‘I can't stay here.’
After hearing the news about Seria, Lina became very irritated. She could not sleep at night. After she made up her mind to return to the imperial capital as soon as possible, she rushed to the priests.
“Can’t I go back to the capital?”
Lina asked on the verge of tears, but the priests were rather weeping.
“You can’t, Saintess.”
“Please stay here a little longer.”
They couldn’t bring themselves to say that they were protecting the Saintess from Seria.
Lina shut herself up in her room, and eventually burst into tears.
Nothing can be solved by staying at the temple.
Lina wrote a letter to Cassius. She felt the need to discover the magic crystal mine a little earlier.
It made no difference that the time was a little earlier. At the end of her mundane letter, Lina wrote that she was curious about the land where Magi was active.
She even mentioned that it was a pity that the priests were so overprotective that she could not see the land with her own eyes, and that she had heard how much of an excellent knight Cassius was, and wanted him to take her there once later….
It was exactly what she had read in the book.
“Saintess? I see you’re happy that Master Kellyden has come to visit you.”
The more the priests said this, the more Lina welcomed Cassius with pleasure. The unsociable Cassius received her letter and was troubled for several days, but came to see Lina in person.
For it was exactly the same as in the book.
In Cassius's hands was a wooden box. It was a luxury box.
“What is that?"
Lina wondered, but nodded when she heard that it was a relic Cassius had received from a relative on the border.
“The high-quality wooden box’s inside must be the land where the Crystal Mine was hidden. Please open it.”
Lina felt for the wooden box with trembling hands. It was the first time that something happened in real life exactly as she had read the book, so her heart was beating unusually fast.
It was just like the original.
“What is this? Cassius?"
“Lina."
Cassius was still awkward in calling the Saintess by name but said it calmly.
“It is the most precious piece of women's jewelry I have.”
The ruby necklace shone enchantingly in the light. In other circumstances, Lina would be happy to see the luxurious jewelry, but not now. Now, to Lina's eyes, this ruby necklace was not at all beautiful.
Lina was thirsty and took a sip of tea. Her hands trembled.
“Not this necklace…didn't they give you the land?”
“The land? Oh…”
"…."
“Seria got it."
"…!"
At the same time, the cup Lina was holding fell to the floor and shattered.
“Lina?"
Cassius panicked. Because Lina rolled her back in pain and covered her face with her hands.
“Why Seria? Why?”
The sobbing was immediate at the words she mumbled. Almost reflexively, Cassius approached Lina and offered her a handkerchief. Lina did not accept the handkerchief and kept trembling. Cassius eventually moved Lina's hands away and wiped the tears away himself.
Why is she crying while calling Seria’s name? It suddenly reminded him of his mother and made him feel heavy. Cassius hugged Lina and patted her shoulder gently as if possessed.
It was at that very moment.
“I heard something broke just now….Master Kellyden?”
High Priest Jubelud, who had been waiting outside, entered cautiously and was surprised. He hurriedly closed the door.
It was not long before he was frightened to find his heart pounding in his chest. The High Priest felt his eyes blurred. He immediately told his aides.
“Tell Master Kellyden politely that something came up and send him back immediately today.”
“What?”
It didn’t matter what Cassius did outside, but he was not to meddle.
Stern’s brother hugged the Saintess in the Great Temple….
Cassius Kellyden was a nobleman who even had a fiancée.
Why did Lina meet with a man who had a fiancée? And in the Great Temple too….
High Priest Jubelud looked like he was in pain. He missed High Priest Amos, who had returned to God’s arms.
***
“Cassius, you crazy punk."
Seria gritted her teeth as she read the letter sent by High Priest Jubelud. The letter, which was written with great care, revealed the High Priest’s distress.
The original was a shameful part that he did not want Seria to know, but he could not do so because he was a God-fearing man.
Seria could tell the subtle current of air between Lina and Cassius this way.
"Indeed…"
Cassius would be drawn to Lina this much all the time if he hadn't been purified by the sacred power.
That’s the way it was. Seria couldn’t believe he hugged a Saint in the Great Temple. He was the heir of the prestigious Marquis of Kellyden, and on top of that, he also had a fiancée.
Seria was embarrassed. Cassius pretended to be a high ranking nobleman while doing that, but tried to kill Seria because she was a lowly illegitimate child?
"Hmm…"
On one hand, thoughts about Kalis were on Seria’s mind. She stood up from her seat, wondering when she should go see him.
She headed for Lesche’s office.
Knock. Knock.
She knocked lightly, waited a moment, and then opened the door to his office. At that moment, she saw an aide with a pale face.
***
Before Seria arrived.
Linon was not in Lesche’s office. Since the chief aide was currently absent, it was another aide who came to report to Lesche.
“Your Highness, this is a report from Haneton’s estate.”
Lesche flipped through the documents the aide brought. Soon a cold smile was painted on his face.
It was a smile which came with anger.
The aide was quick to notice.
The report that had just come up from Haneton stated that a high-level healing priest had been seen for days praying in the temple near Haneton Castle and entering the castle.
It was Lesche’s order to send people to the Haneton territory.
As Seria predicted, Lesche found that Kalis had come to the purification ceremony uninvited.
But he didn't know it from the knights’ report. Everywhere Seria’s eyes could reach, Lesche’s eyes were sure to graze there too, so he saw it firsthand.
He wondered for a moment why Kalis had crawled in. However, Kalis quickly turned around and went back to the carriage. The knights of Berg, who followed Lesche’s glance, made an unexpected report.
“The carriage has made a sharp turn into Haneton territory. Your Highness."
It was strange. Lesche sent a man to Haneton, and the result was this report.
He didn't like it because his intuition was right. Rather, the moment Lesche read the report, his mood began to hit rock bottom, which happened so frequently these days that he could count on his fingers.
"I wish I had thrown him gloves before he came to his senses."
“Huh?"
Kalis Haneton craved only Seria, as if a screw had been loosened in his head. The way he (Kalis) couldn't even let go of the Saint, yet he wanted to take Seria in his hands too, was the very model of a psychopath.
However, Lesche was worried that after Kalis came to his senses, he would go straight to Seria.
Lesche uttered a low curse. He was irritated.
‘Should I tell Seria about this guy?’
Should he tell the woman he loves the news that her crazy love interest seems to have come to his senses? He felt like a bug had stuck to his tongue. Frankly, he desired to let Seria be mad at Kalis forever.
“Take it and burn it."
The aide, who had been reading Lesche’s expression, quickly bowed his head.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
It happened the moment the aide was about to receive the documents.
Knock. Knock.
“Lesche? Are you busy?"
Seria came to see him like an oracle. Lesche reflexively crumpled the papers. The aide's face turned pale.
***
“What’s with this atmosphere?”
Seria looked around and asked.
“Should I come back later?”
“No, Seria. Come in.”
Lesche gestured to the aide.
“Get out.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The aide left the office very quickly. He did not forget to bow to Seria outside the door and seemed to be somewhat happy…
‘Was he being scolded?’
Seria went inside, thinking it was strange. She sat down in the chair that the servant had brought out and flipped through the papers she had brought with her.
“Here is the internal affairs journal I told you about in the morning.”
It was an internal affairs work memo journal that she even numbered and compiled in earnest to find an excuse to talk to Lesche about Kalis. But she was already nervous. She drank the water on the desk and sighed inwardly.
‘I’ll just tell him.’
“Lesche."
“Seria."
They called each other at the same time. She was a little surprised. She was so preoccupied with the thought, "When should I bring up Kalis?" that she didn't notice that there was a crumpled piece of trash in Lesche’s hand.
No, what was in the document? What in the world was the news that he made those papers so crumpled? Lesche sighed low.
“Seria, I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?"
Lesche did not continue after that. It was unlike him.
"…Lesche?"
Seria looked at Lesche with a curious expression. Eventually, she started to get worried. Was there some not-so-good news? As Seria’s face began to lace with worry, Lesche, who swept his hair roughly, spoke with a look of disgust.
“It seems that Haneton's brain is finally working properly.”
***
Meanwhile, inside the castle of Haneton.
“Arghhhhh…!"
Kalis, who had been out of his mind for a long time, groaned and bled again.
“Marquis! Are you alright? Priest!”
“Oh, yes! Marquis…!"
During the carriage ride, Kalis came to his senses from time to time again and again. At that time, he instructed his aide.
The first thing was to call a priest. As Kalis instructed, a healing priest brought from the Great Temple urgently used their sacred power.
“Please hold on to this!"
The priest hurriedly took off Kalis’s clothes. Kalis’s naked body was a mess.
