Dean Raoul's voice was gentle and slow.
Charlotte, however, felt extremely nervous.
Ever since being rescued, a doubt had lingered in her mind—the fatal wound that had pierced her abdomen. The wound had healed during the sacrifice, but the blood and internal organ fragments that had spilled onto the ground were indisputable evidence. Too many clues could reconstruct the scene.
A failed sacrifice where the mortally wounded victim survived—that was the biggest problem. From last night until now, Charlotte had been thinking about how to respond, and she already had a prepared narrative in her mind.
Taking a deep breath, the maiden prepared to speak. But when she looked up, she suddenly tensed. Beside Dean Raoul, the female knight still watched her calmly, her gaze as indifferent and cold as ever. Under that profound stare, Charlotte, about to explain, had the illusion of being under surveillance.
No—perhaps it wasn't an illusion, but a spiritual sense of being locked on. She trusted this intuition, especially since becoming a Bloodline, her inspiration seemed greatly enhanced. Deep down, Charlotte had a premonition... She must avoid lying in her next words!
Thinking this, Charlotte forcefully twisted the wound on her palm. The intense pain instantly activated her tear ducts. Mist filled her eyes, and she transformed back into that pitiful little cutie:
"Monsters... I saw so many monsters..."
"Grandmother tied me up. She said she was going to sacrifice me to the Blood Demon Duke..."
"She turned into a monster... such a terrible monster... Waaah..."
As she spoke, bean-sized tears spilled like beads, her face streaked with tears, miserable and pitiable. Even Charlotte was amazed at how easily this body could cry.
It had an effect. Ignoring the expressionless female knight, Dean Raoul's face visibly softened.
"Then... what about the wound on your body?" the old priest asked again, voice incredibly gentle.
"I... I heard her begging for mercy, and then... then she died!" Charlotte cowered under the quilt, looking terrified and dazed. "And my injuries healed..."
Any explanation or lie had flaws. The true art of rhetoric was telling the truth while leaving the other party without answers and no room to criticize. After waking, Charlotte had been thinking about how to clear herself of suspicion regarding Countess Castille's death. But later, she realized that since she could still lie here as a patient, she was temporarily safe.
If her guess was right, some unknown factor had interfered with these people's judgment. Apart from the healed wound, they probably had no evidence linking the sacrifice's change to her—only suspicions at most. Otherwise, they wouldn't be asking her questions.
In this situation, more words meant more mistakes; fewer words meant fewer mistakes. It was enough to tell some ambiguous truths—she didn't need to explain. After all, she was just a weak, pitiful, helpless, and young victim.
What could a frightened little girl remember?
Dean Raoul seemed lost in thought. He glanced at Captain Kara on the other side.
"The truth," the female knight said flatly, crossing her arms.
Fuck! She can actually tell the difference between truth and lies! Charlotte didn't know whether to be relieved or wary.
The old priest nodded: "Alright, my questions are done. Kara, start the physical examination and treatment."
The main event was coming! Charlotte's heart rose. She looked up at the female knight, her heart pounding wildly.
Would Divine Arts Countermeasure trigger successfully? Would there be an anomaly after triggering? Would the other party notice if she intercepted the divination ritual? Would she be burned by divine light?
Charlotte had no answers to these questions. Now, she could only focus on the Blood of the Sealed in her consciousness and gamble.
Captain Kara approached Charlotte, placing one hand on her head while gripping her sword hilt with the other. This was an extremely cautious Demon Hunting Knight. Even now, she was ready to fight at any moment, even against a delicate and beautiful pitiful maiden.
Holding her breath and staying vigilant, Charlotte looked at the callused and scarred palm. Kara's gaze sharpened instantly, and her majestic and cold voice rang out:
"Divine... Flame!"
Holy light bloomed brightly in the female knight's palm, soon transforming into golden flames that enveloped Charlotte. She felt as if boiling oil was being poured over her, with unprecedented pain erupting simultaneously in both body and soul.
Fucking hell! Pain, pain, pain! Even with mental preparation, Charlotte couldn't help but show a painful expression, almost leaping off the bed.
Instantly, Dean Raoul's face changed, and Kara's eyes turned cold as she drew her silver sword.
Shit! Charlotte's heart sank. But just as she thought she was about to meet a bad end, the familiar crimson light finally bloomed before her, and ancient strange characters slowly appeared:
[Blood of the Sealed detects an incoming divine arts ritual—]
[Ritual Name: Divine Flame]
[Caster: Kara Duval]
[Target: Charlotte de Castille]
[Ritual Effect: The Divine Flame of the Lord Harald can burn all existences marked as evil by the Holy Royal Court to ashes. When the Divine Flame acts on other existences, especially devout followers of the Holy Royal Court, it stimulates the target's physical potential, yielding excellent healing effects.]
[Interception probability judgment: 90%]
[Intercept or not?]
Finally! Charlotte was both surprised and delighted. "Intercept!" she shouted in her mind, ignoring the 10% failure rate.
Charlotte was lucky. The moment she decided, the Blood of the Sealed in her consciousness burst into crimson light. She felt an invisible protective barrier appear on her skin. Though still hot and uncomfortable, the burning pain vanished.
[Divine Flame intercepted successfully.]
[Terminate or modify the ritual?]
"Modify! Modify the ritual judgment! Judge the target as not evil, but a devout follower of the Holy Royal Court!" Charlotte ordered in her heart.
Successfully intercepting the divine arts ritual was a major victory, but it wasn't enough. Since she was being investigated, she would use this opportunity to completely wash away suspicion, especially regarding her Bloodline identity!
And what better way than to have the church personnel themselves vouch for her? What identity could reassure the church more than a devout follower of the Holy Royal Court?
With Charlotte's command, the Blood of the Sealed in her consciousness shone brightly again, its hidden rhythm acting on her body. In Charlotte's perception, the Divine Flame enveloping her underwent a wonderful change.
It remained "flame," but in her perception, it no longer burned hot; instead, it became as gentle as a breeze. Like spring sunlight on her skin, Charlotte felt a warm force enter her body, stimulating her potential and repairing her injuries.
At the same time, Charlotte noticed the Blood of the Sealed in her consciousness emitting a faint glow, seemingly absorbing the power of the Divine Flame. The grimoire opened by itself, its golden characters shimmering. On the reverse side of the title page, the "Blood Summoning" column's "cooldown" ratio, no longer gray at 0%, began to rise bit by bit...
1%, 2%, 3%...
Charlotte's spirit lifted. She never expected that after modifying the Divine Flame's judgment, this divine art could also recharge her grimoire!
Excitement spread. She was no longer afraid; instead, she hoped the divine art would last longer so she could leech more energy to nourish the grimoire...
Joy and enjoyment needed no hiding. In fact, Charlotte intentionally exaggerated, taking advantage of the situation putting on a fanatically devout act—just short of kneeling and weeping while shouting praises to the divine.
Seriously, Oscar really owed her a little golden man.
Seeing the Divine Flame shining brightly on Charlotte and the maiden's excited, fanatical expression, Dean Raoul's face relaxed, and Captain Kara silently lowered her raised silver sword.
Charlotte knew she had passed.