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Chapter – 15
Salome continued to stare at the door long after Johann had left, half-expecting him to come back. But no matter how much time passed, Johann did not return.
With nothing to do but lie in bed, Salome recalled Johann’s flushed face. He really was someone worth teasing.
Ah, truly a foolishly kind man.
She murmured to herself, then toyed with her lips. The sensation of kissing Johann was still vivid. The way he hadn’t resisted her sudden action made him seem endearing.
At the same time, a wave of unease washed over her. Johann was gradually falling for her—and that might not be a good thing for him.
“Johann, you’ll fall in love with me soon. Perhaps you already have.”
She muttered to herself, waving her hand as if chasing away the traces of Johann lingering before her eyes.
“If that’s the case, then the day I die isn’t far off. Should I be happy about that?”
Salome clasped both hands around her own neck. She tightened her grip. Her breath slowly grew thin, blood rushing to her head.
How many minutes passed like that? For an ordinary person, it wouldn’t have been strange to be dead already. But Salome was perfectly fine. She let out a sigh and lowered her hands.
“It only hurts. I won’t die. It’s not my turn yet. That’s how it’s decided.”
And yet Johann had jumped into the water to save her. Of course, he didn’t know her secret—otherwise he wouldn’t have done such a thing.
She couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Had it been too much, suddenly jumping into the water like that? What if he’d been traumatized?
Then again, what did it matter? Salome Krüger might like Johann, but she did not love him.
To begin with, the kiss they’d shared when they first met had been a purely impulsive act. She’d simply been curious—could he fall in love with her even after something like that? Besides, she had a duty to commit evil deeds as a villainess anyway.
After mulling things over for a while, drowsiness gradually overtook her, and she closed her eyes. Just before consciousness slipped away, she muttered one last line.
“Johann, did you save me by your own will? Or because that’s how it was decided to be?”
About four days passed, and the young lady’s cold cleared up completely. The problem was that I caught a cold next.
Every time someone asked why I’d suddenly fallen ill, my heart skipped a beat. I was afraid they’d discover that I’d caught it from kissing the young lady.
Of course, it was far more likely that the aftereffects of falling into the lake had come late. The kiss had only lasted a brief moment.
Yes, that night I’d collapsed into bed without warning—so the lake had to be the cause. It had to be.
Thankfully, my cold also cleared up in about three days. After that, I found it difficult to face the young lady. Whenever I met her eyes, the memory of that kiss resurfaced. Still, I couldn’t avoid her—we had regular lessons to conduct.
“Hasn’t the young lady been unusually well-behaved lately?”
“Indeed. But that’s because Johann is in charge of her education. Sir Johann is the youngest High Priest in the history of the Terium Empire! His prayers for Lady Salome must have reached Ataras.”
After recovering, the young lady became strangely calm. She stopped destroying temple property, stopped yanking the hair of the priests who came to wake her, and attended her lessons without fail.
People found her sudden change suspicious, but concluded that it was all thanks to me. Rumors spread quickly: ‘Johann of the Salute Temple has tamed the young lady!’ Since she ignored everyone else’s words but followed mine without protest.
The priests looked at me with eyes full of admiration. I found it unbearably uncomfortable. It wasn’t because I was exceptional. It was simply a change of heart on the young lady’s part. There was no one in this world who could truly control her.
But still—why had this been sent to me?
“Anton, please explain. Why would an invitation to His Highness the Crown Prince’s birthday party be sent to a mere priest like me? Not even to His Eminence the Cardinal? Surely this is a mistake.”
“You’re hardly a mere priest, Sir Johann. You’re a High Priest. And look at the name—it clearly says, ‘To High Priest Johann of the Salute Temple.’ A palace servant personally delivered it.”
I stared at the luxurious gold-colored envelope. A red imperial seal was stamped at its center.
It was shocking enough that a letter had arrived from the imperial palace—but learning it was an invitation to the Crown Prince’s birthday party was doubly so.
I hesitated to open it, arguing with Anton instead. No matter how I thought about it, I had no connection to His Highness. I had never met him, not even once. I didn’t even know what he looked like—only rumors of his excellence.
“Either way, you should read it. You can’t ignore an imperial invitation.”
Anton was right. After some hesitation, I used a paper knife to open the envelope. The contents were a standard party invitation, filled with customary pleasantries asking me to honor the occasion with my presence.
But what caught my eye was the postscript.
I have heard that you possess exceptional skill in calming Salome Krüger. Please attend the party and prevent the young lady’s misconduct. You are the only one who can stop her.
Anton and I stared at the letter, then at each other, dumbfounded. In short, I’d been invited as Salome’s handler.
Even the Crown Prince couldn’t afford not to invite the daughter of House Krüger—that would be tantamount to declaring hostility toward the ducal family.
In that sense, it was a clever choice. If I truly was the only one who could restrain her.
“Her reputation must be quite something. For His Highness to send a personal letter. I hear the Crown Prince and Lady Salome were childhood friends. He must know how awful her personality is.”
That reminded me of something the young lady had once said to me.
“The Crown Prince was very soft-hearted when we were children. That made him fun to bully…”
Just what kind of bullying had he endured for His Highness to go this far?
“Anton, what is the young lady doing right now? I need to speak with her.”
Before Anton could reply, there was a knock at the door. Another assistant priest announced Lady Salome’s arrival. The timing was uncanny. I told him to show her in.
“Good morning, Priest Johann.”
She greeted me brightly, lifting her skirt slightly. Anton scowled the moment he saw her. He really needed to learn how to hide his expressions. Salome noticed and spoke cheerfully.
“Priest Anton, why are you glaring at me?”
“Lady Salome, please watch your language.”
I rubbed my forehead. Anton shot me a look, silently begging me to do something. But I had no solution.
I asked Anton to step outside. He left, grumbling, slamming the door behind him. Salome waved at him with a smile in her eyes.
“Why does Priest Anton always scowl when he sees me? It makes me want to hit him.”
“I worry you actually might.”
“But I’m the delicate lady here. Shouldn’t you be worried about me first?”
“Reflect on your usual behavior.”
I answered firmly. This wasn’t the time for banter. I lifted the imperial invitation.
“You received one as well, didn’t you?”
“Yes. I checked it this morning. That’s why I came to see you. Well—also because I wanted to see you. You and I are… that kind of relationship, aren’t we?”
She smiled slyly and stepped closer, placing her hand on my desk and leaning in. Our faces were close.
Afraid she might suddenly kiss me again, I quickly covered my mouth and pushed my chair back. She clicked her tongue in disappointment.
“Anyway, you’re not planning to refuse the invitation, are you?”
“…No. I intend to attend.”
“That’s good. I want to see you dressed nicely.”
“I’ll attend in my priestly vestments. I’m a priest, not a noble.”
That was that. No matter how prestigious the invitation, a priest was still a priest. I could never become an ordinary noble’s son.
This would likely be the first—and last—time I attended a party with her. Once she became engaged, she would leave the temple. From then on, she would attend such events with her fiancé.
I had always known this.
So why did my heart feel so unsettled?
I pictured the young lady’s future fiancé in my mind.
