Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The instant their skin touched, the world shifted as if she had fallen into a dream. The dreary office melted away, replaced by an exotic receiving room draped with splendid tapestries. It was exactly the same as when she had been subjected to penance.

“Divine power really is convenient.”

At Sian’s unthinking remark, Actarachion Jerdin laughed as though finding it absurd.

“It is not such an omnipotent power.”

“Seems like it to me.”

Hadn’t it carried them all the way to the far side of the continent in an instant?

With only wonder instead of suspicion, Sian withdrew the hand she had rested on him and took in the receiving room. The fur carpet covering the floor, the gold adornments surely meant a waiting room for honored guests near a banquet hall. Considering Actarachion’s status, it was no surprise they had been given such fine quarters.

After a few minutes of gleeful sightseeing, she stole a glance at him.

He was watching her steadily, his expression unreadable. A chill ran down Sian’s spine.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Of course. Do you think I came here just to indulge you?”

Then why not say so earlier? Why just sit there staring at me? Sian abandoned her exploration and returned to sit on the sofa close to him.

“Is this about what you wanted to bring up last night? About Dion…”

“That habit of yours, you really can’t break it, can you?”

His face twisted sharply, cutting her off.

What now?

“I misspoke. About the Duke I’ll soon be breaking the engagement with. That man.”

Only after she hurriedly corrected herself did his expression ease. He sat down beside her on the sofa, disconcertingly close.

Their thighs brushed, and she instinctively drew her legs together. His faint, sharp scent reached her, and she hunched her shoulders in discomfort.

“Why sit next to me…?”

“The Duke tried to plant his agents in the temple as well. He must have known of your whereabouts early on. Outwardly, he played the pitiable fiancé, releasing knights and making a public fuss, while quietly moving in secret.”

“What?”

Startled, Sian grabbed his clothes and shouted. “He was doing the same thing to the temple as he did to my family!” 

The back of her neck prickled. Persistent bastard.

“He acted under the Emperor’s support. He will not stop halfway. If necessary, he might even attempt to seize the temple itself.”

“But that would violate the Non-Agression Treaty! It could spark war across the continent. Why would he risk that?”

“Because his goal isn’t to control the temple. His goal is you. And since you’re within the temple, he will begin with negotiations. If talks fail, he’ll resort to abduction. One way or another, once he has you, his purpose is fulfilled.”

A dreadful thought.

“After that, he’ll pull back his agents and cease interfering with the temple. That would be his calculation.”

“…Even so, you’re saying he bears no guilt?”

“If we’re speaking of right and wrong in the act itself, of course he’s guilty. Interfering with the temple, as you said, is a grave crime under treaty. Which is why he would approach me and the other High Priests for negotiations. He will try to buy us over.”

“Then my fate depends on you.”

“You sound uneasy.”

He fixed Sian with a steady gaze, as though trying to lay bare everything inside her.

Sian couldn’t hide it. She gripped his clothes tightly, her desperation stark and palpable.

He smiled in satisfaction, reaching to brush her long silver hair back behind her ear.

His fingers grazed the fine strands, then the warmth of her cheek, the curve of her ear. Each touch carried a sense of superiority. Yes, she would surely prefer me over the Duke.

“Rest assured. The title of High Priest isn’t something I wear for nothing.”

It was as good as saying he would not hand her over. Her face lit up.

“Really?”

“Of course. Why would I ever hand the temple to them—”

“Thank you, thank you!”

She cut him off before his words could turn into half a threat, throwing her light weight into his arms. Like at the lake, he stiffened.

Her slender arms slipped around his back. It was only a light embrace, but his chest grew tight.

“I knew I wasn’t wrong!”

She cried out in joy, whether from simple-mindedness or foolishness after everything she’d endured.

She had cursed him and refused to speak during the ordeal of penance, yet now she declared she had not been wrong. What was wrong with her? Shameless, reckless woman.

He found it strange that she was addressing him as though he were always trustworthy. Bitter words crowded his mind, as they always did.

But he could not speak them. Just like at the lake, he could not simply shove her away. Strangely, he couldn’t. His own lukewarm response irritated him, and the dull ache below only worsened his annoyance.

“Let go.”

His voice came out sharper than intended.

At last, she released him, still smiling warmly.

“Ah, sorry.”

“I told you at the lake…”

Before he could say don’t do that again, he froze. To his surprise, he felt a pang of regret. His shoulders and neck stiffened with tension.

Regret? Why? Why would I think that? Unfamiliar emotions clamped his mouth shut.

“What about the lake?”

She asked, but he had missed his moment to answer. A dull ache throbbed in his head. He pressed his forehead, biting the inside of his lip.

Her innocent gaze lingered on him, stirring his already raw nerves. She made him unbearably uncomfortable.

Actarachion reached out, covering Sian’s eyes with his hand.

“Don’t touch me.”

His voice was rough, frayed with lost composure. He felt her flinch beneath his palm.

He shoved her back, forcing her onto the long sofa. As she fell with a thump, he stood abruptly, fighting not to glance at the exposed lines of her body.

Dazed, Sian blinked up at the ceiling, then quickly sat up, glaring at his back in indignation.

So it’s fine when he touches me, but I can’t touch him? He may think himself the superior, but I’m still a Princess.

She pouted, then turned her head. That’s just the kind of man he is. It’s not new. I’ll just have to put up with it.

Forty more days and it’s over. Once the engagement is broken, I’ll never have to see him again.

Sian smoothed her tousled hair and steadied her emotions.

“When does the banquet start?”

“You want to attend?”

He turned slightly, his black eyes sweeping over her.

She smiled and nodded, undisturbed by what his gaze implied.

“Clothing matters, but only secondarily. In the end, everyone’s eyes will rest on the face.”

So long as her attire was decent, it was enough. She knew full well that she would shine, even in the plain black robes of a priestess.

His eyes narrowed, displeased. The Princess knew her beauty well. She would draw every gaze even without a lavish gown. That confidence explained why she could wear something fit for a funeral and still hold her head high.

Her shameless boldness always irked him. It felt as if her pride went beyond the rightful dignity of a Princess or a Grand Duke’s daughter.

The more he saw, the more Sian Heartperion’s nature seemed anything but that of a delicately raised noblewoman.

Simple, but not foolish. Reckless, but not weak. Shameless. Innocent.

And he hated her for it.

She seemed easy to break, yet she never crumbled. It made him want to destroy her all the more.

“Come.”

When he extended his hand, she didn’t refuse. Warmth overlapped as her hand slipped into his.

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation for the long awaited banquet. Whatever she liked, she embraced with blind fervor. Seeing that look, something stirred in him, an expectation he wanted to deny.

If the Princess were to become blindly devoted to me…

He told himself it was merely desire for conquest, and let the thought linger as he gently drew her along.

Sian followed his lead. Side by side, they entered a corridor with green carpet toward the banquet hall.

“It is La Kingdom’s regular exchange banquet. Even the Emperor of the Empire will be in attendance today. The dress code forbids only excessive vulgarity, so your priestess robe will be acceptable.”

He gave her a simple explanation of the banquet.

Sian’s eyes widened.

“The Emperor himself? But you said my identity wouldn’t be exposed.”

“Even if he sees you, he won’t go around proclaiming you’re a Princess of Sedin.”

“But he’ll recognize me. And so will his attendants…”

Uneasy, Sian glanced around. La Kingdom and the Empire spoke different languages, but if the Emperor was here, there might be attendants capable of both tongues. Speaking carelessly in the corridor felt dangerous.

She even checked the windows, wary of eavesdroppers.

“There’s no need to worry. The kingdom won’t place anyone near me.”

At that, Sian’s restless movements stilled. Her searching eyes fixed on him.

His profile was cool, betraying neither tension nor excitement. What is he thinking? For once, she wanted to provoke some reaction from him, rather than that unshakable detachment.

Her lips moved. Foolish questions threatened to escape. Why won’t they put people around you? She stopped herself. That wasn’t the point.

Instead, she steadied her voice and asked, “Why bring me to this banquet? To show me to the Emperor?”

“The Duke has long been certain you were within the temple.”

The news chilled her blood. Sian gripped her skirt anxiously, her anticipation for the banquet instantly vanished.

“By showing yourself here, we unsettle him. The fact you’re in the temple can’t be hidden forever, but at least your precise location remains unclear. Better still if you feign some mental instability. Then, instead of targeting the temple directly, his focus will be on confirming your condition and whereabouts.”

“You can’t just throw that on me suddenly… And besides, the Duke isn’t even here, is he? Even if the Emperor told him, he wouldn’t believe it without seeing it himself. He’s the sort who only trusts certainty.”

“You know him well.”

There was a thorn in Actarachion’s tone.

“I learned firsthand.”

“Indeed. You must know each other well.”

His pace suddenly quickened. Sian frowned, struggling to keep up.