"Don't be surprised. It's just that we acted very quickly. They didn't have time to activate emergency defense measures. It will be much more difficult to investigate later."
Maggie shook her head; she wasn't proud of this achievement.
She was still frantically trying to figure out how her dear father would circumvent her plans.
He is a very smart man and will not sit idly by and wait for his doom.
They might relocate their base or go into hiding to conduct legitimate business.
Maggie held a piece of paper recording each location in her hand, plotting how to maximize the Duke's losses to an unbearable degree.
"Next, investigate the business dealings between the Zefneria family and other officials and ministers of the Kingdom of Saint Na. Don't appear too targeted, but don't try to hide it either."
She thought about it and realized she couldn't stick to one direction; she had to think outside the box.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Gloria obeyed Maggie's orders unconditionally, accepting the mission without hesitation and leaving the temple.
The entire temple now knows that Her Highness the Holy Maiden is doing something big, and there are undercurrents surging beneath the calm surface. Only the Duchess, who is still in the temple, is completely unaware of it.
This was an effect Maggie deliberately created; she didn't want to involve the Duchess.
She couldn't be sure if the Duchess still had any lingering feelings for the Duke, or even for her other sons.
Maggie knew that the Duke's sons, her brothers, had made pacts with demons, but the Duchess did not.
If she becomes overly maternal and takes pity on him, it will only cause her trouble.
Maggie takes care of the Duchess mainly because of the original owner of this body, but that doesn't mean she's willing to accept the Duchess's various emotional changes having too much of an impact on her.
It may sound cold-blooded, but crucial plans require calmness to execute.
As Maggie thought about it, she walked to the back of the Cathedral of Light. It was a spacious area with few people, and unlike the garden, it wasn't covered in flowers and well-maintained. It was just an open space, which made Maggie feel much better.
But before she could take two steps, she saw a somewhat familiar figure.
Maggie keenly sensed something was wrong and took two steps in that direction. She then saw a tall, mature woman sitting against the wall, her arms wrapped around her legs, staring blankly into space.
“Labai..…”
She instinctively wanted to call out her name, but then remembered that Rabai was deaf, so she shut up and went to her side.
Seemingly sensing someone approaching, Rabai turned her head blankly, and upon seeing that it was Maggie, her first reaction was to give her a gentle smile.
"..."
This time, Maggie was truly silent. After bringing the person back, she hadn't paid much attention to her, as there were simply too many things to do, and she didn't know how the person was doing in the temple.
Although she thought it was a good thing to take Rabai away from the border city, other people might see it differently.
If she is in a temple, which is worse than a border town, and has nowhere to turn for help, then she becomes the villain.
Thinking of this, Maggie sighed heavily and simply knelt down to sit beside her.
I took her hand and wrote a message in her palm.
'Are you doing well here? Let me know if you're not adjusting.'
Maggie wrote it this way, and naturally, she was thinking something similar.
I hope she's not afraid and is willing to tell me what she wants to say.
Rabaijin stared at Maggie with his silver heterochromatic eyes for a long time before shaking his head with a smile, roughly meaning that she was fine.
Don't worry about causing trouble, you can tell the truth.
Maggie blinked at her. Deaf and mute people are generally quite self-conscious. If they feel embarrassed, they will try to suppress their feelings and not want to trouble others.
I've been quite busy lately and have neglected you a bit; I'm really sorry.
She muttered to herself as she waited for Rabai's answer.
Rabai shook his head again, his eyes clear and open, showing no sign of reluctance or being wronged.
This also relieved Maggie.
[Thank goodness, it seems the environment in the temple is indeed better than in the border city; no one bullies her here.]
It wasn't that Maggie didn't trust the temple; it was mainly because when she first brought Rabaii there, the Pope was still alive, and she was at odds with the archbishop, fearing that someone might mistreat Rabaii because of this.
At this moment, Rabai also opened Maggie's palm and wrote what she wanted to say on it.
Are you having any problems? Can you tell me?
Her clear eyes revealed her concern for Maggie.
From a distance, a young girl and a mature woman sat against a wall under a tree in the shade. A gentle breeze blew, carrying away leaves that landed on their skirts.
Maggie chuckled, surprised that Rabai could see through her anxiety hidden beneath her calm exterior.
Finally being able to take revenge on the perpetrators, I still feel a bit anxious. Although the plan is progressing smoothly, there's a lingering unease deep down, a feeling that something might happen next.
She thought to herself, but she wouldn't actually say it out loud.
'I just didn't sleep well, I'm sorry I made you worry.'
Maggie is not harsh with those who care about her, so she treats Rabaii quite well and is very easygoing.
She treated ordinary servants and nuns the same way. Although the disparity in social status in the Middle Ages meant that some people had to live humbly, Maggie was different. She did not have a deep-seated concept of hierarchy, and although she could not truly achieve equality for all beings.
But within those limited circumstances, Maggie has always treated other people very well.
Rabai tilted his head, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
Did you have a terrible dream?
That's what she asked.
Maggie hadn't expected her to think that way, but her situation was probably a nightmare in itself.
Yes, it was a terrible dream, but now it's over, and I will end it myself.
As she thought about it, she wrote it in Rabai's palm.
'The monster in my dream, I'll defeat it next time I dream about it, and I won't have nightmares anymore.'
[Once I've dealt with the Duke, I really need to get a good night's sleep; otherwise, I'm just too exhausted.]
Rabai remained motionless for a long time after Maggie finished writing, as if he were pondering how to respond to Maggie.
'good.'
She wrote only one word in the end.
The chance encounter with Rabai was just a minor incident; Maggie soon returned to her room, leaving Rabai alone behind the cathedral.
The leaves rustled in the wind. It turned out that not long after Maggie left, Rabaiyi was nowhere to be seen either, and no one knew where he had gone.
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