I Just Wanted to Avoid Death - Chapter 85
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Eldis took Yeshion with him, teaching him how to properly use divine power. After fainting four times, Yeshion finally managed to learn how to control it—just a little.
Three weeks passed—a span that felt long if you said it was long, short if you said it was short.
Originally, two weeks were set aside just for prayer, another month for purification, and yet another month for monster extermination. But Eldis had wrapped it all up in just three weeks.
Because there was no telling what Edward, who had become obsessed with Yeshion, might try.
‘Thanks to that, we ended up sleeping together every night…’
As he loaded luggage into the carriage, Yeshion glanced at Eldis.
Most nights passed without issue, but occasionally, he’d wake up in the morning to find them wrapped tightly around each other in their sleep.
‘Even this morning…’
He’d nearly jumped out of his skin when he opened his eyes and found Eldis already looking at him.
‘If Adelio had seen that, there would’ve been chaos.’
He’d probably have thrown a fit, demanding the same treatment.
While Yeshion was indulging in such pointless thoughts, Edward approached from the distance.
The moment he did, Rosaline and Eldis—who had been waiting for the luggage to finish loading—immediately stepped forward and blocked Yeshion from view.
Edward, who had been walking over with an oddly pleasant smile, shot them both a sharp glare—but it lasted only a moment. Clearing his throat with a stiff little cough, he spoke:
“S-since the Duchy has been successfully p-purified, there is a royal… o-order to i-invite all temple personnel to the estate for p-proper hospitality!”
Yeshion couldn’t quite hide his confusion at the sudden announcement, and Eldis responded in his place.
“Thank you for the invitation, but we must decline. We’re pressed for time. This purification was full of unexpected complications.”
A pointed reply.
But Edward clearly had no intention of responding to Eldis’s words—he simply went on.
“His H-Highness the Crown P-Prince is at the ducal e-estate… f-for an inspection of the Duchy’s purification.”
“…His Highness the Crown Prince?”
Eldis wasn’t the only one surprised. Yeshion, who had been listening quietly, and even Rosaline, both reacted with disbelief.
‘There was never any mention of Adelio coming here in the original…’
Yeshion shook his head, trying to recall the novel. But what was the point now? So much had already deviated.
While he sank into quiet resignation, Rosaline spoke up with a face full of dread.
“Ugh… stalker.”
“Stalker? Who?”
“The Crown Prince. He definitely followed you. Even back at the temple, every time he came, he asked after you.”
“…His Highness did that?”
“Yeah. He comes to the temple maybe twice a month, and every time, he was looking for you. But I didn’t think he’d go so far as to follow you all the way here after just three weeks.”
Rosaline shook his head in disbelief. He’d said before he didn’t like Adelio, but apparently, he disliked him even more than Yeshion thought.
“…Still, he’s not completely terrible.”
“What, you kissed the Crown Prince once and now you’re on his side?”
“Wha—why are you bringing that up here?! I mean, yeah, I didn’t like him at first either… but you can tell he’s trying to change.”
“He didn’t wait for you in the capital. He followed you all the way here to the Duchy.”
At Rosaline’s words, Yeshion opened his mouth, then closed it—before murmuring back like a defense.
“I don’t remember ever telling him not to follow me.”
Just then, Eldis returned from his conversation with Edward, his expression sour.
“We’re heading to the Mishemol Ducal Estate.”
“We’re really going to the estate?”
“Yes. It seems the imperial command is genuine.”
Reading Eldis’s reluctance, Rosaline said nothing more and simply nodded.
Yeshion, in the midst of it all, felt an odd sense of unease—like he was the only one who didn’t know something he probably should.
* * *
“Wow…”
The word slipped from Yeshion’s lips before he could stop it.
If the temple was a cultural heritage site, and the imperial palace dazzling in its grandeur, then the Mishemol Ducal Estate looked like a genuine noble residence straight out of a medieval film.
‘If only this wasn’t Edward’s house, I would’ve loved to look around.’
Swallowing his disappointment, Yeshion stepped into the mansion.
As the tightly closed door opened, a man seated on the staircase slowly rose.
His large belly made even walking look difficult. He surveyed the priests entering the mansion and narrowed his eyes when they landed on Yeshion.
But only for a brief second. It passed so quickly that only Yeshion found it odd.
“Hahaha, so the purification and extermination work is complete, I hear. Well, good work, everyone. By the way, I heard my son caused another scene…”
The Duke said this while looking toward Edward, who stood off in a corner. The moment their eyes met, Edward flinched hard and ducked behind a curtain.
“My apologies. I was told he clung to Priest Yeshion. Well… would 500 gold be sufficient?”
