I’m Not the One Who Seduced the Grand Duke Chapter 39

His gaze was quite prickly.

‘For some reason, I feel like I’m being glared at by an extremely overbearing future parent-in-law.’

Wondering if I had seen it wrong, I was about to sneak another look when the High Priest turned back toward Leon with a gentle expression, as if he had never looked at me that way.

“You must be tired from traveling. Why don’t we go inside and rest first? Ah, before that, since you’ve returned after such a long time, perhaps you should pray in the prayer room first and then…”

“I’m sorry to interrupt.”

Leon abruptly cut him off.

“But I’d like to hear what the disqualifying issue is that makes it impossible for you to approve our Engagement Pledge.”

“Oh, that.”

The moment he finished speaking, the High Priest’s gentle smile abruptly disappeared.

He seemed quite taken aback by Leon’s eagerness to get straight to the point.

But perhaps he couldn’t bring himself to show it, because the High Priest soon let out another hearty laugh.

“I understand. Still, let us move somewhere more suitable first.”

Saying that it was awkward to discuss such matters while standing there, the High Priest ushered us inside.

The interior of the Temple was even more extravagant than the exterior.

The walls of the corridors were covered with so many paintings that I wondered if an art exhibition was being held, and it hardly looked like a Temple meant to save people.

The floors were entirely marble, various places were trimmed with gold, and the door to the High Priest’s office, which we eventually reached while taking in all the decorations, was studded with all kinds of precious gems.

Once we entered the room, the High Priest leisurely served us tea.

“So, what exactly is the reason?”

Leon asked again before the tea had even been properly set down.

“Ahem. Yes, of course. I should explain that part. Yes. The reason we were unfortunately unable to approve the engagement between the two of you is…”

The reason?

Gulp.

I swallowed nervously and waited for the next words.

And finally, I heard the answer.

“Because Lord Leon Obsidian is physically incapable of getting married.”

What?

Physically incapable of getting married?

Startled, I turned my head and looked at him.

Only one thing came to mind.

I looked at him with an expression that clearly said, …Don’t tell me?

Leon, who had been frowning, suddenly looked startled when he noticed my gaze and firmly said,

“No.”

“Really?”

“Well. You should be the one who knows that best in this world.”

Leon asked whether I was seriously asking because I didn’t know, but unfortunately, I couldn’t answer.

I wasn’t the one who had confirmed whether or not he was physically capable of getting married.

“My, it seems there has been some misunderstanding. I wasn’t referring to that sort of function. Simply put, I meant that Priest Leon is still a ‘priest,’ which means he is unable to become engaged.”

Then you should have said that from the beginning.

Leon quietly grew irritated, but the High Priest pretended not to notice and took another sip of tea.

“If that’s the reason, then I understand even less. I clearly stated that I intended to withdraw of my own accord. I followed the proper procedures as well. Whether it was dismissal or resignation, shouldn’t it have been processed according to the regulations?”

“No. Priest Leon violated the regulations. Please, look here.”

The High Priest clicked his tongue as though he found it regrettable, then pulled out a thick book and held it out.

After vaguely introducing it as the Temple’s regulations, he pointed to a clause on the page that had clearly been handwritten.

“Now, you can see it here, yes? ‘In the case of a priest or Holy Knight who wishes to resign, a deliberation period of approximately one hundred days shall be imposed from the date the resignation is accepted.’”

“This is…”

“Yes. So Priest Leon is still a priest of our Temple. His resignation has not yet been accepted.”

As he said this, he smiled brightly as though asking, See? I’m right, aren’t I?

No. Are you seriously doing this?

‘That is obviously a hastily fabricated clause.’

Leon also seemed unable to keep his expression under control, as though he was wondering what the hell the High Priest was doing.

“Then will you approve it after one hundred days?”

“Well, who knows? We’ll have to see when the time comes. No one can predict what will happen with people, can they? Ha ha.”

“To my ears, that sounds like you intend to keep me here until your term ends.”

“Oh my, that hurts. I thought Priest Leon and I were clearly looking toward the same thing.”

The High Priest put on a genuinely sorrowful expression as though he were truly troubled.

The way he whined about how I didn’t understand his feelings was exactly like a clingy ex-lover.

‘Even so, isn’t this going too far? He’s trying to hold someone against their will like this? And he’s even tampering with the Temple’s internal regulations?’

This was too much.

And yet, there was a reason Leon and I couldn’t object.

“Erna.”

“Yes, yes?”

“I’m sorry, but could you wait outside for a moment? I’d like to have a private conversation with the High Priest.”

He’s kicking me out here?

I stared at him as if asking whether he was serious, and Leon nodded.

The High Priest smiled brightly and quickly spoke up.

“Yes. That would be best. Ah, Priest Gardinel? It seems the Marquess would like to look around the interior of Asterion Temple. Could you show her around?”

“Understood, High Priest Servando.”

One of the chief priests standing by the door nodded and approached me.

Really? He’s actually telling me to leave like this?

I still couldn’t believe it, so I looked at Leon one more time.

“I’ll be out soon. Go take a look around.”

Leon waved his hand with a smile that was so bright and reassuring that it was actually rather unsettling.

And so.

It was the perfect dismissal of a guest.

 

***

 

Meanwhile, inside the High Priest’s office.

High Priest Servando clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘Hmph. She may be a mere Marquess, but how dare she look at a High Priest with such insolence?’

The High Priest was the head of the Temple.

He ruled like a king in his own palace, a society entirely separate from the aristocratic world with the Emperor at its summit.

In his eyes, there was little he couldn’t have.

If he had been allowed to have his way, he would have liked to lecture the Marquess as a High Priest, as though preaching to someone immature.

But he couldn’t.

Whenever he tried to look at the Marquess, the Grand Duke sitting beside her would track his gaze with a fierce stare.

‘This whole mess happened because of Marquess in the first place! The Constellation Council will be starting soon, too.’

Servando was an extremely ambitious man.

Under normal circumstances, someone with such a mindset should never have become a priest in the first place.

But he had a talent for business, and he used that talent to win the priests over to his side.

‘It wasn’t difficult. All I had to do was make sure everyone’s pockets were nice and full, and they’d crawl at my feet on their own…’

Five years ago, he had successfully been elected High Priest, and he continued steadily expanding his faction.

And then Leon Obsidian appeared.

The Imperial prince who had walked into the Temple of his own accord had allowed Servando to taste a considerable amount of power.

Thanks to having an Imperial prince in the palm of his hand, the Temple became more closely allied with the nobility, and its influence throughout the Empire grew even greater.

In particular, the mere presence of the Imperial prince had a significant effect on the amount of donations.

Money was power.

That was why Servando had been able to turn the Temple into his own kingdom and wield tremendous power within it all this time.

All that remained was to successfully secure another term as High Priest at this Constellation Council, then enjoy everything he had accumulated until now.

That was what he had thought.

But then…

“Dismissal? Leon Obsidian, of all people, being dismissed? What kind of article is this?! Absolutely not. How can I possibly let go of the leash I have around the Imperial Family’s neck?!”

As long as the Imperial prince remained in his grasp, even that lofty Emperor could do nothing to him.

Normally, the Emperor didn’t pay the slightest attention to Servando’s words as High Priest.

But when those words were delivered through the Imperial prince, the situation was different.

All because he had managed to make the Imperial prince his subordinate.

In that sense, Erna Zaherette was, in Servando’s mind, nothing more and nothing less than a devil who had corrupted an extremely devout believer.

Having finished his thoughts, the High Priest looked at Leon with his characteristic gentle smile.

The fact that the Grand Duke himself had sent the Marquess out.

Even that alone seemed to leave room for him to dig deeper.

‘It’s only because he’s blinded by pleasure right now. If I reason with him properly and persuade him, he can surely still be brought back to the right path.’

He had only just discovered women.

That was all it was.

He was simply momentarily blinded by pleasure and had lost his way.

At least, that was what Servando was convinced of.

“High Priest Servando. I’ll be blunt.”

“Please do. Whatever it is, if it’s something Priest Leon wishes to say, I will certainly listen…”

“I have absolutely no intention of becoming something you can use. So give it up.”

The moment Leon finished speaking, the High Priest flinched.

But he was not a man who would be cowed so easily.

“Ha ha. I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean. I merely feel sorry that Priest Leon is falling down the wrong path, and I wish to enlighten you—”

“Ha. How absurd.”

A biting laugh cut him off before the High Priest could finish speaking.

“Do you even know what it is you’re holding in your hands?”

“…Priest Leon?”

The High Priest Servando’s voice trembled ever so slightly with confusion.

Regardless, Leon kept his gaze fixed on the closed door and spoke quietly.

“When you want to put something inside a container, you see, the container has to be large enough to hold it first.”

“……”

“Otherwise, the moment you get even a little greedy, it’ll shatter.”