She didn't intend to ask this question to test Alisto, but waiting for his delayed response made thoughts race through her head.
‘Is it possible that the temple sent the Crown Prince the news that was supposed to be sent to me first?’
The possibility was very real.
Since she was currently staying at the Crown Prince's Palace, the temple might send the news to him first out of imperial decorum… Is that possible?
The governor's message had reached her directly before.
But that letter arrived in her room without passing through anyone's hands, and using a strange magic that made it not burn, so let us consider it an exception.
Honestly, her complete ignorance of palace or temple protocols was making her even more upset.
At the thought that Alisto might know the content of the revelation, anxiety rose within her as well.
'Is it possible...'
Does he need to turn back time for something?
What will Alisto answer?
The man, who did not notice her eagerness and bitter wait, did not open his mouth for a long time even after he finished preparing the petal tea and poured it into a clean glass cup.
Eventually, Atha's patience ran out and she reminded him of her question again: "I asked you if you had heard anything about the revelation.
And you have not answered me yet, Your Highness."
She pretended to be as calm as possible, but her insides were already half burned and charred.
***
When the Saint asked if he had heard anything about the revelation, Alisto at first wanted to answer that he knew nothing, but something made him feel strangely disturbed.
Why does he feel as if the saint is asking when she already knows the answer?
As he saw her urging him to answer with troubled facial expressions, his doubts were further strengthened.
She seemed to already know her ability.
'She's testing me to see if I know her ability or not.'
Moreover, the Saint seemed to have no desire to reveal her ability.
In a situation like this, should he feign ignorance as you wish?
both.
Feigning ignorance may seem like a temporary solution, but it will hurt your sanity in the long run.
You will remain in constant anxiety, wondering, “Will my situation be revealed today?
Or tomorrow?”
She will certainly suffer from intense pressure until the revelation is announced five days later.
She's already severely malnourished, and he can't let her skip meals and just sleep again.
Alisto made up his mind, put the tea cup down, then spoke in a very serious tone: “Yes.
I have heard about the revelation.”
He watched the movement of her throat as she swallowed her saliva with difficulty, then he said in a low voice as if he was reciting a hymn: “The power that has been given to you is to turn back time.
It is a tremendous power that cannot be compared to any of the previous saints.”
As he spoke, he carefully observed her facial expressions.
As expected.
She swallowed with an expression that looked as if the sky had split above her head.
These were not the features of someone who was surprised and confused to hear a truth for the first time.
Rather, she was closer to fear and anxiety that her matter would be revealed.
As doubt turned into certainty, he gradually began to feel angry.
“Miss Atha seemed to know too.”
***
“Hoo…”
Cedric breathed a sigh of relief.
Since coming to the capital, he had always dreamed of having a suite on the third floor of the Blossom Palace.
Not only did he wish to be on the same floor as Atha, he needed proof of the Crown Prince's deep trust in him in order to interrupt Dalbert.
Of course, he didn't think it would be easy.
And yet—
Thanks to his constant expressions of gratitude for eliminating the pirates—Dalbert's old demand—and his undying loyalty to the Crown Prince, as well as his surrender of much of the profits from opening sea routes, he finally got the result he wanted.
He had been assigned a work space as well as a personal room on the second floor of the Blossom Mansion.
Moreover, Cedric and the Dalbert nobles had a luxurious banquet at Blossom shortly after the meeting ended.
After Gerold positively accepted Cedric's requests, he held this banquet to strengthen bonds with the residents of Blossom in the future.
Thanks to this, Sir Hauser and Baron William—who had argued at the beginning of the meeting—found time to reconcile over a drink.
It was Sir Howser of Blossom who first extended the hand of peace.
“Oh my God, Mr.
Baron, I have lived my whole life winning and losing with my tongue, so as soon as I sit down at the conference table, I automatically start calculating.”
At first, Baron William seemed uncomfortable with Sir Hauser approaching him so casually.
“Well...hmm, is that so?”
But while Baron William could not show his displeasure under Cedric's observing gaze, Hauser continued: "I saw today that all the southern sailors have warm and honest hearts.
For people in your midst, you must have seen me as a petty person who only pursues interests.
I know it, believe me."
Then Sir Howser, who was beginning to feel the ecstasy of drinking, clinked his glass with Baron William's.
Baron William drank his cup in one go with an expression that seemed more relaxed than before.
Sir Hauser smiled modestly, and began to praise Dalbert's nobility.
“I did not know that the people of Dalbert were so chivalrous and entrepreneurial.
I am very happy and grateful to have met you today and to know that.”
With drinks, delicious food, and compliments from an official diplomat who owned a suite on the third floor of Blossom, Baron William had no choice but to gradually improve his mood.
"It has nothing to do with gratitude.
I also didn't expect to eat with people who do great deeds for the empire immediately after arriving in the capital.
It's an honor for me."
“How humble you are!
When sea trade officially begins, we will spend a long time together in Dalbert until the project is finished, so please take care of us.”
***
Alisto's eyes drifted.
'And yet, you lie and say that you don't know anything about the revelation, and that you want to go to the temple to find out?'
'Ah.
Was this the reason?'
'You came to the office and said that you wanted to see me, and suggested that we go for a walk to distract me, and then suddenly grabbed my hand to steal my heart?!'
'Were all these games just for this moment?'
He suddenly felt a disappointment that was difficult to describe, or perhaps a feeling of emptiness.
'What a bold woman'
He felt angry towards the saint who visited him and touched him physically carelessly for her own purpose.
Okay.
Although he felt resentment, he did not reach the point of hating her or considering her abhorrent.
It was just anger and nothing more.
He understood her desire to hide her strength or weakness.
Although it is emotionally distressing, it is logically acceptable for it to happen.
The problem is more than her.
How pathetic it is for him to be carried away by the smiles of a beautiful woman and her holding his hand, and feel his heart palpitations like a fool.
He gathered his feelings first.
He must come to his senses now, and find out what the Saint needed to use her ability.
“If the revelation becomes known, those who covet Miss Atha’s ability will become more numerous.
I do not want your ability to be taken advantage of.”
Hearing his words, Saint Saint thought about something deeply and then suddenly asked: “You're saying you don't want my ability to be put to bad use?”
He nodded.
“So I don’t want Miss Atha to visit the temple.
It is certain that someone knows the oracle in the temple, and I don’t want you to be exposed to danger.”
Throughout his speech, Alisto deliberately kept his feelings aside.
He didn't want to think that the "compassionate" saint was nice...
He felt that feelings would not help him in this situation.
It was easy to introduce reason and logic.
It had always been easy for him, and it became easier when he saw the Saint fail to control her facial expressions once he started testing her.
She looked stiff in deep thought, to the point that he felt as if he could hear the gears of her mind turning.
The sight of her seemed unsatisfactory to him, causing him to be able to strip emotion from his voice.
But—
Suddenly, the Saint who had been blinking dully raised her head to meet his eyes.
She asked a question he did not expect: “You don’t want me to be exposed to danger?
Why?”
Her eyes, which were dull, sparkled with a sparkle of vitality, as if she was waiting for a certain answer.
Alisto felt as if he had been attacked by surprise, and he was startled.
“Isn't this normal?”
The saint then tilted her head and asked again: “You said that you were worried that my ability would be misused.
So, isn’t it enough that the ability is not taken advantage of, regardless of whether I am in danger or not?”
At that moment, images of evil people coveting her ability, arresting her, and torturing her came to his mind.
Immediately, Alisto's features wrinkled with anger.
His thoughts about feelings, reason, and logic evaporated as if they had never existed.
He got angry.
“People who would take advantage of your ability will inevitably put you in danger.
And will it stop at just the danger?
They will do anything to force you to use your ability, so how do you say ‘regardless’ of your exposure to danger?”
The mere imagining was so hideous that it made curses escape his mouth involuntarily.
'Screw it'
Alisto let out successive exhales, then looked at the Saint, whose eyes looked like those of a terrified rabbit, and said warningly: “I will do everything I can for your safety.
So trust me in this matter, and know that there will be no going outside the Imperial Palace for the time being.”