Chapter 143: Chapter 143

“Let me tell you this. I think you heard God’s prophecy once before, right?

His blue eyes staring at me brightly sparkled.

‘How did he know? I have never told anyone about it. ‘

My heart sank. The moment my father told me to come in a formal dress, I was ready for any question, but I was scared because I felt the emperor’s determination in his sparkling eyes that he would make me the next empress.

‘Let’s stay calm, Aristia. There is still a way to get out of here, ‘ I murmured to myself.

I took a deep breath to calm down. When he nodded with a sigh, the emperor turned his mouth up slightly as if he knew it.

“It’s as I expected. Obviously, you heard God’s prophecy about your middle name.”

“… ”

“Your Majesty, what do you mean by her middle name?”

“Well, I’ve kept mum about it until now, but it’s just that lady named Jiun sitting there who received God’s middle name. Lady Monique also received her middle name from God five years ago.”

Was it because they were so shocked to hear that? Both the pro-emperor faction and the noble faction were silent. Those who stayed calm were only a few, including my father and the two dukes. Among them was Duke Jena.

I smiled bitterly when I saw Duke Jena’s calm expression. Although he didn’t let anybody know about it, he must have discovered it already because he had a close relationship with the priests at the temple.

How much time passed?

A thick voice broke the silence. It was Earl Larnier’s voice.

“What are you talking about? If she received it five years ago, how come it is being revealed now…”

“I clearly ordered you to be quiet. Are you saying I’ve fabricated her story, Earl Larnier?”

As the emperor rebuked him sharply, the earl became silent again. Duke Jena, who had been silent all along unlike the murmuring nobles, opened his mouth finally, “I don’t think he insinuated something like fabrication. I guess he wanted to point out the possibility that Marquis Monique might have tipped her off on her middle name by mistake. She is not a priest, and she doesn’t know what God’s token is. So, it is more credible to give her father the benefit of the doubt.”

As soon as the duke said that, his followers began to make a big fuss, saying something like “Her middle name was fabricated” “Her middle name is very doubtful” “She is hellbent on being the next empress.” In response to their argument, the pro-emperor faction also began to refute them one by one.

The moment my father, who quietly watched the situation for a while, was gradually getting angry and Marquis Ensil, who remained silent, was about to open his mouth, someone struck the desk savagely. Everybody focused their attention at the platform because of the bang noise.

The crown prince, who remained silent next to the emperor, was looking around them coldly.

“Too noisy here. After all, what matters is whether Lady Monique really heard God’s prophecy or not, whether the two women really received their middle names from God, and which of the two is the child of God’s prophecy, right?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Well, that’s quite simple. By now, the high priest would have arrived. We can ask him. ”

After speaking with a cold voice, he beckoned to the protocol officer. While the protocol officer went out to call the high priest, the conference room, where the two opposing factions were having a war of nerves, became silent.

Was it because I was too nervous? When I looked at my wet palms, someone gave me a handkerchief suddenly. The golden-haired young man sitting on my right side was smiling at me.

“Ah… Thank you, sir. ”

“I was very impressed with the way you entered here. Lady Monique, I heard that you belonged to the 1st Knights’ Division, but it is hard to find anyone at your age well versed in the laws of the empire. Oh, don’t think I’m looking down on those in the knights’ world. My family is also a knights family.”

“I’m flattered. Thank you.”

“I think I will join the Knights division sooner or later. If I am assigned to the 1st Knights Division, I hope I’ll be in great hands.”

While handing the handkerchief back to Marquis Enesil, who spoke to me kindly, I thought about him for a moment. Given that he would join the knights, it was certain that he wanted to move into the central political stage.

‘Is he really aiming for the creation of the 3rd Knights Division?”

Suddenly, the golden falcon brooch on his collar caught my eye. I also noticed the crown necklace that the golden hawk was wearing around her neck.

Marquis Enesil.

His was a family with a history of humiliation, founded by the first emperor’s brother.

There was no such evidence in the past, but as their future began to change little by little, the Enesil family seemed to get out of their humiliating past and make a comeback in the central political world.

“His Eminence, the high priest has arrived!”

At the protocol officer’s announcement, everybody, who was busy talking in small groups of two and three, became silent and turned their eyes at the entrance of the door.

At that moment, I felt my eyes seemed to have met the crown prince’s, but it was so fleeting that I could not be sure of it.

The heavy door was opened, and the high priest wrapped with a white robe came in. His pure white robe without any dust and his long hair rustling on the floor created a mysterious aura.

Approaching the seat reserved for him, which was right below the platform where the emperor and the crown prince were seated, the high priest slightly bowed to them.

“May the blessings of life be with you. This is Tertius, the third root of Vita.”

“Oh, you are already the third root. It’s been a while, high priest. I think I am seeing you for the first time in almost 20 years, but you still seem very young.”

‘Twenty years?’

I thought he was about the same age as Marquis Enesil at most. I couldn’t believe that the high priest had known the emperor for such a long time. In fact, given that he was called the third root, he might be in his mid or late 30s, considering the characteristics of the high priest.

“All thanks to Vita, our main God. Yes, twenty years. Time flies like an arrow.”

“I have some questions I want to ask you. Can I ask you to confirm?”

“Of course. Please go ahead.”

When his reply resonated through the air, Duke Verita stepped forward to ask questions.

“I’ve already confirmed it, but let me ask you again. Your Eminence, is it true that Lady Monique heard God’s prophecy?”

“I swear on the name of our God and the divine power that He has given me, yes, it is true.”

“Is it true that Lady Monique and the woman over there received their middle names from God?”

“I am a high priest as well as God’s token. I heard God’s prophecy on their middle names. It was true that God gave the middle name ‘Pioneer’ to Lady Monique, and ‘Graspe’ to the woman named Jiun.”

When the high priest said that, the whole conference room was noisy with their whispering.

As the loud noise diminished in no time, Duke Verita asked the last question, “Finally, let me ask you this. So, who is the true child of God’s prophecy, Aristia Pioneer la Monique or Jiun Graspe? I would like to hear your opinion.”

“You are asking a difficult question. Hmm, well, good. Let me tell you what I think. ”

His red lips were curled up with a smile. His light green eyes seemed to turn at me, then moved to the platform where the emperor and the crown prince were seated. When everyone was holding their breath, his tightly closed lips slowly opened.

“Aristia Pioneer la Monique is …”

“… ”

“…She is not the true child of God’s prophecy. Jiun Graspe is the genuine child of God’s prophecy, replacing the existing one.”

As soon as he said, the angry pro-emperor faction yelled at him.

“How ridiculous! That doesn’t make any sense.”

“As expected, she was a fake!” shouted one of the noble faction members.

The noble faction, including Duke Jena, nodded with a satisfied smile.

I felt something like a deja vu at the unprecedented disturbances among them.

‘Come to think of it, I experienced the same thing before my return from the past’

After Jiun appeared, I was demoted to the emperor’s concubine from the empress as the rumors spread that she was the genuine child of God’s prophecy.