Chapter 109

Chapter 109

I felt dissatisfied with Ren’s dry attitude. So I pestered him, annoyed.

“Hey. Just look closely. Our Roti might become an amazing priest someday. She could even rise to High Priest. Then our family would produce a High Priest!”

“Noona, I really don’t think Rotera has any divine power. That’s what I can tell from my own meager share. So don’t go dreaming too hopefully.”

Ren shook his head, then flicked the damp off his hands before pulling open the door to leave the kitchen. I narrowed my eyes and glanced at Roti. If what Ren said was true—that Roti had no Divine Power at all—then I had no way to explain the force I’d witnessed last night. It was far too immense to have come from the tiny jewels set in her bracelet.

“Oh. I agreed to lend a hand at the market today. You’ll be home anyway, so keep an eye on the kids.”

Ren cut in while I was lost in thought. Apparently, someone was actually willing to keep employing that scrawny brat, surprising as that was. I nodded in acknowledgment, and as I did, I started thinking that while he was out, I should take Roti to the temple.

“Got it. I’ll handle the kids. Have a good day.”

“Oh. Right. And today’s Roti’s dictation day. Make sure you oversee it. Don’t forget—it’s important.”

“I will.”

With that, Ren slipped out the door. I waited by the window until I saw him disappear past the front gate, then motioned Roti over with a flick of my fingers. Leaning close, I whispered into her ear.

“Let’s ditch dictation and go out somewhere with Unnie.”

“Yes!”

A loud, eager answer shot back — the kid was clearly thrilled to ditch dictation. He bolted to the table and started shoveling food into his mouth.

“Slow down. I still have to change Ryan’s clothes before we can go.”

“Got it!”

At my words, Roti slowly pulled the spoon from her mouth. Then, with deliberate movements, she dipped it into the soup. Pausing, she looked up at me standing across the table and spoke again.

“Unnie. Where are you going?”

“Mm… I was planning to go to the temple…”

My reason for wanting to go to the temple was simple: I wanted to check Roti’s divine power. But as soon as I brought up the temple, I realized she might not like visiting it. So I tacked on a few places kids would enjoy, as a buffer.

“…And on the way back, I’ll buy you dessert. Remember how you said that place we went before was amazingly good? We’ll eat there.”

“Mm. Okay. And, Unnie, I want to go there!”

“There? Where?”

“Our old house! I want to see our old house!”

“Our old house… you mean the Highen Mansion?”

“Yeah! That place!”

“Hmm… We can go there, but we can’t go inside. It’s not our home anymore…”

For a moment, worry tightened in my chest. Unlike the other siblings, Roti was the one who’d clung hardest to the old house, her attachment stubborn and deep. I had no idea how to tell this fourth child that she could no longer step foot inside the Highen Mansion.

“I know.”

But Roti threw back an answer I didn’t expect. I blinked, eyes going wide as I stared at her. Then I saw it — the little girl sulking, her lips jutting out in a pout. She didn’t throw a tantrum though. That quiet reaction surprised me more than anything. It was like my fourth sister had suddenly grown up overnight.

“Oppa said he’ll make a lot of money so we can buy our mansion back someday. He said that’s all that matters.”

She nodded once, then kept talking. Ren must have convinced her — told her the house could always be bought again. Honestly, it hadn’t even occurred to me to say something like that. But Ren had already found a way to talk Roti all the way down. That’s what made the brat so quiet now.

“That’s a great idea, Roti! Become someone who makes a lot of money! Our parents used to run a trading post and they made tons, too! So you can do it!”

“Yeah. I’ll make lots of money and buy our house back! Then you, Oppa, Ryan, and me — we’ll all live together. Okay?!”

“Fine. Fine. Works for me.”

I reached out and stroked her head, my heart swelling. Of course, our parents also lost a lot of money along the way. Ended up completely bankrupt, in fact. But hey — all’s well that ends well. I decided not to bring up anything unnecessary.

“Unnie, so we’re going to see our old house today, right?”

“Yeah. Let’s go together. First I’ll change Ryan’s clothes and come back. You finish eating and clean up the table a bit, okay?”

“Okay!”

At my words, Roti shoved the spoon into her mouth and gulped down the soup. I watched her for a moment, then picked up Ryan and stepped out the door.

* * *

As soon as we reached the temple, I got lucky — spotted a familiar priest. I hurried over and grabbed him, asking him to check Roti’s divine power. He gave me a look like what now, but didn’t say a word. He just started examining Roti. Then he told me he couldn’t sense even a trace of divine power.

“But… I do sense an immense divine power coming from here.”

He pointed at the wooden jewelry box Roti was holding, and added. Caught off guard, I stared at him, flustered.

“Huh? From here? Really?”

“Yes. Let me take a closer look.”

He said that, then placed his hand on the wooden jewelry box. His brow furrowed slightly, as if he was measuring something.

“Um… what do you think?”

“I’m certain. I can feel divine power. And a power this immense — I’ve never sensed anything like it in my life. It seems to be several times greater than what the High Priest possesses. This jewelry box must be a relic, or whatever’s inside it is.”

“A… relic?”

“Yes. With this level of energy, I can only describe it as a sacred relic—or something equivalent.”

“Ah. So that means… that light…”

I quickly recalled the brilliant glow that had pushed the ghost away. I didn’t understand how my mother’s keepsake could be a sacred relic, but it had clearly protected us from the ghost. For a moment, a wave of nausea surged through me.

“Light? Did light come from this jewelry box?”

The priest asked me in a curious tone. I nodded as I replayed last night’s memory.

“Yes. It was a yellow light.”

“Then… this must contain the ‘Eye of the Sun.’ Holy power itself has no color. The yellow light probably spread through that yellow jewel. And with this level of divine power, I think there’s an Eye of the Sun about the size of a fist inside.”

“Really…”

Suddenly, I was at a loss for words. My mother’s keepsake was the Eye of the Sun. And the Eye of the Sun was a fairly expensive jewel. If its size was truly as the priest said—about the size of a fist—the price would be astronomical. Even back when my family was wealthy, it would have been nearly impossible to buy, even if we sold off all our assets.

Wait… When exactly did my family become poor…?

I naturally started to trace back through my memories.

There was that time when the ghost possessing me as a child suddenly turned into an evil spirit… Maybe it started then…?

Yes. Thinking about it now, House Highen’s fortunes seemed to have declined steadily after that day. Perhaps my parents had been preparing for something all along. For instance, they might have secured a safeguard of divine power for their child, who was susceptible to possession.

Good heavens…

So it was all because of me. The wealth my parents had amassed over a lifetime was all spent on buying a single jewel. Because of that, my younger siblings missed out on so much they could have enjoyed. The thought of them eating nothing but boiled potatoes day in and day out during their growing years made my chest ache with stifling sorrow.

“But, Young Lady, where on earth did you get this?”

Just then, the priest tapped the jewelry box with his fingertip and asked me. I swallowed the tears that threatened to spill and opened my mouth again.

“It’s… my mother’s keepsake.”

“……I see. Your mother must have been very worried about you. After all, you’re susceptible to possession.”

“Yes… I suppose so.”

“Keep it safe. It’s your mother’s heart, isn’t it?”

“Yes…”

I answered in a deeply subdued voice. When I thought about it, my parents had protected Roti from the evil spirit last night. And that was because Roti had fallen asleep with the jewelry box by her bedside. Maybe it would continue to protect us siblings from now on.

“But if the jewelry box itself isn’t holy, it’s fine to break it, right? Fact is, I don’t have the key to it. If the holy power is going to work when the evil spirit comes, I think we’d be better off without the box.”

Then a question surfaced, and I turned to the priest, asking him. Because if it could be used to protect the children, I figured we might as well find the most efficient way.

“No, you needn’t do that. This is a precious jewel — better to hide it in this old jewelry box than leave it in plain sight. And holy power is, by nature, the force of a sacred soul. Even if there’s an obstacle, it won’t be blocked by it.”

He waved his hand slightly as he answered. The power of a soul. Come to think of it, ghosts — which are souls themselves — don’t go around walls. They just pass right through them. If holy power is also the power of a soul, it probably works on a similar principle. But that raised another question.

“Then how come when we put the Eye of the Sun into the locket on the necklace, the light only seeped through the locket itself?”

“That’s probably because the yellow wave from the Eye of the Sun was blocked by the locket. The holy power itself had no trouble passing through the locket. And the yellow light you say you saw yesterday, young lady, must have come through the cracks in this jewelry box.”

“Ah. I see.”

I nodded, then looked down toward Roti. The child was holding the jewelry box in one hand and gripping Ryan’s hand with the other. Those two blinked their big eyes, looking bewildered, as if asking what was going on.