Chapter 12
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Chapter 12
He was an exceptionally handsome man.
His smooth silver hair seemed sculpted from eternal snow.
His features were composed of clean, precise lines that conveyed an overwhelming coldness, yet this very quality surrounded him with an untouchable aura.
His crystalline blue eyes, so transparent they seemed almost luminous, contributed greatly to his sacred impression.
If Kieran had been forged from damp, sinister darkness, this man was a being crafted entirely from the brightest, most immaculate light.
The man sitting formally on the sofa in the Audience Chamber slowly rose to his feet.
Once fully upright, he was tall and lithe.
Yet I knew well that the body concealed beneath his pristine white uniform was composed entirely of muscle.
Even the large, firm hands hidden beneath his gloves were calloused and rough.
Every time those hands touched me, my skin felt abraded....
Upon spotting the white bracelet barely visible beneath his sleeve, I bit my lip.
I had hoped he was someone else wearing an identical face, but seeing that bracelet confirmed it beyond doubt.
'Hailon.'
I whispered his name silently to myself.
His blue eyes turned indifferently toward Kieran.
The moment I entered his serene gaze.
"...!"
Turbulence rippled across his typically expressionless face.
I quickly averted my eyes by rolling them away.
But it was already too late.
Hailon approached with his face contorted.
He strode forward and extended his hand.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch me.
A force intercepted Hailon.
"Your Eminence, the Holy Knight."
Blue veins bulged prominently across the back of Kieran's hand as his bones became defined.
Applying a crushing grip, Kieran smiled thinly.
"Is there some business you have with my daughter?"
"...."
Though his wrist was twisted in a firm hold, Hailon still could not tear his gaze from me.
His persistent stare dissected me.
My curling golden hair.
My small lips and fingers, my eyes sharp and fresh at their corners.
Even my delicate pink irises, like flower petals.
After observing my eyes particularly long, he shifted his gaze to Kieran's crimson irises.
Those who possess great power escape the physical decay of aging.
Hailon, who had been staring intently at Kieran—who appeared to be barely in his early thirties—slowly parted his lips.
"...My apologies. They resemble someone I know."
Unfortunately, Hailon's apology only provoked Kieran further.
"Is that so?"
At the word "resembles," the smile playing at my lips twisted awkwardly.
"I'm curious whom I resemble."
I raked my gaze over Hailon from head to toe with shameless deliberation before adding a remark.
"Very much."
As the situation twisted in an unfavorable direction, Chesa felt as though she might faint on the spot.
She was not the only one who wished to lose consciousness.
Count Rudin cried out with his eyes rolling back.
"He belongs to the First Rank Holy Knight Order!"
It was a desperate plea not to behave disrespectfully.
Count Rudin looked ready to strike me down at any moment.
Hailon, restraining the raging Count Rudin with a simple glance, introduced himself briefly and offered a greeting.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Hailon."
I also introduced myself simply in return.
"I am Kieran Basilian."
Count Rudin proceeded to ramble on my behalf, introducing my background.
"This is Count Basilian, who governs the Eastern Basilian Territory. You may have heard of it, but there is something called the Black Forest that is at least somewhat renowned...."
"I am aware."
Hailon cut off Count Rudin's words coldly and regarded me in silence.
I, wearing a picturesque smile and feigning attentiveness, opened my mouth.
"It is quite novel to meet a knight of the First Rank Holy Knight Order for the first time."
'No! He's not a Holy Knight! He's a Heresy Inquisitor!'
Chesa, the only one here who knew Hailon's true identity, could only fidget inwardly, unable to speak.
A Holy Knight is a formidable being.
Especially the First Rank Holy Knight Order that Hailon was currently impersonating—it was the preeminent knight order of Hilderd.
As the core that led the vast Holy Knight Order, which extended to the Thirty-Sixth Rank, belonging to it meant one was a capable individual who had risen to a position of great importance.
However, a Heresy Inquisitor was far more formidable than that.
A high-ranking clergyman positioned directly beneath the Holy Sovereign, alongside the Cardinal.
That was what a Heresy Inquisitor was.
Only thirteen Heresy Inquisitors existed, and they possessed both the authority of summary execution and letters of indulgence.
Whatever they did, they were forgiven in the name of the Holy Empire.
Hailon was the leader who commanded these Heresy Inquisitors.
Moreover, Hailon wielded the "Chain of Condemnation," a sacred relic that no one else had ever handled before, and was thus regarded as proof of holiness itself, revered even in Hilderd.
Simply put, he was of such noble station that even the Emperor himself would leap to his feet and bow respectfully at his summons.
'But what in the world is he doing here!'
Inexplicably, he was in the Emperor's Audience Chamber.
The identity of a Heresy Inquisitor was classified.
I knew that they typically posed as Holy Knights, never revealing their true status.
Yet watching Hailon speak so brazenly of being a Holy Knight in the Emperor's Audience Chamber left me utterly astounded.
"But tell me, why does a Holy Knight grace us with his presence here?"
"Yes! Just disappear for a moment!"
Chesa clung tightly to Kieran's sleeve while glaring at Hailon.
Kieran shrugged and continued speaking.
"I had assumed I would be spending intimate time alone with Your Majesty. How embarrassing—it's painfully obvious that your favor has shifted away from me."
He narrowed his eyes to slits with a mocking smile.
"It seems your new affection is directed toward Sir Hailon?"
At the mention of favor, Count Rudin's face flushed crimson.
However, Hailon showed no particular reaction.
He was a man who was practically devoid of emotion.
Ordinary sarcasm or provocation could not shake Hailon.
The only time he rarely displayed emotion was in the presence of that enchantress, Lichesia.
Hailon spoke with a face as expressionless as a statue.
"I came to meet you, Count Basilian."
"Me?"
"Is this child the one who will participate in the Pure Child Prayer Ceremony?"
"Yes."
"Since the newly adopted child's status is unclear, a verification procedure must be conducted before ceremony attendance."
"I never expected you to conduct such verification so abruptly."
"No external factors must be allowed to interfere—it is unavoidable. Especially since this ceremony's sacred gift was once a holy relic, even you must understand the need for utmost care."
Hailon concluded coldly.
"Cooperate."
It was a directive that allowed no room for negotiation.
If I refused here, Chesa would be barred from participating in the Pure Child Prayer Ceremony.
Kieran seemed to grasp this fact as well, his gaze turning glacial.
"If you speak with such threats, I have no choice. However...."
Kieran wore a fixed smile.
Contrary to the shape of his smiling lips, his eyes revealed undisguised murderous intent.
"There must be no repeat of what happened earlier."
It was a warning not to treat Chesa disrespectfully.
Hailon readily acknowledged his fault.
"I will be careful."
Kieran's gaze softened ever so slightly.
Count Rudin, who had been nervously reading the atmosphere of the tense situation, quickly interjected.
"Well, Sir Hailon will remain here, and you, Count, come with me to another Audience Chamber."
Kieran ignored Count Rudin's words.
"Chesa."
He gently squeezed her hand as he gave his instructions.
"If anything happens, call for Dad. Understood? Or even if you just want to see me, it's fine to call."
"Yes!"
"And.... Do you remember what Dad told you?"
I certainly remembered his promise—that he would give me everything if I could just fulfill one wish.
Chesa nodded.
Feeling that a nod alone wasn't quite enough, she patted Kieran's chest with her small hand.
"Don't worry."
"Mm."
The reassuring gesture proved effective.
Kieran, his smile faint, pressed a soft kiss to the back of Chesa's hand before carefully setting her down on the sofa.
"I'll be back soon, Father."
Even as Kieran left the Audience Chamber, he glanced back several times.
Chesa waved her hand to him.
The door to the Audience Chamber closed, and the small child disappeared completely from view.
Kieran stared at the closed door for a moment.
"...."
He moistened his dry lips with his tongue before slowly following Count Rudin.
Upon entering the Audience Chamber where the true Emperor awaited, an elderly man with a full beard was leisurely sipping tea.
He set down his teacup with a benevolent smile.
"At last, Count Basilian has arrived! You must have had quite the journey."
The gracious Emperor did not overlook Count Rudin in his praise either.
"You too have worked tirelessly, Count Rudin. I shall see to rewarding your efforts personally in due time. You may withdraw now."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Count Rudin bowed respectfully, then cast one last displeased glance at Kieran before leaving the Audience Chamber.
The door clicked shut.
The moment the space separated, the atmosphere of the Audience Chamber transformed entirely.
Kieran's face, which had worn a courteous smile moments before, turned glacial.
The supreme sun of the Palen Empire, the Emperor himself, found his words faltering without realizing it.
"C-Count."
Kieran strode forward with heavy steps.
He seized the Emperor by the collar and hauled him up from the sofa.
"Gggh...!"
The Emperor made a strangled sound, but he didn't dare even think of resisting.
His limbs hung limp and trembling, consumed by fear.
The crimson eyes fixed upon the Emperor gleamed with an eerie light.
"Answer me."
Kieran smiled crookedly as he posed his question.
"That bastard is a Heresy Inquisitor, isn't he?"
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