BDBM | Chapter 2

The first stumbling block toward the hopeful new life was none other than Marchioness Demini.

Tenev concluded that it would be best to sever ties with this woman as quickly as possible. The past proved her to be unscrupulous, and it seemed like she had no affection for her own daughter to begin with.

There’s no grave without a reason, as Ivyor once said, but that was beyond Tenev’s concern.

What was important was this:

‘I can’t let my immature spine be sucked dry.’

So, when the priests came to visit, she secretly asked them.

“Will Mother be coming to the Holy Land too?”

The priests, looking at each other for a moment, answered cautiously with sympathetic smiles.

“According to the rules, it would be best to say goodbye here.”

“However, if Agi-nim¹ wishes, you may attend the vow ceremony together.”

The vow ceremony was a significant event where those who entered the church would abandon their worldly ways and be reborn as children of the gods. Although Tenev was the successor to the Holy King, she was still going through the ceremony as a new initiate. She, too, was expected to attend the vow ceremony.

Normally, those about to become priests would need to sever all ties with their worldly family, but the church was not without some flexibility, and they were generally lenient about allowing family members to attend.

‘These guys probably think I’m asking because I don’t want to part from my mother.’

They were mistaken.

Tenev almost wanted to snap at them, asking if they thought her eyes were just for decoration, but she remembered that she was still in a child’s body.

So, she acted reasonably.

“But I told you, I’m going to be the Holy King, right? I have to set an example for the other children.”

As she fidgeted with her fingers, carefully choosing her words, Tenev somehow caught their attention. She hadn’t been eating well, and she had just gotten up from being sick, looking a bit disheveled, yet there was something compelling about her.

The priests, almost instinctively picturing Tenev in her neat white priest robes, only realized the weight of her words a beat later.

“She’s only four years old…”

“The successor to the Holy King, and she’s already thinking about setting an example for others.”

They hadn’t been taught, but she was using difficult words so naturally. Was Agi-nim a genius? Not to mention, her thoughtfulness.

Despite her mother’s apparent indifference, a child instinctively clings to their parents. Yet Agi-nim, though sad, was still trying to fulfill her duties.

The priests couldn’t help but be moved, and their faces gradually showed their amazement. Tenev couldn’t help but laugh inwardly, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

‘Yes, yes. Admire and respect me!’

If she continued to play the role of the “heartbroken child,” standing behind the priests, they would soon bear the brunt of Ivyor’s harshness.

‘Pretending to be a child is annoying, though…’

Ugh. She wondered if her fidgeting fingers would send a chill down her spine, but if a little patience would open up an easier path, then so be it!

But the priests were tougher opponents than she’d expected.

“Agi-nim, your thoughts are remarkable. But you don’t have to endure so much right now.”

“That’s right. Since you haven’t formally joined yet…”

“Last time, your mother was shocked too.”

The priests naively nodded in agreement.

They assumed that Tenev was trying to avoid Ivyor because she had been thrown out by her. Their innocent understanding made Tenev open her mouth in disbelief.

‘What kind of idiots are these?’

While the priests’ thoughts were more conventional, for Tenev, who had only ever seen scheming archbishops in her past life, it was hard not to be suspicious.

‘Are they trying to mess with me?’

Clearly, these smiling priests were incredibly skilled.

‘They might be from the faction opposing the Holy King… perhaps they’re planted here by those who made the fake successor.’

Her wariness increased, and the priests, unaware of her thoughts, began to warm up to her more and more.

“Agi-nim, would you like to go for a walk? The weather’s lovely!”

When the suggestion to walk for muscle recovery came, Tenev sluggishly followed, despite her apparent reluctance.

Thud!

Even when she tripped while walking, she didn’t cry.

“Are you okay?”

“Priest treated it right away.”

It was a relief that divine power could heal her, but it still must have hurt earlier.

People couldn’t help but feel moved as they watched the child, who despite her mother’s coldness, seemed to cling to others out of a deeper instinctual need for affection.

“If you eat this treat, I’ll comb your hair.”

If Tenev had been well-fed and properly groomed, she would have been much cuter.

‘Marchioness Demini really is indifferent.’

A priest thought to herself, startled by the realization. She was trying to comfort Agi-nim, and yet here she was, having such a thought. It wasn’t something to be proud of.

Recomposing herself, she put on a brighter smile for Tenev.

‘At the very least, Agi-nim will be staying in the Holy Land, so we can take good care of her now!’

The face of the child without any smile was heartbreakingly sad.

“Now, please sit here!”

“It… it’s okay…!”

Though her words came out with a childish tone, Tenev clearly didn’t enjoy it, but three adults weren’t something she could fight against.

‘If only I weren’t in this childish body!’

She could easily send three or four priests flying with a single strike.

Tenev gritted her teeth inwardly, but thought she was doing a great job at controlling her expression. Still, her lips puffed out childishly, causing a few priests to clap in delight.

“Oh my, how cute!”

“Smile for us this time!”

“……”

It was maddening.

Of course, Ivyor never even imagined that she would be left out of the group heading to the Holy Land. She was filled with hope that her daughter would soon take care of the dreadful debts.

But for some reason, as the departure date neared, a strange feeling gnawed at her.

‘Something feels off.’

Sometimes, she would catch glimpses of Tenev walking around the garden, accompanied by priests, or talking with the Paladins.

She wasn’t bedridden; if anything, she seemed to be getting healthier and more radiant as the days went by…

“Why isn’t that child coming to me?” Ivyor muttered, a mix of confusion and irritation.

“If she shows such a desperate face, they won’t dare try to separate me from her in the Holy Land.”

Although it was said that once a child joined the priesthood, they had to sever ties with their family, it wasn’t as strict as it sounded. Everyone still managed to keep in touch, and the noble children who were born with divine power had their reasons to join the church.

Besides, Ivyor was confident. Not only with Tenev but also with someone in the Holy Land she knew very well.

“Who dares try to stop me?”

Still, an excuse was necessary, and the child couldn’t just ignore her. It would be problematic if Tenev didn’t even show her face.

The awkwardness Ivyor had felt after throwing Tenev onto the bed for vomiting had long since evaporated. Even if she had been harsher, Tenev always tried to please her.

“I even allowed her to buy new clothes despite our poor situation. She should be thankful.”

Of course, she didn’t care that her own clothes were purchased more.

Her rebellious daughter irritated her, but as the departure date drew near, Ivyor began to wonder how to handle the child.

“Hm…”

As she pondered, the noise outside grew louder—was it time for Tenev’s walk?

“Agi-nim, the leaves are turning red at the tips. Why do you think that is?”

“The wind feels a little cooler, doesn’t it? What could be the reason?”

Among the priests who had raised their voices, only Tenev wore a skeptical expression.

“Since autumn came, it’s turning into red leaves.”

“That’s right!”

“Agi-nim is so smart, she already knows it’s autumn!”

“You know autumn leaves turn red!”

Ivyor, who had been silently watching from the window, furrowed her brows. “Was that how she spoke before?”

She’d never hired a tutor, nor had she taught her any letters, so where did that old-fashioned tone come from?

“She couldn’t have heard it from anywhere…”

She sniffed again and quickly stepped out into the garden.

As she approached, the priests gave her the proper respect.

“Marchioness.”

“May peace be with you.”

But Tenev didn’t respond in any special way.

‘What’s this…?’

Tenev, who had been pushed away in the past for trying to cling to her, now looked at Ivyor as if she were a complete stranger.

For a moment, a chill ran down Ivyor’s spine.

But it was brief. As Tenev grabbed the priest’s sleeve next to her and retreated, Ivyor’s eyebrows relaxed.

‘Of course.’

The look she had seen earlier must have been a misunderstanding. Ivyor smiled widely and reached out her hand toward Tenev.

“My daughter, come to Mommy.” Tenev, hesitant at first, began to slowly approach, as if pushed by the priests’ unseen encouragement.

‘Who the heck does she take after with this slowness?’

Though she thought that, Ivyor’s face remained smooth, only radiating a sweet smile.

In her mind –

After patiently waiting, her daughter now smelled fresh, a stark contrast to the previous, unpleasant smell.

‘Looks like the priests are taking good care of her.’

Ivyor quietly snickered.

‘Well, she better start earning her keep if she’s eating free meals.’

But she couldn’t relax just yet. She turned her head skillfully, out of sight of the guests, and warned Tenev softly.

“If you throw up on me again, or even get any spit on me, I’ll lock you in the back room until we leave.”

Tenev’s greatest fear was being locked in the small room under the roof. That was something she had learned after one particularly cruel winter when Ivyor had locked her there after a party, without even a blanket.

‘She won’t dare do it again after this warning.’

It was the most effective threat, so Ivyor was certain that the child would freeze in place.

She hadn’t expected that Tenev would openly apologize right then and there.