Chapter 89

“There was a big incident earlier today too, I heard.”

“Mm. You got the report, huh.”

“If the knights couldn’t come, you should’ve told me before you went out.”

“But you were busy, and…”

I trailed off, fumbling for words, then closed my mouth.

Looking back at what I was about to say, it was all hypocrisy. I’m not some saintly figure.

“Today, me being on the scene was the best option.”

When the magic gate was on the brink of collapsing, the first thing that came to mind was the damage to the small merchants. But in the end, what truly drove me was this thought:

‘If something goes wrong, it’ll affect securing the emperor’s person.’

I stopped fiddling with my fingers and calmly rested my hand on the armrest of the sofa.

“Sister, when some petty thing gets in the way of my work, it pisses me off.”

Why had I turned against Austin?

Because he proposed even though he didn’t love me? Because he had no integrity?

No. It was because he was getting in the way of my goal to live peacefully after returning the elemental power.

“You’re like that too. And so is Mom, right?”

They probably saw through this side of me, hidden behind the façade of calm, and said, “That’s just like Karnian.”

My sister, who had widened her eyes, soon gave a small laugh.

We didn’t talk more because Theodore happened to walk in just then, but in her eyes, I could see something like pride. Or maybe she simply thought it was natural.

She turned around and firmly locked the door to the Reflection Room.

“If you stay in here, you don’t have to worry about information leaking. Meals will come up through the kitchen’s magic circle.”

“Sister, be honest. This isn’t a reflection room, it’s a prison, isn’t it?”

“Hehe. How should I know what people from the old days were thinking?”

Then why are you smiling so creepily?

As I left the office, suspicious, my sister never denied it.

“Minuelle!”

Just then, Ramande came running up the stairs, breathless.

‘He said he’d help out at the temple today.’

Seems like he just got back, and now that I think about it, I hadn’t sensed Gabbie’s presence. It was clear he had told Ramande about Esadien’s situation as soon as he returned.

“……”

I walked right past Ramande, pretending I couldn’t see him.

Feeling the chill, Theodore just gave him a nod and followed behind me.

Ramande made no sound behind me, but I had no intention of looking back.

I was angry—at Esadien for luring me in with his cute appearance, and at myself for falling for it.

But I wasn’t sparing Ramande or Gabbie either for staying silent despite knowing the truth.

Especially Ramande. The sense of betrayal was real.

‘We’ve been together for ten years.’

I thought we were the closest of friends, yet he chose to protect Esadien over me.

These days, since we weren’t always together, I knew there could be things Ramande kept from me. It had made me a bit anxious at first, but I came to accept it.

But this? This was too much.

“You really did a lot today, Theo.”

He’d only come to greet me and ended up caught in everything. He’d had a rough day.

“I think more happened here in a day than during my entire time in the South.”

“Quit joking.”

I smiled faintly, and Theodore did too—but then his expression turned serious.

“Please take care of His Highness.”

“I won’t torture him, don’t worry.”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Stop, Theo.”

I shook my head slightly. Seeing my subdued mood, Theodore gave a wry smile.

“Right… I should know when to step back.”

Even the way he slowly turned to get into the carriage looked worn out.

Feeling sorry, I stood there until the carriage disappeared from view.

“Haah, now I really feel like a rag.”

I just wanted to rest.

Muttering that, I returned—only to find Ramande standing outside my room, fists clenched and looking grim.

“Minuelle.”

“Move. I’m extremely tired right now.”

“……”

My cold tone made him slowly step aside.

I’d rarely treated him like this, and even while I was angry, a part of me felt uncomfortable.

So when I thought it was finally over and I reached for the door—

Thwack.

Ramande suddenly grabbed the doorknob, catching my hand.

“What the— Let go!”

“Just get mad. Hit me if you want.”

‘Why is everyone telling me to hit them lately? Esadien, Ramande—’

‘Is that really how people see me?’

“Why would I? My hand would hurt more than your face.”

“Then acting like this is the same as hitting my heart. Doesn’t your heart ache?”

“……”

Where is he learning these lines from? I rubbed my arms from the chills.

But Ramande gripped my hand tighter.

“I’m sorry.”

Unlike me, who was awkward and uncomfortable, Ramande was completely serious.

“I’m sorry, Minuelle.”

Hearing the sincerity in his voice, my tone softened just a little.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I told you to kick him out.”

“How was I supposed to know with just that? Back then, El just looked like a small animal to me.”

“There was no way to prove it.”

Ramande’s face twisted slightly as he continued.

“If I could’ve erased that curse or whatever with divine power, I would’ve shown you on the spot and kicked him out. But I couldn’t. It shook my faith in myself.”

Hearing that made me feel a little sorry for him.

Everyone called him a future High Priest, praised his abilities—but he had to face a curse his power couldn’t touch.

(Though, in reality, it wasn’t a curse but a side effect of the drug…)

“And you… you liked El more than you thought.”

It was right after that line.

Ramande looked surprised, then suddenly pulled me into a tight hug.

I didn’t realize I was crying until his shoulder, leaning against me, started to get damp.

He was right. I liked El.

Just like how I’d fallen for Esadien at first sight, El had taken my heart from the very first day.

Whether small or large, he was always cute. I adored the way he followed me around.

“I’m sorry.”

Ramande gently patted my back, apologizing again. But I coldly pushed him away.

“Enough. I want to rest. Go.”

That’s what I meant to do, but I couldn’t push him off.

Since when was Ramande this strong?

“No.”

He hugged me tighter, as if to say there was no way.

“I’ll stay with you tonight.”

“I don’t need that. You think I’ve forgiven you, don’t you?”

“That’s not it. I know you, Minuelle. You may forget the ones who come, but you never forget the ones who leave. You’re going to miss El all night, aren’t you?”

“Hey!”

Now that I couldn’t ignore. I summoned all my strength and shoved Ramande away.

“Don’t be ridiculous! You think I’m that stupid?”

“It’s not stupidity. It’s natural.”

“No. Absolutely not. I said no!”

I kept denying it with everything I had.

Ramande was just as stubborn, but as always, I was the one who came out on top.

After I finally forced him out, I flopped into bed—and let out a bitter laugh.

“Damn you, Ramande Plendena. How do you know me that well…?”

Annoyingly, he was right.

Every corner of my room reminded me of El.

Even when I changed the sheets and found one last golden strand of fur under the pillow—I couldn’t throw it away. I placed it gently in my drawer.

I really was an idiot.

“Is something wrong?”

The Apostle asked me with concern.

‘Stupid Minuelle Karnian only realized this morning, after feeling around the bed for a while, that El was truly gone.’

But I couldn’t say that. I just rubbed my tired eyes and gave a weak chuckle.

“My pet left me.”

“Oh no…”

I was at the Temple of Plendena. Since the Apostle had written a statement saying I was helping with the New Year Festival, I had to drop by from time to time out of courtesy.

Not that I minded—meeting the Apostle was always pleasant.

We reached the end of the corridor, and the central garden came into view.

“Tada! Isn’t it beautiful this year too?”

The Apostle beamed brightly like a child, showing off the decorations for the New Year Festival.

As expected of the temple devoted to the god of beauty, they were always serious about decoration during the holidays.

Each year looked completely different.

This year, the statue of Plendena stood at the center, surrounded by statues of past Apostles. Between them were lush green plants and golden ornaments—even in winter.

“No need to say it. It’s stunning.”

While admiring the scenery and momentarily forgetting my worries, I asked something that came to mind upon seeing Plendena’s statue.

“The crystal statue of Plendena… Has your personal one been restored?”

The Apostle’s face, full of pride and joy, darkened instantly.

“No… No matter how we try, the repaired parts always show.”

Oh dear. I probably shouldn’t have brought that up.

“Why is it that divine power can destroy, but not restore? We can smite in the name of a god, but we can’t repair in their name?”

Grief so easily turns to anger—and the Apostle, a lifelong devotee, was no exception.

“They dared to damage that part.”

Seething with fury, the Apostle muttered that back then, we should’ve taken something much worse than their joints.

“How dare those profane wretches touch Plendena’s sacred…!”

Um… I get that the intruders were blasphemous, but aren’t we edging closer to sacrilege ourselves?

In the end, I promised to use my savings to commission a new statue, and only then did the Apostle return to their elegant self.

‘Feels like I got hustled, a little…’

But they’d helped me many times, so I didn’t mind.

I smiled faintly and continued the topic of the Cult of Fire.

“I’m no expert, but I don’t think they’re trying to create a new god.”

‘Pure flame isn’t a god. It’s a light that will cleanse this world—and until that day, we summon the god of sand sleeping in our land.’

Hearing the zealot’s words from my mouth, the Apostle clicked their tongue.

“They’ve really borrowed from every doctrine under the sun.”

The light of cleansing, the day of judgment…

I thought it sounded like a patchwork of terms from churches that worship purity, order, judgment, and righteousness—and the Apostle’s comment confirmed it. I was a little surprised.