Chapter 45
Tall Daddy
'White robe.'
It was a common color of robe often worn by wizards or priests.
However, when Lucia thought of places related to the Saintess, the temple came to mind, so she first came to the prayer room located in the inner palace.
And she began to look for the priests.
She was looking for someone with an abnormality because she had injured their hand when they met.
But the dark prayer room was empty, as if the prayers were over.
Only the statue of Goddess Asir on the small window was illuminating the room.
The only thing that made her feel the passage of time here was the unhardened candle wax on the numerous candlesticks.
Just then, she turned her head at the sound of someone's presence.
"You must be Commander Lucia. I am Priest Mordor."
As Lucia raised her hand to her chest towards the suddenly appearing Priest Mordor, he also naturally raised his hand to his chest and paid his respects.
It was the etiquette when dealing with priests.
"What brings you here?"
At Priest Mordor's question, she first looked at the back of his right hand, which was raised to his chest.
'This isn't the one.'
"I came because I had something to pray for."
"Is, is that so."
He was taken aback by her words.
Because it was an obvious lie.
He could not forget those cold eyes that looked down at him from the horse, even during the last campaign.
Blessing before the campaign.
It was an essential divine skill given to the knights, and it was a high-level divine skill that no one had ever refused because it increased their stamina and luck.
Lucia was the first knight to refuse such an indispensable skill, so it was an obvious lie that she, who did not believe in the Goddess that much, had come here to pray.
Lucia looked at the flickering candle wax, even at his flustered face, and said.
"It seems someone has been here."
"Ah, yes. Commander. Today was Sunday, so the High Priest was praying for the health of His Majesty the Emperor and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Lucia recalled her past memories and thought of the Saint who was praised by people until the end of her life.
A person with enough power to freely enter and leave the Imperial Palace, and the only person who could talk about the political situation.
'I should have moved sooner. What a pity.'
She knew that the wound she received from the Sword Aura would not heal easily even with Divine Power, so she looked forward to the next time.
"Commander Lucia. I saw your daughter at the kindergarten's baptism ceremony."
Lucia's gaze was fixed on him at his sudden words.
"Because the young lady has black hair, we did a little investigation without saying anything. I wanted to apologize for the rudeness, though it's late."
He bowed his head sincerely, not just placing his hand on his chest.
'What a brazen sight.'
Lucia was on edge at his words, but she didn't show it.
It was bearable because it confirmed that Nia was not the Saintess, but she was also a little surprised by his submissive attitude.
Based on her experience in her past life, she had an image of the temple people as weak and skilled in scheming, but this was the first time she had seen someone openly admit their mistake like this.
"Commander Lucia!"
She looked at the entrance of the prayer room at the sound of someone calling her.
There was the Crown Prince, his eyes shining as he found her.
As soon as she saw him, Priest Mordor turned around and placed his hand on his chest.
"Beneath the Goddess, I see the second most noble light. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
"Ah, Priest Mordor. You haven't left yet?"
"Yes, Your Highness. I think I'll stay a little longer because I'm doing a big cleaning by His Majesty's order."
"Really, everyone is working hard because of the cute children. Haha."
"No, Your Highness. Then, please talk comfortably."
As Mordor left the prayer room, Lucia turned her head towards Airen, who was staring intently at her.
Looking at those sparkling eyes, it seemed like he had something to say.
"Did you come to find me, by any chance?"
"Thank you!"
Lucia blinked at his words.
He was always saying unexpected things as usual, but this was the first time he had said thank you.
Airen looked down at her intently, giving his unique eye smile.
"You're the only one who sees my mother without prejudice, Commander. So I went around looking for you to say thank you."
'Ah, is he talking about yesterday?'
She didn't agree with his words because it wasn't her intention anyway.
The reason was that she thought she was acting as a bystander, no different from the noble ladies she openly attacked.
"No. I'm the same. And His Royal Highness came up with the idea for the picnic."
"That's right. But it was thanks to you that the words were heard, and more than anything, it was the first time I saw my mother cry in front of someone other than His Majesty."
"……."
Lucia also saw someone crying so aggressively for the first time, so she doubted his words, but she had nothing more to say because it was a result she couldn't deny.
"More than that, it seems you're still praying."
"That's right. As you know, we're not in good health, are we?"
At her question, the Crown Prince smiled bitterly and answered.
The Crown Prince had been told since he was young that he was too weak to be helped even with Divine Power and that he would not live long.
So perhaps he gave up everything and acted according to his instincts.
At the time, he was so resigned to his fate that he thought it would be better if the prophecy didn't appear and the Saintess didn't appear, and everyone just met their end together.
But that thought gradually changed as she, his most cherished escort knight, returned alive from the battlefield every time.
A woman who stood confidently on her own strength, without receiving the blessing of the High Priest who predicted his future or the protection of God, more than anyone else around her.
"But seeing the Commander, I don't think it makes sense to just hope for God's protection. It's impious to say it here, but I might not pray anymore. I guess you have to move on your own."
He was saying things that would cause a commotion if the ministers and the Emperor were there, smiling.
Even while looking straight at the statue of Goddess Asir with determined Golden eyes.
'Move on your own.'
Lucia was reminded of someone by Crown Prince Airen's words, which didn't seem like a joke.
The Prime Minister, the Emperor, and Helbert.
Although they couldn't prevent the Saintess's sacrifice, they were the only people who tried to build this land on their own, unlike the people who gave up everything when the Black Contamination occurred and waited for the Saintess to appear.
So, is Crown Prince Airen thinking similarly to them?
Lucia, who couldn't even imagine that the reason was because of her, just thought that it was a pity that he died early, not long after he became regent, as she saw his serious side for the first time in a long time.
"……So, in that sense, let's run together every morning. How about it? My health is the health of the nation! Isn't it the knight's duty to assist with that? Huh?"
"……."
The Crown Prince was still busy chasing after Lucia's back as she turned around without hesitation.
*
Someone opened the door to the White Wizard Division's administration office.
Then, Marien shouted urgently as she saw the face of that someone.
"Commander! I heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has been appointed as the temporary administrator!?"
Leon calmly sat down at his desk at Marien's fuss and said.
"I just heard."
"Oh my, how can you be so calm?"
This time, Jaina adjusted her glasses to check his expression again and said.
Leon pretended to be calm, but of course, he was very anxious.
But what could he do? It was the Emperor's order.
"Ugh! How frustrating. The other side is using all sorts of tricks, like family and stuff!"
"Marien. I appreciate you thinking about me, but I think you should be careful with your words."
As Marien lamented with words that could be disrespectful to the Imperial Family in her excitement, Leon warned her out of concern.
Only then did Marien realize that she had gone too far and said, greatly discouraged.
"Yes, I'm sorry……. But, I'm afraid you won't even get a chance to properly confess."
-Flinch.
Confess.
At her words, Leon's golden eyes trembled incessantly.
Then, Marien and Jaina's hawk eyes, which had been fully operational again.
"Hmm? Commander? Could it be,"
"……Did you……. confess?"
He instinctively turned his head away quickly.
It seemed like he wanted to avoid something.
Marien and Jaina were convinced by that appearance.
"Wh, what was the result!?"
Did he get rejected? Did he fail?
Marien and Jaina recalled when they had applied for a sparring match and indirectly confessed.
But looking at his face, it seemed like he had really been rejected this time.
"……Ah. Poor Commander……."
"Commander, our in-law family makes a little distilled liquor, would you like some……."
Marien and Jaina comforted the Commander, but soon their eyes turned dead and they staggered.
It was as if they were in much more serious despair than Leon, who had confessed.
Why is the expiration date of the imagination that was the sweetest in this boring job so short?
Leon quietly opened his mouth at their despondent appearance.
He didn't really want to tell them, but it was a reward for supporting him all this time.
"……I didn't get an answer."
'It's almost like I got an answer, though.'
Then, like flowers sprouting out of nowhere, they suddenly perked up.
The game is not over!
They quickly put their heads together and began to whisper.
"Jaina. Looking at the Commander's reaction, it seems like this confession was straightforward. But, the fact that she didn't answer means that the embers are still alive. What should we do?"
"Marien! I already have an idea! That incident!"
To them, that incident meant the rumor that Marien had been deliberately spreading among the ladies these days.
It was the incident where Leon escorted a black-haired woman at the kindergarten entrance ceremony.
It was unknown what Lucia's intention was in accepting his escort, but the important thing was that she, who was usually so guarded, did not refuse when it came to a place with children.
The two looked at the Commander with determined faces, as if hope was reviving, and said.
"Commander, there's only one thing we can do now!"
"That's right! Commander, what is love to a child's mother?"
Leon, who was caught off guard by their sudden question, blinked.
"Think about it! Commander! Commander Lucia doesn't need a man!"
"……I know that well enough."
Leon was deeply hurt by Marien's accurate statement.
But,
"No! Commander! To a mother with a child, a man is not needed as a man, but as a husband!"
"……!"
At Jaina's shout, a refreshing breeze blew through Leon's cloudy mind.
'Husband.'
It was a position he had never thought of.
Was it because he had always had a one-sided love that his thoughts didn't reach that far?
No, that wasn't all.
"Ah, wait. Marien. If you think about it, His Royal Highness might already know. He directly participates in events that Nia comes to."
"No. Based on watching them on the way home from school, it's fundamentally different. It felt like he was only chasing after Commander Lucia, not the child."
That's right.
In fact, there was one important thing missing from their actions of saying they liked her.
That was her child, Nia.
Even the Crown Prince, who was so proactive, initially sent his younger sibling to build a relationship instead, and deliberately postponed it until the picnic, even though there were many opportunities to greet her on the way home from school.
And it was the same for Leon.
He only sent gifts and didn't make any special moves to win the child's favor.
So, even though she was the daughter of the woman they liked so much, it was as if the unmarried men had unconsciously avoided Nia, who was another man's child.
At their words, Leon recalled when he had applied for a sparring match to confess.
It was the day he realized that she was only interested in swords and decided to wait until an opportunity arose.
And today, he had discovered that opportunity, which he had been waiting for so long, from Marien and Jaina.
But, is it okay to approach the child with such impure intentions?
He was excited about that opportunity, but at the same time, he also felt guilty.
Marien, who noticed his hardened expression, comforted Leon.
"Commander, you're more dominant than His Royal Highness, who is known for being promiscuous in that area, so have confidence!"
"Hmm, I'm still a little worried. We'll have more opportunities to talk often this time, and if we see each other often, we'll get attached……."
"That's right. That's true. We have to stop it somehow……."
They bit their nails as if it were their own business, seriously worried.
Leon had similar thoughts.
Leon, who had no reason to follow her after the business trip, was sure to drift apart.
Just as the atmosphere in the administration office was darkening,
-Knock knock
Someone knocked on the door, and Marien opened the door and received a scroll.
"What is it? That?"
"Well, it's supposed to be for me……. This is a letter of recommendation? What is it recommending?"
Marien was surprised by the contents of the scroll.
Jaina ran to the scroll in an instant and shouted.
"Oh my god! This will do it! Commander! It seems like we had an angel helping us!"
When they unfolded the scroll they handed over, there it was.
[Letter of Recommendation for Imperial Palace Temporary Guide.]
It was a letter of recommendation as a guide for kindergarteners who would be coming to the Imperial Palace soon, and it was a letter of recommendation with the Prime Minister's approval stamped on it, which would be accepted as is if the name was written and submitted to the palace.
