Chapter 30: RMLIP

Chapter 30

“Yes, I'm fine.”

With a faint, sorrowful smile, the High Priest took my hand and rose to his feet.

The warmth of his touch made me flinch for a moment.

'His hands are huge.'

My hands weren't particularly small, yet his completely enveloped mine with room to spare.

Feeling strangely self-conscious, I gently slipped my hand out of his grasp.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I should be asking you that.”

“Huh?”

“Why did you save me?”

Tilting his head slightly, the High Priest looked at me with an unreadable smile.

For some reason, despite the smile on his face, his golden eyes felt cold.

I was a little startled but answered as calmly as I could.

“You looked like you were in danger. That man was holding a knife.”

“You don't know that gentleman?”

“Huh?”

Was I supposed to?

I looked toward the man as the Holy Knights dragged him away.

Naturally, no name came to mind.

'I'll just brush past this somehow.'

“Well... I was so startled that I didn't really get a good look at his face.”

The High Priest nodded bitterly.

“I apologize for saying this to you, Lady Airel, but I hope you won't think too poorly of him. He has been a devoted follower whom I've known for many years. However, his family recently fell into ruin, and the shock seems to have... affected his sanity.”

“Ah...”

“As a servant of the gods, it pains me greatly to witness such a tragedy.”

When I nodded, the High Priest gave a sorrowful smile and traced the holy sign toward the direction where the man had been taken.

It was impossible to look away.

“May the gods watch over that poor soul.”

His every gesture radiated solemnity—no, holiness itself.

For a long moment, I couldn't find any words.

Even while listening to such a heartbreaking story...

I was still thinking about how handsome he was.

I'm trash.

“Come to think of it, I haven't properly thanked you yet.”

The High Priest bowed his head slightly toward me.

“Thank you for helping me, Lady Airel.”

“Oh, it was nothing.”

I hurriedly waved both hands.

“In a situation like that, saving someone is only natural—”

Ah.

I should have answered more vaguely.

Instead, my true feelings had slipped out.

Who was the High Priest?

A man so kind-hearted that he'd even prayed for the person who had just tried to kill him.

Talking to someone who was kindness incarnate from head to toe had apparently made me answer according to my real personality.

Sure enough, he looked at me curiously.

“I'd heard you'd changed, Lady Airel, but hearing you say something like that is quite unexpected.”

“I-Is it?”

Smiling awkwardly, I hid my sweaty palms behind my back.

“Haha... Well, a lot has happened recently...”

“Indeed.”

Fortunately, he didn't seem interested in pressing the matter.

Instead, he smiled gently.

“Isn't that why you've come to see me today?”

“Um... when will His Holiness the Pope arrive...?”

In the end, I'd followed the High Priest into the temple's main building.

But inside the small room—which resembled a meeting chamber—there was no one except him and me.

“He won't be coming.”

“...Pardon?”

I blinked, having been sitting perfectly straight while waiting for the Pope.

“He isn't coming? Wasn't His Holiness the one who summoned me?”

“What made you think that?”

“Well... I was told the Grand Temple had called for me...”

I answered blankly before suddenly realizing.

'Ah... the subject of the sentence was ambiguous.'

The Grand Temple wasn't the Pope.

Nor was the Pope the Grand Temple.

“So... does that mean it was you who summoned me, Your Eminence?”

“Well... if we're being precise, I merely carried out His Holiness's wishes.”

His calm voice echoed through the room.

Standing by the side, he finished brewing tea before placing a cup of herbal tea in front of me.

“So.”

He looked at me.

“You've come because you wish to withdraw your confession.”

“Y-Yes?”

His blunt words were so unexpected that I nearly shouted.

Meanwhile, the High Priest sat across from me, letting out a quiet sigh as he lowered his gaze sorrowfully.

“When I received your letter a few days ago, it felt as though my heart had been torn apart.”

He sighed dramatically.

“So... in the end, I was the only one who truly took our relationship seriously.”

...What?

“Lady Airel...”

He looked at me through lowered lashes.

“Were you planning to toy with me from the very beginning?”

I could only gape at him in speechless disbelief.

'Is he... serious?'

There wasn't the slightest hint of amusement on his face.

But wasn't this going way too far over a single flower?

I'd even sent him a formal apology afterward.

And we'd already met face-to-face since then.

Honestly, I'd believed someone like the High Priest would have forgiven me by now.

Yet this was his reaction.

'Could the original Airel have actually had some kind of relationship with him?'

But there had been nothing about that in the diary.

'No... wait. There were missing pages...'

Completely confused, I gripped my teacup tightly.

Only then did the High Priest break into a radiant smile.

“My apologies.”

“It was merely a joke, Lady Airel.”

“...Excuse me?”

What kind of joke was that?

“I thought you'd play along. But seeing you so startled almost makes me feel guilty.”

Smiling brightly, he lifted his teacup.

'...Oh.'

This bastard.

My fingertips trembled with irritation at having been completely played.

Still, I forced a smile.

'Fine. So he likes jokes?'

Then I've met my match.

I'll make him regret putting me on the spot.

A strange sense of competitiveness suddenly flared inside me.

“Oh my.”

I deliberately set my teacup down with a loud clack.

“So it was all a joke, Your Eminence?”

I smiled sweetly.

“In that brief moment, I'd already planned our honeymoon destination... and even mapped out the future of our children.”

“…What?”

“I was busy deciding their names. Since I'm Airel and you're Erkael, I thought our twins could be Kairel and Aikael. Aren't they adorable?”

The names were hastily thrown together, but it didn't matter.

I was just making things up anyway.

I smiled at him exactly the way he'd smiled at me earlier.

His golden eyes froze for a split second.

'Good. Be even more flustered.'

But contrary to my expectations, the corners of his lips slowly curved upward.

“Kairel and Aikael...”

He nodded thoughtfully.

“I like those names very much.”

“…Huh?”

“However, we can't possibly give our children names chosen so carelessly.”

He smiled pleasantly.

“Let's take our time discussing them today.”

...What?

Why did I suddenly feel like I'd picked a fight with the wrong person?

A strange heat flickered within his golden eyes.

It almost looked...

...combative.

'Oh no.'

He looks like he wants to burn me alive.

Then I came back to my senses.

Today wasn't the day for joking around.

I was here as the guilty party.

'I almost forgot why I'd come.'

I slowly stood.

“Your Eminence...”

“This is a good opportunity, so I'd like to formally apologize once again.”

“……”

“I'm truly sorry for putting you in such an awkward position through my reckless actions.”

I lowered my head respectfully.

“And I'm also sorry for behaving so inappropriately just now, even though I came here to apologize.”

I bowed deeply.

Yet...

Several moments passed without any response.

I waited anxiously, resisting the urge to bite my tongue.

'Yep. He definitely wants to burn me alive.'

Otherwise...

Who would leave someone bowing like this for so long?

“...I gratefully accept your apology, Lady Airel.”

At last, the High Priest spoke in a much quieter voice.

“So please, have a seat.”

“Thank you.”

I sat back down.

“Now that your apology has been accepted...”

He placed a document bearing the Grand Temple's official seal before me.

“We should discuss the consequences you'll be facing.”

He opened the document.

“According to the Grand Temple's laws, in cases involving damage to the honor of a member of the clergy, I am permitted to make three demands.”

“Yes.”

I nodded resolutely.

“Please tell me whatever they are.”

During the past few days, I'd endured countless lectures from the Duchess.

According to what she'd taught me, if someone damaged a clergyman's honor, they were obligated to fulfill three requests chosen by that clergyman.

Usually...

The first was financial compensation.

The second, a public apology.

The third, community service.

'In other words, settle things while minimizing your losses,' she'd advised.

'Can I really do that?'

As I worried to myself, the High Priest lightly tapped the table with his fingertips.

Then, as though he'd just thought of something delightful, he smiled.

“In that case...”

“For my first request...”

“How about you start calling me by my name?”