Ch.80College (6)

“P-Please… spare, spare me… ple- gurrrk…”

“…I’m sorry, but you must die so others may live.”

The soldier who was begging for mercy has his life cut short by the blade of the overseer who managed them.

Making a gurgling sound as blood foams from his throat, the soldier collapses face-first onto the ground, his body twitching for a moment before becoming completely still.

‘This is for the best.’

If he hadn’t added unnecessary details to his report, I might have been able to save him somehow… damn it.

If he had simply reported that the Emperor and the prisoner met alone at night, nothing would have happened. But why did he have to add comments like, “Their gazes were suggestive,” and “The atmosphere was suspicious”?

Because of such reports, Lady Ines became fixated on the confirmation bias that the Emperor and the prisoner were having an affair. She even ignored my suggestion to wait and observe since we had too little information.

‘In the end, it wasn’t true at all.’

When Lady Ines realized there was nothing between the Emperor and the prisoner, she flew into a rage and ordered the execution of everyone who had spread the false rumors.

It was only after I used every means at my disposal to dissuade her that I managed to reduce the number of victims to just two.

Really… I’ve served her for a long time, but it would be better if she could control her temper a bit more.

“Did everyone see that?”

“Y-Yes…!”

“If you don’t want to end up like him, don’t add unnecessary comments when making reports from now on. Report only objective facts. Understood?”

“Understood!!”

These fellows have such unfortunate fates. If they were desperate for a living, they should have looked for other work, like becoming serfs or laborers, rather than coming here.

Their origins are uncertain, their parents are of low status, and they have no assets. They are the perfect chess pieces—completely dependent on Lady Ines for food, clothing, and shelter, and no one would raise an eyebrow if she decided to kill them.

Once they’ve set foot in this place, they can never return to a normal life. They’ll spend their entire lives as Lady Ines’s pawns, just like me.

A normal life… Come to think of it, there are others in a similar situation.

‘I wonder what happened on Lady Chloe’s side?’

We’re not the only ones in this castle. Lady Chloe, the Emperor’s concubine, also has many of her people infiltrated here.

Lady Chloe must have received similar reports from her people as we did.

Hmm… but their situation must be much better than ours. Lady Chloe, unlike what you’d expect from a concubine, has an extremely kind and gentle personality.

She probably just reprimanded the person responsible and left it at that?

“It was an honor to serve Lady Chloe…! Once again, I’m truly sorry!!”

Of course, the overseer’s prediction was wrong, but it wasn’t completely off the mark.

Unlike Lady Ines’s people who begged for their lives until the very end, Lady Chloe’s people all met their end quietly and obediently.

Having been raised with continuous indoctrination from the orphanage, they were willing to sacrifice everything, including their lives, for Lady Chloe and her husband, Lord Claude.

……….

“Hmm? I don’t recognize your face.”

“Yes, Your Majesty! I’m Jean, recently assigned to this area! I was told the soldier who used to work here could no longer continue due to personal circumstances, so I’m filling in temporarily until an official replacement is appointed!!”

“I see. Alright. Lower your voice, it’s hurting my ears.”

“I apologize…!”

I was wondering what happened when I saw an unfamiliar soldier standing where the usual one should be, but it seems he quit entirely.

I had grown quite fond of that familiar face after seeing him for so long, so it’s a bit sad to part ways like this.

Come to think of it, is Ines handling the personnel assignments within the palace now that she’s taken that authority back from Leclerc?

Hmm… My belly will start showing soon, and it’s not right to work while pregnant, so I should find someone to act in my place.

Leclerc is out of the question since he’s been stripped of his authority, so I need to find someone else—

“Your Majesty, we have arrived.”

“Huh?”

Only upon hearing the voice of the attendant walking beside me did I realize we had reached the building where Jeanne was being held. A massive wooden door stands before me.

Oh, we’re here already.

I must have lost track of time while walking lost in thought.

“Wait here.”

“Yes.”

Upon hearing my command, the attendant takes one step back as always, bows his head toward me, and stands still in place.

‘The conversation ahead must not be leaked.’

The discussion I’m about to have with Jeanne is full of information that would cause a commotion if others knew about it. To prevent any possible leaks, it’s best not to bring anyone inside.

Claude left the attendant outside based on this reasoning, completely unaware that the very attendant he gave the order to believes the Emperor is going to engage in sexual misconduct with the prisoner.

As Claude turns his back on the attendant and enters the prison, the attendant watches his retreating figure and inwardly clicks his tongue, thinking that the Emperor’s youthful vigor is making him act impulsively.

……….

“…Are you telling me to find a new life?”

“Yes, from now on, you’ll no longer be Jeanne who led the rebels, but Jeanne who was born and raised in Dijon.”

I don’t understand what the Saint means at all.

Meeting the Saint is already my new life, so what does he mean by finding another new life?

“Fortunately, not many people know your face. The number of people who enter this prison is limited, and those who have had contact with you can be counted on one hand. If we silence them, there will be no problem in washing away your identity.”

“If my identity changes… what will happen to me?”

“You’ll be released since you’ll no longer be a criminal, and—”

My crimes will disappear…?

If my sins against the Saint disappear, it means the connection between the Saint and me will vanish, which means we’ll become strangers to each other.

Moreover, if my crimes disappear, I’ll be expelled from the prison and the castle, and I’ll never be allowed to enter again. And since the Saint rarely leaves the castle, my chances of seeing his face will be greatly reduced.

No, no… that absolutely cannot happen…

I must stop the Saint somehow…!

“S-Saint… I must atone for my sins. Even if secular law differs from divine law, the authority to pardon sinners belongs only to—”

“Enough. Secular law is under my authority.”

“But rebellion is a grave sin mentioned in the scripture— ugh, ungh…”

Jeanne tried to dissuade Claude by mobilizing all the knowledge she had, but her attempt was immediately thwarted by Claude’s cold interruption and gaze.

No matter how favorably Claude viewed Jeanne, her attempt to place the monarch’s authority beneath God’s had crossed the line significantly.

“Ugh, ungh… hnngh…”

“…Haaa.”

Having received such hostile treatment from the Saint, the Saint’s Maiden instantly forgot everything she was about to say and began to sob quietly with tears streaming down her face, while Claude sighed deeply at the sight.

By Claude’s common sense, one should be happy when offered a pardon for their crimes, not react with such terror, which made no sense to him.

‘She seems to have reached this state through some strange thought process. Could she possibly think she’s being cast out? Hmm, that’s quite a plausible story.’

After observing Jeanne’s unusual behavior and speculating on the reason, Claude constructs a plausible narrative in his mind and decides to comfort Jeanne based on it.

“Jeanne, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I’m not going to cast you out, so don’t worry. I only mentioned pardoning you, so why are you suddenly so frightened?”

“Hic, hicc— w-what…?”

Jeanne, who had been grieving based on all sorts of assumptions until just a moment ago, stops crying abruptly upon hearing this and slowly looks up at Claude.

Small teardrops roll down Jeanne’s cheeks, and seeing this, Claude inwardly suppresses a sigh before continuing.

“You mentioned before that you wanted to have deep conversations with many clergy, remember? The identity change is part of that process.”

“Does that mean…”

“From now on, Jeanne will enter the theology department of Dijon University as a maid living in the castle.”

“…!!”

Of course, Claude didn’t make this decision simply to grant Jeanne’s wish.

Although young, Jeanne possesses theological knowledge far beyond her years, making her more than capable of engaging in theological debates with other priests.

Placing Jeanne, who is extremely hostile to the Holy See, among theologians who are inevitably influenced by the Holy See will result in endless theological debates between them. Whether the theologians win or lose against Jeanne, they will be significantly influenced by her.

And the students enrolled in the theology department, witnessing this, will deeply contemplate the problems within the current Canaan Church. The theology department of Dijon University will become an important card in dealing with the Holy See and other reformists.

Claude nods inwardly with satisfaction as he contemplates the ripples Jeanne will create.

‘Ah, aah… aaah…!’

And Jeanne, upon hearing Claude’s words, inwardly lets out an embarrassed scream.

Not only had she presumed the Saint’s intentions on her own, but she had also upset him and even cried unsightly tears, ruining his mood.

How incredulous must the Saint have felt seeing her reaction when he was trying to give her such a gift? She wants to hide in a mouse hole out of shame.

‘To make up for my rudeness toward the Saint, I must enter that university and prove myself through my academic performance.’

Jeanne vows not to waste the precious opportunity to learn that the Saint has given her and resolves to act in a manner worthy of the Saint’s expectations.