Chapter 45. Such Treatment

While he used polite speech when Yuelina was present, when she wasn’t there, Asarim didn’t even try to maintain any semblance of courtesy.

Ulysse disliked Asarim’s attitude that insulted his lord.

“I don’t want to see the Grand Duchess’s room, I want to see my friend Yuna’s room.”

“……”

“Wouldn’t Yuna feel hurt if she knew you won’t even allow me to take a look at her room?”

Asarim’s words were nonsensical.

Yuelina was soon to be the Grand Duchess. The Grand Duchess was Yuelina.

Yet he says he’s just looking at a friend’s room?

Ulysse opened his mouth to object.

But Theo shook his head coldly at Ulysse.

Asarim would leave after visiting the temple anyway. He didn’t want to cause unnecessary conflict that would make Yuelina uncomfortable.

“Fine. Let’s go up. I have something to give her too.”

Theo flung open the study terrace door and headed to the bridge first.

Asarim followed behind him.

“Yuna, are you in there?”

Soon, footsteps were heard and the door opened.

It was Maelyn.

Maelyn glanced at Asarim and Theo in their holy robes.

“Where’s Yuna?”

“She just changed clothes. You can come in.”

She opened the door wide.

At that moment, Asarim squeezed through the narrow gap, passing Theo and slipping inside.

A vein popped on Theo’s forehead.

“Yuna!”

Asarim’s bright and cheerful voice was heard. Theo couldn’t control his expression of displeasure.

But Theo’s displeasure soon quieted down as if it had never existed.

It was because of Yuelina’s appearance.

Yuelina in holy robes was beautiful, just as Theo had expected.

However, she wasn’t holy or elegant at all.

In his memory, the holy robes were definitely navy blue, but looking at Yuelina now, only the vest was navy.

Under the form-fitting vest, a thin white lace dress was visible.

The dress was made of semi-transparent material that revealed all of Yuelina’s skin.

Theo’s breath caught.

Every time she moved with a flutter, her slender, fair calves and arms were completely visible.

“Yuna, what’s with this outfit? Why can we see your body?”

Just then, Asarim asked Yuelina with a frown.

Yuelina opened her mouth with an embarrassed face.

“Ah, Maelyn said this clothes is made with magic stone powder mixed in, so it has excellent insulation. That’s why it can be this thin.”

“What? That’s why it’s thin?”

“Yes. It’s really expensive.”

Theo quietly listened to what Yuelina was saying to Asarim.

Come to think of it, both the holy robes Asarim was wearing and the ones Theo was wearing were made of thin material, not thick.

He had momentarily forgotten that all holy robes were made of the highest quality to show the temple’s status.

The thinner the clothes, yet the stronger the insulation, the higher the dignity.

It also meant they could freely use precious magic stones.

Theo let out a deep breath.

There would be priests at the temple, and several other nobles too.

He couldn’t let those guys see Yuelina looking like this.

He took out a long cloak that reached her ankles from the closet and held it out to Yuelina.

“Put this on.”

“What? But these clothes are really warm? It’s even hot indoors.”

“Still, put it on.”

At Theo’s firm voice, Yuelina hesitated and took the cloak.

Today, Maelyn had showered endless praise while looking at Yuelina in her holy robes.

She said there wouldn’t be anyone who suited the holy robes this well, and that it matched perfectly with her hair color.

So Yuelina had hoped that Theo might like her appearance too.

But Theo’s expression was like a wooden block.

His stiff voice and completely hardened face showed his discomfort.

“…Does it not suit me?”

“The holy robes themselves are awful.”

Theo answered while avoiding Yuelina’s gaze.

Yuelina became needlessly embarrassed about her appearance in the holy robes.

“Asarim, do you think it’s bad too? Does it not suit me?”

“Are you planning to go out wearing just that right now?”

“Huh? Yes…?”

“Then it doesn’t suit you. It’s really terrible.”

Asarim too suddenly started saying the clothes were terrible.

He pouted his lips saying what use was there for a dress that showed calves and arms.

The fact that it had excellent insulation because magic stones were mixed in wasn’t important to Asarim.

That was exactly how Theo felt.

Suddenly, Theo let out a sigh while watching Asarim’s grumbling appearance.

Did I just act like this in front of Yuelina?

Grumbling so ungracefully like this?

Am I looking in a mirror?

Separate from disliking Asarim, there were times when Theo had the same feelings as him.

That made him strangely more uncomfortable.

“This place is really weird. They say they’re going to pray but why are they making people practically n*ked?”

What was more irritating was that everything Asarim was saying to Yuelina now was exactly what he wanted to say.

Theo let out another heavy sigh.

– By the way, is this your room?

Just then, Asarim asked Yuelina in the island village’s language.

Theo glared at Asarim with his arms crossed. Asarim’s selective use of language was very annoying.

But Asarim paid no mind and looked around the room.

– That guy’s room is so wide you could run in it, but your room is cramped with just four people.

– I like that it’s cozy though?

– They’re really treating you like this. It makes me angry.

Yuelina shook her head.

– I chose to stay here. Theo said I could move rooms.

– Why? Are you afraid of the Grand Duke?

– What?

– At the training grounds too, people were exhausted from being careful around the Grand Duke, weren’t they? Everyone’s afraid of him.

As Asarim’s words grew longer, Yuelina’s expression hardened.

It was because all his words were disparaging Theo.

– And Yuna. Did you know? The Grand Duke in the war…

– Asarim.

Yuelina called his name in a firm voice while looking at him.

– Theo is here. How can you say such things just because he can’t understand?

– Yuna.

– It’s the same even when he’s not here. Such words make me uncomfortable.

Asarim stared at Yuelina. The cold gaze from her pink eyes was unfamiliar.

He instantly changed his grumbling expression.

Asarim smiled broadly while scratching his head.

– Alright. If you say so, then that’s that. I was just relaying what I heard from people.

– ……

– If I offended you, I apologize. After we visit the temple, I’ll be leaving anyway.

Asarim clenched his fist.

* * *

The Phaenyx Temple was in the east of the north.

It was in the outskirts, about an hour by carriage from the Phaenyx territory.

As the carriage passed the plaza and climbed the mountain road, bare tree branches rushed past the windows.

However, as they got closer to the temple, lush and verdant forest paths appeared again.

The carriage had entered the territory where the temple was located.

Yuelina was simply amazed that leaves could bloom in such a cold wind.

She stuck her face out the window, taking in the flowers and leaves she hadn’t seen in the Phaenyx territory.

The temple’s forest path, said to be made with holy power mixed in, was truly magnificent.

The fully bloomed flowers sparkled like jewels.

However, like the gardens in the Phaenyx territory, there was no fragrance.

“We’ve arrived.”

At Ulysse’s words, the carriage slowly came to a stop.

The carriage door opened, and Theo got out and escorted Yuelina.

For a brief moment, Yuelina and Theo’s hands touched.

The one who interfered with that was, of course, Asarim.

Asarim vigorously squeezed between the two.

“So this is the temple.”

Yuelina exclaimed in amazement.

The pink building among the green foliage majestically showed off its presence.

The arch-shaped building gave a soft and warm impression.

Artificial fountains were installed throughout, and rainbows bloomed from the water streams shooting upward from below.

“It’s beautiful.”

To Theo, what was beautiful was Yuelina taking in the building with her head turning this way and that in a proper posture.

It was enough to instantly make his bad mood from Asarim disappear.

While Yuelina was admiring the building, Theo filled his eyes with her.

“Y-Your Highness!”

Just then, a loud voice struck Theo’s ears.

He frowned as he looked toward where the voice came from.

It was Lambros, the high priest of Phaenyx.

He came running breathlessly toward Theo, his waist-length hair swaying.