Reborn as a Useless Noble with my SSS-Class Innate Talent-Chapter 87: Ch : It’s just a coincidence- Part 1

The priestess extended her hand to Kyle, her voice soft yet commanding.

"Please, place your hand in mine."

Kyle complied with an unreadable smile, sliding his hand into hers.

At the same time, he carefully withdrew all his mana inward, tucking it away into the deepest crevices of his core.

He knew what was coming next.

And just as he expected, the priestess sent a wave of her divine mana coursing into his body, probing and pressing against his internal state like gentle fingers brushing along the strings of an instrument.

Had he not prepared, it would have set off every alarm in his core.

Any ordinary person with a decent control of mana would have instinctively fought back—an unconscious reaction of rejecting foreign energy.

Kyle knew that. That's why he let himself fight back.

Not truly.

No, he carefully allowed just a sliver of resistance to surface.

He nudged his mana, coaxing it into mimicking a defensive reaction.

It shuddered, trembled, danced with just the right amount of hesitation, as if untrained and naturally reactive.

The priestess's brows furrowed.

She increased the pressure of her probing, and Kyle let his "resistance" intensify a little more, mimicking confusion and inexperience.

Then, just as he felt the woman's divine power hesitate, he let the resistance drop, feigning exhaustion.

The priestess withdrew her hand suddenly, her expression visibly puzzled.

"Your energy… it feels…Has anything changed within you over the past few days?"

She trailed off, shaking her head slightly.

Kyle tilted his head slightly, feigning innocence.

"Hmm. I've been exercising. Practicing some basic breathing techniques. I did notice I've been feeling stronger. A little more… aware of my body. It's almost like an awakening, maybe?"

He gave her a sheepish smile.

Her eyes widened slightly, and Kyle could tell—he had her. Hook, line, and sinker.

"I see…It does align with what I felt. An awakening. A natural one. Nothing foreign or corrupted."

She murmured, her tone thoughtful.

Kyle nodded.

"Glad to hear that."

They exited the room, and Kyle immediately caught sight of Christan and Emily.

Their confident smirks faltered the moment they saw him unharmed.

He almost smirked himself as he watched their expressions sour, like they'd swallowed something bitter.

Duke Armstrong, standing with his hands behind his back, turned to the priestess.

"Your assessment?"

The priestess bowed her head respectfully.

"Lord Armstrong, your son is fine. I detected no traces of foreign mana, no possession, and no spiritual interference. His energy is clean. If anything, I believe he's experienced an awakening. It is something to celebrate. However, I would advise not to think too much about it. It can turn out to be nothing in the end as well."

The Duke nodded thoughtfully.

But Kyle's eyes were locked on his siblings.

Emily looked pale, her fingers fidgeting by her sides. Christan clenched his jaw, clearly trying to hold back a protest.

They exchanged subtle glances with the priestess, but she gave them nothing.

Duke Armstrong's gaze swept over the trio.

"Very well. You are all dismissed. Christan, Emily—I want a word with you both in my office. Now."

The two tried to compose themselves as they followed their father, and Kyle didn't miss the tension in their steps.

As they disappeared behind the corridor, Kyle turned to leave as well. He intended to find some peace—or at least, a moment without schemers around him.

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But just as he was about to step out of the hall, a soft tug on his sleeve stopped him.

It was the priestess.

He turned, raising a brow.

"Yes?"

The priestess looked up at him through her veil, her voice low.

"I may have cleared you in front of the Duke… but that does not mean I am without suspicion."

Kyle stilled, watching her quietly.

She stepped closer, lowering her voice further.

"There is something strange about you. Something that doesn't align with divine law or natural energy. Your internal rhythm… it's too controlled. Too silent. Like a void behind a curtain."

Kyle's lips quirked into a small smile.

"And yet, you said I was clean."

"I said there was no evidence, not that there was nothing. You masked it well. But my instincts… they scream otherwise."

She corrected.

Kyle's gaze sharpened slightly. "Is that so?"

The priestess hesitated, then leaned in just a fraction closer. "What are you hiding, Kyle Armstrong?"

He chuckled softly, then looked her in the eye.

"If I were hiding something…Wouldn't you already be dead for getting this close?"

His voice dropped, tone smooth and calm.

The priestess flinched ever so slightly.

Kyle turned away with a shrug.

"I'm not hiding anything. But if you're curious—go ahead and try to uncover my secrets. I'll even watch with interest."

And with that, he walked away, leaving the priestess standing in the corridor alone.

Her hands clenched at her sides as she whispered to herself.

"That boy… he's dangerous."

But for now, she could only watch and wait.

Because whatever Kyle was—he was far beyond anything she was trained to handle.

The priestess stood still in the hallway long after Kyle had disappeared around the corner.

Her hooded eyes remained fixed on the empty space where he once stood, her fingers twitching slightly by her side.

She slowly looked down at her hand—the one he had touched.

A strange tingle still lingered there, like a current of energy running beneath her skin. It wasn't divine mana.

No, she knew the texture of divinity well—it was light, clean, and steady like the rhythm of holy hymns.

But his energy…

It had been wild. Deep. Unfathomable.

A single brush had sent her heart fluttering and her breath hitching in ways she had never experienced in all her years of serving the goddess.

It wasn't just overwhelming. It was electrifying.

Addictive.

"What was that…?"

She whispered, pressing her fingers into her palm.

She tried to recall every detail of their interaction. The way he had smiled, polite but sharp.

The way he had looked into her eyes like he was challenging her to see something he had buried within himself.

That intoxicating pull…

With her thoughts spiraling, the priestess wandered out of the Armstrong estate in a daze, a soft red flush still clinging to her face.

She barely noticed the fresh air or the guards bowing to her as she passed.

Her colleague, another priestess in training, caught sight of her unusual state and rushed over.

"Hey, are you okay? You look like you've seen a spirit,"

The woman said, half-joking, half-concerned.

The priestess blinked, startled.

"I… I think something's wrong with me."

Her friend narrowed her eyes.

"Did the test not go well?"

"No, no. It went fine. Perfectly, actually. There was no corruption, no foreign soul, no spiritual possession. It's just…My heart won't stop beating fast. And I feel warm. Not like a fever. But—like I'm being called by something."

She clutched her chest lightly.

A pause.

Her friend grinned.

"Did you fall in love or something?"

The priestess stiffened, eyes widening.

"W-what? That's—absurd. I've never… That's not…"

But her voice trailed off.

The image of Kyle's smile—the way he tilted his head, amused, dangerous—burned into her mind.

Could it really be…?

'H-Have I really fallen for him? No way…surely not! B-But then…this feeling. What else could it be if it is not…love?'