Chapter 93

The night in the palace was quiet, with the chirping of cicadas blending
gently with the sound of the fountain. The clock had struck seven, and the
prince gritted his teeth, refusing to let his feet turn in the wrong direction.
He remained seated in his room, enduring the restlessness in his body.

No, he couldn’t let himself be led around by the nose this time. The prince
gritted his teeth, enduring the turmoil within him. It felt like a fierce fire
was burning in his heart, while a raging wind howled. He seemed to be in hell,
refusing to beg the devil for mercy.

After what felt like an eternity, the prince glanced at the clock again.
Good, it was already a minute past seven. The prince gritted his teeth once
more.

Why hadn’t Bill returned yet? It had been so long since he left.

The prince stood up and opened the door, only to find that the servant he
had sent to deliver the money hadn’t returned either.

Pointing his cane at the empty spot where the servant should have been, the
prince asked, “Where’s Ai Wen?”

“He hasn’t returned to the palace yet, Your Highness,” replied
another servant.

The prince turned his head to look down the dim corridor. He took a few
steps, then stopped. He realized his steps were unconsciously leading him
towards the priest again. The prince resisted the urge. At least tonight— at
least tonight, he couldn’t fulfill his desires! The prince resolutely turned
his steps in the opposite direction.

To the prince, the palace already felt somewhat unfamiliar. He had left the
palace over a decade ago, and the memories of the fire and the arduous recovery
afterward were his last memories of the palace. It was as if he could still
feel the burning sensation on his body.

Tonight, it was the priest who tormented him, with his ambiguous and cryptic
words.

The priest seemed to blame him for not being earnest enough in his courtship
at first, yet also warned him against being the kind of person who only pursued
pleasure. He said he was ugly… even though he couldn’t see, he knew he was
ugly…

The prince felt like his heart had been kicked viciously. If he truly loved
him, how could he say such things? Without a doubt, he must not love him… but
if he didn’t love him and thought he was ugly, why would he still sleep with
him and arrange to meet again tonight? That was what the priest himself had
said. Even if he was promiscuous, he wouldn’t indiscriminately accept anyone!
So, there must be something about him that the priest liked…

As the prince walked, lost in thought, the palace at night felt like a tomb—
quiet and cool.

In the garden, a white statue of a goddess raised her hands upward, and
water flowed from the urn she held. The prince was lost in thought, and the
statue seemed to transform into the image of the priest, wearing a red bishop’s
robe, with a naked body full of temptation. Those lake-green eyes were both
cruel and beautiful, quietly scrutinizing the prince under the night sky.

“I love him. The more cruel he is, the more I love him.”

The prince felt despair.

If he had fallen in love with a shepherdess like Bill, everything would have
been so simple— accept or reject, and that would be the end of it.

But he had fallen in love with someone like an executioner.

No, the prince looked up at the velvety sky, his expression gradually
changing from confusion to determination.

He had gone through one difficult moment after another, and his life was
destined to be anything but ordinary. His love would not be like anyone else’s.
He would experience hardship and endure it, like polishing a gem, polishing his
own heart. The process might be painful, but in the end, it would shine
brightly.

What kind of person was the priest, after all? He thought he needed to
understand him more deeply. People could fall in love out of ignorance, and
they could also fall out of love when they saw through someone completely. Who
knew? Even if the prince felt himself to be immensely noble, he still couldn’t
predict the outcome. He only knew that, at least tonight, not going to see the
priest was the right decision.

“I can’t let him lead me around by the nose.”

The prince repeated this to himself in his mind once again, unaware that his
repeated self-affirmation was already leading him by the nose.

*

“No one’s lived here for a long time.”

An insightful elder in the Colby district responded to Bill’s inquiry,
saying, “It’s all homeless people. Well, everywhere here is filled with
homeless people. This is their temporary home. If someone falls ill and there’s
no one to take care of them at home, and they’re afraid of spreading the
illness, they come here. Some people just pass out drunk inside. Anyway, there
are not many people living here. As for the girl you’re asking about…”
The elder chuckled, “Colby girls are much shrewder than noble girls.
They’d rather sleep in a cowshed than come here unless they want to end up
pregnant for no reason.”

Bill was stunned, his lips slightly agape. The door of the shack behind him
opened, showing signs of recent occupancy, yet there was no one inside. The
elder’s response was even more bewildering.

Had he misunderstood?

“Mr. Wood.”

A servant from the palace arrived.

“This is the money the prince asked me to give to you, for the
departed. May they rest in peace.”

Bill held the money pouch, and after a moment, it all came back to him.

The prince had said that the priest had provided end-of-life care for a poor
but noble person in the Colby district. Since the person had no money, he had
been sent to deliver funeral expenses. However, Bill had been robbed of all his
money while in the district, and then he had been busy with other matters,
forgetting all about it in the midst of the prince’s strange behavior.

“Has anyone passed away in the district today? A poor soul who fell
seriously ill,” Bill inquired.

“Of course,” the elder shrugged. “In Colby, such people are a
dime a dozen. They’re everywhere.”

“Please take me to see them. I represent the prince and will cover the
burial expenses.”

“Oh, there’s no need for that,” the elder said. “The
fortunate souls who passed away today received a visit from a group of monks
from the Church in the afternoon, and everything has been taken care of.”

“Thanks to Father Eugene,” the elder made the sign of the cross on
his chest. “He’s a true angel, a great humanitarian.”

*

The door of the room opened, and a slender figure entered the pitch-black
room. It was so dark inside that walking on the carpet felt unsettlingly soft.

The person walking in the dark cursed inwardly, their steps extremely
cautious.

“Your Highness.”

Sharman was startled, almost falling backward, as if he were back on the
battlefield taking a hard fall.

“You’re here.”

Sharman turned towards the voice, feeling both repulsed by the darkness that
made him look foolish and grateful that no one could see his embarrassment in
the darkness. No, Sharman straightened up slowly. The person in front of him
wouldn’t notice his startled appearance because they lived in perpetual
darkness.

Sharman’s eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, and he walked towards the
long shadow in the darkness. He reached out and lightly kissed the priest’s
hand. “I’m here, Father, as promised.”

“It’s a wise move,” the priest said. “Even wiser would be to
sit down and talk.”

Sharman and the priest sat down on the sofa together.

“I’m honored that you accepted my invitation,” the priest said
softly.

“I believe in God, and I’m always willing to talk to noble people like
you, Father, no matter when or where,” Sharman replied.

The priest smiled faintly.

“There will be a grand ball at the palace tomorrow. Do you know the
purpose of this ball?”

Sharman fell silent. He had always loved balls. He was the darling of the
ball, the king of the ballroom, and everyone admired him. But he was afraid of
tomorrow’s ball. Almost everyone in the noble class knew what would happen at
the ball tomorrow, and Sharman didn’t dare to think about it.

“Your Highness, I truly admire you,” the priest said softly.

Sharman looked at the priest. The room was too dark, and he could only
vaguely see the outline of the priest’s profile.

“You, a crown prince who has lived in comfort, are willing to sacrifice
yourself and risk your life in war. Without absolute courage and great
sacrifice, this would be difficult to achieve.”

The priest spoke earnestly, and Sharman was suddenly excited. This was the
first genuinely heartfelt compliment he had heard since his defeat on the
battlefield! His attendants were not qualified to comfort him, his father, Yarlin,
sighed lightly, possibly out of disappointment he had already anticipated, and
the other nobles avoided mentioning the failure of the crown prince. They never
brought it up.

“Father, you…”

During the day, Sharman didn’t understand why the priest had invited him to
meet at night, but in this complete darkness, he felt a long-lost sense of
security, and he even felt like confessing. He finally understood why faith had
endured for so long. At this moment, he wanted to hold the priest’s hand and
continue to listen to those comforting words.

And the priest seemed to understand his thoughts. Facing him, he made the
sign of the cross on his chest. “In any case, I respect you.”

Sharman was deeply moved.

“But at the same time, I wonder, why do you lose courage in some
matters?” Sharman hesitated. “Are you referring to…”

“You know what will happen tomorrow. Haven’t you thought about stopping
it?” 

Sharman fell silent.

“Stopping… Father, you called me here…”

“Bishop Anthony was also a highly respected figure, yet he died because
of the devil’s curse.”

It took Sharman a moment to remember who Bishop Anthony was. Oh, the bishop
who had died suddenly just before baptizing Randes.

Sharman didn’t understand why the priest suddenly mentioned Bishop Anthony,
or rather, the person in front of him was already a bishop.

“Are you suggesting…” Sharman hesitated.

The priest said lightly, “The devil should be punished.”

*

The corridor was eerily quiet. In such a remote corner, even the night
watchman was absent. Only the candle flames flickered on the wall sconces, and
the prince’s steps were light. He told himself that he was late compared to the
appointed time, so he wasn’t completely under someone’s control. Perhaps he was
nervously awaiting his arrival, or perhaps he was infuriated by his absence, or
maybe he was intentionally toying with him, torturing him by keeping the door
tightly closed…

He had fallen in love with an executioner.

The prince reaffirmed in his mind once again. His steps were as heavy as
those of a condemned man about to be executed. He wouldn’t do anything with
him; he just wanted to have a good talk with him.

The prince gazed at the darkened door, now just a step away. The door opened
on its own.

The person who opened the door seemed flustered, rushing out as if pushed
from behind. He turned his head to the left in panic but was startled by the
sudden appearance of the prince. This time, Sharman couldn’t steady himself. He
cried out and fell backward, landing on the carpet in the corridor.

“Ran… Randes…” Sharman stammered. He couldn’t believe the
person he had been discussing moments ago suddenly appeared before him. It was
like a divine punishment, terrifying him to the extreme!

The prince, too, was stunned. He glanced at Sharman first, then at the
half-open door, confirming that it was the room where the priest resided. Then
he looked back at Sherman.

The corridor was terribly silent. Sharman found it difficult to breathe. He
had been injured on the battlefield and felt bone pain everywhere. At this
moment, he felt as if he had returned to the moment when he was thrown off by a
frightened horse. His bones were aching all over, and he wanted to stand up,
but he was powerless. He could only watch as Randes grabbed his collar, lifting
him off the ground.

“Why did you come out of his room?”

The prince’s tone was calm, but the light in his deep brown eyes was enough
to frighten Sharman out of his wits.

Sharman didn’t know when the prince had arrived or if he had heard their
private conversation with the priest. He was shaking all over, his lips
trembling, almost unable to breathe.

“Your Highness.”

The priest’s call broke the deadlock.

The prince turned his head, and the priest held up the candlestick. He was
neatly dressed, his face calm. “Why are you here?” It was as if he
had completely forgotten his daytime appointment with the prince.

The prince was surprisingly calm at this moment. He looked at Sharman again.
The candle in the priest’s hand illuminated Sharman’s face more clearly,
revealing the deep-seated fear. Sharman could also see the contempt in the
prince’s eyes.

“Get out.”

The prince let go, and Sharman fell to the ground again.

The humiliation of falling twice quickly spread throughout Sharman’s body.
He quickly got up, extremely embarrassed, and almost crawled out of the
corridor, using the wall for support.

The prince looked back at the priest. “You invited me, but you also
invited him? That useless waste?”

“Don’t be too angry,” the priest extinguished the candle in his
hand casually. “I thought you might be late, so I arranged some
entertainment for myself.”

The prince didn’t believe that the priest had any goodwill towards Sharman.
He was just using this method to remind, or rather, humiliate him!

He didn’t want it, but there were plenty of people willing to grovel at his
feet!

“Damn, it’s just too damn!”

The prince grabbed the priest’s wrist and slammed the door shut without a
care in the world whether the loud bang would alert anyone.

Meanwhile, leaning against the wall and walking away, the servant bowed to
the panicked Crown Prince. It was only then that Sharman regained his
composure, nodding slightly. His weak and mediocre mind was in turmoil, the
priest’s terrifying words echoing and trembling in his ears like whispers of a
demon.

“Punishment? What do you mean?”

“Don’t you understand my meaning yet? Tomorrow’s ball is a good
opportunity, perhaps your last chance…”

“I… I still don’t understand your meaning.”

“At one point, you hoped the epidemic would take away the prince, but
you failed.”

“N-no, I never…”

“Or perhaps earlier, you hoped the fire you caused would rid you of
your deepest fear.”

“…”

How could he know?! How could he know?!

Sharman’s mind was filled with terrifying interrogations. He was almost
losing his mind. He stood up, and stumbled out, regretting coming here tonight.
This wasn’t a priest; this was a real demon.

“You can run away, but then you’ll lose your last chance.”

“When the prince learns the truth about what happened years ago, do you
think you’ll have a good end?”

Sharman pushed open the door and, in extreme panic, saw Randes outside.

The hand leaning against the wall gradually dropped, Sharman hid in a dark
corner, raising his sweaty hand, staring blankly at the trembling palm.

The priest’s whispers and the prince’s terrifying gaze intertwined in his
mind. Sharman’s hands trembled incessantly, and before him, it seemed like a
great blaze was about to engulf him—

No, Sharman shuddered all over. He didn’t want to be consumed by that
inferno.

It should take away the true sinner…