Episode 11

“Tsk”

A brief sound of someone clicking their tongue followed.

Kyle looked at Rosanna, but her perfectly symmetrical smile only radiated a welcoming expression. He must have misheard.

“So, you two have met before?”

“We met on the day I made my donation. After the Eucharist, he kindly kept me company.”

“What a curious coincidence. The owner of the handkerchief you gave me is Kyle, isn’t that right?”

“Really? Kyle is… Basilio?”

Two pairs of eyes turned toward Kyle. Startled, Kyle, who had been standing a step back behind Bishop Johan, froze.

“Yes, it’s mine. Then back then… you must have been the Viscountess.”

Kyle hesitated and chose a formal title, keeping a polite distance.

Calling her by name felt… improper. It wasn’t sinful, but it felt immoral, especially in front of Bishop Johan. While having acquaintances among the nobility wouldn’t necessarily make people question his worth as a priest, it was still unsettling.

“Thank you for the handkerchief. I wasn’t feeling well that day and acted a bit rudely. I apologize for that. In return, I’d like to show my gratitude…”

After gazing at Kyle for a moment, Rosanna averted her eyes.

“May I borrow Kyle next time, Bishop?”

“Well, Kyle is preparing for graduation, so…”

“Bishop Johan.”

Despite her respectful tone, there was a cold resonance in her voice. Rosanna lowered her gaze, then lifted it again.

“To be honest… I’ve been considering conversion. It’s a serious matter, and I don’t want to burden you with it since you’re so busy. Kyle, however, has a deep faith and makes me feel at ease. I believe he’d make a wonderful advisor.”

Bishop Johan appeared to ponder over it for a while before lightly patting Kyle’s back. His icy gaze, however, was directed at Rosanna.

“I’m grateful for your kind view of him. Kyle will surely assist you well.”

Agreeing to an unreasonable request without considering Kyle’s feelings was uncharacteristic of Bishop Johan. But on this day, his principles had been broken. The Enache family was behind it.

Rosanna didn’t know that. Nor did she care. She was simply thrilled to have found an excuse to pull Kyle out of his cage-like seminary.

“I look forward to it. Well then, Bishop, I need to make plans, so I’ll be taking Kyle with me.”

Without waiting for a response, Rosanna led Kyle away from Bishop Johan. Startled by the sudden grip on his sleeve, Kyle muttered “Oh… um,” as he was pulled along, bowing his head in haste. They didn’t stop walking until they reached a secluded space beneath the stairs.

“Why are we in this shadowy corner…?”

“I wanted to try it. It feels thrilling.”

Kyle’s expression showed that he didn’t understand at all.

“This is the perfect spot for secret meetings. Just talking here gives the illusion of being in a clandestine relationship.”

“Where do you hear such things…?”

At the mention of secret meetings, Kyle hesitated awkwardly, but he didn’t suggest leaving. It was commendable how he just followed Rosanna’s lead. No wonder Kyle was so satisfying.

“Don’t be shy. We need to set a date soon. When works best for you?”

After setting the date, Rosanna returned home in high spirits, eagerly awaiting Vlad’s return. Though it was well past dinnertime, he hadn’t come home yet, likely caught up with work. But tonight, she didn’t mind. She could even greet Vlad with a smile and praise him, for once.

It wasn’t until late into the night that the butler informed her that Vlad had entered the study. Without hesitation, Rosanna headed straight there and burst through the door. As soon as their eyes met, Vlad’s expression turned grim. He must’ve had a rough day dealing with clients. Not that it mattered to her.

“You did well. How did you pull it off?”

Vlad twirled a pen in his hand as he spoke.

“I used our family name. Once I contacted the embassy, everything went smoothly. Lumanó has a lot of vampires in high-ranking positions, so it’s convenient. News travels fast, especially with messenger bats.”

“The embassy? What does that have to do with anything?”

“Wow, you’re out of the loop. You really should read the newspapers. Nobles who just sit around doing nothing are hopeless.”

The full story was as follows…

At the end of the month, a high-ranking official from Lumanó was scheduled to visit Britna to finalize a trade agreement. Knowing this, Vlad contacted the Lumanó royal court through the embassy using the Enache family name, requesting they choose the ‘long-lost relic of Ingdberry Cathedral’ as a gift to present to Britna.

It was a request only possible because the Enache family had donated the relic to the royal family a century ago.

Later, the Lumanó embassy leaked the news that the relic would be returned to the Ingdberry Parish, and the Archbishop sent his gratitude. As a result of this gesture, the Archbishop agreed to a small favor.

“Everything went according to my script. If the Archbishop suggests that Kyle attend the exhibition, do you think Bishop Johan will refuse? After all, they have a hierarchy too.”

“You’ve used your brain. If Mother and Father find out you invoked our family’s name, they’ll be furious. But I’m proud of my little brother for taking that risk for me.”

Vlad nodded his head slightly.

“Just one question. Why are you so interested in that man?”

“That’s my private business. You don’t need to know. Just be aware that we’ll be seeing each other more often.”

Vlad nearly had a fit when she mentioned what she had impulsively done at the exhibition.

“You’re using conversion as an excuse… for counseling? Have you lost your mind? Don’t tell me you’re planning something with that guy? He’s a theology student! I should have realized something was off the moment you started fixating on him.”

Vlad began pacing the room in circles.

“There are plenty of men around. Why target a theology student? More importantly, it’s dangerous. If you get too close, it could be seen as breaking the peace treaty.”

“I’m not going to hurt Kyle. He’s going to be my little attachment doll, so I’ll treat him nicely.”

“It’s not the truth that matters, it’s how things appear! Whether it’s Britna’s royal family or the senate, once they find out, they’ll view you as a dangerous threat to their citizens.”

“I’m confident I won’t get caught.”

“You should ask him how he feels about all this. Does he want to be involved with you like that?”

“Who would refuse me?”

Vlad collapsed onto the sofa, clutching his head.

“You’re out of your mind… I’m staying out of this. That’s right, I didn’t know. I still don’t, and I never will.”

* * *

A lavish carriage departed from the mansion. Inside, Rosanna was dressed in an unusually plain, monochrome gown. She had chosen it to appear modest, as the destination was a church orphanage, but it had failed to have the desired effect.

The result? A stunning beauty dressed as though for a funeral, with long jet-black hair. She looked like a character straight out of a Gothic novel.

“Maybe I should have worn my usual clothes.”

It was Rosanna who had chosen the orphanage as the place for her counseling with Kyle, under the pretense of making a donation, so she had no right to complain.

“No, that’s not it. It’s Vlad who’s irritating me with his unnecessary worrying.”

Rosanna recalled the evening after the exhibition. Since that night, Vlad had been pretending as though their conversation never happened.

“Coward. I should’ve hung him upside down from the Balasa Castle spire to toughen him up.”

Rosanna gazed out the window. The church orphanage was drawing closer. The thought of meeting Kyle improved her previously sour mood.

The carriage passed through the gates of the orphanage and came to a stop. Rosanna’s face lit up the moment the door opened.

“Kyle. You’re already here.”

“Welcome.”

Kyle offered his hand to help Rosanna down with ease.

“Were you waiting to escort me?”

“I came early to chat with the nuns.”

Rosanna, observing Kyle’s straightforward response, thought to herself. He really doesn’t know how to sweet-talk. But that’s part of his charm.

“When someone asks that, you’re supposed to just say yes, to make the listener feel good.”

“Oh… I’m not very good at that sort of thing.”

“Try again. Give it another go.”

Kyle cleared his throat. A faint blush crept up his cheeks.

“I wanted to escort you… so… yes, I came early.”

He did what she asked without resistance. Seeing him display the perfect traits of an attachment doll, Rosanna couldn’t help but feel affectionate toward him. Even his flustered words were endearing.

“I was just joking, but you really went for it.”

“I thought you were serious.”

“Well, I did have ulterior motives.”

Rosanna said with a light smile as she pulled Kyle by the arm.

“Let’s head inside.”

* * *

A few hours later, Rosanna and Kyle left the church orphanage, having received a warm send-off. The afternoon had slipped away while they played with the children.

“I don’t know how to express my gratitude for all this,” Kyle said.

“Do you think it was enough?” Rosanna asked.

“It was more than enough. You brought donations, expensive desserts, and filled the carriage with essential supplies. You saw how much the children loved it, and the head nun was really appreciative too.”

Though Rosanna’s actions were partly meant to win Kyle’s favor, there was another motive behind them. She had laid the groundwork with the orphanage—a sort of bribe, in a way.

It was the Enache way: creating a sense of obligation in case they needed a favor later.

“You didn’t have to go this far… Honestly, I wasn’t even upset the first time we met. There was no reason to apologize.”

“I did it to put my mind at ease. Besides, one of a noble’s virtues is to spend money freely. Wealth accumulates on its own when you just sit still.”

“That sounds like a story from another world to me.”