“Your Eminence, Archbishop Vitalis. I am Rublier Ka Dillon, the sword of His Holiness the Pope and the leader of the Holy Knights.”

His clear voice resonated. Vitalis’s face brightened upon recognizing Rublier. The awkward atmosphere around him eased.

“Your Eminence, Archbishop Vitalis. It has been a long time. I am Satin of Del Mare.”

Satin adjusted her voice. She extended her hand, and Vitalis naturally kissed the back of it. Satin didn’t consciously acknowledge Delilah. They weren’t acquaintances or people who needed to exchange greetings.

Delilah, who had been ignoring Vitalis, briefly wavered. A ripple passed through her light blue eyes. But it didn’t last long.

A prima donna instinctively knows which emotions to show and which to hide from the public. She quickly regained her composure. It was a perfect recovery.

“You are still as elegant as ever, Miss, no, Madam Satin.”

Vitalis added awkwardly.

“Come to think of it, you two… divorced.”

“Pardon?”

“Married. You got married.”

Rublier quickly corrected him. Satin, who had been bickering about divorce, was startled, thinking their argument had reached the Papal Palace.

Oops. I shouldn’t let it show.

Satin quickly composed herself.

“My apologies. I was recently reviewing, I mean, processing some divorce papers. Congratulations on your marriage.”

Reviewing divorce papers. If there had been a divorce dispute among the powerful, it would have been talked about in the salons, but Satin hadn’t heard any such rumors.

Handling ordinary divorce disputes was indeed part of an archbishop’s duties, but there were plenty of others who could do it without needing the Pope’s son to step in.

Rublier’s comment about Kirion being recognized as the next Pope regardless of the oracle was spot-on. While Kirion handled major events hosted by the Papal Palace, Vitalis was given only minor tasks on the sidelines.

“Thank you.”

Having heard similar congratulations repeatedly, Satin had become somewhat immune to it. She curtsied again.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen you two together… You look well-matched. And I understand my brother relies heavily on you, Sir Ka Dillon. Please continue to support him well.”

Despite his stammering, Vitalis managed to convey his congratulations and a request regarding Kirion, fulfilling his duties as an archbishop.

Satin tilted her head. She hadn’t met Vitalis often due to his reclusive nature, but seeing him conversing and handling some responsibilities, it seemed the widespread negative reputation might be exaggerated.

“As a Paladin of the Holy Knights, it’s my duty. I will do my best.”

Rublier answered smoothly.

“Vitalis.”

Quan Theon. Jan Sillot. It seemed that the heads of the two guardian families had finally let Kirion go. Kirion, having finished his conversation, hurriedly walked over to Vitalis.

“B-Brother.”

Standing side by side, the differences between the brothers became more pronounced. Their appearance, personality, and even their stance were different. It was hard to believe they were blood-related siblings from the same womb.

“What made you decide to attend this year’s ceremony?”

Kirion placed his hand on Vitalis’s shoulder.

“Well, uh, um, you see… These are guests of the Papal Palace… And since I couldn’t attend last year, I thought I should at least greet them this year…”

Vitalis mumbled. Despite the three people—his impressive brother, Rublier, who had been appointed as the Paladin of the era, and Satin, who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Paladin—treating him gently, the naturally timid man was visibly shrinking.

“You’ve made a good decision, Vitalis.”

Vitalis’s face brightened at his brother’s praise.

“As an archbishop, you have many people to take care of, but you’re not just any archbishop. I hope you act in a way that doesn’t bring shame to you as a son and a brother. Attending events like today and showing your face is an excellent way to communicate with others.”

“I-I’ll keep that in mind…”

Their conversation dwindled. Kirion, who had rushed over out of concern for his awkward brother, seemed relieved to find that Vitalis had come out with no particular intention other than to greet people.

After all, today wasn’t a day likely to cause any major mistakes or issues. Most of the topics exchanged at the social gathering of the ceremony were trivial matters. Keeping Vitalis by his side and looking after him would have been more burdensome for Kirion, who was clearly busy.

“Delilah?”

At that moment, Gjorn returned. His voice reached them before he did, calling out for Delilah rather than looking for people.

In a crowd like this, it was easier to identify someone by their clothing. Delilah was the only one wearing a red dress with a frilly hem like a cockscomb.

All eyes, including those around Delilah, turned to Gjorn.

Gjorn was flustered.

Delilah wasn’t alone. Gjorn looked around, wondering if someone had been keeping her company, and froze. He recognized a familiar silhouette beyond the two blond men.

The most noticeable man was, of course, Rublier. This was always the case, so it wasn’t surprising. But knowing who would be with Rublier made Gjorn tense.

Satin, who unexpectedly exchanged glances with Gjorn, felt her heart sink as well.

He was her former fiancé, with whom she had parted in the worst possible way. Even knowing they would meet didn’t change the feeling. Rublier had said it would be fine because they were together. That they just needed to show themselves as a loving couple.

But emotions weren’t that simple.

Gjorn was the first to disrupt the smooth flow of Satin’s life, which had been marked by twenty years of friendship, introducing betrayal, anger, disappointment, and shock.

Gjorn was like a crack in a plate. Not noticeable unless you looked closely, sometimes forgotten, but on other days, it stood out, irritatingly clear.

Not enough to break the plate, but impossible to erase. Trying to remove it might break the plate, so you couldn’t touch it.

Satin unconsciously took a step back.

One step, two steps. She stepped back until she suddenly bumped into a wall. The wall gripped her shoulder, turned her around, and supported her back.

“Satin. We should really consider lower heels next time. High heels make you wobble.”

“…Right.”

Satin replied without a hint of a smile.

“I shouldn’t wear high heels anymore.”

Gjorn didn’t dare close the distance. Instead, Delilah moved. Somehow, they ended up divided with Kirion and Vitalis in between.

Satin looked down at her hands. Her loosely clenched hands felt empty. She suddenly remembered Delilah’s graceful hand movements. A born actress never wasted even a fingertip. Delilah used every means to captivate her audience.

Satin grew anxious. She lowered her arms, clasped them, then tried to hide them behind her back but gave up. She didn’t want to appear unnatural. She didn’t want to seem weak or defensive. In the end, she didn’t know where to place her hands.

Rublier’s arm suddenly extended from behind her. It wrapped around her arm like a vine, from her forearm to her wrist. He held her hand, intertwining their fingers.

“Does it hurt when I hold you like this?”

The first whisper in her ear was unexpected. She felt considerable strength, but it wasn’t unbearable. Satin answered transparently.

“No.”

In fact, she welcomed the firm grip now. After a brief hesitation, she responded by holding his hand in return. Their body heat merged. Turning her head, she leaned against Rublier’s shoulder. She had been overly scared. She had a place to rest and lean on right beside her.

The people who hoped not to encounter her ex-fiancé, her current husband, and her ex-fiancé’s mistress were all gathered here.

Kirion shrugged.

“What an odd composition.”

Rublier smirked.

Vitalis seemed to have just realized who Delilah was. Although he was a nominal archbishop pushed to the sidelines, he couldn’t have been unaware of the two scandals that had shaken Caldeblanca’s salons, streets, and even the Papal Palace. It was a famous wedding, known to everyone.

“It’s been a while, Gjorn. How have you been?”

Rublier opened the conversation quite nonchalantly.

“…Uh, so-so.”

Gjorn replied awkwardly.

“So-so? That’s a bit disappointing. Isn’t this supposed to be the happiest time of your life? We’re doing very well.”

“I’ve been well.”

Gjorn corrected himself. It was clear to anyone that there was some falsehood in his statement. His pale face looked even more drawn, and his cheeks were gaunt. Satin knew the pressure of being an heir from her parents, but Gjorn was under a different kind of pressure.

Despite being visibly tormented, he still protected Delilah. It was impressive, yet confusing.

Satin clicked her tongue inwardly. Gjorn turned away from Rublier and looked at Satin. His brown eyes wavered, uncertain.

It was an awkward situation for both. Satin wished they could part, pretending to be indifferent. But Gjorn suddenly spoke.

“…I’m a bit surprised.”

His true feelings slipped out.

It was a rude slip of the tongue.