Chapter 24
5. How to Handle a Reunion with an Ex
The three-day vacation passed without any further incidents. Lublier stopped by the Papal Office to report for work while heading to the Knight Order. Kirion, who was temporarily acting in place of the elderly Pope, greeted him.
“How have you been, Luv? How was it—time with your wife?”
Caught off guard by the question with its subtle undertones, Lublier hesitated for a moment. Kirion had been a close friend who knew him well from his school days.
During the vacation, Satin had played hide-and-seek with him. At last, he had confronted her properly in her bedroom, though her obvious nervousness had made him step back. Lublier responded nonchalantly.
“Nothing special happened. If something had happened, three days would’ve been too short anyway.”
Even with a carefully vague answer, Kirion’s intuition about romantic matters couldn’t be fooled. He openly expressed his disappointment.
“You’re not a twelve-year-old kid, yet you’re still playing house? Don’t you know how to act your age? When I was your age, I certainly didn’t behave like this.”
Lublier’s mind wandered back to fourteen-year-old Kirion. Two years his senior, Kirion had already carried a reputation for amorous exploits at the time.
With authority, honor, and fame, Kirion was admired by female students. He enjoyed the longing and reverence directed at him. His cheerful and outgoing personality only added to that, and with the Pope’s lineage behind him, Kirion had nothing to fear.
“In any case, neither you nor your wife are fully mature inside, despite appearances. I may have overestimated you. For me, three days would have always been enough. And, as it happened, you went on that business trip and gave a strange report—if not for that, I might have indulged you for up to a week.”
The culprit for shortening his vacation had been Lublier’s report of the “demon incident.” Lublier remembered Kirion’s peculiar expression as soon as he completed the business trip report.
Kirion continued with a smile.
“If someone else had brought a report about demons, I’d have laughed it off or scolded them for talking nonsense. But you—of all people—brought the news. And the timing wasn’t great either. Hearing it just before the national founding anniversary made it stick in my mind more than I’d like.”
“I wish it were a joke, but it’s not. I couldn’t have rested even if I’d been allowed, with the Order left unattended.”
Lublier sat opposite Kirion at his invitation. The papers Kirion had been reviewing were scattered in disorder, easily a dozen separate issues stacked at once.
Kirion, usually someone who worked when he worked and rested when he rested, had recently fallen into enforced overwork due to the Pope’s declining health and the responsibilities of acting head of office.
“Kirion, it’s good to work hard, but you don’t need to bear all the responsibilities alone.”
“I know. But there’s no one I can fully trust around me except you. Even you are more of a doer than a paper person. By the way, Luv—how are things with Giyorn Sel Wio these days?”
Suddenly, Giyorn’s name appeared. Lublier raised an eyebrow.
“Giyorn? Thanks.”
The remark carried a clear undertone, completely different from the casual words.
“You let Satin go.”
On the surface, it was neither good nor bad. Since settling the expenses of the wedding, Lublier had not contacted the Sel Wio family. Yet they couldn’t say they had fully parted ways, since the Sel Wio side had still relied on Lublier’s help in wrapping up the wedding.
For now, they were keeping their distance, cautious. But they could not return to being old friends. And he had no intention of doing so. If they continued as they were, their paths would eventually diverge. Their circles rarely overlapped anyway.
The one who had crossed the irreversible line with Giyorn was Satin. She had been furious enough to overturn the ongoing wedding. Lublier, who had seized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, might have wanted to prostrate himself before Giyorn—but he never showed it in front of Satin.
“Why mention Giyorn all of a sudden?”
Kirion pointed to the documents.
“For the founding anniversary ceremony, invitations were sent to all the guardian families. That includes you, your wife, and Giyorn Sel Wio. Since it’s a Papal Office event, no one would decline. Setting aside my personal feelings, the Office must remain neutral among the five guardian families. Considering the chaos at the wedding, your relationship isn’t the same as before, so this is just my concern as a friend.”
“They’ve already sent the invitations?”
“Of course. This year, the scale is larger, with multiple performers invited. Finally, it’s a chance to officially see the famed Prima Donna we’ve heard so much about.”
Lublier frowned slightly. Kirion had previously shown a personal interest in the Prima Donna. Noticing Lublier’s reaction, Kirion shrugged.
“…But I excluded her for your sake. Clearly, I have no connection with her. You only need to worry about Giyorn. How’s that?”
Giyorn.
Lublier nodded.
Given their families, this was inevitable. Meeting after three months was already a bit late. From the founding anniversary onward, they would see each other more often.
“That should be interesting.”
Kirion breathed a sigh of relief at Lublier’s composure.
“Good. See you then. Finally, you’ll meet the wife everyone’s been talking about.”
Satin was dismayed when she received the invitation to the founding anniversary.
She didn’t want to go.
Honestly, she really didn’t want to go.
The Papal Office had sent invitations to the five guardian families as well as numerous nobles and influential figures. Married people could come with their spouse; unmarried guests could bring a partner.
It was already a stiff, formal setting. With the Pope as host, the Office as organizer, and all the guests nobles, solemnity was inevitable.
Moreover, Caldebranca was a country founded alongside the legend of five sacred relics. The anniversary commemorated that legend, and attendees were expected to consider the invitation an honor.
Thus, Satin had been dragged to this event every year. As a member of a pillar family of Caldebranca, she could never skip the ceremony. Other nobles were the same. Most of the guests from the wedding would gather there.
Of course, Giyorn would come too.
“…If we divorce, maybe I’ll have to go abroad for a while instead of staying in the countryside.”
If Lublier, she, and Giyorn all met in one place, people would naturally think back to the scandalous wedding. It could reignite the smoldering rumors. She wanted to refuse, but couldn’t.
Still, she had gained significant benefits from the marriage with Lublier. Being publicly allied with the Ca Dillon family, the Sel Wio family couldn’t overtly interfere. And if all three were present, Giyorn—the single one—would be at a disadvantage, socially. A married couple from school days would meet their former fiancée.
She could vividly picture Giyorn’s grim face upon receiving the invitation. Being long-time friends, it was predictable. The new couple versus the ex-fiancé would be a clear visual victory for Satin.
“But what good is appearances?”
The reality behind the scenes was a mess on both sides. Perhaps it was easier for the other party—they didn’t need to act married. For Giyorn and Delaila, their feelings for each other were sincere.
Satin, however, was different. Unlike Delaila, she had never acted in a role. Being thrust into her current position was like stepping onto a stage—a performance in itself.
And that wasn’t all.
‘I want to try. Really badly.’
“Ah!”
Before she could mentally prepare, memories surged, making her cry out.
“Milady, what’s wrong?”
Laliga came running.
“…Nothing, it’s nothing.”
Nothing, indeed. Impossible. Lublier’s face, appearing just a few moments apart, was still vivid. She had only lightly touched his face to make him look at her, yet she couldn’t move an inch.
It was her first time feeling overwhelmed by a man’s gaze, presence, and atmosphere. Something she had never experienced with Giyorn.
Did Lublier really have this side?
She had only seen him as a mischievous boy, annoying and petty.
‘I want to touch you. I want you. Is it strange for a husband to desire his wife? Do you think it’s wrong?’
Without realizing it, Satin brought her thumb to her lips.
Caught up in the tension, she bit her lip, drawing blood. Lublier reached out, stopping her. Only later, when she looked in the mirror, did she notice a faint trace of blood on her lower lip.
