Vivia thought the sudden revelation of Clairette's secret trips to Stras would rattle her, but she found herself oddly at peace. She took a perilous step closer.
"And what evidence do you have that I ever visited Stras? For what purpose?"
Before Priscilla could respond, Vivia fired another question. "And if you knew I visited Stras, then why didn't you ever confront me? Why didn't you ever ask what reason I might have for visiting a small, no-name town like that?"
"Because Stras shares the closest boundary to the Realm of Harmony."
"So?"
Priscilla sneered. "Do you really want me to spell it out, Princess? Your name would be dragged through the dust if everyone here knew that you…probably held clandestine meetings with a demon in the Realm of Harmony's forest."
Needless to say, gasps filled with horror and disbelief pricked the air like needles. One couldn't imagine the horror of even uttering a demon's name, much less entertain the idea of a human falling in love with one.
"T-That's ridiculous!" A woman exclaimed.
"Yes, yes, how can anyone fall for a loathsome demon? That's criminal!"
"And Princess Clairette? Not in a million years!"
"The royal family would never allow this!"
Priscilla faced the crowd, feeding on their suspicions. "You might think it's impossible, but just think about it. Princess Clairette has always been advocating for the unification of humans and demons. In this entire Human Realm, only she fights for this nauseating notion with such fervor. Even today, wasn't she so vocal about how 'good' the demons are? Doesn't it make you wonder if…"
Her trailing question was enough to spark whispers of heated debate. The ladies added two and two together, staring at Vivia, aghast.
"It's true though…the Princess has always spoken well of the demons."
"She has always pushed her ideals onto us."
"But there's no way this can be true. It's an abhorrent sin, after all!"
"Enough, Priscilla," Sierra held her sister's shoulder and pulled her back, her eyes squinting. Her calm but firm voice sliced through the women's vivid imaginations.
"It's naturally absurd for Audreya to pin such blame on Clairette. There's no way she'd have anything to do with Stras, which is why…" Her severe gaze landed at Vivia. "Elvin and Father will be very disappointed in you, Clairette. The knights will surely catch the woman, but you should be prepared to explain your actions as well."
Sierra's words felt foggy and distant to Vivia. A faint glassiness veiled her eyes as pieces of broken memories rattled within her mind.
Clairette's vague silhouette walked across the forest. As she reached a vast, wide meadow, her gaze settled upon the back of a man. The puzzle pieces were too fractured to make out anything, but Vivia's pounding heart made Clairette's feelings clear as the man's fingers tenderly grazed past the blooming flowers. He paused and turned, an ever-so-faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Clairette?"
The memories continued to gush forth with a throbbing headache, yet Vivia remained rooted in place. She hung onto them as if they might snap like a fragile thread. Those memories unlocked a graver question for her - not about herself but about Clairette.
Was Clairette killed because…she loved a demon? Did someone discover her feelings and decide to silence her?
Vivia trembled, a nauseating lump forming in her throat.
"Clairette," Her daze snapped as Sierra shook her shoulder. "Where happened?"
Priscilla glared. "Trying to hide your tracks now?"
Vivia stirred, then narrowed her eyes at her. "Lady Priscilla, I respect that you're the Blessed, but even my patience has limits - particularly when I'm accused with unfounded claims. You know very well how even a small rumor can take a monstrous shape. Should I consider your accusations as an act of disobedience and an attempt to sow discord against the royal family? Do you know what punishment that entails?"
She froze. "I-I was just saying what-"
"Don't speak unless you have irrefutable proof, Lady Priscilla. This is my sincere request, or I'll drag you all the way to Father,"
"You!!!"
Sierra interjected. "That's enough Priscilla. Clairette is right. To even insinuate something like this against her is not a humor to be taken lightly."
Watching her sister step back, albeit grudgingly, Sierra exhaled and offered a small bow.
"I'm truly ashamed of my sister's words as this isn't how the esteemed Blessed should act. The Blessed must speak and behave responsibly. Whatever she said just now is completely false. Neither did Clairette visit Stras, nor does she have any connection to a demon. As for her wish of unification, those are her personal beliefs, and I believe everyone is entitled to have their own thoughts. I humbly pray we do not blow this matter out of proportion."
Why didn't Priscilla get even half the intelligence her sister has? Vivia bitterly cursed in her mind.
Sierra's humbleness and grace eventually calmed the crowd's frenzy. She thanked the ladies when a shadow crept upon her.
"It doesn't suit the future Queen of Emberlain and a daughter of the Great Three to bow so easily," Judith smirked. "Isn't it an insult to the royal family?"
"I'm simply doing what I feel is right, Lady Judith," her expression remained unperturbed.
"Well then, when will you feel right about stepping down from that position? Isn't it a burden for you? I'd gladly take it though~"
Vivia's jaw dropped, speechless.
First, she fights like a madwoman, and now she's openly challenging sister-in-law for her title!?
—
At Nethermoor's boundary.
Gressil's eyes widened as he listened to Silas's theory.
"The Blessed's power of the Sun? But young lord Astaroth is the Blessed, on top of being a flame demon. Why couldn't he end the eternal winter if all it needed was the Sun's blessing? If you say Eurus's ice is unbreakable because of his mother's spiritual power, then shouldn't young lord Astaroth be powerful too?"
Zerath looked grim. "Because he refused to invoke his blessing. What Silas says was my theory, too, when I had approached him during one of his hunts. But he wasn't convinced the Sun's power would be useful at all."
Gressil closed his eyes, remembering Zerath's account during the court hearing.
"Ah that arrogant noble," Silas sneered. "As usual, his brain is in his knees. If he thinks that using the Sun's power wasn't convincing, he needs a thorough checkup from Sir Doloros."
Gressil turned thoughtful. "But how could my lord stop Eurus's ice tide that day? Neither did he have any molten roots from Mount Lavos, nor is he the Sovereign to wield the Sun's power."
"Sir Gressil!" One of the knights called out. "I think we found something here."
"Coming!" Gressil headed out immediately.
Zerath started to follow, but Silas stopped him. "What do you think?"
Zerath looked back. "About what?"
"There's merit to Commander Gressil's question. How were you able to stop the ice tide?"
"I'm just as clueless as everyone else."
Silas jumped to his feet and met his gaze with his own scrutinizing stare.
"I've always said there's something strange about your sword."
"That again?" Zerath blinked. "It's true that there's some inexplicable energy within my blade I don't know of, but there's nothing strange about it. I'll find out what it is."
"Don't you find it strange that that same energy was able to melt this kid's ice?"
"...I'm not sure of the point you're trying to make here."
"If I had suspicions before, then it's pretty crystal clear now. The golden light your blade had emitted that day was the blessing of the Sun. Nothing else fits."