Chapter 90: |
“I see the blessing of Illavenia that calls upon the white night.”
“Blessings to you. Where is the High Priest Laheansi?”
“I told him His Highness Ricardis is visiting, but…”
The gaze of the young priest did not fall on Ricardis directly but instead roamed around Ricardis’ head, toes, fingertips, and shoulder. Ricardis hummed. ‘Understandable.’
“I’m sure he’s rolling around somewhere. All right, let’s go.”
“Our high priest is currently not feeling well…”
“I’m sorry you felt you had to put in the effort, but we both know that’s just an excuse. High Priest Laheansi’s laziness isn’t going to only be for a day or two…”
“I shall guide you…”
The priest moved forward to inform Laheansi of the visitor, but Ricardis opened the door first and went in. The priest nervously bit his nails.
The room was messy: a robe was on the floor, and a mop was on the bed. The pink-haired Laheansi was rolling around on the bed with the mop. He was lying on his stomach reading the Scripture, and the snacks he ate left crumbs all over the book.
Bewildered, Laheansi muttered, “Ah, the oil is spreading.”
The young priest looked at Laheansi’s face, then at the 2nd Prince, and then made a gesture to cry out to Idelavhim. Ricardis could understand the priest’s nervous attitude before opening the door.
“Ah, Brother, you’re here?”
Ricardis was silent for a moment at the tragic sight.
“…You haven’t changed.”
“They said someone was coming. So, it ended up being my brother. Tsk. Had they told me, I would’ve gone out to greet you.”
The priest’s forehead wrinkled as he glared at Laheansi with disrespectful eyes. He had said the 2nd Prince Ricardis, the Laurel of the Snowfield, was visiting, but the priest didn’t expect his words would go in one ear and out the other while Laheansi read.
“…Escort everyone out into the hallway. The only danger here is the level of hygiene. And Sir Rosaline would be better off moving to a place where she can’t hear the conversation. Sir Raymond can go with her.”
‘I’m going to have to leave her…’
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Rosaline, hesitating, took a heavy step. Looking at Rosaline, who went pale again, Ricardis lightly bit his lip. He wanted to reassure her by letting her stay by his side, but he had to hold back for a while because he didn’t know what kind of conversation he and Laheansi would be having. As the back of her head grew smaller, Ricardis added some words.
“Sir Rosaline. If someone picks a fight with you, you can beat them up.”
“That’s not possible,” Starz responded calmly.
“You’re too strict.”
“Sir Rosaline, don’t touch the temple officials. Whatever happens, let Sir Raymond respond.”
Raymond pounded his chest with his fist. It was a gesture of confidence.
“Yes, sir! I will beat them moderately!”
Starz closed his eyes for a moment.
“Sir Shuten will be outside the building with her instead of Sir Raymond. In case of an emergency, Sir Shuten should respond.”
Raymond and Ricardis narrowed their eyes and looked at Starz. The knight commander suppressed their dissatisfaction with a heavy silence.
***
Shuten and Rosaline left the room and moved away. Rosaline’s ears performed better than expected, so they had to go farther than they thought.
Shuten leaned against a pillar, and Rosaline perched on the hallway railing. The sun shone on the dome of a white building in the distance. Rosaline closed her eyes for a moment at the sparkling and scattering light. But she soon opened her eyes— again feeling the same piercing gazes from their initial entrance. Rosaline looked back at those who looked at her.
All the priests passing by stopped at the sight of Rosaline’s dark hair. They glanced at each other and made an outright disgusted look. This place, where the belief in Idelavhim was more prominent than any other place in the empire, rejected the power of Crean Tidanion more than any other. No matter how much they heard Rosaline saved the 2nd Prince Ricardis, that wouldn’t cover the fact that she was a demon.
As Rosaline stared at them quietly without avoiding their gaze, Shuten stepped in front of her, hiding her vision. When the priests saw Shuten’s ferocious face, they hastily moved as if escaping something.
Rosaline licked her lips. The stinging eyes of the people remained like afterimages and seemed to hover around her. She was frustrated and anxious. She suddenly missed Ricardis. ‘Are you okay, Sir?’ Having Ricardis put his hand on her shoulder and gaze into her eyes made this feel a little better. Rosaline bit her bottom lip until it was swollen red.
After that, people passed by endlessly. They whispered.
A demon. That’s a demon. That’s Rosaline. The 2nd Prince’s escort knight. Dirty. A Radwiell! Ominous…
She often experienced anger towards herself when she did something to upset the Knights of the White Night, but this was different. Their malice seemed to be more persistent, more ferocious, and more willing to stab into her. She met an old priest’s eyes over Shuten’s shoulders. Is that the way you look at a horrible killer? Is that the face of someone looking at a gutter that collected the dirtiest, most disgusting, and most putrid things in the world?
Rosaline wanted to run away immediately. She needed to get out from under their stares as her stomach churned. As Rosaline covered her mouth, Shuten looked at her anxiously.
“Are you not feeling well?”
“I feel bad.”
“Go back to Moonstone castle first. I’ll report it.”
“I don’t want to.”
Rosaline remembered Ricardis. She couldn’t leave him in a place like this. Shuten seemed to have noticed that he was the reason for her stubbornness.
“The stubbornness of the Radwiells. There’s no one brave enough to attack His Highness in the Great Temple. What kind of attack would it be? Everyone here wants to carry His Highness on their shoulders.”
As Rosaline covered her mouth and bowed her head, Shuten sighed.
‘Go, I don’t like this. Go away! I don’t like this!’ Amid her inner battle, she felt a movement from the end of the hall, which had become quiet.
“Sir Rosaline?”
Rosaline slowly lifted her head at the familiar voice. Diech approached from the end of the hallway. It was their first meeting since she got lost in the festival.
“Blessing of Illavenia, that calls upon the White Night. I see His Highness the 5th Prince.”
Diech nodded his head.
“Blessings to you. What’s going on, Sir Rosaline?”
He replied to Shuten’s greetings drily and looked at Rosaline anxiously. Rosaline replied with her hand covering her mouth.
“Not… feeling good.”
Instead of fussing over her answer and asking if she was okay, Diech turned and looked around. He saw the priests whispering while looking at Rosaline from a distance. Diech’s brow furrowed slightly.
“What is your name?”
Only after Diech’s previous expression completely disappeared did he look at Shuten and ask kindly.
“I am a senior knight of the Knights of the White Night, Shuten Tofang.”
[Tofang: of Second Fang]
“Alright, Sir Shuten. Seeing you knights here, it seems that my brother is nearby. Sir Rosaline doesn’t seem to be in good shape. Can I take her to rest for a while? There is a small garden at the back of the second building. It’s a place where people rarely pass. Will you pick her up when my brother comes out, Sir Shuten? If both of you leave, then there isn’t a way to contact him later. Is this arrangement alright?”
The corners of Diech’s eyes creased as he softly smiled. Shuten also smiled and nodded his head.
As soon as he received permission from her temporary guardian, Diech grabbed Rosaline’s wrist and moved away. Usually a calm person, Diech hastily walked as if being chased by someone. Rosaline also moved accordingly. Diech continuously looked back at her as they walked.
Every time he turned around, his gaze rested on her wrist like he wanted to ensure he held her well.
***
The garden was untouched. A tree that already grew there hadn’t been removed and instead had a garden constructed around it. As Diech said, there was no one here. Rosaline and Diech set foot into such a scene. There was only a broken, dry fountain, but it still looked beautiful as ivy grew through the cracks.
A gentle breeze blew through the open space. Rosaline closed her eyes as the breeze mixed with the fresh grassy smell.
[Dirty. How can a cursed thing be in the temple?…]
All the whispers were gone. The only sounds that rang in Rosaline’s ears were the songs of birds and the occasional chirping of bugs in the grass.
Swish. Pluck.
She heard another sound added to the mix. Rosaline opened her eyes and located the source of the sound: Diech was snooping through the grass, diligently moving his hand.
Unripe fruits and raspberries looked colorfully embroidered into the greenery. Rosaline came and admired them, and Diech looked at her and smiled.
“You’re not feeling well. Will it be okay to eat?”
“It’s just eating.”
Diech burst out laughing. He even shed tears, but Rosaline didn’t understand what was funny. Diech took off his cloak and spread it out under the shade of a large tree.
“Sit down, Rosaline.”
Rosaline sat on the clothes of an Imperial family member without fear. Diech took out his handkerchief and placed raspberries and other berries he had gathered on it, and he sat down on his cloak. The shadows of the trees swayed over the colorful fruits. Just seeing it made Rosaline feel much better. However, it was the fate of the subordinate to swallow their saliva until the superiors had access to the food first. Rosaline waited patiently. Mmm-hmmm. She hummed, alternately looking at the fruit and then looking at Diech.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
She gave him all sorts of hints. Diech picked up one of the raspberries and shoved it into her mouth. ‘Oh, it’s sweet.’ Rosaline’s eyes narrowed in joy.