Chapter 85

Chapter 85

My heart’s beating so fast. You finally visited! I’ve been waiting for you to come since yesterday!

I thought you wouldn’t come at all!

“I’ll be there soon!”

“Big Bunny. Who is it that makes you so excited?”

Rere tilted her head as she watched me leap from my seat.

“Someone that might be able to help us?”

“Help us?”

“Yeah, Rere! Mom will be right back, so can you be a good girl and wait here calmly?”

“…I don’t know. I can’t even go out and play….”

Rere grumbled with a gloomier expression than ever today.

“Just leave. I don’t care.”

“Rere..”

“You’ve been trying to leave me all the time these days, so I don’t care anymore! Just leave forever!”

It didn’t help that the child was already stressed enough because she couldn’t play outside.

“Rere.”

“Hmmph?”

“My dear Rere?”

“Hmm. What is it?”

“Do you want to come with me?”

“No, Huh? Come with you? Really? Really?!”

Rere’s eyes instantly lit up like a firewood thrown in a furnace.

“Yes!”

Only then did her face regain its light.

“Can I really go too? Hmm?”

“Although you can’t go out, I think this much should be okay.”

“Yeaah! right! It’s not like I’m not allowed to meet people, right? Awyeah! Let’s go! The guest is waiting!”

Rere jumped from her seat and extended her hand in a hurry. So I naturally held her hand.

“Lead the way.”

As soon as we were ready, the servant did not hesitate to guide us. Not only Rere, but the nanny and the maids also quietly tagged along with us.

I was going to go quietly, but it felt like I was on a huge trip. But Rere seemed to be in a better mood than ever.

Rere, who seemed to be dispirited by the constant rain, even hummed a tune.

***

A man in white priest’s uniform sitting with his back against the door was being attended to by the servants.

“Sir, the Duchess is here.”

He didn’t even turn his head at the news. Rather, the knight who was busy looking around the surroundings slowly approached me.

“I’ll have to check you for a while.”

How absurd. Check me? In my own house?!

So I stepped back before he could even come near me.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to check if there’s something that may endanger the High Priest.”

“….How absurd. If that’s the case, then get out.”

“…Pardon?”

“How can a guest come and inspect me in my own house?”

What nonsense.

“But….”

“Rather, shouldn’t I be the one to inspect you? Even so, I wouldn’t be as rude as you guys.”

The High Priest, who was looking over the window, slowly turned around.

“That’s right. Didn’t I tell you not to do that?”

“Your Holiness….but according to the protocol….”

The bewildered knight alternated looking at me and the High Priest.

“Even if it’s according to the protocol, you have to consider the situation. Moreover, didn’t I particularly tell you not to do it when I go to see the Duchess?”

“……”

“I must see the Duchess no matter what today, and if we were kicked out because of you….surely there’ll be interesting rumors floating around.”

The High Priest smiled candidly.

“Y-Your Holiness….but it could still be dangerous…..”

“You won’t budge no matter what I say, huh? If you want it so badly, go ahead and conduct the inspection. That way, all of us will be kicked out of here, and I will lose my only chance to talk to the Duchess. At last, there’ll be some nasty rumors all over the Empire.”

At his words, the knight sighed deeply and bowed his head.

“I understand. I apologize for crossing the line. I won’t proceed with the inspection.”

The knight mumbled quietly as if someone pushed him from behind. He then took a step back after finishing his apology.

“Well then, get out of here. The Duchess and I have something to talk about.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“Lloyd. Will you only come to your senses after you see me getting kicked out of here?”

Only then did the knight bow his head and left.

“Haa, he’s quite frustrating, isn’t he? Forget that, how have you been, Duchess?”

“As you can see.”

“Who’s that uncle?”

“Rere, he’s the High Priest.”

Rere looked at him with wide open eyes.

“Daddy said the High Priest was a swindler. I guess it’s true then.”

“Um, huh?”

“You looked like a swindler just now.” Rere giggled and stared straight at the High Priest. A five-year-old said it with a poker face.

“Rere, you mustn’t say something like that.”

“Ah! I see! Then I’ll do it secretly next time. I will only whisper to Big Bunny’s ears!”

I was a little bewildered by Rere’s absurd comment.

“Haha. You’re such a cute child.”

“Do you mind if my child stays with me?”

“Of course. Ah, my guard was being a nuisance so I sent him out. He was too meticulous about everything, you see. I hope you don’t think badly of him. There are not many people left in the temple who work so earnestly like him.”

He looked out the window with a lonely gaze.

“I see.”

“He’s a good man who does whatever I tell him to do. Anyway, I didn’t intend to take up a lot of your time by coming here.”

Without even thinking of sitting down, the High Priest bent down and made eye contact with Rere.

“I’ve heard stories about the Princess before.”

“Well, I’m sure it’s not quite a pleasant one.”

“No way. It’s about the birth story of the most precious and lovable princess in this Empire. Every child born in this Empire is blessed by the temple. But it was a little strange.”

“Strange?”

“She seemed a little bigger than kids her age. When the Princess was one year old, I visited the mansion to soothe her…. she looked quite different from kids her age.”

At his sudden remark, I quickly hunkered down on the floor to hug Rere.

“What is that supposed to mean….”

“But you look like a kid your age now.”

“….Did I look bigger? Really?”

“Yes. I’m sure you did.”

“Wow. Do you know anything else about me? I don’t know because Daddy didn’t tell me anything, and there’s no maid I could ask either.”

Rere pouted with her tiny mouth and ran to the High Priest.

“Hmmm? What else?”

“Umm….you were very adorable back then. That’s what I remember. You were pretty talkative for a one-year-old.”

“That’s because Rere is smart. And Rere has always been adorable!”

“That’s right. I will tell you if I remember anything else.”

“Okay! I disliked you at first because you made my mom angry, but now I like you a little!”

Rere smiled broadly and ran back to my arms. No wonder Rere seemed hostile to him, turned out it was because of me.

“But contrary to your sweet words, didn’t the temple try to dig into Rere’s birth for the purpose of uncovering the truth?”

“….I can’t deny that people in the temple have been trying to dig into the Duchy in order to keep the Duke in check. This has been going on for a long time.”

The High Priest heaved a deep sigh as if he had given up everything.

“There are things that can’t be fixed no matter how hard I try. Just because I’m the High Priest doesn’t mean I have complete control over everything.”

The man couldn’t hide the loneliness in his eyes and tried to change the mood.

“But other than seeing your face, I came here today to give the Duchess permission about your request last time. After all, I personally wrote some of these records, so it’s not like I can trust others.”

He held out a small medal from his arms.

“This necklace bears the name of the High Priest that grants you permission for everything in the temple.”

“Why didn’t you just call me to give me this?”

“Because a lot of people want to see me.”

In other words, it was troublesome for you.

“People seem to be bothering you a lot.”

“Although it was the high priest’s duty to serve people, it saddened me how people in this world like to step over the lines. I used to give my best shot to everything, but now I just want to let everything go.”

The loneliness emerged on his face again, and he walked closer to stroke Rere’s head.

“But I can’t do that as I still have some greed left, you see. Anyway, I’m glad I came here. Because there won’t be any problem even if you use it in public.”

I fiddled with the medal he gave me for a long time.

“It’s a lot easier than I thought. I expected that I’d have to go through a complicated process first. Perhaps, if you need money….”

“No need for that. I just wish to see the Duchess and the lovely little Princess often in the temple.”

“Hmph. I’ll try to persuade my daddy to do that. I can’t help it that I’m so popular~”

Rere quickly took the medal from my hand excitedly.

“This medal looks so expensive!”

“I’ll bring it to you next time, Princess.”

Unconditional kindness. I felt uncomfortable seeing the High Priest being exceptionally nice to us.

Nevertheless, it was more important for me to accept his kindness.

“Thank you. Then I will see you soon.”

“Yes. I’ll be waiting.”

“Thank you again.”

“It’s nothing,”

The High Priest smiled and looked me in the eyes for a long time.

“Instead, if you feel grateful to me, would you do me a favor later?”

“A favor?”

“It’s not a difficult favor.”

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