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Episode 10
Following Peisard’s advice, Lucius chose white and pink fabrics. Since light pink did not suit him very well, he picked one with a hint of purple that matched his eye color.
The spider people quickly cut and tailored the Baral Kingdom-style clothes with their six hands. After dressing Lucius, they adjusted the size perfectly using spider threads that came from their fingertips.
The spider people, who lived only in the East and the Baral Kingdom, had an incredible talent for making high-quality clothes in a very short time.
They were completely different from the countries in the West, where people had to take measurements after placing an order and then spend a long time and effort making the clothes.
Lucius practically begged and stole the royal carriage from the servant and headed to the main building of the Aster Church temple, where Haran had gone.
The time Lucius spent waiting for Haran at the temple was long, but sweet.
In the guest waiting room, Lucius pressured the apprentice priests until they gave him expensive tea. He drank it and enjoyed it, but soon even that became boring, so he went all the way to the temple entrance to greet Haran.
‘I’m kind of excited.’
He wondered how Haran would react.
They had only met yesterday.
It was strange.
He couldn’t define his feelings for her with one word, but perhaps something as ordinary as falling in love at first sight had happened to him. Lucius found this feeling amusing, like a new game.
However, when Haran appeared from afar, she was not alone.
Well, she was a precious princess, so it wasn’t strange for her to have someone with her.
That was possible.
But the problem was the person beside her.
Lucius narrowed his eyes like a cat.
The man walking with Haran was not some ordinary man flapping around like a common squid at a market.
His shoulders were broad, his height was impressive, and his face looked like a sculpture that belonged in a temple.
Lucius knew who he was. The man, however, did not know Lucius’ identity.
‘Ah, damn that Riatis.’
The captain of Riatis, the First Order of Knights of the Holy Kingdom, Livrun Carden Riatis.
His old enemy, who had constantly interfered with Lucius and chased after him.
‘Did Livrun’s watchdog catch my scent and come after me?’
That can’t be true. The last time, Lucius had completely erased his traces by changing his identity into that of a slave.
Carden Riatis must have come here because of a mission from the church.
The moment he arrived in the Baral Kingdom, he was already hanging around his princess.
The sight of Carden’s slightly reddened ears irritated Lucius.
Lucius pretended not to know anything and put on an innocent expression before running toward Haran.
“Big sister!”
So that other men wouldn’t dare approach her.
To do his part.
“Stop, stop.”
When Haran hit Lucius’ chest lightly with her small fist, Lucius reluctantly let go of her.
He smiled brightly and lifted his finger to wipe away his own saliva from Haran’s cute lips.
When he was focused on kissing her, he couldn’t see reality clearly.
But the moment the kiss ended, reality hit Haran.
Her face burned with embarrassment.
Haran walked toward Carden, who was still standing there stiffly like a statue.
She stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear.
“Are you very surprised? I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”
Carden’s neck turned red as he understood what she meant.
“It’s alright. I respect the culture of the Baral Kingdom.”
Haran wanted to explain that wasn’t what she meant—that she normally wasn’t like this—but she only awkwardly thanked him.
“Also, thank you for walking with me all the way to the temple. I will definitely repay this kindness.”
“I was heading to the temple anyway. You don’t have to do that.”
“Big sister, aren’t knights from the church usually busy? Anyone could do that kind of work if they lived like him.”
This brat.
Haran turned her head slightly and silently cursed at Lucius so only he could see.
“Hm? It’s embarrassing. Save those words for when we’re in bed.”
Lucius hugged Haran affectionately with eyes full of sweetness.
He was crazy.
He definitely was crazy.
“What are you looking at? If you’re jealous, you should become a slave too.”
“Lucius!”
Haran shouted at him sternly.
But Lucius just looked back innocently, as if he had no idea what he had done wrong.
“Hmm? Why did you call me?”
“I apologize, Sir. I will punish the slave separately, so please forgive him. I have urgent matters to attend to, so I will take my leave. I hope you have a peaceful stay in the Baral Kingdom.”
Haran slightly lifted the edge of her dress and gave a respectful greeting in the style of the church.
She felt that she needed to get Lucius out of Carden’s sight quickly before something happened.
Carden hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Your name.”
“Pardon?”
“May I ask your name?”
“Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Haran Parfala.”
The name Parfala belonged to the royal family of the Baral Kingdom.
Carden had heard of “Haran Parfala” before.
Rumors said that the youngest daughter of the Sultan, who was deeply cherished by him, was an Aster priestess and an incredibly beautiful woman.
Carden dropped to one knee to show his respect.
“I have been rude to someone of such high status. I am Carden Riatis, captain of the First Order of Knights of Livrun, the Holy Kingdom.”
“Please rise, Sir Riatis.”
Haran gestured gracefully for him to stand.
However, Carden did not get up. Instead, he held out one hand.
It meant that he wished to kiss the back of her hand.
It was a form of courtesy that knights from the West showed to ladies.
Haran knew this custom, so she simply held out her right hand without any special meaning.
Carden’s heart moved like waves on a stormy day.
Kissing a lady’s hand was a natural action.
But perhaps because he was in a foreign country, the meaning of the kiss felt more special than usual.
Just as Carden’s lips, filled with nervousness, were about to touch Haran’s hand.
Carden’s body trembled slightly.
Lucius had grabbed Carden’s hand and kissed the back of it himself!
“Is this greeting enough? Ugh, if you’re done with your business, get lost.”
Lucius slapped Carden’s hand away as if throwing away something dirty and wiped his lips.
Even after Lucius provoked him, Carden didn’t move at all.
He stood up with a perfectly straight posture.
His movements were so clean that his uniform didn’t have a single wrinkle.
“Sir Riatis.”
“You do not need to bow your head to me, Princess Haran. I have studied the culture of the Baral Kingdom and understand the situation.”
The slaves of the Baral Kingdom’s royal family were famous for acting arrogantly according to their masters’ status.
So Carden could understand why that slave was behaving in such a shameless way.
At that moment, someone’s loud voice called out to him.
“My, Sir Riatis!”
It was the High Priestess who had rushed over after hearing the news.
She had short, messy hair and was tall. She wore white robes with sleeves that dragged along the floor.
On her head was a crown decorated with a ruby said to have been made from the tears of a phoenix.
Behind her followed many priests and temple officials in a line.
“High Priestess Arasti.”
Carden greeted her.
“If you had informed us beforehand, we would have gone to the entrance of the Neman Desert to welcome you. Were you planning to make this old woman feel guilty?”
“I was worried you would do that, so I decided not to tell you. Fortunately, I met Princess Haran in the village, and she guided me to the temple.”
He met her in the village?
Lucius’ eyebrows lifted.
“Ah, so Priestess Haran…”
“High Priestess, I will go now to perform the changing ceremony.”
Haran quickly interrupted the conversation when she saw an opening.
“Yes, we can talk later. Priestess Haran, please take care of things today as well. May the warmth of Aster reach you.”
“May the light of Aster also be with you, High Priestess. Then, excuse me.”
Haran slightly bowed her head to Carden as well and left with graceful steps.
Lucius followed behind her with a bright smile.
“Sir, let us go as well.”
The High Priestess guided Carden to the guest room.
Even after sitting on the sofa, he still seemed deeply lost in thought.
High Priestess Arasti smiled kindly and waited until Carden finished thinking and spoke first.
“High Priestess, Princess Haran’s slave…”
Many questions were stuck at the end of his throat.
Since when had they been together?
Was he always with her?
But he couldn’t ask.
He felt it would be too disrespectful.
Of course, Carden could never imagine that the two of them had only met yesterday.
Carden shook his head.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Are you curious about Priestess Haran?”
“Talking about Princess Haran when she is not here would be rude, wouldn’t it? I do not wish to do that.”
Carden’s blue-gray eyes were stubborn and firm.
“Is that so? She truly is a fascinating person, isn’t she? Priestess Haran.”
The old High Priestess, whose hair had turned completely white, smiled as if she understood everything.
Carden quietly avoided her gaze.
