That evening, Edward recounted the events of the day to Lady Selina over dinner, though he carefully omitted his encounter with Theodore Kesley.
Edward’s summary of the situation was as follows:
- Rumors about him were spreading within the social circles.
- The grand nobles were opposing Lady Selina’s entrance into the social world.
- It was highly likely that the Empress and Duke Rahins were behind these actions.
Lady Selina listened intently and then spoke calmly.
“Is that so?”
Her reaction was one of inevitability, as if such an outcome was expected. Edward frowned tiredly and asked,
“Is this connected to the shackles you mentioned, Aunt?”
“In my view, the shackles haven’t even begun yet. Humanity instinctively rejects what is unfamiliar and unsettling,” she replied with a nonchalant air.
“It’s nothing to worry about. From the start, we were aware that it wouldn’t be easy for you or me to integrate into noble society.”
“I didn’t expect the Empress’s family to get involved. And Duke Rahins? He’s one of the empire’s four pillars. I didn’t think he’d stoop to meddling in something like this.”
“For a commoner to be accepted as one of the nobles is no small matter. However, I suspect there may be more to this that we’re unaware of.”
Her keen observation made Edward fall into silent contemplation.
Duke Rahins governed the prosperous western territories, whose wealth from the port cities had expanded his power to such an extent that he now controlled half the empire’s influence.
His might was so formidable that he had dethroned Countess Sasha Meinel as the Emperor’s fiancée and placed his daughter, Vivian, in her stead. With Vivian now the Empress and mother to the Crown Prince, Duke Rahins had only the Emperor as his rival.
It was expected that the duke, leveraging the future Emperor as his ally, would involve himself in imperial affairs. Yet, Edward found the current situation excessive—powerful figures obsessing over a single woman with hysterical fervor.
Edward concluded coldly,
“It seems I’ve earned the Empress’s disfavor.”
“Already?” Lady Selina regarded Edward with a mix of surprise and resignation, though her expression didn’t convey true astonishment.
Curious, Edward asked,
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I must admit, I find it more surprising that you’ve caught the eyes of His Majesty and Duke Xavier. You’ve always been the type to fall out of favor with the high and mighty.”
“That’s not exactly a compliment, is it?”
Lady Selina clicked her tongue.
“Who would want to keep someone around who doesn’t fear them in the slightest? Edward, you’ve never envied or feared others since you were a child. Those in high positions instinctively dislike such people.”
Edward didn’t find her observation particularly cutting. After all, he had experienced as much since his time as a naval officer.
Most of his superiors had viewed him as a thorn in their side and sought to suppress him. Even small matters like requesting supplies for his ship were met with suspicion and nitpicking.
Yet, despite such adversities, Edward had managed to catch the Emperor’s attention.
He realized anew how remarkably fortunate he had been.
“No matter what happens going forward, do not be shaken. Simply do what you can,” Selina advised.
“I will bear that in mind.”
As if remembering something, she added with a wry smile,
“Having such a beautiful woman by your side does come with sacrifices, you know.”
Edward sighed helplessly at her remark.
Regrettably, Lady Selina’s prediction came true the very next morning.
Priest Peggy arrived at the Xavier Duke’s estate at dawn, just as the sun began to rise. The world was still shrouded in twilight.
Dressed in a pristine white priestly robe with a purple sash, the symbol of a bishop, Peggy carried himself with an air of authority.
“Is the Duke not yet available?” he demanded.
“Please wait a moment,” replied a servant, bowing low before the stiffly upright priest.
Most priests of Lyhel devoted themselves to peace and the welfare of the people, but a select few, particularly those of noble birth, pursued political power.
Priest Peggy was one such individual. With noble blood running through his veins and a high-ranking priestly position, he considered himself superior even to the aristocracy.
His overbearing attitude was evident in his haughty expression.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
The one who opened the drawing-room door was Kias. Having worked late into the night, he looked fatigued as he regarded the priest.
Priest Peggy’s gaze swept over Kias before he frowned.
“Where is the Duke?”
“My father is still resting. If you have business, you may speak with me.”
“Ah, so you must be Kias Xavier, the young duke. I’ve heard of you.”
Kias raised an eyebrow slightly, easily discerning the priest’s condescension.
It was clear that the priest named Peggy had no intention of showing proper respect to Kias, who was still a young man not yet fully matured.
Although Kias ground his teeth internally, he maintained a calm demeanor as he spoke.
“May I ask for the distinguished priest’s name?”
Only then did Priest Peggy show a satisfied expression.
“This priest’s name is Peggy.”
“So, it is Peggy. May I be so bold as to ask the purpose of your visit here?”
“This is a letter from Archbishop Nikola. Deliver it to Duke Xavier.”
Kias quietly glanced down at the sealed letter Peggy handed him before silently taking it. The letter was sealed with red wax bearing the archbishop’s seal.
‘This is a hassle for something that could have been handled by a messenger.’
While he didn’t know the exact workings of the temple, it was evident that Peggy’s purpose in coming here wasn’t merely to act as a courier.
Even a noble-born individual would have hesitated to show such disrespect to Kias, yet this priest carried himself with a stiff-necked arrogance that needed little imagination to interpret.
‘He wants to belittle a great noble family.’
Despite understanding all of this, Kias didn’t let a hint of emotion show. He instinctively felt that this matter was related to Yelodia.
“I will make sure my father receives this letter.”
“I trust you will. As the eldest son of a grand noble family, you wouldn’t stoop so low as to read the letter before it reaches Duke Xavier.”
With his chin still held high, Priest Peggy finally departed from the mansion.
As soon as the priest disappeared from view, Kias tore open the letter with swift precision to confirm its contents.
***
The moment Edward arrived at naval headquarters, he was greeted with an unexpected revelation from his aide.
“What did you say?”
“A priest from the Lyhel Temple came by. He appeared to be a high-ranking official and introduced himself as Peggy. He brought a letter addressed to you.”
“A letter to me, from the temple?”
Edward looked baffled as he accepted the letter handed to him by Beyhern. Normally, the temple and the navy had no reason to interact, let alone exchange letters.
Before Edward could unravel the mystery, Beyhern furrowed his brow and began venting his frustrations.
“Don’t even get me started. That high-ranking priest was so nitpicky and obnoxious that even the smooth-talking Livia was at her wit’s end.”
“Sounds like you had a rough time.”
“Yes! Livia bore the brunt of it, but I also did my best to show the utmost courtesy to the esteemed priest.”
“…And how exactly did you show courtesy?”
“When the priest demanded servants to attend him, I handpicked only the biggest, burliest officers and sent them into the reception room. After that, the esteemed priest hastily—no, graciously—departed, leaving only the letter behind.”
“…”
“I’ve come to realize that the truest form of sanctity for a priest lies in their retreating figure.”
Beyhern brazenly twisted an old adage to suit his narrative.
“A priest looks most holy when they perform good deeds unnoticed and depart quietly.”
In essence, he admitted to intimidating the high-ranking priest into leaving.
Edward, at a loss for words, looked down at the letter, which bore the archbishop’s seal.
“Go ahead and open it,” Beyhern urged.
With a resigned sigh, Edward finally broke the seal and began reading. As he progressed through the letter, his brows knit tighter and tighter.
“What does it say?” Beyhern asked impatiently.
Edward summarized the contents in one sentence.
“The archbishop refuses to allow the ceremonial guard to carry weapons at the upcoming engagement ceremony.”
“What? Why? Does the temple even have the authority to interfere in a noble engagement ceremony?”
“They claim that weapons, instruments of death, have no place in a sacred ritual. At least, not one presided over by the archbishop himself.”
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