Chapter 10 Part 3
This is my chance. No need for me to pile on—let’s end things here for today. By now, people should have gotten the hint.
That House Laté is no longer allied with the Imperial family.
Hyle and I tried to resume our interrupted walk. We planned to head to the terrace for a glass or two of champagne.
But then, a quiet voice came from behind. Words that couldn’t be ignored.
“I heard there was a small commotion at the temple a few days ago.”
The voice carried no special intent. But the words happened to target Hyle and me with uncanny precision.
Abel’s mouth opened once more.
“Uninvited guests entered, causing those poor lower priests to suffer.”
Hyle and I turned to meet each other’s eyes as if on cue.
Abel knew about what happened that day.
I’d known for a while that he communicated with the High Priest, but Abel didn’t have access to everything that went on in the temple.
Moreover, he seemed unaware of the recent prophecies, so I’d vaguely assumed his relationship with the High Priest wasn’t that close…
Above all, this incident included the truth that I had been designated as the Holy Maiden.
Which meant…
“Rosiel… it seems the Crown Prince knows you’re the Holy Maiden.”
At Hyle’s calmly delivered words, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
It was a bitter laugh born of emptiness.
This was the moment I confirmed that all the feelings Abel had shown me were complete lies.
And that I was still dancing in the palm of his hand.
But now I noticed that Abel was looking at Hyle, not me, as he spoke. We weren’t far apart, so conversation was perfectly possible.
Tch, if I’d known this would happen, I should have sprinted straight to the terrace.
“Is that so.”
Hyle responded flatly, his expression unchanged from before.
Good heavens, after Abel went to such lengths to provoke him, all Hyle could muster was an emotionless “Is that so”…
If there hadn’t been people around, I would have burst out laughing.
This was exactly what Abel truly despised… someone who barely reacted to his words.
And somehow, that was Hyle to a T.
Undeterred by Hyle’s dry response, Abel approached us with a smoothly curved smile he didn’t bother to hide.
Standing before us, Abel glanced at me briefly before returning his gaze to Hyle.
“Not content with seducing the future Crown Princess, you also trespassed in the temple. This matter won’t be overlooked, Marquis Feros.”
…Wait, something’s off here. Hyle was with me that day, but Abel isn’t mentioning me at all?
Somehow, Abel’s knowledge of the events seems a bit vague…
…Could it be that Xenoph only mentioned Hyle and excluded me, the Holy Maiden?
That’s so… just like the High Priest, he’s genuinely committed to protecting the Holy Maiden.
So Abel doesn’t know I’m the Holy Maiden yet? I’m not sure if that’s fortunate or not…
“I regret to inform you that no such incident occurred.”
Hyle responded with a still-relaxed expression. Hmm, saying it didn’t happen… is he trying to deny it?
But with Abel in league with the High Priest, that doesn’t seem like a good idea. If this becomes an issue, the High Priest will testify on Abel’s behalf.
However, before my misunderstanding could take hold, Hyle continued.
“For House Feros, the Grand Temple is one of the areas under our administration. The term ‘trespassing’ is inappropriate for me, a Marquis. Besides…”
Deliberately trailing off, Hyle took another step, further closing the distance with Abel.
Their different-colored eyes met silently in mid-air.
“Wasn’t it thanks to me that the priests with lax discipline were caught?”
Hyle finished with a bright smile.
It was a pleasant smile, but not frivolous. Just relaxed and unhurried.
Even I felt a chill in that moment. Such a confident attitude! If I were Abel, I might have been too intimidated by Hyle’s presence to say anything.
But Abel had cards to play too.
Since the Imperial family began interfering with the temple’s personnel management and various administrative functions, people touched by Abel’s influence had infiltrated the temple that had once been filled purely with Feros’s people.
“The High Priest, as one who relays the words of God, is always busy, so even House Feros shouldn’t interfere with temple business. Having received the report, I cannot simply stand by and watch.”
Abel shrugged and smiled just like Hyle had.
While Hyle’s was a relaxed smile, Abel’s was arrogant—the kind shown by someone who possessed everything.
What on earth… what strange plan is he hatching with those words? Saying he won’t just stand by is clearly an announcement that he intends to do something.
And this after he’s already nearly stripped House Feros of its authority to oversee the temple.
But if I stepped in to support Hyle here, it would only play into Abel’s hands.
This was precisely the moment when Abel would want me to intervene on Hyle’s behalf.
With the High Priest backing him, Abel would look for ways to use me to humiliate Hyle.
Knowing this so clearly, I couldn’t let it happen. I had to endure. Apart from that, what I could do now was…
Having finished my brief deliberation, I immediately grabbed Hyle’s hand and turned sharply.
“Rosiel?”
Suddenly pulled along by the hand, Hyle looked at me with confused eyes.
I’d always let Hyle take my hand before; it was the first time I’d reached out to hold his, so it felt a bit awkward.
My hand was so small compared to his that if he pushed me away with any force, I didn’t think I could resist.
So I worried he might shake off my hand, but fortunately, he didn’t.
He allowed himself to be gently held by me, though he didn’t understand why.
“I have a syndrome where I get motion sickness from hearing nonsense.”
Complete bullshit. As if such a thing exists. But let’s pretend it does for now.
At my brazen words, Hyle, who had been maintaining a composed expression, finally burst into laughter.
His face, which had been frozen cold until just a moment ago, melted in an instant.
Seeing that precious sight, I couldn’t help but smile too. How could I not mirror such a pretty smile?
“Then we shouldn’t stay here any longer.”
Hyle lightly agreed, squeezing my hand in his. Now it was his hand enveloping mine, not the other way around.
As we quickly walked away, I heard Abel calling my name from behind.
“Rosiel!”
I heard, but didn’t listen. They say people only see what they want to see. The same goes for hearing. I only hear what I want to hear.
I didn’t particularly want to hear Abel’s voice right now.
It seemed he hadn’t heard from the High Priest about the third prophecy or that I was the Holy Maiden…
While that was fortunate, I wasn’t sure if it was truly a good thing. He might already know and be brazenly pretending not to.
Then again, if Abel knew I was the Holy Maiden, he probably wouldn’t show it so obviously. That would only make me distance myself from him more.
We left the party hall.
Having attracted attention—not just double or triple, but nearly five times what we’d intended—we were all exhausted.
I had meant to draw attention, but I hadn’t planned on creating such an enormous spectacle…
“It seems we can never stay quietly at a party.”
Only after we got outside did our hands finally separate.
Taking in the cold night air cleared my mind a bit.
This is really strange. This oddly stifling feeling… don’t I only get this when I meet Abel?
I think I felt something similar in the Imperial Palace’s rose garden recently.
As if I were under some kind of spell…
“Being popular is a headache too.”
“Thanks to you, I’m learning that firsthand.”
When I casually responded to Hyle’s words, he reflexively answered as if he’d been waiting for it.
Hyle rarely responded so thoughtlessly.
He’s definitely been influenced by me. I often speak like that.
Should I feel responsible for this? Well, I don’t recall ever forcing him to become like me.
Do you regret getting involved with me, Hyle? You’re not the type who enjoys this kind of attention.
As for me, given my experience as a former… ahem, anyway, having been a villainess, this kind of overwhelming attention isn’t too difficult for me.
As I leaned against the wall with my tension-released body, a breeze blew in from somewhere.
It was an evening breeze with just the right warmth—neither too cold nor too hot.
My neatly arranged hair fluttered here and there. Suddenly, Hyle reached out his hand.
The strands of my hair dancing in the air were tamed by his touch.
