As we stepped into the central reception room, the knight waiting there turned his head, reminiscent of a scene from a romantic movie.
– Anonymous Holy See: …You’ve crossed the line.
– Anonymous Holy See: So, you’re openly declaring this as a romance, huh?
– Anonymous Holy See: Damn, I’ve successfully persisted ㅠㅠ
– Anonymous Holy See: I’m ditching my Kaiel stocks and going all-in.
– Anonymous Holy See: You’re the one who bought your dad’s stocks.
Perhaps due to his appearance or the reflection of light on his silver-plated armor, the knight seemed more like a young man than someone from our organization. His eyes shone so brightly that they could blind you.
His eyes were as big and blue as the moon, staring directly at me.
His skin was so pale, as if touching it would leave white powder on your fingers.
His plump crimson lips seemed as though they would release a sweet juice when pressed.
Even the faint dot on the corner of his lower lip added to the knight’s otherworldly appearance.
‘Did they choose him based on your face at the temple?’
A face that could even make demons repent. Truly, a knight with the visage of an angel.
‘Is he really just twenty years old?’
I was honestly taken aback by the fact that a young knight, who was being mentioned as the next high-ranking official, had such youthfulness.
Concealing my inner thoughts, I calmly inquired,
“You’ve come to see me?”
The person who had been staring at me blankly suddenly stood up.
His naturally wavy golden hair gently swayed.
“Ah, yes, yes! Are you Astel-nim?”
“Yes.”
A sincere and innocent smile blossomed on the knight’s serious face, revealing his clean, white teeth between His parted lips.
Approaching swiftly, he knelt down on one knee and pressed his lips against the back of my hand.
“I am the Holy Knight Johann Chanut. I’ve been eager to meet you.”
As they spoke, looking up at me, Johann appeared so beautiful, so radiant, so…
‘I want to protect him.’
If possessing heightened senses through this possession made me vulnerable to someone, in my previous life, I was vulnerable to people like them.
Honest, genuine, and willingly prepared to sacrifice themselves for others.
I couldn’t easily avert my gaze from such a person because I never knew when or how they would meet His end.
Due to my inherent undesirable nature, I sometimes felt the urge to torment them.
Like wanting to playfully nip at the front paws of a cute puppy or recklessly trample upon a pristine snowfield.
‘I want to nurture him.’
I discreetly suppressed a sigh.
“Yesterday, I received a message from the magic tower. It mentioned that there might still be monsters remaining.”
“Is that so?”
“Well, after searching the entire plaza, we discovered three more monsters. They had even regenerated His wounds.”
“….”
“If we had left them alone, more unfortunate victims would have emerged. It was all thanks to your warning, Astel-nim. We are grateful on behalf of the temple.”
Johann pressed his lips against the back of my hand once again.
His soft and plump lips lightly touched my hand before pulling away.
Although I hadn’t given permission for such an action, I didn’t feel angry.
After all, one doesn’t get angry when a puppy gives them a kiss, do they?
‘How should I handle this appearance that evokes kindness that doesn’t exist?’
I instinctively withdrew my hand.
“Please rise. I dislike seeing someone kneel before me.”
“You are truly generous. Thank you.”
Johann stood up with a wide smile. Our eye level rose. They seemed to be a similar height to Kael.
‘Well, Duke Luteous is quite tall for his age. It seems the men here have exceptional growth.’
I pointed to the sofa.
“Please have a seat there. Do you have a preference for tea?”
“I’m not familiar with tea. Anything you offer will be fine.”
Genia prepared the tea.
While pretending to look elsewhere, I closely observed Johann.
He stared intently at empty space for a moment, occasionally tilting His head.
It was an odd behavior that might make strangers think something was wrong.
“Are you feeling uncomfortable?”
“….Oh, no.”
He smiled awkwardly and stumbled over his words.
It was clear to anyone that he was hiding something.
I smiled gracefully as I reached out my injured hand.
“May I treat it for you?”
Johann bit his lip momentarily before quickly letting go. There was a brief but noticeable display of inner conflict.
“…I’m sorry. As a holy knight, I haven’t been bestowed with the power of healing.”
“But didn’t you acquire it when you became a hunter? Most clerics I know possess that ability.”
It was the same in my past life.
Intellectually gifted individuals leaned toward the mental realm, such as mages or summoners.
Those who excelled physically awakened in the realm of the body, like warriors or archers.
And most clerics gained the ability to heal.
“H-How did you know?”
Johann widened his eyes. His expression was unexpected, as if he hadn’t anticipated being discovered.
On the other hand, I remained completely unfazed.
“Is it so easy for you to admit it? Shouldn’t you at least deny it a few times?”
“….Was I so obvious?”
“Just a moment ago, you saw your chat box, didn’t you?”
“Oh, usually people don’t notice…”
“A hunter wouldn’t be unaware of the significance behind that behavior. And if you wanted to pretend otherwise, you should have let it go.”
“I was careless. I will think about it.”
Johann humbly admitted, his expression genuinely remorseful. It was the exemplary attitude of a cleric.
I curved my lips slightly.
“It’s a lie, and yet you’re even feeling remorse.”
“Pardon me?”
“You trust people quite easily. Actually, I guessed it when I saw you fighting monsters yesterday.”
“Yesterday… you say?”
I instantly erased the relaxed smile from my face. With the sudden shift in atmosphere, Johann blinked his eyes.
“It was you yesterday.”
“…Yes?”
“The one who caused the carriage accident yesterday. That wasn’t you?”
“…!”
Johann swallowed audibly, visibly surprised.
I lowered my voice, a chill in its tone.
“Who are you trying to deceive? Did you think I wouldn’t recognize your voice?”
“Um…P-Please calm down.”
“You possess the ability to heal, yet you only handed me a single potion. Why did you come here? Did you come to investigate because you thought I might recognize you?”
“Oh, no! I came here simply to ask for forgiveness! I felt guilty for giving you only one potion yesterday, so… There wasn’t any other intention behind it. Please believe me!”
His captivating blue eyes looked at me with a pleading gaze.
This is probably why people find him attractive.
‘He has a face that naturally evokes trust.’
I sighed, feeling like I was scolding a child. It didn’t sit well with me.
“What’s the reason?”
“Pardon?”
“Why did you hide your identity?”
“…I’m sorry.”
Johann, who had been flustered, became dejected.
Seeing him like that, resembling a scolded and deflated puppy, my anger faded away.
To be honest, I had already let go of my anger yesterday.
“Tell me. If there’s a valid reason, I’ll consider it as if it never happened.”
“…If my identity as a hunter is revealed, it will cause chaos in the temple.”
The temple was divided into two factions, competing for the position of the next high priest.
The Order of the Priests and the Order of the Holy Knights.
Johann was a candidate for the position of high priest, supported by the Holy Knights.
Although Johann showed more promise compared to the candidates from the Order of the Priests, being a Holy Knight posed a vulnerability for him.
Until now, only the Priests held the position of high priest.
In this situation, if Johann’s identity as a hunter were to be revealed, being a Holy Knight would no longer be seen as a weakness.
‘They would believe Johann has been chosen by the gods.’
The Holy Knights, who had been overshadowed by the Priests, would have a legitimate reason to assert themselves.
However, for now, it remained a hidden conflict simmering beneath the surface.
After all, openly declaring the next high priest while the current one was still alive and well would be challenging.
That’s why Johann decided to keep his identity as a hunter concealed.
“I don’t want to cause trouble for the high priest by unnecessarily revealing my true identity.”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“While your reasons are understandable, it’s not something that can be easily kept hidden.”
“…Are you planning to mention what happened at the temple yesterday?”
“Pardon?”
I burst into laughter at his innocent question. The sound of my laughter echoed in the reception room.
Johann stared at my relaxed eyes for a moment, then quickly averted his gaze. A faint pink hue colored the fair skin of the Holy Knight’s cheek.
