Chapter 5 Part 5
But even if I had more time, I don’t think I could have asked Abel why he liked me.
His eyes looking at me contained a desperate intensity I had never seen before.
It was such a heavy and deep sincerity that even I felt burdened meeting his gaze.
Knock knock-
“My lady, I’ve brought the cold tea you asked for.”
While I was lying on the bed holding my complicated head, Lynn’s voice was heard from outside the door.
“Ah, Lynn. Thank you.”
Only Lynn and the maids welcomed me back to the duchy after three days.
Mattio and Fergio had gone hunting magical beasts in the northern forest as soon as the Flore Party started.
Come to think of it, I think I heard them say they were going somewhere before I left for the party… Well, maybe this is better.
If they had heard that I collapsed in the middle of the party hosted at the Grand Temple, they both would have been incredibly dumbfounded…
Now that the Flore Party is over, according to the original story, Tia would soon reveal her existence before the empire’s people as an official Holy Maiden candidate at the Grand Temple.
But when was that again?
My memory is a bit fuzzy since it wasn’t something I paid much attention to in my previous life.
“Lynn, when is the regular prayer ceremony at the temple?”
“It’s tomorrow. Come to think of it, I heard rumors that the temple is preparing some kind of surprise event.”
Lynn laughed brightly with an excited face, saying she was planning to go see it with her friends.
It seemed that the identity of this surprise event was the appearance of the Holy Maiden candidate.
It was literally a surprise event perfect for turning around the hearts of the empire’s people, whose faith had decreased due to the absence of a Holy Maiden for nearly 10 years.
“Will you go see it too, my lady?”
“What? Why would I?”
Lynn’s intense gaze fell sharply on me, as if she obviously thought I would go.
Whether the truth of the oracle was whatever, I clearly knew that the Holy Maiden candidate right now was Hertiana, so why should I specifically go see that?
“You seemed to be very interested in the Grand Temple lately… Actually, I already got tickets, including one for you. So you must go.”
“…Tickets? What tickets?”
You need tickets to go to the Grand Temple? This is the first time I’m hearing this!?
When I tilted my head, Lynn excitedly opened her mouth as if she had expected this reaction.
“The competition for front row seats to see the event is fierce. These days, times have improved, so they take reservations for seats in advance!”
So… you’re telling me to enthusiastically welcome Hertiana from the front row, or something like that…?
Me, the one and only young lady of House Laté?!
Though I received the ticket in confusion, I wasn’t particularly interested. It wasn’t a face I particularly wanted to go see anyway…
“Quite a lot of letters arrived while you were at the Imperial Palace. I’ll bring them now!”
Lynn emphasized twice that the volume of letters was enormous while spreading her arms wide, then left the room.
Originally, at tomorrow’s prayer ceremony, Abel, who had fallen for Tia, should have appeared with her making various excuses.
But now, though Abel and Tia had met, they had absolutely no interest in each other.
Not only that, but Abel had even… confessed that he liked me.
Then will Tia appear alone before the empire’s people tomorrow?
Even so, this was an important event in the original story where the male lead officially reveals his feelings for the female lead, it couldn’t possibly fall through.
“My lady, I set aside the important letters separately since I thought you wouldn’t read them all.”
Lynn, who returned carrying various colored letters in her arms, placed them beside me as I sat on the bed.
Roughly going through the pile of letters, most of them were inquiring about my wellbeing after collapsing at the party that day.
It was natural to draw attention since I had collapsed in front of numerous nobles.
Usually, I would have frowned thinking it was unnecessary fuss, but this time I found myself nodding automatically, perhaps because what I had done was so significant.
“…A white letter?”
“Ah, that’s from House Feros. It arrived just last night.”
Among the colorful letters, an exceptionally white one caught my eye.
At the bottom of the letter, ‘Feros’ was written in elegant cursive in the imperial language.
But starting with ‘Are you alright?’ from the beginning… for someone who always maintains formality by definitely starting with ‘This is Hyle Feros’…
Can I think that this means Hyle was worried about me in his own way?
Hyle’s letter, while inquiring about my wellbeing in concise language, contained answers to questions I had been curious about.
“Abel is appearing at tomorrow’s prayer ceremony?”
The letter stated that Abel would appear before the empire’s people together with the Holy Maiden candidate at tomorrow’s prayer ceremony.
Being from House Feros, he seemed to receive news about temple matters the fastest.
As I expected, it seemed that important events from the original story tended to happen one way or another.
Come to think of it, among the reasons why Abel appeared with Tia in the original story, besides liking her, there was also the intention to show that the Imperial family and Grand Temple still maintained a close relationship.
“I definitely don’t need to go then.”
“What? You’re really not going?”
When I returned the ticket I had received earlier back to Lynn, she lowered her head as if disappointed.
This was an opportunity to confirm whether Abel truly liked me and not Tia.
But I didn’t need to go there myself.
“Lynn, could you bring me some red letter paper?”
“Yes.”
Rather, I should make him come to me.
I was planning to write a letter to Abel now.
Since the prayer ceremony starts at noon tomorrow, I would write asking to meet at that royal garden at noon.
Let’s confirm for certain whether those words he whispered about liking me were true. Even if Abel refuses, I have nothing to lose.
If Abel really does like me, I would need to modify the plan a bit.
Who would have thought that what Hyle worried about would really happen.
But… will Abel really come tomorrow at noon?
No matter what, he wouldn’t abandon such an important event to come see me, right?
Anyway, things that are meant to happen are happening one way or another.
So Abel will inevitably fall in love with Tia.
After all, the romance between the male and female leads is the most important and biggest event in the original story.
Should I just go look at the roses I couldn’t finish seeing last time and come back?
Since the probability of Abel coming to meet me is low, I’ll think of it as a light walk.
