LADBITW Chapter 10

A week later.

Lietta visited the East Annex again to lay consecration on the ladies' belongings. Ern informed Killian of this fact, but Killian responded indifferently, "I see."

Shortly after Ern withdrew, Killian headed to his private training ground to exercise.

Leonard gritted his teeth as he barely received Killian's sword and pulled back, gasping for breath.

"I've planted someone at Habitus Cathedral. No significant results yet."

"Good."

Leonard deflected the descending sword by sweeping it from below to above while spinning halfway, then Killian kicked the back of Leonard who'd shown his back, pushing him away.

Leonard quickly recovered his balance and took a defensive stance toward him again, panting. Then continued his report.

"The plague began spreading in Castiner in early April, that's correct. But that alone isn't sufficient grounds to suspect the cathedral as the plague's source."

Killian raised one corner of his mouth in a chilly smile.

"I know. It's more likely they simply moved quickly because they didn't want to lose a major client to another cathedral."

In the single moment of opening in Leonard's stance, Killian rushed in and knocked Leonard's sword away.

Clang! Leonard's sword flew away and fell in the corner of the training ground.

"That's the more probable scenario."

Leonard, feeling the jarring shock that traveled up his elbow to his shoulder, gripped his wrist and exhaled deeply, showing the courtesy of the defeated.

"Thank you."

With his sword tip, Killian pointed out the opening on Leonard's right thigh.

"You still leave an opening here when your mind is distracted."

Leonard made a groaning sound and scratched his head.

"Yes... I know it in my head but it doesn't correct easily."

Leonard picked up his sword from across the training ground.

Killian gazed quietly at the ankh ornament swaying from his sword grip. An object containing consecration that the cathedral sent regularly.

Habitus Cathedral.

Priests were human too. As a cathedral, entering places already overrun with plague and demons wouldn't be appealing work.

Just as consecration wasn't perfect protection, priests weren't immune to plague demons or plague. That many priests had already lost their lives to plague proved this.

Now that priests' service fees had skyrocketed, the most appetizing work would be large-scale consecration of huge adjacent cities like Axias where plague hadn't yet spread.

Such work wasn't highly dangerous yet paid well.

Axias was a wealthy city. Indeed, it seemed a client too good to lose.

He thought of the cathedral's report.

Once he'd judged the reliability of information in that report as questionable, it was a result worse than not having it at all.

Was it the product of simple error or greed?

He was someone who didn't mind the trouble of personally processing most documents and reading all reports.

Precisely because of that, he hated false reports that wasted his time. He wasn't idle enough to waste time worrying about such trivial matters.

His mood might simply be twisted from discovering wrong information in the report, but, well.

Killian kept open the possibility that the plague might not have occurred naturally.

Even if consecration was needed, Habitus Cathedral had already greatly lost points with Killian, so no crumbs would fall their way.

But certainly there was a need to be cautious of plague.

Killian recalled Ern's story that Lietta had come to the East Annex.

A consecration ability user.

Could she be utilized?

Without experience dealing with plague demons, she'd be difficult to help much.

Still, Killian focused on the fact that Lietta, as someone who could see plague demons with her eyes, hadn't passed through the cathedral's hands and had no suspicious background—a trustworthy consecration ability user.

"Oh my. Getting consecration just among yourselves. You didn't even tell me!"

"You weren't there then. We can ask her today!"

"Consecration master, please start with my room!"

At the East Annex on her second visit. Four women who'd been away last time or busy with other matters and hadn't received consecration were added.

Among them were the tree-climbing girl and the woman of extraordinary strength she'd met before. Anna and Seira.

More than a dozen beautiful women began chattering around Lietta again, each wearing and carrying consecrated items. Some women had brought additional items.

Still, with fewer people than last time, it was relatively easier.

After finishing her work, Lietta carefully opened her mouth to them.

"If the consecration's effect wanes, would you be willing to call me again?"

One woman answered immediately.

"Yes. I'd like to ask you again."

"Me too. I like the consecration master better than the cathedral priests."

"You live nearby so you come quickly when we request."

"You spend much more time too. And you're kind."

"The price is cheaper than the cathedral's."

"Best of all, you're not off-putting!"

As though everyone shared the same opinion, they all nodded and laughed in unison.

Lietta exhaled a small sigh of relief and bowed her head politely in gratitude.

"Thank you. If you permit it, I'd like to come weekly to replenish consecration for five places at a time. Would that be acceptable?"

After all, thoroughly laying consecration throughout more than ten spacious rooms in a day was quite burdensome work. If she divided it into five places per week, the work would be much easier.

Hearing her story, the ladies readily agreed to do so.

"Then that's fifteen places in three weeks."

"Yes. Fortunately there are exactly fifteen of you ladies."

"Are there fifteen of us? Someone's missing, who?"

"Irene."

"Ah."

Understanding expressions crossed the ladies' faces. Lietta asked with a slightly puzzled face.

"Is there one more person?"

"Yes. Sixteen people live here... But don't worry about Irene."

What's going on?

Who is this Irene?

Perhaps noticing Lietta's concern, Rachel added briefly.

"She'll probably say she's not interested. Don't worry. She's a noble, so her family seems to send her consecrated items and holy water and such."

Still, wearing consecrated items and directly receiving consecration on one's dwelling were incomparable in terms of safety. The difference was like wearing a hat versus using an umbrella to avoid rain.

However, unexpected words from Celinu drove thoughts of Irene away.

"Blessingsayer, don't you live in the castle? If you say you want to move in, he'd probably allow it."

Another lady clapped her hands together.

"Oh my, that's right. Move in. It's good here. We get to see his lordship occasionally, though rarely."

The ladies looked at her with shining eyes.

Lietta was flustered.

She'd thought they seemed close last time.

But doesn't this go beyond that dimension?

What kind of atmosphere is this?

Even increasing competitors?

That these women didn't fear the Grand Duke of Axias at all—she could accept that now.

But wasn't this too far from the typical harem scenario of women competing and scheming in rivalry over one man?

Lietta hesitated, unable to speak the truth.

Butler Ern had requested that many people who tried to abuse the Grand Duke's favor earned his anger and suffered greatly, and with various circumstances, it would be good if she didn't speak elsewhere of the favor he'd shown.

Lietta kept silent according to those words. She thought "the Grand Duke's favor" included not just the financial help she'd received, but also being released without him doing anything to her when she'd come to this bedroom wearing only a slip a month ago.

She didn't have the honor of a lady like a common young woman would, where such rumors would be problematic.

She wasn't in a position to worry about marriage prospects being blocked by such things known, and remarriage wasn't of interest anyway, so there was no problem.

Life in Axias was so safe and peaceful she didn't need a man in the house.

Though Lietta wasn't conscious of it, the fact that the Grand Duke had shown interest in her actually protected her, making her life in Axias comfortable without even unwanted advances from those around her.

In any case, Lietta hadn't gone around announcing that nothing of that nature had occurred between herself and the Grand Duke of Axias. So the women couldn't be acting this way knowing the Grand Duke had absolutely no romantic interest in her.

Yet why were they so unguarded about increasing competition—she couldn't understand.

Whether Lietta was inwardly flustered or not, the women gathered close around her, touching her hair and saying it was pretty and how it was and what, beginning their East Annex recruitment.

"If you live here, you can always stay pretty. The work isn't much if we divide it."

"Living expenses are generous too!"

"If we braid this hair and decorate it, it'd be so much prettier. If you come, I'll do your hair every day."

"We're not mean! We'll treat you well!"

"And we get consecration for free!"

The one who added that cheerfully was the blonde, youthful-looking lady, Anna.

"How shameless! Still, we should pay for that!"

"Huh, should we?"

Anna quickly covered her mouth.

"Sorry. She's immature."

Giselle, with her charming beauty mark, placed hands on Anna's shoulders from behind and laughed. Her luscious brown hair tied up to one side looked lively and lovely.

"Did his lordship not call for you today?"

"Ah, no."

She smiled lovingly.

"Then would you like to have tea time with us?"

They spread a mat in the garden where flowers bloomed prettily and began drinking tea. Fragrant tea and sweet cookies were laid out.

The one who'd carried out the tray of homemade cookies was a small woman with black bobbed hair and intelligent purple eyes—Rachel. She'd been the first to invite Lietta to the East Annex.

"I made these myself. Do they suit your taste?"

"Really? You're skilled."

"I helped too."

Rachel looked at Anna who'd joined the conversation and smiled. Helen heaved a grand sigh.

"Anna, what you did wasn't helping but hindering."

Anna's face showed shock as she dropped the cookie from her mouth.

Rachel calmly brushed off the cookie Anna had dropped on her clothes.

"It's okay, Anna. You're improving."

"Though what should've taken thirty minutes took an hour and a half thanks to you."

"Still, at least the result was edible."

There were no maids in the East Annex.

They, the "East Annex ladies," received living expenses from the castle lord, Grand Duke Axias, and while living there, helped with castle work and household duties when hands were short, and handled the annex's housekeeping with their own hands, they said.

Each one cleaned their own rooms, and cleaning communal spaces like corridors and yards, laundry, meals, and other arising tasks were handled together.

They even split firewood themselves in winter, they said. Though sometimes they bought it when that didn't work out.

Even women without particular talents had assigned tasks, whether preparing or cleaning up meals or maintaining the garden.

It sounded happy and enjoyable, but certainly it wasn't the life of noble ladies.

"Only Irene doesn't do anything. She's the only one who skips yard cleaning."

Another woman picked up the conversation casually.

"She's a precious count's daughter. But Irene doesn't receive living expenses from his lordship."

"Still, once you enter here, everyone's equal. Everyone does their assigned work."

Anna spoke her dissatisfaction with a sulky face.

"And Irene doesn't eat with us, never once attended a tea party. Doesn't greet us and looks at us coldly whenever we see her. In the end, she acts like she'll monopolize his lordship alone even though she's never been summoned once either. I don't like Irene."

In some ways, that woman's reaction might be the most sensible...

Lietta felt somewhat peculiar as she drank tea from a simple teacup, watching the seemingly close women and Anna grumbling with protruding lips.

The feeling was strange.

Anna appeared to be a child just past twelve or thirteen at most.

The Grand Duke's concubine...

Even such a young child.

How could such a child who looked too young to have even had her first blood remain this bright after enduring such things?

Lietta herself, a twenty-six-year-old widow, had suffered so terribly just from receiving such a proposal from Lord Casarius.

Though the Grand Duke of Axias was much younger and had handsome features.

How old might she be? If only she were actually mature despite just looking young.

But to hope Anna might be an adult was too much—Anna looked far too young. At most fifteen, generously estimated?

"No? Anna is twelve though?"

"Ah..."

Lietta's face became gloomy without realizing it.

Anna, whom she'd unconsciously raised her eyes to look at as if checking, had cookie crumbs all over her mouth, cheeks puffed out, seemingly choking as she busily poured milk from the pitcher into her cup.

Since the Grand Duke of Axias hadn't touched Lietta and she even owed him her life, Lietta wasn't in a position to dare criticize him.

Not she nor anyone else could dare interfere with or point fingers at his private life.

Though her head understood she should accept that nobles could be like that, that's just how it was...

Elise, who'd followed where Lietta's gloomy gaze directed, propped her cheek and laughed.

"Ah. Consecration master, I know what you're thinking. It's not like that with Anna. She's just a child his lordship picked up on the road."

Lietta's eyes rounded.

Anna, who'd swallowed the cookie she'd been chewing along with milk, squealed sharply.

"Picked up! He brought me to make me his wife someday!"

"What are we going to do with her?"

The women ruffled Anna's hair, finding the indignant girl adorable beyond measure.

Lietta looked at them with a bewildered face.

"Pardon?"

A picked-up child?

Weren't only the Grand Duke of Axias's women living in the East Annex?

The women explained that Killian had brought Anna, who'd lost her parents and been abused at an orphanage, to his territory.

Anna had nowhere to go.

If she'd been an adult, she could've been given a house like Lietta to live in the territory, but Anna, who was only five, was too young to live alone.

It was also difficult to send a child who'd been abused at an orphanage back to another orphanage.

The women of the East Annex at the time had volunteered to take in five-year-old Anna.

"Still, I'm a senior here."

Anna boasted that now, not many older sisters had lived in the East Annex longer than herself.

Helen laughed softly at the girl doing so.

"Acting like a senior. Anna, from your bed-wetting days I..."

"Kyaa! Sister Helen!"

At Helen's counterattack, who'd experienced that history, Anna's face turned bright red as she charged at Helen making a fuss, swinging her tightly clenched fists in the air.

"Oh, oh, the cookies. The cookies!"

Seira laughed merrily and caught the tray about to tip over.

Lietta looked at the girl's face with widened, bewildered eyes.

Though she had a past of abuse, there was no shadow on that face. She was a spirited, lovely child.

Anna, who'd been finger-combing through her own disheveled hair with hands covered in cookie crumbs, had cookie fragments stuck in her hair.

"You'll get ants, you!"

Helen scolded such Anna with a laughing face while brushing the cookie crumbs from the girl's hair.

Lietta, who'd been wearing a surprised face for a while, felt her heart warming without realizing it and smiled along.

Then Killian visited the East Annex for the first time in a while.