Chapter 109
I toyed with the fox.
“No. I’m not giving you a kiss.”
“Whine…!”
“Go play outside. Humans are going to bathe and sleep.”
“Whiiine, whiiine—”
I flipped over the fox clinging to me and roughly rubbed his fluffy belly.
Then I tossed him aside and slipped out of bed, heading for the bath.
The fox scrambled up and scampered after me.
I fought back a smile and kept up my aloof act.
“You’re trying to follow me into the bath? You shameless fox!”
“Yip!”
The moment I scolded him, he flattened himself against the floor.
Like he was saying, ‘I’ll wait here.’
“Just try coming into the bathroom. I’ll roast you.”
“Whimper…!”
“I’m joking.”
With a playful grin, I shut the bathroom door.
From the other side came a timid little, “Whine….”
About forty minutes later.
When I came out, freshly bathed, the fox was still waiting in the exact same position.
“Kyah!”
He sprang to his feet at once, tail wagging furiously in greeting.
That thick, luxurious tail looked like an expensive brush—or a feather duster.
“Dummy.”
I pretended not to notice him and strode elegantly to the vanity.
The maids must have prepared it; I dabbed rosewater onto my face and dried my hair until it was soft and fluffy.
When I smoothed a bit of scented oil onto the ends, a pleasant floral fragrance drifted up.
The fox watched me with bright, sparkling eyes.
“What are you staring at?”
“Whine…!”
I was just about to slip off my robe to change into my nightdress—
“….”
Then I realized he was watching.
I paused.
Narrowing my eyes, I shot him a glare.
“Where do you think you’re looking, you pervert? Turn your eyes away.”
“Kyah?”
He tilted his head as if he had no idea what I was talking about.
Oh, you little—
I grabbed him, untied the ribbon around his neck, and used it to blindfold him.
“Just try taking that off. See what happens.”
“Yip!”
While he fumbled with his useless little paws to remove the blindfold, I quickly slipped out of my robe and changed.
But the design of the nightdress was suspicious.
‘W-Why is this so thin?’
It was a silk dress so sheer that, at the wrong angle, everything would show.
‘There’s no way meticulous Marian would’ve prepared something like this!’
This was one hundred percent that fox’s—Lycian’s—scheme!
“You shameless fox!”
“…!”
I snatched up the fox—about the size of a Jindo dog—and lifted him into the air.
Then I flopped him onto the bed and mercilessly tickled him.
“You picked this nightdress, didn’t you? Turn back into a human and explain yourself.”
“Whine, whiiine….”
Feigning pitiful sobs, he licked my face all over with his long tongue.
And, as always, he pushed his snout forward expectantly.
“Unbelievable….”
He was thoroughly committed to his ‘fairy-tale prince cursed by a witch’ concept.
Shaking my head, I cupped his cheeks in both hands and gave him a quick kiss. Mwah.
Lycian didn’t ask what Delphinia and I had talked about.
Still, it felt like he had a rough idea.
Since last night and through this morning, he’d seemed slightly more anxious than usual.
But every time our eyes met, I smiled at him—gave him a kiss—and he’d immediately brighten, grinning like an idiot.
The look on his face, utterly stripped of pride, made a laugh slip out of me.
Holding his hand tightly as we walked, I asked,
“Did you really read all the books here?”
“Except the restricted section. Father and my teacher wouldn’t let me in.”
“Honestly, I would’ve thought you’d ignore adults telling you not to and do whatever you wanted. Surprising.”
We were at the Imperial Palace Library.
To search for records about the Purifier from a thousand years ago.
The library was enormous. The ceiling had to be at least five stories high.
It felt like stepping into a magical library straight out of a fantasy film.
“You can’t enter the restricted section without a magic key. The one you’re holding right now.”
At Lycian’s words, I glanced down at the golden key in my hand.
When I told the Emperor I wanted to search for records about the Purifier, he hesitated briefly—then handed it to me.
A special spell had been cast on the key; only the one holding it could open the door to the restricted section.
I didn’t know much about magic, but it seemed like some kind of passkey.
When we reached a massive arched door, Lycian said,
“This is the restricted section.”
An odd aura pulsed from the tightly sealed door.
Its surface was engraved with a celestial chart—constellations mapped in intricate lines.
Heart tightening slightly, I slid the golden key into a small slot in the door.
Then—
Rrrrrrr—!
Thud!
A deep rumble echoed, like some colossal machine grinding to life, and the door slowly swung open on its own.
Beyond it—
Was nothing but pitch-black darkness.
The unexpected sight made me hesitate.
‘What do I do? I didn’t bring a lamp or anything.’
I stood there blinking, unable to step forward.
That was when—
Fwoosh!
A small orb of light bloomed above Lycian’s palm.
Magic-made light.
‘Human flashlight!’
I stared at it with shining eyes, and Lycian smiled.
“Isn’t it nice to have such a capable partner?”
“Yeah. You’re amazing.”
When I ruffled his hair, his cheeks flushed pink.
To be so consistently happy over something so small… honestly, he was adorable.
Carefully, we stepped into the restricted section. The small light in Lycian’s palm became our perfect lantern.
About an hour into searching the restricted section—
“Muriel, look at this.”
“…?”
We had split up to browse (though never more than ten steps apart), and Lycian waved me over.
Several orbs of light he’d created floated in the air, illuminating the shelves so clearly that reading was effortless.
“What is it?”
Curious, I walked over. In his hands was a scroll that looked ancient.
Preservation magic had been cast on it, but the paper seemed so old it might crumble with the slightest pressure.
When I examined the illustration drawn across it, my eyes widened.
A girl stood there with a sacred halo suspended above her head, reaching out toward a pitch-black shadow.
The shadow churned like mist, depicted in an ominous swirl.
And beside the girl—
“…A fox?”
A fox sat neatly at her side.
As I stared at the image, Lycian’s voice came softly.
“In the northern region of Altera, where the corruption was especially severe, there’s apparently a custom of regarding foxes as sacred animals.”
“Huh….”
“This seems to depict the Purifier from a thousand years ago. The artist’s unknown, and there’s no way to tell whether it was drawn from life or pure imagination. But isn’t it strange? That something as simple as this single painting is hidden away in the restricted section?”
“…Maybe it’s just because it’s old? If it’s a thousand years old, it would be valuable as an artifact.”
“That could be.”
Lycian rolled the scroll back up and returned it to its place, then looked at me.
“Did you find anything?”
“Hmm, no….”
Just because they were ancient texts didn’t mean they contained detailed records.
Had someone deliberately destroyed the records?
In the end, we left the restricted section with nothing much to show for it.
After lunch, I was busy tormenting Lycian—who had transformed back into a fox—when a knock sounded at the door.
Knock, knock—
Then a familiar voice echoed from the hallway.
“It’s Marian. A letter has arrived for Lady Muriel, so I’ve come to deliver it. May I come in for a moment?”
“…?”
A letter?
Exchanging a puzzled look with the fox, I answered,
“Yes, come in.”
A moment later, Marian entered and handed me an envelope.
It was pristine white, stamped with the seal of the Parakai Church.
My eyes widened slightly as I opened it.
Inside was a single invitation.
[To the most deeply revered Purifier, Lady Muriel.
We earnestly pray that your holy steps may grace the Grand Temple of the Parakai Church.
Regardless of the date, we would be overjoyed should you visit us at your convenience.
We pray that boundless glory follows the path of the Saintess who has descended upon this world bearing a sacred mission—
Humbly yours, High Priest Hamartolon of the Parakai Church.]
“Hamartolon… that name. Isn’t it unusual?”
“It’s probably ancient language.”
“People still name their children in ancient tongues these days?”
“Well, I’m not entirely convinced that High Priest is a ‘person of these days.’”
“…?”
As Lycian and I chatted idly, the carriage arrived at its destination.
The Grand Temple of the Parakai Church, located in District Two of the capital of the Grastea Empire.
Its sheer grandeur—its sacred atmosphere—
It was overwhelming.