As soon as I saw the man in front of me, I froze like a statue.
'...Marquis Bayen.'
It was our first time meeting in person, but I could tell right away.
That he was none other than the goddess's beloved and guide to the holy relics that I had been searching for, Jeannette Bayen.
Although he was much younger than I remembered, his appearance, eyes, and the atmosphere he gave off were exactly like the former Marquis Bayen.
I met his gaze quietly. His eyes were indifferent, as if he knew everything about the world, and there were complex emotions within them that I couldn't identify.
'I know for sure when I see it in person.'
The man who attended my mother's funeral stroked my head and offered silent comfort, and the man in front of me now was clearly the same person.
I don't have any specific evidence to back it up, but my intuition told me so.
As I was immersed in indescribable emotions, the Emperor, who was sitting on the highest throne, approached me with his eyes wide open.
“Who is this? Is the person in front of you the Marquis of Bayen?”
“Yes, this is Jeannette Bayen. It has been a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.”
“Haha, do you know how classy you are? Since you haven’t shown your nose in five years since inheriting the title, I was worried that you might have caught some serious illness.”
“I apologize for the inconvenience, Your Majesty.”
“What are you talking about? I’m just saying. Isn’t seclusion the history of the Bayen family?”
The Emperor, who had been chuckling and patting Marquis Bayen on the shoulder, soon asked with a puzzled expression.
“But what’s going on? For the past five years, no matter how many times I’ve called you, you’ve made excuses and never stepped foot out of the house, but now you’re voluntarily attending a party? Has something changed in your mind?”
“Nothing really changed, but I came here because I was curious since I heard that the constellation was split in half. But...”
Indifferent olive eyes slowly scanned the interior of the banquet hall before turning back to the Emperor.
“Where are the Saintesses?”
For a moment, I flinched and shook my shoulders.
There is no way the son of a goddess would not recognize the Saintess, and those words were tantamount to reprimanding me.
Me, who dared to impersonate the daughter of a goddess.
I clenched my hands together in a sudden panic. I felt like I wouldn't be able to control the tremors that were shaking my whole body if I didn't force myself to do something like this.
The Emperor, who could not know my feelings, opened his mouth and laughed heartily.
“Haha. This guy, how clueless. Isn’t he right in front of you? The red-haired woman in front of you is the Saintess of this empire. She is also the successor to the Veloce Dukedom. And...”
The Emperor, who had introduced me to Marquis Bayen, looked around and gestured toward Melina. Melina, who had been called, came over in one stride.
“This woman is the second Saintess of the empire. She was once the half-sister of Saint Veloce. Although she has not yet been tested due to an unfortunate incident with His Holiness, her abilities are certain. Thanks to her, I have been helped a lot.”
The Emperor patted Melina's shoulder with a pleased expression.
It was a simple introduction, but even in those words, the Emperor's heart clearly showed that he trusted Melina more than me.
But I didn't have time to feel unpleasant. Just facing a son who inherited the blood of a goddess made me feel so guilty that I had difficulty controlling my breathing.
'What on earth made you want to find Marquis Bayen?'
It was simply astonishing that I was so focused on the holy relic that I forgot that I was a fake and pursued the son of the goddess.
As I was chewing my trembling lips, Marquis Bayen, who had been silently looking back and forth between me and Melina, opened his mouth.
“Aha, these women were the Saintesses. To my ignorant eyes, they just looked like flowers decorating a party, and I ended up being rude.”
My heart pounded and fell to the floor at the sound of the languid voice that seeped into my ears.
To others, it might sound like a simple apology, but those words contained a sharp blade pointed at me. A threat asking who I dare to deceive.
Under that powerful threat, I, a mere human, just turned pale and trembled helplessly.
At that moment, I felt an unfamiliar weight on my back. It was the Crown Prince's hand.
He lightly patted my back a few times as if to calm me down. Then, surprisingly, I felt the convulsions that had been sweeping through my body gradually subside.
As I was catching my breath and catching my breath, the Emperor opened his mouth with a hearty laugh.
“Anyway, it’s good that you came. Since it’s a long-awaited banquet, enjoy it to your heart’s content. And maybe say hello to the nobles you’ve been hanging out with, yes?”
“I will do so, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, then that’s it for now.”
The Emperor tapped the Marquis of Bayen on the shoulder several times and then left.
Melina, who had been standing there blankly, followed him back to the center of the banquet hall, leaving only me, the Crown Prince, and the Marquis of Bayen.
As a heavy silence fell, the Crown Prince was the first to speak.
“It’s been a long time, Marquis Bayen. The first and last time we met was five years ago at the succession ceremony.”
“Yes, they say time flows like water, and I am so touched to see Your Highness, who has grown so much in the meantime.”
“I am also relieved to see that the Marquis is in good health.”
The Crown Prince exchanged a brief greeting with the Marquis of Bayen, looked at him for a moment, then opened his mouth again.
“I was looking for the Marquis anyway.”
“Yes, I heard from my family. Your Highness’s knights came to see me. Since I was on a trip, I dared to make Your Highness wait.”
“It’s okay since we’ve met now. Can we talk somewhere quiet for a moment?”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
After hearing the smiling Marquis Bayen's answer, we left the banquet hall.
We walked down the palace corridors without saying anything and soon arrived at the Crown Prince's room.
As the door closed and the atmosphere became conducive to private conversation, the first thing I did was to kneel before the sacred being.
“Shayne Veloce, successor to the Veloce family, meets with Marquis Bayen.”
“Oh my, a lady’s knees are touching the floor. Has the imperial etiquette changed in the five years I’ve been in hiding?”
The sharp sarcasm that couldn't be hidden even by polite speech made my whole body tense again.
But perhaps it was thanks to the Crown Prince's hand that had been comforting me a little while ago that my body didn't tremble or my breathing became dizzy like when we first met.
I just swallowed hard and lowered my head slightly as I spoke.
“It would be rude to presume to apply human etiquette to Your Excellency.”
“It is human etiquette.”
A light laugh escaped the Marquis of Bayen's mouth, picking at his teeth.
“It sounds like you’re saying I’m not human.”
“...I already know that the Marquis is the goddess’s favorite.”
“Oh, who would have told you that? There probably aren’t many people in the world who know that fact.”
“...As you may already know, I am receiving help from the lion. He is a contract holder of the goddess...”
“Ah, that lion who dreamed of becoming a god and lived a thousand years eating only moss? The one who turned you, who had no power, into a Saintess?”
As expected, he saw through everything. From the fact that I was a fake Saintess to the fact that Delton was the one who made it possible.
After a moment of silence, I raised my head for the first time since entering the room and looked him in the eye.
“I dare not hide it. As you know, I occupy the constellation without being chosen by the goddess.”
“How confident.”
He burst into laughter as if it was ridiculous and asked again.
“Yes, I already knew that you dared to use my mother’s name by disguising yourself as a lion. It is reprehensible, but it is also a sin that you must bear, so there is no reason for you to confess to me. What I am curious about is...”
He leaned against the back of the sofa and leaned his upper body toward me. Then he lifted my chin with his oily fingers and snickered.
“You already know my true identity, so how dare you come looking for me? How dare you so fearlessly.”
The moment I met those cool, olive eyes, I froze.
I couldn't breathe.
Even when I tried to swallow, it felt like my throat was blocked, and it wouldn't go down.
The fingers that had been lifting my chin felt like they would slide down and strangle my neck at any moment.
As I was staring at him with frozen, frightened eyes, the Crown Prince approached me with dry steps.
“Marquis, that hand...!”
It seemed as if he was going to dissuade the Marquis, but I raised my hand to stop him.
The person Marquis Bayen was questioning was me. If an unauthorized person had intervened in the conversation, his anger might have been directed at the Crown Prince.
Having barely escaped the oppression that ruled my entire body, I looked straight into his eyes and said.
“There are many reasons. I want to know the cause of the disaster that has been plaguing the empire for 13 years, and I also want to know the whereabouts of the goddess who disappeared in an instant. However, the real reason I came to find the Marquis is....”
“Why?”
“It is a holy relic.”
'...Marquis Bayen.'
It was our first time meeting in person, but I could tell right away.
That he was none other than the goddess's beloved and guide to the holy relics that I had been searching for, Jeannette Bayen.
Although he was much younger than I remembered, his appearance, eyes, and the atmosphere he gave off were exactly like the former Marquis Bayen.
I met his gaze quietly. His eyes were indifferent, as if he knew everything about the world, and there were complex emotions within them that I couldn't identify.
'I know for sure when I see it in person.'
The man who attended my mother's funeral stroked my head and offered silent comfort, and the man in front of me now was clearly the same person.
I don't have any specific evidence to back it up, but my intuition told me so.
As I was immersed in indescribable emotions, the Emperor, who was sitting on the highest throne, approached me with his eyes wide open.
“Who is this? Is the person in front of you the Marquis of Bayen?”
“Yes, this is Jeannette Bayen. It has been a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.”
“Haha, do you know how classy you are? Since you haven’t shown your nose in five years since inheriting the title, I was worried that you might have caught some serious illness.”
“I apologize for the inconvenience, Your Majesty.”
“What are you talking about? I’m just saying. Isn’t seclusion the history of the Bayen family?”
The Emperor, who had been chuckling and patting Marquis Bayen on the shoulder, soon asked with a puzzled expression.
“But what’s going on? For the past five years, no matter how many times I’ve called you, you’ve made excuses and never stepped foot out of the house, but now you’re voluntarily attending a party? Has something changed in your mind?”
“Nothing really changed, but I came here because I was curious since I heard that the constellation was split in half. But...”
Indifferent olive eyes slowly scanned the interior of the banquet hall before turning back to the Emperor.
“Where are the Saintesses?”
For a moment, I flinched and shook my shoulders.
There is no way the son of a goddess would not recognize the Saintess, and those words were tantamount to reprimanding me.
Me, who dared to impersonate the daughter of a goddess.
I clenched my hands together in a sudden panic. I felt like I wouldn't be able to control the tremors that were shaking my whole body if I didn't force myself to do something like this.
The Emperor, who could not know my feelings, opened his mouth and laughed heartily.
“Haha. This guy, how clueless. Isn’t he right in front of you? The red-haired woman in front of you is the Saintess of this empire. She is also the successor to the Veloce Dukedom. And...”
The Emperor, who had introduced me to Marquis Bayen, looked around and gestured toward Melina. Melina, who had been called, came over in one stride.
“This woman is the second Saintess of the empire. She was once the half-sister of Saint Veloce. Although she has not yet been tested due to an unfortunate incident with His Holiness, her abilities are certain. Thanks to her, I have been helped a lot.”
The Emperor patted Melina's shoulder with a pleased expression.
It was a simple introduction, but even in those words, the Emperor's heart clearly showed that he trusted Melina more than me.
But I didn't have time to feel unpleasant. Just facing a son who inherited the blood of a goddess made me feel so guilty that I had difficulty controlling my breathing.
'What on earth made you want to find Marquis Bayen?'
It was simply astonishing that I was so focused on the holy relic that I forgot that I was a fake and pursued the son of the goddess.
As I was chewing my trembling lips, Marquis Bayen, who had been silently looking back and forth between me and Melina, opened his mouth.
“Aha, these women were the Saintesses. To my ignorant eyes, they just looked like flowers decorating a party, and I ended up being rude.”
My heart pounded and fell to the floor at the sound of the languid voice that seeped into my ears.
To others, it might sound like a simple apology, but those words contained a sharp blade pointed at me. A threat asking who I dare to deceive.
Under that powerful threat, I, a mere human, just turned pale and trembled helplessly.
At that moment, I felt an unfamiliar weight on my back. It was the Crown Prince's hand.
He lightly patted my back a few times as if to calm me down. Then, surprisingly, I felt the convulsions that had been sweeping through my body gradually subside.
As I was catching my breath and catching my breath, the Emperor opened his mouth with a hearty laugh.
“Anyway, it’s good that you came. Since it’s a long-awaited banquet, enjoy it to your heart’s content. And maybe say hello to the nobles you’ve been hanging out with, yes?”
“I will do so, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, then that’s it for now.”
The Emperor tapped the Marquis of Bayen on the shoulder several times and then left.
Melina, who had been standing there blankly, followed him back to the center of the banquet hall, leaving only me, the Crown Prince, and the Marquis of Bayen.
As a heavy silence fell, the Crown Prince was the first to speak.
“It’s been a long time, Marquis Bayen. The first and last time we met was five years ago at the succession ceremony.”
“Yes, they say time flows like water, and I am so touched to see Your Highness, who has grown so much in the meantime.”
“I am also relieved to see that the Marquis is in good health.”
The Crown Prince exchanged a brief greeting with the Marquis of Bayen, looked at him for a moment, then opened his mouth again.
“I was looking for the Marquis anyway.”
“Yes, I heard from my family. Your Highness’s knights came to see me. Since I was on a trip, I dared to make Your Highness wait.”
“It’s okay since we’ve met now. Can we talk somewhere quiet for a moment?”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
After hearing the smiling Marquis Bayen's answer, we left the banquet hall.
We walked down the palace corridors without saying anything and soon arrived at the Crown Prince's room.
As the door closed and the atmosphere became conducive to private conversation, the first thing I did was to kneel before the sacred being.
“Shayne Veloce, successor to the Veloce family, meets with Marquis Bayen.”
“Oh my, a lady’s knees are touching the floor. Has the imperial etiquette changed in the five years I’ve been in hiding?”
The sharp sarcasm that couldn't be hidden even by polite speech made my whole body tense again.
But perhaps it was thanks to the Crown Prince's hand that had been comforting me a little while ago that my body didn't tremble or my breathing became dizzy like when we first met.
I just swallowed hard and lowered my head slightly as I spoke.
“It would be rude to presume to apply human etiquette to Your Excellency.”
“It is human etiquette.”
A light laugh escaped the Marquis of Bayen's mouth, picking at his teeth.
“It sounds like you’re saying I’m not human.”
“...I already know that the Marquis is the goddess’s favorite.”
“Oh, who would have told you that? There probably aren’t many people in the world who know that fact.”
“...As you may already know, I am receiving help from the lion. He is a contract holder of the goddess...”
“Ah, that lion who dreamed of becoming a god and lived a thousand years eating only moss? The one who turned you, who had no power, into a Saintess?”
As expected, he saw through everything. From the fact that I was a fake Saintess to the fact that Delton was the one who made it possible.
After a moment of silence, I raised my head for the first time since entering the room and looked him in the eye.
“I dare not hide it. As you know, I occupy the constellation without being chosen by the goddess.”
“How confident.”
He burst into laughter as if it was ridiculous and asked again.
“Yes, I already knew that you dared to use my mother’s name by disguising yourself as a lion. It is reprehensible, but it is also a sin that you must bear, so there is no reason for you to confess to me. What I am curious about is...”
He leaned against the back of the sofa and leaned his upper body toward me. Then he lifted my chin with his oily fingers and snickered.
“You already know my true identity, so how dare you come looking for me? How dare you so fearlessly.”
The moment I met those cool, olive eyes, I froze.
I couldn't breathe.
Even when I tried to swallow, it felt like my throat was blocked, and it wouldn't go down.
The fingers that had been lifting my chin felt like they would slide down and strangle my neck at any moment.
As I was staring at him with frozen, frightened eyes, the Crown Prince approached me with dry steps.
“Marquis, that hand...!”
It seemed as if he was going to dissuade the Marquis, but I raised my hand to stop him.
The person Marquis Bayen was questioning was me. If an unauthorized person had intervened in the conversation, his anger might have been directed at the Crown Prince.
Having barely escaped the oppression that ruled my entire body, I looked straight into his eyes and said.
“There are many reasons. I want to know the cause of the disaster that has been plaguing the empire for 13 years, and I also want to know the whereabouts of the goddess who disappeared in an instant. However, the real reason I came to find the Marquis is....”
“Why?”
“It is a holy relic.”
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