Honestly, I wasn't worried about the temple at all. Because when someone puts forward God's will, they're the easiest group to manipulate.
So I didn't find the request to meet with temple officials difficult either. I'd just say God sent me here and I needed to stay for a while, so they should leave.
But if the other party is this man, things change a bit.
"The Resurrected One has arrived."
From the moment I spotted a lone black head sticking out among the priests gathered in the main palace reception room, my steps came to an abrupt halt.
Now that I think about it, why had I forgotten?
"I am late."
This man's persistence in seeking me out in any situation.
"Sir Samuel."
The moment he spotted me, he shot up from his seat and strode quickly to stand before me. It didn't seem like that much time had passed, yet his face had grown considerably thinner.
"Is it true that you are staying of your own will?"
"Excuse me! That's going too far! Are you suggesting we're forcibly detaining the Resurrected One?"
The administrator, who had been dealing with the priests, raised his voice as if insulted, but Samuel didn't even pretend to hear his protest.
He looked ready to drag me out immediately if I said I was being imprisoned.
"I am staying of my own will."
"You may speak freely."
"Yes, it's voluntary."
"Your Highness, you're staying in the Imperial Palace voluntarily?"
"That's what I said, isn't it?"
"But you're not someone who trusts people, so you wouldn't help them..."
"Sir Samuel."
You clueless idiot.
I suppressed the harsh words that nearly spilled out and smiled gently.
"I was just about to have tea with Lord Heinrich. Would you like to join us? It's been a while, so we could have a leisurely chat over tea."
At my suggestion, the priests all rose to their feet with brightened expressions.
"Oh, with the Resurrected One...!"
"Sir Samuel only."
At my firm words, Samuel glanced behind him. The priests looked at Samuel with eager eyes as if asking him to take them too, but Samuel nodded without a moment's hesitation.
"Yes."
"Then I'll tell them to prepare the tea."
Maxel, who had been quietly watching the situation, slipped in smoothly.
Between Lilia and Maxel, I wondered how they could be so incapable of understanding what people said. Perhaps since the two looked alike, they were on the same wavelength?
"Lord Heinrich, I think it would be best to have tea 'just the three of us' with Sir Samuel in my private palace."
I ignored Maxel and turned to Heinrich. After slowly surveying the reception room, Heinrich gave me a gentle smile and nodded.
"I understand."
Perhaps offended by my dismissal, Maxel frowned and stepped forward.
"Anneli."
"Excuse me, Crown Prince Your Highness."
There are many eyes watching, so I should hold back the curses.
I looked at Maxel and spoke calmly, enunciating each word clearly.
"Please stop pretending to be close. It's disgusting. Deceptive and hypocritical attitudes are among the things God detests most. Even now, He is greatly displeased."
Maxel froze with a rigid expression. While his flustered guards attended to him, the priests in the reception room let out admiring exclamations all at once.
"Oh, God's will!"
"God is guiding the Resurrected One!"
"That is God's insight! The majesty that sees through human wickedness at a glance!"
Hmm, this seems somewhat convenient?
"Hey, wait! How dare you show such rudeness to Crown Prince His Highness!"
The administrator's startled shout and the priests' enthusiastic praise mingled together, making the reception room noisy.
Taking advantage of this chaos, I quickly dashed outside. Samuel and Heinrich, reading the situation, followed behind me and escaped the reception room.
Only after reaching the empty corridor did I slow down and breathe a sigh of relief. Heinrich, who had been silently following, finally asked me a question.
"But did God really become angry with Maxel?"
The answer to that question came from somewhere else.
"Do you believe that?"
His tone was steeped with disbelief. Wait, aren't you supposed to show some sign of belief since you're a holy knight?
Heinrich looked at Samuel with an expression as dumbfounded as mine, then frowned and turned to me.
"What is this holy knight? You weren't just bringing along a servant?"
"I'd like to ask the same thing. I thought you had completely severed ties with the Empire."
I didn't know why I felt like I was being interrogated, but anyway, I knew this wasn't the place for such a conversation.
I swallowed a sigh and shook my head.
"...Let's move somewhere else first."
I had an ominous feeling that my quiet life had come to an end as of today.
Please let it be just my imagination.
* * *
The priests decided to stay at the Imperial Palace temporarily. It was to attend the celebratory banquet for the Resurrected One.
For Samuel, who had believed he could leave this Imperial Palace the moment he met Anneli, it was an unwelcome outcome, but there was nothing he could do. He had learned why Anneli was voluntarily remaining at the Imperial Palace.
"I'm looking for something. I have no intention of leaving until I find it."
She didn't explain at length, but Samuel understood well what she was talking about.
"My subordinate is searching the Imperial Palace, so results will come soon. So if you're going to interfere, don't acknowledge me."
What could he do when she spoke like that? Samuel quietly closed his mouth. After that, he remained in this state.
He wanted to talk with Anneli alone, but the Emperor, using safety as an excuse, repeatedly seated Heinrich with them.
If Anneli stepped in, it could be easily resolved, but she didn't seem to have any intention of doing so.
Thus, even today, the day before the banquet, Samuel still hadn't told Anneli.
That he was the first knight who had betrayed her in the distant past.
'...Damn it.'
He had regained his memories when the warp gate activated at the monastery. While regaining his memories and coming here, he guessed that Anneli might have also recovered her past memories.
It would have been easier to have a conversation if that were the case, but seeing the current situation, Anneli still seemed to have no memories of the past.
Originally, since a human soul crosses the River of Lethe and goes through reincarnation, it was natural that she couldn't remember. Samuel was a special case.
Knowing that, Samuel felt unnecessarily complicated emotions. He also wondered whether he really needed to tell her about the unpleasant past to someone who couldn't remember anyway.
"Is there still no news from that subordinate?"
"No. But he's a very sharp cat, so he'll show up soon."
"...A cat."
'So this knight transforms into a cat.'
Samuel swallowed a sigh and nodded. Then, his gaze shifted to the dullahan trapped in a large birdcage.
The dullahan, who had been glaring at Samuel with wary eyes, quickly relaxed at a few words from Anneli and lay about lazily.
Samuel's recovered memories weren't complete, so he didn't know who that dullahan was.
However, one thing was certain: if any of the dullahans Anneli had taken in discovered Samuel's identity, they would be outraged.
Samuel suppressed his troubled feelings and turned his gaze in another direction. He saw human shadows flickering and then disappearing.
This was the backyard of the private palace where Anneli was staying.
Tea time with Samuel and Heinrich always took place here, because no one would readily approach due to the fearsome dullahan.
Thanks to that, conversation was easy, which was one good thing.
"Tomorrow is the banquet. If we don't hurry, won't we be able to leave on time?"
At Samuel's words, Heinrich, who had been quietly savoring his tea, spoke casually.
"The banquet doesn't end in just one day anyway, and if Anneli wants to stay longer after the banquet, the Imperial family will welcome her with open arms."
"It doesn't seem like the Imperial family has any intention of letting her go at all."
"If it comes to that, we'll just use the captured dullahan as an excuse. That was the original plan, wasn't it, Anneli?"
"Yes, that's right."
At Anneli's affirmation, Heinrich smiled as if to say 'see?' To Samuel's eyes, it looked like Heinrich was showing off that he understood her intentions well, which put him in a bad mood.
"If you show intimate behavior with a prince who has lost power, things will become troublesome."
"I don't know since when holy knights started treating a prince like a friend, but while you're staying at the Imperial Palace, behave yourself."
"Am I wrong?"
Heinrich's gaze turned cold and settled. As an odd tension hung in the air, Anneli interrupted with an annoyed voice.
"Stop it appropriately. If we were really showing intimate behavior, we wouldn't be doing this."
Samuel also didn't want to deliberately offend Anneli if possible. But in his view, Anneli's current attitude was too strange. She was going to excessive trouble for Heinrich.
"If you want to support this prince, you can just declare it in God's name. Say that God has designated this prince as the Empire's successor."
Until now, hadn't she brought up God in every trivial situation? After staying for a few days, there was nothing in Anneli's behavior that didn't involve God's will.
Naturally, Samuel knew all of it was false, but others couldn't even suspect it.
In particular, the priests looked anxious to record God's will coming from Anneli's mouth this very moment.
So increasing Heinrich's standing with just a few words wouldn't be difficult at all.
At Samuel's words, Anneli sighed and propped her chin on her hand.
"This isn't the temple. This is the Imperial Palace where people with vastly different faiths gather. Do you think they'll believe me if I say something like that here? Besides, I'm someone who will leave this place?"
Heinrich's shoulders, who had been sitting quietly, flinched.
"That kind of declaration is only effective when I stay here and have the intention to continue supporting Lord Heinrich. But I'm leaving, and right now Lord Heinrich is alone in this Imperial Palace."
Strangely, in that moment, a sense of relief brushed through Samuel's heart. Conversely, Heinrich's face darkened with shadows.
"That's why a plausible situation must come first before hollow divine instructions."