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***
“Take the sinners to the ruined tower!”
The holy knights immediately began to lead Cassius out. Cassius struggled as he finally realized what was happening, but the grip of the holy knights was too powerful.
The Marchioness of Kellyden could neither run nor protest.
If Seria had to name the two people who didn’t acknowledge the fact that she had awakened as Stern, it was Cassius and the Marchioness of Kellyden.
As a result, the Marchioness never set foot in the Great Temple. It seemed that because of Cassius, she was half out of her mind.
Seria frowned.
“Bibi.”
“Yes, Miss?”
"Do you see that on the back of Cassius’s hand? Do you know what it is?"
Abigail answered quickly as she looked at Cassius.
"It looks like someone poked the back of his hand with some kind of sharp wooden object."
“Ah…”
Before attending this trial, the priests said that when they stabbed Lina with a branch of the silver tree, a strong demonic energy blew out from her body.
It seemed that the priests also thought Cassius to be of that kind and stabbed him with the silver tree branch. It was unbelievable that the sanest person tried to break the demonic boundary.
On the back of Cassius's hand, which was covered with harsh marks, he also wore a familiar bracelet.
A bracelet that looked like it was made of hair.
‘Tuban gave it to me.’
The design was very similar to that bracelet that Lesche had brought from the land of the Divine Tree. Seria gave the bracelet to Lesche because she thought Tuban wanted her to give it to Lesche.
If Tuban wanted to give her the bracelet, he would have given it while she was unconscious.
Lesche wasn’t happy, but when she put it directly on his arm, he didn’t complain.
‘That bracelet must have been given to Cassius by Lina.’
Seria called for a priest who was standing behind her.
"Go and tell the High Priests.”
After Seria told the priest to retrieve the bracelet that Cassius was wearing, purify it with holy water and burn it, she left.
Lina was sentenced to spend the rest of her life in the prison of holy relics because she was fully cursed with magi.
***
Meanwhile, inside Berg's mansion.
“It’s strange.”
Linon tilted up his head. The forged letter Seria had received was spread out before him.
For the life of him, he couldn't speak openly in front of Seria, but he honestly didn't understand. Cassius was only the heir to the marquisate.
It was not even a fact to keep in mind that the Kellyden’s were the most prosperous Marquis family in the West. It wasn’t easy for an heir of an aristocratic family to duplicate the letter of the Chief Aide of Berg.
If they had, then Berg's aides would have been replaced a hundred times over years ago.
‘The situation on the border would have been possible because of that Saintess. What about the rest?’
A Duke?
But a Duke couldn’t do this alone.
The imperial family then?
But Linon was always wary of the imperial family. He took special care not to let even a single letter of his flow to the Imperial Household.
The place where the most letters flowed.
Where Linon used a lot of power for the laurel manor…
His face quickly distorted.
***
“So.”
After returning to the Berg residence in the imperial capital after attending the trial, Lesche asked as soon as he entered his office.
“Did the second Prince go missing again?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Linon looked serious.
No matter how much he thought about it, there was only Prince Jun.
He was not only a member of the royal family, but also deeply connected to Lina.
"Perhaps if the Grand Duchess had not told us, we would still have no idea…."
Linon immediately sent a person. If the target was the emperor, it would have been quite tricky, but it was only a prince. It was no big deal to Linon.
He took that approach and heard an unexpected news.
Prince Jun, who was present, had gone missing for several days. The fact that Queen Ekizel was desperately trying to cover up the fact… Several of the palace staff had already been tortured for the crime of kidnapping the prince, and as a result became either half-dead or died.
"That's a hell of a lot of work.”
The aide hurriedly accepted it as Lesche removed his thin jacket.
“Let the Imperial Palace know first. Be anonymous as appropriate."
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Linon immediately began to make a note. He recalled Seria’s words about Prince Jun’s face melting.
“Put Alliot on Seria. You go with Sir Abigail Orrin. Choose only ten from the Order. I will have to capture the second Prince and throw him into the glacier or something.”
“I will tell them immediately.”
***
“You’re here."
“Yes, Grand Duchess."
It seemed that the Great Temple was traumatized from the fact that Cassius tried to kill Seria. They even assigned holy knights to protect her.
They would follow her until Cassius was executed. Seria agreed because she too preferred to be safe. She also didn’t want Lesche to be worried about her.
Seria entered the prayer room of the mansion, fully enjoying the waste of human resources in the High Temple.
Her heart pounded in tension even before she entered here. She felt like the slow-paced movements of Tuban as he drew and engraved letters on the insignia, was the palpitations of her heart.
She hoped that Tuban would complete and show her what he wanted today.
Her heart pounded. As she approached the Stern insignia, she released the protective magic and leaned over.
So ….
He meant….?
Seria froze in place. On top of Stern's sacred insignia, the letters were complete. But it was difficult for her to immediately understand them.
She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Still, the letters engraved on the hard surface remained the same.
<The heart of Lesche Berg.>
She tried to read it slowly, but it was the same. Her breath slowly stopped.
***
A few days later.
Seria opened the door of the prayer room with a bang and entered. The holy knights seemed surprised, but she didn’t care.
She released the protective magic and checked again the insignia, which she had checked dozens of times before today. She then took out a red jewel from her pocket and placed it on the insignia.
Naturally, the insignia had no reaction. It did not absorb it like it did when Tuban took the blue diamond or the mermaid’s spring.
“Hey, Tuban.”
Seria said as she pressed the red gem on the insignia.
“This is a very expensive jewel called ‘Heart of Beauty’. Do you know how much I paid for this? Look at it. It’s very big. It was from the eastern kingdom. I bought it at a jewelry auction….”
No matter how much she mumbled, she never got a reply. She put more and more large rubies on the Stern insignia.
But Tuban’s will was firm. Seria’s was steaming.
"You really want me to bring you a heart? A human heart? Tuban, are you crazy?”
She was shocked. She sat down next to the insignia and took a deep breath. She clicked and pressed the red jewel of the circlet around her neck, but there was no response.
She had been in this state ever since the day when she saw Tuban wanted Lesche’s heart. She ran into the bedroom and pressed the circlet, but she couldn't get to the world of Tuban.
She felt strongly convinced that Tuban was avoiding her.
‘Yeah, he knows he's gonna get hit when I meet him, right?’
‘Should I just give up on unsealing him?’
Lina would be locked up in the holy prison for the rest of her life anyway. Cassius was only waiting for the date of his execution, and she also received word that the strange bracelet was burned after it was purified with the holy relic.
If she had to choose one between Tuban and Lesche, of course it would be Lesche.
She couldn't stop thinking about it long after she left the prayer room.
‘I think I'll have to take the insignia with me instead.’
In order to identify Lina, the holy object, the Holy of Holies, was taken out of the vault. She was told that there were some with enormous properties that could not be brought out even by Stern’s threat.
She was even prepared to feed one of them to Tuban if she had to. It would have been better if she had compensated an astronomical amount in exchange for that.
“Tell the temple. I will do the replenishing of the sacred power they asked for before.”
“Yes, when would you like to go?"
"Tell them I’ll go the day after tomorrow."
“Yes, Grand Duchess!"
The holy knight immediately sent the message to the Great Temple.
It was not bad because she just had an excuse.
That evening.
Lesche was much busier these days so Seria ate dinner alone.
”Grand Duchess, you haven't been eating much these past few days. Do you have a poor appetite?"
“I guess because I’m tired. Please tell the chef thanks for the meal.”
Susan and Ben, who had taken care of her meal, looked at each other. They looked worried.
Seria thought about washing up briefly and lying down on the bed, but changed her mind and headed for the bathroom.
After sending away the maids, she leaned back against the bathtub. After wetting her face with her hands, she threw a meaningless glance at the flickering light.
‘Should I just remove the insignia?’
It was an extreme thought, but she relented. Why on earth would Tuban need not a jewel but Lesche’s heart?
It was then that she heard someone in the empty bathroom. She turned around and her eyes widened a little.
“Lesche.”
There was no need for her to get up. The gown slid off Lesche’s body. He climbed straight into the tub. With a slosh, the water spilled out.
Before she knew it, Seria was facing Lesche and being held in his arms. His bent body was naked against her bare skin. She blinked as she gazed at Lesche.
“Why are you wet?”
Lesche’s eyes were red and his hair was wet.
“I took a bath and went to the bedroom but you weren’t there.”
"You told me you were going to be late again today."
“I finished early."
“Did you have dinner?”
Lesche chuckled.
"Why do you always ask if I've eaten when you see me? Do I look that thin?"
Seria shook her head quickly. Lesche’s body was well defined by his muscles. She had tenaciously realized this after her first night with him. The fact that Lesche’s volume was incredible.
****
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