I Will Not Fall For the Villain’s Flirtations - Chapter 68

Here’s what really happened.

When I opened the box and retrieved the relic, I reached into my pocket to take out a handkerchief and discovered a silk pouch. It was the same replica pouch Keene had given me to use when stealing the vault key.

I deliberated before coming to the ruins and placed the item inside my clothes. Although it was bulky and limited to replication, it was a high-grade artifact, so I thought it might come in handy. Little did I know I would actually need to use it.

“I solved the final puzzle, since… it was a problem advantageous to someone from Liche. Anyway, since I opened the box, the Master of the Magic Tower didn’t see the bracelet.”

However, I was cautious about mentioning the artifact to Peidos. Since the conflict with the Magic Tower, the price of magical items had skyrocketed, and since I don’t have any connections to mages, whether through personal ties, academic affiliations, or blood relations, lying seemed to be the safer option for me.

“I had a bracelet from my grandmother, who was a Holy Knight. It contains a bit of holy power. Of course, it’s nothing compared to a holy relic… But I pretended it was the relic I had just taken out, and fortunately, he took it.”

In fact, when I took out the bracelet from the pouch to break free from Keene’s binding magic, I didn’t know if it was genuine or a replica. Only after seeing a noticeable decrease in holy power after using it once did I realize it was a fake.

An artifact that not only mimicked the appearance but also some functionality, that’s not just high-grade but top-grade. It was typical of the Master of the Magic Tower to nonchalantly hand over such an item.

Anyway, thanks to that, I was able to protect the relic. By now, he must be quite furious.

“You must have been overwhelmed just being taken hostage…”

Peidos spoke with a mixed expression of admiration, guilt, and gratitude. He took the bracelet from me and called over a waiting knight, giving him some instructions. The knight quickly went into Peidos’s tent and came out with a long object.

What he held was a wooden chest. Peidos took the chest and carefully placed the relic inside, lined with luxurious velvet.

Watching the entire process, I suddenly recalled the moment when Keene took the bracelet from me.

[Keene Lione!]

That was the name Peidos had shouted at the time.

It was surprising to learn that ‘Keene’ was not just a random alias he had given me but his real name. But his surname was even more shocking.

Lione. There was only one Lione I knew.

“Sir Peidos.”

Peidos turned to me at my quiet call. Meeting his gentle green eyes, I slowly voiced the question that had been troubling my mind.

“What is the relationship between the Master of the Magic Tower and the former Great Saint?”

“……”

Peidos’s eyes widened before slowly returning to normal. Even though he heard my question, he responded with a long silence instead of an answer.

Feeling uncomfortable with his firmly closed lips, I fidgeted with my fingers. I began to think I might not get an answer.

[There are few people who know Peidos Carmel as well as I do.]

A man who confidently claimed to know the shield of the Holy Kingdom, who should have no connection with the Magic Tower, who shouldn’t have any connection at all. Yet Peidos knew his full name, which was not known to the public.

It was clear there was a complex story between the two that I didn’t know.

Ren Lione. The ill-fated Great Saint who passed away at a young age.

Keene Lione and Ren Lione. Was it merely a coincidence that they shared the same surname? Or was it…

“He is her younger sibling.”

“…What?”

Breaking the long silence, Peidos spoke.

“The Master of the Magic Tower is Ren’s younger sibling. It’s a fact that’s almost top secret in the Holy Kingdom.”

“……”

Although I had somewhat expected it, it was still a shocking revelation. Keene was from the Holy Kingdom? Not just from the Holy Kingdom, but a relative of someone who was once its symbol?

“When the youngest of the Lione family, Ron, passed away, he was only five years old. It was an accident that affected not only Ren but also the Master of the Magic Tower.”

“……”

The reason the former Great Saint dabbled in dark magic. According to rumors, it was because she lost her young sibling in a carriage accident.

Unable to accept her sibling’s death, she eventually resorted to forbidden magic in her determination to bring her sibling back. But the result was a complete failure. Not only did she fail to revive her sibling, but she also ended up as a cold corpse.

Ren Lione, who possessed an unprecedented level of holy power and had lived in the temple since childhood, performed many good deeds until her untimely death. Even when she tried to adapt her internal magic for dark magic, her inherently kind nature led her to use animals, not humans, as sacrifices. Perhaps this increased the likelihood of failure.

Despite attempting such a heinous act as dark magic, she garnered sympathy because her motive was to reclaim a family member who was just a child.

“After losing Ron, and then Ren so suddenly, it’s no wonder he went astray.”

“……”

However, just because his sister’s honor wasn’t greatly tarnished didn’t mean a man who lost his entire family in an instant found solace. If my memory serves me right, their parents, Count and Countess Lione, also perished about fifteen years ago during a subjugation mission, leaving him with no family.

[Even if a family member dies, they’ll live each day as if they’ve forgotten everything. Because that’s how we’re designed, humans.]

[….]

[So what’s the point.]

Thinking that I could understand that man with this would be arrogance. But I felt I could slightly grasp where his indifferent attitude stemmed from.

A world turned upside down in an instant. I, too, had already experienced everything I knew and was involved in feeling like insignificant debris.

I felt a slight sense of kinship. I finally understood why his eyes sometimes appeared gray.

“I’m sorry.”

“…What?”

Startled, I raised my head at the unexpected apology. Although the red glow of the bonfire reflected on Peidos’s cheeks, his eyes were as cold as the glaciers of the north.

“I didn’t tell you this to make you pity him. He not only threatened you but ultimately tried to kill you. There’s no need to feel sorry for him.”

“Oh…”

He seemed to think I pitied him.

He wasn’t wrong. His parents, who had dedicated their lives to the Holy Kingdom, perished on a mission for the kingdom. His sibling died in an accident caused by a temple carriage. And even his sister, who had served as the symbol of the Holy Kingdom, had died.

It was excessively harsh for one person to endure. For the first time, I felt sorry for that man.

How ironic that such a devout family would face such a tragedy. I could fully understand why he turned his back on the Holy Kingdom and the temple.

Suddenly, Peidos reached for my neck. Startled by the sudden action, I recoiled, and he quickly lowered his arm and hastily explained.

“I was just thinking it was fortunate that the wound on your neck didn’t leave a scar…”

“……”

I silently touched my neck. The skin was smooth with no trace left.

A wound. He must be referring to the knife cut I got while Keene held me hostage.

The one who treated it was none other than Keene, but Peidos would think it was treated by the priest Lisspri.

It was a misunderstanding I welcomed. In a way, it was fortunate he insisted on treatment. Otherwise, I would have had more to explain.

“Thank you for protecting the relic. His Holiness will personally commend you for this achievement.”

Even I acknowledged that it was an enormous achievement for a mere priest, especially a novice in mandatory service. Unsure of how to respond, I awkwardly smiled, and then suddenly remembered something I had forgotten.

“Oh, and actually, I saw a black lake in the cave.”

“…A black lake?”

The existence of a black lake was a serious matter, as it was noted in the prophecy as a sign of impending doom. As expected, Peidos’s face hardened. Hesitating whether to say more, I decided to reveal the rest.

“But I somehow managed to purify it…”

“…Purified it? The black lake?”

“Well, it was kind of small.”

Feeling burdened by his expression, which looked as if he was hearing a five-year-old claim to have defeated a wolven alone, I added defensively. Honestly, it was hard to believe even for me, and I began to doubt myself again.

Surely, it wasn’t a dream I had while briefly unconscious?

“Anyway, since it was a black lake, I thought I should mention it…”

“…Alright. I’ll instruct the reconnaissance team to check it out tomorrow.”

After that, an awkward silence ensued. Deep in thought, Peidos’s face showed signs of serious contemplation. Watching him, I fidgeted with my fingers and cautiously opened my mouth.

“Um, Sir Peidos.”

“……Yes.”

A delayed response came back. To lighten the mood, I asked in a deliberately more cheerful tone.

“Is it still valid that I can go home for about half a month after the expedition ends?”

He chuckled and nodded.

“Of course. You can go as soon as tomorrow.”

“I’ll do that once we find all the missing people.”

Peidos looked at me with utmost warmth, perhaps touched by my mention of the missing people. His green eyes, less burdened with worry, softened as they fully took me in. Much more relaxed than before, he asked kindly.

“What do you plan to do during those fifteen days?”

“Hm…”

What should I do? It’s a short time if you think about it, but long if you don’t.

Then I remembered it was spring. Recalling this, I grimaced and let out a groan.

“I was planning to rest with my family, but I think I need to get a dress fitted since the social season is coming up.”