Chapter : 04
“So, did you successfully capture the necromancer you were pursuing before coming here?”
“Excellent Holy Knights are continuing the pursuit.”
So they had recalled him before his mission was even finished.
“In other words, you left a dangerous criminal roaming free because I left the temple?”
“I merely stand where God commands me to stand and fulfill the duty entrusted to me.”
“And what if innocent people die because you’re standing here?”
“The Holy Knights pursuing the criminal are exceptionally capable. They will surely eradicate the evil. You need not worry.”
I fell silent for a moment.
When I stopped speaking, Samuel quietly closed his mouth as well and simply looked at me.
Ever since I opened the door, his posture had never wavered.
One glance was enough to tell.
This man possessed terrifying patience.
And an equally terrifying stubbornness.
He looked perfectly prepared to continue this staring contest indefinitely.
Then, at last, he moved.
Lowering his gaze slightly, he spoke in a calm voice.
“As I mentioned, the temple understands that you require time to adjust. I came only to ensure your safety. I have no other intentions.”
Judging by his words alone, it was a reassuring statement.
His emotionless tone almost seemed to support his claim.
A small smile curved my lips as I took a step backward.
“As you said, I need time to think. However, I have no intention of inviting you inside, so do as you please.”
Bang.
Even after I slammed the door shut, I heard no footsteps.
Apparently he intended to remain outside.
I glared at the closed door and took a deep breath.
A different Holy Knight could capture the necromancer.
But no other Holy Knight could capture me.
That was why Samuel was here.
Which meant only he could find me.
Why him specifically…?
I touched the area around my neck.
My fingers brushed the appearance-altering artifact.
This was one of the temple’s treasures.
And Samuel possessed extraordinary divine power.
Then I remembered where his gaze had lingered earlier.
My neck.
The answer was obvious.
A hollow laugh escaped me.
Right.
I had been careless.
The temple would never leave one of its treasures unprotected.
Still, now that I understood the cause, I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
Knowing the reason eased my mind considerably.
As the tension drained away, exhaustion rushed in to replace it.
Stretching lazily, I headed for the bed.
If I wanted to keep running, maintaining my stamina was essential.
Maybe I should take a nap first.
Samuel still seemed to be standing outside.
But that was his problem, not mine.
* * *
“I sincerely apologize, Lady Anelli…”
The attendants of the Imperial Palace could barely raise their heads.
Naturally.
Though I had only been the Crown Prince’s fiancée, I was effectively already the future Crown Princess.
Everyone in the palace treated me as a member of the Imperial Family.
Everyone except my fiancé, Maxel.
“His Highness was unexpectedly occupied with urgent matters…”
Sweating nervously, the attendant listed excuse after excuse for why Maxel had canceled our engagement meeting.
Something about international affairs.
Something about envoys from the Grand Temple.
The excuses sounded plausible enough.
But I was a daughter of House Roam.
Raised from birth to become Empress.
Everything I had learned was meant to help me survive in the Imperial Palace.
Maxel’s deviations had never escaped my notice.
There were even lessons that taught a future Empress might someday have to pretend not to notice her husband’s indiscretions.
Perhaps if I had been in a calmer state of mind, I would have remembered those teachings and acted accordingly.
But not that day.
That day…
It was difficult to calmly accept that my fiancé had abandoned me on my birthday to spend time with another woman.
A woman from a fallen family, no less.
At the time, rumors had already begun spreading through high society that the second daughter of House Roam was being neglected by the Crown Prince.
It was also around then that Lilia’s extraordinary charm and kindness began attracting attention.
“If His Highness has forgotten, then go remind him of our appointment.”
Smiling, I ignored the attendant’s suggestion that I return home.
“Make sure everyone there can hear you. Loudly.”
The attendant obeyed.
He delivered my message directly to Maxel while Lilia stood beside him.
Loud enough for her to hear every word.
That day I spent half the afternoon sitting alone in the empty reception room of the Crown Prince’s palace before finally returning home.
Father scolded me, saying I would become Crown Princess eventually anyway and shouldn’t cling to him so shamelessly.
My sister clicked her tongue and turned away.
Mother merely sighed and remained silent.
My younger brother stood behind her, awkwardly watching everyone’s reactions.
That was what truly humiliated me.
Not Maxel.
Those moments.
Those reactions.
The next day, I attended a party where Lilia was present and poured wine over her head.
Then, as naturally as breathing, I slapped Maxel across the face while he stood protectively at her side.
Everyone saw it.
Everyone was shocked.
And from that day onward, my notoriety truly began to spread.
Striking a member of the Imperial Family should have earned me immediate execution.
However, my position as Maxel’s fiancée and the circumstances of the previous day were taken into consideration.
His Majesty graciously reduced my punishment to three months of confinement.
“Honestly, they should’ve executed me back then.”
Wouldn’t that have prevented my resurrection?
The ridiculous thought crossed my mind as I sat up.
The bed was terrible and I had woken several times during the night.
Still, even a few hours of sleep had eased some of my fatigue.
Pressing my fingers against my throbbing forehead, I sat on the edge of the bed.
Gradually, my sleepy thoughts settled into order.
The moment I opened my eyes, I had been thinking nonsense.
No wonder.
I’d spent the night dreaming about garbage.
About Maxel, of all people.
“Bad luck first thing in the morning.”
Muttering irritably, I strode toward the door to request water for washing.
Without thinking, I flung it open.
Then froze.
A massive figure stood directly outside.
“You woke early.”
Ah.
Right.
This man.
“So you’re Sir Samuel, was it?”
Since I hadn’t been consciously thinking about him, the words came out sharper than intended.
Samuel merely nodded.
“Yes. Thank you for remembering.”
“Have you been standing here all night?”
“As I said, it is to ensure your safety. Please don’t concern yourself with it.”
I wasn’t particularly fond of persistent men.
Crossing my arms and leaning against the doorway, I replied with a sneer.
“Well, that’s difficult. I’m about to wash myself. It’s hard not to be concerned when a man is standing outside my door while I undress.”
“There is no need to worry.”
“Oh? And why is that supposedly so easy?”
I snapped irritably.
Samuel paused.
A faint frown touched his brow.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he declared:
“Even if you were standing before me unclothed, it would not stir any feelings within me.”
Oh?
Look at this bastard.
The faint pride and stubbornness hidden within his gray eyes revealed more about his personality than his words ever could.
I understood now.
This wasn’t obedience.
This was his true nature.
Another noble lady might have burst into tears from embarrassment after hearing something like that.
Or fled in shame.
At the very least, she’d have been intimidated.
“That’s a remarkably reassuring confession.”
I smiled pleasantly.
“In that case, I’ll undress without concern.”
The problem was…
I wasn’t one of those ladies.
“I’ll keep your confidence in mind. If I happen to get too warm while bathing, perhaps I’ll trust you enough to open the door.”
I answered casually and turned away without waiting for a reply.
I could practically feel his gaze on my back.
What a nuisance.
How do I get rid of him while buying myself the most time possible?
Once the door closed, I dragged myself back to bed.
Throwing myself onto it face-first, I buried my face in the blanket and thought.
Even naked, I wouldn’t stir any feelings?
The arrogant confidence in his voice made my fist clench automatically.
“…”
A moment later, I sprang up.
Opening the door once more, I found Samuel standing in exactly the same position as before.
Ignoring him, I marched downstairs and found an inn employee.
Then I insisted on having bathwater prepared immediately.
At the crack of dawn.
In the largest bathtub available.
And I made absolutely certain they filled it to the brim.
* * *
Even after I deliberately made enough splashing noise for half the inn to hear, Samuel never moved from his post.
What a stubborn man.
People always said the first thing servants of God learned upon entering the temple was patience.
Apparently that wasn’t an exaggeration.
As a result, I ended up taking a bath I hadn’t even planned on taking and wasted the entire morning despite waking up early.
If Samuel had intended to delay me, then his strategy had succeeded perfectly.
“I’ll handle the escorting. Please proceed with whatever business you have.”
After I finished preparing to leave but still lingered in my room, Samuel spoke as though granting me a favor.
“How do you know what I intend to do?”
“It doesn’t matter what you do.”
“Of course. You’re the sort of man who feels nothing even when a woman bathes a few steps away. Naturally nothing I do could possibly concern you.”
Was I interpreting everything negatively because my personality was twisted?
“Correct.”
Samuel nodded.
“I’m glad this morning’s events seem to have proven that.”
At this point, I honestly couldn’t tell whether he was responding to my literal words or deliberately countering the sarcasm beneath them.
If this continued, I’d waste even more time arguing with him.
So I left the inn.
Samuel followed several paces behind.
As I walked, my thoughts gradually settled.
I reviewed the situation rationally.
Eventually, I reached a conclusion.
For now, it was actually more beneficial to tolerate his presence.
This city saw thousands of pilgrims and travelers pass through every day.
No matter what excuse the authorities gave, they couldn’t keep it locked down forever.
The longer they delayed, the more complaints would flood in.
And eventually they would have no choice but to reveal the true reason for the restrictions.
Naturally, the temple wanted to avoid that outcome.
Which was why they had summoned Samuel.
They wanted to secure custody of me—the Resurrected One—as quickly as possible.
