I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 29
CHAPTER 29
“Excuse me. I have brought Her Highness Princess Lottie and His Highness Prince Arkin.”
As we entered the reception room guided by the priest, there were three people inside.
The person sitting on the long sofa waved at us.
With deep blonde hair and eyes that seemed to be made of ruby.
It was Empress Clea.
“Welcome, Arkin.”
Her red eyes, identical to Arkin’s, swept over me.
“And Princess Lottie.”
Oops, I should greet her.
“Your Majesty the Empress.”
As I hurriedly made a bow, the Empress, who had been staring at me intently for a moment, smiled faintly.
In an instant, a gentle smile spread across her beautiful face.
I sure know how to change the atmosphere quickly.
“I heard there was trouble while I was away. I regret not being by your side.”
“I’m fine, Your Majesty the Empress.”
I grinned.
“Thank you for understanding.”
The Empress spoke.
“I know I should reintroduce everyone, but given the circumstances, I hope you’ll understand.”
“Of course.”
Once again, I nodded.
Arkin, who seemed clueless about what had happened, rolled his eyes and finally spoke up.
“Um, Your Majesty the Empress. What’s the matter?”
“It seems there’s an issue with the relic.”
It was Princess Stella, standing by the wall.
She had the same wavy golden hair as the Empress tied back.
With eyes the same golden color as the Emperor’s.
“To the relic?”
“Yes.”
“Can you tell us what the problem is, Your Highness Stella?”
This time, I asked the question.
Where are the Emperor and the former Empress?
Stella’s voice chilled instantly at my question.
“What would you do if you knew?”
“Stella.”
Leonard intervened sharply.
With his shoulder-length purple hair tied back, he stared at me with red eyes.
“Remember, blessings can only be bestowed when the relic is consecrated by the gods.”
Hmm. I cleared my throat.
Although it sounded softer than Stella’s, there was still no affection or liking.
“Yes, I remember because others have told me.”
Although it never happened.
“The Goddess of Abundance, Detmé, seems unable to bless the relic.”
Leonard closed the book he was reading and continued speaking.
“To investigate the cause, the former Empress, the Emperor, and the Grand Priest are in that room.”
Leonard gestured with his eyes beyond his glasses to the room connected to the reception room.
‘Um, the relic of Detmé is in that room.’
<Hurry up, please. It’s suffocating here. I want to leave quickly, hmpf.>
…If someone heard this, they would think I’m a newborn god, only five thousand years old.
‘Detmé, aren’t you the sister of the first god, Shinji?’
<Who says that? Actual age and mental age are separate things.>
‘….’
There’s nothing to say, really.
Well, what more can you expect from a god lying on the street?
<But you’re the same, aren’t you?>
…Are we really arguing right now?
When I looked at the wheat stalk, she just shrugged her shoulders.
Are you avoiding my gaze right now?
I opened my mouth.
“Um, could I see the relic?”
“……”
“……”
There was silence in the room at my words.
The Empress, who had been conversing with Arkin, looked at me with interest.
Stella stared at me openly.
Leonard stared at me with a complex look in his eyes.
It’s a bit embarrassing to be stared at so openly.
I smiled slightly, and the wrinkles on Stella’s forehead deepened.
“Lottie, I know you want to help, but when it comes to the relic-.”
“Come in.”
Leonard’s words were cut off. The Good Empress stood at the door, when did she open it?
“Lottie is knowledgeable about herbs and water. She’ll be helpful this time too.”
“Herbs, water?”
Now even Leonard’s gaze seemed uneasy.
“Lottie, come in.”
Why is she calling me so affectionately with such anxiety?
We’re not that close.
I walked nervously to the Good Empress, my eyes full of suspicion.
“Hmm?”
The Good Empress chuckled and took my right hand.
“Where did you put the amulet? Didn’t I always tell you to carry it with you?”
“……!!”
Don’t say that! It makes us look close!
“Carry it with you always. Just like you protected me, I’ll protect you.”
With that, the Good Empress even tucked my hair behind my ear.
Wow, I might get caught at this rate.
I could feel cold sweat running down the back of my neck.
What’s the point if rumors spread even if I try to suppress them?
“Are you doing this on purpose?”
As the door closed with a bang, I turned sharply towards the Good Empress.
“That’s right.”
“……!!”
“I didn’t give you that amulet for nothing. I wanted something in return.”
“…Do you want me to keep Prince Leonard and Princess Stella in check?”
“That’s the right answer.”
The Good Empress laughed as she swept her white hair back.
When I looked at her with an incredulous expression, she even chuckled softly.
No, don’t laugh and manipulate others!
“Why on earth?”
Arkin is too weak to compete.
Either Stella or Leonard will ascend to the throne.
And it seems like they’ll both grow well while restraining each other.
“If I interfere here, my end will be in sight!”
I widened my eyes.
How many times do I have to say it, my dream! Is just to suck up the money from the royal family!! Eat, sleep, and play!!!
And I’m already annoyed with all this memory recovery and work!!
Ugh, I don’t want to work!! Ugh!!!
Seriously, I hate it so much!!
“Is that true?”
But whatever I mean, this or that.
The Good Empress just smiled.
Her hair may have faded in color, but her still fiercely shining golden eyes were filled with laughter.
“I believe you can change the royal family.”
With that, the short corridor connecting the two rooms ended, and the door opened again.
“I’m looking forward to it, Lottie.”
…Well, such expectations should be directed towards outstanding individuals.
I sighed deeply and stepped inside.
“Lottie?”
The Emperor, who had been talking with the Grand Priest, turned his head.
“What’s going on here?”
“I brought her.”
“You mean the Empress herself?”
The Good Empress nodded lightly.
“Lottie is knowledgeable about herbs, so I brought her just in case.”
“Mother.”
“Why, just in case.”
The Good Empress gestured, and the Emperor and the Grand Priest reluctantly stepped back.
Power is quite something.
Behind them was a luxurious box.
It definitely contained something important, judging by its luxurious appearance.
“A branch?”
It was a branch.
A branch of just the right thickness for a scepter.
“Yes, our temple’s relic is a branch.”
The Grand Priest nodded.
“Anyway, Grand Priest, the ritual must proceed. You know better than anyone how important the ritual is.”
“Of course, Your Majesty. But there’s no answer as to why the relic hasn’t been consecrated by the goddess Detmé.”
That’s right.
My heart is pounding like crazy right now.
<Why! It’s not working!! I want to go back!!>
The wheat stalk, who was shouting with trembling lips, raised her head.
<I think I can do something now! Shall we try?>
‘No, please don’t.’
I shook my head.
If there’s a problem with the relic, it means there’s an issue with consecration by the goddess Detmé.
‘If something happens to the consecrated relic or object, the deity suffers serious damage, even to their core.’
Some deities have even come close to extinction.
‘Just wait quietly while I assess the situation.’
<Okay! I got it!>
She responds well.
I bowed my head and carefully examined the relic.
And soon, I gave my answer.
‘No problem?’
<What?>
‘There’s really no problem. It’s not damaged, there’s no other energy mixed in, and I can feel the sanctity properly.’
<That, that can’t be. Then why can’t I go in?>
‘I don’t know.’
In response to my answer, the wheat stalk fluttered her leaves.
<Then can’t we summon Ifrit? If it’s pure fire, it should be able to burn off all the symptoms.>
Ifrit, the king of fire spirits.
If it’s indeed the flames of Ifrit, then it could burn off all the symptoms while leaving the relic unharmed.
‘No, I can’t. I’ll die.’
I can’t exchange it with my life.
And even if I summon it, it won’t come… my affinity is zero…
<I’m sorry……>
The wheat stalk shook her leaves sulkily.
Taking advantage of Detmé’s silence, I examined the relic again.
Nothing, nothing, it’s fine, nothing strange.
Instead, it looked unusually fresh.
Yes, like it was just plucked.
‘Just plucked?’
I chuckled to myself.
‘Do you remember how long ago this was delivered?’
<No?>
A clear answer for once.
<But it must have been a long time ago. I think it’s been a long time even for me to remember.>
Gods didn’t think in terms of a few hundred years.
At least it had to be over a thousand years for them to think, ‘Oh, time has passed.’
Especially for the first-generation deity like Detmé.
‘If that’s the case, then it really has been a long time.’
Can a branch like this be so clean?
I reached out and grabbed the relic.
And I exerted force.
“…Lottie?”
“Your Highness?”
Clang!
The relic slipped from my hand and fell to the floor.
The aged Grand Priest’s face turned pale.
“…Wh-what have you done! With this precious relic!!”
“This.”
I opened my mouth, tapping the fallen branch with my toe.
“It’s a fake.”
It was a switch, after all.