For Sale: Male Lead, Obsession Included - Chapter 92
“But…”
“An apology won’t change anything. It’s not like our relationship was built on such deep trust that a simple apology could mend it.”
“……”
“Just treat me as you always have. Let’s continue traveling together as companions. I’ll treat you the same as well.”
Ariel’s beautiful golden eyes were tinged with the flickering orange candlelight, reflecting his confusion.
“How can you say that…? I… I deceived you, Estira…”
“Then are you going to stop traveling with me?”
“……”
Ariel’s eyes suddenly filled with tears.
‘Is he… crying?’
The sight of his flushed nose and delicate, sorrowful expression left me more flustered than anything. I suddenly felt like a villain, as if I were the heartless man in a movie who had just abandoned the tragic heroine.
Even though, in reality, I was the one who had been abandoned.
“If you’re going to keep traveling with me, then just treat me as usual. If it makes you uncomfortable, I can look for another priest.”
“No, no. That won’t be necessary.”
Ariel shook his head hastily. His fine silver hair, cascading over his shoulders, swayed softly.
“If you allow it… I’d like to keep traveling with you. Always.”
His voice was strained, as if his throat had tightened. Then, as if realizing something, he awkwardly hid a piece of paper behind his back—the hand that wasn’t holding the candle.
It was painfully obvious what it was.
‘A letter of apology, most likely.’
Did he write in it that he planned to leave the journey?
Ariel took a few quick steps toward me, his expression growing more serious the closer he came.
At this distance, I could see his face clearly, and the depth of his sincerity was evident.
“It may be far too little to be considered proper atonement… but there is something I must tell you, Estira.”
I gave a slight nod.
“You should be wary of the priest treating you. His name is—”
As if someone had planned it, a knock sounded from the other side of the door at that exact moment.
“It’s Taolti. May I come in?”
Ariel’s face twisted in shock.
Be wary of the priest treating me?
What was that supposed to mean?
I looked up at Ariel with a confused expression, and he nodded slightly, his eyes serious.
So the priest he had been warning me about… was Taolti, the man currently standing outside my door.
I kept replaying Ariel’s cryptic warning in my head as I called out,
“…Yes, come in.”
The door opened, revealing a middle-aged man with blond—perhaps bleached—hair, his face adorned with a warm, affable smile.
“Ah, Ariel, you’re here as well.”
He greeted Ariel politely, showing no arrogance despite his higher priestly rank.
“How are you feeling, Lady Estira?”
His voice was as gentle and kind as his first impression suggested.
Without hesitation, he settled into the chair beside my bed, while Ariel stepped back slightly, as if to keep an eye on him from a distance.
It was as if Ariel intended to monitor Taolti, watching his every move with unwavering attention.
“You seem to be recovering quickly. Ah, youth is a wonderful thing.”
Taolti placed a hand on my forehead as if checking my temperature, his expression playful, like an uncle teasing his young niece.
“But you still have a bit of a fever. You should take some medicine.”
He muttered something about being glad he had brought the fever reducer, then poured a powdered medicine into a glass of water and stirred it.
“This contains the divine healing properties of holy water. If you drink it and get a good night’s rest, you’ll wake up feeling like you were never sick at all. So don’t worry.”
Taolti smiled, flashing his teeth, as he held out the cup to me.
The water inside was clear, but the powdered medicine floated on the surface.
Before taking the cup, I glanced behind Taolti—at Ariel.
I was silently asking him: Is it safe to drink this?
Of course, Ariel had betrayed me as well, so he wasn’t exactly someone I could trust. But compared to a priest I had just met, Ariel, whom I had traveled with for a month, felt like the safer bet.
Noticing my gaze, Ariel gave a small nod and stared at the cup intently.
Even so, I couldn’t shake my doubts as I lifted the medicine to my lips.
As I swallowed it all in one go, Taolti clapped his hands together cheerfully. His attitude, as if I were some beloved niece, made me feel a little uneasy.
“Good job! You’re quite mature for your age.”
“…Thank you.”
“What brings someone so young on such a long journey?”
“For various reasons. It just happened that way.”
“Ah, I see. And what’s your destination? By chance, I travel frequently for missionary work as well. The world has become a dangerous place lately, so it’s always nice to meet fellow travelers.”
Taolti scratched his messy hair and laughed heartily, his expression bright and innocent—far too youthful for a man his age.
If it weren’t for Ariel’s warning, I wouldn’t have suspected this man at all.
He seemed too pure, too harmless.
I shifted my gaze to Ariel for a brief moment.
‘Or… is Ariel the one lying?’
I had never intended to trust anyone completely.
People always hid knives behind their backs.
Even Ariel, who claimed to be a man of faith, had driven a blade into mine.
So how could I ever be sure who to trust?
Even now, as Ariel apologized and warned me against Taolti, there was always the possibility that it was just another deception.
And so, as always, I braced myself with sharpened suspicion—because in this world, trust was a luxury I could not afford.
