Entering the banquet hall, what he saw in front of him was a group of people flocking together like sheep.
Everyone was looking in the same direction, rebuking someone.
They were saying that she had a bad temper, that she disturbed the Saint, that she played with the hearts of people, and that she was like a witch.
Without concerning himself with their gaze, he continued moving in the direction he was originally going in.
“Excuse me.”
A few people heard his voice and moved away little by little.
In the meantime, he made his way through the gap, but when he saw Vivian’s figure, he stopped.
She had such a cold look on her face that he wondered if this was the original Vivian who was the villain in the novel.
“Vivian.”
The corners of Vivian’s eyes, which had been raised to their highest levels, slipped back down.
The Ruby-like gleaming in her emotionless red eyes could be described as bloody.
“Rosen.”
He took a step toward Vivian, who had called him.
The closer he got, the more he could see that her right cheek looked red and swollen.
It didn't look like what he thought had happened.
In the original novel, Vivian slaps Yura while telling Theodore not to wag his tail.
But now, Vivian's cheek was red and swollen, as though she had been hit by someone.
He asked, carefully caressing Wivian's right cheek, “Who did this?”
However, it was Yura who answered his question.
“Young Lady! The young lady wants His Majesty and the Duke….”
When Rosenta looked at Yura, she stopped talking and shook her head sadly before bowing it down.
Then people began whispering.
“No way. It seems that she can't speak for fear of getting hurt.”
“Tsk, tsk. The Saint has a kind heart.”
It was Vivian who had been slapped on the cheek, but somehow Yura was the victim.
It was a really strange situation. The person who slapped and the person who was hit had changed, but strangely people cursed Vivian.
Rosenta felt that he had a rough grasp of the situation.
But it was absurd.
Vivian wasn't leading him and Theodore on and she wasn't one to harm others over rumors.
Rosenta began to speak in a critical tone toward Yura.
“Holy Lady, please refrain from saying such things…”
“It's ok, Duke.”
Vivian stopped him from speaking.
Then, as though she meant to solve it herself, she pushed him away with one hand.
He accepted that and took a step back.
Just as Conitel was guarding Yura’s back, Rosenta stood behind Vivian as well.
“The priest is here to ensure the education of the Saint. Have you decided to slack?”
Surprisingly, Vivian took aim toward Conitel, not Yura.
So that was her intention.
Vivian was criticizing Conitel, and by extension, the education of the Temple. She was asserting that Yura’s level of education was the problem.
But Conitel was also prepared for an ambush.
As always, he smiled and responded softly.
“That's right. But since she's from another world, it's not easy for her to follow the customs here. I ask for your understanding.”
“Understanding? Is that so? I understand.”
Vivian spoke right away, without hesitation, as if her generosity was broad.
Contrary to her tone, however, she strode towards them like an angry righteous.
Vivian stared at Yura and announced herself clearly, “But I will return this.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she hit Yura hard on the cheek.
Slap
There was no time to stop her.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye, so no one was able to react immediately.
Conitel who was watching, Rosenta, and Yura who was slapped on the cheek.
Only Vivian smiled.
“You have to give twice what you receive, but I'll give the Saint a special discount and only hit her once.”
She even said it as if she was showing great generosity.
It was obvious sophistry, but when Vivian said it, it sounded plausible.
“I'll be leaving now. Please enjoy yourself, Saint.”
Then she turned around.
Rosenta tried to calm his surprise and follow Vivian.
Vivian, who had been walking down a path, formed by people parting like the sea, suddenly stopped.
She turned around and looked at Yura.
“You asked if there was something going on between me and the two of them earlier. As the two of them, not me. Because I like Duke Estella and His Majesty.”
After saying that, she walked towards the door of the banquet hall with a strong gait.
Rosenta glanced at the terrace just in case.
He was worried that Theodore was waiting for him, even though he worried about Vivian and followed her.
Fortunately, on the terrace, Theodore was watching.
When their eyes met, Rosenta gently shook his head. He intended to tell Theodore that it was better for him not to come out.
Theodore nodded as if he had understood.
“Ah… … I, I!”
The moment Vivian and Rosenta left the banquet hall, Yura’s cries broke out.
“That’s not what I meant! Ugh….”
***
They left the banquet hall.
They moved to a quiet place out of sight.
Vivian, who confirmed that there were no people, slumped on the ground as if she were finally relaxed.
Red eyes filled with anger looked up at Rosenta.
"If you're going to say scold me, you'd better not do it now because I'm dumbfounded, too."
He squatted on the floor alongside Vivian.
"Good job."
"What?"
Vivian blinked at his words. But he didn’t say it again.
He only smiled very affectionately while looking at Vivian.
Then Vivian laughed like a gentle breeze.
"Why are you laughing?"
Her pink hair shook wildly.
"She treated me as if I were a villain. So, I played the role for her.”
"What did you do for her?”
Vivian did not readily answer his question.
Instead, she showed him a new perspective that he had never seen before.
Vivan smiled.
It wasn't a cute type of smile, like the one she often showed him as his little sister.
It may have looked evil, but it was a smile that looked so confident that he couldn't take his eyes off it.
"I stepped on her properly like a wicked woman."
He brought his hands toward Vivian's voluminous hair at those words.
He patted her on the head very carefully and gently, as if to pet a tired puppy.
Vivian's expression gradually loosened at his touch.
"You know, Rosen."
"What?"
She called him, and motioned to him, rather than immediately speaking.
She covered her mouth with one hand as if she were worried that another would hear some gossip.
Vivian whispered.
"As expected, she's no ordinary person."
Rosenta also covered his mouth.
As if they were talking about a secret, they kept whispering.
"What do you mean?"
"She laughed."
Rosenta couldn't understand the words which caused her to laugh out of the blue.
Vivian took a deep breath, perhaps because she noticed Rosenta didn't understand.
Her voice was still trembling with laughter, but she explained it to him.
"After hitting me on the cheek, she cried? Then, before I had any time to say anything, she clung to the priest's arms. She’s clearly acting like she's trying to buy people's sympathy votes...….”
‘She’s acting?’
“In an instant, she dominated the atmosphere and, while she was in his arms, smiled while looking directly at me.”
***
As always, Rosenta escorted Vivian to the Marquis's house. This night was particularly dark.
But his bedroom in the duke's castle was very bright.
"Enoch."
As soon as he entered, he spoke to Enoch, who was waiting for his call.
"You must have done what I told you to do, well."
Enoch, who was leaning against the wall, gradually moved.
"Where is your coat?"
The coat was taken off and given to Vivienne, who was walking outside in the cold, wearing only a thin dress.
However, there was no need to explain that to Enoch.
"Did you do what I asked you to do?"
Asking Enoch again, he turned his head lightly.
Rosenta tried to take off the stuffy tie that had been strangling him all day.
"I'll do it for you."
Enoch's hand came towards him and took the tie from Rosenta’s hand.
He didn't understand Enoch who helped him even though he could do it on his own.
But after Enoch's next words, Rosenta understood why he would bother to take off his tie.
"And so...…. Where did you leave your coat?"
He was really persistent.
It was obvious that he was going to repeat the same thing like a parrot until he told him.
"I lent it to Vivian."
"I see. I saw you leave the banquet hall with her, but...….”
The tie slipped off. Enoch folded the tie he had taken and organized it.
It was Rosenta’s turn now. It was time to hear from Enoch.
While Rosenta was waiting for Enoch's words, Enoch turned around without saying much.
He acted as if he was about to leave the room.
"Enoch."
Of course, Rosenta didn't intend to let Enoch leave the room.
As soon as he opened the door opened, Rosenta pushed it firmly closed with his palm.
Bang
The door closed hard.
He locked Enoch between his arms and the door. His pale eyes met Rosenta’s.
Whether understood how Rosenta felt or not, Enoch was smiling.
‘Are you trying to tease me?’
"I asked you how it went.”
"It's not bad. The feeling of being held by you, it’s different from usual."
Enoch was much taller than Rosenta.
Of course, his eye level was higher than Rosenta’s as well. Because of this, Enoch could easily place his hand on Rosenta’s cheek.
Rosenta quickly avoided Enoch's touch.
Removing his hand from the door, he took a step back.
Enoch looked quietly at his hands, which had become empty in an instant.
Then he clasped his hand as if I was disappointed, opening and closing it repeatedly.
Rosenta was getting tired.
"I wish you would tell me soon.”
He closed his eyes for a moment and pressed his brow. As Rosenta firmly massaged it, he opened his eyes again.
Then Enoch's face appeared squarely in his sight.
Rosenta was a little startled, but that was it.
It wasn't something he’d only experienced once or twice, so he just looked at him as if telling Enoch to say something.
Enoch smiled at him.
Then, unlike the smile he just made, he uttered a very harsh word.
"If it weren't for you, I would have twisted her neck."