Alois gently took my arm off his shoulder. Then, turning to face me, his light brown hair shimmered in the sunlight pouring through the large window.
His fine, thread-like brown strands seemed to glisten and sparkle.
“And as for the western coast, I happened to acquire it one way or the other.”
“…One way or the other?”
At my question, Alois paused then he opened his mouth to answer. I was implying his words didn’t explain anything at all, but as if he understood what I meant, Alois lightly kissed my cheek and smiled.
“The western coast is a port. Because many countries come and go through it, you can make a lot of money.”
“More money is never bad.”
“Indeed. Now, it could even help the temple—”
He trailed off, glancing down at me with a face that seemed deep in thought. I flinched slightly under his gaze and barely managed to keep my smile.
“Help?”
My words were a little hesitant.
Alois wore the kind of gentle expression he normally only showed in front of others.
Tender, dangerous, delicate, but above all, it was beautiful. I felt like I could fall for him at any moment.
I exhaled, clinging desperately to reason.
“Whatever you wish for, Lady Saintess… I want to be someone who can help you.”
His gaze was dangerous. If I stayed like this, I might fall into his plan without realizing it.
“Alois, you want something from me right now, don’t you?”
“Of course. Just like always, it might have been enough to keep using and being used.”
He let out a long sigh, as if conflicted, and placed a hand over the back of his neck with a somewhat bitter look.
“But now, I want something else.”
It felt precarious. Although I faced him with a smile, there was an overwhelming sense that I might soon be bound by a shackle I couldn’t undo.
“What is it?”
Alois opened his mouth to speak but stopped. Then he created distance between us and furrowed his brow.
“If I say it now… I think you’ll run away.”
At the word run, I dropped the smile I’d been wearing and tilted my head with a twisted expression.
“Run away?”
At my reaction, Alois brushed past me and rephrased his words.
“I misspoke. I meant…I feel you might abandon me.”
“Speak clearly.”
It was meaningless to try and reassure him that I wouldn’t.
Alois probably already knew that.
He said he wanted something, and I could easily guess what it was.
In this situation, it had to be the absolute power I held within the temple.
Not just like things were now, but something more concrete. He wanted a relationship where I couldn’t reject him, something beyond mere mutual interest.
“As long as it’s not because you’re looking down on me.”
I looked at his back, then dropped down onto the nearby sofa.
It was soft and comfortable.
If I kept Alois by my side, and made our relationship something no one could dispute, he could help manage the temple.
And the things I hadn’t been able to do until now, I could move forward with his help.
“You already know what I’m talking about, don’t you?”
Alois walked over to the table and brewed some tea. The sigh he let out as he spoke carried the weight of his conflict.
A soft tea fragrance spread through the air.
“I do. But you… don’t you think you’ll regret it?”
“There is no such thing as regret in my vocabulary.”
He brought two cups of tea and set them down in front of us.
“If Your Holiness entrusted me with power, there is so much I can achieve.”
I remembered the earlier exchange with the King of Eseah, where he said something about me becoming his companion.
The idea of Alois being my companion wasn’t such a bad idea.
Our current relationship had been formed purely for mutual benefit, after all.
“Then why are you suddenly saying this?”
Alois gave a gentle smile and tilted his teacup. I watched as he sipped the tea, petals floating in it.
“Because I need power.”
“…?”
“What I want now… is the position of your companion.”
I had expected it, so I simply listened. I ran my fingers along the rim of the teacup as I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.
“And once I gain that position, my goal is to make the Kingdom of Eseah my own.”
In other words, he wanted to become the king of Eseah.
I was curious what led him to that idea. Up until now, he hadn’t shown any such intentions, so why all of a sudden?
“In a few more years, the Kingdom of Eseah will likely earn the title of ‘Empire.’ Then I’ll be called an imperial prince, not just a prince. And my father will no longer be a king, but an emperor.”
“So, you want the seat that allows you to become emperor?”
Power was incredible. I knew that all too well because I had experienced it firsthand.
Alois’s power was considerable, but it couldn’t compare to the grace I held as one blessed by the divine.
“You’re not wrong. The title of emperor is alluring. It’s a place where I can do more, where I can achieve what I want.”
Alois wasn’t mistaken. If he rose to emperor, he would be able to exert control over foreign nations as well.
All the things Alois and I had solved so far, if he were emperor, those problems could’ve been just a wave away.
“Alois, stop running in circles.”
“…”
“Tell me the real reason you brought me to the Kingdom of Eseah in the first place. Admit that you needed my help to become its ruler.”
As I crossed my legs and swung my foot, my shoe dangled from the tip of my toes. He sighed.
“You’re right. That’s exactly why I went to the trouble of bringing you here, Lady Emilone. As you know, I’m nothing more than a naïve prince, good for playing between nobles.”
“And without any solid backing, rising to the throne would be difficult.”
“Exactly. I was actually wondering how I could possibly win over the powerful figures of this country when you, Lady Emilone, appeared.”
I hesitated, unsure how to respond, and ended up pressing my fingers to my temple and raising my eyes.
“So what you’re saying now is… you’re using me as a tool to ascend the throne?”
“You’re not entirely wrong. To claim the throne, there’s no better position than to be the companion of the saintess. I’d naturally receive divine favor, and the people would welcome me with open arms. No one would dare harm me because I’d be the Saintess’s companion.”
Alois was clever.
He was right. The people would be pleased, and no one would be able to touch him recklessly.
“And Lady Emilone, you’d be able to keep me in the palm of your hand as well. Everything I have would become yours. Whatever you desire, whatever you want, you could do it all.”
Our interests aligned, and I knew how to handle Alois. This might not be such a bad outcome.
***
Because of the confusion in my heart, I didn’t want to face the King of Eseah just yet.
I left Alois’s room and entered my own chambers. The moment I lay on the soft bed, it felt like my body melted.
“This is troubling.”
Companion, huh… It was something I had never even considered before.
“Reneben would cry if he heard this, wouldn’t he?”
It certainly wasn’t a bad option.
As Alois said, the Kingdom of Eseah was on par with the Empire. Soon, the way people referred to this nation would change as well.
“The Empire still has Prince Yuina, though…”
I leaned my head back and fell into thought.
Companion. It sounded nice, but wasn’t that just another way of saying marriage?
“If I raise Prince Yuina well and place him in a position of power within the Empire, and have Alois take over the Kingdom of Eseah, I could control both empires with ease.”
Alois was capable.
Smart, talented, and never acted on anything that wouldn’t benefit me.
“Maybe it’s not a bad idea.”
I hugged a pillow and sank deeper into thought.
In the end, it was a decision where overthinking wouldn’t help. Whether I made Alois my companion or not, the choice had practically already been made.
I never planned on getting married in the first place. I didn’t believe I’d ever fall in love, and using the position of companion on something as trivial as personal affection felt like a waste.
Just as Alois had said, the Saintess’s companion was a position that came with immense power.
If possible, keeping someone like Alois by my side would be the smart choice.
“My head hurts.”
I sat up in bed.
The king had apparently prepared a dinner banquet. I was supposed to dine separately with Alois, but if I didn’t show my face on the first night, strange rumors would definitely start spreading.
“Looks like I should give him an answer soon.”
If Alois became king, he would likely be a good ruler. When compared to the crown prince of the Empire, the scale tipped sharply.
Next to the Empire’s crown prince, Alois was clearly the better choice.
“This is such a headache.”
I smoothed out my hair, which had gotten messy from rolling around in bed. Standing before the vanity, I ran my fingers through my hair, letting the pink strands cascade over my shoulders.
“If Alois becomes my companion and gains the throne, would that be enough for him?”
Having the temple as backing would mean his nation couldn’t go to war. If the Saintess’s companion became king, then the nation would essentially become a holy kingdom, wouldn’t it?
I threw a light shawl over my shoulders and started walking.
When I opened the door, the attendants waiting outside followed after me without a word.
“Allow us to escort you to the banquet hall.”
“Very well.”
There were so many of them I couldn’t help but sigh. How did nobles go around with this many people?
A glance behind me left me instantly drained at the sheer number of them.
“Where is Alois?”
“His Highness the Prince was summoned by His Majesty and has already gone ahead to the banquet hall.”
Well, that explained it. Normally, Alois would be waiting outside saying he’d escort me but he wasn’t here.
“What about Reneben?”
“The High Priest also left a bit earlier than you for the banquet hall.”
I hoped Reneben hadn’t been cornered by some uptight noble ladies in the party hall.
Lately, Reneben had been anxiously sticking to me, and since he was good-looking even for a high priest, he was quite popular.
Hmm, now that he had lost all feelings for Ronella, maybe it’s time he looked for someone new?
“You said this is a banquet? Roughly how many nobles will be attending?”
“…That—”
The man leading the way stuttered, dodging the question. I’m guessing it was more than he could count.
Which meant I’d be dealing with a hound of nobles today. I could already imagine the pain.
I walked down the wide palace hallway, thinking it might be best to let Alois handle things while I slipped out midway.
“This is quite big—.”
“Pardon? Did you call, Your Holiness?”
“Hm? No, not quite. I was just saying… the palace is quite large.”
At my meaningless comment, the attendant puffed out his chest proudly and answered with a self-satisfied look.
“You’re right. His Majesty personally oversaw the construction. It’s said this palace cost even more than the Empire’s to build.”
As expected of a country that could rival the Empire in wealth. For Alois to take over a nation like this and for me to be by his side…
It might not be such a bad idea.
Advance chapters available on Patreon.
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 104 - May 21, 2025
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 103 - May 19, 2025
- Emilone’s Temptation Labyrinth – Chapter 102 - May 19, 2025
Thanks for the chapter!
bro’s pretty much skilled at everything except for marriage proposals lmao
thanks for the chapter!