Chapter 17: The Duke and the Familiar Priest

“What are you doing to our Kiki?”

Just as I was about to kiss Kiki, Rexton returned. His usually neat hair was disheveled.

“Oh, Kiki climbed onto my lap, started purring, and didn’t move even when I touched him.”

“Do you think it’s okay to kiss him without asking his consent?”

“His  consent?”

Rexton strode over to me and swiftly snatched Kiki away. Dangling in his hands, Kiki avoided my gaze.

Ah, so he didn’t like it.

“I’m sorry, Kiki. I was too forward, wasn’t I? It’s my first time holding a cat, so I got carried away.”

“I told you not to enter here, Deputy.”

“……”

His level of politeness, even when scolding, was astonishing.

“You didn’t say anything, so I thought you were giving me permission.”

“You’re quite oblivious.”

“I’m… sorry.”

Judging by his exasperated expression, I could tell he was furious. But, as expected of the Duke’s aide, he didn’t raise his voice or lose his temper.

Meanwhile, Kiki had slipped down to the floor and hidden behind Rexton’s legs.

“Please leave.”

“Alright. But where is His Grace?”

“He stepped out briefly because of the priest who’s arriving tomorrow.”

“Can’t I wait? I need to apologize to him.”

“No, you cannot.”

I tried pleading with my expression, but it was useless. His eyes, as cold and unyielding as a persimmon seed, stared back at me.

‘Tch, he’s so inflexible, seriously.’

With no other choice, I conceded.

“Then can I leave him a note?”

Rexton nodded silently. A sigh escaped me automatically.

I picked up the quill on the desk and carefully wrote a note in the neatest, most sincere handwriting I could muster.

[Here is the luxury commander’s uniform. There’s no other meaning behind this; I just ruined your uniform, so I’m giving this as a gift. I’ll stay quiet and leave as soon as the mercenaries arrive, so don’t worry. You haven’t forgotten about the contract, have you?]

After finishing the note, I folded it neatly and placed it on the desk.

When I glanced at Rexton, he gave me a slight bow. It was a signal to leave quickly.

“Well then, I apologize for the intrusion.”

As I turned to leave, my eyes met those clear teal ones. This time, the expression wasn’t sullen. For a cat, he seemed to be deep in thought.

When I winked at him, he flinched and quickly hid behind Rexton’s legs, shrinking his neck.

‘That’s cute too.’

After taking one last look at the adorable Kiki, I left the Duke’s tent.

Back in my personal tent, I was so exhausted that I collapsed onto the bed. But Maya wasn’t about to let me rest.

“No way! Go wash up!”

“Ah, surviving is so hard.”

Every muscle in my body ached, and as soon as I lay down, I fell asleep.

I deliberately slept in late. Not only was I tired from yesterday’s work, but I also realized that doing more might only annoy the Duke further.

‘If he doesn’t want it, I shouldn’t push it.’

Stretching lazily, I got up, only for Maya to shove me into the makeshift shower.

After washing up with warm water, I started to feel hungry. Maya and I slowly headed to the dining hall. The thick fog made our steps slower than usual.

‘Why is it so empty here?’

Something felt off. There was a tense atmosphere, what people often call the scent of war.

“Maya, where is everyone?”

“Exactly. I heard they usually have breakfast around this time.”

Normally, there would be a long line of people waiting to get their meals near the kitchen.

When we entered the kitchen, the chefs were busy preparing food.

“John! Pierre!”

“Oh, Miss.”

“You’re here.”

The two were cooking harmoniously. They must have bonded quickly, working in the same field. I approached them and asked,

“Did something happen? There’s no one outside.”

“Oh, yes. Early this morning, the Beast Kingdom attempted to cross the river.”

“What? Has the war started? Are they fighting now?”

I was so shocked that I grabbed John’s arm, which was holding a ladle.

“His Grace led the First Division out with the two generals.”

“Ah…”

My hand slid off John’s arm. I had been sleeping through all of this. And here we were, in a battlefield where a fight could break out at any moment.

“Such a thing happened while I was sleeping in…”

“Sleeping in? It’s only 8 a.m.”

John looked at me with a gentle smile.

“If it’s His Grace, he’ll be fine. Even those Beastmen tremble before him.”

“Already? He’s back?”

Pierre chimed in.

“The Beast Kingdom’s forces apparently pretended to dig up the riverbed downstream while piling up soil, and when our army focused there, they tried to attack the midstream.”

John picked up the story enthusiastically.

“But who is His Grace? He ordered the troops to concentrate downstream!”

“And?”

“He secretly stationed a separate unit midstream! The Beast Kingdom didn’t even get a chance to try and were driven back, hahaha!”

John puffed out his chest proudly and raised the ladle he was holding.

“That’s amazing.”

“Right? He returned without any casualties.”

Even though he seemed busy last night, he managed to handle a battle at dawn and return.

‘Being a duke isn’t for just anyone.’

The novel’s portrayal of Xavier Auguste as a war hero wasn’t an exaggeration.

“Were there any injuries?”

“There were, but unlike the last battle, only minor injuries this time. That’s how war is.”

I let out a sigh of relief. Whether I knew them or not, I hoped no one got hurt in this battlefield.

Maya, who had been listening quietly, whispered,

“Miss, maybe that’s why breakfast is late.”

“Yeah, and there weren’t many people around.”

Behind John and Pierre, other chefs were focused on cooking.

The dishes being prepared were slightly different from usual. Pierre was grilling marinated beef, while garnishes of vegetables and potatoes were being prepared. It seemed like a course meal rather than a single dish.

“Is someone visiting?”

Without pausing his work, John answered my question.

“Yes, a high-ranking priest is here.”

“A high-ranking priest?”

“I heard he’s been friends with His Grace since childhood. Because of that, they meet often. He even brings potions to the battlefield occasionally.”

I left the kitchen briefly and headed toward the Duke’s tent. The closer I got, the more people I saw.

A modest carriage was parked in the open space next to the Duke’s tent. It seemed the crowd wasn’t just because of the early morning battle but also to catch a glimpse of the rare high-ranking priest.

“So, a high-ranking priest really came.”

“Looks like it, Miss.”

I squinted at the tent where the Duke and the priest were.

‘Hmm, was there a priest close to the Duke in the original story?’

＊

“Meow, meooow.”

A yellow tabby cat was rubbing against Xavier’s long legs and the chair, moving back and forth.

Xavier twitched his temples and glared coldly at the man sitting across from him with piercing teal eyes. He looked ready to draw the sword at his waist at any moment.

“Rexton.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Rexton swiftly grabbed the yellow cat by the scruff of its neck. The struggling cat was handed back to its owner sitting across from them.

The man, adorned with a black mask embroidered with golden thread, took the cat and placed it on his lap, grinning shamelessly.

“What? Isn’t it nice to have a friend?”

“You’re awfully calm for the situation.”

Xavier glared icily at Melvin. His gray eyes sparkled with mischief, making him even more annoying. But Melvin, completely unfazed, smiled warmly from behind his mask.

“I thought you might be lonely. Still a virgin at 23? Not even a priest, and yet?”

“Melvin, you didn’t come here to scout burial sites, did you?”

Melvin, his childhood friend, was always like this—cheeky, shameless, and fond of wordplay.

The fact that someone like him was a priest always left Xavier exasperated.

“Relax. I found this little guy wandering alone in the mountains on my way to the camp. I even healed its leg.”

Now that he mentioned it, one of the yellow cat’s legs looked smooth, a sign of holy power healing.

“She’s tame. This one’s practically a dog.”

Melvin’s skilled hand stroked the cat’s back as it kneaded his lap. Watching this, Xavier felt a strange sense of déjà vu and deliberately looked away.

Seeing Xavier suddenly shake his head, Melvin asked,

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m just tired. There was a small skirmish at dawn.”

“You look pale, with dark circles under your eyes. Didn’t sleep?”

“I’m fine. I’ve been taking the holy power potions you gave me. But why does their effect seem to be wearing off faster?”

“I have a theory…”

Melvin leaned in closer and lowered his voice.

“Holy power, like a drying spring, is gradually dwindling for all priests. Its duration and potency are decreasing.”

“What do you mean?”

Melvin handed over a large bag he had brought.

Inside were bottles of holy power potions, twice the amount he had supplied before.

“I rushed to prepare double the amount after your message, but if my theory is correct, it’ll be harder to supply in the future.”

“Why?”

Melvin’s voice dropped even lower, all traces of his earlier playfulness gone.

“I think a saintess is about to appear.”

“……!”

A saintess.

Since the founding of the Brillante Empire, saintesses had appeared sporadically. After the Empire’s failed invasion of the Beast Kingdom Moirai, the Goddess Maha sent saintesses to the world.

Traditionally, the imperial family would marry a saintess bearing the holy mark as the Empress. They used her holy power to suppress and control Moirai. When a saintess passed away, a new one would emerge in the next generation.

But Melvin claimed that after 100 years without one, a saintess was about to appear.

“Historical records show that priests’ holy power would sharply decline before a saintess appeared. It affected even high-ranking priests like me.”

“……”

“Soon, there will likely be a new divine revelation about the saintess. I swear on my name.”

Melvin resumed stroking the cat. Xavier’s tightly shut lips and unusually wavering gaze betrayed his inner turmoil.