Even after the carriage had started, Zion was just staring out the window. He didn’t give Arundel a single glance.
‘…It’s happening again.’
Arundel looked at his profile with dissatisfaction.
She was so excited to have a proper conversation with him after a long time, but he made the situation like this again.
‘I won’t talk either.’
Arundel nervously adjusted her voluminous dress. But while adjusting the dress in a narrow space, she touched Zion’s hand.
“…!”
Zion, as if something dirty had stuck to his hand, hastily pulled his hand away.
Only then did Zion’s gaze meet Arundel. He opened his mouth as if he was flustered.
“…This.”
“It’s okay.”
Arundel was uncontrollably angry.
Just because their hands touched for a moment, he pulled his hand away as if it was unpleasant. It’s not like it’s a germ that will infect you when you touch it.
Arundel, who was very angry, grabbed the hem of her dress and stuck to the opposite window as much as possible to avoid touching Zion.
After a few minutes like that, they arrived at the castle gate to announce the coronation ceremony.
Following Cain’s guidance, when they climbed up to the highest watchtower, the crowd gathered like clouds came into view all at once.
The grand sight was enough to make her anger fly away for a moment.
‘Wow… A lot of people have gathered.’
She hadn’t felt the coronation ceremony real until now because of Zion.
But thanks to the many people who came to see her, Arundel felt that she was in an important position as the empress.
The gazes of the people were very diverse. There were positive looks of awe and respect, but she also felt looks of resentment and hatred.
She understood the resentment of the people because she had run away, and the emperor had tried to carry out a random execution.
It would take some time for the confused public sentiment to calm down.
She glanced at Zion to see how he felt, but he was annoyingly wearing a perfect diplomatic smile.
Arundel, who was irritated by his nonchalant appearance, waved her hand and smiled even more brightly.
So she started the greeting to announce the coronation, and came down from the watchtower, receiving cheers and applause from the people.
The rest of the ceremony was held in the grand hall.
Before the next order was carried out, Zion left his seat for a moment because he had some business to attend to.
When Zion was gone, Cain secretly approached and called Arundel.
“Your Majesty.”
“Huh?”
“I have a favor to ask.”
At Cain’s serious tone, Arundel stopped.
“I have brought another dress.”
“…Another dress?”
“Yes.”
Zion held out a dress as white as the one she was wearing now. But the neck was tightly closed, and it was a dress where no exposure could be found at all.
“Do you want me to… change into this?”
“Yes… I’m sorry to ask you this, but please save me just once.”
Cain was almost about to kneel. Arundel sighed briefly.
It was because of Zion earlier. It was the coronation of the empress, and he issued an absurd order not to have personal contact.
“No matter what, it’s the coronation of the empress, how can you say that you’re infected with a contagious disease and prohibit personal contact.”
“Sigh.”
“Besides, the designer who made that outfit might get beheaded.”
“…”
“One person… no, including the designer, it would be two people. Considering that you’re saving two people, please change your clothes.”
How could she refuse when he said that much?
Arundel accepted the dress. She was angry at the situation where many people were harmed because of Zion’s coercion.
Arundel, with her boiling anger, changed into a modest dress.
After that, she followed Cain and moved to the grand hall.
In the grand hall, many nobles and palace people were already seated.
Occasionally, the clothes or appearance were exotic, and it seemed that the royal family and nobles from neighboring countries were also visible.
While turning her gaze and checking the people, she remembered what Cain had said.
[You don’t have to worry about the others, I think you should just greet the Pope separately. He supported us a lot with the demon extermination.]
A group that stood out in Arundel’s field of vision caught her eye.
A group of men dressed in spotless white clothes were unmistakably priests.
And among them was an old man who seemed to purify the demons as soon as he came.
That old man was the Pope that Cain had mentioned.
She could tell at a glance.
‘I have to avoid them as much as possible.’
Priests are the servants who serve God. Thanks to that, they are special beings with divine power, and they will feel divine power more sensitively than anyone else.
Although she had never met the Pope directly, she was expected to be the most sensitive to divine power.
It was wise to be careful in her actions in case her identity was revealed.
“The coronation of Her Majesty the Empress will begin.”
When Zion entered, the ceremony proceeded with a grand fanfare. The first order to be carried out in the grand hall was a congratulatory speech.
As expected, it was really boring. Or it might have been because of her twisted psychology right now.
But because she couldn’t show it on the outside, Arundel had to thank them with a smile as if she had a rat in her mouth.
She looked at Zion from time to time, but he didn’t give her a single glance, and thanks to him, she had to appreciate his handsome face like a person in unrequited love.
Her anger made her grit her teeth for a moment, and she had to turn her head again for the next person’s congratulatory speech.
The old man she had seen earlier, dressed in white, came up.
It was the Pope’s turn.
“Today is a truly meaningful day. This pair, to the great Emperor, and the beautiful and holy… I’m sorry. I misspoke. Hehe.”
The Pope laughed awkwardly as if he was embarrassed by his slip of the tongue. He cleared his throat again and raised a word of congratulations.
The content of the Pope’s congratulatory speech was not special.
The empire is prospering thanks to the great Emperor. And with an excellent pen, it seems that the Emperor will be able to exert more power. Once again, congratulations on the coronation of Her Majesty the Empress.
It was the same content.
After the ordinary speech of the Pope, the speeches of the royal families of other countries followed. The words were different, but the content was all the same.
After the boring order of speeches, the celebration continued.
Well-dressed men and women came out and played beautiful melodies, and sang songs like a nightingale, which was better than the speeches.
But all Arundel could think was,
‘I wish it would end soon.’
She had to keep smiling because she was conscious of people looking at her. It felt like the muscles around her mouth would harden as they were.
‘Was Zion like her?’
She had the urge to check what expression he was making.
But when she thought of him, who had never looked at her, her pride was hurt, and she forced her turning head to fix forward.
“The celebration party will begin.”
Cain’s voice echoed in the grand hall.
After the boring time passed, a party where she could move a little more freely began.
But that thought was only for a moment.
A lot of people flocked to Arundel. The nobles of their country praised her with all sorts of flattery to win the favor of the empress, whose status had changed.
“You’re really beautiful.”
“When I was with you, it felt like I was looking at a beautiful picture!”
“Please come to our party next time.”
And so on.
People were talking from all sides, and she didn’t even know who was talking, she just nodded her head and smiled like a doll.
Now it was really the limit.
The muscles around her mouth were screaming for a rest.
If she kept going, she felt like she would show a cold expression to the people, so Arundel broke through the crowd and went out to the terrace for a moment.
Fortunately, the people didn’t follow her anymore.
Even though she was happy to be alone for a moment, there was already someone on the terrace.
An old man who seemed to glow white even in the dark came up to her with a smile.
“I finally get to talk to Her Majesty the Empress alone.”
They say you meet your enemy on a single log bridge.
Although he wasn’t an enemy, when she met the Pope, whom she wanted to avoid the most, Arundel was at a loss.
But there was nothing she could do. She had no choice but to greet him with a smile.
“Hello, Your Holiness.”
“I’ve been praying fervently to God that I want to talk to Her Majesty. It seems that God has heard my prayer.”
The Pope looked truly moved. Tears were glistening in his eyes.
Arundel was a little tense at the Pope’s abnormal attitude.
‘Why does he like me so much…?’
Is it for political reasons?
Since she was a gem, she decided to be a little cautious until she knew his intentions.
“It may sound strange, but the moment I saw Her Majesty, I saw a halo.”
“…Yes?”
“It’s a really strange thing. Not only the halo, but I also felt a clear energy as if the soul was being purified.”
Arundel scrutinized his expression with sharp eyes to see if his words were flattery, but the Pope’s face was soaked in ecstasy.
“Even in this moment of conversation…”
She stepped back for a moment.
It’s ridiculous. She was in a human body now, and she wasn’t using divine power.
But still, the Pope, as if to show that he wasn’t a Pope for nothing, seemed to have sensed the hidden divine power.
Noticing that Arundel was feeling burdened, the Pope composed his expression.
“I’m sorry. I think I was too much.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Anyway, it’s an honor to see Her Majesty.”
“I… me too. I heard that you helped a lot with the demon extermination.”
As he backed off a bit, Arundel, who had some room, expressed her gratitude.
Regardless of him making her feel burdened, what was thankful was thankful. It was as if he was doing what she should have done.
“It’s something I should do, hehe.”
The Pope laughed generously. As he was laughing, he suddenly opened his eyes wide.
“Ah! You may have heard from His Majesty the Emperor, but His Majesty has decided to visit the temple as a token of gratitude.”
“…Yes.”
A vague sense of unease crept over Arundel.
“How about coming with me then!”
As expected.
Arundel didn’t answer right away.
The temple, not bad. For the people of heaven, it was a place where they felt stability and comfort.
Surrounded by people who praised her, what heavenly being would refuse to go there.
But now she was not an angel. She was not only a human but also held an important position as the empress.
Her identity must not be revealed.
But there was no guarantee that there would be no one in that place who felt divine power more sensitively than the Pope.
If she went there for nothing and was found out to be an angel…
In a gloomy situation, Arundel was about to lower her head.
But the Pope spoke faster.
“The chief official of the subsidiary temple, who has put a lot of effort into the demon extermination, is also planning to visit the main temple at that time. If Your Majesty personally praises someone who has made a lot of contributions, morale will rise.”
When Arundel didn’t answer right away, the Pope said something else.
“Not only that. There is a plague going around near the temple, and people are getting more and more exhausted as the days go by. If His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress come at such a time, it will be a great strength for them.”
There was no scheme on the Pope’s benevolent face.
“Yes… then I should go.”
The hard-working chief official is coming…
People are suffering from the plague…
If going alone gives strength… then I should go.
At Arundel’s acceptance, the Pope laughed heartily.
“Thank you. I look forward to seeing you then.”
A clergyman who seemed to be the Pope’s subordinate took the Pope away at a good timing.
Arundel, who was left alone, stared blankly at the moon hanging in the sky.
‘Ah… life…’
As the surrounding air began to cool down, Arundel left the terrace.
As soon as she left, Zion, who seemed to be looking for someone by turning his head, appeared.
His head stopped at Arundel. And he approached at a fast pace.
“I found you.”
Arundel didn’t answer. She just squinted her eyes and looked at him. And she walked past him as if ignoring him.
But she didn’t get far before she was caught by him.
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
Zion’s expression hardened.
