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Chapter – 21
“Sir Priest, I’ll ask you bluntly.”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
“Do you love Salome?”
At those words, I nearly spat out the tea I was drinking. Even as I coughed, I did my best to maintain a calm expression.
The man sitting across from me was Izmel Kruger, the young duke—the eldest son of the Kruger ducal house and the older brother of Lady Salome.
At first, I had found it odd that it was the young duke, not Duke Kruger himself, who had come to visit the temple. I assumed he had come on his father’s behalf to speak about the incident that occurred at His Highness the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet.
But to ask something like that the moment the conversation began—
I set my teacup down.
“I’m not sure why you would suddenly ask such a question.”
“I believe you already know, Sir Priest. The rumors about you and Salome.”
“Yes, I’m aware of them. But those rumors are exaggerated—!”
“Sir Priest, I don’t believe such rumors would exist at all if there were truly nothing between you and Salome. Moreover, there are widespread rumors that you kissed her at His Highness’s birthday banquet.”
“No, that was—”
“And after that, it’s said you spent time alone with Salome on the balcony.”
His tone was firm. I desperately suppressed the urge to scream that it was all a misunderstanding.
The kiss had happened because I collided with someone—it was entirely accidental. And going to the balcony with the young lady was also the result of an incident that she and I caused together.
I swear by the name of Ataras—I have never once engaged in any improper behavior with the young lady.
Just as I was about to answer that way, I closed my mouth.
Had I truly never done anything improper, even sworn before God?
I had kissed the young lady first, once. Of course, that had been to save her when she fell into the water. Yes, that could be excused.
But even after that, the young lady had kissed me several times. I hadn’t been able to avoid it.
Had I truly been unable to avoid her kisses—or had I simply not avoided them?
My thoughts were in turmoil. When I remained silent for a while, the young duke seemed to finish drawing his own conclusions.
“Sir Priest, I cherish Salome dearly. She can be willful at times and occasionally causes small incidents, but she is truly a lovely child. Nowhere in the Terrium Empire is there a kinder younger sister than Salome.”
“…Pardon?”
I doubted my ears. Was he truly talking about Lady Salome? As far as I knew, there wasn’t a single thing about her that could be described as “kind.”
If anything, she was closer to a perfect villain. I had never met anyone who pursued evil with such pure dedication as she did.
Could it be that Lady Salome behaved quite modestly in front of her older brother?
“Before Salome went abroad to study, we used to spend a lot of time together. She did once completely shred all the books in my study, and another time she cut off all my hair while I was asleep—but aren’t those just cute childish pranks?”
This family is collectively insane. One or two such “pranks” and the whole house would be ruined.
Ah—I nearly said that out loud. I cleared my throat and forcibly swallowed the words that had risen to the tip of my tongue.
Izmel Kruger continued reminiscing about his sister with an excited expression. I had heard he doted on her, but I hadn’t imagined it was to this extent.
“While Salome was studying abroad, I sent her letters every month… but she never once sent a reply. She must have been very busy with her studies.”
At that point, it seems more like the young lady thoroughly despises her older brother.
“Even now, when I think of the loneliness and hardships Salome must have endured in a distant foreign land, I can’t sleep at night.”
Lady Salome is far more likely to inflict hardship on others than to suffer it herself.
“And since Salome is so beautiful and exceptionally capable, many men must have shamelessly tried to court her. Wise Salome surely rejected them all, but as her older brother, I regret that I couldn’t be there to protect her.”
If a man she disliked made advances, she probably beat him half to death, so I don’t think you need to worry.
“At present, Father is searching for a suitable young nobleman for Salome, but most heirs from respectable families are already engaged. Still, we can’t marry Salome off to some insignificant house. That’s also why her stay at the temple has been growing longer.”
“I see…”
Should I tell him that the longer Lady Salome stays at the temple, the more severe the damage to sacred property becomes? The Kruger ducal house compensates for it every time, but the priest in charge of accounting vents his fury without fail.
“My apologies—we’ve strayed off topic. There’s something else I wish to say.”
The young duke took a sip of tea and cleared his throat.
“I’ve thought long and hard about this. In the end, I came to believe that it might be better for Salome to marry a pure and devout priest like yourself rather than some man of questionable origins. Noblemen these days have no sense of chastity, you see.”
“I—I’m sorry, but I don’t quite understand what you’re saying. Marriage? Me? With Lady Salome?”
“Yes, marriage. It seems Salome likes you as well.”
Excuse me—does my opinion not matter here?
My blood pressure felt like it was about to make me pass out. What was wrong with the people of House Kruger? At this point, it seemed reasonable to suspect some hereditary issue.
Still, I maintained my usual expression and answered as politely as possible.
“As you know… priests are not permitted to marry.”
“Yes, I’m aware. But you can simply resign from the priesthood, can’t you? You could enter the Kruger family as a husband taken into the household.”
“……”
Strictly speaking, he wasn’t wrong. Dating or marrying while actively serving as a priest was a serious offense that could result in exile.
But if one resigned first, it wasn’t technically forbidden. One would be subjected to lifelong gossip and scorn, and barred from polite society—but it wasn’t unheard of. There had been priests who married that way, though not many.
Still, wasn’t this entire discussion only possible if I loved Lady Salome?
I do not love her.
I must not love her.
Perhaps other priests could—but not me. I was someone who had vowed to devote his entire life to God.
To atone in place of my father, who had denied God. That was why I became a priest in the first place. There was no way I could lightly abandon my post.
As I repeated this to myself, Lady Salome’s image suddenly flashed through my mind.
Salome walking in with the duke, dressed in pure white. Her red hair revealed as she lifted a white veil from her head. She reached her hand out toward me. The distance between us closed, her amethyst-like eyes drawing nearer. And then—
My face suddenly burned. I quickly emptied my mind. I couldn’t allow myself to imagine any further. My heart was pounding violently—so loudly that I worried others might hear it.
“Johann, I guarantee it. You’ll come to love me.”
Why did those words surface at this exact moment?
“Sir Priest, what’s wrong? Are you unwell? You don’t look well.”
“No, it’s nothing. Thank you for your concern. But marrying Lady Salome is… difficult. I’ve resolved to devote my entire life to God.”
“There’s no need to decide so hastily. I understand how flustered you must be by such a sudden proposal. You’ll also need to speak more with Salome. I haven’t yet had a thorough discussion with Father either, so that will need to be coordinated.”
The young duke’s attitude remained unwavering. That gentle smile that drove people mad—it really did run in the family. Now I understood why they were siblings.
“Then I’ll take my leave. Thank you for the conversation. If you change your mind, please send a letter to the duke at any time. I trust you’ll continue to look after Salome.”
With that, the young duke departed. I rose from my seat to see him off.
When I opened the door, I happened to see Lady Salome approaching from a distance. The moment the young duke spotted her, his face lit up with a radiant smile.
In contrast, the instant Lady Salome saw him, she scowled.
