84 The Sentinel (1/2)
FOR SOME reason, Kiho suddenly felt very irritated. In fact, he accidentally froze the teaspoon he was using to stir his tea. Why am I suddenly feeling this way?
”What's wrong, Your Grace?” Luna, who was sitting from across him, asked. ”What did the poor teaspoon did wrong for you to freeze it?”
Right now, they were back in Lord Prescott's house.
They brought Captain Sherwood's men along with them and locked them up in the basement. Before that, they made them write and send a letter to the captain with his message. He told Captain Sherwood that if he didn't give him a proper explanation before the day ended, he would kill his people.
After that, Louisa made tea for them. The head maid was the only servant that he brought along from the mansion. To be honest, he didn't think about bringing servants with them. But when he realized that he'd be alone with Luna, he changed his mind. He didn't want other people to see him with another woman and create a nasty rumor from it.
In the past, he didn't care about what other people thought about him. But now that he had a wife, he wanted to be careful of his actions and protect his family in all aspects.
”I felt irritated for some reason,” Kiho answered Luna's question after the ice in the teaspoon melted. Since it was only an accident, the ice he created was very thin that it melted by itself. ”Miss Luna, aside from the High Priest, are there other males in the temple?”
When he sent off Tilly in the temple this morning, she was fetched by priestesses. He was relieved then. But now, he realized that other priests might be in there as well.
He really didn't know much about the temple since he wasn't a religious person. Maybe it was because he grew up as an orphan. But in the past, whenever he was asked by the adults around him to pray, he would feel strange. Like he wasn't supposed to worship anything or anyone. And he didn't know why he would feel that way.
���Of course there are other men in the temple aside from His Eminence,” Luna said as if she was wondering why he asked the obvious. ”The temple is the house of priestesses and priests. Plus, since it's also the house of the saint, the Holy Knights are there as well. Are you worried that your beloved wife would be surrounded by other men?”
His cheeks burned in embarrassment, but he still nodded as a shy confession.
”With all due respect… are you stupid?”
He almost choked at the witch's direct mockery. But he knew where she was coming from so he couldn't really get angry at her.
”The High Priests, the priests, and the Holy Knights have taken a vow of celibacy,” Luna reminded him while shaking her head. ”No matter how lovely you think Lady Nystrom is, no one would hit on her in the temple.”
”You'd never know,” he countered. ”Tilly is beautiful inside and out.”
”Your Grace, how much do you love Lady Nystrom?” Luna asked seriously. ”I don't mean any harm by my question. I'm just genuinely curious. I mean, aside from being a Fire Mage, she also has the heart that Her Royal Highness wants. I know that you're very strong. But can you really protect her and your child from the whole empire?”
”I'll probably die along the way,” he admitted in a soft voice. This was the thing that he could never say to Tilly. But for some reason, he could open up to Luna. After all, the witch was someone he knew he could trust. ”I'm not that arrogant to think that I'd escape the war against the royal family unscathed. But before I die, I'll make sure that Tilly and our son would have a safe future. They are the reason I'm living. And I'm willing to die for them.”
The witch smiled sadly. ”Thank you for your honesty, Your Grace.”
”Please don't tell Tilly the things I just said,” he asked her. ”She'd be upset if she hears it.”
”I won't tell her, Your Grace,” the witch assured him. ”May I ask one more question, Duke Nystrom?”
He sipped his tea before he answered. ”Go ahead, Miss Luna.”
”What if Lady Nystrom isn't the woman in the prophecy?”
His forehead knotted in confusion. ”Tilly was able to carry my child in her womb. How can she not be the woman in the prophecy?”
”Then, let me rephrase the question,” the witch said. ”What if there's another woman who is more deserving of Lady Nystrom's place? What if one day, she suddenly shows up?”
”Even if she shows up, it wouldn't change anything,” he said firmly. ”My heart, my mind, my soul, my body, my Mana– everything belongs to Tilly now. I admit that I'm grateful to the prophecy because it led me to Tilly. But if the same prophecy would ruin my relationship with my wife, then I'd go against the heavens just to be with Tilly until the end of time.”
Luna smiled warmly. For some reason, she looked like a mother looking after her child. Was she that old for her to see him as a child? ”That's all I want to hear from you,” she said. ”I am and will always be rooting for you and Lady Nystrom.”
Kiho wasn't sure what Luna was talking about but he was relieved to confirm that she was really on their side. ”Thank you, Miss Luna.”
***
”LADY Nystrom?”
Tilly blinked several times before she turned to Lilly, the priestess who was explaining the task assigned to her. ”Yes, Miss Lilly?”
”Are you okay?” Lilly asked worriedly. ”You suddenly went as stiff as a statue.”
”I'm fine,” she assured the priestess with a smile. Then, she respectfully pointed her hands at the gold statue of the Red Phoenix. The ”apparition” that she saw disappeared when Lilly woke her up from her daze. ”I was just absorbed at how beautiful the statue is.”
The priestess smiled proudly. ”Your Grace, would you like to offer a prayer to the Four Ancient Beasts before you begin your task? We can leave the room to give you privacy.”
”Would that be alright?” she asked politely. ”I don't want to cause inconvenience to everyone.”
”Praying is important to everyone in the temple, Your Grace,” the priestess assured her. ”And as a pregnant woman, we know that you'd want to pray for the safe delivery of your child. We will give you privacy.”
”That would be nice,” she said with a smile. ”Thank you, Miss Lilly.”
”You're welcome, Lady Nystrom,” Lilly said before she bowed to her. ”Take your time praying, Your Grace.”
After saying that, Lilly asked the other priestesses to leave the room.
She politely nodded when they bid her goodbye. And once she was alone in the chamber, she stood in front of the gold statue of the Red Phoenix.
”Come out,” Tilly said to the statue while crossing her arms over her chest. ”I know I wasn't hallucinating earlier.”
A few moments later, the statue was suddenly engulfed in red flame.
Then, the handsome young man she saw earlier appeared again. This time, she had the chance to look at him properly.