Chapter 19
“Instead of continuing to trail after the Grand Duke of Ephenterion as you always do, why did you have to do something so disrespectful to High Priest Erkael of all people...?”
Though she was trying to remain composed, unmistakable anger burned in the Duchess's blue eyes.
At that moment, I felt Rishid twitch inside my pocket.
I'd been summoned to the study the moment I returned to the estate, so Rishid was still hidden inside the pocket of my dress.
Afraid the Duchess might notice his presence, I hurriedly spoke.
“I-I'm truly sorry, but why is giving him a flower...?”
Before I could finish, however, the Duchess raised her voice.
“If you're about to make the excuse that you don't know what it means to give someone a flower, stop right there!”
...Huh?
How did she know?
I desperately racked my brain, but no matter how hard I thought, I couldn't figure it out.
'What on earth does giving someone a flower even mean?!'
In the original novel, all that had happened was that Seria blushed after Edwin gave her flowers.
Ignorant of high society's customs, Seria had simply been delighted to receive them.
“What? Is that really true?”
The Duke, who had been staring at me in disbelief, suddenly strode toward me.
“So that's why you suddenly started showing up at the Grand Temple when it doesn't suit you at all. You've changed your target to High Priest Erkael!”
Furious, he seized my arm.
His grip was so strong that I nearly cried out.
He instinctively raised his hand as if to strike me, then stopped himself, breathing heavily before turning toward the Duchess.
“To dare present flowers to the High Priest! That's practically an insult to the sacred temple itself!”
“That's exactly why this is the real problem.”
The Duchess, Briana, pressed a hand to her forehead in exasperation.
Judging by the situation, giving the High Priest flowers was apparently a far greater offense than wearing that ridiculous hat.
'What kind of situation did you drag me into, Your Grace?!'
After all, it had been Rishid who told me to give him the flower in the first place.
Keeping my head lowered, I shot a sidelong glare toward the pocket where Rishid was hiding.
Then the Duchess called my name.
“Airel Blandiche.”
“...Yes.”
“From this moment on, you are not to leave your room until I summon you. Stay there quietly and reflect on your actions until we receive word from the Grand Temple.”
As she forbade me from leaving the room, she abruptly tossed something into my arms.
What was this?
Reflexively, I caught it.
...A diary?
As I stood there bewildered, the Duchess spoke coldly.
“You had hidden something rather interesting in your room. Of course, I don't know whether that was all of it.”
“...”
“If you understand me, then stop standing there like an idiot and leave, Airel. I don't even want to look at you.”
Only after the Duchess dismissed me with those meaningful words was I finally able to free my arm from the Duke's grip.
My steps felt unusually heavy as I returned to my room.
* * *
At the same time...
“Y-Your Eminence... excuse me, but this flower...”
“Ah.”
Having returned to the Grand Temple, Erkael looked up at the apprentice priest attending him.
After unexpectedly receiving the flower from Lady Blandiche during the welcoming banquet for the Grand Duke of Ephenterion, Erkael had tucked it into the inner pocket of his robes while preparing to present the Holy Sword to the Emperor.
Then he had completely forgotten about it.
As a result, the apprentice priest who had taken his outer robe to wash it asked awkwardly,
“Shall I throw it away?”
“No.”
With a beautiful smile, Erkael reached out and gently took the flower.
He carefully stroked its petals as though it were something precious.
“Isn't it beautiful?”
“Huh?”
The apprentice priest looked at him in confusion.
No matter how he looked at it, it was nothing more than a cheap artificial flower.
It wasn't even alive.
What could possibly be beautiful about it?
Yet contrary to the priest's thoughts, Erkael gazed at the flower with an almost blissful expression as he held it up to the light.
“All living things shine only for a fleeting moment before eventually dying.”
“But an artificial flower never withers.”
“It remains exactly as it is forever.”
“I find that rather wonderful.”
“Ah...”
“Wouldn't you call that... eternal life?”
Without realizing it, the apprentice priest nodded.
With a face as beautiful as Erkael's, almost anything he said sounded convincing.
But there had always been something strangely compelling about his words.
Besides...
Erkael was the youngest High Priest in history.
One day he had appeared seemingly out of nowhere and risen to that position solely through his extraordinary divine power.
He was the idol of every priest in the temple.
The High Priest lowered his eyes to the flower and smiled shyly.
“This is the first time...”
“That such a beautiful woman has given me a flower like this...”
His final words were little more than a whisper to himself, too quiet for the apprentice priest to hear.
The young priest, his own cheeks faintly flushed as he watched Erkael, carefully asked,
“D-Do you also long for eternal life, Your Eminence?”
“...Who knows.”
The smile faded slightly from Erkael's lips.
“Rather than longing for it...”
“I think it would be a lonely existence.”
Softly caressing the flower's petals, he murmured those words.
His inscrutable golden eyes drifted toward the window.
Because his back was turned, the apprentice priest couldn't see his expression.
Yet, for some reason, looking at the High Priest's figure gazing into the darkness, he felt an inexplicable loneliness surrounding him.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Your Eminence, His Holiness the Pope requests your immediate presence in the conference chamber.”
* * *
“...We're terribly sorry, Lady Airel.”
When I returned to my room carrying the diary the Duchess had handed me, my personal maids bowed deeply before me.
The doorknob I had locked before leaving for the banquet had been completely smashed.
One of the maids, the youngest among them, timidly stepped forward.
“T-The Vice Head Maid said it was Madam's order... We couldn't stop her. They searched your room without permission and touched your belongings. W-We are truly sorry.”
“No, it's alright.”
“You may punish me however you wish...”
“…Huh?”
The maid looked up in surprise.
I smiled gently at her.
“You were only carrying out the orders of your superiors. None of this is your fault.”
'I know exactly how that feels.'
“Your name is Sophie, isn't it?”
“Y-Yes, that's correct.”
Sophie nodded nervously.
Since I'd been unusually quiet lately, they had apparently pushed the youngest maid forward as their representative.
Seeing every one of them standing there pale and trembling made me feel a little guilty.
Holding up the diary in my hands, I asked Sophie,
“Do you know what this is?”
“Well...”
She hesitated before answering.
“Isn't it your diary, my lady? W-We found it inside the ventilation duct...”
Just as I thought.
'So it really is Airel's diary.'
I nodded before lightly patting Sophie on the shoulder.
She flinched a little, but unlike Jenice, she didn't pull away from my touch.
Looking each maid in the eye, I smiled.
“You've all had a difficult time today. Thank you.”
“Thanks to you, I got my diary back.”
“M-My lady?”
One of the maids murmured in confusion, apparently expecting me to be furious.
Rather than answering directly, I turned around and pointed at the battered doorknob.
“How long will this stay like this?”
“O-Oh! The Vice Head Maid said she'd call a carpenter tomorrow! It should probably be fixed by the morning.”
“I see... Then I suppose I'll have to make do for tonight.”
Dropping my shoulders with an exaggerated sigh, I looked back at the maids.
“I'm sorry to trouble you all so late, since I'm sure you'd like to rest.”
“But could you at least fasten my door securely with a lock? Make sure it stays completely shut.”
“A lock?”
“Yes.”
“Mother ordered me not to step even a single foot outside my room.”
“But with the door in this condition...”
“If it accidentally opens on its own and someone misunderstands, thinking I secretly snuck out, I'd feel terrible.”
I let the last words trail off with a faint smile.
The maids visibly flinched at such uncharacteristic behavior from Airel.
But I didn't really have a choice.
'Rishid and I need to talk in private. We can't have the door suddenly swinging open!'
“Well then... good night.”
Putting on the saddest smile I could manage, I slowly entered my room.
Pretending to walk toward the bed, I deliberately made my footsteps loud before quietly pressing my ear against the door.
Just as I'd expected...
I could clearly hear the maids whispering among themselves outside.
