"This holy water has been contaminated."
As soon as the young priest finished speaking, the temple began to stir.
The holy water used in sacred rituals was managed under strict control. For such holy water to be contaminated meant that there could be a subversive force within the temple.
Cassius’s expression twisted instantly. He looked ready to strike down anyone who dared to spout nonsense.
"You claimed your divine power was very high, so I assume what you just said is not a lie?"
The young priest smiled, his eyes crinkling softly.
"This holy water is certainly contaminated. And it was done with very meticulous calculation."
He gazed quietly at the holy water in the silver bowl. The clear, shimmering liquid appeared flawless to the naked eye.
He narrowed his eyes and placed his hand over the holy water.
"It functions normally without any issues at first, but it was designed to become contaminated after a certain amount of time. It was clever and calculated. Therefore, the bloodline test conducted just moments ago is meaningless."
As he continued, the Archbishop’s face turned deathly pale.
"Archbishop... you have not yet announced the results of the bloodline test, have you?"
The priest smiled brightly and tilted his head slightly to the side. Yet, for some reason, his gaze felt cold.
In that moment, everyone gathered in the temple realized the truth.
The fact that the Archbishop had not yet officially declared that Ria was not of the Tenebris bloodline.
"A-apprentice priest friend, no, Apprentice Priest. Apprentice Priest sir..."
Cassius, who had instantly suppressed his killing intent, managed to open his mouth.
"Does that mean..."
The implication of the young priest’s words was clear.
"We must perform the test again."
Duke Ignis, who had been silently observing the situation, spoke in a low voice. Cassius’s firm hands wrapped gently around Ria’s small shoulders. His hands, too, seemed to be trembling slightly.
Only then did Ria let out the breath she had been holding.
The Archbishop stepped back and bowed his head deeply.
"I offer my formal apologies in the name of the Goddess."
It was rare for the temple to take a step back.
However, it was clear where the fault for today’s events lay.
It was fortunate that no common believers had been admitted for the bloodline test; had this scene been witnessed by others, it would have been the perfect fodder for gossip.
To see the Duke, standing as upright as an impregnable fortress, glaring fiercely at the priests, and the Archbishop bowing his head before him—it was quite a sight.
"If you require the help of the Tenebris, I shall provide it."
The Duke’s tone was resolute.
The Duke’s estate had its own unique methods for interrogating criminals. To this day, no one had ever been able to withstand their interrogation.
No one dared to ask what the Duke’s methods were. They could only imagine that they must be truly terrifying.
Duke Ignis’s gaze swept quietly, one by one, over the faces of the priests gathered near the altar. The meaning of that look was clear.
It was a silent pressure to uncover the mastermind behind this incident.
It was also a stern warning that the Duke’s estate would not sit idly by.
A short while later, the ritual resumed.
This time, to prevent any unforeseen accidents, the Archbishop personally oversaw every step, from the preparation of the holy water to the bloodline test itself.
Although the unexpected incident had pushed them well past the scheduled time, no one dared to complain.
As the ritual began again, tension filled the Central Temple once more.
The Archbishop declared the resumption of the ritual in a solemn voice, and Duke Ignis and Cassius each dropped their blood into the bowl of holy water.
The blood swirled quietly, mixing into the holy water and forming a single mass. It was a natural attraction, as if they were calling out to one another.
"This is the bloodline of the Tenebris."
The Archbishop’s voice echoed through the temple.
Ria raised her fingertips, which were trembling hundreds of times more than before, and carefully extended them over the silver bowl containing the holy water.
The young priest who had claimed the holy water was contaminated gently took Ria’s hand.
"Are you nervous?"
It would be a lie to say she wasn't.
But Ria shook her head.
Even if the result is the same as before, it is just the same situation as before.
Ria closed her eyes, waiting for the dagger to prick her fingertip.
Just then, the young priest suddenly pulled the hand he was holding and leaned toward her.
Ria, caught off guard, was drawn toward him and opened her eyes wide.
His sparkling golden eyes met Ria’s.
"My name is Ordo."
With that short sentence, she felt a stinging sensation at her fingertip.
Ordo’s face wore a mysterious smile.
A drop of blood fell from Ria’s fingertip.
Everyone in the temple held their breath, watching the scene. Just like before, Ria’s blood touched the blood of the Tenebris.
No change occurred.
However.
The holy water began to glow slowly.
The blood of the Tenebris and Ria’s blood found each other naturally, as if puzzle pieces were being fitted together, and merged perfectly into one.
A blinding light erupted from the bowl containing the holy water.
There was no room for doubt.
Ria was of the Tenebris bloodline.
"This young lady is of the Tenebris bloodline."
The Archbishop solemnly declared.
Doubt and confusion vanished.
Cassius was the first to rush over, lifting Ria up in his arms and spinning her around several times without stopping.
Her vision spun.
And so, tears burst forth.
++
At the entrance of the temple.
Unusually, the Archbishop had come all the way to the door to see the guests off.
Ria could not easily take a step forward, as if something were caught in a corner of her heart.
She looked back several times with a hesitant expression before finally tugging gently on the Archbishop’s robe.
"Archbishop. I... I would like to say goodbye to that priest from earlier."
The Archbishop looked at Ria’s small hand for a moment before bending his knees to meet her eyes.
"He is very busy right now. He has much work to do."
"Because his divine power is very high?"
"Yes, even though he is an 'apprentice priest.' So, I believe it would be best to greet him another time, Young Lady of the Duke."
The Archbishop smiled kindly.
Ria nodded.
Not throwing a tantrum was also one of the things she had learned at the Marquess's estate.
The unfamiliar term "Young Lady of the Duke" that the Archbishop used echoed strangely in her ears.
He took the ring from his own finger and handed it to Ria.
"Please forgive the error of today. If you ever need it, the temple will always stand on the side of the Young Lady. And this is the token of that promise."
The Archbishop’s gaze was straight and sincere.
And so, Ria smiled at the Archbishop.
For the first time in a very long time, sincerely.
"Ria, come quickly. We have to leave now!"
At Anella’s voice, Ria turned her head.
In front of the two carriages, members of the Duke’s family were waiting for Ria.
Ria gave a light bow to the Archbishop and ran toward the carriages.
The carriage the adults had arrived in and one newly prepared carriage were standing there.
Eleanor was still looking at Ria with an anxious expression. The accident on the way to the temple had unsettled her heart.
"Ria..."
Moreover, it was because it was right after Ria had been officially proven to be a member of the Tenebris.
"Elly, it can't be helped. You know we can't change the traditions of the family."
Cassius said, gently patting Eleanor’s hand. However, Eleanor still looked uneasy.
Just then, Anella whispered to Ria in a small voice.
"Ria, I'm so excited. To think you're really Aunt Leila’s daughter! Now we're officially cousins."
Anella giggled softly and held Ria’s hand tightly.
"Let's go back together."
++
The news had reached the Duke’s estate a step ahead of them.
All the servants were lined up, having finished their preparations to welcome their new master perfectly.
Finally, the family’s carriages pulled up in front of the lobby.
Cassius appeared from the lead carriage, and without delay, he went to the carriage that followed and opened the door.
His twin sons and Anella appeared one after another, and a small hand was placed gently upon Cassius’s hand.
The girl who finally appeared was very small.
Her soft cheeks were flushed with a rosy hue. Her large, clear, sparkling gray eyes evoked a familiar longing in the servants who remembered Leila.
Even the stray hairs escaping from her soft, light brown curly hair, tied high in a single ponytail, were lovely.
The girl who had been a guest of the Duke’s estate before leaving had now returned as the Young Lady of the Duke.
In truth, because of the fake bloodline incident, it wasn't as if there weren't servants who had been looking at Ria with suspicious eyes. But even they seemed to realize it was time to change their attitude, and they were bowing their heads quietly.
Marian, who had been waiting among the servants, ran over in a single bound and knelt to greet Ria, who was now officially her master. She even seemed to be on the verge of tears.
Eleanor stepped forward in front of the servants.
"As you all already know, this is Ria Tenebris, who has officially become a member of the Duke’s family. Please do your best to help her so that she has no discomfort in her life at the estate."
Her voice carried the dignity and grace of the mistress of the house.
Eleanor turned to Ria and smiled softly.
The servants took turns coming forward, one by one, to swear their respect and obedience to their new master as servants of the family.
The smile never left Cassius’s beaming face.
However, Ria remained uncharacteristically quiet.
It was because it didn't feel real.
++
Ayla Temple.
The Archbishop watched the Duke’s estate carriages pull away for a moment before turning around.
Ordo was waiting for the Archbishop under the shade of a tree, deep within a garden thick with Divine Power.
Within a concentration of Divine Power so dense that ordinary people could barely approach, he wore an ambiguous smile.
"Archbishop. If it weren't for me, you would have caused a major disaster."
The Archbishop shook his head vigorously.
"The Holy Water being contaminated. It is an impossible occurrence."
"And yet, it happened, didn't it? That 'impossible occurrence'."
The Archbishop let out a deep sigh.
"As you instructed, everyone who had even the slightest involvement in the ritual has been placed in isolation."
The Temple could not simply overlook someone who dared to ruin a sacred ritual.
"Now then, shall we go and ferret out the culprit?
Though, Archbishop, this is quite amusing, isn't it?"
Ordo narrowed his golden eyes as if looking down at the foot of the mountain where the carriage had disappeared.
"What do you mean?"
The Archbishop asked, looking puzzled.
"That two young ladies of the Duke's estate should be born with such diametrically opposed fates."
"Pardon? What could that possibly…?"
Leaving the bewildered Archbishop behind, his words laden with hidden meaning, Ordo walked toward the dungeon concealed beneath the Temple, his playful smile masking a sharp, piercing gaze.
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