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.
โThe first king of the Farnese dynasty, distressed by the suffering of the people, overthrew the Sacred Royal Family and ascended the throne.โ
โFarnese? Like you, Father?โ
My fatherโs name is Graf Valois Farnese.
โThatโs right. Heโs our ancestorโmine and yours, Luriaโs. โฆ The first thing the first king did wasโโ
The first kingโs 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.
โBut the church still exists, right? I heard that someone from the church gave me my name.โ
โThatโs true. The church still has many followers among both the nobility and the commoners, so even a king couldnโt completely abolish it.โ
โHmm.โ
โFor those who believed that the disasters were caused by spirits, the teachings of the Church of the One True God were quite convenient.โ
I recall that the churchโs fundamental doctrine was that spirits should be controlled by humans, even though managing spirits, the very essence of nature, was far beyond human capacity.
โThis part isnโt something you should talk about too openly, though,โ he cautions.
โWhy?โ
โAlthough the royal family and the Church of the One True God appear to get along publicly, they are not on good terms in reality.โ
It seems they are political adversaries. The church plots to strengthen its authority, while the royal family naturally works to restrain it.
โFor example, the naming ceremony for royals was forced upon the royal family two kings ago.โ
โWow. How did that happen?โ
โDo you know what an โin-law factionโ is?โ
โUmโฆ the father of the queen?โ
โThatโs right. Youโre well-informed. It refers to the family of the queenโher father, grandfather, brothers, and so on.โ
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.
โA king cannot ignore the nobles who supported him during his ascension.โ
โI see.โ
โThe churchโs ultimate goal is to regain the right to place the crown on the kingโs head during coronation ceremonies.โ
Back when it was the state religion, during the coronations of the Sacred Royal Family, the pope would place the crown on the new kingโs head. Regaining this right is the churchโs 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 churchโs approval.
โSo itโs a tense relationship?โ
โThatโs right. You know some complicated words, Luria. Yes, itโs a tense situation. The royal family cannot ignore the church, and the church isnโt strong enough to act entirely as it pleases.โ
โI see, I see.โ
โBut you donโt have to worry about such complicated matters, Luria. Letโs continue studying history.โ
โAh, I want to know about Louisa!โ
โโฆThe Calamity Witch Louisa, is it? Where did you hear that name?โ
โUm, ummโฆโ
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 lifeโbecause I was her. The only time Iโve heard Louisaโs name mentioned since being reincarnated was during the naming ceremony by the archbishop.
But I couldnโt reveal that I remember my past life or the naming ceremony.
โUmmโฆโ
โChirp.โ
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 โLouisa.โ
The book my father had opened was a history book, so it wasnโt surprising that Louisaโs name appeared.
โThis! Itโs written here!โ
โโฆYou really can read so much.โ
โHehe.โ
Thanks to Caro, I was saved. I stroked her head in gratitude.
โSo, Father, who was Louisa? What is she known for?โ
โWellโฆ I suppose I should explain.โ
After some thought, my father began explaining about Louisa, the Calamity Witch.
โLouisa was the daughter of the second-to-last king of the Sacred Royal Family.โ
โUh-huh.โ
That much I already knew.
โThe 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.โ
โHuh? Then why was she called a witch?โ
โHereโs 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.โ
I remember the destruction of the churchโs headquarters. It was something I did to help the spirits. According to Kuro, the spirits successfully escaped, so I have no regrets.
โAfter the great disasters began, members of the Sacred Royal Family and the Church of the One True God started claiming that Louisa caused them.โ
โBut she was already dead?โ
I had died during the destruction of the churchโs headquarters.
โExactly, even though she was already dead. Thatโs why serious historians donโt believe that Louisa caused the disasters.โ
โI see.โ
โStill, some people believe it. There are even records suggesting that Louisa was kept alive and imprisoned for about ten years after her fatherโs assassination. Scholars still debate the credibility of these records.โ
That part is true. I had been kept alive, though โimprisonedโ is putting it lightlyโI had lived in a livestock shed.
โWhat kind of records?โ
โReports from maids, soldiers, and even those in charge of livestock mention a child treated like an unnamed animal.โ
โHmm. Thatโs so sad.โ
Even I think it was tragic.
โYes, itโs heartbreaking. While itโs almost certain that such a child existed, whether that child was Louisa is still unclear.โ
โI see.โ
โFor my part, I donโt believe Louisa was ever a Calamity Witch.โ
โOkay.โ
I hugged my fatherโs arm tightly. He gently stroked my head with his other hand.
โAnd Luria, thereโs something important I need to tell you.โ
โYes?โ
โLouisa was a royal with red hair and red eyes.โ
โLike me?โ
โExactly. So there may be people who say unpleasant things to you because of it. But you mustnโt pay them any mind, okay?โ
โI understand.โ
โIf anyone says anything hurtful, no matter how small, you must tell me.โ
โOkay, I will.โ
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.
โLuria, donโt worry about whether telling me might seem unfair or make things worse for others.โ
โReally?โ
โYes. Thatโs something for the adultsโyour mother and meโto worry about. You just tell us everything, no matter how small. We wonโt make a big deal out of small things. You can trust us.โ
โGot it!โ
Political matters are far too complicated for me to understand. So I decided to leave all the difficult stuff entirely to the adults.