FTA Ch 6

<Episode 6>

 

At that moment, Reni let out a gasp and took a deep breath.

But it didn’t last long.

She quickly shook her head as if denying any sign of panic, as though she’d never been flustered in the first place.

 

“What? Poisonous herbs? No, of course not.”

“I already know.” Gloria replied.

“What do you mean…?”

 

Reni bit her lower lip tightly before releasing it and muttered,

 

“It’s just medicine for me to brew and take myself.” Gloria said.

 

Her wide eyes were trembling visibly as she looked up at Gloria.

Whether she realized it or not, Reni kept feigning ignorance.

 

“Really, I have a chronic illness, so I get medicinal herbs every month to take care of it…”

Gloria clenched her mouth to keep from smirking sarcastically and spoke firmly.

 

“Medicinal herbs, you say? Then, may I take a look at them?” Gloria asked.

“Well, that’s a bit… difficult…”

“Difficult?”

 

As Gloria stepped closer, Reni’s face turned pale as a sheet, and she stumbled back.

 

“Why?” Gloria asked.

 

Reni bit her lower lip again, her face contorted as if she were about to burst into tears.

 

“Why tell a lie you can’t even maintain, Reni?”

“I-I just…”

 

Gloria cut off Reni’s stammered excuses with an exasperated tone.

 

“Didn’t I just say? I already know everything. I know that the servants here are acting under orders from someone powerful, poisoning the Duke.” Gloria explained.

“H-how could the Saint know that…?”

 

Gloria felt her anger boiling but clenched her teeth to hold it back.

 

“I’m not here to blame you, Reni. You didn’t do this willingly, did you?”

 

Gloria smiled, showing none of her inner fury, and extended her hand toward Reni.

 

“So, hand it over to me.”

“What…?” Reni blinked, startled and confused.

 

Gloria’s smile deepened, her voice softening.

“What I mean is, there’s no need for you to dirty your hands with this any longer.”

“I-I don’t understand what you’re saying…”

 

Reni averted her gaze as her voice trailed off.

Taking a large step forward, Gloria spoke in a gentle yet pitying tone.

 

“The Duke is going to die soon.” Gloria said.

“WHATT?!”

“That means poisoning him further is pointless.”

“…”

 

As Gloria explained this patiently, Reni’s face turned stark white, like a blank sheet of paper.

Then there was a faint sound of something falling to the ground.

Gloria glanced down and saw the small pouch Reni had dropped.

Its partially open top revealed dried, black leaves poking out.

 

“It’s because of me… I only did what His Majesty the Emperor ordered…” Reni said.

Reni stammered in a panicked, disjointed manner, overwhelmed by the situation.

 

“They said it wouldn’t be fatal… They just said it was a poison to weaken muscles…” Reni replied again.

 

Gloria silently closed her mouth and looked down at Reni.

Of course, they probably told her it wouldn’t be fatal.

And with an order from the emperor, she couldn’t have refused.

But does that mean she’s entirely innocent?

 

‘Regardless of the reason, she knowingly fed poison to an innocent person.’

 

No matter the justification, Reni was still one of the perpetrators who tormented Leonard.

Gloria carefully concealed the sharp expression that naturally formed on her face.

Instead, she maintained a calm, gentle smile as she faced Reni.

Reni opened her trembling lips.

 

“…It’s because of the poison I put in his food and water that the Duke is gravely ill, isn’t it?” Reni asked.

“No, Reni. It’s not your fault.” Gloria answered.

“What…? Then…” Reni confused.

“You were right. The Duke’s body was already consumed by a curse beyond any help.”

“…”

 

It wasn’t a lie.

As Leonard himself had said, he was resistant to poison and wasn’t seriously affected by it.

What had tormented him all this time wasn’t the poison but the overwhelming dark energy that had spread throughout his body.

Had they been even a little later, his life might have truly been in danger.

Still, the act of feeding him poison couldn’t simply be dismissed.

If not for his unusual constitution, he would have succumbed to the poison long ago.

The thought was infuriating to the point of disbelief.

But this wasn’t the time or place to condemn Reni.

She was connected to the emperor, after all.

It was safer to quietly dismiss her and the other servants from the estate before taking Leonard away from here.

Gloria softened her smile once more and gently reassured Reni.

 

“It’s not your fault, Reni. You don’t need to blame yourself. The real problem is…” Gloria said.

“…?”

 

Reni looked up at Gloria with wide, wavering eyes.

Gloria deliberately lowered her voice, giving it a heavy tone.

 

“The curse is spreading to those around him. If this continues, others will undoubtedly become afflicted.” Gloria Explained.

“Y-you mean…”

“Yes. As the rumors say, the curse will soon begin to infect those nearby.”

 

Reni now looked utterly pale, as if her mind had gone blank.

She fidgeted anxiously, stomping her feet in place as if unsure what to do.

Watching her, Gloria spoke firmly, her voice cutting through the panic.

 

“Reni, if you want to live, leave this place today.” Gloria ordered.

“What?…” Reni confused.

“Take the other servants with you and leave the estate.” Gloria ordered again.

“…”

“If you don’t, the curse will spread to you. There’s not much time.”

 

Reni stared at Gloria with trembling eyes, then gulped audibly.

 

“B-but then, what about you, Your Grace?”

 

Reni’s body shook violently as if she were convulsing.

 

“Shouldn’t you leave before the curse spreads to you too…?” Reni asked.

“No.” Gloria shook her head lightly.

“I’ll be fine. Thanks to my abilities, the curse won’t transfer to me so easily…”

She continued with a serene smile that seemed fitting for a saint.

 

“Besides, the reason I came here was to help the Duke find peace in a better place.” Gloria replied.

“Ah…”

 

Reni’s eyes filled with awe as she gazed at Gloria.

She looked at her with the kind of blind reverence one might show when witnessing the manifestation of divinity itself.

 

“Merciful saint…”

 

To think she had come all this way, risking danger, just to bring solace to a cursed Duke.

Reni was so moved by Gloria’s compassion that tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

 

“…Find a ‘better place’, you mean the afterlife where the gods reside, don’t you?” Reni asked.

 

Gloria didn’t respond.

She simply smiled quietly.

 

* * *

 

‘Thud.‘

Gloria tossed a small pouch onto the table and glanced out the window.

 

“They’re all fleeing with their tails between their legs.”

 

The curse must truly terrify them.

Muttering sarcastically, Gloria closed the curtains and stepped away from the window.

Leonard silently observed her as she took a seat across from him.

Gloria brushed her hair back with a slightly irritated gesture and locked eyes with Leonard.

 

“Did you seriously eat everything they gave you, knowing it was poisoned?”

 

Her sharp voice sounded accusatory.

Leonard hadn’t willingly consumed the poison.

As he’d explained earlier, if he hadn’t cooperated, the emperor would have found another way to kill him.

But as he considered explaining himself again, Gloria’s expression stopped him.

She seemed both angry and sorrowful.

Before he could scrutinize her strange expression further, Gloria turned her head away, masking her emotions.

Leonard continued to study her profile as she sat slightly turned from him, then spoke.

 

“I didn’t expect you to actually drive out all the servants.” Leonard said.

 

And to do it so quickly after bringing it up.

Leonard found himself admiring Gloria’s decisiveness.

 

“I told them they might catch the curse if they stayed. That scared them into leaving.” Gloria replied

 

Gloria’s red lips twisted into a sharp, sardonic smile.

Leonard watched the motion with a curious expression.

 

“And now they’re suddenly afraid of the curse after staying here for so long?” Leonard asked.

 

The servants were all sent by the emperor.

They’d lived and worked in the Duke’s estate for over five years.

If they truly feared the curse, they should have left long ago.

Instead, they’d relied on their connections, avoiding direct contact with him while continuing to stay at the estate.

Yet Gloria’s single statement had them fleeing in a panic.

Leonard couldn’t make sense of it.

 

“I told them you’d be dead soon.”

Gloria slowly turned her head to meet Leonard’s gaze.

 

Then, in a clear, deliberate tone, she added…

“And I told them I’d send you to a better place.”