AFRPR 29

Episode 29

After divorcing Estelle, Helios was humiliated and labeled a failure. It was said he joined the temple afterward.

Since the divorce was less than a year ago, that meant Helios had only been a priest for a short time. Normally, he should still be a trainee, or at most a beginner priest.

But an old priest named Colin, who had served the temple for years, was watching Helios nervously.

“With all due respect, Lord Helios, you don’t need to worry about Lady Estelle anymore, do you?”

Helios turned around to face Colin. As he stood up, his tall, strong figure became more obvious.

Even though he wore a modest black priest’s robe, his impressive build, golden hair, and blue eyes stood out. His kind-looking face and gentle smile made him look pure and handsome—especially in such a strict outfit. Only his cold gaze gave away his true feelings.

“O-of course, I understand you might still have some bad feelings toward Lady Estelle…”

They had never even spent a wedding night together, so how did the rumor about his “performance problem” spread? That was due to Estelle constantly claiming:

“It’s too small.”

The way to deny that kind of rumor was simple: prove it to someone else.

But Helios never tried. He accepted the divorce quietly and disappeared to the temple. People mocked him, saying he ran away and was just a pretty face with nothing inside—unlike Estelle’s other ex-husbands.

“But ordering me to check on her regularly… I can’t do it anymore,” Colin said, pleading.

He didn’t want Helios getting involved with Estelle again. To Colin, she was like a beehive—dangerous if disturbed.

“Her new husband is Duke Lennox. She may be alive, but I bet she’s more miserable than she looks.”

“…”

“Someone like you shouldn’t waste time worrying about a woman like her—”

“Brother Colin.”

Helios cut him off, firmly.

“I’m going to Winterlen.”

“Lord Helios!”

“I’ll say it’s a pilgrimage. That won’t raise suspicion. It’s normal for us to check areas affected by evil.”

Helios sounded gentle, but his tone left no room for disagreement.

He hadn’t been listening to Colin’s warnings anyway. His mind was too full.

“Why is Estelle acting differently this time?”
“Has she really decided to live as Lennox’s wife?”
“Is she being mistreated by that villain Lennox?”

He had to meet Estelle to find out.

“Understood. I’ll make the preparations.”

Colin bowed. If Helios decided something, no one could stop him.

Everyone thought Helios had run to the temple after the divorce, but that wasn’t true.

He had belonged to the temple since childhood.

He only pretended to be a noble because he was a special case:

A future pope candidate, with divine power strong enough to surpass even the current pope.

Raised in secret by the temple, a truly devout servant of God—who now couldn’t hide his excitement.

A few days later, in Estelle’s guesthouse:

A doctor checked Estelle’s temperature and sighed in relief.

“Her fever is down. That’s good news.”

“Is my mom okay?”

Little Duren tugged on the doctor’s sleeve, eyes full of tears.

The doctor held back the urge to squish his cute cheeks.

“Yes, she’s fine. Don’t worry, little one.”

“Yay! Mommy’s okay!”

Overjoyed, Duren jumped into Estelle’s arms.

Then a sharp question came—not from Estelle, but from Duke Lennox.

“What about the rest of her condition?”

The doctor, nervous under Lennox’s cold gaze, answered:

“She’s surprisingly healthy now. Before, she was like a walking corpse—ah! I’m sorry, my lady. Just a figure of speech.”

Estelle gave him a look, and the doctor quickly apologized.

“All her body functions are normal now. She seems like an ordinary person again.”

“Looks like the Mandrake medicine worked,” Lennox said, nodding.

That meant he wouldn’t need to threaten the Magic Tower’s master after all.

But his words shocked the doctor—and Estelle too.

“What did you just say?”

“That the medicine worked well. Is there a problem?”

“You said Mandrake medicine?!”

“Oh, I didn’t mention it?”

She had been too drowsy from the medicine to talk much before.

“I gave it to you on the first day you collapsed.”

“Your Grace! You should’ve told me something that important!”

The doctor turned pale.

“That kind of medicine can react badly with other drugs. You were lucky!”

Lennox ignored the doctor’s panic.

Instead, he listened carefully as Estelle finally found her voice.

“You really gave that medicine to me? Why?”

Estelle looked at him in disbelief.

“To keep the promise I made when we got married.”

He chose the word “promise” instead of “contract” since others were listening.

“He gave me the medicine just to fulfill our marriage contract?”

That cold man?

Estelle couldn’t believe it.

Originally, she planned to get better slowly and secretly ask Pippin for the medicine.

“Wait… was it Pippin who convinced him?”

A logical guess. Even when they fought over Duren’s living space, Lennox backed down after talking to Pippin.

“I should treat Pippin even better now.”

Unaware that Pippin had nothing to do with it, Estelle felt grateful to him anyway.

If Lennox could read her thoughts, he would’ve been seriously annoyed.

After the doctor left, Duren snuggled into Estelle’s arms and whispered:

“Mommy, you have to live a long, long time.”

“Live with me forever, okay?”

It was something his grandmother used to say.

Duren didn’t know how long “forever” was, but he knew it meant never leaving.

Estelle paused for a moment.

“…Okay.”

Even though she knew she couldn’t keep that promise, she nodded.

“Then let’s go for a walk!”

“…”

She had forgotten—Duren needed a daily walk or he wouldn’t be happy.

He looked up at her with sparkling eyes.

“I took the medicine, so I should be fine to walk… right?”

Estelle was about to agree when—

“Even if you’re better, a walk is too much right now. I’ll go with him.”

Lennox interrupted in a flat voice.

He seemed determined to keep his promise of spending time with Duren for at least an hour a day.

But Duren didn’t like that idea.

“No! I wanna go with Mommy!”

“Go away, mister!”

Somehow, Duren’s distrust of Lennox had grown.

He clung tightly to Estelle and wouldn’t let go.

Lennox watched quietly, then said:

“The boy’s staying in the guesthouse instead of the main house now. Must be because you’re here.”

“Yes. Is that a problem?”

“If he’s staying somewhere safe, it’s fine. But do you plan to keep living like this?”

“…”

“You were the one who said you’d stay in the guesthouse for a year.”

He was reminding her of her earlier words—when she said she’d live in the guesthouse until the divorce.

Even now, she clearly didn’t want to move to the main house.

So Lennox came up with an idea.

“If you come to the main house, the child will follow. Then I’ll naturally have more chances to get closer to him.”

Estelle thought about it.

“So come to the main house—for that reason, at least.”

What he said made sense… so why did it feel like she was falling into a trap?