Chapter 71
‘Wait, he’s not just a little skinny, is he?’
The High Priest, who used to be so obese he couldn’t even sit down without assistance, was now…
“I simply can’t stop. The food is just too delicious.”
Even as the other nobles were wrapping up their meals, he continued to ravenously devour meat. But did the others even eat anything at all?
‘Look at that—he’s eating everything by himself!’
The other priests were all unnaturally thin.
Roze wasn’t the type to meddle in other people’s business. But a familiar word flashed through her mind, forcing her to rise from her seat.
Labor exploitation.
Working them hard and not even feeding them properly—there’s no other word for that but exploitation.
‘What a bastard!’
She was reminded of a part-time job manager from her previous life—one who made her do all the work, barely fed her, and still stuffed himself like that High Priest.
Come to think of it, he barely did anything himself.
Here too, the regular priests did all the work while only that man ate his fill. Of course it made her angry at the unfairness.
“…Why aren’t you eating anything?”
So Roze mustered her courage and approached them. But when she asked, even the previously composed priests suddenly looked shaken, avoiding her eyes at all costs.
‘Ah… I see.’
They served the gods. Oracles must be important to them. Having someone with “cursed” red eyes talk to them must’ve been startling.
‘Tch. I was going to share food if this really was exploitation.’
Do they have any idea how hard it is to stand up and sit down in a dress?
Though a little hurt, she couldn’t just back off awkwardly after initiating a conversation. She was looking for the right moment to retreat when—
“…No one gave us any food.”
A very young-looking priest, practically a child, answered with reddened eyes.
The priests nearby looked embarrassed, quickly trying to cover the young priest’s mouth.
“It’s fine. Fasting is common for priests.”
“Max is still just a child…”
“We really are fine.”
From their reactions…
‘Ah…’
It wasn’t Roze’s red eyes that had caused their earlier discomfort—they were simply too ashamed to admit they hadn’t been fed.
‘That bastard is a scumbag!’
Unless it was food meant for nobles, who would even care?
The servants affiliated with the Duke of Diwelly were too busy tending to important guests like Noah and the High Priest.
At least servants like Evelyn, who had come with someone else, had someone to care for them.
‘Why didn’t they just ask for food…?’
But clearly, these priests didn’t even know how to ask for things. They had no means of getting food.
As a priest herself, Roze should have known how priests were treated in such settings. And yet the High Priest ignored all of them and only fed himself.
‘How did he even become the High Priest? Is it based on waist size?’
If she were still a cat, she could’ve feigned ignorance and given his greasy face a solid kick with her hind legs… The thought alone was frustrating.
‘If only I could still turn into a cat!’
She clenched her fists, holding back the urge to whack him on the back of the head.
“Thank you for your concern. But really, we’re fine, so please finish your meal.”
A tall, well-groomed priest stepped forward, expressing his thanks.
Blue eyes and blond hair—though his clothes were shabby, with just a bit of grooming he could easily pass for one of the nobles at the table. He had an air of elegance.
“You say that, but I’ve heard your stomachs growl multiple times. If I hadn’t noticed, fine—but I can’t ignore it when even a kid’s going hungry. Just wait a moment.”
Despite his protests, Roze swished her skirt dramatically and marched over to Noah.
Partly because she needed his help—but also because the High Priest was sitting nearby.
“GUAAARGH!”
Pretending to stumble, she stepped hard on the High Priest’s left foot, the one supporting his hefty frame. True to form, he let out a pig-like squeal.
“Oh my! I’m so sorry!”
Feigning innocence with a bright smile, Roze watched the High Priest purse his lips, clearly fuming but saying nothing.
That’s because Noah had jumped up to support Roze the moment she staggered, shielding her.
Even if she had cursed red eyes and was suspicious, she was still someone the Emperor favored. He couldn’t openly insult her.
Roze ignored the High Priest’s silent glaring and went on with her business.
“Your Majesty, don’t you think it’s worth checking on those priests over there? They appear to be starving.”
She could’ve called him out publicly for neglecting his own people—but she held back.
Better to let Noah shine instead. Once Noah saw to feeding the priests, people would naturally wonder why the High Priest hadn’t done anything.
“Marquis Diwelly.”
“Yes, Your Majesty! Did you call for me?”
“What’s going on here? I was told there would be food in abundance.”
“There was more than enough prepared. Is something missing…?”
Thanks to Roze’s whispers and meaningful glances, Noah quickly grasped the situation and called over the Marquis.
“Oh my, look at that… Such noble guests… Henry!”
Clearly, being a noble required a certain sharpness. With just a nod from Noah, an elegant meal was swiftly laid out for the priests.
“Sir Liam, are you sure we can really eat this?”
The priests were stunned by the generous spread—from main courses to dessert. The same young priest from before looked up at the blond man with teary eyes.
‘So his name is Liam, huh.’
He looked like a noble. Whether he actually was one was another matter.
“Let’s eat with gratitude.”
Liam gently patted the boy’s head, smiling. With his serene expression, he looked more like a true priest than anyone else there.
His aura was so striking that Roze couldn’t look at him for long.
‘Feels like he could bore a hole through my skull…’
For some reason, Noah was staring at her with blazing eyes.
“That salon madam had her hair up so beautifully, I asked where she had it done—and she told me it was a secret!”
“Oh, but your hair looks gorgeous right now! Anyone with such thick hair could pull off anything. Mine got halved after I had this little one.”
“Why, your hair still looks full to me!”
“Oh, well, this is actually a wig.”
“Oh my! You fooled me—how perfect it looks!”
“Lady Aria, how do you usually take care of your hair?”
Surrounded by idle women chatting about hairstyles, someone finally directed a question to Aria.
“I just brush it before bed. No special care, really.”
“See? Beauty like hers is natural. They say even a beautiful woman’s fingernails are lovely.”
She almost blurted out, “Don’t you have anything better to do?”
Zion would need noble support to reclaim the throne. That’s why she was working on building relationships, trying to find out how people were faring in his absence.
But—
“You’ve been looking over there for a while now. What’s so interesting?”
More than anything, she wanted to know if anyone here actually missed Zion.
But these conversations were utterly worthless.
Even if it was for the sake of socializing, could they not manage a more meaningful discussion?
What cosmetics were in vogue, which boutique had the trendiest dresses, how to maintain their figures…
That was all they talked about.
Of course, women’s participation in politics was limited in the Empire. But if they wanted to, they could still influence policy through their husbands.
These women, however, didn’t seem the least bit interested in such things.
They couldn’t care less who sat on the imperial throne, as long as they could keep wearing pretty seasonal dresses and ordering custom hair accessories.
Still, she had to listen.
She had to smile.
If she wanted even one more person to support Zion when he finally announced himself as heir, she needed their goodwill.
She kept reminding herself of that—gritting her teeth and enduring.
‘Something’s off.’
Something strange was happening near the Emperor. She had heard the High Priest scream, saw the Emperor whispering to Roze, and moments later, the priests were being served food.
The scream might’ve just been a foot being stepped on. The talking and food being served—nothing unusual.
But…
‘Something about it is bothering me.’
Somehow, the priests were now thanking both Noah and Roze as they ate.
“Don’t worry about thanking us—just eat.”
Roze stood beside them, watching a young priest’s cheeks puff with food, looking genuinely happy.
Apparently, she had taken it upon herself to feed the priests, and her joy seemed genuine.
She really looked like she cared that they were eating well.
“I’ll excuse myself for a moment.”
Genuine? That couldn’t be right. It shouldn’t be.
Feeling uneasy, Aria politely excused herself and walked over to Count Caliphon.
