“Is what I said wrong…?”

“No, it’s not. Everything is correct. I… was foolish.”

You easily acknowledge it like this? Especially coming from you, who are you to make a fuss with me? Do you even know who I am? Can’t we calmly discuss it? What’s the point of arguing about this? It’s also your fault for not revealing that you are the Crown Prince. I knew this would happen.

I thought such words would be exchanged, but he quickly reflected on his actions.

‘Seeing how he treated Sehelus, I thought he would definitely get angry. Why is he so obedient?’

Turning from a goose back to a magpie.

The eyes that looked up at me seemed unusually sad.

“Well… it’s fortunate that you’re reflecting like this.”

“…”

That’s when it happened.

Sehelus, who had been watching us all along, intervened between us.

“Empress Mama.”

“Yes?”

“It seems like the conversation will take some time.”
“The story is over, right? I looked at Sehelus and smirked. However, Sehelus spoke firmly for some reason.

“Feel free to talk. The children are watching me, so speak.”

“Uh, the story is…”

“At this point, Empress Mama, scold him properly.”

“What?”

Sehelus, who wouldn’t usually say such things, slightly withdrew as if trying to give Karitos and me some time.

Is he really asking to scold him? Or does he have a different intention? But Sehelus, who was laughing mischievously, seemed to be enjoying Karitos, the high priest’s awkward moment.

Since they weren’t getting along well from the beginning, it seemed like he was enjoying this situation. There was really no way Karitos could create a space for us, worried about Sehelus.

Looking at Sehelus, who was smiling, I approached Karitos.

“We should talk separately since we can’t raise our voices in front of the children.”

“Sure…”

Helplessly, I took Karitos towards the tea table.

“Are you okay, Mama?”

Since Karitos came to the separate palace according to my wishes, Ken, who had always jumped in to stop him, hesitated, looking uneasy.

“It’s going to be okay. He’s not someone who would do something harmful to me. Ken, you don’t have to worry.”

“But…”

“If he does anything to me, you can demand a hefty compensation from the temple. So don’t worry, Ken.”

Ken, who was too serious, became even more serious after my words.

“Money…”

“Yes?”

“Nothing. I understand. If that’s what you mean… Mama, as you wish, I’ll do my best.”

What are you looking for by saying that? Does Karitos hope that something will happen to get compensation? Does he see me as such a worldly person? Is he kidding?

But I couldn’t justify myself to Ken, who looked so serious, clenching his fist as if encouraging him.

I just hoped that he wouldn’t misunderstand so much.

‘I can’t play tricks on Ken. He takes it so seriously…’

“Sit.”

After glancing at Ken for a moment, I sat at the tea table. Then, I gestured for Karitos to sit. However, like a child displaying his last bit of pride, he just shook his head.

“If you don’t like it, don’t do it. You seem to have quite a bit of pride.”

“Pride, you say.”

“There’s no need for you to be here, acting all aloof. I just brought you here because I didn’t want to show you raising your voice in front of the children. If you refuse to sit, it seems like you want to fight with me.”

At my words, he slowly raised his head.

“I’m not fighting, but scolding. People who scold usually don’t sit.”

“Ho, you’re scolding me! Why would I scold the High Priest?”

What’s wrong with this person? Why does he think I’m scolding him? What have I done?

However, he seemed genuinely upset, even though I insisted that I wasn’t scolding him.

“I’m not scolding you; I was giving you advice carefully if I did something wrong. So I feel weird now.”

“Huh…”
Even when I first saw him, he didn’t leave a particularly good impression. But now that I look at him, he’s just a kid.

Competing with the new tower owner Sehelus, endlessly confident that it would be better to send Shannoncia to the temple, and naively begging for things like having a garden in his head.

He seems like a child. He wasn’t talking to me; he seemed like a man who would be more suitable for talking with the kids over there.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t understand. If his life had been accepted by everyone on such an elite course, it could be thought so.

But even if he became a high priest at the young age of 23 and lived a perfect life, he shouldn’t hurt others. Not now, not in the future. Just because he seems like a kid and has lived that way doesn’t mean I can just overlook it.

“I didn’t scold you, but thinking of doing so, I’ll just scold you comfortably.”

And I decided to scold him a little more. It’s a very amusing situation to scold an adult, especially a high priest, like a child, but it felt like that would be the most effective way for him.

“Yes…?”

“Take responsibility for what you said. Words don’t end when they come out of your mouth.”

“Ah…”