CHAPTER 111…………………………………………
How could anyone refuse when he smiled so purely?
“Then, should we review what we learned in class?”
“Sure.”
“Alright. Go wash up and come to my room.”
“Okay!”
Leaving Ron, who had answered so energetically, I busily thought in my head.
What should I teach him? How were the hand movements when we did the waltz?
Wait… what even is a waltz again?
“…….”
Damn it. All I can remember is spin, spin.
I felt apologetic toward Rose and her lovers, who had diligently taught me.
This is a disaster. I ended up just looking foolish in front of Ron.
A little later, as I faced Ron to dance, I confessed honestly.
“Ron, what should I do? I don’t remember anything at all. I’m sorry. I don’t think I can teach you the dance.”
I felt bad for Ron, who seemed to have been looking forward to this time and had dressed neatly.
But Ron said it was okay without showing any sign of embarrassment.
Then he gently lifted my drooping face.
“You have to lift your head like this, and put your other hand on my shoulder.”
“……?”
Huh? Didn’t you say learning the dance was difficult?
Why does Ron smell like a pro dancer?
Before I knew it, his face was close to mine.
And my hand was already resting on his shoulder.
I was dazed as Ron instantly corrected my posture.
Just as I was about to ask why he said the dance was hard, Ron spoke gently first.
“Can I hold you here?”
“Mm-hmm.”
By “here,” Ron meant my waist.
Because of my recent appetite and rapidly gained weight, I had torn the side slit of my dress several times.
I took a deep breath and straightened my waist.
Finally, our dance lesson began.
“One step forward, one step back. That’s it. Good job.”
Ron’s voice rang vividly in my ears.
My hand, holding his, grew cold from nerves.
It didn’t feel this tense when I danced with the instructors.
Well, the instructors were tall adults, so it felt more like they were playing along. But Ron, still growing, was about the same age and height as me, so it probably felt different.
“Um, Ron?”
“Hmm?”
“You said dancing was hard, right? But it seems like you’re better than me.”
“……No. Dancing is hard for me.”
Even now, his skill was remarkable for someone who had only briefly learned the steps.
Could it be that Ron was naturally talented at dancing too?
If we entered a dance competition like this, winning would be guaranteed.
And it wasn’t just his dance skills that were exceptional.
It was something the dance instructors had mentioned…
“The art of seduction. A skill that surpasses technique and captivates the partner!”
Yes, Ron had that seductive skill the instructors talked about.
While appearing focused on the dance, he occasionally sent me a deep, lingering gaze.
While leading, he smiled lightly, as if asking whether the pace was okay.
I was already captivated by his looks, and now he was enchanting as well.
The dance instructors would probably be shocked if they saw Ron.
A few days later, I received a letter from the temple.
The moment I saw the first line, I shouted with joy.
“Thanks to Lady Delve, the temple gratefully acknowledges the blessings of the heavens.”
“Wow! We did it!”
The sacred relic had finally returned to the temple.
The decisive reason the greedy emperor gave up was probably the golden statue I had delivered.
I couldn’t even finish reading the letter before rushing to the duke.
If the operation succeeded, my mother said it would be fine to tell everyone.
I explained everything that had happened to the duke, Ron, and the others.
At first, they all looked surprised, but soon they checked if I was okay.
“Thank you, Anne, for being honest like this.”
“I promised my mother, so I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you earlier.”
“I always thought it would be safe to entrust you to Rose, so don’t feel too guilty, Anne.”
“Yes, Father. Now we just need to go to the temple to receive the Holy Power from His Holiness!”
The duke patted my head proudly.
Ron, standing beside me, sincerely expressed his gratitude.
“Thank you, Anne.”
“It wasn’t just me. The Beljur troupe, and my mother, everyone worked together.”
“Anne, you have such a kind heart.”
“Sorry for breaking the mood, but you should read the last line of the letter.”
Everyone turned their attention to the letter at Gulter’s words.
“The power bestowed by God is being used for all the citizens of the empire. Therefore, it cannot be used for just one person.”
“Wait! Does that mean we can’t get the Holy Power?”
It was absurd.
We had given the golden statue to the emperor in exchange for the Holy Power and protected the temple’s sacred relic.
And now we were being told it couldn’t be used for a single person?
The duke was furious too.
“Damn that pope! I’ll go there right now…!”
Gulter stopped the duke from standing up abruptly.
“Your Grace, please calm down. I’ll go and bring it back.”
“No. This is something I must settle personally, sword at his neck.”
While they argued, I read the letter over and over.
Even though he was the pope with divine power, wasn’t this unfair?
Just as I was about to stand up in frustration, Ron’s voice made everyone focus.
“I think we need to meet him directly. It doesn’t sound like he’s saying the Holy Power cannot be given at all.”
Seeing Ron finish calmly, the duke, Gulter, and I calmed down.
Indeed, anger wouldn’t solve issues with the temple.
We immediately began preparations to travel south, where the temple was located.
Since it could be a long and uncertain journey, we limited the group.
The duke, busy with the mansion and the troupe, was excluded.
He had insisted on coming, but everyone refused.
Instead, an unexpected figure took his place.
“Severt… sir?”
I hadn’t seen Severt since the last tea party.
Ah, I had briefly seen him rushing off to training a few times.
He seemed to deliberately avoid me, which left me flustered.
Of course, it was brief and I soon erased it from my mind.
“You’ve been busy, I see.”
“A little.”
Severt’s face looked slightly thinner than before.
His body, strengthened from training, seemed even more robust.
Was he dealing with a serious concern?
“If you’re busy, you don’t have to come…”
“My father isn’t going, so I have to.”
“Oh, right.”
“You said you’d teleport there?”
“Yes.”
“We won’t enter the temple directly, so arriving nearby is fine. Here, the coordinates.”
“Thank you.”
I received the coordinates and imprinted them for teleportation.
Yet, something felt strange.
It was odd. Severt was acting strange…!
The key reason I felt this way was that he no longer called me “madam” at the end of his sentences.
“Roro isn’t barking… so why?”
Whenever he called me “madam,” my dog Roro would bark.
But Roro wasn’t here.
Well, I didn’t mind not being called madam, but it still made me uneasy.
Hmm.
Moreover, he was technically my fiancé.
I couldn’t figure out his concerns now, as the temple issue was more urgent, but I’d find out later.
“Severt, Ron, Sir Geratias, Kautz. Everyone ready?”
Once everyone gathered, I infused mana into the teleportation circle.
Upon arriving near the temple, a priest waiting in advance discreetly guided us through a side path.
Everything had to be done in secret, per the promise with the pope.
Once we left the central temple, we saw a small garden and a door.
“That’s His Holiness’ prayer room.”
The priest guided us to the door and returned.
When we opened it, the pope appeared immediately.
After looking at the group, he spoke to me, whom he recognized.
“I need to speak with you privately for a moment.”
“Just Anne and me?”
Ron’s voice was a little sharp.
Severt also frowned, seeming displeased.
“If we must represent Your Grace Kereis, it seems appropriate that I accompany her.”
“Agreed.”
The pope nodded gently and calmly.
Ultimately, Severt and I would enter the prayer room as the duke’s representatives.
“Ron, wait outside. This is a prayer room, and we won’t be far apart anyway.”
“…Understood.”
With a resigned expression, Ron waited outside with Gulter and Kautz.
A space for about six people.
It was small and modest for a prayer room dedicated to the emperor’s pope.
Though more lavish rooms existed, this felt more fitting.
“Why did you call only us separately?”
The pope brushed his white beard and replied.
“As I wrote in the letter, the Holy Power I possess must be used for the citizens of the empire. Therefore, it cannot be used for any particular individual.”
“…….”
I understood his words.
Since the saint hadn’t appeared yet, the person with the greatest Holy Power in the empire was the pope.
Kind and righteous, he had used the Holy Power prioritizing the weak: children, the elderly, and the sick.
For him to use it for the Kereis family, labeled as a dark clan, wouldn’t be easy.
But this required broader consideration.
“Your Holiness, I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors that the seed of disaster will annihilate the Kereis family?”
“Yes.”
“In fact, the guardian deity’s prophecy contains one more detail.”
Before I could continue, the pope spoke first.
“I am aware. The prophecy states that the seed of disaster may cause the massacre of thousands in the future.”
“You knew?”
“In fact… I’ve known for a long time. Long ago, Elder Veil Kereis visited the temple.”
“…!”
My grandfather personally came to the temple?
