Chapter 152
Translator: Yonnee
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Alone with Irene, who was immune to his mind-reading, Aiden felt at ease. As he closed his eyes as instructed, a warm energy cascaded through his hands like a gentle waterfall.
He had enjoyed Rose's company and her practice guiding sessions, but none of that could compare to the level of Irene's guiding.
The refreshing yet warm energy filling his body was indescribably blissful.
His previously dizzy and suffocating body gradually returned to normal, or rather, felt even better.
"Haa..."
A satisfied sigh escaped him. Meanwhile, Ciel looked on with a complex gaze, filled with regret. Had he pushed Aiden too hard?
"Brother, I'm okay..."
Ciel tried to soften his expression as he responded.
"...Alright."
Irene's gaze met with Ciel's, which were laden with worry. He felt immense gratitude towards Irene. It was not a fondness born of affection but an older brother's thankfulness for her care.
"But..."
Aiden, his eyes slightly hazy from the guiding, continued.
"The Saintess's world is quite scary. Is it always like that? Full of unknowns."
"...Aiden?"
Ciel called out, surprised, but his voice didn't seem to reach Aiden.
"And the Saintess... She's terrifying. She swears a lot and hates you for no reason..."
Lost in the pleasant sensation, Aiden began to spill everything he had seen.
"Brother, she swore at you, too... I think I might start disliking the Saintess. But there were monsters in her world, just like the ones we saw before."
"Monsters?"
"Yes, like the monster you caught back then, Brother. There were those and other monsters just the same. It's fascinating, really. That such monsters exist in the Saintess's world too..."
Rustle.
As Aiden mumbled like a child lost in sleep, Ciel and Irene, who had been focusing on him, turned their heads simultaneously at the sound of someone approaching.
There stood the high priest.
Ciel, upon spotting the high priest, wore a look of chagrin but quickly masked it.
"My apologies for intruding. I saw you passing hastily and thought you might need assistance. Is everything alright?"
"...Thank you for your concern, Your Holiness. But there's no need to worry. It's nothing serious."
"Very well, Your Grace."
Ciel, watching the high priest's lingering gaze on Irene, was unsure how to proceed.
He felt angry with himself for only verbally vowing to protect her.
No, it was unexpected for the high priest, who typically didn't attend banquets, to be here.
"Is this the Young Duke Leopardt?"
Though it looked like the high priest had caught on to Ciel's urge to send him away, the high priest didn't move but instead looked past him-staring straight at Aiden and Irene.
Aiden was meeting the high priest for the first time, yet he immediately knew who he was.
Dressed in white with golden rose embroidery, his identity was unmistakable.
Although the almighty Asteras might be the god of stars, the temple's emblem was a rose because that was God's favored flower. God chose roses to be offered at his statue and conveyed this wish as a divine decree.
The high priest wanted to see the woman obscured by Ciel and Aiden, feeling an irresistible pull as if this was all divine fate.
After hesitating to enter the bustling banquet hall, he arrived at the palace late. He had never attended a palace banquet before, and being a representative of the temple only added to his conflict.
At that moment, he spotted two people hurrying out of the banquet hall. The woman brushed against a flower basket in the corridor, dislodging several rose petals that soon snagged onto her skirt's lace.
Pink gisella rose petals lay like markers on the path she had passed. As the Archbishop stared at them, the door opened again. Realizing it was the duke, he quickly hid behind a statue in the corridor.
It wasn't a premeditated action. He knew it wasn't appropriate for a high priest. But an intense sense of premonition made him hold his breath and quietly observe the path they took.
The high priest followed the trail of rose petals and arrived at a part of the garden filled with roses. Thus, he couldn't help but suspect.
Was this all the will of God?
Then as a child of God, he had to confirm it, whatever it might be.
