As if he had noticed my dissatisfaction with the fact that Duke Willow refused to teach me, today, with the help of my master, Bishop Leon, I could finally learn the reason Duke Willow declined to teach me.

  With his urge, using his artifact to hide my presence, I could secretly sneak into the underground training ground.

  Inside that room, I found David sitting down from exhaustion.

  I also saw Duke Willow standing near the wall, observing him.

  Master and I just stood near the entrance in complete silence, looking at them.

  It looked like David had just finished with his imaginary training.

  Then, after David recovered, Duke Willow asked him with great interest.

  “I really want to meet the opponent you are fighting with.”

  Upon receiving the question, David stood up and replied. “You will be able to meet him soon, Duke Willow. Perhaps you have already met him.”

  “I don't think I will forget him if I ever meet him.”

  After Duke Willow said that, David did not reply to him immediately.

  He just closed his eyes.

  After a long silence, he softly asked Duke Willow.

  “Why do you give up on teaching his highness?”

  It was strange that he did not look at Duke Willow when he asked him.

  What made it stranger was that David said those words while looking in my direction.

  I could feel that our eyes met as he said that.

  It was as if he knew I was there.

  As for Duke Willow, when he heard that question, he let out a long sigh.

  Then, he finally revealed the thing I have been dying to know.

  “It is too late for him. And he is unsuited to be an Aura user. Bishop Leon also supports it. It is best for him to use the Guardian Knight style.”

  After all, it was not that he did not reject me.

  It was a matter of compatibility.

  Upon hearing that fact, I felt much more relieved.

  I did not fail.

  It was just that I was more suited for the Guardian Knight style.

  It was something that he was not good at.

  While I was smiling inside, I suddenly heard David say in a light tone.

  “It appears you already made up your mind.”

  “It is inevitable.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Indeed, their fates are sealed from the beginning.”

  After David said that, as he closed his eyes, he let out a wry smile.

  Then, he playfully said to Duke Willow. “His highness may be the first person to become both the emperor and the Holy Knight.”

  I could not believe my eyes.

  His behavior made me doubt that it was him, the David I was familiar with.

  He was more cheerful and gentle than when he was with me.

  It was like two different people.

  While I was puzzled by this contrast in how he behaved with Duke Willow and me, I was pulled back to reality by the dissatisfied voice of Duke Willow.

  “I have not given my final verdict yet.”

  He said that with a frowning face.

  When David saw it, he let out a smile. Then, he looked up.

  With a melancholy voice, he said.

  “The saintess can only marry either the emperor or the Holy Knight. What other options can you make?”

  Facing this question, Duke Willow stayed quiet as he observed David.

  Meeting with Duke Willow’s silence, David let out a soft laugh.

  After that, David lowered his eyes to look at his own palm.

  Then, he calmly continued.

  “I, too, felt dreadful in front of this law.”

  “The first emperor was a lustful man.”

  As he said that, he curled his hand into a fist.

  I could see Duke Willow also looked at him with keen interest, as if wanting to know what he was trying to say.

  As for David, as if he was unbothered by his gaze, he solely counted to recount the thing everyone, including small children, in the empire knew.

  “He craved the eternal youth of the saintess. So, he used his only wish to the goddess to make this rule. In the end, he did not get what he wanted. The church countered his request to the goddess with an additional clause, ‘Or the Holy Knight recognized by the main church.’ It was to help the first saintess. Because of his demand, the empire strictly practiced monogamy all the time.”

  Yes, that was the additional price for the request made to the emperor by the first emperor.

  At that time, the saintess was revered as the goddess's daughter. So, no one should be equal to her.

  ‘If you wish for her only to hold your hand, you too should also only hold her hand.’

  With this single line, the first emperor agreed to this condition.

  Thus, unlike rulers in other countries, the emperor and those around him have been compelled to practice monogamy ever since.

  These are the first things taught to us.

  While I was reminiscing about the lesson my sister taught me, David continued to recount another part of that history.

  “The first saintess chose not to use that last clause to preserve the unity between the emperor and the main church. She remained pure until her death.”

  That fact also told us how the sanctuary came to be.

  The place where the first saintess resided until her death.

  It also explains the rule that no man shall enter the sanctuary.

  “She traded her own happiness for the happiness of future generations. I always admired the first saintess.”

  After David finished recounting the first lesson of the history class, he turned to look at Duke Willow.

  Seeing him like that, Duke gave a heavy nod at him as he said this.

  “Yes. It was the first lesson in history class.”

  Then, with a firm voice, David said to Duke Willow.

  “Duke Willow. It is the happiness of Lady Lilia. You should let her decide. The first saintess already provided the answer. It is up to Lady Lilia to decide where her happiness lies.”

  In response, I could see Duke Willow shake his head with a give-up look on his face.

  Then, he placed his hand on David’s shoulder, and with a defeated tone, he said.

  “I never imagined that I would receive lessons from the younger generation.”

  “It is not the lesson. But the request. Many people have sacrificed for both of them. So, it would be an insult to those sacrifices if we obstruct them.”

  After David said that with a firm tone, Duke Willow turned away from him.

  Then, he began to walk.

  As he walked, he said.

  “... I will continue to observe. As long as his highness follows the protocol and Lilia is fine with it, I won’t object to them.”

  “You can trust his highness. He gave up the sun just for Lady Lilia after all.”

  At that moment, although he tried to reply to Duke Willow, David did not directly look at his back.

  Instead, he looked at the area near the entrance.

  He looked in my direction again.

  It was as if his word was directed at me, instead of Duke Willow.

  Did he notice me?

  I thought that.

  However, I dismissed it.

  This cloak was an artifact given to me by Bishop Leon.

  He said that it could bypass even a swordmaster’s detection.

  I could see that Duke Willow did not notice me.

  So, there would be no way that David, who was not a swordmaster, could perceive me.

  That was how I reassured myself at that time.

  And after that, I also told my master about me, and he just laughed and said, ‘There will be no way. ’

  So, it might be a coincidence that he looked in my direction at that time.