Chapter 29

When the exchange seemed to be over, Kadenic turned back, met Lachesis’s eyes, and said,

“The meeting with the Chief High Priestess has been set for tomorrow at this time.”

“Tomorrow?”

Lachesis burst out in pure admiration.

As expected of the Marutia Dukedom. The proud Chief High Priestess Agnes didn’t meet people easily even if they were nobles. If it had been an ordinary noble, it would have taken at least a week to secure an audience. And if it were the Deate Earldom, more likely half a year.

Lachesis hesitated with her lowered gaze for a moment, then lifted her head. It was polite to meet someone’s eyes when offering thanks.

“Thank you. I’ve received help.”

“Only now do you finally look at me.”

Kadenic’s face, properly seen for the first time today, was sparkling from early morning. His blue eyes held a gentle warmth, and a considerate smile rose at his handsome mouth, making it all the more so.

‘Ugh…… how embarrassing.’

Lachesis quickly lowered her face again.

She felt so awkward looking at Kadenic. She was regretting how, caught up in late-night emotions and Father’s situation, she had spilled every little thing to him last night.

Just thinking about last night made heat rise to her head.

Perhaps it showed in the ear glimpsed between her long blond hair, because above her head she heard Kadenic’s soft chuckle—huff.

Kadenic lifted a hand as if he wanted to tap her ears, flushed red, then paused. His hand fell, pointlessly clenching only empty air.

“I don’t know what you’re so embarrassed about, Miss Lachesis Deate.”

“Pardon?”

“After you returned from the Bilder’s house yesterday, did something happen?”

At the unexpected question, Lachesis lifted her head in puzzlement. A mischievous gleam flickered in the eyes she met.

Those gemlike blue eyes in sharp eye corners held a fleeting, boyish charm—especially when they carried a teasing light like now.

‘Ah. I asked him to forget everything he heard last night.’

Lachesis remembered what she had asked Kadenic before meeting her father last night. This man, kind yet faithful to his word, seemed to be keeping the promise he had almost forgotten.

It didn’t erase the embarrassment, but it did give her the courage to put on a rough mask of shamelessness.

Lachesis fanned herself pointlessly and muttered,

“Nothing, what could have happened. It’s just hot, so my head keeps drooping. It must be about to turn summer already.”

“The morning sunlight has grown intense.”

Looking up at the clear sky, Kadenic played along smoothly.

“On a day like this, it’s perfect to drink a chilled rose cordial made by the Marutia Dukedom’s chef. How about it, Chessie?”

It was a natural invitation.

Lachesis neither readily accepted nor refused. With a graceful lift of his mouth, Kadenic spoke a painter’s name like a trump card.

“It would be nice to admire Embranti’s paintings while drinking rose cordial.”

Sure enough, surprise and admiration immediately spread across Lachesis’s face, which had been indifferent.

“What? You also have works by Embranti? At the Long Gallery before, I didn’t see any of Embranti’s works.”

“They’re stored in the underground repository. The painters of the other works in there are also worth seeing…….”

“No, to shove a great master’s work into an underground repository! How could you do that?”

Cutting Kadenic off, Lachesis didn’t even notice the rudeness she had committed.

Excited as if she might stamp her feet on the spot, she started walking at once. Then, not sensing anyone following, she whirled around and raised her voice at Kadenic, who was standing still.

“Why aren’t you coming by carriage? Hurry, we need to go to the Marutia ducal residence.”

***

Chief High Priestess Agnes was a middle-aged woman with long silver hair. When she smiled, her wrinkled face gave a motherly, kindly impression, but the luxurious fabric she wore and the aura surrounding her like a halo were tremendously authoritative. Especially the stern, cold light in her fierce eyes.

“…….”

Lachesis flinched and stiffened under the gaze that seemed to bore into her.

Because she had returned late to the Marutia ducal residence yesterday, she hadn’t slept deeply. Already exhausted, having that heavy gaze pour onto her made it hard to form a polite smile.

Without taking her eyes off Lachesis, the Chief High Priestess opened her mouth without hesitation.

“I cannot permit it. Didn’t former Earl Alfred Deate come to the temple of his own feet and devote himself? And yet you say you’ll change his mind overnight and excommunicate him? The temple is not an inn where one stays a night and leaves, Lady Deate.”

“There was a misunderstanding within the family that led Father to decide on devotion. Please be magnanimous. I will certainly provide compensation befitting that.”

“It’s appreciated, but the temple already manages quite well with the donations of other believers.”

The Chief High Priestess’s words sounded oddly pointed. Lachesis hadn’t assumed compensation meant money, yet Agnes specifically mentioned donations.

Lachesis didn’t miss the cunning smile that rose at Agnes’s lips.

‘It seems she wants something…….’

But it wasn’t money.

Chief High Priestess Agnes had an exceptional hunger for honor. Wasn’t she someone already pouring her heart into the tomb where she would one day be buried? What sort of compensation would suit her?

‘Usually it would be money, but this is the temple…….’

Kadenic, at her side, merely drank tea with leisurely ease and showed little desire to participate. It was obvious this was a problem Lachesis had to solve alone.

But she wasn’t worried. In a different way, she trusted Kadenic. The fact that he was this relaxed meant she was capable of handling it herself.

Lachesis’s mind spun taut.

“Then the Deate Earldom will dedicate a prayer chamber…….”

Watching Lachesis speak carefully, the Chief High Priestess’s eyes narrowed. The look wasn’t pleased.

Any noble with a little money would dedicate one or two prayer chambers to the temple. It was a symbol of wealth and honor, and also carried the meaning of being able to rest in God’s embrace after death. The Deate Earldom already had two prayer chambers.

Yet Agnes’s greedy gaze wanted something beyond even that.

‘More than this?’

It wasn’t impossible, but…….

Lachesis quickly shifted her words and forced herself to keep her smiling face.

“……wouldn’t be enough, would it.”

“It’s not so much that it’s not enough—it’s an unwelcome offer. Fortunately, prayer chambers in the Imperial City are already saturated.”

With a satisfied smile, the Chief High Priestess lifted her teacup. Before the rim could touch her lips, Lachesis continued.

“I don’t know if you’ll like this. The Deate Earldom will build and dedicate a new temple.”

The teacup, which had been slowly tilting, paused. Chief High Priestess Agnes’s lowered eyes flashed as she looked toward Lachesis.

Lachesis realized that was the correct answer. But she didn’t feel happy.

‘I’m done for…….’

In an instant, it felt as though a huge boulder had been set upon her shoulders.

***

Chief High Priestess Agnes didn’t give a definite answer on the spot. She only suggested that Lachesis attend the upcoming council meeting, saying that temple construction had to proceed through the temple elders’ council.

The problem was that the elders’ council meeting would be held the very next day.

The Chief High Priestess spoke as if it would be enough to simply attend, but that couldn’t be true. To gain agreement to build a temple, she would need supporting materials.

For instance, an architectural blueprint……. At the very least, she would have to survey the region where the temple would be built.

‘I don’t know anything about that sort of thing!’

Even though she had half achieved what she wanted, Lachesis’s drooping shoulders looked like those of a defeated soldier.

In contrast, Kadenic’s demeanor was light. Like someone who had just enjoyed a modest tea gathering, he left the temple with brisk steps.

“You’re going to gather reference materials, right?”

Lachesis nodded weakly and asked,

“I found the right answer, right?”

“There wouldn’t have been a better alternative than this.”

She had lacked confidence. Hearing Kadenic support her judgment in his calm voice made her heavy heart feel a little lighter. The plain hand that patted her shoulder gave her strength, too.

“Let’s go to the Marutia ducal residence. There should be books that can help.”

It wasn’t a suggestion she could easily refuse. Even without seeing it, it was obvious the Marutia ducal residence’s library would be better than the Deate residence’s. Besides, weren’t masterpieces spread throughout the Marutia Dukedom to comfort the mind? She might even be able to see more of the paintings she had missed yesterday.

Just imagining it made her excited. Pressing down on her fluttering heart as if to calm it, Lachesis spoke, pretending to be casual.

“Come to think of it, it feels like I’ve been seeing you every day lately, Your Grace. Especially since it’s not rare that we’ve been together until late at night, too…….”

As Lachesis carefully reviewed the recent days, the end of her sentence trailed off.

Now that she thought about it, it really had been like that. Even yesterday, hadn’t she returned late because she’d spent all day touring the underground repository at the Marutia ducal residence? It had been well past midnight.

Kadenic, as if it were only natural, had personally escorted her all the way to the front of the Deate residence.

Lately, it felt like she had been spending every night with him like this, unintentionally—without missing a single day since the day she first happened to meet him.

At the sudden thought, Lachesis started counting on her fingers, then startled.