CH 118

“The High Priest isn’t here, so is the Saintess.”

Kyle was sitting at the temple’s fountain, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Perhaps, the two of them didn’t go to the festival together, right?”

That thought raised Kyle’s eyebrows.

Reihausd that brat, he looked like a normal priest, but he was a guy whom he couldn’t lower his guard with. He was as arrogant as Cass, and the more he faced him, the more sinister and sullen he seemed.

‘As soon as he wakes up from fainting, he gives Ariel an ecstatic expression for beating him.’

He clicked his tongue.

“Ariel must have an eye for men.”

And he touched the handle of my sword.

“A man who is strong and flawless is the best.”

For a moment, his gaze arrogantly rested between his thighs, then moved.

He was confident.

“…”

Only the chirping of birds could be heard in the darkening sky.

“Anyway, today I made a fool of myself.”

He was well aware that Ariel was no ordinary saintess.

In particular, her brute force of breaking trees was a difficult skill even for a Sword Master himself without using a sword. It was the same with the enormous holy power that was different from the saintesses until now.

Ariel had built a great reputation among the people, and the Emperor wished to share her glory with the Imperial Family by making her the Crown Princess.

But the more Kyle felt, the more he took a step back from his curiosity about Ariel. It wasn’t the step backwards that he intended.

It’s just…

[Kyle. I want to get out there.]

He remembered when his mother, who was the late Empress, was deeply ill. It was no good to see her lying on the bed and looking helplessly out of her window.

[Cough, cough.]

In the moment of shock after his maternal grandparents died in an accident, a maid brought from the maternal house stole his mother’s precious treasure, a garnet necklace, and ran away.

After that, there was no improvement in her illness. Even if the priests poured out their divine powers and even if the Saintess visited, nothing changed. She only got a little better then repeated the deep deterioration.

[A deep loneliness surrounds me every day. There will be no pain in the Salerium (God of Death’s Palace).]

[I will bring His Imperial Majesty.]

[No. Your Majesty is busy with country affairs. Anyone can’t do.]

Kyle remembered his mother’s expression.

Her eyes smiled benevolently, yet there was a deep emptiness in her pupils.

Is this the fate of women who have to live in the Imperial Palace? Kyle seemed to have felt a deep sympathy for his mother for the first time.

And Ariel. As she seemed to turn her eyes incessantly seeking her freedom, settled in the temple.

‘When I asked her to come to the Imperial Palace before, she made a pretty uncomfortable expression.’

Even though it was a job offer.

‘How will she react if I ask her to become the Crown Princess?’

Kyle raised his eyebrows and rose from his seat.

He could imagine Ariel’s reaction. And his face frowned by just imagining it.

‘What am I thinking?’

It’s best to move his body when his mind is complicated.

Suddenly, a Paladin walking by caught his eye.

“Ugh, why is there so much work. I was going to play around while I was on a business trip…”

The exhausted-looking Paladin’s face was familiar to Kyle. It seems that he was a Paladin named ‘Dwayne’ whom Reihausd attached to the Saintess.

By the way, it was Kyle who got more heated when he was reminded of Reihausd.

It’s not like the two went out together, right?

“There.”

He saw Dwayne stop.

“Yes? Ah, I’m greeting Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Dwayne greeted in a dazed way.

“Let’s spar with me for a while.”

Dwayne’s eyes widened at those words.

“Yes… Yeees…?”

“Where is the Paladin swordsmanship hall? Take the lead.”

“I’m not good at fighting with Your Highness…”

“Then it’s either one-sided or something. My body is very tired, so I need to get rid of it.”

It was an order that didn’t allow the slightest objection.

Dwayne took the lead, crying inside.

***

“I’ll borrow the Saintess for a moment.”

After talking to Daisy, Cass let go of my wrist, taking my hand this time, and led me.

I followed him bewildered, then Daisy moved further away.

After a while, he stopped and looked at me.

“…”

A cool wind was blowing. His expression was particularly hard.

“Do you have anything to say to me?”

I looked at him and asked calmly.

Silence passed between us again. His ultramarine blue eyes contained me with a complex light.

He parted his dry lips. Yet I couldn’t hear his voice for a long time.

After a while, he furrowed his eyebrows.

“…Don’t go back to the temple.”

I couldn’t quite understand what he meant, so I asked him again.

“What’s the reason?”

“The reason is…”

After a while, Cass crumpled his brows. He had a very complex expression on his face.

“The reason is….”

His lips parted, and something like a monologue flowed out.

[The God of Love, Odyssey, is frustrated and punches his chest.]

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, urges him by throwing corn snacks.]

I looked at him for a moment and said.

“If there is no other reason, may I go?”

As I was about to move my foot, he opened his mouth again.

“…I want to dance with the Saintess.”

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, gives a standing ovation.]

[The God of Art, Mond, glances at Hessed.]

At that, I stopped and stared at him.

“At the Star Flower Ball in a little while.”

Cass’ face looked calm as usual. However, the turmoil and anguish were still visible in his eyes.

‘What is he concerned about?’

“I’m sorry about what happened earlier. After all, I’m the cause of Lady Rie’s such behavior.”

[The God of Art, Mond, agrees with Cass.]

[The God of Destruction, Ciel, nods.]

After receiving Cass’ apology, I let out a small sigh. Earlier, I just got confused for a moment.

The confrontation between my preconceived notions of Lloyd and the attitude he was showing me confounded me.

“No. I didn’t mean to criticize the Marquis. But why a dance…?”

I asked him, trying not to overcomplicate things further.

“Tomorrow we must uncover Professor Draive’s secret. We must be more compatible than anyone else.”

Ah, come to think of it, I forgot that I was going to dig up about Professor Draive tomorrow.

I said, furrowing my eyebrows a little.

“But I can’t dance at all, will it be okay?”

“It’s not difficult. Just leave it to me.”

I was lost in thought for a moment. Then I quietly opened my mouth.

“I don’t even know if I will step on your foot.”

[The God of Art, Mond, recommends purchasing ‘Sacred Blade Boots’ from the Holy Relic Shop.]

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, recommends purchasing ‘Shoes That Give Pleasure When Stepped On’ from the Holy Relic Shop.]

The chat window was noisy for a while.

***

As the day got darker, the Star Flower Ball began in the plaza. Unlike the noble ball, it has a free, fun, and simple atmosphere.

Dozens of couples started dancing to the song they heard. Everyone was dressed so fancy that it was hard to tell who was an aristocrat and who was a commoner.

Cass put his hand on my waist and gently led me.

“It’s not like you can’t dance at all, though.”

His voice was barely audible.

“I guess my body… remembers.”

[The hands of the Gods shrink.]

[The God of Justice, Hetuse, shakes his head.]

Ah, such.

I said it, but it was too much like an 8th grade syndrome.

However, my body was really doing pretty well with the beat. I hadn’t even stepped on Cass’ foot a few times.

‘I actually wanted to step on him a few times.’

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, is irritated.]

[The God of Love, Odyssey, wants a more intimate dance.]

[The God of Justice, Hetuse, is satisfied with the neat dance moves.]

As we were dancing, I heard his voice again.

“The daughter of the count earlier, she wasn’t close with me.”

“…”

“We only dated for about a month for political purposes, but the relationship ended when Lady Rie had a different thought from mine.”

“Why do you have to explain that to me?”

Cass was silent for a long time at my pouty words.

[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, is frustrated, beating his chest, asking why.]

The song, which had flowed at a slightly faster tempo, gradually calmed down. And his body came closer to me.

Confused, I looked around, and other women moved their feet in a leisurely rhythm, leaning on the men’s shoulder or chest.

[The God of Benevolence, Oman, is finally showing interest.]

“I’m not sure.”

I could feel his roar very close by.

His voice was hoarse.

“I just wanted to say it. I don’t want you to misunderstand me.”