Chapter 26

#026 The Curriculum of Pride and Prejudice (2)

"Will we be having classes together?"

I asked, somewhat dumbfounded.

The situation was so sudden and shocking that I had even forgotten to properly greet Kristel.

I had struggled to avoid going to the spring ball, but ended up dipping my toes in it, and I had consoled myself that it was just my toes. Now, the tragedy of being in the same space as the protagonist the next day was hard to accept.

It was difficult to take in.

"Temporarily. I just requested the Holy See to send a holy knight to take over Kristel's education. I'll teach her until they review my petition, approve it, and dispatch someone to the Sarnez duchy."

At the Cardinal's response, I swallowed a sigh.

This meant that the Cardinal and the Emperor supported Kristel's resolve to become a holy knight and repay the royal family's debt.

Even though the engagement had fallen through, they couldn't afford to lose such a valuable talent.

I wanted to throw a tantrum and demand a full refund, but my opponent was the Cardinal, not the academy.

It would be hard for someone as busy as him to spare time for two students.

I lacked the justification to say, "While you teach the duchess, I'll enjoy my spring break."

The temporary arrangement was somewhat fortunate.

The Cardinal is a priest, not a holy knight, so he could only teach Kristel the basics and theoretical aspects.

"Understood. I'll do my best, Duchess Sarnez."

I deliberately spoke in a stiff manner, addressing her formally and not smiling.

Since things had come to this, I decided to accumulate as many dislike points as possible during the classes.

"Yes, thank you very much for yesterday. My mother would like to treat you to a meal sometime."

But Kristel spoke without a hint of damage on her face.

Yesterday referred to the spring ball balcony where I had heard the confession of the Duchess of Sarnez.

The duchess seemed like a good person, but the thought of dining with the protagonist's mother filled me with dread and fear.

"I appreciate the offer, but it seems difficult."

I replied mechanically.

It was fortunate that I couldn't leave the palace due to being a hostage.

"Sit down for now. I'll bring you some tea."

The Cardinal smiled warmly and guided Kristel and me to the sofa.

His eyes, which observed us while calling the servant Natalie, were so warm that it made me even more frustrated.

Shouldn't the prince be here instead of me?...

"Then, this is your first meeting today, right?"

While I was pondering how to respond, Kristel spoke first.

"No, I visited the palace chapel's confessional and met the prince. I wanted to ask for a confession for my mother."

"A confessional, huh? That's a choice worthy of a holy knight. You have a promising future."

The Cardinal's beige eyes curved.

Kristel and I only blinked, not understanding what he meant.

"Every chapel's confessional always has a certain amount of aether flowing through it. It's for the confessor's mental stability and to enhance their faith, but for a holy knight, there's no better place to quickly replenish aether."

Kristel nodded, her eyes sparkling.

She also mentioned that she felt a bit more relaxed as soon as she entered.

Her words made me think of someone else I had met in the confessional.

Specifically, a young child.

'...What are you doing here?'

'I... am receiving confession. I'm a priest.'

'You're doing something you weren't asked to do.'

One mystery seemed to be unraveling.

The day I first met Sadi, he had rushed into the confessional because he was low on aether.

He had experienced all the typical symptoms of aether depletion—fever, chills, and dizziness—without receiving proper help, which had driven him to seek refuge there.

Thinking of the child made me feel uneasy again.

As Eunseo said, Prince Cedric did seem like a piece of trash.

Even if Sadi isn't a priest or a holy knight, if he were my son, I would have done everything to pair him with a competent priest.

I would never have let a child, who looks like he hasn't even reached elementary school age, wander around alone at night.

Neglect, abandonment, this is real child abuse.

I felt ashamed of myself for not realizing the severity of the child's environment sooner.

"Indeed, it's an interesting relationship."

Kristel listened to the Cardinal with interest.

I stared at the daisies floating in my teacup, lost in thought.

Could Sadi not want a priest? This was also a point to consider.

Just a moment ago, I thought it was clear-cut child abuse, but if he was acting on his own will, I could only advise him to be careful.

If he was sneaking out at night, suffering from aether depletion, and refusing a priest, there wasn't much adults could do.

From the fact that I had told the prince about my love for food, it didn't seem like there was a lack of communication between father and son.

'If the divine beings detect divine substances in the castle, you won't see me from tomorrow.'

The child's clear voice echoed in my head. I hadn't met him again since then.

Although I had reunited with Demi, the other two must have been well taken care of by Sadi.

Given that Sir Elizabeth knew the situation, there was no reason for me to worry about the kid...

"Prince?"

The Cardinal's voice pierced through my thoughts. I jumped and looked up.

"To be lost in thought with two ladies in front of you, that's quite unexpected."

She playfully raised an eyebrow. By now, both of our cups were half-empty.

"I apologize. I must have been tired from last night. I was just spacing out."

I wet my lips with the tea and blurted out an excuse. Sitting next to the protagonist and being lost in thought, I lacked the necessary tension.

Kristel smiled silently at me.

"I was just about to ask if the prince has a partner."

"Partner?"

"Yes, a holy knight partner."

"I don't have one."

At my answer, her eyes widened, and her high ponytail of pink hair swayed.

"Even though I'm a beginner, I can feel that the prince's aether is immense. It's surprising that you don't have a partner yet..."

'Are holy knights a bit ascetic?' she whispered. Our eyes met with the Cardinal's.

Well, my aether isn't innate.

The holy knights of the Theocracy wouldn't have wanted to pair with the former Prince Yeseo, who had nothing to offer.

Until I came here, I was just a 'nominal bishop,' and both the Theocracy and the Emperor of the Empire knew it.

The former even sent relatively weak assassins to kill me.

But my aether reserves had skyrocketed at some point, and the Theocracy's attempts had failed.

At the time, I didn't know the source of this sudden power, but now I had a hunch.

"First, I'm a foreigner, and I don't have the freedom to go out, so it would be inconvenient for a holy knight to pair with me."

I offered a plausible excuse based on the current situation.

Kristel nodded seriously.

She is a precious daughter from a prominent duchy, and I am a hostage from the Theocracy, so I hoped she would understand that I wished her to be happy with another priest, but I wasn't sure if my message got across.

"But it's not a time of war, so there's no need for aether to always be full, and there's no rule that priests and holy knights must always be together."

She responded with a sharp tone. It seemed she had just listened to my story...

"The number of holy knights is always less than the number of priests. It's not unusual for some priests to not have a partner."

Cardinal Buteau gently interjected.

"Our prince is certainly an excellent bishop, but he has been focusing on confession duties recently, so it might be difficult for him to be a priest for a holy knight."

This... Is he helping me? Is he really helping me?

"Then, for the next class, I'll invite a mage to explain the differences between holy knights and mages, shall I?"

As Kristel was about to continue, the Cardinal gently ended the lesson.

I stood up with a bewildered look, not fully grasping what had just happened.

Checking the clock, only 30 minutes had passed.

"Thank you, Your Eminence. I'll see you the day after tomorrow."

Well... Orientation is usually short.

I thought this as I bowed to the Cardinal and gave a brief greeting to Kristel before quickly escaping the office.

I hurried in case she might suggest going out together, though that was unlikely.

Fortunately, the Cardinal didn't propose lunch today.

For some reason, the back of my neck tingled until the door closed.

*

"If I were you, I'd go to the Juliette Palace right now and tell them."

The captain of the palace guard, who was sitting casually in a corner of the indoor training ground, spoke loudly.

The prince, who had been silently practicing forms with his sword, paused his movements.

"Really... I won't go into details, but if I were you, I'd rather clear up the misunderstanding by telling the truth and getting help. That's a hundred times better."

Elizabeth seemed strange today.

Even when the prince's flames burned her sleeve black during sparring, and when he broke another practice sword, she didn't get angry but only laughed.

Thinking about it, she had been acting strange since she came to the training ground.

She would grin like a mad person and then say, "How could I think of such things? Am I a genius?" while looking like she might cry.

Her face alternated between being deeply moved and finding something hilariously funny.

Cedric frowned slightly.

"I said I don't need help from the prince."

Elizabeth flopped down beside him and sobbed.

The prince now seriously considered calling a servant.

It was problematic if his so-called friend was already affected by the heat.

Just then, the servant David Capusson walked in from the training ground entrance.

Cedric lowered his sword and greeted him.

"Your Highness."

"Good to see you."

"His Eminence Cardinal Buteau's message."

"..."

Capusson spoke with a serious face.

"'The waves eroding the cold palace. The day after tomorrow, 11 AM, outdoor training ground.' That's all."

The prince was silent. As usual, Elizabeth was the first to react.

"Can I watch?"

Cedric simply ignored her.

He raised his sword again and headed to the center of the training ground.

Capusson watched the prince's back for a moment, then briefly greeted Elizabeth and left the training ground.

The servant only hoped that his master would make a wise decision.