MTO C104

Chapter 104

“S-Saint…”

The moment Michel stepped into the reception room, the Viscount bowed deeply.

And in doing so, he felt humiliated.

Even after convincing himself that Saint Michel was nothing but a fraud, his body still feared him.

Stealing a cautious glance upward, the Viscount inspected Michel’s forehead.

As expected, it was perfectly smooth, without the slightest trace of any mark.

Yet Michel’s face remained as cold as an angel passing judgment upon evil itself.

Unable to properly lift his head, the Viscount discreetly wiped his sweat-dampened palms against his trousers.

Michel spoke in a quiet, measured voice.

“I heard you wished to see me.”

“Y-Yes. I committed a grave offense against Your Holiness today. I could not leave without apologizing in person, so although I know it is presumptuous, I requested this audience.”

“…Brother, as I told you before, you did not wrong me.”

“You wronged my child.”

“Y-You’re right.”

“But you also said that humiliating the child was no different from insulting the Saint himself.”

“So… I wished to apologize to you as well.”

A peculiar expression crossed Michel’s face.

It looked as though he was uncertain whether the Viscount’s reasoning was correct.

Seizing the opportunity, the Viscount withdrew a small box concealed inside his robes.

“This is a gift to express my remorse.”

“I sincerely hope you will accept it.”

He opened the box where Michel could see inside.

Resting within it was a small, heart-shaped glass vial.

Thanks to his failed attempt to slip it into the Duke’s wine, not a single drop of the potion had been wasted.

“I heard that Your Holiness places great importance on health.”

“So I prepared this for you.”

“It is a tonic that restores vitality to anyone who drinks it.”

By now, word had spread throughout the North that the Saint of Valois tirelessly preached the importance of good health.

The Viscount carefully watched Michel’s expression.

His mouth had gone completely dry.

He feared the lie might be exposed.

The potion itself was crystal clear, impossible to identify by appearance alone.

Even if someone somehow recognized what it truly was…

He could simply claim he had mistaken the bottle.

Michel silently stared at the vial.

His expression revealed absolutely nothing.

The Viscount felt as though he were suffocating.

After a long silence, Michel murmured softly,

“A health supplement…”

“Pardon?”

“Ah.”

“It’s nothing.”

Only then did Michel smile and accept the box.

Relief washed over the Viscount so suddenly that his knees nearly gave out beneath him.

“A moment ago… I also went too far.”

“Thank you for apologizing.”

The face that had been as frigid as the northern wind blossomed into a warm smile.

The sight gave the Viscount a measure of confidence.

“Thank you for your generosity.”

“It is an exceptionally effective medicine.”

“The moment you drink it, your strength will return.”

“So be sure to save it for an important occasion.”

“For example…”

“On a day when you must stand before a great crowd.”

“Addressing so many people can be quite exhausting.”

“I will.”

“I’ll remember that.”

Michel answered obediently.

The Viscount relaxed.

The Saint was even more foolish than he had imagined.

How laughable—

He seemed genuinely delighted simply to have received a present.

The Viscount was about to bid his farewell…

When a teacup suddenly appeared before him.

“This is my gift.”

Michel smiled pleasantly.

“A token of reconciliation.”

“Please.”

“Wh-What?”

“I couldn’t possibly keep something this wonderful all to myself.”

“Please accept my sincerity.”

In one smooth motion, Michel poured the potion into the teacup and offered it to the Viscount.

The Viscount instinctively opened his mouth to refuse—

Then immediately shut it again.

Though Michel’s smile appeared gentle…

The sharpness hidden within his eyes had never disappeared.

Unless he drank the potion himself…

The Saint would never trust him.

“Th-Thank you.”

The Viscount accepted the cup…

And emptied every last drop.

“Oh!”

“I can already feel my strength returning!”

“Wow!”

“It really works!”

“Y-Yes!”

“I feel as though my journey home won’t tire me at all!”

“This is all thanks to Your Holiness!”

“Just look!”

The Viscount effortlessly hoisted the heavy table into the air to demonstrate his newfound strength.

Michel clapped excitedly like a delighted child.

To further prove the potion was harmless, the Viscount repeatedly sat down and sprang back to his feet.

Yet…

The effects appeared almost immediately.

His skin began to itch.

Sweat soaked his back.

Forcing a smile onto his face, he struggled to conceal his growing panic.

“Oh dear.”

“I’ve kept Your Holiness far too long.”

“I shall take my leave now.”

“Thank you for such a pleasant conversation.”

“It was brief, but enjoyable.”

“Travel safely, Brother.”

Fortunately…

Michel let him go without another word.

Maintaining impeccable manners until the very end, the Viscount bowed once more before leaving the reception room.

He did not immediately hurry his pace.

Leaving the room did not mean he was safe.

There could still be eyes watching him from anywhere within the castle.

Only after he exited the castle grounds did his composure finally crumble.

The instant he spotted the Casenail carriage, he practically crawled toward it, wrenching open the door.

The coachman, who had been dozing, jolted awake.

“M-My Lord!”

“To Castle Casenail!”

“Now!”

“A-At once!”

Fortunately, his foolish daughter had stormed off earlier in embarrassment.

With no one inside to witness him…

The Viscount tore off his belt.

As he fumbled with the buttons of his trousers…

The desire he had barely managed to suppress erupted without restraint.

He desperately grasped himself, moving frantically.

It did not take long before he spilled himself once—

Yet instead of satisfaction…

The thirst only intensified.

“Hah…!”

“Hah…!”

“Heh…”

“Ahahahaha!”

The coachman instinctively glanced back at the crazed laughter echoing from inside the carriage.

His face instantly turned pale.

He quickly snapped his gaze forward again.

No matter how violently the carriage jolted over the road…

The Viscount remained consumed by satisfying his insatiable desire.

No matter how desperately he panted…

His body only grew hotter.

He could not stop laughing.

This fever consuming him now…

Would one day become Saint Michel’s torment.

Before the eyes of the entire world…

The Saint would crawl across the ground like a beast…

Drooling.

Humiliated.

He would suffer ten times the disgrace the Viscount himself had endured today.

The day Saint Michel’s true identity was exposed…

The day he spat upon Duke Eglance’s proud face…

Neither was far away.

The following morning—

The residents of the orphanage were summoned by Lawrence, who claimed he had something to show them.

Together, they made their way into the castle courtyard.

There…

Awaiting them…

Was a mountain of gifts large enough to rival a small hill.

“Whoa!”

The children gasped as they ran toward the colorful tower of presents.

No matter how far they tilted back their heads…

They couldn’t see the top.

Barbara covered her mouth in astonishment.

Meanwhile…

Michel’s jaw simply hung open.

“W-What is… all of this?”

“These are gifts sent by the guests who attended last night’s banquet.”

Lawrence answered politely.

“Everything here belongs to the young masters and young ladies.”

“As for the gifts addressed to Your Holiness… they have already been moved to their designated storage.”

“T-There’s… even more?”

Michel nearly shrieked.

It was difficult enough believing that this mountain of presents had all arrived overnight.

And this wasn’t even all of them?

Did overnight delivery exist in this world too?

“It seems our guests were deeply moved by Your Holiness’s words yesterday.”

“Shall I read the accompanying cards aloud?”

Lawrence’s expression remained as impassive as ever.

Yet somehow…

He looked rather pleased.

As he produced what appeared to be a stack of cards thick enough to build a brick wall, Michel immediately shook his head.

The memory of being surrounded by nobles the previous evening flashed vividly through his mind.

…When am I supposed to go through all of those?

He hadn’t even finished opening the boxes already sitting in storage.

Now even more gifts had arrived.

Rather than happiness…

He felt exhausted.

Couldn’t they simply say, I’m sorry?

Why were nobles so desperate to express everything through gifts?

Michel remembered the relief on Viscount Casenail’s face when he accepted the potion.

At first, Michel had suspected the Viscount was plotting something.

Now…

He assumed this was simply another aristocratic custom.

If you’ve done wrong… seek forgiveness with gifts.

It wasn’t a custom that resonated with Michel in the slightest.

The children, however…

Were completely captivated by the towering pile.

Even before Lawrence had explained whose gifts they were, they couldn’t tear their eyes away from the colorful wrapping.

Now that they knew the presents belonged to them…

Their excitement only grew.

“I wonder what’s inside that huge one?”

“A doll!”

“I hope it’s a bunny doll!”

“Mmm…”

“I think it’s a dollhouse.”

“A doll wouldn’t need a box that big.”

“Wow!”

“I hope it’s really a dollhouse!”

Though they desperately wanted to open them…

None dared do so without permission.

Instead, they happily guessed what each box contained.

Leon absentmindedly played with a long ribbon until Heart grabbed his hand.

The twins sniffed enthusiastically around every package, apparently hoping to identify the contents by smell alone.

Even Barbara…

Could not stop glancing curiously at the towering stack.

Michel couldn’t help smiling.

“Well…”

“Since they’ve already been given to us…”

“Shall we open them?”

“Yes!”

The moment he gave permission, the children dashed forward as though they had been waiting forever, each eagerly claiming the present that had caught their eye.

Barbara, Lawrence, and several maids joined them, helping the children untie ribbons and lift lids.

“Look!”

“It’s so pretty!”

“What’s this?”

“How do you play with it?”

“Wow!”

“A hobby horse!”

Every box revealed another treasure—

Dolls.

Toy swords.

Hobby horses.

Spinning tops.

Dollhouses.

And countless other toys.

It no longer felt like opening presents.

It felt as though they were opening bundles of happiness.

Each new discovery sparked another chorus of delighted amazement.

Laughter echoed throughout the castle courtyard.

Passing servants stopped to watch.

Even the eagles circled closer, their curiosity piqued by the joyful commotion.