DLRV 4

“Did the necromancer you went to capture get arrested and brought here?”

“Excellent holy knights are still after him.”

He returned in a hurry, his mission unfinished.

“So you’ve returned with a dangerous criminal still loose in the world, because I left the temple?”

“I always stand where the god commands and fulfill my duties.”

“And because you stand here, there may be more innocent victims?”

“The holy knights chasing the criminal are excellent, and they will destroy evil with skill, so you need not worry.”

I fell silent for a moment. As I stopped speaking, Samuel also quietly closed his mouth and stared at me.

Throughout the time the door was open, Samuel’s posture facing me remained unchanged. I could tell just by his straight posture.

This man is extremely patient and stubborn.

He stood there indefinitely, ready to engage in a staring contest at any moment. Then suddenly, he made a movement. Slowly lowering his gaze, he explained quietly.

“As I mentioned, I understand that the Resurrected One needs time to adapt in the temple. I am here only to ensure the Resurrected One’s safety, nothing more.”

Just hearing his words was more than enough to be grateful. Samuel’s indifferent tone seemed to support his words.

I smiled slightly and took a step back.

“As you say, I need time to think, but I have no intention of letting you in, so you’ll have to deal with it.”

SLAM.

No footsteps were heard beyond the firmly closed door. It seemed he intended to keep guarding outside. I stared at the closed door and took a deep breath.

The necromancer could be caught by other holy knights, but I came here because other holy knights couldn’t catch him. That meant only that man could find me.

There must be a reason why it had to be him…

I fumbled around my neck. My fingertips found a shape-shifting magic tool. This is a treasure of the temple, and that man possesses exceptional divine power.

And just a moment ago, his gaze brushed against my neck. Isn’t it too obvious then?

I sighed in frustration. Yeah, I was a bit naive. There’s no way I would have left the temple’s treasure lying around carelessly. But now that I know the cause, I won’t make the same mistake twice.

Knowing the cause eased my mind. As the tension eased, a sudden wave of exhaustion hit me. I stretched and headed for the bed.

If I’m going to escape, managing my stamina is essential. Should I take a nap for now?

It seemed Samuel was still standing outside, but whatever, I couldn’t care less.

* * *

I deeply apologize, Your Highness…

The palace attendants couldn’t meet my gaze. It was to be expected. Despite being only a fiancée, in practice, I was treated no differently than a crown princess.

Within the palace, I was considered part of the royal family. However, there was one exception: my fiancé, Maxell.

His Majesty had pressing matters to attend to…

The attendant, visibly flustered, explained Marcel’s abrupt cancellation of our appointment. He offered plausible explanations involving international affairs, visits from ambassadors, and the like.

But as a daughter of Roam, destined to ascend to the throne since birth, I couldn’t turn a blind eye to Maxell’s indiscretions.

Being groomed for queenship meant I might one day need to feign ignorance about my husband’s affairs. Such lessons were ingrained in me from an early age.

If I had been more composed, perhaps I could have recalled those teachings and applied them dutifully. But on that particular day, composure eluded me. That day…

Even on my birthday, witnessing him cavorting with another woman, especially one from a disgraced family, was profoundly distressing.

It marked the onset of whispered gossip in social circles about Roam’s second daughter garnering the prince’s attention, coinciding with Lillia’s increasingly evident warmth and kindness.

The prince seems to have forgotten, so deliver my message to him. Make sure everyone hears you loud and clear.

I refused the attendant’s suggestion to go back, laughing.

Your voice must reach everyone present. Do you understand?

The attendant delivered my message to Maxell, who was with Lillia, just as I had instructed—loud enough for Lillia, standing beside him, to hear.

That day, I spent half a day sitting in the empty reception room of the Crown Prince’s Palace before returning home. My father scolded me, telling me that I would become the Crown Princess even if I did nothing, and accused me of clinging to the position without any pride. My sister clicked her tongue and turned away.

My mother sighed and remained silent, while my younger brother stood behind her, hesitantly observing the situation.

It was those reactions—those kinds of things—that truly hurt my pride.

The next day, I attended a party where Lillia was present. I poured wine over her head and, as if it were the most natural thing, slapped Maxell, who was standing by her side.

Everyone saw the scene, shocked, and from that day on, my infamy truly began to spread.

Since I had laid hands on a member of the royal family, I should have been executed immediately. However, my status as his fiancée and the circumstances of the previous day were taken into consideration. His Majesty pardoned my crime with a sentence of three months of house arrest.

“If only they had executed me then.”

Would I not have returned if that had happened?

As I stood up, I wondered about such pointless thoughts. I had tossed and turned several times due to the terrible condition of the bed, but thanks to the few hours of sleep I managed to get, I felt less fatigued.

Pressing my throbbing forehead, I sat on the edge of the bed. My mind, which hadn’t been functioning properly due to lack of sleep, gradually began to clear.

I found it strange that absurd thoughts crossed my mind as soon as I opened my eyes, but then I realized I had a trashy dream during my brief sleep last night. How could Maxell appear in it?

“What a grumpy morning.”

I muttered irritably and opened the door without much thought, intending to request some washing water. Then, I stopped short at the sight of a massive figure standing in front of the door.

“You’re up early.”

Oh, right, this man was here.

“So, you are Sir Samuel, correct?”

Without realizing it, my tone came out sharper than I intended. Samuel nodded, his expression unchanged.

“Yes, thank you for remembering.”

“Were you standing here all night?”

“As I said, it’s to protect your safety. Please don’t worry about it.”

I don’t particularly like persistent men.

Leaning crookedly against the door frame with my arms crossed, I responded sarcastically.

“I can’t help but worry now that I’m going to take a bath and you’re standing there. I don’t have the guts to undress with a man standing outside the door.”

“You need not worry.”

“Is that really as easy as you say?”

When I snapped back, Samuel hesitated for a moment. Then, with a slight frown, he declared firmly, without a hint of hesitation:

“Even if the Resurrected One were to stand naked before me, it would not arouse me.”

Oh, really? Look at this bastard.

The faint glimpse of pride and stubbornness in his gray eyes hinted at his true nature.

So, you’re not the obedient type, huh? If other noble ladies heard something like this, they might have cried out in shame or fled the scene as if running for their lives. At the very least, they might have felt intimidated.

“Well, that’s a rather fortunate confession. In that case, I’ll take my clothes off with peace of mind.”

But what to do? I’m not like that.

“I’ll keep your assurance in mind, and if it gets too hot while I’m washing, I’ll trust you and open the door.”

I responded indifferently and turned away without waiting for a reply. I could feel his gaze on my back.

Ha, this is annoying. How can I get rid of him to buy as much time as possible?

After confirming the door was closed, I dragged my feet back to the bed. Then, I flopped down carelessly and buried my face in the blanket, deep in thought.

Not aroused by me being naked?

The memory of his arrogant voice made me clench my fists automatically.

“…”

Suddenly, I stood up, opened the door, and stepped out again. Samuel, standing in the same posture as before, looked at me.

I walked past him to find the inn staff and insisted they prepare bathwater first thing in the morning.

I made sure to stress that they fill the largest bath barrel to the brim with water.

* * *

Even though I made a point of making noise while bathing, Samuel didn’t budge from his spot outside the door. What a stubborn guy.

They say the first thing servants of the gods learn in the temple is patience, and they weren’t wrong about that.

Thanks to him, I ended up taking a bath I hadn’t planned on, and despite waking up early, I wasted my entire morning.

If Samuel intended to cause this pointless delay, he succeeded admirably.

“I’ll guard you, so don’t worry and go about your business.”

Even after I finished preparing to leave, I hesitated to exit the room. Samuel, sounding as if he were doing me a favor, urged me to go ahead.

“What do you think I’ll do?”

“Whatever you do is of no concern.”

“Right. Since you’re the kind of person who remains unmoved even if someone bathes right next to you, you won’t care what I do at all.”

Is it my twisted nature, or do Samuel’s words just not sound polite?

“Indeed. It seems that the morning’s events have proven it.”

I’m starting to get confused about whether he’s responding to my surface-level words or countering the underlying sarcasm.

At this rate, I might waste unnecessary time getting caught up in pointless arguments.

I left the lodging establishment for now, with Samuel following at a distance.

As I walked, my mind calmed down, allowing me to rationally reconsider the situation.

I eventually concluded that, for the time being, it’s better to tolerate him. It turns out that keeping him around was more beneficial.

This city sees thousands of pilgrims and tourists every day, so no matter how many excuses are made, it’s not possible to block it off for long.

The longer the delay, the more protests will pour in, and then we’ll have no choice but to reveal the real reason for the block.

Naturally, the temple, which wouldn’t want that, must have summoned Samuel as quickly as possible to ensure my safety.