* * *
After formally finishing her report, Juliet quickly left the conference hall.
However, she was stopped by the crowd lined up right in front of the palace.
“Doctor!”
“I heard the doctor is here!”
There was a white tent in front of the palace that hadn’t been there before. And in front of that, a long line of people had formed.
As Juliet stared at the scene, Sir Milan discreetly nudged her.
“The Empress’s maid is said to have been healing the injured with her powers.”
Juliet calmly observed the situation.
It was common to set up temporary facilities to treat people in front of the palace after major accidents.
Under the tent in front of the palace, medical teams dispatched from all over the Empire were taking care of patients.
Among the medical personnel in colorless clothing, a woman wearing white with long blonde hair stood out as she busily moved around.
It was not Dahlia but Elizabeth, the Empress’s healer.
“Doctor!”
“Elizabeth! Please look after our child first!”
Parents holding their injured child ran to her and pleaded.
“Hey, stay in line!”
Although they were blocked by the palace guards and couldn’t get close to Elizabeth-
“Don’t do that!”
Elizabeth, with her sleeves rolled up, ran and scolded the guard harshly.
“How could you do this to these poor people!”
“But if order is disrupted, a bigger accident might happen, doctor.”
“It’s fine, just let them be!”
“Th-thank you.”
“Come on, take my hand.”
As Elizabeth reached out her hand to the people, she looked like an angel.
“Don’t worry, everyone. We have plenty of medicines and medical supplies.”
People seemed touched by the scene.
“Such a kind person…”
“Isn’t she like a living saint?”
However, Juliet, watching from a distance, narrowed her eyes.
‘…It’s just like back then.’
In the past, Dahlia was revered for having a divine healing power.
At least that’s how Juliet remembered.
But if Dahlia had that power and her memory had been distorted, she had to question what from her past memories she should trust.
‘But why is she giving medicine?’
Juliet had seen the healing priests in the main temple of Lucerne.
Although the healing power of the priests was precious, they didn’t use medicine like this.
With a flash of light, wounds healed in the blink of an eye.
“Excuse me… Miss.”
Sir Milan discreetly called Juliet from behind.
As Juliet glanced in the direction Milan was looking, the Empress and a few noblewomen were seated at a distance.
Juliet and the Empress, looking down from the platform, locked eyes.
Juliet greeted politely, but the Empress turned her head away immediately.
“Hmph!”
It seemed the Empress hadn’t yet forgiven Juliet for her disagreement with Elizabeth, blatantly ignoring her.
The Empress’s maids started to gossip loudly as if they wanted others to hear.
“With Elizabeth working so hard, the Empress must be proud.”
“Of course, as Elizabeth’s good deeds become known, the Empress’s reputation will rise.”
“Isn’t this all thanks to the Empress’s discernment in recognizing Elizabeth’s talent and bringing her in?”
“In times of crisis, talent shines.”
“I heard she’s highly praised in the temple too.”
“The Pope said she would personally reward the person who helped the most in this accident?”
“Oh my, then that reward would surely go to Elizabeth.”
“Yes. And Elizabeth will, of course, attribute all this merit to the Empress.”
The Empress was smiling contentedly, while Juliet shrugged.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes. Let’s move on.”
Juliet answered dryly.
The reward and such were none of Juliet’s business. Whether Dahlia’s reputation increased or not, it was not her concern.
But someone blocked Juliet’s path.
“Countess Monad!”
Someone from the far end came running with a surprised expression.
“You were here!”
The person who appeared with a crowd of followers was a splendidly dressed chief of the monastery.
What’s this?
Everyone present couldn’t hide their puzzled looks.
However, the chief’s following words were even more puzzling.
“We are very grateful. You donated such a large sum for the injured!”
Without even raising her head, Juliet could tell how shocked the Empress and her close aides were, feeling the burning gazes on her neck.
But the most bewildered one there was Juliet herself.
“Who? Me?”
“Yes! Ah, truly a gesture befitting the head of a prestigious family!”
Due to the chief making such a fuss, not only the citizens lined up in front of the clinic but even Elizabeth was looking in her direction.
“The citizens will surely praise your good deed!”
But Juliet was still puzzled.
Could Lennox have done it?
Juliet exchanged glances with Milan, a knight of the Duke’s family, but Milan just shrugged.
Meanwhile, as Juliet faced an awkward situation in the palace, Lennox was surrounded by officials.
It was like that until his faithful secretary rushed to find him.
“Your Highness, I think you should visit the annex.”
Lennox put down the documents he was reviewing.
There was only one matter concerning him in the annex.
The annex was where Juliet stayed. But she wasn’t in the palace.
He wasn’t too worried since she just went to briefly report at a meeting. What could have happened?
Frowning, he rose from his seat.
“Is something wrong with Juliet?”
“No, it’s not that. We have a visitor…”
“A guest? Send them away.”
But the Duke’s secretary didn’t leave.
“Well… I think you should meet them, Your Highness.”
It wasn’t uncommon for guests to visit the Duke.
However, Lennox felt something was off about the secretary’s demeanor when announcing the visitor.
“They are in the reception room for now.”
Moved by the secretary’s odd tone, the Duke made his way to the annex.
“Ah, come on in.”
The moment he entered the reception room, he understood why the secretary had been so insistent.
On one side of the reception room, a fireplace crackled.
And in front of it, a red-haired old man sat comfortably in an armchair.
“Why don’t you sit?”
The old man, who invited him as if it was his own house, exuded a unique aura of authority.
As he took a seat opposite him, the old man leisurely lifted his glass.
“Good wine.”
There were very few who could speak so casually to Duke Carlyle.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Yes.”
Lennox confirmed neutrally.
In fact, they had had opportunities to meet a few times, but this was the first direct encounter.
When Marquis Guinness was imprisoned, Juliet had asked him for a favor.
– Please leave the matter of ending the Marquis’s life to someone else.
That ‘someone else’ was her maternal grandfather, Lionel Lebatan.
Marquis Guinness was the enemy who had killed Juliet’s parents. And to Lionel Lebatan, he was also the enemy who killed his daughter and son-in-law.
Juliet said her grandfather had more right to vengeance.
Although Juliet never mentioned it, Lennox had been keeping a close eye on Lionel Lebatan’s actions.
“Why have you come here?”
“To see for myself. Thought I’d restore my granddaughter’s honor.”
Lennox raised an eyebrow at that ambiguous statement.
Yet Lionel Lebatan continued with a grandfatherly smile.
“You can look all you want, but I won’t tell.”
“Feeling playful?”
His words were childish, though his demeanor was kind.
“Yes, I had some things to check and was out, but I’ve come to confirm something directly with you.”