A chilly air settled over Zenon's face, which had been filled with suspicious emotions.
Having chewed over the words he heard several times in his mind, Zenon let out a hollow laugh as if absurd.
'Choice?'
With his lips crooked upward, he spoke slowly.
"Well now. That's a very strange question. Depending on how you hear it, there's plenty of room for misunderstanding, you know?"
He asked if I met her separately at night, and when I said yes, he asks if I chose you?
"For a clergyman who's even made a vow dedicating body and mind to God, that sounds rather impudent, doesn't it?"
To Zenon's words, which bordered on mockery, Samuel replied through gritted teeth.
"That one is God's proxy. It's only natural that I serve and follow Him."
"Uh-huh, sure. But even if you do that during the day, there's no need to serve Him at night too, is there?"
Samuel's expression stiffened rigidly. Zenon observed each change one by one as he continued speaking.
"I'm always begging Lady Anelli to choose me. You're asking if She chose me? If you're asking about the night She returned after capturing Rusalca..."
Zenon, who had been trailing off and pausing deliberately, smiled even more brilliantly than before.
"That's right. At least that night, it seems She definitely chose me."
Samuel's face remained rigid. However, Zenon somehow felt that that wooden doll-like face was revealing countless emotions.
Countless emotions to the extent that not a single one could be clearly distinguished.
Samuel didn't ask further and turned away. Zenon, who had been glaring at Samuel quietly entering his own room, muttered in irritation.
"What kind of cult-like bastard is that?"
What? The paladin the High Priest is proud of? The best paladin?
That thing?
That dangerous bastard who looks ready to betray the vows he swore at any moment?
'Is it right to leave someone like that next to Lady Anelli?'
Zenon seriously contemplated.
He wasn't trying to extract a promise for the future from Anelli with just one night, nor was he trying to monopolize Anelli by swaggering as if he had some authority.
In his relationship with Anelli, Zenon had long ago admitted he was thoroughly the weaker party.
So what he could do was groom his fur prettily, offer delectable food, and capture her heart.
'And if someone better than me appears in that process... damn it.'
Zenon frowned.
He didn't want to think about it, but if such a terrible thing happened, he would probably groom his fur even more diligently.
He probably wouldn't be able to give up, leaving behind hypocritical words about wishing for the other person's happiness.
'There's still a lot of magic I haven't shown yet, so at this level, I'm competitive.'
Though his stream of consciousness briefly veered down an odd path, the conclusion was that.
Even if someone suddenly threw themselves at Anelli saying they wanted to catch her eye, Zenon was confident he wouldn't be surprised at all.
That was only natural since being completely smitten with Anelli was to be expected!
'But not that bastard. He's a paladin, isn't he?'
Of course, during his travels, Zenon had repeatedly emphasized Samuel's danger to Anelli several times.
But back then, it was because Samuel seemed more like a religious fanatic, not because of this beast-like appearance.
'Even a devout paladin!'
If such a man is in a state where he might throw away his clerical life, just how dangerous of a state is that?
It seemed like it would be best to give a separate warning.
And right at that moment.
Just as Zenon was about to enter his room to contact Anelli immediately, Samuel's firmly closed door burst open.
Samuel, who had quietly entered just before, revealed himself again.
"Hey, wizard."
Samuel's face as he called Zenon looked far more rational than before.
'Just a moment ago his eyes looked like they were spinning, but I guess he realized this wasn't right even to himself?'
Fortunately, he regained his reason quickly. I almost submitted an anonymous report to the temple about someone who nearly became a prospective disbeliever.
Zenon, looking at Samuel with displeased eyes, answered reluctantly.
"Why."
"You said you'd help with my work."
"I did."
When Zenon nodded, Samuel gazed at him fixedly as if confirming his intentions.
Then he spoke in a composed voice.
"Do you know what rumors were circulating when the Empress was first attacked by monsters?"
"Well... I was imprisoned in the Imperial Palace at the time. There's no way I could know."
"They said the Empress was attacked by a monster that transforms into animals."
Zenon narrowed his brows. Samuel looked at him as he calmly continued.
"There was also talk of a Dullahan's attack."
So that's why everyone was even more afraid and sought out Anelli, who was chosen by God. Zenon clicked his tongue.
He'd thought voices praising the Resurrected One had grown notably louder in the city lately, but he didn't know such a story was hidden behind it.
"Amazing. A monster that transforms into animals, and even a Dullahan."
The monster attack was ultimately Rusalca's doing. Though no one knew it.
Zenon, who had thought of the corrupted fairy Rusalca the moment he heard the Empress's symptoms, naturally didn't know the rumors from the early days. Nor was he interested.
But hearing it like this, it seemed he needed to pay attention. To dismiss it as just a baseless rumor...
"I'm currently looking for the source of that rumor."
It was too specific to call it mere nonsense spouted by ignorant busybodies.
"Because there might be an actual witness."
"If there's a real witness, that means one of Lady Anelli's subordinates is somewhere nearby."
Zenon swept back his bangs. To think that paladin bastard was investigating matters related to Anelli.
He had simply intended to help a bit and live comfortably while taking credit, but with this, he couldn't just do things half-heartedly.
"Right. I'm planning to find the location of that 'subordinate' beforehand if possible."
"Good. I'll look into it too."
Zenon answered as if there was nothing to consider. At those words, Samuel nodded as if he understood.
Having shared a few pieces of information learned over several days, Samuel turned his body as if he had finished speaking.
Just as he seemed about to close the door, Samuel suddenly stopped his action. Then, with a face full of displeasure, he spoke quietly.
"If your reckless attitude of carelessly revealing traces tarnishes His honor, I won't let you off."
Then he whipped around and went back inside before Zenon could even respond.
Left alone in the corridor, Zenon wore a bewildered expression. What on earth was that just now?
"What traces?"
Naturally, no one answered his question.
It was several hours later that Zenon discovered the nearly faded bruise on the nape of his neck that he hadn't even known existed.
* * *
As if my worry about whether to get involved in Lilia's affairs was in vain, matters were suddenly resolved.
Because Lilia was summoned by her father. A very secret summons.
And some time later, Maxel and Lilia departed for Count Luezak's territory. Her father assigned knights of Roam as Lilia's escort.
Though called Lilia's escort, this was also Maxel's escort. Furthermore, it symbolized the relationship between the Crown Prince and Roam.
'So it ends up like this after all.'
Though I knew from the start it would turn out this way, actually watching my family prepare to abandon me once more left me with an odd feeling.
It wasn't betrayal, wistfulness, or anger. Just... it was odd.
"I didn't think you'd meet with me."
At the words coming from ahead, I emerged from my brief reverie.
This was a shop within the capital. A shop where one could drink tea or have meals. It was a meeting place mainly used by those who couldn't invite guests to their mansions.
And the person who called me out here was Sister Frisian.
"Well, there's no reason not to meet."
"Thank you for your kindness."
Sister Frisian had grown noticeably thinner in the time I hadn't seen her. It seemed her hastily concluded marriage didn't suit her temperament at all.
If a man had dared to marry Sister Frisian while she was losing her reason and running wild, he must have had quite a temper himself.
Thinking that way, Sister Frisian's suffering seemed natural.
"As you know, accurate information about Roam can't be obtained outside. So... I wanted to meet you because I was curious about how the family is doing."
"I'm sorry, but I can't discuss Roam's inner matters with an outsider."
When I answered indifferently, Sister Frisian retorted with an irritated face.
"I am Roam's direct line!"
"My, sister. You're now Frisian Kendal, aren't you?"
I had tried not to provoke her as much as possible, but unknowingly, mockery seeped into my voice. Sister Frisian, who caught my sneer, fiercely distorted her face.
"This name is nothing more than temporarily borrowed."
"Do you think Mother thinks so too?"
The letters from Sister Frisian that reach Mother aren't even opened. Knowing that, I could easily see that it wouldn't be easy for my sister to return to the Roam family.
'Looking at it extremely, there's the method of divorce while accepting scandal...'
Baron Kendal wouldn't readily agree to that.
Even if she did divorce, the label of the Kendal family once attached would follow her for life. Sister Frisian could no longer become a perfect successor.
"Ha, my husband has greater ambition than you think. He's not a man who would be satisfied with the name Kendal."
"Heavens, to hear the word 'husband' from your lips, sister. There's value in resurrection."
Sister Frisian's face crumpled miserably. Even so, the fact that she didn't kick her seat and storm out was purely to extract information about Roam from me.
Her patience was surprising. That even in such a state, she hadn't given up on the desire to become the head of Roam was certainly remarkable.
So I decided to show some mercy.
"Seiri's tutors have doubled."
At my words tossed out indifferently, Sister Frisian flinched in surprise.
"Seiri's?"
"Yes. Didn't I tell you before? Mother introduced Seiri to Maxel."
Sister Frisian's face flushed red. It was from anger.
"Insisting on abandoning me..."
She should have been abandoned long ago. Did she still believe Mother would save her?
Or Father?
I, who had been mocking Sister Frisian's futile anger, slowly parted my lips.
"That sly brat, who would have guessed he'd worm his way in while sister and I were paying attention to each other?"