After watching Namia deal with the High Priest, Kiaros returned to his room.

    [I’m going to summon the High Priest every day and boss him around. I’ll add the condition that I’ll let him meet with His Highness privately.]

    [A private meeting with me?]

    [Technically, it’ll be with me, Your Highness, and the High Priest. And of course, there’ll be no guards present.]

    Namia ? Nоvеl?g?t ? (Official version) had already told him all about the trap she was setting.

    [When the time comes, search him. I have a feeling he’ll be carrying a weapon.]

    [An amusing idea. Do you really think the High Priest is capable of harming me?]

    [He might say he wants to pray together and strike while pretending to bless you.]

    Honestly, when he first heard her plan, his initial reaction was: That’s kind of flimsy.

    The High Priest trying to assassinate me... if he were in his right mind, there’s no way.

    The High Priest couldn’t harm him. Even now, during his blackout period, that hadn’t changed. Even without supernatural powers, Kiaros was still more than strong enough.

    But Namia had looked at him with such sparkling, confident eyes and pushed so hard that he didn’t bother to stop her.

    Maybe... maybe things will go just as Namia says. And even if they don’t, there’s no real downside.

    There had been plenty of times he’d thought her plans were a bit reckless. But in the end, everything always turned out exactly the way she wanted.

    That had made him suspicious of her more than once. However— Sёarch* The N?velFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    If the High Priest really is a collaborator of the Reformist faction... then it’s time to stop doubting Namia.

    It wasn’t unusual for villains to sacrifice a few minor pawns to earn trust.

    But capturing someone at the level of the High Priest—that was a whole different story.

    No matter how suspicious Namia might have seemed, that level of result meant she had to be on their side.

    As someone responsible for the entire Empire, Kiaros had no choice but to remain cautious.

    If he hadn’t been in that position, he would’ve fully trusted Namia a long time ago.

    If I could trust Namia as someone fully on the Empire’s side... then there’d be no reason to keep watching her as Kibon anymore.

    But that didn’t erase his inner conflict.

    Ever since they’d crossed that small line in the temple storage, his heart had been swelling by the day.

    She’d told him clearly—she didn’t hate being close to him.

    And in that moment, he’d actually started thinking about baby names.

    But the problem was... his real identity wasn’t Kibon. It was Kiaros.

    Should I just fake my death as Kiaros? And live the rest of my life as Kibon...?

    Kiaros seriously considered it. But even if he did that, he’d still be deceiving Namia.

    “Haa... I probably can’t confess while hiding the truth, right?”

    He was so torn—so hopelessly infatuated and so conflicted—that he ended up venting to his aide.

    “What do you think? Be honest.”

    The aide followed the order to be blunt and answered plainly,

    “I think that would be fraud, not a confession.”