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Then, she quickly disappeared into the mansion. She reappeared a few moments later.

“…Continue.”

Yelena had gone to drink a cup of iced water, to cool down her burning rage. She was out of breath from dashing from place to place.

Sidrion briefly waited for Yelena to catch her breath before continuing.

“The moment I saw Kaywhin at the castle, the first thing I thought was…”

***

“I wish I had those patches on my face instead.”

The notorious monster count looked younger than expected.

While he seemed intimidating because he stood half a head taller than everyone else and was quite skilled with the sword, it was obvious that he was no older than 17.

He was the same age as Sidrion. Perhaps that’s why Sidrion felt a sense of camaraderie towards him. It wasn’t long before Sidrion started telling Kaywhin more and more about himself.

“I’m gonna talk casually. I can do that, right? If not, well, too bad. I’m gonna do it.”

“…”

“Wanna hear about how pitiful my life is?”

Truthfully, at the time, it wasn’t really camaraderie that made Sidrion speak up. Rather, it was the sense of mutual unhappiness. He recognized that they both had pitiful circumstances. That’s what made Sidrion open up without reservation.

The young Count Mayhard seemed like he didn’t rely on anyone, but that didn’t mean he turned away from those who approached him first.

That’s how it was on that day.

Kaywhin was in his study. Sidrion leaned on the window ledge as he condemned how unfortunate his life was in great detail.

And then “those” words came out.

“Don’t you think?”

“…”

“People are only interested in the patches on your face because of your bloodline and status. No one would care if an alleyway orphan-nobody like me had those patches.”

Sidrion had seen people who looked worse than Kaywhin in the alleys that he came from. Lepers, people with scars or damaged skin as a side effect of eating something off the street that shouldn’t have been consumed.

Anyhow, Kaywhin’s patches weren’t unusual enough to draw attention in those alleys.

“If I had your patches, I wouldn’t have become a priest… And we probably wouldn’t be here together because I wouldn’t have to find proof that you were cursed by the devil.”

Sidrion was half-joking, half-serious.

He had said those things in a fit of anger, and now he waited for Kaywhin’s reaction silently.

Sidrion figured Kaywhin would react in one of two ways. He’d either agree and say Sidrion was right, or he would get angry and ask if Sidrion was making fun of him.

But Kaywhin did neither of those things.

“You know how to use magic, don’t you?”

“What?”

“You know how to, but you’re hiding it. Is it because you think the temple would use you if they knew about your ability?”

Sidrion was flustered.

It was out of the blue, but Kaywhin wasn’t wrong. Just as he said, Sidrion knew how to use magic.

He didn’t learn it from anyone. He just happened to read a book about magic, and this innate talent came naturally to him.

As soon as he had realized his ability, Sidrion hid his secret thoroughly. He had already become the temple’s doll just because of his good looks. If they found out that he even knew how to use magic…

“How do you know that?”

Sidrion put his guard up. He acted hostile towards Kaywhin for the first time.

Kaywhin’s attitude didn’t particularly change.

“Why don’t you leave the temple?” he asked calmly.

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking, why don’t you quit priesthood?”

“…”

Sidrion seemed to hesitate but answered soon after.

“…If I’m to shed my priest attire, I must erase my name from the roster in the chief priest’s room.”

“…”

“I’m absolutely forbidden from entering that room.”

“You can just force your way in.”

“Do you take the temple’s security for a joke?”

“Knock down anyone who gets in your way. You should be capable of doing that.”

Sidrion was at a loss for words. Not because what Kaywhin said was ridiculous, but because it was true.

Sidrion was definitely capable of doing that. He possessed the strength to get rid of anyone who got in his way of breaking into the chief priest’s room and stealing the roster.

There was a trap on the chief priest’s door that blocked magic. But Sidrion would be able to get rid of that too.

But…

“You can’t do it with your own hands.”

“…”

“Well, I understand. I was the same. At some point, it stopped mattering to me if my family died or not. And when they actually died, I felt nothing.”

“…”

“But still, I couldn’t have killed them with my own hands.”

Sidrion squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them again.