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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“I’ve heard your name before. Lord Taylor… would be the right way to address you.”
“You can call me comfortably. I’ve already heard your name, Cardinal Verod.”
“I can’t call you that. Haven’t you already become a famous figure in the capital?”
Verod answered while stroking his beard.
A famous figure, I thought the news of rescuing the princess in the North had spread to some extent.
Even if they couldn’t proudly spread the fact that a princess of a nation was targeted by mere tribes, the high-ranking nobles would have already vaguely heard the news.
Robert Taylor rescued the princess alone.
How absurd would the rumor be that someone who had never held a sword since birth had accomplished such a thing?
Of course, no one would believe it as it was, but at least there would definitely be people who would take an interest in me.
Perhaps the reason Yuria started to move was also because of this rumor.
Even if she knew I had gone to the North, she couldn’t ignore the achievements I had gained.
If she interpreted it as me gaining the support of the imperial family by saving the princess, there was also a possibility that Yuria would move a little more urgently.
“I lack a lot to be called a famous figure. And you already know about my reputation to some extent, don’t you?”
“There’s nothing like seeing directly to know if a rumor is true or false.”
“Then what kind of person do I seem like to you?”
“… In any case, that rumor seems to have been spread by someone quite malicious.”
When I laughed at that answer, Verod also smiled slightly and stared at me.
The hostility in his eyes was still there.
He probably couldn’t easily discern why I had approached Adriana.
But I didn’t approach Adriana.
It was just a chance encounter that led to a connection and reached our current relationship.
I had no ulterior motive to gain something from Adriana.
Even going to the south together was something she had proposed first.
Although I was overwhelmed by his imposing presence, my expression was still dignified.
It was a presence I had felt many times before.
When I countered it by neatly gathering my energy, Verod clicked his tongue as if slightly surprised.
“You don’t seem to be an ordinary young master. I didn’t know you had a blade hidden.”
“The rumors are just about my past self. But I can’t live like that forever.”
“So you approached Her Holiness?”
Whoosh-
A completely different energy from before began to engulf my body.
A strong energy that pressed down on my body and pressured me to reveal my intentions.
Nevertheless, my composure didn’t break.
The mana exhaled with my breath enveloped the surroundings, scattering the energy pouring towards me.
The use of mana was the area I was most confident in, and as the energy he had emitted disappeared, Verod’s eyes narrowed for a moment.
Pressuring me like this had little effect on me.
If he charged at me with a weapon, that would be one thing, but he wouldn’t act like that in the Moon Tower where Adriana was.
So I silently stared at him without saying anything, then let out a small sigh and moved my lips.
“I didn’t approach Her Holiness.”
“Then I don’t know for what purpose you’re staying in the Moon Tower.”
First, I had to clear up the misunderstanding between him and me.
I knew he cherished Adriana, but at least I had to explain that I didn’t approach Adriana with any interest.
As Adriana said, our relationship was just that of close friends.
Even that much, weren’t we still awkward with each other?
Moreover, since her status was that of a saint, the probability of forming a relationship between a man and a woman was also low.
It was just a hypothetical, but if I really fell in love with Adriana and became her lover, it would be fine even if I became the enemy of the church.
The reason I wanted to stay in the Moon Tower was because of my relationship with the church.
If I wanted to gain support for the position of family head, it was better to bring the influence of the church as much as possible.
“Becoming friends with Her Holiness wasn’t for any purpose. So I hope you can calm your anger a little. If a little more time passes… this place will collapse.”
“I didn’t intend to do it until it collapsed. I didn’t know you could endure this.”
As the energy disappeared like that, the vibration of the table that had been trembling for a while stopped.
Just by applying strength, it could affect the surroundings to that extent.
The peak of the paladins, it wouldn’t be good for me either to stand against him.
“I remember Her Holiness calling someone a friend only twice in my life.”
“The first time would be when she became friends with Her Highness the Princess.”
“And I just heard the second time today. I dismissed it as Her Highness being a fellow woman, but I have some concerns about this incident.”
“… It’s a natural concern since men and women are different.”
The gazes of the paladins earlier and Verod’s attitude like this made me realize that Adriana’s existence was not limited to being a saint.
To them, Adriana was like a daughter.
To be more precise… wouldn’t she be like the youngest daughter?
When I spoke as if I understood, Verod, whose expression had softened slightly compared to before, unfolded his arms.
It seemed like he was willing to have a conversation to some extent.
However, that only meant he had let down his guard regarding my relationship with Adriana,
and his question about my staying in the Moon Tower still remained.
“Then I’m curious about the reason you want to stay in the Moon Tower. I knew you were going to the south together, but there’s no need for you to stay here, is there?”
“That’s separate from Her Holiness, it’s because I want to maintain a good relationship with the church.”
“Relationship.”
“I’m the eldest son of the Taylor ducal family, and the current heir is Yuria Taylor. But the authority to become the family head still exists with me.”
Verod’s brow furrowed at the name of the family head.
Unlike Adele’s title of Grand Duchess bestowed upon her for unifying the North, the title of duke that had existed since the founding of the empire belonged only to the Taylors.
The leader who presided over the aristocratic class.
Wasn’t that the position of the Taylor family head?
Verod, who was staring intently at me, seemed to have already understood my meaning.
But saying that intention out loud would be a different story.
After catching his breath for a moment, he muttered in a low voice.
“You need the church’s support.”
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“I think you know what it means to have the church’s support.”
The religion that accounted for 90% of the empire, the existence of the saint couldn’t be easily ignored even by the emperor, so the Full Moon Festival was also held under the leadership of the church.
As such, in a way, the church held the same prestige as the ducal families.
The imperial family, the nobility, and the church.
Wouldn’t it sound ridiculous to say that you would gain the support of one of these three pillars?
“And I think you also know that gaining that support is almost impossible.”
“That’s right.”
“I heard that the daughter of the Taylor family has already started to make moves, so I think it’s too late for you to seek support now.”
“I moved because I thought it wasn’t too late. Every matter has its proper time and timing, doesn’t it?”
The timing of my repeated regressions was truly coincidental.
Three years until I was framed for rebellion, two years until Adele died.
It was a very short time to achieve something, but it was certain that important events would occur one after another during those three years.
If time went back further than that, it might be better, but there was no better time than this period to create variables.
The trip to the North, the trip to the South, and even the usurpation of the family head position.
Wasn’t this current period the only time when all of this could be wrapped up within a single year?
It wasn’t too late.
Rather, I thought it was enough time to prepare everything.
Bringing down Yuria and taking the Taylor family into my hands, I thought it would take about 3-4 months from now to finish it.
Verod’s gaze seemed to be trying to see through my inner thoughts.
Perhaps he was trying to figure out how much of what I was saying was true and if I was really sincere.
Since it was the truth, I had nothing to fear, but it seemed like he was suspicious, so I quietly opened my mouth.
“I’ll say it again, I didn’t approach Her Holiness to do anything to her. Rather, I feel it’s more than I deserve to have become friends with her. I don’t know what she saw in me, but I’m just grateful that she see’s me in a good light.”
“… Her Holiness is someone who sees people’s inner selves.”
Verod replied quietly, but in a slightly gentler voice than before.
His eyes that had been trying to discern my intentions also softened, and his eyes lost in thought as if recalling the past stood out.
“Although she lost her sight, she distinguishes the darkness and light in people’s hearts more easily than anyone else. That’s why the paladins prioritize training their inner selves. They must always maintain a pure heart so that they cannot dare to harbor impure thoughts.”
“I already knew that from hearing it from Adriana.”
“…Were you calling each other by name?”
For a moment, I felt like I had made a mistake at the chilling voice, but Verod shook his head with a bitter smile.
He had an expression as if he had given up, so I felt strangely sorry.
There was no need to feel sorry, but I could somewhat understand what emotions he would have if he was like Adriana’s father.
“As I said earlier, I believe you are well aware that men and women are different.”
“I understand and am being careful.”
“Understanding and being careful is not enough.”
As I slightly raised my head at the voice that had become heavier, I saw Verod’s serious expression.
It was clear what it meant for Adriana to consider Verod as a father.
Didn’t this feel like meeting the emperor before?
When I was Miragen’s lover, he was sending a gaze similar to the emperor’s when he looked at me.
Such a gaze made me feel like I was being judged, making my shoulders shrink involuntarily.
“I can’t be rude to Her Holiness’s guest, but it’s just lamentable. I wanted to do my own ‘verification’ of what kind of person you are.”
“Other than me, has she ever met a man-”
“She has never even allowed them to approach. If I had stayed in the Moon Tower, it would have been very difficult for you to see Her Holiness.”
Was I very lucky?
When I smiled awkwardly, Verod closed his mouth with a slightly dissatisfied expression.
Wasn’t it because of this overprotection that she was unaware of the ways of the world?
I had no intention of blaming Verod, but I did have such thoughts when directly facing him.
“If you’re worried that I’ll do something strange, you don’t need to worry.”
“I think so. But if you do anything improper to Her Holiness…”
Screech-
Verod, who placed his hammer dragged on the floor next to him, stared at me intently.
“Then you’ll find out what the purpose of my hammer is.”
“… Haha.”
Anyone who saw this might mistakenly think I had come to get permission to take Adriana as a lover.
If it were such a situation, Verod would be in the position of a father-in-law, but would such a day really come?
I already knew that Verod would also accompany us on the trip to the south.
Maintaining a relationship with him while also maintaining a close relationship with Adrian.
Just thinking about it made my head throb.
Would it even be possible?
I was sure I would have many occasions to be alone with Adriana in the south, I just hoped he wouldn’t have any strange misunderstandings.
“…A male friend.”
He already seemed to view me as someone in that kind of relationship with Adriana, I just hoped he wouldn’t have any more misunderstandings like this.
In the gaze I briefly met, the hostility was still there.
Although not as sharp as before, it would become more intense if I tried to do anything with Adriana.
As I watched Verod muttering words like “male friend” to himself, I sighed and shook my head.
Wouldn’t it be better to just be with Adrian?
It seemed I would have to avoid him as much as possible while staying in this Moon Tower.
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