Zion furrowed his brows, lost in thought. After a brief conversation with Enrite, he had intended to return to the inner castle, but Hanette appeared before he could make his move. Now, how was he supposed to explain this situation?
"Sister, I was just talking to someone I know," Zion began cautiously.
"You know someone out here in the border region? Have you been here behind my back?" Hanette's voice was rising.
Zion sighed. "No, it’s someone I met in the capital."
"And why is this person here now?"
"They left before me, so they’re already here."
"Do you even hear yourself? How could someone who left before you meet up with you like this?"
Hanette's eyes widened in anger, her voice growing louder. Had he simply told her beforehand that he was meeting someone, she might have believed him. But Zion had lied, sneaking out, leaving her alone, making her suspicious.
"...Even if I told you it was a coincidence, you wouldn’t believe me, right?" Zion said.
"Would you believe it if it were me?"
"No, I wouldn’t."
"Exactly. You should’ve told me. Why meet secretly?"
"I had no choice but to meet in secret."
"Oh really? And what grand reason could there possibly be for that?"
Hanette, trying to contain her fury, shot a piercing glare at Enrite. Although her face was partially hidden by a hood, Hanette could make out some of her features—platinum hair peeking out, a defined jawline, and slightly flushed lips. It was clear she was hiding a beautiful face beneath that hood.
"Well..." Zion hesitated, glancing at Enrite, who remained silent. Enrite was keeping his identity as a Setinos Quasar hidden, wandering the borderlands. Zion had recognized him immediately, but Enrite wasn’t going to reveal himself to Hanette.
"See? You can’t even explain. Should I ask her directly?"
"...I wouldn’t recommend that."
"And why not? If you’re so sure, she’d have nothing to hide, right?"
"Don’t refer to her as 'that woman.' She’s someone of higher status than me."
"Oh, really? So, she’s a noble or royalty, then? What’s she doing here in the middle of nowhere?"
"Are you Lady Hanette Adelaira? It's a pleasure to meet you," a calm voice interrupted.
Hanette narrowed her eyes, tilting her head slightly to see the speaker. Enrite stepped forward, pulling back the edge of her hood to reveal her face.
"I am a member of the Setinos Quasar and a Cardinal of the Kinesien Sacred Sect. I am also known as the White Apostle. Perhaps you've heard of me?"
"...?" Hanette blinked in surprise, locking eyes with Enrite. Her platinum hair swayed gently, and her bright yellow eyes glimmered, stirring something deep in Hanette's memories.
"Enrite... Serenine?" Hanette whispered.
"You recognize me? That's a relief. It seems this misunderstanding is cleared now."
"Oh... oh..."
Hanette stepped back, looking to Zion for confirmation, who nodded, affirming the truth.
"I originally intended to keep my identity hidden," Enrite said softly. "But Zion Laird recognized me right away, so I decided to speak with him while I had the chance."
Hanette, flustered and speechless, stared in disbelief. Zion’s reason for leaving without telling her was perfectly reasonable now. He had kept it secret because it had to remain confidential, making it clear why he met with Enrite in private.
"It seems I've caused some unnecessary trouble," Enrite said, bowing slightly. "Please allow me to apologize to both of you."
"No... it’s my fault. I misunderstood the situation. I should be the one apologizing."
Hanette bowed deeply, expressing her apology. If she had known Enrite was the White Apostle, she would have never acted as she had. She had heard rumors that the White Apostle had left the capital, but never did she expect to meet her like this.
"I believe that’s enough for today," Enrite said, preparing to leave.
"If I offended you, I sincerely apologize," Hanette said hurriedly. "I didn’t mean to act suspiciously, and I ask for your forgiveness."
"No need to apologize," Enrite replied gently. "Had I not hidden my identity, this situation wouldn’t have occurred."
Enrite had no intention of causing a rift between Zion and Hanette. He had his own reasons for keeping things peaceful; after all, he needed to form an alliance with Zion. The two were engaged, and it was best to keep things smooth between them.
"Thank you for your understanding. I will take my leave now."
"Ah, before you go," Enrite paused, "would you be able to meet with me tomorrow morning? Lady Hanette is welcome to come as well. In fact, I would prefer if you both came."
Zion raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the sudden invitation, while Hanette remained silent, still processing everything.
"Alright," Zion agreed. "We’ll come see you tomorrow morning, Cardinal Serenine."
"I look forward to it. Until then."
With that, Enrite turned and walked away, leaving Hanette staring after her. After a brief moment, she turned on her heel and began walking away.
"...I’ll go ahead first."
"Sister, wait, let’s talk for a moment..."
But Hanette ignored him, disappearing into the inner castle. Zion sighed, watching her retreating figure.
‘She could’ve waited for an explanation later, but no… she had to rush...’
With a weary sigh, Zion followed her back inside. He knew he was partly to blame, but Hanette’s reaction was a bit overboard. They would need to talk before bed.
‘Could it be… jealousy?’ Zion thought, chuckling at the idea. More likely, it was about pride. It probably irked her that he, her soon-to-be husband, was secretly meeting with another woman.
‘I guess I can understand. If I flipped the situation...’
It wasn’t hard to imagine. If Hanette were meeting with another man, and she had kept it a secret, it would certainly get to him too. Suspicion would be natural.
‘This is getting a bit complicated. I wonder how things will be after we get married...’
Nacmor Castle, Zion and Hanette’s Room.
The night had fully settled, and darkness blanketed the castle. Torches flickered outside, casting faint light near the inner walls. Zion sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor.
"Sister, how long are you going to stay like that?" he asked.
"..."
"We should talk, don’t you think? You can’t keep this up until tomorrow."
"..."
He had tried several times to start a conversation, but Hanette stayed silent, hidden under the covers, refusing to respond.
‘At least she feels embarrassed,’ Zion thought with a wry smile, lying down beside her. Had she accused a lesser noble, she might have brazenly moved on. But the fact she had confronted a Royal Knight, a Setinos Quasar, left her feeling humiliated.
‘The White Apostle will let this slide, I’m sure.’
Among the Setinos Quasar, none were known to be particularly cruel or harsh. Each had their own personality and goals, but none were notorious for being vindictive.
‘The Silver Rogue is likely patrolling outside the castle...’
The Silver Rogue had once been a notorious thief in the capital, evading capture for two years until the King personally intervened. After becoming a Setinos Quasar, the Silver Rogue returned every stolen item, though with a wry sense of humor.
‘Who steals just to get the King’s attention...’
The King had found the Silver Rogue's ambition amusing and had bestowed the title upon him as a reminder of his past deeds.
‘Who knows, we might even run into him here in the border region...’
"All of this... it’s your fault. You should’ve just told me," Hanette's muffled voice finally broke the silence.
Zion sighed and sat up. "If I had told you, there wouldn’t have been any misunderstanding. I’m sorry about that."
"Don’t apologize. It just makes me look worse."
"Should I not, then?"
"But you can’t not apologize."
"So what do you want me to do?"
"...I know it’s partly my fault. Can’t we just leave it at that?"
Zion shook his head, stifling a laugh. She was admitting her mistake, but clearly didn’t want to dwell on it. They both had their faults, but it seemed she wanted to drop the matter before it dragged on.
"You heard the reason, right? That’s why I approached her carefully. She had something to tell me."
"And I just barged in, didn’t I?"
"Exactly. It would’ve been better if you waited a bit longer."
"Ugh... I should’ve just held on for a little while more..."
With a groan, Hanette buried herself back under the covers, too embarrassed to continue. Facing the White Apostle again tomorrow would be mortifying, but she couldn’t let Zion go alone either.
"If you’re really that uncomfortable, I can go by myself tomorrow. I’ll tell you everything later."
"...No, I have to go. She asked for both of us."
"She’s not going to be mad if you don’t go."
"I already acted rudely once. I can’t do it twice."
"I guess I can’t argue with that."
Zion agreed with her reasoning. The first mistake could be forgiven, but a second would reflect poorly on them. However, knowing Enrite, she would likely be understanding of the situation and willing to forgive.
‘But why does she want to meet me anyway?’
There were plenty of reasons. Zion had Exceed Rain, could wield sword energy, had founded a knightly order, and was wandering the border regions. It made sense that Enrite would be curious or want to discuss something with him.
‘Maybe I should adjust my plans.’
He had originally intended to travel between border castles, meeting both the protagonist and Enrite, explaining Exceed Rain, and plotting the next steps with them. But now that he had met Enrite earlier than expected, and with the invitation to meet tomorrow, it seemed like an opportunity to negotiate.
‘It might be better to stick close to the protagonist for now. If I can form an alliance... it wouldn’t be a bad thing. Slowly helping out, gaining their trust... that’s the way to go.’