I Ended Up Saving the Duke Who Was Meant to Die - Chapter 7.5
***
Severus sighed while looking at the documents. This was information that would cause an uproar if others found out.
It was strange. To possess healing abilities that others didn’t have. There were people born with holy power, but Irene’s case was different.
It was too great a power to be considered merely holy power—the kind only a High Priest might possess. No, it was an unbelievable ability that would be believable even if called the appearance of a saint.
It was a unique power that could shake the foundation of the Empire, enough for other countries to covet. Those connected to the temple would not want to let her go.
“What are you planning to do?”
“First, I need to tell Irene. I’ll do as she wishes. By the way, she will stay by my side. Even if she knows the truth, nothing will change from now.”
He spoke confidently. His manhood, which had been inside her all night, was already growing just thinking about yesterday. Fortunately, he was sitting in a chair. Albert wouldn’t be able to see it, hidden by the desk.
“But if everyone opposes, the Duke’s position will become difficult.”
“Do you think I would watch her take a position she doesn’t want? Irene is already a person of the Blake Duchy. She’s my wife and the Duchess of Blake.”
It didn’t make sense for her to serve as both Duchess and High Priest. A situation might arise where she would have to choose one.
For now, it was clear she would choose to stay by his side, but what if she decided to become High Priest for everyone’s sake? Would he have to let her go then? That’s impossible.
Severus frowned involuntarily. He had thought they could now live peacefully, whispering words of love. But suddenly another option had appeared. No, he thought there was only one option, but she might want to set right the rotten temple.
Above all, what bothered him was Albert’s gaze. The way he looked at his confident self with pity kept irritating him.
“Albert, do you think Irene will choose to be High Priest?”
So he tested him. He seemed to have something to say, and it felt like he was hiding something. But Albert took the bait.
“Actually, I also think Madam won’t leave this place. Judging by Madam’s behavior while staying here… it seemed Your Grace was the most important person to her. However.”
Albert hesitated and gauged his reaction. Severus raised his eyebrows, urging Albert to continue. He often had a tendency to make people anxious. The problem was that he himself couldn’t stand it and got caught up in it.
“I heard Madam asked Eliza about the position of High Priest.”
So this was it. The reason Albert had been watching his reaction.
Regardless, it was unexpected.
“…Irene did?”
It would be a lie to say he wasn’t surprised. He was quite shocked by Albert’s words.
‘Was she interested in the High Priest position?’
The back of his neck felt stiff. His head felt dazed as if he’d been hit from behind by unexpected words.
If Irene were to leave his side now, saying she wanted to fulfill her given mission, he might go crazy.
Where was the woman who had threatened last night in his arms that they would be together for life, that she would kill him if he left? When she was moaning beneath him, saying she would die there—was she now planning to drain him to death?
‘To take revenge like this.’
Severus absently listened to Albert’s words. He kept chattering about something, but there was no way it would register. He just hoped what he heard was merely Irene’s simple curiosity.
“She clearly said I was the most important to her.”
He felt the same. Nothing was more precious than her. Now it felt like he couldn’t live without Irene.
“She said I was incompetent and needed protection.”
Of course, there was something last night that might have changed her mind, but he was confident in pretending to be weak. Could she have realized it last night?
She might have realized he could live well enough on his own without protection.
“She said we would be husband and wife for life, so she won’t leave my side. If not, Albert.”
“…Yes?”
“Stab me with that sword so she can’t leave.”
“What?!”
Albert exclaimed in shock and shook his head at Severus’s words. Seeing the look in his eyes as if he were looking at a madman, Severus drove the point home once more.
“Then maybe Irene won’t leave. Even if she’s become interested in the High Priest position, she wouldn’t abandon me, her husband.”
“But we can’t keep injuring your body.”
“Doing it just twice would make Irene change her mind.”
“…Pardon?”
Albert asked with apparent confusion. Severus said with a raised corner of his mouth.
“I’m planning to do what my wife loves most.”
All he needed to do was prevent the words “I’m leaving you” from coming out of Irene’s mouth.
***
When Michaelo’s unethical actions at the temple were revealed, he earned public outrage. I was to attend the trial as a witness.
‘I might take the position of High Priest?’
Just thinking about it made my chest feel tight. Having already heard the news from Eliza, I didn’t want to attend the trial. While I wasn’t keen on demonstrating my abilities in front of everyone, it was a necessary procedure to punish him.
‘I don’t want to become High Priest.’
Previously, I had asked Albert out of curiosity about what Michaelo had been doing. I couldn’t remember anything from that conversation now.
I had no desire to belong to the temple, either as a priest or High Priest. Somehow, the lingering images in my mind seemed like they would continue to torment me.
It would all be over once I told everyone about what I experienced there and what I witnessed that day.
The position of High Priest didn’t suit me. I only wished to stay at the mansion with Severus, living day by day. I didn’t want to get involved in other power struggles either.
I wasn’t confident in hearing and solving other people’s hardships or fulfilling the demands of people who relied on me. One surprising part was the story about my birth.
“Rilke von Edenberg.”
To think that was my real name. The reason I had no childhood memories was due to memory loss caused by strong holy power. The Edenberg family had produced priests with holy power, but they suffered a tragedy due to a sudden fire. The moment I heard that story, visions unfolded in my mind.
“…Huh?”
Along with the image of myself blankly watching the mansion burn, an extreme headache tormented me.
