When the prince shouted in anger, all the worshipers nearby turned to look this way.
“Did you think I wouldn’t know you’re just an ordinary priest? To deceive me so openly—I will not let this slide this time! How dare you, an ordinary priest!!”
It seemed Prince Lorath was still irritated from the last incident, and today’s events only added to his frustration.
I couldn’t let Prince Lorath continue in this anger, so I decided to speak to calm him down.
“Your Highness, the sister is indeed here to guard me. Those concerned about me entering the labyrinth assigned her to me. I did not lie to you, Your Highness.”
The moment I vouched for her, Prince Lorath‘s face stiffened even more.
“Are you saying this woman is truly a holy knight? She’s not even wearing armor!”
It was a sharp observation.
If she were truly guarding me and really a holy knight, she should indeed be wearing armor.
But Sister Melody wasn’t one to back down easily.
She shamelessly lied.
“It’s a matter of personal preference. Armor isn’t strictly necessary for protection.”
“Are you playing with me right now? Priest Arthur, is what this woman says really true?”
They say one lie leads to another.
I wanted to honestly deny the prince’s question, but I had chosen to cover for her.
I couldn’t suddenly change my stance.
“…Yes.”
The prince fell silent, seemingly at a loss for words.
Since both of us insisted on our claims, the prince could only come to one conclusion.
He must have suspected that the subordinate who investigated Sister Melody made a mistake.
Already humiliated by my refusal to side with him, the idea that his subordinate might have also erred only added fuel to the fire.
Knowing the prince’s personality well, I could tell chaos would ensue once he returned.
“Haa… Priest Arthur.”
The prince’s low voice, dripping with anger, was chilling.
“I said I wanted to speak with you alone. Leave your unnecessary guard behind and follow me.”
The furious prince was now speaking to me in a commanding tone.
But before I could respond, Sister Melody spoke up first.
“If you try to separate me from my charge, I will consider it a threat.”
“Y-you dare!”
I knew she was provoking Prince Lorath, but her audacity was both impressive and dangerously reckless.
Already irritated once, the prince glared at her with an intensity that suggested he might kill her on the spot.
“I knew from the beginning you were wary of me. Yet, because my sister cherishes you and you seem competent, I visited often and tried to speak with you. But all I get in return are lies and deceit. I have tolerated enough rudeness—I no longer wish to maintain this friendship with you, priest!”
Everyone knew the prince’s true intention—to take away someone cherished by Princess Lasiell.
His ability to cover his motives with noble words was impressive.
‘I always knew a moment like this would come.’
I realized this was the moment the prince’s patience had finally run out.
I wasn’t surprised; I had been prepared for this outcome.
Falling out with the prince was inevitable if I wanted to stand by Princess Lasiell.
In a way, this was better.
It had always been exhausting to maintain polite interactions with someone I found uncomfortable.
Part of my relief also stemmed from seeing how anxious Princess Lasiell would become whenever the prince visited.
“Sister Melody is a discreet person. She can remain silent, almost as if she’s not even here. But since Your Highness finds her presence uncomfortable, it seems there’s no other choice.”
“…So that’s your decision, then?”
There was no need to answer the prince’s question, so I simply looked at him silently.
For the first time in a while, his eyes held genuine emotion.
‘To think someone could hold such malice towards another person.’
I always knew he was dangerous, but confronting him directly made it even clearer.
“I’ve felt for a while now that you were keeping your distance because of my sister. Despite the obstacles, I thought our relationship wasn’t too bad. But you’ve truly disappointed me.”
Though his eyes were filled with murderous intent, the prince carefully wrapped up his words, perhaps aware of the onlookers.
To an outsider unaware of the situation, the prince might seem noble and composed.
Had I not known his true nature, I might have been deceived by his performance as well.
But.
‘Words without sincerity cannot shake my heart.’
The one who first showed deception and lies was Prince Lorath.
When I gave no reply, the prince sighed in frustration and spoke.
“What use is it to speak sincerely to someone who won’t listen? My voice will never reach you. It’s truly regrettable things have come to this.”
Now that the prince’s patience had run out, I felt more relieved than worried.
‘This was bound to happen anyway.’
The starting point for me and the prince had always been misaligned.
Unless he changed his nature, a close relationship would never have been possible.
Still, out of respect for the ‘courtesy’ he had shown me, I wanted to end things with a blessing.
Even knowing that the next time we meet, he might aim for my life.
“May Your Highness’s path always be one of light.”
After some thought, I offered my blessing.
It was a prayer that Prince Lorath, who would surely commit many sins in his pursuit of the throne, might find repentance and follow the path of light.
The prince hesitated briefly before replying.
“…Since you’ve shown me your final goodwill, I’ll offer you one last piece of advice.”
“I’ll listen carefully.”
“Do not stand on a crumbling cliff. You’ll fall with the broken stones.”
The prince turned and walked away without hesitation, leaving behind what might have been either advice or a warning.
This would be the last time Prince Lorath would show his devout face by attending worship.
His piety had only ever been a ‘means’ to an end.
‘So the saying “one can’t spit on a smiling face” doesn’t work here, huh?’
How could someone respond to a blessing with a curse?
Leaving me with a fresh sense of shock, the prince exited the chapel.
“What garbage.”
Sister Melody seemed to feel the same way, as she cursed the prince the moment he left.
“That wasn’t advice; it was a threat. And such a petty one at that.”
“He probably thought he was offering advice. Anyway, we’ve completely turned our backs on the prince now.”
I had a feeling that since he had invested so much effort in me, his revenge would be equally thorough.
To restore his damaged pride and dignity, he’d surely think I needed to be utterly destroyed.
“He has the burden of his first labyrinth subjugation mission. He probably won’t act recklessly for now.”
“Still, I won’t let my guard down.”
Recalling the stories Princess Lasiell had told me, it was clear I couldn’t afford to be careless.
“I will always be by your side. Don’t worry. Besides, he’ll probably try to eliminate me first since I’m the more irritating one.”
…How comforting.
Gulp—
Watching the nervous young priests made me chuckle.
They tried to signal me to stop, but wasn’t their unease a little too obvious?
“You really don’t need to be so nervous.”
“I-I’m not nervous!”
“You’re even stuttering—stop pretending otherwise.”
“Ugh… Is it that obvious?”
“Yes. You said you apologized and even got a response saying it’s okay. So why are you still nervous?”
“It’s just… she’s hard to approach. Especially with that armor now…”
Perhaps because of the prince’s comment, Sister Melody began wearing a holy knight’s armor starting the next day.
She followed me closely, guarding me with unwavering determination.
Even when I was working inside the temple, her protection continued without fail.
Of course, because her presence made the patients uncomfortable, she kept her distance while watching over me.
“But priest, are you okay? She’s been watching over you all day…”
“Haha, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a little overwhelming, but I’m more grateful than anything. Standing guard and staying alert all day isn’t easy.”
Sister Melody wasn’t the type to just stand idly by while pretending to guard me.
She was wholeheartedly and earnestly protecting me, always prepared for any situation.
“I think I’m still far from being like you, priest. I only thought about how scary it was, not how difficult it must be.”
“In time, you’ll grow accustomed to it, and your fear will fade. Then you’ll see Sister Melody’s true nature.”
While Sister Melody’s attitude towards me had softened, her demeanor towards others hadn’t changed.
Still, fortunately, not everyone was scared of her.
“Um… Please have this!”
Though they approached her cautiously, some people offered food and small conveniences to Sister Melody.
At first, she was flustered and awkwardly declined, but after I reassured her that it was okay to accept such gestures, she began to slowly accept their kindness.
Just as the priests needed time to adjust to the inquisitor, Sister Melody also needed time to adapt to our temple.
“Thank you.”
After some time, she even began to accept food without hesitation.
There’s truly nothing more satisfying than turning a stray cat into a house cat.
The priest who had offered her food quickly disappeared with a carefully managed expression, but I could guess what they were doing out of sight.
‘They must be celebrating like they’d succeeded in feeding a stray cat.’
I could only hope Sister Melody would never realize this.