# Chapter 34
Judith stared at the picture blankly.
[At first, I too was blind with rage and cast a terrible curse on that child.]
“Ah...what should I do now?”
Judith's voice reflected her sadness as she looked at the raging storm outside the window.
“If it is a curse that even you, Priestess, consider so severe, it must be unusual… Is your son also a relative?”
Upon hearing these words, the priestess stifled her laughter before answering again in an affectionate tone.
[No, he's not here. If he is anywhere, he is by your side.]
“Yes?”
Judith was startled and asked, her voice trembling, as the gentle voice continued.
[I cursed my child with a great spell and he died shortly after. Immediately, I regretted it. He was the unwanted child of my hateful enemy, and yet, he grew in my womb for a full nine months…]
“Ah…”
[In the future, I glimpsed my child dying miserably in despair. There was only my grudge left, so I searched the storm of time for someone to save.]
Judith instinctively knew that the chosen one was her. She now understood why the priestess had suddenly told her of her knowledge of the future.
Thanks to this vision, Judith was able to work her way up from a life crushed under a mountain of debt, although she never expected this back story.
[That's why you revealed the future to your younger f. But I had no way to meet you, so I kept waiting, hoping to see you at least once like this.]
“I see… Thank you, Priestess. Thanks to your revelation of the future, you were able to save my life.”
Judith thanked her and nodded as she asked, “But how can I save your son? If you tell me, I will do whatever it takes.”
Her serious words were met with a light laugh, followed by a soft response.
[You already have it.]
“Huh? Me?”
[Yes, but the reason I waited until today to meet you like this is…]
The trembling floor gradually settled, and the sound became faint.
[To submit a personal application.]
“...Pardon?”
[Please make my son happy.]
Her words were ambiguous.
Judith nodded in confusion, unable to understand the statement.
[Now that this shrine, my only connection to the world, is gone, we will never meet again.]
The wind outside the window died down, and the sound became a distant echo.
[And Judith, I hope you find happiness too.]
Everything seemed like a dream. Judith didn't even think about getting up as she crawled towards the picture.
[Come back when you're struggling. I will guide you.]
Those were her last words.
jingle.
The image of a beautiful woman, previously radiant with bright colors, fell straight to the ground. In an instant, as if it had aged for decades, the previously intact image faded and its luster faded.
"…What?".
It was as if the world had turned in an instant.
The shrine was once beautiful and mysterious, but is now in a state of disrepair. Its corners were filled with cobwebs, and the flowers that once bloomed withered and became lifeless.
The candles that were burning had melted fiercely, and thick dust covered the shelves. The shrine turned into an abandoned ruin.
“...Priestess?”
Judith froze in disbelief when suddenly –
Bang! The door opened violently and someone entered the shrine.
“Judith!”
The voice was unfamiliar, and Judith looked in amazement at the person holding her shoulders.
Strong build, white mask, and coal black hair...
“...Sir? Is that you?”
The master trembled slightly, cleared his throat several times, and asked her urgently while looking at her face.
“Are you hurt anywhere? Are you okay?”
It was a strange sound, a sound more familiar to Judith, that quickly disappeared as soon as she heard it. Then Judith finally responded, blinking in astonishment.
“I'm not injured, but...what brings you here, sir?”
“Isn't that obvious?”
“So?”
“And clearly...”
The master, who started to answer confidently, hesitated when someone looked through the broken door.
“Miss, are you hurt anywhere?”
"Are you okay? What happened here?"
The Marquis and Marquise Soden were standing behind Judith in line, and they both had kind and friendly expressions.
Just like Ayoade.
"What is this?"
“Inside is messy too.”
The Marquis and Marchioness entered and looked around. The shrine, which was once so clean and beautiful that it was annoying, was now completely dilapidated.
“Ma’am, let’s leave with your friend. It seems like this place is about to collapse.”
The Marquis spoke in a worried tone, and Judith stood up, supported by the master.
“Boyfriend?”
The Marquis laughed merrily. “He was watching you from afar and ran like lightning the moment something went wrong. Isn’t that what a friend does?”
Judith looked at the gentleman supporting her and asked softly: “Is that true?”
The master said nothing.
However, Judith left the shrine with the help of the Master. Although she was not injured, her legs were weak from lying on the ground in fear for a long time.
The scene outside was even bleaker. The tulips that were blooming so beautifully had withered, and only the weeds remained.
To make matters worse, when they left, part of the wall collapsed with a loud crash.
“Miss, are you really okay?”
The Marquis asked again as he looked at the scene.
“Honestly, when you rushed forward to interrupt the class, I found it a bit annoying. But after all that, you left me speechless.”
As they watched cloy, the Marquis and Marchioness of Soden seemed to notice Judith, who quickly rushed forward to take her place in line when they appeared.
Judith nodded embarrassed. “Yes, I'm fine. But there's something I need to discuss with you.”
Aside from the priestess's request, Judith had a separate goal: to meet the Soden couple. She might never have another chance to speak to them freely.
In addition, the priestess said: “Doing good deeds is always good.”
"Can I have a moment of your time? It won't take long."
"we?"
Both the Marquis and the Marquise were surprised.
The Marquis muttered in disbelief: “Is that okay? This young man seems to be more insistent...”
“Oh, he's not my friend.”
Judith hastened to correct the misunderstanding, releasing the master's hand.
The Marquis laughed and said, "Unrequited love, then? Miss, you might want to give it a chance. It's rare to find someone willing to risk being exposed for your sake."
“Oh, I'm married.”
Judith's words froze the Marquis's happy expression. The Marchioness sighed deeply and poked her husband in the ribs.
"You shouldn't have mentioned anything so painful. It seemed like an impossible love, he was watching quietly from the sidelines."
"actually…".
The Marquis scratched the back of his head in embarrassment before addressing the master respectfully.
“I apologize for the misunderstanding, but it is better to let go of your feelings for married women.”
The Master sighed softly as he stood next to Judith. Whatever the reason that got him into this awkward situation, he clearly didn't enjoy it. Judith quickly changed the subject.
“Let me introduce myf. I am Judith Mayus.”
“Maius…Maius?”
The name shocked both the Marquis and the Marquise. Although they did not recognize Judith's face, they could recognize Maius's name.
The Marchioness stammered in disbelief: “Could it be that you are the one whose marriage was registered? And she is pregnant?”