AWLC 19

Chapter – 19

Alesto hesitated for a moment as he looked at the chicken presented in front of him, then slowly opened his mouth.

He had expected it to feel unpleasant, using a fork someone else had touched—but surprisingly, it wasn’t bad at all.

“Is it good?”

The woman’s expression was so innocent as she asked. He felt like he would have to say it tasted good even if it were mud.

Alesto nodded helplessly.

“Yes.”

Then the saintess laughed again, clearly delighted at something.

Her laughter made her already round face look even rounder.

Though she was slender, her face was basically circular, and all her features—eyes, nose, mouth—were rounded.

Her nose, in particular, was so round and clear it looked like a tiny pearl.

Ruby hummed a tune without realizing it.

She recalled the sapphire that candle-keeper Mr. Perrel had bribed her with not long ago.

How much could she get if she sold it?

It was quite large, so it would fetch a good price.

Would this be the end of it?

No.

As long as she remained a maid to the lovely future crown princess, bribes would continue to come in.

Her pay was already high, and the extra money was substantial—she was getting the best of both worlds.

If Lady Asha officially became the crown princess, and eventually empress, how much more money could she make?

She could buy a house with a garden, maybe even hire a housekeeper.

She also liked Lady Asha herself.

She moved gracefully, ate well, didn’t swear, and wasn’t overly sensitive—a rare mistress to serve these days, leaving Ruby energized even after work.

She couldn’t wait to get home and tell her older brother not to worry about entering the academy—she would earn plenty of money.

On her cheerful walk home, Ruby ran into a familiar face at the landing of the first floor.

“Oh? Ruby!”

“Marie, hi!”

Marie was someone Ruby had met while serving as a maid in Blossom Palace.

Unlike Ruby, she was a normal maid, not an owl, so she had often been curious about Ruby’s sudden job change.

Naturally, Marie knew nothing about it, though.

Ruby was about to greet her lightly and move on, but Marie grabbed her arm and whispered.

“Hey, did you hear the news?”

Ruby gently shook off Marie’s hand with an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, I’m a bit busy right now. I need to get home to take care of my siblings.”

As she trotted down the stairs, Marie, unable to resist, whispered again in a conspiratorial tone.

“Perrel… he’s dead.”

Ruby’s steps froze instantly. The more she reacted, the more excited Marie seemed, stepping alongside Ruby to continue quietly:

“Even crazier, they found the body without a tongue. It wasn’t an accident.”

Ruby’s face went pale as Marie’s words sank in.

Could it really be a coincidence that Mr. Perrel—the one who had bribed her to find out Lady Asha’s identity—suddenly died?

No.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

Then Marie’s eerie words cut through her thoughts:

“Oh, right. You went to the third floor, right? So how—uh!”

Ruby spun around, covering Marie’s mouth with one hand while pointing her finger at her with the other.

“Don’t be curious. Don’t ask. Don’t say anything.”

Marie read the serious expression and nodded vigorously, after which Ruby released her mouth and stepped back.

They exchanged fearful looks for a moment, then silently left the scene.

At the same time, in the ballroom…

Cedric, who had been trailing behind Asha, stopped dead in his tracks.

Her man had appeared.

Until just a moment ago, he had hoped the crown prince would keep Asha from feeling lonely.

Seeing her with someone else made his mouth bitter.

As he stood there in a daze, a steward approached, flustered.

“There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Cedric tore his eyes away from Asha and looked at the man with the steward.

A plump man with a neatly groomed mustache.

“This is Count Curtis. He deals in luxury goods like porcelain and carpets.”

“Good day, Count. I’ve heard much from Count Carrion.”

Count Carrion had been in correspondence with the crown prince regarding support in pirate suppression.

Cedric relaxed and shook Count Curtis’s hand.

“Ah, Count Carrion. I owe you a favor. You’re in trade now?”

“Yes, Marquis. Since you’ve recently cleared the pirates, trade routes at sea are opening up. I wanted to discuss some matters with you. Could you spare some time?”

“Of course. Do you know a quiet place?”

“Upstairs, there’s a club. I can take you there.”

After a full meal, Asha left the ballroom and took Alesto’s carriage with him.

Perhaps because they were alone in the confined space, a subtle tension lingered.

In the ballroom, the large space and crowd had allowed her to diffuse awkwardness with small talk while passing him food.

But in the carriage, there was nothing to say.

She glanced at Alesto across from her.

Seeing his face reminded her of a new discovery: when the man in front of her was handsome, she found herself smiling without realizing it.

Truly.

Even now, there was not a single reason to laugh—except for that face.

Even the suspicious priest occupying her thoughts faded in an instant.

Was this the effect of a handsome man?

Her heart was inexplicably racing.

Alesto quietly observed the saintess.

She kept shifting her eyes, looking either anxious or nervous.

Her behavior made him feel similarly restless.

His normally slow-beating heart picked up speed slightly as he quietly tried to calm himself.

‘Is it just me, or is the carriage heating up?’

Alone, he would have opened the window, but he didn’t.

The saintess wore a dress with a low neckline, exposing her collarbones and much of her bare skin.

It was cold outside, so letting in a chill could make her sick.

Better to endure a little heat than risk her falling ill.

Seeing such a fragile person with so much bare skin naturally made him concerned.

Then he realized something: why was her dress so revealing?

‘Bare skin…?’

At that moment, Alesto’s face began to flush.

He had just realized that what met his eyes was the saintess’s exposed skin.

Embarrassed, he quickly looked down, only to notice her delicate, restless hands.

Better to focus on them for now.

Her hands fidgeted constantly, leaving him little chance to feel bored.

It was the first time he had looked at a woman’s hands so intently.

Then a sudden thought occurred:

Did other women’s hands look like this too, or was it just her?

Even without looking closely, they were slender—he felt he could hold both hands in his own.

He wondered what it would feel like to hold them.

‘…Should I hold her hand?’

Was he crazy?

Why was he having such shameless thoughts?

Of course, given his intentions, now would be the time for physical contact between a couple just starting a relationship.

But something felt… hypocritical.

He didn’t want to hold her hand solely for his own purposes.

Instead, he wanted to do it for a different reason.

He glanced out the window for a moment, thinking it would be better to distract himself.

Yet, as if betraying his reason, his eyes kept returning to the saintess.

He had to admit it: he wanted to hold her hand.

Whether because it was beautiful, delicate, or just appealing, it was certain it wasn’t only for his own goals.

“May I hold your hand?”