Everyone who had been murmuring fell into silence. This was clearly unprecedented—flustered, the Archbishop fumbled through his book.
Unlike his earlier authoritative tone, his breath now trembled pathetically. Even after a considerable pause, he couldn’t find a clear answer.
“Uh… well, that is to say…”
Armin stood firmly in front of me, shielding my surely ruined face from everyone’s view. From behind him, I became suddenly aware of how broad his shoulders were—how deeply I had longed to see him again.
After rifling through the pages a few more times, the Archbishop finally gave up trying to come to a conclusion.
“The cathedral’s position regarding Vivian Roha’s rite of purity is as follows.”
Clearing his throat, the Archbishop resumed speaking.
“Confession to the divine belongs to the church, but disputes among mortals belong to the world of men.”
In short, they would hear what was said, but take no action.
“Therefore, the matter raised by Armin Grey shall be settled by the judgment of the court.”
Though his tone remained solemn, the message was clear: they were evading responsibility. Any conclusion now would mean opposing either the Imperial Family or the House of Duke Grey.
“Until the court issues a ruling on Vivian Roha’s purity… ahem, the Crown Princess selection ceremony shall be temporarily suspended.”
With that final statement—delivered while clearly checking the reactions of those around him—the chaotic selection ceremony was brought to an end.
There was so much I wanted to say to Armin. But he had to leave soon. By protocol, he was required to report directly to the Emperor as soon as he returned to the capital.
It was a situation ripe for any pretext to be used against him. The Emperor, who had been seated high on the dais, left the hall with the Empress without so much as glancing at Armin.
“Armin…”
It felt like a dream. I couldn’t believe this moment was real—that I was saying his name.
As I threw my arms around him, I heard Armin’s flustered voice.
“My clothes are filthy, Vivi. They’ll stain your dress.”
“It’s okay…”
I tightened my embrace around him. Though some attendants remained behind to clean the wrecked sanctuary, they all pretended not to see us.
Armin’s large hand wrapped around my shoulder. That familiar warmth, weight, and scent—
Ah. At last, it felt like everything was falling back into place. The tension in my body, wound tight for so long, was finally starting to release.
“There’s a lot we need to talk about,” Armin said, giving me a strong hug before gently letting go.
“But I have to go now.”
I knew that—but I didn’t want to let him go. Seeing that, a faint smile appeared on Armin’s face.
“Go home, Vivi.”
“But…”
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
Though he wanted to take me home himself, any further delay might give the Imperial Family another excuse to act, so Armin gently soothed me.
“When you get home, someone you’ve missed will be waiting.”
As we stepped out of the cathedral together, our family carriage was already waiting as if on cue. Only one person could’ve arranged that.
Alessandro Roha.
Armin helped me into the carriage, then swiftly mounted his horse. He looked back at my carriage a couple of times before spurring his horse and disappearing from view.
It was strange. Nothing had been resolved yet, and still—just knowing that Armin was back by my side was enough to bring me peace. Like someone finally emerging into the sunlight after a long, dark tunnel.
On the way home, it finally sank in that he had truly returned. And for the first time in a long while, I could smile from the heart.
* * *
As soon as I arrived home, I ran straight up to the front door. Just a few hours ago, I had trudged this same path in despair, yet now everything seemed strangely bright, as if it were an entirely different house.
“Sasha!”
The moment I stepped inside, I called out my twin brother’s name at the top of my lungs.
“Don’t run. How many times do I have to tell you? You’re going to hurt yourself.”
Just as Armin had said, there was Sasha, looking exhausted as he stared at me.
“What happened to your clothes…? Why are you so filthy?”
Sasha looked completely worn out, like he could collapse at any moment. Still in my dirty dress, I ran over and threw my arms around him.
He flinched, a little startled by his twin’s aggressive greeting, but soon settled down.
“I see.”
He murmured something to himself that I couldn’t quite understand.
“What do you mean, ‘I see’?”
Here I was, trying to have a touching sibling moment, and he went and ruined the mood.
“I mean I get why your clothes are so dirty now.”
With a teasing tone, Sasha started poking fun at me.
“Must’ve been one of those intense embraces with a guy who’s just as filthy as me.”
Even so, his hand gently patted my back with big-brotherly affection.
“You did well.”
His tone made it clear he already knew everything I had been through. The smartest brother in the world never missed a thing.
“You handled it more cleverly than I expected. Bringing Andre into the mix like that was a smart move.”
Sasha rarely gave praise like this. For some reason, it made me feel bashful.
“The merchant guild must be bitter, missing out on a chance to sell at a premium. But Vivi—”
“Yeah?”
“I think I’ve fulfilled my sibling duties with that hug. I’d really like to wash up now. Can you let go?”
It had barely been three minutes since I got home, but I agreed with him.
“Yeah, you probably should wash up. You smell pretty awful.”
“Haven’t bathed in two days.”
“Ugh.”
I jokingly pinched my nose. Sasha’s eyebrow twitched at that.
“Excuse me? And whose fault do you think that is?”
“What, are you saying it’s mine?”
“Yes. I rode here nonstop, without sleeping. Almost fell off the horse getting here. The timing just happened to work out.”
He shook his head, as if the thought alone gave him chills.
Wait a second. What did he just say?
“You came without sleeping?”
“Did you think I had a full night’s rest, took a bath, and had a nice meal before showing up?”
Sasha retorted like I’d asked the dumbest question in the world.
“I’ve been riding non-stop ever since I heard about the Crown Princess selection.”
He’d switched horses through every village, never once stopping.
“Wow.”
“And you’re calling me dirty when I remember you spending days at home without bathing either?”
He looked truly betrayed as I recoiled from his grime. I decided to explain myself logically.
“When I’m at home, I get dirty gradually, so it’s okay if I don’t bathe every single day.”
Before I knew it, our conversation had returned to its usual tone.
“Of course. You’re always right, aren’t you? Fine. I’ve got a lot to say, but I’ll say it after I’ve washed up.”
For Sasha, who took cleanliness very seriously, this was remarkable patience. As soon as the servant announced that the bath was ready, he dashed toward it without even looking back.
* * *
I threw off the uncomfortable dress and took a bath myself. The sunlight streaming through the clear stained glass in the bathroom looked incredibly beautiful. It was a view I could have seen at the cathedral too, but somehow it felt completely different here.
“Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm.”
A cheerful hum escaped my lips. I was completely convinced that Armin would come straight to our house after reporting to the Emperor.
But even after I had finished my bath and dried my hair perfectly, there was still no word from Armin.
Sasha looked at me with an exasperated expression and asked in disbelief.
“Didn’t they say there’s going to be a trial?”
“What does that have to do with Armin not coming here?”
“Wow… I’m honestly amazed. How can you not know that people involved in a trial aren’t allowed to meet before the proceedings begin?”
He scolded me like it was the most basic common sense.
“So you mean…”
“It means you won’t be able to see Armin until the trial is over.”
“No way!”
I jumped up, ready to storm over to the Duke’s estate.
“I’ve already been waiting on pins and needles—why should I have to wait even longer?”
“You want to know why?”
“Yes!”
“Vivi, do you want to hand Crown Prince Zeta—who’s desperate to find any excuse—exactly the opening he needs?”
“No!”
“Exactly.”
Sasha smiled slyly and then gave me a firm look, telling me to sit still and not stir up trouble.
In the end, I had no choice but to follow Sasha’s advice. In these matters, Sasha was usually right.
I must’ve looked quite dejected, because he quickly tried to console me.
“It’s okay. It won’t take that long.”
* * *
That night, another message arrived from the Imperial palace. Just as they had hastily begun the Crown Princess selection following the Crown Prince’s appointment ceremony, they now wanted to swiftly reach a conclusion about the day’s events.
And so, the trial was scheduled for one week later. I wasn’t sure if trials could normally be arranged this quickly, but judging by Sasha’s reaction, it didn’t seem like that was the case.
“Hm. That’s tighter than I expected.”
“Time?”
Time for what? I was completely lost by what Sasha meant, but he simply waved off my confusion and continued speaking.
He asked me, “Vivi.”
“Yeah?”
“Whatever happens, you’re not allowed to blame me.”
“Blame you?”
That was a pretty intense way to put it.
“There’s just something like that.”
He averted his eyes and spoke with clear reluctance. His suspicious demeanor made my stomach twist with unease.
Something was definitely going on with my dubious twin.
