First, she had to look for whether there were any other materials related to this incident. Although she was almost certain, there might be materials she hadn’t discovered yet.
‘Leaving the imperial palace isn’t necessarily a bad thing.’
She was the only one who could see the thread of destiny, and it seemed she was probably also the only one who could sense that energy a moment ago. It wouldn’t be bad to return to the temple and hear news of the anxious Emperor.
‘It’s regrettable that I can’t see it directly with my own eyes, but still…’
Angel suddenly raised her lowered head, then flinched in surprise at the presence before her eyes.
“Saintess-nim, did something good happen?”
What was in front of her was Puti. His face was full of suspicion.
Angel knew how it must look to be smiling like this when such a thing had just happened. Angel answered while trying her best to find composure.
“No, don’t they say good things happen when you smile? I’m consciously trying to smile.”
She knew it was a ridiculous excuse and knew that Puti was perceptive, but Angel didn’t care.
‘I’ll be leaving anyway.’
By the time Rosetta felt suspicious, she would already be leaving the imperial palace and heading to the temple. Without evidence, Rosetta wouldn’t be able to do anything to her at the temple just because he found her suspicious. Angel smiled brightly and said.
“Why are you remaining here, Puti?”
Puti, who had been looking at Angel with eyes full of suspicion, bowed his head.
“I was going to help you prepare to leave.”
Angel accepted Puti’s kindness, which she would normally have refused.
“I see. Then will you help me prepare?”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
Puti took the lead and moved his feet as he spoke.
“Saintess-nim, His Majesty was too harsh earlier, wasn’t he?”
Was that behavior that could be glossed over with the word ‘harsh’? Angel, who had been glaring at Puti’s back, answered with only her voice gentle.
“No. He must have been like that because he was so worried.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“It’s truly surprising and delightful that His Majesty has gained such a precious person.”
It would be truly delightful to see the Emperor lose such a precious person.
“Right? So we’re also doing our best to assist him.”
Puti’s answer was peculiar. As expected, he had clearly felt something suspicious in Angel’s expression earlier. Angel spoke in a voice mixed with laughter.
“Is that so? I’m envious of Seoho-nim. To have so many people thinking of him.”
“Of course. He’s His Majesty’s destiny. He’ll gain even more in the future. Not just servants like me, but he’ll also receive love from higher people.”
What did that mean? Was he talking about nobles? Or… Father?
Angel quickly erased the thought that had just occurred to her. It was nonsense. Her father’s love.
Did he think that was something so easily received?
‘Something even I couldn’t obtain? What nonsense.’
Angel answered while hiding her sneer.
“…Yes, of course that will be so.”
“It would be even better if Saintess-nim also looked at Seoho-nim that way.”
It was a trivial warning. Angel pretended not to notice that warning and let it pass.
“Oh my, of course. I like Seoho-nim very much too. He’s a very kind person.”
“Yes, that’s right. So I hope only good things happen to him.”
Puti, who turned to Angel with a foolish smile on his face, reached out and opened the door for her. Before they knew it, the two had arrived at her room.
“Since you’ll be coming back, shall we pack your luggage lightly?”
He spoke well while not welcoming Angel’s return.
‘Well, this time it’s what I want too.’
Angel answered with a subtle smile.
“Yes, please.”
Hiding their true feelings from each other, the two exchanged smiles.
***
Seoho, who arrived at the room with Rosetta, quietly looked at him. Perhaps sensing Seoho’s gaze, Rosetta turned to him.
“Seoho.”
“Yes.”
“You were a bit surprised, weren’t you?”
Seoho answered honestly.
“I was.”
“That’s how we originally are. I’ve been treating her a bit gently because I was worried things might go wrong for you, but situations like this happen often, so you don’t need to worry.”
It seemed he had noticed that Seoho was flustered by the sudden atmosphere in the drawing room.
‘Knowing that, he still acted that way—was he not being considerate of me? Or was he that angry?’
Though he hadn’t spent that long a time with Rosetta, he wasn’t someone who was inconsiderate of Seoho.
‘Then he must have been that angry.’
Seoho organized his thoughts and asked.
“This behavior isn’t causing harm to Rosetta, is it?”
“Right.”
“Well, then that’s fine.”
“You’re not disappointed?”
“In what?”
“I was a bit forceful.”
Seoho pondered for a moment before answering.
“That’s true, but… Well, couldn’t we think of it as each giving and taking a blow?”
Rosetta’s expression became strange. Seeing that face, Seoho let out a faint smile.
“I don’t think I know everything about Rosetta. We really haven’t met that long ago. Rosetta says you’ve been watching me, but I haven’t.”
“…That’s right.”
He thought he understood the reason for the awkward answer that came back.
‘Did he think I would criticize him?’
Seoho basically lived while keeping morals and maintaining courtesy, but he was human anyway.
It meant that while watching Angel get unilaterally treated that way today, he ended up being more concerned about Rosetta, with whom he had a connection.
‘That’s not to say I’m not concerned about Angel at all, though.’
Seoho spoke with a calm face.
“It’s too short a time to get to know each other, so I don’t think it’s strange to discover different sides of Rosetta.”
Rosetta closed his eyes and called Seoho as if muttering.
“Seoho…”
“Yes?”
“Seoho, you really make a person anxious.”
Seoho asked back.
“…I don’t understand what you mean?”
“You’re so kind, but on the other hand, you seem cold-hearted too.”
What on earth did this mean?
‘Is he insulting me?’
But to call it an insult, Rosetta’s stiff face had softened gently.
‘What?’
Perhaps because they originally didn’t communicate well, Seoho often found it hard to fully understand Rosetta’s words like this.
As Seoho was trying to interpret his words, Rosetta abruptly changed the topic.
“By the way, Seoho. Since Angel is leaving the palace, I’m thinking of revealing your existence to the palace and the nobles. A state council meeting will be held soon.”
A state council meeting—it was a curious term, but Seoho decided to ask about something more important first.
“What changes when you reveal my existence?”
“There won’t be big changes, but first of all, you’ll be free to move around the palace, right?”
It seemed there wouldn’t be major changes.
“I see. Do whatever is comfortable for Rosetta.”
Once again, Rosetta’s expression changed subtly. But still, he didn’t look angry. So Seoho carefully suggested.
“In exchange, Rosetta, would it be okay if I personally write a letter to Angel?”
No matter how uncomfortable he felt about Angel, no matter that Angel had been the one to subtly provoke first, it couldn’t be pleasant to watch someone be unilaterally treated that way.
“…So you were disappointed in me earlier after all.”
Was it a bit too soon to bring up Angel now? But the longer such things were postponed, the worse they got. As his face grew rapidly gloomy, Seoho added.
“I’m not disappointed. But it’s better to work efficiently, isn’t it?”
Seoho felt sorry for Angel, but he wasn’t writing a letter just out of apologetic feelings toward her.
‘Because I need Angel’s help.’
Although it had been glossed over because of the divine power, that dream was definitely not an ordinary dream. So the information Angel would bring was absolutely necessary.
Seoho shrugged his shoulders lightly and added.
“I’m still clumsy at writing, so I’ll ask Aris and write the letter together. I’d like Rosetta to help me from the side too, about what to write.”
Rosetta, who had been hesitating for a moment, examined Seoho’s expression thoroughly, then nodded slowly.
“Alright, do that.”
Although he had permitted writing a letter to Angel, seeing that Rosetta still showed a gloomy mood, Seoho decided to postpone the letter for a while.
‘I can’t write a letter by myself anyway. I need to think about the content too.’
Since sending a letter today to Angel, who would obviously be agitated, might rather provoke anger, it seemed better for the letter to arrive after her emotions had settled to some degree.
“I’ll write the letter anyway when I have lessons with Aris, so shall we rest for today?”
“Hm?”
“Rosetta, your smile is awkward. If you really don’t want to send the letter, I don’t have to. I’m just doing it to ease my own mind.”
“Is it awkward?”
Rosetta raised his hand and stroked his face. Seoho tilted his head and answered.
“I knew when you were smiling fakely sometimes.”
“How?”
“Because it doesn’t sparkle.”
“What?”
Rosetta looked at Seoho as if asking what that meant, but Seoho couldn’t really give a proper explanation.
That was because this was just a kind of feeling.
Rosetta’s eyes emitted a sparkling light whenever he looked at him. But sometimes they didn’t.
When meeting Angel, when meeting Puti, and when smiling at him occasionally today.
Seoho pondered for a moment before saying.
“Um, it’s intuition.”
Rosetta answered while stroking his face with his hand with a troubled expression.
“I didn’t think you’d notice.”
At that perplexed face, Seoho spoke casually.
“Well, I don’t think that’s bad either.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
He had thought this before too, but everyone wore masks. Seoho did too.
