I Will Avoid The Death Flag [It's Published]
29. Cardinal

"Mr Princess?"

My body snapped and started to stiffen.

The wind whipping through the edge of my robe made me shiver even more with coldness. I was on my balcony, ready to jump from my second floor. Not really jumping because I've set up a rope to help me get down.

"Daughter, where are you going?" Sir Derick asked as he opened the door of my balcony.

I flinched again and started to step back.

It's already midnight! I thought the man had left my room to rest, but why was he even here?

"Sir Derick's? Why are you here?"

"I should have asked you that, Princess."

Body shivers. No, not because of the night breeze playing with me, but because Sir Derick's tone of voice sounded so different.

Even the look on his face said something other than the gentleness that was shown, so that I who was completely unfamiliar with this change in facial expression, started to get scared.

Sir Derick stepped forward and I took a step back. We did the same thing three times until I was at the end of the balcony. My waist touched the guardrail and I'm still trying to pull back. It was because Sir Derick kept eroding the distance between us. I could even feel Sir Derick's breath on my cheek.

"S-Sir Derick? Aren't you getting too close?"

Sir Derick held his right hand against the guardrail, right beside me. I could even feel his clothes swiping against my robe.

"I asked once again. Where are you going?"

I gulped and took my eyes off. Sir Derick is so intimidating. Is this the strength of a real knight commander? I've never felt such intense intimidation before, it's because the aura Sir Derick unleashed around me was a pleasant positive aura.

"A-i-"

Even talking is nervous. Damnit damnit!

"Gear me in the eye, Princess."

Sir Derick's fingers covered in white gloves touched my chin, then pulled it so that our beads met each other.

Cream and violet meet at sight.

This was supposed to be the perfect plan for me. On the fourth day I was told to rest, I waited until midnight, where usually Sir Derick would hand over my guard to his men. That's because I told Sir Derick to get enough rest.

I've made sure very well that Sir Derick and his men have switched places. So I can start my plan to sneak.

Sneaking out of the palace.

Although maybe I was too stupid to hope to fool the knight commander who was certainly chosen not by chance, but through strict selection.

"Where are you going?" ask Sir Derick again. But her soft voice has returned. The intimidation the man put out disappeared and Sir Derick's typical positive aura returned again to his sense of taste.

Maybe Sir Derick realized my body was shaking faintly, so he went back to being the Sir Derick I knew.

"Temple of the Sun God," I replied while turning my eyes.

"Why go to the temple at midnight, Princess? By sneaking in anyway. Can't you go during the day with me looking after you?"

I nodded slowly. "It must be a secret meeting."

"And why is that?"

"It's related to the competition to be queen."

I can hear Sir Derick's breath.

"Do you really want to be a queen?"

Hearing Sir Derick's words made me force myself to look him in the face. And my body stiffened. It was a highlight that looked so pitiful. I've never seen such an expression on his face.

I bite my lips.

"Mr Princess, are you aware that what you are doing is trying to win the competition to become the queen of the Asher Kingdom?" continue the man again.

"Sir Derick, there's nothing wrong with wanting to be a queen, right?" reply me, desperately suppressing the vibrations in my vowels.

Pause.

I cannot interpret what Sir Derick has shown me, but I can feel a sense of disappointment in Sir Derick.

"To be queen is to be married to Your Majesty," murmured Sir Derick, though I can still hear it because our distance is so close.

Suddenly, the film tape in my mind rotated. It was a scene in one night where I had just woken up from a coma and Sir Derick revealed everything while I was sleeping, I didn't sleep and listened to Sir Derick's feelings there.

Sir Derick loves me. That's palpable. Because he himself revealed it. Maybe this is why Sir Derick is disappointed.

Being queen is to marry Viten. Sir Derick is right. This is what makes Sir Derick so heartbroken. I cannot repay Sir Derick's love and in exchange, I married Viten to become Queen Asher. However, wouldn't it be better to let the man be heartbroken than to be decapitated by Viten like the story in the novel?

I confirm my heart. The point is, I'm gonna save Sir Derick from that damned piece.

"I know that," I said.

Sir Derick's creamy bead analyzed my face. "Do you love His Majesty?"

"I can't answer it."

Sir Derick only sighed slowly before returning to put some distance between us. I finally managed to breathe again with relief.

However, that sigh of relief did not last long as Sir Derick knelt before me.

"Do you remember the Knight Oath I once promised you? The oath is still in progress, Princess. So, please, put me in your plan. I'll take care of you."

I held my breath. Sir Derick, why is he doing all this just for me?

I'm not the real Serethy. When Sir Derick loved me like this, it was as if I had snatched something that should have belonged to the real Serethy.

However, I did have to gather enough strength for my next survival. So, Sir Derick who is the knight commander is a suitable role to continue to protect me.

"All right, Sir Derick. I'm allowing you to follow me."

Our eyes met and I smiled a little.

"Unconditionally, be quiet." I put my index finger on my lips. "Don't ask me anything even if you're half-dead, don't talk about it to outsiders, don't react more to what I'm doing, and stay calm. All you have to do is stand behind me. Are you ready?"

"I'm willing, Princess."

That was how Sir Derick ended up meeting the Cardinal in his private room in the Sun God Temple.

Arcelio Barnett is a cardinal at the Temple of the Sun God directly elected by a Pope. The man has mint hair and green irises, is 25 years old, the third son of Duke Barnett, and he is a very friendly and understanding person. In essence, the type of good man that is suitable to be courted or can be married all together. That's what Angelina told me when I was living in the Sun Castle.

"Lord Princess," said Arcelio in a respectful tone. His mint-colored hair swayed slightly as the man lowered his head briefly. "Please sit down."

Arcelio invited me to sit on the sofa in his room. I took my place on the single sofa and Sir Derick stood behind me, as if looking after me. And as for Arcelio himself, the man sat before me who was bounded by a round table.

"Mr Arcelio, I'm sure you've received my letter?" ask pleasantries.

"Yes, Princess. Although I was a little surprised why the Princess sent me a letter secretly and wanted to meet me secretly as well."

Arcelio showed off a smile on his face that honestly looked very sweet, Arcelio was not at all handsome, but beautiful. I almost mis-focused and would continue to notice her pretty face if I didn't remember my purpose of bothering to come here.

I cleared my throat briefly, then smiled confidently. "Then from that, go straight to the main topic. Cardinal, join me."

"Join?"

"Of course you know that I am one of the two candidates for Queen Asher, right?"

"You want support from me?"

"As expected of Mr. Cardinal, you are indeed intelligent." My smile widened, of course with full confidence in it. Well, even though I had to fake that confidence, I had to look like that in front of Arcelio. "Mr Arcelio, support me to be Queen."

"Oh?" Arcelio gave a small grin. "Then, what do I get by supporting you?"

"I have a holy power."

"Yes?"

I sighed, then took out a folding knife from my skirt pocket. I stabbed myself in the arm with the knife. It hurts a little, but I can only endure. Blood instantly dripped and stained the brown robe I had not completely removed.

I don't know what expression Sir Derick is putting behind me, I don't want to know.

"I told you, I have sacred power."

Along with me saying my words, a golden light that felt pure and majestic instantly covered my wounds. That golden light regenerated my skin cells and restored the condition of my skin to its current state. In my arm, there were no puncture wounds at all, not even the marks were at all visible.

And what I saw from Arcelio was that the beautiful man opened his mouth wide. In her green eyes, there was a tremendous shock. His body also trembled faintly, I knew that it was an enthusiastic vibration.

"Mr Arcelio, you are so reverent of the Sun God, aren't you?" I said, still with a confident smile. "Holy power is a form of the majesty of the Sun God and more importantly, I hear you are researching holy power?"

I heard everything from Angelina. For Arcelio, it looks like Angelina has a soft spot for the man.

It seemed that I did not have to work hard to persuade Arcelio anymore because the enthusiastic twinkle in his eyes did not dim, it was getting ignited.

"I'll support you wholeheartedly!"

Tuh, right. He is easily persuaded. Sometimes the obsession with something, in this case the Sun God and his majesty, does not really carry a good influence.

What if Arcelio was fooled by the petty people on behalf of the Sun God? Like Clare for example.

"But, please show your holy power again in the future!"

I smile. "Of course, tell me if you need it."

Arcelio looked satisfied.

"So, have you heard that in three days, there will be a feast in the Palace?" my many.

"I heard it, Princess." Arcelio. "The whole royals must have heard."

"You're right. And I need you there for my sake. Are you ready?"

"What should I do?"

I extended my empty hand into the air, giving a slight image, and a plop, golden scroll appeared in my palm.

Arcelio reopened his mouth in shock.

The gold scroll shimmered in a room with little light because only a few candles were lit, making Arcelio's heartbeat even more dusty because the atmosphere became more melancholic.

"This is proof that Miss Clare committed a forgery against the word of the Sun God." I handed the golden scroll to Arcelio. "If you could know if this was real or not?"

Arcelio looked at me with earnest glare and complete trust in his eyes. He then received a golden scroll from me and read the contents. Five minutes, Arcelio returned the golden scroll back to my hand.

However, the highlight printed on his green eyes was now a feeling of wrath.

"How dare!" Even Arcelio's two hands shook in anger. "How dare the woman use the name of the great God for personal gain! It cannot be forgiven. Even the Sun God himself did not like this."

"So, as a person who glorifies the Sun God, you must feel so angry that you want to destroy someone's life, right?"

Arcelio did not reply, but his body that stiffened in anger completely explained everything.

"What should I do at the party, Princess?"

"It seems you've guessed why I'm throwing a party?" There was a short pause where I passed my laughter into the air. "Your role is easy, Mr. Arcelio. You only need to read the contents of the gold scroll to the public and guarantee its authenticity. People would have more faith in a Cardinal, who was a senior official within the Sun God Temple, than a Princess who had no support of her own."

"Then, I will be able to end the suffering of the Sun God?"

Um, Angelina didn't really suffer. He's just mad. But I replied with a smile, leaving nothing but my confidence visible in front of Arcelio.

"You will be an obedient servant to the Sun God."

Arcelio felt a sense of satisfaction in her after I praised her by the name of Angelina.

He's a good-looking guy.