Chapter 18
***
The carriage, which had been running straight, smoothly turned to the right.
Sylaria quietly steadied her body as it tilted with the turn. She glanced, tense, at the man who sat perfectly upright, seemingly unaffected by gravity.
“…You’re asking me to marry you.”
The moment he heard her proposal, Euclid’s expression went blank.
Perhaps because of his unreal beauty, it was impossible to guess what he was thinking.
Just a moment ago, the First Prince had said he desperately needed a Purifier. But now, he was exuding an air of aloofness and authority, as if he had never said such a thing.
‘Was I too hasty?’
Sylaria wetted her lips.
Euclid straightened his posture and crossed his arms, as if openly displaying his defensive attitude, which only heightened her anxiety.
“I’m not asking you to marry me right away. If our matching rate turns out high—then I’d like you to consider it.”
“……”
“I’m even fine with just a nominal engagement. As long as it lets me break off my engagement with Arendtert…”
“That’s a problem.”
Euclid, who had been listening quietly, suddenly cut in. He reached a hand under the collar of his shirt.
Sylaria closed her mouth and watched him.
He pulled out the pendant hanging around his neck and held it out to her. When she saw the necklace, Sylaria’s face twisted in confusion.
“I…”
“Do you know what this is?”
At Euclid’s low question, Sylaria silently nodded.
It was the mana stone necklace that all Holy Knights wore.
The mana stone necklace was used as an indicator of possible rampage. The more a Holy Knight overused his holy power—that is, the more he needed purification—the clearer the color of the stone, which started out transparent, became.
Arendtert would be horrified if his necklace ever showed even the faintest hint of green, pestering Sylaria to purify him right away.
But now…
Euclid’s mana stone necklace was a vivid, deep red. As dark as blood, as brilliant as a sunset.
‘How can it be this color?’
Sylaria was alarmed. The First Prince was in a critical state, as if it wouldn’t be surprising for him to go on a rampage at any moment.
“You haven’t received purification—or at least the holy blessing—recently?”
“I have. Every day. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have lasted this long.”
Euclid smiled faintly, fiddling with the stone.
“No matter how much holy water I poured over myself, it just kept turning redder. When it was about to turn black, suddenly… it stopped.”
Euclid’s gaze, gripping the ruby-red stone, pierced Sylaria.
“From the moment I met you.”
“……”
“You’re asking me to marry you? That’s what I wanted to say. Shouldn’t you let me cut in line?”
With a slightly troubled tone, Euclid added and gave a crooked smile. He continued, addressing Sylaria, who couldn’t take her eyes off the mana stone.
“But before that, there’s something I want to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
“Marriage to me will become a major scandal. Why would you want to take that on and marry me? You don’t lack for anything.”
“I don’t love Arendtert.”
“And you love me?”
“I…”
Sylaria, who had been answering firmly, lifted her head at Euclid’s almost interrogative question.
Even though he was the one at a disadvantage, he wasn’t yielding or rushing her at all.
Euclid was judging the situation with a cold head. Someone like that wouldn’t fall for a half-hearted lie.
Sylaria looked straight at him and answered clearly.
“I hate Arendtert. I don’t want to marry him.”
“So you want to use me.”
Euclid smiled faintly at her honest answer. Sylaria worried he might be displeased, but instead, his expression was one of genuine interest.
“This should be fun.”
He muttered to himself, then placed the necklace around Sylaria’s neck.
“This is yours from now on.”
“You’re giving this to me…? But we haven’t even checked our matching rate yet.”
“Our matching rate will be nothing like what you have with Arendtert. We’re going to the temple for the official certificate for the Imperial family, nothing more.”
Sylaria touched the stone with trembling hands. She felt the hard, cold jewel at her fingertips.
‘It’s really a mana stone…’
Her heart pounded rapidly. For a Holy Knight to give his mana stone to someone was as good as entrusting them with his life. The stone was the only indicator of the state of his holy power.
And yet, the First Prince had given her something so precious without hesitation.
‘Arendtert never gave me his necklace, even after we got married.’
Sylaria’s eyelashes trembled.
It felt strange.
She was supposed to be with the First Prince for revenge and nothing more. And yet, he was already trusting her.
Not even the husband who had sworn eternity before God had done that.
“Don’t worry.”
Seeing her expression darken, Euclid spoke calmly. He leaned his large frame forward and whispered in her ear.
“I’ll give you everything you want.”
My Purifier.
A reliable, slightly playful whisper from the man.
Hiiiiing—
Just as Sylaria was about to answer, moved, the carriage came to a stop and the horses let out a long neigh.
At last.
The carriage carrying the two of them had arrived at the temple.
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