MPBAGS Chapter 102

The maid with a scarf wrapped below her nose watched without blinking as Evangeline drank all the wine. She only moved again after receiving back the empty glasses that Evangeline and Kinder Totten had finished.

How strange. Holy water had no effect on Evangeline Rohanson. Was she not a demon?

From watching her swallow, it wasn't some trick - she really had drunk all the wine mixed with holy water. The way she downed the wine in one gulp seemed like she was showing off that holy water wasn't her weakness. As she was fidgeting with the empty glass, the supervising maid scolded her.

"You there! What are you doing standing around? Where do you have time to rest? Hurry up and serve the wine again!"

Nodding her head, Saraka picked up the plated dishes again. She mixed holy water from her apron pocket into every glass. While walking, her wine glasses were snatched away several times, but she didn't stop it. Holy water wasn't poison, so it didn't matter who drank it.

"Give me a glass of wine too."

Fortunately, she reached the person she had business with before all the wine glasses were emptied. Saraka handed a glass to Baron Whikel and conveyed her request.

Contrary to his public reputation, Baron Whikel was quick-witted and tight-lipped - one of Saraka's frequently used pawns. Recently, she had been using him effectively by having him build a friendship with Count Rohanson.

"Really? So I just need to subtly provoke Duke Hosaquin, is that it? Ha, how did you know that's my specialty?"

Duke Hosaquin had bad habits with his hands and a fiery temper. Especially when angry, he couldn't make rational judgments. If she put in the option of provoking the Duke through Baron Whikel to make him throw a wine glass at Evangeline, he would follow through with the action.

Drinking it didn't work. Then what about when holy water was poured on her? What about on wounds? Saraka vividly felt her heart racing as when dealing with the heretics imprisoned in the underground dungeon.

Evangeline and Kinder soon approached Duke Hosaquin. The Duke threw and broke one perfectly good glass, then grabbed wine and threw it again. But she hadn't expected the knight commander to embrace Evangeline and take the glass hit instead. She had temporarily sent Sir Muzeta away through him to avoid interference, but he had returned in the meantime.

Baron Whikel averted his eyes, reading Saraka's expression about the slightly twisted plan. However, at that moment, Saraka was so filled with ecstasy that she couldn't even pay attention to Baron Whikel. Under her scarf, her scarred mouth stretched into an eerily wide smile.

Baron Whikel thought the knight commander had been hit with normal wine rather than holy water, but the second glass Duke Hosaquin threw was also mixed with holy water.

"Ouch!"

The maid cleaning up the glass from the floor had definitely cut her hand. Even she dismissed it as a mistake, but Saraka clearly witnessed the moment her hand was cut. Since the wine was mixed with holy water, it healed immediately. But the knight commander's wound showed no signs of healing even after taking a direct hit of holy water.

'Found it...'

She had intended to reveal Evangeline's secret, but unexpectedly discovered the knight commander's weakness. It was an unexpected harvest.

Seeing his wounded and wine-soaked state, Evangeline sent Gabriel away to change clothes quickly.

Saraka followed Gabriel outside. No one cared whether one maid came out or not, so movement was convenient.

Servants weren't treated as fellow humans by the nobles. Even covering half her face with a scarf, no one found it strange.

Except for Kinder Totten. The fact that she bothered to speak to her and ask about her situation clearly showed what a considerate nature Kinder Totten had. She was truly a regrettable person. If not for her son, she would have become a perfect disciple of God Rahel, as if painted.

Saraka's heart ached when she recalled the time she received orders from 'that person' to prohibit supplying holy water to Kinder Totten. Still, if they openly gave holy water to a cursed person, the temple would be accused of being blinded by money, so it was an unavoidable choice. After that, Kinder Totten seemed to hate Saraka, or more precisely, 'that person' whom Saraka represented, calling her a hypocrite.

Saraka quietly followed behind the knight commander.

"Sir Gabriel! How did you end up covered in wine?"

"There was good reason for it. Could you bring me some clothes to change into?"

"Yes! I'll bring them right away!"

The knight disappeared to find clothes to change into and quickly returned with neat clothing. Saraka, who had been waiting nearby, held out her hand as if offering to deliver them instead.

"You'll deliver them to Sir Gabriel? Then please do."

Saraka took the clothes and entered the room where Gabriel was waiting. Gabriel had removed his wet clothes and was topless.

"Are you delivering them for me? Thank you."

Unlike other knights, Gabriel didn't drop his polite speech and courteously accepted the clothes. Saraka glanced at Gabriel while pretending to be shy and hiding her face. In truth, it was to avoid being caught because her mouth corners were stretched too wide. She hurriedly left the room, worried her pounding heartbeat might be heard.

She had seen it clearly with her own eyes. Gabriel had a round scar on his chest.

When 'that person' could barely breathe—no, when Bishop Marik was still able to speak clearly—just as she was about to put Saraka's hand into the brazier of burning coals, Bishop Marik shared a past memory.

"Seeing the fire brings back old memories. Haha, not from when my family all burned to death in a fire caused by wicked heretics and I barely survived alone. It was much later than that. Saraka, have you ever heard about His Majesty the Emperor's youngest child?"

At that time, the burn scars on her cheeks and jaw were festering, making it painful even to open her mouth slightly, so instead of answering, she shook her head. Bishop Marik continued her explanation without giving any thought to the screams, as she put Saraka's hand in the brazier.

"They say he died before even letting out his first cry, but that's not true. How do I know this? Because I smuggled the prince out myself."

Saraka needed to hear everything Bishop Marik had to say. Even as she wailed and her hand burned away, she focused on listening to the explanation.

According to Bishop Marik, though it wasn't publicly known, the bodies of imperial family members bore markings that proved their noble blood. The pattern of a dragon biting its own tail and curling its body into a circle. The tail-eating dragon was a symbol of infinity, representing the eternal prosperity of the imperial house.

Inscribing the pattern was a glorious task entrusted to the most trusted priest. During Emperor Mater's reign, that role belonged to Bishop Marik.

A brand burned with fire was stamped onto the body of a newborn imperial family member, then treated with holy water and blessed. The flesh would quickly heal, but the brand would remain like a tattoo.

"But holy water didn't work on the youngest prince. Don't be surprised, Saraka. Sometimes such people are born into this world. Pitiful, wretched, and ugly beings who, due to sins committed in their previous lives being too deep, are shunned by God Rahel even after being reborn."

Such people must be reborn several times to atone before they can be cleansed and welcomed back into God Rahel's embrace. So until then, one must never show them any recognition. The youngest prince was like that, and so was Kinder Totten's son.

The Emperor ordered the child to be killed, but instead of killing the infant, Bishop Marik entrusted him to a couple to raise in their stead. Later, when the Emperor learned that the child had been smuggled out, he was greatly enraged, but Bishop Marik said she hadn't kept the child alive to hold leverage over the Emperor.

"He must live and breathe for a long, long time until his fate is complete, atoning for his sins."

Only then could he receive God Rahel's love even a little sooner.

But the ignorant Emperor, who knew nothing of faith, raged that Bishop Marik was trying to gain leverage over him, and secretly sent knights to kill the youngest prince.

What the Emperor found, however, were the child's adoptive parents, who had abandoned him and were enjoying a dissolute life with the childcare money they had received from Bishop Marik. Since the child could not be found, the Emperor ultimately killed only the adoptive parents.

People who don't receive God Rahel's blessing usually die young. Though she had saved even the adoptive parents, it seemed the youngest prince couldn't escape his fate either. Bishop Marik prayed that the child would hopefully continue to survive somewhere, suffering.

"Now not only your face but also your hands have become just like mine."

Bishop Marik, who had pulled Saraka's hand from the brazier, smiled benevolently upon seeing the now-matching hands. Saraka also followed Bishop Marik's example, moving her mouth to smile.

"Saraka... now that your face and hands bear the same scars as mine, everyone will be unable to distinguish between us. Seeing only the lower face and hands visible beneath the veil, they will think you are me."

Holding her melted hands tenderly, Bishop Marik also told Saraka how to recognize the prince. The youngest prince would have a mark that failed to become a tattoo, remaining as a scar.

Just as the Bishop had said, there was a scar on the Knight Commander's body - wings clipped and claws pulled out, remaining as a snake instead of becoming a dragon. Having been abandoned in childhood, he seemed unaware of the scar's meaning. That's why he wouldn't hesitate to show it.

Saraka tried to calm her racing heart as she headed not to the banquet hall, but to the room the Prince had given her. In the room the Prince had provided for Saraka, a holy knight who appeared devout, at least in appearance, was keeping watch.