"It's nice if you finally find the time to see me, my dear daughter. I heard that you took care of the Kelvin town case. So, how was the experience leading the team?"
Eve had not wanted to come back to the temple this soon. Instead, she would have preferred to spend the day with Elysia now that she was finally awake.
But the charity ball was a big event that Eve could not afford to mess up. This was where her reputation as the next saintess would be coined.
'And then I can openly state my intentions toward Elysia. I need to stay focused until that very end.'
Eve knew she was no match for the Crown Prince just yet but soon she would be. She would have the power and influence to match him.
"Father, why did you ask Elysia to help me during the Kelvin town case? I could tell that it was your doing even if she didn't say anything to me."
The Head Priest didn't even look startled at being found out. Eve hated this about her adopted father.
No matter what kind of situation he faced, he was always calm and collected. He never lost his temper with her, nor did he ever tell her the full truth.
"Ah, I asked Elysia because she was your friend. I knew she left very abruptly and you didn't get a chance to talk to her beforehand so I thought I should give you this opportunity. Besides, she was a big help to you, right?"
That did make sense in Eve's mind but she could also not help but doubt her father's intentions.
'He didn't lie but he didn't tell me the whole truth as well. I don't want to suspect that father is the culprit behind anything that happened but he is making it difficult for me not to notice his odd behavior.'
"Eve, you are happy to solve this case right? I heard that the people of Kelvin town are calling you a 'little angel' after your week-long ceremony. And not only them, but the other common folks are also praising you as well. I even heard that the Crown Prince asked you to be his partner for the charity ball this weekend because he realized what a gem you were."
Eve almost choked at the last sentence.
"Excuse me but what? I and Adam don't have that kind of relationship with each other. I am just a stand-in for Elysia since she cannot make it."
Eve knew that everyone else was misunderstanding this situation but she had hoped that her father would be better.
He had raised Eve ever since she was a child so he should know better than anyone else who Eve liked.
'Unless he is teasing me but I don't find this joke very funny.'
"Eve, you don't have to hide how you feel from me. There is a weird aura around you wherever you go out on those outings of yours. And who else could make you feel like this but the Crown Prince?"
Eve wanted to correct this misconception right now.
If she swung the right way then her target of affection might have been Adam. The guy was tall and handsome. Not to mention, rich and had a lot of influence on this empire.
Objectively speaking, he was the perfect man anyone could have asked for. But Eve did not swing that way.
'Or rather, I only swing one way and that is Elysia.'
And then there was that personality of the Crown Prince and his obsession with Elysia as well. Anyone other than Eve would not be able to keep up with him.
'In a way, I can see why people might think we make a good couple. But they don't know that we end up talking about Elysia every time we meet.'
"Eve, just know that I am on your side no matter what happens in the future. You can ask me for help anytime you need it."
Those words touched Eve a lot but it also meant that there was no room left for her to clear up the misunderstanding between her and Adam.
'I missed my window of opportunity. Oh well, I will have a few more chances to clear my name in the future.'
Eve just ate her food in silence. As long as she didn't admit to liking anyone then no one could say that she liked Adam for real.
Eve would always have the plausibility of denial later. (If only things worked this way.)
"By the way, will you be heading toward the Royal Palace today for your fitting? You should take a few gifts from the temple's side as compensation."
Eve wanted to refuse but it would be rude of her to show up empty-handed. In the end, she decided to follow the Head Priest's lead and take a holy artifact with her to the Royal Palace.
The queen liked Eve quite a bit and Eve wanted to give back the love she received from her.
'And maybe this way the Royal Family will support me when I ask them for Elysia's hand. The queen knows that the one I like is Elysia, not Adam.'
That was the only nice part about all this. The queen always had a good laugh whenever Eve and Adam ends up fighting over Elysia.
_________________________________
The Royal Palace was a noisy place and that was why Adam didn't often like it.
But as a prince, he had no choice but to stay here and lead the subjects. He had a duty to look after his people.
Besides, he also needed a cozy nest for Elysia once she married him and there was no other place with better funds than the Royal Palace.
Usually, Adam could tolerate the Royal Palace and all the nonsense it came with but not today.
'Did you hear? Our Prince finally asked the next saintess out. I always knew they would make an adorable couple.'
'It was about time as well. Don't you see them making those lovely-dovely eyes at each other every time they meet?'
'It was a given that this would happen sooner or later. I mean, have you not seen that gloomy fiance of the Crown Prince? Every time I look at her, I get an unsettling feeling.'
'You are right. On the contrary, I feel refreshed when I look at the next saintess. I am sure she's the best match our prince could have asked for.'
The more Adam walked through the garden, the more such words he heard. And the more he heard, the more pissed off he got.
"Don't mind them too much my Lord. These people have no idea how nice Lady Elysia is."
The aid walking beside Adam was the same one who had served him a long ago. Unlike normal people, he knew how his master felt about 'newly' crowned Lady Dirac.
He could not say that he approved of the match but he would not be the one to suggest otherwise either.
The aid did value his life quite a bit and he did not want to lose it by angering the Crown Prince.
"Of course, these people don't know Elysia. And I prefer that these people don't know Elysia as well. I don't want Elysia's ears to be tainted by their bullshit. Now, what time will that demon be here again? I need to know when I should make my exit."
The aid sighed in pain at his master's cruel words.
The 'demon' in question was referring to Eve. His master didn't want to spend any time with her.
He was already pissed off that he would have to wear a matching outfit with Eve and be a 'couple' at the Charity ball. He did not want to add to that irritation by spending more time together as well.
"You cannot do that, my lord. As your partner, you have to escort Lady Eve to the Royal Boutique and then sit through the fitting. You both also need to have a matching set of the Royal Family crest on your clothes to make it official."
'Ouch, that was the wrong thing to say.'
The aid flinched at the intensity of the eyes that were glaring at him for that suggestion.
"I don't want it to be 'official'. Eve is not my fiance and I would like to keep it as such."
"From how hard you are denying it, one would think that you are trying to hide something. But don't worry, you are not to my taste as well. We are both doing this as a favor for Elysia so let's get it over with."
The aid sighed in relief as soon as he saw Lady Eve make her way toward his master.
If there was one person who could keep up with him, it was Lady Eve. Lady Elysia would just make his master surrender since he was a simp for her.
"It's so noisy out here. Won't you escort me inside now my lord? I feel a little faint out here."
Lady Eve made a falling motion and the aid watch his lord's eyes fill with disdain as he had to catch her.
"Stand still woman and have some dignity. We are under watchful eyes."
Lord Adam's voice was just loud enough for the three to hear. For those who saw this scene at a distance, it might come off as romantic.
But the tight grip her lord had on Lady Eve's arms and the mocking grin Lady Eve gave in return ruined any chances of this being a sweet moment.
"Ah, what pity. Elysia would not have complained if I did this with her. Why do you have to bitch so much when it comes to me?"
"Well, I won't have complained so much if you were Elysia either. Now stand straight since we have work to be done."
The Crown Prince helped Eve stand up and the aid was sure that this news would spread all around soon enough.
By the evening, a new tale of 'young love between the Crown Prince and the saintess' would circulate and dampen his master's mood.
And that would give rise to a very crappy week for the aid.
'Lady Elysia please come back soon. It is so much easier to handle these two when you are here. You are the only hope of our empire's sanity.'
The aid cried out in his heart as he followed after the Crown Prince and his 'temporary' partner.
Somehow the aid had a feeling that a storm was approaching and it would be all because of this current arrangement Lord Adam and Lady Eve had.
'Lady Elysia, please hurry back here.'
Somewhere in the Dirac mansion, Elysia sneezed for the fifth time in a matter of minutes. She had a feeling that someone was thinking about her very seriously and begging her to come back.
But since it was just a feeling, Elysia didn't think much of it. She had many more important things to worry about than a random feeling.
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