The fact that Hades himself did not want to dig too deeply into Angelica.

‘She will die soon anyway.’

Whatever her purpose, she will be buried somewhere in Donovan’s cemetery, unable to fulfill it in a few years.

The people of the north are accustomed to loss due to their harsh and rugged environment. But among them, Hades had lost an unusually high number of close people.

The lesson all those experiences taught him was not to give your heart to someone you cannot keep from the start.

But…

“Thank you, truly.”

How could he not thank the person who had desperately saved the fortress?

Yes, that was the only reason, Hades reiterated to himself. Angelica had contributed significantly to Donovan’s victory. Wasn’t that reason enough to offer her a warm word?

The uneasy expression vanished from Angelica’s face in an instant.

“I’m glad I could help, too. In the future as well…”

Hades simply looked at her as she began to chatter.

Draped in a magnificent cloak emblazoned with a symbol proclaiming her to belong undoubtedly to the Grand Duke of Donovan and dressed in a splendid gown, Angelica looked every bit the part of the government.

‘……’

He was not unaware that it was wrong to force the role of the government by exploiting the weaknesses of a saint with no connections.

Maybe that was precisely Angelica’s objective—escaping that role of the government.

The suspicion he had about Angelica might have originated from his own wrongdoing.

Though the thoughts were long, the decision was short. Hades’ voice echoed in the room filled with cold air.

“Just bear with it a few more weeks. Once the envoy returns, I will restore your honor.”

“My honor?”

A sour taste filled his mouth at Angelica’s naive upward glance.

“…This lie, that you are the government.”

At that moment, the expression that rose on Angelica’s face made Hades regret everything he had done so far.

(This is a time separator.)

The sudden snowstorm did more than just immobilize the envoy.

Everyone inside the fortress had to shiver in the cold, and even the luxurious rooms where fireplaces burned all day were no different.

However, I had a secret weapon against the cold.

“Wow, so holy power is really this good.”

Amy warmed her hands by the sacred fire and exclaimed.

“I almost thought it was useless other than healing wounds, since I hardly ever see you use it.”

“That’s because I’m weak.”

I answered honestly. Amy was in no position to go around exposing my weaknesses, and I didn’t want to put on unnecessary bravado for her.

“Actually, holy power has many uses. This is nothing.”
In Leodel, priesthood was indeed one of the popular professions.

That is, if the character is a legitimate priest, not Angelica who’s a laughingstock.

Divine power was the antithesis of magic, capable of weakening the strongest spells, neutralizing poison abilities, and providing various buffs to allies.

The problem was, Angelica couldn’t do any of these.

‘There’s no way to learn. I’d have to go to the temple and find a master.’

Unfortunately, the nearest temple from Donovan’s siege was a week’s ride away. Without protection from someone, be it Hades or Leto, I’d likely die on the way.

‘Well, I can just push through with swordsmanship.’

After all, my divine power is weak, so even if I find a good master, it would be useless.

“Still, fire seems to be the most useful right now. Ah, can you make it a little bigger?”

“Of course.”

I grinned and made the sacred fire blaze even more.

Since the sacred fire doesn’t harm people, Amy could only enjoy the flickering flames and warmth.

“Your Majesty doesn’t seem to be cold, going out for joint training with the diplomatic corps even in this weather.”

“They must be worried about the demons.”

Amy snorted.

“Your Majesty? I think you just dislike seeing the diplomatic corps loafing around.”

I couldn’t refute that. Ever since rumors spread that Shujechin Byungbaek and his party didn’t lift a finger on the frontlines against the demons, everyone in the palace scorned them.

Normally, the steward and the captain of the knights, William, would’ve acted as moderate shields, but now they only contributed to the harassment with cold stares.

Perhaps, Hades taking them out was a form of consideration. A bit of rolling in the snowstorm might melt everyone’s hearts.

My thoughts soon shifted to Hades.

‘…I will reveal to the world that pretending to be the government was a lie from the start.’

Initially, I was pleased to hear this. A massive burden seemed to have lifted; no need for anymore ridiculous acting.

But I quickly realized it wasn’t as simple.

First, announcing that I wasn’t Hades’ governor from the start would naturally reach the empire’s ears.

That would ruin all the effort Hades and I put into this play.

Secondly, I couldn’t predict the reaction of those who firmly believed in our relationship.

There would probably be many who understand and accept the situation, but what if some felt betrayed?

Leaving the north wouldn’t be a problem for me, but it could be a big issue for Hades.

Lastly…

‘I’ll leave anyway.’

The time to leave was approaching every moment.

A snowstorm might delay Leto and his party for a while, but it wouldn’t stop them completely.

I blinked rapidly.

Either some dust had gotten into my eyes making them gritty, or maybe, just maybe… I felt a slight sense of regret.

If I leave like this, the spark of doubt in Hades’ heart may never go away.