Stigma Effect

Proofreader: kuroneko_chan

“I have a question for you, Sir Shudmuel. Is it true that I am pregnant?”

Yuriel, ignoring Shudmuel’s face, lowered her eyes and said. She didn’t want to see his face.

Raphlet had once called the imperial doctor to give her treatment, but it was possible that Shudmuel may have played a trick on the doctor as well.

It was a natural question for Yuriel, but Shudmuel seemed ashamed to have been misunderstood. Shudmuel, who was only fiddling with his glasses and avoiding her eyes, raised his head with a stiff face.

“I never lied while you were getting treatment,” he said. All I did was hypnotize you to make you feel comfortable.”

“It is not comfortable. What Sir Shudmuel did to me… !”

Seeing him reacting naturally, she burst into anger. Was he acting as a spy for terrorists because he was proud of his job as a medical officer?

Yuriel let out a long sigh as she was about to shout that the act of hypnosis itself was wrong. There was not enough time to get angry with Shudmuel. She also didn’t want to have a pointless argument with him.

Yuriel calmed her mind.

A lot has happened in the imperial capital in just one year. After reading the prophecy, she found out that Baraha was a Commander in Albraka, and was invited to the princess’ banquet, and slept with the poisoned Raphlet.

At the Krug Ruins, with the Princess and Helio, she experienced strange things.

Not only that, but terrorism, kidnapping, and now even hypnosis.

There was nothing to consider as good events other than she had confirmed Raphlet’s heart. On her first day of arriving in the imperial capital, Raphlet had tried to send her back.

Yuriel was now fed up with the imperial capital. There were so many shops that she can bump her shoulders if she was careless while walking around the streets. When she thought of the building containing the monster core, her heart became stuffy.

When she first arrived, she was amazed at everything that caught her eye.

It was fun to ride a train for the first time and to see the streets lined with lanterns made of monster cores that glowed at night.

In the Mogris Estate, it was only placed in the Grand Ducal couple’s room and Raphlet’s room.

Yuriel looked around the room without a window. She felt more comfortable in this room without a window than seeing such scenery. Yuriel, who liked to bask in the sun and always took time out for a walk even in the windy winter, was uncomfortable with this change.

It was awkward, but not uncomfortable.

Yuriel felt refreshed as if she had escaped the morning sickness and low fever that had been bothering her. The pain that kept stabbing her stomach disappeared as if it had washed away.

The moment the pain subsided, Yuriel had a vain imagination that the child growing in her belly had accepted her.

When Yuriel looked at the wall and refused to open her closed mouth, Shudmuel said.

“I have prepared for you to leave this place before they ask the Alchemy Tower to experiment. You can leave right now. Of course, I have prepared a place for you to stay, so you can go there.”

Rather than having a conversation with Yuriel, it was an attitude that was closer to delivering information. Shudmuel was trying to cover up his mistake in this way.

Yuriel let out a moan with a sigh. Originally, she had no intention of continuing to receive help from Shudmuel. She thought so when she believed in him, but now it went without saying.

Shudmuel continued speaking as if nervous.

“If you don’t go now, you will be experimented on in the Alchemy Tower.”

“Even if I go, I will meet Lord Raphlet.”

“When the priests come, it’s hard to get out. It would be nice if you were alone. The princess is also interested. If she finds out that you have been expelled from Albraka, the princess will also try to take you away.”

Yuriel weighed the princess who tried to use the monster’s poison on her and the priests who wanted to experiment on her. It was difficult to judge which one was more dangerous. It was only natural that neither of them was of good interest to Yuriel.

Fortunately, it seemed that the princess had not yet heard of her. Before she knew it, Yuriel was also in favor of leaving the imperial capital as soon as possible.

If she thought about whether this was the result of Shudmuel brainwashing her, she was rather vague.

She wondered why in the first place she hid the fact that she was pregnant from Raphlet and wanted to leave the imperial capital?

It was Shudmuel who ordered to hide the pregnancy. She agreed with him and hid the facts, but she couldn’t believe it was her will. As soon as Yuriel found out, she tried to call Raphlet.

Yuriel thought deeply and came to a conclusion.

She would inform Raphlet that she was pregnant and would go down to Mogris Estate and wait for Raphlet to go on vacation in winter.

If she leaves this time, she won’t be able to come back to the imperial capital again and she would have to live in hiding, but it was okay. This was different from if she had to leave the imperial capital alone.

She knows that Raphlet would come back to see her, unlike when she waited for Raphlet, when she never knew when he would return.

Yuriel had Raphlet’s child. It would be fun to raise the child and wait for Raphlet to return to Mogris every winter.

Although she couldn’t tell him about Shudmuel’s hypnosis, she could tell him that she was pregnant.

When Yuriel decided to wait for Raphlet in Mogris, Shudmuel tried to make eye contact with Yuriel and said,

“… Commander Raphlet is being criticized for you. It would not be strange if a riot broke out at any time.”

“What do you mean, Lord Raphlet?”

“Don’t you think it’s natural when he has someone who controls monsters as his exclusive servant? You don’t know because you’re quarantined right here, but after the explosion, a lot of people gathered in front of the Temple. Everyone is calling for you to be executed.”

“Executed… ?”

The composure disappeared from Yuriel’s face, who had been thinking calmly. Yuriel became contemplative when she heard the word.

“Commander Raphlet, who has you as his subordinate, was also called for investigation. Do you know what will happen if he refuses to let you go in a situation like this?”

The word “execution” that had taken over her head quickly lost its place. Yuriel was even more afraid that Raphlet’s reputation would be undermined.

What she feared more than her own death was to insult Raphlet. If she had been alone in this situation, she wouldn’t be afraid to be executed, but now she was pregnant with his child. She couldn’t die easily.

Yuriel, who had been standing upright without being disturbed, hurriedly leaned toward Shudmuel. The back of Yuriel’s hand was as white as the handkerchief she was holding in her hand.

“But, but Lord Raphlet is the saint. No matter what people say, there’s nothing wrong with Lord Raphlet’s honor. Right?”

Shudmuel slowly shook his head as he saw Yuriel speaking nervously.

“If the priests decide that you have taken part in the terrorism, Commander Raphlet will also be punished. At the very least, he should have given up his position as Commander.”

“This is ridiculous! I didn’t take part in terrorism, if I did… !”

Yuriel, who was indignant as she smashed the desk, could not continue her words and bit her lip. She wanted to point at Shudmuel, isn’t it you, but her lips wouldn’t open.

Shudmuel said in a whisper in a low voice. Although no one was in the room, he seemed to be careful not to let anyone else hear his voice.

Yuriel glared at Shudmuel and touched her lips with her finger. Even when she tried to force it open, it was closed like a clam and did not move. Shudmuel sighed as he watched Yuriel pressing her lip with her fingernails and stretched out his hand.

“It’s a taboo word. If I don’t brainwash you, you’ll never tell me what you learned today. It is impossible to overwrite.”

Holding her wrist, he pulled out the handkerchief Yuriel was holding and brought it to her blood-stained lips. Yuriel slapped his hand violently.

“Are you going to paint me as a terrorist?”

“Yes.”

“It won’t last long. People will soon find out that I am not a terrorist.”

His hand holding the handkerchief twitched slightly. Shudmuel didn’t seem to have any intention of breaking his intention to use Yuriel.

He said in a subdued voice.

“I don’t care. Yuriel.”

“… what?”

“I thought you noticed that I was the illegitimate son of the high priest. Wasn’t it?”

He said with a sigh. Yuriel’s heart raced as he saw him speaking calmly. Anxiety crept over Shudmuel’s unwavering attitude.

If she claimed her innocence…. As Helio did when he backed out of doubting her, she thought she might be able to prove she wasn’t a terrorist.

As if to ridicule Yuriel’s thoughts, Shudmuel spoke in a cynical tone.

“The high priest will make you a criminal if it is to protect me. I guarantee you. I am the only person the high priest cares about.”

Before the festival, she remembered the high priest’s face who was talking to Shudmuel, who went to receive the core.

Yuriel completely lost her composure. Shudmuel did not miss the gap and dug into it.

“Get out of Albraka now. Leave behind a confession that you are a terrorist.”

He said, avoiding Yuriel’s eyes, which were biting hard on their parted lips.

“… You would not be able to resist just because you won’t do it, so do it while your will remains.”

Shudmuel met Yuriel’s eyes with a stiff face. He was threatening Yuriel to brainwash her if she rejected his offer.