CHAPTER 29
What the… He keeps changing his story.”
Louisa looked at Raphael with cold, dispassionate eyes.
He had turned his head to the side and brought a fist to his mouth, looking oddly sheepish—like someone embarrassed. That man, who usually wore an expressionless mask, was now acting like this?
“Weird…”
Rather than feeling indignant, Louisa simply wondered what on earth was wrong with him. In the past, he would’ve ignored her, maybe even gone out of his way to avoid running into her. Now, he was acting suspiciously persistent.
“Then since your duties come first, shall we set a date once things settle down a bit?”
“Though I’m busy with official matters, it’s not as if I’m working all day. I can make time.”
“…Ah.”
Louisa nodded, making a vague sound. For someone who supposedly wasn’t interested in the artifact, he sure seemed eager to schedule a meeting.
“Well, it’s not like I need to pry.”
Frankly, she’d be more than happy if they could part ways without saying much at all. She turned her gaze away indifferently.
Out the window, she noticed a tiny leaf sprouting from a bare tree branch.
“Is spring finally coming?” she wondered. It had been bitterly cold—so much so that she regretted coming to the North in such haste—but this little change brought some comfort.
“Then let me know whenever it’s convenient for you. Unless I’m visiting the temple, I’ll be at the estate most of the time.”
Her mood lightened, and even her lips relaxed into a gentle smile. Raphael, staring at her with a strange look, suddenly asked:
“How much of the holy water do you have left?”
Her smile vanished instantly.
“Come to think of it, Raphael gave me a lot of that holy water, didn’t he?”
The way he asked so abruptly made her feel a bit guilty. Maybe she’d run off to the North too soon after accepting it.
It was quite a large amount—even if she used some, it wouldn’t have made a noticeable dent. He had to know that.
“…Thanks to you, I still have plenty.”
“Is it effective?”
“Of course. Thank you again.”
“I didn’t ask for gratitude. I simply… wanted to know whether the holy water is working for your health.”
He fumbled slightly in the middle, but Louisa didn’t think much of it. She figured it made sense for a holy knight to be curious about the holy water’s efficacy.
“I understand. I’m not entirely sure yet, but I’ll share the results with you once I know more.”
“…Alright.”
“Ah, we’ve arrived.”
Grumbling with a furrowed brow, Raphael turned his gaze outside the carriage window, following Louisa’s line of sight.
The carriage had begun to slow as it reached the Northern temple. When he looked back at her, his blue eyes held a deeper, unreadable emotion.
Sometimes, once a door opens just a little, everything else becomes visible.
Raphael couldn’t tear his gaze from Louisa’s amethyst eyes, which now gleamed with indifference. He couldn’t pinpoint when the change had started.
Not long ago, those eyes had still been tethered to emotional baggage. But now, she seemed like an entirely different person.
“This should be a good thing… something to welcome. So why does it bother me so much?”
He had gone out of his way to shift his assignments to the North.
The official reason was that the monster threat was severe, but deep down, he could no longer ignore his true intentions.
He needed to see for himself—the woman who had vanished suddenly, leaving only questions behind.
She used to cling so persistently it drove him to the brink. Now, pale and coughing blood, she insisted she was fine while clearly unwell. That lingering image gnawed at him.
Just seeing her used to make him feel suffocated. She reminded him of things he didn’t want to recall. He had even rushed to become a Cardinal just to escape it all.
But now, she occupied his mind again—enough to push all that aside.
Yes, her emotional change bothered him. But more than that, he wanted to confirm if she was physically okay.
Still, seeing her impassive face now only made her transformation more glaring.
“Everything in my life got twisted because of her… My daily life, my future.”
And now, the one who turned his life upside down had moved on as if nothing had happened. It boiled his blood.
If she truly no longer held feelings for him, then why hadn’t she formally called off the engagement?
He would’ve liked to take this opportunity to break it off himself, but things weren’t so simple. If someone had to bear the blame for ending it, it would probably fall on him—and that felt unfair.
“…Anyway, we won’t be getting married anytime soon with the monster crisis. If anyone gets pressured, it’ll be Lady Blake.”
His jaw clenched. The carriage stopped in front of the temple gates, and the door opened. Louisa stood as if she had been waiting for that very moment.
Raphael took a deep breath and gently raised his hand to stop her from stepping out first.
Louisa blinked, glancing up at him, and then calmly placed her hand in his when he offered it, allowing him to help her down.
“May the heavens bless you. Welcome, both of you,” greeted a priest waiting out front.
As their hands parted, Raphael stared briefly at the priest.
“May the heavens bless you. I am Raphael, commander of the holy knights.”
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet the man we’ve only heard about from afar. I am Yoran, the head priest overseeing the Northern temple.”
“Thank you for preparing lodging for the knight order.”
“No, we’re the ones grateful. Thanks to the brave knights, the Northern winds will grow still.”
Raphael nodded curtly, taking in the priest’s youthful appearance. It was unusual for a priest—not a high priest—to oversee a temple, especially in a territory belonging to the powerful Duke Blake. That alone proved how capable Yoran must be.
“Priest Yoran, it’s cold. Why wait outside?”
“Ha ha, I’m used to the Northern chill. This weather feels warm to me. Thank you for your concern.”
Raphael’s gaze shifted toward Louisa.
They seem… close. Yoran and Louisa looked strangely comfortable around each other. She didn’t seem like the type to frequent temples, yet she appeared to trust him.
Could she be… a devout believer?
The idea didn’t suit Louisa Blake at all.
Still, it was hard to think otherwise, judging by their interaction. She hadn’t been in the North long—it couldn’t be that they’d grown this close in such a short time.
Raphael ran a hand through his hair, forcing himself to look away. He didn’t understand why it mattered so much to him.
“Commander, we’re ready to depart. Shall we head to the border now?”
“Yes. Good work.”
The vice commander bowed respectfully to Louisa before speaking. Raphael walked over to the waiting knights to review the schedule.
They had to leave for the border before sunset. He was just about to give the signal to depart when he overheard something that made his ears perk up.
“How are you feeling?”
“Hm, pretty good. I think I’m feeling better today than usual.”
“You’re feeling better…”
“Yeah. Maybe it’s because I’m at the temple?”
“May I… have your hand for a moment? There’s something I’d like to check—if you don’t mind.”
“Ah, sure. Here.”
Her hand? One of Raphael’s brows shot up.
Physical contact between a man and a woman should be approached with caution—especially for priests, who were held to higher standards of restraint. For Yoran to request that so casually was suspicious.
What business is it of mine? he told himself.
But still—Louisa was his fiancée. Technically.
That contradiction alone made him bristle. Even more so when he heard the two lowering their voices into whispers.
Unable to ignore it anymore, Raphael spun around and glared.
Yoran was holding Louisa’s right hand with both of his, murmuring something quietly. He wasn’t just touching her fingertips—he had clasped her entire hand firmly.
“Commander?”
The vice commander’s puzzled voice echoed behind him, but Raphael didn’t hear it.
With furrowed brows and a storm in his chest, he marched over and stepped directly between Louisa and Yoran.
Louisa blinked in surprise, still allowing Yoran to hold her hand.
Raphael parted his lips, but no words came.
He had acted on instinct—but now that he was standing there, he didn’t know what to say.
Worse, being this close only made him regret not just walking away and doing his job.
Just then, Yoran opened his eyes and let go of her hand. As their hands parted, the space between them widened once again.
