Chapter 53
“If your name is placed on the Indulgence, everything will be resolved.”
They demanded that Cecilia’s name be written on the Indulgence. By doing so, they said, God would forgive her sins. Even the King, they claimed, could do nothing before the Indulgence.
Cecilia Cissil, surprisingly, bravely opposed the Indulgence.
“Mother! I have committed no sin! How can I pay money to be absolved of a crime I didn’t commit!”
“Cecilia, this is the only way. Otherwise, you’ll…!”
There was no other option to save her daughter. Cecilia was about to be subjected to torture in the name of a witch trial. No one had ever survived that torture.
The Cissil Viscounty bought the Indulgence for a very large sum of money. Thanks to that, Cecilia secured the Pope’s protection and was barely able to survive without a witch trial.
But the family fortune rapidly declined. The house, which had been comfortably wealthy even if not overtly glamorous, became desolate. Still, it was okay. All her beloved family members were together.
If it had ended there, this story wouldn’t have been such a tragedy.
“All who offered money to the corrupt Temple shall not escape the judgment of God.”
A new faction, unable to tolerate the Temple’s corruption, split off. It was a religious war.
The victors were the reformists. They labeled the existing corrupt clergy as heretics and conducted a religious judgment.
The Cissil Viscount and his wife were executed by that sword of justice. And the Captain of the Holy Knights of the new faction who executed all those judgments was…….
‘Rogerick Montieux.’
The man who was head over heels for Cecilia now.
‘Anyway, this is earlier than expected.’
She knew the Indulgence had started at the Erdel Temple. This was an extraterritorial zone. Since everything was handled by the Temple’s own rules, it would be the best place to scheme suspicious things.
But its appearance was earlier than she had anticipated.
‘They must be short on money. That’s why they’re secretly creating slush funds.’
If so, the Temple’s situation is one of two things:
They’re running a costly venture, or their source of funds has suddenly been cut off.
It might even be both.
“They said that if I write my name on the Indulgence, it will absolve me of my sins. So that I won’t have to suffer for my sins after I die… that God will forgive me immediately…….”
“So, how much did it cost?”
“Nine hundred gold…….”
Nine hundred gold was enough money to buy two or three expensive jewelry sets. Cecilia let out a hollow laugh.
“Did you commit, like, nine sins?”
“No, just… spending the night with Viscount Lionel and… the check incident.”
“Ha, you told them that, too…….”
“Was that… wrong?”
If the Indulgence had one more function, it was that it served as a private ledger of noble families’ indiscretions.
The Temple was incredibly cunning. They extorted money from nobles and used the weaknesses they seized to manipulate them as they pleased. That’s why they could remain strong while committing atrocious corruption.
However, there were those who stood proudly against the Indulgence. Reformists like Rogerick Montieux. Ultimately, the Temple crumbled before the sinless goodness.
‘But the Temple is just a tool. It’s not the root cause that ruined this life.’
The bastard who ruined Cecilia’s life by even using the Temple. That enemy stood at the top, as the apex predator.
The Temple, too, was a tool to be used and discarded by him. He easily abandoned the Temple and the Indulgence with the emergence of the reformists. Thanks to that, the Cissil Viscounty had to be destroyed, and Cecilia met a tragedy.
Sophia Demore would probably suffer misfortune, too. After all, this person’s name was also written on the Indulgence.
“Since it’s already written, it’s done. More importantly, how can one purchase an Indulgence?”
“While confessing, the priest recommends it to you. According to the severity of the sin.”
“Does Viscount Lionel know about the Indulgence?”
“Yes. He was the one who advised me to buy an Indulgence if I felt uncomfortable after spending the night together.”
“…I see.”
Cecilia fell deep into thought. While doing so, she continuously sipped the fragrant black tea, which didn’t even suit her taste.
It was only when Sophia, keenly observing the teacup, was about to refill the tea that Cecilia spoke.
“Lady Sophia, what do you think is the most effective defense?”
“…In this situation?”
Sophia rolled her large eyes.
“I don’t know. Maybe, shooting a gun…? At Viscount Lionel?”
“Sophia.”
Cecilia covered her face with her hand and chuckled softly. Then she shook her head.
“No, I intend to go a little more moderately than that.”
“How……?”
“Attacking in the same way. With the same method.”
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