CHAPTER 08
“Whoa!”
The priest startled and took a step back at the prince’s loud shout.
“Calm down, Your Highness.”
“How can a priest not see a wandering soul?!”
“Your Highness… please lower your voice…”
“Hurry up!”
The priest, perhaps afraid that the noise would carry outside, extended his hand toward me to appease the prince.
The louder the prince got, the more my shame grew with it.
“Come on, quickly!”
Glancing nervously at the prince, the priest hesitantly reached in my direction.
“R-Right here?”
His hand passed right through the upper part of my chest.
It didn’t hurt, but the surreal experience of having my body pierced was hard to handle.
“W-What do you think you’re doing! How indecent! Take your hand off me at once!”
“But the purification hasn’t been completed yet…”
“Your hand!”
As the prince stole even my share of shouting, my chest began to feel cold.
I tried to calm him down with his hand still passing through me, but it was no use.
“Get your filthy hand off my TiTi right now!”
I was impressed—his vocal power could rival even Armel’s servant. If there were a shouting contest, the two would surely be tied for first place.
“Y-Yes, Your Highness…”
The priest, tearing up, quickly withdrew the so-called filthy hand. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, saying his priestly honor had been insulted. I was overwhelmed with guilt.
I stopped thinking.
The priest’s sniffles wouldn’t stop.
The awkwardness that followed the emotional storm made it hard to breathe.
“Filthy… so filthy…”
The priest looked down at his hand, as if traumatized by the prince’s words. He couldn’t snap out of it.
The prince, perhaps shocked by the way my body had been pierced, wedged himself between the priest and me and stood firmly in place.
The sight was both funny and touching—he seemed like he was trying to protect me.
‘What exactly do you think you’re shielding with that tiny body?’
He named me TiTi, and now he acts like I’m an actual little bird or something.
“Your Highness, you should apologize.”
“Why should I?”
The priest looked at the prince in shock, as if questioning his sanity.
“Your Highness, there’s definitely something unusual in the room, but I can’t see a clear form.”
“Perhaps that’s due to your lack of faith.”
Seeing the priest’s eyes redden again, my heart ached.
Though his first impression had been one of composure, the emotional wreck before me now made me more flustered. I had to act before his precious tears fell.
“Your Highness, I understand you want me gone quickly, but you shouldn’t lash out at others like that.”
“You think that’s why I’m doing this?!”
Like a cranky seven-year-old, the prince snapped his head away.
“Uh-oh…”
The priest’s gaze darkened.
At this rate, rumors might start that the prince has lost his mind. If those rumors further twist his personality, he might fully walk down the original novel’s route as the male lead.
“I did nothing wrong.”
“Ssshhh, just apologize already.”
“TiTi, how can you be so calm? Even if you’re a spirit, your body was touched!”
“Your Highness, I didn’t mean—”
“I didn’t feel anything, and I said I’m fine, didn’t I?”
“What if the priest lied about not seeing you?”
The trembling priest, hands politely folded, radiated purity. Someone with such beautiful eyes wouldn’t lie.
…Not that I’m weak to pretty faces or anything.
“Calling his hand filthy was too much. He was trying to help.”
“You…”
“What?”
“Whose side are you on?”
What? How did we get here?
“Why are we talking about sides now?”
“I came all this way to help you, and yet, why… why…”
His small body trembled uncontrollably.
“Your Highness, that’s not it. I’m grateful you want to help me, of course! But calling someone’s hand dirty when they meant no harm—that’s a bit much, right?”
“……”
“Our warm-hearted prince wouldn’t ignore a plea like this, right?”
I purposely softened my tone, speaking gently as if soothing a child.
The prince twitched his lips a few times, then finally turned his head toward the priest.
“…I shall understand, because my heart is generous.”
Whatever that meant, the tension broke.
Then came the process of proving my existence to the priest.
Tired of the drama, I decided to simplify things.
“Just have the priest go outside and say something—anything.”
“Go outside and say something—anything.”
“Your Highness…”
“Hurry.”
Following the prince’s order, the priest stepped out and walked some distance away. I followed him.
He looked around, then blushed deeply.
“R-Rabbits are cute…”
Even though the corridor was empty, the priest rushed back inside, clearly embarrassed at talking to himself.
‘That’s my type…’
There’s no way someone like him didn’t appear in the novel.
I racked my memory.
His name hadn’t been mentioned, but there had been a priest who was close to the male lead.
The male lead, who despised the temple folk, would at least talk to this one.
From what I recalled, getting involved with the male lead had made his life difficult. As a supporting character, the details were sparse, but I remembered he returned to the temple and was ostracized by his peers.
“So e-embarrassing…”
When I entered the room, I saw the priest with his pink face cupped in both hands.
How could he be this cute in every action?
“TiTi.”
“Uh, what?”
“TiTi!”
His repeated calling broke my train of thought.
“Why are you puffing your cheeks like that? Storing up for winter?”
When I teased him, the prince poked his puffed-up cheeks sulkily, then pursed his lips.
“Anyway, rabbits are cute.”
“Why are you bringing up your preferences now?”
“No, not me—the priest said it.”
“Hmph! So you like rabbits, do you?”
The startled priest flinched.
“Then the issue’s resolved, right?”
“Well…”
“What?”
“If someone pressed their face to the door, they might’ve heard…”
“…What?”
“Ah, o-of course, I’m not implying Your Highness would do such a thing!”
The oblivious priest waved his hands too late to smooth things over, but the prince wasn’t calming down.
Not wanting to waste more time, I bent down to meet his eye level.
“Calm down, okay?”
With a peaceful smile, I tried to comfort him.
‘Please calm down already.’
The boy stared at me intensely, unmoving.
“TiTi, you…”
“Mm?”
“Now that I look closely… you’re not that dark.”
“Huh?”
He spoke like he was entranced.
“Your smile… isn’t bad.”
I didn’t know how to respond, so I gave a bashful smile.
“R-Right. I raised my voice too much.”
He suddenly coughed harshly—maybe he choked. His ears were red.
He must’ve been pretty upset.
‘Still, at least he didn’t yell this time.’
That small relief made me feel even more pathetic, and tears welled up.
“My apologies for the late introduction. I’m Priest Ludric.”
“I’m TiTi.”
“Your Highness, is this a proper introduction?”
“…She gave her name as well.”
“I see. Then, Lady TiTi, could you let me know exactly where you are? I’d like to make eye contact while we speak.”
“…TiTi?”
The prince murmured my name softly.
“Isn’t that too informal for a first meeting?”
Oh wow. You’re talking about formality after being so rude to me?
“I’m sorry. That was thoughtless of me.”
“It’s fine. Tell him it’s okay to call me that.”
Let the priest do whatever he wants.
“Hurry up and tell him I’m okay with it.”
“……”
“Your Highness, can’t you hear me?”
What’s with him now?
“Your Highness, seriously, can’t you hear me?”
My anxiety surged as he gave no response.
He had no reason to ignore me now. Could he not see me?
“Your Highness…?”
What if I had to spend the rest of my life like this—just like I had with Armel, doing attention-seeking stunts?
‘What if no one can see me ever again…’
The panic made it hard to think.
“You… you’re joking, right?”
Flustered, I flew around in front of him, putting on a one-woman show. Still no response.
“Huuuuh… damn it, this can’t be…”
After what felt like hours, though only minutes had passed, the prince finally spoke, looking smug.
“So, have you realized how precious I am now?”
Damn it, you can see me?!
“What the hell are you talking ab—”
“Right now, TiTi, I’m the only one who can see you. Only me.”
“Yes, yes, you’ve said that. But why did you ignore me?! I was freaking out!”
“Don’t you think it’s ridiculous for someone who can’t see you to call your name?”
“Just answer the question! Why did you ignore me?!”
What kind of nonsense was this?
Conversations with this kid changed topics so fast, it was hard to keep up.
“Ludric, you’re not allowed to call TiTi by name.”
“What? Wait, is that why you ignored me? Are you insane?”
“You also need to stop flapping your mouth recklessly.”
This damn brat. That little thumb confidently pointing at himself was infuriating.
Sigh.
Let’s not think about it. This is the price for underestimating the future jerk.
The male lead is just doing what male leads do.
“Haha.”
A soft laugh tickled my ears.
His sharp, cat-like eyes folded gently into a beautiful curve. Even the shadows cast by his long lashes couldn’t dim the sparkle in his green eyes.
“You’d better be grateful you’re this good-looking.”
His flawless features made it impossible to hold onto resentment.
“If only you’d smiled like that the first time we met, I wouldn’t have been so stressed.”
“D-Don’t come any closer.”
The priest, feeling left out, reached out a hand as if to remind us he existed.
“Oh! Priest! Your Highness, say it now.”
“I said I won’t permit the use of her name—”
“No! I mean the thing about sending me back.”
“Hmph.”
What now?
‘Wait, will purification really send me back to my world? There’s no guarantee I won’t just vanish…’
That thought alone sent a wave of fear crashing over me.
