Chapter 28
“…”
To survive a tiger, one must lower oneself completely.
Alice suddenly raised her head towards Kylus.
Pleading with clasped hands and desperate eyes, she cried out for him to believe in her innocence.
“I’m truly not Lady Quillian’s person! She ordered me to kill you, but I never, not even once, followed that order! It’s true! There’s someone who can prove my innocence! Dr. Helkin, the doctor here at the duchy…”
As Kylus’s brow furrowed, Alice’s voice gradually diminished. Then his voice rang out.
“I know. That you’re not my mother’s person.”
Alice nodded as if agreeing with his words, then stopped abruptly.
“That’s right! I’m absolutely not… Wait, what?”
He knows? How?
There was something strange about his words.
As Alice tilted her head in confusion, Kylus let out a small sigh.
“The floor is cold.”
Kylus extended his hand to her.
…Does he want me to take it?
“Take it.”
“Ah…”
Alice hesitated for a moment before grasping his hand.
Then, whoosh. Her body was lifted by a strong force.
“Hup.”
Alice inhaled sharply at the suddenly close distance between them.
A cool scent she hadn’t noticed before tickled her nose.
I don’t remember applying such… fragrance.
Alice strained her neck, worried her face might touch his chest.
“It would be better to sit comfortably and talk.”
Kylus led her to the sofa, still holding her hand.
Then he gently pressed down on Alice’s stiff shoulders.
As Alice sat on the sofa with a movement that seemed about to creak, Kylus elegantly took his seat opposite her.
He crossed his legs and leaned languidly against the sofa.
Alice swallowed hard at the sight of him stretching like a predator.
“First, let me clarify what seems to be a big misunderstanding. I have no intention of killing you.”
“…Why not?”
When Kylus said he had no intention of killing her, Alice’s first thought wasn’t relief.
She had assumed Kylus would naturally kill or threaten her.
But he had no intention of killing her?
It was strange, very strange.
So doubt came before relief.
“Because you saved me.”
“…Pardon?”
What nonsense was this?
Alice’s expression turned incredulous.
But Kylus continued speaking with an unchanged expression.
“Exactly as I said, because you saved me. More precisely, thanks to the holy power you used, but since the holy power is yours, it’s essentially the same thing.”
“Holy power…?”
As Alice asked blankly, Kylus’s straight brow furrowed slightly.
“Don’t you remember using holy power on me?”
“I remember, but… That it saved you… It’s hard to believe.”
“You can believe it. I have no reason to lie to you.”
That’s true.
It was oddly unpleasant, but not particularly wrong.
As Alice slowly nodded in agreement, she suddenly paused with a flash of doubt.
“But if you were revived by my holy power, why did you pretend not to know anything earlier?”
Kylus had acted as if he was seeing Alice for the first time.
He naturally didn’t mention anything about her holy power either.
But now, so suddenly?
She suspected he might have some other motive.
Alice narrowed her eyes and looked at Kylus.
“That was for your sake.”
“What?”
“Holy power strong enough to save a life is absolutely not common. Currently, probably only High Priest Prion, the next Pope candidate, can use that level of holy power. In such a situation, if a newcomer suddenly appeared, who could rival him?”
For a moment, Kylus’s black eyes flashed.
“If the priests had known about your holy power, they would never have left you alone. In many ways.”
In many ways.
Alice’s arm hair stood on end at Kylus’s low voice.
Because she understood exactly what he meant by “in many ways.”
While many people would praise and exalt her holy power, just as many would become her enemies.
The priests serve the gods, but that doesn’t mean they’ve transcended human desires.
The power struggles within the temple must be quite fierce.
Even in the original story, there was a brief mention of Prion overturning the temple after becoming Pope, expelling corrupt priests.
If Kylus had revealed everything about her holy power, it would have been like putting her head in a lion’s mouth while trying to avoid a tiger.
She might have gone to the temple and had her head chopped off as a sacrifice in a power struggle.
Alice swallowed dryly, feeling a chill down her neck.
And she straightened her narrowed eyes.
Given the situation, it didn’t seem like Kylus was lying.
So, everything he said must be true.
That her holy power had saved him, and that he had deliberately pretended not to know about her holy power for her sake.
She hadn’t used holy power on him more than a handful of times… Who would have thought a dying person could revive like this.
That was surprising, but it was also surprising that her holy power was on par with High Priest Prion’s.
She was grateful to have received one buff from her possession, but this seemed excessive.
It was a power ill-suited for Alice, who wished for a long and quiet life.
What on earth was that damn god thinking?
Giving her this much holy power and never appearing even in her dreams.
Isn’t that right?
Usually in books, when such abilities were given, there was a commensurate price.
Like vanquishing evil, or saving the world…
Hmm… I don’t want to live like that.
She wanted to live quietly, enjoying life as much as possible. Isn’t an unknown rich person the happiest?
She didn’t want any fame.
As Alice’s expression changed moment by moment, Kylus asked,
“Do you believe me now?”
“Ah, yes, for now… I understand that I revived you with my holy power. Wait, but… You’re saying you regained consciousness because I used holy power?”
“…That’s correct.”
Kylus made a sour face as if wondering why she was asking this again, but Alice had more important concerns right now.
“The first time I used holy power was quite… a while ago. Surely you didn’t wake up then…?”
The very first time she used holy power was nearly a month ago.
If Kylus had regained consciousness then, he would have heard everything she had muttered to herself.
From cursing Lady Quillian to the embarrassing words praising Kylus’s face and body.
Everything.
Oh no, that can’t be.
Alice’s golden eyes trembled violently at the numerous cringe-worthy memories flashing through her mind.
Just before Alice could be completely consumed by shame, Kylus shook his head lightly.
“No. I fully regained consciousness this morning. When you used holy power, I only briefly and weakly regained consciousness for moments at a time. I only fully woke up today.”
“Then you didn’t hear the things I said during that time…?”
“Was there something important I should have heard?”
“No!”
Alice strongly denied it.
Kylus’s eyebrows raised slightly at her extreme reaction.
Alice forced an awkward smile.
“Haha, there really wasn’t anything you needed to hear.”
“…I see. More importantly, Alice, I have something to tell you.”
As Kylus’s expression turned serious, Alice straightened her posture.
“Ah, yes.”
“I’ve sufficiently explained why I won’t kill you, so let me be direct.”
“What…”
“Alice, please stay by my side.”
“What? Stay by your side, what do you mean…?”
“I mean don’t become a priest and remain by my side.”
Before she could even think, the words tumbled out.
“I don’t want to.”
“I’m not asking you to stay by my side without compensation. If you give up becoming a priest, I’ll give you whatever you want. Whether it’s money or power…”
“No, no. I don’t particularly want such things.”
“If you don’t like money and power… how about me? If you want, I’ll even offer my body to you.”
Offer what…?
Alice tugged slightly at her earlobe, wondering if she had misheard.
But seeing Kylus still gazing at her with serious eyes, it seemed she hadn’t misheard.
Alice asked him back as calmly as possible.
“Your Grace, I’m sorry but… are you perhaps insane?”
“Unfortunately, I’m not insane yet. Rather, my mind is clearer than before I collapsed.”
Kylus curled up the corners of his mouth with a nonchalant face.
Offering himself?
This man, he’s serious about those words.
Of course, it was quite a tempting offer.
Kylus was an excessively charming man.
If he had been a celebrity in the other world, he probably would have become a top star dominating the globe.
The lines to see his face even once would have stretched endlessly.
Even now, Kylus sitting with one leg crossed, looking at her, was like a painting.
A painting one would want to buy for a fortune.
Her heart, which hadn’t trembled at money or power, beat for the first time, but Alice pinched her thigh to come to her senses.
Remember, handsome people live up to their looks.
Kylus’s face value might be the price of my life.
Alice let out a small breath and lowered her eyes slightly.
And she showed off her acting skills honed in front of Lady Quillian.
“I’m sorry, Your Grace, but I can’t stay by your side. As long as Lady Quillian is in the duchy, I absolutely cannot be with her. She won’t let me live.”
