LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 45
Chapter 45
Even the original work failed to explain how Kashmir was born between the brothel’s courtesan and the duke. The birth of a disposable villainess wasn’t a significant plot point. Narrowing my brow, I dismissed any doubts by thinking that this wasn’t what mattered right now.
‘While I recalled my past life and figured it all out… what on earth is she?’
I gazed at Elle with incredulous eyes. It was astonishing to think that with just those small clues, the mercenary Mir had discovered that she was the Princess of Crisis. As I stared blankly, Elle smiled and raised her wrist slightly. A mark of the Sun’s Oath was engraved on it.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone else.”
Having sworn the Oath of the Sun, I didn’t suspect Elle. With softened eyes, I watched as he tilted his head closer to mine.
“I’m happy that Mir is the Princess of Crisis.”
Uncontainable joy sparkled in his silver eyes. It was excessively beautiful, and it left me mesmerized.
“…Why?”
At my dazed question, Elle smiled slowly and began to glide to the upbeat rhythm. He wrapped his arm firmly around my waist and leaned forward.
My waist bent, our chests pressed against each other. Even though it was merely a flawless move in the overarching dance, his face suddenly came close, leaving me flustered.
“Now I can see you unmasked.”
A whisper brushed my ear. His lips curled into a captivating smile.
Elle, who seemed innocently naïve, appeared to be fully aware of his own beauty.
‘Damn… this guy really…’
While his poker face remained intact, I sensed a slight flush at the tips of my ears. I inhaled deeply, trying to maintain my composure.
“To think you predicted I might be the Princess of Crisis based on that little information, impressive.”
“Well, I’m more remarkable than you think, Mir.”
Elle deflected the conversation nonchalantly while revealing his pride. Wearing a smile, he suddenly grew serious.
“Actually, the reason I came here today is to convey a message.”
It was only as the dance reached its conclusion that Elle finally got to the point. I narrowed my eyes ever so slightly.
“You know that a delegation from the Atara Kingdom is coming soon, right?”
“Yes. The king ascended the throne not long ago…”
“Be cautious of that delegation.”
“Yes?”
Elle’s serious advice made me more serious too, and I wore a grave expression.
“Is there a problem with the Atara Kingdom’s delegation?”
“There may be a madman among them.”
“……What?”
Momentarily doubting my hearing, I blinked. Elle still looked serious.
“Don’t engage with that madman. He could harm Mir. If he sticks to you, cut him off quickly, and if that doesn’t work, eliminate him. It might cause a ruckus diplomatically, but Duke Caesar will handle it afterward. I’ll help with the aftermath too.”
“Who… who is this person?”
Seeing my confusion about the flow of the conversation, Elle sighed.
“I can’t tell you who it is… but anyway, one of them will cling to Mir as soon as they see you. Don’t let it distract you.”
From start to finish, it was all so puzzling, but I nodded along.
‘In the original, there was a big incident caused by the delegation from the Atara Kingdom.’
Knowing the original plot, I was bracing myself for the approaching storm. Elle’s expression relaxed a bit.
The waltz transitioned into its finale. After a graceful turn, the song came to an end.
“Thank you for dancing with me, Mir.”
“Not at all. It was an honor to join you, Elle.”
Just as I casually released his hand—
TTTT—
Elle firmly grasped my falling hand.
‘How does he know my nickname…?’
I was surprised at the nickname that slipped from his lips, and pulling my hand, he pressed his lips against the back of it.
With a light sound, his lips departed. He blinked at me and smiled sadly.
“When we meet again… even if I look different, don’t be too surprised. My feelings for you, Shushu, will never change.”
Leaving behind a strange farewell, Elle turned and vanished. His white priest outfit fluttered like waves. As I stared at his retreating figure, I suddenly glanced down at the spot where his lips had just touched my hand.
‘Light blue hair…?’
Picking at the hair that stuck to my skin, I discovered it was indeed a strand of Elle’s hair, clearly shimmering blue.
The partner of the debutante ball that took place in the heart of winter, Elle disappeared, leaving behind only a trace of sky-blue hair, a symbol of the Pope.
A month had passed since the debutante ball. That month had been busy for both me and Aria.
Unlike my debutante filled with chaos and destruction, Aria’s was quite successful. Immediately after her debut, she received a flurry of invitations, expanding her status in the social circle. I was impressed by how well she was doing as someone’s sister.
“As expected, Harnes is trending among the young ladies! The initial batch sold out in two days! The body chains are a bit slower, but sold out within five days! It’s a complete success! More young ladies are ordering custom outfits from Catherine’s Tailoring Shop! This is all thanks to the Young Lady!”
Perhaps due to the profitability of Caesar and Karl’s harnesses and Aria’s promotion, the business was thriving. I spent time chatting excitedly with Catherine about the distribution of profits, adjusting Aria’s and my outfits at the tailoring shop.
“I see you again, Princess.”
Julian also came to visit Crisis Mansion. Of course, he didn’t barge in crazily. Caesar invited Julian to activate the Oath of the Sun.
The Oath of the Sun became necessary because the journalists and servants had discovered that I was Mir.
‘I have a plan.’
‘Yes.’
‘Right. You must have some thoughts. Go ahead as you wish.’
Under the serious conversation with Caesar, I confessed that I didn’t want to reveal I was Mir just yet.
There were many enemies to Mir. Not wanting me to be in danger, Caesar and I decided to keep it a secret through the Oath of the Sun. The loyal servants of Crisis readily agreed to proceed with the Oath of the Sun.
To vow with dozens of people at once required someone of the vice-high priest level, so Caesar invited vice-high priest Julian to the mansion. When I reluctantly revealed to Julian that I was Mir for the sake of the oath, his reaction was unexpectedly stoic.
“Oh, so the Princess is the warrior king Mir. How shocking? I might not be able to eat dinner tonight because I’m too surprised.”
His nonchalant voice was so incredulous that I felt I’d have to dig into Julian’s background sooner or later.
“I haven’t seen you since the debutante ball. I hope you have been well.”
“Thank you for your concern. I was doing well.”
“I heard that the Princess has started a business. It’s been quite the sensation at our temple. Some priests wore it and faced bans for being indecent, leading to some entering through the back doors to trade them in. Can you believe someone even suggested making harnesses formal accessories for the priest outfits? All the vice-high priests were struggling with the harness ban, and lo and behold, this morning, His Holiness wore a harness to mass! That crazy, no, our beloved Holiness must be…”
Julian was sociable to say the least, and annoyingly chatty to say the most. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I stared at this fish out of water, even if my ears were a little sore.
“…Sister. Do you like that guy?”
“That guy is absolutely off-limits.”
While I quietly listened to Julian’s rambles, Aria and Karl, who had come to seek the Oath, threw serious questions my way. I merely shook my head with a smile.
The oath was conducted collectively, including vice-high priest Julian.
Given the possibility that a formal oath leading to instant death would strain Julian’s divine power, we proceeded with informal vows, promising that if anyone spilled the secret, they would suffer petrification curses.
“I’ll ensure that the offerings are sent directly to the temple. Whatever amount you’re thinking, it will be more than enough.”
After the oath, Caesar spoke bluntly at Julian. The way Caesar behaved when looking at others was always chilling, making it awkward to watch.
“As a compassionate servant of Ra, how can I ask for a reward? I would appreciate just a cup of tea.”
With a benevolent smile, Julian’s violet eyes turned toward me, his gaze sweetly narrowing.
“If you don’t mind, how about the Princess of Kashmir Crisis?”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“You seem to be speaking like a dog in a human’s mouth.”
As I guarded myself against Julian’s remarks, both Karl and Aria standing on either side of me simultaneously voiced forth warnings. Given their tone, it felt as if discord between the temple and the duke’s mansion was imminent, prompting me to rush to block them.
“I sincerely apologize, Vice-High Priest. As a token of my remorse, I’ll serve the tea personally. Maria, bring the tea set to the reception room.”
“Sister!”
“Aria.”
Seeing my stern expression, Aria bit her lip and retreated. I felt sorry for Aria, but since I planned to meet him eventually, this was my opportunity. While Karl looked displeased, I led Julian to the reception room.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect you to really serve me.”
“My kin made mistakes; what could I not do?”
“Except that, it feels like you have another reason.”
As expected.
Julian’s sly smile prompted me to respond with my own grin. I figured he wasn’t as airheaded as he appeared.
“There’s something I’d like to ask.”
Adding with feigned nonchalance, Julian chuckled as he quickened his steps.
I liked perceptive individuals, so I thought there might be a chance I’d become decent friends with Julian.
Giggling complacently, I poured hot water over a ruby-decorated teapot slowly. The thick chamomile aroma filled the room. Remembering what I learned about brewing tea recently, I poured the perfectly steeped tea into the teacups.
“It’s an honor to drink the tea you brewed, Princess.”
“The honor is mine, since I get to share tea time with you, Vice-High Priest.”
After exchanging formal pleasantries, an odd silence fell upon us, one that wasn’t tense but rather tranquil. After sipping tea for the third time, I stared intently at Julian. He was gazing back at me.
‘He’s really good-looking.’
With neatly groomed short silver hair, his subtly shimmering lilac eyes looked as if fairy dust had been sprinkled on them. The delicate and smooth contour of his face was breathtaking. After briefly admiring his beauty, I took another sip of tea before speaking.
“It seems you called me here for something you wanted to say.”
“You’re sharp. That’s right. But let’s hear Princess’s questions first.”
A current ran between his sparkling pink irises and the lightly shining lilac ones. While it could’ve been a battle of nerves, we were both too relaxed without any ill intentions toward each other, so it felt more like a light probing.
“It’s a trivial question. It isn’t urgent, just personal.”
“I’m willing to answer anything to the extent I’m able.”
I waved the white flag first, and Julian chuckled, putting down his teacup. After pondering his words, he slowly spoke.
“What I want to ask is whether it’s possible to falsely execute the Oath of the Sun.”
“……The Oath of the Sun?”
Julian frowned, looking perplexed. The Oath of the Sun is absolute. I knew how foolish my question was, so I felt a bit embarrassed and nodded my head.
“Are you perhaps doubting the oath executed just a while ago…?”
“Of course not. I made a similar oath about a month ago; I was just wondering if it could be forged.”
I still felt anxious about the oath I took with Elle. He certainly seemed like a good person, but everything he said and did was odd. Every time he looked at me, the desire flickering in his silver eyes came to mind, and my lips pursed tightly.
“Oh, could it be…?”
Julian’s expression turned increasingly strange, and at some point, he began to twitch at the corners of his mouth. He covered his mouth with his hand, twisting his body away. His shoulders began to shiver.
“Hehehe… Ha-ha-haha!”
Julian started laughing uncontrollably.