The priest’s expression brightened.
Watching him, Kay smiled faintly.
“But that will be after the truth of the rumor is determined. If it becomes known that His Holiness slandered the Countess of Green and broke a marriage based on a false rumor, that would stain the honor of the Holy Kingdom even more.”
Kay attached a condition, but the priest remained confident.
A reputable newspaper had already printed the scandal involving the Countess of Green on its front page. It mocked Count Green for being so bewitched by his wife’s beauty that he could not even control her, and it went further by expressing regret toward the Holy Kingdom for protecting such a man.
There was no way the Countess of Green’s reputation for debauchery was merely a rumor.
“I am glad we can finally understand each other, Count.”
The priest, who had maintained a lofty attitude until now, unconsciously began speaking more politely.
His pride was wounded, but it could not be helped. He did not want to experience something as terrifying as before.
In any case, the objective had been achieved. He only wanted to leave this place without angering Kay and return safely to the temple of the Holy Kingdom.
“Wait.”
Just as the priest stood, Kay called out.
“I have not finished speaking yet.”
“Wh what more is there to discuss…?”
“What if the rumor turns out to be false? How will you repay the price for insulting my wife, the Green family, and myself because of a false rumor?”
“R repay…?”
“Surely you are not planning to let it pass that His Holiness personally encouraged my divorce because of a false rumor.”
The priest swallowed dryly.
He had never thought that far ahead, and the high priests had not told him how to respond in such a situation.
But Kay’s request was not unreasonable.
“W what do you wish for?”
He could simply listen and report it later.
“Well, you see, I will soon be holding a wedding ceremony.”
Kay crossed his legs leisurely and lifted one corner of his mouth.
“His Holiness the Pope must attend personally, bless the marriage, and formally apologize to my wife. Only then will this humiliation disappear.”
The priest’s eyes widened at the absurd request.
The pope was not someone who could move so easily. Even the wedding of the emperor of the greatest empire on the continent had not been attended by the pope. He had merely sent distant congratulations and blessings, and even that had been considered an extraordinary honor.
Yet Kay was demanding not only a personal blessing, but an apology as well.
But the priest could not say no.
Kay was smiling, but his eyes had become as ominous as before, and it felt as though a heavy black aura was surging behind him.
‘It should be fine. There is no way the rumor is false. And even if it were, we could simply give some excuse later and have His Holiness send a message of blessing instead. The count should be grateful for even that.’
Thinking that, the priest nodded.
“Very well. I accept that condition.”
Kay smiled brightly and took a small device from the pocket of his jacket.
The priest had never seen such a machine before.
“Did you know that long ago there was magic that could record a conversation and replay it exactly?”
The priest knew that, of course, but he had no idea why Kay was suddenly talking about such nonsense.
“Recently the Magic Tower invented an interesting device. They worked together with engineers. As usual, they sent it to the honorable Count Green to see whether it might be useful.”
Click.
When Kay pressed the button, the conversation he and the priest had just shared echoed through the room as if time had reversed.
The priest’s voice could clearly be heard agreeing to Kay’s condition.
Kay looked at the priest, who could not even breathe, and smiled faintly.
“It seems useful.”
+++
Kay said that he would soon determine the truth of the rumor and told the priest to remain at the estate until then.
Since it sounded far more like an order than a suggestion, the priest had no choice but to stay in the west guest wing of the Green Count Estate.
‘What should I do…?’
Only now did he regret acting arrogantly in front of Kay.
‘If the rumor turns out to be false… what will happen to me?’
+++
Lisi was reading a book she had taken from the study.
It was a book about the history of the Holy Kingdom. She was reading the section describing how the Holy Kingdom had come to persecute beastmen long ago.
[It is well known that Benedertem, once expected to become the next pope, was a beastman. What became known only later was the species he transformed into, and the revelation of that fact became the spark that ignited the First Beastman Rebellion.
At the time, beastmen were treated as equals to humans, though depending on the animal they transformed into, they were either mocked or revered.
Benedertem was a beastman who transformed into a mouse.
The fact that someone who might become the next pope transformed into a disease spreading mouse shocked not only the Holy Kingdom but the entire continent.
A servant of God turning into a filthy little mouse.
Even worse, he had concealed that fact and become a respected high priest, seeking the position of the next pope.
Benedertem was a righteous and honest man, deeply devoted to God. The fact that he transformed into a mouse did not change that.
But it was impossible to suppress the public’s perception of mice as vile animals.
Benedertem was deeply wounded by the sudden change in attitude from the priests, the people, and even the pope.
Harboring resentment, he secretly gathered beastmen in similar circumstances and led them in the First Beastman Rebellion against the Holy Kingdom.]
She had just reached that point when Kay arrived.
“Lisi, sorry to interrupt.”
“It’s fine. I just happened to have some free time today, so I was reading.”
Lisi closed the book and took Kay’s offered hand as she stood.
“Would you like to take a walk? Just the two of us.”
“I would like that.”
Leaving the maids in the room, the two went outside together.
Lisi thought they were heading toward the central garden, but Kay instead led her toward the west wing.
“It seems we have an important guest.”
“You could say that. A guest who will make our wedding even more magnificent.”
“Our wedding?”
Lisi asked curiously, not knowing what kind of agreement Kay had made with the priest.
Kay only smiled.
Soon they arrived at the garden in front of the west wing. It was smaller than the central garden, but it was filled with a sweet and fragrant scent.
Most of the trees were fruit trees.
Kay reached out to a nearby tree, plucked a peach, and handed it to Lisi.
“The peaches at our estate are famous for being sweet.”
“I did not know we had something like this.”
Lisi took a bite from the plump peach.
Sweet juice moistened her lips.
“Wow, this really…”
The words “It’s delicious” were swallowed by Kay’s lips.
Kay gently tasted the juice on Lisi’s lips, then rested his forehead against hers and whispered,
“Sorry. Your lips looked sweeter than the peach.”
“Were they that sweet?”
“Even sweeter.”
Kay pressed his lips to hers once more.
The heart that had stopped in surprise earlier now beat sweetly in her chest.
Strangely, this brief and light kiss made her heart pound more than when Kay touched her in those secret, lingering ways.
She worried that the sound of her racing heart might reach him.
Kay pulled away and wiped her lips with his thumb.
“I told the priest I would prove the rumor false.”
“I see.”
“When should we do it, Lisi? The sooner the better.”
“When I heard the priest was coming, I reserved Tony’s Cave.”
Tony’s Cave, a tavern, stood beside the Grand Square in Ronderivan City, the capital of the Green territory.
It was the largest tavern in the city, often rented by commoners when they held celebrations.
“Tomorrow we will hold a party there for the common people.”
“What should I prepare?”
Lisi placed her index finger against her chin and tilted her head as if thinking.
Then she lightly tapped Kay’s nose with that finger.
“Prepare to smile.”
+++
The surprise party held by the rumored Countess of Green for the common people.
In the Grand Square beside Tony’s Cave, people gathered long before the party’s scheduled time. The place was so crowded that there was barely room to step.
No invitations had been sent, so all kinds of people had gathered.
People who wanted to see Count Green up close.
People curious to see the infamous Countess of Green.
People who disliked the supposedly immoral countess.
People determined simply to eat their fill.
People hoping to catch the count’s attention and rise in status.
Nearby nobles.
And reporters who had gathered to cover the subject of the rumors.
They talked among themselves.
“Even the pope has moved, so it seems the countess must be desperate. Hosting a party like this.”
“Do they think something like this will erase what she did?”
“That is not the only possibility. Perhaps the countess simply enjoys parties and wants to share that with us.”
While such conversations continued, Lisi was changing into her dress.
Elegant, but not overly extravagant.
Refined, but not as though she had tried too hard.
And yet something that would make her beauty shine.
Her long silver hair with its faint reddish hue was twisted up and secured into a rounded style. Several strands were left loose, falling along the graceful curve of her shoulders.
She wore only a single hairpin set with a pearl no larger than a thumbnail, along with small pearl earrings and a necklace.
Her dress was a very pale sky blue.
The shoulders were bare, and the wide, flowing sleeves reached the backs of her hands.
There was no lace or decoration, making the dress appear simple.
But on Lisi, it looked elegant and dignified.
“I was worried because it is not a dress that suits everyone… but you truly look beautiful, Lady Iris.”
The maid Crisina admired her appearance.
Erwell nodded enthusiastically.
Gillette was not present.
After hearing about the party, Gillette had requested leave, saying she wished to attend as the daughter of a viscount.
Since that was exactly what Lisi had hoped for, she had allowed it without complaint. But Crisina seemed displeased that Gillette had forgotten her duties.
Even if a maid could dress up and attend a party, her first duty should still be serving the noblewoman she attended.
“This is enough for me, so Crisina and Erwell should go prepare for the party.”
“I will stay at the party—”
“Yes, Countess. We will go prepare and return shortly.”
As Erwell tried to speak, Crisina cut her off.
Erwell glared at her resentfully but was dragged out by the hand.
The moment they stepped into the corridor, Erwell shook her hand off roughly.
“Sini, please let me talk to the countess too.”
“What were you going to say?”
“Well… that I break out in hives when I attend parties…”
“That is not what you were going to say, Erwell.”
“Damn it. I was going to say I do not fit into parties at all. So what?”
Crisina stared at her silently.
“I know. I know. But since I was little… ah, damn it.”
Erwell scratched her head in frustration.
“But Jeresien is the same way. Jeresien says whatever she wants.”
“You should call her Miss Jeresien. Or Lady Green.”
“Lady my ass—”
Just then, Kay was walking down the corridor.
Both of them stopped speaking and turned toward him.
For some reason, Kay looked as though he was holding back laughter.
For a moment Crisina wondered if he had overheard their conversation.
But she quickly dismissed the thought.
They had been speaking very quietly.
‘He must simply be in a good mood because he is about to see Lady Iris. Whenever he enters this room, he is always smiling.’