Episode 55

“Isis.”

“Hello? Marquis.”

Marquis Rohan felt relieved when he saw that the person who recognized us was Isis.

Few people knew the face of the princess. Only those whom the emperor permitted could see her. When Yvonne appeared publicly, her face was always covered with a bonnet and veil.

“I expected this from you.”

“….”

“I came because you left this.”

“….”

“And as I expected, you are the one fleeing.”

What she handed over was an amulet. It was a small glass ornament in the shape of a cross, and its exterior was quite ornate.

“What is this?”

“If your life is in danger, it will heal you completely, just once.”

“…Sister.”

Marquis was taken aback by his sister following him, but she acted as if she knew everything already.

“It’s a pity that there are no capable people left in the family now.”

“…Even without me, I know you will do well, Sister.”

“Yes. Don’t come back. I will declare that you died from a broken neck due to a fall.”

With that, she turned and walked back to where the boat was docking.

Yvonne couldn’t fully understand from their conversation alone, so she looked at Marquis.

He tightly held Yvonne’s hand as soon as Isis was completely out of sight and said,

“I will explain everything once we get to the cabin.”

However, Yvonne did not fully believe him. He still looked so pale that he seemed on the verge of collapse, and she doubted anything would change once they reached the cabin.

It was only after they arrived at the first-class two-person cabin that Marquis properly looked at Yvonne.

For some reason, as soon as Marquis closed the door, Yvonne felt tense when he held her hand and looked into her eyes.

“That person earlier is Isis Rohan. She is my sister.”

“I think I’ve heard that name before.”

“My sister works for the Inspection Department.”

The Inspection Department was like a secret inspector. They arrested public officials who committed corruption.

“Then she is loyal to my father.”

Common sense dictated that the Inspection Department’s principle was to correct corruption. However, since Hildebrandt became emperor, it had turned into an institution that merely held the weaknesses of subordinates to wield power over them whenever needed.

Given Hildebrandt’s overwhelming power, the Inspection Department wasn’t very useful. The way they survived was by being loyal to the emperor.

“My sister is a bit different. Before I came here, I left documents appointing her to oversee everything of the Rohan family, so she found out.”

“Come to think of it, I haven’t asked.”

Yvonne held his hand tighter and looked into his eyes.

“Even if I leave, what will happen to Kes? Is it okay to just leave like this?”

“Nothing is more important to me than you, Yvonne.”

That wasn’t the answer Yvonne was hoping for. Sensing this, the perceptive Marquis decided to explain further.

“As you heard earlier, I planned to fake my death at an appropriate time. It’s common for nobles to write their wills.”

“…Why go to such lengths? You might get tired of me later and want to return.”

“I’d rather die than go back.”

Yvonne felt a momentary urge to let go of his hand as Marquis spoke dangerously. When she did, Marquis immediately knelt, anxiety rising.

“I wasn’t trying to deceive you. It’s just…”

“…”

“I thought it wasn’t necessary to mention.”

He was confused. Although his sister had followed them, he didn’t think it was significant enough to tell Yvonne. However, her reaction made him realize he had made a mistake.

“I suddenly feel suffocated.”

“What?”

“Never mind. Get up, Kes.”

He stood up immediately as Yvonne pulled on his arm.

Yvonne regretted that Marquis had left behind his esteemed family and his position within the Bricesys Empire for her. She hadn’t been entirely sincere with him; she had only used him for the convenience of having someone by her side while escaping.

She tried not to think about what he had given up.

But now, it felt overwhelmingly significant.

“Kes, do you regret coming with me?”

“No.”

Marquis’s prompt response reassured her, yet it also made Yvonne feel a greater sense of guilt.

His genuine feelings towards her felt burdensome.

“Kes.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll treat you well from now on.”

“Yes!”

He smiled, resting his face against Yvonne’s hand, momentarily forgetting his seasickness. Yvonne began to feel a mix of pity and a sense of responsibility towards him, partly due to the cross-shaped transparent amulet in his chest pocket.

* * *

A week later, they arrived in the Holy Kingdom.

“Wife.”

“Darling…”

Marquis Rohan looked utterly exhausted, almost on the brink of death. He had suffered severe seasickness, unable to eat properly. Despite this, he had exhausted his energy looking after Yvonne.

Knowing how he took care of her, Yvonne didn’t drink or go out for fun. Although there were many things to see and enjoy on the ship, she felt a sense of responsibility towards him and refrained.

“It seems I’ve failed to be a reliable husband.”

“Pfft… Kes, do you even use such words?”

“Do you dislike it?”

“No, I like it. It makes you seem more human.”

Marquis hugged Yvonne tightly around the waist, rubbing his head against her shoulder. The movement of his honey-colored blonde hair tickled her.

“Wife.”

“Yes.”

Yvonne stroked his hair and the back of his neck. She found him enWifeing, comforting him as he calmed down while his heart pounded loudly.

“Would you call me crazy if I said I was happy right now?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll tell you later.”

“Alright.”

Despite his struggles with seasickness, Marquis was happy knowing Yvonne had taken care of him. It felt like he had sacrificed his health in exchange for her affection, and he liked it very much. It seemed like she was attentive to his every little action.

“We have to take another boat here, right?”

“There’s a gate.”

“Oh.”

When Yvonne momentarily stopped her hand, he rubbed his head as if asking for more. Finding it amusing, Yvonne resumed stroking him. He smelled different, with a rose fragrance now.

“You change your perfume often.”

“I wasn’t sure which scent you liked. Do you like this one?”

“I like all scents except for hydrangea.”

“I see.”

Relieved by her words, he smiled deeply and stood up immediately.

“Let’s go now.”

“Yes.”

They headed to the entrance of the temple. Newlyweds often visited to pray to the gods and offer tributes for blessings. Of course, this was just an excuse for them; they were there to break Hildebrandt’s hypnosis spell.

Miraculously, any mental abilities could be nullified on this island. However, the fact that Hildebrandt’s powers were absurdly overpowered was why the Holy Kingdom’s priests couldn’t stop his abilities when they used their powers on the mainland. Even the nullifying abilities had to be of the highest rank to block his powers. Most of the priests were mid-level abilities, so they could only use their powers to the fullest on this island blessed by the goddess. But once they left the island, their abilities returned to their original level. Moreover, most of the island’s ability users were healers rather than nullifiers. In this place, healing abilities could be acquired through training as a priest.

In the Holy Kingdom, many people flocked to become priests without any restrictions on status.

“Are you newlyweds?”

“Yes.”

“You have already offered your tribute. I will guide you to the prayer room.”

“We are scheduled to meet the High Priest afterward.”

“Yes, but he is meeting a guest for a moment. I’ll guide you to the prayer room first.”

Yvonne looked at the lower-ranked priest guiding them. The white priest’s robe with golden patterns was impressive. The priest had a neat appearance, possibly having cut their hair into a bob on purpose.

The lower-ranked priest met Yvonne’s gaze. The priest blushed unconsciously at Yvonne’s smile. Among the people the priest had seen, none were as radiant as Yvonne, except for the goddess’s statue.

Because of this, the priest felt strange when Yvonne smiled at them, almost as if the goddess statue had come to life.

“Is this the prayer room?”

“Yes…”

Although the priest needed to explain more, they were momentarily at a loss for words and only answered.

“Wife, I’ll see you later then.”

“Are the prayer rooms separate?”

Marquis asked the priest, surprised.

“All prayer rooms are single occupancy. Once the High Priest is done with his guest, I will come to escort both of you together.”

Marquis was relieved that their rooms were next to each other and watched Yvonne enter her room before entering his own, unaware that the guest the High Priest was meeting was Yurian Leonhardt.