TRAPPED BY THE SECOND MALE LEAD
CHAPTRE 25

Dylan began to realize that Meridia was currently processing something in his mind. One of Lucien's confidant Knights then called the other guards to take care of the female servant's corpse. Dylan invites Meridia back to the palace.

"Your Majesty, it looks like you need to stay inside until things get better out here. Inside the palace is safer than this back garden. Sorry for the inconvenience you feel, Your Majesty." the young man was a little anxious.

Meridia nodded softly "I understand."

Dylan delivered Meridia just to the front of the main door. He rushed to meet Hugo and Christ who were in the field.

The huge palace looked deserted, he passed by the most with two female servants. They seem ordinary as if nothing is happening. They greeted Meridia without even putting on a smile.

"What does this have to do with the servants here badly?" mumbled Meridia wondered.

Meridia remembered today that a new servant had come. Like a coincidence, don't you think? someone disappears and a new person appears to take his job.

"Will Lucien be okay?" suddenly the Marigold twin was worried about Lucien, the mysterious, formidable young man. The sky slowly began to dim along with the sun's return.

The afternoon sky did not look good and did not show any calm at all. Such a state of the sky seemed to want to convey to Meridia that something bad would happen tonight.

"What did I just think?!" Meridia realized that she had been worried about a young man she should not have thought so deeply about. She hit him hard on the head, "Why am I thinking about him?"

Meridia went to the dormitory of the deserted servants. It was the first time he had come there. Meridia did not expect that there would be many doors fitted with padlocks which meant that there were no occupants in the room, whereas Lucien's palace maid dormitory was larger than Marquess Ziel's.

Meridia gasped when she saw the new servant coming out of her room. He smiled as he bowed "Your Majesty, is there any need for you to come here?"

"Are you the new waiter here?"

"new? no, I've been working here for two weeks, Your Majesty."

Meridia simply nodded her head in understanding, her eyes still glancing at the door where the new waiter came out "You know where room— is"

"Your Majesty Meridia." Meridia looked back curiously at who had called out to her.

Apparently it was the female butler. He seems to be a fierce person who does not like to make small talk even at his own boss. "You better get back to the front, Your Majesty. This place is so dirty."

Dirty said? I've lived in a place worse than a stall before.

"I just stopped by for a minute."

"Go back, Your Majesty. Young Duke could be furious if he knew you were wandering around in a place like this." Indirectly the butler was reluctant to give Meridia permission to investigate anything.

Meridia was forced to return to her own room. He immediately took out a stack of papers and a pen to begin writing the entire contents of this novel book which he entered only on the extent to which it was remembered. "Considered until the somersault of the author did not explain this much detail about Lucien. I can't move if I don't know who Lucien is."

Elsewhere, at the temple where Marigold served, Lucien was still hiding among the congregation while monitoring the blonde girl with a sneer. Today on the day of Marigold's duty, his turn to serve the community will arrive as soon as the pastor finishes leading the prayer.

"Well, pastor Veagence. What are you doing here?" Marigold approached a man dressed in white who was busy checking one by one the small books that would be distributed to the congregation who came to pray this morning.

"Oh Saintess is here, can I help you?"

Marigold smiled as brightly as the morning sun, "I'm the one who wants to help you first. Looks like you still have another job, can I take over this job?" Marigold looked at the priest with his eyes clear.

"But..."

"Just calm down, I'll finish this task as fast as lightning."

"That's not necessary, Saintess. You better rest in your room until the prayer is over" he said with a smile.

"It's okay. I'm so tired of having to wait there without doing anything."

After continuing to insist, Marigold was finally allowed to continue the priest's work. Truly he didn't really want to help, it was just a diversion. Marigold needed to do something to divert his nervousness that made his body temperature rise.

This was his schedule of giving service to the community, but since a few days ago he could not bring out his abilities as usual. Like now who came out only a third of his abilities that he could use.

"What if so many people know? will my powers never return to how they were?" he kept wondering, what kind of problem had happened to him until his perfect purification became hampered. "This is all because of Meridia's fault! I'm sure the curse is still active and it's starting to impact me as well."

Two minutes later Meridia's twin sister fell silent, "I wonder, where did Meridia go? he has no one in the outside world. Stupid marigold! why do you think of that unlucky bearer?!"

Marigold shook his head strongly in order to shake off the sense of pity that suddenly appeared in his heart, "I don't care if he dies in the streets though." he murmured resentfully.

After he helped distribute the book to the congregation, he returned to his room for a short rest.

As he distributed it, eyes were on Lucien. The handsome young man wearing noble clothes smiled as he received the proffered book. "He's very handsome." Inner Marigold whose eyes were very itchy when he saw the handsome young man.

An hour later...

"The saintess? it's time you do the devotion."

"Oh yeah, all right."

Marigold felt his stomach like he was getting tighter when he saw the community that lined up to meet and ask for his help.

Lucien remained seated while watching the engrossed Marigold interact with the nervousness tucked away from his two vibrating irises as if holding something back from leaking.

The young man chuckled holding back the tickle that tickled his stomach, "Look at his frightened face. Ah, it seems like it's time I watch the second episode."

"Saintess, I have a pretty wide burn on my arm. Can you help me heal him?"

"t-of course. Come here, let me help."

Marigold was in pain when he forced his power out along with Lucien activating something inside the necklace that Marigold was wearing. The longer the greenish light that exuded from his palm slowly shrank.

"Ugh," his body began to feel stiff.

The girl Marigold was treating seemed to realize the oddity, "Saintess, are you all right there? if you are tired, preferably—"

"I'm fine!"

"Eh?"

Marigold gasped to realize he had unintentionally raised his voice to the point of making the child shocked. "A-ah, I'm sorry.I have to focus on getting your pretty hands back to the way they were. Sorry huh?"

"Saintess, you sweat so much."

"Oh really?"

"Hahahaha, this is an incredible sight." Lucien laughed in a soft tone looking at the already chaotic Marigold. Now his mind has been split in two between thinking about his strength dwindling while he still has to serve ten more people or maintain his good image when his own strength makes him depressed.

"Ukh.. it hurts so much..."

Bruo

"Saintess!"

Marigold fell unconscious with a sweat that flooded his forehead.

Everyone including the escorting pastor immediately contacted Marigold, helped him and asked the congregation to go home. The temple immediately postponed all Marigold's schedules until they ensured that Marigold's safety was not threatened.

The temple will remain open until the afternoon, but Marigold will not continue his activities until things improve.

"Huh.had I guessed he was completely useless, he couldn't comfort me for a little longer. Well, I can't blame him because we're not of the same race."

Lucien waited until Marigold died. He was still not satisfied ruffling Marigold's life.

As soon as Marigold regained his senses, he immediately let out a cry of mercy while continuing to grab his own hair. Lucien who was peeking out of the door knitted his eyebrows in surprise, "He began to feel it. I didn't expect it to be this fast."

"The saintess? You all right? Saintess, let's go meet—"

"I'm out for a minute."

Marigold just had a dream that didn't feel like a dream. He felt like he was being hit by a lightning strike with millions of volts. At first glance he heard a voice telling him to continue doing his duty.

Marigold sighed, he could not erase the immortality he felt despite already dipping his feet into the pond.

"Excuse me"

The girl was shocked. He looked back later looking for the source of the voice, "Yes?"

Marigold immediately remembered the handsome face he saw while distributing the book to the congregation this morning.

The beloved daughter of Ziel Emerald was fascinated by Lucien's neat appearance, showing her high noble caste. He hurriedly stood up and tidied up his clothes "Is there anything I can help you with?" ask him kindly. Instantly Marigold could eliminate the chaos that raged within.

"As people say, your form is indeed very admirable" praised Lucien with a wide smile.

Suddenly Marigold's heart seemed to be about to slip out of his mouth. "Ahaha you're exaggerating too much. Thank you for the compliment. Are you looking for something?"

Lucien gave a small nod and replied "Yes, I was about to meet with the Great Priestess to talk about something important. After seeing you here, I'd rather chat with you."

Shit, he's so handsome. Looks like the castle is pretty high.

"That's it."

"Looks like I'm interrupting your leisure time. Then, I go—"

"No really. If you want to talk to me, we can talk about that here." sidelines Marigold afraid the handsome young man left.

Then the two of them sat in the park while occasionally chatting about small things. Iris sapphire the girl glanced at Lucien's figure timidly, "A-anu, is there anything important you want to talk to me about?"

Lucien held his nape "Nothing mattered. I just want to ask for help to heal the wounds I just got."

Lucien pulled his sleeves up to his elbows and showed a long cut that was actually the result of his own actions. "God! it's so bad, how did you get this wound?"

"I used to practice swords with the Knights of the palace, but he accidentally hurt me."

Marigold was not sure he could bring out that healing power again, he could only bow weakly. "I'm not as talented as that." - he said, which Lucien's sense of hearing can still capture.

"I'm sure you can." Lucien deactivates the seeds in the necklace Marigold wears.

"Well, I'll try.." Marigold pulled Lucien's right arm slowly. When she used her strength, Marigold was shocked because she did not feel any more pain and even now little by little the wounds on with Lucien started to close and left no marks.

"Did you not have a lover?"

Marigold glared in shock at Lucien's question, "Yes? a-ahaha that's not yet. Why are you asking that?" the girl's cheeks meet.

"Usually at this age you are sure to receive a lot of engagement or wedding offers. Moreover, you are Saintess, someone extraordinary." Lucien's unrelenting praise made Marigold's heart flowery happy to forget for a moment the trouble he experienced an hour ago. "Oh but you are a Saintess. Maybe you won't leave duty and serve a lifetime for the temple."

Marigold tucked his hair into the earlobe "That's not true. I plan to get married and build my own family. It's a pity to take this responsibility away."

Lucien watched Marigold inside, "It's nice to hear him. That way, maybe I have a chance."

"E-uh? what do you mean?"

Lucien pretended to be surprised by his own words "A-ah yeah, um. I mean, that's a good decision, you still want to think about your own happiness" he said as he scratched his temple misbehaving.

Marigold was sure now that his face was as red as a boiled crab because he saw the young man misbehaving in front of him. He asked, "May I know what your name is?"

"Just call Lucien." No one knew his first name all along. Everyone only knew the name of his clan.

"Lord Lucien yes..."

"Is it done?"

The charming girl realized that she was holding Lucien's arm "It was healing as it was."

"Thank you very much. Saintess, you are indeed very great."

"Don't call me that, you can call me by my name. I'm Marigold."

"I don't want to be disrespectful to you."

Marigold shook his head "I always ask people to call me familiar."

"Lady Marigold, may I call you by that name?" Marigold immediately nodded his head in agreement, "That's better."

"Thank God I can be friends with a Saintess." Lucien stood up, "My time is up. I have to see the Great Priest right now. Then I'll let myself go."

Marigold stood up from the chair and looked at Lucien's back "Can we meet again?" Marigold started expecting the young man to be able to see him again, "Unfortunately I can't confirm that now. Next time I'll take the time to meet you."

•

•

"Your Majesty Meridia."

"Yes, Ximena. What's up?"

"It's already night. The wind outside is so cold, you'd better get inside."

Currently Meridia was standing on the balcony of her room, as usual, she had to look at the sky before going to bed at night. At once he wanted to throw tired. "In a moment, I still want to enjoy the night sky."

"Well, you better not be too long. It's time for you to rest. I'll prepare warm milk for you."

 Meridia kept thinking about the condition of the servant's corpse. "Before he died, he asked me for help, right? he was so scared. That means from the beginning he was targeted. Someone wants to kill him."

Meridia was unable to move freely because Lucien had already placed a ban on her. As a result Meridia went to the bath that Lucien was wearing.

He entered with slow steps, his eyes moving wildly through each inch of the room he was in. The water vapor is still steaming which means the water has just been prepared. The fragrance also began to smell.

Meridia then revealed the cloth used as a curtain cover to see the bathtub which was half the size of the pool.

The new waiter was the one who replaced the task of preparing the bath water. "Your Majesty? Can I help you?"

Meridia nodded slowly "No. Sorry to be surprised, I'm just ing—"

"Meridie? what are you doing here?"

Now it was the turn of the dark blue girl who was shocked. He looked back in surprise.

There, right in front of the door, Lucien stood leaning against the door. You know what's surprising? Lucien wears a bathrobe that shows many parts of his chest. Meridia who had never seen such a scene had become strange and awkward. He also turned his eyes elsewhere.

"I-I was just walking around for a while before bed."

Lucien grinned ignorantly, "Is that so? didn't you come here to shower with me?" Lucien walked inside, approaching the girl of his heart with a slow step that managed to make Meridia's heart thump. "I don't mind if you take a shower with me. Want to help me bathe?"

"What?"