Chapter 63

“Finally, this awful mess is over.”

Fadelmon was arrested by the court, and his daughter Lucia was thrown in jail with him.

Just like I hoped, Eti pinned some of the false charges on Fadelmon and dumped them all into his trash pile.

They won’t see another spring. After the revolution, they’ll take the blame for Elemoer’s actions and be punished on my behalf.

“This will probably be the last time I see His Highness at the government office.”

With 90% of the revolution complete and Fadelmon in jail, I figured my ties to Eti might end here too.

The weather was nice, and the garden at the office was full of blooming flowers.

Standing beside me and looking at the flowerbed, Eti moved his lips.

“Did you learn archery from a young age?”

I answered,
“Yeah. Since I was twelve.”

My childhood wasn’t easy.

“I needed something to focus on to escape painful thoughts, and archery was perfect.”

We weren’t poor, but after my parents divorced when I was five, I lost count of how many stepmothers came and went.

Whenever my head was filled with messy thoughts, focusing on the target helped me clear them away.

“I practiced so much that I got really good.”

If it weren’t for an injury from a drunk driving accident, I might’ve become a pro archer.

My voice carried a tinge of regret in the breeze. I could feel his gaze on me for a long time.

“Did Your Highness start training young too? You seem amazing with a sword.”

I looked at his hands—rough and calloused, a true fighter’s hands.

I knew from Star of the Revolution that he trained hard every night since he was seven.

Looking at the flowers, Eti spoke:

“I was too young and weak to protect anyone.”

I flinched.

I knew what he meant—memories burned in a fire, his mother… his father’s frozen inheritance…

“So I decided I had to become strong.”

What kind of life had he lived?

I had cried reading about him while struggling in my own job, thinking:

“Even in pain far worse than mine, he never gave up. He kept moving forward.”

I once dreamed of comforting young Eti as a small child.

“And I still want to grow stronger.”
“This time, I’ll protect what’s precious to me.”

I gave a faint smile and said,
“You’re already strong.”

He looked at me, and I added,
“Just speaking the truth.”

His deep blue eyes shimmered again.

He was so strong and beautiful—it was impossible to look away.

Etius Clyde. My favorite.

He slowly raised his hand, eyes full of emotion too complex to describe.

“Catrin, there’s something I want to give you…”

Just as his hand neared my cheek—

Thunk.

Something landed at his feet, thrown from a distance.

We turned toward where it had come from.

“Oh dear. Could you pick up that flint for me?”

Three men came around the corner. The one in the middle, wearing silver priest robes, arrogantly addressed Eti. He was about fifty.

I knew his face well: Kubel Hintz, High Priest of the National Church.

He wasn’t even a senior priest originally—but supported the emperor’s rise and got promoted.

He was a secular man, lacking real faith.

“Oh, Your Highness? Didn’t see you there.”

He gave a fake smile, clearly recognizing Eti now.

It wasn’t a mistake—he threw the object on purpose to provoke Eti and see his reaction.

Later, he’d surely report it to the emperor, badmouthing Eti.

“Since you’re closer, mind picking it up?”

His tone was smug and disrespectful.

Even a high priest shouldn’t speak that way to a prince.

Eti’s gaze turned ice-cold.

“Were you on a date, Your Highness?”

He couldn’t see me behind Eti and mumbled:

“When young men and women do improper things outside, it displeases the divine. I plan to lecture on this at the festival, and now, with Your Highness as an example…”

“A saint sees only saints.”

I stepped beside Eti and interrupted.

Kubel Hintz turned—and his face twisted when he saw me.

No way he didn’t recognize me. I even sent him a letter not long ago.

“And a lecher sees only lechers.”
“Lady Catrin Elemoer…”

Seeing his smug face crumble was incredibly satisfying.

How dare he throw trash at Eti?

I stepped on the flint and said,

“Looks like you just proved that yourself, High Priest.”

His eye twitched.

“W-Why are you here, Lady Elemoer?”

Still stepping on the flint, I smirked.

“Just came from making sure my annoying uncle never sees the light of day again. Prince Etius was the investigator.”

His proud attitude vanished—he looked like he wanted to disappear.

And I knew exactly why.

If people found out he had an affair with a noblewoman and that her second son was his, it would ruin him.

Even the emperor couldn’t cover that up.

“So many pretend to be pious but do awful things behind the scenes. Don’t you agree?”

“…Gulp.”

“I wish I could crush all their nasty little secrets like this too.”

I pressed harder on the flint, pretending to grind it.

Kubel flinched like a scared dog.

He looked so flustered—it was delightful.

I stepped back and walked toward him.

“What about you, High Priest?”

He opened and closed his mouth, speechless.

‘Serves you right for messing with Eti. Too bad for you I’m the crazy one.’

I smiled coldly and asked,

“Are you really a man of faith?”

“O-Of course. Haha, yes, of course…”

I pointed at the flint, now buried in dirt and grass.

“Then take this with you.”

He hesitated, then quickly rushed over, bowed deeply, and picked up the flint.

He scurried off like he was escaping a wild animal.

“Whew…”

I stretched a little as I watched him leave.

A cheating creep like him had no business bothering anyone.

Then, I looked at Eti—and our eyes met.

His gaze, full of layered emotions, felt like it was looking at the most precious thing in the world.

It made my mind go blank for a moment.

Then, from his coat, he pulled something out and handed it to me.

He gently slid it onto my ring finger.

A beautiful ring—decorated with flowers and engraved with the royal crest. It looked more valuable than everything he was wearing.

“A ring?”

As I spoke, he nodded.

“This is all I have right now.”

A floral scent seemed to fill the air.

“But one day, you’ll have the whole world.”

My hand trembled slightly.