Cut from the Same Cloth
The morning class on handling divine power started bright and early.
Once again, I decided to observe from the sidelines, disguised as Ivetta’s maid.
Yet today, too, Yudaf was playing the part of the diligent, gentle instructor to perfection.
Ivetta, who had remained on guard against him the entire time, gradually began to let her tension ease. I could see it in the way her shoulders relaxed.
It wasn’t that she trusted him. Not even close.
Simply put, staying wound tight all day long wasn’t easy for someone with as soft a heart as hers.
Our Ivetta, just focus on your studies.
I kept my eyes glued to her, watching twice as hard to make up for her share as well.
But once again, right up until the final bell, Yudaf did nothing but teach her with perfect sincerity.
He’s laying the groundwork for the long game.
Yudaf was a persistent, cunning villain. The difficult type. I wanted to catch him slipping so I could get rid of him as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, it looked like I’d have to wait for the next opening.
Well, the High Priest wouldn’t have adopted him for nothing.
I quietly talked my impatient self down.
That was when Yudaf finished his polite farewell to Ivetta and our eyes met across the room.
He narrowed his gaze and offered a benevolent smile.
It was so natural that I would have fallen for it completely if I hadn’t known the original story.
I tried to look away with the practiced blank expression all maids wear, but a different plan suddenly occurred to me.
I deliberately widened my eyes, feigning surprise.
The moment of eye contact stretched longer than it should have.
I didn’t have Yudaf’s acting talent, but that didn’t matter. The clumsier I looked, the easier I would be for him to target.
My intention must have landed. His smile deepened.
He gave me a light bow in greeting before leaving the room.
What? He’s just walking away?
I’d only managed to leave an impression today, but opportunities to run into him weren’t exactly plentiful.
I’m a busy person. I can’t attend every single lesson.
Since the fish had already bitten, I might as well reel in the line and see what happened.
I mouthed to Ivetta that I’d be gone for a moment, then picked up the tea tray as if I were simply clearing the table and slipped out.
Yudaf must have heard my footsteps. His pace slowed.
He waited until I’d closed most of the distance before turning around, acting as though he had only just noticed me.
“Ah, miss maid.”
Yudaf greeted me politely.
“Allow me to carry that for you.”
It was only a tray holding a teapot and a few cups. Yet Yudaf took it from me as if I were hauling boulders, treating the task with grave courtesy.
Like someone whose consideration was simply part of his nature.
His character settings really are meticulous.
“Thank you.”
I didn’t hide my wariness. I smiled awkwardly, the expression of someone clearly uncomfortable.
He put on a slightly troubled face and whispered, “I understand that my presence must be distressing for those who serve the Saintess. However…”
Yudaf stopped mid-sentence, as if he had nearly made a verbal slip.
Then, with even more hesitation than before, he continued.
“I truly revere the Saintess with all my heart.”
He drew out the last words and wore a wistful expression, like a man carrying some tragic backstory.
It seemed his chosen concept was that of a priest reluctantly following orders from above while feeling guilty for it.
Quite the method actor. But I’m not buying it.
Yudaf had probably realized I wasn’t an ordinary maid long ago.
He’ll assume I’m one of the Emperor’s eyes.
It was a perfectly logical conclusion. And uncomfortably close to the truth.
He clearly thought the surveillance maid was trying to sound him out and had decided to dangle some bait.
At this point in the story, Yudaf was nothing more than a low-ranking priest with no direct ties to the High Priest. A former promising talent who had fallen all the way to the bottom as he grew up.
In fact, he probably wanted me to grow suspicious and dig deeper into his past. An investigation would reveal exactly how desperately he had fought to survive inside the temple.
Whether the imperial family chose to recruit him or simply lowered their guard, either outcome would benefit him.
According to the setting, so many people already disliked that priest. Once his powerful backer died, he was immediately discarded like a used card.
I decided to give him exactly what he wanted.
Only if he believed everything was unfolding according to his script would I be able to hook this suspicious future villain.
Up until now I hadn’t needed much acting, but this moment called for a higher level of performance.
I had to look like someone full of suspicion, now stumbling through a bit of genuine confusion.
I smiled with just the corners of my mouth.
“Because the Saintess is someone Lord Minos personally sent to us.”
In the temple’s hierarchy, the Saintess outranked the High Priest. My words implied it was only natural to follow her instead.
My lack of acting talent must have made the awkwardness look convincingly like inner conflict.
Yudaf, who clearly had more talent for the stage than the altar, put on an expression of profound shock.
“...I seem to have forgotten that.”
He acted as though I had granted him some great realization.
Of course, Yudaf wasn’t the type to switch sides after a single sentence. It wasn’t even about deep loyalty to the High Priest.
From childhood he had craved stronger divine power. Over time, power within the temple had simply become his life’s goal.
His acting really is superior.
Still pretending to be shaken, Yudaf stepped closer until he was nearly touching me.
Whoa.
I almost took an involuntary step back but managed to stop myself.
Luckily, Yudaf was too deep in his own performance to notice. He seemed to interpret my reaction as part of my wariness.
In a low, rapid whisper, he said, “I know the imperial side has been searching for the people from the orphanage who lived with the Saintess during her childhood.”
As I had promised Ivetta, we had spent quite a long time tracking down the children sold off by the priest in charge. Since the trail started at Peram Temple, it made sense that the temple had caught wind of it.
We’ve already located all of them, so it’s not really a problem…
I was curious why he was suddenly offering such useful information. What was his angle?
Fortunately, Yudaf kept talking.
“Not all of them will be trustworthy.”
Having said that, he stepped back and smiled warmly again.
How much of that was true?
The best way to deceive someone was to mix a little falsehood into mostly truth.
Yudaf was already concealing that he was a villain with ulterior motives.
Which means the part about spies being mixed in among the orphanage people the Blue Hawk tracked down and rescued is probably true.
I couldn’t trust him completely, but it was worth verifying.
Ivetta had a tender heart. She carried deep guilt over the fact that she alone had remained at the orphanage while all her friends were sold away.
Rather than risk getting stabbed in the back, it was safer to let Yudaf pull my strings a little if it meant being cautious.
“The same goes for a priest I’ve only met twice,” I said, face hardening as I took the tray back from him.
I turned and walked away quickly. His gaze clung to my back for a long time.
I went straight to Kyle.
When I relayed Yudaf’s words, the corners of Kyle’s mouth lifted in a smile.
“The raccoon-like old man really did send someone exactly like me.”
His expression was similar to Yudaf’s, but his tone was rougher. Still, coming from him it somehow felt refreshing.
“The fact that he leaked information so boldly suggests he either has no direct connection to the High Priest, or he’s hiding that connection completely.”
This was the perfect chance to share some of the original story’s information about Yudaf.
I offered a few details as if they were mere speculation. Kyle listened with serious attention.
“I’ll have him investigated more thoroughly.”
Coming from the already tenacious Kyle, those words carried weight.
But Kyle doesn’t know the future.
If possible, I wanted to check things myself.
“I heard the orphanage people you found are being protected at Count Seymour’s estate. Would it be possible for the Saintess and me to meet them?”
“In person?” Kyle asked, sounding reluctant.
“Yes. I’d like to go as soon as possible.”
“Well… it would only take two days at most.”
After a short silence, permission for the outing was granted—albeit with clear reluctance.