Chapter 46
Soon, a white light began to flicker in Floria’s palm, and a small sphere sank into Caspar’s wound.
The long cut that had split his finger in two vanished in an instant.
“…….”
“…….”
The healing was done, yet neither spoke for a long moment.
“We need to find the High Priest’s ledger in the temple.”
Caspar was the first to break the silence. He hesitated, then continued, his gaze still on Floria’s hand holding his finger.
His voice quivered slightly, but Floria, still unsettled, didn’t notice.
“Shade is having a hard time. He can’t enter the High Priest’s office either.”
Then how would we get it out…? Wait. Why am I still holding Caspar’s finger?
Realizing this, Floria jumped back, pressing against the carriage seat and quickly letting go.
Caspar looked at his freed finger with a displeased expression.
Floria, however, focused on calming her wildly beating heart first. She ran her hand slowly over her chest and… for some reason, felt like asking something. She didn’t know why.
“But… Duke, why did you call me to go to the slave market today? Couldn’t it have been someone else?”
‘I can only heal people with minor magic,’ she thought. Healing Caspar’s finger didn’t seem like enough reason for him to call her.
‘Wouldn’t it have made more sense to send a loyal subordinate instead of me?’
She knew that the Count and the High Priest were caught up in the slave trade. She knew they had to be secretive. But that alone wasn’t enough to justify dragging Floria into the slave market.
Caspar not only rescued the slaves but even offered to arrange jobs for them. A skilled subordinate would have been better suited for such a task.
Still, Caspar stared down at his finger, his lips tightly shut.
Floria looked into his eyes as if thinking hard. His yellow eyes, partly covered by long lashes, shone brightly.
Could it be that he…
“I wanted to see what kind of strange things you’d say to the Count.”
“Eh?”
“It’s fun. More than I expected.”
It was just her imagination. He really found it entertaining. Caspar recalled the earlier events and smirked, folding his eyes slightly as he gazed into the empty air.
‘…Of course. There’s no way Caspar could like me.’
Yes, she thought. She was just swept up in the early-morning emotions, feeling a strange closeness after staying up all night finding the ledger and escaping together.
Floria pressed her feelings down and leaned back, closing her eyes. She promised herself she wouldn’t open them until the carriage stopped.
“The High Priest might call you separately soon.”
Her eyelids twitched despite her resolve.
‘…I must never drink another strange tea again.’
Still, such inside information was always welcome. Better to be prepared than be called unexpectedly by the disgusting High Priest.
“Wait for the right moment. I’ll help you.”
But what did he mean by help? Stop the High Priest if he tried something strange? Or… kill him?
Floria kept her hands on her lap, pretending to sleep. Caspar said nothing more. She successfully kept up the act.
Caspar stared at his now-healed finger for a moment, then shifted his gaze to Floria.
Her eyes were closed, yet her eyelids twitched. Her fingers twitched slightly on her lap, and even her pressed lips moved a little.
Trying not to laugh, Caspar covered his mouth but continued to watch, smiling quietly. He remained like this until the carriage fully stopped and Floria finished pretending to sleep and opened her eyes.
The carriage stopped near the temple. Caspar decided not to drive it all the way to the annex, worried they might be seen. He walked Floria to her lodging personally.
“But… doesn’t that make parking the carriage useless?”
“I completely hid myself.”
By completely hiding, he meant wrapping himself head to toe in a black robe.
‘Anyone could still tell it’s you,’ Floria thought, but she kept quiet. On the way, they hadn’t encountered anyone, and she didn’t want to refuse his escort.
“Thank you for walking me back. Please be careful.”
“Enjoy your day off, Floria.”
Though they had only snuck into the slave market to steal the ledger, Floria found the conversation strangely odd.
Once back at her lodging, her mind was flooded with thoughts.
‘Good thing tomorrow is a holiday.’
If not, she would have gone straight to morning prayers after staying up all night. Of course, meeting Caspar meant she could request a week’s leave from the High Priest, but…
“I can’t risk revealing my identity this time.”
She didn’t want the High Priest to know she had been at the slave market.
Then she remembered the ledger!
‘Why did I subconsciously mutter when looking for it?’
She had searched every corner of the room but hadn’t found it herself. If she hadn’t been told to check under the desk, she might never have discovered it.
It felt as if another soul truly existed inside her body.
Then, she thought of the original owner of the body.
‘Um… Floria?’
Previously called the villainess, now she addressed her politely, thinking the soul might really exist. Even if it was the villainess, she was still the body’s original owner.
‘Floria? Are you there?’
Her heart raced as she waited for a reply, wondering if her lips might move on their own like before.
But nothing happened.
‘…Really strange.’
She realized the soul wouldn’t suddenly appear now. That was a relief. If it had, she might have fainted from shock like in a horror movie.
‘Perhaps it was a miracle that happened in a desperate moment.’
Still, it bothered her that the spirit had accurately guided her to the ledger. There was nothing more she could figure out now. She rolled onto her side, deciding to leave the mystery for later.
Finally, Floria faced a more unavoidable worry:
Her true feelings for Caspar.
It seemed too late to turn back from her realization…
‘If I don’t say it out loud, it’s fine,’ she decided.
Floria resolved not to admit it. Her first goal had grown bigger than surviving until Rose became a saint, but the ultimate purpose remained the same. She would uncover the temple’s corruption, bring down the High Priest, and leave once the temple was purified.
