my eleventh birthday soon, and..."

"Emeline."

Augustine's face, who had been so friendly just a little while ago, changed instantly. Emeline was astonished and took her hand off his sleeve as he put on a benevolent expression again.

"How heartbreaking it is that you, as a child, have been swayed by the circumstances of adults and have not been able to know the truth."

"......."

"Your mother has lied in good faith until now to protect you, her master's daughter."

"B, but......."

Augustine glanced into the mansion's door and bent his knees to meet Emily's eyes.

"The important thing is that you found your father."

"......."

"God has placed power and wealth in your life now. So, shouldn't you be grateful?"

Augustine smiled the whole time while saying that.

"Okay?"

"......Yes, priest."

"Alright, it's a bit cold today. Go in quickly."

Augustine's eyes changed as Emeline hesitated and returned to the mansion.

As Emeline got in, the holy knight who had escorted him from the temple approached.

"Wouldn't the kid talk nonsense to the duke?"

"Can't you see the spark of desire in those eyes? It's a kid who barely got something to eat,living under the bridge. If she enjoys luxury even for one night, he will never let go of the duke."

"Is that so?"

"Of course."

She will struggle to force herself to believe that the lie he made up is the truth.

When Augustine's mouth went up, the holy knight chuckled.

"It's a really great plan. If all goes well, wouldn't the temple hold the leash of the Dubbled family?"

"And soon it will become a reality. The duke is a stupid bastard who even pamper his adopted daughter, imagine how will he pamper his own daughter?"

"If the Vatican finds out about this, wouldn't they take you out of the cardinal candidate?"

There is a selection of cardinals this winter. The honor of being a cardinal was enjoyed only by the most outstanding among the '21 priests' in the central temple.

'This time, I will be the one who enters the Vatican.'

The holy knight followed Augustine, who was walking ahead. He patted the paladin's shoulder, smiling brightly, revealing his yellow teeth. Maybe those stupid people in Dubbled don't know that they were being used.

***

Trigon narrowed his brows when he saw me humming while reading the survey.

"Is it fun?"

"What do you think, Trigon?"

"It can't be fun. The youngest child is the weakness of the Dubbled family. It wouldn't be nice to have Dubbled's weakness exposed by the temple."

Trigon and Seria seemed very surprised to hear that the priest had brought Emeline.

'As soon as I heard the story, I ran to the mansion secretly.'

I smiled and looked at the chairman.

"Does the chairman think so?"

"...It seems that the situation is not as serious as I thought."

"What?"

"Because the lady is making an expression as if you're plotting something."

As expected of the chairman.

He's not the chairman of the Dubbled Senate for nothing.

"We knew a lot because Augustine brought Emeline."

'The indifferent man is someone from the Vatican.'

The tattooed man once helped the Duke of Vallua make a fake child. So if they bring a child from the temple, we will never easily believe it.

However, the fact that another child was brought in without evidence means that the central temple does not know what the tattooed man has done to Dubbled.

When I explained that, the chairman, Seria, and Trigon nodded their heads.

"But knowing that, what can we do?"

"Yes, lady. It won't be an easy opponent because the Vatican is a symbol of Neliard."

As the two of them had a puzzled expression on their faces, the chairman widened his eyes.

"Do you intend to divide the Neliard temples?

"That's right! When the temple is united, it is a formidable enemy, but when it is divided, it is not so. I mean..."

I smiled and continued.

"Isn't Empress Yvonne helped by the Vatican? Our enemy."

"Do you intend to attach your temple allies to Cecilia?"

"Yes."

"But how..."

Just then, with a loud knock, Johann came in.

"What brings you here?"

"... They tried to trick us again with a fake. We need to do something to cover up our weakness."

Johann's expression was cold.

As expected, the family who had once been attacked by the fake child couldn't believe that Emelime was real.

I followed Johann to my dad's office and asked carefully.

"Brother, are you upset?"

"What?"

"The youngest child keeps being used..."

As he raised his eyebrows, he stroked my hair.

"My father said we should discuss it together."

"Yes......."

"Leblaine."

He called me after hesitating for a moment.

"I tried to find the youngest child without telling you..."

"The youngest child didn't die. There was proof right? Of course it's natural to go and find her. Also, if anyone knows, they will try to use the youngest child like this time, so we have to keep it a secret. Even family members should be careful in case words can leak out."

"...Yes."

Johann smiled faintly as he tucked my tangled hair behind my ear.

"Thank you for understanding."

I faced him and smiled. And when we entered dad's office, Isaac and Henry were raising their voices at each other.

"If we prove that the child brought by the priest is a fake, we will have an excuse to go to war with the temple! If we have a cause, even nobles cannot easily help the temple, so this time...!"

"Even so, it is a war against the temple. It's hard to fight without preparation!"

"Does that mean we should condone the temple still trying to shake us with the youngest child?!"

Henry and Isaac stood up and shouted, while dad watched them silently.

I didn't think about it because it was peaceful until now, but in fact, Henry and Isaac had opposite personalities.

Once an argument breaks out, neither of them backs down.

"You're a coward."

"People who get their fists out like you are the ones who will die first."

"What? You're the weakling!"

Aura began to come out from their hands. Just when their fists were aimed at each other,

"Stop-!!"

I intervened.

"Leblaine!"

"Kid, are you crazy?"

"What if you get hurt?"

"A, are you hurt?!"

Pushing the stiff Henry and the leaping Isaac back respectively, I placed my hands on my waist and shouted

"No! You're about to punch each other!"

"......."

"......."

"Apologize immediately."

"......."

"......."

Henry and Isaac stubbornly turned their heads. So I decided to use it again as a last resort.

"Leblaine will look for my real parents..."

"I'm sorry!"

"I'm sorry."

I glared at the two.

"Apologies should be sincere."

"......."

"......."

"Bye, Isaac. Bye, Hen......."

"I'm sorry for punching you, brother."

"I regret it, brother."

Good.

I sat down Henry and Isaac, who were looking at each other with frown on their faces, and said,

"So the problem is, the temple kept using the youngest child?"

My family looked at me like they agreed, and I continued,

"Then there is a way."

"A way?"

"What is that?"

I smiled with a mean expression.

"It's a bad way. But with that they won't be able to attack us anymore."

As I whispered, their eyes widened.

"If that's the case..."

"Is it really that bad?"

"Yes."

I looked at my dad.

"Can I do it?"

"... Dubbled specializes in doing mean things."

My dad gave me permission.

I looked out the window at the small central temple building and raised my eyebrows.

'Has it been fun so far? Not anymore.'

The next day, words has spread about the youngest child.

***

Augustine, who was having a cup of tea leisurely in the temple's garden, was having a good time.

The people of the temple were divided because of the cardinal candidates. But there were far more priests who supported him than Stefano.

'In the midst of this, if Dubbled gets into my hands through Emeline...'

Everything went according to his plans. Rumours spread across the country that their youngest child was in fact alive and had come back to them. Now, once Emeline is registered, Dubbled was in their hands.

"Priest!"

After a pleasant silence, Augustine heard a sound from a distance. It was the holy knight. Augustine asked, narrowing his brow.

"What's so urgent?"

"Children claiming to be the youngest children from all over the country are flocking to Dubbled..."

"What?"

"Even farmers who raise orphans, beggars, and pick up children line up at Dubbled with their 10-year-old child!"

"What do you mean! They have Emeline, how...!"

Augustine immediately got up.

***

I smiled brightly at the self-proclaimed youngest child that lined up in front of the mansion.

"Ah, it seems like all the youngest children in the world have gathered."

The maids shook their heads with a look of boredom.

"There are boys too."

"Some even claim that a girl who looked seventeen is ten."

"Everyone is greedy... It's a chance for them to become a Dubbled family member."

At that moment, I looked out the window and saw Augustine, who had come to the mansion with a pale face.

'Now then, let's begin.'

I smiled and went down to the courtyard.