Chapter 55……..
“The Holy Sovereign?”
Marie flinched at the shocking news.
Who was the Holy Sovereign?
Gregorian Graas Graham.
Even his name meant the Great Gregorian of Graham.
The true master of Graham.
The deliverer of divine oracles.
The one praised as a living god.
That was the Holy Sovereign.
And such a man was participating in the contest to become the fiancé of the imperial princess?
Marie’s eyes brimmed with confusion.
“You look as if it makes no sense to you.”
“Of course it doesn’t, my lord! I mean, is the Holy Sovereign even allowed to marry?”
She turned urgently from Asterios to Ijef.
Asterios burst into laughter at the sight.
“Marie. Now you see why I called Ijef here?”
“Yes. I’m flustered—it’s an entirely unexpected figure. What on earth is his intent?”
In response, Ijef straightened his back and met her eyes before speaking. His kind brown gaze shone clearly.
“First of all, there is no rule in Graham forbidding clergy from marrying. However, since those who serve God must remain pure and give their devotion to no one but Him, priests have only been permitted to marry under the Holy Sovereign’s approval—and even then, rarely. No Holy Sovereign in history has ever married.”
“So there’s no precedent, but also no law prohibiting it.”
“Exactly. In Graham, the Sovereign is virtually a god. His will is God’s will.”
Asterios picked up the explanation.
“But originally, the Holy Sovereign remaining unmarried symbolized that he is perfect in himself. For Gregorian to break that perfection just to become Rosiana’s betrothed—there must be an undeniable reason.”
Ijef nodded solemnly.
“We believe it has to do with the very survival of the Holy Kingdom.”
Otherwise, Gregorian’s actions made no sense. If one already as perfect as a god admitted he needed the princess, then it could only mean Graham needed her—for greater glory, or to save a world teetering on ruin.
“Indeed. Not long ago, the Great Sage spoke of a revelation connected to this matter.”
“Ah! Before coming here, Ijef was the Great Sage’s chief priest, wasn’t he?”
“Yes, Marie. And Graham has already once attempted to abduct the young princess to fulfill that revelation. Lord Asterios and I agreed that preventing any harm to Her Highness during this contest is our highest priority.”
“I understand now.”
“As chief priest, I heard of a prophecy concerning Princess Rosiana’s birth and her destined choice. That was why the Sage himself sought to bring her.”
But Graham’s Sage had failed to take the child Rosiana.
“This time, Graham will stop at nothing to win.”
They would surely try to take her again.
Ijef’s expression hardened.
Where once he had devoted himself to defending the will of God, now his resolve was to protect Rosiana.
“The Great Sage declared that only if Her Highness becomes the Holy Maiden can Graham—and this world—be saved.”
Asterios narrowed his eyes and propped his chin against his clasped hands. He recalled the same story, told by Sage Daniel to Emperor Leodian when Rosiana was born.
“I heard much the same. Likely, Graham believes only through the princess and the Sovereign together can something be achieved. Otherwise, they claim, the end will come. But that may only be their interpretation.”
“I also suspect as much.”
“Since the Holy Sovereign himself is moving, we must guard Her Highness with utmost vigilance, Marie.”
One failure to protect her had been enough.
Marie straightened firmly.
“Yes, my lord. I will remember.”
“And inform the knightly guard: all matters regarding the Sovereign are to remain secret until further orders.”
“Yes, understood.”
Nox had already gone to Graham. Soon he would report back their true intentions. Until then, Asterios would remain here, facing the Sovereign and guarding Rosiana.
“But, my lord… do you think the Tower Lord’s magic would even work against the Sovereign?”
At Marie’s question, both men’s eyes sharpened.
That was precisely what they could not be sure of—too little was known about him.
“Well… Ijef, how much do you know of the Sovereign’s powers?”
That was the main reason Asterios had allied with him—among those present, Ijef knew the Sovereign best and could approach him most easily.
“As far as I know, His Holiness’s divine power is for healing, and it serves as a strong shield against demonic black magic. His holy power is immense, but since the Tower Lord’s sorcery and black magic are of different natures, I believe the Tower Lord’s magic sphere could have some effect.”
“Let’s hope the restraints prepared by Her Highness will indeed work.”
The two men nodded at Marie’s words.
“We should ask Her Highness to test them before the contest begins. In any case, Marie, you and Ijef will have to cooperate closely, so you’ll be seeing much of each other.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Of course, while competing fairly as well. I’ll say it again—I have no intention of yielding the fiancé’s place to you, Duke.”
“Nor I.”
Sparks flew between their eyes—rivalry mixed with reluctant understanding. Perhaps it was the first time the two men had agreed on anything.
“By the way, my lord.”
Marie leaned closer to Asterios, conveying Rosiana’s words.
“Her Highness requests that you visit her chambers again this evening.”
Since recovering, Asterios had been bound to this recurring nightly arrangement with the princess and her guard captain.
A contract he had accepted—offering himself as her prey for his past sins—remained valid. Asterios drew in a quiet breath.
“…I understand.”
Suppressing his heavy yet thrilling emotions, he answered. Ijef, watching unseen, clenched his fist tightly.
News that the Holy Sovereign had entered the contest as Rosiana’s fiancé candidate quickly spread to the Demon Realm as well.
Upon hearing Jude’s report, Mephisto slowly rose from where he’d been reclining on the sofa. The black aura swirling about him instantly folded back into his body.
“As expected… anything involving my lady is amusing. This grows more maddening by the day.”
He straightened, lips curving into a wicked grin.
“First the restraints, now the Sovereign…”
“To think anyone believes the Tower Lord’s restraints could bind Lord Mephisto—how foolish.”
Adjusting his monocle with distaste, Jude muttered.
“No, Jude. Edwin’s sorcery could bind this body of mine. Controlling all my black magic, however, would be beyond him.”
As he sat upright and flicked a finger, Nea approached to knead his shoulders.
“Clever and sly as ever—just like the brown fox.”
The childhood nickname of Edwin, the Tower Lord, had been the brown fox.
“Ah~ You mean the Tower Lord? Foxes always make me hungry, you know~”
Nea purred, massaging his shoulders while pouring tea into a cup with black magic. The cup before him was arranged according to Dreat customs. Within only two days of his training as a consort, he had mastered them all.
“As expected, Lord Mephisto carries the dignity of a ruler~ ahh.”
Like a royal, Mephisto lifted the cup leisurely, his long black hair shimmering as he whispered.
“Since the princess declared she would choose her own mate, that quick-witted Edwin must have gladly offered his artifacts to earn her favor.”
But in this game, there were two foxes.
And the older silver fox was far more troublesome.
“Jude, how long has it been since a Sovereign left Graham?”
“Nearly five hundred years.”
A thousand years ago, the war between Heaven and the Demon Realm.
When the god Tenebres became human, the war ended after five hundred years.
One of the fallen seraphs became Graham’s first Sovereign. Gregorian was the fourth.
“It doesn’t seem like he wants Rosiana merely because she is the Holy Maiden.”
“What do you mean, my lord?”
“Everyone covets her for her holy power and her dragon’s strength, but that’s not all she possesses.”
“That’s right~ Her Highness also carries the Demon Realm’s power~”
“Exactly. As for holy power, the Sovereign already has plenty. There’s no reason for Gregorian to covet her to the point of coming all the way to Dreat.”
“Then what is it he seeks?”
“Could it be like how you, my lord, require a mate as prey?”
“In principle, yes, Jude.”
If the Sovereign desired something beyond holy power—was it the dragon’s strength, or her mana? A witch’s mana corresponded to the power of the Demon Realm.
“But then, how does Gregorian know Rosiana possesses demonic power?”
“Could it be because Sage Daniel came to the Demon Realm this time?”
A plausible guess—if Daniel weren’t such a clueless sage.
“No. He’s too dull in that regard. More likely, the Sovereign has known all along.”
“But the Sovereign is not a wielder of demonic power. He is a vessel of holy power.”
Jude looked baffled.
“Exactly, Jude. Why would the Sovereign need dragon’s strength or mana? He’s not the Demon King.”
