The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 82

#82.

“I’ve been waiting.”

Naaman greeted me with a benevolent face.

Perhaps because Keira had already announced our visit, Hebel’s priests were lined up around the carriage we were riding in. Among them was Isaac, who had questioned me before.

Rachel took my hand and said,

“This is quite the welcome.”

“As a Saintess candidate who has appeared in a thousand years, this much hospitality is only proper.”

“Saintess candidate, huh.”

Rachel brushed her long hair behind her ear and looked down at me. We had already discussed what to say on the way here.

My actions would depend on how they came out. Fortunately, Naaman seemed to want to solidify me as a ‘Saintess’ rather than an unruly person who stole sacred objects.

I was worried they might focus on ‘Zachary’s rampage,’ but thankfully, that wasn’t the case. Rachel asked me,

“So, what do you think?”

Subtly shifting the decision-making power to me instead of Hebel, Naaman finally lowered his head to meet my gaze. Until then, he had only been communicating through Rachel.

I chuckled, noticing that he thought I was young at first glance.

‘He’ll be in big trouble if he ignores me. I’m a seasoned Korean, you know?’

I was no longer a pushover, but a fierce white ferret determined to make a living by taking advantage of others. Naaman said with a benevolent face,

“First, to prove you are a Saintess, we need a simple confirmation. Will you cooperate?”

“Before that, I have conditions.”

Despite my brazen request, Naaman didn’t bat an eye and readily agreed.

“Please, feel free to speak your mind.”

I took out the contract I had prepared in advance and said,

“Before confirming my status as a Saintess, I would like to rewrite the contract between Hebel, myself, and Jabez.”

“Pardon?”

Naaman wore a bewildered expression at the sudden appearance of the contract.

He’s getting surprised already.

I grinned and said,

“To be clear, even if I am determined to be a Saintess, I am already affiliated with Jabez, so I will not stay in Hebel. And you must also pledge that Hebel will not hold any events in Jabez under the guise of the Saintess’s duties. These two clauses are the biggest conditions, and there are 101 other clauses written down, so please take a look and let me know.”

At the barrage of words, not only Naaman but also the priests who were lined up stiffened.

“That’s too much of a stretch…….”

“The stretch is what Hebel has been doing to Jabez all along. Are you saying it’s okay to interfere with Jabez over matters that happened over 100 years ago, but it’s not okay for me, the Saintess, to assert my rights? That’s just highway robbery.”

“Ro, robbery?”

“Excuse me, Lady Chelsia Jabez!”

Isaac, unable to listen to my sarcastic tone any longer, tried to step forward, but Keira blocked him.

“This is not your place to interfere.”

“Ugh!”

Isaac, subdued at once, glared at us with fiery eyes. I, however, waved the contract in front of Naaman’s eyes, ignoring him, and said,

“What will you do?”

“…….”

“Shall I just go? Or will you sign the contract?”

I took the opportunity to put one foot on the carriage and took a nonchalant pose. Isaac trembled at my deliberately provocative attitude, but surprisingly, Naaman just smiled kindly.

After a while, Naaman knelt down on one knee politely and said,

“Of course, clarity is important.”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

“We will review the contract first. And please forgive the rudeness of that child. It was just an act of loyalty.”

“Loyalty can be toxic if it’s excessive. It’s also the lord’s duty to control their subordinates.”

As I glared coldly at Isaac, Naaman pulled Isaac in front of me.

“Apologize quickly.”

“But……!”

“Now.”

At Naaman’s firm attitude, Isaac’s face turned red, and he muttered in a voice as small as a mosquito.

“I was rude.”

But I wasn’t kind enough to just accept a half-hearted apology. I put my hand to my ear with a feigned sullen face and sneered.

“I can’t hear you very well?”

“……I apologize.”

“Huh?”

“I was very rude!”

“Ah, that’s what you said.”

I pretended to understand only after Isaac shouted loudly. Isaac grumbled and lowered his head.

I patted him on the shoulder, as if to tease him on purpose, and said,

“I’ll forgive you this time. But please be careful next time?”

I could feel Isaac’s arm tensing up. He seemed resentful.

‘Who told you to poke the sleeping white ferret’s nose hair?’

‘Who was it that thought I was easy to deal with in the first place?’

I didn’t intend to act rudely from the beginning. However, looking back, Isaac’s behavior at the last wedding was excessive.

It was like a hyena rushing in, thinking this was his chance.

If I had been interrogated as a result, I might have made statements that were unfavorable to Jabez. Considering my physical condition at the time, I might have collapsed from exhaustion.

‘Besides, he ran away as soon as Father went on a rampage.’

It seemed that Hebel’s neutrality was just lip service, and they ran away when they were needed.

Because of that incident, my image of Hebel had also dropped significantly. In the original story, Hebel was portrayed as a fairly clean group, but the reality was quite different.

Naaman, sensing my hostility, suddenly gestured to someone.

The apprentice priest, who was wearing a deep hood, seemed startled and stepped forward hesitantly. He kept his head down, as if he was very shy.

I frowned at the sight of him trying to win me over by attaching someone my age.

Then Naaman brought the child forward and said,

“This child will assist Lady Chelsia during your stay.”

“This child?”

To try to make a child who can’t even make eye contact work, isn’t that too much? It’s not like a conversation partner, it’s too much.

But Hebel is a place that doesn’t take in those who don’t work. So it might be more comfortable for that child to be by my side.

Because I don’t particularly intend to make anyone work for me.

‘But why is he trembling so much?’

He was trembling as if he had seen something he shouldn’t have, and it was pitiful. Then, at Naaman’s next words, I froze and couldn’t say anything.

“He’s a bit shy, but he’s a capable child. Ella, you must greet Lady Chelsia.”

“!!”

“Ah, hello, my name is Ella.”

Ella, who belatedly took off her hood, greeted me shyly. Every time our eyes met, her blue eyes sparkled with a pretty light.

I stared at her with a blank look.

Pink curly hair and blue eyes were exactly as I had imagined.

In the novel, Ella was also very shy. She had escaped while undergoing pheromone manipulation experiments and was dramatically rescued by Heathcliff.

Due to the shock, Ella had lost all memories of the experiment, and for a while, she only stayed by Heathcliff’s side due to her social phobia.

But she still has such a passive appearance. Could she be being bullied here?

I was just as surprised by the sudden appearance of the heroine.

As I stared at her, Ella’s face began to turn redder and redder.

For some reason, I couldn’t feel any pheromones from Ella. Just like the other priests of Hebel.

Then Naaman said,

“Ah, perhaps you already met at the wedding? This child followed along for a field trip.”

“Ah, I think I saw her.”

I trailed off and watched Ella. It seems that it wasn’t a mistake that I saw Ella back then.