Chapter 254 (2/2)

After looking at me quickly when I sat down, the gray-haired High Priest said, “Then, Your Majesty, let me continue. When are you going to handle this? Although I keep reciting prayers for neutralizing your poisoning, it is dangerous for you to get exposed to poison for a long time. ”

“I can’t do it now. I have to wait until the festival ends, so please wait a little longer. ”

“Okay. But you have to be extremely careful. Given your symptoms, it is clear that they must have given you a much higher dosage this time.”

“Well, it shows that they began to suspect. I will keep in mind. ”

Watching the blonde High Priest nodding heavily, the gray-haired High Priest asked, “By the way, what am I supposed to do exactly? As for the prayer for neutralizing your poisoning, someone else can do it.”

“Hmm. Aristia, can you explain? ”

“Oh, yes, Your Majesty.”

I explained, looking at the blonde High Priest, “As I said last time, what you are supposed to do is to testify.”

“Testify?”

“As you have witnessed the emperor’s condition today, you must have realized that he is currently threatened with poisoning. I investigated how they injected poison into the emperor and found out that those guys at the palace affairs office who are in charge of tasting the food for the emperor had symptoms of poisoning. ”

“Oh, I understood. In short, you want me to testify in an official setting that they were also poisoned, right?”

“That’s right. No testimony is as effective as when you do it, swearing on divine power. ”

“Hmm, swearing on divine power? Well, good. It doesn’t matter because I’m testifying a lie. But you have to repay my efforts, okay?”

“Of course.”

After hesitating for a moment, the blonde High Priest readily agreed with my suggestion.

When I broke into a smile at his consistent emphasis on my compensation, the emperor said, “Thank you very much. I think I owe both of you a lot this time.”

“You’re welcome, Your Majesty. We’re not doing this for free anyway. We are going to leave now. I don’t think it’s good for us to stay here long because we need to give the impression that we are also busy preparing for the festival,” said the gray-haired High Priest.

As soon as he said that with a faint smile, he stood up with the blonde High Priest and left.

When the two left, awkward silence fell as he and I were left alone in the office now.

A breathless atmosphere filled the office.

I silently fidgeted with the documents, with my head down. Since I decided that I could not accept him, I knew it was best to act as if nothing had happened. But when I faced him like this, I couldn’t think of anything. I got cold feet, with my heart beating fast.

As if he noticed my anxiety, he said with a sigh after a while, “Aristia.”

“Pardon? Ah, Your Majesty. ”

“I think you are very busy preparing for the festival. So, you may stop working in this office.”

“Ah…Thank you.”

Then, is this the last afternoon I will work with him?

Even a little while ago I was nervous about coming to his office, but I felt a bit sorry when he told me I didn’t need to come anymore. When I slightly bit my lips to hide my feelings, he said coldly, “However, please come and report to me about the update once a week.”

“Pardon?”

When I asked, raising my head unconsciously, he said, somewhat embarrassed, “Oh, I’m not saying I don’t trust you, but…”

“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”