THE NORWAGENS' SCHEME

 "What the hell?" She blurted out, completely disgusted at how immoral they stretched out their plan. So if it fails, their son will try to seduce her or put a pill on her drink so that she'll succumb to their hands.

"Right? It's disgusting how humans would resort to far-fetched ideas just to prioritise their pleasures. That pair makes me want to pluck their damn hairs until their head is bleeding." Noctua grumbles, even though he has to control his anger so that he won't be spotted. 

"And she said it was for a damn academic problem. I was even considering not to cause harassment on her, only to get betrayed like this. Good thing I always listen to my intuition." Felicia sighed, that woman was driving her crazy.

She thought that the only woman she would have fought is that sick Duchess who was currently in the monastery, but this damn lady wants to get her attention so badly. 

"They planned to ask for your meet-up the day after tomorrow to collect the money. With their son." Noctua informed her. 

Suddenly confusion was visible on Felicia's face, frowning over his statement. She thought that their son was already imprisoned though. "What do you mean? Isn't he already in the prison?" She asked, appalled by how messy the situation was. 

"Ah, I forgot to tell you. They have another son who's currently 16. They plan to use him against you, knowing how naive and young you are, they probably thought that it'll be easy for you to get manipulated." Noctua replied. He forgot to tell her this. 

"What?! What a young boy! Tell me that he's an innocent being so that I'll spare him from my anger!"

"You have to figure it out yourself. I wasn't able to see the young man's face or his body at least. All I know is that he exists and is about to manipulate you into believing that you are easy to get." Noctua rambles, shaking his head. 

Now that she had got every information she needed, she really would need help from a guild master to maybe smuggle or create counterfeit money in order to get them into trouble. 

However, that wouldn't be easy knowing that it's hard to make one. She was really about to spare the Madame if she was being honest, but since she lied and even thought of a disgusting scheme against her, then she deserves what will come and happen to her. 

The door suddenly burst open, Olivia had arrived from getting what Noctua requested which resulted in his excitement that he flapped his wings in a hurry, gawking over the food. 

"Sorry, it took some time to cook the dish since no one believed that you'd be having a snack and it wasn't advisable they said." Olivia frowned and put the tray on top of her bed, letting the bird ravish over the meat with happiness visible on his face. 

"So what now?", she asked as she sat on the ground, didn't care at all if her master would shush her and ask her to stand up. "We're still going tomorrow. That woman doesn't need any mercy from me." She informed. 

She was agitated, that if things were to go wrong tomorrow, especially since it wouldn't be easy to create counterfeit money, then she would have to think of another option to make them lose their face.

"Why? I'm curious." Olivia asked, her eyes turned big. This must be sweet tea to be spilled. "If things went wrong, they planned to let their son raped her." Noctua burst the bubble to Olivia who suddenly stood up in shock, her face distorted into disgust and frightened. 

"WHAT?! THAT WOMAN! MASTER, WE MUST IMMEDIATELY PUT AN END TO THIS!" She yelled, bursting with so much emotion after hearing what they planned to do. They're disgusting! Damn animals trying to ruin someone else's life!

"Calm down Olivia... She's about to receive her golden retribution..." Felicia eased her, chuckled at her reaction. If she was in her real body, she would also act like how she's acting right now, ready to throw punches. 

"I'm thinking of framing her if things won't happen. For example, if I don't give her money, I know she will use her son to assault me and if that happens, I just need someone to get the guard, like Olivia here. She will report that something happened to me and if they caught us, then it'll be their end." She planned.

"And if that happens, not only will they be hanged for assaulting a nobility higher than their position, but they would also lose their assets. The assets or their house will be placed under the empire's assets, but before that happens, I will buy it." She explained, planning an alternative route number 2. 

"That's basic... Unlike your other punishments... It's not that extreme..." Olivia mumbled, making Felicia's brows meet each end. What does she mean that it's not extreme? Death by hanging is already deathly. 

"Hold your tongue, girl." Rachelle conveys. She's turning slowly into a devil incarnate with her methods of how she wanted to end up their enemies. Is it because of her? 

"Alright, let's just sleep and pretend that none of these happened. We'll be exploring the capital tomorrow." She expressed as she crawled towards her comfortable spot and laid down despite Noctua still eating on her bed. 

"Lock the windows now, Olivia. Er wouldn't want another assassin rushing forward to us." She joked, which made Olivia just stare at her in disbelief. She didn't like how nonchalant she was about discussing such horror towards them. She was really traumatized by it. 

"Right, Mistress..." She responded and went to check the windows if it was locked or not. Meanwhile, Rachelle just stared at the top of her bed, wondering whether she'd be able to do it or not. 

Or will she end up failing? Whatever it is, she just needs to stop thinking about it. 

—

"Your Holiness... The sword is still missing. We couldn't find it at all." One of the Bishops reported towards the pope who was praying in front of the Goddess's statue, earnestly asking for guidance over their matter.

"Have you tried visiting the Saintess whether she has the sword?" The Pope asked, tilting his head while he remained kneeling on the ground, his hands clasped together.

"That... We haven't... It was sent that the Duke has forbid any access from outside for the meantime, something must've happened in the Dukedom." The Bishop reported as he looked over the Pope with anxious behaviour. 

He was emanating the aura of someone whose holy power exceeds. His long hair was fluttering in the air as he stood up from kneeling, turning around to face the Bishop who immediately bowed his head in an instant. 

"Oh dear... We must check the Saintess if she's okay. We wouldn't want the blessed child to be under stress." He said with a soft-spoken voice, smiling towards the Bishop. 

"According to the spy that we sent, the Duchess was almost assassinated as they found the dead body of an unknown assassin in her room, dead and cold. However, the Duchess committed an unforgivable crime against the Dukedom, an accomplice of the criminal they sentenced to death for corrupting the Dukedom's resources." The Bishop gave another information. 

"What do you mean, unforgivable? Everyone has the right to be given second chances, why would the Duke not give her a second chance when she's the mother of the country's Saintess and his spouse? She deserves a second chance." He said.

The bishop watched the pope pick a white-coloured rose and accidentally prick himself with the thorn of the rose, making his finger bleed. 

"Your Holiness, you're hurting!" The Bishop exclaimed and was about to approach the Pope in a hurry when the Pope flashed his hand, stopping the man from approaching him while staring at the rose that he just picked. 

"Have you ever thought why we removed thorns from the roses, Bishop?" He asked which the Bishop replied with a confused expression, he didn't seem to get the point that he was making. 

"It's because its beauty will be ruined if we were to let these thorns grow, it'll hurt us... Therefore we must remove each thorn for us to continue to live without hurting." The Pope commented as he let his blood flow on top of the rose, now covered with his blood. 

"The peace that we're trying to keep is being disturbed, Pope... Let's remove the pest and the thorn that kept bothering us." He added, healing the small wound he got while staring at the rose, then swiftly looked at the Bishop who just stared at him, perplexed by his words. 

He smiled, "Where is the Duchess residing currently?" He asked as he put the rose on the Goddess's foot before walking towards the Bishop, smiling warmly at him while his eyes looked dead and emotionless.

"She's currently here in our monastery, serving the Goddess for a month as a punishment for her crimes." The Bishop answered, making the Pope nod his head. 

"Well then, thank you. I shall visit her sooner or later. After all, I wouldn't want her to think that the monastery is a place for punished nobles." The Pope responded, chuckling to himself once again. 

After all, everyone deserves second chances, aren't they?