Chapter : 72
I was pulled out of my thoughts by Everett calling my name.
“Temis? Are you listening to me?”
“…Huh? Ah, yes. Of course! I’ll head back to my room now!”
I quickly turned away from Everett, who seemed like he wanted to say something more, and rushed back to my room.
Once I confirmed no one was inside, I lifted my staff and summoned darkness.
[A monster-free place… what’s going on?]
Darkness’s voice was gentle, as if the fight by the seaside had been thoroughly satisfying.
“Hide me.”
I needed to find out what James intended to say to Aria. To do that, I first had to go to Aria’s room without being seen by the staff.
With darkness as my cover, I slipped into the shadows under the lamplight and saw James standing at Aria’s door.
“Please… hear me out, Your Highness…”
His voice was much more desperate and urgent than before. The way he kept glancing around made him seem like someone being chased.
The corridor was unusually quiet, as if he had deliberately driven everyone away.
Creak.
Aria opened the door. Her face was strangely pale, but her eyes were resolute.
“We’ll get this over with quickly. If you threaten me using the orphanage again, I will punish you for insulting me.”
I remembered that Aria had lived in an orphanage before her identity as a princess was revealed.
If she was found in Deshua, that meant her orphanage was here too.
Threaten her…?
“Of course not. How could I dare threaten Your Highness?”
James nodded hastily and stepped inside.
Before the door closed, I slipped inside, hidden by the shadows.
“Originally, His Majesty the Emperor should have given me a share,” James said.
Lord James was initially aligned with Duke Stern. That was why he had been put in charge of one of the largest cities in Stern’s territory—Deshua.
But James was greedy.
The wealth and status he could enjoy under Duke Stern were limited, far from enough to satisfy his ambition. So, instead of reporting Aria to Duke Stern after finding her, he brought her straight to the Emperor.
“But now, only my life is in danger! Please, protect me…”
As you know, the Emperor had almost lost his mind ever since his drug addiction was exposed, leaving James’s future uncertain.
“Please… I beg you. If you help me, I will never forget your favor.”
“Let me think about it,” Aria said, giving no clear answer.
James bit his lips nervously, clearly anxious.
So that’s why he was suddenly killed in the original story… by Duke Stern.
His actions made it obvious. He was a bat, sticking to whoever benefited him.
“I must go now. I need to rest well to enter the dungeon tomorrow,” Aria said, unwavering even in front of this trash. Well done!
While I cheered silently, there was a knock on Aria’s door.
“May I come in?”
It was Everett.
I spun around to face the door with a stiff expression. Wait… have they grown so close that Everett comes to her room at this hour? Since when? Did something happen between them without me noticing?
“Come in.”
Aria opened the door for Everett and quickly gestured for James to leave.
“Do you need treatment as well, Lord James?”
“No, I don’t.”
Everett spoke casually, yet James quickly hid, clearly scared.
Everett’s eyes, scanning the room, briefly fell on me standing near the bookshelf. Did he… see me?
He couldn’t have seen me…
I was hidden using darkness, unseen even by Aria, another mage. He shouldn’t have noticed me either…
But his gaze earlier was too obvious, wasn’t it?
Just then, Aria’s knees suddenly buckled.
“Ugh…!”
The composed expression she had maintained in front of James twisted in an instant.
“Ughh…”
She pressed a hand to her mouth with a long-suppressed groan. But the dark red blood trickling through her fingers couldn’t be stopped.
…This can’t be happening.
Aria was coughing up blood.
“Everett… priest… quickly…”
Her voice, almost strained to a whisper, was hoarse. The tone, which Aria would never normally use, was shocking, like she’d been struck unexpectedly.
“Use this.”
Everett handed her a handkerchief calmly, which quickly became soaked in red.
It seemed today’s monster-slaying near the gate had taken a toll on Aria. I worried she’d overexerted herself, but I never imagined it would be this hard.
I’ll need to bring more sedatives later.
I felt a sudden surge of guilt toward Aria. Even while overexerting herself, she still helped me…
I had been anxious whenever she was with Everett, worried she might grow fond of him. But seeing her being treated by Everett was no different than receiving treatment from her usual physician. There was no hint of love at first sight or any intimate atmosphere.
Everett held Aria’s hand with a solemn expression. His touch was full of respect, as if dealing with someone of higher status.
Have I really succeeded in changing the original story?
It was too early to relax, but it was clear the fates of the two protagonists had shifted somewhat. If Aria could continue with her mentor, I wouldn’t have to worry so much every time she received treatment from Everett.
When will they leave?
I couldn’t eavesdrop forever, so I was keeping watch.
“The treatment is finished, so I’ll take my leave,” Everett said.
“Thank you for your efforts.”
Everett rose from his seat, giving me a natural chance to leave. I followed him quietly.
Once Aria’s door closed, Everett muttered in a small but clear voice:
“I know you’re there.”
At first, I didn’t realize he was talking to me.
“Temis, why are you hiding in your room? And using your abilities to do so?”
But his scolding tone was clearly directed at me. I finally dispelled my magic.
“How did you know?”
“I saw your darkness flowing from a still-active Mana Core,” he said.
“Can all priests see that?”
“…No, I’m a special case.”
Is this what they call a male protagonist buff? Suddenly, I felt like a student being scolded by the teacher.
Even if it was for everyone’s good, eavesdropping was wrong.
I admitted honestly:
“I was worried because something seemed off about Lord James. I feared he might harm the princess.”
“There are guards in the castle, and the princess herself is a capable mage,” Everett said.
“I know, but I still worried.”
Everett sighed and crossed his arms, looking at me.
“Perhaps you should take care of your own body first.”
His words reminded me of the pain I’d been ignoring. I had also overexerted myself today.
“Yes, you’re right. I should get treated. Can you treat me now?”
“She’s not the type to agree so quickly… what is she thinking?”
Everett’s words made me flinch. Does my expression really reveal everything? Impossible. But Everett reads me too well.
“Won’t you tell me?”
“Shall we move to the room?”
Fearful someone might hear, I quickly pulled Everett into my room. I did need his help anyway. The question was how to start.
I took a deep breath and began:
“Everett, if I…”
Everett naturally finished my sentence:
“You want to enter that dungeon, don’t you?”
I was dumbfounded. He had seen right through me.
“How did you know?”
“If Temis is asking me personally, it’s obvious,” he said.
“Will you go with me?”
“You’ll have to convince me first.”
“Hmm… that won’t be easy.”
Well, it’s a last resort, but I could enter the dungeon without Everett. If I filled my bag with sedatives and awakening potions, I could probably manage, even if my body was at risk. Perhaps pushing myself this way could even stabilize the Mana Core faster.
“I can see exactly what you’re thinking,” Everett said.
Really, I need to fix how easily my thoughts show on my face.
