Alois came up from behind me and just as he was catching up with everything, I looked down at the woman lying on the ground, who had just uttered a familiar name.
Her eyes were rolled back frighteningly, and her limbs twisted unnaturally, then she vanished completely.
I blinked, not sure of what I just heard, while my body slid to the ground.
“…I thought I was going to die.”
My legs were completely weak so I couldn’t stand at all.
I closed my eyes, feeling myself collapsing but a warm arm wrapped around me, and I slowly reopened my eyes.
“You did a good job.”
The sunlight illuminated his face, making the deep gash on his skin more visible.
It must have been from when he was strangled earlier.
“I really almost died.”
I half-leaned against him and reached out to stroke his cheek.
A cool sensation spread, and soon, his wound disappeared without a trace.
“They do say life is full of surprises.”
“Well, this is too many surprises and it’s causing a real headache.”
Because I kept moving around, my breathing got rough. I tilted my head back and let out a puff of air.
“How do you feel?” Alois asked.
“…What do you think?”
I just killed someone with my own hands.
The weight of this ‘divine punishment’ as it’s called, seemed too much for an ordinary person like me to bear.
With a chuckle on my lips, I looked up at Alois.
“I just killed a person.”
A wave of guilt swept over me.
But perhaps I could have let it go if they only attacked me but once they hurt others too…
“They weren’t persons.”
I froze.
I barely managed to grab his shoulder and sit up, only to find his face inches from mine.
His expression was like that of a well-fed, satisfied lion.
A look I had only seen a few times on his face.
“They were demons.”
“…Huh.”
“But they probably used to be human. I suspect it is a demon possessing a human…”
“Alois.”
A demon possessing a human?
I didn’t understand a word, but I put it aside because something about this made me doubtful and I called his name softly.
“How do you know that?”
“…”
“How do you know something even I, the Saintess, doesn’t?”
I tightened my grip on his shoulder.
He held my wrist with no expression on his face like he couldn’t even feel my grip at all.
Then he gently pressed his lips to my wrist and opened his mouth.
“It is up to you to figure that out, Lady Saintess.”
“…I chose you because of your capability, yet you keep hiding things.”
When I furrowed my brows, his red lips parted slightly.
“In exchange, I possess information that will be useful to you.”
“But you have no intention of revealing it.”
“Because I don’t think it would be helpful to you right now, even if I told you.”
“Alois.”
“But there is one thing I can tell you for certain. I am just a regular person and the reason I have the information you want to know is because of Lady Ronella.”
Ronella, Ronella, Ronella.
Ducal Princess Ronella Nestro.
The only precious jewel of the Nestro Ducal family, a delicate, lovable and cute young woman adored by the men of the empire.
And at the same time, she was a woman who controlled and toyed with those who loved her.
“I really don’t understand her.”
Of all things, the people who attacked me called out her name as they died, and she was the center of the great secret Alois spoke of.
“But you will know everything soon enough.”
I glared at Alois, who was still withholding the truth and turned away.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to be my chess piece? Consider that I might abandon you.”
My fingertips tingled.
I trusted him.
At the same time, I remained wary of him.
“I will try my best not to be abandoned then.”
“Tell me the secrets you’re hiding before saying that.”
I believed him.
But I didn’t know when that trust might be betrayed.
“I’m hiding it because it’s more helpful to you this way.”
“…”
To put it bluntly, if I became useless, if I were no longer the Saintess…
“Don’t you already know that?”
Then he would abandon me without hesitation.
“…I can’t deny that.”
Just as I could let go of his hand at any time.
Letting out a sigh, I patted the monkeys who were whining and clinging to me.
Probably as a precaution, Alois sent Reneben ahead to the village to protect its residents.
Following Alois’s lead, I headed toward the village.
* * *
Reneben’s face shook like he was about to cry, and he acted fine, showing that his wounds were already healing.
However, I had a problem much bigger than comforting Reneben right now.
“…I feel seasick…Haa… No, I can’t…”
This time, instead of a huge boat with many passengers, we found a smaller, narrow boat that was just the right size for the three of us.
But sure enough, I couldn’t avoid being seasick.
“Should I bring you cold water?”
“…With ice, please.”
I replied pleadingly, looking like I was about to pass out.
I wanted to get off this boat immediately.
My grazed ear had already healed into a red stub, and my shoulder had healed to the point where it didn’t have a single mark.
However, it seemed the bruise on my neck and the deep cuts on my hands would take a little longer to heal.
“Here is your cold water.”
“…Ugh.”
Of course, since half the day had gone by, I was starting to feel better and new skin was starting to grow.
Reneben was exhausted by his worry over me and eventually, he couldn’t hold his sleep back anymore and went back to the bedroom.
Seeing this, Alois muttered,
“It appears Lord Reneben needs a long nap after using a lot of divine power.”
I accepted the glass of water he handed me and nodded.
“Normally, he’s not like that but when you keep using divine power, it takes a toll on your stamina, so you end up needing to sleep for a long time. That aside, are you okay, Alois?”
“What might you mean?”
“I mean, I can go a month without sleep, but you’re just a regular person, no?”
I was basically asking why he was fine when he worked as hard as I did, and he answered obediently.
“This isn’t enough to affect me.”
“…Hmm…not enough, you say.”
“The royal palace is a very cold place. An illegitimate prince like me is always flirting with death.”
This is the first time I was hearing anything about his past. My eyes sparkled with interest while I lightly sat in a chair.
I was very careful not to move too much or I might feel seasick again.
“You’ve survived well so far.”
“It wasn’t easy.”
“You don’t look like you struggled at all.”
“Because I work hard to make it seem that way.”
“Hmm… I suppose I can relate to that.”
I nodded my head in agreement with Alois’ words.
The boat shifted slightly, causing my head to tilt and Alois caught my head with his hand, then he said.
“It’s obvious that Your Holiness has worked hard.”
“…Obvious how?”
“Out of anyone that I’ve ever seen, you are the most worthy of the position of Saintess.”
“That sounds like you’re trying to be the best flatterer.”
“I’m not lying.”
“I know.”
“It’s not a lie.”
“I know.”
“I mean it.”
His previously lighthearted tone abruptly dropped. I shifted my gaze to him.
Instead of leaning forward, I turned my head to face him, and Alois reached out towards me.
I caught his hand and placed a kiss on his fingertips. Then, pressing my lips against his fingers, I whispered softly,
“Then keep saying things like that by my side.”
“As much as you desire…”
“Alois, do you know how much I care about you?”
Alois slowly licked his upper lip, and his gaze sharpened, like a beast with its prey in grasp.
“I shall do my best…while I have your favor, Lady Saintess.”
Our topics of conversations always seemed different, yet they were ultimately the same.
Using words that we’ve said before, we probed, tested, and enticed each other.
Always trying to anticipate what the other would say next, to gauge the slightest change in each other’s state of mind.
Slowly, I moved my lips away and changed the subject, like nothing had happened.
“So, what country are we headed to now?”
“…Good question.”
Hearing his cryptic response, I narrowed my eyes, thinking, ‘Don’t tell me it’s another place like the Kingdom of Vermont’.
Seeing the look in my eyes, Alois quickly waved his hands.
“No need to be so nervous.”
“I’m not nervous.”
“No need to lie, either.”
“…So, what kind of country is it?” I pressed.
“You’ll have fun.”
Alois dragged out his words slightly, almost like he was being mischievous.
It was almost childlike.
“…?”
“We’re going to a country where you can have fun.”
I bit my lip slightly, trying to figure out his intention.
“I think it would be nice to step away from the daily routine,” Alois added.
I won’t deny that the entire day has felt like running around on a hamster wheel.
“But I feel like there’s a reason you’re taking me there.”
I spat bluntly, and he blinked his clear eyes at me.
Those innocent, clear eyes that seemed to know nothing stared back at me.
“I didn’t lie. I mean it literally. You can just have fun.”
“Hmm…”
In the end, I leaned back against the armrest of my chair.
“This is the first time someone telling me to ‘just have fun’ has made me so suspicious.”
The fact that it wasn’t a lie made me really suspicious.
I massaged my temple heavily and stared at him with a slightly clearer mind.
Have fun, he says.
That didn’t sound like something that would come out of Alois’ mouth.
As he watched me rack my brains, Alois gave me a meaningful smile.
Advanced chapters available on Patreon.
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth [Chapters 83 – 86] - March 16, 2025
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 82 - March 4, 2025
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 81 - March 4, 2025