Mary darted her eyes back and forth before snatching Heliod’s envelope from the table and hiding it behind her back. I quickly folded the letter, long enough to cover my face, and tucked it into my sleeve.
“What letter are you talking about?” I asked innocently.
“You call that hiding? Do you think I’m an idiot?” my father barked.
I thought I’d been quick, but apparently not quick enough. Clearing my throat, I stepped forward to intercept him.
“Father, Mary is here. Please lower your voice.”
“Good day, Your Grace. Always a pleasure being in your care,” Mary chirped, waving brightly.
That finally softened Father’s fiery glare.
“Hmph. Well, it’s always nice to see you, Mary. You’re as lively as ever.”
“Boundless curiosity and endless energy—both my strengths and weaknesses.”
The lighthearted atmosphere didn’t last long. Despite Mary’s cheerful charm, Father turned back to me with his stern expression.
“Lusha, what on earth are you thinking, getting involved in something like this? How did Heliod Vus manage to ensnare you?”
“Father, as I’ve said before, I’m the one doing the ensnaring.”
He already knew I’d orchestrated the scandal with the Jedediah Gossip Papers. He must have assumed that the Count Jedediah family wouldn’t have acted alone, and he was right.
True, Heliod’s beautiful face and perfect physique might as well be designed to seduce me, but objectively speaking, I was the one clinging to him. I responded firmly.
“So, please stop insulting Sir Knight. Why are you so against him, anyway?”
“He’s the captain of the empire’s Seisior Paladins and a war hero who’s slain millions of demons. The people revere him, and now that he’s been granted a title…”
I paused, a sudden thought striking me.
“Wouldn’t it be great if he joined our family as a live-in son-in-law?”
“What nonsense are you spouting, Lusha?! A live-in son-in-law?!”
Father clutched his head, horrified.
“Do you have any idea how many noble factions are after him?!”
“Of course I know. Too well, in fact. But wouldn’t His Majesty be thrilled if Sir Knight became part of the House of Arpen?”
“You can’t predict how the High Priest will react!”
Hmm. I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. Father had a point. If the High Priest disapproved of Heliod’s choices, there was a good chance he’d try to intervene. As a staunch leader among the emperor’s noble faction, Father had clashed with the High Priest on numerous occasions and seemed to tremble with rage at just the mention of his title.
“I can’t fathom what His Majesty is thinking. Surely, he doesn’t believe a mere baronship is enough to secure someone like Vus…”
I rolled my eyes. A mere baronship? That’s hardly the case. It was unprecedented in the empire’s history for a commoner to be granted a title. Mother likely held the key to that puzzle, so I pushed my fretting father aside with a wave of my hand.
“Don’t worry so much, Father. That’s Mother’s specialty.”
“But, Lusha…”
Honestly, why was he wasting energy worrying about this when we had such a brilliant, capable mother to rely on?
Now then, I need to write to Sir Knight. Please step out.”
“What?!”
Father planted his feet firmly, refusing to budge as if he were a boulder. Seeing this, Mary drained her tea in one gulp, stood abruptly, and took him by the arm.
“Come on, Your Grace. My father mentioned he had something to discuss with you. Do you have time now?”
“Oh, uh, did he? Well, Mary, that could wait until later…”
“I was just about to head out anyway, so why don’t we talk on the way? I promise it’ll be quick.”
“Wait, hold on a moment…”
Father, sweating profusely, was helplessly dragged away by Mary. He shuffled his feet awkwardly, calling out to me as he was led toward the door.
“Lusha, we’ll talk about this later. Don’t write that letter!”
“Yeeees,” I replied, letting his words slide in one ear and out the other.
I gave Mary a thumbs-up, and she winked in return, shrugging her shoulders as if to say it was no big deal. As soon as they left, I hurried back to my room and began writing the letter.
[Sir Knight, don’t worry too much. Just get through this hurdle like the last one—there’s no need to be anxious…]
The first step was to reassure Heliod. I already knew the aftermath of his run-in with that slime creature at the victory parade had left lingering scars. The last thing he needed was more anxiety from this latest ordeal. My duty was to protect Sir Knight’s peace of mind.
I kept the tone light and casual, scribbling away with care, and, of course, added a touch of personal sentiment for good measure.
[…Father opposes it, so how about we settle it by having you join as a live-in son-in-law?]
I understood the political implications and potential problems, but what truly mattered was Heliod’s feelings. Besides, he had mentioned something earlier that seemed to hint at his thoughts on the High Priest. This letter would help me gauge his stance on the temple as well. Smirking mischievously, I sent the letter off via carrier pigeon.
As expected, Heliod’s reply came back quickly, filled with panicked words.
[Please, do not say such things so lightly. As for marriage, well, I haven’t thought about it yet…]
The refusal, tinged with embarrassment, stung a little, but since it wasn’t an official proposal, I brushed it off.
What caught my attention was:
[Don’t concern yourself with the High Priest. He simply lives as he pleases.]
That was it. I had tried to subtly ask if the High Priest had a hand in Heliod’s elevation to baron, but his response didn’t give me the clarity I wanted.
I propped my chin on my hand, mulling over his words. What did he mean by “don’t concern yourself”?
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure it out. I wasn’t as clever as my mother nor as persistent as my father. Sighing deeply, I picked up my quill, hesitating before deciding to change the subject.
If Sir Knight told me not to worry, then so be it. Politics wasn’t my concern. I shifted focus to planning our next meeting.
[Sir Knight, how about meeting at night? We’re both too busy during the day.]
[…Night is not possible. Too many eyes are watching. After afternoon prayers would be fine, so come whenever it’s convenient for you, Lady Arpen.]
[Or perhaps you’d like to come to my estate? I have a phonograph in my room.]
[ cannot simply visit your room! Please stop joking and focus on the dance preparations…]
I chuckled at his indignant response, the corner of my lips curling up. This was far more enjoyable than any dull political scheme.
It would be so wonderful if Heliod were in my room. As I scribbled on the letter, my gaze wandered absently around the room. Heliod here? A sweet giggle escaped my lips. Maybe marriage wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Coming home to Heliod’s warm welcome. Being comforted by his firm embrace after a tiring day. No, that sounded way too good to be true.
Lost in such a daydream again, I realized we’d loosely concluded our discussion on our dance preparations: starting next week, we would practice seriously without distractions.
‘I’d love to touch Sir Knight, but I’ll have to hold back.’
Suppressing my urges was better than losing my partner entirely. My thoughts shifted from the High Priest and the Emperor’s political tug-of-war to Heliod’s curse, and I let out a deep sigh.
‘Would practice even help improve this situation?’
‘No matter how I think about it, it feels like Sir Knight’s sensitivity just keeps getting worse.’
Had I been overthinking all of this? Before I knew it, time had flown by, and the night was here. The hoot of an owl echoed faintly. The neat handwriting on Heliod’s letter and the subtle trace of his scent made drowsiness creep in.
Father had told me to wait, hadn’t he? ‘Maybe I could close my eyes for just a moment.’ Resting my cheek against the desk, I blinked a few times before sleep swiftly overcame me.
❖ ❖ ❖
“…Lady!”
How long had I been sleeping like that, so suddenly and deeply?
“My lady!”
“Mm…?”
A familiar voice pulled me from my slumber. I groggily lifted my stiff body, only to be greeted by a bizarre scene.
“Are you alright?”
I blinked and found myself staring into a pair of blue eyes, their lashes fluttering right in front of me.
What… is this?
“Sir Knight…?”
As I raised my upper body, I awkwardly tipped forward, nearly losing my balance.
What was this rope? Was I tied up? And where on earth was I now?
“W-what is this? Are we trapped?”
We were crammed into a tiny wooden box so small that neither of us could fully stretch a leg or our torso. Both Heliod and I were squeezed together, thoroughly folded into the cramped space.
