Confrontation with Sir Evan

#100

The moment his eyes met Jeha’s, the bright face that had been coming out twisted instantly. Completely different from the other priests who at least managed their expressions, only glaring. He was looking at Jeha as if he were nothing but dog droppings.

“Lord Marquis Belgarga, let’s have a quiet word.”

Just as Jeha was about to brush past him, Sir Evan grabbed his shoulder and spoke. The grip on his shoulder was so strong that an ordinary man would have grimaced and cried out in pain.

“Do Sir Evan and I have anything to discuss?”

Jeha pushed Sir Evan’s hand off his shoulder and said. Then he tried to move past him again, but Sir Evan blocked his way once more.

“I have something important to say. It will only take a moment. Please spare me some time.”

Sir Evan’s face, standing in front of him, was quite solemn. If he continued to refuse, it seemed he would drag him away by force. The priests watched Jeha and Sir Evan with bated breath. Jeha stared at Sir Evan for a moment, then nodded.

The place Sir Evan entered was a small room near Hereis’s quarters.

In the small room, there was only a bed, a table, and a chair. It seemed like a room used by a serving priest.

Closing the door, Sir Evan turned around and stared at Jeha with intense eyes. Standing with his back to the door, his posture seemed to express that he wouldn’t let him out until the conversation was over.

Jeha, facing Sir Evan, looked at him calmly. There was a huge difference in height and build, which could have put Jeha under pressure. But Jeha, now quite accustomed to living as Bellarossa, felt no particular intimidation. He just felt that a bit of a nuisance had arisen.

“So, what do you want to talk about?”

Jeha asked directly. Sir Evan, who had been staring at Jeha with intense eyes, finally opened his tightly shut mouth.

“Please stay away from Archbishop Hereis.”

Sir Evan said without preamble. Jeha, who had guessed what he was going to say, shook his head calmly instead of looking surprised or displeased.

“That’s something I cannot do.”

Sir Evan’s eyebrows twitched. He clenched his fist tightly. It was clear he was barely restraining himself from punching Jeha.

“Hereis—Archbishop Hereis is the only high-ranking priest who lives solely to serve God without any personal desire. And he is one who will ascend to a glorious position in the future. I will make sure of it. He is the only hope for faithful priests. I cannot stand by while filth like you, Marquis Belgarga, tarnish his reputation.”

Sir Evan was the commander of the Holy Knight Order, a position of considerable status. But it was not a position that allowed him to speak so rudely to a high noble like Marquis Belgarga. Yet he was bold enough to use the word ‘filth’ in front of him.

Being called filth was fine. It didn’t even itch. But Sir Evan’s intense faith and feelings toward Hereis strangely bothered him.

How could someone who valued Hereis so much have completely failed to notice Hereis’s despair and pain? Even when Hereis had fallen into the abyss of despair and summoned the Demon King, Sir Evan hadn’t noticed at all. And yet he was pretending to protect him.

“Hereis and I deeply love each other. Even if I tried to break up, Hereis wouldn’t let go. So go talk to Hereis about this.”

Jeha provoked Sir Evan by talking about love. As expected, Sir Evan’s jaw muscles twitched violently. His eyes seemed about to burst into flames. Jeha stared at him with narrow eyes. And he wondered: could that anger really come from mere friendship?

“Hereis is an important figure who will become the Pope in the future. Do you know what insults he is suffering because he’s tied up with the likes of you? Right now, a disgusting novel about you and Hereis is spreading among the public. Have you even thought about what vile imaginations the common people might have about Hereis while reading that?!”

Shouting in a heated voice, Sir Evan lost his temper and punched the wall with his fist. His fist was imbued with a faint holy power. Naturally, the wall cracked slightly.

“Love? How dare you say you love the beloved of God who serves Him? If you truly love him, shouldn’t you protect his honor and dignity? Marquis Belgarga, if you have even a shred of sincerity toward Hereis, stay away from him.”

Jeha read jealousy cunningly mixed with anger in Sir Evan’s burning eyes. The moment he read it, his peaceful heart twisted instantly.

“Sir Evan, can you swear that what you just said was solely for Hereis? Can you swear that not even a speck of it was for yourself?”

“Of course…”

Jeha stepped closer to the answering Sir Evan and poked his chest with a finger.

“I’m asking if you can swear you have no personal feelings for Hereis.”

At Jeha’s words, Sir Evan’s eyes wavered slightly. Jeha’s heart twisted even more. A small flame rose inside him. How dare he have a covetous heart for my Hereis and urge me to break up? It was unacceptable. No, just seeing someone who had even a shred of desire for my person infuriated me.

“Unable to even confess your own feelings, you put on the mask of friendship and try to break apart lovers for his sake. Don’t you think that’s too cowardly?”

His heart was twisted, so his words were also extremely twisted. Jeha thought he was overreacting, but somehow he couldn’t stop. He had seen countless people who revered Hereis until now. But seeing a man who harbored personal feelings for him instantly exploded his possessiveness toward Hereis.

“…I have been Hereis’s friend since childhood. How dare you insult our pure friendship like that… Such a wicked…”

Sir Evan grabbed the hilt of the sword at his waist, as if he wanted to cut Jeha down right then and there. The hand gripping the hilt was visibly trembling. But Jeha, instead of calming him, provoked him further with a sly look.

“Yes, keep consoling yourself with that ‘friendship.’ Don’t dare harbor or speak any improper feelings for my Hereis. He is entirely mine.”

At Jeha’s declaration, Sir Evan could no longer hold back and swung his fist. Jeha, though he could have dodged, offered his face to the punch.

Thud!

With a dull sound like bones breaking, his body staggered heavily.

“You filthy, irreverent…”

Sir Evan muttered, still not appeased. Jeha licked the corner of his split lip with his tongue and straightened his posture. Then he immediately threw a punch at Sir Evan.

Thud!

Jeha’s fist landed squarely on Sir Evan’s face. Despite his large build, his body didn’t turn, but his lip split open. Sir Evan’s face turned red with rage.

Jeha shook his sore hand in the air. Then he said crookedly,

“At least I’m honest.”

At that spit of words, Sir Evan was just about to pull the sword from its sheath when—

Bang.

The closed door opened. Sir Evan, who had been facing the door, turned around with angry eyes and then froze. Hereis was standing there.

“What in the world is…”

Hereis looked back and forth at the two men standing with split lips. His blue eyes also caught the half-drawn sword.

“Sir Evan, what is the meaning of this?”

Hereis spoke in a hard voice. And before Sir Evan could say anything, he pushed past him and quickly approached Jeha.

“Were you hit?!”

Hereis cupped Jeha’s cheek and asked. Jeha placed his hand over Hereis’s and pretended to be in pain. Hereis’s blue eyes instantly turned fierce.

“Hereis, this was just…”

“Sir Evan!”

Hereis’s voice, cutting off Sir Evan, was so sharp that even Jeha was startled.

“…Leave at once.”

Hereis said quietly but sharply. Then he turned to look at Sir Evan, who was about to speak again.

Jeha couldn’t see Hereis’s face, which was turned away from him. But judging from the shock and hurt in Sir Evan’s eyes, Hereis’s gaze was far from gentle.

“Hereis, I only did it for your reputation and honor…”

“I told you to leave.”

Hereis cut him off as if no explanation was needed. Sir Evan’s face twisted in misery. Hereis, ignoring him, turned back to Jeha. Then, with his white sleeve, he carefully wiped the wound on Jeha’s lip.