A Saint Who Was Adopted by the Grand Duke-Chapter 156: Downfall, Windfall (X)
The sourc๐ฒ of this content is ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ง๐ผ๐๐๐น.๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฆ
Chapter 156: Downfall, Windfall (X)
โ โ โ
This time, they were able to exit the temple without interference.
In front of the temple gates, the carriage that Deheen had prepared in advance was waiting.
Before returning to Tersia, Deheen exchanged a few words with Noah.
โDoes the wound hurt?โ
โNo. It healed perfectly.โ
โIโm glad. Thank you for today. I will never forget the grace of helping my daughter.โ
Contrary to his words of gratitude, Deheenโs gaze at Noah was cold like he was looking at a thief.
For some reason, Noah felt Deheen was swearing with his eyes. He cleared his throat.
โNo. Itโs something I should do. Goodbye.โ
Noah chuckled a little, coming to the conclusion it was probably because he hugged Esther.
โGoodbye. Weโll make a move first.โ
Deheen nodded and turned to the carriage.
Esther, who was about to get into the carriage with the escort of the twin brothers, glanced back at Noah.
โWhat should I do?โ
This entire walkโฆ she did not say a word to Noah. It was because of the strict vigilance of her father and brothers.
โDad, Noahโฆโ
โHis Highness must return now.โ
Of course, Noah, who had planned to follow them, flinched at Deheenโs words and stopped his steps.
โYou have been away from the Imperial Palace for too long. This time, you have to see to it.โ
Albert overheard the conversation and widened his eyes.
โDonโt tell meโฆ I didnโt hear that one of the imperial family would be accompanying her?โ
Besides, if it was โNoahโ, it was definitely the name of the crown prince.
Realizing he had even attacked the crown prince, Albert was shocked and was on the verge of suffocating.
โIโll send someone to the Imperial Palace first. Iโm worried about Esther, so Iโll accompany her just to the territory.โ
โYou donโt have to. Esther has us now.โ
โYes, Your Highness. I will protect Esther.โ
Judy, whom Noah had became a little close to during his last visit to the grand duchy, winked and waved, telling him not to worry.
โI canโt help itโฆโ
Noah let out a small sigh.
Right now, it was a family boundary line that he could never penetrate.
Esther was very worried about Noah, but she kept quiet because she thought her family would dislike him even more if she sided with him.
โAll right. Have a safe trip. Esther, see you soon.โ
Noah, whose expression darkened at the thought of parting with Esther, smiled and waved.
โThank you.โ
Esther spoke loudly so that Noah could hear it, waved her hand, and got into the carriage.
Deciding to see him off till the end, Noah watched as Deheen walked to the carriage.
But halfway through, Deheenโs steady strides suddenly stopped. Turning around, he walked back towards Noah.
Surprised, Noah swallowed dry saliva, feeling Deheenโs anger from every step taken.
โIs he going to argue about something earlier?โ
Noah steeled his mind, preparing to be scolded.
โPerhapsโฆ Two weeks later, if time permits.โ
But unlike what Noah had thought, Deheen brought up a completely different thing.
โThere will be Estherโs birthday party. Itโs going to be held at the shelter, so it might be a bit shabby to invite Your Highness, but would you like to attend?โ
โA birthday party?โ
Noahโs eyes widened as he looked up at Deheen, who was much taller than he was.
His mind was jumbled for a moment, but then he figured out the meaning and smiled brightly.
โAre you inviting me?โ
โโฆWell, yes. Because you helped my daughter a lot today.โ
Not too long ago, Deheen, who was constantly on guard, couldnโt have personally invited Noah to Estherโs birthday party.
Noah was genuinely happy that Deheenโs heart had opened a little.
โI am very happy that the Grand Duke personally invited me. of course. I will definitely attend.โ
โIโll see you then.โ
Deheenโs figure, which turned, was still cold. But somehow, Noah felt he was less scary than before.
โ โ โ
The carriage carrying Esther, Judy, Dennis and Deheen set off smoothly toward Tersia.
Esther stared at Noah through the window until he was completely gone, then turned her head.
โEsther, I havenโt seen you in such a long time, your face feels like itโs been cut in half. Was it hard?โ
โI know. My sister has grown thin.โ
Judy and Dennis sat across from Esther and scrutinized her, fussing greatly.
โDid you eat well? Did you sleep well? Didnโt you miss your brother?โ
Pushing out his chest, Judy asked with bright eyes. fre(e)webno(v)el
โI would have missed you more than you did. Right?โ
When Dennis started asking questions he usually avoided, Esther rolled her eyes to the side.
It was because an implicit pressure was also from Deheen next to her.
โOf course I wanted to see you all. Dad and Brothers too. A lot, a lot.โ
Esther wondered if it should be like this since she hadnโt seen them for only a week, but she was happy that they had come this far for her, so she matched their rhythm.
โHmm, I guess Esther missed me the most.โ
The corners of Deheenโs mouth visibly twitched. Because Esther addressed him first.
โI was very surprised when Dad suddenly appeared earlier. Brother Judy and Brother Dennis too, when they ran over. What happened?โ
Just now, she couldnโt express it properly because she was distracted, but she didnโt know how happy she was to see them coming to her rescue.
โBecause while you were away, Judy kept saying he missed you.โ
When the twinsโ very puzzled eyes turned to Deheen, he tilted his head in a nonchalant manner.
โFather, I did, but it was definitely you who said we should goโฆ eup!โ
It was definitely Deheen who suggested that they set off immediately for the temple.
Trying to tell the truth, Judy claimed that it was unfair, but Deheen covered his mouth.
โAnyway, arenโt you happy? Iโm so glad I came to pick you up.โ
โYes. Itโs great to see all of you sooner.โ
Esther replied with a cheerful laugh, and the hearts of Deheen, Judy, and Dennis melted away.
โI want to hear what happened.โ
There was a lot of time until they reached Tersia.
Esther talked about everything from the time she left Tersia to the moment before.
Deheen, Judy, and Dennis listened intently as Esther spoke without interruptions.
โAs expected, this is our Esther. Youโve been doing great.โ
Dennis patted Estherโs head when she finished, saying that he was proud of her.
โYes. Whether itโs Rabienne or whatever, I feel like I pressed the bridge of his nose, so now I can feel my insides. Still, the temple has no shame.โ
Judy muttered with a huff. The whole time he was listening, he felt like he would die from annoyance.
โFather, please cover Estherโs ears for a second.โ
โYou mean, like this?โ
โYes.โ
When Deheen covered Estherโs ears with his hands, Judy cursed the temple, pouring out all sorts of harsh words.
โJudy youโฆ Ah, all right.โ
Deheen would normally have stopped Judy. But he was also angry they tried to capture Esther by force, so he let it go this time.
After talking for a while, Esther, tired, yawned.
โEsther, are you sleepy?โ
โA little bit. Can I close my eyes for a second?โ
Estherโs eyes were already half-closed, probably from being on edge all day.
โOf course. Lean on me.โ
Deheen tapped himself on the shoulder and guided Estherโs head. ๐๐ณ๐๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ฏโด๐๐๐.๐คโด๐
As Esther was about to lean on it, Deheenโs wide thighs somehow caught her attention. She asked, agonizingly.
โDad, can I lie on your lap?โ
In an instant, Deheenโs eyes widened and his expression hardened.
โY-Yes, sure, of courseโฆโ
โEsther! Here, my lapโฆโ
While Deheen was startled, Judy appealed, pointing at his lap.
But Deheen wasnโt going to miss out on this happiness. He was a little surprised, but he never intended to concede to Judy.
โJudyโs thighs are still too small for Esther to lie on.โ
Having been declared as lacking in stability compared to Deheen, Judy pouted in displeasure.
Eventually Esther lay her head on Deheenโs lap. It was as comfortable as she thought, so she smiled naturally.
โThank you, Dad.โ
Deheen was just thrilled that Esther felt close and comfortable enough to fall asleep on his lap.
He concentrated all his attention on his thighs, supporting Estherโs head well so that it would not shake.
โFather, you can change with me later.โ
โHow about 30 minutes equally?โ
While Judy, along with Dennis who was reading a book, aimed for Estherโs head, Esther breathed in and out and fell into a deep sleep.
One more thing.
Esther didnโt know it completely, but there was a small commotion. It was because Shur came out while she was sleeping.
โS-S, snake!!โ
โNoisy. Itโs Shur. Donโt wake Esther up.โ
Still afraid of snakes, Judy clung to the carriage wall, and it was up to Dennis to calm him down.
โ โ โ
The news that Rabienne had failed the qualification test quickly reached Duke Brions.
This was because the several spies planted inside the temple sent the news via carrier pigeons.
โThat child showed up at the test site? Ha, how is thisโฆโ
Duke Brions could not hide his shock when he learned that Esther interfered with Rabienneโs test.
โDid she know that she is a saint?โ
Additionallyโฆ He staggered when he found out that Rabienne had been stripped of her title on the spot.
โEverything went wrong.โ
It was the worst of all the situations Duke Brions had imagined beforehand.
At least, there was still a glimmer of hope with Albertโs guild.
Butโฆ even the subordinate who was the last to deliver information brought him bad news.
โโฆSorry. Since the grand duke took care of the situation himself, there was no way for me to help them.โ
โThe kidnapping failed and Albert was taken to Tersia?โ
With so much going on at once, Duke Brions hands trembled with shock.
โThe good news is that Albert never spoke about us. They are the sort who would rather die if caught, so you can trust them.โ
โIndeedโฆ What is Rabienne doing?โ
โThe lady is locked in a room. She must want to see Your Grace, so shouldnโt you go?โ
When he heard that his daughter had been imprisoned after being deprived of her saint position, Duke Brions slammed his fist against the table.
โThe temple bastards. Theyโre doing this without consulting me. Are they going to leave me aside now?โ
โAnyway, the public test seems to have had a big impact. The difference in divine power is very clear.โ
โโฆIf I go and meet the temple bastards, is there any chance that Rabienne will be reinstated as a saint?โ
โJudging by the atmosphere, it will be difficult. Wouldnโt it be best to get her out so she wonโt be punished severely?โ
Upon hearing the analysis of the subordinate, Duke Brionsโ expression turned cold.
Until a while ago, he was worried about what to do with Rabienne, but now, his path was clear.
โFor our family to continue, we must have a saint in this generation.โ
โBut the lady has already lost her chance.โ
โEnough of Rabienne.โ
The subordinate raised his head in surprise at the harsh voice.
โAnd there is still a way.โ
Duke Brionsโ knew very well that there was only one way to make his wish come true.
He didnโt want to do it if possible, but since things went wrong, he had no choice.
โFirst, letโs go to the Imperial Palace.โ
โNot, not the temple? Arenโt you going to the lady?โ
โTo the imperial palace.โ
Duke Brionsโ voice was firm.
Ame: The least you could do is to be a less shitty father, but I guess even that is too much for you >_>