Chapter 14

The golden candlestick, with its elegant curves, was a thing of beauty.

When mounted on the wall, it served as a splendid ornament, but in Kierne’s hands, it transformed into a weapon.

Kierne grinned wickedly, his expression akin to that of a candlestick-wielding murderer.

Cheshire, who knew all too well that Kierne’s smiles grew sharpest when he was enraged, felt a surge of unease at the sight.

Kierne looked ready to swing the candlestick down at any moment, but Hailon responded with calm composure.

“I only had a question to ask.”

“Oh, really? After stripping her half-naked?”

To be fair, that wasn’t entirely true.

It was just the upper layer of clothing that had been partially removed.

Admittedly, it wasn’t the sort of thing one should do in front of someone else’s child.

At Hailon’s excuse, Kierne let out a scoff, dripping with disdain.

As if he had no need to hear more, he raised the candlestick, poised to strike.

But then, Kierne froze.

His eyes had caught sight of the floral pattern etched into Hailon’s skin.

“That mark.”

His long, narrow eyes sharpened into slits.

“The mark of the enchantress.”

Hailon said nothing in response.

He merely adjusted his clothing in silence, pulling the fabric back into place.

The glimpse of bare skin vanished once more beneath the uniform.

But what had been seen could not be unseen.

“The mark of the enchantress on the body of a noble Holy Knight.”

Kierne’s voice was laced with genuine disbelief.

“Why haven’t you removed it? I thought the Holy Knights would carve out their own flesh to rid themselves of a heretic’s symbol.”

Instead of reacting to the taunt, Hailon responded with measured calm.

“Do you know the enchantress Lichesia?”

“Who doesn’t?”

From that brief exchange, Kierne pieced together the context, his brows knitting together in disbelief.

“Don’t tell me… you did that just to ask my daughter about the enchantress’s whereabouts?”

“Exactly.”

Kierne let out a hollow laugh at the absurd response.

His fighting spirit drained, he tossed the candlestick carelessly aside.

It clattered loudly against the bare marble floor, unsoftened by any carpet.

“My daughter has nothing to do with the enchantress. Test my patience no further, Sir.”

Hailon offered no reply.

Instead, he shifted the conversation.

“Every child attending the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly will be assigned an escort knight. For the House of Basilian, I have been appointed as your escort.”

“…Hah!”

“I will ensure safe passage to the Holy Empire.”

“An escort? You mean a watchdog.”

“Think of it as you wish.”

Hailon took slow, deliberate steps forward.

He stopped directly in front of Kierne.

“You’d do well to watch your actions, Count Basilian.”

“…”

“There are many eyes watching.”

Their gazes locked, a stark contrast between them.

Invisible blades seemed to clash in the air, their edges glinting with unspoken tension.

Even Cheshire could feel the chill of those blades.

Yet neither Kierne nor Hailon crossed the line.

Both instinctively knew the other was not an opponent to be trifled with lightly.

“We shall meet again on the day of departure for the Holy Empire.”

With those final words, Hailon exited the audience chamber.

The hem of his blue cloak fluttered as he moved, and the door closed behind him.

Cheshire turned her gaze to Kierne.

His face was expressionless.

She had expected at least a wry smirk, but his lips were pressed into a hard, unyielding line.

“Father.”

Cheshire’s call made him pause, still standing motionless for a moment before turning to her, a beat too late.

Deliberately, she opened her arms to him.

Kierne immediately approached and lifted her into his embrace.

Cheshire shifted the topic to lighten his mood.

“Have you seen His Majesty the Emperor?”

“Hm? Yes, I saw him. I hurried back because I didn’t want you waiting too long.”

It seemed the Emperor had summoned him for something terribly important, yet the audience had ended abruptly.

He had even insisted—under threat of treason—that Cheshire be brought along.

Now that she thought about it, it might have been because of Hailon.

‘The Emperor of the Palen Empire would surely know that Hailon is the head of the Inquisitors.’

If so, it made sense that the Emperor had issued an urgent summons at Hailon’s command, calling for Count Basilian.

‘He probably thought the Count had caused some sort of trouble.’

After all, it would be problematic if the Inquisitor decided to drag the Palen Imperial Family into the mess.

Cheshire tugged lightly at Kierne’s sleeve and asked:

“But don’t I need to see His Majesty too?”

Since the Emperor’s summons had specifically mentioned Cheshire, it seemed only right that she attend the audience alongside Kierne.

But Kierne only let out a sharp chuckle.

“No need for that. Why should Cheshire meet that old pig?”

“…?”

“Cheshire should only see pretty and pleasant things.”

Did she just hear something outrageous?

Did he just call the Supreme Sun Emperor of the Palen Empire an old pig?

Cheshire’s mind swirled with question marks.

But Kierne, acting as if such a scandalous remark had never crossed his lips, flashed a radiant smile.

“Shall we finish exploring the palace with Father?”

His words flowed so smoothly that Cheshire nodded without thinking.

Seeing her small head bob, Kierne broke into a wide grin and planted a gentle kiss on the bridge of her nose.

“The palace gardens are quite something. Worth a look.”

Cradling Cheshire in his arms, he strolled toward the gardens, adding,

“If you see anything you like, just tell me, and I’ll have the same made for the castle.”

“Okay!”

True to Kierne’s words, the palace gardens were indeed worth seeing.

Compared to the gaudy, glittering decorations inside the palace, a single flower in the garden captured Cheshire’s heart far more.

She took a deep breath, letting out a delighted “Waaah!”

The fresh scent of grass filled her senses.

Even though her fairy bloodline, tainted by madness, granted her unusual powers, Cheshire was still a fairy at heart.

She felt most at ease surrounded by nature.

Among all the plants, flowers were her favorite.

‘There are hardly any flowers at the Snake’s Castle.’

Maybe she could ask to have some planted later.

Kierne walked leisurely, letting Cheshire take in the garden’s beauty.

Pausing beneath a large tree bursting with clusters of small pink flowers, he asked casually,

“What did you talk about with that knight?”

“He asked if I have a dog.”

“…A dog?”

Kierne tilted his head, curiosity flickering in his eyes.

But Cheshire had no intention of sharing the details of her conversation with Hailon.

There wasn’t any information worth sharing anyway.

‘Kierne already knows Hailon’s here to keep an eye on us.’

Cheshire understood what made Kierne uneasy.

He needed a child who could attend the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly and win.

An ordinary child wouldn’t do.

It couldn’t look like he’d adopted a child just for the prayer assembly.

They had to appear as a true family, which meant the child needed a disposition that blended seamlessly into the House of Basilian.

It was no easy requirement.

When Kierne fully unleashed his presence, even grown men couldn’t meet his gaze.

That was why he had scoured countless orphanages.

And then he found Cheshire.

She was the child who didn’t fear him—the perfect match he’d been searching for.

What’s more, she bore a striking resemblance to the late Countess Basilian.

For Kierne, there could be no more ideal child.

He would never let her go.

That was why he treated her so well.

‘Right now, he’s probably worried that because of Hailon, I might not attend the prayer assembly or that it’ll tarnish the House of Basilian’s reputation.’

Had he grown a bit attached to her already?

Seeing this arrogant man so visibly anxious stirred a pang of pity in Cheshire.

She figured she should put his mind at ease.

Despite his aloof demeanor, Kierne was deeply sensitive and emotionally fragile.

It wasn’t out of concern for him, of course.

Cheshire was simply ensuring her own peace of mind by comforting him.

“Don’t worry.”

Lost in thought, Kierne turned to her with a faint smile.

It was his usual, practiced smile.

Cheshire reached out with both hands and gently patted his head.

His dark hair felt soft beneath her palms.

“Cheshire’s on Father’s side.”

“…”

The smile vanished from Kierne’s face.

He said nothing.

A soft rustle filled the air as the wind stirred the leaves, their whispers like waves.

Pale pink petals fluttered down, filling the air around them.

Kierne’s crimson eyes gazed at Cheshire, dazed.

The mask-like smile that had always lingered on his face crumbled completely.

His lips trembled slightly.

Hesitation held his words captive for a long moment.

But as if pushed by an irresistible force, he finally spoke, his voice faint and faltering.

“…Even this.”

Kierne laughed.

It was a laugh Cheshire had never seen before—a pained, fragile smile as he whispered,

“You don’t need to resemble her this much…”