I Became a Fake Priest the Saintess Is Obsessed With

26 – Bloodstained Party (1)

On the day of Viscount Akid’s party.

Before taking Lecia with me, I decided to stop by Mable for a moment.

For no particular reason, just because meddling in someone else’s family affairs seemed like something I should at least notify her about.

“Are you there?”

As always, I used the guide to find the children’s hideout.

The hideout, unlike usual, was quiet, and something seemed off.

Even though I came a bit early, the kids who usually welcomed me even if they were about to sleep didn’t come out.

“Hey, where are you guys?”

Thinking that they were hiding to surprise me, I looked around, but the children were nowhere to be seen.

After wandering around the hideout for a while, I heard someone’s voice from somewhere.

As if in despair, a voice that cried sadly and painfully sent shivers down my spine.

In the naturally frightening atmosphere of the dark alley, curiosity overcame fear as I headed towards the source of the crying.

And there, I faced Mable, crying so sadly.

Among all the moments I had seen her, she was crying the most sorrowfully.

As if a bird with a broken leg in a blinding storm, she cried sorrowfully.

“Um… Miss Mable…?”

I cautiously approached her and spoke.

But Mabel either didn’t hear me or simply bowed her head and cried.

The missing children and weeping Mabel.

A bad premonition crept in.

“Did something happen…?”

“Yeah…”

A stifled, choked-up voice of affirmation came from her.

“May I ask for a detailed explanation?”

The smile on her face froze.

Was she crying so sadly because of some problem with the children?

I was extremely worried.

“That jerk…! The damn jerk… took the kids away…!”

An outburst of anger that couldn’t be contained.

She clung to me and poured it out.

Her tears and runny nose stained my clothes.

I carefully wiped away her tears.

But even with my priestly robes, I couldn’t stop her tears, and new tears formed in her eyes.

“Is it Viscount Aikid…?”

“Yeah… That jerk… that jerk took the kids…”

I embraced her in her agitation.

Mabel’s body trembles.

A sigh, heavy with despair, bursts from my chest.

Damn it.

The title of a viscount is indescribably damn it.

The hand I clench to control my emotions feels like it might break.

I want to vomit out this rotten feeling right now, but in front of me is Mabel, who would suffer more than I would.

As an adult, I didn’t want to show her an ugly side.

I gulped down the rage to hide the anger.

“Mabel, I’m going to meet the viscount now.”

“Then take me with you…!”

“No. Mabel, please go to the place I mentioned.”

“Why…? We need to go find the kids from that bastard right away…”

“Anyway, we’ll end up in the same place. I’ll call someone we know to guide you, so please come within the time.”

Giving clear instructions, I turned around and headed towards the Cathedral of Celestial Faith.

***

“You’ve come, Reverend. I was waiting for you, but… Is there something wrong?”

When I arrived at the Cathedral of Celestial Faith at the agreed time, I hastily covered my face with my hands.

Despite my efforts to conceal it, Lecia seemed to read the emotion of anger from me.

“It’s nothing important. Let’s go to our destination together for now.”

Since I wasn’t a fool who couldn’t hide my emotions due to anger, I casually smiled and extended my hand to Lecia.

“I sincerely hope it’s not a big deal… But we’re going to a party, is it acceptable to go like this?”

“Ah… I didn’t even think about my attire.”

I realized, thanks to Resia’s remark, that I was wearing a black priest robe that was far from suitable for a party.

It was my first time attending a noble’s party, and my main goal was to meet the count, so I hadn’t paid much attention to my outfit.

The priest robe, already damp with Mabel’s tears, had turned into a sorry sight.

Going like this felt like inviting the laughter of the guests inside.

“I’m sorry… I might end up being a source of amusement at the party.”

“Don’t worry. I have prepared some clothes for you.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. Please wait; I have clothes for you as well, Reverend.”

Resia disappeared for a moment, then returned wearing a blue dress.

The blue dress, reminiscent of the color of the summer sea, looked beautiful with her light blue hair.

While the usual priest robe exuded a stern atmosphere, now she looked more elegant than any lady from a noble family.

The sword with a ribbon tied to its scabbard, hanging on her back, complemented the dress perfectly.

Clothes do make the person, indeed.

“Now, please put this on.”

She handed me a black suit.

Without hesitation, I accepted it and changed into it.

The black suit fit me perfectly.

It clung to me without any discomfort, as if tailor-made for my body.

……How did they manage to have clothes that fit me perfectly?

I felt a moment of doubt, but now was not the time to worry about such things.

“Please follow me. As a token of gratitude for receiving the clothes, I will guide you.”

I reached out my hand to Resia once again.

She quietly smiled and took my hand.

Though she remained as expressionless as ever, it seemed like she was smiling in my eyes.

I tried to smile back at her, but my face stiffened and I couldn’t manage a smile at all.

The only fortunate thing was that Resia couldn’t see my face leading the way.

If she saw my expression now, she might misunderstand and think I was trying to kill someone.

***

When I arrived at the Maro Train and reached the Viscount’s mansion, it was the gradually fading time of sunset.

By then, my anger had subsided enough for me to meet Resia face to face.

The front of the mansion was bustling with people, and Resia looked at them with a puzzled expression.

“There are more people at the Fallen Nobles’ Party than I expected.”

“They probably came for reasons similar to ours. Don’t worry about them and focus on what I need to do.”

The attendees at the party were mostly from noble families.

They might have come for socializing or simply to enjoy the party, but I guessed there were hardly any who attended for such trivial reasons.

There must be something to gain from the falling Viscount, and Viscount Akid’s intention in hosting the party was probably to find out.

It was surprising that the nobles who managed their own bodies were directly involved.

However, it was stated on the invitation that bringing a few guards would be fine, and perhaps the Viscount thought it was safe, considering that his actions might have spread in the social circle.

I led Lesia and broke through the crowd, entering the mansion.

Inside was as lively as the outside.

People were enjoying the offered drinks and food, laughing, and reveling in the party.

“I have a pair of hearts!”

“hahahaha! What is this? My card has a higher number!”

Although my eyes were drawn to the quietly ongoing gambling in the corner, meeting the count was the top priority now.

“Let’s act separately for a moment. I’ll be back soon.”

“Understood.”

Lesia and I decided to act individually and searched for the count.

Using the information obtained during the survey, we examined every nook and cranny of the mansion, but the count was nowhere to be found.

The space, which was empty just a few days ago, seemed to have transformed into a different place, making the count inconspicuous.

“Excuse me, please watch where you’re going.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

While wandering around and inspecting various places, I accidentally collided with a man I hadn’t noticed, as I failed to look ahead.

The blond and well-dressed man brushed off his clothes and looked at me intently.

“There’s no need to apologize. It’s my fault too for being careless… By the way, may I know your name?”

“Ivan Ay.”

“Ivan Ay? Are you Lieutenant Priest Ivan of the Earth Goddess Church?”

“Yes? That’s correct, but…”

The man walked towards me, looked me in the eyes, and said,

The man behaving strangely sent shivers down my spine, making me take a step back.

However, he approached even closer, staring intently at my face.

What, what’s wrong with this person?

“Uh, excuse me… Is there something on my face?”

“Don’t you remember me?”

“Huh? I’m sorry, but I can’t recall…”

“Let me remind you. Ivan Saje-nim! Do you remember fixing my arm last time?”

“Arm…? Wait a moment, could it be…!”

After receiving a hint from the man, I finally remembered who he was.

Radiant like the sunlight, with beautiful golden hair as if crafted from the gold embedded in the earth.

Sharp and charismatic, exuding a charm that seemed capable of devouring people, Goldan.

Yet, still appearing immature due to his youth,

It was the exact resemblance of the young Prince Keter Las Trient I knew from my memories.

The prince in my memories only existed in his childhood, and the last time I visited the palace, I couldn’t see his face because of the full-body bandages, causing confusion about his identity.

“I, being insignificant, failed to recognize Prince Keter’s grace! Please forgive me just this once!”

“No need for such humility! Please get up quickly!”

I hastily bowed my head, and the prince chuckled, helping me to stand.

“It’s really nice to see you again! I regret not greeting you properly when you visited the palace last time!”

“Oh… well, that’s…”

The prince extended his hand for a handshake.

I shook hands with him awkwardly.

Having never lived a straightforward life, I found it uncomfortable to be around important people.

If you get caught doing something wrong by someone important, your life will be ruined…

“Are you also invited to the party, Father?”

“Yes, that’s right…”

“Do you have a companion with you?”

“I brought someone as my partner…”

“I envy that! I came alone!”

The prince bombarded me with questions, curious about something regarding me.

Feeling burdened, I gave a brief answer and turned my eyes away, only to see the viscount with red hair.

“Excuse me, Your Highness. I’m truly sorry, but I need to find someone I’ve been looking for. Let’s talk later.”

“Huh? Oh, of course!”

I interrupted the prince and hurriedly approached the viscount.