TSMMT Ch 142

Peculiar Blessing

Whether the Pope possessed a twisted temperament or not, he assigned Ionia to manage the Lodbrog delegation. Yet she no longer confronted them with blatant hostility, greeting them instead with a face as cold and unyielding as stone.

Though Ionia's presence proved uncomfortable, Dianna masked her unease. The Pope had intended to weaponize guilt against Dianna and the Lodbrog retinue, apparently unaware that his scheme had failed entirely, or perhaps he simply didn't care.

A glamorous princess abandoning everything to seek refuge in a temple. That alone formed a poignant tragedy. Even so, Dianna held no desire to offer sympathy.

Observing her cold demeanor toward Ionia, the Lodbrog delegation looked on with quiet bewilderment.

Indifferent to their gazes, Dianna pondered how to handle the Pope. She could afford to focus on this only because Lady Kragel and Adelheit managed the delegation's affairs on her behalf.

Aside from the clash involving Ionia, the retinue received lavish treatment. While modest in décor due to the temple's virtue of austerity, the wine served after meals proved exquisite. Cultivated by monks, the wine enjoyed renown for its exceptional quality—a delicacy unattainable in Lodbrog—leading everyone to indulge freely.

Yet the Pope clearly intended to subject Dianna to maximum discomfort. Even after three days had passed for them to recover from their journey, he failed to show his face.

[Dianna] "Is His Holiness still unavailable?"

[Ionia] "Yes. Wait."

Ionia responded in a dry, indifferent tone. Dianna knitted her brows. This was a blatant insult. Yet the retinue couldn't openly object, not only because they held the weaker position, but also because their accommodations were far from neglected.

[Dianna] "We must conclude negotiations as quickly as possible."

Even after securing grain, transporting it would consume immense time. Every passing day counted, yet the Holy See remained entirely unhurried.

Lady Eirick wore an anxious expression, and understandably so. Her family's domain had suffered the most severe damage.

Pressuring them for an audience out of desperation would look foolish, yet passively enduring the Pope's stalling tactics appeared equally pathetic.

So that's how you want to play it.

Dianna curled the corners of her lips into a faint smile. Dealing with calculated schemes required an even bolder response.

Without hesitation, she headed straight for the prayer room.

---

[Adelheit] "Her Majesty the Queen has abstained from all food and drink for two days, engaging solely in prayer!"

[Knight] "What in the world is happening?!"

Adelheit, the ducal ladies, and the knights launched into a chorus of frantic protests. Only Tarascus watched their farce with an inquisitive expression.

[L. Eirick] "Her Majesty has never once denied her Panborough roots!"

[Leonie] "Indeed! A devout believer who faithfully offered prayers every evening...!"

Naturally, it was complete nonsense.

Dianna had cursed the gods long ago and never prayed in the evenings, rarely even stepping away from her desk.

The quick-witted Adelheit and Lady Eirick played their parts fervently, while the oblivious Lady Kragel and young Rosalia Islag simply blinked, watching the spectacle unfold.

The priests, including Ionia, wore thoroughly flustered expressions. They had never anticipated the Queen would launch a hunger strike in this sacred space.

A single day could be dismissed as a tantrum, but entering the second and third day changed the situation entirely. Furthermore, a slender woman like Dianna risked falling gravely ill or collapsing altogether.

[Dianna] "When my people are starving to death, how could I indulge in sustenance? I merely pray for the deity to relent in his anger."

Dianna spoke softly and serenely, without a trace of anger. Her fragile appearance embodied the very image of a saint's benevolent devotion, leaving the priests utterly bewildered.

The optics were dreadful from every angle. While a few scoffed, assuming Dianna was merely putting on an act, rumors surrounding her had long circulated among the high clergy.

She was known as a devout believer who had once manifested a divine miracle. Had that miracle been even slightly more magnificent, the Pope himself would have brought her to the Holy See as a saint. In their eyes, Dianna was a fervent devotee, and guilt quickly began to gnaw at them.

[Priest] "Please, we beg of you to take some food!"

[Priest] "We earnestly implore you!"

The priests hovered around Dianna in desperate entreaty. She shook her head softly. They could hardly force food into a foreign queen's mouth.

Regardless of their pleas, Dianna continued her earnest prayers, appearing as though saving her kingdom was all that mattered.

After two and a half days without a single sip of water, her throat burned with dryness.

Opposition factions existed even within the Pope's council, and they would surely weaponize this incident against him.

Dianna lifted a hazy gaze and shook her head softly. Once the priests finally retreated, she released a quiet sigh. Just as she prepared to adjust her posture, a voice echoed from behind.

[Ionia] "Dianna Brienne, you are truly insufferable."

She spat the words venomously.

[Ionia] "I have known it for a long time, but you are disgustingly insidious."

[Dianna] "..."

[Ionia] "Praying for citizens of another kingdom that isn't even your own..."

Dianna lowered her head before turning to face her.

[Dianna] "Ionia, have you ever done something like this for Panborough?"

[Ionia] "..."

[Dianna] "You still refuse to wake up to reality."

For some reason, upon seeing Dianna's face, Ionia clapped a hand over her mouth.

Shaking her head, Dianna faced forward once more.

Her mouth had turned bone-dry long ago. Instinct warned her that enduring past today would prove dangerous. Yet two days felt too brief for a hunger strike; at least another day needed to pass. Collapsing now would yield no recognition for her sincerity.

The sound of Ionia rushing out of the prayer room echoed through the chamber. Dianna carefully calculated how to project an aura of noble, solemn piety.

[Taras] "Thou art truly a fool."

At the telepathic voice echoing in her head, Dianna turned back.

Standing where Ionia had just departed was the dragon. For some reason, he was once again communicating exclusively with her.

[Taras] "Creature, thou art undoubtedly devoid of survival instinct. If thou dost not consume food, thou shalt perish. Surely thou art aware of this?"

How could I possibly not know that?

Dianna looked at the dragon.

[Taras] "Why go to such lengths? Why abandon the easy path to take a convoluted one? Thou needed only to seize the grain from Panborough."

[Dianna] "Because this is the proper path."

She couldn't plunder food from innocent people, and the remaining grain rested here. So procuring it from this source was the better choice.

[Dianna] "I resolved to bear the weight of the choice I made. Nobles and royalty exist for this very purpose."

[Taras] "Thou art peculiar. Those of high birth usually preserve their own lives above all else."

[Dianna] "Those who prioritize self-preservation at all costs are the ones in the wrong."

Even had it been the Brienne House, Dianna would have acted identically. Having been granted a precious existence solely by virtue of noble blood since birth, utilizing that privileged status at the right moment was essential.

Now, even if this is enemy territory, a sitting Queen has come personally to offer prayers. How will the Pope react?

Since we must speak eventually, I hope he steps forward soon.

[Taras] "The proper path..."

The dragon muttered the words.

Dianna faced forward once more, straightening her back and steadying her unfocused gaze. She ensured her attire was not excessively rumpled or unkempt. Even in a situation like this, she had to maintain her dignity because of the position she held.

[Taras] "Is that more vital than thy very life? Thou art strange, thoroughly strange."

[Dianna] "..."

[Taras] "Thou clearly harbor affection for the princess who visited earlier, yet thy words were cold. It is the same now. Thou possessest no faith in the gods, yet thou pretendest to pray while killing thyself."

[Dianna] "..."

[Taras] "While intriguing to observe, watching thee grows suffocating. It displeases me."

[Dianna] "That emotion is called 'pity.'"

She responded without even turning toward the dragon. Exhausted of energy, continuing to speak took effort, yet he kept conversing.

The dragon offered no answer for a long while. Perhaps an hour passed before he spoke again.

[Taras] "Then... what should I do?"

He hasn't left yet?

She spoke weakly.

[Dianna] "Then help me. They say dragons are messengers of the gods, so speak to the deity and ask for assistance."

A faint, mocking chuckle echoed. A smirk from the dragon.

[Taras] "Without a shred of faith..."

At that moment, the doors swung open amidst a rustle of commotion. Dianna realized the atmosphere in the room had shifted. The sudden flurry indicated someone's arrival.

Fluttering down from above, a single white petal drifted to the floor. Her eyes widened.

I've seen this somewhere before…

Fluttering again, another petal floated down, landing gently on her shoulder. Dianna lifted her head in dazed bewilderment as a radiant, pure white light illuminated her form.

[Dianna] "U-Uh...?"

This... this shouldn't be happening?

[Priest] "How can this be, Lady Dianna?!"

[Priest] "O Queen of Lodbrog!"

Startled, Dianna turned around. The Pope and his entire entourage were staring at her in absolute shock.

Dianna looked at the shimmering light and cascading petals pouring down around her.

Turning her head, she sought out Tarascus. Yet upon meeting her gaze, the dragon wore an inscrutable expression before quietly stepping backward into the shadows.

Could he... did he actually ask the deity for help?

A blizzard of white petals began showering down upon her like snow. Dianna stood in dazed silence, showered beneath the blooming miracle.

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