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“But since my mother had no power, I fell for the schemes of my eldest brother, the crown prince.”
“Schemes?”
This was the first time I’d heard Alois talk about his past directly.
“Well… I was just a powerless child. My eldest and second brothers said we were going hunting in the mountains and abandoned me there.”
“…”
“It was quite an interesting experience,” he added.
It didn’t sound interesting at all. If it were me, I wouldn’t have been able to endure at all.
“It was a mountain for hunting so as you can imagine, it was full of beasts and steep enough that nobles rarely ventured there.”
“…”
“I survived there for half a month.”
Had it been anyone other than Alois, they wouldn’t be telling this story with a smile. And if it had been anyone else…the outcome wasn’t something I want to think about.
He was smiling, but I couldn’t bring myself to smile with him.
“It was a difficult experience at the time, but… thanks to it, I grew to enjoy mountain climbing and now, I can even assist Your Holiness like this.”
“Alois.”
“Yes?”
It wasn’t thanks to anything. That experience could never be considered a good thing.
“The fact that you came to enjoy climbing mountains just shows how special you are.”
“…”
“Normally, people get afraid when they experience such a thing, no?”
“Normally… yes.”
For some reason, I burst out laughing.
“Haha. Then again, I can’t imagine you even as a child getting scared after experiencing something like that.”
For someone to survive such an experience, then turn it into a hobby. I had to laugh because I respected him for that.
***
By the time we reached the base of the mountain, the sun was setting.
“Wendy! Three more drinks over here, please!”
“Man, your voice is loud. Wow. Ok! Miss, bring some here too!”
We had visited that gambling den at a pretty late hour…and now it seemed like the day was practically over.
“Yes, yes, but no tabs this time. You have the money, right?”
“Of course!”
“Wendy, don’t just stay on that side, take orders over here too—!”
I tried to ignore the commotion around us, and my mind flew to Reneben. He must be getting quite worried right about now.
Meanwhile, for the Alois who chose such a noisy location, I was kneading his shoulders.
“Lady Emilone, your strength is fading.”
“Well, I have been massaging your shoulders for the past five minutes.”
“But I carried you up and down a mountain for hours, Lady Emilone.”
As annoying as it was to hear, he had indeed suffered because of me so I pressed his shoulders even harder with annoyance.
“Ah, looks like our food is here.”
“You know, you’re the only person in the world who would make me do something like this.”
“I’ll consider it an honor for generations to come. And, if I may correct you, you were the one who offered to massage my shoulders first, not me, Lady Emilone.”
Alois shrugged, teasing me. Feeling pricked, I pulled my hands away from his shoulders.
After coming down from the mountain, we stopped by the nearest village.
The first thing Alois did was buy shoes and a robe for me. The robe covered me from head to toe, so I felt secure.
Thankfully, the village was used to having many wanderers, so they treated outsiders like they were invisible.
We simply dusted off the dirt from the mountain and found ourselves a nearby tavern.
As the server placed food in front of us, my stomach grumbled.
“I’ve always eaten the finest dishes, but this looks surprisingly delicious.”
I sat across from Alois on the table and watched as the well-roasted meat was laid on the table. The sight made my mouth water.
“Oh my, I don’t recognize you two. What brings you to our village?”
The server, who had been placing dishes on the table, paused when she saw my face and smiled.
I was worried since the robe couldn’t completely cover my hair but…
To be fair, I wasn’t the only person on the continent with pink hair and she had no way of knowing that the customer in front of her was the Saintess.
“Why else would we be here? We want to see the famous beast.”
“Oh my, another person fooled by those rumors.”
“A rumor, huh?”
While I was silent, Alois replied to the lady, bringing up a tale I had never heard before.
His ability to gather information never ceased to amaze me. The woman placed extra cups on our table as a service.
The foaming liquid inside suggested it was beer, which is one of those things you could never find in the temple or among nobles.
Leaving Alois to his conversation with the woman, I picked up a piece of meat and bit into it without hesitation. My body was immune to poisons and impurities, so I had no concerns.
And within seconds, I regretted it.
…Salty.
At first, the smell had been appetizing, but the flavor was too strong.
It wasn’t inedible, just too seasoned. I was probably too used to eating refined dishes that I was reacting to the smallest things.
When I stopped eating after just one bite and only sipped my drink, the lady who was chatting with Alois noticed.
“Oh no, do you not like it?”
“No, it’s not that…”
“I may not look it, but I’m known as the best cook in this village.”
“…”
Hmm…I felt like it was because my palate was too spoiled. When I didn’t respond, she looked a little taken aback.
“Oh, I’m right, aren’t I? You know, I’ve been wondering for a while now…you’re not some high-lord, right?”
“…No.”
“You don’t look like a commoner though…”
I wasn’t a commoner. But I wasn’t a noble either.
“Just kidding! What noble would visit a small village at the foot of a mountain?”
“That…you’re right.”
I finished downing my glass and felt a little disappointed once it was empty. The alcohol was actually not bad.
But before I could lament further, the woman struck up another conversation.
“So, what’s the relationship between you two?”
“…Huh?”
“What do you mean?”
Alois responded with a warm smile and the lady blushed. This face of his that affected everyone regardless of age or gender was something I could never get used to.
“No, it’s just, you two look like there’s something more.”
It’s not like we did anything special…she probably just wanted to sound Alois out.
I realized the robe he bought for me was probably doing little to help in this situation. I picked the robe, rubbing the musty-looking fabric between my fingers.
“Hmm…”
“Alois.”
“Yes?”
“She’s asking what kind of relationship we have.”
I tilted my head toward the server.
She looked startled, maybe because I had interrupted her chance to ask Alois more questions or maybe because I had made her ulterior motive obvious.
Alois’ eye widened for a second, then he stretched his hand towards me. When his fingers brushed right below my eyes, I flinched, and Alois chuckled.
“What kind of answer would you like me to give?”
“…”
“Lovers?”
That word didn’t suit us. Without saying a word, I dragged the cup in front of him towards me.
When I remained silent, Alois lifted his chin with a mischievous smile.
“If you don’t want to be lovers, we can be a married couple instead.”
“Cough…Ehem…Excuse me.”
Saying anything else after hearing our conservation would be like inviting ridicule.
I tipped Alois’s glass, letting the liquor flow into my mouth.
“Why are you drinking so much when you don’t even get drunk?”
“Hmm… because it tastes decent?”
“You say that but you don’t even touch the wines crafted with the blood, sweat and tears of master artisans.”
I almost told him it was because I had drunk too much of those that I was sick of them, but instead, I remembered the chunks of meat in front of me and offered him some.
“I’ll pass.” Alois refused.
“…Why?”
“It’s unsanitary.”
“…”
But you made me eat it?
“Eat it.”
“Pardon me, but it was likely prepared in an unsanitary setting, and—.”
“I’m the one giving it to you. Open your mouth.”
I gave him a sweet smile. Since I already ate it, he could rest assure me that there was no poison.
Alois turned his head away, visibly troubled but it was useless.
Although he was still troubled, Alois eventually accepted the food I was offering.
“Weren’t you hungry?” I had to ask.
“I’m fine. I only came here because I thought you might be hungry…”
“…”
Alois frowned as he chewed the strongly seasoned meat with a strong smell and lingering salt.
“As expected of a prince raised in luxury.”
I whispered under my breath so that no one else could hear.
I picked up another piece of meat, biting into it myself. It wasn’t bad, it was just…ordinary.
The quality of the meat wasn’t the best, the preparation was rough, and the cheap spices were too overpowering.
Still, it wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t eat it and thinking that, I glanced at Alois.
“Wouldn’t it be Your Holiness who has dined on meals far more luxurious than anything I’ve ever had?”
“Not really. I usually just have a sandwich in the morning or make do with fruits the children gather.”
Of course, there were times when I ate meals so grand that even the Emperor would have been shocked.
“When the people are starving, the ‘Saintess’ cannot indulge in luxury.”
“Oh dear….”
That’s unfortunate. He added a beat later and made another attempt at eating the meat.
This time, he managed to keep a neutral expression as he chewed. I rested my chin on my hand, watching him for a moment then I slowly opened my mouth.
“So, that talk from earlier…what was that about?”
“Huh?”
The same Alois who said he couldn’t eat it because it was sanitary was now considering a third bite.
“Earlier. Those words you said to the cute young lady.”
“…Oh, that.”
“Yes, that. You gave quite an interesting answer.”
Alois stared at me like he was thinking about something. The downward angle of his gaze made it feel like he was studying me, and I sat up straight.
I straightened my shoulders, letting go of the fork that I was twirling.
“Because I can’t quite say we’re lovers.”
“But we’re not a couple either.”
“Then shall I call that lady back and explain? That our relationship is one where we use each other based on need?”
I twirled the fork in my hand again and squinted at him.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Using each other, huh…
I let the fork slip from my hand and a bit of sauce splattered onto the back of my hand.
“It’s not wrong though.”
Alois took my wrist gently, dabbing at the stain with a pristine white handkerchief he had pulled from his pocket.
As he carefully wiped my hand, I parted my lips slightly.
“It’s not wrong…But, Alois.”
I leaned forward, closing the distance between us.
Then with the hand he just cleaned, I grabbed Alois’ shoulder and asked one question.
Advanced chapters available on Patreon.
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 100 - May 6, 2025
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 99 - May 2, 2025
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 98 - April 30, 2025