“Change. Right. Now!”
“Who do you think you are, telling what to wear or not wear?”
Kibon, face flushed all the way to his ears, hurriedly took off his jacket and threw it over my shoulders.
“The exposure is too much! What if soone sees you—?!”
“I want people to see .”
Kibon was way too sensitive about this.
Sure, the outfit was a little revealing, but all it did was expose my shoulders. It wasn’t that extre.
I’d seen much more low-cut dresses at the last banquet.
It was just that I’d been dressing too conservatively until now.
“This is absolutely not okay.”
“Whether soone like you thinks it’s okay or not doesn’t matter.”
“Still... aren’t you cold?”
Of course I was cold. It was November. And we weren’t at a ballroom event either.
“That’s why I brought a heat scroll.”
I waved my hand as if to say “don’t worry” and confidently headed for the chapel.
My heels—almost never worn before—click-clacked across the hallway, echoing loudly.
With the most extravagant fan in one hand and thick makeup on my face, even I had to admit I looked... formidable.
“Still, just to save scrolls, I’ll keep wearing this until we get to the chapel.”
“You can’t even wear that in the chapel! I an, why would you go as far as using a heat scroll just to wear this?!”
“There’s a reason. Wait... are you interrogating now? Get a grip. People might think you’re my boss.”
“......”
Kibon looked completely dissatisfied, but I cheerfully ignored him.
The High Priest had declared that, after the banquet, he would remain in the temple within the palace.
“Temple” was just a fancy word—really, it was a small space with a chapel and a few personal rooms. Enough to accommodate maybe five people.
In other words, if I went to the chapel now, I could et the High Priest and a few of his attending priests.
“But why are you suddenly going to the chapel?”
“You don’t need to know. And I already reported it to His Highness, so it’s fine.”
Well, I’d only ntioned it very briefly.
It was... maybe a little intentional that I left out the specifics of how I was going to approach him.
He can’t do anything to right now anyway. I’m not a priority.
He probably thinks I’m the kind of small fry he can crush whenever he wants. That’s exactly why I needed to act when he least expected it.
Kibon, who clearly didn’t grasp the deeper intent, just looked increasingly confused.
“Then... what exactly...”
We arrived at the chapel.
I handed Kibon back his jacket that had been draped over my shoulders.
As I took it off, a sharp chill blew against my now-bare shoulders.
I activated the heat scroll I had brought. Like all scrolls, the effect wasn’t amazing, but it was good enough—like a decent hand warr.
Then I looked Kibon straight in the eye and commanded:
“You only have to say two things.”
“Two things?”
“One: to , you’ll say, ‘That man is the High Priest.’
Kiaros drew a quiet breath.
No way... is that what she ant by ‘approach’?
Namia’s outfit was far too revealing. He had never seen her wear anything like it. Thick makeup, towering heels... What was she thinking?
Don’t tell she’s using seduction as her approach...
And making him say, “His Highness won’t stay silent,” added a disturbing layer to it.
According to temple law, the High Priest was forbidden from forming romantic relationships.
So then, was “That man is the High Priest” ant to corner him into a scandal?
No. Absolutely not.
Just the sight of her bare shoulders made his whole body tremble. His head grew hot and dizzy.
If Namia smiled at the High Priest in that outfit and said sothing like, “I’d really like to get closer to you, High Priest,”...
No way. I can’t stand watching that happen.
Even if this was all a trap ant for the enemy, the thought of Namia behaving affectionately toward another man was unbearable.
anwhile, Namia opened the chapel doors. The High Priest, who had been praying, turned around.
Their eyes t.
“Excus—”
Kiaros reached out instinctively, intending to grab her arm and stop her—
“Oh my, who do you think you are staring like that without even saying hello?”
Namia snapped her fan open with a flourish and spoke haughtily.
“To soone favored by a Dragonblood, no less. How dare you act so rudely in the Royal Palace...”
She wasn’t seducing.
She was being an unapologetic nace.
Kiaros—along with the High Priest—just stood there blinking in astonishnt.
What are you doing?! Say your line! I taught it to you and everything!
Namia jabbed Kibon in the ribs. He looked dazed, so she shot him a glare.
Realization finally dawned.
Kiaros cleared his throat awkwardly, then managed to say,
“That man is the High Priest.”
It seed that was the correct line. Namia’s lips curved into a faint smile of approval.
As soon as Kiaros spoke, she widened ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) her eyes dramatically with a long gasp.
“Oh that’s him—the High Priest? Oh, right, right. We’ve t before, haven’t we? Oh goodness, I can’t believe I forgot, even if I did see so many faces at the banquet.”
Then she added with a bashful smile,
“Well, I’m sure His Highness would say sothing like, ‘My Mia Mia Namia is dumb but adorable,’ wouldn’t he?”
No one responded—not even jokingly with, “Yes, that’s true.”
That line just didn’t fit her stiff deanor in front of His Highness. It was wildly out of character.
But she was certainly making full use of her “scandal” with the Crown Prince here.
She never acts like this in front of ...
Namia was always polite and composed around Kiaros. Maybe that’s why, seeing her like this now made him stifle a laugh.
It had all felt absurd at first, but...
Just then, Namia clapped her hands and bead.
“Anyway, I’ve been looking for you, High Priest.”
“Ah... yes.”
The High Priest looked utterly bewildered as he stared at her.
Was she always like this?—his expression clearly said.
Which made sense. At the Saint Cairo banquet, Namia hadn’t even danced the first dance. She’d left the venue almost imdiately.
So nobody had really gotten a chance to get a read on her personality.
“Well, you see, my dragon darling kind of kidnapped and locked in the palace... I guess I was just too pretty at the banquet. And sure, I played hard to get during the first dance, but... ugh, I just don’t even know my own heart anymore. I think I like him, but maybe I don’t? Hmm? Wait, High Priest, you’re not bored of my story already, are you?”
Namia had sidled right up beside him, chattering nonstop.
“Haha, not at all... But, Minister, why did you co looking for ?”
“It’s nothing major.”
Namia snapped her fan shut and gave him a sharp look.
“I’d like you to heal .”
“Excuse ?”
“I’m clearly very sick, but that quack palace doctor keeps saying I’m fine.”
“Where... are you sick?”
“Yes. I’ve been feeling chilly all over...”
The High Priest gave her a look that clearly said, That’s because you’re dressed like that.
It seed Namia had dressed like this deliberately—to make the whole situation as absurd as possible.
“And my ankles hurt a bit too...”
That was because of the heels.
“And I didn’t even wash my face, but it looks like I’m breaking out or sothing...”
The High Priest looked like he was barely resisting the urge to say, You’re wearing ten pounds of makeup, of course you’re breaking out.
“But the royal doctor just insists I’m fine!”
Namia clicked her tongue in frustration and flashed a sly smile.
“I guess modern dicine can’t treat . So, what do you think, High Priest? Why don’t you heal instead? You do have divine powers, don’t you?”
Two: to the High Priest, you’ll say, ‘His Highness won’t stay silent about this.’”
***
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