In the worst-case scenario, I could just have Roche carry me on his back and escape. Of course, we'd be pursued, so it would be better to plan in the direction of being kicked out if possible.
'Two consecutive escapes would be a bit tiring.'
I thanked him for giving me one more option and asked Roche about the recent situation outside.
I'd been spending most of my time in this room lately, so I had no way of knowing how the world was turning.
Roche answered my question immediately.
"There is new information."
"What is it?"
"An oracle."
"Huh?"
"The contents of this oracle have been announced."
"......"
In the original work, the oracle's contents hinted at Corellia's birth. But now things were going completely differently from that.
Still, if the oracle had come down as scheduled, what on earth could its contents be?
I assumed a listening posture to pay attention to Roche's words.
"What were the contents...?"
"Something about Arkidne's saint being born? Well, that was the gist of it."
"!"
The contents hadn't changed!
'What? Wasn't the saint already born?'
Was the Corellia that Ian met really someone else?
No... if things were flowing according to the original work, then another contradiction would arise from the fact that Chait was a bachelor.
I was confused by the situation where neither side made sense.
'I need to meet Corellia as soon as possible.'
But I couldn't go out right now. Even if I did go out, I wouldn't know where to go.
Finding out her whereabouts was the priority.
'If she's Arkidne's saint, she might be in the south, but looking at where she made contact with Ian, she might be staying in the north.'
Whatever the case, it probably wasn't the capital.
"Roche, thank you for letting me know."
I thanked Roche.
"Now, get out."
Being grateful was one thing, but I had no confidence in handling the situation if he was caught in my room.
"N-no way!"
But Roche gripped the edge of the blanket tightly in his hands and held on.
"Do you know how intense the sunlight in the capital is? When the imperial palace is sparkling, it's worse than the south!"
"I'll give you a hat."
"Do you think such a measly hat could cover all of my precious skin?"
"......"
After a long argument with the annoyingly wheedling Roche, we finally reached an agreement with me giving him the jewels I'd been given.
"Why don't you just give them all at once instead of troubling yourself with giving them one by one..."
When I took off one small bracelet I was wearing and gave it to him, Roche shamelessly said this.
"You spend money like water with everything you get your hands on. This amount is just right for someone with wasteful habits."
"Tch."
I sent Roche away and finally lay down.
'Finding out Corellia's whereabouts on my own would be pushing it too far.'
If Chait didn't know, it meant the temple didn't know her whereabouts either.
'Is it finally time to put my knowledge to use?'
It was time I needed that man who had appeared in the original work.
In the original work, Corellia had an information broker.
He would go around wearing a hooded cloak and appear like magic whenever Corellia faced difficulties, bringing her important information like a magpie.
Of course, not for free.
The unidentified man with his cloak pulled up over his head would always tell Corellia information she hadn't even asked for and shamelessly hold out his hand.
"Please pay for the information."
When Corellia would grimace and try to avoid him, he'd follow her around until she paid.
"Lady Corellia! Just a thousand liss will do! No, 800 liss!"
...He'd even give discounts.
He was a unique man, but he was the only supporting character who provided meaningful help to the overpowered Corellia.
The information he brought was often quite timely and useful.
'Since he's a man who likes money, it would be good to prepare some funds in advance to entice him.'
While pondering ways to gather money, I tried to deduce where that man might be now.
As I recalled, in the original work that man appeared here and there, but generally showed himself in the capital's social circles.
In the guise of a secretive fortune teller, no less.
So if I talked with noble ladies who were interested in fortune telling, I should be able to get some information about that man.
The problem was... my reputation among them would probably be rock bottom.
Marquis Bringston hadn't given up on selling me off yet.
He changed his approach slightly and tried to make me debut in the capital's social circles.
"If you rebel this time too, know that you'll never see sunlight again."
"No, I'll go."
Wasn't this perfect!
I desperately needed connections with noble ladies anyway!
I struggled not to look delighted. I bowed my head and Marquis Bringston gave a rotten smile.
Did he think he'd won?
I had an elf who was a former part-timer and current homeless person. I could get out anytime I wanted.
The marquis, unaware of this fact, lifted his chin high and said:
"You need to get a dress fitted, so go out with Selena."
"I don't want to!"
Selena, who had been standing with her arms crossed and a displeased expression, shot up.
"Why do I have to go out with sister? And why do we have to go to the party together? People will gossip."
"Was your reputation so fragile that it could be damaged by something like that?"
"......"
"With your sister being lacking, you need to be there so people will at least gather around. Can't the girl who'll become the imperial family's mistress do that much for the family?"
I guess I was some kind of freebie that came with a popular main product. Well, in life you sometimes become the main item and sometimes the accessory.
I was calm about it, but Selena couldn't contain her anger and her chest heaved.
Her angry expression seemed like a good acting reference for my current situation, so I enthusiastically made my own meager chest heave in imitation.
Marquis Bringston's gaze narrowed.
"What's so funny?"
"No, I wasn't trying to laugh... it's nothing."
Hmm, I guess I have no talent for acting. Let me stop. They say if you stay quiet, you'll at least get half credit.
Selena's anger hadn't subsided.
'Having to greet people and walk around with my inadequate sister!'
Just thinking about it made her feel like she'd drown in shame.
If the emperor happened to see her with her sister, what would he think? Her head already ached thinking about it.
That wasn't the only thing making her angry.
For the past ten years, she had grown up as the Bringston family's only child. When they went to dinner parties, father always bragged about her first, and when they went to tea parties, she was the only one sitting beside mother.
Now that Leticia had come, she would have to take the marchioness's right arm.
Having lived for ten years as mother's right hand and father's first priority, now she had to be pushed to second place according to social hierarchy.
"...Having only caused trouble, she just had to, just had to come back."
Selena bit her lower lip.
She couldn't bear the frustration.
But she had to endure it.
Tormenting her sister would be easy, but it was pointless.
It would be better if she just got married quickly and disappeared as some provincial lord's wife.
At the imperial ball where Leticia would return to noble society, Selena resolved to dutifully introduce her as her sister.
Of course, only to the trash who had useful titles for the family but terrible personalities.
I actually thought about refusing when they said we were going to the dressmaker.
I had plenty of clothes.
Since Ian had pulled his "from here to here" stunt in the north, my wardrobe had been packed full since my time at Kahiten Castle.
When I asked him about getting a refund before returning, his expression soured. When I said I'd pay him back then, he looked at me like he'd cut down a radish with his gaze.
So I just brought them with me.
Those clothes were still peacefully sleeping in my room... that is, in the guest room that kept getting locked.
Sleeping meant I couldn't wear them. In the capital, where the weather was different from the north, hardly any of those clothes were compatible.
'Right. I need to get new clothes fitted.'
I became a little annoyed.
I'd have to wait ages for measurements, pattern-making, and production again.
'Taking measurements was really annoying.'
I suddenly became curious.
Back when I was living at the cafe, Chait had given me clothes as a gift.
How did he manage to get clothes that fit my size perfectly?
'Surely he didn't predict and fit them... right?'
Those clothes were still in my wardrobe. Though they weren't clothes anymore.
I had cut out the unusable parts and sewn them well to make a doll. I had bragged about that doll to Roche before.
'How is it? Pretty, right?'
'Oh, Miss Rea. Your skills are unexpectedly quite good. Is it a bear?'
It was a cat.
I'd been cooped up in my bedroom so much lately that I felt like cobwebs would form in my mouth.
I often talked to that cat doll.
"Chait, are you doing well?"
"Is your work all finished?"
"Nothing wrong?"
"When are you coming?"
"...I miss you."
Chait Pollin often heard stories from the divine power he had attached to Leticia.
Usually contact came to him only in crisis situations, but sometimes the divine power would make its own judgments and relay stories to him.
Typically when the divine power mistakenly thought Leticia was facing a crisis.
And when she called Chait's name.
"......"
Chait paused while densely writing ancient language in a round circle.
'...I miss you.'
He listened to the tickling whisper and smiled softly.
"I'll come soon."