The Cursed Beast Caught My Leash - Chapter 35

Stella looked at the priest, who was filled with reverence, with a puzzled expression. He seemed as if he had received a divine calling. Regaining his composure, the priest smiled and added, “The Mind’s Eye must have always been within you, Princess. Any ability is difficult to manifest when the mind and body are unsettled.”

“Is that so…”

Stella felt somewhat convinced. The peaceful atmosphere of the chapel, the priest’s gentle smile, and the warmth of the tea had put her in a very calm state. It felt as if she had returned to the most worry-free days of her life.

“It would have been difficult to perceive the essence of objects as you did just now. However, since truth and lies come from people, you might have been able to discern them at least once through your ‘eyes.’ Have you ever been able to read someone’s true intentions, even just once?”

“…Hmm.”

Stella began to reflect on her memories from the earliest she could remember up to the present.

During her childhood in the monastery, she had never experienced such a thing. The priests never lied, for to lie is a sin for those who serve God, and lying to an innocent child is even worse. You cannot detect lies that don’t exist.

But what about after she left the monastery?

Stella had encountered many people with ill intentions. Most recently, there was Prince Hendrick, not to mention her uncle, who had made half of her life miserable, and the maids who played cruel pranks on her.

Had she ever sensed deceit or malice from them? She couldn’t be sure. Stella had always been frightened, distrustful, and unstable. As the priest had said, her mind was not in a state to manifest the Mind’s Eye.

Stella’s gaze fell back to the necklace, which still bore traces of holy power.

“Could ancient gems be found in the same way?”

“Most likely. Considering that the sacred relics held powerful energies, they should be even easier for you to identify. It might appear not as a faint tea stain, but more like dried, cracked seawater.”

“Easier than this…”

“If you become proficient in using the Mind’s Eye, you’ll be able to single out what you’re looking for even among countless gems,” the priest continued with confidence. “Moreover, no one can deceive the Mind’s Eye. Whether it’s poisoning a drink with a colorless, odorless toxin or planning a surprise attack from an ambush, you can foresee it all.”

“But I couldn’t detect it when Prince Pantege drugged my drink.”

“Did you feel any reluctance before drinking it?”

“Reluctance…”

Well, wouldn’t anyone feel uneasy about drinking alcohol in front of a man who already made them uncomfortable?

Even after the miraculous experience she had just had, Stella found it hard to accept that she possessed the Mind’s Eye.

She touched the faint golden aura still clinging to the cross. A trace that only she could see. An ability that could see through the truth, no matter how deeply hidden it was in the thick fog.

To Stella, this felt like nothing short of a miracle.

“Father, is it possible to use this ability to determine whether a missing person is alive or dead?”

Father Padro tilted his head slightly, as if surprised by the question. “Well… it would be difficult to ascertain that without any information. However, if you were to question someone who definitely knows the whereabouts of the missing person, the Mind’s Eye could distinguish between truth and lies.”

…But where would I find such a person? Stella unconsciously touched the pendant around her neck.

The pendant, which had been worn so many times that its edges had completely worn down, was one of only two such pieces in the world.

It was a treasure that her late father had given to her and her elder sibling. The pendant contained their portraits, but the faces of her family had now faded into vague memories.

Stella closed her eyes tightly, trying to stave off the sorrow that threatened to overwhelm her.

“Lord Peruno gave me a little test before he brought me here.”

She recalled Islay, who had lined up bottles filled with clear liquid and asked her to choose the one containing water.

“I now realize it was a test to see if I could perceive the essence of things…”

“His Highness needed to bring you here, and for that, he required at least a small justification.”

“I still don’t understand. How did you know right away that I possessed the Mind’s Eye?”

“It’s because of the prophecy.”

The voice that answered wasn’t the priest’s. Stella turned her head toward the direction of the voice. Islay was leaning casually against the doorway, watching her. Seeing his imposing figure filling the entrance, Stella felt her breath catch in her throat. It was remarkable how someone so large could move so quietly.

“A prophecy…?” she repeated, looking up at his cold, emotionless face, recalling the thing that had been nagging at her thoughts recently. “Are you saying that the priests of the Ice Castle received an oracle about me?”

“To be precise, it was an oracle about the Mind’s Eye. That’s why, the moment I saw you, I suspected you might be the one referred to in the prophecy.”

Islay’s gaze shifted to the priest. “Padro, show her.”

The old priest, who had just set down his bloodstained handkerchief, bowed respectfully and retrieved a piece of parchment from a drawer. Stella began to read the parchment, which was covered in hurried, swirling script.

Retrieve the lost light.

Only the star that shines alone in the fading darkness will stop the disaster.

The star is the one and only gem hidden by wisdom and greed, and the eye that can see through the essence.

And thus…

Stella’s golden eyes narrowed in thought. As Islay had mentioned before, the prophecy was filled with vague, poetic expressions.

It didn’t take long for Stella to realize what these cryptic lines were.

This was the prophecy. And she could understand what the people of the North had deduced from it.

“Do you see the first verse here?” Father Padro asked, pointing to the parchment, and Stella nodded.

“It says, ‘Retrieve the lost light.’”

“That is the first oracle that descended upon Calis centuries ago. It was the decisive reason why the Peruno bloodline began collecting gemstones from across the continent.”

It was said that ancient gems, after being used in a curse, lost their power and became ordinary minerals. The Northerners, upon receiving the oracle, likely interpreted it as a directive to restore the light to these gems.

“But as you know, Princess, there has been no progress in finding the gems. Even now, no significant results have been achieved, have they?”

“Indeed….”

“To think that such a long-standing disaster has persisted due to mere vengeance—it truly feels like the end of days. But miraculously, in Lord Islay’s time, a new prophecy has come.”

Padro spoke with the awe of someone in the presence of divinity. Islay remained silent, while Stella, sensing his gaze, lowered hers again.

A new prophecy. That must be what everything below ‘Retrieve the lost light’ referred to.

The ‘star’ likely pointed to her, and the ‘eye that can see through to the essence’ must be the Mind’s Eye.

The parts about the ‘fading darkness’ and ‘wisdom and greed’ were still unclear, but she now understood why they believed she possessed the Mind’s Eye.

Stella stared at the parchment for a while, something nagging at her.

“The last line seems to be the key, but why is it unfinished?” she asked.

“That part of the oracle was received recently and hasn’t been fully interpreted yet,” the priest explained, bowing his head slightly toward Islay. “My apologies, Your Highness.”

“I didn’t expect it to take this long.”

“It was delivered in ancient script, which is particularly difficult to translate, and there are certain words that must be precise, so the work is taking longer than anticipated.”

“Didn’t I ask for a draft of the translation?”

“Well… that is….” Padro adjusted his glasses and glanced nervously at Stella. She could sense that the priest was a bit uncomfortable.

‘…What?’

At that moment, a shadow flickered across the priest’s face, a dark blot that didn’t match his otherwise kindly demeanor. Stella rubbed her eyes, thinking she might have seen it wrong.

But when she looked back at the priest, the shadow was gone. The shock of what she had just witnessed left her more stunned than when she had first seen the holy power with her own eyes.

“I apologize, Your Highness. I will deliver the translation as soon as it is ready.”

“I expect to receive it soon.”

“You can count on me.”

Even as Islay and the priest concluded their conversation, Stella was still blinking, her eyes wide.

‘…What was that?’

Did she see it wrong? But if she hadn’t, then what was that shadow she just saw?

However, she couldn’t very well confront the priest—who had just helped her uncover her ability—about the strange shadow that had briefly appeared on his face.

It was only then that Stella noticed Islay’s steady gaze fixed on her. The sunlight filtered through the stained glass and poured over his sharp features. Caught in his unwavering stare, Stella let out a quiet sigh.

“…Ah.”

She had no choice but to rise from her seat. Though she had Mikel with her, she had left the bedchamber and come all the way to the outer castle without Islay’s permission.