At first glance, it seemed like the head priest was trying to kill the man as he claimed.

However, having watched the situation from the beginning, I wasn’t fooled by his words.

“It wasn’t exactly strangling, more like gripping his collar a bit too hard, wasn’t it?”

It was just that he really did grab hard enough to cut off his breath.

I crossed my arms and looked down at the man coldly as I continued.

“And you were the one who picked a fight with the head priest first. It doesn’t make sense to feel wronged when the other person gets angry after you provoked them.”

When I clearly pointed out the cause and effect, the man flinched and trembled.

Since he had nothing to say in response, he just kept rubbing his throat pitifully, so I spoke firmly.

“Apologize to the head priest. Or I’ll spread rumors that you harassed the head priest because you like Miss Delren.”

“……!”

“Admit your wrongdoing and apologize before the priest’s reputation falls.”

I warned with wide eyes.

I couldn’t just let it slide since I’d been through the same thing so many times.

Janice always picked fights first, then acted like she was the victim when I fought back, playing the innocent card.

This kind of attitude really makes the person being targeted angry and irritated.

The man, who had been avoiding my gaze and looking down sheepishly, finally apologized.

“S-sorry, Head Priest Raviel.”

“It’s fine. It’s understandable to feel inferior when you have no attractive qualities and little hope of getting along with someone you like. You might end up taking it out on innocent people.”

The head priest smiled magnanimously while mercilessly poking at the man’s sore spot.

As expected, this one’s personality isn’t easy either.

I said one last thing to the man who had completely lost his fighting spirit and was deflated.

“Don’t speak rudely to the head priest again. If you go around spreading strange gossip to other people, I won’t stand by quietly.”

Thinking of Janice’s case, I perfectly blocked any room for the other party to retaliate.

The man nodded and fled like he was running away, and the head priest approached with a friendly smile.

“I’m in debt to you again, Shailyn. Thank you for helping me.”

“Not at all, and don’t call it a debt. Anyone would have helped.”

“Aha, anyone……”

He drooped his eyebrows as he mulled over my additional words meant to make him feel less burdened.

He strode toward me and thr*st his pretty face forward.

“That’s a bit disappointing. I thought you stepped in because I was someone special to you.”

“N-no, well…… y-you are someone special, right?”

I stammered in confusion at the beauty’s coquettish complaint.

Anyway, he’s special since he’s a male lead.

Seemingly satisfied with my words that contained my own sincerity, the head priest smiled smoothly.

It really is a beautiful face no matter how many times I look at it. Tilting his head with that face, he asked.

“So, what brings you to me?”

“Ah, well……”

I hesitated without being able to speak easily. The head priest had the lowest favorability among the male leads.

That meant there was a relatively high possibility he wouldn’t give me flowers even if I appealed for them.

‘Maybe he’d hate it if I asked outright……’

Like Lady Celsior did with the crown prince, maybe I should give him a handkerchief first and hint that I wanted something in return.

It seemed like a decent method, so I took out the handkerchief I’d bought to give to the head priest.

“Um, would you accept this……?”

“You’re giving this to me? Thank you.”

The head priest readily accepted my gift and smiled with his eyes folded.

I stared up at him intently.

‘Don’t you have anything to give me?’

With that question in my gaze.

But the head priest just kept grinning without taking any particular action.

Ah, this is driving me crazy.

‘What should I do?’

A flower bed full of blooming roses came into my troubled view. I impulsively pointed to it and made a request.

“Could you pick some of those flowers for me?”

The head priest turned his head once following my finger and asked puzzledly.

“Those flowers all of a sudden?”

“No, I want to have flowers that bloomed in the temple, but I don’t think I should pick them carelessly. But since you’re a person of the temple……”

“Pfft.”

As I rambled on with what sounded like a poor excuse even to me, he suddenly covered his mouth and burst into laughter.

Why, why are you laughing…….

As I blushed with embarrassment and hung my head low, the head priest’s gentle voice came from above my head.

“Why do you make it so difficult to say you want to receive flowers?”

That’s because you’re difficult…….

And if you noticed, you should have just given them before I had to say it with difficulty!

While I grumbled internally, he picked an orange rose from the flower bed.

I had been secretly watching with my head raised and was about to receive it with a bright face.

“Ah, thank y—”

“Wait.”

The head priest, who had been about to hand over the rose but pulled it back, placed his hand on the flower.

“Still, I’m giving this to someone special to me, so I can’t just give it like this.”

A transparently pure white light leaked from his hand and seeped into the flower.

I watched the scene with round eyes.

The head priest, who truly handed me the flower this time, grinned and said.

“I cast a blessing with holy power. It probably won’t wither for about a year.”

“Thank you, I’ll treasure it.”

The deep crimson rose was as fresh as if it had bloomed yesterday. Perhaps because the holy power had enhanced its vitality.

The head priest, who had been quietly watching me smile happily, spoke affectionately.

“I have work to do. Then go home safely.”

“Yes, Head Priest.”

When I unconsciously uttered the title that had stuck to my lips, he narrowed his eyes and lightly tapped my chin.

“You should call me by name, not Head Priest. Making people feel disappointed again.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. Raviel, you go in safely too.”

“Good.”

The head priest, who smiled more brightly than the rose I’d given him, left.

A system window appeared behind him.

【Head Priest Raviel’s favorability has increased by 10P.

※ Current favorability 60】

Good, I finally passed the halfway point.

I returned to the carriage with a pleased smile.

“You came within the time limit.”

Carl, who had been waiting inside with his mask off and legs crossed, checked his pocket watch and said.

Since I’d made an effort not to be late, I proudly made a V sign.

On the way out of the temple, I suddenly remembered the mysterious word I’d heard from the man who had picked a fight with the head priest.

“But what’s a Rudenian?”

As I unconsciously muttered to myself, Carl, sitting across from me, answered indifferently.

“You don’t even know that? People who believe in the state religion are called Soliens, and those who believe in heresy are called Rudenians.”

“Ah, really?”

I knew about Soliens, but this was my first time hearing about Rudenians.

But it wasn’t completely unfamiliar…… where did I hear this?

As I pondered with my chin propped up, it suddenly came to me.

‘When I first met the head priest!’

At that time, the man talking with him in the alley seemed to have mentioned a word similar to ‘Rudenian.’

‘……Or not?’

Since there was quite a distance at the time and I hadn’t heard clearly, plus time had passed, I couldn’t be certain.

It might just be me fitting together distorted memories.

I roughly finished my thoughts and raised my head to see Carl staring intently out the window.

The carriage had stopped for a moment because the roads were quite congested due to the founding festival.

Following his gaze outside, I saw the streets full of people enjoying themselves to the fullest since it was the last day of the festival.

‘Does Carl want to have fun too?’

That thought occurred to me seeing his somewhat wistful profile lost in thought.

He’d been following me around throughout the founding festival without properly enjoying it.

Since he said he’d never participated in the founding festival except once when he was very young, he might actually want to have fun.

‘I was curious about the founding festival too…… they said there are fireworks on the last night.’

Since I hadn’t enjoyed it either, I gathered my courage and spoke up.

“Carl, do you want to have some fun before going home? We should enjoy the founding festival too.”

“……Well, if that’s what you want.”

I laughed at his coy response, being dishonest like a tsundere.

We stopped the carriage near the square and got out together with Carl.

“Just in case, don’t get more than three steps away from my side.”

“Yes, yes.”

While answering carelessly, I didn’t want to make him anxious, so I directly grabbed Carl’s wrist and dragged him along.

I felt his hand flinch and stiffen slightly, but I was focused on charging toward the shop in front of us and let it slide.

“Let’s buy one of these each!”

“……You’re not going to wear it around, are you?”

“Silly, of course—”

I grabbed his shoulders and pulled them down to bring that head up there down to my level.

I put a fluffy puppy headband on Carl’s head as he bent his waist awkwardly.

“We’re going to wear them around!”

There were many people wearing animal headbands on the street.

It seemed to be today’s concept, so I also wore the same puppy headband as Carl.

But—

“Something else suits you better.”

Carl arbitrarily took off my headband and replaced it with a new one.

“What is this?”