Chapter 130
“You came directly from the Imperial Palace after hearing from the butler?” She naturally brought up what had happened today. Kylus, who had been quietly watching her, answered casually. “Yes, I did.” “You must have come in a hurry… Don’t you need to return to the Imperial Palace?” “I had already finished my work, so it’s fine.” “I see. That’s fortunate then. Ah, today I spoke with Lady Rosetta…”
Just as Alice was trying to naturally shift the topic from the temple to the ducal affairs, smoothly dissolving the awkward atmosphere, Kylus called to her. “Alice.” His gaze had become more solemn than before. Alice knew she had failed to glide past the subject. “…Yes?”
“Since you seem unwilling to talk about the temple matters, I won’t press further.” “…” “But please answer just one thing clearly. Did the deity give you a dangerous divine mission?”
Alice swallowed dryly. His intuition was accurate. “If the High Priest sent an urgent message, it must have been related to the deity. From the beginning, considering your tremendous holy power, I suspected the deity holds you in special regard.”
This perceptive man. Indeed, he had known all the facts she had tried to hide, showing his exceptional insight. So this time too, he had sensed something. That there was something more.
“If you were alone in the sanctuary, there’s only one conclusion. What called you to the temple today was not Prion’s will, but that of Lord Helios. Am I wrong?”
Faced with such perfect deduction that would make a master detective weep, Alice could not deny it. “…No, you’re right. It was Lord Helios who called me to the temple today.” “What has the deity commanded you to do?” “That’s…”
Alice trailed off, then spoke honestly with a sigh. “It’s true that Lord Helios has given me a task. But it’s absolutely not life-threatening. So please don’t worry, Your Grace.”
Of course, that was only half the truth. While she was partly withholding information for fear that Kylus would take his sword to the temple if he learned about the mission to eliminate the dark specter, she was concealing more because of what the deity had said.
The taboo of time reversal that humans of this world must not know. Kylus, like Prion, was a soul belonging to this world, so she absolutely could not speak of the taboo. Moreover, the fact that she wasn’t the real Alice was also entangled in this…
Well, truthfully, it seemed likely that Kylus wouldn’t care even if she wasn’t the real Alice. After all, it wasn’t as if he had known the real Alice Fordley anyway. Still… a taboo was a taboo.
Alice gave a faint smile to Kylus, who was quietly staring at her without saying a word. As if everything was truly fine. Kylus’s deep, dark eyes. They were like black holes, making it difficult to gauge what he was thinking, but she could sense that he was assessing whether her words were true or not.
Just as she began to feel that he didn’t believe her words at all, his red lips moved. “It doesn’t seem like the whole truth, but if Alice says so, I understand.”
As expected, Kylus didn’t seem to completely believe her and Prion’s words. Perhaps it was his exceptional perception, but he seemed to understand her too well now.
As Alice was forming an awkward smile, Kylus naturally changed the subject first. “Did your conversation with Viscountess Rosetta go well?” “Ah, yes. Fortunately, I successfully persuaded the Viscountess.”
Grateful for Kylus’s consideration, Alice eagerly elaborated. “The Viscountess also wants to reveal the Second Prince’s atrocities to the world so he can be punished. And she wants to restore Viscount Rosetta’s honor, which was tarnished because of the Second Prince.”
“So you won her heart, as expected. I knew you would succeed. Unlike me, you understand how to empathize with others.” Kylus praised Alice with a light smile.
At this, Alice coughed awkwardly, feeling embarrassed. Though she had shamelessly praised herself before Prion, speaking of the beauty of her soul and her pure spirit, she couldn’t respond the same way to Kylus. Perhaps a few days ago, but not now—not after they had acknowledged their feelings for each other.
His gaze, his every word, now resonated more deeply with her. Like how her heart fluttered at just one compliment. Alice lowered her gaze in shyness and opened her mouth.
“…You understand my heart well too, Your Grace. Anyway, now that Lady Rosetta has firmly made up her mind… Oh? What happened to your hand?”
Alice’s eyes widened as she spoke. Her gaze paused on Kylus’s left hand. More precisely, on the back of his left hand. As Alice was startled by the clear wound on his hand, Kylus raised his left hand. Then, as if to hide the wound, he turned his hand away from her sight.
“It’s nothing. When I was opening the sanctuary door earlier, I had a brief scuffle with High Priest Prion. It’s just a small abrasion from then.” “A small abrasion? Let me see your hand!”
Alice lifted her hips from the carriage seat and grabbed Kylus’s left hand, which he was trying to hide. Then she properly examined the wound on the back of his hand. Though the bleeding seemed to have stopped, there were beads of blood forming on what looked like a clear scratch. Seeing this, Alice frowned and said:
“Blood is coming out, and you say it’s nothing? You may be strong, Your Grace, but you’re not a robot who can’t feel pain!” “A robot?”
Alice, who had been irritated with worry, paused. Oh dear… why did “robot” suddenly slip out? Alice blinked slowly and made up an excuse.
“Um… in my countryside, that’s what we… call people who are insensitive like dolls. It’s like a dialect. But what’s important now isn’t that—let’s treat this first.”
Finding her posture awkward while standing in the carriage, Alice sat beside him. Kylus slightly furrowed his brow at Alice’s attempt to use her holy power.
“Alice, you just woke up today after collapsing from overexerting yourself. Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet, so don’t use your power for such a minor wound.” “Your Grace’s wound is a very, very big deal to me. So please don’t talk like that.”
At Alice’s firm words, Kylus’s eyebrows twitched. Alice used her holy power right when he hesitated. Since the wound wasn’t terribly severe, the healing was quickly completed. Alice smiled faintly as she looked at his now-clean hand.
And then she said: “Your Grace, there will be times in the future when I’ll need to act alone in matters related to Lord Helios.”
Alice gripped Kylus’s healed left hand firmly and urged him: “Please don’t push yourself like this each time. Lord Helios will be with me anyway.”
I’ll be safe. Alice added softly.
Regardless of Kylus’s outstanding abilities, only she could eliminate the dark specter, and she worried about him getting involved in the process. Fighting the dark specter, which wasn’t human, would be too dangerous for Kylus.
“Alice. I’m sorry, but that’s the one request of yours I cannot honor.” “…What?”
Alice’s face showed slight bewilderment. She hadn’t expected Kylus to refuse her, after all. He had always granted all her requests. He had even pretended to believe her transparent lies.
Kylus stared at Alice and reached out his hand. Toward her cheek. Kylus’s fingertips brushed Alice’s cheek and touched her pink hair. The gentle touch that tucked her hair, which had fallen to cover her cheek, behind her ear made her skin tingle.
As Alice’s sense of touch heightened, he slowly moved his red lips. “Seeing you lose consciousness and collapse once is enough.” “…”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s the deity who created this world. You come first to me. Even if the deity brings divine punishment, if you’re in danger, I will risk my life to come to your side.” “…Your Grace.”
“I would rather die with you than live in a world without you. No matter how much I respect you, Alice, you cannot change my resolve on this.”
A weighty sincerity whose depth could not be fathomed. Alice’s heart ached at his clearly felt, tender emotions.
And at that moment, Kylus’s large hand cupped her cheek. A careful touch, as if caressing something precious. Inside the carriage where they were alone, the atmosphere suddenly changed. Everything became hot, as if someone had lit a fire in the carriage. So much that words failed her.
Alice’s golden eyes trembled slightly, and Kylus’s gaze slowly descended. From her eyes to her nose, and then to her lips. When his gaze stopped at her plump, pink lips, Alice’s heart began to race.
It was because she saw the heat in his eyes as he stared at her lips. His intense desire, as if he would devour her lips at any moment. Was it because she had experienced that passion-filled kiss with him before? The sensation from that time, so hot it made her head spin, was unconsciously returning.
As Alice’s body grew warmer, Kylus raised his gaze. Their eyes met directly. Seeing Alice’s golden eyes, slightly unfocused from her warming body, Kylus moved a little closer to her. And without rushing, he slowly lowered his face to hers.
As his face drew closer, Alice felt like her heart would burst, but she didn’t turn away. No, she didn’t want to turn away. Because Alice felt the same desire as Kylus. The moment she felt his breath on the tip of her nose, Alice closed her eyes gently, as if she had been waiting for this moment.
