* * *
It didn’t take long for everyone in the group to notice the growing tension between Erdian and the saint.
However, no one dared to ask about it.
After all, who in their right mind would ask a god descended to the mortal realm and the first saint in 1,215 years, “Did you two have a fight?”
Well, except for one hatchling.
“Hyung, did you fight with El?”
The lively hatchling, Malrang, had regained his usual energy after several days of gloom following the recent disaster in the mountains.
During a meal, in the presence of everyone, Malrang dropped the question.
Tia glanced at Seo Woohyun, struggling not to show her curiosity. She hadn’t seen them together since arriving at the duchy, a stark contrast to their usual constant companionship.
Seo Woohyun, for his part, had fainted after the incident in the mountains and needed rest. But even Erdian had kept his distance.
“No, we didn’t fight. Adults don’t fight like that.”
“Then why aren’t you sleeping together anymore?”
“Well, there are plenty of rooms here, so there’s no need to share one, that’s all.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Though his response was calm, Seo Woohyun let out a sigh of relief internally.
Unexpected questions tended to fluster him into saying exactly what was on his mind.
He had long considered it a flaw he needed to fix.
Frequent slips of the tongue in social settings were clearly a mark against him, and every so often, as if fate had destined him for public embarrassment, he found himself doing something utterly mortifying.
‘How did Malrang catch on to the tension between me and Erdian? If Malrang noticed, does that mean everyone else knows too?’
While the child was exceptionally perceptive, the temple staff weren’t far behind.
They pretended otherwise, but the way they were on edge, waiting for his answer, suggested they were all curious about the same thing.
He had managed to deflect for now, but if Erdian continued treating him differently, would their kindness endure?
‘Not a chance.’
Up until now, he had enjoyed their goodwill entirely because of the title “Erdian’s Saint.”
From simple gestures like kind smiles whenever their eyes met, to significant privileges like being escorted by one of the three Sword Masters on the continent, none of it would have been imaginable without that label.
Seo Woohyun wasn’t naive.
He knew full well that these were things he could never have dreamed of without the veneer of Erdian’s favor.
‘I don’t know what the future holds…’
Pragmatically, he regretted rejecting Erdian that day.
Not that he wanted a relationship with him, but the aftermath had left him at a loss about how to proceed.
As time passed, the emotions that had felt like pure deceit gradually settled.
Erdian must have had his reasons, and he had tried in his own way—awkwardly, by showing that bizarre status window.
The “Contemplation” quest still lingered in his quest log, marked incomplete.
A quest named “Contemplation,” no less.
The meaning was blatantly obvious—’think deeply about this.’
How had he missed it? He felt like an idiot.
“…El doesn’t plan to eat today either?”
The question came as the meal was nearing its end.
Erdian had yet to appear.
Caro nodded in response.
“He said he doesn’t have much of an appetite.”
“Ah.”
Was Erdian planning to skip meals even on their way back?
Seo Woohyun knew he only pretended to eat at the best of times, but the empty seat was starting to bother him.
It felt like he was avoiding him, and it left a sour taste.
‘I really shouldn’t have made an emotional decision.’
Noticing that Seo Woohyun’s expression showed no signs of improving, Tia cautiously suggested taking a short tour around the city.
It was evident she was trying to lift his spirits, and Seo Woohyun found it hard to refuse.
“But with things the way they are here, do you think we can even enjoy sightseeing?”
“Even so, it’s much less crowded than the annual festival in the Holy City. I heard security has been heightened too. It’d be such a waste to come all this way and stay cooped up in the temple lodging.”
Though he wasn’t fond of crowded places, her insistence left little room for argument.
Moreover, Tia had been the one patiently teaching him how to use divine power, and he couldn’t bring himself to let her down.
“All right, I’ll look around nearby for a bit.”
At his agreement, Malrang eagerly jumped in, practically bouncing in his seat.
Instead of his usual excited tone, however, he leaned in conspiratorially, poking Seo Woohyun’s side as he whispered.
“I want to go too. And I’ll keep the promise I made to you.”
Malrang seemed to think Seo Woohyun might leave him behind, worried he’d get up to his old thieving habits.
“Really, I promise. I’d never do anything bad again.”
The child blinked his big eyes earnestly, and it was clear that leaving him behind would only make it look like Seo Woohyun didn’t trust him.
Seo Woohyun nodded but added a condition: Malrang had to hold his hand tightly.
He’d learned firsthand how easy it was to lose a child in a crowd.
“Of course you can come. But you have to hold my hand the whole time. There are too many people here—you might get lost.”
“Okay!”
Seeing Malrang’s bright smile eased the weight of Erdian’s absence, if only a little.
What would it have been like without Malrang?
He couldn’t even imagine.
How much longer could they stay together?
With his home so close to the principality, he’d likely have to return Malrang on their way back to the temple.
That meant he’d inevitably have to face Cecily again.
‘Cecily must’ve known I was ‘Ciel’ in my past life.’
She wasn’t obligated to tell him about his past, so he shouldn’t feel anything about it.
Yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone was in on some grand deception against him.
What was this feeling?
Frustration didn’t seem right; he’d only known Cecily for a few hours.
Betrayal was too strong a word.
After all, how could he feel betrayed by someone he hadn’t had the chance to trust?
That kind of sentiment should have been directed at Erdian.
‘Then again, who in this world gives without expecting something in return? I’m the one who got swept up, too smitten to question anything. If I’d kept my distance from Erdian from the start, I wouldn’t even have the luxury of feeling betrayed now…’
Seo Woohyun moved his utensils slowly, his thoughts churning.
By the time the meal ended, he had finally calmed his tangled emotions and reached a decision.
He would start actively searching for ways to survive without relying on Erdian’s backing.
Wallowing in self-pity was a waste of time.
Indulging in despair would only make his companions worry and prompt Malrang to ask if he was okay.
And if anyone did ask?
He would, of course, say he was fine.
But the endless loop of unresolved issues repeating itself was far from what Seo Woohyun wanted.
When the meal ended, a group was formed to accompany Seo Woohyun on his tour: Malrang, Tia, Raullet, Justin, and Fin.
Gizel had to stay behind for some remaining duties with the principality’s clergy.
As they stepped out of the temple lodging, the bustling streets came into view, packed with pilgrims visiting the sacred grounds.
Despite having two reliable escorts, Seo Woohyun couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Amid the crowd, he spotted a familiar face.
“Fancy meeting you here, Ciel.”
It was Habios, the prince with silver hair that reminded him of someone he couldn’t quite place.
Their paths had crossed before when Seo Woohyun had briefly regained some of his past-life memories due to an assassination attempt on Habios.
“You’ve arrived safely, I see.”
Seo Woohyun offered a curt response, and Habios smiled awkwardly.
“Thanks to his favor, I was able to meet my grandfather here in the principality.”
At the mention of “his favor,” Seo Woohyun’s expression hardened.
Habios was a distant descendant of Caliope, a close companion of Ciel and Cecily from Erdian’s human days.
While Seo Woohyun hadn’t had much of a chance to scrutinize him before, now that he looked closer, Habios bore no resemblance to the Caliope in his memories.
‘Not that it’s likely for someone to resemble an ancestor from 1,200 years ago…’
Seo Woohyun had almost dismissed it, but his expression grew serious.
Erdian, jealous of a distant descendant of a former friend, acting petty and childish—that made him an incredibly unremarkable god.
‘What kind of god behaves like this? No dignity, no grandeur—just plain embarrassing.’
At that moment, Erdian’s image in Seo Woohyun’s mind diminished even further.
* * *
Wow, good chapter.
Cool, thanks