CH 161

I understood that part, but something didn’t sound quite right. Before I could say a word, Dylan interjected.

“My apologies for interrupting your good time, My Lady,” he said. “Is Father Ravis inside the palace?”

This isn’t a good time at all! I wanted to scream. His intervention was a breath of fresh air. Quickly, I extricated myself from Ridrian’s grip and headed over to him.

“Ravis is at the mansion right now,” I said. “I don’t know why he is.”

“I think I need to leave so I can speak to him. I’ll be right back. Since His Majesty is here, would you allow my brief absence?”

Clearly, he blamed himself for my being kidnapped. But, for some reason, his expression was stiff.

“Yes,” I said, nodding. “It’s fine.” Ridrian is here, after all.

***

“Next.”

Two days had gone by. Ridrian stretched his arm, reviewing a document before him while I stared. He shifted his gaze to Raven, who was quietly handing him the documents, and looked around at the attendees hard at work. At last, he let out a sigh.

Had something bothered him when I was kidnapped?

Why isn’t he going back to the palace?

I was happy to spend all day with him, but that was that, and this was this. He’d just settled at my place after I was kidnapped the day before yesterday. I’d already told him he could go back, but he wouldn’t listen. Instead, he’d called the entire knight order instead of the two knights he’d dismissed for the guard.

This is basically the palace, I thought, gazing out the window.

He kept trailing after me, like a puppy with an anxiety disorder. He’d tried to make us share a bedroom—and even offered to sleep on the sofa, to my startlement—and he wouldn’t leave me during meals, or even when I was reading.

“I heard His Majesty is here.”

Since the Emperor hadn’t returned in the past two days, Raven had finally dragged all the attendees to the mansion. He didn’t seem at all surprised that the emperor was at my place.

“Excuse us,” he said.

He’d brought a mountain of documents to the drawing room and converted it into the emperor’s office. He’d even brought the same desk Ridrian punched a hole in not long ago. Ever since then, the emperor had been working at my place. The personal mansion had suddenly become the emperor’s office palace.

The attendees other than Raven were all coming to my place for work. Of course, they were in panic as they waited for orders. Evidently, the palace quality meals were coming out. The entire mansion was so tense and quiet, you could hear the dust fall.

I let out an almost inaudible sigh. I’d run out of the palace so weird, random rumors wouldn’t go around—but what was the point? Ridrian cared more about my safety than about the rumors. And after having been kidnapped, my life was more precious to him than ever.

Good thing Eris is also here.

The main reason I’d left the palace was so that Eris and Ridrian could get together. As intended, they were together all the time. With Dylan, of course. Eris and Dylan were rather good chat buddies, but she didn’t say a word to Ridrian. Still, wherever I moved, all three of them seemed to follow.

“Attendee Lesprey. Please check this document.”

“Okay.”

I guess working from home was the only good thing. With a sigh, I took the document.

I left the drawing room for a walk. I was feeling so trapped, I said I was going to the washroom. I knew Ravis put all kinds of defense on the house, and that Ridrian was good at sending things.

“Ugh, I’m suffocating.”

I hid myself behind a bunch of tall, pretty flowers and gazed up at the sky, just barely missing the two who had come out with me. I wasn’t that active, I thought, but it seemed it felt more frustrating living like this.

Just what is Piett thinking?

My head spun with the memory of the kidnapping. About five and a half years ago, I’d been sold to Hedin Russen. But he’d started obsessing over me at some point, and eventually decided to keep me in a birdcage.

Was that all Piett’s doing as well?

No, he’d said. Don’t! Don’t this, Piett!

If Piett had been behind the kidnapping, I couldn’t imagine just how much influence he had with people around me.

Why me? Eris is there.

I touched the withering flower, concentrating on it. Sure enough, the golden light I’d created earlier glowed, seeping into the flower until it bloomed.

Amazing.

Maybe things hadn’t been so bad since the kidnapping. Whatever the logic was, the thought of the divine power in my body calmed me a little. At least I’d be able protect myself with it.

The problem is, I don’t have the guts to fight anyone. And Ridrian told me to keep the divine power a secret, so I won’t be using it any time soon.’

It was probably because of the relationship with the religious party that he wanted me to keep it secret. As much power as the Pope? No matter how much I refused to become a priest, they’d find a way to take me and convert me somehow, as long as I had that kind of power. I was just glad Ravis was considerate of my situation.

We have to catch Piett as soon as possible.

I couldn’t do this forever. I didn’t dare mention that there might be a spy in the palace. Ridrian would overturn the place. I couldn’t let him turn it into a funeral home all in the name of catching a spy.

“Iona? Where are you?” Eris’s flustered voice called.

I’d disappeared when she went to get a handkerchief. I lowered myself even more.

“Let her be.” It was Ridrian’s voice this time.

“Your Majesty.”

“The presence of all the guards must have left her feeling suffocated,” he said. “Let her be alone for a moment.”

“Even though it might be dangerous?”

“I can feel her, even though I can’t see her. Also, the divine barrier still stands.”

“How surprising,” Eris remarked. “Don’t you dislike the priests?”

“I do,” Ridrian replied. “Especially since I don’t have any fond memories of them.”

I decided to eavesdrop some more, feeling discomforted and equally glad that they were talking. What could I do about these emotions? I clutched my chest.

“I…I have something to tell you. Do you have time?”

“Say it here.”

“It’s a bit more private.”

“Just do it.”

My ears perked up. I’d heard a conversation like this somewhere before.

Ah, this is the conversation you have before confessing! Are they finally making some progress?

I peeped through the flowers, curious to find out if the original book’s scene was about to be performed.

And then I froze.

Huh?

Ridrian was sitting by the garden. And Eris was lowering her body and face toward his, about to kiss him.