Chapter 124
‘These days, prisons serve pretty good meals.’
Cheshire marveled as she munched on the cake with a ‘nom nom’ sound.
The cake, thickly spread with black tea cream and topped with fresh fruits, was refreshingly tangy.
Kierne diligently fed Cheshire pieces of cake, giggling all the while.
He even playfully dabbed a bit of black tea cream right beside Cheshire’s lips on purpose.
“Don’t do that.”
“Oh, sorry, sorry.”
When Cheshire got annoyed from too much teasing, he would chuckle apologetically and wipe it off with a napkin.
It was a peculiar prison life.
Kierne didn’t seem to have much awareness that he was imprisoned.
He acted as if he’d just holed up in a quiet room for a brief rest, doing whatever he pleased.
He wrote and sent letters petitioning the Emperor of the Palen Empire.
He handled paperwork related to the Basilian family.
He teased Cheshire, rolled around with her, and then sprawled out for lazy afternoon naps, and so on.
He was living the life of leisure.
In fact, he seemed quite satisfied with the increased time spent alone with Cheshire, just the two of them stuck together.
Meanwhile, his three brothers, handling various tasks in his stead while he was locked up, were the ones suffering.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have insisted on coming to prison with him.’
She’d followed out of worry, but it seemed like he would have enjoyed his time just fine on his own if left alone.
Still, Cheshire didn’t mind the time spent with Kierne either.
She even enjoyed the occasional messy lullabies he sang to her at night.
Kierne asked Cheshire nothing.
Why she had used fairy powers, how she had repelled the demons.
There would be no end if he started interrogating, yet he buried it all.
It was as if he’d already prepared himself for the moment when Cheshire would eventually have to use her powers.
‘But still, I purified the demons.’
Cheshire had accomplished what even the Holy Empire couldn’t.
Surely, Kierne would use this to turn the situation to their advantage.
Cheshire herself was pondering various schemes as well.
‘Before I leave this place, I’ll make sure to lock up the Holy King in the Abyss at least once.’
Inwardly sharpening her blade of revenge, she and Kierne had nearly emptied the cake plate amid their playful bickering.
That’s when she sensed someone approaching.
The place where she and Kierne were confined was a solitary cell-like prison, with no other prisoners around.
So, the visitor must be coming to see Count Basilian.
Yet Kierne made no preparations to receive a guest; he just lounged on the sofa, holding Cheshire.
Instead, he grumbled to her.
“What a hassle….”
Indeed, the figure who appeared was someone Kierne would find bothersome.
It was Hailon, visible beyond the iron bars.
His uniform, with a blue cloak draped over one shoulder, looked especially neat today.
Kierne, still reclining on the sofa, drawled sarcastically in a leisurely tone.
“Well, who do we have here? Sir Hailon, I presume.”
Hailon looked down at Kierne and retorted in his usual calm voice, unchanged.
“You seem to be adapting well to prison life. You look radiant.”
“All thanks to you, Sir Hailon. I’ve been wanting to visit the heresy interrogation room—care to invite me?”
Kierne asked with a beaming smile, and Hailon slightly curled the corner of his mouth.
“If you wish, anytime.”
The black mage and the inquisitor glared at each other with smiling faces.
In the situation where Count Basilian was arrested, Hailon had remained silent.
He couldn’t step forward, but he also chose not to.
The reason he couldn’t was that his position as the head of the inquisitors was a secret to the outside world.
He was known as Hailon, the First Order of the Holy Knights.
A mere holy knight couldn’t defy the Holy King’s orders, so he stayed silent from behind the scenes.
The reason he chose not to was, of course, because of Kierne.
Hailon wouldn’t miss the chance to lock Kierne up.
Though, unexpectedly, Cheshire had stepped forward and ended up imprisoned too.
If Cheshire hadn’t been locked up, Hailon probably wouldn’t have come for a visit.
‘Sigh.’
Before the two could start trading blows, Cheshire hopped out of Kierne’s arms.
She pattered over to the iron bars and looked up at Hailon.
“Hello.”
The blue eyes that had been glaring murderously at Kierne softened in an instant.
Hailon knelt down to meet Cheshire’s eye level.
He reached through the bars and gently cupped Cheshire’s cheek.
The touch of his leather glove felt slightly cool.
“You don’t need to be here.”
Upon closer inspection, it seemed he’d come to take only Cheshire out.
Cheshire grabbed his hand and gently pulled it away.
Her hand looked unusually small atop the black leather glove.
She clutched one of Hailon’s fingers and shook her head side to side.
“I wanna stay with Daddy.”
“My daughter said herself that she wants to be with me. In front of His Majesty the Holy King.”
At that, Kierne finally rose from the sofa.
He approached the bars, picked up Cheshire, and Hailon straightened up properly.
Holding Cheshire, Kierne asked with a grin.
“This is a cozy father-daughter moment, so don’t interrupt…. What brings such a busy person here?”
“Tomorrow is the second prayer day of the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly.”
This second gathering would involve all the participating children coming together to pray to God.
Unlike the first gathering, there was nothing special to prepare; they just needed to approach with sincere hearts and devout attitudes.
‘I really hate this.’
From a demoness’s perspective, the mere thought was enough to make her faint.
While Cheshire despaired at the image of herself praying, Hailon continued calmly.
“Are you going to forfeit attending the prayer assembly?”
Meaning, stay locked up yourself, but let the child out.
Kierne narrowed his eyes lazily.
“You’re not letting me out? How cold.”
“….”
If not for the iron bars between them, Hailon might have punched Kierne.
After glancing at Cheshire and mustering patience, Hailon spoke again.
“It’s not time yet. His Majesty the Holy King….”
But soon, Hailon stopped mid-sentence.
Because of the unexpected arrival.
“Sir Hailon?”
It was Cardinal Miliod.
He seemed surprised to encounter Hailon here, his eyes widening.
Cardinal Miliod wasn’t alone.
Behind the cardinal stood a young man.
He had a handsome appearance that would earn him compliments anywhere.
The man had blond hair, faded but somewhat similar in shade to Cheshire’s.
Cheshire tilted her head as she scanned the man.
He wore a mana restraint on one wrist.
A cardinal accompanied by a mage—and one wearing a mana restraint, no less.
It was an openly suspicious combination, she thought.
“…!”
The man spotted Cheshire and parted his lips.
His body trembled as if overcome with emotion, his eyes moistening as he sent her an fervent gaze.
It was a look expressing longing, sadness, joy, and more.
Like he was putting on a one-man show, causing such a fuss that Cheshire was bewildered.
‘Is he sick or something?’
She already had enough mentally unstable men in the Basilian family.
The man’s sudden fervent emotions were disconcerting.
‘Who are you….’
Wondering if Hailon might know him, she glanced over, but his face was expressionless.
He didn’t seem to recognize the man.
Thinking Kierne might not know him either, Cheshire sneaked a peek at him….
‘Gasp.’
She froze in shock.
Kierne was smiling.
His lips curved smoothly upward, but his red eyes gleamed with polished murderous intent.
As if he couldn’t bear not twisting that bastard’s neck right now.
Kierne, glaring at the man like a venomous snake, sensed Cheshire’s gaze and belatedly retracted his lethal aura.
But his eyes remained fierce.
Ahem, Cardinal Miliod cleared his throat.
“I didn’t expect to find you here, Sir Hailon. This is a private matter, so I’d appreciate it if you could step aside.”
“It’s fine. It seems like something Sir Hailon should know anyway.”
Kierne wore a somewhat wry smile.
It was the kind of grin that said he didn’t want to die alone and was dragging someone else in.
“Isn’t he the child’s guardian knight?”
“….”
Cardinal Miliod glanced at Hailon.
He hesitated slightly but soon nodded.
“Since Sir Hailon will find out soon anyway….”
The cardinal placed a hand on the shoulder of the man he’d brought.
In a grave tone, he said.
“This is the man I mentioned before—the biological father of your adopted child.”
At that moment, it was an unexpected voice that spoke first to Cardinal Miliod.
“…Cardinal.”
It was a voice like ice carved from northern glaciers.
The cardinal gasped in surprise.
Because Hailon was calmly drawing his holy sword.
With the metallic ring of the sword being unsheathed echoing low, Hailon asked.
“Did you just say that this man is the child’s biological father?”
