Chapter 35: A Fateful Encounter

Passing through the temple gates guarded by the knights, I entered the busy inner hall. There were even more people than when I had come for treatment before.

‘All of this just to meet the Saint… As expected, the female lead is something else.’

Gazing around in admiration, a sudden thought struck me that this wasn’t the time for such musings. Remembering why I had returned, Lara pulled out an application form affixed with a candy and approached a nearby boy.

“Hey, kid.”

“…?”

“Do you have an older sibling at home?”

“No.”

“Ah, I see. Then promise me you’ll eat this candy and be sure to take this paper to your mom, alright?”

The boy nodded and accepted the form obediently. Smiling like a successful recruiter sealing a deal, Lara immediately moved on to approach the surrounding crowd.

“Hello there! Interested in joining the order?”

“Ah, no thanks.”

“Hello there! How about joining us?”

“Ah, sorry, my home is Buddhist.”

“Hello there! Join now and receive a special bonus—a knight’s uniform and a training sword.”

“No, I already have my uniform and sword at home…”

“Hello there! Why not seize this chance? Everyone who joined said it was the best decision ever.”

“No, I’m not interested.”

The response was unexpectedly cold. A few people reached out to take the form, but not one person truly seemed willing to join.

Lara paused handing out the forms and surveyed the area. Here and there, discarded forms—stripped of their candy—littered the ground, stepped on by passersby.

‘…Ugh.’

Fighting back tears, she quickly scooped up the forms before they were trampled. As she bent down to pick them up one by one, she straightened up and noticed an empty, secluded corridor.

Just as she was about to head back to the crowd, Lara spotted a lone man walking down the opposite corridor. Entranced, she sprinted after him.

“Excuse me! You there—don’t think I’m weird. I’m from the Imperial Knight Order.”

At the mention of the Imperial Knight Order, the man, showing a hint of trust, halted in his tracks. Lara hurriedly caught up and offered him an application form.

“Hello there! Interested in joining…?”

Just as the man half-turned to her, Lara forgot how to breathe.

Why was this person here…? His hair, the color of deep blood-red, was swept back with roses seeming to bloom behind it, glistening like morning dew.

Lara covered her mouth with both hands. In doing so, the form dropped to the floor; almost immediately, the man, Karlahee, stooped to pick it up.

“An application form? You look like a rookie knight—impressive spirit.”

“Ah… thank you.”

‘Ah… This is a first.’

Blushing deeply, Lara noticed she was peeking at his profile. In his eyes, the man with tousled brown hair, clearly a knight in male attire, seemed oddly captivating.

As Lara lingered in place, furtively watching him, Karlahee furrowed one eyebrow in question.

“What’s with that look?”

“Ah, no… it’s just…”

“Now that I look at it, you do resemble someone…”

“…?!!”

Her heart pounded wildly. If he discovered her secret identity as a woman masquerading as a man, and a romance blossomed… oddly, she felt a spark of excitement.

Then, suddenly…

“He’s a knight I have a personal connection with.”

A beautiful voice from behind startled Lara—her neck tensing as if in a horror flick. Forcing her head around, she looked over her shoulder.

Gracefully, with her sacred silver hair flowing, Lady Elina V approached quietly.

In a reflex, Lara clutched the person beside her and hid behind him. Only moments later, she realized she had grabbed Pea’s sturdy arm, and that she was concealed behind his broad back.

Then came the sound of a sword being unsheathed. Pea turned just in time; when the cold metal grazed his neck, Lara’s head jerked up slightly, and a shallow sting of a cut flared along her skin.

“Pea…?”

“How presumptuous. How dare you lay a hand on me, knowing exactly who I am.”

Pea’s expression was entirely different from the one Lara knew. As cold as the men who had just dismissed the application forms, his face was unyielding.

Before long, Lady Elina V stepped forward, effectively blocking Lara’s path.

“I beg your pardon. I am but a humble, inexperienced commoner knight. Please, grant forgiveness for my insolence, Your Majesty.”

“Dear lady, surely you know I would never refuse your request.”

Karlahee’s lips curled into a cool smile. His deep blue eyes drifted from the knight’s tousled brown hair to the saintly visage before him.

“But only if you promise to meet me at the palace tonight.”

“Your Majesty, please have mercy on me.”

“I will assign someone to help you slip into the palace quietly. Isn’t that generous enough?”

Though his tone was tender and considerate, an undeniable weight of authority shrouded his words.

“No, of course, I shall follow your command.”

Lady Elina V bowed obediently—a cliché scene with a tyrannical emperor and a saintly woman.

After he left, Lara stood frozen for a moment before her legs gave out. As she stared blankly at the floor, a warm hand gently touched her neck.

“Are you alright?”

“Ah…”

Gradually, the pain subsided and the sting vanished. When the touch faded, Lara lifted her hand to inspect her neck—the shallow cut had miraculously healed.

“Th-thank you.”

“Shall we move to another spot?”

At the sound of that gentle voice, Lara raised her eyes. Grasping the outstretched hand, she slowly got up.

Following Lady Elina V, Lara stepped into a nearby reception room. Settling on a sofa to collect her thoughts, Lady Elina V served a warm cup of tea known for its calming properties.

“Miss Shumord, you were frightened when His Majesty suddenly drew his sword, weren’t you?”

Sipping her tea, Lara shook her head slightly. It wasn’t fear—it was utter bewilderment.

At the imperial ball, when he protected me instead of my worthless brother, when he called my risky, illegal cosmetic procedure ‘adorable’, when he shielded me from falling heavy books with his body…

Though we had met only a handful of times, Lara had come to see him as a kind soul. And yet, just moments ago, he had pointed his sword at her, his expression icy. The memory made her heart flutter painfully.

“Do you have feelings for His Majesty?”

A sharp pang struck her, as if her heart had been pierced. Only after a long sip did she manage to speak.

“W-why would you think that?”

“You just seem so troubled.”

Lara softly admitted, finally recognizing the source of her inner turmoil. She was, indeed, upset.

“Yes, I do like him.”

“Oh my.”

“But it’s not a deep love. Honestly, I don’t even know why I feel this way…”

Lara realized how clueless she was. Even if she liked him, she hardly knew anything more than his name—Pea—and that he was apparently one of the Emperor’s closest confidants.

Yet, every encounter evoked an inexplicably familiar feeling, as if they had already shared so much.

“It was just a fleeting mistake, but our lips met once. It’s hard to call it a first kiss, yet ever since, I can’t stop thinking about him. But does that really mean I love him?”

“Who can say? Emotions are not for others to judge. Even the smallest moment can unexpectedly grow into something overwhelming.”

Lady Elina V’s gentle, soothing voice hinted at a warm smile.

“Judging by how conflicted you are, it’s clear that your feelings for him are far from trivial.”

“Ah…”

“And please, don’t dwell on what just happened. He only drew his sword because he mistook you for someone else. If he’d known it was you, Miss Shumord, he wouldn’t have acted that way.”

“Thank you so much… I feel so much more at ease now.”

“I’m glad my words helped.”

Lara looked up at Lady Elina V with newfound admiration. No matter how fiercely she could unleash her destructive beams, a saint was still a saint. Her compassionate heart and radiant smile made her seem like a celestial being.

Feeling remorse for the times she had cowered in fear and avoided confrontation, Lara managed a shy smile as she sat. Lady Elina V rose gracefully, her eyes soft as she extended her hand.

“Shall we make some plans? Tonight, let’s see His Majesty and decide our next move.”

“So, will I… join you?”

“Of course—you’d better apologize for startling me so much, wouldn’t you?”

Lady Elina V flashed a knowing smile, so beautiful and pure that Lara couldn’t imagine what grand scheme she was plotting.

“Is it really alright to do this…?”

Lara glanced down at the pristine white scarf draped from her head to her chin and the silver ornaments adorning her body. Yes, at that moment, she was dressed in the regalia of a saint in place of Lady Elina V.