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Despite not observing for a long time, Rafon accurately grasped the existence of ‘Arpel’.
The cause of all its actions was Rohan. This was also true in the story told by the priestess. If Rohan hadn’t been by his side, he would have passed by without showing even a little interest, let alone offering help.
With that damned expressionless face he had worn the entire time he faced him.
“…Perhaps.”
“Yes?”
As soon as he recalled that face, an impulse urged Rafon. The priestess, who had told him that Arpel was quite a good person, was staring at him with wide eyes.
What would happen if she knew his true identity, the truth? Would she refuse to believe it, feel betrayed, or despise that existence? He was curious about the answer she would give, but he held back.
“No. It’s nothing.”
With a smiling face, Rafon cut off the conversation and moved away from the confused-looking priestess. No. It can’t be. Meaningless murmurs flowed through his teeth several times. He clenched his fist to calm his emotions.
Don’t do unnecessary things. You just need to do as you’re told. Rafon remembered the firm voice that had warned him so.
***
Meanwhile, right after Rafon left Arpel’s side. As if on cue, Rohan, who had returned to Arpel’s side around that time, stared intently at his face. As if he could know what had happened during his absence by carefully observing that blank face.
Of course, he couldn’t expect such a thing from Arpel, whose only visible reaction was welcoming him back. Giving up on gauging his thoughts, Rohan decided to voice the questions bubbling up inside him.
“Did you meet Rafon?”
“Yes.”
“Hah…”
A straightforward answer came to the question tinged with swirling emotions. Rohan, momentarily taken aback, let out a deep sigh. He had thought it would be like this as it always had been, but still.
It bothered him. Both the guy who seemed to be approaching from time to time, guessing Arpel’s identity and trying to probe into it, and the fact that Arpel was spending time alone with someone other than himself.
He vaguely knew that Arpel treated Rafon worse than a pebble on the street, but still, what he disliked was disliked, and what made him anxious was anxious.
“From now on, I won’t leave you alone.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I promise.”
But now he didn’t have to do that anymore. Because the events of the past few days had finally come to an end.
Even Arpel, who had been pretending not to care, seemed to like that bold declaration. Whether it was because he found Rafon, who kept coming during empty times, annoying, or because he felt lonely without him… Rohan decided to think it was the latter. After all, thoughts are free.
“I don’t like it when you’re not here.”
“…Was it that obvious?”
“A little?”
If only Arpel hadn’t revealed the reason as if he had read his mind, he would have let his imagination run wild. His hand, which had stopped abruptly before reaching Arpel, briefly showed his surprise.
Had some emotion leaked out? Not without some guesses, he cleared his throat softly and scratched his cheek. It was a gesture full of embarrassment.
Of course, this didn’t last long. Rohan, grasping Arpel’s hand again, gently led him. Arpel, who had obediently followed Rohan’s gentle guidance despite the weak force, could eventually hear the words he was softly uttering.
“Owen told me. That person, he said, is quite greedy. Did Arpel know that too?”
“Yes. Because I could see it.”
Negative emotions harbored by someone. They were often easily read in Arpel’s eyes. Unlike Rohan, who could resonate with both positive and negative emotions without discrimination, the former was limited to negative emotions, and there was a condition that they had to be intense, but…
Rafon’s emotions satisfied all of these and reached Arpel. So he knew. That the person who outwardly smiled warmly was more greedy than anyone else here.
“He was famous in the imperial court too. Seems he had a bad relationship with Oscar. Looked down on him right in front of him, insulted him, spoke ill of him… Well, it might be a bit one-sided. He wanted to catch the emperor’s eye, but he didn’t like that someone with unclear status took that position.”
“Hmm.”
“I heard his usual conduct was problematic, so his reputation wasn’t good. The church has been investigating his background, and apparently, there’s quite a bit they can use to shake him. If this is exposed, even if they can’t completely exclude Rafon, they could at least expel him from the church.”
“So? Did you decide to expel him?”
Arpel occasionally responded with short sounds to Rohan’s continuous words. He only spoke up when he heard Rohan’s last statement about being able to expel him from the church.
Looking at Arpel, Rohan smiled bitterly.
“No.”
The answer was set from the beginning. What they needed to cut off was the emperor’s forces, not the person named Rafon.
Even if they drove Rafon out using the information gathered by the church, it wouldn’t be long before someone else backed by the emperor would visit the church. It was obvious. The empire had not yet escaped from the shadow of the specter, and the people were still trembling in fear.
“So we decided. To keep Rafon here and monitor him. I guess they think it’s better to have someone with transparent desires than an unknown person with uncertain tendencies.”
Instead… Next, Rohan unusually prolonged his words. The space between his subtly furrowed brows looked particularly sullen.
“…There’s a condition that there should be someone nearby who can prevent reckless actions, or at least stop them if they happen.”
“You?”
“No, us.”
Despite the voice firmly answering “us” to the question “you?”, Rohan’s face was grim. He already despised Rafon, so the thought of having to stay close to him for a long time must have seemed horrifying.
“…”
Arpel, who had been opening and closing his lips for a moment, chose to reach out and pat Rohan’s back rather than offer direct words of comfort.
Seeing that he brought this news himself, it seemed that Rohan’s opinion was also included in that decision, so even if he said now that he didn’t want to do it, the result wouldn’t change.
As expected, while Rohan grabbed Arpel’s hand stroking his back and rubbed his face against his palm, he didn’t complain.
If only the confrontation with the emperor would end quickly. Arpel’s eyes, who willingly offered his hand, were filled with sympathy.
***
To be honest, he might have been a little worried. He didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back on past days, he had similar thoughts.
However, unlike what he had worried about, Rohan performed his role perfectly.
“Everyone seems to have become quite close. Congratulations, Mr. Rafon!”
“Haha… Thank you. It’s thanks to your advice.”
To the extent that Rafon openly expressed his irritation. Even now. He didn’t know what conversation had passed between the unnamed priestess and Rafon, but his voice responding to the words of clear goodwill was subtly subdued.
Moreover, the emotion he harbored was killing intent. All of this served as evidence that Rafon was not pleased with the situation.
“It’s been too long, Arpel!”
“…Yes. It has been a while.”
Meanwhile, he answered plainly to the priestess who, after giving a light greeting to Rohan, also greeted him saying it had been a long time. It was an unfamiliar face he didn’t recognize, but thanks to his tone devoid of emotion, it wasn’t noticeable.
As soon as the priestess who had exchanged brief greetings moved away, Rafon opened his mouth.
“…How long do you intend to follow me?”
“Hmm, let’s see. It’s still far from dinner time… The weather is nice and the breeze is pleasant, so if you don’t mind, how about having a cup of tea together?”
“I’d love to join you, but unfortunately, I have some business to attend to.”
“What business?”
“I made a separate appointment with Priest Gail. I agreed to help with his work.”
“Ah, him.”
If you mean him, I just met and spoke with him separately. He gladly gave permission, saying it was no problem.
In simple terms, it meant he had arbitrarily canceled the appointment. Despite frankly revealing this fact, Rohan’s face remained nonchalant. For a moment, the smile that had been lingering on Rafon’s lips briefly wavered. As if he was gritting his teeth, the corners of his mouth curled strangely.
“Mr. Rohan, that’s…”
The voice that finally flowed out was intense. Undisguised anger was soaking through it. It was a fact that could be known even without trying to read the fragments of emotion.
Surprisingly, this didn’t last long. Rafon, who seemed about to raise his voice, abruptly shut his mouth. It seemed that even if he was seething with anger, he wasn’t blind. He also seemed to have belatedly recognized the ordinary priests circling around.
He had fallen right into his own trap of trying to lead the atmosphere among the ordinary priests.
“…I understand. It would be my honor.”
In the end, a reluctant permission flowed from Rafon’s lips. Rohan, who was staring at Rafon’s forehead that seemed to be struggling not to frown, smiled triumphantly.
The one-sided relationship of wariness and probing had long since come to an end. Arpel, who had been observing the two with emotionless eyes, had the corners of his mouth lift slightly. It was a change in expression that Rafon had also noticed.
“…Haha.”
Letting out a short, hollow laugh, he clenched his fist tightly. At the same time, the killing intent swirling around Rafon intensified. Although Arpel knew better than anyone that he was the target of that emotion, he naturally brushed it off.
For Arpel, Rafon had long been defined as someone not worth paying attention to.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
