SPECIAL SIDE STORY 14
Special Side Story 14
“The Holy Maiden…”
Kylus’s gaze wavered.
Alice becoming the Holy Maiden was precisely what he had most guarded against.
And now, Alice herself wanted to become the Holy Maiden.
It felt like an ambush he never saw coming.
Perhaps that’s why Kylus, so uncharacteristically, hesitated.
He couldn’t think of what to say to Alice.
The confident smile he usually wore refused to appear.
Then Alice carefully continued.
“While treating the people of Ilgwang Village in the Eastern Kingdom, I realized something. I find immense fulfillment and happiness in healing people and saving lives.”
Alice spoke with calm composure.
“And yesterday evening, Lord Helios noticed these feelings in my heart before I did and made me a proposal.”
Alice recalled what Helios had told her.
“He suggested that since the Empire has stabilized and most of the specter’s remnants have been cleared away, I shouldn’t hide my holy power anymore. He asked what I thought about properly doing what I love as the Holy Maiden. I told Lord Helios I would think about it, but honestly…”
Alice took a deep breath as she studied Kylus’s rigid face, then spoke with tension in her voice.
“If you’ll allow it, I want to become the Holy Maiden.”
Alice’s eyes sparkled with vibrant energy.
She truly, sincerely wanted to become the Holy Maiden.
“Ah…”
That look in her eyes jolted Kylus back to his senses.
Simultaneously, words rose up to the tip of his throat.
No.
If she became the Holy Maiden, she would no longer be his Alice alone.
The Holy Maiden was someone who received love from all people and gave love to all people in return.
Of course, she wouldn’t leave the duchy to live in the temple.
But still, he hated the thought of more people gathering around her.
And she would surely become busier than when she lived as a duchess.
The Holy Maiden wasn’t limited to the Empire but embraced the entire continent.
She would bestow her holy power on accidents occurring throughout the continent.
That would mean more days apart, sometimes weeks, even over a month at times.
When bodies grow distant, don’t hearts follow?
The anxiety he had tried so hard to push away crept back, slowly but surely.
Along with his obsession and possessiveness toward her.
Don’t stray far from my side.
Love only me, look only at me.
These intense words circled in his mouth.
But he couldn’t bring himself to say them.
This was his pathetic selfishness, after all.
And Alice’s eyes were sparkling so beautifully as she looked at him.
How could he deny her when she wanted this so much?
She was his light of salvation, his only love.
He had resolved to do anything she wanted.
My feelings don’t matter.
If Alice is happy.
He could suppress and endure his own emotions as much as needed.
Kylus swallowed the words that had risen to his throat and parted his lips.
“My permission? I support anything Rien wants to do. There’s no need to ask for permission.”
A composed lie.
And Kylus naturally lowered his gaze slightly.
So that she wouldn’t see the dark emotions lingering in his eyes.
So that Alice wouldn’t know he was lying.
“…And the position of Holy Maiden truly suits you perfectly. You’ll certainly make an excellent Holy Maiden.”
“So… you’re happily giving me your blessing?”
“Yes. Of course.”
Kylus answered Alice’s question softly, raising his gaze.
Somehow a perfect smile had already settled on his lips.
But looking at that handsome smile, Alice thought:
‘Liar.’
Alice had seen everything.
The way his eyes wavered the moment he heard the words “Holy Maiden.”
The tension in his jawline as he held back words he wanted to say.
How he subtly avoided her eyes even while wearing that perfect smile.
It wasn’t just Kylus who was always watching Alice.
Alice was always watching Kylus too.
Because she truly loved him deeply.
That’s why she wanted to have a serious conversation about this issue.
With his strong possessiveness, there was no way he would be happy about her becoming everyone’s Holy Maiden.
She wanted to convince him enough to ease his anxiety, and discuss how she would maintain boundaries as the Holy Maiden so he wouldn’t feel hurt.
But “I support anything”?
“Happily giving my blessing”?
Kylus wasn’t revealing his true feelings at all.
He had decided to endure for her sake.
Alice hated that.
Someone might say, “Your husband is being so considerate, why do you dislike it? What’s the problem?”
But Alice wanted to be happy with Kylus, not to find happiness through his sacrifice.
Just as he wanted to make her happy, she wanted to make him happy too.
She didn’t want to hurt him.
But even if she asked again if he was truly okay with it, he would give the same answer—that he was fine.
Yet she couldn’t end the conversation here.
A relationship where only one person makes sacrifices would eventually become unhappy.
How can I get you to honestly reveal all your emotions to me?
Alice stared at Kylus contemplatively for a moment.
“Rien?”
As confusion spread across Kylus’s face under her intense gaze, Alice slowly opened her lips.
“Since you’ve given your blessing so happily, I’ll do my best with a joyful heart too. I’ll strive to become a Holy Maiden who will be remembered throughout continental history.”
“…Yes… that’s a good resolve…”
Before Kylus could finish speaking, Alice continued.
“From now on, I’ll embrace with love anyone who is sick or suffering—child or adult, man or woman, it doesn’t matter.”
“…Yes.”
“Even if an accident happens in the farthest corner from the Empire, if my help is needed, I won’t hesitate for even a moment before rushing there.”
“…Yes.”
“I’ll also need a lot of help from the temple, so I’ll have to spend more time with the priests from now on.”
“…”
Though Kylus’s responses grew progressively slower and his sculpted face became increasingly rigid, Alice pretended not to notice and continued.
“Ah, I’ll probably have a lot of work to do with High Priest Prion, so I’ll have to see him quite often. I should get closer to him to make things less awkward.”
Alice clapped her hands as if struck by a brilliant idea.
“Actually, I should take this opportunity to travel around the Eastern Kingdom with the High Priest. We can check with our own eyes how much black mana residue remains there.”
“…With the High Priest? Just the two of you?”
“Yes. It seems I’ll have to give up traveling for a while… That’s okay, right? You just said you’re fine with anything I do.”
How could that be okay?
What was she trying to do here?
Was she testing how far his patience could go?
He couldn’t understand why Alice was deliberately doing this, but his emotions were rapidly boiling over.
On the verge of explosion with the slightest touch.
But then Alice rose from her seat.
“I should tell the High Priest. About traveling together.”
Alice’s voice was pointedly bright.
The thin thread of Kylus’s reason snapped.
“Rien!”
The moment Alice turned around, Kylus sprang up and grabbed her.
Embracing her strongly from behind, he spoke with a seething voice.
“How much do you think I’m enduring here?! How far are you planning to push me?!”
It was the first time.
The first time Kylus had ever directed such anger at Alice.
Feeling his intense fury, Alice thought:
That it had worked.
She had deliberately provoked him to make him explode instead of holding back.
Alice quickly turned around before his reason could return.
She met his enraged eyes directly.
“Don’t hold back.”
“What?”
“Don’t hold back—tell me honestly. All of what you’re feeling.”
I can handle all of you.
As reason returned to Kylus at her soft voice, he faltered, but Alice gripped his arm.
Giving him no chance to escape, she asked:
“Kylus, are you truly happy about me becoming the Holy Maiden?”
Kylus’s pupils trembled greatly.
But Alice’s gaze remained unwavering.
She was looking only at Kylus.
As if she could handle whatever he might say.
Perhaps that’s why.
As if entranced, Kylus parted his lips.
“No. I’m not happy. I… don’t like the idea of you becoming the Holy Maiden.”
The words he had been suppressing,
“I want you to be mine alone. If I could, I’d take you somewhere where no one else exists, just the two of us. Sometimes I even think about locking you away somewhere so you’d look only at me.”
He released everything, even the thoughts from the depths of his soul.
