I Ended Up Saving the Duke Who Was Meant to Die - Chapter 5.2
Severus’s brow furrowed with displeasure. By ‘that’, he must be referring to the scene he witnessed when he came to the temple looking for me.
“You mean what he did?”
Even thinking about it again, I couldn’t imagine Michaelo and I kissing and intertwining our bodies. Just the thought made me nauseous.
“I’m sorry. I seem to have misspoken.”
I shook my head. It seems the term for that act changes depending on who does it. Well, Severus did say it shouldn’t be done unless you’re married. Of course, he said it didn’t matter if you weren’t married, but he seemed to have his own clear line.
And my thoughts after experiencing intimacy beyond healing with him were similar. I felt like I couldn’t show my naked body without a stitch of clothing, explore intimate places, and whisper words of love with someone I wouldn’t spend my life with.
“Back then, I didn’t know what was wrong, but now I think I understand a little. The emotion that sometimes lingered in the High Priest’s gaze when he looked at me.”
That was probably lust. He and I were looking at each other with different feelings. That’s why I might have subconsciously been thinking that I needed to get away from him.
“What’s happening in the temple? He said he doesn’t harm others, but Severus seems to think differently.”
“People think High Priest Michaelo brings children in need to the temple and takes good care of them, but the reality is different. He kept you in the temple because of your ability and made you trust him completely, but he has been training children and then using them to clean up the evil deeds committed by the imperial family.”
“Clean up…?”
Is this in the same context as ordering Severus’s death? The priests belonging to the organization each had their own abilities. Priests who were good with swords, priests with a lot of holy power, priests who could conceal their presence, and so on. Each had their use. To think that they cultivated these priests’ abilities not to help and save people, but to clean up evil deeds. It was quite a shock to me.
‘Then, back then, it wasn’t someone coming to interfere with the mission, but someone who had been ordered to kill Severus?’
Now, some of my questions seemed to be getting answered.
“They eliminate those who have fallen out of favor with the imperial family, threaten those who oppose their views, and even use the priests like private soldiers. Many priests must have been injured and died in the process.”
Those who were injured and died…
Even just the ones I had treated so far were considerable in number. Of course, there were some I couldn’t save. I did my best to save the priests who returned to the temple barely clinging to life, but in the end, some still died. Michaelo would comfort me each time, saying he would send them off well.
“So until now… the orders given were not to help others, but to harm them?”
As what I had believed not to be true became reality, I felt dizzy.
It was hard to believe that Michaelo hadn’t helped the priests because the world was harsh, but had actually driven them into danger. For what purpose? Everything was confusing.
“Can you tell me what kind of orders they were? I know there’s a secret organization operating in the temple. They are the ones who have been carrying out the imperial family’s clean-up operations.”
“That’s right. It’s an organization mainly composed of people like me who entered the temple at a young age and consider repaying Michaelo’s kindness as important as their lives.”
Severus nodded. I smiled at him, who was watching me with worried eyes, as if to say I was fine, and then got up from my seat.
I moved to the table, took out a piece of paper from the drawer, and started writing down codes with a fountain pen. My mouth felt dry, and it felt like there was a thorn in my throat every time I spoke. As I tried to clear my throat and continue speaking, a cup was placed in front of me.
“Irene, you can speak slowly. There’s no rush.”
His eyes were still warm. I took the glass of water he offered and gulped it down. It helped somewhat, but there was no way to avoid the discomfort of the truth making my mouth feel parched.
I was worried that he might see me differently, that he might doubt me. When I heard Severus and Albert’s story, I too had hoped it was all a lie. So maybe he was thinking something similar to me.
“I think other priests are probably similar to me. They’ve probably believed what he’s been telling them to do since they were young is right. So… so, Severus.”
I took a deep breath. Every time I tried to speak, my emotions would surge. I closed my eyes and spoke slowly to calm my emotions.
“I didn’t know. I don’t know if Severus will believe me, but… I never thought they would be using the priests like that. Really.”
“I know. If you had known everything that was happening in the temple, you wouldn’t have saved me. Regardless, I’ve never doubted you.”
At those words, my throat, which had felt painfully prickly, became comfortably smooth as if by magic. Not just me, but other priests would probably be similar.
“If you say it’s not just you, but the other priests as well, I’ll believe it. So you don’t need to explain yourself to me.”
He spoke with the same unwavering gaze and voice, not avoiding my eyes. It wasn’t a lie to reassure me, but the truth. How could he trust me so much? Is it explainable just because we’re married?
“Why do you believe me, Severus? I lived in the temple for over 10 years. I could be deceiving you.”
“Even if you’re deceiving me now, I have no way to counter it. How can I not believe you when you’re saying it’s not you with such eyes and a trembling voice?”
He placed his hand over mine. The warmth transmitted directly. I even thought that he might believe me even if I lied.
“Even if you were lying, if I didn’t believe you, who would? We’re married, aren’t we?”
“…Married.”
I was truly fortunate to have become his wife. How lucky to be able to spend a lifetime with such a man.
“I have no intention of deceiving you with lies. The High Priest gives orders. There are different codes…”
「CODE─RED, BLACK, YELLOW, WHITE」
I marked the importance of the codes I had written earlier. It descends from red, one level at a time. White cases were very simple missions.
“And there’s a rule that the orders given to each person must not be revealed to anyone. Even if it’s the High Priest. I’ve heard that no one has failed so far.”
“Are you sure?”
“….”
I couldn’t immediately answer yes to his question. I had been locked up alone and only came out briefly when there was someone to heal. I didn’t know anything about what was happening outside.
“Haven’t you just not seen those who failed again?”
“…Maybe. Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone who failed to come back.”
Suddenly, my whole body was covered in goosebumps. Maybe they came back but didn’t survive? Michaelo might have dealt with them himself.
‘If I had saved him even though it wasn’t my original mission, what happened to that child who came later?’
I shrank, rubbing my arm with my other hand.
“Then what happened to the child who came after me that time…?”
“He probably returned to the temple after regaining consciousness. But I don’t think he’s alive. Not only did he fail to carry out his mission, but if even others didn’t know they were harming people… They would have had to stop the story from spreading.”
