It was hard to act so coldly when he sounded so desperate, as if she were his only lifeline.
A sound of breathing that seems to come from deep in the lungs, like something you might hear from someone running at full speed. Hot air is rushing in from a huge body.
In the current John, she felt the same desperation as when she was younger, trying to somehow grab the Count's hand.
'And...'
Odette didn't dislike it either. It was the first time she had been held in someone's arms as if she were so precious, so desperate.
Odette felt embarrassed and ashamed.
But strangely, she felt a corner of her heart soften. Just like when she was in the prime of her life, hoping and longing for love.
***
Only when John's trembling subsided was Odette able to gently push him away.
"Your Highness. Please let me go now."
“Ah.”
As John took a step back, Odette finally saw John's face, red as a flash, his eyes reddened, and his entire body covered in sweat.
'Did you cry?'
He might have been considered a sly sight, but it didn't feel that way. His expression was too full of joy for that to be the case.
Odette, who was belatedly becoming concerned about the eyes of those around her, looked around and fortunately saw that people were kneeling.
Since the Crown Prince had not given the order to bow down, they did not dare to raise their head.
"Your Highness, I think I should ask you to be considerate to the people of the empire."
But John still smiled at Odette with red eyes, then looked down at her wet dress.
"More than that, Odette, you're cold. You're going to catch a cold. You just got out of the cold water?"
As he said this, John took off the jacket of the uniform he was wearing.
"I'm o-"
"You're not okay."
Then, he draped his jacket over her in a firm manner. Perhaps because it was a 'Victory Day' event, John was wearing a ceremonial uniform instead of his usual white military uniform.
'And yet so many people are kneeling.'
In addition, the Pope's expression was also concerning. He, who had no obligation to bow to the Crown Prince, took a few steps away from Odette and John. He looked very displeased at being ignored in his own domain.
The High Priests, who were bowing down, also looked uneasy.
'Come to think of it, I heard that after you appointed me as the Crown Princess, the relationship between the Cathedral and John also became a mess.'
Is it permissible to act like this in the sacred cathedral, without worrying about the Pope and the High Priests?
'John is probably the type of person who cares about and takes care of things like this...'
Things like other people's feelings, the manners of a Crown Prince, and the line that the cathedral and the palace must keep between each other.
But John didn't seem to care about any of that.
"Your Holiness, may I use the audience room?"
John spoke in a commanding tone, using only honorifics. The Pope's expression clearly showed his insult.
"Ah. Wait a minute."
He turned and walked briefly to the gate, then pulled a shiny silver ceremonial sword, a rapier, from the waistband of a knight kneeling before the gate.
"Borrow this. Now everyone can be polite."
The sight of John extending one hand in a forceful and overbearing manner was unfamiliar.
"Let me show you to the audience room, Odette."
She had never seen John like this in < Redemption > or in her previous life.
He looked like a different person.
***
The Pope did not follow him to the audience room, but instead went to the conference room on the second floor. This was due to a sudden meeting of High Priests.
The reason was easy to guess. It must be because of Odette's resurrection.
Thanks to that, Odette was sitting alone with John in the audience room, on a sofa with a great view of the arched gates of the cathedral.
'Still, the number of people at the gate has decreased significantly.'
Before entering the audience room.m, it was very crowded, but now it was a little quiet.
As she turned he gaze to another window, a corridor came into view.
'Charlotte must be meeting Rolf by now.'
This was the reason Odette chose the audience room. She had to see Charlotte enter the hall to gauge how long the two would be talking.
'It's been about an hour since Charlotte came in.'
The conversation between the two was going on for quite some time, so it seemed like they were having an in-depth conversation.
Rolf, who overheard Charlotte and Raphael's conversation, will actively try to adopt Charlotte.
Charlotte, who was already looking for an adoptive family, will accept Rolf's offer of adoption. She will be angry at Odette's provocation today.
'And if Charlotte really is a fake Purifier as I guessed... she will try to follow me to the Count's mansion, even if it means taking away my purifying power.'
Odette also thought it would be a good idea to leave the audience room soon. After gathering her thoughts like that, she turned her gaze back to the room.
John was standing in front of the fireplace in the audience room, warming up the room by poking a fire starter with his own hands.
He even ran all the way to where the assistant priests were working to get warm tea and blankets.
Of course, it wasn't Odette who ordered the water gun. She had already tried to dissuade John several times.
"I am so embarrassed. I have to receive all the help and attention from someone worthy of being called the Crown Prince."
"I'm sorry."
Even when she told him indirectly that it was burdensome, John only responded that way. He was so stubborn that she couldn't stop him.
The only sound in the audience room was the crackling of the embers in the fireplace. The moisture in Odette's hair slowly dried.
'Before I leave the room, I'd like to have one more cup of tea.'
It was at that moment that Odette reached out to the teapot with that thought in mind. In an instant, John appeared in front of her.
"Please let me do this kind of thing from now on. There's no need for your precious body to do this."
Who is calling whom a precious body right now...? Who is the Crown Prince right now...
While Odette was stunned, John snatched the teapot from her hands. Then, as if he were her butler, he poured Odette some tea himself.
'John was originally a kind character, but... was it like this?'
Even when she raised her favorability rating to the max in <John Route>, she never did anything like this himself.
'I would have rather him given me a lot of subordinates. Like the most noble and high-ranking character.'
"You talk as if pouring a cup of warm tea is some kind of unpleasant thing."
"You had a hard time being resurrected today. Being resurrected is no ordinary thing."
Why is he like this?
To the inn, to the governess' house, to the convent... Even sending a transcendent aide, and receiving reports that she was alive?
"... You already knew that I wasn't dead, right?"
John flinched as if he was surprised by my question, but soon shook his head with a firm expression.
"Odette, you have been resurrected. By the will of God."
It was a firm and strong voice.
As if that were the only truth, or as if it had to be the truth.
"No citizen of the Empire will deny that. Because I will make it so."
Looking at him like this, she could really feel that something had changed in John.
He had a thicker, more masculine facial line and eyes like burning blue flames that seemed determined to use whatever means necessary.
She had seen these eyes the moment. Odette ran away, so she asked the question a little impulsively.
"Have you seen me on Appelblutenstrasse?"
Odette really wondered if John had seen her and let her go on purpose. She wondered if he had protected her in her past life, too.
"I've never seen you."
John looked at Odette and answered firmly.
'I never said when.'
If he really had never seen it, he should have asked when it was first instead of saying it so definitely.
He had the same expression on his face as when he said a moment ago, 'You died and then came back to life.'
That's why Odette could be sure that John was lying. He had indeed seen her on Appelblutenstrasse that time.
'But why on earth?'
Why would you even lie and say you didn't see me?
Odette had a status screen, and that status screen also had a likeability function. She could check whenever she wanted to see how John felt about her.
But she didn't want to do that. She hoped more than anyone else that it was just shallow sympathy, just love for the people.
'I'm finally getting my life back.'
It was only after Odette stopped begging for love from her family and stopped yearning for them that she started taking care of her own feelings.
And now that he's here... What does it matter what his mind is like?
In the end, she died so miserably. Whatever feelings he had, in the end, he also killed her.
The thought of it made Odette feel embarrassed, and she wanted to leave this place. It was time to leave the audience room.
"You can take this jacket now."
Odette handed the black uniform jacket to John with a gesture that contained some awkwardness. John accepted it without saying anything.
"I'm going to have to fix my epaulettes and sleeve buttons again."
Said John with a smile.
"Still, I'm glad I could meet you in ceremonial attire."
Why are you wearing ceremonial attire?
It was a moment of brief wonder as Odette sat up on the sofa. The door to the audience room opened with a thud.
When she turned her gaze, Shion was standing there.
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