IPMPBB 30

Chapter 30

The Saint had removed her hood, unlike earlier.

Her long, clean silver hair and deep ocean-blue eyes stared straight at me.

For a moment, I was captivated by those eyes and stood dazed—but quickly snapped out of it.

“Who are you?”

I feigned ignorance.

“My name is Rozelle. I have nothing grand to boast of, but I serve the gods in my holy duty.”

The Saint said gently.

It was a genuinely humble introduction.

“Rozelle… That would make you the Saint, wouldn’t it?”

At my words, the Saint—Rozelle—smiled faintly.

She looked like someone used to being recognized and surprised over.

“We’ve met before, haven’t we? So I’ll get straight to the point. What happened to the person who was in the prison cell earlier?”

“I’m sorry, but…”

“My lady.”

Just as I was about to say I couldn’t disclose information about the victim, Rozelle suddenly grabbed my hand.

Startled, I tried to pull away, but she wouldn’t let go.

This Saint… is surprisingly strong.

“My lady, as a servant of the gods, I cannot overlook anyone’s misfortune.”

I looked down at my caught hand in confusion as she continued.

‘My lady,’ huh.

Maybe because Carlos had introduced me as a ‘companion,’ the Saint didn’t seem to suspect I was a knight.

“So please, let there be no misfortune that I pass by unknowingly. Is that person safe?”

Her words sounded noble, but they really boiled down to: “I want to know, so tell me.”

Am I reading too much into this?

But once I started doubting her, the suspicion kept snowballing.

“My lady?”

Rozelle prompted me again, as if urging me to answer.

Suddenly, I realized this was a good chance to test her.

She didn’t know who I really was, while I knew who she was—and I held the information she wanted.

The only problem was how to test her…

“Before that, I have one question for you.”

After a short pause, I spoke.

“What is it?”

Rozelle forced a smile, but it was obvious she was holding back her impatience.

“After you left, that man said something strange.”

I smiled back at her.

“He claimed he had something to report about you.”

“…What?”

Her face showed a beat-too-late reaction of surprise.

Suspicious, as expected.

“Saint Rozelle, what exactly did you say to that man?”

“What do you mean, report something about me?”

“That I can’t tell you.”

“Well, I can’t answer unless I know what he said. So tell me first.”

Hmm. The fact she’s pressing like this means… there is something.

“This is troubling, Saint.”

Just as I was channeling a line straight from a detective drama—

“I’ve been wondering… What gives you the right to control the information I receive?”

Rozelle asked sharply.

“Ah, I’m…”

“Aren’t you the one who shouldn’t be at this scene?”

Clearly thinking she had found a weakness, she cut me off.

“Bring me Sir Ivach. I’ll speak with the actual person in charge here.”

Rozelle lowered her eyes and spoke firmly.

“The person in charge, huh.”

I echoed her words, musing.

Rozelle had gone silent, refusing to respond further.

“In that case, you should be speaking with me.”

“And just what authority do you have—”

“I’m the one in charge here.”

“…What?”

Rozelle’s eyes went round. Her surprise was much greater than before.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I’m one of the few people who can give orders to Sir Ivach.”

Still confused, her face showed doubt.

“Are you a royal? But I would’ve known if…”

“Apologies for the late introduction. I’m Elia Elvington.”

“……!”

Rozelle looked at me like she wanted to shout “Liar!”

“Elia herself came to tear apart her own gambling den? Impossible…”

“Seems you’re out of the loop. I’ve turned over a new leaf recently.”

I kept smiling.

“And as part of that, I need to clean up my past mistakes.”

Rozelle pressed her lips shut.

A faint blush colored her cheeks.

“How rude of you!”

She cried out.

She must’ve been angry, thinking I had deceived her.

Let me be clear: I didn’t deceive her.

Carlos hid my identity of his own accord. And Rozelle just misunderstood on her own.

So I didn’t feel any need to explain myself.

But my silence brought unexpected results.

“You tricked me deliberately and won’t even offer an excuse?”

Rozelle’s anger only grew.

Her previously calm and elegant expression now filled with irritation.

“Apologize to me right now!”

Just then—

“…Saint Rozelle?”

A familiar voice spoke beside us.

“Why didn’t you call for protection? What are you doing here?”

It was Carlos.

“Ah, Sir Ivach?”

Rozelle flinched in surprise and turned to face him.

“What are you doing here…?”

“Still conducting the site investigation.”

Carlos furrowed his brows slightly.

“I heard your shouting and came. If there’s an issue, bring it to me.”

“Shouting?!”

Rozelle cried out, horrified.

Saint, that was shouting just now.

Carlos seemed to agree, judging by his displeased expression.

‘I’ve been thinking this for a while—Carlos seems very wary of the Saint.’

Can the two of them really end up together like in the original? Rozelle’s personality is way off from the source…

‘Something’s not right here.’

I was mulling that over when—

“Sir Ivach, I’ve been wronged. Elia tricked me.”

Rozelle wiped her eyes with her sleeve, back in her elegant mode.

“The Commander deceived you?”

“Yes! She hid her identity on purpose and approached me!”

Rozelle tattled to Carlos, omitting all the context.

“It’s not surprising considering her usual behavior. She looks down on and mistreats others—including you.”

She even added that.

“Excuse me, Saint…”

“See? She’s raising her voice at me again—trying to intimidate me!”

“……”

I was so taken aback I lost the will to argue.

Fine, have it your way. Tear me apart however you want.

The Saint was determined to frame me. Carlos would probably be disgusted with me. I’d end up the villain no matter what.

Just as I resigned myself to all that—

Carlos’s gaze locked onto me.

His stare was so intense and piercing that I met his eyes without meaning to.

And for a brief moment, I thought I saw a golden flicker in his brown eyes.

“Saint Rozelle.”

Carlos sharply turned away from me and addressed her.

“You agree with me, right, Sir Ivach?”

“Even if you are the Saint, it’s hard to tolerate someone insulting my superior.”

“But Elia started… huh?”

Rozelle faltered mid-accusation, stunned.

Her eyes widened.

“…Sir Ivach? Did you just say I insulted Elia?”

“Actually, I’ve been listening for a while. It was you who raised your voice first.”

Carlos spoke calmly but firmly.

“But she lied about her identity—!”

“When we first met in the basement, it was my decision not to disclose the Commander’s identity.”

Carlos cut her off decisively.

Rozelle flinched, slightly stepping back.

“We were conducting an undercover operation. I thought it best that only I be exposed. But clearly, that was a grave mistake on my part.”

He continued firmly.

“The Commander simply respected my judgment. And when you asked directly, she told you the truth.”

“But instead of accepting that, you raised your voice and misrepresented the situation to me. Isn’t that what really happened?”

He asked.