The reason why the priest held a human ritual sacrifice despite his remorse was not solely because of the emperor’s pressure.
Bennett, a poor aristocrat who spent his childhood hanging out with commoners, cherished the empire and its people with his heart and prepared to carry out the ritual with the hope of saving the empire.
“…We need your help.”
Finally, Bennett said what he needed to say to Lavane.
Fortunately, Lavane did not scare Bennett as much as he did with the emperor because he liked his calm and polite attitude.
“I didn’t tell you earlier. I’m not your strength.”
However, he did not comply with Bennett’s request.
“I’m sure you said you were.”
Bennett’s tone grew urgent.
“But that’s what…”
“Isn’t Rudis the one who woke me up? As a response, I am Rudis’ strength.”
At a moment, realization flashed through Bennett’s eyes.
And soon panic hit them.
“That’s what I…’”
Bennett couldn’t finish his words and looked at the Emperor.
Bennet had no idea how the Emperor would respond when he found out.
But Lavane laughed as if he had guessed it.
“Yes, I don’t move unless it’s Rudis’ will.”
Lavane confirmed Bennett’s guess.
“My will…?”
Rudis’s premonition, which had been looming in his mind like a fog, had come true
Rudis stared blankly at Lavane.
‘The ancient god moves with my will? And only by my will?’
Bennett and the Emperor’s eyes were on Rudis.
Bennett looked just as surprised, but the Emperor…
“You still don’t seem to get the picture.”
Lavane spoke to the Emperor.
“It means that if you wish to use even a glimmer of my power, you have to bow down to your first daughter, who you despise so much. Do you understand now?”
At that moment, the emperor’s face turned pale.
***
Rudis was alone in the empty temple’s guest room.
She recalled what had happened earlier in her head.
After hearing Lavane’s words, the emperor left the room without saying anything.
Lavane merely shrugged his shoulders.
The Emperor’s situation was none of his business.
– You.
Shortly after the Emperor left, Lavane turned his head towards Bennet.
– Yeah? Yes!
Then, Bennett was nervous and fell back to the floor.
– I want you to heal Rudis.
– Oh, of course!
When Lavane asked to take care of Rudis, Bennett’s face was filled with joy and surprise at the same time.
– Go rest for now.
Just before leaving the room under Bennett’s escort, Lavane spoke in a quiet voice to Rudis.
– There’ll be another nuisance soon.
This time, Rudis could understand Lavane’s words.
He meant that the emperor would come to her by the end of the day.
Rudis wondered if she should say something to Lavane.
But before she could decide what to say, the door closed and Lavane disappeared from her sight.
“Where is he staying?”
Rudis asked Bennett.
Bennett rolled his eyes at Rudis’ question. It seemed difficult to answer somehow with his lips closed.
– If it’s a hard question to answer…
“I don’t know.”
“What? You don’t know?”
Bennett blushed and nodded in embarrassment.
– He just shows up suddenly. If you want him to disappear, he’s in front of you, and if you don’t, he appears.
It was a vague remark.
Bennett tried to escort Rudis back to Selena’s room.
Then Rudis shook her head.
– I don’t want to go to Selena’s room.
There, Princess Ivana and other people who were against her would be waiting for her with their eyes wide open.
“Then would you like to go to the temple?”
When Rudis refused, Bennett offered again.
“Can I?”
-Gee…I don’t want to put Lady Rudis on the spot, but if you allow me to arrange your residence, I would gladly help.
No matter how good his intentions were, Bennett didn’t think he would be forgiven for what he had done to Rudis.
Instead of asking for forgiveness, he tried to assist Rudis in every way he could.
Even the Emperor couldn’t bring his knights to the temple…
“Thank you.”
Rudis said with sincerity.
Unlike when she spoke with the emperor, Bennett looked up in surprise at Rudis’s softer tone.
“Thank you, Priest Bennett.”
Lady Rudis…
Rudis smiled slightly at Bennett, who looked at her with soft eyes.
***
Rudis, who was staying in the guest room of the temple, sat alone in the room, asking all the new officials to wait.
All she needed now was a quiet break.
Rudis, leaning against the bed, closed her eyes and fell into thought.
Less than half a day has passed since she woke up from unconsciousness, and so many unbelievable things happened.
Among them, the most worrisome thing was what Lavane said to the emperor.
‘This means you should bow to your first daughter, who you despise so much.’
Lavane knew that the emperor had abused her and that she had a brother.
‘How?’
It was three days before she woke up, so if he wanted to find out, there would be enough time to do so.
But Rudis didn’t think Lavane would have told people about her situation even if they asked him directly.
If he was that interested, he wouldn’t ask her but rather take time to find out when she lost consciousness.
‘No, maybe he came.’
To sum up Benette’s words, Lavane seemed to have free roam in the palace without any constraints.
Then he could have come to her without being seen.
She was confused.
A slight sigh escaped from Rudis’ lips.
She couldn’t figure out what to do from now on.
She had no intention of playing with power or behaving as though she would give up his power so only she could wield an ancient god.
I can’t pretend I don’t know about the people’s sufferings.
However, she did not intend to act like a doll that commanded the ancient god under the will of the emperor.
‘Because I have to take care of myself.’
Rudis thought about how she would plan her future.
When she regained consciousness, Rudis was sick and tired of everything.
The first thought that came to mind was that she wanted to escape from the imperial palace and the aristocratic socialites.
It was the same now.
If Rudis could, she wanted to leave the capital and live quietly in a remote place where no one could find her.
‘Where should I go if we leave the palace?’
It was time for Rudis to consider one possibility or another in her head.
Knock, Knock
Rudis heard a knock on the door.
“The Emperor is here.”
Then came the voice of the priest, who was incredibly polite.
The priests, strangely enough, did their best to cater to Rudis.
Rudis speculated that the reason might be Lavane.
The priests who had studied mystical things were the ones who knew more about the ancient gods than anyone else.
I’m sure you have a sense of awe for Lavane.
So, naturally, the only person who can move Lavane will treat him with the utmost sincerity.
“Tell him to come in.”
Rudis opened her eyes and straightened her posture.
She did not intend to avoid the Emperor.
I would have to talk to the Emperor’s face to face at least once.
***
Shortly after leaving the room where Lavane and Rudis were, the emperor was told that Selena had locked herself in her room and was refusing to eat.
“I’m only looking for you.”
When the emperor heard the words of the attendant who was sent to watch over Selena, the emperor exhaled a sigh and made a dried-up remark.
“Do you mean the Imperial Princess skipped dinner and you remained still? You should’ve coaxed her to eat!”
The Emperor’s roar darkened the servant’s face.
The servant bowed deeply to hide her dark complexion.
One meal does not kill anyone.
But the Emperor, Selena, and her maid of honor all pretended to make a big deal out of Selena’s refusal to eat.
It was the lower people who died when those above them got angry like this.
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s enough.”
The emperor spoke coldly and walked past the bowing servant.
“I’ll go and tell her myself.”
When he opened the door, he saw Selena’s mess first.
The Emperor’s beautiful and lovely daughter, Selena, was sitting in the corner of the room, sobbing.
The emperor was annoyed by all the ladies who were fussing around Selena.
And after sitting next to Selena, he patted her on the back.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been so hard on you, Selena.”
The emperor’s voice was still friendly, even though Selena was rotten inside.
He was fond of Selena.
Selena was affectionate and has always admired him.
Most especially, she was beautiful without any flaws.
The emperor anxiously waited for his second child after he found out that his first child was impaired.
There was a backlash, but there has been no news for several years.
Then unexpectedly, Selena was the child born to the second Queen.
As soon as Selena was born, the emperor made sure her limbs were intact.
And as soon as he found out that Selena’s limbs were fine, he then decided to cherish her.
The emperor accepted Selena’s whining and childishness. Sometimes, he even treated Rudis harshly to comply with Selena’s stubbornness.
Selena learned from her father, the emperor, who abused Rudis.
When Selena first starved Rudis and locked her up in the attic, the emperor just laughed.
So Selena didn’t know it was wrong to be cruel to her sister.
“Father, what happened?”
Selena burst out crying.
“Rudis, how can a dog…”
Selena knew she would be able to bully Rudis all her life.
The same was true of the emperor.
They knew that even if Selena was acting like a child, she would be able to keep her power forever.
However, three years ago, the dry spell on the eastern end of the country began to show ominous signs.
Under great pressure, the emperor narrowed the scope of his movements and called for a ritual to summon ancient gods as a desperate measure.
When the temple was asking for sacrifices, Bennett began to talk nonsense that Selena should be sacrificed, and the emperor changed the offering to Rudis without anyone’s knowledge.
The fact that Selena was more suitable for the offering was impossible because only the Emperor, the priest, and Rudis, the sacrifice, knew.
The emperor put all his hopes on the summoning ritual.
I thought everything would go back to normal at once if I summoned the ancient god and got ahold of that enormous power.
But things went wrong.
“You want me to bow my head to Rudis? I’m her father!”
A fit of fiery anger rose in the Emperor.
‘That’s ridiculous!’
He couldn’t do anything to be nice to Rudis.
He gave her a good room and gave Selena’s clothes, jewelry, and the maids that Rudis wanted so much.
He could do it without hesitation because he had to take something that wasn’t his, but that of Selena’s, and give it to Rudis.
But to throw away his pride.
To give up his authority.
It was ridiculous.