Time Limit

Chapter 13 ( Not a woman )

The most luxurious room in the Temple of Alteon.

The man took off the lavishly decorated robes of the high priest one after another. Long silver hair glistened and flowed down the white, smooth muscles.

The man, Doha, sang a hum and began to change into a simple form of a priest’s uniform.

“You look very familiar with the attire of a lower priest, Sir Mikhail.”

“Well, aren’t you and I the clothes we once wore?”

Anyone in the new building. Doha added, bending her eyes.

“Sir Mikhail hasn’t worn it for less than a month.”

Joshua, a high-ranking priest dedicated to the next pope, Mikhail Doha Bellion, pointed out as he looked at him with narrow eyes.

Doha replied sensibly, saying he wasn’t wearing it anyway.

Of course, there are times when every priest is a lower priest. Most of them served as low priests for more than five years, and only a few who were recognized for their abilities would rise to the ranks of lay priests.

However, Mikhail was recognized for his outstanding divine power and rose to the position of high priest at high speed.

Less than a year after entering the temple, he assumed the position of a high priest, and soon became a high priest at a young age.

The youngest high priest and the most powerful pope candidate pretending to be a low priest. It was something no one would believe.

Joshua didn’t want to believe it, even though he was seeing it in front of him. 

If I had known he was such a gentleman, I wouldn’t have wanted to serve him, but I regretted it, but it was too late.

“Are you going to see the healing wizard again?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Didn’t you say that it was the Duke of Kandel? Then, if you run into a Duke and he find out your identity, there is no such thing as disgrace!”

“Isn’t that something that shouldn’t be noticed?”

Doha said, roughly tying his long silver hair. The frizzy hair bothered him, but he couldn’t cut it because of the incomprehensible claim that every authoritative pope had to have long hair.

However, he was satisfied because Lariette seemed to like his hair quite a bit.

“Why don’t you just bring her here, to the Temple of Alteon? If you offered to host the next pope, some would come over.”

“I want to bring her too.”

I don’t think it will fall over. Doha muttered, recalling the image of a woman flirting with the monster Duke.

Lariette. The pink-haired woman, who looked as cute as her lovely name, was one of the most interesting people he had recently met.

It was later revealed that she was the eldest daughter of the Duke of Blanche and the fiancée of the Marquis of Segreb. He did not know why she was at the Duke of Kandel’s residence.

Given Lariette’s excellent healing abilities and huge mana reserves, she was most likely a purifying wizard.

If so, it was possible to infer the contact point with the Duke of Kandel.

She will be purifying his curse.

Even if it was just for money, conciliation would not be easy. The Duke of Kandel would spare any money to cleanse his curse, as he had an astronomical amount of resources.

But to make matters worse, Lariette had the Duke in mind. I didn’t quite understand why she liked the dark guy, but she did anyway.

Fortunately, the monster Duke didn’t seem interested in her. So Doha was convinced that Lariette would soon come over to me after weary of his indifference.

‘It would have been nice if she had accepted Operation Jealousy.’

Doha smiled and muttered in his heart. He was going to win her heart on a date under the name of Operation Jealousy, but Lariette flatly refused.

As soon as he got ready, he came out of the temple and got on the carriage and vowed to try one more time. From the looks of it, it seems that she likes my appearance, so if he sticks with it consistently, it will be possible.

However, that afternoon, Doha failed to propose a date to Lariette again.

It was never because he gave up. It was only that Lariette’s proposal was a little earlier.

“Doha! Do you have time today?!”

“Yes, why…”

“Then let’s go play downtown with me! Eat meals together too! Let’s go shopping!”

As soon as the carriage of the temple arrived at the Duke’s residence, Lariette opened the door and asked a question.

Even embarrassed, Doha nodded and climbed onto the carriage as if waiting.

“Operation Jealousy is about to begin!”

Sitting in front of Doha, she continued speaking with her eyes burning with fighting spirit. It was just yesterday that she would try to persuade Asrazan without such a plan, but his attitude changed as if he was turning the palm of his hand.

Doha gently pushed his body aside when his long leg rubbed against her.

In any case, it was a proposition that was not bad for Doha. So he responded with a savage eyebrow.

“Of course, lady.”

* * *

The carriage soon arrived in town and dropped them off. Lariette said that she would do everything she wanted to, and led him with excitement.

But what Lariette didn’t realize was that she needed money to do what she wanted to do.

Because she was too far ahead of her mind, she did not come with a magic bag containing money, so she sat down on the bench with a desperate look on her face.

“What’s the matter, Lady? Do you need money?”

That’s all there is. Doha lowered his upper body and made eye contact with her.

“No, it’s a strategy I’m doing for myself, but Doha can’t spend money.”

Why didn’t I bring it! why! As soon as Lariette saw the white carriage approaching from afar, she blamed herself for running out of the mansion 30 minutes before.

“It’s not a job I do because of the lady.”

Doha smiled leisurely and continued.

It was true. Because it was just a date that I wanted to do.

He pulled a luxurious cloth pocket from his white coat and opened it to her.

In the pocket were dazzling jewels and money shimmering and shining. It was such a large amount that her mouth was open.

“So what do you want to do?”

“… I want to eat cake. I want to visit the market too! Doha?”

“It’s enough for me to see a lady like that.”

Really! Lariette responded with a bubbly and bursting laughter. Of course, she thought it was a joke.

They soon headed to a fancy dessert shop in the city centre.

Lariette was worried if Doha didn’t like sweets, but unexpectedly, he skillfully ordered dessert. He even knew the names of the desserts.

As she sat down, she opened her eyes and asked a question.

“Do you like dessert?”

“Anything sweet.”

Doha answered, elegantly cutting the Milfeuille topped with pink cream. The sharpness of the knife was so natural that the cream did not scatter.

“I see… By the way, Doha. Why are you doing business trip treatment? When you have a lot of money.”

Lariette asked a question that she had been curious about all along.

At first, she thought of him only as a poor, low-level priest. It was a reasonable guess. Because he was on a business trip, and he had a scar on his forehead even though he was a priest, no matter how low-level he was.

However, for someone with that kind of money, there was no need to go on a business trip or earnestly ask her for treatment.

“Ah, I don’t usually go there. In this case… Someone forced me.”

“Force you?”

“Yeah, the original priests sometimes force lower-ranking priests to go on business trips.”

Of course, there was no priest who dared to force him to undergo medical treatment on a business trip.

Lariette didn’t even know that and looked at him with a sad gaze.

‘He told me, he was being harassed before, right?’

It was information that she had forgotten for a while because he was full of positive energy.

No matter how old you are, you force people to work and even torment them! Especially in Doha, so sweet and fragile! Lariette clenched her fists and controlled the boiling anger.

If Joshua, who had been with Doha for a long time, heard it, it would be a flagship.

Sweet and fragile Doha? It was nonsense.

It was a rumor that everyone knew that the next pope, Mikhail Doha Bellion, had a cold disposition. There was not a single person who was unaware of the tremendous divine power he possessed.

On the outside, Doha had a good smile and a charming impression, but there was a big difference between people he was interested in and people he wasn’t. He didn’t give a single glance to the latter.

Still, the reason Doha continues to smile and pretend to be a friendly person in front of Lariette is because he has such a great interest in her.

He didn’t know when he would lose interest and slander her, but at least until then, he was going to keep it.

Lariette, unaware of all these circumstances, took pity on him. Although he had broad shoulders and a solid body, he also looked particularly weak due to the bright uniform of the priest.

“Don’t worry, Doha. If your senior is bothering you in the future, tell me. I will take revenge.”

“… Revenge? how?”

“I will burn all their clothes in front of them. Or hang it upside down on a tree? Just speak.”

“I am grateful for words alone.”

I see you can use elemental magic. It looks like you’ve properly inherited Blanche’s blood. Doha analyzed her in his heart, but answered with a smile on the outside.

Attacking the priest in any way was an act of turning the temple as an enemy. Saying you would get revenge for me was pretty cute, but it was just a nonsense.

Of course, Lariette, who believed that she would die soon, was saying it sincerely.

Since it is impossible to destroy the family at all, the name will be hidden, but there was nothing crazy about hitting the Duke of Kandel on the back.

Lariette and Doha chatted for a while longer, then got up after eating all the desserts they had ordered.

Now it was time to visit the market.

Various items were displayed here and there in the market. Lariette walked ahead of the narrow street, then turned and looked at Doha following her.

“What do you want?”

“Me? Why are you even going to buy it?”

“Yeah, If you come back with the money later!”

She nodded, telling her to speak. She didn’t have much money, but it was enough to give him a present.

“Well.”

If I had to say it, I’d like you to have it. Doha smiled quietly and swallowed what he wanted to say.

Lariette’s eyes, who had been looking around intently, were immediately focused on one place. A brooch for cravat studded with black gem caught her eye.

‘I think it will suit Asrazan well.’

Thinking blankly, she woke up in surprise. When she went out to provoke his jealousy, she couldn’t afford to buy a present for him.

Lariette looked around for some other thing. It was to get rid of thoughts.

And I found a bracelet that would go well with Doha. It was a thin string of silver with golden beads embedded in it. It looked quite glamorous and luxurious for something sold in the market.

“Doha, how about that?”

“Can I buy it?”

Doha laughed and made fun of her penniless state. Lariette frowned and groaned in pain.

Illustration 

“Wait here for a moment, I’ll ask how much it is and come back.”

I can come out and buy it later! She grunted and added.

Lariette quickly penetrated the crowd and started a conversation with the store owner. Doha was looking at her back with a light smile.

But that bright smile disappeared in an instant. Because someone came up to him and bumped into him.

Puk!

“Ah!”

It was a narrow market street, so bumping into people was unavoidable.

However, in this case, even though there was enough space, the man came up to Doha and slapped him on the shoulder.

The man who let out a painful moan after hitting him looked at Doha with a ferocious gaze. Doha, who checked his outfit, quickly understood the situation.

“The lower priest… How dare you bump into your senior, shouldn’t you apologize?”

The tall-haired man was wearing a long-sleeved priest suit. A garment with blue embroidery on a white background. It was a layman’s.

Lay officers were too busy to terrify themselves when they saw a lower-ranking priest. Even more so if you have just become a layman.

“Hah….”

Doha let out a small sigh and looked at him with a cool gaze.

Among the high-ranking priests, there were often those who knew Doha’s face, but only the laity did not have a chance to meet him.

Therefore, the layman in front of him did not know Doha at all.

“Don’t regret it, go away.”

Doha gave advice in a timely manner. Judging from his divine power, he must have managed to get out of the lower ranks and rise to the ranks of laity, but he doesn’t want to be kicked out of the temple in an instant.

However, to the man, he could only see the low-ranking priests ignorant of the hierarchy and acting arrogantly.

So, he kicked off the kindness of his life and grabbed Doha by the neck.

“You don’t even know that your superiors are scary, and you’re being arrogant!”

Doha looked at the face of the man who grabbed him by the neck with a cold face. His hands in his pockets trembled as if they were about to fall out.

‘Should I just kill him?’

Paradoxically, divine power was suitable to burn someone to death when used very strongly. It was a power that could only be used by a person with as much divine power as a high priest.

But that bothered Lariette. It was because  I didn’t want to reveal my identity.

People in the market watched the clashes between the priests with excitement. The level of the Temple of Alteon was dropping every moment.

Doha was a person who could properly lower his body to achieve what he wanted. So he calmed down his anger and decided to play the lower priest again.

About that layman, it was enough to kill him after he returned to the temple.

“… I made a mistake, senior.”

“Are you awake now?”

Doha slowly lowered his white eyelashes and was silent. He was staring at the end of the layman’s robe with blue embroidery in it with an absurd feeling.

And then, the white uniform he was looking at burned up in an instant.

“Aww! Ahh! Fire, fire!!”

The man jumped and tried to put out the fire on his clothes.

However, the man-made flames did not disappear, scorched, and quickly burned his clothes to ashes.

“How do you do this?”

The man who forcibly exposed his belly shouted with a reddened face, but there was no one to help. People retreated as far as they could and watched the man slowly becoming naked.

“Doha, let’s go!”

Lariette, who suddenly appeared and dragged Doha’s clothes. He was dragged along by her will with a blank face.

Lariette hurriedly moved through the crowd. Although it was done on a whim, it was because the problem would only increase if it was found out.

Only after leaving the market did she let go of the robe she was holding. She even looked at the face of Doha, who had been dragged in without knowing the situation.

“Did you do that, lady?”

Unlike usual, he was staring at Lariette with a smile on his face. She thought it was because she was embarrassed but she answered confidently.

“I told you I was going to get revenge!”

Don’t worry, if Doha ever gets in trouble, I’ll surrender what I did! Lariette frowned and frowned.

“Ah… .”

And Doha burst into laughter involuntarily.

“Hahaha!”

“Doha, the sound of laughter sounds like a villain.”

He didn’t stop laughing despite Lariette’s candid remarks.

He has never had such fun lately.

“Ah, what are you going to do, Lady?”

“What?”

“It’s so interesting.”

As much as one would love to have Doha whispered, shining his golden eyes insidiously.

* * *

The deepest room in the Duke of Kandel’s residence.

Asrazan, with her dark hair neatly handed over, unbuttoned her white shirt and opened her mouth.

“Wizard.”

“She comes back in the evening and she is in her room.”

Halstein answered, taking the shirt he had taken off. It was a particularly blunt voice.

“All day today. She said she went around the city with the priest.”

“… I didn’t ask.”

“They ate cake together and went to the market together.”

Asrazan cut off his words coldly, but Halstein didn’t mind and continued his explanation.

Asrazan frowned in displeasure and began to grind the bandages.

“Are you not worried, master?”

Halstein was frustrated and asked a question that he couldn’t do it.

“Is there anything to worry about?”

“Lariette and the priest are getting along so well! The master and the lady don’t even eat together anymore!”

The butler, who was expecting to see Asrazan’s heir before he died, raised his voice and burst into anger. Asrazan remained silent for a while, tied the bandages, and then slowly opened his lips.

“What kind of person do you think she is?”

“Yes? Who are you talking about?”

Are you asking about Lariette? Halstein asked in a skeptical voice.

Asrazan didn’t want to interfere with her friendship, but he thought he needed to know a little bit about it, because it was a person who goes in and out of my mansion.

“The priest, silver hair.”

“… Yes? It has silver hair, but….”

Halstein continued with a very bewildered heart.

“The priest, the lady’s close friend is a man, not a woman.”