I Put all my Stats into Charm - Chapter 51
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I Put All My Stats Into Charm Episode 051
I blinked and stared at Calliton.
What are you talking about?
Forbidden love, you say…?
Calliton’s following words turned my speculation into certainty.
“I’ve heard there are women who admire holy knights, but this is the first time I’m actually seeing it.”
My jaw dropped.
“You think I like Lord Blair?”
“You couldn’t take your eyes off the Knight Captain.”
That was because I was worried about Theodor!
To interpret my concerned gaze as a lovestruck one—have you been reading too many romance novels?
Calliton, who had completely misunderstood the situation, gazed at me with a confident look.
“Am I wrong?”
“Of course…!”
Just as I was about to say “of course not,” I shut my mouth.
Calliton was treating me as a potential traitor, convinced I was conspiring with the Temple.
It seemed he was suspicious because he saw me hanging around Theodor frequently.
What if I said I had a crush on Theodor?
What if I convinced him that’s why I was hovering around the holy knight?
This might be a chance to dispel the suspicions that had been clinging to me persistently.
“Of course you’re right! Lord Blair has a good personality and he’s handsome. Wouldn’t it be sinful not to love such a man?”
“It would be taboo for a holy knight to love someone of the opposite sex.”
Calliton narrowed his brow as he continued.
“Don’t you know that clergy who date the opposite sex are burned at the stake?”
Of course I know. That’s why I’m trying to keep my distance from Theodor.
It’s not like I’m doing this thoughtlessly.
“Really? I had no idea! No wonder Lord Blair kept pushing me away, telling me to stop bothering him!”
I slapped my forehead, pretending to hear this for the first time.
“I guess I should stop liking him now!”
Calliton stared at me intently with a penetrating gaze.
I’m sweating.
Did my acting show?
Just as I was getting nervous, Calliton stroked his chin and said,
“True. If you had known, you wouldn’t have done something that would lead someone you love to death.”
“Exactly! If I had known such a terrifying law existed, I wouldn’t have liked him!”
Wanting to dispel even a bit of Calliton’s suspicion, I mindlessly agreed.
“Burning at the stake—whoever made such a rule must be out of their…”
Wait. Don’t tell me that law was made by the Imperial family?
I belatedly tried to gauge Calliton’s reaction.
“…must be perfectly sane! A true moral leader of this era! How did they come up with such a brilliant idea!”
“No need to make excuses. I think it’s an insane doctrine too.”
Huh, you too?
I tilted my head at the unexpected answer.
“Wasn’t it a law made by the Imperial family?”
“It’s a doctrine created by the Temple. His Majesty approved it.”
Calliton smiled bitterly.
“The idea that sacrificing sexual desire increases devotion—what a ridiculous story.”
For a moment, shadows fell across Calliton’s red eyes. His usually cynical smile looked self-deprecating and bitter.
“Suppressed feelings are bound to burst out in other forms.”
In that brief moment, the shadows in his eyes cleared.
“Extinguishing a flame when it burns brightest isn’t devotion to God—it’s desecrating youth.”
He has quite a poetic philosophy about love.
Truly befitting an avid reader of “Sword Demon Chronicles.”
Inside the swaying carriage, I nodded and agreed with Calliton’s words.
“Right. If it’s forbidden, then it’s forbidden, but there’s no need for burning at the stake, is there?”
You don’t know how shocking and horrifying Theodor’s burning illustration was.
Calliton seemed to agree with my words as he nodded.
“Exactly. Though it’s a doctrine that wouldn’t have existed if not for Lowell.”
For a moment, I doubted my ears.
“You’re saying burning at the stake was created because of Master?”
“Didn’t you know?”
“I had no idea!”
Calliton stared at me intently before opening his mouth.
“Is education illegal in the countryside or something?”
“…”
This bastard.
Are you looking down on me for being from the countryside?
I wanted to slap Calliton’s lips with my palm repeatedly.
But since he’s royalty, I’ll endure it.
As I swallowed my anger, Calliton stroked his chin as if understanding.
“True. When you don’t even know that celibacy is a doctrine for holy knights, you wouldn’t know the background of how the doctrine came about either.”
I don’t know!
If that damn doctrine didn’t exist, I would have gotten together with Theodor long ago and returned to reality!
I glared at Calliton.
“Since I’m from the countryside, I don’t know the inner workings of noble folks.”
“That could be the case.”
Calliton nodded as if in agreement.
Don’t be understanding about that part.
Calliton, displaying selective empathy, continued his explanation.
“Initially, the Temple didn’t prohibit interaction with the opposite sex either. It was just a recommendation.”
“Then why was burning at the stake added? What did Master do?”
“Ask Lowell for the details. Though I don’t know if he’ll answer.”
You’re cutting it off here?
Calliton Grailhart.
There are two ways to infuriate people.
One is to stop talking mid-sentence…
“How can you do that! If you’re going to tell me, you should tell me everything to the end!”
“Too bothersome.”
Calliton waved his hand dismissively as if annoyed. Then, as if he’d lost interest, he turned his gaze outside the carriage.
This guy…
He really doesn’t seem to have any intention of telling me?
There’s clearly an unpleasant reason, but how can I ask the person involved?
You’re saying the prohibition on clergy dating is because of Master? What did he do to create such a law?
—I can’t exactly ask that.
Looking at it, Lowell has more than one or two suspicious records.
The black magic, being expelled from the Cathedral, and all that.
The more I learn, the more suspicious that elf becomes, I thought as we headed north.
When we arrived at the Duke’s Palace, Jerome came out to greet us.
He was dressed in his usual neat all-black uniform and bowed his head politely.
“I greet the Sun of the Empire.”
“It’s been a while, Duke Winston.”
Calliton also nodded his head to receive Jerome’s greeting.
Jerome shifted his gaze to me.
“It’s been a while, Miss Emmerbier.”
“It’s been a while, Duke.”
I also greeted him politely.
Jerome’s face, which I saw after a long time, was still sharp, and his precisely positioned features were faithfully fulfilling their roles.
He was still handsome.
Actually, wasn’t Jerome the key to this northern schedule?
While in the North, I had to succeed in raising Jerome’s favorability by achieving some special condition or whatever.
Because there shouldn’t be any need to conquer the lone wolf Calliton.
Meanwhile, Jerome spoke to Calliton in a formal tone.
“I did not know Your Highness would be coming, so I failed to prepare proper arrangements to receive you respectfully. I humbly ask for your understanding.”
Calliton waved his hand dismissively.
“Enough with the tedious formalities. They’re troublesome for me too.”
“I will prepare a banquet for Your Highness, so I’ll have you guided to your room so you can rest.”
Shortly after, an elderly butler came to guide Calliton and me to the guest rooms.
That left Jerome and me alone together.
During a moment of silence, both Jerome and I opened our mouths simultaneously.
“Miss Emmerbier.”
“Um…”
And we both stopped talking at the same time.
“…Please speak first.”
“No, Duke, please speak first.”
After a silence that felt like a battle of courtesy.
Jerome slowly nodded his head.
“I apologize for the rudeness of leaving so suddenly that day. I hope your feelings weren’t hurt.”
“That day?”
“I mean what happened at the lake.”
Ah, that time.
Right. Even you think it was sudden, don’t you?
Sending away your date partner so hastily isn’t really proper etiquette, is it?
But since you apologized, I’ll understand with my generous heart.
“It’s fine. More importantly, I have something to give you.”
“You have something to give me?”
“You know the uniform you put on me at the lakeside? I need to return that and the handkerchief…”
The moment I turned toward the carriage to take out Jerome’s uniform, all the color drained from my face.
Come to think of it, the luggage I had packed at the beginning was destroyed by the troll, wasn’t it?
Jerome’s uniform and handkerchief were in the carriage, along with the gloves I was going to give as a gift…
“Are you alright? Your face is pale. Should I call a doctor…”
“N-no!”
I grabbed Jerome’s arm as he was about to gesture to a servant.
Then I began rambling incoherently in explanation.
“Uh, so I brought the uniform to return it to you… I even hand-washed it carefully. But on the way here, we encountered a troll…”
“A troll?”
Jerome’s expression hardened.
I’m screwed, what do I do. This is ruined from the start.
He must think I’m making excuses about a troll.
What if he sees me as a pathetic woman who can’t even properly return borrowed clothes?!
Jerome seemed really angry as he asked with a rigidly hardened face.
“You encountered a troll?”
“Yes… The troll destroyed our carriage. The uniform and handkerchief I was going to give you were in there…”
Jerome’s uniform with its gold seal and embroidery that looked like it was stitched by the Empire’s finest craftsmen looked expensive at first glance.
But I’m a responsible adult woman. I took out the pouch of gold coins I received from Lowell from inside my robe.
“Um, this is all my wealth…”
I was going to use this to buy desserts, meat, and even raise a pet.
But I couldn’t afford to get on Jerome’s bad side, so I held out the coin pouch.
As I was about to hand over the money I had worked so hard to collect, my hands trembled like I had tremors, and I could hear the gold coins inside the pouch rattling against each other.
“I don’t know if this will be enough, but I want to compensate you somehow…”
“The uniform is fine.”
Jerome wrapped his hands around mine.
Along with the warm body heat enveloping the back of my hand, my hand holding the gold coin pouch was lowered.
“If you are safe, that is enough.”
The moment the warmth from his fingertips spread up to my chest, I stared at Jerome in a daze.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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