***

Kyllen set foot in the Diart residence after a long time.

He hadn’t come because Shailyn called him or to see Shailyn.

The reason he came here today was none other than to meet Benjamin and Bartholomew.

“Welcome, Duke.”

“Greetings. Have you been well?”

Benjamin warmly patted his shoulder as he greeted politely, apparently pleased to see him.

But when Bartholomew opened his mouth, the atmosphere soon became serious.

“The reason we wanted to see you today is because we want to share what we’ve discovered while investigating the heretic registry.”

Kyllen’s face stiffened slightly with tension. It would be the actual reason that drove his parents to death.

“Please tell me.”

“You know that His Majesty the emperor and the High Priestess’s names are written in the heretic registry, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“When His Majesty was crown prince, he accompanied a temple pilgrimage and seems to have connected with the High Priestess who was a head priest at the time.”

That the emperor and High Priestess had their names listed together was certainly no coincidence.

Bartholomew and Benjamin, while searching for the connection between the two, ended up going back to the past decades ago.

“A retired priest who participated in that pilgrimage said there were widespread rumors that the two seemed close at the time.”

However, since they were the next emperor and next head priest, it was quickly buried. They couldn’t risk being linked and having their reputation tarnished.

“If it’s a relationship that started then, they might have believed in heresy for quite a long time. There’s also a high possibility it wasn’t just simple belief.”

“We actually found evidence that part of the temple colluded with demon followers to conduct strange experiments on young priests.”

Benjamin showed Kyllen the related documents he had gathered with difficulty.

Kyllen’s straight forehead gradually wrinkled as he received and examined them.

“Strangely, they committed acts of forcibly injecting demonic power mainly into those with high holy power.”

If simple corruption was the only purpose, it would have been better to target those with low holy power instead.

But they strangely selected only novice priests with high holy power.

“There must be another purpose. Something bigger than making them into heretic believers.”

Bartholomew nodded as if agreeing and opened his mouth quietly.

“And, Head Priest Raviel’s birthplace happens to be the pilgrimage site where His Majesty the emperor and the High Priestess first met.”

“We heard he was a commoner orphan, but when we looked into it, there’s no separate orphanage at that pilgrimage site.”

Benjamin added. They too were very concerned about Raviel, who would have been a very young child over ten years ago, having his name on the heretic registry.

At the very least, if his parents were heretics, that could be understood, but as everyone knew, Raviel was a commoner orphan.

“But how did he come to the Central Temple’s orphanage? And with preliminary priest qualifications at that.”

It meant someone discovered his holy power and sent him to the Central Temple, but Raviel’s whereabouts before entering the temple were mysterious.

He hadn’t lived in a foster home, nor had he transferred from another orphanage.

Literally, he had suddenly entered the temple orphanage one day.

“This is as far as we’ve discovered for now.”

“……I see. Thank you for telling me this.”

Kyllen bowed politely. He knew they had no reason to do this but were being considerate for his sake.

They agreed to continue sharing information if they learned anything new and disbanded.

Kyllen paused his steps for a moment while heading outside. Since he was already here, he thought he might as well see Shailyn’s face once before leaving.

“Could you call Shailyn for me?”

He requested this of Paul, who happened to be waiting to see him off. Paul smiled brightly and answered.

“Miss Shailyn is currently taking a walk in the garden. You could probably just go find her there.”

“Ah, thank you.”

“Not at all.”

Kyllen smiled faintly and nodded. Then he moved his steps in the direction Paul had indicated.

As he entered the inner part of the garden, it wasn’t long before a familiar figure from behind appeared.

Silver hair that sparkled mysteriously in the sunlight, blue eyes under long eyelashes that had settled like butterflies.

A small, white face was looking down at flowers with a subtly sunken expression.

“Shailyn.”

“……?”

At the quiet call, Shailyn slowly turned her head. Soon her eyes opened wide.

“……Carl? What brings you here?”

“I had something to discuss with Lord Diart and the Duke. What are you looking at so intently?”

“Oh, just……”

Shailyn trailed off ambiguously. Kyllen approached her side and gazed at the brightly blooming flowers together.

“They’re pretty.”

“Really? Should I pick some for you?”

“No, it’s not that much.”

At those words, Shailyn looked at Kyllen and smiled slightly, then looked ahead again.

A moment of silence flowed. During this time, Shailyn earnestly pondered something before finally opening her mouth with a resolute expression.

“Actually, I was going to send you a letter asking to meet.”

“Why?”

“Now…… I want to give you an answer to your confession.”

At the unexpected answer, Kyllen’s eyes widened. In the sudden tension that struck, he unconsciously straightened his back.

He was more nervous than when hearing heretic information from Bartholomew and Benjamin.

“Tell me. I’m ready to listen.”

“……I’m truly grateful that you like me.”

Shailyn opened her trembling lips and spoke calmly. Her fingers gripping her dress tightened.

From the moment she resolved to give an answer, she had decided to reject him.

Because she didn’t want to continue using someone’s feelings.

Even if her own feelings of liking Kyllen were real, it was the same. She didn’t want to hurt him by accepting his feelings because of the mission.

She didn’t care what penalty she might receive because of this.

“But I don’t think I can accept your feelings. I’m sorry.”

She rejected as nonchalantly as possible, but unable to meet Kyllen’s gaze, Shailyn bowed her head deeply like a sinner.

Kyllen looked at her with an unreadable expression and asked in a calm voice.

“May I ask the reason?”

***

Sweat kept building up in her palms, which she wiped on her clothes while trying to maintain a composed expression on the outside.

She recited the words she had prepared to Carl when he asked for the reason for her rejection.

“You’re just a good friend to me. I’ve never thought of you in that way.”

This might hurt Carl’s pride a bit, but unlike in the dream, he wouldn’t wander searching for her.

Even if he got angry, she was prepared to accept it humbly, but Carl asked questions with the same tone and intonation as usual throughout.

“Really? Then you’ve never once felt your heart flutter when looking at me?”

“……No. I’ve never even felt you as a man.”

When she steeled her heart and delivered a blow, Carl’s lips pressed tightly together.

I’m sorry for lying. But I had no choice. It’s all for your sake.

He stared at her intently, let out a deep sigh and ran his hand through his hair.

“I don’t understand why you’re telling such lies.”

“It’s, it’s not a lie. I’m being sincere……!”

“Shailyn.”

A low voice called her name firmly. Feet that had been several steps away suddenly invaded her field of vision as she looked down at the ground.

He instantly closed the distance and approached closely, cupping her cheek gently.

“Then look into my eyes and tell me straight. That you hate me.”

“……I never said I hated you. It’s just that I don’t have the same feelings as you.”

She stubbornly replied while avoiding his gaze. Then Carl followed her by lowering his head and furrowing his brow.

“That’s a lie.”

“How can you be so certain of that?”

“Because I like you.”

The words spoken plainly pierced straight into her heart.

Her nose naturally stung. Carl finally faced her and said.

“I always check every little thing about you without missing anything. That’s how I can tell. The way your eyes change when you look at me.”

His fingers gently swept down her eye area and moved downward.

“The smile you make toward me.”

“……”

“From the voice you use to call me, the same affection I feel for you comes through.”

Her skin heated up at the touch of his thumb brushing past her lower lip.

She looked up at him with wavering eyes then forced out a cold voice.

“……You’re mistaken. I’m not the person you think I am in the first place.”

“Is that what makes you so afraid?”

But Carl didn’t back down obediently. He kept sharply digging into the truth.

“Are you trying to run away because you’re scared of disappointing me?”

“……”

“If so, think again. I won’t be disappointed no matter what kind of person you are.”