Chapter 46
Javaniya traced back her memories. They had only exchanged a few words, but the impression was deeply etched in her mind.
"If I may be so bold, she resembled a god."
"Lady Rachel? She resembled Lady Rachel... So that's why the Knight Commander fell so deeply for her."
Malik did not rebuke the irreverent words. Instead, he gave Javaniya an order.
"However, first impressions and true nature can differ. Since the Bishop thinks of the Knight Commander like his own child, I'm concerned as well. With a parent's heart, shouldn't we look into Lady Rohanson's character?"
"I will certainly find out."
Malik patted Javaniya's shoulder as if to show his trust in her determination. Surely Javaniya would do her utmost not to disappoint Malik.
Only after Malik and Javaniya had vanished from the underground and all signs of presence had disappeared did Gabriel step into Merai's solitary cell.
A haggard woman, as if stripped of her vitality, raised her head at the sound of the door opening.
Her complexion was pale as if she would die soon. Having said she stayed with the children locked underground, being confined alone underground seemed quite arduous.
Merai was suffering because her childhood trauma had resurfaced. Before she caught the director's eye, Merai too would have been nothing more than one of the means to entertain the demon, just like the other children.
"Have you eaten?"
It was such an everyday question for a prison greeting that Merai let out a hollow laugh.
"For a meal from the Great Temple, it was truly pitiful."
A piece of bread and a bowl of soup. In truth, knowing that even this was something to be grateful for for someone about to die soon, the sarcastic words came out automatically.
"At least for one meal, you'll be able to eat your fill of whatever you want."
At those words, Merai realized what that one meal meant. She was talking about the special meal death row inmates eat before execution. Merai calmly accepted her situation.
"It's an execution, then."
"Yes. As soon as dawn breaks, you'll be handed over to the guards."
There was less emotional disturbance than expected. When her death date was set, Merai actually felt herself becoming calmer.
"Lady Rohanson has decided to bring back the children you sold."
"Buying them back? No different from me."
"It's completely different."
How quickly the news of Merai and the priest being detained spread—in that short time, dozens of messages arrived. Some contacted asking not to report to the imperial family, while others offered to return both the money and the children.
Though buying people wasn't pleasant, Evangeline readily paid the money and took back the children.
Of course, there were even more who pretended not to know. They would make excuses that they hadn't bought children but had hired them, merely paying an introduction fee.
Those who had dealt with Merai long ago or those notorious for their cruel methods remained silent. The children were likely already dead or in such poor condition they couldn't be shown outside.
When Gabriel delivered the news, Daisy burst into tears.
"Stop crying. You haven't forgotten what you asked for, have you?"
"No. I asked you to find the children."
"Right. In exchange for having you, I agreed to find them all."
Evangeline Rohanson behaved uncharacteristically. It was clear how much comfort those gruff words brought to Daisy.
Daisy fell to her knees and thanked her, praying. She didn't mind at all that Gabriel was watching right in front of her.
The person who had been terrified and denounced Evangeline as a demon when they met before was nowhere to be found—Daisy genuinely submitted. That appearance reminded one of believers praying before Rachel's statue.
The difference was that, unlike Rachel, Evangeline Rohanson was a being who could respond to her devotee.
A white hand was placed on top of Daisy's head. Perhaps because she was someone who had never comforted anyone nor felt the need to, the stroking gesture was extremely awkward.
Gabriel couldn't take his eyes off that awkward gesture. Was that hand comforting Daisy still cold?
Gabriel erased his thoughts and focused on Merai.
Evangeline promised to bring all the children. Merai's ledger helped in identifying the list of children.
"The ledger you left behind will be helpful."
And the level of punishment would increase as well. They hadn't committed murder, and nobles couldn't be severely punished just for buying one commoner orphan. At least thanks to the ledger that detailed dates, amounts, transaction locations, methods, and intermediaries, the crimes could be proven.
The priest, one of the traders, thanks to the ledger as definitive evidence, wasn't just dismissed but was dispatched to a foreign country at war. It meant he should go serve and die there, never to return.
"Why did you leave the ledger behind?"
As if she was someone who still had lingering attachments.
"I thought it might come in useful later. If you wave the ledger in their faces and ask for favors, everyone listens."
But the traders didn't seem to know about the ledger's existence at all, acting as if they learned about it for the first time.
"I see."
However, Gabriel didn't press for the truth. Since she herself said so, there was no particular reason to deny it. Even if Merai had left the ledger out of a faint sense of guilt, her crimes wouldn't disappear, nor would her sentence be overturned.
"Tomorrow, there will be an interrogator's questioning."
Instead, Gabriel revealed the purpose of visiting Merai.
"During the interrogation, the investigator will ask about Lady Rohanson."
Gabriel told Merai what she should answer. If asked about Evangeline Rohanson, she should say she was someone who occasionally came to the orphanage for volunteer work. She also told her to avoid mentioning Daisy as much as possible since she shouldn't be involved in this incident.
Merai let out a hollow laugh at those words. Not only did she have to defend the angel who had driven her to the edge of the cliff, but she was also told to say she received support from nobles?
All the nobles who came to the orphanage were people who came to buy children. If someone had genuinely supported them out of good will, Merai wouldn't have needed to sell the children.
"Are you threatening me to give false testimony? A knight is, damn it, truly honest and remarkable indeed."
Even at Merai's sarcastic words, Gabriel didn't flinch. Unlike his reputation for being faithful and righteous, Gabriel himself didn't consider himself so pure, so the sharp words didn't wound him.
"You think I'll do as you say?"
"Yes. If you remember what Daisy said."
At those words, Merai's body stiffened. When was that? Right. Gabriel had considerately asked Daisy if she had any last words for Merai, giving them a brief time to talk.
In her memory, Daisy was saying something.
"Director. I couldn't even bring myself to think of you as a mother."
Of course not. Merai wasn't Daisy's mother.
Daisy wasn't even that important a child to Merai. She seemed to have heard some criticism from her son and other children besides Daisy. But what remained particularly in her memory was Daisy's words.
"I sincerely loved you, even if only for a time."
Daisy, not having let go of all her lingering feelings, hugged Merai. And holding Merai tightly, she whispered in her ear.
"The Lady has decided to take us in. So please never speak about the Lady and the demon. If you have even a bit of guilt toward us, if you ever cherished us even a little, please don't say anything."
Merai felt no guilt at all, so Daisy's words were completely useless.
"You heard that?"
"I have good hearing."
Merai kept her mouth shut after that. She didn't say she would testify as Gabriel said, but Gabriel left the cell as if he was done.
The next day, as Gabriel said, Merai was transferred to the execution ground.
Death row inmates with their death dates sentenced would stay here until that day. As she had heard beforehand, there was also an interrogation. After finishing the interrogation, the investigator flipped through papers and asked.
"Anything you want to eat before you die?"
The last supper.
"I don't know why they bother giving food to folks about to be killed. They should just give me that money as a bonus... Just say something quickly."
When Merai didn't answer quickly, the investigator urged her.
"I want soup. Soup made with mashed potatoes."
"Potato soup? How plain... Well, fine."
The investigator scribbled roughly with ink. She couldn't see the content, but it was obviously written 'Merai – Potato Soup'.
And before the execution, while other prisoners ate wine and meat, Merai alone ate potato soup.
Potato soup was the most frequently served food at the orphanage. Once, a child said they would miss Merai's food when they were about to be adopted and asked her to make soup. Since then, Merai always made soup before selling children. She didn't know why.
"Did you enjoy your last supper?"
After finishing the meal, Merai was led away by the guard. A cloth was placed over her head and she sat down. From somewhere, the sound of a blade being sharpened was heard.
Merai closed her eyes.
It was a truly, terribly tasteless meal.
***
"The weather is nice."
"It really is. The breeze is cool, and it feels like flower fragrance is coming in on the wind."
At Evangeline's words, Kanna opened the door. Unlike Kanna, Daisy smelled a putrid scent in the flower fragrance blowing through the window.
"Perfect weather for dying."
Evangeline brushed back her hair that the wind had messed up.
Daisy knew well whose death that meant. Today was the day Merai died.