I Ended Up Saving the Duke Who Was Meant to Die - Chapter 1.5
I liked it when I was young because it felt like recognition, but now that I’m older, not so much.
I was already at an awkward age to be happy about his touch.
“Was there a problem? The temple is being turned upside down looking for me, and everything seems problematic. Above all, someone broke the rule about not interfering with others’ missions.”
I asked while gently avoiding the High Priest’s touch. He alternately looked at his hand suspended in the air and at me, before finally lowering it.
“What did you do with that person?”
“I sent them away, telling them not to interfere.”
The High Priest’s expression twisted subtly, but he brushed it off.
“High Priest. If there’s a problem, please tell me. I completed my first mission well. Did I do something wrong?”
I had many questions.
What that man had said bothered me, and I had never thought my disappearance would be enough to throw the temple into such chaos.
Even considering my red hair, it seemed excessive. High Priest Michaelo tended to be too overprotective of me.
‘Right. Now that I think about it, it’s strange.’
Why does the temple try so hard to hide my existence?
“High Priest, is there something I should know?”
“Irene, there’s nothing like that. I’m just trying to protect you.”
“I’m not at an age that needs protection anymore. I’m no longer a child.”
“So you want to leave this place?”
“A little bit.”
I answered honestly. When I didn’t know any better, I had no complaints about being confined here, but not anymore. Now that I’d experienced the outside once, I wanted to go out more.
But I shouldn’t have said those words.
***
How did it come to this?
It was surprising enough that such a space existed in the temple, but being confined here made even less sense.
I only followed the directive, yet I ended up locked in a tower in the temple.
It was a situation I had never imagined.
“Why?”
“Lady Irene, using force won’t help.”
“I haven’t done anything.”
I frowned at the guard’s words outside the door. Why would he say such things when I hadn’t done anything yet?
People usually want to do something more when told not to do it.
‘I wonder if I could break down the door at this rate.’
It might be possible if I use holy power.
I stared blankly at the door.
If it were iron bars, I could just bend them with my hands. I started doing warm-up exercises, clenching and unclenching my fists but gave up.
‘They’ll probably let me out eventually.’
Though I didn’t know why he was angry, I needed to talk with the High Priest.
I knocked on the door. The startled guard opened the small window in the door.
“What is it?”
“I want to see the High Priest.”
“…He’ll be here soon.”
“Really?”
I waited quietly for the High Priest to come.
High Priest Michaelo of the Astarin Temple was an absolute presence. His silver hair shone nobly, as if devoid of any impurities.
His appearance made it impossible to guess his age, with an always gentle and calm expression. And a heart that took in children with nowhere to go and helped them generously.
That’s why I respected him. This time too, there must be some misunderstanding. Because Michaelo was a good person.
“The High Priest is entering.”
I straightened my posture. When the door opened, Michaelo appeared.
“Irene. Were you waiting for me?”
I nodded slightly.
“I too have something I want to ask.”
He smiled kindly and pulled my hand. Without resistance, I let him lead me to sit on the bed.
“Irene, you know how much I cherish you, don’t you?”
“You cherish me almost excessively. Is it because of my red hair?”
“That’s part of it, but it’s because of your ability. It would be troublesome if the Imperial family found out.”
“Me? I’m not troubled by it.”
“Haha. Perhaps so. Did you use your ability on Duke Blake?”
“I can’t tell you. But since I returned safely, you know the result.”
“Yes, then let me ask differently. Did you hold his hand?”
Michaelo asked while holding my hand. I nodded. I did hold his hand while subduing him when he wouldn’t listen.
“Like this.”
I spread my fingers and interlocked them with Michaelo’s. But I didn’t use my ability. There was no need to with him.
“And then?”
“More contact was needed to finish within the time limit.”
It meant I had kissed Duke Blake. That was also what he had taught me. Though I didn’t know much about healing abilities, he knew everything. It must have been because of the book he possessed. He said it contained all knowledge about holy power.
“I see.”
Suddenly, he drew closer while our fingers were still interlocked, until our faces were nearly touching.
At a distance where I could feel his breath, I blinked and met his gaze. His features were as soft as if drawn with a brush, and his gentle eyes were no different than usual.
But like before, his touch felt different from the past. That difference made me uncomfortable.
‘It feels different from Duke Blake.’
He hadn’t been uncomfortable. Even considering it was for a mission, the difference was huge. Perhaps it was because Michaelo was like family to me.
“Did you kiss?”
“Yes, because that was the fastest way.”
Michaelo nodded and pulled away. Just as I was about to let out a sigh of relief, he suddenly pushed me down on the bed and looked down at me.
His silver hair sparkled in the sunlight. It was like the shimmer on water, or like light reflecting off the surface of a transparent jewel.
Such pure silver hair, unmixed with anything else, must be unique to him.
“High Priest?”
“I don’t think I taught you what comes after the kiss.”
“You didn’t directly teach me about kissing either.”
“Is that a problem?”
There shouldn’t have been a problem. But somehow, I couldn’t imagine kissing him.
‘It’s really different. How could I with my benefactor…’
He was my object of admiration and family.
“Just tell me verbally what to do next, like you did before.”
“…So you dislike me.”
“I just can’t imagine it. And it feels like something we shouldn’t do.”
Though we weren’t actually family, my body was rejecting it. It was simply that he and Duke Blake were different.
I wanted this relationship with Michaelo to continue unchanged, without becoming twisted.
“Why did you confine me?”
“Weren’t you trying to leave my side? Despite how much I cherished and protected you more than anyone else. To fall into another’s embrace…”
Michaelo muttered. His blue eyes gleamed dangerously. It was an expression I’d never seen before.
“I owe you a debt, High Priest. But that doesn’t mean I’m your possession.”
I blinked while trapped between his arms.
“Do you plan to keep me confined here forever?”
“…Yes. It would be dangerous outside.”
“It wasn’t dangerous.”
“Irene. You don’t know people.”
“I couldn’t help not knowing them. You never let me take a single step outside the temple.”
“You never complained.”
“Because I had no chance to repay my debt. But now it’s different. I have something I want to ask.”
“Ask away.”
