He opens a page written about two hundred years ago and traces the relevant passage with his finger as he explains it to me.
Because he knows I can read difficult books, my father deliberately traces the text with his finger.
“The first king of the Farnese dynasty, distressed by the suffering of the people, overthrew the Sacred Royal Family and ascended the throne.”
“Farnese? Like you, Father?”
My father’s name is Graf Valois Farnese.
“That’s right. He’s our ancestor—mine and yours, Luria’s. … The first thing the first king did was—”
The first king’s first act was to strip the Church of the One True God of its status as the state religion and revoke its privileges. He had determined that the outrageous actions of the church were the cause of the series of great disasters.
“But the church still exists, right? I heard that someone from the church gave me my name.”
“That’s true. The church still has many followers among both the nobility and the commoners, so even a king couldn’t completely abolish it.”
“Hmm.”
“For those who believed that the disasters were caused by spirits, the teachings of the Church of the One True God were quite convenient.”
I recall that the church’s fundamental doctrine was that spirits should be controlled by humans, even though managing spirits, the very essence of nature, was far beyond human capacity.
“This part isn’t something you should talk about too openly, though,” he cautions.
“Why?”
“Although the royal family and the Church of the One True God appear to get along publicly, they are not on good terms in reality.”
It seems they are political adversaries. The church plots to strengthen its authority, while the royal family naturally works to restrain it.
“For example, the naming ceremony for royals was forced upon the royal family two kings ago.”
“Wow. How did that happen?”
“Do you know what an ‘in-law faction’ is?”
“Um… the father of the queen?”
“That’s right. You’re well-informed. It refers to the family of the queen—her father, grandfather, brothers, and so on.”
Two kings ago, the reigning king relied on the power of his in-law faction to defeat his rivals and claim the throne. After his ascension, the church expanded its influence through his in-law faction.
“A king cannot ignore the nobles who supported him during his ascension.”
“I see.”
“The church’s ultimate goal is to regain the right to place the crown on the king’s head during coronation ceremonies.”
Back when it was the state religion, during the coronations of the Sacred Royal Family, the pope would place the crown on the new king’s head. Regaining this right is the church’s long-cherished wish.
If they succeed, it would formally position the church as the entity granting authority to the king. Over time, formalities can become reality.
Ultimately, it could lead to a situation where no one could ascend the throne without the church’s approval.
“So it’s a tense relationship?”
“That’s right. You know some complicated words, Luria. Yes, it’s a tense situation. The royal family cannot ignore the church, and the church isn’t strong enough to act entirely as it pleases.”
“I see, I see.”
“But you don’t have to worry about such complicated matters, Luria. Let’s continue studying history.”
“Ah, I want to know about Louisa!”
“…The Calamity Witch Louisa, is it? Where did you hear that name?”
“Um, umm…”
I was in trouble. None of the servants, siblings, or even my parents had ever spoken about Louisa to me. My father must have instructed everyone not to tell me about her.
What I know comes from my past life—because I was her. The only time I’ve heard Louisa’s name mentioned since being reincarnated was during the naming ceremony by the archbishop.
But I couldn’t reveal that I remember my past life or the naming ceremony.
“Umm…”
“Chirp.”
The small cry came from Caro, who pointed with her tiny hand at the book my father had opened. On the page was the name “Louisa.”
The book my father had opened was a history book, so it wasn’t surprising that Louisa’s name appeared.
“This! It’s written here!”
“…You really can read so much.”
“Hehe.”
Thanks to Caro, I was saved. I stroked her head in gratitude.
“So, Father, who was Louisa? What is she known for?”
“Well… I suppose I should explain.”
After some thought, my father began explaining about Louisa, the Calamity Witch.
“Louisa was the daughter of the second-to-last king of the Sacred Royal Family.”
“Uh-huh.”
That much I already knew.
“The second-to-last king was assassinated by his younger brother, the last king, and according to records, five-year-old Louisa was also killed at the time.”
“Huh? Then why was she called a witch?”
“Here’s the thing. Ten years after the assassination, the headquarters of the Church of the One True God was destroyed. That was the first event in the great disaster two hundred years ago.”
I remember the destruction of the church’s headquarters. It was something I did to help the spirits. According to Kuro, the spirits successfully escaped, so I have no regrets.
“After the great disasters began, members of the Sacred Royal Family and the Church of the One True God started claiming that Louisa caused them.”
“But she was already dead?”
I had died during the destruction of the church’s headquarters.
“Exactly, even though she was already dead. That’s why serious historians don’t believe that Louisa caused the disasters.”
“I see.”
“Still, some people believe it. There are even records suggesting that Louisa was kept alive and imprisoned for about ten years after her father’s assassination. Scholars still debate the credibility of these records.”
That part is true. I had been kept alive, though “imprisoned” is putting it lightly—I had lived in a livestock shed.
“What kind of records?”
“Reports from maids, soldiers, and even those in charge of livestock mention a child treated like an unnamed animal.”
“Hmm. That’s so sad.”
Even I think it was tragic.
“Yes, it’s heartbreaking. While it’s almost certain that such a child existed, whether that child was Louisa is still unclear.”
“I see.”
“For my part, I don’t believe Louisa was ever a Calamity Witch.”
“Okay.”
I hugged my father’s arm tightly. He gently stroked my head with his other hand.
“And Luria, there’s something important I need to tell you.”
“Yes?”
“Louisa was a royal with red hair and red eyes.”
“Like me?”
“Exactly. So there may be people who say unpleasant things to you because of it. But you mustn’t pay them any mind, okay?”
“I understand.”
“If anyone says anything hurtful, no matter how small, you must tell me.”
“Okay, I will.”
But I felt bad about the idea of tattling to my father over minor insults. It seemed unfair to escalate things unnecessarily.
As I was thinking that, my father spoke again, as if reading my thoughts.
“Luria, don’t worry about whether telling me might seem unfair or make things worse for others.”
“Really?”
“Yes. That’s something for the adults—your mother and me—to worry about. You just tell us everything, no matter how small. We won’t make a big deal out of small things. You can trust us.”
“Got it!”
Political matters are far too complicated for me to understand. So I decided to leave all the difficult stuff entirely to the adults.
