CH 24

“I must have frightened you too much.”

The unpleasantly handsome priest spoke up.

“Don’t worry. As you can see, I serve a god. I’m familiar with the geography of the imperial palace.”

The cultist had been in and out of the palace more often than of the temple.

Marienne looked Leslie over from head to toe.

The way his hair was swept back to reveal a flat forehead, down to the detail of a single strand of auburn hair spilling over that white, smooth forehead.

He looked more like the host of a secret salon where noblemen visited in secret than a priest in the service of the gods.

‘It is said that on the days when Priest Anais enters the confessional, the sobs of the ladies can be heard outside.’

Leslie himself didn’t exactly deny the rumours that followed him.

A man with his head on straight would do the right thing in the first place. But what about Leslie?

‘What kind of priest wears such revealing clothes?’

And the little buttons in a row were made of moonlight stone. It’s also known as a moonstone.

Being religious doesn’t mean you have to be modest.

You can dedicate your life to God, but you can also like rare and pretty things.

It’s natural for a person to want to wear a quality pair of shoes made by an artisan, rather than a worn-out pair that’s been worshipped by the wind.

But Leslie wasn’t even close to that level of sophistication.

‘Fake and power-aligned.’

Marienne’s eyes flickered with wariness.

“You’re a cowardly sister.”

Leslie laughed, his eyes crescent-shaped.

“By the way, Sister, have we met before?”

“No.”

“Then why do I feel so familiar with you, Sister.”

Marienne tilted her head sardonically. She’d bet a fortune that if she’d been a man, she’d have walked right past herself without a second glance.

“Pardon the delay in introductions. I’m Priest Anais.”

Leslie took Marienne’s hand and brought it to the corner of his mouth, so casually.

No man had ever tried to kiss the back of Marienne’s hand before, not even a noble. It hadn’t happened since she’d fallen into the book.

For a moment, Marienne was genuinely flustered. Then, just before Leslie’s lips touched the back of her hand, she pulled away.

“Is this crazy…”

“What?”

Leslie repeated. Probably because it’s a reaction that’s hard to get from his position.

Whatever. Marienne wiped the back of her hand on the hem of her dress. His lips hadn’t actually touched, but the fact that they almost did was infuriating.

‘So this is what it means to cut your nose with your eyes open!’1It implies that the speaker has finally understood something important or obvious, and they may feel embarrassed or foolish for not realizing it sooner.

Marienne glared at her opponent.

‘Only an ordinary priest in rank. A word from Leslie could change that tomorrow.’

The reason for this is that Leslie Anais has extensive connections.

Leslie himself comes from high nobility, and his aunt is the Empress’s chief maid. His older sister is the princess of a neighbouring country, and his younger sister is married to the most famous businessman on the continent.

“However, I heard that he was also by the side of the second prince.”

Whether it’s the dumb crown prince or the cunning second prince, they’re destined to be dealt with by Odette anyway.

The important thing is that Leslie doesn’t die after they leave.

Odette uses Leslie to increase support for the Fourth Princess. At this time, those who worked for other princes or princesses came into Odette’s hands.

She takes revenge on the imperial family, but spares those who are more valuable to her alive.

In short, Leslie Anais is used as a device to demonstrate Odette’s political savvy in the second half.

‘It’s a little cringe-worthy, but it’s Odette’s decision, so I let it slide.’

‘He’s here, he’s there, he’s all over the place. But the mistress keeps squires like him alive and makes them useful.’

Leslie is a minor character compared to the sub male lead, Vileon. He has no overt narrative, just a human who appears when he’s forgotten and creates a lascivious atmosphere. His function is pretty much limited to that.

‘What do we call him? Sub male lead? Third male lead? Whatever…’

Marienne thought.

‘Odette should have cleared the air.’

It wasn’t the same in person as it was in writing. Leslie’s not just a pale-faced cultist. He’s almost a walking pheromone.

Doesn’t he make you feel uncomfortable just looking at him?

If he were of lesser status, he would be burned at the stake for attracting all the women in the neighbourhood.

At this point, I’m beginning to suspect that Odette didn’t seduce him, but that he seduced her.

‘Our mistress is surprisingly carnal. And he may have recognised that and taken advantage of it.’

The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a reasonable suspicion.

And if this is the kind of person who thrives in the palace, then the animal kingdom must be envious of it.

In this room, roar! In that room, roar! Diligent Chancellor Vileon would have persevered through the chaos and carried out his duties.

In any case, Marienne was once again screaming the name of the black-haired northern bastard.

Why do you have to make even the worst bastards look so damn handsome, Hah.

“Sister is scared and shy.”

Leslie seemed to have a way of interpreting anything to his advantage. Marienne shot back impatiently.

“You’re trying to kiss the back of my hand. Who likes that?”

“A kiss. Are you saying I was trying to kiss Sister?”

Leslie put his hand on his chest.

“I swear I never did that.”

“Whatever. You don’t even remember what you just did?”

“Sister with no name. I think you have a misunderstanding. What I meant to do was a polite greeting, not a kiss.”

Leslie’s ashen eyes locked onto Marienne’s.

“If I had really meant to kiss you, sister…”

He lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret.

“You wouldn’t be standing on two legs right now.”

This lecherous priest is using his skills on me.

Marienne stared at her opponent in disbelief.

No matter how much of a cultist you are, shouldn’t you at least cover your mouth while wearing a crucifix?

You’re not even giving me the slightest hint that you’re trying to get out of here, are you?

Leslie suddenly burst out laughing.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I got a little carried away.”

He added.

“I just thought your reaction was cute.”

“…ha?”

“I’ve never seen you in the palace before. I was wondering if you were here to attend the engagement of the Fourth Princess?”

Leslie moved a little closer to Marienne, pretending to give her directions.

As the distance got closer, she became more convinced that he would roast Odette alive with his own body.

For one thing, there was no other man in the palace who wore tight clothes like him!

“If it’s the engagement hall, you need to turn around and go to the south building.”

“…”

“But this is quite a distance from the engagement hall. I can see the Duke of Blackwood’s chambers in front of me, and I’m guessing you just walked right past it… without asking the maids.”

The topic shifted to Marienne in the blink of an eye.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

At that, Marienne remembered the keys and the depilatory she had hidden under her dress.

Anxiety struck.

An empty room, a Cain who was sure to take a bath after the event, and a key in the pocket of my petticoat.

Should I let this golden opportunity slip through my fingers?

Or would I risk being discovered by a cult whose true intentions I could not fathom?

“I don’t know if you realise, sister, but there are quite a few things I can do in this palace.”

Leslie said this in an attempt to get Marienne’s attention.

But the stranger’s voice had the effect of awakening Marienne’s reason.

‘You remind me of the serpent that beckons you to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And you are just as seductive.’

Marienne quickly gathered her wits. The opponent is the brain behind Odette’s rival, the second prince.

The tricks he had used to fool the cunning and suspicious Second Prince were not to be wasted.

‘I can’t give away important information.’

Of course, she wants to turn Cain into a hard-boiled egg.

How badly does she want it?

If only Mariennene Didi could shave her own head to make Cain Blackwood’s hard-boiled egg, she would be as eager to apply hair removal cream on her head as spreading butter on toast!

But she was not about to risk Odette and the Empire.

‘The Northman must go bald, but our enemies must not know his secret.’

He had not yet told Vileon of Cain’s secret. Because he, unlike her, has common sense, and if he finds out the real reason, he will definitely oppose it.

I haven’t even told Vileon, let alone Odette’s enemies.

‘Cain Blackwood… I’m sorry, but you are the rightful owner of this book, and the whole world is against your bald transformation.’

Now there’s only one question left. How to get back to Leslie without revealing my original plan.

It’s simple.

It’s a million times easier than putting a depilatory in a northerner’s shampoo bottle.

‘I’ll give him the same punishment he deserves for getting in my way.’

Marienne cleared a path out of the way, then looked up at Leslie and asked. Her face as innocent as a rabbit with floppy ears.

“Priest Anais, do you happen to have…”

“You may speak at your leisure.”

“Do you happen to know who I am?”

Leslie replied.

“Didn’t I tell you earlier? You’re the first sister I’ve met today.”

“Oh, yes, you did.”

The next moment, Marienne looked behind Leslie and let out a short scream.

“It’s a wasp, look out!”

Marienne grabbed her handkerchief and swatted at Leslie’s face like she was chasing a bee that wasn’t there.

“Bam, bee. Bam, in the priest’s ear! Bam, bam, bam, bam! What a big bee. No! Close your eyes!”

Marienne made a fist through her handkerchief. It struck Leslie squarely in the eye socket, then turned and sprinted down the corridor.

“The wasps are after me!”

The hem of her dress swished around her legs as she ran. She was glad she’d declined Chloise’s suggestion of jewellery, just in case she had to run again today.

Fortunately, Leslie didn’t give chase unlike the northerner.

Apparently, running around in a priest’s vestments is a bit ungainly.

Wait, so it’s okay to make puns about how you can’t stand on your own two feet if you really kissed someone in a priest’s habit?

“Ha ha… Anyway, except for our Lord Byers, everyone feels left out. Absolutely eliminated.”

I say. The seed of the short man was withered. The black-haired man was rude, and the red-haired man was lewd, so the answer was only in the warm brown hair.

Marienne clicked her tongue and returned to the engagement ceremony. The main ceremony was over, and the second part, the ball, was underway.

Meanwhile, someone quietly approached Cain and whispered to him.

When he had finished, Cain glanced over at Marienne Didi, who was standing next to Vileon.