Chapter 53
But after the prayer assembly ended and Abel was finally freed from the endless stream of guests, things turned out nothing like the clergy had feared.
He couldn’t even hold Felix’s hand.
Forget holding his hand.
They could barely manage a proper conversation.
Ever since that question.
‘Do you see me as your father?’
Felix stared at Abel with an expressionless face before turning away.
Abel didn’t stop him.
If Felix had never realized it before, then he needed time to think it through on his own.
So the next day, when Felix appeared wearing a smile, Abel didn’t tell him to stop forcing it.
He assumed Felix still hadn’t sorted out his feelings.
In his own way, that was Abel’s attempt to be considerate.
But ever since then, Felix had shown no emotion at all.
Whenever he looked at Abel, he wore nothing but a perfectly painted smile.
Even when Abel apologized.
‘I’m sorry. I was wrong.’
Even when Abel deliberately said things he knew would provoke him.
‘Are you angry because I brought up your father? Should I call him the Duke instead of your father?’
Felix simply smiled.
As though nothing Abel did mattered anymore.
Abel hated the thought of Felix continuing to ignore him like this.
So Abel decided to try a completely different approach.
If apologizing and provoking Felix’s anger accomplished nothing, then there was only one option left.
From Abel’s experience, aside from those two things, there was only one thing that ever drew the strongest reaction from Felix.
“Felix. I love you.”
To be honest, he didn’t think Felix would like this either…
“Can I kiss you?”
Without paying the slightest attention to the priests and holy knights trailing behind them, Abel abruptly asked the question.
Even the clergy, who had long since grown accustomed to Abel’s behavior, were visibly taken aback by his sudden request for a kiss.
But Felix merely smiled as beautifully as a painting and shook his head.
Yes. This time as well, Felix neither became angry, nor startled, nor disgusted. He simply let Abel’s words pass by with that same smile.
But Abel refused to give up. He became a man driven mad by love, confessing his feelings and asking if he could kiss Felix several times a day whenever the thought crossed his mind.
While they were having tea.
“I love you today too.”
After brushing his teeth.
“How about a kiss? Still don’t want to? Surely one would be okay?”
As they walked into the prayer hall.
“If I pray with a heart full of love, don’t you think the Father would be even more pleased?”
Stopping Felix as he was leaving for the day.
“How about a goodnight kiss? To mark the end of the day.”
By that point, the clergy who had initially fidgeted in confusion, wondering whether they ought to excuse themselves and give the two some privacy, gradually seemed to grow accustomed to seeing Abel so hopelessly lovestruck.
Unsurprisingly, the rumors spread throughout the entire Order in the blink of an eye.
In fact, they spread even faster than when Abel had first declared that he loved Felix.
It was only natural.
Abel had been openly singing the same refrain of love and kisses in front of everyone, and countless people had witnessed it.
So it was only a matter of course that Abel was summoned by the Pope and the High Priests.
“Why are you behaving this way? What if these stories make their way outside the Order?”
“You are the Herald of God. There is a certain dignity you must uphold!”
But Abel replied with shameless composure.
“Then you should simply make sure no one talks.”
Looking around at the Pope and the High Priests, Abel continued,
“I believe I’m entitled to ask for at least that much.”
The High Priests, who had profited handsomely from what Abel had accomplished during this prayer gathering, fell silent.
Abel then turned his gaze to Gregory, who still wore his gentle smile.
“Then the problem is solved. I’ll be going now.”
As Abel rose from his seat, the remaining High Priests let out startled breaths.
Gregory, however, made no move to stop him.
Throughout the entire meeting, Gregory had worn nothing but a warm smile.
Yet behind that smile, it was painfully obvious that his mind was racing as he tried to discern Abel’s true intentions.
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