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Chapter 63
After arriving at the temple, Elisha made Anne and the knights wait in front of the temple, and then entered with only Leon.
“I would like to see the Holy Father.”
The priest recognized Elisha and led her to the drawing-room inside the temple.
“Please wait here.”
After waiting there for a while, Aiden entered the drawing-room with a knock. He greeted Elisha with a gentle expression as always.
“You seem to be feeling better. The children were very worried after hearing the news last time.”
“I’m fine now. I’m sorry that I made the children worry for nothing.”
Aiden, who was about to ask why she had come to find him, saw Leon hiding behind Elisha’s skirt.
“Is this kid the reason you wanted to see me today?”
“Yes. I want the Holy Father to take this child.”
“God will be pleased. I will help this child’s registration.”
“No. This child must be picked up by the Holy Father himself.”
At Elisha’s words, Aiden looked at her and the child as if he had no idea what that meant.
Elisha grabbed the child that was clinging to her back and brought him forward.
“Leon. Can you show me what you did in the carriage earlier?”
“My mom told me not to show it to anyone.”
“That’s right, you must never show it to anyone. But this is the man who will help you, so you can show it to him.”
“Uhm…”
However, despite Elisha’s persuasion, Leon only looked at Aiden while wiggling his body, not listening to Elisha’s words.
‘Humm… it seems that the mother gave her child a solid education. So that her child would not be in danger even after she leaves…’
Elisha finally pulled out the trump card.
“Show me and I’ll buy you a lot of bread.”
At those words, Leon held out his small hand like a fern in front of him as if he had never hesitated.
The moment Aiden’s puzzled eyes looked at the child’s hand, a small flame rose from the child’s palm.
As soon as he saw it, Aiden’s pupils began to shake violently.
‘That power…?’
Although still weak, that power was definitely the power passed down in the Kairos family, the Imperial Family.
“You can stop showing it to him, Leon.”
Leon heard Elisha’s words and immediately withdrew his hand. Then he looked up at Elisha.
“When will you buy me bread?”
“I’ll buy it later. Would you like to take outside for a minute?”
“Are you going to talk about a secret?”
“Uh? Yes.”
“But why don’t you want to tell me?”
Leon pouted his small lips and made a sullen expression. It seemed that he was rather saddened that she was sharing secrets with another person without him.
Elisha was perplexed by the unexpected situation, but then gently comforted the child.
“I’ll tell Leon a very important secret later. Okay?”
“Ngh!! Okay~”
“Good boy, Leon.” Then play outside for a little bit.”
The child, persuaded by Elisha, quietly went out of the drawing-room. As the child left and the door closed, Aiden opened his mouth with a firm expression.
“I can’t take that child.”
“…”
“I don’t know what Madam is thinking, but that child has the blood of the imperial family. If I hid him carelessly, it could endanger Madam’s and my life, too.”
“I know. That’s why I brought him to the temple.”
Many people had their eyes on Aiden.
Elisha had been aware of Aiden’s situation in the past, and the reason why he has been sticking to a defensive stance all this time.
Even though she knew it would not be easy to convince him, she brought him anyway because this was the only way to protect Leon.
Elisha continued speaking as if she was expecting his reaction.
“The temple is where all the children who have lost their parents are gathered. There is nothing wrong with having a child who does not know their parents staying here.”
“…”
“If discovered, the Holy Father can say that you have just been taking care of a child I had entrusted you with, and that you didn’t know who this child was.”
“I can’t do that. It’s too reckless.”
Aiden rejected Elisha’s words with a stern look.
He didn’t want to use that excuse and push the blame onto Elisha and the Rubellin household when the emperor was already looking for an excuse to shake their positions.
However, Elisha did not immediately refute his words, she just lifted the teacup and quenched her throat before asking.
“Do you think I won’t be able to cover all of those sins?”
There was even a relaxed smile on her lips as she asked that question.
“Those who want to kill the bloodline of the Royal family that the Imperial family is looking for themselves, and those who want to hide them to protect them. Which of the two is more guilty?”
The latter was Elisha herself, which meant there was someone else after the child. Aiden looked at Elisha with questionable eyes.
“The Imperial Family is looking for their blood to make him the successor. But there’s one person who doesn’t want this child to appear.”
“…Do you mean the Crown Princess?”
“Yes. The Crown Princess sent a man to find and kill this child before the emperor can find him. If an illegitimate child appears and takes the position of a successor, her position will be very jeopardized.”
Elisha, who knew Leon’s childhood story from the original, was already aware of Rose’s actions.
“I’ll release the knights and get the evidence within a few days.”
Upon hearing that, Aiden knew that Elisha did not just recklessly bring the child to the temple.
“So you don’t have to worry after I get the evidence.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be involved in Imperial affairs.”
However, despite Elisha’s persuasion, Aiden flatly rejected her offer. She blinked in surprise at the cold attitude she had seen for the first time. It was a frighteningly cold voice.
At Elisa’s startled look, Aiden wrinkled his forehead slightly and added in a more relaxed voice.
“…it’s a very personal reason.”
Only then did Elisha know why Aiden refused her request. Twenty years ago, he lost his wife at the Emperor’s hand, and the Imperial family became his enemy.
But she couldn’t back down like this. Aiden was the only one who could prevent the unfortunate disaster that Leon would cause.
Elisha hastily appealed to him.
“The child’s abilities are dangerous. If you send him to the Imperial Palace like this, the Imperial Palace may become a sea of fire.”
Aiden twisted his lips at Elisha’s words. That was the desire he had hoped for all his life. It was an act of revenge he didn’t dare to do because of Julia, who desperately wanted to protect Aiden.
“Then that’s God’s will.”
“Even if he turns the village next to the temple into a sea of fire, will you accept it as God’s will?”
Aiden’s eyes, which had been cold until now, began to tremble at those words. Elisha didn’t miss the gap and opened her mouth again.
“I do not know how sad and lonely it must be for the Holy Father to lose a loved one. I lost my parents when I was young, but I don’t have memories of them.”
“…”
“So I know it’s presumptuous, but I just want to say one thing.”
Elisha asked, looking at Aiden, who had a hard expression on his face, with eyes that did not waver.
“Is that child irrelevant because of your Holiness’ sorrow?”
The child only inherited the blood of the Imperial family but didn’t commit any crimes. Wasn’t he left on the street without even knowing who his father was?
Aiden was agitated for a moment because he was caught off guard, but quickly regained his composure. Elisha continued to speak in a calm voice.
“It’s still a small flame. In the future, it could be a flame that burns life, or it could be a flame that gives warmth to people.”
“…”
“The Holy Father can change the flame in any direction.”
Aiden just stared at her, without saying anything. Thus, Elisha took it in a negative sense and stood up, bowing as to offer an apology.
“I’m sorry that I suddenly came and asked you an unreasonable request. I also said something presumptuous.”
“…”
“I’ll take Leon with m–”
“…Leave him here.”
At that moment, Elisha doubted her ears. The person who coldly refused her request moments ago suddenly changed his attitude. Was it real? Did she hear wrong?
Aiden looked at Elisa, who looked at him with a puzzled expression, and added as if giving a definite answer.
“However, within this week, you will have to find clues about the Crown Princess’ schemes.”
Only then did a smile spread around Elisha’s mouth, who understood what he meant.
Still smiling, she nodded.
“Of course.”
(e/n: Basically if Elisha can prove that the crown princess is trying to kill Leon the imperial family can’t punish them for hiding him in case he is discovered. The evidence is basically a backup plan if they get caught so that they can shift the blame away.)
After Elisha had told Leon the secret story she had promised, she ordered the knights to buy various types of bread and she returned to the Duke’s mansion.
Aiden decided to let Leon sleep in his room for a while, instead of with all the other children, so he could see how much Leon could control his abilities.
“Leon?”
However, when he entered the room after bathing, the child was nowhere to be seen. Only the glass of warm milk mixed with honey that the apprentice priest had given him was left empty.
Aiden looked around and found the small child crouching in front of the extinguished fireplace.
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‘What are you doing?’
The child was wiggling his hands, unable to hear Aiden approach, perhaps because he was focusing hard.
Aiden, who was looking at the child with puzzled eyes, saw a flame popping out from the child’s hand.
The child was playing with fire. Aiden’s expression hardened when he saw it.
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