CHAPTER 83………………………………….
After leaving the banquet hall, Alec walked down the long corridor, keeping his footsteps quiet.
Jace.
The one who had been constantly in his sight for some time.
He hadn’t done anything to raise suspicion.
Yes, it had started then.
Ever since that day when he tried to brush off the connection between the girl the Saint cherished and himself as merely a mutual fondness.
But because there was no evidence, he tried to convince himself that his unease was just paranoia. He hadn’t reported anything since Jace hadn’t acted suspiciously.
The Saint, however, seemed certain about how she knew Jace was affiliated with Fabivan.
Perhaps it was just before entering the banquet hall…
After the doors opened, the Saint had glanced back, her expression not at all pleasant.
Since Jace was the only one by her side at that moment, it must have been because of him that her face showed displeasure.
The Saint, who usually concealed her emotions well, had seemed flustered—apparently Jace had said something to her.
Alec brushed back the loose strands of hair falling across his forehead.
It had been his mistake.
No matter how ambiguous Jace’s position as his subordinate was, he hadn’t imagined that even his own knights could be touched by Fabivan’s reach.
He hadn’t completely dismissed the possibility. He had only wished that his people weren’t involved.
But now, he had to remind himself that he could no longer trust his own subordinate and remain vigilant.
Perhaps it was some small relief that Jace hadn’t been at the boundary.
Looking back, “returning” might be the more accurate term.
It was Jace who had taken the fallen child back to the temple.
Had he assigned the task to someone else back then and met Jace on the way to the boundary, could he have realized it sooner?
What good was regretting it now?
Alec sighed and slightly turned his head.
His gaze naturally drifted outside the palace.
There he was—Jace.
He seemed to be waiting for someone.
Probably he had come to collect the relic.
“Even halfway, the relic should be brought first.”
“Why not have a knight do it?”
“This pilgrimage is long. If the commander leaves, the Saint would notice.”
“Commander…”
“I’ll handle it myself. Let’s leave it at that for today.”
A conversation he had overheard before came to mind. A conversation that Fabivan had abruptly ended before Alec could hear more.
In hindsight, it seemed to suggest that there was someone who could replace him.
Perhaps the knight first mentioned wasn’t him.
When he was mentioned, he hadn’t paid much attention to the opposing voice.
At the time, just hearing the conversation was shocking enough—but he shouldn’t have dismissed it so casually.
He should have realized it.
Alec hid behind a pillar and looked down. The Emperor’s men were not in sight yet.
After having faced the Saint at today’s banquet, what excuse would he give to return to Melissa?
“Sir Jace!”
The voice calling Jace was bright—and familiar.
“Amy.”
More than that—they were close enough to call each other by name.
The Saint seemed to hope Alec’s suspicions were unfounded, but who knew?
As Jace glanced around, Alec pressed himself closer to the pillar.
“She probably told you not to make a sound outside.”
“Ah! Sorry, but I have something to tell you!”
Jace sighed heavily and lifted his chin as if annoyed.
“What is it?”
“Well… the Saint found out that I like you…”
“Haa.”
Jace looked down at her shrinking shoulders and gently placed a hand over them.
“Amy, I don’t want to be disappointed in you.”
The way the child flinched made Alec wonder if this was how someone behaved in front of the person they liked.
Amy, trembling, bit her lip.
“Does the Saint still correspond with Duke Ferdian?”
“She… the Saint didn’t ask me to deliver letters, so… probably not! I asked today too!”
“Amy.”
“Yes?”
“Did you open the drawer?”
“Pardon?”
“You’re not telling me only what the Saint asks directly, are you?”
Amy hesitated, and Jace opened his mouth again—but their conversation was cut off by approaching footsteps.
The person making the noise had been behind the Emperor moments ago.
As he approached Jace, Amy quickly stepped back.
With her out of view, Alec shifted his gaze back to the two men.
The man carefully handed Jace a small, elegant box.
“It’s a relic obtained from the Maroon Kingdom.”
Jace opened it slightly and nodded.
“Thank you, I will take it.”
The man raised an eyebrow, curious.
“May I ask why?”
“Why what?”
“The relic. Why is it needed for the pilgrimage?”
“Did His Majesty ask?”
The man pressed his lips together at the mention of the Emperor. Jace, watching him, closed the box and spoke.
He looked rather shameless.
“Is it not natural that Melissa keeps what Lady Gloria has touched?”
Jace smiled gently. The man said nothing further.
Perhaps he could not appreciate it, not worshipping Gloria, but the statement might have seemed like law.
Jace gave a brief greeting to the man before turning away.
Alec stepped out from behind the pillar and followed him.
Still keeping his footsteps quiet.
“Saint.”
The cardinal approaching wore an expression halfway between suspicion and caution.
“Saint, where is the commander going?”
The cardinal, glancing between Alec and me, narrowed his eyes.
I shrugged.
“He said he was checking on the knights.”
“I see…”
“By the way, Your Excellency…”
“Yes, Saint?”
I asked awkwardly, pretending unfamiliarity with the banquet.
“I would like a short rest…”
“Being an imperial banquet, wouldn’t it be better to stay at your place?”
“Then is there a place to rest briefly? I am not used to banquets.”
He eased his suspicion and let out a small laugh, taking on the expression nobles had once shown me.
“If you just want a short rest… hmm, there’s a balcony at the far end.”
“Oh.”
I smiled awkwardly, and he smiled more satisfactorily.
I didn’t know he would take pride in such a trivial thing.
“Thank you.”
He lifted his chin slightly, and I hesitated before stepping forward.
I felt the gaze of nobles.
As I passed through the center, a group of women approached.
“Saint, it’s an honor to meet you.”
“Such a pleasure to see you up close.”
Their polite laughter and flattery reminded me of women who had teased me in my past life.
“Where are you going without enjoying the banquet?”
I curved my lips gently and shifted my gaze toward the balcony.
“I’m a little nervous, so I want to rest.”
“Oh, you’re nervous, I see.”
They exchanged glances and watched me simultaneously.
“Since you are the Saint, many eyes might make you uncomfortable.”
One woman snapped her fan and gestured.
“If you go inside there, you can rest comfortably.”
Hearing the same words as before, I smiled faintly.
“How kind of you, thank you.”
“Not at all.”
I left them behind and continued walking. Laughter followed from behind.
Nothing had changed in this place.
But that wasn’t a bad thing for me.
I was heading there myself.
As I turned the corner to reach the innermost balcony, I saw the princess leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
She turned her head as my footsteps halted.
Red hair, black eyes.
Her appearance naturally reminded me of two people occupying my mind.
She let her wavy hair cascade as she dropped her back from the wall.
Her gaze was over my shoulder.
Seeing the other women gone, her black eyes shifted to me.
“Princess.”
“I believe we already exchanged greetings.”
As expected, her gaze was not friendly.
But her presence here was different from before.
Perhaps she had been waiting for me.
Descending from the podium, her glance at me and occasional sidelong looks were all because she was waiting.
I felt that this moment was going quite positively.
“Do you have something to tell me?”
Even if you are gone, I am still here.
