How the Disgusting Suitor Met His End - Chapter 52

Cecilia whispered.

“You’re holding information about me. You know that I want to move secretly.”

“That means… so, I have a weakness of Lady Cecilia…….”

Though it wasn’t information dangerous enough to call a weakness.

“Yes. This is how you make a transaction.”

Having finished her whisper, Cecilia moved away from Sophia’s ear. The girl’s face was blank, as if she had been slapped.

“You said you hate creating conflict. If you really hate it, don’t trust people so easily.”

“…….”

“If you want to avoid annoying trouble, the best thing to do is to be suspicious first.”

“…Y-yes. I understand. I’ll do that.”

Sophia nodded. The face that swallowed its tears had become quite resolute.

“Let’s talk about the details another time. Will you invite me?”

***

The invitation arrived the very next day. Cecilia let out a hollow laugh at the eager behavior of the naive young lady.

The Demore Marquisate’s villa where she arrived was already a paradise with colorful flowers in full bloom. It made her wonder how on earth they managed to make the flowers bloom in such cold weather.

“It’s Charis.”

“…You mean the lamp fuel?”

“Yes, they said they warm the ground with it to make the flowers bloom.”

Charis was the raw material for lamps that emitted light as bright as electric lights. If you looked closely inside the lamp glass, you could see something shimmering moving around.

Charis was also used in the train that carried her to Erdel. Charis was nationalized. The royal family controlled its price and quantity.

Cecilia understood it as a kind of coal or similar substance. Because it was also similar in that it produced energy when burned. She was just curious whether it caused environmental pollution like coal.

“It certainly is fitting for a family of great wealth.”

However, Charis was not cheap like modern electricity. Commoners naturally couldn’t use it easily, and it wasn’t something even most noble families could afford to lavishly use.

That’s why a rumor circulated that the more Charis a family used for a party they hosted, and thus the brighter the party venue, the wealthier they were.

“Many families save on Charis… Does it look a little extravagant?”

“It’s fine. It’s beautiful to look at.”

Only then did Sophia smile faintly.

It wasn’t until the refreshments were served that Sophia began the proper conversation. As she listened to the story about Viscount Lionel, Cecilia’s expression gradually hardened.

“So… Viscount Lionel didn’t only threaten you with the check?”

“No…….”

“He also threatened to spread rumors about you spending the night together to ruin your chances of marriage?”

Cecilia folded her arms and scoffed.

“How does he intend to prove it?”

“……He said God knows everything.”

“Why, did you do it in front of a statue of God?”

“Not exactly…… but I did use an Indulgence.”

“Wait a minute, an Indulgence?”

Sophia slowly nodded. Cecilia’s complexion instantly turned deathly pale.

“I couldn’t bear it anymore… so I went to the temple and confessed. That I spent the night with a man before marriage… Then, they said if I wrote my name on an Indulgence. Then God would forgive everything…….”

“So, you wrote it?”

“Yes, I wanted to relieve my guilt….”

“Ha.”

Cecilia leaned back on the sofa and ran a hand through her hair.

‘An Indulgence….’

It was a very familiar name. Although it was a word others learned in textbooks, it wasn’t for her, as she had never attended school.

The Indulgence—that was the first bomb that brought down the Cissil family.

In the original story, Cecilia Cissil was branded a witch.

It was because of the kidnapping incident Cecilia had solved. The kind woman released the kidnapping victims herself but was instead framed as the mastermind.

How could a delicate and gently raised young lady perform such a brave deed? How did she even discover the kidnapping victims in the first place? Was it not a wicked trick to cause the incident and then pretend to be innocent?

If so, Cecilia Cissil must not be a noble lady, but a wicked and horrible dark magic user!

‘It’s ridiculous. A lady one moment, a witch the next.’

Logical grounds were not necessary for public opinion to turn. People were more enthusiastic about sensational rumors. They preferred interest over truth.

The strange rumors ballooned out of control. Rumors about offering human sacrifices to the Devil, or even that the victims she released weren’t human at all. The impact extended beyond Cecilia to the Cissil family.

It was then that priests from the temple visited the Cissil Viscounty.