Today was the day when the Fifth Prince was going to visit the Church for prayer and they couldn't afford to let such a thing be seen by him.
Though he didn't have any status, he was still a Prince and even if he neglected this, his servants accompanying him wouldn't let it slip.
He is an imbecile and may not mind the Knights but others accompanying him may complain about the eyesore and they may be punished for not clearing the things.
"Hey, girl I am telling you to get off here as long as I am nice."
"You can take a break today and come tomorrow. A member of royalty will come to visit today so leave this place and stop being an eyesore."
"I will kneel here. Let the royals see just how unfairly you treat low-class commoners like me."Athena spoke fiercely.
"Let the world see your injustice."
"You.." The guards squealed in anger and he walked toward her to throw her away
"Don't come near me. I haven't taken a bath for a month. I smell and reek like trash."
"You may fall sick for touching me."
The guard's expression stiffened and he stepped back a little.
He flinched at the girl's words and felt deep worry.
"I have an idea" The other guard spoke with a smirk.
He walked to the side and looked for foolish people who might need money.
"I will give you five silver coins to anyone who takes her away and throws her into the trash can."
Five silver coins wasn't a big sum to most but still, many barely earn a silver coin per month.
They stared at the girls furiously and variously crooked thoughts ran through their minds.
Many jumped on her, pulled her hair and tried to drag her down.
"Leave me."
Athena grimaced in pain but no one paid heed.
"Stop bitching."
She was slapped on her cheek and her mouth was shut forcefully.
Even though she was in pain, it was nothing compared to what she had gone through.
Instead of tears, a self-deprecating laugh emerges from her lips.
'The life of my parents was worth ten silver coins, but just to throw me out, he offered five silver coins.'
She knew that the Priest didn't want to heal her parents, and that's why he made such absurd demands on her.
Thinking about all these things, she realised just how worthless her life was.
She would just die in a corner without anyone knowing and without doing any deeds of glory.
As the people dragged her, a rattling sound was heard along with a loud furious roar.
"What the hell are you doing with that sister?"
"Leave her."
The people's bodies shivered leaving her on the road, they backed away fearfully.
Athena opened her eyes to see a boy sitting with the coachman of the carriage while glaring at the people.
He held the neck of the coachman and shouted"Stop the carriage fool. Stop it.."
He seemed 7 years old and was quite chubby but looked quite cute. His eyes were crimson colour similar to hers and he got down from the place, and he ran towards her.
The guards and a butler tried to stop him from approaching her but he didn't pay any heed to them.
"Sister, what happened to you?"
"Tell me, I promise to help you."
Athena tried to open her lips but no words came out rather small tears slid down her cheek.
"Sister doesn't cry, are you hurt?"
"Help this pretty sister, everyone." The boy shouted but seeing everyone's stiff gaze, he started to cause a ruckus and threw a tantrum.
The butler tried to plead but the boy glared at him and shouted"If you don't help her, I wouldn't move from here and if you drag me away, I will complain to my father."
The boy shouted and started to roll on the ground.
The butler finally gave in.
Athena was soon picked up by some maid. She was bathed and cleaned and soon taken with Alex to Church.
The boy accompanied her to the Church and didn't leave her a second.
Soon, the Bishop who attended his prayer healed Athena and it was at that moment, she was blessed with a stigma that burst out with divinity.
It was at that moment, her life changed and she finally felt as if her journey had been successful in finding a single being with a pure and good heart.
.....
Athena whose body had been curled up surrounded by a dark cocoon suddenly wriggled.
A stigma of a butterfly appeared on her back which started to flap its wings.
Four pairs of white wings grew from her back and her body started to radiate divinity.
Athena opened her eyes and her eyes flashed with immense killing intent.
Her red eyes which had been dimmed and became blank previously due to being blind started to glow fiercely.
She gripped her staff tightly and her body started to radiate and glow brightly with a dazzling light.
"I was just a step away from losing everything," Athena murmured and stared at the darkness all around.
"Being of darkness, you shouldn't have made me recall that."
She raised her staff and shouted"Judgement Of Light."
The black cocoon disappeared due to the eruption of Athena's divinity and soon a pillar of golden light descended from the sky.
The power of divinity started to gush out from her body frighteningly.
An instant later the ground started to quake and tremble.
Adam and the paladins who were having trouble due to the attacks of a tree monster suddenly lost their balance due to the tremor.
A strong ray of light emerged like a shockwave and crashed around everything.
Adam closed his eyes, unable to tolerate the blinding flash of light.
The eruption hit them but instead of blowing away like the monsters nearby, it healed them and replenished their strength.
The darkness of night was blown away and everything in the radius of ten kilometres became alighted as if the sun had risen and the day had arrived.
Anything that was imbued with darkness was brunt away by Athena's divinity.
Athena didn't hold back anything and released all her power.
Soon, the power dissipated and Athena found herself standing in an empty position.
Everything around her had disappeared leaving the Steel which had many cracks in it.
Athena stared at it with a hurtful expression.
"You will regret making this decision."
"There is still time."
"Choose your side, the sooner you can."
"I have already chosen my side," Athena spoke, taking a step forward.
"On that very day, he appeared. I have dedicated my life to him.No matter, whether this world ends or survives I will stand with him."
"Instead of worrying about me, worry about yourself. My man is not someone to be trifled with."
"No matter whether you are a God or Lord of this world. You will be dragged from the deepest corner of despair and thrashed around by my man if he knew that you wanted to separate me from him."
"Hmmm! Your man is surely a tough nut to crack."
"But don't worry, one day he would grovel under my feet and that time, you would regret..regret and regret till the end of the world."
"Huh!" Athena's expression distorted as she felt the being had met Alex.
She wanted to say something but she was stopped.
"Highness Athena."
Athena heard Adam and paladins voices who ran towards her and kneeled on the ground.
"Your Highness, thanks for saving our lives."
"Thanks for saving our lives."
Athena could feel the gratitude and deep sense of reverence in their voice and just nodded her head with a smile while trying to mask her uneasiness.
'Alex, I am already missing you badly.'
