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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: The Saint
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“So you’re the daughter of Duke Walker.”
“Please, just call me Emily. Besides, there’s another daughter of Duke Walker, isn’t there?”
Tristan smiled faintly at my words and nodded.
“Happy birthday. I had a gift sent to the palace, so please check for it later.”
“…Aside from the official gift from House Walker, a separate one?”
“Yes. Um… I noticed last time that you seemed to like Hushmantea. I happened to have some, so I sent it. It's hard to find these days with the trade routes blocked, isn't it?”
Tristan looked at me with an expression that said, ‘How did you know that?’ He always seems to have the same blank face, but he's surprisingly easy to read.
“Well, when you drink other teas, you only pretend to sip them, but you actually drank the Hushmantea.”
“…Was it that obvious?”
“Don’t worry, I’m probably the only one who noticed.”
Tristan rarely touched food given to him by others. Not to mention tea, he never even ate simple refreshments.
He only ate his meals at Marlin Palace, surrounded by his own people, and if he absolutely had to eat elsewhere, he always brought his own silver cutlery.
Watching him from the side, it was impossible not to notice. This Crown Prince was practically a terminal case of paranoia.
‘Though that’s separate from his inability to read the room.’
It was ironic, thinking about it. Lost in thought, I didn't notice Tristan striding closer.
“You are… quite considerate.”
Only after he spoke did I realize how close we were. I tried to take a step back, but I felt the railing against my back.
‘Trapped?’
The only way out was behind Tristan, and my back was blocked by the railing. If I were his prey, I would have been completely cornered.
A strange tension filled the air. But without showing it, I gave a shy smile as if this were perfectly normal.
“Is that so?”
See? I don't look like a warlock at all, do I? Now, I'd really like to escape this pressure.
I stared into his eyes as he looked down at me, but I still couldn't figure out why. He was an easy man to read, but there were times like this when I couldn't grasp his inner thoughts at all.
His gaze, which seemed to see right through to my deepest flaws, made me anxious.
“Ah, Your Highness must have come out here to rest. I've overstepped. Please, enjoy your rest.”
I offered a polite farewell and tried to leave, but Tristan didn't move.
“…Your Highness?”
I called out to him, puzzled. Tristan leaned down slightly and whispered in my ear.
“There are too many eyes on us inside right now.”
His breath tickled me, and I flinched involuntarily.
“The music will change soon. We'll go in then. Everyone will be too busy dancing to pay any attention to us out here.”
Ah. It seemed he was also aware of the scandal sweeping through high society. If we were seen on the terrace together, it would only add fuel to the already rampant rumors.
‘So he's standing this close to hide me?’
Definitely. Hidden by his large frame, I would be invisible from outside the terrace doors. It was a relief my dress wasn't too flamboyant.
‘He could have just said so!’
I got nervous for nothing. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I fanned my flushed face with my hand.
The distance between us was less than a handspan. Feeling it was too close, I subtly averted my gaze.
Tristan, however, paid no mind to it and continued to stare at me.
“Haha… I didn't realize Your Highness was aware of the rumors.”
The silence was awkward, so I forced myself to start a conversation.
“I suppose these misunderstandings arose because we were investigating together.”
As I spoke, it occurred to me that this must be quite an awkward situation for Tristan as well. He was well past the age for marriage but had yet to wed, and because of that, he was under a great deal of pressure.
‘Hmm. The sheer number of documents I handled was immense.’
The marriage proposals that flooded the Crown Prince's office were numerous enough to be used as kindling with plenty to spare.
Though I doubt they knew that Tristan never even glanced at them.
‘Anyway, in a situation like that, I suddenly appeared and sparked intense rumors of a romance.’
No matter how I thought about it, it was a headache. Talk of an engagement would surely have started up again, and the pressure on him must have intensified.
“I'm sorry. This must have been difficult for you. It would probably be best if we refrained from meeting for a while…”
“No.”
Tristan said, not breaking eye contact for a second.
‘…No to what?’
Even for a skilled scribe, it was difficult to discern what exactly he was denying this time.
‘That it wasn't difficult for him? Or that we shouldn't refrain from meeting?’
I was debating whether I should ask him to clarify his ambiguous statement.
“Ah.”
The music changed.
From a gentle melody to a rather lively dance number. I could see people flocking to the center of the floor to show off their polished social dancing skills.
“It seems it's time to go.”
Tristan silently nodded and finally stepped back. I secretly let out a sigh of relief.
“Well then, I'll be going first.”
Without waiting for Tristan's reply, I quickly left the terrace. Right now, when I needed to live quietly in hiding, getting entangled with Tristan was the worst possible choice.
Perhaps because of the tension, I found myself short of breath.
‘Hoo.’
Leaning against the wall to catch my breath, I felt a little better. But the turmoil in my stomach remained even after getting some fresh air.
The music was loud, and my head was ringing. On top of that, I'd been feeling nauseous.
I struggled to walk straight as I left the banquet hall. The smell of perfume was so strong I couldn't bear it.
“Haa, haa…”
Even as I walked to catch my breath, my stomach wouldn't settle.
No, it seemed to be getting worse.
‘What's wrong with me?’
This wasn't simple indigestion. It was a pain like my insides were being twisted into knots.
My vision blurred and sharpened repeatedly. I braced myself against a wall, gasping for breath. It felt like I could vomit up my own heart and it wouldn't be strange.
Thump, thump, thump.
My heart was pounding right next to my ear.
‘This is strange…’
A chill ran through my entire body. My fingertips trembled. Goosebumps prickled up my arms.
This wasn't so much a feeling of being sick, but more like…
…a herbivore facing a predator.
“Are you all right?”
Just then, a clear voice rang out from above me. The voice was pure and bright, but a cold sweat instinctively trickled down my spine.
When I finally managed to lift my head, a pair of indigo eyes peered at me from between strands of pure white hair, untainted by any other color.
The man saw my face and put on a worried expression. His demeanor was exceedingly gentle, but to me, even that felt like a threat.
I knew instinctively.
‘This man is a clergyman.’
And a very high-ranking one at that. I had seen a cardinal from a distance during events like the Day of Great Consecration, but the revulsion had never been this strong.
It was simply overwhelming. With a single gesture from that man, I would be purified without even a chance to scream. For a warlock, purification means death.
“Priest Paul. It seems this lady is very unwell.”
“I will escort her to the infirmary, so do not worry. Your Holiness the Saint must hurry and bestow your blessing upon this nation's Crown Prince.”
“But how can I simply pass by when someone is in pain?”
Listening to the exchange between the man and the priest beside him, I was utterly dumbfounded.
Not a high priest, not a cardinal. But the ‘Saint’.
The only one on this continent to have been directly called by God.
I wasn't a particularly devout believer, but there was no one on the continent who didn't know his name. He was the one who proved the existence and love of God with his entire being.
The Saint, Zion.
“You'll feel better if I share some of my divine power with you.”
I never knew such an angelic face could be so terrifying.
‘Is he threatening to kill me right now?’
I knew that wasn't his intention, but the thought came to me anyway. How could someone say something so horrifying so casually?
To a warlock, divine power is pure poison. Of course, he couldn't have known that when he said it!
“You mustn't, Your Holiness! The Great Consecration is an arduous task in itself. You cannot waste your divine power on trivial matters before such an important event!”
“Waste? Lord Helios always taught us to save the person right in front of us first. How can you say such a thing?”
I wanted to tell him to just walk away, but my mouth was frozen stiff, and no sound would come out.
Just like how your legs won't move when you're terrified.
I had never felt so powerless. My mind went blank, and the single emotion of ‘fear’ dominated my entire being.
‘Get a grip…!’
I bit down hard on the soft flesh inside my cheek, and a coppery taste filled my mouth. The sharp pain finally brought me back to my senses.
“I… I'm all right.”
I forced a smile, trying to steady my trembling voice. Was I even smiling properly?
I could feel the corners of my mouth quivering, but there was nothing I could do about it.
