novelraw Chapter 145
Chapter 145
Episode 145
Though she had boldly declared she would go, Flora soon regretted her decision.
The journey to the Imperial Capital was tedious. She already felt like she was dying from not wanting to go, the distance was no joke, and no matter how nice the carriage was, she felt her body aching the entire trip.
Under normal circumstances, they would have visited other cities along the way with a relaxed schedule, but because Flora had dragged her feet so much, time was tight, and that wasn't possible.
'This is exhausting.'
She felt so tired from the long journey that she seemed about to melt into a puddle, but she endured and persevered, finally managing to enter the Imperial Capital.
Perhaps due to the upcoming Temple verification ceremony, the streets were adorned with pure white decorations, giving them a holy atmosphere. Not only that, but the streets were overflowing with people.
'So this is the Imperial Capital.'
Being the heart of the empire, it certainly gave off a feeling on a different level from the territories of ordinary noble houses.
It was more vibrant than the cities in their territory, faces were full of vitality, and everyone walking the streets seemed happy.
Of course, the floating population had increased due to the Temple's verification ceremony, but even without such an event, the Imperial Capital would probably always be bustling with people.
The image of Lucifer's past suddenly came to mind, making her grind her teeth.
'So they selfishly enjoyed this peace all by themselves.'
If Flora hadn't struggled to change Lucifer territory, or if she had been an ordinary child, she might have been utterly intimidated upon first encountering the Imperial Capital.
'Brother was like that too.'
When Flora returned to Lucifer Castle holding Athanas's hand, Benio's verification ceremony had already ended.
At the time, they said they couldn't bring themselves to tell the young Flora, and only before she left for the Imperial Capital did he share the memory of that time.
He explained that a giant golden chalice held holy water. When you put your hand into it, the holy water changes according to the amount of Divine Power you possess. Then, that holy water is poured into a watering can and sprinkled onto a prepared small pot, where the seed inside grows according to the level of Divine Power.
At the time, all the other noble children waiting together successfully completed their verification ceremony, but cruelly, only Benio's holy water showed no change.
He had received advice from Athanas beforehand and expected no reaction, but the contempt, scorn, and mocking laughter directed at him that day were a shock, and his forced smile looked quite bitter.
'No wonder they looked so worried even while being happy that I agreed to come willingly.'
Attending important events to avoid unnecessary gossip was good, but knowing the result would likely be bad, they didn't seem at ease.
Remembering the two of them forcing smiles to see her off right until she left, she couldn't help but sigh.
"Ugh."
Flora rested her chin on the windowsill and let out deep sighs.
'I'd love to give the Temple a piece of my mind, but it won't be easy.'
Sealing her demonic energy only lasted a maximum of thirty minutes, so in her current state, it was difficult.
'I should have trained harder.'
Even though her training intensity was high for her age, because her role models were Athanas and Benio, she couldn't be satisfied with her own progress.
'No, I'm only fourteen now...... Ah, forget it, what does "only" mean? I'll be an adult in five years.'
She shouldn't keep rationalizing to make herself comfortable, but constantly whipping herself like this didn't seem good for her mental health either.
'I guess I've been in the carriage too long.'
Wanting to get there quickly, she hadn't rested properly, and it seemed her mind had become unstable.
It seemed she needed to walk around that lively street a bit to regain her lost vitality.
Just then, the carriage stopped, announcing they had arrived at their destination, and Flora got off the carriage with a happy heart.
"Oh, it's pretty."
Though not as grand as Lucifer Castle, a large and beautiful townhouse welcomed Flora.
"This is the one Dad prepared for me……!"
Originally, high-ranking nobles usually owned mansions or townhouses in the Imperial Capital where they could stay.
But the Lucifers rarely had reason to leave their territory and didn't have the means to buy such a thing.
Now, however, it was different.
Starting with the successful mercenary guild business, followed by the boom in self-defense items like the Lur Bracelet and healing ointment, and then the successive hits in the mining business, they were sitting on a gold mine.
The Lucifers had amassed wealth and developed to an extent unimaginable from their past state.
This townhouse, built on the most expensive land in the Imperial Capital, was proof of that.
According to Isaac, after the Lucifers purchased this townhouse, social circles were thrown into an uproar.
It seemed their pride was quite hurt that the Lucifers, whom they had tried so hard to ignore, were acquiring things even they found difficult to obtain.
"Wow, Young Lady. It's such a magnificent townhouse."
As Daphne, who had come along, exclaimed with her hand over her mouth, Flora's lips trembled slightly before she finally grinned and pulled up the corners of her mouth.
Her previously stifled mood suddenly felt refreshed.
'No wonder I feel a bit touched.'
Flora pretended to wipe away non-existent tears and smiled brightly.
Verification ceremony or whatever, so what if I fail?
No matter how much they scorn the Lucifers, the Lucifers are proving they're living well right here!
Feeling even the heavy weight in her heart lighten, Flora stepped inside with light, skipping steps.
Since she was in the Imperial Capital anyway, she planned to enjoy herself properly.
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On her first day in the Imperial Capital, Flora intended to enjoy the townhouse to the fullest, but it was so much larger than expected that conquering everything in one day was impossible.
Since she had to stay here until the debutante ball ended anyway, she decided to take it easy. As soon as the next day arrived, Flora ventured out into the streets.
"Still, thanks to coming non-stop, we have about two days to spare, thankfully."
Only two days remained until the verification ceremony.
Athanas and Benio were scheduled to arrive tomorrow afternoon, so she had free time until then.
"Young Lady. Please don't even think about walking around alone; you must always keep me and the escort knight by your side. This is not Lucifer territory, so you must be even more careful."
Though Daphne was now a skilled maid, her feelings toward Flora hadn't changed much from before.
"And you mustn't forget you promised the Duke and Young Master to behave and not cause any trouble!"
At the words full of worry, Flora nodded outwardly but inwardly grumbled quietly.
'Anyone would think I cause trouble every day.'
But that was short-lived. As the carriage stopped at the most famous street, Judren Street, her eyes sparkled.
"Oh, the street is certainly clean."
It seemed well-maintained, as many people frequented this general marketplace regardless of social status.
Although a few people in luxurious clothing were visible, clearly, more people wore ordinary attire.
Perhaps all places where people lived were similar. The fountain in the center of the street and the dessert shops located around it reminded her so much of the town where the Finny Orphanage used to be, bringing a wave of nostalgia.
"Young Lady, they sell ice cream over there. Shall I get you one?"
"Ah, would you?"
Noticing Flora's gaze toward the dessert shop, Daphne asked perceptively and quickly moved.
A moment later, seeing the mesmerizing sight of the vanilla ice cream in her hand, she ended up thinking of all those who used to hide snacks for her, even going without themselves.
'I wonder if they're all doing well.'
She thought she should visit them sometime later, just as she was about to take a step.
Someone passed by and bumped into Flora's shoulder, and simultaneously, the ice cream in her hand fell to the ground with a thud.
Its formerly lovely appearance was gone, replaced by a pitifully collapsed mess. Flora froze on the spot.
Even though the ice cream didn't cost much, it was her first food bought and eaten outside in the Imperial Capital.
Feeling like something was messed up right from the start, she couldn't control her expression and looked up. The person who had bumped into her seemed to feel the same, as his face was also scrunched up.
He was a boy who looked to be in his mid-teens. With a face full of irritation, he brushed off his clothes once, then scowled and glared at her.
"Hey, what are you doing with those eyes? Can't you watch where you're going?"
Despite his expensive clothing, his long, flowing blond hair and angry-looking red eyes, coupled with a rebellious tone, made him seem quite intimidating to kids his age.
"My clothes got your dirty ice cream on them. What are you going to do about this?"
Even though it was a mutual mistake of not looking ahead, he was blaming it entirely on Flora, which infuriated her.
The boy seemed to be with a group; there were several of them, and they chimed in, agreeing with the atmosphere. He even seemed to be the leader of the group.
He was a head taller than her, and with his delinquent expression, it was enough to be intimidating, but…
"So what? Because of you, I just dropped my precious ice cream on the ground, you know?"
Flora wasn't a pushover either. She lifted her chin with an even haughtier expression than the boy and said,
"And you think that's all? You've seriously ruined my mood now."