Lou’s head bobbed up and down.

Gined carefully supported her head and leaned it against the bench’s backrest.

“You know? Being kind is the cruelest thing….”

She mumbled half-asleep.

“I always feel this way, but I can’t understand half of what you say, lady.”

Whether she heard him properly or not, Lou didn’t respond.

In any case, he decided he couldn’t leave her like this.

With a light whistle, his horse approached.

“Lady.”

“Yes? I wasn’t sleeping.”

Although he didn’t ask, her face was so blatantly cheeky that Gined almost laughed again. But since Lou seemed to dislike it, he bit his lip gently.

He helped her onto the horse.

On the way to the mansion, his mind was entirely focused on her.

He looked up at Lou several times, making sure she wouldn’t fall. Whenever their eyes met, Lou would give him a silly smile.

“You can’t drink, can you?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. It feels really good… Have you ever regretted becoming a priest?”

“No, I have not.”

Even as he answered, Gined imagined himself living as an ordinary man, not a priest.

A life where he valued the happiness of those around him more than the teachings of God.

If that were the case, he might have spent today drinking with her, listening to her stories. Maybe he could have held her staggering hand tightly. Just like close friends often do.

His imagination didn’t last long.

Soon, they arrived at the Dronay mansion.

Since the young lady had returned drunk with the Holy Knight Order’s leader, a small commotion naturally arose in the mansion.

“What happened?”

“It seems she drank alone.”

The Duke of Dronay’s face turned redder than Lou’s, who had been drinking.

“Please understand, she has been through a lot recently.”

Gined was aware of the incident that took place in the heart of Arcadia not long ago.

“Please don’t scold the lady too much. She must be reflecting on her actions.”

“Huh…? Ah, I see. I will keep that in mind. Don’t worry, ha ha ha!”

Was it just a misunderstanding that the Duke’s shoulders were shaking with unusual cheerfulness?

The next day.

Gined opened the chapel doors at the same time as yesterday. The afternoon sunlight shone through the stained glass, creating a myriad of colors.

Just as he was about to step inside, Gined stopped abruptly.

There was already someone in the chapel.

With lavender hair shimmering in the light and delicate shoulders, he could tell who it was just by looking at her back.

He quietly closed the door so as not to disturb her prayer.

But it was no use. Lou’s back flinched as she sensed his presence.

“Lady.”

She stared straight ahead, pretending not to hear him.

To avoid embarrassing her, he cleared his throat and took a seat a little distance away.

“…Hello, Sir Roengreen.”

Today, too, her face was flushed like yesterday. But today, it was from embarrassment, not alcohol.

“Were you praying?”

“Yes, well… I don’t know if God will listen to the prayers of someone like me.”

Lou gave an awkward smile. But it was only for a moment. Soon, she sighed deeply.

“Thank you for yesterday and I’m sorry. I heard you were the one who took me home. It might sound like an excuse, but I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”

“Overdrinking harms your body.”

“I’ll drink moderately from now on.”

Did she think he was scolding her?

Lou answered in a small voice.

“It is also a priest’s duty to listen to the concerns of the faithful, so if you need to, you can confide in me.”

Lou’s eyes widened at those words.

But the most surprised was undoubtedly Gined himself.

Although he had listened to countless concerns of others as a priest, it was the first time he had ever wanted to listen to someone’s worries first.

What kind of worries does Lou have? What prayers does she offer to God?

Even though she seemed like an innocent girl who never lacked anything, he had come to realize at some point that there were hidden secrets within her.

“It’s actually not a big concern.”

“I will keep your secrets thoroughly, so feel free to speak.”

“Well, it’s embarrassing to talk about it to others… But thank you for saying that. I will definitely consult you next time. Oh, right.”

As she scratched her head, she suddenly handed him something. It was the shabby dagger he had given her as a gift before. The dagger was ominously stained black.

“You are aware of the incident that occurred at the Poel Ducal House, right?”

“Yes.”

“When I used the dagger you gave me, it turned out like this.”

“I heard you resolved it quickly without any casualties, but it seems something more formidable was summoned than what I had heard.”

“It wasn’t actually that formidable.”

“Unless it was considerable malice, it wouldn’t have contaminated the dagger to this extent. It must have been relatively easy to handle because Lord Shahar was present.”

As he removed the evil energy imbued in the dagger, it regained its original dazzling light.

“Wow.”

Lou genuinely marveled.

“You are really amazing. I went around all the forges and temples in the capital, but they all refused. It must be proof of how exceptional your training is.”

She seemed to regard him as a saint of the century. It was likely because she hadn’t yet seen how terrifying and brutal he could be when dealing with monsters. Though he felt uneasy about the possibility of her learning the truth, he didn’t entirely dislike her admiring gaze.

“Thank you. I keep bothering you even though you are always busy. I will take my leave now.”

Lou stood up.

It was always like this.

He had already sent her off like this several times.

When Lou passed by him, Gined impulsively spoke.

“It’s not a bother.”

“Pardon?”

“Nor am I busy.”

She looked up at him with a slightly surprised face.

The afternoon chapel, where only the two of them were, was so quiet that they could hear each other’s breathing.

His heart beat uncomfortably fast.

Lou awkwardly lowered her gaze.

Even though he had stopped her, Gined didn’t know what to say.

After a long while, he asked what he had been curious about since yesterday.

“You said yesterday that being kind is the cruelest thing. Why do you think that?”

“Did I say that?”

“Yes.”

Lou’s eyes wavered as if she couldn’t remember.

“Well, it’s simple. If someone is kind to me, I might get my hopes up thinking they like me, and when I find out they don’t, I get hurt. Of course, you are an exception. You are a sincere priest… Anyway, it was something I said while drunk, so you don’t have to take it too seriously. Did I say anything else?”

She rambled like someone who was still not fully sober.

“It seemed like you don’t like me smiling.”

“No way. Your smiling face is… No, it looks so compassionate. Please smile more. And please forget about what happened yesterday.”

“I will… try.”

“What kind of vague answer is that?”

Lou laughed as if she couldn’t believe it.

Gined’s gaze lingered on her parted lips. Her smiling face was always pleasant to see.

Unconsciously, he smiled along with her. Then Lou’s red lips spread even wider like a blooming flower. His vision blurred.

“Thank you, Sir Roengreen.”

Her voice calling him was sweet. Maybe this is what being drunk feels like.

A new curiosity followed.

Is it really the smile that looks good? Or is it those lips?

***

If someone asked me if I was smart, I could answer without hesitation, no. I would give the same answer if asked whether I was quick-witted.

Even someone like me could clearly see that Gined had feelings for me.

‘It’s not a bother.’

He certainly said that. Even though I held onto him and caused all sorts of trouble while being drunk in the middle of the day.

Gined was the character among the three original male leads who had the most love for humanity. However, that affection was a vague feeling directed towards humanity as a whole, and he was almost indifferent to individual emotions.

As a result, despite being the most virtuous character, he was the least sociable among the male leads.

So, Gined’s statement could mean…

‘Does he have a crush on me?’

I tried not to show my excitement too openly, conscious of the coal.

After barely calming down, I fell into thought again.

It was still too early to be sure he had a crush on me. I still wondered what part of me melted his heart.

‘Is it my face?’

I took a small hand mirror and reflected various parts of my face. It was an objectively flawless and pretty face. But compared to Gined’s sacred beauty, it was like a firefly in front of a full moon.

‘Then is it my wealth?’

This was a more reasonable factor than appearance, but it didn’t quite fit either. If he were someone who could be swayed by money, I wouldn’t have these concerns in the first place.

‘Could it be my personality?’

Setting aside my terrible reputation, I doubted if anyone could meet his standards as the last faithful of the era.

‘Uh, intelligence…?’

That was something I didn’t have in the first place.