“Thinking about it, there were many strange things.”

She had acted completely infatuated with Cioranne, then suddenly bristled and attacked mercilessly. Yet now she was sticking so closely to Cioranne’s side?

Could an animal express emotions that clearly?

Above all, what turned Richard’s stomach was Cioranne’s expression—her cheeks flushing as she talked about that cat.

[Until Kyle came, I didn’t even realize how cold that place was.]

[I shouldn’t do that, even for Kyle’s sake.]

These were the exact words Richard had said countless times.

I’m here for you, so don’t hide your troubles—tell me.

It’s okay to cry, okay to show weakness. I’ll listen to everything, so don’t bear it alone.

Whenever he said such things, Cioranne would smile brightly and reply:

[But I’m perfectly fine?]

That wasn’t what he wanted to hear! She shouldn’t be fine! When treated unfairly, she should say she’s being treated unfairly!

He never knew loving someone so inherently good could be this painful, like having his heart wrung out.

‘And it took that mere cat to make her realize?’

That someone cared about her presence? That someone’s heart ached because of her dismissive attitude?

If she were to realize such a thing, it should have been through him, not anyone else. He had faithfully remained by her side for so long.

Yet what he couldn’t make her understand with a hundred words, that cat had somehow made her realize.

‘Perhaps the cat isn’t suspicious—maybe I’m just seeing it negatively because I’m crazy with jealousy.’

No, that was more likely the case. He was burning with jealousy right now.

Jealous of a mere cat.

“…Ah, I hate myself for this.”

“What did you say?”

Just as Richard sighed, running his hand through his hair in self-loathing, Noel entered through the door and tilted his head. Richard immediately jumped to his feet and bowed.

“It’s been a while, brother.”

“Don’t be so formal. Just speak comfortably.”

“I couldn’t possibly do that with you, brother.”

Though Richard’s background wasn’t publicly known, in truth, he and Noel had different mothers. Richard’s mother had been a maid who had to remain in service until Noel’s mother—the legal wife—passed away.

Richard felt deep gratitude toward Noel for acknowledging and accepting him as a true brother.

“Why couldn’t you? Ah.”

In reality, Noel was uncomfortable with Richard’s attitude. Plopping down in his seat, Noel crossed his arms and spoke sarcastically.

“I see your conscience is bothering you. I send letter after letter asking you to come home, but you ignore them all because you’re distracted by a woman.”

“Ugh.”

Richard bit his tongue, not expecting Cioranne to be brought up so suddenly. Watching Richard choke, Noel clicked his tongue.

“You use a woman as an excuse so boldly, yet you’ve made no progress in your relationship for years. Come to think of it, I deserve your utmost respect.”

“…Aren’t you being too blunt? And I’m not serving at the temple because of a woman.”

He still had his dignity and pride as a Holy Knight—how could Noel openly accuse him of such selfish motives?

‘Though honestly, I didn’t join the temple out of deep faith in the first place.’

As Richard made an awkward expression, Noel furrowed his brow and spoke seriously.

“Of course, I was the one who suggested you become a Holy Knight at the temple. The Empire’s political situation was unstable then, and we couldn’t even control the discord within our own family.”

Noel was referring to the time before Kailas’s ascension, when the debauched emperor and his numerous illegitimate children were causing chaos. Everyone wanted the throne, reaching out to various families, then becoming suspicious, betraying, and killing.

Noel had sent Richard to the temple not out of hatred but to protect him. Even if their family were accused of treason, a Holy Knight of the temple would be exempt from punishment.

But now Emperor Kailas had ascended the throne, and the Ferol family had become meritorious subjects. No longer needing to hide his brother, Noel had been continuously demanding that Richard resign from his position as a Holy Knight. And Richard had been refusing.

Noel narrowed his eyes and said, “But now you’re staying at the temple purely out of personal desire. Am I wrong?”

“That’s… not wrong, but.”

Richard, who had been rambling his true feelings, suddenly came to his senses. He glanced at Noel and pouted.

“Your bad habits haven’t changed. You’re deliberately talking about the Holy Maiden to get me kicked out of the temple, aren’t you?”

“Ahem.”

You caught on quickly.

Noel, who had been talking freely assuming there might be eavesdroppers, cleared his throat. His expression didn’t change because that had truly been his intention.

Looking at his cunning brother, Richard took out the white stone Cioranne had given him from his pocket.

“But you’re mistaken. The Holy Maiden gave me a sacred object. She said if I keep this, no one outside the door can hear our conversation.”

“…A pebble?”

Noel stared intently at the stone in Richard’s hand. Naturally, he couldn’t sense any holiness from it.

Noel snorted and said, “No matter how much you like that woman, are you now believing that any pebble she gives you is a sacred object?”

“It’s not like that!”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

Though he clicked his tongue, inwardly he thought it might be possible. After all, the holiness of Cioranne that he had heard about was real.

‘She’s practically a living deity. It’s strange that he finds her attractive.’

All the reports about Cioranne that he had received were the same: always living a regular life, staying quiet, kind to everyone but rarely expressing her own opinions.

Just hearing about her made it clear she was a difficult type to have a one-sided love for. Noel looked at Richard with contemptuous eyes.

‘What on earth has he been doing that nobody notices his feelings? Shouldn’t someone have noticed and separated them by now?’

Richard was also problematic. Could love be hidden? It was absurd that no one had noticed despite him being by her side for years.

“So, have you confessed to her?”

“No.”

“Tsk, what a waste of good looks. You were fortunate to inherit a handsome face and tall stature like mine.”

“Please don’t talk like our father.”

Though he answered that way, Richard acknowledged that he resembled Noel more than their father in many ways. Richard replied with a stiff face:

“She’s a Holy Maiden who conveys God’s will. It’s natural that I can’t easily confess my feelings.”

“Ordinary people wouldn’t fall for a Holy Maiden in the first place.”

“Well… if you put it that way, I have nothing to say…”

He wanted to say more, but feeling his own self-loathing deepen, he held back. After swallowing his complaints, Noel uncrossed his arms and brought up what he had heard when entering.

“So what’s so pathetic?”

“Did you come here to discuss my love life?”

“Of course not. This is just an appetizer before our real conversation.”

It was quite funny how he treated his brother’s desperate one-sided love as an appetizer.

Richard glared at his brother, then made a sound like air escaping from a balloon. With slumped shoulders, he spoke candidly:

“I’ve already told you that she’s like the wind, never becoming attached to anything, right?”

“I think I’ve heard it a hundred times.”

Honestly, not a hundred times. He could talk about how she burned his heart black a hundred or even a thousand times. But that would make the conversation too long, so Richard boldly mentioned only recent events.

“She recently started keeping a cat.”

“…A cat?”

Noel’s gaze changed at Richard’s words. With his mind full of Cioranne, Richard didn’t notice and continued:

“Yes. A cat with black fur and golden eyes, very sleek and beautiful. If I hadn’t seen her pick it up from the street myself, I would have believed it was a purebred—such an elegant cat.”

“Black fur and golden eyes…”

Noel murmured meaningfully, then urged him to continue.

“And?”

“She seemed uninterested in everything before, but she shows exceptional affection for that cat. She carries it day and night, kisses it, and personally prepares its meals.”

Noel’s expression strangely darkened at Richard’s words. Hugs and kisses.

‘If it’s who I think it is, he’s not someone who would quietly accept kisses.’

Noel tilted his head, then frowned deeply and asked Richard:

“…You’re not actually jealous of the cat, are you?”

Indeed, he was.