* * *
Eren’s ambitious plan to come down to the territory during the festival period and enjoy a delightful date was completely ruined.
Despite having come all the way to the villa, he hadn’t been able to step a single foot outside of the bed for a week.
Inside the carriage on their way back to the mansion, Eren, thoroughly sulky, was turned entirely toward the window.
Ashard nervously watched Eren, who wouldn’t spare him a single glance.
“I’m sorry. I was wrong. Please stop being angry, okay?”
“We came all this way for nothing!”
“Honestly, it’s not entirely my fault.”
‘What?’
When a look full of indignation turned toward him, Ashard slightly averted his eyes.
Yet, that wretched mouth of his didn’t seem to know when to shut up.
“Blame yourself for being too beautiful.”
“Ashard-nim, are you blaming me right now?”
“Honestly, that’s not untrue. You were the one who started it.”
‘It’s your fault because it started with you being caught with adult toys while dressed in a maid uniform.’
‘Besides, weren’t you the one who willingly accepted everything I asked for?’
This was Ashard’s argument.
Since the claim was accurate word-for-word, Eren couldn’t find anything to retort with.
“We went all the way near the sea and are leaving without even seeing it once…”
‘Was it the sea he wanted to see? I should have brought him here a little sooner.’
Ashard sat Eren on his lap, who seemed to have softened slightly, and kissed his cheek.
Eren’s face was half-squashed as his soft cheek was pressed hard against Ashard’s lips.
“We can come again next time. Just say the word and I’ll bring you back, so don’t be upset.”
As Eren remained still, as if agreeing to forgive him, Ashard’s mouth curved into a mischievous smile.
He looked at Eren with an expression of deep affection, then kissed his forehead, cheek, and lips in sequence.
Eren pushed Ashard’s face away when he showed no sign of stopping after Eren had passively accepted his advances.
Just as he thought Ashard had stopped, he twisted Eren’s wrist to prevent him from pulling away and began kissing his palm.
“Your heart is too soft. Don’t forgive me so easily; you can complain more.”
“That’s…”
‘That’s only because it’s you, Ashard-nim.’
Eren trailed off. If the person had been anyone other than Ashard, he might have unleashed his anger, not just complained.
A little while later, the carriage stopped with the sound of the coachman calming the horses.
A commotion could be heard outside.
Usually, they would have been met with quiet reverence, but today, things seemed noisy.
“What is it.”
Ashard asked, escorting Eren as he stepped out of the carriage.
The Frideet family’s butler then handed him a letter.
It was a splendid golden envelope, as magnificent as one from the Imperial Family.
It conveyed a sacred feeling, as if untouched by any taint.
“It is a letter sent from the Temple.”
“From the Temple?”
Ashard questioned, surprised, and opened the envelope.
After checking the contents of the letter, he handed it over to Eren, signaling him to read it.
The letter contained a request to visit the Temple to receive a blessing for the owner of the Holy Relic.
Although the Temple did not have issues with the Imperial Family or the nobles, a private invitation was an unusual event.
After all, the Holy Relic, offered by the Emperor as a prize for the victory, had belonged to the Imperial Family for a long time.
In short, this meant the invitation was not merely to bestow a blessing.
‘Why, all of a sudden.’
While trying to figure out the Temple’s true intentions, a maid subtly stepped forward, looking nervous.
When Ashard stared at her silently, the maid began to tremble violently.
A commoner was not permitted to step forward arbitrarily in front of a noble.
This was even more true when the relationship was between a serving master and a servant.
“I know it is rude to step before His Excellency and the Count… but I felt you absolutely needed to know…”
“It’s alright, please tell us quickly.”
At Eren’s permission, the maid, who had bowed her head, began to speak.
“I heard a rumor that an oracle was recently delivered. It seems the Temple does not want this matter to be known… but it seems…”
“Am I the subject of that oracle?”
“I’m not certain, but probably…”
“Are you speaking of information that isn’t even certain?”
At the low, growling tone, the maid flinched.
Her face turned ghost-white, like a blank sheet of paper.
Eren knew why he was so angry, but he first tried to calm him down.
“I’m fine, Ashard-nim.”
“This isn’t something that will be alright just because you say so.”
He knew it.
Oracles that designated one specific person had historically been bad omens, so this was not a good situation. In the past, an entire kingdom had been annihilated because of an oracle.
Though it didn’t seem to be the case yet, if the news that an oracle concerning him was delivered were to spread, public opinion could turn negative in an instant.
Even without the content being precisely known, the preconception of it being a bad omen could make things dangerous.
That arrow would be aimed not only at him, the person involved, but also at those by his side.
Usually, that was the case.
Yet, the fact that an oracle was delivered had not yet spread.
Moreover, only a very select few knew about it.
It was clear that among the quick-witted servants, very few knew this particular detail.
If it were truly a bad omen, the news would have already spread across the entire Empire without exception.
But now, it was quiet, as if someone had deliberately suppressed the news that an oracle was delivered.
“It might not be a bad omen.”
“What…?”
“Can you tell us how you knew an oracle was delivered?”
“M-my older brother is a low-ranking priest at the Central Temple. I saw the letter that was secretly passed only among the priests…”
The butler, who was listening beside them, seemed to realize something and spoke up.
“When the letter first arrived, it was in a white envelope. Only after opening it did we realize there was another envelope inside.”
“It seems the Temple… wants to keep it hidden.”
It was clear they wanted to hide either the fact that he was the subject of the oracle or the fact that they had sent a private invitation to a noble.
Since they put forth the pretext of inviting the owner of the Holy Relic, they had a sufficient justification.
So, judging by probability, the former was much more likely.
“Perhaps a different oracle was delivered.”
“A different oracle…”
“A good one, that is. Seeing as the Temple is so desperate to hide it…”
Outwardly, the Temple was a place of integrity and purity.
But the reality was different.
It was a corrupted entity that accepted bribes from nobles and poured out their divine power.
He knew this because there was a description of the Temple receiving bribes due to Helid’s insane preferences in the original story.
“They are hiding it so they can benefit from it?”
“At the moment, that’s the only conclusion I can draw.”
He didn’t know the content of the oracle, but it was clear that keeping it secret would benefit the Temple.
While he was debating whether he should go or not, the voice he had heard before suddenly came to mind.
[No need to strive so hard. You will meet me soon.]
The mental message that sounded inhuman.
The delivery of an oracle right on time, and the subject being none other than him.
All of this couldn’t be a coincidence.
The Temple’s invitation, or in other words, the oracle, must have an intimate connection with that mysterious voice.
He strongly felt that the owner of that voice was summoning him to the Temple.
“Since I received an invitation, I can’t ignore it.”
It was an action of unknown benefit or harm.
However, with the original male leads deviating from the original plot, he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.
Even if it was a rotting rope, it was right to grab it first.
After all, there was no deeper bottom to fall to.
As he prepared to board the carriage they had just alighted from, Ashard followed alongside him.
When Eren looked at him as if asking why he was following, Ashard let out an exasperated chuckle.
“How can I let you go alone when I don’t know what might happen? I’m going with you. I will go even if you don’t allow it.”
“…The invitation came addressed to me, Ashard-nim.”
“Then try to kick me out. If you can, that is.”
Eren burst into laughter at the ridiculous statement.
The Frideet family was the most prestigious in the Empire.
Ashard, the head of the household, was a war hero who had achieved merit in various wars.
Who would dare to kick him out?
The words were slightly childish, but they made his heart flutter nonetheless.
“I didn’t say I disliked it.”
Ashard smiled widely as he helped Eren into the carriage.
Just before stepping into the carriage, he turned his gaze to the servants and spoke.
“Keep everything you’ve just heard strictly confidential. If this matter leaks out, I will not let it slide, no matter who you are.”
* * *
