“Welcome, Lady Cynthia.”

To Cynthia’s surprise, the Crown Prince himself greeted her as she stepped down from the carriage at the imperial palace. She hadn’t expected him to be waiting right outside, so she could only gape in silence, momentarily caught off guard.

Standing beside him was Ezekiel, his eyes fixed on the Crown Prince with a look so intense it seemed he was ready to tear him apart. The Crown Prince, however, appeared completely unfazed. With a practiced smile, he focused all his attention on escorting Cynthia.

“I hope my sudden invitation wasn’t too much trouble,” he said smoothly.

“Not at all. An invitation from Your Highness is nothing but an honor,” Cynthia replied politely.

“I heard you enjoy jasmine tea. Is that correct? I’ve arranged a tea party for you in my palace.”

“Yes, that’s right,” she answered.

When she glanced at him with a questioning look, silently asking how he knew, the Crown Prince gave her a playful wink, careful to do so out of Ezekiel’s sight. Ah, so Ezekiel had told him. 

The realization amused her, and she couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. The Crown Prince chuckled along with her, creating a lighthearted atmosphere—though Ezekiel’s presence was a glaring exception.

From beside them came a low, rough voice, tinged with irritation. “This is… a clear overreach of authority.”

“Oh my, was there some condition for attending this tea party?” the Crown Prince replied, his tone dripping with mock innocence.

Ezekiel’s lips pressed into a tight line, and he said nothing in response. It was the first time Cynthia had seen him openly show displeasure toward someone else, and she found it fascinating.

Conditions? Though she hesitated to ask, her curiosity must have shown on her face because the Crown Prince quickly provided an explanation.

“He agreed to come only on the condition that he wouldn’t say a word and remain silent.”

“Really? That’s quite an unusual and interesting condition,” Cynthia remarked, her amusement evident.

Ezekiel remained silent, his expression dark.

Chatting amicably with the Crown Prince while Ezekiel maintained his silence, Cynthia followed them to the tea party location. Three seats had been arranged—one for her, one for the Crown Prince, and one for Ezekiel. 

Despite his earlier complaints, a seat had been prepared for Ezekiel, which Cynthia found rather amusing. For all his protests, it was clear the two men shared a genuine bond of friendship.

Before Ezekiel could react, the Crown Prince, who stood right next to Cynthia, pulled out her chair. When Cynthia thanked him and sat down, he courteously pushed the chair in for her. 

Being escorted by the Crown Prince—this was something one could boast about for a lifetime. 

As she smiled at the thought, the Crown Prince met her gaze and smiled back. Meanwhile, Ezekiel’s expression grew increasingly tense.

“The reason I invited you here today, as you might have guessed, is because of Ezekiel…” the Crown Prince began.

“I told you this was an overreach of authority,” Ezekiel interrupted, his voice low.

“Does His Holiness the Pope want me to have him removed from his position?” the Crown Prince shot back.

The topic wasn’t entirely unexpected. The only connection between the Crown Prince and Cynthia was Ezekiel. Surely, the Crown Prince wasn’t about to reprimand her for leaving Ezekiel standing outside her house for the past two and a half months. 

But I didn’t tell him to come! she thought. 

Still, rumors had already spread among the nobles, and she couldn’t exactly deny them. What if the Crown Prince brought up the possibility of tarnishing the Pope’s reputation? 

Feeling uneasy, Cynthia avoided eye contact and kept silent.

The Crown Prince, noticing her nervousness, chuckled heartily. “Relax. I didn’t summon you here to scold you. He’s been tormenting me for ten years now; three months is hardly anything.”

“Ah… I see,” she replied hesitantly.

“I actually invited you because I wanted to share some stories about Ezekiel’s past. I’m sure you’d like to hear them, wouldn’t you?”

Cynthia’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “Yes, I would!”

But the stories he shared were far from what she expected. Instead, they felt like a delightful surprise, as though she’d been handed an unexpected gift. 

Tales about Ezekiel that she’d never heard before—especially from his childhood—piqued her interest. Seeing her enthusiasm, the Crown Prince seemed just as eager to recount them.

He told her about the day Ezekiel first saw her and how he immediately ran to the imperial palace to boast about her. He shared how Ezekiel would rave about her beauty every time she smiled, claiming he could write an academic paper on the subject. 

Then there was the time she wore a veil, and Ezekiel remarked that she looked like a bride in a wedding dress. The Crown Prince even recounted how Ezekiel stormed out of a debutante ball out of sheer jealousy.

Of course, Cynthia suspected that half of these stories were exaggerated for dramatic effect, but that didn’t make them any less enjoyable to hear. Ezekiel’s face turned crimson, clearly embarrassed by the exposure of his private thoughts and actions. 

Yet, determined not to be thrown out of the gathering, he kept his lips tightly sealed. His flustered expression only made him look more endearing, and Cynthia couldn’t suppress her laughter.

The Crown Prince glanced at the red-faced Ezekiel and chuckled. With a playful tone, he remarked that Ezekiel rarely had material to tease him about, except when Cynthia’s stories were involved, so he had to take advantage of moments like this.  

“How was it? Was this enough?”  

“Pardon?”  

“I’m asking if this was enough payment for having a 10-minute conversation with this guy.”  

The Crown Prince’s gaze softened as he looked at Ezekiel. Although his words were teasing, his eyes held genuine warmth, the look of someone cherishing a dear friend. 

He asked Cynthia not to hate Ezekiel too much, reminding her that, despite everything, he was still his friend. With that, the Crown Prince excused himself and left.  

Once the Crown Prince was gone, Ezekiel stood and approached Cynthia. She, however, didn’t spare him a glance and continued sipping her tea. It was said that this was the most beautiful garden in the imperial palace, and the tea truly lived up to its reputation. The sight of Ezekiel hovering nervously in her peripheral vision only seemed to enhance its flavor.  

“Cynthia…”  

“……”  

“I… I was truly wrong.”  

Hearing the tremble in his voice, Cynthia finally looked at him. The moment she did, Ezekiel rushed to her side, knelt on the grass without hesitation, and buried his face in her hands. Tears streamed down his face as he began to cry loudly.  

“You must have lost all affection for me… because I, because I hurt your heart.”  

“Hmm…”  

“Before, you said you didn’t regret loving me.”  

“Ah, yes. I did say that before.”  

“Now… now you must regret ever loving me, don’t you?”  

His words became increasingly difficult to make out as his sobs grew heavier. His beautiful face was drenched in tears, and his voice cracked with emotion, making his words nearly incomprehensible. 

Even so, it was clear he had much to say. He continued pleading for forgiveness, his words spilling out in a steady stream. It was understandable—this was their first real conversation in three months and four days.

Three months and four days. Was that enough time to forgive him? When Cynthia glanced at Ezekiel’s face, it was noticeably haggard. Though he tried to appear composed, his body looked thinner, and his jawline had sharpened. It was clear Ezekiel had suffered in his own way. 

Considering he had even pressured the Crown Prince to change the law, perhaps she could let it slide. Besides, the sorrow of a handsome man who perfectly matched her taste was a dangerously persuasive weapon.  

After some thought, Cynthia gently pulled her hands free from Ezekiel’s grasp. The moment she did, she felt his entire body stiffen. Yet, he didn’t resist and simply hung his head low.

However, when Cynthia raised his cheek and kissed him on the lips, Ezekiel froze completely, unable even to cry.  

“Just now…”  

“There isn’t much time left of the promised 10 minutes. Don’t you have something to say?”  

At her words, Ezekiel knelt before her. His posture was more reverent than when he stood before the goddess herself. With trembling hands, he pulled a ring case from his jacket pocket—when had he prepared this? 

In the imperial palace garden, bathed in sunlight, Ezekiel knelt in his white priest robes, looking like a masterpiece brought to life. As he lifted his head, a single tear fell from his eye. 

Caught in the sunlight, it sparkled like a jewel. Cynthia had a sudden premonition that she would never forget this moment for the rest of her life.  

“Cynthia, I have something I want to say to you.”  

“What is it?”  

“My choice to serve Goddess Lena was, in a way, not my own. As I told you, it was an act of obedience, something I accepted reluctantly after being chosen by the previous Pope.”  

“……”  

“But Cynthia, dedicating my heart to you was entirely my decision. It was my pure choice. So, Cynthia, I want to offer myself to you willingly.”  

A Pope declaring he wanted to submit to her rather than to God—who else in the world could hear such words?  

Ezekiel bowed until his forehead touched the ground, like someone receiving priesthood. Then, with great care, he lifted Cynthia’s foot and kissed the top of it. The gesture was reverent and sacred, as though he were placing the scriptures he had followed his entire life before his eyes.  

“Will you accept my willing submission, Cynthia?”  

“……”  

“In worldly terms… Please marry me, Cynthia.”

“Ezekiel.”  

“…Yes?”  

“I thought you knew everything, but there’s still one thing you don’t know.”  

“Just now, you called me Ezekiel…”  

“I don’t regret loving you. Not ever.”  

“……”  

“That means yes.”  

At her words, Ezekiel’s face lit up completely, and tears began streaming down his cheeks once more. His hands trembled as he slid the ring onto Cynthia’s fourth finger, but his expression glowed like a jewel.  

Ezekiel wrapped his arms around Cynthia, repeating over and over that he would do everything for her. That he wouldn’t make any more foolish mistakes. 

That he would dedicate his entire life to her. Cynthia simply smiled and nodded, her silence speaking louder than words. Then, kisses showered her face like a sudden downpour.  

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the Crown Prince, who had appeared at some point, shaking his head in disbelief. But Ezekiel didn’t seem to care about anyone watching. 

He held Cynthia close, oblivious to the world around him. The sight made her laugh out loud.  

After that, Ezekiel proposed three more times, and each time, Cynthia happily said yes. His vows continued, one after another. 

Even when it seemed there was nothing left to promise, he kept adding more, piling devotion upon devotion. It was a love freely given, a worldly affection that belonged to Cynthia alone.

fin.