Chapter – 16
“Yeah. That sounds like you. But that official isn’t looking for that, you know? He didn’t come to me because he couldn’t find a compromise.”
“Then what does he want?”
“He came to ask you to take his side. Not to find a compromise.”
At her words, Kyle frowned.
“And… what does that have to do with me?”
“It does. You look for the middle in everything. Like how you’re not on my side or Amila’s. Like how you tried to negotiate with a kidnapper.”
“……”
“Because neither side is yours, when the time comes to choose sides, everyone might end up your enemy.”
“……But I can’t just take one side all the time.”
“I’m not saying always take one side. I’m saying: sometimes say yes or no clearly. Sometimes take someone’s side so you have people on yours.”
“…….”
“I think someone who always looks for the middle is indecisive, not rational. Well, that’s just my opinion.”
Kyle was thinking of how to respond when a distant voice called for them.
Dee’s face brightened as she spotted Ritaeder and the temple people who had been searching the mountain.
“Ritaeder!”
“L-Lady Oracle!”
Ritaeder burst into tears she had been holding back.
“Where were you! You weren’t in your room—I was so scared!”
“I’ll explain when we get back, Ritaeder.”
“And why are you so soaked again…?”
Ritaeder sniffled and took off her outer robe to drape over Dee. Kyle flinched at the sight. She had clearly claimed she wasn’t cold earlier, but her fingertips were trembling.
Kyle belatedly realized she had lied because she didn’t want him to take off his coat for her. He had forgotten for a moment that lying was second nature to her.
Wrapped in dry clothes at last, Dee chattered on about what had happened.
“So basically I almost died, right? If Kyle hadn’t saved me, I’d be dead.”
Kyle sighed as he listened. Here she goes again, that chatterbox. She was adding extra drama to make him sound like some grand hero.
Just like last time, during the bear hunt. Even when he drove off pirates no one cared, but when he “saved the Oracle,” they praised him endlessly.
Is bragging about it really that important?
Feeling embarrassed by her loud praise, Kyle walked ahead at a faster pace.
By the time they reached the village square, Lord Gion of Gotins—pale at the news that the king had gone out searching for the Oracle—ran up. The moment he saw Kyle, he dropped to the ground in a bow.
“Y-Your Majesty! I should have taken better care of the Oracle. I’m truly sorry!”
Surely he won’t blame me for her disappearance if he’s the first to grovel… Gion was comforting himself with that thought when—
“Yes. I should not have sent her here only for you to throw her in a cell.”
Kyle borrowed a knight’s sword and, without hesitation, stabbed it straight into Gion’s left thigh.
“AAAGH!”
The blade pierced through bone and into the ground. Gion fainted immediately from the pain.
Dee, who arrived just in time to hear the scream, clapped her hands over her mouth in horror. Keeping her eyes squeezed shut, she asked the trembling Ritaeder beside her:
“H-He didn’t kill him, right? …Right?”
“No, no! Just a little bloodshed, that’s all! Ahh, it feels so good to see His Majesty take revenge for you! How dare he lock up the Oracle sent by His Majesty! In my opinion, this isn’t even enough!”
Yep, definitely not a place for a modern person to adapt to… Dee thought, near tears.
Kyle grabbed her arm, turned her toward the temple, and walked past. Dee scurried after him and grabbed his sleeve.
“You can’t just… do that!”
Kyle stopped. Then he turned, bent down to meet her eyes—so suddenly that Dee stepped back from his flawless face. Kyle said flatly:
“You said you hate indecisiveness.”
Then, seeming amused by her stunned expression, he smirked faintly and walked off toward their lodging.
Dee stood frozen, dazed, before running toward the temple, sniffling.
“Being around that guy is exhausting…”
Just like that, Kyle Claise moved back to her #1 danger ranking.
Inside the temple, Dee washed in the warm water brought to heat her chilled body.
Stephanie dried her hair as she sat curled up on a chair, then helped her into thick, warm clothes.
Though exhausted, Dee had to appear in the temple lobby—the people were desperate to see with their own eyes that the Oracle who had vanished overnight was safe.
The temple was crowded and noisy. Only after confirming that Dee was unharmed did the people of Gotins finally return home.
Dee spotted Grizia among them and hurried over.
“Grizia! I heard what you did. You told them where I went, right? You saved my life!”
“I’m so relieved, Oracle… It’s good that His Majesty rushed to you in time.”
Grizia glanced toward Kyle, only now understanding he was the king. Kyle’s eyes were fixed on Dee’s swollen ankle.
Grizia continued, relieved:
“And that method you taught me—it was perfect.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes! Thanks to you… I got a boyfriend today.”
Blushing, Grizia confessed. Dee nodded knowingly.
“Of course. I’m pretty mystical like that.”
“What method?” Kyle asked as he approached.
Grizia answered cheerfully:
“She told me to look into the eyes of the man I like and dance the dance she taught me.”
“…Dance?” Kyle frowned.
“But if I was too embarrassed, she said I only had to picture it in my head. So I looked at him, and the dance was so funny that I laughed—and then he—Sol—he asked me out first!”
Grizia peeked shyly at Sol waiting a little distance away. Dee pushed her gently toward him with a sly grin.
“Mhm, I can see it. Your bright future together.”
“Oh, Oracle… I’ll get going. Please visit Gotins often.”
After she ran off to Sol, Kyle whispered to Dee:
“Didn’t she just smile at him, so he got confident and asked her out?”
“Don’t say anything, Kyle. You’re too smart for your own good.”
“You’re a total con artist.”
“Everyone in Paton is innocent—why are you the only one so cynical?”
“If I let you fool me too, you’d end up owning all of Paton.”
“What do you take me for? I’m not that much of a con artist.”
“‘That much,’ huh? So what’s your definition of one?”
“My master, Kim Sun-nyeo, said a true con artist is someone who scams their own family.”
“That’s true.”
Kyle nodded, thinking of his older brother, Sian.
Dee thought of her grandmother, who used to win back Dee’s allowance by cheating in card games. She spoke fondly:
“In that sense, my teacher was a real con artist. Scamming a fifteen-year-old like that…”
“…What exactly are you reminiscing about?”
“Anyway—why are you dressed up? You’re not sleeping?”
“I leave at dawn. A king doesn’t stay away from the capital long unless it’s wartime.”
“What? You must be exhausted.”
Dee, who said that, was still pale-lipped from the cold, and her ankle was swollen from the jump into the well.
So that’s why he made me walk ahead? Because he was worried I’d notice he noticed?
While Kyle thought this, a small shadow slipped into the temple. A tiny animal scurried toward them. Dee grabbed Kyle’s sleeve in fright. Kyle asked:
“That fox. Did you send it?”
“Fox?”
Dee looked closely and realized it was Roxand. She trembled with anger.
“That little fox bastard!”
“That fox is how I knew you were in the cell.”
Her expression worsened as she grabbed Roxand by the scruff. Roxand flailed.
—H-How dare you, Oracle! After I helped you!
“Shut up, you damn fox. You vanish when I need you.”
—King of Paton! Save me!
As Roxand’s little legs kicked wildly, Kyle freed the fox from Dee’s grip.
“That’s animal abuse, Diana.”
“No, listen—he’s talking! How does that look like an animal? Oh… right, you can’t hear him.”
“Who’s talking?”
“Roxand. This guy.”
“That’s absurd.”
Kyle clicked his tongue. Dee tilted her head.
“Then how did you know I was in the cell?”
“The fox brought a letter.”
“Oh, that pisses me off. So he really doesn’t hear you talking?”
“You’re in worse shock than I thought,” Kyle said, pressing a hand to her forehead.
“You’ve gone mad.”
“No, idiot.”
She slapped his hand away. For some reason, being touched by him made her face hotter. Kyle continued seriously:
“Crazy people don’t know they’re crazy.”
“Kyle. Hey. Open your mind’s eye and look. This is Roxand. A god. Hm?”
“…Don’t tell me you actually believe that.”
Kyle glanced at the fox, then inched away from her. Dee scowled.
“Don’t back away! You’re huge!”
He’s trying to make me look crazy… unbelievable.
But there was no way to prove Roxand was really Roxand.
Well… he did help. I’ll forgive him today.
“Anyway… thanks for the help, Roxand.”
She opened her arms, and Roxand jumped into them. She scratched his chin, and he wagged his tail happily.
Dee waved at Kyle, who looked bewildered.
“You too. Thanks for saving me. See you at the palace.”
“…Alright.”
He walked out.
Dee watched him go before heading to her room. After being with him all day, the terrifying man felt a little less scary. Maybe she’d grown attached.
Her room was heavily guarded, and after a doctor—sent by Kyle—checked her ankle, she finally slept.
A few days later, Dee returned proudly to the western temple of the capital, holding out the fox.
“You remember him, right? Roxand.”
The priests stared at the fox she brought.
She’s… serious?
To them, she looked just as crazy as Kyle thought. But unlike Kyle, they couldn’t just say, “The Oracle has gone mad.”
And truth be told, the fox had unnaturally white fur and green eyes—just like Dee. If it suddenly confessed to being a god someday, they would look like fools for not believing first.
And even if it wasn’t a god… if enough priests insisted it was, everyone else would probably accept it.
While they all remained silent, unable to speak first, Ritaeder—who worshiped Dee blindly—said with certainty:
“In that case, we must prepare him a residence.”
