Chapter 12
He was a great, handsome man.
The fine silver hair seemed to have been created from the icy field.The features made up of straight and neat lines had a strong cold feeling, but because of that, there was an atmosphere that no one couldn’t dare to touch.
The clear blue eyes also played a big part in the man’s holy impression.
If Kiern was made of shady and mysterious darkness, he was the opposite of being made of the brightest and purest light.
The man who was sitting on the sofa in the audience room slowly got up.
The fully standing man was tall and slender.
However, Chesha knew very well that the body covered by the pure white uniform was all made up of muscles.
The large, hard hands hidden under the gloves were also rough with calluses.
Every time he touched her with that hand, it felt like her skin was being rubbed….
Checking even the white bracelet visible under his sleeve, Chesha bit her lip.
She hoped it was someone else with the same facial features, but seeing that he was wearing that bracelet, it was clear.
‘Hilon.’
Chesha quietly whispered his name to herself.
The blue eyes looked at Kiern indifferently.
The moment Chesha is captured in the calm eyes that followed.
“…!”
A commotion rose over the face that showed little change in emotion.
Chesha rolled her eyes and quickly averted her gaze.
But it was already too late.
Hilon approached with a distorted face.
He approached and held out his hand.
The moment his fingertips are about to touch Chesha.
There was power blocked in Hilon.
“A dignified Holy Knight.”
On the back of Kiern’s hand, the bones and blue tendons stood out.
Kiern grinned as he gave his grip as if to crush him.
“Is there anything to do with my daughter?”
“….”
His wrist was twisted, but Hilon still couldn’t take his eyes off Chesha.
A tenacious gaze tore off Chesha.
Curly golden hair.
Small lips, fingers, and eyes with arrogant tips.
Even pink eyes that are as tender as petals.
After observing Chesha’s eyes for a particularly long time, he shifted his gaze to Kiern’s red eyes.
A person with strong power escapes the aging of the body.
Hilon, who was staring at Kiern, who seemed to be in his early thirties at most, slowly opened his lips.
‘… I apologize. She resembles someone I know.”
Unfortunately, Hilon’s apology further irritated Kiern.
“Is that so?”
At the word ‘resemble’, the smile on Kiern’s lips grew crooked.
“I wonder who you think she resembles.”
Kiern, who scanned Hilon from head to toe with an open gaze, added a word.
“So much.”
In a situation that was twisted in a bad direction, Chesha felt like she wanted to faint right away.
Chesha wasn’t the only one who wanted to faint.
Count Rudin rolled his eyes and shouted.
“He belongs to the 1st Order of the Holy Knights!”
It was a desperate cry to please not be rude.
Count Rudin had the momentum to knock Kiern down at any moment.
Hilon, who dissuaded Count Rudin from running wild with a simple glance, greeted him briefly by announcing his name.
“Nice to see you. This is Hilon.”
Kiern also answered briefly by revealing his name.
“I am Kiern Basilian.”
Count Rudin introduced new images on behalf of Kiern.
“This is Count Basilian who rules the Eastern Basilian Territory. I’m not sure if you know, but the Dark Forest is a bit famous….”
“I know.”
Hilon, who calmly cut off Count Rudin’s words, stared at Kiern without a word.
Kiern, who pretended to listen while smiling like a painting, opened his mouth.
“It’s amazing because it’s the first time I’ve met a knight of the 1st Order of Holy Knights.”
‘Ouch! He’s not a Holy Knight! He is a Heresy Inquisitor!’
Chesha, the only one here who knew Hilon’s identity, couldn’t even speak and shuddered inwardly.
The Holy Knight is a great being.
In particular, the 1st Order of the Holy Knights, which Hilon was impersonating, was the highest order of Hilderd’s knights.
It is the core that presides over the immense Order of Holy Knights that exists up to the 36th hierarchy, and being a part of it means you are a person of great ability who has risen to an important position.
However, the Heresy Inquisitor was even greater than that.
Along with the cardinals, the highest-ranking clergy located directly below the Holy King.
That was the Heresy Inquisitor.
The Heresy Inquisitors, of which there were only 13, possessed indulgences along with the right to summary execution.
Whatever they did, they would be forgiven in the name of the Holy Empire.
Hilon was the head of those Inquisitors.
Even Hilon dealt with the ‘Chain of Doom’, a Holy Relic that no one had ever dealt with, and it was regarded as a proof of divinity and was supported by Hilderd.
To put it simply, it was a high status that even the Emperor should rush out and be polite when he calls.
‘But what are you doing here!’
To be in the Emperor’s audience room out of nowhere.
The identity of the Heresy Investigator was kept confidential.
Although I knew that he usually pretended to be a Holy Knight because he didn’t reveal it carelessly.
It was astounding to see Hilon, who was calling himself a Holy Knight, with such a shameless face in the Emperor’s audience room.
“By the way, why is the Holy Knight here?”
‘Right! Try disappearing for now!’
Chesha glared at Hilon while holding on to Kiern’s hem.
Kiern shrugged and continued.
“I thought we would be spending close time alone with His Majesty. Seriously, it’s embarrassing to see that His Majesty’s favor has fallen so clearly.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly and sneered.
“Looks like his new favorite is Sir Hilon?”
At the mention of favoritism, Count Rudin’s face turned red.
However, Hilon did not show any reaction.
He was a man who had no feelings in the first place.
Hilon could not be shaken by any sarcastic remarks or provocations.
The rare times he showed his emotions were all in front of the witch fairy Richesia.
Hilon said with an expressionless face like a statue.
“I came to see you, Count Basilian.”
“Me?”
“Is this child the one who will participate in the Pre-Saint Prayer Meeting?”
“Yes.”
“Since the identity of the newly adopted child is unknown, it is necessary to go through confirmation procedures before attending the prayer meeting.”
“I didn’t expect you to make that confirmation so suddenly.”
“It is unavoidable because no external factors have to intervene. In particular, since the bounty of this prayer meeting was once a Holy Relic, the Count must be aware that he needs to be extra careful.”
Hilon ended his words coldly.
“Please cooperate.”
It was a notice that did not allow even the slightest gap.
If he refuses here, Chesha will not be able to participate in the Pre-Saint Prayer Meeting.
As if Kiern had noticed that fact, his eyes shined coldly.
“I can’t help it if you say it so threateningly. But….”
Kiern smiled heartily.
Contrary to the shape of his smiling mouth, his eyes revealed an unhidden intent to kill.
“There should be no such thing as before.”
It meant don’t be rude to Chesha.
Hilon obediently admitted his fault.
“I will be careful.”
Kiern’s eyes softened just a little bit.
Count Rudin, who had been paying attention to the bloody atmosphere, quickly intervened.
“That, Sir Hilon would be here, and the Count will go with me to another audience room.”
Kiern ignored Count Rudin’s words.
“Chesha.”
He asked while kneading Chesha’s hand.
“If anything happens, call Dad. Understand? No, it’s okay to call just because you miss me.”
“Yes!”
“And…. Do you remember what Daddy said?”
Of course, I remembered that you would give everything if I could achieve just one thing.
Chesha nodded.
I wondered if that was not enough, so I patted Kiern’s chest with my small hand.
“Don’z worry.”
“Yeah.”
The reassuring hand gesture worked.
Kiern smiled faintly and kissed Chesha’s hand, then carefully set Chesha down on the sofa.
“Daddy will go.”
Kiern looked back several times as he left the audience room.
Chesha waved at him.
The door to the audience room closed, and the little child was completely out of sight.
Kiern stared blankly at the closed door for a moment.
“….”
Licking his dry lips with his tongue, he slowly followed Count Rudin.
When he entered the audience room where the real Emperor was waiting, an old man with a long beard was lazily drinking tea.
He put down the teacup and smiled benevolently.
“Finally, Count Basilian has arrived! You had a lot of trouble coming.”
The generous Emperor congratulated Count Rudin without mentioning it.
“You did a great job too, Count Rudin. I’ll take care of your hard work later. You can go now.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Count Rudin bowed his head, then glanced disapprovingly at Kiern one last time and left the audience room.
Click, the door is closed.
The moment the space was separated, the atmosphere in the audience room completely changed.
Kiern’s face, which had been smiling politely until just now, hardened coldly.
The Supreme Sun Emperor of the Great Empire of Palen involuntarily stuttered.
“Cou, Count.”
Kiern walked briskly.
Then, he grabbed the Emperor who was sitting on the sofa by the collar and raised him up.
“Urrgh…!”
The Emperor let out a dying sound, but did not dare to rebel.
Afraid, he was trembling with his limbs hanging down quietly.
The red eyes glaring at the Emperor flashed with a strange brilliance.
“Answer me.”
Kiern smiled crookedly and asked.
“That bastard is a Heresy Inquisitor, right?”