Chapter 16 Part 2
“You looked good eating heartily. You’d still be pretty even with a little more weight, so eat something.”
When I pouted and grumbled, Hyle responded with a languid smile.
Just then, the news we’d been waiting for arrived.
“His Highness Crown Prince de Lascio has arrived!”
Countless gazes instantly turned toward the entrance.
The Emperor typically enjoyed making his entrance last to savor the attention, so it was the Crown Prince’s duty to hold position at the start of the founding celebration.
“I’ll greet people briefly, then head up to the VIP room. Follow me when I do.”
“Got it.”
Soon, Hyle and I gradually distanced ourselves to fulfill our respective roles.
While I was to extract information from Abel about the missing clergy, Hyle needed to prepare to reveal the Cardinal’s crimes to everyone.
As Hyle had said, Abel exchanged brief greetings with approaching nobles before visibly ascending the stairs to the VIP room on the second floor.
I glanced casually toward where Hyle stood and immediately caught his eye.
‘Good luck,’ he mouthed silently.
I nodded lightly in response.
Setting down my wine glass, I promptly followed Abel.
“Oh?”
Upon reaching the second-floor corridor, all I found was an empty, long hallway.
Strange. I could have sworn I’d seen Abel just a moment ago…
Had I followed too casually, mindful of others’ gazes?
Still, I was fairly familiar with the palace layout, so he had to be somewhere nearby.
As I walked slowly, scanning the numerous rooms, I suddenly noticed a door opening gently.
“Lady Laté, His Highness is waiting for you.”
The attendant who emerged from the room bowed deeply, as if he’d been expecting me, and guided me inside.
Apparently, Abel had known I was following him.
Following the attendant’s guidance, I entered the room and saw Abel’s back as he gazed out the window.
Beyond the glass, countless imperial citizens and nobles could be seen enjoying the founding celebration.
The sight of these two groups, which normally never mingled, looked both peculiar and somehow fitting together.
“This is the only day when they mix regardless of status. Today, everyone celebrates the empire’s prosperity with one heart.”
With his back turned, I couldn’t see Abel’s expression.
But I could clearly feel the strange heaviness in his voice.
I silently listened to his words.
Given that he knew I’d followed him and had his attendant bring me in, he seemed to have his own business with me.
“Rosiel.”
When he called my name in a low voice, I looked up and met his eyes, which were now turned toward me.
His deep purple eyes seemed unusually empty and transparent today.
It was an abrupt question, but one I’d been thinking about all along.
“Do you think I used you?”
“That’s not wrong. You used me to ascend to the throne.”
At my quick response, Abel’s expression subtly twisted.
It was the face of someone who had anticipated my answer.
“…Yes, that’s right. But it wasn’t like that from the beginning.”
Come to think of it, this seemed to be the first time we were discussing this matter in this way.
That made sense—I had thought Abel didn’t know I was the Holy Maiden…
“When you say ‘from the beginning,’ which point are you referring to?”
“When you first submitted the engagement annulment papers, I thought you were just being capricious again. That’s why I deliberately rejected them. I…”
Abel trailed off momentarily, then slowly sighed and brought his hand to his mouth.
He looked as if he were regretting something.
“I thought you could only become the Holy Maiden by staying at my side. So I believed that only I could make you the Holy Maiden. That I could purify your impurity… That’s what I believed.”
His words weren’t particularly surprising as I had anticipated this to some extent.
That’s why he’d been so brazenly trying to use me.
Still, I was somewhat taken aback to hear these circumstances from his own lips.
What is this… some kind of confession? Why so suddenly…?
“The Cardinal told you that, I assume.”
It was Xenoph who had implanted such thoughts in Abel’s mind.
Of course, that didn’t absolve Abel of his wrongdoing.
“Yes, and I believed him. The imperial power grows weaker by the day, while my father’s old-fashioned ways continue to regress this country.”
Wow, I knew Abel resented the Emperor, but to criticize him so directly as old-fashioned… He must have a lot bottled up.
“I’ve always thought that the Pendium Empire would strengthen if I became Emperor… In the midst of this, Xenoph told me that helping to make you the Holy Maiden would accelerate my ascension to the throne. It was laughable but sweet talk. Quite convincing.”
I wasn’t uninterested in Abel’s circumstances.
Although I was the one who had suffered at his hands, Abel was also a pitiful character.
Pressured from above by the Emperor, questioned from below by fox-like nobles doubting his qualifications as Crown Prince, and surrounded by tumultuous relationships with women.
Whether intentional or not, he undoubtedly led a complicated life.
“I didn’t come to hear your excuses. It’s already in the past, and I’m not interested.”
“I’m sorry, Rosiel. Truly. It was only after all my plans fell apart that I came to my senses.”
For an apology that was supposed to be sorrowful, his expression was rather calm.
He seemed to have given something up, but also looked relieved, as if he’d set down a heavy burden.
“If you’re truly sorry, answer my question. Xenoph has abducted and imprisoned young clergy. Where are they?”
Getting to the point, I was determined to get an answer from Abel.
If he tried to evade…
But Abel’s expression was troubling. He looked bewildered, like someone hearing this for the first time.
“What… Wasn’t that just a rumor? According to the Cardinal, it was malicious gossip spread by someone.”
Judging by his reaction, it didn’t seem to be a pretense.
Xenoph had apparently already dismissed the rumor to Abel.
So he hadn’t shared or discussed this with Abel?
But if he were caught, Abel wouldn’t be able to cover for him, so he must have left some traces somewhere.
“Do you know of any places Xenoph frequents? Hidden places, or somewhere remote…”
Hearing my words, Abel briefly fell into thought, slowly rolling his eyes.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he met my gaze again.
“I’m not certain, but I vaguely recall him mentioning in passing that there’s a hidden space beneath the Grand Temple.”
“A hidden space? But the Grand Temple has many such spaces, doesn’t it? They’re all marked on the blueprints.”
“No, the place the Cardinal mentioned wasn’t shown on any existing blueprints of the Grand Temple. It was clearly an illegal modification, but… he said it was for gathering divine power, so I didn’t stop him. That was also my mistake.”
Abel sighed briefly and shook his head.
He added that he wouldn’t have turned a blind eye had he known how it would be used, but that was uncertain.
More importantly, if this space wasn’t shown on the blueprints as Abel said, it made sense that the House Feros knights still couldn’t locate the missing clergy.
There was no way they would struggle this much unless faced with such an unexpected obstacle.
“Fine. That’s enough. Honestly, I didn’t expect much, but this is sufficient.”
I couldn’t get the exact location, but knowing about a hidden basement was information enough.
Xenoph really had nerve. How could he think of imprisoning clergy in the Grand Temple of all places?
It seemed I had adequately fulfilled my assigned role, so there was no need to continue conversing with Abel, right?
As I was trying to find the right timing to end the conversation, Abel appeared to have more to say.
“Rosiel, this might sound absurd, but… my feelings for you are genuine.”
Suddenly, unexpected words reached my ears.
“The Crown Prince has you in his heart.”
Simultaneously, Hyle’s words from the carriage flashed through my mind.
“Genuinely? Since when?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps from the very beginning. I just realized it too late.”
Abel’s expression was as gentle as ever.
