The only thing that makes this case seem unbelievable is that the two nobles were fighting over a man, or more accurately, a man.
Déjà vu, the third child of the Beaumont family, a lineage of judges, unlike his elder brother who chose to become a lawyer, enrolled in the Royal Academy. After several years of study, he became proficient in more than a dozen languages and also possessed superb swordsmanship. Recommended by his family, he entered the Secular Government and, at the age of 17, became a trainee secretary under the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Based on his outstanding academic performance, he was awarded the title of Knight of the Royal Order by the royal family.
But for such a promising young man, the most talked-about topic was not his knowledge or his swordsmanship, but a strange one—his gender.
The second child in the Beaumont family was a girl who died at the age of five. After that, Madame Beaumont's mind was often in a state of lucidity and confusion. She repeatedly dressed her three-year-old son, Déjà vu, in clothes that belonged to his older sister, and made her son continue to wear girls' clothes until he was eight years old.
After that, things spiraled out of control. Young Dion, with his striking good looks, fair skin, and short stature, coupled with his long-term exposure to women's clothing and his association with a group of noble ladies, gradually went further and further down the path of cross-dressing. Normally, he wore casual clothes at school or when out and about; however, when attending court balls and parties, he preferred to wear magnificent gowns, mingling in social circles as a woman.
But all of this changed after the "Catastrophe of Truth" occurred.
Many of Dion's former teachers and classmates were arrested and brought to the Inquisition, and were secretly arrested on ridiculous charges.
Enraged, Dion used his connections among aristocratic women to unite with other secular forces to collectively pressure the church, demanding the immediate release of the imprisoned teachers and students.
The First Inquisition was also deeply troubled by this troublesome 17-year-old, arresting him several times for allegedly trespassing on the sanctuary. But each time, a group of young male nobles would fight tooth and nail to rescue Dion.
Therefore, recently, a scene like this can often be seen in the large square in front of the church headquarters: a young girl with red lips and white teeth and beautiful features walks in front, and behind her are always several young nobles vying for her affections.
Headquarters of the Church of God, Cardinal's Exegesis Chapel.
Tristan lifted the curtain, looked at the elegant figure in the square, sighed, and then turned his gaze to the old man at the table.
Cardinal Abel, wearing crystal glasses, carefully read through the paper in his hand. After a while, he took off the glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose, and said, "Are all the people on this list arranged?"
Tristan nodded: "There's a secluded place outside the city where I hid the students."
"What about those manuscripts?"
“There’s a student named Ulysses, a disciple of Terence, who possesses all of the master’s notes and drawings.” Tristan paused, then asked with some concern, “This Inquisition operation… not a single word was revealed beforehand…”
Abel raised his hand to stop the other person from speaking: "I know what you want to say, but things aren't as bad as you think. It's just some common balancing act... More than that, I'd like to know how you plan to get these students through all the obstacles to Muxi Town?"
Tristan scratched his head and said with a hint of seeking his opinion, "Didn't the Grand Council say that we would send a delegation to Twilight Town? I plan to have these academy students disguised as church troops supporting the Twilight Knights."
Upon hearing this, the old man burst into laughter: "Only you could come up with such an idea."
A moment later, his expression turned serious, and his smile disappeared: "When you get to Muxi Town, tell that kid Todd not to cause any more trouble! I've already covered up all the lies and patched up all the holes for him, but the less of this kind of thing, the better."
Tristan nodded in agreement, then asked, "So, what should we do about Master Terence and the others...?"
Abel sighed and leaned back: "I'll figure out what to do with them. You keep in touch with the secular royal family and make sure to put enough pressure on the Inquisition."
As the old man spoke, he suddenly remembered something: "By the way, these students have arrived in Muxi Town. Who are you planning to contact as their liaison?"
Tristan, standing by the window, turned his body to the side, casting his gaze back towards the distant plaza, and slowly said, "I have someone in mind; it's just a matter of whether he'll agree..."
——————————————
Fifteen days later, a delegation from the Papal States arrived in Muxi Town.
Todd saw Tristan again and, looking at the woman behind him—a woman in a simple dress with her long, light-gold hair braided and hanging down her chest—asked softly, "Is this knight a woman?"
Tristan coughed awkwardly. "No, he is a man."
After saying that, he turned to look at Dion again, then said uncertainly to Todd, "It should be male..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com