Even though he was throwing it out like a joke, Rublier’s voice was close to a bitter smile. Satin remembered how he jumped up and ran out as soon as she screamed. She felt sorry, thinking she might have made him feel lonely. No matter what, Rublier was on her side, and the evil spirit was literally just an evil spirit.

“…It’s not something to compare.”

Satin quietly turned around. The back she had been leaning on like a wall collapsed. Their eyes met.

“Isn’t it? You said you would protect me, but the evil spirit will harm me.”

The evil spirit was a fierce and dangerous legend.

After concluding that the presence near Satin’s bedroom was an evil spirit, the servants bolted the doors and windows much more securely.

Whether it was effective or not, they don’t know, but that was all ordinary people could do with their own hands. The Holy Knights’ patrols were distributed to occur every two or three days. They were people too, and couldn’t stay up every night.

However, Rublier did not let his guard down even at home. Just as Satin slept with the relic of Del Mare, Rublier kept a longsword within arm’s reach.

Sleeping with a sword. It felt unsettling. There was no telling when they would find the evil spirit again.

“Don’t be afraid. I won’t let it harm you.”

“I know.”

Did she look scared? Rublier repeated his promise. But Satin was actually thinking about something else.

The one suffering on the front lines was him, and receiving comfort unilaterally felt unfair. Even if protecting the capital was the Holy Knights’ responsibility, his duty as a Paladin was always extremely heavy.

It must be harder for the person who has to find and eliminate the evil spirit than for the person hiding from it.

Satin hesitated and then whispered softly.

“…Be careful.”

“Hmm?”

“Be careful.”

“Say it again.”

He asked again. Satin tilted her head and asked back.

“Why are you suddenly like this? Can’t you hear my voice?”

Rublier answered with a gentle smile.

“No, because I like hearing it.”

* * *

Having walked this path once before, it now felt quite familiar. Delilah listened with one ear to the servant’s guidance and crossed the door to the office within the Papal Palace.

“Your Eminence, it’s troublesome when you keep sending carriages without notice.”

Kirion, who was handling state affairs, didn’t even lift his head as he calmly responded.

“Why, did he say something?”

“Lord Gjorn is not someone without any sense.”

Who wouldn’t be suspicious when carriages sent by the Papal Palace arrived at Sel Wio’s house in quick succession? Though he couldn’t outright refuse the country’s call, Gjorn showed a distinctly uneasy expression.

“Is it His Eminence Kirion again? Didn’t the business regarding the ceremony end last time? Why does he keep calling you?”

Even Gjorn, whom she thought was a dull man, had some sense. After all, no matter how naive a man might be, it would be hard to remain unconcerned when his mistress was constantly being summoned by another man. Moreover, the way Gjorn had brought Delilah was similar to this situation. He had taken her from her previous patron using his status and power.

“If Gjorn restricts your every move, you could just leave.”

It was the response of a man who was naturally arrogant, who was expected to be arrogant, who couldn’t help but be arrogant. Delilah lightly complained.

“Your Eminence doesn’t consider my situation at all.”

Kirion leisurely stamped the papal seal. A bundle of processed documents was set aside. His eyes focused on his official duties while his mouth spoke to Delilah.

“So you sent the carriage back empty last time?”

Delilah retorted with a smile.

“Did that make you angry?”

“It made me laugh. I thought you were quite the woman.”

Delilah walked gracefully. She leaned against the desk, looking down at Kirion with a glint in her eye.

“You were angry.”

“Why do you conclude that?”

“Because you sent the carriage again today, as if to show me.”

“Ah.”

Kirion muttered to himself with a subtle expression, shrugging his shoulders.

“After receiving the empty carriage, I suddenly became curious. Would the carriage I sent today have someone in it, or would it return empty again? So I decided to make a bet with myself.”

Delilah’s lips curled up even more sharply.

“Who won the bet?”

Kirion, maintaining his composure, firmly declared.

“I did.”

Delilah realized. No matter the outcome, Kirion would have considered himself the winner of the bet. With the pride of someone born into the papal lineage, raised as an archbishop from birth, and destined to inherit the papal seat.

“I’m glad I could contribute to Your Eminence’s victory.”

Delilah whispered with a seductive smile. Kirion was a man with high self-esteem. It was important not to excessively offend a man like him.

“How much time will you allow me today?”

Delilah already knew the answer as she asked.

“As much as you want.”

It was an implicit signal. Whatever the answer, it would have been a signal. Delilah wrapped her arms around Kirion’s neck, and Kirion grabbed a handful of Delilah’s red hair.

Neither Kirion nor Delilah needed to be taught step by step. From their previous experience, they learned each other’s habits and preferences. The second time was much more familiar.

Then it happened.

“Your Eminence. A messenger from the Paladin urgently requests an audience.”

An uninvited guest had arrived.

“Oh. He’s my friend, but he has no sense, perhaps because he’s been pining for so long.”

Delilah quickly wiped the traces of her lipstick from Kirion’s lips with the back of her hand. She also tidied her own lips. It was a swift move. As Delilah sat in the chair prepared for visitors, Kirion answered.

“Come in.”

The messenger sent by Rublier entered the office. He greeted Kirion politely, following protocol, and presented a sealed envelope.

“Sir Rublier, head of the Holy Knights, asked me to urgently obtain your approval for this document.”

“Urgent approval?”

Kirion, standing up, received the document and broke the golden wax seal. He briefly scanned the first page, then quickly stamped his seal and handed it back to the messenger. He didn’t even touch the subsequent pages.

“Tell him I am transferring all authority over the field to Rublier, so there’s no need to seek approval for every action. A post-report after everything is settled will suffice.”

“Yes, I will relay that.”

The messenger’s time in the office didn’t even total five minutes. As soon as the man disappeared with the approved document, Delilah widened her eyes and asked.

“You gave approval without reading the entire document? You must trust Sir Rublier Ka Dillon a lot.”

“Of course. Rublier is my most helpful friend in governing this country. Besides, the matter is urgent. If he had to seek my approval for every action, it would be too late.”

“What kind of document is so urgent that there’s no time to seek approval? Oh, is it classified?”

Kirion shook his head.

“It’s not classified. In fact, we need to warn the residents of the capital about the danger, so he requested urgent approval. You should know too. An evil spirit has appeared. We wanted to handle it quietly, but it seems we need to restrict movement during nighttime, which is troublesome.”

The romantic atmosphere between the two from moments ago was gone, replaced by an archbishop suddenly burdened with work. Besides, an evil spirit? It was such an odd thing to hear that Delilah was bewildered.

“What is an evil spirit?”

“It’s what demons used to control. Apparently, one has appeared near the capital.”

For a moment, Delilah burst into laughter.

“A demon? Goodness. What era are we living in? It sounds like a joke. An outdated, rustic joke.”

When Kirion first received the report about the evil spirit from Rublier, he had the same reaction as Delilah. It was absurd enough that they were roaming the provinces, but now one had crept into the capital.

Kirion even suspected that Satin had mistaken something due to her weak heart. But Rublier had been mobilizing the Holy Knights for patrols every day. The security at the Papal Palace had also increased.

By now, Kirion wasn’t laughing anymore. He didn’t trust Satin, but he trusted his friend’s instincts. A Paladin’s eyes had to be more rational and sharp than anyone’s. There must have been something suspicious.

“I wish it were a joke. It’s unbelievable that a relic from the past has resurfaced after two hundred years. But since the witness is Rublier’s wife and the person in charge is Rublier, I have no choice but to believe it.”

Delilah thought of the noble family’s only daughter with a cold and arrogant impression. Satin Del Mare. She didn’t expect her name to come up now. It was an unexpected witness.

“Lady Satin? She saw the evil spirit? What did the evil spirit do to her?”

At Delilah’s question, Kirion recalled.

“There was damage to livestock in a neighboring house. A goat was found dead.”

“Is that all?”

A nonchalant response came back. Kirion looked at Delilah’s face with interest.

“You sound almost disappointed.”

“Ah… It just seemed like the name ‘evil spirit’ was grandiose, but the disaster itself wasn’t significant. Livestock dying is an accident that can happen anytime, even without an evil spirit. The Paladin must love his wife very much. He’s overprotective.”