TVWRL Chapter 42

Chapter 42

“I’m not feeling well, so I think I should leave early,” Chris said.

Beads of cold sweat dotted his forehead, and he looked genuinely unwell.

“You should’ve told me earlier if you weren’t feeling well. Should I call for a doctor?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Chris firmly refused my offer to call for a carriage and left in a hurry.

Cold sweat, a pale face, a headache, and a gloomy, heavy expression—there was only one condition that matched all his symptoms.

‘Could it be that he got sick from eating my cooking? Indigestion?! Maybe he said he was fine earlier just so I wouldn’t feel bad…’

The thought that I might’ve made him sick weighed heavily on my mind.

‘What do I do? I have to apologize the next time I see him. And I should never cook again. I hope he doesn’t get too sick.’

Feeling uneasy, I rushed to the apothecary in the marketplace, bought some digestive medicine, and headed straight to the temple.

—

Meanwhile, a meeting was in full swing at the Central Temple.

Although the divine power tests hadn’t revealed anything significant, the mere presence of divine power still irritated the temple leaders. Adeline’s use of even a sliver of divine power to live comfortably annoyed them.

The power of the goddess, no matter how great or small, was supposed to be used solely for the temple. Using it for personal benefit, like Adeline did, was unacceptable.

“This is becoming troublesome.”

“Should we just leave Adeline Senner alone, or should we bring her in?”

“Of course, we have to bring her in. If anything were to happen from her continued use of divine power, the temple would bear the brunt of the disgrace.”

“Her divine power is insignificant anyway. We could bring her in as Saintess Leona’s maid.”

“How do we go about bringing her here?”

“The best way would be to make it hard for her to make a living.”

“Is that even possible?”

“If we accuse her of heresy based on fortune-telling, we can justify it.”

“That’s a good idea. Let’s use all the influence we have to pressure her.”

While discussing ways to bring Adeline in, no one even mentioned Ilias. His fragile position within the temple was glaringly apparent.

“Let’s start by banning noble visitors from her place. That’ll send a warning.”

“We can corner her like prey.”

“We should involve the royal family and have them issue an official decree.”

They looked almost gleeful, as though anticipating some sort of entertainment. The temple began its machinations to bring Adeline under its control.

—

When I arrived at the temple, I ran into an unexpected problem: I didn’t know where Chris worked. Only now did it occur to me that I should’ve asked earlier.

Feeling even guiltier for not being more attentive, I looked down at the medicine packet in my hands.

“What should I do?”

Just then, I saw a young temple attendant walking by and quickly called out to him.

“Excuse me!”

The boy, who couldn’t have been older than ten, looked up at me with polite curiosity.

“Did you call for me?”

He tilted his head as he studied my face, then hesitantly spoke.

“Are you… Lady Adeline by any chance?”

“Pardon? Oh, yes. That’s me. I’m Adeline Senner.”

“You look so much better than when you used to be here. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

His words made me unconsciously touch my face.

The boy smiled innocently and said, “Your expression is much softer and kinder now.”

Although I hadn’t undergone any cosmetic surgery or treatments, I didn’t feel the need to deny it since the child saw me that way.

‘Maybe it’s because I’ve been living more kindly, and my face has softened.’

Feeling that it was a compliment, I responded with a warm smile.

“Thank you.”

“What brings you to the temple today?”

“Well, I’m looking for someone, but I don’t know where they’re stationed.”

“Who are you looking for?”

“I’m trying to find Chris, who recently became a full-fledged priest.”

The attendant tilted his head, seemingly unsure, and repeated the name.

“Priest Chris? Do you know his family name by any chance?”

“No, I don’t know his family name from the secular world.”

“You said he was recently appointed as a priest?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t think there’s a priest with that name this year.”

“What?”

Becoming a full-fledged priest wasn’t easy. While hundreds of candidates applied each year, only about twenty or so were selected.

For a temple attendant, whose job was to assist priests, not knowing the name of a newly ordained priest seemed unlikely.

A bad feeling crept into my mind. Perhaps noticing my unease, the attendant quickly added,
“Of course, it’s possible I just don’t know. I was running an errand, so may I continue on my way?”

“Yes, of course. Thank you for your time.”

The boy hurried off, seemingly pressed for time.

‘No, this can’t be. Even the high priest knew of Chris, didn’t he?’

Before the goddess festival, the high priest had spoken about Chris as if he were well-acquainted with him.

‘Maybe the attendant hasn’t been here long enough to know everyone.’

I reassured myself by piecing together what I already knew. Yet, there was an indescribable, unsettling feeling that made it impossible for me to remain there any longer, so I decided to return home.

—

Ilias and I had decided to make our one-hundred-day relationship as publicly celebrated as possible, so we met at least three times a week.

As we were on one of our usual dates, making a show of it, Ilias leaned in and whispered into my ear.

From an outsider’s perspective, it must have looked like a sweet exchange of affection.

“Adeline, could you help me with something?”

“Of course. We’re in this together, aren’t we? I’ll support and assist you in whatever you do.”

“I need to visit the Crothos duchy for an important matter. As you already know, I’ve always been indifferent to the social scene, so if I suddenly show up, it might raise suspicions. Would you accompany me?”

Beaming the happiest smile in the world, I looked at him.

“Of course. It sounds like fun. You can even use me as an excuse for attending. After all, if not for you, a commoner like me would never have a reason to attend a duchy party.”

“No, I don’t want to use your status like that. Let’s say the official reason for bringing you is to solidify our relationship publicly in front of the nobles.”

A commoner girlfriend like me attending an aristocratic gathering could give off the wrong impression—like I was chasing high society out of vanity.

‘Climbing the social ladder is hard, but losing credibility happens in an instant.’

His consideration reminded me again that he possessed all the qualities of a good leader. Feeling even more eager to help him, I asked,
“Is there anything specific you need me to do?”

“No, you don’t need to worry about anything. Just enjoy the party on my behalf.”

“Then I’ll take this opportunity to approach the Duchess of Crothos. From what I’ve heard, unlike the duke and their daughter, she’s not interested in politics and is easily influenced.”

Ilias, perhaps aware of being watched, responded with a dazzling smile. His charm was overwhelming, and I felt my chest tighten like I’d just experienced muscle pain.

‘Indeed, being handsome is unbeatable.’

—

The Crothos duchy was famous for hosting lavish parties. The duchess loved grandeur and flaunting her influence, so she took her parties very seriously.

Her demeanor was known for being discriminatory and dismissive based on both status and appearance, making first impressions critical.

As I started with the disadvantage of my lowly status, it was crucial to present a luxurious appearance. Determined to make a good impression as the prince’s partner, I resolved to prepare thoroughly.

“Sarah, let’s get going quickly.”

With a new dress to order and accessories to match, there wasn’t a moment to lose.

“Yes, my lady.”

The moment Sarah opened the door, she let out a dolphin-like shriek.

“Kyahhh!”

“What’s wrong, Sarah?”

Alarmed, I rushed over, only to find Ilias standing there.

“P-Prince Ilias…!”

Sarah looked utterly dumbfounded, as if she couldn’t believe Ilias was standing right in front of her.

“Ilias, what brings you here without notice?”

“I came by because there’s somewhere I’d like us to go together. Were you about to head out?”

“I was on my way to the salon to get a dress fitted.”

Ilias gave me a calm smile.

“Then I’ve arrived just in time. If I’d been even a little late, it would’ve been a disaster.”

“Huh?”

“I’m here to go to the salon with you, Adeline.”

—

When I entered the salon with Ilias escorting me, the place was thrown into chaos.

Of course, everyone already knew about our relationship, but seeing it in print or photographs was entirely different from seeing it in person.

The famous designer who owned the salon, along with the entire staff, came out to greet us personally. The noblewomen who were there to get their own dresses fitted looked at us in surprise before quickly offering polite greetings.

We were guided to the central seat of honor in the salon, where we started by having tea.

“I’m here because Adeline needs an outfit for the party,” Ilias said.

“Would you like to take a look around first, Miss Adeline?”

As I was about to stand, Ilias gently took my hand and looked into my eyes.

“Adeline, just stay seated and relax. I know exactly what suits you best.”

Gasps of admiration could be heard from all around.

Ilias stood and began browsing the salon, choosing dresses for me to wear. Every piece he selected suited me perfectly and matched my usual style.

It seemed that my prince had an exceptional eye for fashion as well.

Every time I changed into a dress he chose and stepped out, Ilias looked at me with eyes dripping with sweetness, as if he’d started a honeybee farm.

His reactions prompted murmurs of admiration from the noblewomen nearby, mixed with envy.

The designer turned to Ilias and asked,
“Your Highness, which one do you like best?”

“That question should be directed to Adeline, not me. They all look stunning to me, so it should be whatever she likes most.”

The eyes of Ilias and the designer turned to me.

“I like them all because Ilias chose them for me. It’s hard to decide.”

It was true—everything was beautiful and suited me so well that I was practically paralyzed by indecision. It felt like the male lead had been given a stat boost in dress-picking abilities, and I couldn’t help but be amazed.

“Shall I make the decision for you, then, Adeline?”

Relieved that the difficult choice would be taken off my hands, I smiled brightly.
“Of course, Ilias.”

Ilias turned to the designer and said,
“May I borrow some paper and a pen?”

“Of course.”

The designer quickly handed him paper and a pen. Ilias began sketching a dress on the paper with swift, confident strokes.

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