I Just Wanted to Avoid Death - Chapter 29
Late at night.
Eldis, holding a quill pen, tapped the table. The rhythmic sound seemed to mirror his sense of anticipation.
He glanced out the window, his finely drawn brow furrowing.
“He’s late.”
The curfew had already begun within the temple. The only ones still walking around now were the guards.
Eldis recalled the broken doorknob he had left behind. He had thought that surely, with the doorknob broken, Yeshion would come, but he hadn’t shown up.
‘Could it be… he’s planning to sleep in the room with the broken doorknob?’
Yeshion? That Yeshion?
The thought crossed his mind briefly, but Eldis quickly pulled himself together.
That person was Yeshion, but at the same time, he was not.
The Yeshion Eldis knew couldn’t sleep in a place where others could easily come and go. But the one occupying that body now might be different.
“I didn’t expect I’d have to go fetch him.”
Rising slowly, Eldis made his way to the priests’ quarters. His steps were leisurely, but by the time he reached Yeshion’s door, his face had turned stony.
The room looked just as it had when he had left it. There were no signs that anyone had opened the door or gone inside.
“Priest Yeshion.”
He called out the name, just in case, but there was no response.
“Ah, Archpriest.”
Just then, the priest to whom he’d left instructions in the morning emerged from the room and spoke.
“Priest Yeshion has not returned to his room yet.”
Could he have escaped during that time?
How?
A small vein bulged on Eldis’ forehead. Clenching his fist, he took a deep breath and spoke.
“Gather all the priests.”
“…Excuse me?”
“We need to find Priest Yeshion.”
* * *
Yeshion looked around, letting out a sound of awe.
The temple had already struck him as reminiscent of ruins from a movie or game, but the imperial palace was even more impressive.
“Do you like it?”
Yeshion nodded enthusiastically.
The novel had described the imperial palace as if it had gathered all the world’s beauty into one place. It was gaudy beyond belief, to the point that some people squinted their eyes unconsciously from its brightness.
‘And the crown prince said he had grown tired of that splendor.’
Of course, that line wasn’t meant for Yeshion; it was something said much later to the Saintess. He had claimed he was the only one who made him feel like he could breathe in this suffocating palace.
‘And then that bastard…’
As Yeshion recalled the rest, he shook his head.
The real misery started after the Saintess arrived at the palace.
He tried to escape, only to be caught, forced into situations beyond his control. No matter how much he cried or fought, that madman continued to torment Rosaline.
In fact, Adelio was the one who tormented Rosaline the most in the novel. The way he seemed just out of reach made him want to torment him even more.
‘…Should I help her?’
Yeshion knew the novel’s flow was about Rosaline getting caught and tossed around by the main characters. He understood it was part of the world’s design.
But throughout reading the novel, Yeshion had felt a constant thought lingering.
Is this really the path that will make Rosaline happy?
In this world made of text, he had once read the story lightly, but now, standing before these characters, his feelings had shifted.
‘It might be meddling, but…’
Rosaline had helped Yeshion, even if just briefly. If Yeshion hadn’t stepped out from behind Rosaline earlier, he would likely have taken further action to protect him.
He recalled Rosaline’s smile as he looked at him.
He was genuinely concerned for him, relieved that he was alive, and even standing in the way of Adelio, who was twice his size.
It was the first time Yeshion had received such kindness since his reincarnation.
Rosaline didn’t seem like the type to act expecting anything in return.
‘My actions won’t make a huge difference…’
But it was better than doing nothing.
Rosaline was destined to come to the imperial palace eventually. Yeshion didn’t remember the exact reason, but in the process, he would end up in the crown prince’s chambers and consume something he shouldn’t.
He clearly recalled that the strange potion was kept in a sky-blue crystal bottle.
‘If I can break it or throw it away…’
It was a potion designed to intensify s*xual desire. If Yeshion could get rid of it, one of the future events involving Rosaline might be avoided.
With this resolution, Yeshion looked up at Adelio. He intended to ask where Adelio’s chambers were while being shown to a guest room, then sneak in later to dispose of the bottle.
“By the way, where will I be staying?”
