Chapter 48
The heavy tension that had filled the confessional completely disappeared.
“Hmm, so everyone already knew my lover is Floria. I have to admit, that feels pretty good.”
Caspar’s eyes slowly moved as he lazily closed them, looking utterly relaxed.
Floria, who had been denying it non-stop, now froze like a wax doll the moment the word “Floria” was mentioned.
“S-Sorry…!”
As their strange gazes met, Beanel, now a third party in this weird moment, quickly bowed his head and bolted away.
Floria and Caspar moved locations as well.
Because the commotion in the confessional had halted all temple work, they couldn’t stay there.
Usually, Floria would have apologized repeatedly to the believers exiting the confessional, but today, she simply couldn’t.
She didn’t have the mental space for it.
“I have something to say.”
Caspar, the cause of the chaos in the confessional, took off his gloves and calmly extended his hand.
“…….”
His hands, covered in large and small scars, no longer felt unfamiliar.
Yet, recalling what he had just said to Beanel left her utterly confused.
Still, she couldn’t refuse. Everyone was watching them like spectators, and she needed to ask how they would handle the aftermath.
Floria followed him hesitantly—but the place they arrived at wasn’t the annex garden.
“……You want me to enter here?”
It was the temple’s private prayer room, only accessible to high-ranking nobles and senior priests.
Floria looked at Caspar, who confidently opened the door, with a mixture of shock and disbelief.
He had already stepped more than halfway into the room. Hearing a voice from behind, he twisted slightly and said:
“Floria. From today, you can enter here.”
Floria frowned slightly. From today? She hadn’t heard any explanation.
“Uh? What does that mean…?”
“Just come in. Anyway, hardly any nobles come here.”
Caspar tilted his head, looking at her as he strode further into the prayer room. Then, without hesitation, he sat in the front-most chair.
“…….”
The door remained wide open, as if inviting her in.
Caspar had said something earlier with a meaningful tone:
“Didn’t anyone hear that today is my lover’s last day working in the confessional?”
Floria had been too focused on the word “lover” to think about anything else, but now she remembered.
She sighed, staring at his back, which seemed as if he would stay in that chair until she entered.
‘I don’t know. Anyway, I have something to say…’
She had never seen a noble or senior priest in the prayer room, so it should be fine. If anyone appeared, she could simply say Caspar had permitted her entry.
Still, to prevent any surprises, she closed the door firmly before approaching Caspar.
“Duke.”
“Hmm?”
Standing in front of him, she finally spoke. Caspar tilted his head slightly and answered in a cheerful voice.
“What exactly were you thinking when you said that?”
Floria couldn’t hold back her anger any longer. Her voice rose—not purely from anger, but from worry.
When Count Ridante had visited the confessional before, everyone had quietly handled it, afraid the Count might act violently toward her.
But today, Caspar had boldly declared in front of numerous believers and noble youths that he was Floria’s lover.
Now, there was no going back.
Caspar, stretching comfortably in a closed prayer room, finally spoke slowly:
“What aftermath? We’re lovers. Honestly, it’s better now that everyone knows.”
“…….”
Floria had asked about the aftermath, yet he had focused on the word “lover.”
He seemed fully aware of her confusion.
It didn’t feel like a prank—more like a calculated move. Floria could only press her lower lip firmly.
Amid this, Caspar brought his hands together and closed his eyes, as if to pray.
The conversation between them stopped immediately. The wide prayer room was suddenly silent.
‘What could he be thinking?’
Floria continued staring at him, motionless. Was she the only one feeling nervous and uneasy?
It wasn’t just the aftermath… what if Caspar really did have feelings for her?
She had assumed all his previous words were mischievous jokes.
Even now, thinking about romance seems impossible…
They had just uncovered the ledger linking Count Ridante and the High Priest to the slave market—it wasn’t enough to resolve everything.
But hearing his words like that…
Her heart began to beat fast. Caspar, unaware of her inner turmoil, continued praying.
Time passed silently.
Finally, Caspar spoke, still with his hands neatly folded and eyes closed:
“The High Priest has appointed you a senior priest.”
“……What?”
It wasn’t about their relationship, as she had assumed.
“He must have thought that appointing you a senior priest is the first step to making you a saint.”
Floria took a moment to understand his emotionless, flat-toned words.
‘He appointed me a senior priest?’
That explained why he allowed her to enter the prayer room. Floria quickly covered her mouth in surprise.
“The High Priest will call you this afternoon. I think he’ll make a show of appointing you as a senior priest.”
“…….”
Floria still couldn’t say a word. Caspar slowly opened his eyes, their gazes meeting. One pair of pupils trembled slightly, the other remained unnervingly calm.
“We announced we are lovers so I could naturally be there.”
Floria’s hand fell limply from covering her mouth.
‘Ah, so that was the reason.’
He always played pranks, but he was much more meticulous and strategic than she thought.
‘Not just meticulous… terrifyingly thorough.’
For the sake of his goals, he would use any means necessary. He had even cross-dressed to steal Count Ridante’s ledger.
‘So of course, declaring we were lovers publicly had another purpose.’
And yet, her heart felt like it had dropped.
“Don’t worry, Floria. I’ll be with you this time.”
Caspar seemed to think her frozen expression was due to the High Priest, unaware of her inner thoughts.
‘Good… he doesn’t have some ability to read minds.’
Floria closed her eyes briefly to avoid showing her flushed face. She felt heat rushing to her cheeks, either from embarrassment or from the sunlight spilling into the room.
“But Duke, why are you here?”
Her voice trembled slightly, but she managed to speak in her usual tone.
Sunlight streamed through the windows, signaling it was afternoon.
Floria turned her head to check Caspar’s expression, realizing he still hadn’t answered her question.
