Chapter 35

“I greet Your Highness.”

“It’s been a while.”

My lips twitched faintly as I straightened my back. Strangely, Lapheche wasn’t by Esadien’s side for once.

‘Ha.’

A scoff escaped me. Even I have started to associate those two together like needle and thread.

“We only saw each other just the other day, didn’t we? Where’s your friend? Came alone today?”

My voice was as sharp as a barbed arrow.

I had zero intention of living a life of saintly patience and endurance. Just one past life of that had been more than enough.

In this one, I had a family who’d tell me to break off the engagement if I didn’t like how things were.

“Friend?”

“Lady Celeste. Lapheche Celeste — the one who sticks closer to you than your actual fiancée.”

“……”

His blue eyes, unreadable as ever, simply observed me. The way he looked at me made my irritation flare even more — and the more it burned, the more I wanted to shake him.

So I threw it out like a stone: “I came here with Ramande, by the way.”

– Minuelle used [Provocation]!

Esadien’s lashes trembled visibly. The line of his jaw sharpened.

– It was super effective!

“……”

He reacted exactly the way I’d hoped, but for some reason, I felt a little uneasy. I crossed my arms defensively.

‘Why does it feel like he’s angry?’

Then, just as he seemed to be suppressing his emotions, Esadien finally spoke — and every word caught me off guard.

“I’m sorry for the other day.”

Uh. Wait, what?

“I spoke harshly to someone important to you.”

Wait… huh?

“It’s not that I was dismissing you. I just thought I would explain everything when the time was right.”

His calm, steady apology was so unfamiliar.

Not that it made everything disappear — especially the way he’d told me he “didn’t know” how he felt about me. I wasn’t ready to let my guard down.

Still, Esadien quietly reached out his hand. Unlike me, his expression was now completely relaxed.

“Then, may I escort you?”

“We’re about to split paths right up ahead.”

“Even so, I am still your fiancé.”

Those words sent a whirlwind of thoughts through my head.

‘Did he finally deal with Lapheche? Or is he trying to keep us both? Or… am I just the public-facing fiancée for appearances? Is this something he even wants, or is it just a sense of duty?’

 I couldn’t tell.

“Minuelle.”

Maybe I was so lost in thought that I reacted instinctively to his voice — I reached for his hand without thinking.

‘Crap!’

By the time I came to my senses and tried to pull away, it was already firmly held.

‘Dammit.’

“Let’s… go. We’ll be late.”

We still had plenty of time, actually — but I said it anyway, turning my face away to hide the scowl creeping up.

As I swallowed my sigh, Esadien spoke again.

“Minuelle.”

“…Yes?”

What’s with him today? He’s unusually talkative.

“You’re wearing those gloves again.”

“Oh, yes.”

I hadn’t even noticed. I wore them so often now that even the maids just naturally brought them out without thinking. They were a gift from Esadien.

I flinched, afraid he might ask me to take them off again. But thankfully, he just offered a simple remark.

“I’m glad you like them.”

“I wear them all the time.”

“Even at home?”

Such an innocent question, and yet it made my heart drop.

I instinctively tried to step back, but his hand stayed firm around mine. His gaze suddenly felt… intrusive.

“You were wearing them even in your own home.”

“P-Please… let go…”

‘Is this why?’

My voice trembled without my consent — but there was no sign of emotion in Esadien’s eyes.

Suddenly, I feared he might just tear the gloves apart then and there.

As if to confirm that fear, I felt his fingers tighten.

“What exactly… is underneath here?”  

‘How did he find out?’

Before the question of how he knew could even take shape, what surfaced first was the image of Esadien looking down at my hand — with contempt.

In that instant, all reason vanished. The only thought that ruled me was I can’t show him my hand.

“Let go of me!”

They say adrenaline can give you superhuman strength.

Without even realizing what I was doing, I shouted at him and shoved Esadien away. Then I ran — nearly bolting from the scene.

He didn’t follow me.

* * *

The coming-of-age ceremony officially began.

True to the temple of Plendena, goddess of beauty, those reaching adulthood received a baptism praying for a beautiful life.

Of course, even this followed the order of status — meaning I was the first among the women. That, of course, meant Esadien would be first among the men.  

Somehow, the side of my face itched with awareness, but I kept my eyes fixed forward.  

The High Priest greeted me warmly.

“It’s been a while, youngest Lady of the house of Karnian.”

“High Priest, have you been well?”

Every major city in the Preseria Empire had high-ranking clergy overseeing it — essentially dioceses — and the capital, Roquate, was under the care of the High Priest.

The High Priest answered my question with a smile. I’d heard they were over a hundred years old, but their face was radiant, as youthful as someone my age.

“But our young Lady here can’t seem to settle her heart,” the High Priest said. “Like a foxtail swaying before the wind.”

“Not a lantern or a reed?”

“I find foxtails cute.”

The High Priest really hadn’t changed.

“Is it that obvious?”

“No, not that much.”

“Well, that’s a relief—”

“It’s completely transparent.”

Ugh, seriously.

The High Priest simply smiled serenely, unaffected by my sulky pout.

With sacred oil, the High Priest drew the Plendena emblem — a heart-like shape — on my forehead and spoke quietly.

“There will come a time when you’ll look back and think, ‘It was beautiful.’ Surely.”

“…Do you think so?”

Every time I see Esadien, I feel like a foxtail in a storm, a flickering lantern, or a reed about to snap.

I looked up at the High Priest without meaning to, as if clinging, but the response was no more than three gentle syllables: “Next in line.”

Tch.

I couldn’t argue — someone was waiting. I sulked my way back to my seat, only to hear whispers trickling from behind me.

“Ah, doesn’t it smell kind of musty in here?”

“You noticed too, Lady? Me too.”

You too? Seriously? Me too!

The young ladies seated behind me were in perfect petty harmony.

“I didn’t think we’d be sharing a ceremony with commoners. Even though I’ve been coming to the Temple of Plendena for years… hmph.”

“My younger sister comes of age next year. I’ll tell her to go to a different temple.”

Yes. Please. Go. Don’t come back. Even Plendena wouldn’t like you.

I scoffed and crossed my arms.

‘Smell, my foot…’

In this world, even the gods of gold and credit existed — the religious sector had long embraced capitalism.

This was the temple in the capital city of Roquate. The only people getting through the doors here were from families who had donated a lot.

In other words, those having their coming-of-age ceremony here weren’t commoners — they were children of lawyers, merchants, or physicians.

‘Let them get sued with no lawyer, lose trade with no merchant, or fall sick with no doctor. Maybe then they’ll get it.’

They knew all this perfectly well, and yet they were grumbling about “commoners” and “smells.” Clearly, something about today just rubbed them the wrong way.

Even during worship, there was a height difference between the noble and commoner seating areas, but for this event, they had only separated us by a few rows.  

‘I get that they’re at that age where everything feels like a slight… but still. Acting like that? Don’t they realize how dangerous it is to make enemies of the temple?’

The whispering eventually reached a level I could no longer ignore.

Tch.

Shut your mouths already, you barely-register-on-the-map debutantes.

I clicked my tongue loud enough to echo, and soon the noise behind me died down.

‘Much better.’

Leaning back against my seat, I let myself enjoy the quiet. Things would stay peaceful for a while — with our status difference, they wouldn’t dare speak to me unless I initiated.

…Well, all except one.

“Lady Minuelle, you don’t look well. Did something happen?”

I let out a dry laugh.

‘Ah… that’s right. Lapheche Celeste is here.’

Not five minutes later, she had switched seats to sit beside me, putting on the most concerned expression she could muster.

“Hmm, I wonder.”

“The other day, when I was with His Highness Esadien, I—”

“Lady Celeste.”

Not ‘the third prince,’ but ‘His Highness Esadien.’ She might as well wear a sign around her neck that says “It’s serious between us.”

‘I can feel everyone’s ears perk up from here.’

They’re all pretending not to eavesdrop, but every last one of them is hanging onto our every word.  

Didn’t they all quiet down the moment I clicked my tongue?

Right now, if there’s one thing I truly want, it’s to throw Lapheche Celeste out of this temple.

But I’m a reasonable human being, so I tried the polite route.

“I’m feeling tired. I’d prefer to be alone.”

Also because I lacked the physical strength to throw her.

But Lapheche had the titanium-grade nerves to ignore a direct rejection.

“There’s something I really want to tell you about what happened recently. Please, if you could just come to my waiting room before the banquet…”

A banquet celebrating the ceremony would be held in the temple afterward, and all participants were given private rooms to get dressed in.

“……”

I just stared at her silently for a moment.

‘Shouldn’t you be the one coming to me if you have something to say?’

Honestly, I have no idea what goes on in this heroine’s head.

Still, the way her brows curved down in a delicate frown, how her golden eyes shimmered, and the way her lips trembled as if about to speak… I felt my boiling annoyance simmer down just a bit.

‘She’s… just too pretty.’

Tearing my gaze away from her unfairly attractive face, I spoke firmly.

“Don’t wait. It’ll be a waste of your time.”

“Please.”

“Lady Celeste, this seat is not appropriate for the daughter of a mere baron. Please return to your place.”

My tone was cold, but Lapheche simply repeated her plea and walked away.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

My head was spinning. I tried to brush it off, but her presence kept bothering me.

Why? Because she’s the heroine?

The question spun round and round until it blurred into a vague, nagging worry.

‘Is something wrong?’

But…what could it be?

‘Is she going to ask me to break things off with Esadien…?’

The thought crossed my mind, but if that were the case, why go through the trouble of privately inviting me like that?

In the original story, Lapheche never sought Minuelle out in private. To her, Minuelle was just a nuisance — someone obsessed with Theodore and constantly harassing her — so it made sense she avoided her like the plague.