“I see the blessing of Illavenia, that calls upon the white night.”
“Blessings to you. What about the High Priest Laheansi?”
“I told him that His Highness Ricardis has visited, but…”
The gaze of the young priest did not face Ricardis directly, but roamed around his head, toes, fingertips, and shoulder. Ricardis made a hmm sound. ‘Understandable.’
“I’m sure he’s rolling around. All right, let’s go.”
“Our high priest is currently in bad shape…”
“I feel sorry for your effort, but by now it has become an excuse. The negligence of High Priest Laheansi isn’t just a day or two…”
“I shall guide you…”
The young priest walked ahead with drooping shoulders. His steps were strenuous. After passing a few corridors, a large door appeared.
The priest went ahead and wanted to inform Laheansi of the guest’s visit, but Ricardis opened the door first and went in. The priest nervously bit his nails.
The room was a mess. There was a robe on the floor, and a mop on the bed. And the pink-haired Laheansi was rolling around on the bed with the mop. He was lying on his stomach reading the scripture, and the crumbs he was eating fell over the scripture. Laheansi was bewildered and muttered, “Ah, the oil is spreading.” The young priest looked at the face of Laheansi and the face of the 2nd Prince who had visited, and then made a gesture to cry out for Idelavhim. Ricardis could understand the priest’s nervous attitude before opening the door.
“Ah, Brother, you’re here?”
Ricardis was silent for a moment at the tragic sight.
“… You haven’t changed.”
“They said someone was coming. Apparently it’s my brother. Tsk. Had they told me, I would’ve gone out to greet you.”
The priest wrinkled his forehead and glared at Laheansi with disrespectful eyes. He had obviously said that the 2nd Prince Ricardis, the Laurel of the Snowfield, had visited. The priest didn’t expect that his words would go out the other ear while he was reading the scripture.
“… Escort everyone outside the door. The only danger here is the level of hygiene. And Sir Rosaline would be better off moving to a place where the conversation could not be heard. May Sir Raymond be with her.”
‘I’m gonna have to leave her…’
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Rosaline, who had hesitated, took a heavy step. Looking at Rosaline, who was looking pale again, Ricardis lightly bit his lip once more. He wanted to reassure her by letting her stay by his side, but he had to hold back for a while because he didn’t know what kind of conversation they would be having. As the back of her head grew smaller, Ricardis added some words.
“Sir Rosaline. If someone picks a fight with you, you can beat them.”
“That’s not possible.” Starz responded calmly.
“You’re too strict.”
“Sir Rosaline, don’t touch the temple officials. Whatever happens, let Sir Raymond respond.”
Raymond punched his chest with his fist. It was a gesture of confidence.
“Yes, sir! I will beat them moderately!”
Starz closed his eyes for a moment.
“Sir Shuten will be outside the building with her instead of Sir Raymond. In case of emergencies, Sir Shuten responds.”
Raymond and Ricardis narrowed their eyes and looked at Starz. The knight commander lightly suppressed their dissatisfaction with a heavy silence.
***
Shuten and Rosaline left the room and moved. Rosaline’s ears performed better than expected, so they had to go farther than expected.
Shuten leaned against a pillar, and Rosaline perched on the hallway railing. The sun was shining on the dome of the white building in the distance. Rosaline closed her eyes for a moment at the twinkling and scattering light. The reason she soon opened her eyes again was because she felt the kind of gaze she had had at the previous entrance piercing through her once again. Rosaline looked back at those who looked at her.
All the priests passing by stopped at the sight of Rosaline’s dark hair. They glanced at each other and made an outright disgusting look. This place, where the belief in Idelavhim was stronger than any other space, rejected the power of Crean Tidanion more than any other place. No matter how much Rosaline saved the 2nd Prince Ricardis, that wouldn’t obscure the fact that she was a demon.
As Rosalne stared at them quietly without avoiding their gaze, Shuten obscured her and stepped forward in front of her. When the priests saw Shuten’s ferocious face, they moved hastily as if escaping something.
Rosaline licked her lips. The stinging eyes of people remained like afterimages and seemed to hover around her. She was frustrated and anxious. She suddenly missed Ricardis. ‘Are you okay, sir?’ Watching him put his hand on her shoulder and make eye contact seemed to make this feel a little better. Rosaline bit at her bottom lips until they were swollen red.
After that, people passed by endlessly. They whispered.
A demon. That’s a demon. That Rosaline. The 2nd Prince’s escort knight. Dirty. A Radwiell! Ominous…
The malice towards himself was often experienced even when he was not on good terms with the Knights of the White Night, but this was different. He seemed to be more tenacious, more ferocious, and more willing to dig into himself. Over Shuten’s shoulder, the old priest’s eyes met. Is that the way you look at the worst killer? Would it be like the face facing the dregs that collected the dirtiest, most disgusting, and stinky things in the world?
The malice towards her was often experienced even when she was not on good terms with the Knights of the White Night, but this was different. It seemed to be more tenacious, more ferocious, and more willing to pierce into her. She met an old priest’s eyes over Shuten’s shoulders. Is that the way you look at the worst killer? Would it be like the face facing the dregs that collected the dirtiest, most disgusting, and most stinky things in the world?
Rosaline wanted to run away immediately. She wanted to get out of their gaze. Her stomach started to churn. As Rosaline covered her mouth, Shuten looked at her anxiously.
“Are you not feeling well?”
“I feel bad.”
“Go back to the castle first. I’ll report it.”
“I don’t want to.”
Rosaline remembered Ricardis. She couldn’t leave him in a place like this. Shuten seemed to have noticed that he was the reason for her stubbornness.
“The stubbornness of the Radwiells. There’s no one big enough to attack His Highness in the Great Temple. What kind of attack is there? Everyone here wants to carry His Highness on their heads.”
As Rosaline covered her mouth and bowed her head, Shuten sighed. ‘Go, I don’t like this. Go away! I don’t like this!’ In the midst of her inner battle, she began to feel a movement at the end of the hall, which had become quiet.
“Sir Rosaline?”
Rosaline slowly lifted her head at the familiar voice. Diech was approaching from afar. It was their first meeting since she got lost on the festival day.
“Blessing of Illavenia, that calls upon the white night. I see His Highness the 5th Prince.”
Diech nodded his head.
“Blessings to you. What’s going on, Sir Rosaline?”
He replied to Shuten’s greetings with dryness and looked at Rosaline anxiously. Rosaline replied with her hand covering her mouth.
“Not… feeling good.”
Instead of fussing over her answer and asking if she was okay, Diech turned and looked around. His vision saw the priests whispering while looking at Rosaline from afar. Diech’s brow furrowed slightly.
“What is your name?”
When Diech looked at Shuten and asked him kindly, it was after his previous expression had completely disappeared.
“This is a senior knight of the Knights of the White Night, Shuten Secondfang.”
[Secondfang: of Second Fang]
“Alright, Sir Shuten. Seeing you knights here, it seems that my brother is nearby. Sir Rosaline doesn’t seem to be in a good shape, can I take her to rest for a while? There is a small garden in the back of the second building. It’s a place where people rarely pass. Will you come and pick her up when my brother comes out, Sir Shuten? If both of you move, there’s no way to contact him later. Is this arrangement alright?”
Diech’s eyes were bent as he smiled softly. Shuten smiled and nodded his head.
As soon as the temporary guardian’s permission was granted, Diech grabbed her wrist and moved on. He, who was always calm, walked hastily as if being chased by someone. Rosaline also moved accordingly. Diech continued to look back at her halfway through.
Every time he turned around, his gaze rested on her wrist. He seemed to make sure he was holding her well.
***
The garden was untouched and was built around a tree that grew on its own (it’s been there since forever and they just make a garden appropriately around it). As Diech said, there was no one here. Rosaline and Diech just set foot here. There was only a broken fountain dried of water, but it was still wonderful as ivy grew through the cracks.
A gentle breeze blew through the open space. Rosaline gently closed her eyes as the breeze mixed with the fresh grassy smell. ‘Dirty, how could such an ominous thing be in the temple…’ All the whispers were gone. The only sounds that rang in her ears were the sounds of birds and the occasional chirping of grass bugs.
Shrakk. Shrak.
One sound was added. Rosaline opened her eyes and looked at the source of the sound. Diech was snooping through the grass, diligently moving his hand.
Among the green leaves, unripe fruits and raspberries were colorfully embroidered. Rosaline came and admired it. Diech looked at her like that and smiled.
“You’re not feeling well, will it be okay to eat?”
“It’s just eating.”
Diech burst out laughing. He even shed tears, but Rosaline didn’t understand what was funny. Diech took off his cloak and spread it out under the shade of a large tree.
“Sit down, Rosaline.”
Rosaline sat on the clothes of the Imperial family without fear. Diech took out his handkerchief and placed raspberries and other berries he had gathered on it, and he himself sat down on his own clothes. The shadows of the trees swayed over the colorful fruits. Just seeing it made Rosaline feel much better. However, it was the fate of the subordinates to swallow only their saliva until the superiors had access to the food. Rosaline waited patiently. Hmm-hmmm. She hummed, taking turns looking at the fruit once, and Diech once.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
She gave him all sorts of hints. Diech picked up one of the raspberries and shoved it into her mouth. ‘Oh, it’s sweet.’ Rosaline’s eyes narrowed.
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