Chapter 20

#020 Why are you here? (2)

I hoped that I wouldn't have to reveal such circumstances to Vangemange and Kanael.

It wasn't because I didn't trust them, but because I didn't want to be involved in a situation where I would need to consult them.

I wanted to live as quietly as possible, just as a hostage and a cleric.

However, there were clear limits to what I could do alone.

The moment Kristel appeared, I was swept up in her narrative without any chance to resist.

It felt as if I was a small clock part, meshing with the protagonist's grand story and moving along with it.

That's why I was here today, to reach out to my 'close aides.'

"The reason the Duchess of Sarnes cannot confess to His Eminence the Cardinal is probably due to the national marriage issue."

Vangemange said this while elegantly moving his knife.

I lifted my head from the veal I was eating from the Blanket de Bo.

Vangemange, Kanael, and I were seated at one table, enjoying a grand dinner.

This was the result of my stubbornness, having learned that important matters should be discussed over a meal.

The 'Prince and Three Meals' buff I gave Vangemange last time had already run out, leaving me with no choice.

"Is it about the engagement between His Royal Highness Cedric and Lady Kristel?"

"You know about it, Your Highness? It's still not widely known."

When I asked, Kanael looked surprised. I laughed without enthusiasm, holding my spoon.

If you have a younger brother who reads novels, you learn a lot.

Vangemange nodded and switched his Chateaubriand plate with mine.

The middle-aged angel...

"Once, there was a rumor that the 'Blessing of the Sea' protected by the Duchy of Sarnes would be the engagement gift for the two of them. His Eminence the Cardinal is the godfather of His Royal Highness, so he would naturally know about this."

It was an engagement gift. That's why the artifact appeared on the cover of 'Retired Employee.'

Even while diligently using my fork, I was so surprised by the information Vangemange and Kanael were giving that my hand paused.

It seemed like a wise choice to reveal what happened in the confessional to them.

After all, one mystery had already been solved.

"If she confesses about using the engagement gift improperly to His Eminence the Cardinal, the engagement might go awry."

"Yes, His Eminence and His Majesty act with one heart and one mind."

Kanael responded to my words.

The 'political companion' of the Emperor, Alexandr, passed away when the prince was young.

When the Emperor discussed his son's national marriage, the only person to share the engagement ceremony was His Eminence the Cardinal, her 'religious companion.'

"Moreover, there might be talk that she's trying to cover up the grave sin of using the artifact by leveraging the position of a future in-law."

Vangemange said quietly.

Only then did I understand what Kristel meant when she said that the duchess meeting the cardinal would be a 'political move.'

It was her intention to avoid someone who could become a relative, so she could confess purely out of faith.

"There are archbishops and many other bishops in the capital, yet she insists on meeting me... Could it be that a foreigner with no connection is the most comfortable for her?"

"Your Highness is a royal cleric. It seems she wants to confess to the most virtuous person, given the gravity of the sin."

Kanael said, puffing out his chest. His golden eyes looked proud for some reason.

I felt embarrassed and changed the subject.

"Then, do I need to inform His Eminence the Cardinal about this news?"

Vangemange stopped his fork and looked at me.

I sent a pleading look, hoping he would say no.

I'm almost thirty, but with adults to rely on, I naturally sought their support.

I had no intention of getting involved, even in the slightest, in a matter that entangled both protagonists.

"I think it's fine if Your Highness doesn't get involved."

A sigh of relief escaped my nose.

"This is ultimately a matter between the royal family and the duchy. The engagement gift can't be hidden forever, so it's only a matter of time before His Majesty and His Eminence the Cardinal discover the truth. The elders of both families will handle it well."

Vangemange kindly gave me the answer I wanted to hear.

Kanael's eyes lit up as if he had just thought of something.

"By the way, I heard that His Royal Highness Cedric has been in poor condition for the past four days. The palace attendants say he might not attend the spring ball. Perhaps he has already heard about the 'Blessing of the Sea.'"

"That could be."

Vangemange's agreement made the situation seem quite plausible.

If the parties involved had already grasped the situation, there was no need for me to step in and pretend to know.

I felt one burden lifted.

"Still, Lady Kristel is quite bold. To infiltrate the palace chapel to deliver a message in person, she seems like a different person from before she fainted."

Kanael casually mentioned a major spoiler.

I covered my lower jaw with a napkin to hide my trembling lips.

Well, someone else had possessed her body.

Vangemange, who had been listening silently, supported the boy's opinion.

"Three years ago, Lady Kristel was known for her introverted personality. She never stepped outside the lord's castle, and her difficulty in self-expression was a great concern for the Duke of Sarnes. That's why she didn't debut in society at her coming-of-age ceremony."

This was a new setting for me.

Eunseo had only chattered about the 'possessed retired employee' version of Kristel, never mentioning the 'real' Kristel.

It seemed there was a significant difference in personality between the two Kristels.

I took a large bite of the dessert, Dam Blanche, and fell into thought.

The way she immediately showed her abilities when I refused to talk, and how she poured out everything she wanted to say despite a few slip-ups.

She looked like a protagonist at first glance...

'There's also a story about the artifact that disappeared from the Temple of the Border.'

'What?'

Ah, right. That was it.

"There was also a story about the artifact that disappeared from the Temple of the Border."

Both pairs of eyes turned to me simultaneously.

The atmosphere darkened instantly.

Kanael frowned, and Vangemange wore a clearly displeased expression.

I hadn't expected such a reaction.

"I thought the duchess might provide some clues about the culprit. Or maybe she wanted to confess that she stole the artifact."

At my words, Vangemange picked up his glass.

Kanael groaned and poured him some sparkling water.

I had no particular thoughts, but it seemed like I was the only one who hadn't eaten the sweet potato.

"If it's the former, she should go to the royal guard or the imperial army."

"If it's the latter, there's no need for Your Highness to listen. She will receive divine punishment."

Both of them pressed me.

I quietly closed my mouth and moved to the second dessert.

It felt like a familiar situation, one where my older brother and Eunseo would scold me together.

"So, what are you planning to do the day after tomorrow? Are you going to meet the duchess?"

While cutting the warm Charlotte with a dessert knife, Kanael asked bluntly.

I shook my head immediately.

"To meet the duchess, I would have to attend the spring ball, and I absolutely don't want to. I'm a bit curious about the stolen artifact from the temple, but it's not my business anyway."

I didn't like the saying that if you can't avoid something, you should enjoy it.

I had met the protagonist once, unable to avoid it, but I intended to keep avoiding him as much as possible.

If my resolve could be swayed by a brief encounter, I wouldn't have rejected the side male lead in the first place.

It was unthinkable for me to show my face at an event where the protagonist would be the center of attention.

Vangemange nodded approvingly at my firm stance.

Kanael said I had made a good decision and that since I had finished my dessert, he would bring more meat.

It was a satisfying meal.

*

"I want to die, I want to go home... "

Elisabeth lay on the sofa, moaning.

When she became the head of the royal guard last summer, she didn't understand the senior guards' complaints about the 'spring ball being hell sent by the gods' and 'what's so great about spring, stupid nobles.'

But now, just a day before the spring ball, all those sighs were etched into her bones.

The thought of enduring this chaos again next year was terrifying. There was just too much to do.

"Sedric, you should have stopped me when I said I would join the royal guard... "

"It's been less than two hours since you entered the palace."

The prince replied coldly. Elisabeth lifted her head from the cushion.

Her eyes, dulled by overwork, were sharp.

"Do you understand the feelings of a civil servant who commutes? Do you know how a knight feels when summoned for a national event...?"

"Take a proper rest and then go out."

"I just got here?"

She grumbled and sat up.

Sedric, seated opposite, still looked a bit pale.

The prince, who would stand before the empire's prominent nobles tomorrow, had been struggling for days due to a lack of ether, which naturally made the attendants anxious.

"Can you attend the ball?"

"Yes."

The prince answered.

He had known him since he was quite young, but Sedric had never complained about being sick or in pain in front of him.

He probably wouldn't do so even in front of His Majesty or His Eminence the Cardinal.

Thinking this far, Elisabeth wanted to change the subject.

This was the main topic anyway.

"Did you receive a reply from the duchy?"

Instead of answering, Sedric nodded slightly.

Turning her gaze, she saw an envelope on the table.

"What does it say?"

Elisabeth was tired of reading letters.

After reviewing too many documents in the past week, she boldly asked the prince for a three-line summary.

Sedric frowned slightly.

"They said the artifact is safe."

It was quite a condensed answer, but it was enough to understand the Duke of Sarnes' position.

"It's a lie."

Sedric nodded at Elisabeth's assertion.

He recalled the moment five days ago when he led the divine beasts to the edge of the lord's castle.

The small beasts that couldn't detect anything were circling his feet, rolling in the bushes, which made him want to laugh bitterly.

The duke was lying.

There were no ether-bearing treasures in that territory.

"We'll know the truth when we see them."

His baritone was unusually heavy today.

The Duke and Duchess of Sarnes and their only daughter would attend the spring ball tomorrow.

He could ask them directly and confirm the truth.

They wouldn't dare lie in the presence of the cardinal and the emperor.

Sedric thought this would be their last chance.

-knock knock

"Come in."

At the prince's response, the door to the reception room opened, and an attendant appeared.

It was David Capusson.

"Your Highness, Prince Yeseo has sent you a dandelion tea."

"······What?"

An unexpected name and an unexpected noun combination.

Elisabeth leaned forward.

"Prince Yeseo? Why did he suddenly send tea?"

"······It seems he knew Your Highness was unwell."

"······."

"The palace staff were not discreet enough. Please forgive us."

The prince seemed to remember the sage tea sent from the palace by Yeseo.

Given the prince's temperament, which he had experienced firsthand, it wasn't surprising.

His thoughts were momentarily disrupted by the dandelion tea, but he wasn't particularly displeased.

"Shall I bring the tea?"

At Capusson's cautious question, Sedric gave a silent nod.

The head of the royal guard chuckled softly.