I Thought I Didn’t Have Long To Live!

It didn't take long before they arrived in Deauville. Although the monster had been dealt with, Augustine's insistence was the fastest way to reach Deauville, leading to the arrival of the expedition members a few hours after the battle against the Wyvern. Before parting ways, Garren, Augustine, Bluff, and the other mercenaries remained silent. There was no need for many words.

Doha quietly threatened with a cold voice that was different from his pretense of being a trader.

"You better not listen to useless rumors. I will make them pay the price for lightly mocking with their mouths."

It wasn't just a cool look on his face. After revealing his identity as the High Priest, Doha didn't need to wear a mask over his face or hide the energy emanating from him. Even Garren, a mercenary who had gone through many hardships, felt overwhelmed. That was why the expedition members couldn't respond properly and simply nodded their heads.

Meanwhile, Lariette remained silent after Doha revealed his identity. It was because her mind was complicated and confused. The longer she stayed like this, the more it burned inside Doha. It was he who unknowingly used his strength when she was in danger. It was a foolish decision even if there was no way to do it without preparation. Doha thought about that and looked at Lariette attentively.

"Don't tell me you don't like me."

Just thinking about it made his heart beat strongly. He thought it would be more comfortable to know about her background and desire material things like others. It wasn't a simple idea, as Doha used to disdain those people. Doha was worried that Lariette would be disappointed by the fact of his lie. It was ridiculous. Doha had already sinned too much to worry about such a thing.

It was he who lied and discarded the letter. Sometimes he felt frustrated with the idea of doing something irreversible and had a terrible fear that one day she would uncover the truth and resent him. Doha knew he was garbage. But even if he was worried and scared countless times, he didn't regret it for a moment. If he hadn't lied, if he hadn't thrown away the letter, he wouldn't have taken advantage of Lariette's fears to get her out of the capital.

If that was the case, Lariette should have gone directly to Asrahan, she would see him again and fall in love once more. That time, without the misunderstanding about the time limit, without the terms of a contractual relationship, just sincerity. Without giving Doha a chance, he couldn't bear the situation.

"Of course, I would rather be garbage."

Even if Lariette's laughter was caused by a lie, even if it was a relationship that would soon break when she found out the truth, he was happy now. Doha smiled bitterly, aware of how futile that happiness was. Though it was pathetic, he couldn't let go of the vanity.

"Doha." He, who was lost in his thoughts, slowly looked up and saw Lariette, who called him by his name.

Before they realized it, they had separated from the expedition and arrived at the inn to find a room. Steam seeped through the gap in the lid of the container to ensure that the food he had ordered arrived. Lariette opened the lid and pushed the plate towards Doha. A thick mushroom soup, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and grilled vegetables were the main dish. All of those meals were his favorites.

"Let's eat first. You've used so much of your holy power, it might be difficult," a soft voice flowed through his clumsy smiling lips. Despite being deceived, her tender eyes showed concern for him. That kind of concern he had never received from anyone before meeting her.

"How am I supposed to let you go, Rie?" Doha furrowed his brows and chuckled, lowering his long eyelashes. In the golden ray that shimmered beneath his lashes, there lay the bitter desire for possessiveness.

-----------------------

Lariette got straight to the point only after they finished the meal. The flow of conversation was quite smooth thanks to having enough time to organize her thoughts.

"So... Doha, are you really High Priest Mikhail? Named as the next Pope?"

"Yes," Doha nodded his head with a confused expression, as if he were a sinner.

It was a concise answer, but its meaning was heavy. Mikhail Doha Bellion, that was also a strong name. There had been rumors in society about a young priest from humble origins who quickly ascended to the position of High Priest and was even designated as the next Pope. At that time, Lariette didn't pay attention because she thought it had nothing to do with him, but if she had properly heard his appearance, she wouldn't have been unaware of his identity for so long.

"...So, your real name is Mikhail?"

She decided not to be disappointed because she didn't know what could have happened, but she was disappointed that he didn't even know her best friend's name correctly. However, contrary to her expectations, Doha shook his head.

"No, my real name is Doha. The name is Doha, and the surname is Bellion."

"Eh? What do you mean..."

"Mikhail is the name given by the temple because I can't enter the sacred temple with the name I used to snatch off the streets."

There was a momentary silence. Lariette didn't know what to say, so she rolled her eyes and opened her mouth.

"I'm sorry for lying to you, Miss. I couldn't tell you because I was afraid that if you found out who I was, you would stay away from me."

"Why would I stay away from Doha? That can't be true."

"...I'm sure it couldn't be, but sometimes it changes depending on the situation."

Doha continued to explain slowly and quietly. His demeanor was very calm, but the news was shocking.

"My mother was a prostitute. She really cared a lot about me, although it's difficult to talk about it."

Yes, she certainly cared about him. She always looked at him with a loving gaze and gently stroked his head.

"—Doha, I love you, I really do."

When the soft voice came to mind, Doha bit his lip. Young Doha only knew that those words of love would last forever. With his mother, he seemed to be able to endure the life on the streets, where he often went hungry and soldiers passing by would beat him for no reason. But his mother's thoughts were different. The mind that probably wouldn't change, changed as easily as flipping the palm of her hand.

"One day, the temple offered to buy me. I used to be a troublemaker, but it was obvious I would become a slave. I thought my mother wouldn't sell me, but... the result was surprising. I was sold for just a few cents."

...

"I should thank my mother," Doha added jokingly, without reason, because he didn't want to worsen the situation too much.

Lariette looked at him with nostalgia. If there was such a past, it was understandable not to easily trust people.

"After that, have you spoken to your mother again?"

"No, all I saw at the moment of the sale was her back."

His voice broke. At that time when he called out to his mother, she didn't look back. It could have been due to guilt or being busy counting money, but it was a really cold attitude.

"After you entered the temple?"

"No, she has never been there. If she had something to say, she would have come to see me."

In the early years, he was busy surviving in the temple. Before being recognized for his holy power, he had to endure the violence from young priests, and after being recognized, the threat of murder. After rising to High Priest and settling to some extent, he was reluctant to think about his mother. He felt that he had done his part by just sending the right amount of money and listening to reports of life or death.

"Doha, I'm not in a position to say this... but you should visit her someday. I think you should listen to her and make a judgment so that you don't have regrets or lingering feelings."

Lariette recalled her parents as she continued. Perhaps if she hadn't confirmed her true feelings until the end, she would have been left with an unpleasant and persistent regret.

"I'm sure it's up to Doha to judge. And don't worry, I will never, ever stay away from Doha."

"...Really?"

"Yes, really," Lariette smiled and hooked her pinky finger.

She couldn't even imagine that they would soon break that promise.

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Knowing that Doha was High Priest Mikhail, it was inevitable for him to become a guide to Deauville for Lariette. It was because he had lived there when he was a High Priest, and as it was a sacred city, he had a lot of information she needed to know. However, it was also a risky place to expose Doha's identity since it had many priests. Few people knew his exact face, but the information that High Priest Mikhail had long silver hair and golden eyes was quite popular among the priests. To reduce any resemblance, the method they chose was to cut Doha's hair even shorter. It needed to be tidied up because it was uneven after he roughly cut it to give some to Garren.

"Miss, could you cut it for me?"

"Me? I've never done that before!"

"But you cut it for me."

Due to Doha's insistence, Lariette was forced to take the scissors. Her hands trembled with the scissors, fearing that she might undermine his beauty. Fortunately, the result wasn't so bad. Maybe it was because she carefully cut the hair with desperate concentration, or maybe it was all thanks to the beauty of his face.

"What do you think, is it okay?" Doha smiled beautifully at Lariette, sweeping his bangs aside with his hand.

Unaware, she nodded as her short, wavy hair hung around her head. Doha smiled satisfied with her stunned response. It was different from the appearance of High Priest Mikhail, who was rumored to be beautiful, so it seemed that walking confidently would be fine.

"Then let's go sightseeing."

With those words, Doha took Lariette to tour Deauville. A small town with old buildings built around a grand temple had a different charm than Fusian. Once again, she was busy strolling around with all kinds of Deauville's gourmet food in her mouth. Hours later, after visiting all the tourist attractions, they sat on a bench in the square and murmured with regret.

"I wish I could go to Astar too."

"Have you not given up yet?"

"Even if it's dangerous..."

Doha looked at Lariette with a concerned expression, like a father putting his child on the edge of the water.

"Isn't the desert what you can see in the distance?"

"Yes, it stretches far. It will take a long time to reach Astar."

Doha shrugged since he hadn't been to Astar either. Sometimes, there were days when the sandstorms cleared, but it was still dangerous to cross the desert and visit Astar. Lariette's heart saddened at such a fact. Doha stood up to buy her something to drink and console her.

"I like the taste of lemon!"

"My lady is quite shameless."

"Let's count it as the price for the haircut."

Instead of expressing gratitude, Doha shook his head as if tired of confidently talking about his preferences, but deep down, he was grateful for acting without any difference despite knowing his true identity.

"No, I hope you think it's great."

Even if there was no difference, it seemed like there was very little. It turns out that the person she thought was a low-ranking priest was actually the next Pope. Doha grumbled and hurried to find a store that sold lemon drinks.

"Here you go!"

"Thank you."

And in the moment he finally arrived at the store and greeted him kindly, his face, stained with happiness, suddenly distorted. His pristine eyebrows arched in disgust and tension. A familiar and dreadful energy was felt from a distance.

It belonged to the Duke of Candel.

Doha's golden eyes quickly scanned the distance to find the source of the energy. At the same time, Asrahan's blue eyes gleamed with coldness when he spotted Doha.

"Mikhail Dohabellion," Asrahan whispered softly.

It was a voice that would be inaudible to Doha from that great distance, but he quickly read his lips and curled the corner of his mouth into a smile.

"Doha, Mikhail Dohabellion."

He was the person Asrahan was searching for. Since she must be hiding her position alongside Doha. Perhaps she had some kind of relationship with Doha.

Qwahang<.

Asrahan, flying at an invisible speed, unsheathed his sword in an instant. If his first reason for seeking Doha was to find him, the second reason was this.

"I'm here to kill you."

Whether he was someone precious to Lariette or the benefactor who saved her life, it no longer mattered. There was nothing he could do even if she hated him. Asrahan had already gone mad worrying about such things. He just wanted to kill the guy who took her away.

"Really?" Doha's relaxed voice resonated through the smoke.

He emerged unscathed and finished his statement with a smile.

"Go ahead if you can."