Chapter 99

“Your Holiness. If you’re tired, shall we rest a moment?”

―Clunk.

The carriage shook. Thanks to that, Yian could finally hear the holy knight’s words, belatedly.

More precisely, until now it had been closer to hearing them but unconsciously letting them slip by.

Lost in thought.

“…I’m fine. Let’s hurry back to the temple.”

An S-rank wouldn’t tire from a trip like this.

But the holy knights, unaware of that, seemed worried about the Pope. It was only natural.

How many hours had he already spent lost in thought?

“Fuu.”

He let out a short breath. He closed his eyes, then opened them, narrowing them against his hazy vision.

“Do you have worries, Your Holiness?”

Finally, the holy knight captain drew cautiously closer to the side of the carriage and asked. Yian looked up at him.

Worries… yes, but nothing the holy knight captain could ever resolve.

“No. I’m fine.”

With that, Yian shook his head. He pulled down the blind covering the window.

Then he focused on what he had been looking at.

The hunter chat window lingering in the corner of his vision.

It was a chat from quite a while ago, yet he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Even with new messages scrolling up after it, he kept pulling up the history to stare at that one.

“…”

The moment that chat appeared—the subtle silence that followed—he couldn’t forget it.

He was certain.

Not just him, but others had paused at those words too.

…Even Hunter Shin Jae-heon had paused.

After that, Yian hadn’t been able to pull himself together.

Even though he’d come north for temple business and Count Tenchia’s matter.

This is all because Hunter Shin Yuri caught my attention in the end.

That fact had become too clear.

‘I really didn’t expect you to come here in person.’

Count Tenchia looked flustered, as if he’d rushed over.

‘Raella was something I was concerned about too. I’m glad a good person will be managing this place.’

He responded with his habitual smile. But suddenly, he felt a strange disconnect with it.

It wasn’t the natural smile he wore in front of the team—it was a forced one, too plainly obvious.

His mouth corners ached.

‘Well, the gates here have had plenty of accidents.’

Count Tenchia nodded understandingly.

No, the count doesn’t understand a thing.

Yian nearly said it.

The devil that always whispered sweetly to him laughed from within.

You’re here because you thought the count might take an interest in Hunter Shin Yuri.

To keep her from ever returning east.

But of course, Yian didn’t say it.

Count Tenchia had rushed from Miya—despite the celebration banquet there—upon hearing the Pope was coming.

When a pillar of the empire moved personally, it was only natural the lord would respond.

“…”

Realizing that anew, Yian clamped his mouth shut in a firm line.

Normally, he would have sent the count back with a “that’s fine.”

Temple construction permissions could be handled by sending someone.

It wasn’t urgent enough to drag the banquet’s protagonist away—no need for such inconvenience.

“…”

But Yian stayed silent.

And so Count Tenchia had rushed over, leaving Miya to a party without its star.

Amusingly, Yian liked that fact.

Childishly, he liked it.

That Hunter Shin Yuri wouldn’t give that man even one extra glance.

Even if only like that.

“…Even like that—if I wanted to pull her away.”

If I’d done this to steal your gaze just one more time.

Would you call it childish, Hunter Shin Yuri?

He muttered the question he could never ask.

Knowing it was childish, yet unable to stop.

The flame that had burned quietly until now swelled, enveloping him.

He hadn’t realized his heart heating from within, boiling over—but now he did.

He liked Shin Yuri.

And so he felt like he was going mad.

Better if he hadn’t known.

If it had only warmed.

Stopped there.

Beneath the unusually hot heart he’d curiously peeled back, an ugly truth lurked.

Look at me.

Look at me one more time than anyone else.

Especially after learning Hunter Shin Jae-heon had been there alongside her, protecting Hunter So Yeri.

Of course, Shin Jae-heon had gone to protect Hunter So Yeri.

Yian himself would have been there too, if not for having to wait.

But if Shin Jae-heon had truly gone only for Hunter So Yeri, there’d have been no reason not to mention it in the hunter chat.

Besides, Hunter Shin Jae-heon had just returned from the eastern mountains to the imperial capital—without proper rest.

Rushing off in that state meant he was conscious of Hunter Shin Yuri.

“…”

Thinking of it twisted Yian’s insides anew.

Confoundingly so.

The ugly inner thoughts that had locked eyes with him once wouldn’t leave him in peace for a moment.

Yian glanced at the sub quest blinking quietly in the corner of the system window, then looked away.

The clear condition still wasn’t displaying properly.

In the meantime, the devil within whispered even more sweetly.

‘Just confess your feelings to Hunter Shin Yuri.’

No.

Yian’s mouth felt bone-dry.

He knew what Shin Yuri cherished most.

She wanted the team to stay together like this, unchanged. Without any major rifts.

Of course, she wasn’t so idealistic as to expect zero small cracks.

But she always wanted to resolve things before complicated emotions arose.

‘People fight and get by!’

Thanks to her diligent mediation—or perhaps her habit of saying it—the team had never had a major fight.

No big waves.

But if Hunter Shin Jae-heon started seeing each other for real.

If they began an emotional tug-of-war over Hunter Shin Yuri.

Not only Hunter So Yeri—who might feel left out—but Shin Yuri herself in the middle would be in a bind.

And that was the last thing Hunter Shin Yuri wanted.

He couldn’t create those waves himself. He couldn’t ruin her happiness.

But even knowing that, impatience gnawed at him.

Yian barely parted his dry lips, muttering softly.

“…Shin Jae-heon.”

The slow, mid-low voice resonated through the carriage.

A name muttered anew.

Familiar, yet never had it felt so alien.

Childhood friends with Hunter Shin Yuri.

After the gates burst open, Hunter Shin Jae-heon and Hunter Shin Yuri had leaned on each other.

…Until the hunter team formed.

“…”

Yian let out a short sigh.

So Hunter Shin Yuri probably didn’t realize.

Hunter Shin Jae-heon seemed to have noticed, but she hadn’t.

But from here, watching—it was all too clear.

Having observed for so long, he couldn’t miss even the smallest changes.

Hunter Shin Yuri still wasn’t conscious of Hunter Shin Jae-heon.

“Still… just friends.”

He muttered. Yes, just friends.

So if he took just one step closer.

‘If I confess first—faster than him. Maybe.’

Wouldn’t she turn that gaze to me?

Yian shook his head at the devil’s whisper.

No.

The team would ripple from the moment of confession—would Hunter Shin Yuri let those ripples become waves?

She wouldn’t.

He smiled bitterly.

“When did it start, I wonder…”

He tapped the window with his pale fingertips.

Even touching the cold glass, his mind—fixated on one thought—refused anything else.

When did I start staring only at your profile?

Profile… yes, only your profile.

“…”

He bit his lip.

Even Shin Yuri herself probably didn’t know. She always showed him only her profile.

Very rarely—when Yian felt a desperate, maddening longing—then she would look this way and smile.

Like nectar touching parched lips before dying of thirst—that gaze only drove him madder.

And she smiled, oblivious.

‘Yian-ssi.’

Saying that.

“That’s not it.”

He knew it wasn’t.

Knew it was his twisted delusion—yet he thought it anyway.

When seeing her profile, the world dragged on tediously slow. Then when her gaze reached him, that instant flashed by.

Though the same time was given to him too.

Knowing Shin Yuri was cruelly fair—yet still.

Why do you always look somewhere else?

“…”

He slowly closed his eyes. Picturing her.

And pathetically, what rose first was always her profile.

Can’t you turn around?

Even with eyes closed, just enough to recall the moments your gazes met.

Just that much… to tame me to your gaze. Sometimes. No, often. More often.

“…Your Holiness?”

A voice came from outside. Yian opened his eyes.

“Your Holiness, are you all right?”

“What’s wrong?”

The holy knight sounded like he’d called several times.

Hearing his voice steady, the knight paused—as if sighing in relief—before replying.

“Well… we have a guest.”

A guest for a carriage passing by?

Yian raised the blind and peered out the window.

And met an unexpected person’s eyes.

“It’s Tower Master Clona Aisen. What should we do?”

Hunter So Yeri…?

He blinked, and there she was—Hunter So Yeri smiling softly.

“I didn’t plan to visit so suddenly…, but could I impose for a bit? This one seems worn out.”

She stroked the white horse she’d ridden in on.

Unlike her words, the horse looked lively. Still, Yian nodded.

“Please do. It’s not far off the path to the magic tower.”

“Not the magic tower—the outskirts of Edelweiss territory. Is that all right? I’ve been doing some research there lately.”

You know. She smiled knowingly, as if to say.

Yian had seen it in the chat, so of course he knew.

Her research on the magic stone mine discovered in Edelweiss territory.

Even knowing that.

…Edelweiss.

He couldn’t stop himself from flinching at the word.

His reply came a beat late.

“The direction isn’t much different.”

“Thank you, Holy Father.”

A joyful smile lit up Hunter So Yeri’s face.