Now This Family Belongs to My Mother Chapter 157

Unaware that Kobel had frozen in place, the priests were busy whispering among themselves as they looked at Stella’s confident demeanor.

 

“She must have clear evidence.”

 

“Of course. Would the saintess say such a thing without proof?”

 

“I’m disappointed in the cardinal. He says he’ll help selflessly, but it seems he just doesn’t want to believe her.”

 

Lenon hesitated. Noticing Lenon’s subtle shift and the atmosphere among the priests, Stella rejoiced internally. She would attack Lenon right here and now, forcing him to corner Epirosa with his own hands. I’ll eliminate Epirosa without dirtying my own hands.

 

Stella could also make Kobel indebted to her through this. Even though he lost his magic, he still made me the saintess. Though he lost an eye in return. She wanted to make Kobel sacrifice something to help her next time as well.

 

“Uncle, please show the evidence quickly. It seems Cardinal doesn’t believe us.” Stella spoke to Kobel. But no answer came back. “Uncle?” Only then did she realize something was wrong and looked at Kobel. Kobel was staring into the drawer, standing as rigid as a nailed plank.

 

As the silence stretched on, a cold smile hovered over Lenon’s face. “It seems there is no evidence.”

 

“T-That can’t be!” Stella hurriedly approached Kobel. “Uncle, quickly, the evidence…” Staring into the drawer, she froze just like Kobel.

 

The inside of the drawer was completely empty. The piece of paper that had been there just moments ago was nowhere to be seen.

 

“S-Stella, the evidence is gone,” Kobel whispered to Stella in a trembling voice.

 

At that moment, the sound of someone approaching quickly from behind reached their ears. Stella turned around in a panic. “Ca-Cardinal!”

 

“I must verify the evidence with my own eyes.”

 

Stella tried to block him, but Lenon ultimately looked inside the drawer. Confirming the drawer was empty, he gave a bitter smile.

 

“So there really is no evidence?”

 

“T-That’s not it…”

 

“You deceived me without even having evidence and slandered Lady Epirosa.”

 

“T-The evidence disappeared! We must search the entire temple to find it!”

 

Seeing Stella turning on him shamelessly and brazenly, Lenon let out a cold huff. His expression was so icy that she felt as if her heart had frozen for a moment. It wasn’t just Lenon. Even the priests who had taken Stella’s side until a moment ago seemed extremely flustered by the situation.

 

“Did the saintess lie?”

 

“The real evidence could have disappeared, though.”

 

“Even so, to order a search of the temple…”

 

Noticing the shift in the atmosphere, Kobel quickly spoke. “You don’t need to search the temple. We’ll look for it oursel—”

 

“I’ll order a search of the temple,” Lenon said, looking directly at Stella. “We will look for the ‘evidence’ Saintess lost. Please tell me what kind of item it is.”

 

Stella’s eyes quivered violently. She realized it. Whichever choice she made, damage to her image as the saintess was unavoidable.

 

* * *

In the early hours of dawn, I quietly left Blanche Mansion. Since it was a secret outing, only Mizulin was brought along as my escort. My destination was the slums.

 

When I reached the crumbling bridge, the swarming insects and the stench made it hard to breathe. But without so much as a flinch, I approached the man crouched beneath the bridge. The man’s hair was a tangled mess, and his skin was filthy, as if it hadn’t been washed in ages. His clothes were torn and filthy, with wounds visible through the ripped fabric, as if he’d been beaten.

 

Despite his wretched appearance, I felt not an ounce of sympathy. I had no intention of showing him mercy. Still, I tossed a pouch containing money in front of him. Clink! The sound of coins colliding woke the man, who lifted his head.

 

“Goddess, have you come to save me?”

 

“Get a grip, Maddux.” I spat coldly at him.

 

Only then did Maddux seem to wake from his sleep, opening his eyes wide. Realizing who I was, he raised his curled-up upper body. However, intimidated by my fierce glare, he sat back down on his knees. Then he frantically gathered the pouch in front of him into his arms.

 

“T-Thanks you… To come pe-personally to lend me money t-this time…”

 

“I heard you squandered the money I lent you last time on gambling as well.”

 

“T-That, I can win it back soon! I-I’ll pay back double, no, triple!”

 

As if he could pay it back.

 

I looked down at Maddux coldly. Not only had he squandered the money I gave him out of charity on gambling, but he had also borrowed from loan sharks to pour into it. Thanks to that, his unpaid debts had accumulated, and he had even been beaten by them. Yet, he still hadn’t come to his senses.

 

It was laughable that such a pathetic man had been the fiancé who held and shook my life in my past life. Ah, how foolish I was.

 

Of course, it was no coincidence that Maddux, who had fled to the countryside, returned to the capital and fell into gambling. It was all a revenge plan orchestrated by me. The reason I hadn’t eliminated him was simply that he would be useful later.

 

“You don’t need to pay back the money.”

 

“W-What…?” Maddux asked foolishly, as if he couldn’t believe it.

 

“In exchange, there’s a task I need you to do.”

 

At those words, Maddux’s eyes gleamed slyly even in his state.

 

“W-What will you give me if I do that task?”

 

“Oh dear, Maddux. You’re mistaking something.” I smiled for the first time since entering the slums. With the urge to spit right into his flushed face, I continued. “It’s not that I’m giving you something if you complete that task.”

 

“T-Then…”

 

“If you fail to complete that task, I’ll never give you anything ever again.”

 

“!” Maddux’s bloodshot eyes widened in shock.

 

“So, if you want to win back double or triple, you must accomplish what I ordered.”

 

“W-What is it?”

 

I told Maddux coldly. “Drag Nicholas into gambling.”

 

“M-Me? H-How?” Maddux asked, clearly flustered. “H-He won’t even meet with me.”

 

I knew that as well. Nicholas wouldn’t deal with someone in a beggar’s state.

 

“I put more money than usual in that pouch. First, use that to wash up and buy decent new clothes. After that, just do as I tell you.”

 

The stage would be set soon enough.

 

* * *

In the afternoon, I visited the temple under the guise of making a donation.

 

Cardinal Lenon Gianni welcomed me with a welcoming face. “Welcome!” He looked even more pleased to see me than usual. Perhaps he was pestered by Stella.

 

As I was guided by him toward the cardinal’s office, the temple seemed unusually chaotic. Watching the priests moving around busily, I asked. “Is something happening in the temple?”

 

Lenon let out a deep sigh. “It’s thanks to the saintess.”

 

“Stella?”

 

By then, we had arrived at the cardinal’s office. Left alone in the room with me, Lenon furrowed his brows as if he had a headache. “In fact, I was about to contact you, Lady.”

 

“Me?”

 

“Yes. I thought you should know.”

 

I could roughly guess what it was about. It must be because of the fake weakness I gave her. I figured Stella must have caused some trouble by now. However, I looked at Lenon as if I knew nothing.

 

Lenon spoke. “The saintess claimed that her guardian was framed for being a dark mage.”

 

“My uncle was framed? But that is an issue that was already settled.”

 

“I think so as well. What’s even more shocking is that she claimed the person who framed her guardian was you, Lady Epirosa.”

 

“What?” I covered my mouth with both hands, pretending to be shocked. “How could she say such a thing…? That makes no sense.”

 

As I trembled my shoulders as if horrified, Lenon spoke comfortingly. “I think so too. In fact, the saintess didn’t even have evidence. Yet she insisted that she had lost it.”

 

“She lost the evidence?”

 

“Yes. So under the pretext of finding evidence, they are currently searching the temple. This is already the second time.”

 

“And the evidence…?”

 

“Naturally, nothing came up. The saintess was lying.” Lenon spoke with conviction.

 

Oh dear. Poor Stella. She must be driven crazy with frustration by now.