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“I’m not laughing, though?”

“If you can’t hold it back, then just laugh out loud. You find it funny to see me wearing the priest’s robe, right?”

And Paige Avery really did burst out laughing.

Not only that- the Light mage also kept on hitting Dion Skelton on the arm. Surprisingly, the (ex-)Paladin just silently accepted Paige Avery’s “violence.”

[Oho?]

Neoma watched everything unfold in front of her eyes with keen interest.

.....

For the first time in her life, she became the third wheel.

[I don’t mind, though.]

It wasn’t bad to spend her free time watching people flirt in front of her. In fact, she enjoyed it while drinking tea and having snacks that Lewis had brought for her earlier.

Right now, she was in the former High Priest’s extravagant room with her company.

[Yes, former.]

High Priest Wellington, who was proven guilty of selling stolen items and collecting fake Holy Relics, was removed from his position. Unfortunately, people who served the Astello Temple couldn’t be imprisoned as long as the crime committed wasn’t heinous.

Thus, the High Priest was “imprisoned” in the Thorne Garden. It was like the Astello Temple’s “vacation house.” Although the High Priest wasn’t allowed to leave Thorne Garden anymore, he would still live comfortably because the Thorne Garden had a manor and several servants working for him.

That left a bitter taste in her mouth.

“It’s funny how the High Priest who stole a lot from the empire got away with it with a fucking house arrest for a punishment,” Neoma said bitterly. “But the poor people of our empire who are caught stealing food to feed their starving family are imprisoned and even executed sometimes.”

Lewis, who was refilling her teacup with a freshly brewed tea, paused and turned to her with a questioning look on his face.

Paige Avery and Dion Skelton, who were (flirting) sitting on the couch across from her, also stopped (flirting) talking to each other to turn to her.

“‘Dura lex, sed lex,’ my ass. It only applies to common people,” she said, quoting a legal term from the world she lived in during her second life. Lewis, Paige, and Dion looked confused because the words she used were Latin- a language that didn’t exist in this world. And so, she translated it for them. “It means ‘the law is harsh- but it is the law.’ Like I said earlier, ‘dura lex, sed lex’ only applies to poor and common people most of the time. After all, the rich and the influential people like the High Priest often get away with their crime easily.”

“The law protects the rich,” Lewis said bluntly, then he stood behind her. “Because the rich bribes the people who make the law.”

“It’s my ancestors’ fault, so I have to take responsibility and fix the damned laws of the empire,” she said while shaking her head.

Her Papa Boss had been fixing the unjust laws that their ancestors made in the past.

But even though her father was the emperor, it was still hard for him to change the current laws because of the powers that the nobles possessed. Thus, despite sitting on the throne for more than a decade now, the poor were still oppressed.

“Dion, while you’re acting as the head of Astello Temple, I want you to influence the people serving the temple,” she said while looking at the fallen angel. “Let’s change the laws of Valmento, so the people of the temple who committed crimes would be punished accordingly.”

Dion nodded his head politely. “As you wish, Your Royal Highness.”

“Thanks,” she said, then she sipped her tea. “You may continue flirting now.”

Both Paige and Dion turned as red as gochujang.1

[Aww... they’re shy.]

Paige cleared her throat as if to hide her embarrassment. “We’re not flirting, Your Royal Highness.”

“Why not?” she asked casually. “You look cute together.”

The age gap between Paige and Dion was pretty huge, though.

If she remembered it correctly, Dion was twenty-eight years old while Paige was twenty-years-old (physically).

Dion lived as a fallen angel before getting born in this world as a human, though.

But, to be fair, Paige was trapped in the Hisa Tree for fifty years.

[I guess their age gap is okay, since both of them are adults anyway.]

“Now I feel bad for making Dion the new head of Astello Temple. After all, the people who lead the temple aren’t allowed to get married or get a lover,” Neoma said, geniunely feeling apologetic at the moment. “Paige, can you wait until Dion steps down from his position?”

Once again, Paige and Dion turned very red.

Lewis let out a sigh. “You broke them, Your Royal Highness.”

***

PAIGE felt awkward now that she was alone in the drawing room with Dion after the short ceremony that officially made the ex-Paladin the temporary High Priest.

Princess Neoma left earlier with Lewis.

The royal princess told her to stay with Dion in the temple in the meantime to take care of the Holy Relics and to find where those things came from. But she had a feeling that Princess Neoma asked her to stay in the temple for other reasons.

“I apologize, Dion,” Paige said, breaking the silence. “It seems like Princess Neoma misunderstood us because I kept on teasing you.”

She was free to speak Princess Neoma’s name because she protected the room with a barrier using her magic.

“Misunderstood what?” Dion asked, stopping mid-way when he was about to sip his tea. “What did Princess Neoma misunderstand?”

“She thought we were flirting because I was teasing you a lot.”

He looked genuinely shocked. “We weren’t... flirting?”

She almost choked on her tea. “Wait... you thought we were flirting?”

He slowly nodded as he placed his teacup down on the saucer. “Yes.”

She gasped softly. “What part of our banter were you flirting with me?”

“I don’t banter with anyone,” he said bluntly. “I also don’t let anyone else hit me in the arm, even if they did it jokingly, aside from you.”

She felt her cheeks burn when she remembered the times she would hit Dion’s arm when she was laughing. Now she was even confused. “Are you saying that you’re interested in me?”

“I thought I was being obvious.”

All she remembered was Dion keeping a poker face every time she teased him.

[Oh, why did I tease him in the first place?]

Was it because she was interested in Dion and she just didn’t realize it right away?

It was funny since she remembered crying her eyes out during the first few days she spent in the palace after she found Marcus was already married and even had grandchildren now. But after spending a few days with Dion...

[Am I the type to fall for someone easily?]

But looking at how fine Dion was, she couldn’t really blame herself for getting attracted to him right away.

“When did you start having interest in me?” she asked Dion carefully.

“The moment you approached and teased me,” he said without missing a heartbeat. “Most women avoid me because I have a scary face.”

Scary face?

[Dion is handsome, but I can see where he’s coming from.]

The ex-Paladin had a semi-permanent frown on his face. Moreover, he had an aloof aura that made him hard to approach. But those things didn’t bother her.

Ah, now she understood why she liked Dion.

[I wanted to crack his cold exterior because I thought it was fun, but I ended up liking him without me knowing.]

“And I enjoyed the little show you made when you bullied the former High Priest.”

“I didn’t bully him,” she said defensively. “I was just putting him in place after he disrespected our Princess Neoma.”

Dion gave her a half-smirk, as if he was telling her it was exactly the reason why he found her interesting.

That half-smirk was effective.

It made her heart skip a beat.

[Alright, I give in- I like Dion.]

“Even if you’re just a temporary High Priest, you won’t still be allowed to have a lover,” she said shyly. “I won’t tease you anymore.”

“I will step down as soon as the new saint arrives,” Dion said, blushing. “But it will take years before it happens...”

Paige laughed softly. “I’m good at waiting, Dion.”

***

“COUNT DANKWORTH1, you saw nothing today,” Neoma said to Count Sean Dankworth, Jeno’s brother, seriously. “You didn’t see my newly purchased passionate romance novel.”

It was an accident.

Neoma snuck out of the palace with Lewis to visit Jeno, who was still recovering from being poisoned by Darkness, at the Dankworth Mansion.

.....

But before they went to the Dankworth Mansion, they visited her favorite bookstore first.

Her favorite writer, Author Sola, released a new book. It was still a “passionate romance novel,” but the main genre this time was different. And to be honest, it was shocking.

[I mean that in a good way.]

Anyway, she was about to hand Count Sean Dankworth the gift basket that she prepared (because she didn’t want to visit empty-handed) when she realized that she had accidentally hidden the “scandalous” book in the basket.

Count Sean Dankworth saw the novel.

The illustration and the book title suggested what kind of book it was, so there was no use lying to the count.

“Don’t worry, Your Royal Highness- I’ll keep your secret safe,” Count Dankworth, who was sitting on the couch across from her, assured her. Thankfully, the always sleeping count was wide awake when she visited. Perhaps he didn’t sleep this time because Jeno was heavily injured. “And I tend to forget things that don’t concern me easily.”

That was a relief to hear.

“Thank you,” she said, then she sipped her tea.

Right now, she was in the drawing room of the Dankworth Mansion while having tea with the count. According to Count Dankworth, Jeno had just fallen asleep when she arrived. She didn’t want to disturb her “son,” so she was about to leave when the count invited her for tea.

So, here they were now.

Since she came to the mansion in secret, the count didn’t let a single servant see her. He even brought and brewed the tea himself.

Thus, only Lewis (who was standing behind her) was their guard.

[Plus, Lewis and I still wear our hooded robes to cover our faces just to be extra safe.]

“I’ve already read that book, Your Royal Highness.”

She was shocked to hear that. “Really? I didn’t know you read romance novels, Count Dankworth. Not that something’s wrong with it.”

“I don’t really read novels since I tend to sleep a lot,” the count said. “But that book caught my interest after it became a hot topic among the noblewomen.”

Right.

After all, Author Sola created another controversial book.

[God, I hope Papa Boss doesn’t get her arrested again.]

“Your Royal Highness, that romance novel features a romantic relationship between men.”

Yep, Author Sola just released her first BL (boys’ love) novel.

“I know, Count Dankworth,” she said bluntly. “I bought the book fully aware that it’s BL.”

The count looked confused. “BL?”

“It’s the book’s genre,” she said. “Anyway, BL is just like any other romance books, so don’t sweat it.”

“But it’s not normal, Your Royal Highness,” the count insisted. “A romantic relationship between two men isn’t normal.”

She understood why the count had that kind of mindset.

Heck, even the world where she came from wasn’t accepting of same-sex relationships, even though the modern world was supposed to be progressive.

“I believe that love has no gender, Count Dankworth,” she said seriously, shocking the count. “Anyone can love someone just as equal as heterosexual- I mean, straight or “normal” couples.”

The shock on the count’s face was soon replaced by an emotion that she couldn’t fathom.

Was it relief? Gratefulness? Whatever it was, Count Dankworth looked touched.

“Your Royal Highness, please support my brother Jeno as much as you can.”

She was surprised by what the count said because it seemed random. “Uhm, sure.”

Count Dankworth smiled, but it was kinda sad. “Whatever the vassal families of House Dankworth say, I will never get married and have a child,” he declared boldly. “I intend to make Jeno my successor. But since my brother is an illegitimate child, the vassal families won’t accept him as the heir to House Dankworth. When that time comes, please help me pass my title to Jeno, Your Royal Highness.”

“Of course, I will help you and Jeno, Count Dankworth,” she promised. “But are you sure you’re not going to get married in the future?”

“I am certain, Your Royal Highness,” Count Dankworth said. “After all, I can never marry the man I love.”

‘Man.’

The count said ‘man.’

She didn’t expect that Count Dankworth would come out to her just like that.

“I see,” she said calmly. “Falling in love is a pleasant feeling. Good for you, Count Dankworth.”

The count let out a chuckle. “Your Royal Highness, I just told you that I’m in love with a man, even though I’m also a man.”

“As I said earlier, I believe that love has no gender.”

And she already noticed way before that Count Dankworth had a thing for Marquis Gibson.

She just didn’t expect it to be this serious.

[I ship him with Marquis Gibson for fun because they look so close, but it seems like their relationship is deeper than I expected.]

Now she should stop with her headcanon about Count Dankworth and Marquis Gibson1.

Shipping real people was wrong, anyway. After all, shipping real people for your self-gratification differed from supporting the minority.

[Let’s not fetishize same-sex relationships.]

“Count Dankworth, it won’t be easy, but I plan to turn my support for the minority into a law once I have the power to do so,” she said in a careful yet firm voice. “I want the empire to recognize same-sex marriage one day.”

The count’s eyes widened in shock. “Your Royal Highness...”

“I know that you don’t need other people for validation,” she said carefully. “But we’re talking about the benefits of marriage here. I want you to have the same privilege that “normal” married couples enjoy.”

Much to his surprise, the count burst out crying.

She panicked because she didn’t know how to console a crying grown man.

“Your Royal Highness made the count cry,” Lewis whispered to her playfully. “Your Royal Highness is a bully-”

Lewis suddenly stopped talking, and she knew why.

[Another guest has arrived, and he’s quite strong.]

The door suddenly burst open.

“Sean Dankworth, how long are you going to make me wait just to see your face?”

It was Marquis Lawford Gibson.

The marquis was focused on Count Sean Dankworth that he practically ignored her and Lewis.

[Or maybe the marquis didn’t notice us because both Lewis and I are wearing hooded robes.]

“I just woke up,” Count Sean Dankworth said to the marquis lazily. “I have guests-”

“I came here to tell you that it’s already decided,” Marquis Gibson said, cutting the count off. “You haven’t read my letter yet, have you?”

“I was busy attending to Jeno,” the count said. “What has been decided?”

“The date of the wedding.”

“Whose wedding?”

“My wedding,” Marquis Lawford Gibson said, his voice louder and clearer this time. “I’m getting married to Lady Almira Clarke next month.”

If brokenhearted was a person, then it would definitely look like Count Sean Dankworth at that moment.

Even Neoma felt the pain of an unrequited love that day.

[That’s life- some ships sail, some don’t.]