CHAPTER 26……………………………………………………..
As soon as Xenya disappeared—so clearly rushing off after work as if afraid she might get caught— the door opened almost immediately, and Eligos stepped into Marbas’s office.
Eligos approached Marbas and spoke without preamble.
“I will proceed as planned.”
Marbas leaned back in his chair and asked crookedly,
“Is that a notice?”
“Yes. It’s a notice.”
Eligos affirmed without hesitation, then asked as if wondering what the problem was.
“You don’t intend to oppose it, do you?”
Yes, Marbas had no intention of opposing it.
But what Marbas was curious about was Eligos’s personal thoughts.
Judging by that stiff face, it didn’t seem like he would give an answer even if asked, so Marbas didn’t bother to question him.
When Marbas fell silent, Eligos stepped back as though he had expected it.
“Then I will proceed as is. The allowance will be paid generously.”
Without waiting for Marbas’s reply, Eligos turned around.
“So Your Majesty should also handle your assigned matters as quickly as possible.”
“Fine.”
“Your meal will arrive shortly. Then, farewell.”
Eligos looked as though he would leave the office without hesitation, but as he passed Xenya’s desk, he snapped his fingers.
Marbas followed the trace of magic with his eyes, but when he heard the door close, he straightened up in his chair.
Now alone again, Marbas’s gaze landed on Xenya’s neatly organized desk.
The ink stain that had been dried and stuck there just moments ago had vanished cleanly.
He recalled Xenya rubbing at it repeatedly with his thumb, clearly irritated by it until the very end of the workday.
Whenever their eyes met, it was obvious Xenya would ask for help, so Marbas had simply ignored the glances thrown his way.
“Do I need to bring cleaning tools tomorrow?”
Xenya had muttered that on purpose loud enough to be heard before leaving the room—full of the implication that he wanted Marbas to help.
And since Eligos appeared the moment Xenya left, he must have heard it too.
“I can’t tell what’s going on in his head.”
Until the meal arrived, Marbas alternated his gaze between the spot where Eligos had stood and Xenya’s desk.
“Th-thank you! Thank you so much!”
The area was filled with people kneeling, pressing their foreheads to the floor, endlessly expressing gratitude as a woman departed.
The woman, surrounded by her escorts, wore an uncomfortable expression and glanced back several times.
Only after the scene disappeared from view did she finally stop in place.
“How is it?”
At her question, the guards surrounding her stepped back.
A priest who served as her aide answered with a shameful look.
“We cannot find any trace of him anywhere.”
“……”
The woman’s face hardened coldly.
The priest bit his lip before continuing his report.
“We are searching thoroughly around the area where he first went missing, but there have been no results.”
At the faint sound of teeth grinding, the priest flinched.
After a long silence, the woman gathered her emotions and gave a calm order.
“No matter what… find him. No exceptions.”
“Yes.”
But even so, icy anger still dripped from her voice.
“Call those useless ones back in. Check again if there’s anything that might serve as a clue.”
“Yes.”
The woman stared straight at the priest, warning him.
“We cannot lose my son… the Hero.”
A woman who could call the Hero her son.
A woman who received endless gratitude from the people.
She tilted her head and asked,
“Do you understand what I mean?”
The priest lowered his head even deeper, avoiding the sharp gleam in her eyes.
Anyone who did not know her true nature would have thought this was simply a mother worrying about her child.
The priest steadied his breath and replied quickly.
“We are controlling the information. At present, it is being said that he has gone on a subjugation mission in the southern region.”
Even if the Hero disappeared, the Hero still had to exist.
He had to remain under the temple’s control.
Fortunately, so far, only the temple knew of his absence.
Except for one place.
“However… the Imperial Palace—”
The priest carefully began, expecting the coming fury—
But then a voice called out from nearby.
“Saintess!”
At that voice, the priest’s face cracked.
“Ah…”
Seeing the Saintess’s icy expression, the priest turned pale.
Before he could compose himself, the woman turned around.
“Your Majesty, what brings you all the way here?”
The Emperor, with ash-blond hair tinged with gray and pale green eyes, smiled warmly at her question.
“What brings me? I came to pray at the temple.”
It was a careless excuse, but there was nothing to refute.
Since demons had begun roaming the human world, countless people—regardless of status—had been visiting the temple.
The Saintess smiled softly, hiding her scorn.
“You must be busy.”
The Emperor chuckled easily and strode closer.
“Busy or not, one must still come to the temple. And you… seem to have no schedule after this. Shall we have tea?”
“Tea?”
“Yes. It seems we have something to discuss.”
No one could fail to grasp what the Emperor implied.
The holy knights guarding the Saintess exchanged looks, wondering if they should stop him.
But the Saintess gestured for them to stand down and stepped forward as if guiding the way.
“Then come.”
“My thanks.”
The Emperor’s cold golden gaze flicked toward the priest.
It carried heavy reproach for not having been informed beforehand.
Had she known in advance, she would have avoided this meeting by any excuse necessary.
The priest swallowed dryly, blaming himself.
But only briefly.
As he watched the two figures grow distant, he quickly turned around.
Before he was truly cast out of the temple for angering her, he had to carry out his orders.
I must find a clue.
No matter what, he had to find the Hero and bring him before the Saintess.
Even if it was only his corpse.
The priest hurried back and sent letters to the Hero’s companions—those labeled as “useless.”
Led into the deepest reception room of the temple, the Emperor naturally took the seat of honor as if he were the host.
The Saintess showed no reaction, simply brewing tea and pouring it into his cup.
The room was quiet, filled only with occasional birdsong and the sound of tea being poured.
But that peace vanished the moment she set down the teapot.
“Why did you hide it from me as well?”
The Emperor went straight to the point.
The Saintess asked smoothly,
“Hide what?”
Though she clearly knew he had come aware of everything, she still pretended ignorance.
But the Emperor did not even frown, as though he expected it.
“You know denial is pointless.”
Even after he made clear he would not let it go, the Saintess remained calm.
“Well, nothing will happen now, or in the future.”
At first glance, it sounded like the same ignorance as before—
But there was a subtle difference in tone.
The Emperor narrowed his eyes.
“Hm.”
After staring at her face in silence for a long while, he suddenly laughed heartily.
“Truly… just like you.”
Then, with a meaningful expression, he asked:
“Will you find him… or will you make another?”
The Saintess said nothing, simply lifting her teacup.
The Emperor drew his own conclusion.
“Of course. You can’t choose immediately. Either way, it will take time.”
“That’s right.”
“And the quicker option would be finding him?”
The Emperor sought her agreement.
The Saintess set down her cup and smiled like a painting.
“That would benefit Your Majesty more as well.”
The Emperor, who had been pressing her as if uninvolved, let out a deflated sound.
“Well… it’s not going exactly as I want.”
Finding the missing Hero would benefit him.
If only the Hero had moved the way he wished.
Can’t even properly capture the heart of one man…
What was the point of forcing the Hero to stay nearby?
His only daughter had gained no response from him at all.
Even if the Hero being a commoner was irritating, the benefits of marriage were immense.
He had explained it thoroughly.
He had even shown how much effect the engagement alone had already had.
The Emperor frowned in dissatisfaction, but the Saintess replied calmly.
“That is for you to handle.”
The careless answer made anger flare in him.
From the Saintess’s perspective, the marriage between the Hero and the Emperor’s daughter would not be welcome.
Just as the Emperor understood her well, she understood him.
Both were far too greedy.
They cooperated for now, fully aware the other could turn their back at any moment.
Thus, the Saintess neither fully supported nor opposed their union.
She coveted the Imperial Palace, yet still kept the Emperor in check.
And the Emperor had done the same.
Had.
Recently, the temple’s power had grown too great.
If left alone, within a few years it would easily overshadow the throne.
And then—
The Hero’s disappearance, in a deadlocked situation, was a gift of heaven to the Emperor.
The heavens are helping me.
And as always, the Emperor had no intention of letting such an opportunity slip away.
Just as he hadn’t…
When his sister’s family died.
