[BL]The Hero and his Party Won't Let Me Go-Chapter 161: Ch : Talk with the Saintess - Part 2

Shuu had often heard people say that the walls in the imperial palace had ears, so you had to be careful of what you spoke and where you spoke in the imperial palace. He had never paid those words much attention... until now.

He could feel the presence of maids and guards trying to listen in on his conversation with the Saintess, and it put him on edge. He did not like having all this attention on him.

The Saintess was not unbothered by all this attention either, and she frowned as she looked around. Her tense face betrayed how bothered she felt by this extra attention as well, and she snapped her fingers to form a barrier around them.

"Now, isn’t this much better? I always hated how curious the outside world always is about my actions. Don’t you feel the same, Shuu?"

Saintess Rosalyne asked as she took a seat and gestured for Shuu to do the same. The Saintess was the guest here, but it was easy to mistake her for the host with how easily she handled the situation and walked around the imperial palace.

Shuu felt a little threatened by her presence, but ultimately decided to humor her and took a seat.

"What do you want to talk about?"

Shuu asked the Saintess in a tense voice. He was trying not to be as on edge as he currently was, but the Saintess seemed unbothered by his nervousness.

Saintess Rosalyne folded her arms over her knees and gave Shuu a simple glance.

"What do I want to talk about? I thought it was rather simple to guess. I am here to talk about the goddess and you. How much do you know about what is going on?"

The woman asked as she steeped the tea in the clean pot that was in front of her. Her holy powers helped her steep the tea before she allowed it to boil.

Shuu looked at the boiling water that reflected his inner turmoil. He had a feeling that it was the perfect time for him to get the answers that he needed. But his throat hesitated to ask the question.

The Saintess did not look at him, and yet she noticed his hesitation. She glanced over at him briefly before she decided to pour both of them some tea.

"From your reaction, I take it that Emperor Kaiden did not tell you much. But you have always been smart enough to put two and two together. That was how you were able to play the role of ’Lady Shuu’ when you were with me as well."

Saintess Rosalyne’s voice had a hint of fondness and nostalgia when she spoke. But she seemed to be the only one feeling these emotions. Shuu felt neither calm nor happy to see her at the moment.

"Anyway, let’s see where I should start explaining what is happening. Do you know about the first prophecy? I did not mean that literally. I mean the first prophecy about Emperor Kaiden that detailed his companion?"

Shuu tensed at that question.

Kaiden had told him once about that prophecy and why he had mistaken Lady Sera for his companion. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

According to the emperor, his companion and other half was supposed to have silver hair and golden eyes. That was what he had seen in that dream when he had been under the influence of divine power long ago.

Shuu had tried to tell Kaiden that choosing him might have been a mistake if that were the case, but Emperor Kaiden had just scoffed and told him not to worry because he was ’special’ and the only one for him.

"I... might have heard a thing or two about it. But I doubt that is all you came here to tell me."

Shuu told the Saintess, and she gave Shuu a bitter look.

"You are right. That is not all I came here to tell you. As you know, a prophecy is something that cannot be changed once given. But the fact that it changed this time is concerning. It is entirely possible that the one behind it is not the goddess at all, but another being that wants to cause chaos. So you need not pay any attention to it."

Saintess Rosalyne told Shuu, and he suddenly felt lighter.

Shuu had not noticed it until now, but a huge part of him had felt tense ever since this change in prophecy had been declared. But what the Saintess was saying made sense.

After all, this had never happened before.

"So... you are saying that this is all a trick by someone? But who can be strong enough-"

"The demon lord could be behind this. Frankly, I would not put it past him. Do you best be careful and not fall for this trick, alright?"

Shuu nodded with a calm look on his face.

For the first time in his life, he actually felt like he would trust the Saintess and hold her in a good light.

"Thank you-"

Shuu was about to thank the goddess when he noticed her expression going tense. The whites of her eyes expanded, and she looked like her eyes were about to burst.

The sudden change startled Shuu, and he took a step back, only for the Saintess to follow him and grab his shoulder.

"A-Are you alright? Can I help you out-?"

Shuu tried to ask, but words failed him. His eyes went wild as he looked at the Saintess... no, whatever was occupying her body now.

The expression on the Saintess’s face was not one Shuu had seen on a human before, but that was not all that made him nervous.

There was something... familiar about the air around her, and Shuu’s instincts told him to run and hide. But his feet refused to move.

Blank, pupil-less eyes met Shuu’s, and his whole body froze as a familiar presence reached toward him, almost as if it wanted to caress his cheeks.

[My dear. We finally meet again. Now, come back to me. Dedicate yourself to me once more, just as you did in the past. And I shall take you back before you can be stolen again.]