Fray spoke in a tone without inflection, just as she had to Angel in childhood.
“Remember that there are quite a few who care about you, just as you keep the Emperor in check and care about him.”
Angel said sarcastically.
“Like you.”
Even at Angel’s words telling her not to care, Fray remained unwavering.
Angel knew that Fray had no interest in her. She simply treated everyone this way.
A kind demeanor and proper courtesy, unlike her indifferent face and tone.
But that line that became visible if you got just a little closer, that trained kindness, made Angel miserable and angry.
“Yes, like me.”
Nothing hurt a person more than an affirmation without emotion. Angel smiled cynically.
“Wouldn’t it be better to care about Father rather than caring about me?”
“It’s because I care about Father that I care about you. Father wouldn’t like your actions.”
Angel jumped up from her seat and shouted.
“How dare you!”
So Fray was scolding her, saying that what Angel was doing was behavior contrary to Father. Fray merely raised her head to look at Angel and continued speaking.
“That’s what I should say. Don’t you dare touch someone loved by Father. That is, if you want to maintain that position of Saintess you cherish so much.”
Angel, who had been glaring at Fray while seething, steadied her breathing. This far, she should only go this far.
There was nothing good to be gained from fighting with Fray in the temple. She was someone rumored to possibly become the next Pope, and no one in the temple dared to rebel against Fray. No matter how much she was the Saintess, she couldn’t completely antagonize Fray.
But even so, she had to give a warning. Angel forced a smile and said.
“…Even though we’ve known each other since childhood, I’d like it if you could be more courteous from now on.”
Then Fray answered indifferently.
“Sure.”
Angel corrected her words at that attitude that remained unchanged.
“What I mean is. Treat me appropriately for my position.”
Did she understand what Angel was saying? But the answer that came back wasn’t the answer Angel wanted.
“Well, the Saintess is on the same level as a High Priest, so if you want, you could speak casually to me.”
As Angel gaped in absurdity, Fray gestured as if telling her to leave.
“But you won’t do that, will you? Because you’re the type who cares about other people’s gazes.”
She hated that she couldn’t deny it, and she hated Fray’s attitude of speaking as if she knew everything about her.
Angel whirled around. From behind Angel, who was roughly opening the door, Fray’s voice was heard.
“Saintess Angel, this is the first and last warning. Don’t get entangled in worldly affairs. Focus on serving the gods.”
Angel ignored those words.
There was absolutely no need to listen to Fray’s warning, and the matter had already begun. So she could neither turn back nor stop now.
The Emperor, who had been arrogant and always relaxed, openly showing disinterest with a bored face, would soon be rolling in the mud.
‘Because I’ll make it so.’
Angel, who had been stepping forward filled with anger, suddenly recalled something and let out a sharp laugh.
She only realized it now…
The reason Angel hated Rosetta so much, the reason she wanted to see his despair so badly, was…
‘Because the two of them are alike.’
She had forgotten that when she first saw him at the founding ball in the banquet hall, she had been drawn to his appearance that resembled Fray, which led to the incident.
Brilliant golden hair, a beautiful face, the people gathered around. The great Imperial Princess receiving all the people’s gazes.
Because that resembled Fray so much.
And even the personality she learned about when she approached him, who was revealed to be an Imperial Prince at the same time he received his name from the gods.
She hated that person who was exactly the same as Fray in every way.
‘Yes, that’s why…’
Angel gritted her teeth. She thought the child who had clung to Fray, who had admired the sparkling, shining person, was gone, but Angel still couldn’t escape from her.
Angel, who had hesitated and stopped in place, soon moved her steps quickly again.
‘So what if I equate Fray with the Emperor? They’re the same people.’
If she could escape from Fray’s shadow by bringing down the Emperor, that would be enough. Whatever the reason, Angel would not stop.
***
After her conversation with Fray, Angel, who had returned to the library again, asked sharply at the sight of Root still remaining in the library.
“You haven’t left?”
Root answered while inserting the book he was holding into the shelf.
“I was just about to leave. Since I finished organizing.”
Angel gestured at the door she had just entered through and said.
“Then leave.”
Despite the utterly rude behavior, Root answered without any particular reaction while dusting off his dusty clothes.
“Yes, understood.”
Root, who she thought would just pass by Angel and leave the library, stopped in front of Angel and handed her something.
“Before that, I should give you this.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a letter from the Imperial Palace.”
A letter? Don’t tell me—how long had it been since she returned here that they were already pressing her?
The thin mask from her conversation with Fray completely shattered. Angel asked as if venting her anger.
“Why are you bringing that letter?”
“The priest who had the letter was about to follow Priest Fray and the Saintess-nim, so I took care of it.”
At those words, her lips that had been opening as if she would scream at any moment closed. If someone else had heard her conversation with Fray…
But even so, she didn’t want to express thanks.
“…Presumptuous.”
Even at Angel’s still cold attitude, Root remained composed.
“I’ll be careful in the future.”
“Go now.”
As Root left and silence descended on the library, Angel tore open the envelope.
The letter was half-torn in her rough hands, but Angel didn’t care. However, upon encountering the slightly crooked handwriting as if written by a child, she swallowed an empty breath.
“This is…”
[Hello, Angel-nim.
This is Lee Seoho.
Were you surprised by this sudden letter? I hope my letter isn’t uncomfortable for you.
Actually, I’m in the middle of studying writing. Since I was learning to write, I thought it would be good to write letters to people I know.
I heard you’re very busy, and I’m worried that we might be making things harder for you.
Still, Angel-nim is the only place we can ask for help, so all I can say is that we’re counting on you.
I have many things I want to write, but if the letter gets long, my poor skills will show even more, so I’ll end it here.
Please don’t overwork yourself, and I hope we can meet with smiling faces next time.
- The handwriting is a bit awkward, right? Since you know I’m not originally from this place, I feel a bit more at ease.]
It was a letter sent by the outsider, Seoho. The corners of her mouth trembled slightly at the postscript attached at the end, but only briefly before Angel became confused.
“Why on earth would he send this to me…”
Angel scanned the letter again.
“Hoping we can meet with smiling faces.”
It must have been a letter sent because of their last meeting. The humiliation and anger from that time.
Naturally, as strength entered her hand, the letter that had already been half-torn became completely ruined. There was no way her mood would improve from such a letter, a letter that made it so obvious why it was sent.
However, Angel, who had raised her hand to throw the letter away, ultimately tucked it into her bosom.
‘It would be troublesome if it was discovered that I threw an Imperial Palace letter on the ground. That’s why. That’s the reason.’
After finishing rationalizing while erasing the Emperor’s face that overlapped with Fray and the outsider’s clear eyes, Angel steadied her breathing and entered the stacks.
To get rid of this feeling that was somehow worse than before, she had to focus on this task.
Angel roughly pulled out a book that Root had just organized with rough hands. Ignoring the books that fell messily to the ground, Angel first examined the book in her hand.
And someone was watching Angel from afar.
***
“Yes, that person…”
Aris casually passed over the voices of people whispering. Of course, just because Aris pretended not to hear that conversation didn’t mean the sound couldn’t be heard.
On the way to the Emperor’s palace for the fourth lesson with Seoho.
A few days ago, when the Emperor announced Seoho’s existence, the rumors about him that had been hushed up under the surface began to spread widely throughout the Imperial Palace.
“Oh my!”
The reason Aris specifically said “under the surface” rather than “secret” was because he knew that some of the Imperial Palace mages working with him had already told others about Seoho despite the gag order.
Although they couldn’t talk about Seoho publicly until now because of the gag order, the situation was different now that the Emperor had officially acknowledged Seoho’s existence. As the rumors that had been considered gossip were actually confirmed, stories about Seoho were spreading one by one.
Gag order (함구령) – Order of silence
