The Countess looked puzzled at the stare directed at her.
“High Priest, is there something on my face?”
“…It’s nothing. You just resemble someone I know.”
“Oh? It seems I look like my daughter then.”
At that moment, the expressions of the other guests, including the Count, froze. Only Lady Astita continued to smile brightly and spoke.
“It seems morning hasn’t fully awakened yet. I didn’t realize it was breakfast time. I should wake them up.”
“No, it’s not necessary.”
Adandito hastily stopped her, then calmly smiled and added,
“We can’t disturb someone who is deeply asleep. I will greet your daughter separately in the afternoon.”
“Will you do that?”
Lady Astita smiled gently. The others loosened their stiff expressions and pretended to be nonchalant.
After that, Adandito blessed each servant who arrived at the mansion one by one. However, he couldn’t shake off the persistent thought.
‘There was no mention of a person named Siara in the Astita lineage…’
However, Lady Astita confidently introduced Siara as her daughter. Seeing how much Siara resembled Lady Astita, it seemed likely that it was true.
‘She told me to think for myself… and Siara is indeed the hidden child of the Astita family.’
Despite that, there was no trace of Siara anywhere. Adandito, who had already completed his investigation on her, doubted whether a person could exist without leaving any trace.
‘Perhaps clues to her can be found in Lady Astita’s supposed madness.’
Unable to contain his curiosity, Adandito sought out Lady Astita separately after finishing his work. She was in the garden, drinking tea with Count Astita while flowers bloomed gracefully.
Adandito stood in front of them and brought up the matter directly.
“I apologize for being forward, but I heard that you suffered from a form of madness.”
“Yes, that’s correct. I’m completely recovered now.”
“There may still be lingering effects. If it’s alright with you, may I examine you?”
The lady nodded obediently. Adandito cautiously exerted his divine power on her.
However, there was no trace of the madness she had supposedly suffered from.
Madness was a disease that manifested due to intrusive energies. Yet Lady Astita was being protected by divine power. Moreover, she had been protected for a long time. It was unlikely for such a person to experience madness.
After a moment of silence, Adandito spoke.
“Madam, you have been blessed since the moment you were born.”
“Yes, that’s true. I heard that the high priest wiped my body with a towel soaked in holy water and bestowed his blessings.”
“And that blessing continues to this day.”
“Oh, really?”
The lady smiled modestly. Then, the Count, who had remained silent beside her, cautiously asked.
“High Priest, is my wife’s condition alright?”
“Yes, from what I observed… She is perfectly fine as if she never suffered from any illness.”
“That’s a relief.”
The Count let out a sigh, seemingly relieved. The lady seemed to understand Adandito’s words as an assurance that she had fully recovered from her supposed madness. The truth was that “she had never suffered from madness.”
However, Adandito couldn’t reveal the truth. If he were to say she didn’t suffer from madness, they would question what illness she had. Adandito himself didn’t know the reason either.
He broke the silence and spoke.
“What were the symptoms when you experienced the madness?”
“During my supposed madness? Well, I went searching for my daughter. I couldn’t bear it when she suddenly disappeared. But I don’t consider that as madness. Isn’t it natural for a mother to worry about her child?”
“But your daughter—”
“High Priest.”
The Count spoke softly and lowered his head towards Adandito.
“I will tell you slowly.”
It meant not to say anything further. Adandito nodded quietly and left the place.
* * *
Afterward, the Count informed Adandito that he had been lying, claiming that Siara was Lady Astita’s daughter for the sake of her stability.
‘After Siara arrived, it seemed like my wife’s madness disappeared as if washed away. My wife firmly believes that Siara is her daughter.’
Lady Astita, who showed no traces of suffering from madness, firmly believed that Siara was her daughter. But there was no birth record or any evidence of Siara’s existence anywhere.
If Siara had been confined and raised, she must have had a decent upbringing. Despite her messy appearance, she carried herself with a dignified posture, as if she had learned proper etiquette.
Moreover, the resemblance between Lady Astita and Siara was so striking that it perfectly fit the mother-daughter relationship. Count Astita was no exception. Siara seemed to have inherited only the good qualities of the couple.
If that were the case, Siara might truly be the daughter of the Astita couple.
‘She may have been erased from the world for some reason.’
It was still just a conjecture, but it was a possibility. If someone with a profound understanding of the divine realm exerted their power, erasing someone from everyone’s memory was entirely possible. The problem was why Siara had been erased from the world.
‘Could it be related to the Oracle?’
Adandito had no idea what means the deity who appointed Siara as his companion had used. Whatever the reason, it wouldn’t be something good for Siara or her family.
Adandito shifted his gaze outside the window. Sunflowers swayed relentlessly in the wind within his line of sight.
* * *
After a deep sleep, I woke up to find that it was already noon.
‘That’s strange. Why didn’t Becky wake me up?’
In our family, we always had meals together three times a day. But it was already past noon, and no one came to wake me up.
‘What could be happening?’
As I hurriedly prepared to go out, I noticed the curtains blocking the windows leading to the terrace. The moment I saw the curtains, Adandito came to mind. He must have stayed up all night because of me. I wonder if he’s still asleep by now…
‘Ugh, stop it. Why am I even thinking about him?’
I quickly finished getting ready and left the room. As soon as I opened the door, Hierian appeared before me. He looked at me innocently and gave a mischievous smile.
“Sister, did you wake up?”
I asked him with a bewildered expression,
“What are you doing here?”
“I came because I wanted to see you.”
“That’s pointless.”
Hierian smiled without saying a word. I absentmindedly ruffled his hair and asked,
“But more importantly, what’s going on at the mansion?”
“Oh, well…”
Hierian seemed somewhat uncomfortable and pursed his lips before speaking.
“Adandito came. Everyone seemed happy that a substitute official visited the mansion.”
“Oh, Adandito…”
“A substitute official, they say. Sister, you must really hate that, don’t you?”
I barely managed to nod my head an answer. I was currently in a state of lying to Hierian, pretending to be a Dragon. And the Dragons had been annihilated by the hands of the deities.
That was why the mages didn’t particularly like the divine officials. It seemed that Hierian had caught onto that.
I regretted lying once again. It was starting to become a headache.
‘They say if you lie once, you have to keep lying.’
It seemed to fit me perfectly. But I couldn’t keep avoiding Adandito. I had to handle it carefully. I chose my words carefully and spoke up.
“I’m just playing around. Most of the people in the Empire are believers, so I don’t care.”
“You have a broad mind, Sister.”
Fortunately, Hierian didn’t probe further.
As I felt relieved, I saw my mother walking down the corridor from a distance. When she saw me, she smiled brightly.
“Siara, you’re awake. The young guest is awake too.”
“Yeah, good morning.”
Hierian politely greeted my mother. I also exchanged words with her.
“You look happy.”
“Is that so? Well, the substitute official told me that my illness has completely healed.”
“Oh, really? That’s great!”
“Yeah, right? By the way, Siara, it seems like the substitute official knows you. Go and greet him.”
“Yes, I’ll go.”
As soon as I said that, Hierian made a sour face.
* * *
Adandito was resting in the accommodation provided by the mansion. It was as luxurious as the bedrooms where the mansion’s honored guests stayed, but Adandito’s bedroom was different. It felt somewhat detached from Astita.
Compared to his large physique, everyone from Astita seemed petite, like dwarves in a giant’s presence.
As soon as I opened the door, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the comical appearance in front of me. Adandito, wearing a wry smile, asked,
“This chair is a little small, isn’t it?”
I replied as I sat on the opposite chair.
“Yeah. But don’t ask them to change it. You’re just overly tall.”
“Of course.”
“But why did you call me?”
I was annoyed that he pretended to know me and bothered me unnecessarily. Contrary to my expectations that he would make some meaningless remarks, Adandito had a serious expression.
“I actually have something to ask you.”
“Okay, go ahead and ask.”
“Siara, were you born in Astita? I investigated you, but there are no records whatsoever.”
I glanced at his face and nodded my head.
“Yeah.”
Even if he misunderstood it as a lie, it didn’t matter. I had no intention of hiding my background. Even so, the fact that I had been erased from everyone’s memory didn’t sit well with me.
Feeling a bit down, I rested my chin on my hand and looked out the window. Adandito cautiously continued speaking.
“I met Count and Countess. They really resemble you, Siara.”
“But?”
“I heard that the Countess suffered from madness. So I investigated, but there were no traces of her suffering from any madness.”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“Before meeting you, I was given an oracle by the goddess Eora.”
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