Don't Be Holy! - Chapter 15
Even with his face etched with clear annoyance, Rubel’s air of nobility seemed to radiate effortlessly. Eir couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Does he not look in the mirror?’ How could someone who looked like that genuinely believe, as people said, that he was just a commoner?
“I already asked the villagers.”
He answered in a low voice, turning back to the dirt, skillfully digging and pulling out weeds. His every movement was remarkably adept. Had he farmed before? Or was it just as the rumors claimed—that his genius allowed him to master anything with a mere glance?
“Asked what?”
When she prompted him, he replied as if it were nothing.
“About my parents.”
Her chest sank with a heavy thud at his words. What kind of answer could he expect about people who didn’t even exist? As expected, his face was complicated, as though he couldn’t fully process what he’d heard.
“But everyone gave me different stories. Some said they went across the sea, others claimed they moved to another country, some said they cut ties with me, and a few even suggested it was because their grandson—that is, me—was ill.”
She hadn’t even lied, yet tension made her throat dry. Eir fixated her gaze on the weeds he was plucking.
“Well, that’s…….”
“To be honest, I don’t even remember how I ended up injured in that forest. I just figured it was safer to stay put. Besides, all of this is just a trial given by God, isn’t it? One I must endure.”
She found herself marveling at his unshakable faith yet again. Of course, it made sense. This was the man who had recited prayers even while unconscious. Someone like him saying such things was only natural.
Eir suddenly recalled a passage she had once seen in the temple.
[There is no body of Rubel Shinote. Did he survive and flee, or did the witch do something with his remains? What if Rubel Shinote betrays the Divine Empire?]
It was part of a journal written by a priest who had taken a particular interest in politics. Eir had laughed in disbelief when she read it.
Rubel Shinote was known to be one of the most devout individuals, more so than anyone else. He was the kind of man who would charge into any mission assigned by the Divine Empire like a mad dog… without the slightest hesitation.
How could someone like him possibly betray the empire? Even when she read it back then, Eir had scoffed, wondering aloud if the Divine Empire was simply discarding him now that he had served his purpose.
While she was lost in thought, the man digging through the dirt suddenly spoke.
“And yet, even you, who seemed the most promising, told me you knew nothing about my parents. I decided to trust you anyway. You’re the one who said fragments of truth are better than fabricated lies, aren’t you?”
“I…….”
Eir trailed off.
His trust made her actions feel like a crime. Scheming to send away the arrogant, overly critical Rubel Shinote was one thing, but betraying the faith of someone who believed in her was far more difficult.
“Even if you trust me, it won’t lead to anything. I told you, didn’t I? I’m just a debtor.”
She stammered, trying to push him away with her words, but he merely shrugged lightly.
“Well, then, I’ll consider it an answer for the name ‘Lu.’ I quite like it.”
Her face turned bright red, and she instinctively stepped back. As her unbalanced body tipped over, she reached out to steady herself, but Rubel grabbed her wrist before she could fall and damage the tender seedlings nearby.
Eir, now leaning toward him, reflexively extended her free arm to brace herself. But she froze as her hand landed squarely on his chest.
She could feel the firm contours of his muscles beneath her palm.
Her face flushed furiously as her heart pounded uncontrollably. Unlike her racing heartbeat, his chest rose and fell steadily beneath her hand, his calm, steady breathing filling the air.
The warmth of his body and the faint scent of him left her feeling as if she were shrinking like a parched cucumber.
Suddenly, a rumor surfaced in her mind.
‘Rubel Shinote, you know. He’s so virtuous and faithful, they say he’s not even capable as a man.’
It was a baseless gossip she’d overheard three years ago, back when she was still a priestess. At the time, the people had been growing weary of the Divine Empire’s relentless conquests, with Rubel leading the charge. It wasn’t surprising they would mock him. The problem wasn’t the rumor—it was that it had resurfaced in her mind at this exact moment.
“Let go of me!”
Dizzy with embarrassment, she tried to push him away. She, too, had no immunity to the opposite s-x. But Rubel Shinote, as solid as a rock, didn’t budge. Instead, he grabbed her flailing arm firmly to stop her struggling.
“Shh.”
“…….”
Their faces were far too close.
