《The Tragedy of The Villainess》


 Chapter 1 - Prologue

    <h2>Chapter 1 ¨C Prologue</h2>


    Seria¡¯s sleep has increased dramaticallytely. It was different from a year ago. Last year, Seria was the socialite¡¯s most famous viiness. There was no time to sleep as she chased banquets and ballroom dances every day, and got away with it.


    There was no one who could stop her because of her status and position. But it¡¯s been a long time since she¡¯s been active. All the nobles knew that Seria became a repentant woman. She changed slowly within the lines until everyone was convinced. It was still a mystery how the mad woman became so quiet. And there was Seria, sitting on the luxurious terrace and dozing off.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you have a cold, my Lady. I heard that winter¡¯s cold will make you sleepy like this.¡±


    It was the priest sent from the temple who spoke softly to Seria. She was the one who came to this distant province purely because of Seria¡¯s cold. The priest looked down the terrace with warm eyes. There stood a woman with ck hair.


    ¡°The saint ising from heaven. It is truly a blessing from heaven. Of course, Lady Seria is also blessed by God, so she will soon shake off the cold. She will always be healthy.¡±


    The priest¡¯s virtues were mild. Her face was full of joyful expressions.


    ¡°Saint.¡±


    Seria followed the priest and looked outside the terrace. She saw the saint, Lina, with dark auburn hair and ivory skin. Yes, she was a saint. In the original novel that Seria read, the heroine was called a saint.


    This was the world of a novel. Just a few days ago, as in line with the original plot, the female protagonist fell from the sky.


    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that your fiance, Lady Seria?¡±


    The priest was right. Next to Lina was a handsome man with light brown hair that stood out from afar. Kalis strode towards Lina¡¯s side, and she smiled brightly as she greeted him. Lina¡¯sughter was clearly seen from this terrace, which was quite far away. She was wearing a dress that exposed her shoulders, and a chilly breeze blew. Kalis thought about it for a while, then took off his coat and wrapped it around Lina¡¯s shoulders. Seria felt a little strange at that sight.


    ¡°That bastard.¡±


    He was Seria¡¯s fianc¨¦. He abandoned Seria only one week before their wedding.


    ¡°Should I go down and pull their hair out? But if I do that, will I not die?¡±


    ¡°You have been on the terrace all day with the patient.¡±


    At that time, Seria and the priest looked reflexively towards the origin of the voice they heard. Seria rose from her seat while the priest hurriedly bowed her head.


    ¡°Your Highness the Grand Duke Lescheberg.¡±


    His red eyes looked at the priest as if they were covered in blood. His cold eyes were dark and full of irritation.


    ¡°Lady Seria, wasn¡¯t it outrageous to have your fianc¨¦ call the priest when your worsening cold was due to spending all day on the terrace?¡±


    This man was never concerned about Seria¡¯s health. It was just a nuisance to not have enough priests on his own estate and had to ask more from the temple instead.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness.¡±


    He stared at Seria and turned his gaze as he spoke to the priest.


    ¡°Take her to the temple as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, she should stay here a little longer for stability¡­. Your Highness!¡±


    The priest quickly followed along the Duke who walked away after he said his piece. Seria didn¡¯t care much. ¡®Because he is the main character.¡¯ He is cold now, but in the future, he will change and look at the heroine with honey dripping from his eyes. That was the fate of the male protagonist and the ending of the original story. Seria. She thought about the title of the novel that she had read.


    ****


    Seria was originally an ordinary graduate student. Yes. A graduate student cannot be called an ordinary person. Anyway, when she woke up one day, she had possessed a character in the novel she was reading. She couldn¡¯t tell how she died or how she got over it. It was hard for her to remember what she had forgotten. The important thing was about Seria Stern, the person she possessed. Seria Stern was the biggest viin in the novel. Simr to her name in reality.


    If asked to choose one of the most popr viins in the world of imperial society, 100 out of 130 people would choose her as a viin. A cold attitude unlike her wless appearance, and a tendency to pour champagne over others¡¯ heads. Of course, there was a natural sense of inferiority in the victim.


    Seria was a young maiden of the prestigious Marquis Kellyden family in the West, but her mother was a humble actress. Has she mentioned that her mother was amoner? However, she was a beauty. Thanks to this, Seria, who inherited her mother¡¯s blood, was also a great beauty with bright green hair and icy blue eyes.


    But Marquis Kellyden already had two sons. Both sons of wless descent from high-ranking officers. Only Seria¡¯s biological mother was a rare actress. Because of that, Seria was unable to fit in with her family at home. Hobbies were luxury. Specialty was wasted. The rtionship with the family was also the worst. However, the day Seria turned fifteen, the situation changed. It was revealed that Seria was a person with divine power. So what happened?


    Seria took the title of Stern from the temple as herst name, and left Marquis Kellyden, and went to the capital to enjoy a luxurious life. But around a year or so, Seria changed. Since Seria was in possession of the viiness¡¯s body. At first, she couldn¡¯t wrap around the reason why she had possessed her. After all, this novel was unique in only a few parts of the setting, the other characters and rtionships were thoroughly clich¨¦.


    It was a setting that Lina, the female protagonist, who was a dimensional traveler, fell into a different world and received plenty of love from the male protagonist and sub-male, and of course, the clich¨¦ of a happy ending was faithfully followed. But wherever there is light, there is also shadow. Of course, there was also a viin who died miserably. That was her, Seria Stern. She even had her life ended with her throat splitting in half by Kalis¡¯ knife¡­ She wanted to live. During herst life as a student, she died too young, this time she did not want to have the same fate. She also had no fetish to be a viiness. She could easily cut off the evil deeds. Of course, there was a lot of time before the reputation that hit the bottom woulde back up again¡­


    It was purely coincidence that she fell in love with her current fianc¨¦, Kalis Hon. A beautiful light brown haired man, the second male lead protagonist of this novel. And a month ago, they got engaged.


    ¡°Right now should be the wedding.¡±


    Kalis was beautiful, but he was hiding the pain of having one arm rotting. The person who healed it was Lina, the female protagonist, and Kalis naturally favored Lina, who healed his arm. That crush developed easily with love. But aren¡¯t all the second male leads the same? Kalis was dedicated to Lina. Because he was so dedicated, he even took Seria¡¯s life, the viin who harmed Lina. But in the end, he was not chosen by Lina, so he ended up being a lifelong bachelor.


    As Seria, she was honestly afraid of Kalis. Just thinking about how vivid the scene of killing Seria with a knife in the original was bone chilling. Besides, the fact that Kalis¡¯s arm got injured was caused by something rted to Seria, so he hated her even more. However, she found him alive, and she prayed and healed his arm. Because she read the original story, so she knew how Lina healed his arm.


    She won the favor of the person who killed her most cruelly. She didn¡¯t know he would confess his love to her. In fact, she wondered if all it took was to fix one¡¯s injured arm to make people fall in love. Nevertheless, she began to like Kalis more, who confessed to her recklessly. So, the heroine will fall in love with the male protagonist, and everyone gets a happy ending. Wouldn¡¯t it be better thanmitting suicide while suffering? Seria thought it was the perfect ending. Especially for her as the innocent viiness.


    ¡°Seria Stern!¡±


    She looked up nkly at the man, who was shaking her body. He was not her fiance, Kalis Hon. A crumpled veil fell on the floor. He clenched his teeth and called her out as shey in a bloody wedding dress. Even his beautiful silver hair had some of the blood on it.


    ¡°Wake up. Do not die. Don¡¯t die, damn it!¡±


    ¡°Why did this happen?¡±

 Chapter 2 - Can I Be Rude To The Villain?

    <h2>Chapter 2 Can I Be Rude To The Viin?</h2>


    A week ago, on a cold winter¡¯s afternoon, just days before her wedding to Kalis Hon. She was sitting in her room, dozing off and dreaming. Suddenly Seria, the empire¡¯s greatest maniac viin, screamed.


    ¡°So? I wanted to have you!¡±


    The voice, filled with anger, was already unlike the bearing of a noble. Envy, jealousy, anger¡­Seria¡¯s hands were already stained with blood.


    ¡°Lina, Lina!¡±


    Lina, the Saint. From the moment she descended, she took the attention of everyone that Seria wanted. She was so loved. Seria was terribly hateful for Lina, who gave her a feeling of unbearable defeat.


    ¡°What about Lina? The only thing I couldn¡¯t do was to split her throat and throw her in theke!¡±¡±


    A sharp knife split Seria¡¯s throat. Red blood flooded. Lina couldn¡¯t look at the scene any more and she closed her eyes tightly.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Seria opened her eyes with fright. Her body trembled. A scene from the original story that came to her mind when she thought that she had already forgotten about it.


    ¡°My Lady, Was it another dream?¡±


    It was scary. Life was scary. After waking up as the viiness Seria, she often dreamt of dying ording to the original script. Well, anyone would. If you find out that this is actually a novel and that you are going to die brutally because you are a viin, you will have no choice but to suffer nightmares. Moreover, with Lina¡¯s appearance, the original plot began.


    She grabbed a thick shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders. She looked out therge window and a deste winter garden caught her eyes. Suddenly, she felt a little strange when she remembered that Kalis took off his jacket to cover Lina¡¯s shoulders over there earlier. However, she doesn¡¯t have time to feel ufortable, and the reason wasughable.


    ¡°Lady Seria! You are here!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on ?¡±


    The maid who served her sprang to her feet.


    ¡°Designer Begonia is here!¡±


    ¡°Begonia? Already?¡±


    ¡°Yes !¡±


    She got up from the couch in a panic. Begonia was currently the most popr designer in the Glick Empire, even though it was less than three years after her debut. The reason Begonia was so popr was not only because of her skill, but also due to her grandmother being a princess. In other words, she had royal blood. It was only a matter of time before the bread was made, as the noble veins were well equipped. In order to request a dress from designer Begonia, one had to have money as well as status. It was her fiance, Kalis Hon, who asked Begonia for a wedding dress and a suit.


    ¡°Come to think of it, in the original story, Lina also wanted a dress made by Begonia.¡±


    Anyway, as she thought she shouldn¡¯t make people wait, she ran. While running, she honestly admired Seria¡¯s graceful steps as she would never be able to have that grace. Even after arriving, she couldn¡¯t simply open the door and enter.


    After all, as a sessor of royal blood, Begonia ced a great importance on the noble appearance. Otherwise, she thought it would not match her clothes. Seria quickly checked her face with the hand mirror the maid gave her. Perfect hair. No disheveled parts.


    ¡°Lady! Oh, you are the prettiest again today.¡±


    Sheughed at the maid¡¯s clumsy praise. Well, it was not wrong. Although Seria was a crazy viin, her beauty was also undeniable. She coughed and went in as the maid opened the door. She entered in a dignified manner, although she would probably still be judged by Begonia.


    ***


    Inside, there was designer Begonia, and Lina, the original heroine. Seria was embarrassed for a moment, but Begonia gave a noble smile to her.


    ¡°Designer Begonia. Am Ite?¡±


    ¡°No. I arrived early.¡±


    Begoniaughed and replied so, but Seria could tell the hidden meaning. ¡®You don¡¯t look good,¡¯ was what Begonia wanted to say to her. She was able to read other people¡¯s faces well, but it was a year¡¯s result of her struggle to survive. She didn¡¯t want to go against the male lead or the second male lead, so she learned to read their expressions andy low. Now she could grasp people¡¯s emotions easily, and that was her key to survival. It all depends on whether the expressions were good or bad¡­.As Seria was getting a little sad, a hand suddenly grabbed her chin. Her eyes became wide open in surprise.


    ¡°Wow, Kalis¡¯ fianc¨¦e.¡±


    Lina¡¯s eyes glistened with a smile. Then she suddenly grabbed Seria¡¯s hand.


    ¡°No, rather¡­.¡±


    ***


    Did Kalis give Lina permission to call him by his name already? It took Seria 11 months to get permission to call his name. As expected, where does the blood of the second male leads go? Lina spoke with a twinkle in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lina. It¡¯s an embarrassing title but they call me a Saint..¡±


    There was no one in this empire, or even the entire continent, who didn¡¯t know Lina was a Saint. Seria gently pushed Lina¡¯s hand away and said.


    ¡°Of course I know, Saint Lady.¡±


    Lina looked around the living room without worrying about it.


    ¡°I heard you are tailoring your wedding dress today! Is that right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Oh my gosh! A wedding dress from another world! I was really curious if anyone wears wedding dresses here!¡±


    Said Lina, whose eyes lit up.


    ¡°Can I see it with you?¡±


    ¡°See it together?¡±


    It was a strange request. First of all, a wedding dress wasn¡¯t supposed to be seen by anyone but close family members or close friends, and Lina wasn¡¯t in any of those categories. However, before Seria could speak, Begonia opened her mouth first.


    ¡°Saint, I¡¯m sorry, but trying on a wedding dress is not a spectacle.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Lina was surprised and immediately folded her hands together. However, she was not as tactless as in the original story.


    ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean that. Because I don¡¯t know this world very well¡­¡±


    Indeed, Lina was a God-sent Saint. Begonia was reminded of that, and spoke with a gentle smile.


    ¡°Of course. But, can you go out for a moment?¡±


    ¡°What? But¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t work if there is an outsider here, I hope Saint Lady understands.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Lina went out with a look of despair. She looked back several times with a lingering look on her face, but Begonia was firm. She even muttered softly as Lina closed the door and left.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have dignity.¡±


    At the moment, Seria remembered the original story she had read in her previous life. Designer Begonia was a woman with great pride that she inherited the royal blood. In a way, she was arrogant.


    Once in the story, Begonia politely declined Marquis Kalis Hon¡¯s request, who came to ask for a dress as a present for Lina.


    ¡°Saint Lady is beautiful. However, she doesn¡¯t have the dignity I wanted. I can¡¯t make a dress without inspiration.¡±


    So, in the original story, Lina saw Begonia¡¯s dress, and fell in love at first nce. But she became very sad when she heard that statement. Eventually, Kalis was angered enough to put pressure on Begonia¡¯s store from behind the shadows. He was the biggest importer of silk after all. In the end, Begonia stepped back and surrendered.


    So Begonia turned out as a designer who also became a viin. However, no viin could match Seria Stern. The original story with its plot twist was a delightful development, but since Seria was reborn as the viin, only tears flowed.


    ¡°How! Lady Seria, this shade of white is the best match for your eyes! This part and this part should stitch to the back¡­.¡±


    Begonia¡¯s face instantly brightened as Seria came out after she put on the wedding dress. She was satisfied.


    ¡°Congrattions on your marriage to Marquis Kalis Hon, Lady Seria.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Your dress is the most beautiful dress I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness. Ahaha!¡±


    Now, there was no way Kalis would be presenting a dress to Lina. It was fortunate that Begonia, who was a little pompous, didn¡¯t have to go through an ordeal with her. Seria also really liked the wedding dress made by Begonia.


    ***


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    She raised her head in surprise when the bedroom door flung open.


    ¡°Kalis?¡±


    The tall man strode in. Kalis turned to the wedding dress that was hanging on her bedroom mannequin, and tilted his head.


    ¡°Is this the wedding dress?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He looked closely at her dress as if something was wrong. Seria wondered what he didn¡¯t like about it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s a little too..¡± Kalis hesitated and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t have my fianc¨¦e wear something like this.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The color is a bit dull, and there is too little jewelry.¡±


    ¡°But designer Begonia said that¡¯s the trend these days.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Kalis¡¯s expression instantly changed. But soon he spoke with a warm smile.


    ¡°Seria, you are not just a noblewoman. You¡¯re a Stern. So I want to give you the most perfect wedding dress.¡±


    They were sweet words at first nce. But she was a viin who had been apanying the second male lead for a year, she could tell the difference just by looking at his expression. And currently, Kalis was in a bad mood. But she didn¡¯t care and asked bluntly.


    ¡°Kalis. You don¡¯t like the dress?¡±


    ¡°You really can¡¯t be fooled.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll talk to Begonia again. Even though she is a busy person, she has a clear sense of responsibility for her work.¡±


    The wedding was just a few days away after all. However, Kalis stopped her from calling Begonia.


    ¡°Apart from Begonia, what about other designers?¡±


    ¡°Not Begonia?¡±


    What kind of nonsense was this? Perhaps he knew that she was reading his expression, Kalis looked a little stiff. As Seria urged him, he sighed and answered.


    ¡°No matter how much I think about it, I don¡¯t like my precious bride wearing such a vainful designer¡¯s dress.¡±


    ¡°Vainful?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The moment Seria hears his words, a bad feeling arised. But, she hoped it was not as what she thought.


    ¡°Are you doing this because of Saint Lina?¡±

 Chapter 3

    <h2>Chapter 3</h2>


    T/N: We will change the term ¡®Saint¡¯ to ¡®Saintess¡¯ from now on.


    ****


    ¡°I heard what happened at the wedding dress fitting. You should know it as well since you were there too. Saintess Lina descended from heaven, so of course, she was different from other nobles. Begonia didn¡¯t understand and threw her out with harsh words¡­¡±


    ¡°Begonia didn¡¯t say anything bad.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She informed Saintess Lina that a dress fitting was not a spectacle. Nobles found it rude to do so. Or, did Saintess Lina say something else?¡±


    Kalis¡¯s forehead was slightly frowned.


    ¡°Saintess Lina told me simr words. But the situation..¡±


    ¡°What is wrong with the situation?¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Seria.¡± Kalis brushed his hair roughly. ¡°Do you like Begonia¡¯s dress that much?¡±


    ¡°Of course I like it. But what made you upset was not it. It can¡¯t be just about the dress. But¡­ yes, I like it.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­.


    ¡°I said I like it, so you can¡¯t be stubborn.¡±


    ¡°But Lina¡­.¡± Kalis stopped.


    Seria looked at him coldly.


    ¡°Did you call the Saintess by her name?¡±


    At Seria¡¯s question, Kalis knew he made a mistake. He was her finance but he called the name of another woman so intimately, it was definitely something to be criticized for.


    ¡°I made a mistake. But Seria, please understand. It is because I have decided to be St. Lina¡¯s guardian.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡±


    Of course Seria knew about it. In the original story, Seria Stern was unable to control her anger when Lina, who was anxious to crush her opponent, had a prosperous guardian named Kalis Hon. At that time, Seria angrily rushed to the ce where Lina was staying and threw a vase at her. Lina was hurt and Kalis was greatly angered. And that was a shortcut for the viin to fall. So this time, to avoid the history repeating itself, Seria smiled and yielded.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Kalis looks relieved.


    ¡°Good. I was afraid that you would get angry. Then sleep well, my dear fianc¨¦e.¡±


    Kalis kissed her forehead and smiled. It was a warm smile which was familiar to her. After he left, Seria looked at the wedding dress for quite some time.


    The next day, ahead of luncheon, Kalis sent a servant with the news.


    ¡°Lady Seria, Marquis Kalis Hon said that due to unavoidable circumstances, he won¡¯t be able to have lunch with you.¡±


    ¡°Unavoidable?¡±


    ¡°Because the Saintess is not stable¡­¡±


    It¡¯s Lina again. Seria nodded at the servant who sent the news.


    ¡°Lady Seria, the Marquis said he won¡¯t bete for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    She didn¡¯t have much faith. The divine power never stabilized in half a day. In fact, in the original story, Lina had difficulty at the beginning with her unstable divine power. She was devastated and Kalis had to take care of her.


    Seria was sorry about Lina¡¯s situation, but it¡¯s unpleasant to think about her, and she didn¡¯t want to waste her time. So, just before supper, she told the servant who sent her the news.


    ¡°Tell Kalis the dinner appointment is canceled because I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°Yes? Have you made a dinner appointment with another person?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Who is¡­..¡±


    ¡°Do I have to tell you about my private life?¡±


    As Seria raised her eyebrows and fumed, the servant snapped back and bowed his head. After all, facing the angry viiness would not be pleasant, the servant withdrew bitterly. After thinking for a moment, she checked the watch.


    ¡°Seems like I¡¯ll need to go to the main Castle.¡±


    Originally, Seria was going to have lunch with Kalis, but she went there sooner than expected. She looked around the bedroom. It was indisputably spacious and luxurious. Although she had onlye to the Berg estate for the wedding, thanks to being a ¡®Stern¡¯, she was able to stay in the very best annex of the Berg Castle.


    ¡°Of course, this was also due to perfect timing.¡±


    Grand Duke Lesche Berg, the owner of this castle and the owner of the estate, was quite meticulous but not too pedantic. He was very detailed and strict in regards to his duties and when handling the Knights Order. However, he seemed very visibly annoyed about being the head of the Castle when he had to entertain noble guests.


    A truly meticulous aristocrat would analyze in detail the social status, ranking, influence, estate size, marriage status and gender of their guests in order to receive and amodate them appropriately. However, Lesche Berg was theplete opposite of those kinds of nobles. The only reason Seria received the best wing closest to the main castle was because she had arrived the earliest. Regardless, she would have been lodged at the most luxurious chambers anyway. After all, Seria was none-other than a Stern. And the Berg Domain was never negligent in their treatment of hospitality towards Sterns. Thanks to that, she could enjoy the current situation. After all, when she arrived at the main castle in a few moments, she would meet the leader of the Berg Domain¡¯s Knight Order.


    ¡°Lady Seria, you¡¯re paler than usual, do you feel unwell?¡±


    ¡°I seem unwell?¡± She responded meekly. ¡°I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯ve caught a cold.¡±


    ¡°Mydy, it appears you suffer a cold every year.¡±


    ¡°So it seems.¡±


    Alliot, head of the Knights of the Berg family. He was also the first person who opened up her heart and helped her a lot when she became a humble Seria. What did he say to her? Self reflecting was not a bad thing.


    ¡®I was just trying to survive. He said I was naive because people always wield their swords. How do I live in this harsh world if I was so naive..?¡¯


    ¡°But where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Where am I going?¡±


    ¡°Did I make a mistake for the time, sir? Is it time for the cier check?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Would someone with a cold go to a frozenke in the winter? It is enough that you have gone every day until today.¡±


    ¡°Winter is not over yet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Alliot made a subtle look. There was an unusualke in the Berg estate. The frozenke, the cier, was the grave of the beast. It was too wide to be called ake. To some extent, the end was invisible. Periodically checking the boundaries of this cier was the responsibility of the Berg family for generations, and for some reason, a woman with the surname Stern was essential. Thanks to this, Stern was treated dearly. Actually, the number of Stern was very small. It was also the basis for Seria¡¯s defeat.


    ¡®<i>It was a pretty important ce in the original</i>.¡¯


    In particr, a week or so after the arrival of the female protagonist Lina, those days were most important. On the day she was supposed to check theke on its regr basis, Seria suddenly refused to go. Of course, it was because of Lina, the heroine. Suddenly, Lina appeared as a Saintess and took her attention away. It was the perfect timing for the demon who suddenly appeared on theke, which would not have been a problem if Seria was there. Unfortunately, the damage was severe, especially for amoner couple who lost their child to the beast.


    Resentful, the couple threw a stone at Seria and injured her forehead. Of course, Seria, who had a bad temper, got very angry. This was a world that strictly followed the status system. Themoner couple, who threw stones at Stern without knowing their status, were punished.


    ¡°So I just need to go out for a few days and check it out.¡± Alliot said.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s go with me.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡±


    Seria went out to the stables with Alliot. The white horse that saw her made a happy neighing sound. Her Rottweiler. She strokes the horse¡¯s head softly.


    ¡°Hi, Rottweiler. I am here.¡±


    ¡°Should you name it that way?¡±


    ¡°Is it a bad name?¡±


    Alliot shook his head. Seria tilted her head and climbed on the horse. The original Seria Stern¡¯s horseback riding skills were quite amazing even though she couldn¡¯t lift a single sword. She had to learn how to ride a horse so that she could see thergeke. Seria also knew well that she had to do what was necessary as Stern to strengthen her position.


    ¡®<i>This is like a smart viin.. Should I say it is clever.¡¯</i>


    The frozenke was very vast. And because of the fog, the line of sight was not very clear. They tied the horses to the designated ce and began walking. It was so cold that when she exhaled, white smoke flowed out. It was then that Aliot¡¯s expression turned cold and he suddenly put his hand on the sword. At the same time, he looked back.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    ¡®<i>Your Highness</i>?¡¯


    Seria also looked back right away. She was surprised and her eyes widened instantly.


    Lesche Berg.


    The owner of this estate and the male protagonist of the original story. He was striding in the fog. He wore arge sword and a unique red cloak. Lesche was so tall that Seria flinched a little at the sight. He went over to her and Alliot in turn and asked.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness. I was checking theke with Lady Seria.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s expression was slightly distorted at Alliot¡¯s answer. Yes, it was distorted.<i>¡®Why? Why are you doing that?</i>¡® That was what he meant. She trembled a little, reading the expression of the male lead. What did she do wrong? Does he dislike the clothes she wore? Lesche looked at her and spoke.


    ¡°Lady Seria Stern.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Is my words not of any importance to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Seria was so nervous. She didn¡¯t understand a word he said.


    ¡°Why did youe to theke with a cold in winter?¡±


    ¡°My cold is not severe. And this is what I have to do as Stern.¡±


    ¡°Since when did Lady Stern faithfully obey her duty?¡±


    He saw right through her intentions, perhaps because he was the male lead. Even though she has gone out to check the cier every day aftering to this castle, Lesche still looked at her with disbelief.


    ¡°Or, are you trying to draw attention from your fiance with a more severe cold?¡±

 Chapter 4

    <h2>Chapter 4</h2>


    ****


    She could feel Alliot looking at Lesche with horror. If Lesche had not been his lord, he would have caught the counterattack right away.


    ¡®Take it easy, take it easy Alliot. If you die, I¡¯ll die too.¡¯ Seria thought to herself.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡± She answered as calmly as possible. ¡°That thought hasn¡¯t crossed my mind. And even if I get frostbite, I won¡¯t call the priest anymore.¡±


    Lesche asked back in a sarcastic voice.


    ¡°Will your fiance listen to that?¡±


    ¡°Probably. Kalis seems to be busy with Lina.¡±


    ¡°Because of that Saintess?¡±


    It was an unexpected, but urate understanding of the situation.


    ¡°Is Marquis Kalis Hon having an affair with an unknown Saintess?¡±


    At the moment, her two hands, which were politely gathered, trembled. As if Lesche already knew the answer, he also knew she was embarrassed. He said nothing else. After a moment of silence, he turned back and looked at Alliot.


    ¡°Alliot.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Are you done checking theke?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Thanks to the hard work of Lady Seria Stern, we have checked it.¡±


    He deliberately praised her in front of Lesche. Seria pledged to call Alliot an angel starting today. While Lesche looked at the far end of theke for a moment, Seria stared at him on the side, she knew for sure.


    ¡®He is a real male protagonist.¡¯


    His pure white silver hair suited well with this snowy field. But he had such a cold and irritating manner of talking. Nevertheless, his face was the reason why there were so manydies who yearned for him. He had a very dazzling appearance.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your Highness.¡±


    Alliot (angel) first moved to the side where the horses were bound. The moment she tried to go along with him, the warmth that wrapped around her body instantly solidified. Then she realized what¡¯s happening. Lesche had taken off his coat and wrapped them around her shoulders.


    ¡°It would be good for your precious Stern¡¯s body to not catch a cold.¡±


    Then, before Seria could give her thanks, Lesche moved his long legs and began to stride away. She blinked nkly for a moment, then hurriedly followed him. The male protagonist¡¯s coat was quiterge, but not by a lot.


    ****


    Empire Glick was a country with a peculiar structure that centered on a huge in which stretched to East, West, North and South. What separated the in was a strict mountain range. Among thesends in the form of an equteral cross, the northern part was too cold and deste to live. Most people in the ins live in the East, West, South and the central in. This in of the empire was vast, but the mountain ranges at the border were deadly. Most of all, because it contained frozenkes and ciers, it had be very dangerous periodically. Naturally, the empire relocated to the safe and prosperous south, while the frozenke in the center and the watchman family who owned thend to the end remained. That was the Berg family. And Berg¡¯s head was called the Grand Duke.


    Grand Duke Lesche Berg.


    Like the old sacred family, there were pledges and rituals that could only be conducted in this estate. One of them was Stern¡¯s wedding. That was why Seria was in this castle with Kalis before her wedding. Because it was best to gather the nobles here. Oddly enough, the original Stern had a limited number of ces where she could give her wedding vows. Was it because of the divine power issue? One of those ces was right here in Berg estate. In theory, Stern could have a sacred wedding anywhere in this centernd. In Berg estate, wedding halls for Stern were established hundreds of years ago. In fact, Seria always wanted to avoid having a wedding in this estate. However, she was forced toe because of her inevitable situation.


    ¡®This is the original ce where the wedding ceremony of the heroine and the male lead was held at the end.¡¯


    In the ending scene of the novel, Lina and Lesche were married at the Berg estate. The reason was? Because Lina was actually a Stern. It was a novel for the female protagonist, all settings were arranged. It was in the mid-toter part of the novel that the secret about Lina was actually revealed. For this reason, there was no need to exin how the original Seria fared. She thought she was unique for being a Stern, but Lina, the eyesore, was also a Stern.


    It must have been an unbearable fact for Seria, who lived in a luxury. So Seria, the vicious viin, kidnapped Lina and tried to torture and kill her.


    ¡®But I¡¯m not the mad viin in the original.¡¯


    When it turned out that Lina was Stern, it was the time to finally walk the flowery path. Until then, Lina really struggled tremendously during the early and mid story. It was not just Lina¡¯s suffering, but the male protagonist also struggled incredibly. It seems that the starting point of that devastating hardship was just around the corner¡­.While Seria was walking and remembering the original story with a frown on her forehead, suddenly a voice rang, and she looked up.


    ¡°Lady Seria!¡±


    A bright smile naturally blossomed.


    ¡°Are you back?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve just returned.¡±


    Abigail Orrien. Her nickname was Bibi. She was Seria¡¯s bodyguard, who had a friendly smile and warm eyes. Seria asked, whispering into Abigail¡¯s ear.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill anyone, did you?¡±


    ¡°Oh my God.¡±


    Abigail smiled gently and whispered.


    ¡°I told you I won¡¯t kill anyone unless they are criminals.¡±


    ****


    Abigail Orrien, the Ebon Knight. She was actually a former assassin, a prisoner who was almost executed by the temple. She swore to be Seria¡¯s loyal knight forever, but her past was very colorful.


    ¡°Bibi, how was the battle to defeat the beast?¡±


    ¡°It was the same as always. I missed you, the Constetion armor was cold like ice.¡±


    At Abigail¡¯s words, Seriaughed. Constetion armor. One of the significant reasons for Stern¡¯s existence. The armor was needed to deal with the beasts that emitted magic. It was called the ¡°Star Armor¡±, or Constetion. If she didn¡¯t wear the armor, her whole body would quickly be addicted to Magic. If she missed the time of treatment, she would eventually die, leaving stains on her body. In order to prevent this, the Star armor was regarded as a staple of the knights. However, the Keystone in the armor was a divine metal from God, and the longer it was in contact with the human body, the more the temperature of the Keystone decreased exponentially. Stern was the only one who could offset this. If Stern was absent for a long time, the person who wore the armor would feel their whole body getting colder andter froze to death. It was akin to being put into a freezer alive.


    ¡°So Lesche Berg told me that I am a precious Stern.¡±


    The original book said that she was a servant of Berg, who protects the central territory, and thus she had a more keen understanding of the importance of Stern. Suddenly, Seria remembered the coat that Lesche Berg had used to cover her shoulders, and she shivered slightly. Abigail asked right away.


    ¡°My Lady. Are you cold?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not cold.¡±


    ¡°Just wear it on.¡±


    Abigail quickly put a coat around Seria¡¯s shoulders. Perhaps because she was an assassin, so her hands move very fast. In fact, she didn¡¯t even see when it moved. She grasped the coat carefully so as not to drop it after Abigail had wrapped around her.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. If thedy is not cold, I can take it off of you anytime.¡±


    Seria felt disappointed at herself when she suddenly flinched at those words. Mainly because it felt so childish of her. Until when would she keep thinking about Lina and Kalis? Pushing away the uneasiness of feeling as if she was staring at a skeleton hidden in the closet, Seria swiftly changed her pace.


    ¡°I heard from other guards that you go out to check the cier every day?¡± Abigail asked.


    ¡°A week or so. It¡¯s only that long that I have checked.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how dangerous it is to go alone? You have a cold so you should stay home.¡±


    ¡°Then my forehead might be torn¡­..¡± (*She was afraid she would be like the original Seria who got a stone thrown at her forehead if she didn¡¯t do her duty.)


    <i>¡®I not only wanted to avoid the bad ending in the original story, but also the minor misfortunes that ured to Seria Stern. It was natural. So, at least after the wedding, until I leave for Hon Estate, I will faithfully check the cier every day. Besides, it¡¯s a little vague to quit now.¡¯</i>Seria thought to herself.


    None of the vassals of the Berg territory liked the original Seria. They hated her. In fact, if Seria had not been a Stern, they would have somehow expelled her from the castle. It was a natural thing because every year she visited the castle, she behaved badly. However, since she checked the cier every day within the week, the unpleasant gaze was gradually easing.


    ¡°Because you save them a lot of money, right?¡±


    Having a Stern in the estate meant that you could bring in as many knights as you wanted, wearing constetion armor. It was possible to reduce the number of 30 or so guards who were organized for the frozenke inspection team to just one. When she thought about the exorbitant knight¡¯s fee, she could see that it was a huge financial gain.


    <i>¡®I am actually, no, I think it¡¯s fortunate that Seria was Stern. I can prove my usefulness right away. I have to imprint that I am indispensable. So please don¡¯t cut my neck in half. I want to live.¡¯</i>Seria thought to herself.


    ¡°Lady Seria. Are you here?¡±


    ¡°Sir Alliot!¡±


    Alliot (Angel), who was already waiting in the stable, looked at Abigail next to Seria and nodded slightly. Abigail bowed back to him as she whispered in her ear.


    ¡°Did you continue to inspect the cier with that guard?¡±


    ¡°Umm.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look weak.¡±


    ¡°Because he is the head of the Knights Order¡­?¡±


    ¡°My Lady, considering this is for the rest of your life, you¡¯ve chosen well.¡±


    However, Abigail¡¯s assessment was simply just carefree. She said, grabbing Seria¡¯s horse¡¯s saddle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put this one on, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you, Bibi.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    Seria stroked Rottweiler¡¯s nose. He rubbed his face at her, making neighing sounds. Abigail pulled Rottweiler in skillfully, while Seria approached Alliot. He tilted his chin as he watched Abigail¡¯s back as she entered the stable.


    ¡°She looks so strong.¡±


    ¡°Who? Abigail?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thedy knight.¡±


    ¡°Is that what Sir Alliot thinks?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how she looks to me.¡±


    Alliot had a kind personality, but his skills were another level. With his superior skills, he served to be the Knights Commander of Berg. In the original story, even Duke Hwangdo tried to hire him. Some of the nobles had stacked gold like a tower to recruit Alliot. It¡¯s enough to say that he was talented and extraordinary.


    ¡°How strong are you, Abigail?¡±


    ¡°Since when you¡¯re interested in my strength, My Lady?¡±


    Because Seria knew the Knight Commander was coveting herdy knight. It was the privilege of the insidious person who had read the original story. Sheughed and opened the coat that Abigail gave her.

 Chapter 5

    <h2>Chapter 5</h2>


    ****


    The importance of a Stern in the Berg estate, with its frozenke, was more prominent than elsewhere. However, most of the Sterns were arrogant, having only one or two of them on the continent, and Seria Stern was particrly evil. But that was a long time ago. Viscount Issac, who was in charge of Lina¡¯s ss, said with a smile.


    ¡°Lady Seria has changed a lot since a year ago.¡±


    The number of times she appeared at balls and partiesweregradually decreasing. But that didn¡¯t mean shepletely left the social world and went into seclusion. She was slowly changing her routine to convince others.


    ¡°Only after thathadshe gotten on good terms with Marquis Kalis Hon.¡±


    Very few knew that Seria had healed Kalis¡¯s arm. Of course, Viscount Issac did not know about this either. Lina, who asked for detailed information about Seria Stern, nodded at the Viscount¡¯s words.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s why she was able to get engaged to Kalis.¡±


    It was time for a break. Lina got close to the window to look outside as it was noisy. Her appearance, whichseemed like she was about to fall out of the window at any moment, made Viscount Issac turn pale.


    ¡°Saintess, it¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Your body is still weak¡­..¡±


    Lina was in a very fragile state because of her divine power that was running through her body. High-quality bandages were wrapped around her arms, legs, and thighs because there were yellow bruises all over her body due to being unable to bear the divine power. She was fortunate to have Marquis Kalis Hon and Grand Duke Lesche Berg here. They were one of the heads of the seventeen Imperial families. It meant that they were the people who had the power to control the divine power to some extent. Thanks to Marquis Hon¡¯s dedication in providing her appropriate treatment, Lina¡¯s bruises showed signs of recovery.


    ¡°You seem to be very close to Marquis Hon.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Kalis has a good personality.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­.¡± At Lina¡¯s intimate words, Viscount Issac made an expression of slight embarrassment.


    ¡°Saintess?You can¡¯t call Marquis by his name socasuallyin public.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±


    ¡°Since Marquis Hon is about to marry, theremay besome bad rumors.¡±


    ¡°Really? No way!¡± Lina burst intoughter. ¡°Kalis and I are just friends.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the nobles here that don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°But¡­.¡± Lina, who was confused, said, ¡°Kalis also calls me by name¡­.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± The Viscount nodded. ¡°ThenI will have to talk to Marquis Honter.¡±


    It was then that the situation outside the window became noisy and they turned their gaze. Then Viscount Issac said.


    ¡°Lady Seria Stern must have returned from the cier.¡±


    Like Viscount Isaac had said, Seria Stern had just returned on horseback. She was wearing a white fur cloak and her cheeks were red due to the cold. Seria had visited the cier every day. And there was also Kalis Hon. Abright smileblossomed on Lina¡¯s face as she waved by the window greeting him.


    ¡°Kali¡­¡­!¡± Linastopped what she was about to say. It was because Kalis approached Seria after shehadjust returned after a month and he covered her cold cheeks with his hands. Then they started a conversation. Lina couldn¡¯t hear what they were talking about, but Kalis was often worried that his fiancee had a cold, so it was clear that it was something like an affectionate nagging. They looked like lovers no matter how she looked at it. Lina lowered her handsandwatched them silently for a moment, then asked abruptly.


    ¡°Why does Kalis¡¯ fianc¨¦e go to the cier every day?¡±


    Viscount Issac tried to criticize her once more, but Lina¡¯s eyes were too pure. And she came from a different world so he figured he had to teach her slowly.


    ¡°Because she isaStern. It¡¯s a kind of good deed that only a Stern can give in winter. In recent years, she has been very sincere, and there has been a lot of praises in Berg estate.¡±


    ¡°I envy her¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Ah, nothing¡­¡±


    Lina, who muttered to herself, asked carefully.


    ¡°Teacher?¡±


    ¡°Yes.Saintess?¡±


    ¡°What family is Stern from? Is she from a Duke¡¯s family? Is she a princess?¡±


    ¡°Lady Seria Stern is the daughter of the prestigious Kellyden family in the West.¡±


    ¡°Wow, Kalis¡¯ fianc¨¦e really has it all.¡±


    Lina, who said so, suddenly wondered.


    ¡°But why is she not called Lady Kellyden, but Lady Stern?¡±


    ¡°Stern is a title given to her by the Holy Kingdom. Lady Seria is a rare Stern, recognized by the High Priest.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ It¡¯s like a Catholic baptismal name.¡±


    ¡°Baptismal name?¡±


    ¡°In my original world¡­ There is something like that.¡± Lina said and tilted her head. ¡°Can I get that title too?¡±


    ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you already a Saintess?¡±


    ¡°But being a Stern is better.¡±


    ¡°So in the eyes of Saintess Lina, Lady Stern looks even better.¡±


    Viscount Issac thought twicebefore answering. Thedy who was drawing the most attention in Berg Castle right now was Seria Stern. And the wedding between her and Kalis Hon was just a few days away. The castle was busy preparing the wedding hall for them. Countless nobles from different territories, includingtheHon estate, arrived to attend the wedding. They all wanted to take a peek at Seria, so the vi where she was staying was always crowded.


    ¡°ButSaintesswilsoreceive a very splendid reception in half a year. Of course, youareto learn all thesocialetiquettes before that.¡±


    Lena replied bluntly. ¡°I still want to be a Stern, like Kalis¡¯ fianc¨¦e.¡±


    Viscount Issac said withughter. ¡°To be a Stern you wouldhave to meetcertain standards and requirements.¡±


    ¡°Standards? Whatare they? I¡¯m confidentthatIcanlearnanythingquickly.¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha.The title Stern is not something you can obtain by learning, Saintess.¡±


    Viscount Issac, who burst intoughter, kindly exined.


    ¡°A Stern has a star-shaped dot somewhere on her body. It is not a birthmark and would manifest itself at the age of 15. And she has to be born on a Wednesday in the winter to possessthepower.¡±


    Lina was not Stern. Because if she was, the maids who had helped her bathewould have already found the star¨Cshaped dot. But they found no such thing.


    ¡°Star-shaped dot¡­.A Wednesday in Winter¡­ ¡± Lina was deep inherthoughts while counting her fingers.


    Seeing Lina was deep in thought, Viscount Issac didn¡¯t think shewould orcould pay any more attention to his teaching if he continued, so he dismissed the ss earlier than usual.


    ¡°That is allfor today, Saintess.¡±


    ****


    ¡°It will be Lady Seria¡¯s birthday soon.¡±


    ¡°Winter Wednesday.¡±


    When the priest who gave Seria the medicine for the cold,ughed, Abigail nodded.


    ¡°Time flies so fast.¡±


    ¡°I see. I was so busy that I forgot about it.¡±


    As soon as tomorrowcame, Seria decided to hosta small tea party with the nobledies from the Hon estate. A Wednesday in winter. There was such a song in the temple.


    <i>Monday¡¯s child is fair of face</i>


    <i>Tuesday¡¯s child is full of grace</i>


    <i>Wednesday¡¯s child is full of woe</i>


    <i>Thursday¡¯s child has far to go,</i>


    <i>Friday¡¯s child is loving and giving,</i>


    <i>Saturday¡¯s child works hard for a living,</i>


    <i>And the child that is born on the Sabbath day</i>


    <i>Is bonny ( attractive) and blithe (happy), and good and gay (cheerful).</i>


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too unfair toall thechildren born onWednesday?¡±


    If only she got a penny every time she was sad¡­


    Seria Stern was born on a winter Wednesday. On the day of her 15th birthday, a small star-shaped dot appeared on her white neck, she possessed divine power and officially became a Stern. That was the exnation in the original story. Although Stern¡¯s divine power waspletely different from that of thedivine powers of the priest. She said thatit wasbecause Sterns were rare,anddid not make a distinction. The conversation that led to her birthday suddenly turned to Lina. The priest said with a sigh.


    ¡°Now that I think about it,Saintessseems to have much interest in the Sacred Relic, andI must say that it¡¯s verytroublesome.¡±


    ¡°Saintess?Wouldn¡¯titbedangerous since her divine powersarenot stabilized?¡±


    ¡°I told her that, but she is stillverycurious.¡±


    It was the same in the original story. Lina was a lively and lovely ssic female protagonist, and she was also curious. As a result, several incidents arose in the middle of the story. After all sorts of hardships, Linapletely stabilized her divine power. And Lina was overjoyed to see her skin clear ofall thebruises. However, after a while, Lina got hurt in a new trial. She hadid her hands on the Sacred Relic. The rare Keysthatwas known to only react to a Stern¡¯s touch. After Lina came in contact with the holy stone, the divine power oftheSterns that had remained dormant within her, awakened. And, Lina,beingcritically hurt once was enough for Lesche, the male lead, to be aware of his feelings¡­


    In the original story, the person who made Lina touch the Keystone was¡­..


    <i>¡®Seria Stern.¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®It¡¯s me. It¡¯s me again.¡¯</i>


    ***

 Chapter 6

    <h2>Chapter 6</h2>


    ****


    Like a female actress in a different world dimension, Lina showed off her simple and gentle charm throughout the whole story. Perhaps because of that, she was unable to get used to thevish and idle bathing services peculiar to the nobles. So, after refusing the maids who tried to wash her, Lina always washed herself. Therefore, she discovered the star-shaped mark on her body veryte. However, wasn¡¯t the mark ced on her inner thigh? It was in a very intimate ce. It¡¯s weird to think about. Anyway, how did Seria find out about the mark?


    The original Seria had a strong belief that Lina couldn¡¯t be Stern. So she thought nothing would happen if Lina touched the Relic. It wasn¡¯t a good idea. No other person in the world would wish that Lina wasn¡¯t Stern as much as Seria. She had to establish her position. She made Lina touch the Relic by having her ce it at her heart.. And the result? Lina was a Stern. All kinds of precious things belonged to the original female protagonist. And Seria, who had been half crazy from that time, turned crazypletely. Aftermitting all sorts of evil deeds for a while, she got her throat split and died. Since then, her name did not appear once in the original.


    <i>¡®I have to be careful¡­. .¡¯</i>


    She needed to go to Hon estate quickly after the wedding and stayed put. She wouldn¡¯t show her presence again until the original story had finished. Recalcting her life n, she took steps to go to see thedies who were waiting for her.


    ¡°Oh my gosh! The wedding hall is so pretty!¡±


    ¡°Stern¡¯s wedding hall is indeed different, it¡¯s so amazing!¡±


    ¡°Stern means star, right?¡± (*German/Yiddish word Stern means ¡°Star¡±)


    The nobledies had a gleam in their eyes and looked around the wedding hall. They were thedies of the Hon estate, and they had just arrived yesterday. They just had a small tea party as hospitality by the hostess and upon hearing that the wedding preparations were over, they went to see the wedding hall together. It was beautiful. The high ceiling that reached the second floor had a vibrant crystal chandelier that looked like water droplets. The marble columns covered in golden coils were elegant and there were sculptures of angels singing songs. The white muslin that hung on the ceiling looked like clouds. Above all those items, there were dozens of shiny metal insignia decorated as if they had been sprinkled with gold.


    Seria saw the unique decorations that were in the original story,<i>¡°A decoration with deep traditional value¡­.that was only used at Stern¡¯s wedding.¡±</i>It didn¡¯t look like this when she looked around the first day. It was a luxurious and profound atmosphere back then, but now¡­..It looked definitely for a Saintess? It was very colorful and dazzling enough for a Saintess to get married. The priests wouldn¡¯t decorate it like this. Was this Kalis¡¯s order?


    They couldn¡¯t have the tea party in the garden due to the winter cold. Still, the vi opened in the Berg Castle was nice, and they could enjoy a tea party with a good atmosphere. Besides, the skill of the patissier was excellent. In fact, the owner, Lesche, didn¡¯t like sweets. but in the original story, he hired a talented patissier for a reason that was quite cute. Thanks to him, thedies chatted happily while tasting the eir sprinkled with chocte.


    ¡°Lady Stern. Hon Manor is really beautiful. There are also severalrge theaters.¡±


    ¡°The only thing missing is the hostess¡¯ presence.¡±


    ¡°Now Lady Stern is the hostess of Hon!¡±


    Thedies were kind to her. This was the reason she wanted to buy their favor before officially bing the Hostess of Hon. Well, they treated her well in front of her face anyway, so there was no reason to hate it.


    <i>¡®If I go to Hon estate, it¡¯s good to get along with thedies there.¡¯</i>Besides, it¡¯s best to buy the housewives¡¯ favor wherever you are. There¡¯s nothing good going against them. The tea party was quite enjoyable. The music from the harp yed by one of thedies was quite catchy. She hummed and picked up a silver tree branch. It was these silver tree branches that were indispensable for the cier inspection.


    Unlike ordinaryurel branches, these silver leaves sparkled silver. It was said that pure silver, salt, soft iron, and me-burned sage herbs purified the space, these silver tree branches purified the cier, the grave of the beast, and further binding the barrier. Since it was not enough to reduce the temperature of the Star armor keystone, the knights in the absence of Stern used to carry silver branches as substitutes.


    ¡®If Stern became a nt, it would be just like a silver tree.¡¯


    If she put a branch of a silver tree in the snow field of a cier and came to see it after a while, it would bepletely dead. Therefore, the probability of demons appearing significantly decreased the more often new silver branches were inserted during the inspection. Of course, this was a work that ordinary Sternes didn¡¯t like very much. Winter¡¯s cier was very cold with the cold of the north. But Seria didn¡¯t hate it. As long as she did her duty sincerely, her reputation had risen, so there was no reason to dislike it. It was a good thing that her miserable death could be prevented. She was in the midst of vigorously gathering the silver branches.


    ¡°You look happy, Lady Stern.¡±


    Seria looked back in astonishment. Silver hair that shined like snow and bright red eyes. Unrealistically beautiful appearance.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    It was Lesche. His red eyes were looking straight at her, so she lowered her head lightly.


    ¡°It looks like your wedding is approaching. The castle is quite noisy.¡±


    ¡°Is it noisy? I will be careful.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean that.¡±


    ¡°Yes ?¡±


    As she lifted her head, she dropped the silk bag she had in her hand, and the silver branches fell to the floor. She immediately squatted down in panic. She felt like she could die from embarrassment because she was doing this in front of the man whose status was too high. She then quickly picked up the dirty bag, swept it, and tried to leave, but Lesche bent his long legs in front of her, and with his long fingers he picked up the silver branches. What was this situation?


    ¡°The bag?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lesche took a silk bag from her and put in the silver branches.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±


    Seria said thank you and as she turned away, she heard Lesche¡¯s voice from behind.


    ¡°Are you going to the cier today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Sir Alliot decided to go.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Lesche looked at her with an expression like he was seeing a rare creature.


    ¡°I am aware that Linon took care of your wedding hall meticulously. Is it stillcking of some sorts?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I doubt there¡¯s any actual need to double check the cier.¡±


    She knew Linon. As Lesche¡¯s chief aide, he was quite meddlesome in the original story. If he was the one that prepared all this, then¡­.No, His Highness prepared it. Lesche had the wedding hall decorated in return for the favor of checking the cier. The original male lead had a definite personality for reward and punishment. However, the decorations were more beautiful and luxurious than she thought. She had mistakenly thought that Kalis was the one who had prepared it.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you work hard in hopes of that? Whenever you came to the castle, if you didn¡¯t like something, you would scream.¡±


    Lesche said with an indifferent expression.


    ¡°You never did that in front of me, but more than 100 servants said they were sick serving you.¡±


    A cold sweat running down her face. What did the original Seria do that caused more than 100 servants to suffer? All Seria currently knew was from the fragmentary memories that remained in Seria¡¯s original body. Fortunately, the original¡¯s learning skills, knowledge, and habits remained perfect. If it wasn¡¯t for that, all the gestures peculiar to a nobledy would have evaporated. That¡¯s why she was d that she could make this awkward smile right away.


    ¡°I will check harder topensate for the 100 people who sufferedst time.¡±


    Lescheughed.<i>¡®Heughed?¡¯ He knew how tough?¡¯</i>Seria stared at his smile and found it unfamiliar.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame that Lady Stern is leaving for Hon then.¡±


    She doubted her ears for a moment. Was he going to be sad? Him? Was this person really Lesche? All sorts of questions went through her mind and whether she looked at him strangely or not, he added.


    ¡°There is no way that a Stern like you wille next year, Lady Stern.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Indeed, no Stern would check the cier every day for a week like her. But since she heard that from the male lead.. It was like a life saving security check. Seriaughed a little. She was filled with hope that when she came in the next year, if she worked hard, the real bad ending would be forever gone. Hopees with motivation. That day, when she checked the cier through the cold, she felt much better than usual. When she got back to the room, an unexpected gift was waiting for her.


    ¡°My Lady! You got a gift! Look!¡±


    The two maids assigned to her were excited.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t all the gifts organized yesterday?¡±


    ¡°This is a new one from Marquis Hon!¡±


    ¡°From Kalis?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Look, this sapphire is really clear and very rich in color! Besides, silk ribbons made by a capital designer, and shabo (ady¡¯s hat with ribbon andce hanging on a wide brim), with tail feathers of a precious bird ..¡±


    After picking out a few of the gifts to give out to thedies of Hon Estate tomorrow, she tilted her head a little. Based on her memory, she opened one of Seria¡¯s travel boxes and saw a sparkling bracelet.


    ¡°Please wrap this up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an amethyst bracelet.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this very valuable? You want to give it to Marquis Hon?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Okay! How about writing the name of the Marquis yourself here?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Should I do that?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if Marquis Hon is happy with your gift?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­That¡¯s right.¡±


    She followed the maid¡¯s advice. The maids seemed to be touched, but the truth was¡­


    <i>¡®That¡¯s not it.¡¯</i> Seria owned almost no money at all.<i>¡®Not that I don¡¯t actually have any.¡¯</i>But to be exact, she had nothing in her name, no sort of wealth or savings whatsoever.

 Chapter 7

    <h2>Chapter 7</h2>


    ****


    After bing a Stern, Seria received a townhouse located on the main street close to the temple. As a Stern, the cost of maintaining the prestigeof the townhousewas also paid monthly. Although the amount received was quiterge,the moneySeriaspentwasmucrger. Every day, she wanted to drink champagne, which was simr in value to gold, and bathed in pearl infused water. The dresses were alsorecedevery week, not to mentionthebags, shoes, gloves, and essories. How much did shespendjust for jewelry? The jewelry was expensive. Since she decided to pay monthly payments, she had to spend all of the iing maintenance expenses, except for living expenses, to pay off all the debtthe old Seria had acquired. She paid off everything justst month.


    Seria was a beautiful woman who was blinded by materialistic things, she received quite a few gifts from male nobles who had a soft heart for her. But in fact, most of them were useless gifts. Flowers,jewelry,fansces, andthings like that.


    ¡®The flowersallwithered, and the rest of them don¡¯t cost much money.¡¯


    Besides, it was all gifts for women, there was really nothing she could give Kalis. The only thing that was good wasanamethyst bracelet. It was very valuable until Lina found itter.


    After taking good care of the bracelet, Seria was currently spending time and drinking tea with Abigail and the priest. Knock. Knock.There was an urgent knock on the door. Then the door popped open with a swish.


    ¡°Priest! We¡¯re in trouble!¡±


    It was a probationary priest.


    ¡°Calm down. What is it?¡±


    ¡°The Saintesshas fallen!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The priest jumped upout of his seat, whileSeria got up in a panic. The probationary priest who brought the news also informed them with even more news.


    ¡°Also, next to her, the Keystone was shiningtransparently.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Seria doubted her ears for a moment. Thatonlymeant one thing. Lina was found to be a Stern. The viin lived quietly trying to save her life but why did it happen so fast. It was still in the early partsofthe original story, so howcould this happen? Moreover, unlike the original, Lina hadn¡¯t stabilized her divine power yet. She could really die. Suddenly Seria got goosebumps. What if the heroine dies? What will happen to the original story? However, there was no way to know. This was something Seria had never thought about.


    ¡°His Highness told me to bring the Priest and Lady Seria!¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady!¡±


    ¡°Why me?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know why she was summoned, but she couldn¡¯t reject Lesche¡¯smand, so she went straight ahead. Abigail immediately followed her.


    ¡®I guess the incident hasn¡¯t spread yet.¡¯


    In this Berg Castle, there were many nobles from Hon estate and various territories. However, since the separate house where Lina stayed was quiet, perhapsthe news hadn¡¯t spread yet. Only those who were treating Lina were busy running around.


    ¡°WhataboutSaintess?¡±


    ¡°She hasjust escaped death! Fortunately, the Grand Duke and Marquis Hon were in the castle!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡­..¡±


    With a sigh of relief, the priest saw Lesche standing at the door and hurried up to greet him.


    ¡°Thank you,Your Highness. I greet you on behalf of those who worship God.¡±


    Thinking that the crisis was over, good news was bound to follow after that. The priest, who had run wildly, said, holding his breath.


    ¡°Who would have thoughtthatSaintess would also be aStern. She will surely stay intheBerg estate and watch the cier.¡±


    Lesche had a rare gentle expression. No, to be precise,this was the first time in her entire life she had seen him look like that. Was he aware of his heart after seeing Lina hurt? However,on thecontrary to these expectations, the words from Lesche¡¯s mouth were unexpected.


    ¡°I would like it to be documented.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°As you know, Berg is sensitive to the matter of the guardian of the cier. I hope the priest will be in charge and leave it in writing. Linon?¡±


    As soon as Lesche called, the chief aide handed out the paper to the priest.


    ¡°Of course I prepared it in advance. Priest. Now, sign here.¡±


    The priest signed the document.


    <i>¡®He is a real ruse.¡¯</i>Seria tried to move away. For some reason, she thought he would tell her to stay here all three months in winter. At that moment, she wentlookingforKalis.


    ¡°Lady Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡°


    She stoppedimmediately to respond to the Duke¡¯scall.


    ****<h2>Chapter 7 Part 2</h2>


    ***


    ¡°Did Lady Stern suffer like that when you appeared as Stern?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not as sacred as a saint.¡±


    Lesche frowned at Seria¡¯s answer. She was startled and bowed her head thinking<i>¡®Wh</i><i>at did I do</i><i>? Did I say something wrong?¡¯</i>


    ¡°Priest!¡±


    Lesche¡¯s red eyes turned to the priest who just signed his signature.


    ¡°Did you not know that the influence of the Sacred Relic increasestheamount of divine power? Did the Saintess not takeherssesproperly? There¡¯s no way she didn¡¯t know that her bodywasoverflowing with divine power. Nevertheless,howdareshetouch the Relic like this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­. I wonder if it¡¯s because she didn¡¯t think she was Stern.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°So she mighthavetouchedit by mistake.¡±


    Lesche raised one eyebrow. Then he turned his gazetoViscount Issac. Viscount Issac¡¯s face turned pale. He was Lina¡¯s teacher.


    ¡°Viscount.Tell me what you said earlier? Why did the saint touch the Relic?¡±


    ¡°Well, Saintess Lina.¡± Viscount Issac nced at Seria. ¡°She has a vague admiration for Lady Stern¡­.¡±


    That answer seemed to have taken Lady Seria aback. Vague admiration? So, was he saying that Lina touched the Relic on her own decision? Because Lina adored her? She wanted to check if shewas aStern? Why all of a sudden? All kinds of questions went through her head.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Viscount Issac knelton one knee. He was also a proud nobleman who received the fifth rank, but he could not deal with Grand Duke Lesche. No one thought it was too much even if he kneeled like that. Viscount Issac said with a pale face.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    However, Lesche was expressionless. It was cold and scary somehow. Then, a person came in.


    ¡°Your Highness!Saintessis awake!¡±


    Apart from the brightly blooming faces of the priests, Lesche¡¯s expression did not change much. She could hear his chief aide Linon whispering to Lesche.


    ¡°Your Majesty. Still, if you go in once, it¡¯s good for your rtionship with the high priests.. ¡°


    ¡°Am I a babysitter?¡±


    ¡°For that matter¡­¡±


    Lesche sighed with an annoyedexpression. He seemed to thinkabout itbriefly, then went in, and the priest followed him in right after. There was Kalis in the bedroom. To be precise, he was sitting at the bedside where Lina was lying, holding her hand.


    <i>¡®I had wondered where he went.¡¯</i>


    Seria frowned lightly, and suddenly there was a whispering voice next to her.


    ¡°Lady Seria.¡±


    The man who suddenly spoke to her was Lesche¡¯s chief aide.


    ¡°Marquis Hon is taking turns with His Majesty to stabilize the divine power for Saintess Lina. Don¡¯t get him wrong.¡±


    <i>¡®I didn¡¯t get it wrong.¡¯</i>Speaking reflexively, she sighed a little.


    ¡°Actually,Ialmost misunderstood it. Thank you for your concern.¡±


    Linon¡¯seyes widened.


    ¡°You are very honest.¡±


    He said with a tone of admiration. She didn¡¯t know how her words impressed him, but he grinnedhappily.


    ¡°It¡¯s naturalfor youto be mindful. Since you¡¯re now the most valuable Stern in Berg. If you stay here for a thousand years, I can do more.¡±


    Seria almost forgot the situation andughed at the whispering voice. It was then Lina opened her eyes, making a painful sound. Her face was pale and her lips were colorless. She looked like a dead body. Even though the maids kept wipingher forehead,she couldn¡¯t stop breaking into a cold sweat.


    ¡°Saintess, are you okay?¡±


    Her ck pupils moved back and forth slowly. She mumbled when she saw Kalis, who was holding her hand and stabilizing her divine power.


    ¡°Kalis¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lina! It¡¯s me! Are you awake?¡±


    Kalis grabbed Lina¡¯s hand tightly. Seria¡¯s gaze was fixed on those two hands.


    ¡°It hurts¡­..¡±


    ¡°You will be okay now. Don¡¯t worry, Lina.¡±


    His soothing voiceforted her. Seria could feel the maids sitting next to Lina ncing at her. Linon, who exined to her not to misunderstand the situation, was now silent. Then Abigail whispered to her.


    ¡°Shall I cut their hands off?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Seria was bewildered after listening to Abigail¡¯s casual words.


    ¡°Priest.¡±


    Lesche opened his mouth.


    ¡°You know, Berg Castle is very busy in winter. I can¡¯t affordthesekindsof identsin the castle anymore.¡±


    At the moment, everyone seemed to doubt their ears. Lina¡¯s eyes widened as she heard that she was implied as a troublemaker now. Disregarding her expression, Lesche called Linon.


    ¡°Linon, assoon astheSaintess is able to move, return her to the temple.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    Upon hearing that, Kalis jumped up, calling out Lesche¡¯s name. He was very angry. Seria felt his anger more than anyone because she was very good at reading Kalis¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Your Highness, aren¡¯t you too much? She¡¯s sick not because she wantsto. Do you have to say that in front of the patient?¡±


    Lesche made a sarcastic expression.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I speak my way in myowncastle?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Still, it¡¯s too much. St. Lina is a patient.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, she¡¯s a patient,¡± Lesche said while making a gesture towards Seria. ¡°Your fiancee is not in good shape either, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re taking care of the wrong person?¡±


    Kalis paused for a moment. Then, Lesche continued speaking.


    ¡°Some might think your fiancee istheSaintessandnot Seria Stern.¡±


    ****

 Chapter 8

    <h2>Chapter 8</h2>


    ***


    ¡°¡­.!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since Stern¡¯s wedding, the vows should be sacred.¡±


    Come to think of it, this matched the description in the original story. Lesche Berg was cold and strictly conservative about the sacredness of marriage vows. Now only silence remained in the bedroom, except for the sound of Lina¡¯s wheezing. Seria didn¡¯t even see what kind of expression Lina was making. Lesche looked at Kalis, who couldn¡¯t say anything, and spoke.


    ¡°Then please take care of the Saintess.¡±


    The priests were rather pleased that the ice-like atmosphere was broken.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Now, after Lesche leaves, how should she look at Kalis? Seria honestly didn¡¯t know. However, she knew exactly what Kalis was going to say to her. And his excuse would be because Lina was sick.


    She was thinking about what to reply to him¡­.


    ¡°Lady Seria.¡±


    Then, she suddenly heard a voice. Lesche looked at her and extended his arm.


    ¡°Come out with me. The Saintess needs to rest.¡±


    ¡°Seri¡­!¡±


    Kalis called her name and she looked back. When their eyes met, Kalis¡¯s eyes were filled with strange anger. But that was all. It didn¡¯t change the situation. If she thought of Kalis¡¯ dignity and decided to stay, she wouldn¡¯t be able to stay long anyway because Lina was sick and needed rest. And Kalis still had to be with her. Nheless, since Kalis had called her name, she would have to stay with him, her fiance. But then, Lina gave a low groan and Kalis turned to check her condition, muttering her name. That¡¯s when Seria averted her gaze and looked back at Lesche. Then, she grabbed his arm.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±


    She went out without looking back again. After showing her curtsy to Lesche, Seria went to her room and plummeted to the bed. As soon as asking the maids, who had hesitantly offered her a cup of tea, to leave, she buried her face into her pillow and bit down hard on her lip. On her arm, the magic crystal bracelet which she forgot to take off earlier, made a ttering noise. Somehow, she felt like crying, but her mask held on strongly. She could only be relieved at that fact.<i>¡®How fortunate¡¯</i>, she thought.


    ***


    <b>Temporary marriage</b>


    ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping, Lady Seria?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Sir Alliot.¡±


    The next day, Alliot looked strangely wistful. Looking at his expression, it seemed that rumors had already spread throughout the castle. The nobledies of Hon were friendly to her, but it was not so for the nobles from other provinces. She didn¡¯t know what to say at times like this so she pretended to be fine. Moreover, it was just a few days away from the wedding, she didn¡¯t want to make any more trouble with the nobles.


    ¡°Are you going somewhere alone right now? Would you like for me to escort you there.¡±


    ¡°No need, Sir Alliot. I just have to check for some silver branches.¡±


    ¡°Then I will be at the stable.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Seria entered a warehouse called ¡®the vault of the greenhouse¡¯. It was a spacious warehouse with a faint smell of dust that no one was guarding. Since it was a ce to select and store only various expensive and valuable items necessary for the identification of silver branches for cier inspection, it was very rare for people toe in as only those with permission could enter. Somehow that made her feelfortable. As usual, she picked up a silver tree branch to test it.


    ¡°Lady Seria Stern.¡±


    The voice she heard was familiar. She was startled and looked back.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    It was Lesche. He walked her out to the hallway yesterday. Since the situation yesterday was awkward, she didn¡¯t know what to say and went to her room. She bowed her head and looked up. But as she stared at his red eyes, she nced down again. Lesche¡¯s eyes were too fierce and somehow intimidating.


    ¡°About what happened yesterday¡­ Are you able to do a proper inspection today?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°If you go to the cier just for an escape, it is better to do it in an outbuilding.¡±


    Her hand, which was holding the silver branch, weakened.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll check the cier as meticulously as usual. I will never be neglectful.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s expression, which seemed sarcastic, changed a little. When he was about to say something, a familiar voice came from behind.


    ¡°¡­ Seria. Are you here?¡±


    Her face distorted in an instant. Without having to see his face, Seria could tell it was Kalis. She didn¡¯t want to see his face at this moment. Before she turned around, Lesche spoke first.


    ¡°Marquis Kalis Hon, it seems that my presence is so insignificant for you to not notice me here?¡±


    ¡°Excuse my impertinence, Your Highness.¡±


    Suddenly, Kalis pulled her wrist, Seria couldn¡¯t help but to look back.


    Here it came, her radar that detected facial expressions limited to a significant person in the original story that she developed to live in peace was activated. Kalis was angry right now.<i>¡®What? Why? Why is he angry?¡¯</i>


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen my fiancee for awhile so I¡¯ve been looking for her .¡±


    Kalis was smiling, but only the corner of his mouth was raised.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t know she would be here with His Highness. It¡¯s a rare ce to be in.¡±


    As Kalis said, only Lesche and Seria were there. However, the way he said it as if there was a problem¡­


    ¡°Marquis Hon. Who gave you permission to enter here?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s voice sank threateningly.


    ¡°I have never given you ess to the vault.¡±


    Unlike Seria and the castle¡¯s owner, Lesche, Kalis had never been granted ess to this vault. It was a very sensitive problem among ordinary nobles, and not to mention the nature of the Grand Duchy, Berg.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. I lost my temper for a moment and made excuses.¡± Kalis apologized in a stiff voice.¡±When I return, I will pay the usualpensation immediately. Otherwise, if you are displeased with the amount, please tell me. I will be happy to pay.¡±


    ¡°Oh will you? You¡¯ve got a lot of nerves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°You seem to be mistaken.¡± Lesche stared at Kalis with a cold look. ¡°The punishment is not something you can decide. It follows the traditional punishment of Berg.¡±


    ¡°Then the traditional punishment is¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Cut off one wrist. Can you do it?¡±


    Kalis red at Lesche. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you wanted my wrist. Do you want to dere a war between provinces?¡±


    ¡°I think war is what you want, not me.¡± Lesche spoke.


    The atmosphere of the two became harsh enough to cross the level of danger. It felt like a real war would happen soon. A war in the middle of winter would definitely cause numerous casualties and mortalities to both sides. With two fingers, Seria gently pulled the sleeves of Kalis¡¯s shirt. The two pairs of eyes shrunk towards her hand at the same time.


    ¡°Your Highness, even though my fianc¨¦ has done a great deal of rudeness, it would be too harsh for the knights who have to look after the winter cier if we wage war on something like this. I beg you to give Stern the generosity and let it go once.¡±


    Lesche raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°My fianc¨¦ will swear that he will never do this again. He will politely apologize. Right?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Right? Kalis?¡±


    Kalis looked at her nkly and slowly bowed his head to Lesche.


    ¡°I was very rude. Your Highness.¡±


    Kalis¡¯s apology that followed was, fortunately, impably courteous. Lesche had an unknown expression, however, he looked right at Seria the whole time Kalis was apologizing.


    ¡°You have a great fiancee.¡±


    He spoke shortly with that usual expressionless face, then quickly turned around and went out. In an instant, Kalis and Seria were the only ones left in the spacious and calm vault.


    ¡°Seria¡­.¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to say.¡±


    She tried to pull out her wrist that was still being held by Kalis, but he wouldn¡¯t let go. Usually, she would get angry and tell him off, but she couldn¡¯t do it at this moment. She couldn¡¯t understand why.


    The image of Kalis, who looked pitifully at Lina, kept hovering in front of her eyes. Lina¡¯s voice and reaction of reflexively looking back at her, left a sticky mark on one side of her chest. When did the emotions that she tried hard to ignore umted this much?


    ¡°If we break up by midnight today, you don¡¯t have to hold that sacred wedding, Kalis.¡±


    ¡°Break up?¡± Kalis¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Cancelling a Stern¡¯s wedding. Does that make sense? Seria!¡±


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t it make sense!?¡±


    ¡°Right now¡­You¡¯re angry, it¡¯s easy to say that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easier for me?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Please calm down. Seria, you are talking about breaking up a marriage because I nursed a sick patient. Really?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a sick person. She¡¯s God¡¯s representative from apletely different world, with no one else to rely on but me. Can¡¯t you understand that much?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Do you? You got angry, grabbed another man¡¯s arm and went out without even looking at me.¡±


    ¡°You did all that first with Saintess Lina!¡±


    ¡°Lina was sick! How is it the same!?¡±


    Her head seemed to be steaming.


    ¡°It¡¯s different. At least I didn¡¯t call the Grand Duke by name in front of people.¡±


    At the moment, Kalis knew he made a mistake. Seria grinds her teeth gently.


    ¡°Let me go!¡±


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    She twisted her hand and tried to get out of Kalis¡¯s grasp, but it was no use. He was being unreasonable. Eventually, anger soared to her head. She clenched her other hand and hit it hard on the wooden shelf next to her.


    Bang! With a loud sound that seemed to hurt, Kalis¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    ****

 Chapter 9

    <h2>Chapter 9</h2>


    ***


    He was shocked and held her hand. Her red, swollen hand. She was so angry, she didn¡¯t even feel the pain right now.


    ¡°Kalis¡­¡± Her hand throbbed slowly. ¡°If I were you¡­.¡± She said, staring at Kalis. ¡°I would break up this marriage and propose to Saintess Lina.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kalis¡¯s face distorted. ¡°That¡­ What do you mean? You are the woman I love.¡±


    ¡°Who would hold another woman¡¯s hand in front of his supposed beloved fianc¨¦e?¡±


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    Maybe she just didn¡¯t understand the situation, as Kalis had said. Lina was sick, so she deserved his help. But why was she so angry? She knew that Linadidn¡¯tlove him. So why? After she possessed the body of the original Seria, she struggled to live for a long time. She believed that the original story had a strong influence on her. But the fact that Kalis was a second male lead remained unchanged. Hewasdevoted to the heroine but wasn¡¯t chosen by her and ended upmitting suicide.


    Seria loved Kalis. At first, in order to live she healed his injured arm, but she couldn¡¯t resist Kalis, who slowly let down his vignce and became friendly with her. It was a sense of duty at first, but it became increasingly difficult to control her attraction to him. If there was a happy ending for the main leads, wouldn¡¯t it be fair for the supportingcharactersto be a little happy? She rationalized it like that and did not guard her heart. In the end, one day, Kalis knelt and proposed to her.


    ¡°Seria, wouldn¡¯t I be the best option if you had to get married anyway?¡±


    ¡°¡­ What do you mean? It¡¯s not me, but it¡¯s you who¡¯s in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still the same. Anyway, Seria, are you okay with me?¡±


    Prior to meeting Lina, Kalis had been troubled by the sanctity of a marriage. He was romantic, so he didn¡¯t want to be in a stereotypical marriage. On the other hand, Seria didn¡¯t care much for political marriage. Still, she thought marrying Kalis wasn¡¯t bad. He, the second male lead, and her, the viiness,both destined fora miserable end. If there was a way for both of them to have a peaceful ending, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing to be greedy. She thought so. Even though the priests questioned her intentions, asking if they would really marry. They were worried thataStern would belong to a family rather than a temple, so she was only able to proceed with the marriage to Kalis after she pledged that she would not forget her duties asaStern.


    They didn¡¯t really love each other like the main characters in a romantic novel, but Seria really liked Kalis. But Kalis knew nothing. Every time she saw him, she seemed to see a foolish and tragic moth jumping into the fire without knowing anything. It was so upsetting¡­Her eyes were cloudy. She covered her face with both hands and turned away from him.


    ¡°Seria¡­?¡±


    Kalis¡¯s angry voice quickly subsided. Standing in front of her, he pulled her hands that covered her face. Then, he muttered in a concerned voice.


    ¡°I made you cry. I¡¯m really sorry. Seria, don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s my fault.¡±


    He then proceeded to hug her and wiped her tearsaway.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Hon Estate immediately after the wedding ceremony. It¡¯s a beautiful ce. After this treatment, I will never see Saintess Lina again.So please don¡¯t cry.¡±


    After a few minutes, Seria calmed down. Then she felt mortified. Perhaps it was because Seria had a strong pride in the original body, and after crying in front of others with this body, endless humiliation came. Kalis, though, as her fianc¨¦, knew her disposition. He walked with her and talked. The atmosphere suddenly improved, Kalis jokingly spoke.


    ¡°And now I can¡¯t break up with you, Seria.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Because I will definitely marry you. If I want to marry a precious Stern, I¡¯ll have to bear this much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true¡­. Don¡¯t bete for the wedding day.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I will never bete.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Where would you find a woman who would easily trust her fiance who asked her to change her wedding dress because of one word from another woman?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Ah. Did you still have that in mind?¡±


    Kalis looked embarrassed. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I have nothing to say. Was it truly wrong of me to do so?¡±


    ¡°It even made me think about breaking up.¡±


    ¡°What? Because of that?¡± Kalis said in a confused voice ¡°But, Seria, at that time, I was angry when I heard about the designer¡¯s insolence towards Saintess Lina.¡±


    ¡°Kalis, how would you feel if I ask you to change your wedding suit because of His Highness Lesche Berg?¡±


    ¡°Why didthe Grand Duke suddenly popintoour conversation?¡±


    ¡°How would you feel?¡±


    Kalislooked upintothe skyand sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He took her to the stables. After Seria got on the horse, she nced back. Kalis seemed to betalking aboutsomethingwiththe healing priests who hade. Maybe it was about Lina. Then, she remembered what Kalis said before arriving at the stable.


    ¡°After treating her today, l will not see her again from now on. Seria, I swear to be a husband that was only faithful to you.¡±


    Since he was designated as Lina¡¯s protector, he said he couldn¡¯t help it. Seria nodded slowly. As she nced past the front door, Kalis still stood there like a dot.


    ***


    Lina, who had a haggardplexion, was delighted to see Kalis.


    ¡°Kalis! I¡­!¡±


    ¡°Lina¡­.¡± Kalis approached her and sighed. ¡°Today will be thest time we call each other¡¯s names.¡±


    Lina¡¯s eyes wide open. It seemed like she might burst into tears.


    ¡°¡­ Okay, Kalis.¡±


    However, contrary to Kalis¡¯s expectations, Lina was surprisingly calm and agreed. Kalis asked back in bewilderment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to ask why?¡±


    ¡°I was scolded by Viscount Issac. I also heard a few words from Lady Seria¡¯s priest about it.¡±


    From the standpoint of the temple, Lina, a Saintess, was a precious being that could not be exchanged for anything. However, that was not a reason to neglect Seria Stern¡¯s special one treatment. They even sent high-ranking officials to the Berg territory just because Seria had a cold.


    ¡°Then, from tomorrow, we¡¯ll call each other with formal names.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I won¡¯t be able to see you anymore after the wedding.¡±


    ¡°You are my dear friend¡­.¡± Transparent tears shone in Lina¡¯s eyes. ¡°It would have been nice if we met earlier.¡±


    Kalis said nothing. Suddenly, Lina noticed a bracelet with a magic crystal in a hexagonal shape on his wrist. She didn¡¯t see it before, and it didn¡¯t seem like it was his taste. It looked small on his wrist. Lina knew right away that it was a present from his fianc¨¦e Seria. Lina, who was in a depressed mood, said abruptly.


    ¡°I want to be friends with Seria.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Are you calling Seria by name? When did you two get close?¡±


    ¡°Well, we are not.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not close, calling her by name is against the etiquette, Lina.¡±


    ¡°Whatever I do it¡¯s always manners, manners!¡± Eventually, Lina burst into tears. ¡°Can¡¯t you see me holding it in? I¡¯m scared to go to the temple, and I¡¯m afraid of losing a precious friend like you..!¡±


    Tears streamed down from her eyes. Kalis panicked, trying to wipe away Lina¡¯s tears, however, he stopped and squeezed his hand. Lina cried out in tears.


    ¡°Do you know how many times my world is changing now? You said you were my guardian. You said you would protect me forever! Was that all a lie? I was happy enough with that, but why¡­!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lina. Don¡¯t cry. Please stop crying.¡±


    Lina cried, buried her face in her hands. The back of her hands was covered with yellow bruises. Kalis felt weak. A sick body would easily weaken the mind. He patted Lina on the back. How long would it take for her to heal? The agitated Lina calmed down after a while. Then, she said, wiping her wet cheeks with Kalis¡¯s handkerchief.


    ¡°Kalis, I want to go to the cier.¡±


    ¡°The cier? Why all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°I said I wanted to be friends with Seria. I¡¯m also a Stern, if I go to the cier, I can relieve Seria¡¯s burden, and we can get closer faster.¡±


    ¡°Lina, I know your good intentions, but you¡¯re not in good shape right now.¡±


    Linaughed sarcastically with her crying face.


    ¡°Are you afraid that I will take away your fianc¨¦e¡¯s reputation? Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like that. Well, of course, I¡¯m kind of envious of your fiancee being praised by many people, but¡­.¡±


    She said yfully, but Kalis¡¯s worried expression couldn¡¯t be resolved. Lina bit her pale lips and said.


    ¡°Are you saying that it¡¯s not possible? Then I will go alone.¡±


    ¡°Lina!¡± Eventually, Kalis looked at Lina and sighed, feeling defeated. He had a good grasp of her personality. She was the type of person who wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer. She would go through the window alone at night if she had to. She was a Saintess under the protection of Marquis Hon. If there was a problem with Lina¡¯s personal affairs, it would also affect him, and above all, today was thest day.


    ¡°Alright. Instead, we will just have a look ande right back.¡±


    Lina was excited and immediately stood up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s sneak out ande back secretly.¡±


    ¡°Sneak out?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fun! It¡¯s like in a movie.¡±


    ¡°What is a movie?¡±


    ¡°Well, do you know novels? It¡¯s like a y.¡±


    ¡°Is that a word in your world?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lina¡¯s eyes sparkled. She was a woman with a very unfamiliar smile. She came from a different world after all¡­ Kalis loved listening to her. He seemed enchanted.


    ¡°Tell me more about it.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The ce where you came from.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so¡­¡­¡±


    And so, Kalis left to tell the guard that he and Lina would go to the cier quietly.


    ***

 Chapter 10

    <h2>Chapter 10</h2>


    ****


    ¡°So, you can¡¯t get in touch with him after he went out?¡±


    Grand Duke Lesche Berg, asked the guard coldly. His eyes were bloody red as if he was about to cut people¡¯s heads off, and the guard who came to report the news bowed his head at Lesche¡¯s merciless gaze.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. All contact with Marquis Hon was cut off.¡±


    ¡°Are they insane? Have the Saintess and Marquis Hon go crazy together? Does he have any awareness that his wedding with Stern is two days away?¡±


    ¡°I believe that a blizzard struck suddenly and they lost their way.¡±


    As the guard said, there was a sudden blizzard two hours ago. The sun had already set and the darkness outside somehow seemed distressing. Lesche got up right away and said.


    ¡°Get a search team ready.¡±


    ¡°Sir Alliot is already preparing it.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ming.¡±


    ¡°What? Your Highness?¡± The guard said with a surprised look on his face.


    ¡°Now!¡± Lesche gritted his teeth and walked out of the office. He knew how important and dangerous the wedding with Stern was. Punctuality and cepliance. If one of them was vited, a Stern¡¯s divine power would explode like a firecracker in her body. Unable to ovee the shock, Stern would vomit blood and get injured, or die in more terrible cases.


    Because of that, Stern¡¯s wedding had to be in a designated ce. Since Lesche knew this, Kalis must have known it as well. He was chosen as Stern¡¯s man after all. Kalis, who had already ended the covenant ceremony at the temple, had to be more modest and quieter than anyone else until the wedding ended. He shouldn¡¯t have done what he did. Unless he had gonepletely insane, and it would be difficult to understand the intentions of Saintess from God.


    ¡°But he still went out.¡±


    Lesche thought that if he had known this, he would have knocked Kalis out the first day he came to the manor and put him in a temporary prison in the castle. Hence, something like this wouldn¡¯t happen. One of the few ces that could hold Stern¡¯s main altar was the Berg Castle. Although Berg¡¯s owner, Lesche, hated it, he had the bloody duty to administer it. Both annoyance and irritation rose up at the same time. Lesche called Linon and gave some instructions, then suddenly looked out the window. One short momentter, his forehead frowned. This was because Seria Stern was seen in a search team with a number of lit torches.


    ¡°Is Lady Seria Stern going with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Yes! Maybe she¡¯s worried about her fianc¨¦¡­.¡±


    ¡°Worry?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness¡­..¡±


    Lesche¡¯s office was on the second floor. And, like any knight, he had very good vision. It was not difficult to see that the deep blue eyes of Seria Stern were sunk in. It was strange indeed. Last year, he could see the arrogance in her eyes. It was the same with her attitude. She seemed to behave gracefully in front of the Grand Duke, but not with the others. The description about her, ¡®crazy foal circting in the social circles¡¯, was a perfect fit. Could a person who had been acting so audacious change like that in a year? Did she love Kalis that much? Would a person change that much when she¡¯s in love? Lesche had an iprehensible feeling.


    ¡°It¡¯s funny. If she was the same as before, she would let them freeze together while strutting Stern¡¯s insignia around.¡±


    It was harsh, but the guard didn¡¯t even panic. Lesche Berg was a watchman. When he hunted beasts, he would often swear.


    ¡°Tell Lady Seria Stern, she is not allowed to take a single step outside the castle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    The guard saluted and ran straight away. Lesche, wearing a thick fur cape over his armor, headed straight out in the snow.


    ****


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your wedding two days away?¡±


    It was the unwritten rule of designers to check on the wedding dresses until the day before the wedding. Designer Begonia, who was repairing her wedding dress, had already heard rumors. She looked very confused.


    ¡°This is the work I¡¯ve been most concerned with throughout this season, and because of this scandal¡­.¡±


    Scandal. Begonia described it as a scandal, but said that it was a rumor outside. Two days before the wedding, the young and handsome Marquis and the bright and beautiful Saintess both went to the cier on a winter night and disappeared.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Begonia was a designer who was very proud of her work. When Seria apologized carefully, Begonia slightly frowned her forehead.


    ¡°Why does the Lady apologize? Lady Seria, you may feel bad, but this is¡­ What is the difference between this from an affair?¡±


    Seria had nothing to say. She knew it was not her fault, but the shame was inevitable.


    ¡°Whether they are found or not, I don¡¯t really understand why they had to create such an uproar. How lowly they think of others besides themselves. Irregardless if they¡¯re a Saintess or a Marquis.¡±


    Begonia blurted out as if she was truly in a bad mood. Then, Abigail came in with a knock on the door. Her head, shoulders, and her cloak were all covered with white snow. The maid hastily brought Abigail a towel to wipe it off. After saying thank you, she wrapped her frozen hands in the towel.


    ¡°Did you find Kalis and Lina?¡±


    Seria looked at Abigail with some expectations, but she shook her head.


    ¡°The blizzard gets worse as it goes near the cier, so we couldn¡¯t get in further anymore. With one wrong turn, the whole team could get lost.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Half the search team returned to the castle, and the other half decided to set up barracks on the cier and stay overnight. As soon as the dayes, we will continue the search.¡±


    *****


    The search party was extremelyrge. Not only the high-ranking knights of Hon, who were in the Berg estate to attend the wedding joined it, but also the Knights of Berg. Begonia, who was listening quietly next to Seria, said, shaking her head.


    ¡°How deep did you go?¡±


    It felt like something wasing out from inside her. Seria pressed it down firmly and blinked her eyes, but Abigail suddenly used her cold hands to grab hers.


    ¡°My Lady. I have a message from Grand Duke Berg to you. Can I say it here?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yes.¡±


    Abigail smiled when Seria nodded. But in an instant, her smile faded. Suddenly her eyes shone brightly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tie that bastard up with a rope and throw him into the wedding hall even if there¡¯s no news of him until the day of the wedding, Seria Stern.¡± (*Abigail is mimicking Lesche¡¯s voice here~)


    Seria was shocked at the fact that Abigail was really reciting what she heard from Lesche. She even copied his tone and his deadly eyes.


    ¡°Lady Stern should be prepared in advance. The wedding will go on as scheduled no matter what.¡±


    When the solemn deration ended, Abigail¡¯s eyes returned to normal.


    ¡°That¡¯s what he said. I don¡¯t know why he said it so frightfully.¡±


    Seria nodded. She wondered why Lesche told her that much, because she knew she had to be in the wedding hall at the appointed time. She was repeatedly told about this at the temple. Stern¡¯s wedding was all about punctuality. Even if the guests believed the scandal of Kalis and Lina andughed at her and decided not to show up. Even if the wedding hall was empty, she had to stand at the altar.<i>¡®But¡­.¡¯</i>Somehow she felt something strange about Lesche¡¯s message.


    Suddenly, Begonia said, ¡°Come on, youngdy.¡± While holding her arm lightly. ¡°Since the Grand Duke had spoken so frighteningly, I want to do my best to prepare. It is not bad if the wedding is a littlete. All the guests will need time to appreciate this dazzling wedding dress.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    As Begonia was a person who paid a lot of attention to her work, she was being very considerate right now. However, Seria could only look out the window once after putting fifteen pieces of jewelry on her head. The outside was covered with white snow. The blizzard from the cier was still severe. She wondered if Kalis woulde back on time for the wedding? She prayed that he wouldn¡¯t bete. She couldn¡¯t fall asleep untilte that night.


    The next day.


    The search team did not return.


    The morning of the wedding day.


    Even then they didn¡¯t.


    ****


    ¡°The blizzard does not stop¡­.¡±


    Lina muttered over the window, listening to the sound of the blizzard raging. It wasn¡¯t like this at the beginning. Not long after they entered the cier, snow began to fall. It was dangerous when it snowed, so when Kalis said to go back, Lina was unsatisfied, but she could not help it. However, on the way back, the snow fell heavily, soon it turned into a blizzard. The two of them quickly lost their way in the pouring snow.


    After wandering for a while, they managed to find a cabin. The cier was vast, and the winter weather was vtile, so these cabins had been built here and there for a long time in Berg. There was also a map showing the location inside. Kalis was able to figure out where they were by looking at the map. He said with a serious face.


    ¡°We came in too deep. Have we truly wandered this far?¡±


    ¡°Did we get too far away?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. I¡¯m d we found this cabin.¡±


    Just in case, when they left the castle, Kalis brought food with them. Berg has been guarding the cier for a very long time, manuals and backpacks for cier inspections were always avable. Almost all of them were items to maintain body temperature. Even in the small cabin, dry firewood, a small stove, thick nkets, and beds to avoid the cold of the floor were provided along with preserved food. A blizzard shouldn¡¯tst all season. It was enough to hold on to it to sustain their lives. The problem was time. Kalis knew he had to go back to the castle on time somehow. If he didn¡¯t, he would feel irreparable regret.


    ¡°Lina¡­¡±


    ¡°Kalis¡­.?¡±


    Lina, who was sitting on the bed, widened her eyes when she saw Kalis put on his cloak.


    ¡°I have to go back to the castle.¡± He spoke.


    ***

 Chapter 11

    <h2>Chapter 11</h2>


    ****


    ¡°But there is a blizzard right now¡­.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t get hurt, I think I can somehow get through. Thanks to the map, I know where we are currently, and if I walk all the way in the right direction, I will meet with the search team.¡±


    Kalis¡¯s eyes were shining with determination.


    ¡°Lina, I know the number of this cabin, as soon as I meet the search team, I¡¯Il send them over here.¡±


    ¡°Are you leaving me here?¡±


    The cier was obscure on the outside, while the inside was like a vast sea. To be alone in a ce like this? Lina was frightened and trembled.


    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous to take you with me.¡±


    ¡°Do you have to go? It¡¯s your wedding, isn¡¯t it? Isn¡¯t it okay to postpone it for a day or two? Isn¡¯t it the wedding of the nobles?¡±


    Kalis spoke in a very heavy tone.


    ¡°To postpone a Stern¡¯s wedding is not okay. It¡¯s never okay, Lina.¡±


    Lina couldn¡¯t understand Kalis¡¯s words well. How was Stern¡¯s wedding different from those of other nobles?


    ¡°Then, when the blizzard stops a little, we can leave¡­Kalis?¡±


    Suddenly, Lina¡¯s eyes wide opened and called out nervously.


    ¡°Kalis!¡±


    As he wiped his mouth, his gaze wavered at the bright blood stains on the back of his hand.


    ¡°Are you alright? Why suddenly are you bleeding?¡±


    Kalis red at the red blood without answering and headed to the small window. When he opened the wooden window, one more vertical window appeared. As he opened it carefully, the snowy wind raged outside. He squinted his eyes as it was dark outside, but he was sure that the wedding was starting. He coughed and closed the window. He needed to go back somehow. Kalis, who was walking toward the door, suddenly sat down like a sick man with a broken leg.


    ¡°Kalis!¡±


    Following a series of coughs, blood spilled from his mouth. In that short time, Kalis¡¯s face was pale like wax. Lina somehow was able to pull him and put him on the bed, then covered him with a nket. She wasn¡¯t a doctor but just by looking at him, she could tell Kalis¡¯s condition was unusual. In the meantime, Kalis, who vomited more and more blood, muttered confusedly.


    ¡°Seria¡­.¡±


    At that moment, Lina¡¯s face was hardened. A constetion-like chain* emerged from Kalis¡¯s neck, and began to squeeze his throat.<i>(*It¡¯s not a physical ne but it¡¯s like a halo or a magic circle light suddenly appeared and tightened his neck.)</i>


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Lina closed her mouth with both hands. She didn¡¯t take a formal ss about Stern, but she learned it briefly when she took a doctrine ss from the priest. It was a sign of the oath made to Stern¡¯s covenant. But why was it choking Kalis?


    ¡°Kalis! Kalis!¡±


    Lina hurriedly tried to rip off the chain of light from his neck, but to no avail. Suddenly, blood dropped down from Kalis¡¯s face.


    *****


    The wedding hall on the day of the main ceremony was more beautiful than ever. The lights shone from the luxurious chandelier was dazzling. The red sash, which started from the entrance, wasid out to the altar, and at the edges, abundant flowers were ced in ss baskets to refresh the wedding hall. Divine insignia shone over the floating candles. Many priests who came here only for the wedding were gathered together like a choir. Their expressions were deep. Sighs of concern were asionally heard.


    Kalis didn¡¯te. In the wedding hall without the groom, Seria stood alone in front of the altar. Fortunately, the guest seats were full. No, actually she didn¡¯t know if it was fortunate or unfortunate. A bride, standing alone in an empty space, would have been aughingstock.


    The veil, which designer Begonia secured with a water droplet diamond pin, gently covered her face. As confident as she was, the wedding dress that she carefully touched up until the end of the day was extraordinarily beautiful. With the lighting of the wedding hall, special attention was added, and hundreds of multi-angle beads shone beautifully. Like this glowing wedding dress, golden vessels were ced on each side of the officiant¡¯s seat, shining brightly.


    In the golden bowls, the holy water was constantly dropping like a water clock. A month ago, during the covenant ceremony with Kalis at the temple, there was such a golden bowl. With the bowl of holy water in his hands, Kalis swore an oath to be Stern¡¯s man. The ceremony began when the holy water started to fall, and when it fellpletely, the ceremony would end. She was not sure why it needed such a time bomb. As she was looking at the golden bowl quietly, suddenly a scream was heard from behind.


    ¡°My Lady..? My Lady!¡±


    ¡°Lady Stern!¡±


    Btedly, Seria recognized that she was the target of the scream. As she looked down, all she could see was blood. As if it was poured out from a bucket, her shoes were covered in blood, then she burst out a cough. The white wedding gloves, which took two months for the designer Begonia to make, were stained with blood.


    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on.


    ¡°Lady Seria!¡±


    Abigail came running towards her but the priests grabbed her arms and held her back.


    ¡°No! You can¡¯t touch her!¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy? Thedy is covered in blood!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Stern¡¯s ritual! If you touch her and something goes wrong, her divine power might cause more harm.¡±


    The priests said nothing was wrong. Until the wedding was over, Stern could not be touched except for those who had finished the covenant ceremony. It was an unwritten rule. The same was true if an ident happened on the day of the wedding, and even if she seemed like dying from bleeding, no one could touch her. Because if there was a contact, her divine power could go wrong and she would go crazy. Now she understood the words of the priests, who had been demanding that the wedding be punctual.


    ¡°When is Marquis Honing?¡±


    ¡°Gather all of Stern¡¯s insignia! I¡¯ll do whatever I can with my divine power.¡±


    At some point, Seria was lying on the podium. Her head was dizzy. She thought she had somehow avoided the tragic ending of the original story, but was this how she¡¯s supposed to die? It couldn¡¯t be helped because Seria Stern was a viin? But she had never even disturbed the main characters. She had never even coveted them.


    <i>¡®I¡¯m still a viin. What did I do wrong?¡¯</i>


    Tears trickled down her cheeks. Heavy diamond essories and the long veil that were worn on her head fell down together. Even though her tangled hair hurt, the pain on the other side was greater. It was terribly painful, and even in the midst of pain, she knew clearly that she was going to die here. At Stern¡¯s wedding, which everyone envied, and the man who said he loved only her didn¡¯t evene. Everything felt like a skit.


    ¡°Ha! Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Grand Duke Berg!¡±


    Seria slowly perceived there was a lot of noise at the entrance, but there she was immovable on the floor. Blurrily, metal ted boots covered with white snow and mud came into her view. It came closer and closer. Then, he knelt down in front of her and removed the veil that was covering her face.


    ¡°No, your Highness!¡±


    ¡°You must not touch Lady Stern!¡±


    The cries of the priests deafened the ears.


    ¡°Is it going to solve any problem by watching her die?¡±


    Lesche shouted loudly and looked down at her.


    ¡°Seria Stern!¡±


    She looked up nkly at the man, who was shaking her body. He was not her fiance, Kalis Hon. A crumpled veil fell on the floor. He clenched his teeth and called her name as shey in a bloody wedding dress. Even his beautiful silver hair had some of the blood on it.


    ¡°Wake up. Do not die. Don¡¯t die, damn it!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t tell exactly what kind of expression he had while looking down at her. Her vision was unclear and out of focus.


    Lesche looked down at her bloody hands and rose from his seat. With a blurry vision, she can see him striding and dipping his hands in the holy water bowls ced on both sides of the altar.


    ¡°Get ready for the covenant.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Make it simple. Now!¡±


    The priest stiffened like stones and, as if possessed by something, he took out the Bible, read it, and put his hand on Lesche¡¯s forehead. A pure white light burst out. The steps were skipped, and simplified a lot, but the outline was simr to the covenant ceremony that Kalis had received. Linon ran over and handed Lesche white gloves. Then, he strode toward her, wearing the gloves on his hands. Suddenly, her body raised up, btedly she knew she was being hugged by him, Lesche Berg.


    ¡°Go ahead with the wedding!¡±


    She felt that people were thrashing around. The bloody veil was held in his hand once again.


    ¡°¡­.Thus, I pledge eternity to Stern, who is blessed by the Holy Spirit¡­¡±


    Suddenly, there seemed like a strange patterned circle of light was engraved on Lesche¡¯s neck. Perhaps because Seria was dying, she couldn¡¯t see anything clearly. She lost her consciousness like that.


    ****


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me so terribly. I want to live. I want to live. Don¡¯t kill me!¡±


    ¡°Stern! Seria Stern!¡±


    Seria woke up with a cold sweat all over her body. The familiar ceiling catched her eyes. It was the bedroom she had stayed in. Her eyes were wet. Did she cry in her sleep? She thought she had a nightmare, but she couldn¡¯t remember it well. As she rubbed her wet eyes with the back of her hand, a soft cloth fell on her forehead. It was a men¡¯s handkerchief.


    ¡°Use it to wipe your eyes.¡±


    Only then she turned and looked to the side. Clean silver hair. Dark, red eyes were seen through such long silvershes. It was Lesche Berg. Normally, she would have been surprised by seeing him at her bedside, but now she had no strength left. She was just dazed, perhaps because she had ovee her death. It felt like she was chewed up by a tsunami and washed ashore.


    ¡°¡­.Your Highness.¡±


    After all, as she in fact feared him for an entire year, Seria asked hesitantly.


    ¡°May I ¡­.y down?¡±


    ¡°Hah.¡±


    Lesche scoffed with a smirk.

 Chapter 12

    <h2>Chapter 12</h2>


    ****


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that you almost died. I won¡¯t tell you to get up, so lie down.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    After getting permission from Lesche, Seria felt a little morefortable. She lied still and closed her eyes, then, Lesche suddenly asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t understand your mind. What dream did you have that made you cry like that.¡±


    ¡°Did I cry?¡±


    ¡°Or why would I wake up a sleeping person?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I woke you up because you were crying.¡±


    Seria blinked slowly. ¡°I had a dream of dying.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of dying?¡±


    ¡°Is there anyone who is not afraid to die?¡±


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t afraid of that.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    Seria chuckled at the absurdity. How hard she had struggled to live.


    ¡°You mean that you normally acted fearlessly?¡± (*Lesche meant that all along she just acted like she was gutsy and unabashed.)


    For that, Lesche¡¯s voice felt a little softer than usual. Didn¡¯t they have a very long conversation just now? Usually, Lesche was a very difficult person to talk to. Suddenly, Seria remembered that she had forgotten something.


    ¡°What about Kalis?¡±


    Lesche looked cynical. He plunged into her bed, took the handkerchief and rubbed her forehead one after another as if he was wiping a ceramic vase.


    ¡°¡­.Your Highness? What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I wonder if you have a memory loss.¡±


    ¡°¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what happened at the wedding?¡±


    When someone was in too much pain, they just let go of their grip on reality. In other words, the memory Seria had before was blurred like a dream. She remembered the wedding hall vividly and how she fainted and cried because the pain became overwhelming. However, from then on, it was a blur.


    ¡°l ended the wedding.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seria knew she was married because she didn¡¯t die. However, she did not remember seeing Kalis at the end of the wedding. The only thing she remembered was Lesche Berg, who looked at her with his red eyes which she couldn¡¯t shake off the sight, and the cold air from his body. Wasn¡¯t that a dream?


    ¡°Did I¡­.marry you, Your Highness?¡±


    For a moment, Lesche didn¡¯t answer. As he looked at her, he slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seria blinked nkly. Iprehension, embarrassment, surprise. All kinds of emotions were mixed together and she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off Lesche. And Lesche never avoided her gaze.


    ¡°¡­Why?¡± Lesche clicked his tongue.¡±Should i just let you die and bring dishonor to the Berg estate? I would rather throw the knight¡¯s badge into theke.¡±


    It was short and clear, but it was a convincing statement. But there was one thing Seria couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°How did you know that I was going to die?¡±


    She remembered that she didn¡¯t say a word to Lesche that she was going to die. As a matter of fact, she couldn¡¯t say anything because she was in pain. However, there were many priests there. Their scream rang out at the wedding hall, so of course, everyone must have guessed there was a problem with her divine power. Lesche nced at her and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Am I the only one who knew?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Lady Stern.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Even if you kill Marquis Hon, you won¡¯t be held ountable.¡±


    A chill went up her spine. What a weird thing to say. She found it terrifying. Just wanted to be sure, Seria slowly asked Lesche with the hope that it wasn¡¯t what she thought.


    ¡°Did you mean that Kalis know that if he waste for the wedding, I might die?¡±


    Lesche looked away from her and said. ¡°Yes.¡±


    At that moment, her heart turned cold as if it was cut with ice. As a Stern, she didn¡¯t even know about it. Perhaps Kalis was the only one who knew. If so¡­.he knew she could be in danger, but he went out anyway and didn¡¯te back? Her hands, which were ced warmly under the nket, felt chilled. When she was barely able to hold her trembling hands, there was a knock at the door. After Lesche looked at her, Seria sat up.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    The one who opened the door was none other than Linon, the chief aide. He bowed his head and said.


    ¡°Your Highness. A call came from the temple. The High Priest will visit soon, but you shoulde and check it out.¡±


    ¡®The High Priest?¡¯ For a Stern, hearing about the High Priest wasn¡¯t that surprising. But that¡¯s just her position. To the criminals, he was a divine person with high-level existence. In addition, the High Priest would note out to other ces very often. But now he ising in person? Unlike her wide eyes, Lesche showed no signs of surprise. He just had a deep look with annoyance.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Lesche went out without looking back. He was tall and his stride seemed to be in a hurry. Linon, on the other hand, slowed down and quickly returned to see her as soon as Lesche left the bedroom.


    ¡°Lady Seria.¡±


    He called her name in a friendly way which was very unlike him, who usually called her Lady Stern instead. Linon said while rubbing his hands like a trembling subordinate.


    ¡°Truthfully, if I had a say in it, you know I should be addressing you as Great Duchess right? However, the Emperor¡¯s approval is necessary to officiate this marriage.¡±


    Officiallypleted? That was strange. Wasn¡¯t it a temporary marriage? A wedding made by Lesche Berg as a temporary measure to save her life. A wedding with no good reason to continue. She wasn¡¯t being pessimistic but it was a realistic understanding of the situation. Seria didn¡¯t know what expression she should make now. However, Linon¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    ¡°My Lady, I¡¯ve actually prepared a wedding gift for you¡­.¡±


    Linon was whispering softly, then shuddered suddenly. He looked just like a rabbit who sensed the presence of a predator. Seria quickly followed Linon¡¯s gaze, who looked out the door, but no one was there. Hisplexion turned pale and he bowed his head.


    ¡°I wille back to pick you up soon.¡±


    Then, without a chance for Seria to answer, he ran out quickly. In an instant, she was left alone in the bedroom, blinking at the confusion and emptiness. When she touched her arms without thinking, she shuddered at the pain. As she rolled up the sleeves of her fluffy pajamas, she could see her arms were all bandaged up.


    <i>¡®I almost died at the wedding.¡¯</i>


    Then she pulled the string and called the maids as her arms bled out as if the wound had ruptured. As the maids helped her wash the wound, she listened to them talk about people¡¯s reaction at her wedding. Seria had them preparedfortable clothes for her to go to meet the healing priest.


    ¡°It would be better to wear a cloak over this dress.¡±


    ¡°If you wear something with wide sleeves and tighten it properly with a ribbon, it will not interfere with your treatment¡­..¡±


    It happened just right after the maids had just taken out the appropriate dress out of the closet. Bang! The bedroom door flew open roughly.


    ¡°Seria! Seria Stern!¡±


    A man rushed in. Light brown hair and dark eyes. It was her fianc¨¦¡­Kalis Hon. It was that man. Berg¡¯s knights hurried to follow him, who finally showed up in the bedroom after one month.


    ¡°Marquis Kalis Hon! You shouldn¡¯te in here!¡±


    ¡°The Grand Duke told us not to let anyone enter without permission!¡±


    <i>¡®Why are there guards guarding my bedroom?¡¯</i>Seria thought to herself.


    While pondering, Seria noticed Kalis was in a terrible condition. It seemed like he had rolled in the snow, and there was a bandage on his forehead and his wrist. But aside from these things, his eyes that looked at her were burning strangely. Yes, he had something to say. After putting the shawl hanging from the bedside around her shoulders, Seria said.


    ¡°Everyone please leave, I have to talk to Marquis Hon.¡±


    She was going to threaten the knights if they said no, but surprisingly, they bowed their heads and went outside without any scuffles. Like a criminal, Kalis halted instantly and followed her words. The move was very different from his usual ones. It didn¡¯t seem like he minded it. Even the maids noticed, and the bedroom was deep in silence.


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    Kalis strode over and grabbed her shoulders. His eyes were burning with anger.


    ¡°How could you do this? How could you marry another man, the Grand Duke of Berg? Seri¡­.!¡±


    p!


    Kalis¡¯s cheek didn¡¯t turn as much as she expected. Her hand didn¡¯t have much strength. She was angry because he didn¡¯t know how miserable she was standing alone at the wedding hall.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t show¡­.¡±


    ¡°Seria¡­¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯te to our wedding!¡± She red at Kalis and said every word.


    ¡°I married another man? You did it yourself, Kalis. I would have died if it wasn¡¯t for the Grand Duke. I would have bled and died terribly. Because you didn¡¯te!¡±


    Her jaw tightened. ¡°What? You wonder how I know about it? You knew that I might die if you¡¯rete for the wedding. Wait, did you actually want me to die, that¡¯s why you went out with Lina?!¡±


    ¡°Seria, please¡­. It was an ident. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±


    ¡°It was an ident?¡± She clenched her teeth. ¡°Who would kill you if you didn¡¯t sneak out to the cier with Lina? It was just two days before the wedding, you went out to the cier where you knew idents ur frequently, and you call it an ident?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Kalis swept his face down with both hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Seria¡­.¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡±


    ¡°Seria. Seria, please.¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡±


    Kalis grabbed her hands hurriedly and started to beg.


    ¡°I was worried that you might get hurt, Seria. It¡¯s okay if you think it¡¯s an excuse. I even tried to leave when the blizzard was still raging. But I waste because I lost my consciousness at the door¡­.¡±


    Tears began to form in his ck eyes. ¡°You know you¡¯re the only woman I wanted to marry. The confession I made was not a lie. I really love you.¡±


    ****

 Chapter 13

    <h2>Chapter 13 Part 1</h2>


    Kalis¡¯s voice didn¡¯t reach her ears. Because¡­ It was because a strange force was felt from his hand, which Seria had held unintentionally for a long time. It was simr to the divine power in her body, but there was a strange difort, as if facing the same pole of a ma¡­Come to think of it, how was Kalis alive? At the wedding hall, she foreshadowed a sure death. And she had learned that Stern and Stern¡¯s spouse would have the same ending. Come to think of it, her wedding was a tragedy. She was on the verge of death, and he should have faced the same result. Although Lesche Berg saved her life, it was just only her. Kalis should have died in return for failing to keep the covenant. Or it should cause him to hurt as bad as she did, but no matter where she looked, Kalis seemed unhurt.


    In deep thought, she slowly realized, ¡°¡­.Kalis¡±. The ce, the time. Everything¡¯s already in ce. Kalis was the one who shared the sacred power with Stern, and there was no other Stern in this estate besides Lina. Since she was a God-sent holy woman, she could omit the holy water and the sacred water that was essential for the wedding.


    ¡°Are you married to Lina?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ****


    Before Kalis married her, they held a covenant ceremony officiated by the high priest.


    As a preliminary ritual for Stern¡¯s wedding, he had to immerse both hands in specially prepared holy water to be Stern¡¯s man. The covenant ceremony was like the bathing ritual. They were ready to get married, but that didn¡¯t mean they were tied up to each other right away. The step in which one truly connected with the other person was the official wedding. That was why Lesche was able to marry her immediately after a brief covenant ceremony. Same went for Kalis¡­He, who had already made a covenant, was also theoretically capable of marrying any Stern. Although usually there were just one or two Sterns on the continent, Lina was also a Stern.


    ¡°You chose to marry Lina¡­ I guess that¡¯s why you were alive. And in much better shape than I am.¡±


    ¡°..¡­¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t know what expression she had while looking at Kalis. However, since she was trembling with a sense of betrayal, she might have an awful look on her face.


    ¡°I was vomiting blood and didn¡¯t even think about anyone else but you until I was about to die. But you already had a temporary marriage with Lina to live.¡±


    What has she been waiting for? Who was she waiting for? Seria slowly swept her face with both hands. She slowly swept her hands across her face. Along with the sensation of her frail and fatigued areas being firmly pressed down by the flesh of her hands, she felt a flickering of white. Then it wasplete darkness. Immediately after, Kalis¡¯s wavering eyes came clearly into focus.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste the time I have already spent liking you, Kalis.¡±


    Kalis¡¯ face was shocked, then he spoke in a pleading tone.


    ¡°Seria, you can be mad at me. But my marriage was a temporary marriage, and you married the Grand Duke temporarily too. Am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s divorce¡ªboth of us will get divorce and get married again.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the grandest wedding ever. We can start from the beginning. We have time, so¡­..¡±


    ¡°Time?¡±


    She red into Kalis¡¯ swaying eyes.


    ¡°All you need is time?¡± Even if she has time now, what¡¯s the point of that? Seria wondered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lost my heart to you, but you need time?¡±


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    She shook off Kalis¡¯ hand that was still holding her tightly, and left the bedroom barefoot with only slippers. It was something she would never do normally. Seria was a viin, but she was a perfect aristocrat, and she didn¡¯t want to change at once and get suspicious. But at this moment she felt it was useless to keep up with such things. She almost died even though she had been trying to live nicely.


    <i>¡®What have I been looking for?¡¯</i>


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    Kalis chased after her and grabbed her by the wrist. His grasp was too strong to resist.


    ¡°Let go!¡±


    Then the knights, who were still watching the situation with serious faces at the door, grabbed his arms and sped them. Kalis, who was caught in an instant, eximed in anger.


    ¡°What are you doing right now? Don¡¯t you know who I am? Let go of me right now!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Marquis.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Kalis looked at her with both of his arms being held. However, Seria turned and ran down the hall without looking back at him, who was once her fiance.


    *****<h2>Chapter 13 Part 2</h2>


    ****


    The corridor was very cold. Seria grabbed her shawl and sighed as she walked down the long corridor. She wondered what she would be doing now if the wedding had gone ahead as it was originally intended.


    <i>¡®I would have been busy,¡¯</i>she thought,<i>¡®getting ready to attend the reception for the nobles who attended the wedding.¡¯</i>She must have been all over the ce now. Obviously, none of that mattered now.


    The wedding ceremony was with Lesche, but the reception was really to be held in the name of Kalis and her. Would Lesche take the ce of Kalis in the reception that has another man¡¯s name on it? hical or not, it was Lesche¡¯s nature. Having thought so far, she was able to make her next n. Lesche Berg must have helped her for a reason. Then she shall ask him why and decide what to doter.


    <i>¡®There¡¯s nothing original about it.¡¯</i>


    She didn¡¯t know anymore. Even after she died and came back to life, it didn¡¯t change what she had seen and done.


    She couldn¡¯t meet Lesche in her current state. She was wearing slippers and a shawl on a white pajama. Besides, her arms had been hurting slowly. When she rolled up her long sleeve pajamas, the bandage was smudging with more blood than before.


    ¡°Blood keepsing out.¡±


    The pain came btedly and she frowned. She forgot to change the bandage because Kalis came in like a storm. In order to change to other clothes, she would have to return to her bedroom. But no matter how much she thought about it, Kalis would be waiting in front of her bedroom. And she didn¡¯t want to run into him now. The feeling of Kalis¡¯ betrayal was too much to bear.


    <i>¡®Shall I go through the window?¡¯</i>


    The only way to get back to the bedroom without running into Kalis was through the window. While contemting, she looked for a window in the hallway. As usual, there was a window in a castle. As she took a step, she came across a familiar face.


    ¡°Huh, My Lady!¡±


    It was Linon, the chief aide. He looked at her outfit and gave her a scolding.


    ¡°Do you think we live in the warm southern region of the country? Winter in the center region is such a ruthless season¡­.¡±


    Linon hurriedly tried to take off his coat to cover her, but stopped midway. As if frozen in ce, he started mumbling and rambling on.


    ¡°My Lady? Come to think of it, I¡¯m actually weaker than I thought¡­. If I were to catch a cold, half of Berg estate would be paralyzed so I doubt that ¡­.¡± (*He meant if he gets sick, no one will take care of the business at Berg.)


    ¡°Who asked you to take it off?¡±


    ¡°But if you catch a cold, I¡¯ll be in trouble again.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­You are so unique.¡±


    In the original story, Linon was described as a great talent several times. He was a senior graduate of the Altair Academy, which was difficult to enter and even harder to get a diploma. And Lesche Berg, who has such talent as an assistant, was really amazing.


    ¡°First of all, Lady Seria, please go back and reassemble your attire. Then we¡¯ll go to the main castle together. My master¡¯s work should have been done by now.¡±


    ¡°Did His Highness call me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡± She asked Linon, pretending not to know.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a lot to say to His Highness?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re a mind reader. Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°I hear that a lot.¡±


    Linon followed her with a grin. She couldn¡¯t go through the window with the chief aide of the Grand Duke in herpany. However, she was not willing to appear weak in front of Linon, who was not even close to her.


    <i>¡®What to do if I feel ufortable to see Kalis?¡¯</i>


    She wanted Kalis to be away from the bedroom, but¡­


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    As expected, he was still waiting in front of her bedroom. Standing in front of the door with his arms crossed and a hard look on his face, he passed her and headed toward Linon, who walked next to her. Kalis¡¯s face got cold rapidly.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Linon looked puzzled.


    ¡°What do you mean? Isn¡¯t it a gentleman¡¯s duty to escort a Lady?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯ll escort her from here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Marquis. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a world where people would fight if their partners at the dance get taken away. I can¡¯t fight with Marquis, can I?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Kalis, who understood Linon¡¯s words, his face hardened. Linon was not a knight. In other words, he couldn¡¯t duel on par with Kalis, who was appointed as a knight. Instead, if there was a duel, Lesche would have to fight on behalf of Linon.


    Wouldn¡¯t that be a devil¡¯s gift? It was Linon¡¯s talent for making ridiculous logic sound like it made sense. Still, if Kalis was a sane aristocrat, he should step down at this point.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the condition to escort Seria, I¡¯m willing toply.¡±


    ¡°Marquis? Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m ready for a duel now?¡±


    Kalis¡¯s voice contained an irresistible nervousness. It must be directed at Seria. In fact, he kept looking at her. It wasn¡¯t even funny. However, she decided not to pay him any attention.


    ¡°Wait here, Linon.¡±


    ¡°Seri¡­¡±


    ¡°I have to change my clothes.¡±


    Kalis stepped back without talking any further. And Linon bowed his head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll as you wish, My Lady.¡±


    She walked in without looking back, then pulled on the string and called the maids. After quickly putting on afortable indoor dress with a cape, She seriously thought about going out through the window once again. However, her arms were in pain, so she just opened the door and walked out.


    ¡°Seria, let¡¯s walk together. Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    Kalis stood in front of her as if he had been waiting.


    ***

 Chapter 14

    <h2>Chapter 14</h2>


    Completely unknown to her, Kalis was actually unaware of what to do. However, there was a sense of divine power faintly lingered in him. She felt sick when she thought that this was a sign of his connection with Lina.


    ¡°Kalis.¡±


    She just called his name, but Kalis¡¯s face brightened a little. She looked at him and said, ¡°I keep feeling the divine power of another Stern from you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°Should I speak more harshly in front of Linon?¡±


    It was a sarcastic remark but Kalis seemed to understand right away. Like a ve trying to hide the stigma he was engraved on. Yes, that expression was right. With such a gesture, he made a painful expression, pressing down on his chest.


    ¡°Seria, I¡­.¡±


    Then his pupils shook weakly. It was right in front of her, so she could see the small shaking. However, before she could ask ¡°What is it?¡±, a sound was heard that rang faster than her intended question.


    ¡°Kalis! Here you are!¡±


    She felt lucky that she didn¡¯t have to converse with him. Lina¡¯s voice filled the hall.


    ***


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll send this official letter instead.¡±


    After finishing speaking, a guard bowed and went out. There was Lesche, sitting in the office and tapping on the big desk. He was thinking about the visitation of the High Priest. It was different from other important visits. Although there was little alienation about this, as he was the owner of Berg, who was visited by different people every winter.


    Furthermore, it had been quite a while since the High Priest visited the central castle. There was no more dy. Originally, he was going to go right after finishing hisst cier inspection this winter as Berg¡¯s owner, and hosting Stern¡¯s wedding, but the work was tangled. It was then when Leche frowned his forehead.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    A careful knock was heard, and a patissier of the castle came in. What he brought was none other than a big cake.


    ¡°The cake is ready and I brought it to show you.¡±


    Patisa, who put the cake down on the table, carefully opened the silver lid. Lesche frowned and looked at the huge cake. It was not something to treat the nobles who were currently staying in the castle. In the first ce, he didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with it, and above all, this cake had a rough appearance. Shortly afterward, Lesche, who sent the cake back, went out of the office.


    ¡°Where is Linon?¡±


    The knight who was guarding the door bowed his head and answered.


    ¡°He went to Lady Stern¡¯s v, but it¡¯s been a while. Should I send someone to get him?¡±


    <i>¡®Why did he go there?¡¯</i>Lesche wondered and recalled Linon¡¯s twinkling eyes when he looked at Seria.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ****


    Lina was injured quite a lot. She was on a Knight¡¯s back. It was an easy guess that her feet were injured as bandages were wrapped thickly around them.


    <i>¡®¡­Can¡¯t she walk?¡¯</i>


    The time and ce required for Stern¡¯s wedding werebined, but almost everything else was omitted. No matter how much of a saint she was, Lina did not seem to be burdened at all. What happened to her (Seria) must have been paid by Lina. It had nothing to do with her. The drama in front of her bedroom was absurd, but what could she do? So Seria tried to get past them. No matter what kind of conversation the two would have, it didn¡¯t matter to her anymore. She thought so until Kalis grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°Kalis?¡± Seria called out.


    Lina¡¯s eyes widened at the sight, but he didn¡¯t even look at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lina. I have to talk to Seria, so I¡¯d like you to go rest.¡±


    Lina¡¯s eyes widened. Tears seemed to soon fill her eyes, but she didn¡¯t cry. Surprisingly, she only spoke with her voice that contained her good-natured personality.


    ¡°Yes, I see. I¡¯m going. I¡¯m sorry for interrupting you, but I came here because I wanted to talk to your fianc¨¦e¡­¡±


    Lina gave Seria a desperate look, then she asked the guard who was carrying her on his back.


    ¡°Hey, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Saintess?¡±


    ¡°Get a little closer, please, to Kalis¡¯s fianc¨¦e, no, Lady Seria¡­.¡±


    At Lina¡¯s request, the guard hurriedly stepped closer to Seria. And she thought if the person standing here was the real Seria, it would have been very upsetting. The knight was of course taller than her, so Seria naturally looked up at Lina on his back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t me Kalis too much, Seria. I wanted to go out on the cier, but I never knew there would be a blizzard¡­.¡±


    She just looked at Lina without saying a word, but she was the only one who could answer now. As Seria¡¯s silence grew longer, even the knight was breathing carefully.


    ¡°Lina.¡±


    She called Lina by her first name just like Lina had called her. If you don¡¯t call someone by their first name when you¡¯re close, it¡¯s rude.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that Kalis was my fiance?¡±


    ¡°I know! Of course I knew it! But Kalis is my precious friend, so I just wanted to make a beautiful memory for thest time¡­¡±


    Lina was crying now.


    <i>¡®Since he¡¯s a precious friend, makest memories.¡¯</i>


    There were many sarcastic remarks. Seria felt like burning up.


    ¡°Good. So you¡¯ve made all those memories, now you won¡¯t see Kalis again?¡¯


    ¡°Yes, Seria¡­¡±


    ¡°I want you to swear on the star of Stern in front of me that finally, you made a good memory, so you won¡¯t see Kalis again.¡±


    Lina¡¯s eyes widened. Her pretty eyes drooped down in tears. She looked at Kalis with her eyes as if she was in a rtionship that was forcefully separated. And she looked at Seria again with her eyes shaking aimlessly.


    ¡°I¡­.I¡­.¡±


    The guard carrying Lina, who was unintentionally caught between her and Lina, lowered his eyes. He didn¡¯t talk, but it seemed like he felt sorry for Lina. Was it because it was like watching the viin torment a good main character? And that her, Seria, was the viin?


    But she endured as much as she could. She didn¡¯t scream or get angry. The reason why she could maintain such a reason in this situation was because of the fear of words. The original Seria was decapitated by Kalis for bullying Lina. Like in this situation. Was it because she was scared that her hands were getting colder and colder? Btedly, she realized that she had forgotten the wounds that were bleeding again. She had forgotten a few times. She forgot the pain because there were continuous bomb-like characters kept showing up.


    ¡°Hic hic¡­.¡±


    Lina was now beginning to cry. There was no sign of stopping her tears. Seria couldn¡¯t stand here indefinitely. Lina was on the knight¡¯s back, and Kalis was a strong person. Although Seria¡¯s body was strong, the opened wounds had to be treated quickly. When she tried to say that she felt sick and needed to go to the main castle, Lina came down from the back of the knight. Then she held her skirt with her trembling hands and bowed to Seria. This was the waydies would greet each other.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. In the name of the saint, I officially apologize¡­.Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Lina!¡±


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    Lina copsed. Before the guard, who was assisting her, was shocked and reached out, Kalis grabbed Lina first and helped her up. Then, he handed Lina over to the guard and pulled Seria¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°Seria¡­.Hey, can you stop now?¡±


    Kalis looked distressed.


    ¡°She can¡¯t even walk, so stop pushing her. This is about you and me. There¡¯s no reason to be so narrow minded to a Saintess who knows nothing.¡±


    ¡°Kalis, you mean¡­..¡± She took her eyes off him and said. ¡°Anyway, do you want to keep seeing the Saintess?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡±


    ¡°If not then what?!¡±


    ¡°What the hell¡­ What¡¯s wrong with you, Seria? You weren¡¯t this petty before!¡±


    If a person¡¯s eyes would burst with high blood pressure, she would have lost both eyeballs today. She was embarrassed. It was her true feelings. The situation was embarrassing and humiliating, and even her hand got cold. Her fiance got married to another woman, and she passed out after she had personally apologized to her. The man who used to be her fiance got angry at her for being intolerant while he carefully lifted Lina up. Wouldn¡¯t it have been better if there were only the three of them? However, there were knights and Linon here. Some passing nobles also stopped at a distance when they saw the scene.


    She was angry. She couldn¡¯t understand this situation where she was the only one who didn¡¯t ept Lina and Kalis¡¯s sincere apology, and she felt wronged. If Seria Stern had been a little less firm, she might not be able to control her emotions and probably even shed tears. It was also terrible that Kalis forgot about her pain and didn¡¯t let go of her wrist.


    ¡°Just let go of my wrist, Marquis Hon.¡± She said, staring at Kalis.


    ¡°Instead of bing your Lady, I will not see the Marquis forever from today.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really going to end it¡­.?!¡±


    Kalis expressed his anger momentarily, naturally giving strength to his hand. It happened to be where her wound was. Feeling the pain, she frowned. Then, the knight spoke.


    ¡°Marquis Hon, please step back.¡±


    When she tried to stop him, she could hear a low voice in her ears.


    ¡°She said let go.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know how, but at some point, she stumbled because she couldn¡¯t ovee the momentary reaction. However, Kalis missed her, and the person who caught her, spoke.


    ¡°Marquis Hon, are you deaf?¡±


    It was Lesche Berg. In an instant, the corridor became quiet. Kalis stared at the Duke, and the Duke also responded without a hitch. The eternal confrontation ended unexpectedly simply. Lesche, who held her arm lightly, bowed his head with a frown.


    ¡°My Lady, I think your wound broke.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. My wounds opened again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to take you to the priest.¡±


    Lesche tried to take her to the main castle without hesitation, If only Kalis hadn¡¯t clenched his teeth.


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll escort Lady Stern.¡±


    Lesche raised his eyebrows, then asked with a distinctly displeased voice.


    ¡°Why would you?¡±


    ****

 Chapter 15

    <h2>Chapter 15</h2>


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting to escort her. So¡­.¡±


    ¡°Lady Seria.¡± Lesche decisively cut Kalis¡¯s speech. Then, Lesche looked at her and asked. ¡°It¡¯s better for you to choose. Who would you like to escort you to the Castle?¡±


    Seria put her hand on Lesche¡¯s arm without any hesitation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be imposing on you, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°None at all.¡± Lesche said, smiling faintly.


    Seria didn¡¯t know why he was smiling.


    ¡°Such a thing is unnecessary between a married couple.¡± Lesche spoke casually.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Married couple?!¡±


    After hearing that sentence, Kalis¡¯s face hardened.


    Seria turned her head away from looking at him.


    Knowing that Kalis and Lina would be watching, until the end, she struggled to walk like an elegant noblewoman. When she had walked far enough to be out of their sight, she finally rxed. Just then Lesche opened his mouth.


    ¡°Your hand is cold.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been out for a long time, that¡¯s why.¡±


    ¡°Linon,¡± Lesche called out to him as he followed behind them.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you been here all this time? You could have given her your jacket.¡±


    ¡®<em>Does he think I¡¯m some kind of jacket collector¡­?¡¯</em>She couldn¡¯t help but giggle.


    Linon made a polite excuse.


    ¡°I really wanted to take off my jacket and cover Lady Seria. Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t because I would catch a cold, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°From now on you must bring with you two jackets.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Seria ended up bursting intoughter. It wasn¡¯t long before she was in her element. After she had been treated and bandaged by the Priest, she asked Lesche, in a more rxed mood.


    ¡°Your Highness, would you be so kind as to treat me to a cup of tea?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you usually treat me to a cup of tea?¡± Lesche asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My ce is upied by someone.¡±


    ¡°Should I drive them out?¡±


    ¡°Even if they are Marquis Hon? I¡¯m sure they will faint one after another. Don¡¯t trouble yourself, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never felt troubled.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the office.¡±


    ¡°The office?¡±


    She was a little puzzled. Seria Stern came to the Berg estate almost every winter to inspect the ciers. Lesche had a cup of tea with Seria on the first day. Well, of course, their interaction was literally over after drinking tea. In the original story, and in some of the memories left in Seria¡¯s body, it appeared that she had never had much conversation with him. It was the first time in her life that she came to his office. Sitting face to face with Lesche on the sofa on one side, she first bowed her head.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡± She tried to get up and knelt down, but she failed to do so because Lesche raised her up quickly. He lifted her up like a paper doll.


    ¡°Lady Stern, did you hurt your head?¡±


    He was looking at her as if she was a maniac.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt my head.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been out of my mind so far¡­¡±


    The wedding, which was ruined by the secret outing between Kalis and Lina.The sudden wedding with Lesche Berg, and so on. After all the chaos and confusion, she finally had a decent idea of what was going on. Infact, she hadn¡¯t thanked him properly yet.


    ¡°Thank you for saving my life. Thank you very much.¡±


    It was true that she owed him her life. In other words, Lesche Berg was now her benefactor. Usually, people say they will return the favor in the name of their family, but unfortunately, Seria did not get along very well with Marquis Kellyden. So it would be better to say that there was no family.


    ¡°Your Highness, as you know, I isted myself from my own family, Kellyden, and I will return your favor with everything I can¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­?¡±


    Lesche looked at her with a frown and pulled her by the arm. He made her sit right next to him.


    ¡°What kind of influence is this strong?¡±


    Lesche asked, and before she could answer, he spoke.


    ¡°Are you really Seria Stern?¡±


    ¡°¡­What? Of course I am.¡±


    She was shocked by the unexpectedly urate question, but fortunately she answered in a calm tone. The male lead was the male lead after all. She was left with the awkward memories of the original Seria, but it was strange to see how good he was at words that made her feel guilty even if it was a joke. Lesche asked, as he looked carefully at her face.


    ¡°Did you change your soul with a Saint?¡±


    ¡°What¡­. Absolutely not.¡±


    That much she could assure him. When Lesche heard her answer, he just stared into her eyes, not knowing what to think, as if not being able to shake off his doubts. At that time, she felt sleepy so she gave strength to her eyes and looked at Lesche.


    <em>¡®This guy¡­.He¡¯s really handsome.¡¯</em>


    The first time she possessed Seria, the thought she used to have while adapting was that it was really strange to see the characters from a novel she had read, live and move in front of her eyes.


    She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him for a while. Before the heroine Lina appeared, the original characters she could meet were limited, but she still thought the male lead, Lesche, was really fascinating. He was just like the description in the novel. Dark red eyes that seem to have blood in them. They¡¯re cold and sharp, and maybe there was even a triple vision, the expressionless Lesche was intimidating, and made her hands break out in cold sweat.


    However, other parts were also faithfully following the description of the male protagonist in the novel. He had a perfect appearance. A blessed height of 190cm, long arms and legs, perfect shoulders. An innate build conveying its sturdiness even from beneath his garments. Obviously, there¡¯s a reason why Lesche¡¯s name has been the main conversation topic of many aristocratic women even though most of the time he was barely even present at the Imperial capital.


    Seria suddenly broke into a cold sweat. The male protagonist whose fate was to remain society¡¯s center of attention till the day he dies, had asked for her hand in marriage in order to save her. This truth reached her down to the very bones. The first marriage of the Grand Duke, who was the only one in the Glick Empire¡­


    ¡°¡­I will do my best not to block your marriage path.¡±


    ¡°My marriage path?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the first woman who cares about my marriage path.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything bad. Of course, Your Highness could always set fire to thedies¡¯ hearts even if you¡¯re married many times or even in a courtship.¡±


    ¡° ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡±


    Lesche was now frowning his forehead and spoke.


    ¡°Do you see me as a womanizer?¡±


    Surprised at his question, Seria widened her eyes.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Truly.¡±


    She felt awkward. She had never really thought Lesche was that kind of person. He didn¡¯t look like that, and he had no past or future with other women besides Lina in the original story. Though, she thought it was a waste.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± she opened her mouth hesitantly in fear of hurting Lesche¡¯s feelings again. ¡°Does it offend you when I say while we¡¯re temporarily married, I will do my best for the Berg estate as a Stern?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Are you against it?¡±


    <em>¡®Should I have just kept my mouth shut?¡¯</em>She thought.


    Lesche asked while looking at her with a serious expression.


    ¡°Why is Lady Stern so wary of me?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ve never cut back on your budget. I¡¯ve never given you any probation.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡±


    Seria wasn¡¯t really afraid of Lesche, but she was afraid of his position. The male protagonist. The problem was that Seria, the viin, who was intertwined with the heroine¡¯s man and politics, was horribly murdered because it was the story of the novel. So she decided to be honest.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you.¡±


    ¡°If not, then?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness is a man of high status, so I¡¯m just being careful.¡±


    ¡°And yet you yelled at Marquis Hon and his status is quite high as well.¡±


    She coughed in vain as Lesche continued.


    ¡°I thought you were trying to kill the Marquis.¡±


    Seria couldn¡¯t control her expression at the moment. she didn¡¯t know exactly what kind of expression she made, but Lesche smiled lightly. Then, he let go of her arm, which he had been holding all along, and leaned his back against the sofafortably.


    ¡°The Treasurers will be pleased to hear that Lady Stern will do her best.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll work hard.¡±


    As Lesche said, the Treasurers of the Berg estate had always expected a massive expense every winter. He¡¯s always paid keen attention to Stern¡¯s work. It was an inevitable fact that a Stern had toe to the Berg estate every winter to help with cier inspection. It was an obligation, so the Stern should not vite her duty. However, the duration of the visit was entirely at Stern¡¯s discretion. In extreme cases, this meant that there was nothing that could stop her from helping the inspection for one day and then leaving. For this reason, all the noble families in the Berg estate were busy trying to please Stern. If she asked her room to be decorated with gold, she would get one right away. Of course no one wanted Stern to go that far.


    However, winter in Berg estate was severe. It was only natural, since the magicalke that embraced the northern part of the country made it so harsh that it was uninhabitable. It was better to go to the warm and morous South for winter socialising than to visit the ciers in such a cold ce. Inevitably, winter in Berg became the season of Stern. The warehouse was always packed with expensive items so that Stern wouldn¡¯t leave early. This includes food. Every day the table was filled with meals as hot and sumptuous as that of the royal family who sometimes visited the Grand Duchy.


    <em>¡®Honestly, the food was good.¡¯</em>

 Chapter 16

    <h2>Chapter 16</h2>


    Originally, the townhouse in the imperial capital where Seria stayed was a temple building. Therefore, it was difficult to decorate it morously, and the food only appeared as ¡°three divine meals¡±, but the taste wasn¡¯t so good. So much so that she suspected the reason that the original Seria went out every day was to hunt for good food.


    The food at Berg Castle was a new world to her. She ate all the fancy food every day. She had to eat a good amount of calorie-rich food because she had to walk around the cold cier every day. Since she has promised to do her best as a Stern and there¡¯s still plenty of winter left.


    ¡°Your Highness. I¡¯m going to start checking the cier tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do inspection for a while.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to be the temporarydy of the castle. The High Priest will be arriving at the castle in four days. ¡±


    ¡°That was quick? Ah¡­Did you perhaps teleportation?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It¡¯s not like he was reporting that the High Priest died. Why would he use something so precious? But when she thought about it carefully, she apuded his decision. From the High Priest¡¯s point of view, all the news in thest few days in Berg¡¯s estate would have been like strikes of lightning. Seria Stern, who was scheduled to marry Marquis Hon, suddenly married the Grand Duke of Berg. In addition, Saintess Lina was suddenly married to Marquis Hon ¡­ Wait a moment. Something felt weird? Did the temple know that Lina and Kalis were married?


    ¡°Your Highness.¡± Seria asked carefully. ¡°Do you know that Marquis Hon and Saintess Lina took vows of marriage?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡±


    ¡°¡­.How?¡±


    ¡°As soon as Marquis Hon returned, he requested a divorce. You were unconscious, so you wouldn¡¯t have known.¡±


    Lesche frowned his forehead. ¡°If you want to hear more details, ask yourdy knight.¡±


    Seria raised her head to the sudden popping out of Abigail¡¯s name.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about why your knight hasn¡¯te to see you?¡±


    ¡± Abigail?¡±


    Actually, Seria wasn¡¯t really curious. Because Abigail was an assassin and she always had ces to go. She was sure that Abigail was needed somewhere else again this time. However, this time Seria almost died, so why was she not by her side? Where did she go? After seeing her expression changed in response to her thoughts, Lesche spoke.


    ¡°Go and see her after work. I¡¯ll let Alliot go with you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Your Highness.¡±


    She thought it¡¯s probably not a big deal, or Lesche wouldn¡¯t be so calm¡­.. Actually, no. She thought this man would still be this calm even if Abigail¡¯s head got cut off.


    <em>¡®I¡¯ll have to go ahead and check it out.¡¯</em>


    Seria nodded and stepped out of Lesche¡¯s office.


    <em>¡®As soon as Kalis returned, he requested a divorce.¡¯</em>


    Seria recalled what Lesche had said earlier. If Kalis wanted a divorce, why Lina was still so happy when she saw him a while ago? For some reason, she had a feeling that Lina did not know about the divorce. Everyone knew about the divorce, but why didn¡¯t Lina know? And if Lina knew about this, wouldn¡¯t she be shocked?


    <em>¡®If she does¡­ How will it y out?¡¯</em>


    <strong>3. Deteriorated reception</strong>


    Seria didn¡¯t know Abigail was imprisoned. She touched her forehead in concern.


    <em>¡®To throw punches at ten knights under Kalis¡¯smand¡­.¡¯</em>


    Abigail refused to borate, so Seria was unable to hear the details of what had happened. However, when she pursued Alliot (Angel), who had followed her, and saw him shaking his head from side to side, she was able to get a rtively detailed description of the circumstances at the time.


    Here¡¯s the story.


    By the time Kalis finally returned from the cier, Abigail was already angry. However, Kalis¡¯s status was too high for her to throw punches. At herst thread of patience, she knocked out Kalis¡¯s ten knights.


    <em>¡®Bibi is like a bulldozer.¡¯</em>She sighed deeply.<em>¡®That¡¯s a grave insult to Marquis Hon.¡¯</em>


    Kalis was the man who ruled Hon in the west. Of course, the western provinces were tightly held by Seria¡¯s family, the Kellyden, but the western territory itself was very prosperous. Therefore, Kalis was very high in status, so the charge of the insult was more severe. Alliot (Angel)forted her.


    ¡°Actually, what Lady Abigailmitted was a crime. It was not a knightly duel, but almost a riot. Isn¡¯t that enough to be kicked out of the imperial banquet?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll get out of jail in a few days anyway.¡±


    ¡°But the prison is too cold. What if she dies freezing?¡±


    ¡°You think Lady Abigail will freeze to death? Lady Seria¡­.Are you seriously thinking that?¡±


    Alliot (Angel) made a strange expression as he questioned her, which weirdly made Seria relieved.


    ¡°As soon as Abigail is released, we will bring her the warm beef soup and the thickest and finest cloak.¡±


    ¡°I will carry it for you, mydy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Alliot. You¡¯re very nice. You¡¯re like an angel.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a very pleasing expression for a knight to be called an angel.¡±


    Every day in her mind, she praised him as an Angel.


    ¡°I sincerely ask you to stop calling me that.¡±


    Eventually, she decided to call him Alliot again. Suddenly, there was a voice heard as they walked diligently outside the basement of the prison.


    ¡°Lady Seria! You are here!¡±


    ¡°Linon?¡±


    Linon, Lesche¡¯s chief aide. He rushed over with heavy stacks of papers in his hands. Maybe it¡¯s a joke to say that he was weak, but his breathing seemed like a person who would soon die.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­. Ugh. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°What is that document? Is it for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Ugh¡­. Yes.¡± Linon, who barely took his breath, quickly


    answered.


    ¡°It is almost the expected time for the High Priest to arrive at the estate. As such, all decorations used for the year end party must be removed.¡±


    Seria asked what she heard for the first time.


    ¡°Year end party?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Didn¡¯t you hear it from His Highness? Wasn¡¯t there a reception scheduled?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The reception was scheduled following the wedding of her and Kalis.


    ¡°It¡¯s a waste to throw away all the food and flowers that I had prepared, and there are many nobles at the castle.¡±


    ¡°When is the party?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°After tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the High Priesting in four days?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But why are you telling me this?¡±


    ¡°I guess you really don¡¯t know but the Hostess of the castle is in charge of it.¡±


    She was puzzled for a moment.The castle the High Priest visits must be unconditionally andpletely solemn. It was customary. Banquets are absolutely prohibited. Not even small parties are allowed. The number of food items cannot exceed three. In other words, after decorating the castle to hold the year end party, it must be necessary to remove all those decorations and put on a simple and clean cloth immediately before the arrival of the high priest, and then erase all traces of the party. It goes without saying that neat, fresh, and small dishes should be prepared to serve the High Priest and hispanions.


    ¡°You want me to do all that in four days?¡±


    Linon looked at her and continued.


    ¡°As a temporary hostess, mydy will have to work hard on all of these things¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot of work, right? But surely His Highness said that Lady Seria is willing to do everything¡­¡±


    Linon¡¯s creeping voice was reced with the words Lesche said earlier, like an illusion.


    <em>¡°I¡¯d like you to be the temporary hostess of the castle.¡±</em>


    Right. She almost forgot that Lesche was a man of strategy. He had allotted her to do something like this. She actually preferred this clean transaction method, because she was ufortable receiving his help with the marriage for free. It would be a bit scary if Lesche Berg had done something nice for no reason.


    Suddenly her mind started to get busy. This is a retribution. Yes, repayment is not easy. She scanned through the thick paperwork, but there were more things to do than she thought, it¡¯s probably because the castle was so big. She moved quickly, tapping her feet. It waste at night when the work was done. The food for the reception party was checked, the wine and silverware stored in the warehouse, as well as the white tablecloths. As she was busy looking for flowers and curtains for the big table, she remembered that the covers for chairs and sofas also needed to be reupholstered, this gave her a chance to explore the cer of the castle.


    ****


    <em>¡®Afterwards, Alliot gave me a piggyback ride.¡¯</em>


    She was going around on her feet, but Linon and Alliot, who kept following her, were extremely dissuaded. Well, the country would feel sorry, too, the person who copsed bleeding at the wedding was overworked as soon as she came to her senses. She was able to get more work done than she thought, thanks to Alliot.


    <em>¡®If I do a final check tomorrow, I can manage to hold a reception banquet tailored to the assortment. What would becking?¡±</em>


    When Seria finally returned to the bedroom, limping, the maids came in with a hot dinner.


    ¡°My Lady. Please eat. You must be tired. We have prepared something simple but hearty¡±


    When she cut the goose meat with steamy ginger bread, hot mushroom stew and apple sauce, put it in her mouth, and chewed it tightly several times, she felt a little rejuvenated. After eating a piece of pie with plenty of candied fruit, her senses returned. Then she remembered what Linon said, ¡°if you eat well, you will be motivated to solve tomorrow¡¯s problems. It¡¯s good for me when I¡¯m motivated,¡± he said, ¡°because I have to do everything the Grand Duke tells me to do, whether I¡¯m motivated or not.¡± She then drank her after-meal tea with some sadness.


    Begonia replied to the message that Seria wanted her to fix the dress she would wear at the banquet, she also opened up two letters in front of her. One belonged to Kalis and one to Lina. She hadn¡¯t expected Kalis would write to her, let alone Lina. The content was even more surprising. She said she was sorry and that she wanted to be her friend.


    <em>¡®Friends?¡¯</em>


    That sounded really ideal. It¡¯s so ssic that it made herugh. It was already hard for her to be friends with her ex-fianc¨¦¡¯s lover, but to be friends with the current wife of the man who almost became her husband? It wasn¡¯t worth spending time dwelling on it.


    <em>¡®I can¡¯t keep my eyes open anymore.¡¯</em>


    She thought she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep today, but she was so tired after her bath that she felt very sleepy. She thought she was going to go and kill Kalis on a sleepless night, but she was d she didn¡¯t¡­. As soon as she buried her face in the pillow, she passed out.

 Chapter 17

    <h2>Chapter 17</h2>


    The year-end party two dayster was ast-minute affair, but preparations were not dyed.


    <em>¡®I did it.¡¯</em>


    Seria came to the hall with a slight disappointment because she was still worried about it, but her fears were unnecessary.


    She was quite pleased to see the hall transformed to match the end-of-year atmosphere. The two days of running around on Alliot¡¯s back had been worth it.


    The sweet melodies of the beautifully dressed musicians tickled her ears. She stood on the rather angr second-floor staircase and looked around the hall. There were many nobles, even though the official party had not yet begun. They were busy in groups of two, dancing lightly to the music, or gathering in groups talking. Probably more than 90% of their conversation was about her.


    The official reception started in the evening, and the only thing she needed to do was to show up together with Lesche. When she returned to her room, Begonia was already there waiting.


    ¡°Do I have to call you Grand Duchess now, My Lady?¡±


    Seria smiled at Begonia¡¯s yful words.


    ¡°It¡¯s a kindness His Highness had done to save my life. It was a kind of very contract, and the role of the temporary hostess was that of a ve¡­¡±


    She was actually still a bit busy. Nevertheless, the help she had received from Begonia in many ways was so great that she dly epted the request to meet her.


    ¡°I see there are cases where favors be destinies,¡± Begonia said, smiling graciously but with a keen eye. She was now looking carefully at the dress on the mannequin. The pink-beige dress, along with the wedding dress, had beenmissioned by Kalis for her to wear at their supposed wedding reception. But the reception had suddenly turned into a year-end party and Begonia hade to see her in a state of emergency.


    ¡°The dress you wear at a wedding reception is very different from the dress you wear at a year-end party. The former is an extension of the wedding and can be neat and clean, but thetter has to be more morous. If I¡¯m not careful, it can look shabby.¡±


    No designer wants their work to look shabby. That was why there was so much jewellery on the dress all of a sudden.


    With Begonia¡¯s simple instructions, her assistants began to dress her. Her hair was braided in ce, and carefully decorated with jeweled pins as well.


    ¡°Would you look at this dress in the mirror, My Lady,¡± Begonia said, suddenly pulling it out of a square leather satchel.


    ¡°Would you like to see it? It¡¯s a perfect dress for a spring pic.¡±


    It was a beautiful lentil-coloured dress that Seria naturally admired. Sheplimented Begonia heartily.


    ¡°It¡¯s very pretty.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one of my main pieces for the next season,¡¯ said the ted Begonia,ughing in earnest.


    ¡°I will give you this dress, Lady Seria, under one condition.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Would you make some changes to your existing dress contract with me?¡±


    ¡°What changes would you like to make?¡±


    ¡°I would like to change the client of the contract to Lady Seria instead of Marquis Hon. Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not difficult, it was my dress anyway. Please give me the contract.¡±


    ¡°After all, Lady Seria has a kind heart. That¡¯s good.¡±


    As if she had made up her mind to say this today, Begonia immediately took a piece of paper from her pocket. It was a dressmaking contract signed by Kalis a few months ago. Seria looked at his familiar name for a moment, then quickly drew a line through it and wrote her name next to it.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± she said, confirming her signature and looking as refreshed as someone who had removed a tumor.


    ¡°Very well. That¡¯s the end of it. How troublesome it was.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because the Saintess wanted me to make a dress for her.¡±


    ¡°Lina?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It wasn¡¯t a dress for the year end party. I didn¡¯t have much time to spare. She wanted a dress to wear when she went to Hon Estate.¡±


    ¡°A dress to wear to Hon Estate?¡±


    ¡°Yes. At the time I still had a contract with Marquis Hon, so the Saintess wanted to add another dress to it.¡±


    Lina must have been unaware that Kalis had requested a divorce. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have requested a dress to wear to Hon Estate.


    After the end of the year party tomorrow, all the nobles who came in the name of celebration must leave the castle, and Lina would also have to leave Berg Castle in a few days. She was a Saintess, so of course she had to go back to the Great Temple, but to go to the Hon Estate¡­? The question arose.


    <em>¡®Does she really hate the Great Temple so much?¡¯</em>


    With only the priests around Lina, they would all have nothing but good things to say about her. Objectively speaking, New Castle Country, with its great temple, was a beautiful and magnificent city. Of course the food was a little unpleasant, but the priests would never say that such a trifle was a disadvantage. Seria didn¡¯t really understand this, as she had been to the temple after being possessed by the original Seria, just to see the famous sights.


    In any case, the divorce from Stern would take quite some time, and until then Lina would be the Marquess of Hon. The title of Saintess was ssy and special, so Lina would always be called Saintess.


    ¡°Speaking of which, I must return Marquis Hon¡¯s ring.¡±


    Like all noblemen of high tradition, Marquis Hon had an emerald ring that had been passed down from generation to generation. The emerald ring that had been in her possession when Kalis proposed to her was still resting peacefully in her jewellery box. She had forgotten about it because she was not in the right frame of mind. She wanted to see Kalis and return the ring as soon as possible, but Begonia frowned and sighed.


    ¡°Saintess is not good at noble etiquette, I don¡¯t know how lucky she is for such a thing. Marquis Hon has a request, so you may not know that it is difficult to reject the request of the person who bes his wife.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve decided to rewrite the contract?¡±


    ¡°Yes, from now on, when the Saintess asks for a dress, I canfortably refuse.¡±


    It was the same as the original that Lina wanted Begonia¡¯s dress. Well, Begonia¡¯s dress is beautiful. It¡¯s like there¡¯s an element to it that resonates with the hearts of people.


    Knock. Knock.


    There was a knock on the door and a servant with a very troubled expression came in.


    ¡°My Lady.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°You have a visitor.¡±


    ¡°Why are you being so stuffy?¡±


    The assistants were startled when they suddenly saw a woman peeking out from behind the servant. They immediately checked Seria¡¯s condition. Luckily, she was still wearing her dress.


    ¡°Designer Begonia, you¡¯re really here!¡±


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    It was Lina. She seemed to be able to walk on her own feet after a day. She walked in slowly, dressed in a beautifully decorated manner, as if she was attending a year-end party today. The pure white dress that Lina was wearing suited her image perfectly, but Seria had the feeling that the nobles were going to bite off more than they could chew. It reminded her strangely of a mini wedding dress.


    Lina walked slowly over and blushed as she saw the beautiful lily-of-the-valley dress sitting in Begonia¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Designer Begonia. I was wondering if you would ept my request for a dress. I heard that this dress was also made on amission from Kalis. If you don¡¯t have enough money for themission deposit, I can tell the priest to give you more!¡±


    What should she point out first?


    Seria was worried about that beautiful dress, that the thoughts passing through her head and the thoughts in Begonia¡¯s head were not so different.


    No, Begonia looked much more furious than Seria did. For she was a designer sensitive to ¡°aristocratic elegance¡±, with a reputation even in the imperial court.


    ¡°Saintess,¡± came the stern but courteous voice. ¡°This is Lady Seria¡¯s abode. Therefore, it would be proper for you to address the master of the ce first.¡±


    Lina looked at Seria, cowering badly at the stern rebuke.


    ¡°Excuse me. Good morning, Seria.¡±


    She hurried to greet Seria, but it was toote. Begonia was not Lina¡¯s teacher of etiquette, who would help her redeem her mistake, the reputation of Kalis and Lina had already been ruined in Begonia¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Not long ago, Lady Seria was changing her dress. It would only be a vulgar and unbing crowd to open the door of ady¡¯s room, at the hour before a ball!¡±


    Lina¡¯s face flushed red, but this did not remove the cold, hard expression from Begonia¡¯s face.


    ¡°Above all, my dear Saintess. I am not a designer who calctes dresses simply in terms of money. So it was very rude of you to say that I don¡¯t have enough money.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it in that way¡­¡±


    ¡°A de once swung can leave a mark in the sand. Please understand that I can¡¯t ept your request for a dress.¡±


    ¡°But that dress is also a request from Kalis. It¡¯s not difficult to add one more dress or so¡­.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, not anymore. That¡¯s changed at the request of Lady Seria. We¡¯ve amended the contract, so it¡¯s now difficult to add a dress for a Saintess who has nothing to do with Lady Seria.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Lina suddenly approached Seria with a puzzled look on her face. Then she took Seria¡¯s hand curtly.


    ¡°Designer Begonia, that¡¯s all right. I¡¯m friends with Seria.¡±


    At that moment, a deep silence struck the room. Seria removed Lina¡¯s hand from hers and spoke.


    ¡°We¡¯re not friends.¡±


    ¡°What..? Why¡­?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Seria frowned. In aristocratic society, ¡®friend¡¯ does not simply mean the same age group. You had to be as close as two people in the next order of family to be able to talk about ¡°friends¡± in a dignified manner. Above all, to be friends with Lina could be seen as a way of forgiving Kalis for his behavior. And she could never forgive him.


    ¡°How can I happily be friends with my ex-fiance¡¯s current wife? Can Lina do that?¡±


    ¡°Kalis and I are not officially married! Seria, you know that. I just had to do it to save him.¡±


    ¡°That is your affair, and I have nothing to do with it.¡±


    Lina, whose face had just turned pale, said.


    ¡°But¡­But¡­¡±


    ¡°Please leave, Lina. And don¡¯te back like this again.¡±


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    She caught Seria in a haste.


    ¡°We can be good friends! I heard everything from the teacher. Your mother is amoner actress!¡±

 Chapter 18

    <h2>Chapter 18</h2>


    At the year-end celebration, Kalis stood by the window and looked down at his arm. The rotten pain was gone, and the arm was now as healthy as the arm of an ordinary knight. There was a bracelet on his wrist. It was the amethyst bracelet that Seria had given him as a gift.


    ¡°Seria,¡± Kalis murmured to himself.


    Until the day before yesterday, he was sure that she was going to be his wife. Today¡¯s party, which suddenly changed to a year-end party, was originally a wedding reception for her and himself.


    Seria Stern. She was the famous daughter of the prestigious Marquis Kellyden of the West, even though her mother was of very low status. Her half-siblings did not want to talk about her. It was enough to make her grind her teeth. However, it was actually an understandable reaction. Kalis was well aware of Seria¡¯s wickedness. When she was a child, she was a truly extravagant girl. Jewelry vendors and dress designers from the capital were called in every day.


    Among the jewels that she bought on her own, there was a blue diamond the size of a quail¡¯s egg that Queen Echizel wanted at the time. It was said that the Marquis Kellyden had sold one of the inds when he received a bill for it, because of how expensive it was.


    Kalis was a western aristocrat, so he knew a little more than the others. The blue diamond seemed to have made the Marquis very angry with her, but that didn¡¯t stop her from being extravagant. Her rtionship with her family was getting worse and worse, so much so that she left the house and went to a townhouse in the capital after she became a Stern. Soon after, Kalis also went up to the capital from Hon estate. Seria Stern was always present at the outstanding balls of the Imperial society.


    To be exact, there was always the bully Seria Stern. At the time, she was a terrible viin for whom there was no excuse. Spilling dark-colored juice on the dress of ady she didn¡¯t like wasmonce, and openly stomping on her foot in front of many people was an added bonus. Unable to watch the scene, Kalis saved the youngdy from being bullied by Seria.


    ¡°We¡¯re from the same part of the West, and now you¡¯re insulting me?¡±


    Kalis still couldn¡¯t forget Seria¡¯s bright blue and eerie eyes that day, burning with anger. A short timeter, Seria took her revenge on Kalis, just as she had famously done. She poured a poison called ¡°Saint Malone¡± on his arm, but St. Malone was not a powerful poison. Because if it was impaired his life or caused permanent physical loss, Seria would have been put on trial by now.


    The symptoms weren¡¯t severe either. It caused his limbs to be stiff for about a week and couldn¡¯t move well. The problem was in the soup that Kalis had eaten the day before with a cold. The restorative soup, which old Mrs. Lysolt, Kalis¡¯s nanny, boiled all night, containedngerine herbs. It was a good herb to protect his weak body, but it was illegally designated by the imperial family because of its narcotic ingredients. However, thengerine herbs were often used as a medicinal herb for older women in the countryside. It was a little known fact thatngerine herbs and St. Malone poison were in terrible conflict. This caused a horrible chemical reaction in Kalis¡¯s body, and as a side effect, his one arm began to slowly rot away.


    He couldn¡¯t use Seria, nor could he be angry with her. If he did, Seria would find out about the herbs, and she might snicker at the idea of using Kalis¡¯s nanny. He was very protective of his nanny, and he didn¡¯t want her to go through any unnecessary trouble. So he kept the rotting pain of his hand to himself the whole time.


    He took some painkillers from a couple of foul-mouthed doctors and was preparing to part with his arm slowly.


    ¡°Marquis Hon?¡±


    Suddenly one day Seria came, kneeling down and bowing her head. Kalis had thought she waspletely gone crazy that day. But to suspect that she had really changed, her behavior was aristocratic and Seria-like. It had been an interminable month since then. Seria, who visited the mansion every two days and asked for forgiveness sincerely, suddenly said she found a way to fix his arm and took him to a small, quiet temple on the outskirts of the Capital.


    ¡°Wait here.¡±


    Seria was gone somewhere and returned in a mess hourster, leaving Kalis, who had to endure pain due to the receding effect of the pain medication. She pulled out a bunch of herbs with little yellow flowers on it.


    ¡°What are those?¡±


    ¡°Medicinal herbs. It will fix your injured arm.¡±


    Seria did the best she could to apply the herbs on Kalis¡¯s arm and bandaged it.


    ¡°How is it?¡±


    Kalis was dismayed. The moment the herbs touched his arm, which had always ached, even with the painkillers, it magically felt better. It was at that moment when all the doubts that had been hanging aroundpletely disappeared.


    ¡°Where do I get more of these herbs?¡±


    ¡°This one? You can¡¯t get it here, it¡¯s plenty elsewhere ¡ª but it¡¯s not mine and I can¡¯t bring it with me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not yours?¡±


    ¡°No, I have a master who will appear in about a year. ¡­¡­?¡±


    Kalis didn¡¯t quite understand Seria¡¯s words, but he deliberately stopped her. It wasn¡¯t just talk. In fact, he didn¡¯t understand her actions either.


    ¡°Then where did you get this herb?¡±


    ¡°On the cliff below the temple.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Kalis was momentarily taken aback.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean that you went over the cliff, do you?


    ¡°Yes.¡± Her answer came out with a blink of an eye.


    Seria¡¯s eyes werepletely different from her old, creepy, cold eyes that stared at him. This was the first time he had realized that she was one of the most beautiful women in the Imperial capital. He wondered when she had changed so much.


    ¡°Why is Young Lady doing all this for me?¡±


    ¡°Because it was my fault. Well, if it¡¯s not enough, do you want me to go get it again?¡±


    ¡°No, no. No, don¡¯t do it again. It¡¯s enough.¡±


    Some time passed, Kalis proposed to Seria, handing her an emerald ring that was handed down from generation to generation to the wives of the Marquesses of Hon. Seria looked really pretty when she was flustered. She stared at the emerald ring and couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of it.


    ¡°Seria¡­¡±


    Kalis squeezed her hand. He loved her. Although she married Grand Duke Berg in an ident, it was only temporary anyway. Not only Kalis but also all the nobles in the castle thought the same.


    They all knew that the Grand Duke had taken extraordinary measures to save the precious Stern.


    ¡°Lina¡­¡±


    Kalis was going to divorce Lina. She was different from any woman he had ever seen. Rather than hiding her mistakes, she expressed them openly and talked about her difficulties without hesitation. It was somewhat distressing to see her relying on him a lot.


    Above all, Kalis was the Marquis of Hon in the west. It was a politically correct calction to establish a friendship in advance with the Saintess who wouldter strike the imperial capital. However, he never wanted to lose Seria for such a gain. He couldn¡¯t let Seria go. Until yesterday, he had been too preupied with the fact that Seria had married another man to act rationally. After some rest, he came to his senses. Seria was now very angry, he had to give her time to calm down. Then he could apologize sincerely again¡ª.


    Knock. Knock.


    With a knock on the door, Kalis¡¯s knight rushed in. The knight was ced by Kalis in Seria¡¯s annex.


    ¡°Marquis!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You should probably go and have a look. The Saintess said she was going tomission a dress from designer Begonia, and she went to see Lady Stern.¡±


    ¡°Lina?¡±


    Lina was a Saintess. She was as pure as a white gem. She did not mix well with the aristocratic Seria. Lina might upset Seria, but he didn¡¯t know what Seria would do if she was upset. He had to go see her. With a stiff face, Kalis headed for Seria¡¯s annex. He didn¡¯t expect to run into Lesche at Seria¡¯s door, which was guarded by the guards¡­


    ***


    Turn back the time to a little while ago.


    Linon wasining to Lesche.


    ¡°Your Highness, Lady Seria fainted while bleeding in the wedding hall, and now you want her to roll around like a ve as soon as she woke up. Isn¡¯t it enough for me to do it alone?¡±


    His vicious lord, Lesche, kept on checking his documents without responding. At the end of the year, as the lord of the castle, he too was well dressed. He only checked the documents as times flew.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to work. Or it makes me think.¡±


    His answer was calm. Lesche kept looking at the documents containing the word ¡°magic¡± several times, then suddenly looked up as if he had a question.


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. Why do you take Young Lady¡¯s side?¡±


    Linon replied proudly.


    ¡°Because I like people who can work fast.¡±


    ¡°Of course you do.¡±


    It was a clear reason. But Linon¡¯s words were very true. Seria got the job done very quickly. Seria hadn¡¯t been following the cier tour, but yesterday Lesche got reports from Alliot and others on the types of food, and checking the decorations in the halls. Thanks to her, the castle had changedpletely in a day. The red ribbons and mistletoe decorations had been hung here and there. All the fabric had been changed into a damask. It was as if by magic.


    ¡°What will the people of the manor say when they see Lady Seria as the hostess?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Linon grinned, ¡°I¡¯m very excited. ¡°By the way, Your Highness, shouldn¡¯t you tell Lady Seria about the manor¡¯s history? Even if it¡¯s a temporary marriage, it¡¯s still a marriage, you have to be in it together, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been that timid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it looks that way¡­¡±


    Lesche nced down at the documents.


    <em><strong>¡­ Lastly, six sorcerers from the Ne kingdom were invited to the manor¡­</strong></em>


    <em>¡®I have to do it anyway¡­¡¯</em>


    Lesche rose from his seat. He was also going to pick up Seria. If the ball was held in earnest, he should escort her, whether she was his temporary wife or not.


    ***

 Chapter 19

    <h2>Chapter 19</h2>


    Kalis Hon, seemed to have run out of patience. When he found Lesche, his face hardened.


    ¡°Why are you here?Is it because of the Saintess? Why is she here again?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know about that either.¡±


    Thinking of the missing saintess, Lesche felt tired. He hadn¡¯t received any reports from the priest of that bothersome saintess sneaking into his abode, but she had nothing to do with Seria and her abilities. Lesche tried to rush inside. He would have done so if Kalis¡¯ words hadn¡¯t caught him.


    ¡°<em>Duke, when are you going to divorce Seria?¡±</em>


    At that moment, augh burst out. Lesche looked back with crooked brows. His red eyes red at Kalis in disgust.


    ¡°Divorce?¡±


    ¡°Seria is my fiance.¡±


    ¡°Whatever Lady Stern was in the past, she is now my wife.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡± Kalis shouted.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t this engagement officially approved by the Imperial family? Since it has been officiated under Imperialw, Seria remains Seria Stern, not the Grand Duchess of Berg. I thank you for saving her life, but the Hon name is enough for her, your Highness. I will marry her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re funny. Why would you want to rece Lady Seria¡¯s treasure?¡± asked Lesche sarcastically. ¡°You and Seria have nothing between you anymore, right? So there is no reason to acknowledge you.¡±


    Kalis¡¯s face stiffened when he heard that there was nothing between himself and Seria anymore. He clenched his fists. Lesche was just annoyed, his eyes darkened with anger.


    ¡°Do you want to have a duel here? I won¡¯t hold back or pretend.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to divorce Saintess Lina. I am also the only one here who has gotten permission from Marquis Kellyden to marry Seria. I¡¯m amazed, but has your Highness contacted the marquis?¡±


    As those words came out of Kalis¡¯ mouth, Lesche¡¯s views on the man dropped even further. Considering Kalis broke his promise first to save his own life, wasn¡¯t he the reason why everything became so twisted like this? Wasn¡¯t he the one who became distracted by the Saintess and even formed a covenant with her?


    ¡°You only lived because you decided to drop your fiance¡¯s life in the mud.¡±


    ¡°Before the anti-¡­!¡±


    Kalis¡¯ angry words did notst. This was because the star marks in his body began acting up. There were only two things in Seria¡¯s building that could make them react like this.


    Either Seria or Lina. The two men went into the building without saying anything to each other.


    ***


    ¡°No matter how pretty you are, your birth mother was just a lowly actress, right?¡±


    Only one line was mentioned in the original novel. Confucius, a noblewoman, got caught while gossiping about Seria¡¯s birth mother at a ball. The original Seria had a bad temper, and was particrly sensitive to that topic.


    No, scratch that. She was beyond enraged and thrashed out like a crazy foal. Even rabid dogs would have been easier to deal with than her.


    When she was caught gossiping behind Seria¡­ The noble Confucius ended up with wine in her face.


    This event described that they weren¡¯t just sprinkled with wine, but that their whole head became soaked like they fell into a freshly picked oak barrel. Since then, she was discouraged and has never been able to set foot in the monastic world again. So who was it?


    Even though it was instinct for the original Seria, she couldn¡¯t control her anger when she met people who talked trash about her birth mother, or when she met people who gossiped after the name of Kellyden was lifted up. Her whole body trembled as though she was suffering from an anger control disorder. At that time, she felt like she became the real Seria.


    She came to Berg¡¯s estate for a wedding, which never happened. The n was, after bing the Marquess of Hon, people would finally stop talking about her origins, and she wouldn¡¯t be bullied throughout her life anymore.


    She did¡­


    ¡°Seria, I like Seria¡¯s origins! So what if your mother was amoner? If you think about it, my mother is also amoner¡­ because I¡¯m from a world without nobles or royals¡­¡± Lina mumbled.


    ¡°So we can say that we are from the same background!! So, ah, Seria? What is it? Why look so scary¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Her body began to tremble. Lina, who received Seria¡¯s gaze head on, winced. It was toote. Seria¡¯s hand already lifted up against her will and cast a shadow over Lina¡¯s face.


    Lina closed her eyes tightly.


    Seria¡¯s hand seemed to fall on Lina¡¯s flushed cheek.


    However, Seria finished by pping her own cheek.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Silence filled the room. She exhaled for a long time, reminiscing about the shock of stars shing in front of her eyes, and her cheek, which she struck with all her might, hurt so much.


    ¡°Lina?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Yes!¡±


    ¡°You say your teacher told you that story?¡±


    It was her teacher, Viscount Issac. At the moment, whether or not she sensed the ominousness in Seria¡¯s words, Lina bit her lip firmly. Clear tears filled her big eyes.


    ¡°¡°I guess he forgot to tell you that I hate listening to that story the most.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡­No! Don¡¯t be angry with teacher. Please be mad at me because I made a mistake, Seria¡­.¡±


    Lina¡¯s crying appearance was pathetic and naive. On the contrary, Seria¡¯s look matched those of a viin. Just a few days ago, She would have avoided this because she wanted to avoid confrontation, but now she was not so sure.


    ¡®How long do I have to bend over and submit?¡¯


    ¡®The heroine and second male lead constantly f*** me over, but if I can¡¯t bear it¡­.¡¯


    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t it be illegal at this point that I, the viin, get angry?¡¯


    ¡°Lina. You¡¯d rather that I be angry with you, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Right¡­ You¡¯re upset with me, Seria. I¡¯m really sorry. My teacher has nothing to do with it¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, then,¡± Seria said, touching her cheek, which had started to swell.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the Marquis of Hon now. Then to the priests, and then to the Grand Duke of Berg.¡±


    ¡°What? Why them¡­¡±


    ¡°I have to tell them that Lina insulted me.¡±


    ¡°Insult? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It is a heavy insult to touch upon the sensitive family history between nobles, didn¡¯t that pompous teacher teach you? Oh, or perhaps you want him to fight my knight? I¡¯m willing to ept it. That is, if you don¡¯t mind if my knight kills him.¡±


    As if herst words sounded too intensely, a shock spread on Lina¡¯s eyes. Her hands shook as she held them together.


    ¡°Teacher is not at fault. Just, just because I didn¡¯t know¡­!¡±


    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t know?¡±


    She stared straight at Lina.


    ¡°Lina, no matter how Kalis ims it is temporary, you are now the Marquess of Hon, the Saintess, and a Stern like me. You still don¡¯t know that just one wrong word from a person of your position could ruin someone and turn them into aughing stock?¡±


    ¡°Seria, I¡­..!¡±


    ¡°Lina, you¡¯re not a three year old child. Isn¡¯t it time for you to be aware of the position you¡¯re in now?¡±


    ¡°¡­.!¡±


    Apart from situations where she couldn¡¯t stand to deal with Lina, Seria managed to understand her on a surface level. Being suddenly transferred into another world, it was natural to be confused trying to learn a new system.


    ¡®But to a major public figure like Lina, who would dare treat her as if she was a viin except for me? In this perfect world, even the man who was my fiance, would be wrapped around her fingers. The heroine¡¯s innocent words were like des ready to stab into me. How could I have stayed still?¡¯


    Lina needed to be aware of her position and the weight of her speech.


    For now, she ended up pping herself on the cheek with thest of her patience, but next time she might really p Lina. Seria really wanted to refrain from being in these situations where she was so angry that she lost control over her body.


    ¡°Would you like to go to the Marquis of Hon and repeat those words Lina?¡±


    Tears formed in Lina¡¯s eyes. She trembled and eventually rattled out, ¡±I didn¡¯t know. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± and then ran out of the room.


    ¡°Oh, my God. You don¡¯t want to be responsible for what you¡¯ve done. Have you grown up to be selfish¡­.¡±


    Seria was brought back to her senses btedly when Begonia¡¯s voice rang loudly. Begonia hated losing her graceful dignity more than anyone else, while Seria looked furious and acted like a wild beast.


    Her anger did not subside, but she took a deep breath and calmed down. She tidied up her messy hair and was about to apologize to Begonia when she felt something cold on her cheek.


    ¡°There is a snow crystal in this sack. It¡¯s a semi-precious stone that emits a cold temperature like ice, so it is useful in cases like this.¡±


    ¡°You have something like this, Begonia?¡±


    Begonia spoke after confirming with augh.


    She said, ¡°If you are a customer who will wear the main piece of this Begonia Salon, you shouldn¡¯t have a swollen face, no matter if you are a man or a woman. This is kind of an emergency medicine.¡±


    ¡°Is my cheek that swollen?¡±


    Begonia said after affirming with a smile. ¡°If you¡¯ll just follow my lead from now on, you¡¯ll be fine with attending the ball until thest minute.¡±


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Begonia, who held a pocket of snow crystals up to Seria¡¯s cheek, shrugged. ¡°Now, keep this on your cheek for an hour. The rest of it can be covered using some small tricks and make up.¡±


    Putting on a hood that covered her face all the way to the tip of my nose, Seria stepped out of the door. The knights outside naturally averted their gaze. They shouldn¡¯t have noticed the riot that happened inside of the room, but she still didn¡¯t want to risk them noticing her swollen cheek.


    She walked through the long corridor of the outer building while looking at the floor. After a while, she looked up and let out a sigh. This was when she realized that she had gone the wrong way.


    With her head muddled with a seething anger, she walked as far as her feet could carry her and ended up in a deserted ce.


    The building given to her in the Berg estate was sorge, that a group of wealthy merchants could have used it as a vi. Since the entrances were split into several halls and locations, it was possible that she took a wrong turn and ended up here.


    With a sigh, she turned around and prepared to walk back. However, as she turned past a bookshelf, she ran into somebody¡¯s hard chest. She staggered a bit, and suddenly a strong hand grasped her arm.


    ¡°¡­Who is this?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Seria looked up and panicked.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    ¡®Did I run into Lesche¡¯s body just now?¡¯


    He was looking at her with a strange expression.

 Chapter 20

    <h2>Chapter 20</h2>


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve finished the banquet preparations.¡±


    The sight of Lesche in a white suit that matched his silver hair was enough to put Seria in a daze moment. His dazzling look was like cold water to cool her boiling head. This man definitely looked good in a suit, perhaps because he had a great body.


    Naturally, she knew she had to finish getting ready as soon as possible to attend the banquet.


    ¡°My apologies, Your Highness.¡±


    She bowed to Lesche and walked away quickly, and he began to follow her. Seria looked at him in bewilderment.


    ¡°Your Highness? Why are you following me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we have the same destination?¡±


    ¡®No, I never revealed where I was going.¡¯


    Her question was met with a puzzled look from Lesche.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been following you since you stepped out of your bedroom.¡±


    ¡°My bedroom¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lesche added, frowning. ¡°Did I follow too quietly? I¡¯m sure I walked along making a lot of noise.¡±


    Seria shook her head in a hurry.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t hear you because I was thinking about something else. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Why apologize¡­.¡±


    Briefly responding, Lesche looked at Seria and asked.


    ¡°Where are you going with a strange thing on your face? Is it a trendy essory in the capital?¡±


    Only then did she realize that she must look ridiculous with the ice pack. But in the meantime, she didn¡¯t want to hide her face by lowering her head because Seria had a strong confidence in her beauty¡­.No, because she knew that no matter what Seria¡¯s face looked like, Lesche wouldn¡¯t think much.


    ¡®He isn¡¯t the type of person who can be fooled by a woman¡¯s face, I should be honest about this.¡¯


    Seria started to speak as she removed the silk pouch that she wore on her face like a mask.


    ¡°It¡¯s not an essory. This¡­Your Highness?¡±


    Suddenly, Lesche lifted her chin, she couldn¡¯t breath and just blinked in bewilderment. It was strange to see Lesche¡¯s red eyes right in front of her field of vision. Unlike her embarrassed face, his brows furrowed.


    ¡°How did you get hurt?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    ¡°It looks like something from the past.¡±


    ¡®How did he know¡­?¡¯


    By the way, the original Seria had pped other people¡¯s cheeks with such strength. She now knew why over 100 servants were sick of her.


    Seria swallowed hard and said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I pped myself on the face. But, Your Highness, could you please let it go¡­.?¡±


    Lesche stared at her, and after a moment, he released her chin. Her heart was pounding violently in her chest. She took a deep breath and looked at Lesche again.


    ¡°During an argument with Saintess Lina, I pped myself.¡±


    ¡°Argument?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said distantly, because it was hard for her to exin.


    Lina had mentioned her mother¡¯s identity, and she was so mad at her for it that she almost struck her. But she exercised herst bit of patience and lifted her hand and hit her own cheek. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to tell Lina because she wanted to hide it. It was the same logic that caused Seria¡¯s whole body to tremble when her mother was insulted, regardless of her intentions. For Seria, the owner of this body, insulting her mother seemed to be quite a blow. Thanks to this very unkind exnation, Lesche stopped asking any farther, he just stared at her. After a moment, he asked.


    ¡°Who else were you with besides the saintess?¡±


    ¡°Designer Begonia.¡°


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡®Is he going to call Begonia in to question her?¡¯


    That would be better.


    In the meantime, she tried again to fasten the silk pouch to her cheek. It was certainly better than ice. It should have melted by now and let the moisture seep in, but it was good that her cheek didn¡¯t get damp while it kept it cool with little moisture. She now understood why Begonia always had it on hand. However, it was a bit of a challenge, trying to hold it in ce all by herself without a mirror. At the sight, Lesche clicked his tongue and reached out. He easily wrapped the strap around, secured a silk pouch on her cheek, then raised his head without hesitation.


    ¡°Since we¡¯vee this far anyway, we can go together to the hall for the banquet.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Can I wait in the annex?¡± Lesche asked.


    It would take Seria at least three hours to finish all her preparations, and he wanted to wait for her here?


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the main hall when I¡¯m done, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I think Marquis Hon will be here before Young Lady gets to the main hall.¡±


    ¡°He already came. Will hee again?¡±


    Lesche stopped for a moment. He looked back at Seria, as if he knew that Kalis had alreadye to see her. He nodded.


    ¡°I could smell his perfume.¡± Seria said.


    Seria noticed it the moment Begonia pushed her outside the door, Kalis¡¯s perfume was faintly fragrant. She could smell the scent at once, as her ce was exceptionally clean and well-kept.


    When she saw that Kalis was nowhere to be seen, she thought that he must havee to her other building and chased after Lina when he saw her running away crying.


    ¡®I felt even worse. I even took the wrong road.¡¯


    Lesche spoke slowly.


    ¡°His perfume scent?¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is a perfume that Marquis Hon often uses at every banquet¡­¡±


    Lesche¡¯s expression changed slightly. Seria asked.


    ¡°Your Highness? Are you offended?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s face instantly stiffened. When she shrank back, he said shortly.


    ¡°It reminds me of the High Priest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It would be too much trouble to tell him.¡±


    The ordinary nobles, and even the king of the kingdom, weed the High Priest visit with open arms. The High Priest was the most senior of the hundreds of thousands of clergy. A personal visit from him meant that he would be blessing thend he¡¯d trod on while conveying the blessings of God. Above all, it was a great honor. But there were different kinds of people everywhere. One of them was Lesche. Of course, with Lesche, there was no need to add the honor of the High Priest, as he already had so much honor in his possession. Because he was a man who held the unprecedented title of Grand Duke of Berg. He didn¡¯t need any more honor and glory. Perhaps that was why, for him, the visit of the High Priest was just one more troublesome event to add to his list.


    Seria decided to rest for an hour on a garden bench. She sat down and nced discreetly at Lesche, who sat next to her. He followed her and sat next to her, not saying a word. Leaning his back against the bench and staring straight ahead, Lesche asked without looking at her.


    ¡°Why do you keep staring at me?¡±


    ¡®What? How did he know I was watching him?¡¯


    Getting caught red handed, she told him frankly.


    ¡°I was just wondering if Your Highness¡¯ white clothes would get dirty.¡±


    Lesche looked at her with a wistful expression.


    ¡°I really want to open Young Lady¡¯s head once.¡±


    ¡°My¡­why my head..?¡±


    Whether Seria was surprised or not, Lesche spoke in an insignificant tone.


    ¡°You think of everything, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°However, you don¡¯t know your garden bench is being cleaned every day.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because Linon cleans your ce every day.¡±


    ¡°Linon?¡±


    ¡®The Linon I know? The Chief Aide of the Berge estate?¡¯


    Seria looked back to see how long he had been doing the servants¡¯ chores as well, and quickly swept the benches with her fingertips, thinking how ridiculous it was that he had to wipe the benches every day.


    She wondered if there was any dust on it, but to her surprise, there was none, and then she was more than a little perplexed.


    ¡°What on earth¡­ You have your aide doing the cleaning?¡±


    ¡°Of course. He¡¯s a germaphobe.¡±


    ¡°He has germophobia?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She had never heard of it before. In the original novel, the story was mainly about Lina and her men. Lesche and Kalis, so to speak. Some more of the others. There were no detailed mentions of the supporting characters like Linon.


    ¡®By the way, how could a germaphobee out and clean my ce¡­.Does he think I¡¯m very dirty?¡¯


    She was so shocked and spent nearly an hour in a daze. And since there wasn¡¯t much time left before the ball started, she got up as soon as Lesche said it was time.


    ¡°Your Highness, did you say you wereing with me to my room?¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s a little strange.¡¯


    Lesche walked behind her without replying. It was somewhat awkward, and her hand tingled as she unconsciously fumbled with the silk pouch that contained the snowke crystal. As she spread out her hand, she suddenly felt a hot temperature. It was Lesche. He took her hand lightly and released it.


    ¡°Your hands are cold.¡± Seria said.


    ¡°Your cheeks must be colder.¡± Lesche responded.


    Flustered, Seria pretended to clear her throat and looked away.


    Lescheughed.


    ***


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Even enemies will fall in love with you.¡±


    Begonia looked pleased. Her light pink dress, borately beaded with hundreds of silver beads, shone magically even in the small light. Seria turned around, admiring Begonia¡¯s skills.


    Awkwardly, Lesche was sitting there. This was her bedroom, but she had no choice. The parlor hadn¡¯t had any visitors in the past few days, so the whole ce wasn¡¯t heated, and the hallway was chilly. Therefore she couldn¡¯t let the master of this castle stay in a cold ce. Besides, Begonia wanted Lesche to be in the room. She said something about how seeing a beautiful creature gave her strength. Seria wasn¡¯t a designer, but she understood what Begonia was talking about. Lesche Berge was a man whose appearance was truly breathtaking.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Begonia asked Lesche with a smile. ¡°It may sound rude, but as a designer who created a masterpiece, may I ask how do you feel about your wife¡¯s dress?¡±

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    ***


    Lesche scanned Seria up and down and said.


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°Youholddifferent views and opinions. Your eyes show more than youassume. Sometimes, words cannot express it.¡± Begonia said.


    AfterSeriamade sure thatBegoniawouldattend the banquet, shepromptlyleft the room with Lesche.


    ¡°Your cheek is still red.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯vejustbeen to the cier and thecold caused myfaceto bered.¡±


    Thiswas the excuse shechoseto make.


    ¡°That¡¯s brazen.¡±


    Lesche smirked. Outside the door, Linon, Alliot, and the other Berg knights were already waiting. They were all dressed up more splendidly and respectfully than usual.


    ¡°Your Highness,pleasewait a moment¡­¡±


    Alliot approached Lesche as if he had some business to discuss. Meanwhile, Linonadvanced towardsSeria, looking at her face.


    ¡°Lady Seria! You look very beautiful todayas always.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. But, Linon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady?¡±


    She gestured for Linon toe closer. He stood near her obediently with a puzzled look on his face. She didn¡¯t say anything to Linon, but opened her palm.


    ¡°Huh? You want my hand? Am I a dog?¡±


    He asked back andcedhis handrightabove hers. Butthey did nottouch,asLinon¡¯s hand stopped before his hand touched hers. However, Seriasnatchedhis hand, and he blinked in surprise.


    ¡°Lady Seria?¡±


    ¡°Linon, you¡¯realsolooking good today.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you?¡±


    Linonwas remarkablyperplexed.Seria released hishand and smiled.


    ¡®Linon is a germaphobe, but he didn¡¯t avoid my hand.¡¯


    But he swept and wiped the garden and her building every day because her ce was dirty? Why did he clean it? She thought she would ask himter when she had the chance.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Young Lady.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    It seemed that Alliot had given Lesche everything he needed in a short moment. Together with Lesche, theyheaded towardsthe banquet hall.


    Linon, Alliot, and the other knights followedbehindat a reasonable distance.


    ¡°What did you do to Linon?¡±


    Lesche suddenly asked. Seria nced behind her tomakesure the people behind them were stit adistance. Then, she stretched her neck and whispered in Lesche¡¯s ear.


    ¡°I heard Linon is a germaphobe. I just did an experiment to see if he would avoid my hands.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he would avoid your hands.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have to ask himter.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s answer raised her curiosity. Would Linon answer if she asks? Anyway, she nodded.


    There was already arge crowd in the grand banquet hallwhenshe entered with Lesche as her escort. She admired it, looking around therge hall withcontent. It was the original Seria¡¯s aesthetic sense. It wasmarvelous.In fact,It was magnificent. Seria¡¯s taste was one of those memories that still lingered in this body. The fact that she was in and out of social circles on a daily basis meant that the probability of her having a fine eye was high. Viins are almost always clean and sophisticated. Seria was fortunate to have that.


    It was very satisfying to select the ornaments she liked and hang them harmoniously to decorate the grand banquet hall, because creating as much space as she wanted with other people¡¯s money was more interesting than she could imagine. Especially thatrge and rich rose flower sculpture made of pink marble. She was surprised to see such a beautiful and delicate sculpture covered with a thickyer of dust in the main warehouse of Berg. Shouldn¡¯t this amazing piece of art deserve people¡¯s admiration?


    She had the pleasure of exploring the spacious warehouse, which had inspired her to do more.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve even seen half of it yet.¡¯


    Berg was amazing, as expected. Itwasn¡¯t longbefore the first dancebegan.


    ¡°Lady Seria Stern.¡±


    Seria turnedtowardsthe sudden voice, and a solidly built knight bowed his head stiffly.


    ¡°Sir Johannes.¡±


    Johannes. The Commander of the Knights of Duke Davu.


    More than thirty percent of the guests who attended this grand banquet hall were knights. They were all handsomely dressed in formal suits and neatly pressed hair, but they were all knightseither way.


    Considering that the participation rate of professionals at a ball was usually around 10%, the number was three times higher. The reason for this odd participation rate was because of Seria¡¯s family, the Marquis of Kellyden.


    Originally, Kalis and Seria had two weddings nned. One was a Stern weddingthat wouldbe held here in the Berg territory. The other was a grand wedding of the nobility in the Hon estate. The wedding was to be attended by nobles from all over the empire, depending on the position and power of the Marquis of Hon.


    The problem was the Stern wedding. It was difficult for her family members to attend the wedding, especially Marquis Kellyden, her father. Because everyone knew Seria had lostcontactwith the Kellyden family long ago.


    She left the Kellyden estate and went to the temple, where she became Stern.


    ¡®It is possible that he wants to reconnect andes down in a hurry.¡¯


    Of course, Seria wasn¡¯t going to meet him just because of that reason.


    Among those numerous knights, Sir Johannes was the only knight in chief. He was sent by the Duke of Davu, who seemed to have paid a lot of attention to her.


    ¡®The rest are people whose names I don¡¯t even know.¡¯


    Some of the families have sent their squires to attend. It seemed that they didn¡¯t want to go against the mood of the Marquis of Kellyden.


    Well, she knew and didn¡¯t nitpick. She didn¡¯t want to get back at him even though he sent squires andmoners to attend her wedding. That meant she didn¡¯t have to worry about their irritation. She quickly averted her gaze. The knights of the nobility, who were wary of her, showed their disappointment, but it didn¡¯t matter.


    Some of the knights who gave up sticking to her had changed their behaviour. They knew it was impossible to buy her any pleasures, so they decided to be the flowers of the wall.


    It was fortunate that Berg¡¯s vassals participated tremendously, even though it must have been like performing a ritual to ensure the downfall of the ball when they all stood there with dark faces.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the dance floor.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It was time for the hosts to have their first dance. As the nobles gathered at the edge, walked out onto the crowded dance floor, there was a suddenmotion at the doorway. Lina had entered.


    ¡°How crazy! She came to the ball.¡±


    ¡°I know, right. Is Marquis Hon noting?¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    The whispering voices of the noblewomen rang in her ears. They were right, Lina had note with Kalis. However, she was still apanied by her mentor, Viscount Issac, as her partner.


    Moreover, Lina boldly came closer to Seria.


    ¡°Ah¡­!¡±


    When their eyes met, Lina¡¯s mouth opened a little, as if she wanted to say something.


    Lesche asked in a passing tone.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t ept their invitations?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°There must be many reasons.¡±


    Lesche stuck out his chin.


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to see something like that.¡±


    There were a few brave knights around Lina who gave uping to Seria earlier. It was impossible to win her favor, so they changed their strategy to covet Lina, the Saintess.


    If Kalis were toe, he and Lina would dance together. It was a self-evident fact.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m not the main character anyway.¡±


    ¡°So what if you¡¯re not the main character?¡±


    Maybe it was because Lesche asked in a calm voice, she answered with an honest heart.


    ¡°I just feel like a foreign object caught between the two of them.¡±


    ¡°Do you enjoydegradingyourself so much?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to think about myself.¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Her heart pounded for a moment. Lesche. This was the first time in her life that this man had called her by her name like this. Lesche reached out to her and continued.


    ¡°Today¡¯s party is for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Not the other two.¡±


    Seria¡¯s lips quivered, not knowing how to react. Lesche¡¯s eyshes drooped long as he stared at her. At that moment, the elegant music began to y.


    Contrary to the joyful atmosphere, Seria felt strangely emotional.


    One of Lesche¡¯s hands grabbed her firmly by the waist.


    ***

 Chapter 22

    <h2>Chapter 22</h2>


    ¡°Dear Saintess. I¡¯m Simon, a knight of Count Charlotte. Please call me Sir Simon. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It is an honor to meet you, Saintess! I¡¯m from the Liam family of the East!¡±


    Lina, who was stifled by the passionate knights¡¯ self-introduction, stared at the dance floor when the music began as if possessed. Lesche and Seria were dancing.


    The grand banquet hall was very beautiful and filled with sweet melodies, but she couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Though most of the people were conversing with each other, they kept watching them. Whispers were heard from time to time, but they kept their eyes fixed on the dance floor.


    ¡°Sir¡­ Sir,¡± Lina asked Viscount Issac standing next to her in a quiet voice.


    ¡°Why are His Highness and Seria the first ones to dance? Is it because they are the hosts? If I host a ball, can I do that?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Viscount Issac responded with a smile.


    ¡°This is because the hierarchy of His Highness is very high, as stipted by Imperialw. For generations, the Grand Dukes of Berg and the Imperial Family have been equal in rank.¡±


    Berg was a family of imperial merit, one of the few families that had been allowed to have a sizable private army to protect the empire from the ciers for generations.


    ¡°Then what about me and Kalis?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Saintess is of course an amazing person, but in the empire, the division between nobility and royalty is strict.¡±


    The imperial family of the Glick Empire was rtively generous in dividing noble titles.


    This was not to say that they would buy and sell titles, but they were humane enough to give at least an Earldom to the heroes who came back from the war with achievements. It was a generosity that could have benefited the entire empire, as it was broad and had a poption of its own. However, this generosity was only limited to the rank of Count. The probability of a Count being promoted to a Marquis was very low. It was as rare as looking for a needle in a desert for a nobleman, especially one below the rank of Count, to step into the imperial lineage.


    Even as a Confucius or Lady below the level of a Countess, whose beautiful appearance and grace of manner had attracted attention in social circles, she rarely seeded in joining the Imperial Family through marriage or war merit. It wasmon for most of the royal family to marry into the aristocratic families of the Marquises and above. The Saint would probably receive at least an Earldom. Even so, the emperor was very happy that a Saint was born in the Glick Empire. However, it would be difficult for the custom of the Glick Empire to go any further. If Lina didn¡¯t marry a royal family member, it would be difficult for her.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    As Lina gazed nkly at Lesche once more, she saw a group of noblewomen approaching. They were noblewomen from the Hon estate. They were from families closely connected to Hon, so socialites sometimes referred to them as the ¡°Ladies of Hon.


    ¡°Countess Martyr!¡±


    Lina, who had followed Kalis for a few days and had made an acquaintance with thedies of Hon, eximed happily. But she immediately panicked. Because the way the noblewoman looked at Lina was not so friendly.


    Countess Martyr, who was the most influential among them and thus effectively the head of the group, spoke up first.


    ¡°Saintess, I thought you weren¡¯ting to the ball.¡±


    ¡°I got an invitation.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my. I see you still don¡¯t understand the physiology of society.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ What?¡±


    Thedies exchanged nces.


    ¡°The master of this ce is the Grand Duke of Berg. So, isn¡¯t it right for the Saintess to enclose flowers with the invitation and send it back?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Lina did not feel good about the Hondies who were agreeing with Countess Martyr. Lina gritted her teeth.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s what my teacher taught me. To be the Grand Duchess of Berg, you have to have the permission of the imperial family. So Seria is still Lady Seria Stern. Isn¡¯t she? And¡­ it¡¯s not right for you to pick on me like this.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, pick on you? How dare we? Aren¡¯t you the Saintess?¡±


    Lina answered resolutely.


    ¡°Yes. This is not moral.¡±


    She could hear thedies around her gasping for air.


    ¡®Oh, I¡¯m in trouble.¡¯ Viscount Issac touched his forehead in distress.


    Lina was quick to absorb the knowledge. But there was absolutely not enough time for her to learn to fully grasp the subtle conflicts of this society and how to answer them gracefully. With a perfect grasp of the social scene, a Young Lady would naturally leave such a bad situation or escape the predicament with a sharp but perfect courtesy, letting people know that she was the one who was invited to this asion. It was a graceful and normal way of dealing with the situation.


    Lina would have been able to deal with the situation in this way if she studied for a few months more, as Viscount Issac had predicted. That way, if Lina had made her debut in the social world with time to spare, he would never have had to deal with such immaturity. However, they had already returned to the overturned tray. Moreover, those nobledies seemed to have a very good impression of Seria Stern, who was originally scheduled to be the Marchioness of Hon. That¡¯s why, even though Countess Martyr wasn¡¯t the host herself, she came at Lina out of spike.


    ¡°Do you speak of morality to us, Saintess?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something that can be easily incorporated.¡±


    Lina¡¯s face turned pale at the words of the noblewomen, who meant Lina was the reason that Stern¡¯s wedding got destroyed. She clenched her hands tightly.


    ¡°Saintess, we¡¯re leaving now¡­.¡±


    Viscount Issac hurried to stop Lina from saying anything else, but he was toote.


    ¡°Do other people know that you are doing this to me? What about Kalis?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Viscount Issac couldn¡¯t bear to look at the cold faces of the noblewomen, so he turned his head away. Lina had chosen the worst possible option now. If only Seria Stern was friends with the Saintess, she would be able to save Lina at a time like this¡­


    Seria Stern was like a viper. She was absolutely unbeatable even in the jungle-like imperial society. If you stared into her beautiful, venomous eyes, many people would tuck their tails. Rumors abounded. When Viscount Issac thought of the impossible hope, Kalis¡¯s voice came from behind.


    ¡°What are you doing now?¡±


    Viscount Issac and Lina turned around excitedy, as if the savior hade.


    ¡°Kalis!¡±


    Lina hurried behind Kalis and leaned her forehead against his back as if to hide. He nced at Lina, who was hiding behind him, and then looked at the noblewomen in front of him. The noblewomen bowed gracefully as they faced the lord of the estate.


    ¡°Marquis Hon.¡± Viscount Issac quickly rose to his feet. ¡°The noblewomen and Saintess were chatting.¡±


    ¡°Chatting?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡±


    Viscount said, hoping it would work out nicely. However, the situation was not going the way he intended. It was because he heard sniffling sounds behind Kalis¡¯s back.


    ¡°Lina?¡±


    Viscount Issac almost covered his mouth. Lina was crying profusely. Kalis looked ahead with an angry face.


    ¡°I would like to ask thedies here. What is the meaning of this? Did you all just gather together to bully Saintess Lina?¡±


    Countess Martyr slowly bowed her head. As long as Lina continued crying, this situation could not be easily passed as Viscount Issac wished.


    ¡°It seems that our direct words have offended the Saintess.¡±


    ¡°Be extra careful because it¡¯s not a direct statement when the subject is in the past.¡±


    Their faces became as cold as if they were carved out of ice. The only thing that hit harder than jealousy in social circles was indifference. They treated Lina like she was a nobody. It seemed that thedies had decided to cruelly suppress any trace of curiosity or emotion towards the Saintess. There was no warmth left in their eyes. They withdrew, and Lina lifted her head.


    ¡°Kalis¡­.¡±


    Kalis sighed tiredly, and Lina¡¯s body shuddered. Viscount Issac spoke with concern.


    ¡°Saintess? Your dress is wrinkled. Please, go adjust it.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yes¡­¡±


    After Lina left to themon room for a moment to fix the crumpled dress with the maid, Viscount Issac spoke to Kalis.


    ¡°That was a bad choice. How could you offend thedies? Some families work very closely with the management of the Hon estate.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know, but Lina cried.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°When we return to the territory, we will have to distribute the treasures as we see fit. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be quite tired when we get back.¡±


    If Lina hadn¡¯t cried out, Kalis would have managed to let thedies off with the unspoken agreement of the society. The result would have been better. But he couldn¡¯t ignore Lina¡¯s tears. There was nothing he could do about it, but the situation that followed was undeniably bad. Viscount Issac sighed.


    ¡®But thedies were fond of Lady Seria Stern, that¡¯s why it happened.¡¯


    ****


    ¡°Kalis¡­..Marquis Hon did that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what he said to thedies of Hon. Lady Stern.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for telling me, Lady Aston.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    If there were aristocrats who serve as gossipers, in order to impress the high social ss, Seria Stern would be in the gossip. When she married Lesche, there seemed to be even more such nobles. The rumors in the social circles spread many times faster than when she was single.


    One of the noblewomen had secretlye and told Seria what had happened while she was dancing with Lesche, and she frowned her forehead as soon as the Lady retreated with a satisfied look on her face. In the original story, the nobledies of Hon were very friendly to Lina. There was a part where Lina made her debut in the capital, and then she was invited by Kalis to go down to the Hon territory. She did very well there, too. She didn¡¯t think something like this would happen.


    No wonder Viscount Issac was looking strangely pale. Seria had limited meetings with thedies because she was tired after going to the cier in the morning. She didn¡¯t want them to find out that her face was swollen which would be noticed if she had to talk to them so close and for so long.


    Maybe some had already noticed it.


    But what could she do? She was drinking the bubbling champagne while leaning her back lightly against the wall.


    Her ce was on the west wall.


    On the opposite wall stood Kalis, watching her.

 Chapter 23

    <h2>Chapter 23</h2>


    Seria raised her ss, ring at him as if giving him a warning.


    ¡®If you get too close, you will die.¡¯


    Until a few days ago, he was still her fiance. It seemed like Kalis understood exactly the message of Seria¡¯s re.


    She didn¡¯t want to make eye contact with him any longer, so she quickly turned her head away and took a step. She was the one who had been looking out for Kalis¡¯s mood, but she didn¡¯t expect that position to be turned upside down at once. It was ironic.


    She shifted her gaze toward the giant clock on the wall, thinking if she stayed here, she would have an eye-staring fight with Kalis for a long time, and she wanted to be alone. Besides, not dancing with Kalis was an unfamiliar experience in its own way. Up until a few days ago, she thought she was going to be the Marchioness of Hon. Though she once said she didn¡¯t know what life would bring and thought that if she had married Kalis and spent each day with him, she would probably have lived the rest of her life happily.


    ¡®There are some futures in this world that are predictable, aren¡¯t there?¡¯


    But right now, she just felt betrayed. He was serious about her, but he was also serious about the heroine. If she didn¡¯t fix his arm in the first ce, would they have hated each other just like in the original story?


    Perhaps, it would have been better. They probably wouldn¡¯t end up like this. No matter how much she struggled to avoid the original story, it was useless. She believed Kalis loved her, but he couldn¡¯t shake off Lina as the fated original. The idea that everything else might y out the way it was supposed to slowly grew in her mind. She really didn¡¯t want to think like this. But to live, to survive, the fear that she had deliberately turned her back to, that she had kept hidden, left its mark like mud. She shook her head lightly, shaking off the lingering emotions.


    She suddenly remembered the sound of Kalis grabbing her and shouting urgently, ¡°I¡¯m divorcing Lina, please marry me again.¡±


    She was so angry at the time that she didn¡¯t have time to think about it properly, but now that she thought about it, other questions filled her mind.


    ¡®What¡¯s the point of getting married like that? If Lina craves for something again, he would go to her, wouldn¡¯t he?¡¯


    If Kalis was given another chance, would he go to the temple and swear an oath that he would give all hisnds and title to her?


    She should have been angrier with Kalis.


    ¡®Really. I should have said something like this back then.¡¯


    Why did it never ur to her when they were fighting, but it didter? Why didn¡¯t she go over there and punch Kalis in the face and scream like this? That would turn Berg Castle upside down, and in a few days, words would spread through the social circles of the entire empire. Her sinking mood improved a little as she giggled at the thought of the improbable. As she finished her ss of champagne, she called out to a passing servant.


    ¡°Hey, you there.¡±


    ¡°Shall I get you another ss of champagne, My Lady?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Thank you.¡±


    She handed him the empty ss and walked toward the stairs. Sitting there for a long time was not a good choice, so she left the table for a while. Of course, leaving the grand banquet hall was a stupid idea. It would look like she was running away because she couldn¡¯t bear the pressure of rumors.


    And she decided that the best ce to escape to was the ¡°Grand Duchess¡¯ Terrace,¡± which had a great reputation in Berg Castle. Just as the resting room for the royal family at the imperial banquet, this terrace was said to be avable only to the Grand Duchess of Berg* (Lesche¡¯s mother) and her invited guests for generations.


    It had more symbolic significance than the other terraces, as it had to be climbed up a flight of stairs, and rumors said that the moonlight fell on it beautifully. Since Lesche was unmarried, the Grand Duchess¡¯ terrace also had no master. It had been closed for a long time, but now Linon insisted that it should be kept open as was customary. Seria refused to be a burden, but Linon worked hard all day for Lesche, and he convinced her that he would not regret seeing the extent of it.


    The truth was, Seria waspletely fooled by his words. She had no words to describe how hard she worked to decorate this ce and prepare the banquet. And she just barely made it in time for decorating the High Priest¡¯s pavilion toe the next day.


    Actually, Seria wanted to visit this unknown ce where even the royal family of the Glick Empire could not even ask first.


    ¡®When am I ever gonna get this chance again?¡¯


    As she approached, the well-dressed servant deftly drew back the thick green curtain.


    The vest he wore had arge blue embroidered Berg¡¯s pattern on it, meaning that he had temporary permission to enter the terrace for certain reasons.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you put on your cloak and go out? It¡¯s very cold outside.¡± The servant spoke.


    She looked at the bottom of the stairs before stepping out onto the terrace. Several nobles were looking at her, but they turned away hurriedly.


    Lesche, who was much taller, was surrounded by other nobles, but Seria could see his face. His silver hair shimmered with the reflection of the light. Lesche Berg was an eye-catching man. For such a great guy, he stood there looking annoyed. It seemed like he was trying hard to manage his facial expression. How unexpected, the life of a powerful man.


    Seria smiled at the sight, but of all people, her gaze met Lesche¡¯s. She immediately erased her smile and lowered her head lightly. She could feel the gazes of the nobles gathered towards her, as Lesche responded to her gaze.


    She turned away and whispered to the servant who was still walking through the curtains.


    ¡°Can you do me a favor?¡±


    The servant¡¯s eyes seemed to widen and he immediately nodded. Seria then stepped out onto the unknown terrace wearing a light cloak that the servant brought her. The terrace was overwhelmingly beautiful. The fantastic moonlight seemed to collect and illuminate like mirrors. The railings made of white marble looked like a work of art. A single lofty chair was ced a little off the center of the terrace, and a wool carpet on the floor. She could see why Linon was so confident about it. The rumors were not exaggerated at all.


    She took her time admiring the terrace. The Grand Duchess¡¯ terrace was about half a floor higher than the tallest terrace in the Grand Banquet Hall. As she looked around, she saw quite a few couples enjoying secret meetings out on the terrace.


    ¡®It really is a special ce. I can see firsthand all the rumors.¡¯


    Somehow she got the feeling that this terrace was not just for rxation, but was also used for social and political purposes. She leaned back against the sturdy railing and looked up at the sky. The full moon was exceptionallyrge and it was shining. The sky was studded with more stars than she could count. It was an ecstatic scene, but as the servant had said, it was terribly cold, she shivered a little.


    However, the cold air cleared her head and she closed her eyes, enjoying the refreshing feel. How long did she do that? Suddenly, the sound of a door opening with a small bell ringing reached her ears. She opened her eyes and turned around, there stood a person she half expected.


    ¡°How did you get in here?¡±


    ¡°Seria¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the servant stop you froming in without my permission?¡±


    ¡°I know, but I politely asked in the name of the Saint.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of asking? I did not give you permission. Do you know that the traditions of Berg Castle are so strict that even if you are a Duke, if you enter here without permission, you will have to live as a ve for Grand Duchess Berg for a week?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Well¡­¡±


    Lina, who looked at Seria with shocked eyes, struggled to answer.


    ¡°But, Seria, I¡­ I told Kalis that I wanted a divorce.¡±


    She sped her hands together shakingly and poured out words. And Seria answered in a sh.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Seria¡­?¡±


    Lina looked perplexed, perhaps because Seria¡¯s response was too calm. Perhaps she thought Seria would be surprised at the news.


    ¡°Lina, is that all you have to say?¡±


    Lina hastily stopped Seria from calling the servant.


    ¡°Seria! ording to what the priests have told me, Stern¡¯s divorce is asplicated as marriage, and we can¡¯t divorce right away, but we will! Therefore¡­.I will return what I took from Seria¡­!


    <i>¡®Return what she took from me? Did I hear her correctly?¡¯</i>


    Seria was momentarily rendered speechless by Lina¡¯s condescending attitude. She said in a cold voice,


    ¡°Lina, I think you misunderstood something, but even if you divorce or die with Kalis, I have no desire for him. So if that¡¯s the end of it, please leave.¡±


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    She furrowed her brows as Lina¡¯s voice grew louder. The terrace of the banquet was intended for secret meetings. Therefore, it wasmon sense to talk quietly, but Lina¡¯s voice now was so loud that it defiedmon sense. The nobles out on the terrace would surely be looking up at them. Her head started to hurt.


    ¡°What is it that you wish for, Lina?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, there¡¯s nothing like that! I¡¯m, I¡¯m¡­¡±


    At the same moment, there was a small rattle of a bell at the door.


    Lina cried out in a tearful voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m not even the main character, in fact, I¡¯m like a foreign object caught in between the two of you.¡±


    <i>¡®Foreign object? Main character?¡¯</i>


    That was what Seria had indeed to say to Lesche before their first dance. Obviously, Lina heard it.


    She stared at Lina in a strange mood.


    Lina. The heroine of this world. Seria knew Lina¡¯s character well, having read the original story.


    Lina was basically a heroine with good character, but she was not the type to present the so-called angst giver. She defeated the viins who bullied her because of the sub-men in the original story with a distinctiveeback.


    Seria raised her hand and ced it gently on her cheek. It was still slightly swollen. These were the marks of her desperate efforts to protect the heroine. Even though Seria¡¯s anger was not well controlled, she managed to patiently gather it up and hit her own face instead of Lina¡¯s.


    She had never bullied the heroine. She was not a viin yet.


    But why would Lina copy exactly what she said at this moment of all times?


    She asked the servant to ring the bell if anyone tried toe in. So when the bell rang, she knew. Who would dare toe up to the Grand Duchess¡¯s terrace¡­? Obviously, the only people she could think of were Lina and Kalis. The others who were focusing all their attention on this ce would think the same thing.


    Lina was already on the terrace, and since the bell rang again just now, one could deduce without difficulty that Kalis must have arrived at the door.


    From which part, until what point of the conversation did Kalis hear?

 Chapter 24

    <h2>Chapter 24</h2>


    ¡°Why are you¡­?¡±


    He must have heard Lina shout.


    ¡®What does Kalis think of me? Will he think I¡¯m a viin, tormenting a poor, pathetic Saint? Like I did in the original? Will he cut Seria¡¯s head off like it was in the original story?¡¯


    She couldn¡¯t understand Lina¡¯s actions for the life of her.


    ¡°Lina,¡± she stared at this lovely saint, unconvinced. Pure fair face with ck eyes. Short hair above her shoulders.


    ¡°Kalis is¡­outside. By the way, why are you saying that now? Because you want Kalis to hear? Because you don¡¯t want me to misunderstand your true feelings? Or is it because you want me to look like a bad person?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Lina¡¯s eyes shook. Probably Seria¡¯s eyes were shaking that much too. Normally, she would have used a polite manner on Lina, but now she couldn¡¯t afford to worry about such things. She was really curious.


    ¡°Why on earth? I didn¡¯t bother you¡­¡±


    She really had no intention of bumping into Lina. She felt sorry for her, but that was all.


    It never urred to her to bully the god-loved heroine of the original story. What was important to her was her life. She just wanted to live. Everything she did was a result of struggling not to die.


    ¡®What else did I do wrong?¡¯


    Lina¡¯s face turned pale. She looked as scared as a child. In the original story, she was the heroine who wisely fended off the viin, but everywhere probability was a necessity. It was Lina who couldn¡¯t even handle the Lady of Hon properly. This meant that she couldn¡¯t cope with the situation in which she would look like a viin until the beginning of the original y.


    It was pointless to be like this with Lina any longer, Seria just turned around without hesitation.


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    Lina ran over to grab Seria¡¯s arm. However, she slipped and stumbled heavily.


    Lina¡¯s body, which was about to fall towards Seria, floated in the air as if it were a lie.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    The full moon, which she thought was big today, instantly filled her vision like the sun. Lina¡¯s shoes fell to the floor, and her eyes immediately turned to Seria in surprise. She was being sucked into the air. Seria quickly reached out and tried to grab her, but it was toote. There was nothing to catch. The terrace was empty.


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    At the same time, the door opened with a ng. It was Kalis, and the servant with a worried face followed behind him.


    Kalis snuggled up against the railing and looked down. He was looking for Lina. However, the only thing that remained clear was Lina¡¯s shoes that fell in front of Seria.


    ¡°Seria¡­¡± Kalis asked in a quavering voice as he looked at her.


    ¡°Did you¡­.push Lina?¡±


    The words were like a blow to the head. Instantly, her hands went cold.


    ¡°Marquis? What do you mean by that?!¡±


    The servant shouted involuntarily. Seria looked at him and he lowered his head. She went to check the ciers every winter and she heard that Berg Castle¡¯s reputation among the servants was improving.


    She shifted her gaze and stared at Kalis.


    ¡°You¡¯re only hurting people, Kalis.¡±


    The moment she finished speaking, the moonlight spat Lina out.


    ¡°Aah! Aah! Please don¡¯t take me away¡­ Please don¡¯t take me away¡­.¡±


    ¡°Lina!¡±


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    Lina, surrounded by panic, held her head and screamed. She sank down with a look of pain on her face as if someone had scared her terribly. At the same time, a pure white divine power bloomed on her wrists and cheeks. Seria didn¡¯t see it herself, but she was told that this pattern was painted on Lina¡¯s skin the first time she had descended on the frozenke of the Berg estate.


    The priest stationed in the Berg territory hurriedly informed the High Priestess of Lina¡¯s appearance, and the High Priestess finally revealed the oracle that had been kept hidden from the public. It was the very oracle that the divine agent said would appear in the frozenke, the cier. It was a clear oracle with divine power. Everything pointed to Lina being a saint. The problem was that Lina would be going back and forth between the two worlds many times. Seria didn¡¯t expect the first to be today, at this time either.


    <em>¡®I didn¡¯t expect to be suspected of being a murderer¡­¡¯</em>


    She mumbled and bit her lip.


    However, her voice was shakier than she thought it would be. It was obvious that she was deeply shocked. Seria looked up, hoping Kalis wouldn¡¯t hear, but she was wrong. He was already looking at her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the Saintess!¡±


    The servant hurriedly carried Lina and went outside. The screams came from outside like a panorama. Seria was about to follow her outside when Kalis grabbed her wrist. No matter how powerful of a Stern she was, she didn¡¯t have the talent to make someone disappear and bring her back. Kalis should know that.


    ¡°Seria, I misspoke. Please don¡¯t look at me like that.¡±


    Perhaps her expression wasn¡¯t good. However, she had always kept her face stern since she possessed Seria.


    But she didn¡¯t have time to do so now. Btedly, she found herself more shocked than she could ever imagine. Ever since she possessed the irredeemable viin, she had done her best to survive unharmed. It was easy to say. But it was definitely no easy task to revive a reputation that had been hitting rock bottom every day for a year, straining to be the lone soldier. Even though she couldn¡¯t undo the evil deeds of Seria¡¯s past, Kalis must have seen the good deeds that she had built with all her might.


    Therefore, his apology made her truly happy. She was even grateful that Kalis began to believe in her after Seria¡¯s misdeeds. Even if Kalis chose the heroine and put her on the brink of death. But still¡­ she didn¡¯t think a year of her efforts would go away.


    All the time she spent feeling frustrated was pointless. She never thought the words she heard from the man who said he loved only her and wanted her back again, would stick in her mind so much until today¡­


    She was suspected for Lina¡¯s disappearance. She felt empty. The intensity of the shock she received was enormous, perhaps it was a mixture of Lina¡¯s iprehensible behavior and Kalis¡¯s heartfelt doubts.


    ¡°My dear Grand Duchess.¡±


    A voice suddenly interrupted. She realized that Linon was standing outside the door and called her.


    ¡°His Highness has requested to enter the terrace. Will you allow him to do so?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ming out.¡±


    ¡°Seria, wait a minute,¡±


    Linon¡¯s voice trailed off as Kalis tried to stop Seria by grabbing her hand.


    ¡°The Grand Duke cannot ascend these steps without the Grand Duchess¡¯s permission. It¡¯s the unwritten traditions and His Highness cannot break it either. Of course, the rules also apply to the other nobles.¡±


    Linon continued, ¡°but the rest can be done by sending official documents to the Marquis of Hon.¡±


    In the midst of all this, she had a glimmer of a thought that she was going to cut a hell out of this in Berg territory.


    Seria grabbed Linon¡¯s hand which he put out and she took a step. Then, he asked in a cautious voice,


    ¡°Why do you look so hurt? It¡¯s not like Young Lady¡­¡±


    When she was about to answer Linon, Kalis spoke first.


    ¡°Chief Aide of Berg,¡±


    He strode to the door and stood in front of Seria and Linon. First, he looked at Seria, then shifted his gaze to Linon.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was hoping for, Marquis Hon.¡±


    Because of the loud voicesing and going and Lina being carried away by the servants, all eyes in the Grand Ballroom were now on the Grand Duchess¡¯s terrace. The Saintess hade out, now who would be next? Naturally, it would be Seria Stern, who could enter and exit the Grand Duchess¡¯s terrace at will. So what kind of expression would she have?


    However, if Kalis left now, everyone¡¯s eyes would be on him instead. This was a polite consideration that got through in social circles. Kalis stared at Seria, clenched his fists, and descended the steps of the terrace. The noises got louder at once, just as she expected. She looked through the window into the hall and said to Linon,


    ¡°Linon, change the music to something softer and more elegant, and serve ice champagne. Tell him to unwind.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°Tell His Highness not toe up if you go down. It will create more stir.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­yes, I understand,¡± Linon said, and as soon as he went down, the music changed.


    Originally I thought it would be better to have fun, noisy music ying, but now soft music would be better to soothe people¡¯s moods.


    The ice champagne was the drink that everyone would want to taste when theye to Berg. Originally, it was nned to serve them at midnight, but now, it was good to serve it earlier to disperse people¡¯s nerves.


    Anyway, it was a year-end party that Seria had prepared diligently with Aliot¡¯s help. She definitely didn¡¯t want it to be ruined by something like this. When the main banquet hall became noisy again, she left the terrace and went down the stairs. She was afraid that Lesche would be standing in front of the stairs, but fortunately he was not there. If Lesche, the eye catching man, was standing in front of it, people would have gathered around again.


    She walked slowly to the hall, just like thedies of the ballroom. Everyone was busy tasting the ice champagne. This allowed her to walk out into the hallway along therge banquet hall doors, which opened with rtive ease. She didn¡¯t expect to meet an unexpected man there.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­.¡±


    With his arms folded, Lesche was leaning against the wall, his forehead furrowed. When he saw her, he sat up and walked toward her. She thought he might be angry because she told him not toe up the terrace, but he didn¡¯t show any emotion. He didn¡¯t even ask any questions. After looking at her for a while, Lesche held out his arm. It was a normal escort. It was the most appropriate attitude in this situation. Without hesitation, she grabbed his arm gently.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re about to cry.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria wiped lightly under her eyes in silence. Fortunately, Lesche kept walking forward, and he didn¡¯t look at her, so she could wipe it with more confidence.


    The year-end party ended sessfully.


    And the next day, she heard the shocking news.

 Chapter 25

    <h2>Chapter 25</h2>


    ***


    <strong>4. The Laurel Manor</strong>


    ***


    ¡°The High Priest took Lina with him?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°Just now?¡±


    The next day, Linon came early in the morning and gave Seria the unexpected news. She looked at the clock on the small table in the bedroom with a puzzled look on her face.


    It was seven o¡¯clock.


    The sun was shining through the gaps in the window curtains.


    ¡®Am I dreaming or am I half asleep?¡¯


    Normally, at this time she would still be sleeping. Usually, banquetsst until dawn. So the day after that, the nobles usually sleep beyond their lunch break. Of course, she left early yesterday, but she waited until 3 a.m. when the banquet was over. Because she had to change the decorations of the castle in a hurry.


    There was nothing more unsightly than the decorations of a party that was already over. Of course, she had to change the atmosphere to make it appropriate for the High Priest¡¯s visit. At least she wanted to be the perfect hostess since Lesche sacrificed to save her life.


    Thanks to her advance preparation, the redecoration took only about an hour. She decided to give the servants a special allowance. It would be frustrating to work like that at night and not get paid. She had to supervise here and there directly, so she went to bed at dawn.


    Even so, Seria made sure to ask the servant to wake her up in the morning. The servant faithfully obeyed her order. But as soon as Seria was up, she was informed that the chief aide was waiting outside. She was naturally dismayed by this. She thought there was a change in the schedule of the visit of the High Priest, so she told him toe in quickly.


    ¡°The Saintess and the High Priest already left the main pce.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    For a moment, the thought of clean, unmarked bowls and cups that the servants had worked so hard to polish for the High Priest¡¯s reception passed through her mind, but¡­ But that wasn¡¯t what mattered now.


    ¡°You said High Priest Amos was here?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡±


    He was one of the nine High Priests who worked rtively outside the ministry, not in the temple. So he got acquainted with Seria, a Stern, who he had never visited much before.


    Seria didn¡¯t have much trouble in the temple, which was her power base. Due to her nature, it was best not to go there in the first ce to avoid any idents. Amos would certainly be able to visit Seria, but he didn¡¯t even stop by and left the mansion with Lina. She wondered what the reason was.


    ¡°The High Priest Amos paid a visit to the main mansion half an hour ago. After having a brief tea with His Highness the Grand Duke, he immediately took the Saintess with him. He didn¡¯t eat anything, and he didn¡¯t even finish his tea.¡±


    ¡°Did Lina follow him willingly?¡± Seria asked.


    ¡°He¡­,¡± Linon hesitated to speak for the first time.


    ¡°High Priest Amos was very angry¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    <em>¡®He was angry?¡¯</em>


    The High Priest Amos that Seria remembered was not a man who could be offended by anything out of the ordinary. Even when Seria made mistakes when she was in the temple, rather than getting angry, he handled it with a determined look on his face, following the rules of the temple. He wasn¡¯t a kind and warm character, but he wasn¡¯t an angry one either. However, she never spent enough time with him to experience such a drastic change in emotions.


    ¡°Saintess initially didn¡¯t want to go, but High Priest Amos got angry and asked to speak with her alone¡­Then she got into the carriage, sobbing. That¡¯s how they left. By the way, the Saintess¡¯s unexined seizures all subsided at dawn.¡±


    <em>¡®I was under the impression that he was very strict.¡¯</em>


    High Priest Amos was like a dour old professor, and yet Lina had a solo meeting with an angry man. She could not help but sob. Seria nodded at the fact that all the other priests also left with her. That was expected. In the first ce, Stern¡¯s wedding was over, and also the priests that Kalis invited from the High Temple had no reason to stay after she recovered naturally.


    <em>¡®I¡¯ll write to the priestster. I have to find out why they suddenly took Lina away like that.¡¯</em>


    ¡°Did youe to my room early in the morning, in the wee hours to talk about this?¡±


    Linon cleared his throat. Seria was still sitting on the bed in her nightgown. Well, nightgowns, but not much different from a chemise dress. The sleeves are long and the hem of the skirt falls below the knees. She thought she didn¡¯t have to be so strict about it since they were friends anyway.


    ¡°Well, umm¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She thought something was wrong because Linon rarely hesitated. However, before Linon could answer, there were urgent knocks at the door.


    Knock. Knock.


    The bedroom door mmed open with a bang. It was Kalis, and the maid was seen following him with a perplexed look on her face. He strode over and stood in front of the bed.


    ¡°Seria, please give me onest moment before I leave. We need to talk.¡±


    Seria looked at him. Kalis was overbearing to proceed with the conversation somehow, but on the other hand, he seemed a bit ufortable as if he was afraid Seria would ask him to leave.


    <em>¡®That¡¯s good. I have something to give back to him anyway.¡¯</em>


    ¡°Excuse me, Marquis Hon, but am I invisible to you?¡±


    Kalis nced back at Linon with a smirk when he heard the question.


    ¡°Please excuse me for a moment, can you, chief aide?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m here by order of His Highness.¡±


    ¡°Did His Highness order you to expel all the guests of this annex?¡±


    ¡°No, but he told me to watch out for trouble makers. He also told me to get rid of whoever Young Lady doesn¡¯t like.¡±


    After listening to Linon, Seria understood why he came to her ce so early in the morning. At least Linon, who was the Grand Duke¡¯s chief aide, would have to be there to deal with Marquis Hon. Anyone with lower status, it would be inevitably difficult to actively deal with the Marquis.


    By the way, was it okay for Lesche to put his chief aide by her side all the time like that? As far as she knew, Linon had a lot to do. Without Linon, wouldn¡¯t Lesche, himself, have to take on more work?


    While asking such trivial questions, Seria waved her hand to the servant girl. It was then that she bowed her head and walked out.


    ¡°Then just stand there. Do as you please.¡± Seria told Kalis.


    Kalis looked less energetic than usual. He rubbed his face with one hand, as if he was tired of ying against Linon continuously. Then he took a step closer to Seria. She was sitting on the bed, looking at Kalis. He stood in front of her and stared at her. Up close, he certainly looked many times more tired than usual, probably because of the dark circles under his eyes.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    With the familiar call, Kalis dropped down on his knees in front of Seria. For a moment, her eyes widened helplessly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t begin to count all the hurt I¡¯ve caused you with this apology, but ¡­¡­¡±


    Seria looked at him silently.


    ¡°Can you give me another chance, Seria?¡±


    Without hesitation, Seria spoke.


    ¡°What would be changed if we were married again? Kalis Hon, Are you sure you won¡¯t run to Lina again when she calls you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am sure¡­.¡±


    ¡°No. Kalis, you will run to her again.¡±


    Seria said firmly. She felt hurt saying it. The self inflicted thoughts never crossed her mind, but yesterday she looked at the sparkling crystal chandelier and all she could think of were these words.


    ¡°You asked me yesterday if I pushed Lina, remember? The servant didn¡¯t suspect me, but you did. I understand. There are so many things I¡¯ve done to you. I¡¯m notorious for it.¡±


    Seria understood why he suspected her. Kalis almost lost one of his arms because of the original Seria. Above all, Seria was a recognized viin in the original story. It was not something she (the new Seria) had built up over the years, and it was frustrating at times, but there was nothing she could do about it.


    <em>¡®I¡¯m already Seria Stern, but I want to live, unlike the original story I¡¯ve been assigned. So I thought that I deserve this karma, but what about my heart?¡¯</em>


    She always knew that she couldn¡¯t me Kalis for being overly nice to Lina. He was the second male lead, so it was inevitable that he would fall for the original heroine, but Kalis believed that he loved Seria.


    However, just because she understood him, it didn¡¯t mean that she could pretend to be ignorant of all the circumstances around her. To avoid a tragic death, she swallowed her miserable feelings.


    <em>¡®I know the situation was unreasonable, but how long do I have to convince myself that it¡¯s inevitable because the star of this original story is involved?¡¯</em>


    Until when?


    How long does she have to do this?


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­so hurt by you. I don¡¯t want to live in fear anymore, and I don¡¯t want to worry about when you¡¯ll go back to Lina¡­.¡±


    Seria suddenly burst into tears. She wiped her wet cheeks with her hand and said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with, Kalis.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Knock. Knock.


    Just then, with a small knocking sound, the servant Seria sent out earlier returned. She had a small box in her hand. Knowing the heavy air, she quickly and cautiously gave the box to Seria and left the room.


    ¡°Kalis.¡±


    She opened it and presented it to Kalis. It was Kalis¡¯s ring, which he gave her as a token of their engagement.


    ¡°I¡¯m returning it to you. Take it.¡±


    Kalis nced at the box and slowly epted it. The moment their fingers touched he suddenly grasped her hand tightly.


    ¡°Seria,¡± Kalis said, his eyes were pooling with tears.


    Suddenly Seria realized something. After she possessed Seria, she could read people¡¯s expressions. She thought Kalis loved her. But he was too easy to renege on the promise of a holy marriage. Even if she could read his expression skillfully, she couldn¡¯t read the depth of his mind.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    There were so many emotions on Kalis¡¯s face that it was hard to decipher their meaning. She just looked at him in silence. Then, as if he made up his mind, Kalis gave her hand a squeeze and released it.

 Chapter 26

    Kalis Hon mounted the horse and looked back. The huge castle of Berk was now a blur in the winter mist. Kalis, conscious of the presence of the jewelry box in his pocket, said to his aide,


    ¡°Bin, you go up to the Capital first and control the rumors. It is entirely my fault that Stern¡¯s wedding has been disrupted.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marquis. What shall I tell Marquis Kellyden?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t need to tell them. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve already heard the rumors, but they haven¡¯t contacted me at all.¡±


    Kalis knew that Marquis Kellyden didn¡¯t even treat Seria as his child, but when he finally felt this situation with his heart, he couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter.


    Besides, how noisy would the imperial society be again? The next three years were going to be a tremendous amount of gossip to worry about. It was only natural because each person expressed their interest in various ways.


    Kalis knew that Seria wouldn¡¯t stay married to Lesche Berg for long. This was already expected by many people, except for him. Knowing that Lesche never did favors without a reason, everyone would have guessed that some sort of deal had gone back and forth in the process of marriage and annulment, and some of it was true.


    Lesche went into the wedding hall to save Seria¡¯s life. Stern¡¯s divorce would be difficult, unlike those of other nobles because it was closely tied to the Temple.


    It would be quick and difficult, but still a few years away.


    It was Lesche Berg who became Seria¡¯s prospective husband, but Kalis was officially recognized by Seria¡¯s family. Marquis Kellyden would have to acknowledge their marriage, even if he didn¡¯t want to raise Seria to the rank of Grand Duchess.


    ¡°Divorce¡­.¡±


    Yet Kalis was also Lina¡¯s husband. Once his divorce from her was finalized, Kalis would return to Seria and kneel down again.


    Before that, he should hand over the role of Lina¡¯s guardian to someone else. That was when he thought he would find the right person.


    The elegant andrge carriage that Lina and High Priest Amos were riding in suddenly stopped. Since this long procession was the main axis, the horses in front and behind immediately stopped.


    ¡°How could you lie to me!¡±


    Lina jumped out of the carriage.


    ¡°You said we will go to the temple in Hon! I believed you, but why would you take me to the main temple in the capital?


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    When Amos shouted in a harsh tone, Lina¡¯s tears fell from her eyes. The sight of her strangely brought to mind the image of Seria crying, which made Kalis feel ufortable.


    ¡°If the procession stops, it will cause trouble for those following behind. Let¡¯s just get in the carriage and talk again.¡±


    Kalis couldn¡¯t understand why Lina was so reluctant to go there. In the end, Lina cried and got into the carriage again.


    ***


    After hearing that Kalis and Lina had departed, Seria slept all day. She wasn¡¯t a good sleeper, but she overworked the past few days. When she heard that the High Priest, who was the most important guest of the castle, had left quickly, she felt as if her body had lost some of its strength.


    The nobles who came to the castle were about to leave.


    An estimated 500 or 600 people? Lesche seemed to want her to see the guests off at the mansion as well. Seria thought she had signed a ve contract in exchange for saving her life.


    She told the maids to wake her up immediately if Lesche came to visit, but it was in the evening when the maids finally woke her up.


    ¡°My Lady, have dinner and go back to sleep. If you go to bed on an empty stomach, you will be hungry.¡±


    As usual, the tray brought by the servants was plentiful. The main course was baked flounder with butter sauce, grilled chicken with peppercorns, and tender steamed beef. After warming up with a light soup, she ate sd with dried fruit. Then she finished the meal with cheese and wine. She felt so much better after a big meal.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t His Highness been looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, mydy. Oh, by the way, the Chief Aide is waiting for you outside.¡±


    The spoon stopped in midair.


    ¡°Linon¡­? Since when?¡±


    The servant looked at the clock and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s been about an hour.¡±


    Linon¡¯s hands were frozen to a crisp when Seria frantically called him in. She asked the servant to hurry up and bring him a hot water bottle and hot stew and asked her why she didn¡¯t wake her up earlier. The servant said that Linon told her not to, and Linon¡¯s answer was even more dismissive.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not the man who has the heart to wake up ady who fell asleep from crying!¡±


    It was true that he was not afraid to say things that could be misunderstood. When Seria cried in front of Kalis earlier, Linon saw it too. Seria sighed and asked,


    ¡°Why? Are you going to get me to see the guests off? Are there any important guests that are leaving at this time?¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, My Lady. Our guests have already left.¡±


    ¡°Oh. All the guests who are supposed to leave today are gone?¡±


    ¡°No, all the guests have left Berg Castle.¡±


    Seria blinked slowly.


    Linon was right. There was not a single light in the many outbuildings. It was as quiet as if a typhoon had blown over.


    ¡°You must have kicked them out nicely.¡± Seria said.


    Linon cringed. He looked at Seria with an unjust expression.


    ¡°Are you talking about me?¡± Linon asked.


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s not you, then who?¡± Seria said.


    ¡°It was His Highness¡¯s order. I¡¯m a powerless minion who obeys him, youngdy.¡±


    She knew for a fact that Lesche hated noises.


    In an aristocratic society where appearances were important, was there anyone in the world who could say to people¡¯s faces ¡°You have enjoyed the banquet, now get out?¡± Obviously, if it wasn¡¯t Lesche, it would probably be the emperor of the Glick Empire.


    ¡°Then why did youe to see me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a ce you need to go tomorrow. You¡¯ve probably heard of the Laurel Manor.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have heard of it.¡±


    The Laurel Manor was a secretly famous ce in Berg Castle. Along the rear garden of the huge main castle, a horse-drawn carriage ride inward for a while through the white birch forest across the cier would reveal the beautiful green marble mansion. This was the ¡°Laurel Manor,¡± where only the immediate members of the Berg family could live.


    Rumors said that the underground warehouse was filled with treasures and was decorated with luxurious ornaments. Not many people were invited there.


    That was a story Seria picked up after a long time in society.


    And she knew one more thing.


    Originally, theurel manor was described as apletely evaporated ce.


    The whole area of the manor, including the beautiful green mansion, was just a huge ck hole. This was also the story that Lina (in the novel) heard when she questioned the rumors she heard from the social circles and begged Lesche to tell her. Lesche, that cold male protagonist, never once properly mentioned the Laurel Manor.


    ¡°You¡¯ll go there tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Do you have a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    Seria was just surprised that she was going tomorrow to a ce that wasn¡¯t even mentioned properly in the original book.


    Linon nodded and continued talking.


    ¡°Anyway, Lady and His Highness will go there together. It won¡¯t be long, just a couple of days stay.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ***


    The next day, when Seria left the bedroom early in the morning, the number of people she saw was reduced by one-tenth. The castle was much quieter. Somehow it seemed unfamiliar.


    Then the iron gate opened.


    ¡°Bibi!¡±


    It was Abigail, who was locked up for a week for insulting Marquis Hon. As Alliot had said one day, she still looked healthy. She was a little thin, but¡­


    ¡°Come on, this is the thickest cloak I have.¡± Seria said as she gave Abigail the cloak.


    Still, she must have struggled. However, Abigail didn¡¯t refuse and meekly wrapped the cloak around her. Alliot, who came with Seria, took out a stew and a spoon from a heavy box made of mahogany wood. Seria gave Abigail a spoonful herself. The beef stew, which was brought early in the morning from the main kitchen, was still steaming.


    ¡°Eat this first. There¡¯s more in the kitchen. Are you cold?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s less cold than when I was soaked in ice water for three days.¡±


    ¡°What? Who tortured you?¡±


    ¡°Just kidding, My Lady.¡±


    Abigail said lightly and chuckled, but her hands were really cold. It was a relief that Berg was thorough in managing prisons, but she was worried that there were many cases where trapped people freeze to death in dungeons in the winter elsewhere.


    ¡°Mydy, you must have killed either that man or that woman while I was locked up, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It would be better if you killed both of them.¡±


    Seria chuckled. She was a little tired from Abigail¡¯s early-morning release, but after seeing her, her tiredness seemed to have gone away.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. Do you mind if I kill him?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to get executed?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t get caught.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t there two witnesses here?¡±


    Abigail smiled at those words as she stared at Seria. Her smile disappeared the moment she turned around. Alliot, who carried the stew, was standing behind.


    Seria also turned and nced at Alliot. Alliot¡¯s gaze was strangely fixed when he was looking at Abigail.


    He seemed to be bothered by Bibi¡¯s words. Well, Lina and Kalis were important figures anyway.


    Furthermore, for Berg Castle, he was the head of security for Berg¡¯s Grand Duke, the words must not be very pleasant to hear.


    ¡°Sir Alliot?¡±


    Alliot stared at her with a look of bewilderment. But soon waved his hand in a panic.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to press charges, Lady Seria.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡±

 Chapter 27

    Seria chuckled and took a handkerchief out of her pocket and offered it to Abigail.


    ¡°If the head security, who is obligated to punish others, doesn¡¯t file aint, won¡¯t he be subject to aggravated punishment? You don¡¯t have tomit such a crime for me, do you?¡±


    Alliot was an open-minded person. Of course, there was very little incidence of him shing with Seria in the original story. But even though he heard about Seria¡¯s violence, he opened up to her without difficulty.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Alliot being a nobleman with a belief that those who were remorseful must be given another chance, and if it hadn¡¯t been for being a knight of Berg who had no choice but to be innately weak to Stern, he must have hated Seria for the rest of his life.


    ¡°But thank you for saying that, Sir Alliot.¡±


    Seria said, a little embarrassed.


    ¡°Bibi, let¡¯s go to the inn. I¡¯ll take you there. Sir Elliot? I heard that Bibi¡¯s quarters have been changed. Where is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you there in person, Lady Seria.¡±


    Seria nodded.


    Seria pondered, staring at Abigail¡¯s sword that she just received.


    <em>¡®But Bibi¡¯s words aren¡¯t entirely wrong.¡¯</em>


    Abigail¡¯s words were a bit violent, but there were times when her response was correct. It was to kill those who wished to do her (Seria) harm. There was no better solution than that. Of course, she didn¡¯t want to kill Lina and Kalis. She didn¡¯t want to kill them at all.


    However, for the past year, she overlooked something very important. She believed that if she acted differently from the original Seria Stern, everything would be fine. Don¡¯t be evil, don¡¯t hit anyone, don¡¯t nitpick, don¡¯t pour wine on people, don¡¯t be mean to low-ranking nobles just because you are a Stern. She thought that if she did good, and did her best to repent for her terrible past (not that she did any of those, of course), she would avoid the tragic fate in the original story assigned to Seria.


    <em>¡®I knew it wasn¡¯t.¡¯</em>


    And yet, she still thought that the world of the novel was only made up of ink. No, she was trying to think. Suddenly, the world that was supposed to be real changed, and she was given a role to y. Was the fact that it was a ¡®fixed¡¯ role shocked her?


    As long as she breathed here, this world was her reality. She had toe to terms with the fact that, just as she was alive, so were the people around her, all the characters of the original story. Lina, Kalis, and so was the man Lesche Berg. They were all living people. It was her arrogance to predict that if she treated them kindly, they would return the favor, and if she treated them badly, they would throw harmful things at her. She read the original story, but didn¡¯t read every single one of their lives¡­.So she changed her goal. She just had to grab the rope a little tighter to help her out.


    <em>¡®Buy an ind.¡¯</em>


    This Glick Empire was veryrge. It was only natural since it had the strongest people on the continent. She was told that the southernmost part of the Glick Empire was lined with beautiful resort inds surrounded by pretty coral and emerald-colored seas.


    <em>¡®I will pick one and buy it.¡¯</em>


    She would buy one whole southern ind and not leave that ce. More than anything, it was her long-time wish to travel to such a ce. Before she possessed Seria, she was a poor graduate student. She lived on herb sry and threw away her research schrship as she barely managed to cover the tuition.


    But even when she tried to get a job, her major almost always required her to go to graduate school. In the past, she was a zombie in theb room. But even zombies had dreams, and she envied them as she searched and flipped through the photos, one by one, of the asional vacation ce she could afford. She even saved some of them in her gallery.


    But now she was a Stern, and she knew the original story. Did that mean, strictly speaking, she had a much better chance of making a fortune than she did as a minor graduate student in her previous life?


    <em>¡®I will earn hard and save a lot.¡¯</em>


    If Lina returned to the real world, she would be back here in a year. So in the meantime, Seria could steadily save money, build her foundation, prepare funds, and run away. Of course, if somehow she would still get her throat cut like it was in the original story¡­She had already made a n to deal with that.


    <em>¡®I have to diligently inspect the cier from now on.¡¯</em>


    The more diligently she worked on the frozenke, the cier, and the Berg estate, the higher Seria Stern¡¯s reputation would be. The increased fame would also save the lives of the nobles who were sometimes beheaded. It was the only thing she could do. In order to do that, she would have to go to the temple and ask the other Stern for permission. Of course, Seria and most of the previous Stern did not like to visit the ciers. Visiting other ces was not so difficult because of the good weather, but the ciers, which bordered the northern part of the Berg Estate, were avoided by all, due to the freezing cold. Because of this, if she wanted to see more of the ciers, they would be happy to oblige. She knew it was a matter of formalities and that she had to see a Stern in person at the temple and ask for permission.


    <em>¡®The other Stern¡¯s name was probably Miyot. Has she ever met Seria?¡¯</em>


    The Sterns were close friends for generations. If the stars were solid, there would only be the Milky Way. Because it¡¯s not the stars that would be noticed, but the path drawn by the stars that would be. The arrogant Stern and her friends preferred to shine alone. Well, even if they were arrogant they were quiet, given that there were no rumors of them being as evil as Seria.


    Seria hurried to her feet, thinking she would write a letter to Miyot.


    ***


    The knight¡¯s quarters was thergest building except for the main one.


    ¡°This way.¡±


    ¡°The floor changed?¡±


    ¡°The knights are gone. The rooms that were preupied were all good rooms, so while they were avable, I made sure to assign them to Lady Abigail.¡±


    When Kalis and Seria came to the main castle here in Berg for the wedding, there were not many guests in Berg Castle, so they were able to use the best annex. Abigail was not able toe with them at that time. Since she arrived at the Berg territory a littleter than expected, Abigail couldn¡¯t stop by the main castle and had to join the Holy Knight Mage group in a hurry to defeat monsters.


    Actually, she didn¡¯t know that at the time. When more than 20 families sent their knights who represented their households in ce of their masters, Seria hurriedly secured a room for Abigail at the knight¡¯s quarters in the main castle, but the best floor was already full.


    How she regretted taking the even less prestigious quarters downstairs! She didn¡¯t consider Abigail¡¯s liking at that time.


    <em>¡®Next time, I¡¯ll take that room.¡¯</em>


    She was too considerate of those knights, she wouldn¡¯t do that next time.


    ¡°It¡¯s sunny!¡±


    A trace of satisfaction seeped into Abigail¡¯s voice. The mattress was new. The nket was new too. It was nice. And the room was warm. Seria told Abigail not toe out and to get some rest.


    When Alliot followed Seria outside, Seria asked,


    ¡°Sir Alliot, I heard from Linon yesterday, is the Laurel Manor really off-limits to knights?¡±


    At first, Seria thought Linon was joking, because she couldn¡¯t understand why a ce like the venerable Berg¡¯s Cradle was off-limits to knights.


    ¡°Yes, My Lady. It¡¯s already been years since I didn¡¯t get into the manor either.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Alliot looked puzzled.


    ¡°Nothing about the manor is easy to say.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. It would be hard to tell an outsider.¡±


    Then Alliot immediately denied with a stern look.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. You¡¯re no longer an outsider.¡±


    Alliot said it so solemnly that Seria felt rather embarrassed. She chuckled, and Alliot¡¯s expression softened a bit.


    ¡°There is an unwrittenw that none of the manor¡¯s work should be discussed with those who have never visited the manor before. My Lady will know when you go there today.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Oh, you don¡¯t have to see me off. I¡¯m going back to my bedroom anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡±


    ****


    After Seria left the knight¡¯s quarters with a rxed gait, Alliot pondered for a moment, then knocked on Abigail¡¯s door before entering.


    ¡°Lady Abigail.¡±


    Abigail, who was glued to the window and basked in the sunlight, nced back.


    There was a faint hint of something wrong in his cold, expressionless face.


    ¡°I came to warn you about what you said earlier. It was inappropriate to ask Lady Seria if you could kill the Saintess and the Marquis. It could be misunderstood as a conspiracy tomit murder.¡±


    ¡°There was no one there but us.¡±


    Abigail¡¯s eyebrows slowly sank and came back up.


    ¡°Is Sir Alliot going to press charges?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not, but I knew what Lady Abigail said was not a joke.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, nothing happened, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    It was an insincere reply. Abigail continued to try to ignore Alliot¡¯s words, as was her habit, and then she remembered something Seria had noticed earlier. Come to think of it, this man had been watching her with sharp eyes as if trying to find out what she was capable of in her spare time, and he was also the Knight Commander of this vastnd. He was certainly outstanding. Abigail could count on one hand the number of knights that were this good.


    The thought ofing on stronger crossed her mind.


    ¡°My grudge is the honor of a knight. Are the insults My Lady has suffered not enough?¡±


    ¡°Lady Abigail, you are too outspoken. If you go up to the capital with Lady Seria, the eyes of many knights will be on you.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°You should be careful. Berg¡¯s knights are reticent, but those of the capital are not.¡±


    Abigail raised one side of her mouth.


    ¡°Why should I listen to Sir Alliot?¡±

 Chapter 28

    <h2>Chapter 28</h2>


    ¡°Lady Abigail, even though you were very much aware of my presence behind you earlier, you still voiced your murderous intent to Lady Seria, didn¡¯t you? So I could assume two things. One, you trust me¡­.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I would.¡±


    ¡°Well, then you might want to listen carefully because you¡¯re basically saying you have such poor emotional control that you verbalized your plot for murder right under the nose of someone you don¡¯t trust.¡±


    Abigail remained silent as she stared at Alliot quietly. Alliot said in a serious tone.


    ¡°In other words, even if it¡¯s just for the sake of Lady Seria, use yourmon sense. Previously as well, if I were you, I wouldn¡¯t have thrown my handkerchief at all at Marquis Hon¡¯s knight. Instead, I would have chosen the highest ranked knight and have him under my control. That wouldn¡¯t lead to the insult charge.¡±


    The strange killing spirit that had been slyly flowing out of Abigail quickly disappeared.


    ¡°That¡¯s considerate advice. I¡¯ll keep it in mind. But I disagree with one thing.¡±


    ¡°Which is it?¡±


    ¡°Instead of having him under my control, I would cut his limbs into pieces.¡±


    ***


    The bedroom was quiet when Seria returned. The servants had already packed her things and loaded them into the carriage. With nothing left to do, she sat up in bed and blinked slowly. It was only mid-morning. And perhaps because she woke up too early, her eyelids were getting heavier.


    She closed her eyes as the servants said that there was sufficient time for her to rest before she had to leave for the Laurel Manor.


    <em>¡®I should not have fallen asleep.¡¯</em>


    An hourter she let out a silent scream with great regret.


    When she woke up, she found herself not in bed, but in a carriage. She heard the sound of the wheels rolling smoothly. Through the window, she could see the white birches that resembled a snowyndscape wereid out beautifully, but there was a blizzard¡­


    In the midst of this white scene, her heart was not at all at peace.


    <em>¡®No, why the sudden blizzard¡­?¡¯</em>


    The weather was fine in the morning, but where did these dark cloudse from?


    She nced down at her body. She was wrapped up in the covers as if she was still on the bed. And what more, she was in her nightgown. As if there weren¡¯t enough problems, she looked up, feeling ashamed. There was a beautiful face in front of her. Full lips, a high nose beneath the long silver eyshes. But his eyes were strangely cold, a man who looked better from a distance than up close.


    That¡¯s right.


    <em>¡®I was in a carriage, being held by Lesche Berg with the whole bedding.¡¯</em>


    She was in the middle of a sound sleep, a few hours ago.


    The servants hurried to wake her up. She was too sleepy to open her eyes, but before she knew it, they were scrubbing her down quickly. She even finished washing her face and brushing her teeth while on the bed. The maids said that it was suddenly snowing heavily, so the order was to leave right away before the snow gets worse¡­.


    Suddenly, her body was raised in the air¡­Before she came to her senses, she was moved from the bed to the carriage.


    <em>¡®I honestly thought I was dreaming, but it¡¯s reality.¡¯</em>


    She couldn¡¯t even get a good look at what was in front of her as the maids hurried along and pulled the covers over the top of her head, telling her it would be cold outside.


    <em>¡®So did I imagine it? The man who was carrying me was Alliot or someone else, and the silver hair I¡¯d glimpsed earlier was just a mistake?¡¯</em>


    But that couldn¡¯t be it, could it? She swallowed hard, and looked up at the man who was holding her in his arms, Lesche Berg. She spoke carefully.


    ¡°Your Highness¡­.¡±


    Lesche, who had been staring out the window with furrowed brows, looked down at her. His red eyes were more subdued than usual, but she felt scared for some reason. Then, he shifted his gaze and looked out the window again at the heavy snowfall.


    ¡°Sleep more. We still have quite a long way to go.¡±


    How could anyone sleep in this position? Seria moved her head to look at the other side of the carriage.


    There was an empty seat.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep over there, so please let me go.¡±


    ¡°You want me to let you go?¡±


    Lesche pointed to her feet with his chin.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any shoes.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to get your shoes, so just sleep like this until then.¡±


    He told her to sleep again, but she wanted to ask him who could really sleepfortably in this position. On the contrary, she wanted to ask if he could sleepfortably if their positions were reversed.


    Of course, they were too different in size for one thing¡­.


    Unlike her awkwardness, Lesche was holding her very steadily. Even though she was leaning on him for most of his upper body, his big body was rxed, and the nket that covered her body was fluffy.


    But apart from this physicalfort, Seria felt ufortable. If it was a problem because she didn¡¯t have shoes, couldn¡¯t she just walk barefoot and go to the other side? Or it wasn¡¯t too aristocratic to do that and Lesche was the type of person who wouldn¡¯t have it such a way?


    While she was thinking this and that and staring at her exposed feet Lesche suddenly grabbed her feet.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    She almost fainted at the sudden touch. (*T/N: I would faint too¡­.??)


    As Seria turned stiff, Lesche frowned.


    ¡°Is the carriage cold?¡±


    Instantly, she was startled and shuffled her feet.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t touch it!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Lesche asked back as he let go of her feet.


    ¡°Why? Why would you touch people¡¯s feet?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we married? Young Lady?¡±


    Suddenly, a strange thought passed through her head.


    ¡°Your Highness, could it be that you¡¯re going to the manor to¡­ um¡­ have your honeymoon?¡±


    At that moment, Lesche¡¯s eyes opened lightly. He answered in a low voice with a bit of moxie.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    However, contrary to his words, she was relieved to see Lesche¡¯s face as he quietly affirmed.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying. You scared me, you know that?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    One of Lesche¡¯s eyebrows lifted slightly.


    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s a lie?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very good at reading people¡¯s expressions.¡±


    When Seria answered in a serious voice, Lesche clicked his tongue. Then, he leaned backfortably in the carriage seat. The angle at which he naturally supported her back and thighs also changed. They were much closer than before. She could feel even through the covers that his grip on her was really strong¡­


    Indeed, Lesche was a remarkable knight.


    ¡°I touched your feet because they seemed to be very cold. Due to the heavy snowfall, the temperature of the carriage could not be raised further and I think the best option would be for me to hold you.¡±


    ¡°No, Your Highness. Please, your Grand Duchess* won¡¯t¡­.¡± (*she meant his future wife.)


    For a moment, Lesche¡¯s expression hardened. She said that suddenly because she was afraid that Lesche would hold her feet until they reached the manor.


    <em>¡®Was I presumptuous?¡¯</em>


    She blinked and added.


    ¡°Or specifications in the name of Stern, who is inspecting the cier¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you correcting it?¡±


    Lesche said, staring at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re the Grand Duchess, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well¡­temporary¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s temporary.¡±


    Lesche neatly removed his hands from her feet and pulled the nket down to cover them.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like to be the Grand Duchess, I can¡¯t do anything.¡±


    His words didn¡¯t sound like a simple list of facts. His tone of voice was strange. Above all, she was the one who knew Lesche in the original story.


    <em>¡®I think this man is also a bit of a mess¡­That¡¯s strange. Why can¡¯t I remember him clearly?¡¯</em>


    She began to wonder. She memorized most of the original story. At times, she even felt inwardly satisfied that she was a genius herself. But why couldn¡¯t she remember the hidden past of the male protagonist in the novel, who was as important as the heroine?


    When she looked back at them one by one, it was as if only the memory of them were cut out.


    ***


    Seria looked out the window, thinking she would have to go back to the original storyter. It was a seasonal carriage used in the middle of winter, and the windows were small and narrow with thick ss. Still, it was not hard to see outside.


    As she was staring out the window at the heavy snowfall, she suddenly saw one of the knights pass the carriage. It was strange. Alliot said that the knights couldn¡¯t get into the Laurel Manor, but they could enter the main house of the mansion?


    <em>¡®Isn¡¯t that even stranger?¡¯</em>


    ¡°Your Highness. Are there knights in the procession?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why, sir? I heard that knights are not allowed in the Laurel Manor.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Alliot exin it to you?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me anything.¡±


    ¡°That man¡­.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Seria blinked for a moment because she could see the confusion on Lesche¡¯s face as he wrinkled his brows. It was as if he was forced to take on the role of conveying unwilling words.


    ¡°Anyway, he said there¡¯s a story I should know about, too.¡±


    However, she was prepared to ept it even if Lesche said it wasn¡¯t necessary for her to know. When she was about to tell him she would ask Linonter,


    Rattle.


    That was when it happened.


    The carriage jolted, and everything came to a stop. For a moment, the fear that she might tumble out of the carriage took over, but then there was a force that held her tight. It was Lesche. Her heart pounded as she was only putting her weight on Lesche¡¯s arms.


    There was a bang at the door, and a loud voice, presumed to be the knights, was heard from outside.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a demon! A demon has appeared!¡±


    For a moment, she couldn¡¯t believe her ears as she heard the words. A demon has appeared? Why?


    Lesche quickly reached out and opened the small window on the carriage door. Immediately a chill swept through the air.


    ¡°What¡¯s the boundary of the manor?¡±


    ¡°Right in front of us!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m relieved we have a Stern.¡±


    With these words, Lesche lowered Seria on the carriage seat. In the meantime, she tried to keep her feet off the floor.


    ¡°Stay in the carriage, I¡¯ll send Linon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please don¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    Seria hurriedly nodded. Lesche was not surprised to hear that a demon had appeared. There was no one who didn¡¯t know what horror meant on this continent. And she wasn¡¯t as surprised as she thought she would be because Lesche had a casual demeanor.


    ¡°The weather is very bad.¡±


    Even in that brief whirlwind of Lesche¡¯s departure, she could feel that the blizzard had lowered the temperature inside the carriage by at least a few degrees. She pulled out her arms, which were warmly wrapped up in the nket, and looked out the window with anticipation.

 Chapter 29

    <h2>Chapter 29</h2>


    Before long, Lesche was wearing the light constetion gold armor.


    In this world, for knights, the constetion gold armor was truly a necessity. This was because demons were themon enemy of the continent. Thanks to the many improvements made in each country, the Holy gold armor was even easier to wear than the traditional armor. Of course, the price was sky-high.


    The armor that Lesche wore right now was the lightest and simplest armor among them. It provided enough protection to deal with a spell or two.


    Apart from being reassuring, the situation wasn¡¯t easy to understand. Why did the demon appear?


    <em>¡®How many days have I not been to a cier?¡¯</em>


    Seria didn¡¯t go out to inspect the cier today because she had to get Abigail out of jail. She skipped yesterday, too. But that was still only a few days. Normally, it was very rare for the demons toe down this far within a week of the inspection.


    <em>¡®Umm, it¡¯s rare, but it¡¯s not like it hasn¡¯t happened before.¡¯</em>


    The chances were very low, but there was a probability that a demon would appear. Just then, there was a light tap on the carriage door and it burst open.


    It was Linon.


    ¡°Lady Seria! Are you alright? It¡¯s so warm here. It¡¯s like heaven.¡±


    Linon quickly took a seat on the other side and crouched down, looking like he was about to cry. Seria asked as she looked at his blue face.


    ¡°Were you riding a horse?¡±


    ¡°No, I was riding in a wagon.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ride in this wagon?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. We left in a hurry and I needed to check something.¡±


    Linon , who was slurring his words, continued.


    ¡°You know that we are almost at the Laurel Manor, don¡¯t you? If you enter there, you will find knights, servants, including myself ¡­. Anyway, don¡¯t use honorifics with anyone. Or we¡¯ll die. There are demons living in that house.¡±


    Linon¡¯s face was very serious as he spoke solemnly. He looked frightened. The demons seemed to be rted to the story that Lesche was having trouble to tell her. When she was going to ask for details, she heard Linon¡¯s cry.


    ¡°Oh, Young Lady. Get behind me quickly¡­.¡±


    ¡°What ¡­¡­?¡±


    Before she knew it, his gaze had turned to look out the window, and she reflexively followed his gaze.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    For a moment, her own breathing became difficult.


    As if she was dreaming, she saw the demon was right in front of her eyes. It was a far stranger figure than she had seen in the picture. His entire skin was as ck as a hollowed out light, and his protruding red gums and teeth evoked a strong repulsion and displeasure. As Stern, she often inspected the cier, but this was the first time she had actually seen the demon so closely. Those two eyes with different colors were unfocused and glowing.


    Above all.


    The demon was in perfect human form.


    That was the most bizarre thing about it. Unlike normal humans, it wasrge in stature, its arms were too long and dragged on the ground, and it seemed to be three meters tall. However, its basic form was that of a human, only more nightmarish. When she first witnessed it in a dream, she was almost out of her mind, and now she fully understood when she saw it in person.


    This demon, by the way, was now ¡­. standing in front of the carriage window staring at her.


    This was the moment when she had a hunch that she had to jump out of the carriage.


    But the demon opened its mouth wide and bit the carriage.


    ¡°Young Lady!¡±


    At the same time as Linon¡¯s shout, the carriage shook violently. The horses neighed loudly and the carriage tilted in ce. Seria shrieked and crouched down.


    ¡°Youngdy!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another one!¡±


    ¡°The carriage is under attack!¡±


    She heard the knight shout urgently.


    ¡°Linon!¡±


    When Seria barely crawled out of the gap where the carriage broke down, she grabbed Linon¡¯s arm.


    She pulled. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t in a fainting state.


    ¡°Lady! Hurry up and run to the other wagon¡­!¡±


    Linon¡¯s words didn¡¯tst long. A ck stain bloomed from his cheek. That¡¯s why humans should never be close to demons.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A chill went down her spine. She slowly turned around. The demon was pulling Linon¡¯s leg with its long arm.


    ¡°Linon!¡±


    Seria immediately screamed and pulled Linon¡¯s arm. Although she couldn¡¯t push the demon out like the Holy gold armor, Stern had purification power to some extent. Even though Seria was born with a weak purification power, she seemed to be able to purify Linon¡¯s face somehow. (To get rid of the ck demon¡¯s stain on his face.)


    ¡±Bow down!¡±


    The knight immediately raised his sword and pounced on the demon.


    With an ear-splitting sound, the knight¡¯s body flew away. She opened her eyes wide in surprise. She knew it. She knew that the demon¡¯s body was as hard as metal. She knew it from the original story, and she also knew it from Stern¡¯s knowledge that remained in Seria¡¯s body. However, actually experiencing it in front of her eyes was a different matter.


    The demon¡¯s mouth opened wide. That was when the other demon stared straight at her. Suddenly the demon¡¯s arm got cut off and fell to the floor. She looked up. Lesche was right in front of her.


    It happened so fast. It was only a matter of seconds before Lesche leapt and slit the demon¡¯s throat. She vaguely watched the scene as the demon fell and Lesche rushed towards her.


    He knelt on one knee in front of her and asked in an urgent voice.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not hurt.¡±


    He methodically but quickly checked her condition. He exhaled quietly once he knew that she wasn¡¯t really hurt. Then, Lesche pointed with his chin to Linon and asked.


    ¡°Is he dead?¡±


    Linon heard andughed.


    ¡°Hahah¡­I¡¯m not dead¡­¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not dead, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I was trying to purify him¡­.¡± Seria said.


    ¡°How much longer do you have to do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Seria said.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    Lesche grabbed Linon by the shoulders and mercilessly yanked him away. Seria gently pulled her arms from Lesche¡¯s hand and tried to stand up again, but he grabbed her and picked her up. Perhaps she was the only one who panicked, because Lesche was as calm as he was before.


    Meanwhile, Linon checked his ankles and was in tears.


    ¡°I thought the demon had caught me and killed me¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d your face is okay.¡±


    Seria was relieved. She was worried because Seria¡¯s ¡°power of purification¡± was said to be weak in the original story, but fortunately, Linon¡¯s face was clean. There was no trace of the demon left behind.


    ¡°Thank you, My Lady. Thank you¡­.¡±


    Linon sobbed. It actually wasn¡¯t too hard, but it was still an objectively good situation for the Grand Duke¡¯s chief aide to cry ¡°thank you¡±.


    Meanwhile, the bodies of the demons were burning ck. If that much hadn¡¯t rotted away, it would have been quite a job to dispose of the bodies. Above all, it would have been aesthetically very frightening.


    She felt like she was going to have a nightmare today.


    ¡°Your Highness, we can¡¯t use this carriage anymore.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡±


    Lesche looked at the half-destroyed carriage, clicked his tongue, and looked up at the sky. A knight said in a worried voice,


    ¡°The snow doesn¡¯t seem to be stopping.¡±


    ¡°What about the wagon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, but it can only carry one person.¡±


    ¡°It goes slow.¡±


    Because of the sudden onset of heavy snowfall, Seria was unable to change her clothes and was abducted by Lesche. Fearing that the roads would be congested, he made it a top priority to move quickly, so there were only two carriages in the procession. One was a small wagon. And the other was the carriage that Lesche and Seria rode in, which was just torn apart by the demon.


    ¡°You have to ride the horse, Young Lady.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, sir.¡±


    As Seria prepared to descend from Lesche¡¯s arms, he asked,


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I going to ride a horse?¡±


    ¡°You have to ride like this. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have time to get your riding clothes out of the wagon.¡±


    ¡°No, as long as I take off thisforter, I can ride.¡±


    Seria was now dressed in a saggy nightgown, not looking so much like ady of nobility. However, she was able to ept that much. She was confident because the original Seria was good at riding horses.


    What was a waste was the nket. It was warm, light, and soft, just like her favoriteforter, made of blue silk.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna freeze to death.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Lesche pointed with his chin to a knight who was standing beside him.


    ¡°Untie my cloak andy it on the floor.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±


    The knight immediately untied Lesche¡¯s cloak and spread it on the floor. Lesche ced Seria on top of it and quickly took out theforter that had been covering her body and began to wrap it around her shoulders. The cape was wrapped up and tied tightly around her waist.


    <em>¡®What on earth is going on now?¡¯</em>


    ¡°Seria Stern.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    Lesche exhaled and said in a voiceced with anger.


    ¡°Your arms are all frozen. Do you want to freeze?¡±


    ¡°No¡­.¡±


    Seria replied, looking at his face, but Lesche¡¯s expression remained the same. She could tell he was worried about her, but the anger in his voice honestly scared her.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s because of me. Young Lady couldn¡¯t help but to cleanse me.¡±


    Linon took her side with his creeping voice. But Lesche was right, she didn¡¯t notice that her arms were cold. However, she couldn¡¯t help it because Linon was caught by the demon.


    It urred to her that Lesche was unbelievably great. How could he not cringe at all in front of such strange creatures, and even get rid of them in an instant?


    While she was thinking, suddenly her body was lifted up again in a heap, and in no time at all she was on a horse. And what was more, Lesche was sitting behind her. She was faced with an awkward and strange situation of being arva of a cicada that was dodged on the floor and was being held in Lesche¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Your Highness ¡­. Am I your luggage?¡±


    ¡°If you were luggage, I would have put you in the back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more valuable than a cargo. But now I¡¯m like a kimbap¡­ no, a cicadarva.¡±

 Chapter 30

    <h2>Chapter 30</h2>


    ¡°I will not have a cicadarva on my horse.¡±


    ¡°That would be an honor, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°You sound sarcastic.¡±


    ¡°Do I? Would I do such a thing to a noble lifesaver?¡±


    Lesche looked at me and chuckled. He gave some instructions to the knights, then took the reins and said,


    ¡°Hold on tight, Young Lady.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Even without him telling, she would have held on anyway because who would want to fall when riding a horse. In fact, if Lesche had thrown away the quilt, she would have been much morefortable even if it was a little cold. She could at least hold onto him with her hands. But Lesche wrapped her tightly with a nket with her arms in it, so she actually had no choice but to stick to him. It was entirely up to Lesche to support her.


    <em>¡®He wouldn¡¯t throw me away just because I¡¯m heavy, would he?¡¯</em>


    Even with the nket and the cloak binding her tightly, her body was still cold.


    They say that winter in the center is like a drunkard. That word fits perfectly.


    <em>¡®Isn¡¯t this man cold?¡¯</em>


    Seria raised her head slightly. Lesche¡¯s silver hair looked amazing against the snowy winterndscape. It was almost indistinguishable from the snow.


    She opened her mouth as he rode on in silence.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    The snowfall was heavy and the wind was strong. She didn¡¯t care if Lesche could hear her or not, she kept her voice at the same volume as usual.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡±


    She didn¡¯t think Lesche could hear her, but his answer came surprisingly quickly.


    ¡°I see no reason to be cold when Stern is in my arms.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the constetion gold armor. I¡¯m talking about the cold.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m used to this.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s voice was indifferent. It was as if the people living on the ins thought nothing of the gale force winds.


    How long did they run?


    She was so limp from the cold that she suddenly realized that her speech was slowing down. It was hard to raise her head and she blinked only her heavy eyelids out of annoyance, but something cold touched her cheek. It was a littlete to find out that it was Lesche¡¯s hand with gloves on.


    She couldn¡¯t react right away, she just blinked, but this time she could feel his chin. Then it was warm, a different feeling than before. The touch of skin that felt very hot touched her cheek.


    How could Lesche¡¯s face be so close to hers?


    It was an unbelievably close distance. She slowly realized that it was Lesche¡¯s tongue that touched her cheek.


    <em>¡®Did Lesche lick me?¡¯</em>


    Her slow breathing regained its original speed in the blink of an eye. She shuddered in surprise.


    ¡°Your Highness! What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I had to do that to wake you up. You¡¯ll die if you sleep in the cold. Young Lady.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing. Please tell me then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been calling you for a while now.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Seria groaned in surprise. She didn¡¯t hear Lesche call her name at all. She must have been looking at the Jordan River without even realizing it. Lesche brushed her head, shoulders, and back lightly. Each time, the snow fell to the ground.


    ¡°Your Highness! My Lady! Are you alright? Come to your senses!¡±


    Linon shouted loudly. His appearance was quite a sight. His hair and shoulders were covered with snow, and most importantly, his face was pale. He looked like he was about to freeze to death.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be in a lot of trouble soon,¡± he said, but Lesche didn¡¯t give Linon much attention.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡±


    At Lesche¡¯s words, a low sob escaped her lips.


    ¡°Green building.¡±


    The mansion was beautiful from afar. Befitting to its name, Laurel Manor, the outer walls were made of green marble.


    ¡°It¡¯s very beautiful.¡±


    She could tell that great care had been taken from the bird¡¯s eye view stage of the building. The magnificent three-story building looked the size of the Count¡¯s residence on the Yellow Road. It was different from the overwhelming majesty of the main Berg mansion, but it didn¡¯t look small or shabby. Just as the moon was different from the sun when ites to its beauty, so was this one.


    Finally, they arrived at the manor. However¡­


    ¡±Wow. It¡¯s really bad.¡± (*t/n: expectations vs reality ??)


    ¡°It¡¯s winter, so it must be a bit bleak¡­?¡±


    Despite her low expectations, the sight of the Laurel Manor defied her expectations.


    ¡°Laurel Manor¡± was the name of a unique master or mansion. Naturally, there was a garden, but that garden was near ruin.


    <em>¡®No, I stand corrected. It was just a ruin.¡¯</em>


    It reminded her a bit of therge garden of Berg¡¯s main castle. To be honest, it was as vast as a park.


    The gardens of the main castle were very well maintained, even though it was winter. It was not technically beautiful, but it was quite a feast for the eyes as there were many expensive crops nted on the expansivend. The guests who stayed in the main vi for her wedding were sure to wander around and explore the garden at least once a day.


    ¡®Why is this ce in such a state? It¡¯s not that they didn¡¯t take care of it, it¡¯s just that the nts were rotting away.¡¯


    It looked like a dour wife was living there. However, she was the only wife of this Grand Duchy. Of course, Seria had a very difficult past.


    <em>¡®I have never received any reports about this.¡¯</em>


    Maybe it was because the garden was more bizarre than she imagined, or maybe because of the heavy snowfall¡­ A feeling of difort enveloped her.


    Without realizing it, Seria squeezed Lesche¡¯s arm tightly.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    Without saying a word, Lesche looked at her and lowered his gaze.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get off.¡±


    He got off as quickly as he did when he put her on a horse, and this time again, she was in his arms, he stepped toward the manor.


    Linon, who took the lead, took the key from his pocket and opened the door. When Seria entered, she felt a palpitation inside.


    Which one was it really? Was it the beautiful exterior or the ruined garden?


    Seria was speechless for a moment.


    ¡°Mold¡­¡±


    That was the best way to describe this green manor. The beautiful manor was covered in ck mold. It was impossible to tell what color the walls had originally, and the floor was no different. The pirs were also peeled off, and the door rattled out of teeth.


    Nheless, the mansion was beautiful because of its unusual decorations. Perhaps because the original Seria was meticulous, there were a few points that came under her very watchful eye.


    What could she say? It was like a wealthy nobleman poured his heart and soul and vanity into building a petite castle that would go down in history, but in the end it was dishonored and left in ruins?


    Anyway, it was a shock in many ways to the Grand Duchy of the Glick Empire, that the Laurel Manor that was called the cradle with all kinds of rumors was this horrible. Seria silently looked around the mansion the whole time.


    It was then.


    A middle-aged woman came out from behind the stairs and looked at her, and her eyes went wide.


    ¡°¡­Your Highness? Your Highness Lesche?¡±


    She came running a bit, wiping her hands on her apron, and looked at Lesche and Seria alternately in astonishment.


    ¡°Who is this beautifuldy frozen like ice?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you told who she is?¡±


    That was a bit surprising. Linon was a solid working aide. More than anything, the fact that this vassal of the Grand Duchy of Berg knew everything about this manor, but¡­¡­ It was a little strange that thisdy, who seemed important, didn¡¯t know.


    Lesche pointed at Seria with his chin and said,


    ¡°She¡¯s the temporary Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    That was a misleading enough word to hear, especially someone who didn¡¯t know what was going on.


    ¡°Temporary? Your Highness! It is not the virtue of a gentleman to see if you will marry ady or not! And is this a kidnapping? Did you kidnap the bride?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡±


    At that moment, something crumbled down from outside with a ¡°whirring¡± sound. When Seria flinched, the old woman, who assumed Lesche was a bride kidnapper, said in a gentle voice,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s so much snow on the tree branches that they broke.¡±


    Eventually, the door mmed open and Linon, who was holding onto the horses outside, hurriedly said,


    ¡°Your Highness, there are knights still on the border¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to go and see them.¡±


    Lesche called the old woman, ¡°Martha,¡± and tried to hand Seria to her. Seria¡¯s eyes grew wide.


    <em>¡®He¡¯s going to hand me over to a woman who looks shorter than me?¡¯</em>


    ¡°I have legs, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°The floor is dirty.¡±


    ¡°No¡­!¡±


    Lesche ignored her words.


    <em>¡®Please just put me down on the floor! Please put me down! I¡¯ll just wash my feet afterwards!¡¯</em>


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    Seria screamed with anxiety. But surprisingly, she didn¡¯t fall. Rather, she was held by Martha with stability. Furthermore, unlike Lesche¡¯s hard and cold chest, Martha was soft and warm and felt better to be held.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am. You¡¯re very strong.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, My Lady. Please, call me Martha. Don¡¯t use honorifics with me.¡±


    It was a p in the face.


    Before Martha could finish, the door opened and closed. Lesche had gone out.


    Martha and Seria looked at the door, and then back at each other again.


    ¡°You don¡¯t use honorifics with Linon either, do you?¡±


    ¡°Yes? How about it, by the way¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, Martha. I don¡¯t think so¡­¡±


    As soon as Seria was about to answer, her words ovepped with Linon¡¯s as he opened the door and walked in. But Martha looked as if she understood exactly what Seria was about to say. She raised her head and stared straight at Linon.


    ¡°Linon.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Linon shuddered. Martha said in a stern voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to give me a good reason.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­.¡±


    Seria had never seen Linon shake so much.


    It was a fresh and strange sight. However, Martha wasn¡¯t looking at him with a mean expression. She still had a soft look on her face, and when Seria looked at her with a curious face, Martha converted her gaze, saying,


    ¡°Oh, let¡¯s give you a bath. You must be freezing.¡±

 Chapter 31

    <h2>Chapter 31</h2>


    ¡°Is the bathroom far away? I can walk on my own.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not far, but the floor is dirty. You might hurt your feet.¡±


    Martha wasn¡¯t kidding when she said that. The first hall they entered was the cleanest one. The further they got into the hallway, the more it was a mess of unrecognizable mold. Seria wondered what that mold was. The Berg family was the most powerful apart from the Imperial Family. Who would believe that the manor, which was the foundation of the main mansion, was in such a mess?


    Seria didn¡¯t think she would want to wash in the bathroom either, but fortunately, the bathroom was clean. Martha filled the empty bathtub with some warm water, and Seria slowly soaked herself in.


    As she was soaking in the bathtub, she realized that her body was not quite as frozen as she thought. While she was half passed out on the horse, Lesche held on to her tightly. She felt strange, probably because his body¡¯s heat was transferred to her in some small way.


    After she was fully immersed in the warm water, Seria told Martha what happened to her and Lesche.


    ¡°Oh, my God. So that¡¯s what happened.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°When I saw His Highness and the youngdy for the first time, I thought His Highness kidnapped you and was going to hide you here.¡±


    ¡°His Highness is not that kind of person, is he?¡± Seria asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s more emotional than he seems.¡±


    Martha said with augh.


    Emotional.


    It certainly wasn¡¯t the wrong word. If Seria didn¡¯t read the original, she would never have agreed with her¡­ Because Lesche, who was cold and heartless all the way through, and whose life was strangely like a mise, realized his feelings for the female protagonist and rushed into it without even looking back.


    Yeah, rather, it was urate to say he moved on instinct. In the original novel nothing paralyzed his reason except Lina. So it was appropriate to say Lesche was emotional.


    ¡°Now, tilt your head back.¡±


    Seria did as Martha asked and bent her head back. Martha soaked her head with warm water and washed it whilethering it. Thether smelled like homemade soap from the mansion.


    It seemed that her scalp was frozen in the cold. After raising the body temperature several times with warm water, her whole body became drowsy. She blinked and looked around the bathroom. She realized that the bathroom was very rustic. The bathroom in the annex where she stayed was many times fancier than this.


    Perhaps Martha sensed Seria¡¯s curiosity and replied.


    ¡°This is the bathroom we use. It¡¯s hard to use the other bathrooms.¡±


    ¡°Is there anyone else here?¡±


    ¡°There are three of us. There is a gardener and, oh, there is a maid. She¡¯ll hang your clothes out to dry when the wagons arrive.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Seria was puzzled. At first, she thought that the reason why the manor was so dirty was because they didn¡¯t have enough hands. It kind of hit her that Lesche decided to close down the manor and only kept a few people to manage it. She thought it was such a mess because it was naturally difficult to clean¡­


    ¡°The garden outside is very bad for having a gardener, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°If His Highness had told us the Young Lady wasing, the gardener would have pulled the weeds out the day before.¡±


    <em>¡®Pull weeds in the winter?¡¯</em>


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you.¡±


    Martha smiled.


    ¡°Wait a minute, Young Lady.¡±


    She left Seria alone in the bath for a while, then came back with a pair of slippers in her hand.


    ¡°I happened to have a new pair of slippers. I think I¡¯ll fit you.¡±


    After her bath, Martha dried Seria¡¯s head with a towel, then suddenly asked,


    ¡°Oh, is this Stern¡¯s signature? I¡¯ve only heard of it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°My God, it¡¯s really strange that it¡¯s a red dot.¡±


    It was a star-shaped red dot in the center of the back of Seria¡¯s neck. No one could imitate it because it was a sign of God that could never be found on anyone else, and because imitation could lead to sphemy. Come to think of it, in the original story, there was an episode where Lina wore her hair up to show her star mark at a ball dance and crushed the nobles who looked down on her.


    Seria could have done the same, but she didn¡¯t bother to raise her hair and show her mark to prove that she was a Stern. The reason was well understood. Because most things could be solved just by raising her eyebrows and red at her opponent as if she would kill him.


    She couldn¡¯t believe how easy Seria made it look.


    Martha applied some fragrant oil to Seria¡¯s hair and thenbed it.


    ¡°Mydy, can you stick out your feet?¡±


    Seria casually stuck out her foot. Martha gently grabbed her feet and put on the slippers. Seria blinked. She didn¡¯t notice it earlier because of the bubbles and sponges, but there were many calluses on Martha¡¯s hands.


    Was she a knight? Bibi¡¯s hands were like this, too.


    Seria didn¡¯t know exactly who Martha was, but her hands felt like it was from someone who had been holding something heavy and hard like a sword for a long time. But her smile was very warm, perhaps from practicing it for a while.


    Speaking of which, it seemed that there were no other servants in this Laurel Manor, did Martha take care of this spacious manor by herself? Why would His Highness leave this mansion unattended? Did something happen?


    For that matter, Lesche didn¡¯t seem to be on bad terms with Martha, so what was the reason for leaving her to struggle with thisrge manor?


    This event wasn¡¯t even mentioned in the original story, so Seria was limited to guessing. She wiped her face with the towel Martha gave her and looked around the bathroom again. Even at the corners of this slightly clean bathroom, ck mold was gradually growing.


    ****


    Linon, Berg¡¯s chief aide, was trembling. He actually didn¡¯t likeing to the Laurel Manor very much.


    There were many reasons, but the biggest reason was that the manor was dirty. No matter how beautiful and ancient it looked, Linon never liked it when it was upied by those fungus-like ck shadows.


    ¡°This green mansion is still the same.¡±


    The middle-aged man who handed him a dry towel smiled at Linon¡¯s wistful words.


    ¡°It¡¯s always been that way. Ever since that day.¡±


    Linon frowned.


    ¡°Is it not inconvenient for you to live here, Ben?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing inconvenient about it. I¡¯ve been here for more than a decade.¡±


    The middle-aged man named Ben was neatly dressed in a ck suit, mostly worn by the butlers of the Glick Empire. In his front pocket, there was a monocle hung at an angle.


    Linon said in a frustrated voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard people wonder why the butler of the Grand Duchy of Berg wasn¡¯t there at the mansion. You can just tell His Highness to allow you back at the main mansion.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a lot of visitors at the mansion?¡±


    ¡°No. If it weren¡¯t for Lady Seria¡¯s wedding this time¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right. You just asked me who Lady Seria was.¡±


    Linon was shivering so much from the cold that he forgot what he was going to say. Linon was particrly sensitive to the cold. He pressed his face in a dry, warm towel that Ben had brought, then he continued talking.


    ¡°No one would predict that the Grand Duke of Berg would marry like that¡­ It was fortunate that it was also Stern¡¯s wedding. If such an ident happened during an ordinarydy¡¯s wedding, it would have been a disgrace to His Highness.¡±


    ¡°His Highness would never marry to save a woman other than Stern.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true.¡±


    In fact, it was an embarrassing wedding, and it had already been a very tumultuous wedding in the imperial world for years. Even after all the people in the social world had stopped gossiping, the disastrous Stern¡¯s wedding would be a story that would be carried down from generation to generation.


    They would say ¡®there was such a ridiculous story in our time¡­¡¯


    It was a storyparable to the royal family¡¯s scandal.


    Anyway, Lesche had made Seria the Grand Duchess, and brought her to this Laurel Manor, because that¡¯s what the master wanted, and no one dared to disobey.


    ¡°So¡­that¡¯s what happened. I normally call her Lady Seria or Lady Stern. The wedding is not yet officially sanctioned by the imperial family because it¡¯s unique, so the titles are mixed.¡±


    ¡°The imperial family always approves grand duke¡¯s marriageste. It¡¯s traditional, so there won¡¯t be a problem. Then we¡¯ll call you Lady Seria.¡±


    Ben was a gentle butler, as gentle as he gave the impression to be. He asked, suddenly remembering, as he helped Linon fold the poorly done towel.


    ¡°By the way, Linon.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Seria Stern, I remember her. Isn¡¯t she that brutal and arrogant Stern whom you bad mouthed the year beforest?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Linon fell silent. He turned around for a moment with an ominous feeling that Seria might be ring at him. There was no one there, perhaps she was still taking a bath. He thought.


    ¡®You¡¯re still in the bath, aren¡¯t you? Not yet¡­¡¯


    ¡°Um¡­ That was two years ago. She¡¯s changed a lot in that time¡­.¡±


    Linon whispered quickly.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t ever spill what I said to Lady Seria. Since we are on good terms now, I wish to keep it that way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you do. But how much has her attitude changed?¡±

 Chapter 32

    <h2>Chapter 32</h2>     ***


    ¡°She checks the cier every day.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    The frozenke was a ce that the people of the Central Grand Duchy could never be separated from. The demons mainly appeared in the winter, but sometimes strange demons would appear without regard to the season.


    Stern was like a star. Most Stern were sacred to the demons of the frozenke, and they also loved the prosperous Capital more, but when it came time to act a little diligently in the Central Territories, they would quickly capture the hearts of the people of the Berg Territories with ease. Of course, it would be unprofitable to put all one¡¯s effort into the cold and horrible ¡®frozenke¡¯ every day, since Stern would be weed wherever they went.


    ¡°And she works fast. I¡¯ve never seen such a high-ranking noble other than His Highness the Grand Duke. No, in terms of efficiency, it seems that she is even faster than His Highness?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly what Linon would like.¡±


    Linon nodded. The firewood ttered and blew into the fire. Crouched in front of therge stove, Linon tried to warm up his frozen body.


    At that moment, a middle-aged woman about Martha¡¯s age came up to him and said,


    ¡°Linon, the water is cooked.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Joanna.¡±


    Linon got up from his seat.


    Martha was the heart and soul of the Grand Duchy, devoted only to the Grand Duchy and only to the Grand Duchess. After the death of the previous Grand Duchess, the duty seemed to have been entirely focused on the newly emerged ¡°temporary¡± Grand Duchess.


    Earlier, Martha used all the hot water in the manor for Seria¡¯s bath.


    That¡¯s why Linon had been trembling and waiting for the water to boil. Although he didn¡¯t show it, Linon¡¯s fingers had shrunk considerably from the cold.


    Linon had just started walking, when¡­.


    ¡°The shadows are spreading into the kitchen, it¡¯s so bad. I finally pulled out the ingredients and now¡­Linon? Why are you looking so pale?¡±


    Linon¡¯s shoulders shook. He blinked. A middle-aged woman, also the same age as Martha, was approaching before he knew it.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get into the covers? Oh, it¡¯s because of germophobia, isn¡¯t it? You won¡¯t live long like this, Mr. Chief Aide.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a clean and delicate Chief Aide, unlike the rough Susan, so¡­¡±


    ¡°I see your mouth is still alive. But I don¡¯t want to have to clean up another corpse in this manor.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    With a serious face, Susan grabbed Linon by the neck and dragged him away.


    ¡°I can walk on my own!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll probably freeze to death on the way there, Linon.¡±


    ¡°Ah! I¡¯d like you to put on some gloves before putting your hands on my clothes!¡±


    Linon screamed. Susan didn¡¯t budge. No matter how hard Linon struggled, he couldn¡¯t muster the strength with his frozen hands.


    ¡°You¡¯re still as fastidious as ever, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Ssh.


    Susan dropped Linon straight into the deep, steamy tub.


    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±


    Linon swept up his wet hair with a scream.


    ¡°You devil!¡±


    How can this not be a devil when it deliberately puts its hands on his clothes and body, even though it knew about his germophobia?


    ¡°Linon.¡±


    Ben, the butler, said politely to Linon, who looked like a wet rat.


    ¡°Theundry soap and fragrance are in the third drawer on the left.¡±


    ¡°I understand, so please leave, both of you!¡±


    Linon would definitely wash his body and all the clothes he was wearing, no doubt. In fact, Ben thought if Linon was the Chief Aide, Ben would have hired him as the head of theundromat¡­ Ben smiled as he thought unrealistically. Because it was not bad to hear the bells ringing in this green mansion that was always quiet and thick with the shadow of death.


    Susan, who had put Linon in the bathtub, seemed to be having simr thoughts. She mumbled angrily as she watched Linon searching forundry soap.


    ¡°I¡¯m d the two baths in this mansion are safe.¡±


    Her mouth was smiling, but her voice oozed quite a bit of regret.


    ***


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve be a human being again.¡±


    Martha also applied some fragrant oil and gave Seria a light massage, but the smell of mugwort was very strong, probably because she made it herself.


    ¡±Come on, youngdy. I know it¡¯s inconvenient, but I don¡¯t have many clothes left in the mansion¡­.But I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be warm.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Seria put on the fur gown that Martha had brought for her since the wagon hadn¡¯t arrived yet and all her clothes were in there.


    As she exited the steam-filled bathroom, she shivered as the cool air touched her skin. Three people were waiting outside.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, youngdy. I¡¯m Ben, Berg¡¯s butler. I¡¯d be happy if you¡¯d call me Ben.¡±


    <em>¡®Butler?¡¯</em>


    Seria didn¡¯t know there was a butler at Berg¡¯s mansion. She had never heard of or met one before. She just thought that Lesche didn¡¯t like to have a butler.


    ¡°I thought Berg didn¡¯t have a butler.¡±


    Benughed.


    ¡°Circumstances prevent me from entering and leaving the main castle. I apologize for my rudeness.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lady Seria.¡±


    Seria tilted her head as she looked at Ben, who was polite and gentle. Even in the original story, the Grand Duke of Berg did not have a butler.


    Apparently, this butler gave up his position at Berg Castle due to some circumstances. The most highly paid positions in the noble houses were the butler and the top chef. It was unknown why he would give up such a position, especially when the sry of a Grand Duke¡¯s butler would be more than the wealth of most lowly nobles.


    And he was very friendly.


    The neatness of his appearance, the cufflinks that clearly indicated that he was a butler, though not over the top, and the neatlybed hair gave him the appearance of being the butler of a distinguished family.


    ¡°Here, too, let me introduce you.¡±


    While Seria was thinking, Ben pointed to the two middle-aged women behind him.


    ¡°This is Joanna, the gardener, and this is Susan, the dresser.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Miss, I¡¯m Joanna.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Susan.¡±


    While giving greetings, Joanna, the gardener, suddenly stared at Seria¡¯s hair. She was puzzled. Was there something in her hair?


    ¡°What is it¡­.?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s green¡­.¡±


    ¡°Joanna!¡±


    Susan poked her on the side and Joanna bowed her head, looking embarrassed. Then, they retreated to dry Seria¡¯s clothes, and Martha followed.


    Ben had an apologetic look on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The gardener of this manor is very fond of the color green.¡±


    ¡°I thought she was looking at me in a foul mood.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. Who said that? Young Lady¡¯s hair is beautiful.¡±


    Seria shrugged her shoulders and smiled. Actually, Seria¡¯s hair was bright green. Those who liked it said it resembled a vibrant meadow on a summer day, while those who hated it said it looked like sinister seaweed.


    Thetter was a bit depressing, to be honest. The Marquis of Kellyden hated it especially.


    In the original, the extras courting the heroine Lina, Seria¡¯s half-brothers, who in her memory were b*stard. They also hated her hair.


    ¡°You must be hungry. Let¡¯s have a meal.¡±


    Ben led Seria to the dining room.


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared something for you.¡±


    Seria sat down on the chair Ben pulled out. She looked at him and spoke,


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to wait on me.¡±


    ¡°Then please call me if you need anything.¡±


    As Ben left, the dining room, which was quiet, became even quieter. She stuffed her empty stomach with a light stew, which seemed to help. As she was trying to empty the bowl, she felt a presence behind her.


    ¡°Lady Seria.¡±


    It was a familiar voice. It was Linon. She casually turned around, but almost fainted from the sight.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡±


    She thought she saw a ghost. Apparently, Linon was walking towards her, dripping wet.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The wagon hasn¡¯t arrived yet and I don¡¯t have any clothes to change into.¡±


    ¡°Martha brought me some clothes, didn¡¯t she have something for you to wear? Oh, do you want a gown? I have two.¡±


    ¡°Is it your gown, Young Lady?¡±


    ¡°No, I got it from Martha.¡±


    The gown was worn out a bit but Seria didn¡¯t mind because it was nicely kept. Linon, however, seemed like he didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°Umm, thank you but I don¡¯t need it and it looks like it doesn¡¯t even fit me anyway.¡±


    Linon was right that the gown did not seem to fit his body. But wasn¡¯t it still better than dripping wet? Even hot water gets cold quickly now. What is he going to do if he catches a cold? Seria knew he hated being sick.


    <em>¡®It¡¯s probably because he¡¯s a germaphobe.¡¯</em>


    ¡°Let¡¯s just eat this for now. Martha made some for you too.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, My Lady.¡±


    Linon sat down across from Seria. Even though he fervently refused to wear other people¡¯s clothes, he looked alive when he saw the steamy stew.

 Chapter 33

    <h2>Chapter 33</h2>


    The food was quite hearty, though the manor had so few people that it looked as if it was abandoned.


    Cooled gingerbread, cooked potatoes sprinkled with salt and pepper and vored with butter. Hot chicken stew sprinkled with finely chopped croutons. And the sweet smell from the tea, which was boiled over the fire. Seria poured a little sugar into the warm tea and gave Linon a cup.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Linon said as he epted it with both hands.


    ¡°Linon.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re a perfectionist.¡±


    Linon blinked and said,


    ¡°His Highness must have told you.¡±


    ¡°Yes. By the way, are your hands okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡± Seria asked.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s you.¡±


    Linon lifted both ends of his mouth and said smoothly,


    ¡°Lady Seria is high rank, right? The high nobles are clean, so it doesn¡¯t matter. It is themoners who are dirty. I just don¡¯t want toe into contact with them, and the high nobles have nothing to do with it.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    That sounded very strange.


    Of course, the nobles thought of cleanliness as a virtue, so they took a lot of interest in keeping themselves clean at all times. Many nobles bathed twice a day, and herbs were a necessity for them because of their purifying properties.


    And it was also theoretically correct to say that the lower ss people, whocked the luxury and time to boil water, were rtively dirty.


    However, if any other aristocrat had told Seria thatmoners were dirty while spouting off this kind of talk, she would have thought they were arrogant and cocky. But, in Linon¡¯s normal speech and behavior, he didn¡¯t sound like that at all. He sounded subtle.


    ¡°By the way, this is a private matter. His Highness is quite a troublemaker, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Linon, who was nodding enthusiastically, suddenly said, ¡°Ha,¡± and his shoulders shook. Seria quickly turned around. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she watched.


    Just a moment ago, the wall was just ck, and now mold was jiggling around. One thing immediately came to mind.


    Magi.


    ( *T/L: magi is something that the demon makes. In a sense it¡¯s magic from demons. Ah¡­ you know when you watch horror movies, suddenly ck shadows or ck waves cover the walls. The ck thing moves like waves. I hope you understand. If you know the term for it, please let me know so I can use it. For now I¡¯ll use magi. Something like this.)


    <i></i>


    <i>The shadow of evil which demons use to infect humans. Linon immediately panicked.</i>


    <i>¡°It¡¯s not a sign of demons, youngdy. It¡¯s not.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°I know.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°You know?¡±</i>


    <i>With a serious look on her face, Seria saw the fungus moving stealthily. It was disgusting, like thousands of cockroaches crawling around.</i>


    <i><em>¡®It isn¡¯t even mold. That¡¯s¡­ a hardened Magi.¡¯</em></i>


    <i>It was a byproduct of the curse that Linater named ¡®Mayoung¡¯.</i>


    <i>It was an important element of an incident that appeared in thetter half of the original story. The ce was the Imperial Pce of the Glick Empire, and the person who purified it was Lina. Lina purified that strange Magi that the other Stern and even the priests couldn¡¯t figure out.</i>


    <i>That made Lina have a great impact on the imperial family, but the repercussions caused her to fall very ill. Lesche, who had already confirmed his heart with Lina at that time, turned violently against the emperor, and even the atmosphere of civil war between the Berg and the imperial family became dismal.</i>


    <i>Of course, miraculously, Lina woke up and the situation was resolved peacefully.</i>


    <i>How Lesche and the Emperor reconciled, thanks to Lina¡¯s perfect timing, was the gist of the episode by this hardened Magi, Mayoung.</i>


    <i><em>¡®I¡¯m not sure if I can tell if it¡¯s actually Magi when I see it in person.¡¯</em></i>


    <i>The demon¡¯s Magi represents a vivid change in a person¡¯s body when they are close to it. The pitch-ck marks that speckled the body were noticed by only ones who actually knew what it was. In the original story, Lina purified it.</i>


    <i>But Seria couldn¡¯t. Because Seria was not that strong in purification among the Sterns. She couldn¡¯t even bepared to the Saintess Lina.</i>


    <i>So the only way to fix this is to get Lina back?</i>


    <i>¡°Lady Seria? What do you have in mind?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Linon. When will His Highness be here?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°A number of demons suddenly appeared, they will be checking the boundaries. He will be here in the evening.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°There are too many.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Did he have a message for me?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°No, he didn¡¯t send one.¡±</i>


    <i>Suddenly, Seria remembered a question she had forgotten. The conversation she had with Lesche in the carriage.</i>


    <i><em><strong>¡°I heard that knights are not allowed in the Laurel Manor.¡±</strong></em></i>


    <i><em><strong>¡°Didn¡¯t Linon exin it to you?¡±</strong></em></i>


    <i><em><strong>¡°He didn¡¯t say anything.¡±</strong></em></i>


    <i><em><strong>¡°That man¡­.¡±</strong></em></i>


    <i>When Seria told Linon about what they talked about in the carriage, Linon immediately looked flustered.</i>


    <i>¡°That¡­ honestly, His Highness seemed insensitive.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°What?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°No, actually I was the only one who was deeply troubled about how to say this so that an importantdy of the castle couldfortablye to the Laurel Manor.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Is that so? You just worry about me?¡±</i>


    <i>Seria would have been seriously worried abouting here, too, if she knew about the ck mold moving naturally in the manor, which was impossible to get rid of.</i>


    <i>¡°Why?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°It¡¯s just¡­..,¡± Linon coughed, pointing to the shadow lingering on the walls.</i>


    <i>¡°The sorcerers from Nes Kingdom will be here soon.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°The Kingdom of Nes? Why so far away?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°It¡¯s the only Kingdom on the continent that is famous for its magic.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°I see.¡±</i>


    <i>The Kingdom of Nes was a distantnd of immigrants that required crossing the continent, and it was a polytheistic kingdom where gypsies thrived, and it was famous for its folk magic.</i>


    <i>Seria had heard that they had certain abilities, unlike others. The problem was that the High Priest treated all this as heresy.</i>


    <i>¡°But can I know this? Linon, do you realize I¡¯m a Stern?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°His Highness will probably give you a little something extra as hush money.¡±</i>


    <i>Money? There was no reason for Seria to refuse money to keep the matter secret. But there was a fundamental problem.</i>


    <i>¡°He didn¡¯t have to bring me here.¡±</i>


    <i>Linon said with a scowl.</i>


    <i>¡°I think it was because His Highness wanted to show you to Lady Martha. He had a lot of help from Lady Martha since he was a child.¡±</i>


    <i><em>¡®There was something warm about that person. Was she a nanny?¡¯</em></i>


    <i>But Martha was a little young to be Lesche¡¯s nanny. Was it more of a ymate? No, most male nobles would rather have a servant than a ymate, but in any case, it was inferred that Lesche and Martha had no small bond.</i>


    <i>However, there was still a hole in the story that didn¡¯t quite add up.</i>


    <i>¡°Why couldn¡¯t he just bring me here when things got resolved? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to leave Berg territory suddenly.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Because this is thest time, My Lady.¡±</i>


    <i>Linon¡¯s voice was not heavy, but his meaning was. Seria raised her head and asked again.</i>


    <i>¡°What do you mean it¡¯s thest time?¡±</i>


    <i>***</i>


    <i>Lesche looked up at the sky. The snow was falling heavily.</i>


    <i>It was a unique season for Central territory. Whereas the weather in all the other seasons was mild, only a few weeks of winter were cold enough to remind one of the North in this way. This was due to the Tomb of the demons ¨C the frozenke that kept the cold air of the North neatly umted for three seasons and spat it out unannounced sometimes in the winter.</i>


    <i>In spite of this, the people of the Grand Duchy loved the heavy snowfall. They believed that plenty of snowfall was the secret to a good harvest. Many of the householders came all the way to the warm Central territory to see a snowyndscape.</i>


    <i>Snowyndscapes go well with Laurel Manor. At first nce, it sounded odd that a green mansion reminiscent of early summer would go well with pure white snow, but there was no denying the beauty of the scene one could actually see.</i>


    <i>Knights were already on standby near the border.</i>


    <i>¡°Your Highness!¡±</i>


    <i>¡°How many demons are there?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°There¡¯s none.¡±</i>


    <i>Then the knights nced at the ck shadows undting at the border.</i>


    <i>The ck shadows were wavering near the border. The knights cracked their knuckles and started to move. There was no denying that those strange shadows looked like demons. However, it was Magi. A normal person would die if exposed to Magi¡¯s proximity for too long, but there were no dead people yet.</i>


    <i>But no one could deny that there was something fundamental inmon. Most of the knights were experienced wizards. So when they first saw the shadows, they drew their swords and stabbed them like crazy. There were still dozens of sword marks in the manor that were made for that reason.</i>


    <i>It was the reason why Lesche banned the knights from entering the manor. The people trapped inside it were not happy toe in contact with outsiders either.</i>


    <i>Lesche¡¯s eyes nced down at the ring on his left hand¡¯s finger. It was a ring with the half split pattern of Berg estate. It was a very old ring.</i>


    <i>For a moment, Lesche recalled the past.</i>


    <i>It had been fifteen years since the beautiful green manor was infected by this sinister shadow. It wasn¡¯t this bad at first. The servant in charge of the cleaning was scolded for neglecting to clean it. However, time came to know that it wasn¡¯t her fault because the unidentified shadow continued to grow. Actually, Lesche did not know much about it at that time, because he was attending an academy for the best talents outside the empire.</i>


    <i>He only learned about it from Alliot, a young knight who ran to find his Lord at the academy¡¯s dormitory at the time, crying.</i>


    <i>Lesche still remembered what was once the Laurel Manor.</i>

 Chapter 34

    <h2>Chapter 34</h2>


    ***


    Lesche¡¯s childhood ended at the end of that summer. In a beautiful green manor, his father, who was an arrogant idealist, cried out for help, shedding blood and flesh, and his mothermitted suicide in front of his eyes.


    He was the legitimate heir of Berg.


    As if watching his parents¡¯ death wasn¡¯t enough, their blood sttered on his body.


    <em>¡®How old was I then?¡¯</em>


    After a moment of sentimentality, Lesche shifted his gaze to the green manor. He tried almost any means he could to make the unidentified shadow disappear.


    The most effective, even if it was faint, were the wizards in distant foreignnds. It was also hisst chance. If they failed, then it was doubtful whether there were any other means in the world.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    As he was looking at the green marble shining in the snowyndscape, he suddenly remembered Seria, who he handed to Martha like a package.


    How did she react to the moving shadows inside the manor?


    He wondered if she was surprised, or if she was surprisingly calm and urged Linon to clean it probably. If she was the Seria Stern ofst year, he would have easily predicted her reaction, but now, it wasn¡¯t easy at all. Lesche chuckled and moved on.


    ***


    ¡°You¡¯ll sleep here for the night, Young Lady.¡±


    Seria nodded and sat on the bed at Martha¡¯s suggestion. It was an old-fashioned and solemn bedroom. A weakmoner would be overwhelmed as soon as he entered. As Martha tied her hair in a knot, she said softly, ¡°When you leave the manor, you shouldn¡¯t talk to anyone about this.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be lovely if you can stay longer. Unfortunately, it¡¯s only for a few days, but we are very happy and honored to have the Grand Duchess here.¡±


    <em>¡®Only a few days¡­¡¯</em>


    ¡°I¡¯ll live up to your expectations, Martha.¡±


    Seria smiled warmly and looked around the bedroom after Martha left the room. Martha made it sound like this was a room Seria could stay in, but Seria knew better. This was the Grand Duke¡¯s bedroom.


    The door was the same color as Lesche¡¯s bedroom at Berg mansion, and so was the pattern engraved in silver.


    The Grand Duchy of Berg¡¯s pattern was engraved with a sword made of pure silver. And out of all the noble families in the Glick Empire, the Grand Duke of Berg was the only one who could use beautiful silver in his patterns. They said pure silver drives away evil spirits. Perhaps because of this, her admiration for the Grand Duke of Berg grew even greater. The setting was typical of a male protagonist in a novel.


    There weren¡¯t any fancy essories in the bedroom. However, everywhere was very old-fashioned and sad. If one looked closely at the details, they could see that a lot of care was put into everything from the materials to the invisible ces. Such nobility that the rich dare not imitate¡­.. That¡¯s right. She was talking about the kind of nobility that Seria couldn¡¯t dare to imitate. She stood up, nodding her head.


    Thinking as long as she wasn¡¯t crazy about Lesche¡¯s bedroom, she had no reason to refuse to sleep here. She was never one to shy away from the back and forth. Seria was also not a conservative person when it came to gender rtions. She also thought that it would be okay if they shared the same bed even if they didn¡¯t have feelings for each other. So it had been until today before she left the castle.


    <em>¡®Why did you lick someone¡¯s cheek?¡¯</em>


    People are usually so careless. But it doesn¡¯t make it okay if you¡¯re in power.


    Seria shook her head lightly. She wanted to leave Lesche¡¯s bedroom in a sh.


    However, there were so many stories in this mansion. She heard from Linon why Martha and others couldn¡¯t get out of this demonic mansion, this nightmare that was gradually darkening and was going to devour everything one day.


    <em>¡®It¡¯s a story that didn¡¯t even appear in the original, and yet it needs to be that tragic.¡¯</em>


    Moreover, it was about the male protagonist¡¯s past, so why did they leave all this out of the original story? Frustratingly, Seria mumbled to herself, but theplicated feelings didn¡¯t leave her.


    Shey down on the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin.


    ***


    It waste at night when Lesche finally returned to the green manor and stared at the pitch-ck shadows that were slowly increasing. It was always the same, but this time there were more of them. It couldn¡¯t be more frustrating.


    The wagon returned safely.


    ¡°Your Highness. Linon is asleep.¡±


    ¡°I thought he would be able to handle the cold.¡±


    It was expected. Ben, who diligently carried the luggage in from the wagon, smiled when he saw eight boxes full of cakes.


    ¡°Young Lady seems to have a particr fondness for cakes. It¡¯s a bit¡­ That¡¯s a lot of cakes.¡±


    Lesche answered a tempo slower.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing because we don¡¯t have anything for dessert. I¡¯ll have it ready for tomorrow.¡±


    Ben was a born butler. He was a natural at managing the mansion and his master¡¯s family. But the green manor had already been destroyed beyond repair. It could no longer be managed by human hands. His Master thought the same. In other words, there was nothing that a butler could do.


    However, Ben felt quite lively again. Even though his master had an unusual wedding, he came with his wife this time, a Young Lady, so Ben felt happy. He pretended everything was no different than normal, but there was a faint sadness in his eyes.


    Lesche went upstairs, wiping his half wet hair with a towel. The upstairs was also covered in shadows, and at first he thought it was damp mold, so he put down some charcoal, fanned it all day and let in the sun. However, it was of no use.


    Over the years, the ck shadowspletely covered and engulfed the manor.


    <em><strong>¡°This will be thest. Your Highness, thend of this manor can¡¯t hold out any longer.¡±</strong></em>


    Lesche stared silently at the ominous rustling shadows. What will happen when it¡¯s over?


    The mansion was covered with mysterious shadows. He didn¡¯t know exactly when or where it started.


    No matter how hard he tried to clean it, instead of disappearing, it grew like moss. Besides, it even moved.


    Once he realized that it might not be mold, he immediately took quick action.


    The priests of the Great Temple were the first to be invited. Ayman, a high-ranking priest, and even the Grand Priest¡­ thanks to the position of Grand Duke of Berg.


    But no one knew why. A time when drinking water became polluted, and a lot ofnd was abandoned. It seemed like the end of the world.


    The priests of the temple tolerated Magi¡¯s involvement in the manor of Grand Duchy Berg. If it were anywhere else, they would have suggested it should be burned right away. but they did not raise the subject of the Laurel Manor any further. Otherwise, the tremendous donations sent by the Grand Duke of Berg every year might be cut off.


    The shadows began to consume the manor more and more. And one day, no nts could grow properly in the manor.


    The golden marble slowly corroded. Various things stored in the manor were transferred to the main castle. If things break, you can get them again.


    But you can¡¯t save dead people.


    No matter how hard one tries.


    If the previous Grand Duke of Berg had not brought the b*stard child and the woman to his mansion in the first ce ¡­. No. If such a person was not his father, he would have never looked at this green manor again. Lesche frowned as he thought of the eyes of his predecessor, the ¡°Grand Duke¡± who was full of greed and madness. He felt the bitterness in his mouth.


    Lesche looked away from the shadows and moved again.


    The Laurel Manor was where only the direct lineage of the Grand Dukes could stay. The second floor was reserved only for the Grand Duke couple. The staircase in the middle was already covered by the shadows. The staircase on the right had been closed sincest year, and the only thing that was decent was the left staircase.


    Ascending the stairs on the left, it would reach the Grand Duke¡¯s bedroom. The Grand Duke and Duchess¡¯s bedroom was in the center on the second floor. Passing up to thatrge door, the Grand Duke¡¯s private bedroom appeared. Lesche entered the unfamiliar bedroom, closed the door behind him and walked to the center of the room.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Strange breathing was heard.


    He walked to the edge of the bed. But unlike what he expected, the bed was empty. He saw a person lying on the couch next to the bed, soundly asleep. The person with green hair, who was wrapped up in a nket and rode on the horse with him not too long ago.


    Lesche stared at Seria in silence for a moment.


    He lifted her up and moved her to the bed. For a while, Lesche just stared at Seria¡¯s face. Then, he flipped the hair that covered Seria¡¯s forehead to the side and went back downstairs.


    It was not long before the lights were turned on. Ben, Martha, Joanna, and Susan were in the dining room.


    ¡°Why is Seria sleeping in my bedroom?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness.¡±


    Martha immediately looked embarrassed.


    ¡°It was going to take just a few hours to properly tidy and fill the Grand Duchess¡¯s bedroom, but since the Young Lady was quite tired, I took the liberty of having her there. We¡¯ll get her bedroom ready right away tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you put her in bed but on the couch?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    Martha had a confused look on her face and said,


    ¡°But I brought her to bed.¡±


    Lesche frowned. It seemed that Seria went to sleep on the couch by herself. Why?


    Martha let out a chuckle.


    ¡°It seems that the Young Lady gave up the bed to Your Highness.¡±


    ***

 Chapter 35

    <h2>Chapter 35</h2>


    ***


    Lesche chuckled and stroked his hair.


    Did Seria Stern really give up the bed for him? As Lesche thought, he couldn¡¯t understand Seria this time either. If they were a normal couple, it would be easier to understand her actions. However, no matter how authoritative a man was, he had to give his wife some consideration.


    She didn¡¯t concede anything but she wasn¡¯t the Seria he once knew. Her personality changed. Seria¡¯s strange mind of concessions suddenly extended to Kalis Hon and the Saintess. Perhaps it was because concession and abandonment seemed to be words in the same category. Suddenly, Lesche felt bad for no reason.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    At that moment, Ben, the butler, who had been standing quietly listening, opened his mouth cautiously.


    ¡°Are you sure she¡¯s ¡®the¡¯ Seria Stern? She seems to bepletely different from the one Linon told me about a few years ago.¡±


    Linon had great faith in this loyal and honest butler who had chosen to remain in the manor himself. So a while back when he used toe to the Laurel Manor, Linon would tell him every single story, from the news outside to the scandals in the society. In this quietly dying green manor, such stories were very valuable.


    Frowning, Lesche replied, ¡°She¡¯s the same person.¡±


    ¡°She has changed a lot. Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Nothing happened.¡±


    Lesche trailed off as he watched the slow-moving shadows on the walls.


    ¡°She fell in love with that man.¡±


    That was what happened.


    Martha and Ben stared at each other. They knew instantly that ¡®that man¡¯ who Lesche mentioned wasn¡¯t their master, Grand Duke of Berg.


    ¡°Oh my God¡­¡±


    Lesche was at least a head taller than most grown men, but to the people of the manor who were with him from an early age, Lesche was still like a boy. For example, like now.


    ¡°When will the sorcerers arrive?¡±


    Ben answered quickly.


    ¡°They were supposed to arrive at midnight, but they were dyed due to heavy snow. It looks like they¡¯ll arrive in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Seria might wake up before that.¡±


    ¡°I will try to avoid encountering her to the greatest extent possible. It will not be a wonderful sight for ady born and raised in the capital.¡±


    ¡°Let her if she wants to see it. She¡¯s not a weak person.¡±


    If there was one thing about Seria that didn¡¯t change, it was her oddly strong personality. Of course, in the past, her speech appeared to be poisonous, and she used to make her servants cry and kicked them out wherever she wanted. Now, though, she was the one who went out in that cold, harsh cier every day.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    The firewood was burning with a crackling sound. After checking his watch, Lesche lifted a red tapestry that hung on the wall of the first floor hall. There was a hidden space there. As usual, the door was locked.


    He pushed the engraving of the half-split Berg pattern ring all the way into the hole in the door.


    Click.


    The borate sound of thousands of spiralsing together rang like a clock inside the door. Lesche waited a moment, then opened the door and entered.


    The damp smell of the cer was in the air. A light flickered behind him as he tried to make his way down the not-so-long staircase that stretched into the basement without hesitation.


    ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s very dark.¡±


    It was Martha who spoke. Lesche went down the stairs without saying a word, while Martha seemed to hesitate for a moment, but followed him slowly down the stairs, and at the bottom of the nearly twenty-foot staircase, arge basement revealed. Several statues of angels and demons were carved into the walls, and each carved statue was iid withrge colored jewels. Even though the dust thickly covered them, anyone even with a weak eyesight could see the details. Because the jewels were sorge and rare that they could be used as crowns or jewels for a kingdom.


    Of course, Lesche didn¡¯t pay any attention to that. There was only one reason why he came down to the hidden basement of this green manor in the first ce.


    Where would be the most holy location in a restricted area? The Imperial Seal of the Emperor, the insignia of the High Priest, the heirlooms of the Imperial family and the famous sword of the hero were always enshrined in the same ce. It was just in front of the central wall.


    Something simr was also enshrined in front of the central wall of this underground basement. It was a box with all sides decorated with strangely shiny ss. The gold frame was adorned with a row of blue and green gems the size of a quail¡¯s egg, indicating they were extremely valuable.


    Just as rare gems have names, this ss box also had a heavy name. It was called the Blue Sea Box, a treasure that had long been enshrined in the Laurel Manor. If Berg was a kingdom instead of a grand duchy, this box would have been registered as an unofficial national treasure. It was a treasure that could chant powerful protective magic, but its power came at a price.


    Seeing such a precious thing, Lesche was not very impressed. He clenched his fist and punched the glossy ss hard. Once. Twice. Three times, there was no crack on the box until red blood oozed from Lesche¡¯s fist.


    Just as it always was.


    A moment of deep helplessness crossed Lesche¡¯s face. It was from his childhood until now. Hundreds of times he had tried to hit this Blue Sea box, but the only thing that would break was his hand.


    Striking it with a sword made of crafted diamonds did not leave any mark on this box. The Grand Duke¡¯s blood was enchanted with magic powerful enough to destroy it.


    The Laurel Manor had already reached its limit. The earth would crumble after this season, and the lives bound here would crumble with it.


    Lesche was used to his bloody fist, but Martha was worried and took out a bandage from her pocket.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it bleed. Are you aware that you are the Grand Duke of Berg?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d I brought the bandages.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯te here to bring me a bandage, did you?¡±


    ¡°It was just a coincidence.¡±


    Martha¡¯s skill at bandaging was very good. She tied it up in an instant, then backed away and smiled unexpectedly.


    She normally smiled often, but this was the first time in her life that she smiled in this underground basement. When Lesche stared at Martha with somewhat surprised eyes, she smiled and said,


    ¡°I think Young Lady would think you¡¯ve lost your mind, Your Highness, and she would say so with her blue eyes wide open.¡±


    ¡°How do I know, when we haven¡¯t seen each other in a day.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the Young Lady will react differently?¡±


    ¡°I think it would be simr to ¡­¡­.¡±


    When it came to the Grand Duke of Berg, Martha¡¯s natural instincts seemed to be no exception even this time. Even though he missed her, he hesitated to see her again. Martha spoke softly as if she had read Lesche¡¯s true feelings.


    ¡°Now you go and get some rest, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Before leaving the basement, Lesche stared at the Blue Sea Box for a while. There was a pinch of auburn hair on top of the enchanted box that would nullify any attack. At one time, that hair was full of red blood.


    ¡°The hair is still well kept here, Your Highness.¡±


    At Martha¡¯s soft words, Lesche¡¯s expression sank.


    It reminded him of Alliot as a boy, tears streaming down his face when Lesche¡¯s half brother taunted Alliot and made him cut his hair to put in the Blue Sea box to show his loyalty. To be the guardian of the Blue Sea Box meant to dedicate the rest of his life to Berg. Because he would be trapped in this green mansion forever.


    (*Lesche¡¯s father, the previous Grand Duke, had a son with some woman.)


    <em><strong>¡°If you are really a knight for the Berg family, then put your hair in it.¡±</strong></em>


    Alliot¡¯s hands trembled in silence as the previous Grand Duke of Berg sneered. Martha pushed Alliot away, then knelt on one knee.


    <em><strong>¡°I¡¯ll cut mine in ce of him.¡±</strong></em>


    Lesche couldn¡¯t quite remember what Martha¡¯s expression was when she said that, but the previous Grand Duke just keptughing like a madman at the determined reaction of Martha, the beloved guard of the previous Grand Duchess. No, she was actually crazy back then.


    ¡°You had a hard time because of my crazy father, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, I can¡¯t believe how crazy I was.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it.¡±


    Martha smiled her ritualistic smile again. Actually, sometimes, no, Lesche couldn¡¯t understand her at all.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for you to abandon your loyalty to Berg?¡±


    ¡°Not to Berg, but to the Grand Duchess of Berg, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand that either.¡±


    Martha didn¡¯t reply but kept smiling. Lesche didn¡¯t know what she was thinking as she stood next to him as if watching his predecessor, the Grand Duchess,e to his senses in real time. He turned away.


    ¡°I¡¯m going up.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Your Highness.¡±


    Then Ben walked briskly over, holding the bedding in his hands.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Even if the Young Lady is sleeping on the sofa, doesn¡¯t she need covers? I¡¯m bringing it to her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. You think I don¡¯t have hands.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Lesche took the bedding from Ben and strode up the stairs. He opened the door to the Grand Duke¡¯s private bedroom and entered, heading for the back. Earlier Seria¡¯s hair was half wet, but now it all dried up. It didn¡¯t seem to bother her a bit, because she was still soundly asleep.


    However, there was one thing that really bothered Lesche.


    He didn¡¯t know if ¡°bothered¡± was an urate word, but it was a thing he couldn¡¯t ignore and go to sleep.

 Chapter 36

    <h2>Chapter 36</h2>


    After cing the bedding on the couch, Lesche walked over to the bed.


    Seria was still asleep on the bed. Earlier, he had surelyid her on her back and covered her properly with the covers before leaving, but right now, Seria was asleep with her body curled up like a shrimp. The nket was rolled uppletely over her head.


    Lesche, who was watching her, suddenly went over to the firece. He looked at the fire and put thest of the firewood in.


    Then he walked back to the bed and pulled the nket down to Seria¡¯s neck, but a momentter, it was up over her head again. Lesche once again went over and lowered it down, however, it went up again. He wondered how long does a nobledy sleep with the covers over her head? It was only natural that he didn¡¯t know.


    No, he wasn¡¯t even sure why he was even bothered with these things in the first ce. Lesche was appalled by his own behavior.


    ¡°You really are a handful, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    A rather sincere tweet. As if it annoyed her, Seria, who had been asleep, frowned her forehead. Lesche chuckled, wondering what she was thinking, and reflexively stopped talking. He stopped pacing in front of Seria like a foolish boy and walked over to the sofa to lie down.


    The Laurel Manor had been encroached upon by the shadows, and all of Berg¡¯s treasures stored in the manor were moved to the main castle over the years. However, there were some things that had not been touched. For example, things on the second floor, or this Grand Duke¡¯s bedroom. The reason for this was his personal aversion.


    Thanks to that, the furniture in the room was still the same. The sofa was also a masterpiece, a work of art, as the Grand Duke¡¯s bedroom could not be decorated carelessly. The silk that covered the sofa was of the highest quality, the gold thread embroidery was the work of craftsmanship, and the size of the sofa wasrge enough for one adult man to sleep on.


    So it must not be too inconvenient for Lesche to sleep on this sofa. From the very beginning, he had never had anyone beside him when he slept.


    Well, there was one now.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The sight of Seria curling herself up and sleeping irritated him. It was also annoying that the old-fashioned firece, which had long been left unattended, could not warm enough air in the spacious bedroom. Suddenly, Linon¡¯s nagging that ¡®Your Highness didn¡¯t take care of Lady Seria and she got sick¡¯ came to his mind.


    She wouldn¡¯t just freeze to death in her sleep, would she? He thought. The image of Seria, almost frozen and unconscious on the horse on the way to this green manor, came vividly to his vision.


    Lesche sighed. It was indeed in the Laurel Manor, and on the bed of the Grand Duke, if Stern, the Grand Duchess, froze to death in her sleep¡­. It would be very troublesome and horrible. As soon as the thought urred to him, Lesche got up from the sofa and sat on the bed.


    Before he knew it, Seria¡¯s body was stillpletely covered with the bedding that Lesche took from Ben a little while ago.


    Leschey down on his side like a habit, while Seria was also on her side, turned over and her face naturally came into Lesche¡¯s view.


    Her white forehead, plump lips, and her long eyshes were as green as her hair. Her hair was certainly an unusual color. While the early summer recording came to mind, it also reminded Lesche of the time when the Laurel Manor was renowned for its greatness and beauty. The green manor at that time looked as beautiful as summer in the noon sun.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    At that moment, Seria moved her arm. The bedding that Lesche ced up to her neck fell down. He didn¡¯t want her to freeze to death, so Lesche, who had evene to the bed to lie down, put the covers on her again as it was his duty.


    He tucked her back in without much hesitation. Seria frowned briefly and suddenly nuzzled closer into Lesche¡¯s chest.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lesche¡¯s eyes went wide. He looked at Seria with embarrassed red eyes. It was as if her body, seeking warmth, had unconsciously plunged into Lesche¡¯s chest. His slightly cold hand quickly flipped through his hair.


    ****


    It was early morning the next day.


    Seria woke up with a slightly sore throat. She was worried because for asrge as the Grand Duke¡¯s bedroom was, there was only one firece, and there was still a chill in the air.


    But it wasn¡¯t very cold on the bed. Blinking her sleepy eyes repeatedly, she suddenly felt a weight behind her back and on her waist. She could feel a different level of firmness in every part of that something.


    <em>¡®What is it?¡¯</em>


    She looked down and thought for a moment that she must be dreaming. The man¡¯s arm hugging her waist came into her vision. Unlike her panicked state, her body was cautious. Because the only man who could have entered the Grand Duke¡¯s bedchamber andid down on the bed with such firm arms was her temporary husband, Lesche Berg.


    Seria carefully turned around.


    It was real.


    Lesche was really sleeping behind her and wrapping her waist with one arm.


    <em>¡®What kind of dream is this?¡¯</em>


    Seria ced her hand on Lesche¡¯s cheek and withdrew her hand immediately in surprise.


    Indeed, it was Lesche.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but give him a light poke but Lesche didn¡¯t move. She wished she were dreaming, but the face in front of her was clearly real. She was stunned and just looked at Lesche for a while.


    She remembered vividly that she went to sleep on the sofast night, and wondered why she woke up in bed. It was obvious that either Martha or Lesche moved her here, because she couldn¡¯t have crawled on the bed in her sleeping state. However, that wasn¡¯t too big of a problem.


    The problem was why was he sleeping with her in his arms?


    Perhaps Lesche didn¡¯t have the covers and went to sleep holding her because he was cold. No matter how much she thought about it, that was the only reason she could think of. But it didn¡¯t seem like they did anything. Her clothes were still the same as Martha gave them to her before she fell asleep. Same went for Lesche.


    <em>¡®What is this bedding?¡¯</em>


    She couldn¡¯t understand why her body was covered in doubleyers. Who could have done such a heinous distribution? Seria got up, fumbling with the covers. Lesche had the covers she was wearing tightly around his body, and for a moment she was transfixed by his face.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He certainly was the male lead. Handsome, deadly handsome. His face was so perfectly bnced that she could stare at it all day and never get tired of it. Only with his eyes closed, of course. She could probably count on her fingers the number of women who couldn¡¯t stare into Lesche¡¯s cold, red eyes.


    If only his eyes were friendlier. No, that would be too many women rushing to him.


    Seria pulled the nket up to Lesche¡¯s neck while thinking nonsense. By all ounts, the air in this bedroom was too cold.


    <em>¡®But why is his hand like that?¡¯</em>


    She looked for a moment at Lesche¡¯s hand, which was bandaged, as if it was injured. Then she tried to sneak away, being as careful as possible not to shake the bed, but suddenly she heard a voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to leave after staring at someone¡¯s face like that?¡±


    Seria was so surprised that she almost fainted. She turned around and saw Lesche sitting up and pulling down the nket. For some reason, it seemed strange to her seeing the nket was uncovering Lesche¡¯s body, so she tried not to look and averted her gaze.


    ¡°Why are you avoiding my eyes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for my slippers.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably down there on the left.¡±


    ¡°What? I thought they were on the sofa.¡±


    She slid the slipper through her foot, thinking that Martha was the only person who could put her slippers under the bed with such delicacy.


    ¡°Did Martha bring me to the bed?¡±


    ¡°I moved you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because Young Lady was sleeping on the sofa like a shrimp.¡±


    ¡°No, Your Highness. I wasfortably sleeping.¡±


    ¡°And did you run away because you thought I¡¯d do something else?¡±


    For a moment, Seria opened her eyes wide. As if he read her mind, she was instantly perplexed. Her face started to get hot.


    ¡°I knew it.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s about you? Why did you lick my cheek?¡±


    ¡°Young Lady wants me to watch you freeze to death in my arms?¡±


    ¡°The couch looks spacious andfortable.¡±


    Lesche clicked his tongue and said,


    ¡°You see people as trash, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Seria was instantly frustrated.


    ¡°Last time you said I see people as mops, now I see them as trash?¡±


    ¡°So I should let my strong wife sleep on the sofa while I sleep on the bed?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we temporary?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not temporary, it¡¯s not timed, it¡¯s not.¡±


    Lesche said in a decisive voice, pushing the covers and asking something else.


    ¡°Was the bed cold?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that cold.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t cold because you snuggled up in my chest sleeping.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Wasn¡¯t it because Your Highness was cold that¡¯s why you slept with me in your arms?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not as sensitive to the cold as Young Lady.¡±


    Lesche answered simply and smiled satisfactorily.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you thought huh?¡±


    Seria jumped to her feet pretending not to hear. Lesche tilted his head.


    ¡°Young Lady. Seria stern.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria¡¯s face, which was heating up at the mention of her name, was nowpletely red. Aside from being embarrassed that she had made a mistake, the fact that she was exposed as such was extremely embarrassing. Her cheeks were hot. Seria frowned.


    ¡°Stop teasing me, Your Highness. Why did your hand get injured? Did you fight with a demon?¡±


    Lesche finally looked down at his hand. It was the first time since she started living in the main castle of Berg that she had seen a bandage anywhere on that man¡¯s body.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°I bumped into something.¡±


    Lesche answered shortly, but Seria could see in his expression that he didn¡¯t want to talk more about the wound. She diverted the conversation appropriately.


    ¡°It would be better to change the bandage. Let¡¯s go down together. Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Shall we?¡±


    ****

 Chapter 37

    <h2>Chapter 37</h2>


    Lesche stood up straightforwardly.


    Seria was thinking of asking someone in the manor to change the bandage on Lesche¡¯s hand, but surprisingly, he took the old one off and wrapped it up with the new one by himself, as if he was used to it.


    In the original story, he did everything by himself anyway. But it doesn¡¯t suit his amazing status sometimes.


    Seria parted her lips as she looked at Lesche¡¯s shimmering silver hair.


    ¡°Your Highness, the sorcerers areing today. Will I be confined to the chamber?¡±


    ¡°Why? They¡¯re the ones who should avoid you instead.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness saved my life, so I won¡¯t use you even if you lock me in the room.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s generous of you.¡±


    Lesche smirked.


    ¡°They¡¯re not the most pleasant people to run into. But that doesn¡¯t mean Young Lady has to avoid them.¡±


    ¡°It means I can do whatever I want?¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t whip them.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, you say as if I¡¯m a very bad person¡­¡±


    Seria tried to make excuses, but she had to keep her lips shut and admitted it.


    <em>¡®That¡¯s right. Last year I was still a viin who everyone talked about.¡¯</em>


    ¡°Anyway, I know what you mean, Your Highness.¡±


    Seria leaned her chin on the back of her hand, looked at Lesche, and said,


    ¡°Your Highness. There¡¯s one more thing that¡¯s bothering me.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Lesche replied without even raising his head. She looked around once and asked him what she was curious about the whole time.


    ¡°Why is the manor like this¡­ No, I¡¯m sorry but why do you have a butler and a maid in a mansion that¡¯s not in a normal state? The other two didn¡¯t seem to be working on repairing the mansion either.¡±


    Apart from the manor being covered in shadows, it had a butler and a gardener but there were no signs of careful repairs. The unaffected areas were swept and polished every day, but that was it. Nor the gardener or the butler was trying to repair the areas outside the mansion.


    Lesche, who was tying the bandage, said absent-mindedly,


    ¡°I never told them to stay.¡±


    ¡°Then why? Is there apelling reason why they don¡¯t leave the manor?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed it for a while.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Young Lady is really thoughtful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying¡­¡±


    Seria¡¯s eyes opened wide. The silence felt awkward for some reason. Seria tried to change the subject and said something else at random.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why there¡¯s no butler at the castle. Ben is tied up here?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Martha is the one who is tied up here.¡±


    ¡°Just Martha?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The others said they like the manor and wanted to stay. I know it¡¯s a lie.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria was surprised to hear that Martha was the only one. Because out of all the people, Martha seemed to have the calmest expression. It wasn¡¯t like the others were scared, but she was the maid of the former Grand Duchess, so she should stay in an ordinary mansion.


    This huge green Laurel Manor was never mentioned in the original story. And it was about to bepletely destroyed within a year for whatever reason. It was impossible for the others not to notice, if not exactly foresee, the deserted ruin that hovered here.


    It must mean that Martha, bound here, would also die. So the serenity she saw was not due to a sense of security, but for the resignation of seeing her own coffin being buried? Seria thought that Martha was a very strong person on the inside.


    ¡°You¡¯re calling sorcerers to get Martha out of this house? I didn¡¯t know Your Highness was such a gentleman.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I called them to get her out. I¡¯ve been trying¡­¡±


    While they were conversing, Lesche finished bandaging and rose from his seat.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault she¡¯s tied up here.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°Your fault?¡±


    Lesche sounded strange. His red eyes somehow sunk. Seria stared at the figure. It was like glimpsing at a wounded boy, and it made her feel strange. She didn¡¯t say anything more.


    Lesche put on his sword and went out to check the border. Courteously, Seria saw him off and looked up at the sky. The snow fell incessantly. The day before the snow was up to her ankles, but today it was almost knee-deep.


    She nced over at Linon as he ran to see Lesche off. He was the one who had the most trouble in this cold house. He had his sleeping bag wrapped around his shoulders like a cloak.


    ¡°Linon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°How is His Highness going to check the border when it¡¯s snowing this hard? Can he ride a horse?¡±


    ¡°I think His Highness went on foot.¡±


    ¡°On foot? With the snow falling like this? Isn¡¯t he in distress?¡±


    ¡°His Highness is in distress?¡±


    Linon asked back with a rather uprehending expression. Lesche Berg was the male protagonist of this novel. He was the strongest man and knight. He was the one who always had a calm expression when there were moving shadows in the spacious manor.


    Seria was easily convinced that this was a set value from the original story.


    However, Linon¡¯s expression was not so good. When Seria asked why, Linon sighed deeply.


    ¡°We¡¯ve just been informed by the Mana Communication Center that the arrival of the sorcerers will be dyed further due to heavy snow. It¡¯s expensive, so we don¡¯t usually use it, but they called and delivered the message¡­.They were supposed to arrive at midnight.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. By the way, is there any reason why the sorcerers shouldn¡¯tete?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯ll have to return to the maind eventer.¡±


    Linon said with a pitiful face, while shaking as usual. The author of the original story must have given Linon an intelligence of 10 and a health of about 1. While Seria was a little curious about the sorcerers of the kingdom of Nes, she wondered about something else as well.


    ¡°Linon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    Seria hesitated.


    ¡°Do you know why Martha was tied up in this manor?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Martha?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You know Lady Seria¡­¡±


    Unexpectedly, Linon told a story¡­.


    ¡°The previous Grand Duke and his vicious b*stard son once insulted His Highness.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°His Highness was about fifteen years old at the time, but he was the official heir to the Grand Dukedom in both name and reality. However, the previous Grand Duke and his b*stard son wanted to remove His Highness from his position as the heir of Berg.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°They tried to make it difficult for Sir Alliot, who was His Highness¡¯s knight at the time, to be the gatekeeper of this green manor. They even brought the Blue Sea Box to scare Sir Alliot.¡±


    ¡°The Blue Sea box?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a family heirloom of the Berg family. If you put your hair in it, you will not be able to leave the Laurel Manor. In return, the protective magic that protects the Laurel Manor is activated, so the knights in pursuit of honor use it to serve as guardians of the manor.¡±


    ¡°And they made Sir Alliot do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They said if he truly cares about the Berg family, why can¡¯t he be a guardian. But Lady Martha, the beloved knight of the previous Grand Duchess, willingly cut her own hair in ce of Sir Alliot.¡±


    Linon spoke with a fresh face.


    ¡°It¡¯s a very long story, but in short, that¡¯s how it happened. Since that day, Lady Martha has not been able to step out of the green manor, and the others are here willingly because they¡¯re close to her. They could have lived quite well if the manor didn¡¯t be like this¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Seria was speechless. Previously, she wondered what kind of magic or curse had bound Martha to this ce. But suddenly, she was puzzled by the details of the heavy past. Linon didn¡¯t seem to understand Seria¡¯s bewilderment, and he continued talking.


    ¡°So please don¡¯t be too offended if His Highness brings Young Lady to this awful manor. His Highness brought you here to show you to Lady Martha. Lady Martha has always been very loyal to the former Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not offended.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±


    ¡°So you were concerned that I might have been offended, that¡¯s why you told me the story?¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡±


    Linon nodded.


    ¡°Is it okay for you to tell the Berg family¡¯s deep story to a stranger?¡±


    ¡°Young Lady isn¡¯t a stranger. You are already a member of the Berg family. In fact, you¡¯re the closest to His Highness. Of course, it¡¯ll take a year for the imperial to authorize you to be an official Grand Duchess, but that¡¯s customary, so you can ignore it.¡±


    Linon said with sincerity, and for no reason at all, it deepened her thoughts.


    Once the imperial family authorized their marriage, Seria and Lesche would be stuck together for life. She became the temporary Grand Duchess because she was saved from a life-threatening crisis. But of course, she didn¡¯t mean to divorce until Lesche agreed to do so. She owed her life to the best unmarried man in the empire, so she couldn¡¯t possibly say ¡®I have no more business to do here, so I will step down from this horrible role of being the temporary Grand Duchess.¡¯


    Plus, something tells her Leche wouldn¡¯t let her go.


    She didn¡¯t know why, but she had that gut feeling. Besides, Linon was so nice and kind now, but she felt like he would get revenge if she stepped out of the marriage with his Lord first. It was pretty scary in the original.


    ¡°Linon.¡±


    Seria looked at the chief aide in front of her and decided to do some preliminary practice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep what you just told me a secret until the day I die.¡±


    Linon¡¯s lips formed a nice line as Seria spoke informally. He extended his finger and pointed to the cliff to the left rear of the manor.


    ¡°You can¡¯t see it now because it¡¯s covered with snow, but that¡¯s actually sugar rock. In the sunlight, it shines like a jewel and is very beautiful. You can take a horse ride thereter and see for yourself.¡±

 Chapter 38

    <h2>Chapter 38</h2>


    Linon left to check on the locations in the manor that needed repairs once more. Once a year, they would call for sterers, who mind their own business and kept secrets well, to repair therge defects of the manor.


    <em><strong>¡°Youngdy, you did not think that our lord would turn those sterers blind, right*?¡±</strong></em>


    (*TN: I think what Linon meant was did Seria think Lesche made those people blind (took out their eyes) so they wouldn¡¯t see and talk about the manor to the outside world.)


    No, who in the world would even create an image of his lord to be like that¡­? After all, he was so thorough, there must not be any rumors about the Laurel Manor in the imperial society. In the first ce, the Grand Duke was not very receptive to outside nobles.


    The residence was half ruined by the hard Magi, but that didn¡¯t mean that the elegant framework was going anywhere. As Seria looked at the huge tapestry hanging in the first floor hall, she wondered how people were going to wash that, then she looked at the clock and headed for the kitchen.


    The main dining room had already been closed down, only the kitchen in the servants¡¯ dining area had a faint warmth in it. She was told that in houses that are located in areas with harsh winters, the whole family would gather in front of the stove fire to get warm and do their own things. It was simr here.


    The two servants and the gardener were sewing something. They looked at her and said,


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t have lint flying around the breakfast.¡±


    With that, they immediately left the dining room.


    <em>¡®They don¡¯t like me much.¡¯</em>


    As they rarely interact, it made sense for them to think of her this way.


    <em>¡®Oh well, I¡¯m so used to the hate I receive as Seria that this means nothing to me.¡¯</em>


    While thinking about it, Martha and Ben greeted her.


    ¡°Lady Seria. Did you sleep well?¡±


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Seria greeted them back, but Martha said with a worried look on her face.


    ¡°What shall we do now that the sorcerers areingte? This is not a good ce for a guest as beautiful as you to stay, Young Lady.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I like it here.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a lie, Seria liked this green manor quite a bit. This manor, which was beautiful enough to appear in the social scene, was turned into a semi-ruin by the hard Magi, but Seria couldn¡¯t help but look at it frankly and admire it again and again.


    Most of all, she loved the fact that the manor was located in a remote area. Surrounded by a quiet snow mountain, it felt like she was in another world.


    It had been a long time since she had this kind of rest. Ever since she possessed Seria, she had been busy running around, trying to live day by day.


    Looking at the snowyndscape outside, she could ignore the hardened Maggie to some extent as she walked through the quiet corridor. Seria really liked this vast, serene green manor.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored, Lady Seria.¡±


    Then Ben said with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Breakfast is just about ready.¡±


    Seria looked at the table and was dumbfounded. It was because there were several cakes on the pale yellow marble table, befitting the name of the Laurel Manor.


    They were all made in a rtively small size. The decorations were magnificent. There were cakes with spider webs delicately squeezed out of melted chocte, pound cakes artfully topped with candied soft fruits, brown rustic cakes baked with msses, etc¡­.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this Berg¡¯s mansion pastry chef skills?¡±


    Martha smiled.


    ¡°Up until the year beforest, Linon ate a lot of sweets. He ate everyst bit of pudding, chocte, sugar, and fruit¡­ Sincest year, I¡¯ve been worried about his health. But this year, His Highness brought a lot of cakes again, and I was wondering why. But I heard that Young Lady likes cakes.¡±


    ¡°What? Me?¡±


    Seria tilted her head.


    She liked dessert, but she was not crazy about cakes like this.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    There were a lot of cakes that anyone could happily eat for days, but of course Seria Stern, like the official viin of the original story, has a blessed body, not gaining weight no matter how much she ate. This Seria liked sweet and clean treats, but this was too much. How could she eat all this, she gasped just looking at it.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Martha said.


    Martha looked at Ben with a dismayed expression. Ben looked puzzled, too.


    ¡°I saw the cakes when it came out of the wagon and asked if the Young Lady liked it, to which His Highness replied, ¡®Yes.¡¯¡±


    There was a moment of silence in the dining room, where the firece was crackling with slow-burning woods. Suddenly the conversation she had with Lesche came to mind.


    <em><strong>¡®The others said they liked the house and wanted to stay. I know it¡¯s not true.¡±</strong></em>


    Lesche brought in a lot of desserts every year. The excuse for it was Linon loved sweets, and this year¡¯s excuse was because she liked cakes. Something was not right. Seria had an idea.


    ¡°Ben.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lady Seria?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the reason you stay in this manor?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, um¡­¡±


    Ben coughed ufortably. He seemed to realize at once why Seria was asking such a question.


    ¡°Have you seen the rocky cliff on the left side of the manor? It¡¯s a sugar rock, but It¡¯s ptable.¡±


    Ben¡¯s expression was one of contrition as he fumbled through the words of the past.


    ¡°His Highness came to visit me when he had just taken over the position of Grand Duke, and he said¡­¡±


    <em><strong>¡°Do you think Martha would be pleased if you died with her in this ruin? I¡¯ll take responsibility for your damn sympathy, so why don¡¯t you juste back to the mansion now?¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°Young Master.¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°Come out.¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°¡­ We have been eating only sugar here for a very long time, and spices from other ces are not to our taste. Young Master¡­¡­ no, Your Highness. Neither do Susan and Joanna.¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°I don¡¯t think I could eat it unless it was a dessert with rock sugar from the manor.¡±</strong></em>


    Ben¡¯s retrospect made Seria irresistibly upset. Lesche used to make a whole bunch of desserts and bring them here every time, even though he knew the reason why they wanted to stay in this manor was not because they actually liked the sugar.


    It was not difficult to make sense of it. If only she could hear a single word about how Lesche felt.


    ¡°We said we wanted to stay here because we like the sugar. We told a lie so His Highness would not worry too much about us.¡±


    What was Lesche thinking as he carried such a ridiculous dessert in his carriage each time? He was thinking of Martha, bound to this ruin to die while his father tried to oust him from the heir position. And thinking of the people who had decided to stay by her side.


    ¡°Gosh¡­.¡±


    Martha sounded frustrated, which was unlike her. Ben¡¯s expression was much the same.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s young.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what you mean by young.¡±


    Lesche was big and tall. The coldness of his face seemed to reveal his feelings. Don¡¯t they see the same thing Seria sees?


    Martha erased her bitter look and said with a soft smile.


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because we¡¯ve seen His Highness¡¯s face since he was a child, but even now he still looks like one.¡±


    It had been a while since Seria thought about what young is. As she watched Ben and Martha¡¯s desperate reaction, she kept thinking of Lesche¡¯s sunken red eyes.


    Somehow, her heart ached.


    ****


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯s been since I¡¯ve tried to braid ady¡¯s hair.¡±


    After finishing eating, Martha braided Seria¡¯s hair. She never specifically asked the servants to pack her essories, but the faithful servants at the main mansion packed her hair pins with jewels and ribbons in her luggage. Among those, Martha used the jeweled pins with a daisy flower pattern for her hair.


    ¡°When will the sorcerers leave the manor?¡±


    The sorcerers from the Kingdom of Nethra had arrived earlier.


    ¡°They will probably stay for a day or so. They¡¯ll be staying on the fourth floor, so you won¡¯t run into you.¡±


    ¡°I will not be going up to the fourth floor either.¡±


    The High Priest treated sorcerers from other continents as heresy. It was why they would probably be frightened in front of her to avoid being seen, but it would be easier for all if they avoid each other as much as possible.


    What if it was the original Seria Stern? Perhaps she would have freaked out when the sorcerers stared at her and pulled out their eyes.


    Very possible.


    She gazed at Martha, who smiled and opened a scented jar.


    ¡°Oh, this oil smells so good. Is it the scent of lily flowers?


    Here in the manor, mugwort is easy to find, and we make fragrant oil from it, so it¡¯s refreshing to smell fragrant oil from flowers.¡±


    It was the fragrant oil that her servants also packed for Seria. Martha dropped the fragrant oil in her palm and gently applied it to Seria¡¯s hair. The sweet scent wafted to her nose.


    ¡°This is the shawl that Susan and Joanna made.¡±


    And Seria received an unexpected gift.


    She thought they weren¡¯t too keen on her. So this was what they were making earlier in the dining room.


    It was a shawl with a hat attached to it that Susan and Joanna had made, and the quality was very good for something that was made in a hurry. Seria said thank you and tightened the ribbon on the shawl, then walked out to the garden.


    When she first came here, she was surprised to see that the nts were all dead, but with the snow falling on top of them, she couldn¡¯t even see them. Now it had such an idyllic atmosphere, just like the garden of an ordinary country mansion.


    Seria gazed at therge, silent garden, nketed in white snow. Lesche said that he would note to this manor unless it was time for the sorcerers to work on the manor each year. Even when he dide, he wouldn¡¯t stay long. Of course, he¡¯s busy as he¡¯s the Grand Duke of Berg, the great lord of thend, and the man who has to protect the cier, the tomb of demons.


    It may be spection, but she could see why Lesche would not stay long. This was a ce no one shouldn¡¯t see for a long time.


    Even though she knew that the ce was crawling with Magi which were frozen in ce right behind her, the tranquility of the spacious manor made her feel at ease. And what about the people who were guarding this green manor?


    Suddenly she wanted toe and stay here every year when the season was ripe.


    Somewhere along the way, Seria thought she had grown fond of it.


    Damn it. It was not a good sign.


    It would be a real disaster if she got attached to this ce. This was the ¡°real¡± hometown of the male protagonist of the original novel, but the human mind was really cunning, she was thinking of something else. This was a ce that didn¡¯t even appear in the original novel anyway.


    It¡¯s a ce that never existed. It¡¯s a ce that would probably disappear soon.


    Therefore, she thought it was okay for her to get attached to this ce. Because Lesche would not go to Lina like Kalis. It was a ce that he didn¡¯t share with Lina. She had a feeling that she was leaning towardsfort, but it was true.


    ¡°What if I can purify it? I¡¯m a Stern, right?¡±


    Seria stepped into the manor with a little hope.

 Chapter 39

    <h2>Chapter 39</h2>


    (*TL: this chapter was hard to trante and a bit confusing¡­.I tried my best. I apologize in advance.)


    ***


    Back inside the manor, Seria could feel her red, frozen cheeks melt a little. After she took off her shawl, Seria ran up the stairs and reached out to the hardened Magi.


    <em>¡®I can purify it.¡¯</em>


    At this rate, though, it seemed to take about a thousand years. The dehumidifier should be faster than this.


    Seria tried to remember the original story as she slowly walked through the manor. Lina didn¡¯t purify the hardened magi one by one like a vacuum cleaner. Magi had its roots, and when Lina purified them with the power of a saint, the sticky magi disappeared.


    Even though her power was weak, but she was still a Stern, Seria tried to find the source. She could only notice that at certain moments, the Magi became stronger in very small details. It took almost two hours, and she even broke a cold sweat.


    Here¡¯s the thing.


    On the first floor, when you enter from the main door, there¡¯s a hall. Unlike usual, there was one huge tapestry taller than Seria¡¯s height upon the parapet, but there was a ck door open on the exposed wall.


    ¡°Lady Seria? What are you doing here?¡±


    Seria was startled as Linon suddenly appeared. She backed away, and suddenly Linon¡¯s body rattled.


    ¡°Agh, Miss Susan!¡±


    It was Susan ¡­¡­so she was the seamstress of this green manor? With the strength of one hand, she lightly lifted Linon by the chest and ced him on her side. No, Linon wasn¡¯t even short, and yet she could lift a tall grown man that high.


    ¡°You scared the Young Lady, Linon.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God! I didn¡¯t!¡±


    Linon couldn¡¯t speak anymore. He stood drooping in Susan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Linon, did you faint?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t talk to me like that. Lady Seria.¡±


    ¡°You fainted?¡±


    Seria quickly spoke casually. Susan smiled, but she wasn¡¯t all warm and soft like Martha. There was a sharp smile which strangely reminded her of Abigail.


    ¡°Youngdy, the sorcerers are here, would you like to go downstairs? Oh, His Highness¡­..¡±


    Susan spoke with concern.


    ¡°His Highness has given me his consent.¡± Seria said.


    ¡°Well, then, since the manor is so quiet and boring, I think you can go down and have a look. I will apany you.¡±


    Seria had never seen the sorcerers in person, so she was curious. She nodded at Susan¡¯s suggestion. Susan held out her hand to Seria like a knight, and she followed her escort through the open door under the tapestry.


    There was a distinctly damp smell in the basement, and colorful lights were flickering below. A voice that sang like an incantation, intangible energy that had a strangely different trajectory from sacred power.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Nes sorcerers.¡±


    The problem was the strange smell. The smell of burning imprints. Seria took out her handkerchief and covered her nose. The smell was definitely an imprint. It was the same imprints that used to make sleeping potions for people with sacred powers. It meant it could make them faint. The scent wasn¡¯t strong, but if you smelled it long enough, you were bound to pass out.


    Though it might not affect Seria much as she was a Stern. Simr to Lesche, who had divine power in his body, and was the head of the seventeenth house of the Glick Empire. Seria, with the handkerchief over her nose, approached the sorcerers.


    ¡°Since His Highness isn¡¯t here, you must not burn the imprint.¡±


    One sorcerer, who stood holding what looked like a stamp, nced at Seria. He was a thin, tall man with hair cut in a unique pattern.


    ¡°Ah, I understand that His Highness the Grand Duke is absent. But it¡¯s a necessary procedure to drive out this ominous darkness.¡±


    The arrogant voice ruffled her ears. If it was the original standing here, he would be dead. When Seria didn¡¯t respond, the sorcerer¡¯s voice became even more annoying, as if he thought Seria was frightened.


    ¡°Who are you, Lady?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Lady, answer me¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up. You dare to be cheeky and urge me to respond. Do you know who I am?¡±


    Seria gave him a look that the original Seria would have given. The sorcerer immediately snapped out of it and shut his mouth. She took her gaze off the sorcerer and looked at the unique box that sat at the top of this basement. The box, with its striking gold rim, shone alone in this dark and gloomy basement.


    <em>¡®Is that the Blue Sea Box that Linon told me about this morning?¡¯</em>


    Inside it was a single strand of auburn hair. In all likelihood, that ce seemed to be the source of the magic, but the sorcerers were here burning imprinted grass and chanting strange codes.


    Seria tried to reach out toward the box, and the sorcerers tried to hit her hand with a stick, but Susan immediately grabbed the stick.


    ¡°Have you lost your mind? Do you know where you are now?¡±


    Her growling spirit was extraordinary. Susan¡¯s spirit was fierce, but Seria was used to Abigail¡¯s spirits, so she was fine. Rather, the sorcerers immediately dropped their tails as if they were not immune. Meanwhile, Seria raised her hand in an attempt at purification.


    <em>¡®As expected, it doesn¡¯t work.¡¯</em>


    But indeed it was the root of the Magi. The closer she moved her hand towards the box, the heavier the energy became.


    The sorcerers warned.


    ¡°Lady, if you interfere with our rituals any further¡­.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± Seria said.


    It was funny. Seria was a Stern, so she knew quite a bit about rituals. It wasn¡¯t like drawing a magic picture, but talking to him in the middle didn¡¯t break the purification process. It was a good attitude to ignore people who they didn¡¯t know.


    Seria stepped out of the basement with Susan without a second thought.


    ¡°You must be surprised, Young Lady.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Thank you for going with me.¡±


    Susan smiled with her eyes wide. Perhaps it was because she felt loyal to protect someone, not the sensitivity that came from malice.


    Her smile was as sharp as ever, and it kept reminding her of Abigail.


    That evening, a new table mat embroidered with flowers wasid on her dining table. The little specks of dirt next to it also looked lovely, as if they had been individually knitted with woolen yarn. Seria smiled when she heard that Susan had made them. She thought Susan was really good at sewing, with hands as hard as Abigail¡¯s.


    And she had to admit. She was falling in love with this manor. No matter how much she thought about it, she seemed to be more wrapped up in the people here than in the green manor¡­..Who wouldn¡¯t like this ce that offers a certain sense of tranquility?


    <em>¡®No one has been this nice to Seria since the beginning.¡¯</em>


    Seria swallowed a sigh as she watched Martha warm up the nket and made it fluffy. Tonight, she was going to sleep alone in her own room and was nning to sort out herplicated thoughts. However¡­.


    ¡°Why am I in His Highness¡¯s bedroom again?¡±


    Martha gave her a look of horror.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, My Lady. Shadows spread all the way to the Grand Duchess¡¯s bedroom. It¡¯s not much, but we can¡¯t let your precious body sleep in a ce where the walls are all ck.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria looked at Lesche. He looked tired, unlike usual. No matter how strong he was, he had to patrol the border all day without any knights, so it was natural for him to be tired. He might even have fought with a demon by himself.


    Seria handed out a silver branch to Lesche. There was no apparent sign of Magi¡¯s attack, but it was just in case.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Keep it.¡±


    ¡°Why do I need this when there¡¯s a Stern around. ¡°


    ¡°I can¡¯t purify His Highness like I did with Linon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit odd, bute to think of it, I¡¯m your husband, shouldn¡¯t you be holding me and not Linon?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you want a hug? Hmm, if it¡¯s not in the bedroom, then the hall on the first floor is fine. Shall we go out?¡±


    ¡°The first floor is okay?¡±


    Lescheughed with an amused expression.


    ¡°You¡¯re so innocent sometimes, Young Lady.¡±


    ¡°¡­.?¡±


    Lesche said and grabbed the silver branch and tossed it up and down like a dagger. Seria sat up in bed and looked at Lesche¡¯s back as he gazed at the fire in the firece. He had broad shoulders and back, and a narrow waist, just like a main character should have. Frankly speaking, he had a great face, but his body alone seemed to make many women fall in love with him.


    <em>¡®Come to think of it, shouldn¡¯t we go to the capital once the winter is over?¡¯</em>


    Lesche didn¡¯t show his face much in the imperial society, but the nobles of the Glick Empire had to stop by the imperial pce at least once every year to apply for an audience with the emperor.


    Of course, not all nobles could see the emperor¡¯s face. But whether they could see him or not, it was the duty of every nobleman to apply for an audience. And since Lesche was the Grand Duke of the House of Berg, he would be epted as soon as he applied for an audience.


    <em>¡®Now that you¡¯re married to me, you have to show up at social gatherings as well.¡¯</em>


    ¡°Your Highness, I went down to the basement today.¡±


    ¡°What about the sorcerers?¡±


    ¡°They were fooling around a bit, but Susan stopped them.¡±


    She could hear Lescheughing. She swung her legs lightly. The slippers Martha had given her to wear wobbled.


    That was all.


    On the small table beside the bed, there was a ss of steaming milk that Martha had brought, and a new flower in an empty vase.


    The flowers were a gift from Susan, of course. It was not a real flower. It was a flower made by weaving wool yarn because nts die quickly here, but it was a really borate craft. Still, it was as good as any other flower.


    <em><strong>¡°Hey Susan, in the evening¡­..¡±</strong></em>


    Remembering what she asked Susan to do in private, Seria touched the soft flowers lightly.


    In the original story, no one, including Martha, had appeared. It sounded like Martha was the only one whose death was certain, but did the others choose not to leave her alone in the manor and die together?


    Seria¡¯s mind wasplicated.

 Chapter 40

    <h2>Chapter 40</h2>


    Seria didn¡¯t have a good personality, but it didn¡¯t mean that she wanted them to die, and it would be rather silly and mean of her to keep quiet when she knew the answer to the problem.


    It wasn¡¯t something to worry about for long. Seria quickly made a decision.


    ¡°Your Highness. I think I¡¯ve found a way to purify it.¡±


    Lesche, who was poking the burning woods with a fire poker, halted. He turned to Seria, still holding the poker in his hand.


    ¡°Did you find a way to purify it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure the Saintess can¡­.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Not a Saint. How about Young Lady? Can you purify it?¡±


    Seria looked at Lesche nkly, thinking she must have misheard him just now, but a beatter, she jumped up.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. Your Highness. No, but ¡­¡­.¡±


    She gulped and asked again.


    ¡°Your Highness, do you not believe me? I¡¯m sure the Saintess can purify these shadows.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let that woman who is not from the Berg family into the Laurel Manor. But that doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t hire a saint, does it?¡±


    ¡°If Your Highness wishes, you can hire a temporary employee in Stern¡¯s escort office. I have a full-time guard, so I haven¡¯t used that authority yet.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to be more specific than that.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I have absolutely no intention of bringing any woman other than the Grand Duchess to this manor or to the mansion.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria was speechless. She was confused, she didn¡¯t know that Lesche had such a stubborn personality. Besides, he said he didn¡¯t like it¡­ Could she offer more? Seria didn¡¯t have the confidence to do that. As she looked away, she suddenly saw the woolen flowers that Susan had made for her.


    She also brought her slippers, bedding, and, of course, warm milk.


    ¡°I know that¡¯s a big deal, but I want people here to be well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you want me to bring the Saintess?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any pride, Young Lady?¡±


    ¡°Pride?¡±


    Seria chuckled.


    ¡°Tell me, what do you want me to say now?¡±


    Lesche stared at her with cold eyes. She tried to read his expression, but it was hard to do so.


    ¡°You seem to have some sympathy for the people in this house.¡±


    His voice was rather rough.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you look at the past, Young Lady? Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll end up like Marquis Hon?¡±


    <em>¡®Aren¡¯t I afraid that Lesche might go to Lina?¡¯</em>


    It was a stabbing remark. Was he teasing her? Seria raised her head and red at Lesche.


    ¡°No. Marquis Hon was the man of my choice. Not like His Highness.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. I¡¯m not the one Young Lady chose.¡±


    ¡°You know very well, Your Highness. Please don¡¯t put me in a tricky situation.¡±


    ¡°You are misunderstanding the meaning of ¡®the Grand Duchess.¡¯¡±


    Seria red at Lesche.


    ¡°I dare not to make a mistake of my position.¡±


    Lesche did not answer. He averted his gaze and quickly turned away. Holding the woolen flowers and a ss of warm milk in her hands, Seria pushed the door of the Grand Duke¡¯s bedroom roughly with her shoulder and walked out.


    <em>¡®I¡¯m annoyed.¡¯</em>


    Seria¡¯s feelings quickly bottomed out. Did Lesche think she really wanted to call Lina? It was easy for him to say. But he didn¡¯t know how hurt she was when she remembered her bloody fianc¨¦ who couldn¡¯t stay away from Lina.


    It was this beautiful, idyllic, quiet mansion.


    She was actually worried that if Lina was invited to this manor, somewhere far away from the world, this ce would soon be the world of the female protagonist. To be honest, she was jealous. But she knew that these nice people, who were kind to her, would die at once.


    How can the people, who know how to save lives, pretend not to know? Why did he look at her with such an expression when it was him who was heartless and brutal?


    <em><strong>¡°I have absolutely no intention of bringing any woman other than the Grand Duchess to this manor or to the mansion.¡±</strong></em>


    Lesche¡¯s exnation was unkind. But didn¡¯t Linon tell him? The reason why Martha was bound to this manor was because the previous Grand Duke, who unfairly favored his illegitimate child, and Lesche¡¯s mother, the previous Grand Duchess, must not have had a good time either.


    This was what he must have meant. He wasn¡¯t against other women but this was what happened by bringing them into the Laurel Manor, and he didn¡¯t have the slightest intention of following the suit.


    Seria somehow understood him, but that wasn¡¯t a legitimate reason for him to ridicule her like that. It was like he was saying, ¡®I¡¯m the only one who thinks of Seria, the rare viin in this original world, so I have to take care of her.¡¯


    Seria pursed her lips and sipped the milk, the steam was still rising slightly. Her throat was hot. Holding the empty cup, she stared at the Grand Duchess¡¯s bedroom for a while. If she slept here out of anger, she could freeze to death in a bedroom that didn¡¯t even have a working firece.


    Would Martha, Ben, Linon, and the others notice that she fought with Lesche and came to this room?


    <em>¡®It would be nice if they pretend not to know.¡¯</em>


    It was said that not much firewood was allowed in the green manor because the hardened Magi would dry up the wood quickly. So after dinner and bathing, all the lights would be turned off except in the bedrooms where each of the people would stay to save firewood. The servants stayed on the fourth floor, as did the sorcerers.


    The empty first floor was indeed dimly lit. It was just bright enough to identify things. It was always warm in the kitchen and dining room. Seria thought of the soft chairs and the firece in the dining room and decided to sleep there.


    With that decision, Seria walked carefully towards the dining hall, but¡­


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    With a dull thud, she suddenly tripped over something strange and almost fell over. Seria frowned and looked down, and in the sparse light on the wall, she saw¡­


    ¡°Martha¡­?¡±


    Martha was lying on the floor.


    ¡°Martha!¡±


    Seria hurriedly sat down in front of the unconscious Martha.


    ¡°Martha! Martha! Wake up!¡±


    Seria shook her arm and suddenly felt a warmth on her hand. Her eyes went wide.


    ¡°Blood?¡±


    Why was there blood pouring out of her stomach? Someone must have hurt her. And the outsiders in this manor¡­..!


    ¡°Ahhhh¡­!¡±


    Her scream didn¡¯tst long. It was because her mouth was covered. Her body stiffened. She tried to see who had caught her from behind, but she didn¡¯t have to look.


    There was a faint smell of burning imprints, the kind of imprints that would knock out people with divine powers.


    ¡°Lady, a good star for the gods at thest minute¡­..¡±


    It was a familiar voice. It was the strange looking, cocky sorcerer who had rushed her to reply to him a while ago. He held a handkerchief over her face, which smelled like burnt imprints. At that moment a sound of unpleasantughter came to her ears.


    Then, suddenly the sorcerer flew to the side. Seria put both hands on the floor and started coughing.


    ¡°Lady Seria! Are you okay?¡±


    Holding a light in one hand, Susan helped her up with tremendous force of her other hand. Ben, who came with Susan, hurriedly looked at Martha¡¯s wound.


    ¡°Martha!¡±


    Seria turned and stared at the sorcerer on the wall.


    ¡°Please help me.¡± He begged.


    The sorcerer struggled to escape as Susan grabbed him by the neck. She red at him and took a step or two. Seria red at him and took a step closer. The sorcerer shivered as if he had a nightmare.


    ¡°Where did you peoplee from, and what do you want?¡±


    ¡°Ack¡­ack..¡± (choking sound.)


    Veins swelled in the forehead of the sorcerer, whose neck was strangled.


    It was strange. It didn¡¯t make sense that the sorcerer didn¡¯t know Seria was Stern.


    <em><strong>¡°Lady, who are you?¡±</strong></em>


    Seria¡¯s green hair was definitely notmon. To be honest, she was also incredibly beautiful, and more importantly, she remembered reading about her in the original story. ¡°Rumors have spread to other continents about how vicious the green-haired Stern is.¡±


    Of course, it could be an exaggeration. But if they were sorcerers who feared the High Priest, they would certainly have obtained this level of rumor beforehand, but they obviously pretended not to know her, who apparently seemed to be a Stern.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner?¡±


    Seria suddenly pulled out a handkerchief and shoved it into the sorcerer¡¯s mouth. Susan said in an admiring voice.


    ¡°You¡¯ve tried a little torture, haven¡¯t you, Young Lady?¡±


    ¡°No, I just read it in a book.¡±


    She was embarrassed to answer, but she wasn¡¯t lying. Because this cruel and borate method of preventing suicide before torture was the method that Seria used in the original story. Why did she use it then?


    Oh, yes. She used it on a knight of Berg, who protected and hid Lina. (*The original Seria was torturing the knight to know about Lina¡¯s whereabouts, because in the original story, Seria wanted Lina dead.)


    The original Seria was really insane. What was more disturbing was that each movement synced perfectly to her body (the new Seria), probably because it was already Seria¡¯s preferred method in the original story. She couldn¡¯t help but stare at Susan, who was ring at the sorcerer with a ferocious look on her face.


    She was a knight after all. Seria was d that she asked Susan to patrol at night.


    <em><strong>¡°Hey, Susan, this evening¡­.¡±</strong></em>


    Earlier today, when Susan held Seria by the hand and escorted her down stairs, Seria somehow knew Susan was a knight as her hand was as hard as Abigail¡¯s.


    Seria was suddenly scared¡­


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Joanna and Linone with you? The fourth floor is still dangerous¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be fine. Joanna¡­..My Lady!¡±


    Susan shouted, looking behind Seria. Seria turned around. Her eyes went wide because in the dark, another sorcerer with a dagger was rushing at her from behind.

 Chapter 41

    <h2>Chapter 41</h2>


    That exact moment the sword pierced him.


    ¡°Aah!¡±


    The sorcerer¡¯s arm snapped into a bizarre shape and he fell to the floor. Seria lifted her head, feeling her heart beating hard.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lesche was right in front of her, a little out of breath, as he seemed to have run in a hurry. He quickly scanned Seria from head to toe and turned around quickly.


    ¡°This is outrageous. Where¡¯s the rest?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re on the fourth floor.¡±


    At the same time as Susan¡¯s report, something was rolling down the stairs. Two of the sorcerers fell down the stairs with their hands and feet tied up. The other two were dragged down by the hands.


    It was Joanna, the gardener of this dpidated manor. A neat, middle-aged woman who liked green that resembled grass, easily dragging healthy men along with her, was a drastic divergence in its own right.


    ¡°Joanna. Is that all of them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Susan found out from the youngdy that there was the smell of the imprints. She told me to put them on the fourth floor, and he suddenly attacked Linon¡­¡±


    ¡°Paralyze them all and throw them in the basement. I¡¯ll call the knights tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°How about Martha?¡± Seria asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. She wasn¡¯t hit in the vital points.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡±


    It was amazing, even in the midst of all this, Joanna subdued the four sorcerers, and at that time, she also confirmed where Martha was injured.


    It was almost midnight when themotion ended.


    Seria couldn¡¯t sleep in the dining room anymore, so she went back to the Grand Duke¡¯s bedroom. Before Lesche, of course, because he seemed to be busy dealing with the sorcerers.


    She stared at the bedroom for a moment with her arms crossed. She didn¡¯t expect to return within a few hours of fighting.


    <em>¡®What¡¯s wrong with the situation? I¡¯m d Martha is safe, but¡­¡¯</em>


    She wondered if she should sleep on the couch, but Seria decided to go to the bed andy down. The bed was so big that even six people could sleepfortably. Though they just had a fight, Seria didn¡¯t think Lesche would want to sleep on the bed now.


    Seriay on the bed after all themotion, and sad feelings came pouring in.


    <em>¡®Can¡¯t you just ask me if I¡¯m okay? Why did you have to mock me by bringing up Kalis? Not only do I care about the beautiful Laurel Manor, I also just want to keep the people alive who have made their own memories. Yes, I just wanted to save them just like you do.¡¯</em>


    Seria held a pillow and stared into the air. Lesche Berg. Didn¡¯t he also care enough to call sorcerers from another country? He wanted to save Martha and bring this ce back to life.


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed, even though she knew there were circumstances beyond her knowledge.


    <em>¡®I don¡¯t know. Maybe I should sleep on the couch.¡¯</em>


    She continued staring at the ceiling when the bedroom door mmed open. She paused for a moment and then heard the door close. Then she heard the sound of footsteps towards the bed.


    It was Lesche, but Seria purposely didn¡¯t show any reaction. She justid there in a daze.


    <em>¡®What am I going to do?¡¯</em>


    Still, she didn¡¯t turn her head even though Lesche stood right in front of the bed.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    There was an overwhelming silence in therge bedroom, and after a few moments, she nced sideways and saw Lesche sitting on the bed.


    She was going to call him, but¡­


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    A deep voice. She was a little surprised by the clear call. When she turned her head to the side, suddenly, one of her wrists was caught tightly. A strong force brought her back to her feet. In the blink of an eye, Seria stood on the floor. Lesche was still holding her wrist.


    She didn¡¯t have time to ask what he was doing because he reached towards her back and hisrge hand touched every inch from her neck to her waist as if he was checking something. Soon after, Lesche knelt on one knee in front of her.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria was dumbfounded but managed to keep her mouth shut. She had no choice but to do so because Lesche¡¯s hand lifted her ankle.


    She stumbled lightly for a moment and sat back in bed. Lesche¡¯s hands were hard as they touched her skin.


    Embarrassed, Seria couldn¡¯t say anything for a moment. But slowly she had an idea of what Lesche was doing. This man was now checking her body to see if there were any injuries.


    Lesche raised his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re hurt.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Seria shuffled her feet a little as Lesche grabbed her ankles tightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. Please let go.¡±


    Lesche silently stared at Seria and let go of her ankle a momentter. However, he didn¡¯t get up. With one knee knelt on the floor, he just looked up at her. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were much more downcast than usual.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    His voice was the same. Shadows were cast low on his red eyes.


    ¡°You spoke to Susan. The sorcerers were suspicious.¡±


    It was true that Susan had said such things to her. As it turned out, it was a good thing. If it hadn¡¯t been, she would have been in as much trouble as Martha.


    But Lesche didn¡¯t seem to think so.


    ¡°If it had gone a little wrong, you would have been stabbed with a de. Don¡¯t you know that?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°How could you be so reckless when you know that?¡±


    ¡°They would never have stabbed to kill me. They knew I was a Stern and I know they¡¯re afraid the High Priest would retaliate. So there was no need to bother His Highness.¡±


    ¡°Seria Stern!¡±


    His jaw clenched.


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about bothersome things.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡°Why in the world didn¡¯t Young Lady say anything to me?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I tell you?¡±


    Seria bit the flesh in her mouth and stared firmly at Lesche.


    ¡°What could I say to someone who was busy mocking me for breaking up with Kalis?¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°You were trying to hurt me. You wanted to shut me up because I hurt your feelings.¡±


    Seria had experienced this many times in the Imperial Capital before she went down to Berg¡¯s estate, but frequent experiences didn¡¯t mean she would get used to it. She didn¡¯t even want to get used to this kind of mockery. A feeling of disappointment came over her.


    ¡°You want to talk about my safety, then why didn¡¯t Your Highness talk about it yesterday?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s red eyes wavered uncharacteristically in anticipation.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. Damn it, damn it.¡±


    Lesche bit his lip hard and brushed his forehead roughly. A silence filled the bedroom. Seria turned away without saying anything more. Lesche was quiet too for a while.


    Seria wondered how long he remained silent.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Suddenly, unexpected words rang in her ears. Seria looked ahead again, doubting her ears.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    What the voice contained was a clear apology.


    Apology.<em>¡®What did this man just say to me?¡¯</em>


    Not once but twice? Her sense of reality came back to her a step toote, and Seria hurriedly retreated before she knew it.


    The problem was the distance between her and Lesche. It was so close that her foot kicked his leg while retreating. Lesche grinned.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to kick a knight. It doesn¡¯t even tickle, let alone I would fall down.¡±


    ¡°Who says I want to knock down Your Highness? It was a mistake.¡±


    Seria¡¯s anger faded a little at the joke, and what Lesche said slowly made sense in her mind. He was angry with her, but it was out of concern.


    She didn¡¯t want to build up her self-esteem even more after hearing these words along with his apology. She had heard from Linon about the illegitimate child, so why did Lesche make such a decision? To some extent it was understandable.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    After Seria called Lesche, she slowly moved to the side. She looked alternately between him and the bed.


    ¡°Do you want to lie down next to me?¡±


    ¡°What? You sound very strange.¡±


    Seria said bluntly.


    ¡°You had a lot of work to do today and you must be tired. Are you going to stay on your knees like that?¡±


    ¡°I thought Young Lady would tell me to do that.¡±


    ¡°What do you think I am? How could I do that to Your Highness?¡±


    Seria was silent for a moment. Because Lesche¡¯s eyes, staring at her, had softened.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Seria cleared her throat and spoke more than she should have.


    ¡°Okay. Please lie down quickly. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±


    Lesche, who was staring at her, stood up and gentlyy down on the bed. There was a moment of silence.


    In the beginning, she had always thought of Lesche as a cold, arrogant male lead. Certain parts of it were true. Because if a man in such a high position wasn¡¯t arrogant, it would be strange in its own way.


    Was that why? Seria began to recall the word ¡°sorry¡± that she heard earlier.


    She nced over. Lesche¡¯s eyes were neatly closed, but it was obvious that he was awake.


    ¡°Young Lady.¡±


    His voice dropped suddenly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call each other by name from now on.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s call each other by name. It¡¯s strange to call my wife as Young Lady every time, whether she¡¯s temporary or not.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Seria chuckled. She thought of the scene where Martha got angry with Linon over his use of honorific titles.


    ¡°By any chance¡­.¡± Seria said.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Seria lifted her eyebrows, holding back herughter.


    ¡°Did Martha scold you, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Lesche.¡± Lesche said in a low voice.


    At that moment, their eyes met. Seria stared at him in silence, as if caught in his gaze. She didn¡¯t know why but somehow his voice made her cheeks feel hot.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    So, she couldn¡¯t answer easily, and after a while, Seria finally managed to open her mouth.


    ¡°Lesche¡­¡±


    She said his name in a low voice, but Lesche didn¡¯t reply. His silence must mean, ¡°You answered toote.¡± If he really said that to her, it would be embarrassing, Seria thought.


    She obliged and spoke again.


    ¡°Have a sweet dream, Lesche.¡±


    In a very low voice, of course. It was almost a whisper.

 Chapter 42

    <h2>Chapter 42</h2>


    The next day.


    ¡°Lock them all in Berg¡¯s prison.¡±


    ¡°Load them up!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander!¡±


    Alliot and the other knights put the fainting and limping sorcerers on the wagons and took them to the main castle. The sorcerers made troublest night and were in bad shapes. In the midst of all this, one of the knights was surprised to see the ck shadow on the walls of the manor, he drew his sword and stabbed it, but Alliot stopped him.


    Other than that, it was peaceful.


    Seria tasted some of the sugar rocks that Susan and Joanna had picked at dawn. It tasted amazing. The sugar was used to make apple jam to eat with toasted bread.


    People were talking andughingfortably. When Seria asked Ben, the butler, why the Blue Sea box was locked up in the storage room, he gave her a neat answer.


    ¡°Lord Mies was caught trying to steal it.¡±


    ¡°Who is Lord Mies?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the illegitimate son of the previous Grand Duke.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Oh, uhm, can you tell me about that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about anyone else, but it¡¯s not something to hide from the Young Lady. After all, you¡¯re the Grand Duchess of Berg.¡±


    <em>¡®Is that so? I don¡¯t think so¡­¡¯</em>


    Somehow, that was the phrase Seria heard often ever since she came to the manor.


    ***


    This was thest night before leaving the green manor. Seria was restless and couldn¡¯t fall asleep even though it was a littleter than her normal sleeping time. As she was staring at the ceiling¡­


    Rattle. Rattle.


    She heard the sound of metal tes moving. She tried to pass it off as no big deal, thinking maybe the servants were doing something downstairs.


    ttering, ttering, ttering, ttering, ttering, ttering.


    Startled, Seria reached out and grabbed Lesche, who was lying next to her.


    ¡°Lesche? What¡¯s that noise?¡±


    Lesche asked after a short pause.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t hear anything¡­?¡±


    Seria was being serious, but she was also scared. Unlike her, Lesche was one of the best knights of Berg, so all of his senses must be sharp. But was she the only one who could hear the strange noise? Seria started shaking and realized a momentter that she was squeezing Lesche¡¯s hand.


    She also noticed that Lesche¡¯s hand, which was hard perhaps from holding the sword for so long, wrapped around her hand.


    ¡°Your Highness, no, Lesche. Really¡­Can¡¯t you hear it?¡±


    ¡°I can hear it, Seria. I was joking when I said I couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You were joking?¡±


    In a sh, Lesche got up from the bed and neatly lifted Seria up as she stared at him with a puzzled look on her face. She blinked several times.


    ¡°Lesche¡­.you don¡¯t care if I go crazy, do you?¡±


    ¡°You have a vivid imagination. I joked because you suddenly hold my hand.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    <em>¡®If only you weren¡¯t an authority figure¡­.¡¯</em>


    ¡°Seria?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Can I ask what you¡¯re thinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking if Lesche wasn¡¯t my husband, I would have punched you.¡±


    ¡°If you have to hit someone, it¡¯s better to hit me than to hit another man.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always serious when I talk to you.¡±


    Seria clenched her fists tightly but then gave up. Lesche¡¯s body muscles probably were as hard as a rock, even if she did punch him, her hand would probably get hurt instead. But she thought she shouldn¡¯t make a big deal out of a joke.


    She was actually relieved.


    ¡°Really, I thought I was the one who heard it.¡±


    Lesche heard it too.


    ¡°Can the others hear it?¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I thought I was crazy. It turned out no one could hear it.¡±


    ¡°Is that the sound?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    <em>¡®It sounds so bad¡­ but only the two of us can hear it?¡¯</em>


    Seria¡¯s head began to spin quickly from the inexplicable fear. She thought about the simrities between her and Lesche and why they were the only two who could hear the sound. What immediately came to mind was divine power. Lesche and Seria both have divine power.


    Because Lesche was one of the heads of the 17 families.


    Seventeen families of the Glick Empire with divine power.


    The original story was apanied by a very detailed exnation.


    Greme, the founder of the Glick Empire and a great sage. This founder was said to have been blessed by the gods. He epted and took care of a small baptist who was being persecuted by the existing indigenous religious forces at that time with the eyes of a wise man.


    Later, the Baptist became a savior and blessed Greme with two divine blessings. One was the prosperity of the current imperial family of the Glick Empire. The other was the emergence of 17 families that would be prosperous for eternity with the Glick Imperial Family. They were called by their family name, Grand de Shette.


    Over the centuries, the seventeen families rose and fell. At times, some families fell to the lowest rank in the nobility, but the legacy did not cease. Of course, the fact that there were such people meant that there were families that still maintain their power at the top.


    The Marquis of Hon, the Marquis of Kellyden, and the Grand Duke of Berg were among the most prominent.


    Their sessors were set to possess some degree of holy power from generation to generation, so it was natural that they could make contact with Lina, the Saintess.


    Seria left Lesche behind and walked with trepidation. Her destination was outside the bedroom. Oddly enough, as soon as she opened the door, she didn¡¯t hear any more sounds. But when she closed the door, the sound continued. Seria looked around with a pale face.


    Rattle. Rattle. Rattle. Rattle.


    Wasn¡¯t this the situation right before something happened in a ghost story? Since when did this novel be so scary? As a person who was afraid of the horror genre, this was too much for her.


    Suddenly Lesche grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Why are you shivering so much? Are you cold?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s scary.¡±


    ¡°Scary?¡±


    Lesche frowned.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand you. Weren¡¯t you the one that went down the stairsst night alone and met scary people?¡±


    ¡°Do you still remember that?¡±


    ¡°I want to remember it for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°Can you be generous?¡±


    ¡°Generous?¡±


    ¡°A narrow-minded husband would be hated by any woman.¡±


    Seria was shaking and looking around nervously, and said whatever came to mind.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    Rattle.


    Suddenly, the sound became louder.


    In a world where there were sacred powers and gods, there couldn¡¯t possibly be ghosts, could it? It seemed there were¡­.


    Seria froze, concentrating on her mind. Divine power seemed to be the answer. Was it fortunate or unfortunate? She didn¡¯t have to wait long before she decided to find the root of the problem. There was nothing on the first floor. There was nothing on the ground floor, but there was something further down: the basement.


    Come to think of it, the Magi¡¯s root was also in the basement.


    But there was something Seria didn¡¯t understand. The root of the demon shadow should be something evil, simr to demonic energy, but what she felt just now was the subtle sacred power.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Is there a temple in the basement by any chance?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing like that down there.¡±


    ¡°But I could feel the divine power very faintly from below.¡±


    Lesche stared at Seria then said,


    ¡°It could be an old holy object that gives out that energy¡­.¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    Suddenly Lesche grabbed Seria by the shoulders and led her straight to the bed. She blinked and looked at Lesche curiously.


    ¡°Go to sleep. I¡¯ll go down and check it out.¡±


    ***


    Of course, Lesche couldn¡¯t go alone.


    No matter how much Lesche wanted to leave Seria alone in the big, dark, empty, and noisy bedroom, Seria wouldn¡¯t want to stay behind.


    Besides, thinking she was a Stern, and she was the one who could sense that divine energy. How could she stay put?


    Of course, Lesche was just being considerate because Seria was scared and shaking.


    There was nothing in the underground basement. The only thing lying on the floor were the scraps of the imprints that the sorcerers had left burning.


    The basement seemed to be muchrger than the first time she came down, perhaps because there were many people down here at the same time.


    Lesche walked towards the Blue Sea Box and Seria walked to the other side. She was scared, but she wanted to check and get it over with as soon as possible.


    The light was dark. It looked like themp was running out of oil.


    As she walked toward the wall and lifted themp up to see it close up, she could see dozens of frozen faces like wax figures appeared on the wall.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    The moment Seria wobbled, unable to scream, a firm arm immediately squeezed her shoulder. The dimmp tumbled to the floor, and she gasped. A momentter she realized that she was held in Lesche¡¯s chest. Seria shuddered and said,


    ¡°Lesche. I saw faces over there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s portraits.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Lesche shone the light on the wall. Seria slipped out of his embrace and turned around. She saw it in the light¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s true¡­¡±


    Jumped up at the sight of the portraits, Seria felt embarrassed, but at the same time, she was terrified. As she pressed her cheeks with her hands, she heard Lesche¡¯s voice.


    ¡°First time seeing it might be scary.¡±


    Seria looked at Lesche.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying this because you think I might be embarrassed?¡±


    Lesche clicked his tongue. He turned away from the portrait and picked up themp on the floor and handed it to Seria.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying.¡±


    His answer was short. But for some reason, it brought a smile to her lips. Themp that Lesche held up illuminated the white portraits. Beneath them, were small inscriptions of names, all had the same surname.


    <em><strong>Berg.</strong></em>

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    *Spoilers: Lina and Kalis areing back at chapter 51. More interesting and annoying than ever.*


    ****


    ¡°Are they the Grand Dukes of Berg?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How could the painter draw so well? It¡¯s so realistic that it is giving me goosebumps.¡±


    ¡°These are portraits of the sessive Grand Dukes of Berg. You can¡¯t hire a third-rate painter.¡±


    Lesche quickly averted his gaze, as if he wasn¡¯t interested in looking at the portraits of his ancestors. Meanwhile, Seria looked at the portraits one by one. Once the fear was gone, other singrities came into view.


    It looked like they¡¯d used the gold and gems powder in the paint.


    These were excellent portraits, a fine work of art.


    They were the most prestigious figures of the Empire, some of whom were also in Seria¡¯s knowledge.


    A legendary hero who drove hundreds of demons out of a frozenke. A hero who saved the emperor in a war with another country.


    A Grand Duke who vowed to protect the frozenke forever, and was awarded all the existing medals from the imperial family, and so on¡­


    ¡®With this many, they could have stood on their own as a royal family.¡¯


    What dozens of Grand Dukes had inmon was that they all had red eyes.


    It seemed that Lesche¡¯s eyes were gic.


    Seria suddenly found her gaze drawn to one. The red eyes were strangely glossy, they seemed to protrude in a strange way.


    ¡°May I touch the portrait?¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Seria quickly reached out and touched the portrait¡¯s eyes. The texture felt extraordinary.


    It was indeed a gemstone. Was it a ruby?


    The original Seria was very interested in jewels. Not out of intellectual curiosity, of course, but purely out of vanity satisfaction¡­..so, this much could be distinguished without difficulty.


    Seria pressed it, and with the sound of the button clicking, the ruby red eye went inward slightly.


    The sound was much louder than she expected, and the basement filled with a ringing noise.


    It was so loud that Lesche came over. Then Seria pointed at the ruby.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gem called Ruby.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s eyebrows rose gently as he looked at it. It was the first time he had seen it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there were such things in portraits.¡±


    ¡°They had done a good job of hiding it.¡±


    ¡°How did you find it so quickly?¡±


    ¡®Perhaps because Seria was very fond of extravagant jewelry?¡¯


    Lesche gazed at it with interest, and then, without any hesitation, he reached for the pressed ruby.


    ¡°What shall we do now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°What if it hurt your hand?¡±


    Certainly. Seria even thought that something might pop out.


    ¡°What about your hand, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°I have better reflexes than you do.¡±


    ¡°Turn it to the side¡­¡±


    The moment Lesche turned the small ruby to the side, with a clicking sound, the floor area where Seria was standing opened up. Of course Seria didn¡¯t fall down, because she was caught in Lesche¡¯s arm in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Her legs dangled in the air. Seria looked down in disbelief. The ce where she stood a moment ago had quickly be a staircase. Of all ces, there was a hidden staircase right where she was standing.


    No, what surprised her more was¡­.


    Lesche, holding her in his arms and looking at the stairs as if nothing had happened. How could he lift a person so easily with one arm and that too in an instant? Lesche was steady, without even a hint of distress.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was a space like this.¡±


    ¡°The sacred power also seems toe from below.¡±


    As Seria said with a frown, Lesche raised his eyebrow. He put her down on the floor and strode down the hidden stairs.


    ¡®Wait a minute. Is he going to leave me here by myself again?¡¯


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    ¡°Stay there. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Lesche¡¯spassion scared her to tears. He didn¡¯t seem to understand her fear of darkness, and he also didn¡¯t seem to understand that for an ordinary person like her, being alone in such a dark and silent ce was the most terrifying thing of all.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together¡­.Aren¡¯t you afraid to go alone?¡± Seria asked.


    (*Haaha, Seria was scared but she asked as if the scared one was Lesche.)


    Does this man think that everyone in the world is as fearless as he is? A sincere smile appeared on Lesche¡¯s face. He held out his hand to Seria. She took Lesche¡¯s hand and took a big gulp as if she was grabbing a lifeline. They walked downstairs together.


    The smell of dampness.


    At the same time an increasingly vivid sacred power. As they were walking down a long flight of stairs, the light lit up.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A silence drifted over the room. Seria felt like she was about to faint.


    The first thing she saw was a tremendous amount of jewels. Gold, gold, gold. That wasn¡¯t all. Rubies, sapphires, diamonds, emeralds were piled up like a pirate¡¯s treasure ind. The next thing, there was not even a single shadow in this hidden space topare with the floor above. Just a white pile of dust umted over time.


    Andstly¡­.


    Dozens of drooping skeletons with swords in their hands, embedded in every wall.


    ¡®Is this a dream?¡¯


    But it was too vivid to be a dream. How could such a terrifying situation be in this story? She heard somewhere that when a person is too scared, the body freezes and tears flow incessantly, but she never thought she would experience this herself. She was on the verge of shedding tears.


    ¡®I thought this was a romance novel. Did Ie into horror fiction?¡¯


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    While Seria was gasping for air and tears were rolling down her face, Lesche turned to her. He twitched his eyebrows and picked her up again with the same ease as before. Normally she would have been embarrassed, but not now. She held onto Lesche tightly.


    ¡°Lesche, what the hell is this ce?¡±


    ¡°It seems to be the Grand Duke¡¯s Ossuary.¡±


    ¡°The Grand Duke¡¯s Ossuary? There¡¯s a tomb under the manor, didn¡¯t you know that?¡±


    Seria couldn¡¯t believe her ears. As soon as she heard it was a tomb, she freaked out and asked again.


    ¡°So those skeletons are the remains of the previous Grand Dukes¡­?¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t be. They¡¯re too big.¡±


    She shifted her gaze to Lesche. Lesche didn¡¯t know what this ce was either, so he looked around and searched inside. Seria looked at the skeletons again. Indeed, they were too big to be human bones, and they weren¡¯t even in proportion to the human body. Only then Seria could finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s probably ornaments for decorations.¡±


    ¡°What an odd taste.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for speaking my mind.¡±


    Seria didn¡¯t say anything because she was afraid it would be disrespectful.


    Suddenly Lesche¡¯s long fingers wiped her wet eyes gently.


    ¡°Stop crying.¡±


    Seria blinked. Lesche stared right at her. Perhaps it was the red color of his eyes, she felt strange for some reason. A short momentter, she came to her senses. She pushed lightly on Lesche¡¯s shoulder and he put her down gently.


    Seria cleared her throat and shifted her gaze to the skeletons.


    ¡°If it¡¯s an ossuary, is this where the remains of the previous Grand Dukes are kept?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just a ce in name only. I didn¡¯t know it really existed.¡±


    Lesche bent down and picked up an emerald that was lying like a stone nearby.


    Then he fiddled with it with his fingers.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s the only part that¡¯s torn.¡±


    Seria couldn¡¯t help but ask back.


    ¡°What was torn?¡±


    ¡°Berg¡¯s memorandum.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°It must have been torn by the previous generation.¡±


    At the same time, the jewel fell from Lesche¡¯s hand and tumbled on the floor. Seria finally noticed that the man¡¯s gaze was fixed behind her. As she turned and followed his gaze, she was speechless.


    It was the same as upstairs. On its broad walls hung numerous portraits of the Grand Dukes. Most notably, on the far left was the portrait that looked pretty new.


    It was a portrait of a very handsome man who resembled Lesche, whom one could easily recognize as a blood rtive. As Seria looked at the portrait with its graceful edges, she realized once again.


    ¡®The previous Grand Duke, a real piece of garbage.¡¯


    Berg¡¯s memorandum. The head of a family often has secrets that are passed down from generation to generation. It goes without saying that the Grand Duke Berg was no different. In addition, Berg was the highest-ranking nobleman who ruled over a vastnd that no one else could match. Since they inherited their fame and fortune from generation to generation, the long history must have been recorded. Even if only the secrets of the family were recorded, the memorandum would have been enough to fill a thick book.


    ¡®It¡¯s in the original story. There¡¯s even mention of some parts that were torn apart.¡¯


    But that was it. In the original story, Lesche did not express any personal feelings about the fact that the memorandum was torn. Perhaps it was insignificant to mention since the memorandum had existed for a long time.


    When Seria read the original story, she understood it that way and passed on it. It was a memorandum that would have been kept by the head of the family, so it must have been lost a long time ago due to unavoidable circumstances.


    Underneath the memorandum, however, hung a portrait of the previous Grand Duke, Lesche¡¯s father. In other words, the memorandum was in perfect condition even for the previous generation until Lesche¡¯s generation.


    His father intentionally broke the memorandum so that Lesche would be unable topletely inherit it. Linon¡¯s voice suddenly came to Seria¡¯s mind.


    ¡°However, the previous Grand Duke and his illegitimate son wanted to remove His Highness from the position of the heir of Berg.¡±


    ¡®What the¡­.¡¯


    What did they do with the torn pages? Did the previous Grand Duke give them to his bastard son? Soter his son could use it to be the Grand Duke of Berg and say Lesche was an undeserving one?


    Seria couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it.


    Of course, Lesche¡¯s facial expression was no different from usual. He also did not pay much attention to the portrait of the previous Grand Duke. They quickly turn their backs and slowly capture the gloomy ossuary.


    Really, Lesche looked unconcerned. Perhaps he actually was.


    But Seria couldn¡¯t help but feel depressed. She couldn¡¯t understand the barbaric behavior of the previous Grand Duke, who would go so far as to ostracize his own son.


    How could he really be that bad? Lesche was his own son after all. However, the original Seria had never felt the love of her own father, and their rtionship was also at the bottom, so Seria had nothing to say about Lesche and his rtionship with his father.


    Nor did Seria look at the portrait of the previous Grand Duke for a long time. She averted her gaze from the portraits and walked to the other side.

 Chapter 44

    <h2>Chapter 44</h2>


    The creepy skeletons were scary so Seria didn¡¯t want to get closer.


    From a design perspective, the upper floor was where the Blue Sea box should be ced. The ce was filled with strange fist-sized constetion gold.


    Considering the enormous price of the gold, it was truly a mountain of treasures.


    How much money would this ce be worth? It was probably enough to buy the imperial pce.


    In the original story, the Grand Dukes of Berg were the wealthiest of the Imperial aristocracy, and it seemed that it was true.


    Squatting in front of the hill of gold, Seria reached out. As she wove her hand through the gold that would harm normal people¡¯s temperature, suddenly something grabbed her fingers.


    It was a strange thing with a pitch-ck shadow and no discernible original shape. At first nce, it looked like a waistband that a baby might wear. It was as if all the Magi that were supposed to be in this room stuck together, only this thing was particrly ck.


    It was the moment she blinked twice.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    A star-like dot appeared above the pitch-ck demon shadow. The magi started to fade away instantly. It was strange. She was sure it would take hundreds of years to cleanse this thing with her power. While pondering upon this, the divine power burst out strong in an instant. Her feet wobbled and her vision copsed.


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    Lesche¡¯s face was thest thing that caught her eyes before Seria passed out.


    ***


    <em>¡®Where am I?¡¯</em>


    When Seria came back to her senses, the first thing that came into her vision was the unfamiliar ceiling that she saw for the first time in her life. It was a very high and elegant bedroom ceiling with a long, narrow canopy. She turned her head slightly and looked to the side. Fortunately, there were two familiar figures standing in this unfamiliar space.


    It was Susan and Abigail.


    <em>¡®Huh?¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®This isn¡¯t the green manor? Did Ie back to the Berg mansion?¡¯</em>


    The two of them were talking about something serious. The moment Seria opened her mouth, Abigail turned her head and looked at her. Her eyes fluttered open. Now Abigail, who seemed to be showing some very animalistic sensations¡­


    ¡°My Lady!¡±


    Abigail moved in an instant and hugged Seria tightly as shey on the bed. Abigail whispered in her ear.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t wake up, I would have gone to that bloody manor and destroyed it all.¡±


    Seria almost burst intoughter. The moment she heard Abigail¡¯s words, she knew. This had to be the Berg mansion.


    ¡°Bibi.¡±


    When she opened her mouth, a hoarse voice came out. Abigail quickly gave her some warm water from the side table. It seemed to revive her a little.


    ¡°Shall I go and smash it?¡±


    ¡°No, you need to calm down. And don¡¯t talk like that outside, Bibi.¡±


    It was an important ce.


    ¡°Of course, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Perhaps it was because she had been through a lot at the green manor, Seria was d to see Abigail¡¯s face even though she wasn¡¯t away for a long time. She frowned as she took Abigail¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Why do I feel so sluggish?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been three days since you passed out.¡±


    ¡°Three days?¡±


    Seria couldn¡¯t believe her ears. She was about to get up when Abigail said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± It wasn¡¯t easy to get up because her limbs werepletely worn out and she didn¡¯t have much strength.


    ¡°Do you need me to help you sit up?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m fine, Bibi. I¡¯ll just lie down.¡±


    Seria gave up and looked at the ceiling.


    ¡°May I have a look, My Lady?¡±


    Meanwhile, Susan asked and walked closer. Abigail looked at Seria, and when Seria nodded, she quickly retreated. Susan stifled augh as she nced at Abigail, who went to the door with her hands folded behind her back like a knightmander.


    ¡°You¡¯re very fond of Young Lady, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    It was then.


    Knock. Knock.


    An imminent knock sounded in her ears. As soon as Abigail opened the door, an unexpected person jumped in. He was dressed loyally and neatly like a butler of a great noble family.


    ¡°Ben?¡±


    ¡°Lady Seria!¡±


    Seria only blinked as shey in bed. Ben quickly took out a handkerchief and dabbed his eyes. But it¡¯s been a while for him too. Suddenly, Ben and Susan knelt down on the cold marble floor.


    ¡°Lady Seria.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Seria stared at Susan and Ben, who were kneeling with sad faces.


    ¡°Us, Martha, and Joanna, we will never forget your kindness for saving our Laurel Manor.¡±


    Those words could only mean one thing. Seria asked cautiously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the shadow¡­.¡±


    ¡°It disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Completely.¡±


    <em>¡®Magi disappeared? Lina wasn¡¯t even there?¡¯</em>


    Seria blinked her eyes in surprise, and Ben and Susan said with a strong voice.


    ¡°We will serve you to the best of our ability. Mydy.¡±


    ***


    Meanwhile, at Laurel Manor.


    ¡°How could I paint the manor in such a cold winter?¡¯¡±


    Hans, the painter who was invited urgently from the capital, was flustered by the challenging work thatsted for several hours. And yet, his hands were moving diligently.


    Only a few days ago, Hans was invited to the Laurel Manor, where no other people were invited, but a few of the best painters. Hans came to the residence with joy.


    He was told to draw the Laurel Manor, and it was in the middle of winter.


    Of course, it was a beautiful building, just as the rumors suggested in social circles.


    No, it was actually the first time he had seen this beautiful manor with green marbles in his life¡­


    High quality marble was rare. There was nothing people could do about it because thergest marble production site in the Empire was located in the contaminatednd; people could no longer live there due to it being covered with Magi. As a result, the price of the marble with beautiful colors and patterns hit the sky. The emerging aristocrats only decorated the bedroom walls with marble.


    The most precious was still pink marble, like roses. Green marble, like summer leaves, was just as precious.


    With the sensibility of an artist, it was only natural to immerse oneself in this green manor¡­


    The main factor that made painter Hans¡¯s fingers move quickly was nearby. The two middle-aged women standing guard were not the gentle and idle knights who guarded the ptial mansions of the noblends. A raw, hunter-like atmosphere flowed from them.


    It reminded him of the Emperor¡¯s Kingsguard that he was lucky enough to see one day.


    Among them, the middle-aged woman with auburn hair, she exuded a strange vigor that even the high-ranking aristocrats of the imperial court could not treat carelessly.


    She opened her mouth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve just stopped drawing?¡±


    ¡°Haha! That can¡¯t be right, can it?¡±


    Hans made a good brush stroke. By mixing different colors of the precious green paint, he created a shade that was exactly like the base color of the exterior walls of the green manor. Finally, the urging gaze that had been visiting him every ten minutes calmed down a bit.


    Hans wanted to cry, but he couldn¡¯t. He was outside shivering and painting, but he knew the longer he dyed, the more likely it was that he would freeze and die.


    ¡°Um, hmph. Ladies? How would you like me to paint the garden?¡±


    The only thing that was beautiful was the architecture, the green manor. The garden was bleak and dreary. It was not at all appropriate for such a beautiful manor, but Hans, as a painter under the patronage of the nobility, would pretend to be ignorant.


    <em>¡®It seems no one took care of it for a long time.¡¯</em>


    It was nothing for Hans to beautify and paint the garden. At his question, Joanna stared at Martha.


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to paint it as it is, right?¡±


    ¡°Right. It¡¯s for Young Lady.¡±


    Martha nodded and said,


    ¡°Please paint it as it is. It¡¯s still a beautiful ce.¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re good at mixing colors.¡±


    Hans smiled at Martha¡¯s praise.


    ¡°It¡¯s a color I¡¯ve put a lot of effort into researching and developing. I was inspired by the hair of the daughter of the Marquis of Kellyden.¡±


    ¡°Kellyden?¡±


    Martha and Joanna looked at each other. They had already heard from Linon that thest name of their precious Grand Duchess was Kellyden. It was a name they memorized in their minds.


    Did Hans get his inspiration from seeing her green hair?


    Hans¡¯s words were true. The scandalous wedding between Lady Seria Stern and Grand Duke Lesche Berg had already hit the imperial social circles hard. This painter, patronized by wealthy nobles also knew.


    Hans thought that it was Seria¡¯s order that he was summoned to the Grand Duchy of Berg. So naturally he thought he would paint Seria¡¯s portrait, but suddenly he was asked to paint the manor¡­


    Martha, who was standing far away from the painter, looked at Joanna and asked,


    ¡°Who invited the painter?¡±


    ¡°Linon.¡±


    The manor where the terrible shadow that was threatening them with death hadpletely disappeared. When he said that he wanted this beautiful green manor to be painted and send it to the Young Lady, Linon invited the painter from the imperial capital like a lightning bolt.


    ¡°It seems that Linon once saw Lady Seria¡¯s hair and thought of a green manor. That must be why he brought that painter.¡±


    He was looking for a painter to paint Lady Seria¡¯s portrait. Indeed, the chief aide was not for everyone.


    ¡°He¡¯s the chief aide, but he¡¯s just a cute guy.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s going to have a hard time because of Susan¡¯s decision toe to Berg mansion¡­¡±


    Those who knew Linon knew that he was afraid of Susan.


    ¡°Ben is already at the mansion if the Lady doesn¡¯t like it¡­¡±


    ¡°Ben and Susan said they¡¯d do their best, so we have to believe them.¡±


    ¡°Of course. We have to believe them. Martha.¡±


    Martha went into the dining room and made some tea. It wasn¡¯t the mugwort tea she had been sick and tired of drinking. The reason why the green building was wallpapered with mugwort was simple. It was easy to find near this green manor where everything was hard to get in and out of, and also because mugwort was said to drive out evil spirits.


    It was a thin rope for Martha, who wanted to get rid of the mysterious shadow that was multiplying rapidly. But it was not a nt that drove it out, but a person with star shaped marks.


    After the shadow was removed, the manor became more beautiful than ever.


    Of course, everything else was a bit awkward, but they have their Duchess now, she could fix thatter to her heart¡¯s content. Martha and Joanna drank their tea peacefully.

 Chapter 45

    <h2>Chapter 45</h2>


    <strong>05. Secret</strong>


    <strong>****</strong>


    <em>¡®The bed I was lying in was the Grand Duchess¡¯s bedroom in the main castle¡­¡¯</em>


    Seria finally came to understand that fact a whileter. The green manor had hundreds of rooms that she could stay in, but here she was in the Grand Duchess¡¯s bedroom¡­.As soon as Seria had a puzzled look on her face, Susan opened her mouth.


    ¡°Lady Seria?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I heard all about the wedding from Linon. It¡¯s not a shameful marriage to conceal from others, and Stern¡¯s marriage is even more sacred than the wedding of His Majesty the Emperor. It¡¯s still a grand official wedding, so you can use your official bedroom.¡±


    <em>¡®¡­Is that so?¡¯</em>


    Now that she heard about it, it seemed right. However, Seria wasn¡¯t a big fan of shy things.


    She thought it was too much, but she had never seen such an elegant yet gorgeous bedroom in her life.


    And she didn¡¯t have time to think about the Grand Duchess¡¯s bedroom for long because there was something that stole her nerves.


    ¡°Miss, do your left hand feel ufortable?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Abigail asked that Seria realized her hand was wrapped in bandages. It wasn¡¯t just wrapped around her hand, but it seemed to be wrapped in with something. When she gave her a startled look, Susan quickly exined.


    ¡°His Highness said that you would know if I told you that you were picked up in the basement, do you have any idea?¡±


    ¡°In the basement?¡±


    Seria¡¯s eyes opened wide instantly. Of course, she knew. Before she fainted, she grabbed the strange object that was covered with ck Magi with her hand.


    ¡°Why am I wearing bandages?¡±


    ¡°Young Lady wouldn¡¯t let it go. I was afraid it would strain your wrist if you held it a long time.¡±


    Abigail smiled, ¡°Your knight is very sensitive, Miss.¡±


    Abigail smiled an unusually dark smile and quickly removed the bandage. Seria expected to see an unidentified object covered in pitch ck demonic shadows ¡­.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    As soon as she saw it with her own eyes, Seria couldn¡¯t help but panic.


    ¡°Susan? Has this been looking like this all the time in the green manor?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡±


    The shadow that was ck as squid ink hadpletely disappeared. What appeared was a unique pendant with a bright red ruby in the middle of a golden star engraved on a circr base*.


    (*If you look at the novel cover, you¡¯ll see Seria wearing this pendant ne.)


    Seria cked out and woke up, holding what looked like a royal heirloom in her hand.


    Seria knew about this pendant. Actually, it was a circlet.


    It was from the original story.


    This was the treasure that the two second male leads who were in love with Lina fiercely fought over.


    Was that all? For a start, one of them was one of Seria¡¯s brothers. His name was Nissos Kellyden.


    Of course, they were half-brothers and sisters, but they were like cows to her.


    No? Was that a very generous metaphor? Maybe ¡°dog-eat-dog¡± would be more urate.


    A part of the original story popped into her head.


    <em><strong>[ Nissos Kellyden nced at the pamphlet, his angelic light blue eyes sparkled. It was thest present for this season¡¯s auction, the Awakening Ruby and Golden Circle. Never once had a gemstone so hotly enlivened the capital auction house this year.</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°Lina will love this when I give it to her, won¡¯t she?¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°Of course, Master Nissos, the jewel would be most suitable for the Saintess.¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>Nissos squeezed his wrinkled brow with his thumb. Despite hearing the affirmative reply, fatigue did not leave him immediately.</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°It would be nice if the scoundrel Seria would hand over the red diamond. She copsed at thest minute.¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°¡­¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°I¡¯m pissed. No matter how I look at it, that red diamond is much more suitable for the Saintess.¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°Hmph. Young Master, it seems that Lady Seria is in a bad mood, so please¡­¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°What is it?¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>The old butler¡¯s words angered Nissos.</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°Who do you call ¡®Young Lady¡¯? That insane woman ungratefully abandoned the family name!¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>Nissos Kellyden. He could never ept his extravagant, vain, and violent half-sister as a sibling. ]</strong></em>


    Tsk. Tsk.


    It was a scene where Seria could not help but click her tongue.


    It was true that the original Seria was a violent, vicious piece of trash. But that didn¡¯t mean that Nissos could take his sister¡¯s things.


    Flirt would be a more urate term than unrequited love. Because there was a subtle atmosphere between Lina and Nissos. However, it was not enoughpared to Kalis, the second male lead, or Lesche, the male lead.


    But still, Nissos Kellyden was an important side character.


    What is love? It was unbelievable that he tried to trick his sister to take the red diamond.


    The Red Diamond was a gem. It was one of the reasons why Seria had a serious fallout with her family.


    It was the only episode where Seria felt a little sorry for the original Seria.


    She didn¡¯t know why, but in the original, Seria Stern didn¡¯t even process the precious red diamond, she just kept it in the jewelry box. There was a decisive incident when this fact spread quickly through the social circles.


    The original Seria had many enemies in the society.


    One day, a person who was very powerful in the imperial social circle held a grand banquet. The theme of the banquet was ¡°Family Jewels¡±.


    Upon receiving the invitation, each of them would bring a gem rted to their family lineage and enjoy it together. This invitation was first given to Seria.


    It was obviously a taunt aimed at Seria. Because Seria at that time was already a neglected daughter in the Kellyden family. Only on the birthday of her father, Marquis Kellyden, she went down to the western territories and stayed for a day. And that was the end of the rtionship.


    It was a banquet where everyone was prepared tough at Seria as much as they could.


    Seria made her grand entrance at thetest hour as if she was the main character of the banquet. With her jewel in tow, of course.


    The nobles kept their ridicule hidden while expecting that she would bring any jewel and say it in an appropriate manner. Eager to take full advantage of the rare opportunity to put Seria in a tight spot, they opened their eyes wide when they saw the jewel she ced on the table.


    It was the Red Diamond.


    First of all, on the surface, it was that big, crisp blue diamond that her father, Marquis Kellyden, had bought for her, that famous gem that every aristocrat involved in the social world knew was shining proudly.


    It was not often that such an expensive gem was kept in its original state. Unless she valued the person who bought the jewel.


    Did Seria miss her father?


    No, that couldn¡¯t possibly be true. Was it because the blue diamond cost as much as the price of an ind?


    Well, although there were so many evil things Seriamitted, it was quickly diluted and went silent.


    And this was the only episode where Seria could feel any humanity from the original Seria Stern.


    Anyway¡­


    Nissos Kellyden was a bad guy too.


    Seria was probably in a lot of debt at the time. Because she bought all kinds of jewelry and dresses to show off to Lina. The original Seria was all for vanity and luxury.


    It was just not enough to maintain dignity.


    Just as before Seria almost fell for the coaxing words of Nissos Kellyden and handed him the red diamond, she found out that Nissos wanted the precious jewel to give to Lina as a gift.


    That caused her to shudder and have a seizure. That made her brother¡¯s heart skip a beat, who dared to deceive her.


    <em>¡®What¡­¡¯</em>


    It was not Seria¡¯s retrospection that was important. Seria looked down at the shimmering pendant in her hand.


    The pendant eventually fell into the hands of Nissos Kellyden after a fierce battle with all the men. Despite paying a huge price, Nissos presented this magnificent pendant to Lina for her birthday without hesitation.


    Well, it goes without saying that the pendant was by far the most eye-catching among all those gems.


    Naturally, Lina loved this gift very much, so much that she wore the circlet on her forehead all the time. Even on her wedding day, where the nobles of the Glick Empire were the only ones allowed to wear tiaras, she wore this circlet on her forehead.


    It was strange to have a wedding where the bride wore another man¡¯s gift on her body¡­


    ¡°Lady Seria.¡±


    Susan called in a gentle voice.


    ¡°His Highness said you can keep that treasure.¡±


    ¡°¡­This?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s nice, Young Lady. It looks very good on you.¡±


    <em>¡®Lesche is giving me this precious jewelry?¡¯</em>


    Seria was a little perplexed by Susan¡¯s words. Certainly, this pendant was an eye-popping gift. Seria was extravagant and loved gold and jewel-like treasures, and of course she loved money.


    If it was in the past, she must have thought that Lesche would go to Lina as in the original novel. But it was not right now. Seria frowned because she thought of Kalis for no reason.


    ¡°Miss, are you tired?¡±


    ¡°No, tell His Highness that I am grateful¡­.No, I¡¯ll tell him directly.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Please take a rest today. His Highness has been busy with meetings.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seria looked at the pendant she had in her hands.


    ¡°But this is like a venerable treasure of Berg.¡±


    Susan smiled.


    ¡°If it¡¯s Berg¡¯s, it¡¯s all yours, My Lady.¡±


    At that moment, the sound of a crash rang in her ears. It came from the maids who were busily decorating the Grand Duchess¡¯s bedchamber. One of them broke a vase and they all had startled expressions on their faces.

 Chapter 46

    <h2>Chapter 46</h2>


    <em><strong>¡°If it¡¯s Berg¡¯s, it¡¯s all yours, My Lady.¡±</strong></em>


    It was a surprise.


    A small number of people were close to Seria at Laurel Manor. She became close to the servants, and after getting rid of Magi, they all naturally treated her as Berg¡¯s Grand Duchess. Seria was used to it because she heard it every day there, but the truth was that there was a great deal of misunderstanding.


    She was a temporary Grand Duchess with a rambunctious and mboyant past for a marriage that hasn¡¯t even been approved yet. The servants shuddered, and Susan immediately gave them the eye of a tiger.


    ¡°You¡¯re sloppy. Hurry up and clean up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    The maids hurried to clean up the broken ss vase. Actually, Berg¡¯s servants were very good at their job. They must have the pride of being servants of a great nobleman to work so hard even in the absence of the senior employees.


    However, suddenly, top ss employees appeared like aet, and they were very friendly to her. Even now, Berg¡¯s servants were good to her, but that was only because of the notoriety that Seria had neatly and properly built up.


    <em>¡®Yeah, it¡¯s fine either way.¡¯</em>


    She wasn¡¯t one to dwell on such trivial matters. Rather, she felt that Berg¡¯s mansion had hundreds of servants, and having two very friendly managers woulde in handy when Lesche made her sign a ve contract again.


    Seria was rubbing the pendant while thinking.


    ¡°Lady Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to try on the circlet once?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Sure.¡±


    At Susan¡¯s suggestion, Seria tried it on. Afterwards, she looked in the mirror¡­.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just keep this for viewing purposes.¡±


    The circlet had a shy design with a bright red ruby in the center of the golden star. It didn¡¯t go too well with Seria¡¯s unusual green hair. It was so tacky that she felt embarrassed.


    She didn¡¯t know how on earth Lina managed to wear it on her forehead all the time.


    Susan smiled at her as she removed the circlet from Seria¡¯s forehead*. Apparently, it was the first piece of jewelry that Lesche had presented to Seria.


    (*Apparently it¡¯s an essory to wear it on the forehead.)


    The first official gift.


    <em>¡®ording to the custom, I think you should wear it for a while.¡¯</em>


    For a moment, she was lost in deep thought. When she thought about wearing this shing thing on her forehead, her fingers trembled.


    It was deep into the night that day.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    At the end of the half-day long meeting, Lesche received an unexpected report from his aide.


    ¡°Lady Seria requested a meeting.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s movements stopped instantly.


    ¡°When was that?¡±


    It was around three in the afternoon.


    Lesche looked at the clock and it was already six hours past.


    He immediately left his seat and went upstairs to the Grand Duchess¡¯s bedroom. As soon as he opened the bedroom door, a cold wind blew across his cheeks. It was strange. The bedroom should be warm. With a frown on his forehead, Lesche walked into therge bedroom and shifted his gaze along the direction the wind was blowing.


    The window was open.


    The cool night air came straight in through the window. He could see a silhouette standing there.


    It was Seria Stern.


    Lesche looked at Seria¡¯s back for a moment, then slowly stepped closer to her. Seria didn¡¯t hear the sound of the door opening due to the sound of the wind, and when she heard footsteps, Seria averted her gaze from the window and turned.


    Seria was standing against the moonlight.


    Lesche parted his lips.


    ¡°Are you going to freeze to death?¡±


    ¡°With this much cold?¡±


    She replied. She was only wearing pajamas. Lesche took off the jacket he was wearing and wrapped it over Seria¡¯s shoulders. What could he say to someone who was unconscious for three days?


    ¡°You said you wanted to see me. Why didn¡¯t you tell Linon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not urgent.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    As she said it, Seria suddenly spread open the cor of her pajamas. Lesche reflexively averted his gaze.


    The sound of metal shing could be heard, and soon Seria tugged Lesche¡¯s sleeve. Only then did Lesche look back at her.


    Seria had a ne on her neck. It was the pendant that Lesche had seen before. No, it was a pendant that he remembered clearly. The Laurel Manor. It was something that Seria didn¡¯t let go of until the end, when she passed out in the Ossuary, hidden in the green manor¡¯s basement.


    Seria opened her mouth in a tone of anguish.


    ¡°I really appreciate you giving this to me. I took it apart and made it into a ne.¡±


    What did she mean? For a moment, Lesche could not quite understand Seria¡¯s words. She read his expression brilliantly and immediately frowned.


    ¡°It was a circlet.¡±


    ¡°Circlet?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an essory you wear on your forehead?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. But objectively¡­ How can a person wear it on the forehead?¡±


    ¡°Was that the problem?¡±


    Lescheughed gleefully.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s bad.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°I have no reason to lie.¡±


    ¡°Then would you like to try it once?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Yes? On your forehead?¡±


    ¡°You can put it on my forehead or my neck. Have it your way.¡±


    Seria looked at him as if he was a rascal in disgrace, and without hesitation, she removed the ne from her neck. Then, she stretched her hand out and tried to put the ne on Lesche¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Why are you so tall?¡±


    ¡°You just noticed it now?¡±


    ¡°Bend down, please.¡±


    ¡°As low as you want.¡±


    Lesche gently lowered his head. Seria¡¯s fingers, lightly sping the ne, rub against his neck. It was an unfamiliar sensation to him. It seemed to be the same for Seria as well. She paused and withdrew her hand.


    ¡°I still think it will look better on your forehead?¡±


    Seria ced the ne on Lesche¡¯s forehead. She was very careful and didn¡¯t touch Lesche¡¯s skin. However¡­.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lesche was now at her eyes level. He looked closely into Seria¡¯s eyes. At that moment, Seria pretended not to see it. She didn¡¯t even try to meet them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wear it¡­¡±


    Seria cleared her throat and hurriedly took the ne and put it on her neck. It looked like she was going to run away somewhere, shivering as if she was about to get caught. Seria didn¡¯t know what Lesche was thinking as he looked at her. She just kept coughing.


    ¡°Um, Lesche? I was going to say, but I forgot, the pendant from the circlet. It holds sacred power.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a holy object. It¡¯smon.¡±


    ¡°It holds more sacred power than amon relic. There¡¯s a lot more to it than that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you look good.¡±


    ¡°Is that all there is to it?¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how important a gemstone with this much sacred power is? You have to take it back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a hobby of taking back what I gave.¡±


    In Lesche¡¯s eyes, it really was Seria¡¯s possession. It was because the ck shadow gradually disappeared while the pendant was held in Seria¡¯s hand. If anyone else had witnessed the scene, they would have thought the same.


    ¡°The shadows disappeared as you held it.¡±


    Seria asked,


    ¡°In the manor too?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lesche said, looking outside the window.


    ¡°The shadow in the manor is gone. It¡¯s all gone.¡±


    ¡°Thank God.¡±


    Seria touched the pendant and pushed it into the cor of her pajamas.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it, then.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to seem greedy, but she also liked this ne. It was burdensome when it was a circlet, but it wasn¡¯t so bad wearing it as a ne. Besides, the divine power that this pendant exuded seemed to suit her.


    A winter night breeze came in through the window. What she saw from the window was just a vast garden of the Berg mansion.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to inspect the cier again next week.¡±


    The first thing that came to Lesche¡¯s mind when he heard Seria¡¯s not-so-notice was that the knights would really like it.


    It was that they opened up so easily to Stern. It was natural for the knights of the Grand Duchy to protect the cier.


    As the master of this estate, he thought it was really too flimsy to even consider, but he had no choice.


    It was not that Berg¡¯s knights liked Seria just as a Grand Duchess, but also for her character.


    After witnessing the demon¡¯s curse, they were fascinated by the constetion armor, the metal of the stars, which protected them from Magi, and henceforth they inevitably admired Stern, the God-given star.


    Because they were weed everywhere like this, the Sterns did not feel the need to ingratiate themselves with the Grand Duchy of Berg.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Are you nning to make all the knights in the Grand Duchy your ves?¡±


    Lesche was only half joking. Seria rested her elbows on the windowsill and propped her chin on her hands.


    ¡°It would be nice.¡±


    ¡°You would like it?¡±


    ¡°I want people to be nice and not hate me.¡±


    It was a really surprising answer. Lesche frowned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think the same, Lesche?¡± (*Seria meant that Lesche hated her too.)


    Somehow, Seria seemed very different and strange.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Lesche swallowed his words. At that moment, the wind blew hard, Seria grabbed the jacket that covered her tightly with both hands. The long sleeves were curved long like wings. Her soft hair fluttered at the same time.


    It slowly calmed and came down again on Seria¡¯s shoulders and back.


    ¡°The wind is strong.¡±


    ¡°Berg¡¯s winters are harsh.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Lesche cold?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not cold, why don¡¯t you put more clothes on?¡±


    Lesche got closer and buttoned the jacket around Seria¡¯s neck. Perhaps feeling ufortable because of the close contact earlier, Seria involuntarily averted her gaze and slipped away. The gentle moonlight shone through the window. It seemed as if it smudged her white skin.


    Her face strangely caught his eyes. Was the changed Seria the real Seria, or was the Seria of the past the real her¡­? Lesche could not tell easily.

 Chapter 47

    <h2>Chapter 47</h2>


    Lesche couldn¡¯t help but lightly stroke Seria¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Is there something on my face?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    The hour passed.


    Lesche came out of the Grand Duchess¡¯s bedroom. Just before he left, he tugged on the rope and one of the maids walked quickly towards him to check the firece in the Grand Duchess¡¯s bedroom. As soon as she saw him, she bowed in surprise, then took a step.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Three days had passed, but it was still a bit strange that Ben and Joanna, who had only been in the Green Manor for nearly a decade, were in the main castle.


    The butler, who had returned in earnest, couldn¡¯t help but talk about matters concerning the reorganization of the internal affairs.


    Ben, who had been taking notes, said as he grabbed the documents,


    ¡°Oh, Your Highness. What are you going to do with the internal administration money?¡±


    Since the Grand Duchess and the butler were absent, there was no one in charge of the maintenance of the castle for a while. So as soon as Ben understood the situation, he started talking about the internal administration money in the main office.


    ¡°It seems that Linon has been managing the money outside of his work for a while. Isn¡¯t that why people are dying from overwork?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°Linon is also overworked, I think the Young Lady should be in charge of the internal administration money.¡±


    Joanna chimed in on Ben¡¯s words,


    ¡°I think so too, Your Highness. Otherwise, people might talk.¡±


    ¡°They will think I¡¯m a piece of trash who treats his wife poorly?¡±


    ¡°That is not what I meant, sir.¡±


    ¡°Everyone knows that our marriage is temporary, even the imperial capital. What do you mean by ¡®people might talk¡¯?¡±


    Lesche frowned, but he agreed with the idea nheless.


    ¡°Ask Seria, and if she wants to do it, give it to her. Let Linon help her for at least three months.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Then I will ask the Young Lady¡¯s opinions regarding this matter.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easier if Your Highness asked her?¡± Ben said.


    Lesche had to admit the truth.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easier.¡±


    On the other hand, he couldn¡¯t help but understand their ruse.


    ¡°Enough of this. She doesn¡¯t n on staying here longer than she has to.¡±


    Even though the name was omitted, they knew Lesche referred to Seria.


    ¡°Of course, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only being sincere in my reply.¡±


    ¡°We like the Young Lady. Isn¡¯t that right, Joanna?¡±


    ¡°Of course we do.¡±


    In their eyes, Seria seemed to be a hero.


    Of course. It wasn¡¯t surprising that they thought of Seria that way since she was the one who erased the nightmare shadow that gued the manor of Berg for so long. How many people could livefortably in a building they were certain would soon crumble, in which they were forever stuck?


    Lesche did not have to say any more words about Seria, who had saved them from their fatal fear.


    Lesche wrinkled his brow and added.


    ¡°We can thank her explicitlyter for the merit of saving the manor.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. You are right.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Your Highness. People said that Marquis Hon is busy repairing the grand wedding hall for Lady Seria.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°I thought it would be nice to have a bigger wedding for the Lady in Berg.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been less than an hour since I answered that I would do it properly.¡±


    Ben let out augh. Lesche said as he looked down at the papers.


    ¡°If you want to have a proper wedding, you two go find a partner. It will be held in the name of the Grand Duke and will be asvish as the Marquise family.¡±


    Ben and Joanna looked at each other.


    ¡°We each have our first love, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°During our nearly ten-year stay in the green manor, we both got married.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just find someone else?¡±


    Joanna tilted her head.


    ¡°Ben, do you want to?¡±


    ¡°No thanks, I¡¯ll never forget my first love.¡±


    ¡°Neither will I.¡±


    Lesche lifted his head.


    ¡°First love?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a first love, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°There can¡¯t possibly be such a thing.¡±


    Lesche was the one who had never felt even the most mundane parent-child love. The term ¡°first love¡± was just extravagant. It sounded ridiculous, he thought.


    Since he just started to walk, his mother, the previous Grand Duchess, had been harsh on his education.


    If the Grand Duchess had truly loved him, she would not have taken her life in front of him. Did she know that Lesche had been unable to close his eyes properly for some time since then, let alone sleep?


    Even if she had known, it wouldn¡¯t have made any difference. But it was just a thought of the past. Lesche lifted his head. His eyes darted out the window for no apparent reason. The floor was different from the bedroom of the Grand Duchess, but thendscape was simr, with thergest window ced in the same direction.


    Suddenly he became curious.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you really forget your first love ever?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Me either.¡±


    <em>¡®Damn it.¡¯</em>


    Lesche recalled that Seria had changed since she met Marquis Hon. He should have known better that Seria changed after falling in love. Lesche lowered his gaze. He felt bitter for no reason.


    ***


    ¡°Resting is the best.¡±


    Seria has been resting in bed all day since yesterday. There were so many servants taking care of her. She was soaked in hot water with fragrant oil and got a massage, and her limbs felt alive in a few hours.


    They polished her nails while she yed with the dried flowers of various colors that the maids had brought with them.


    It was really nice to have luxury and rxation. She didn¡¯t know when was thest time she had had such an easy rest after a year of living a hectic life after she possessed Seria.


    It was not as much as a cier visit. And this circlet, which was now a ne on her neck, also made her feel better.


    It gave out a hint of divine power continuously. It was like a germanium bracelet from her previous life that she tried to buy at least once. Was that why Lina wore the circlet on her forehead all the time in the original story? Seria sipped on a ss of apple juice mixed with ice.


    Thiszy rest was ruined around noon when Linon, who waspletely invisible yesterday, came in holding a handkerchief.


    ¡°Linon?¡±


    ¡°¡®I was too busy toe yesterday, Miss. I came to say thank you. Thanks to you, I¡¯m not cold and dirty. No, I am happy not to go to the unclean green manor. It was the favor of the stars that brought you to this castle.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is that why you are crying?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I¡¯m grateful for.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Then Linon put down a book that looked like it could have been 20 papers.


    ¡°I thought I was going to die of overwork.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Grand Duchy of Berg¡¯s internal administration fund.¡±


    ¡°Why are you showing that to me ¡­.?¡±


    There was a moment when something crossed her mind.


    Before she went to the Laurel Manor, it was a lively time when Lina and Kalis and the other guests were still staying at the main castle.


    Before the year-end party there was something that Linon suddenly said to her.


    <em><strong>¡°When is the year-end party?¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°The day after tomorrow.¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°Is the High Priesting in four days?¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°Yes.¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°But why are you telling me this?¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°Well, I guess you didn¡¯t really hear from His Highness. This is what you have to do as the hostess of the mansion, My Lady.¡±</strong></em>


    Could it be?


    ¡°Are you asking me to manage the internal affairs?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡±


    Seria was puzzled by Linon¡¯s sudden words.


    ¡°Nevertheless, I will help you for three months.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying I¡¯ll need to learn from you, Linon?¡±


    ¡°¡­Because I am the Chief Aide who is loyal to Lady Seria.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    If there was such a thing as emoticons in this world, wouldn¡¯t Linon just put it at the end of every document he sent her? That¡¯s just what she thought.


    Anyway¡­.even though it was temporary, the wedding she and Lesche had was a no-nonsense ceremony in which the priests also participated.


    It was a Stern wedding, with the designated ce and time strictly adhered to.


    Except for the change of partners, there was no doubt that they did marry each other. Therefore, it was the correct procedure for her to take charge of the internal management fund.


    There were many situations in the Glick Empire that were worse than hers.


    The most typical example was betrothal rtions.


    After the engagement ceremony, the couple would live in each other¡¯s house till the wedding ceremony.


    This was not amon case. It was usually when the female family was smallpared to the male family.


    It wasn¡¯t a mockery or a tease, because they loved each other and married after oveing such a big family difference. Rather, it was a kind of consideration to make the partner, who was used to a small family life, get used to arger family life quickly.


    Perhaps that¡¯s why.


    For the young nobles, this was often romantic. Well, there were many romantic fairy tales in this world, dreaming of a future with a princess or a prince.


    Anyway, they often took charge of the domestic affairs before the wedding ceremony in many cases.


    So it was right for her to manage the domestic affairs fund, but Seria couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad. Since she hadn¡¯t received the approval of the royal family yet, it was practically a ¡®betrothal¡¯ rather than a formal marriage. So, by all ounts, she was the one from a family that had fallen behind.


    Nevertheless, she promised to y the role of hostess sincerely, but the situation became more and more serious.


    ¡°Miss?¡±


    Linon was a little confused.


    ¡°Why do you suddenly have a sad expression on your face?¡±


    ¡°I realize once again that I am Your Highness¡¯s ve¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, My Lady.¡±


    Linon was very quick witted.


    ¡°His Highness did not give orders to make the Young Lady work.¡±

 Chapter 48

    <h2>Chapter 48</h2>


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to stay here as Grand Duchess of Berg? When springes, you can go up to the capital with His Highness.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    The first thing Seria did was to look at the ledger that Linon had brought with him. Of course, she also had a small dignity maintenance fee that she received at the temple every month. This was a bit¡­.


    <em>¡®How many zeros are there?¡¯</em>


    ¡°How much do you want me to spend here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all internal administration money.¡±


    ¡°¡­.?¡±


    Seria realized a beat toote.


    ¡°Of course. To govern such arge territory, you would need a budget of this amount.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I see.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to divide it by season, and then by month.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°My Lady.¡±


    Linon said, tilted his head.


    ¡°In case you¡¯re wondering, this isn¡¯t a yearly budget.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean a quarterly budget?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a monthly budget.¡±


    <em>¡®Oh my God. That¡¯s a lot.¡¯</em>


    So they have to pay this much every month?


    Suddenly, Seria was reminded of her life as a graduate student in theb, organizing research expenses and sries for each teacher. It was hard work even then, but now, with this much money¡­she would need a bookkeeper.


    ¡°My Lady.¡±


    Linon whispered like a fairy telling a secret.


    ¡°Spending a lot of money is more interesting than you think.¡±


    ***


    I see. It¡¯s interesting.


    At first, Seria couldn¡¯t find the surplus fund in the ledger right away. It was because her insight was too limited. She didn¡¯t think of it as surplus funds because the amount was toorge¡­


    There was a reason why Linon always looked so tired.


    He had a germophobia disorder and was a perfectionist. Of course he must have been guilty of the settings whenever he thought about his aide.


    ¡°May I use the budget for the Laurel Manor?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The shadows are gone now. You may decorate it as you wish.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to work in the warm spring instead of the winter.¡±


    Apparently, they had changed the decorations in the mansion in the winter.


    ¡°I understand. Hmm. There¡¯s a lot to take care of at the manor, and the garden needs to be redone. You¡¯ll need a lot of workers.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Can I increase this much?¡±


    ¡°A little more would be fine.¡±


    ¡°This much?¡±


    ¡°More.¡±


    ¡°This much?¡±


    Linon took the pen from Seria and added a few more neat zeros.


    ¡°My Lady¡­.Weren¡¯t you very extravagant?¡±


    ¡°Be quiet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Linon said he had been cheeky, but made no pretense of being sorry. It was true that the original Seria was very extravagant. But this Seria wasn¡¯t.


    <em>¡®Have I ever lived the life of a noble woman?¡¯</em>


    The original Seria was a daughter of a Marquis of the prestigious Kellyden family, but this Seria didn¡¯t want to use her money to do the same thing.


    The sense of money associated with the inner affairs of the family was usually learned from her mother. But Marquis Kellyden hated Seria dearly, and Seria¡¯s biological mother, well¡­needless to say¡­.


    Moreover, ever since she possessed the real Seria, she had been living a frugal life to pay off her debts monthly.


    After checking with the help of Linon, Seria found something strange.


    ¡°Why is it so expensive to buy cleaning supplies?¡±


    Linon jumped up and said quickly.


    ¡±My Lady! Those are necessities!¡±


    ¡°No, I understand, but the amount is too big. Do you use all of this?¡±


    ¡°I use them all.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have enough money to buy half of the dresses in the dress shop every month?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not embezzlement!¡±


    ¡°No¡­.. Who¡¯s to say what ¡­.¡±


    Seria smiled in vain. The book checking stopped when another aide came to talk to Linon.


    <em>¡®Oh, I have something I want to discuss with Lesche too. Is it okay if I go now?¡¯</em>


    After putting the ledgers neatly in the safe, Seria went to Lesche¡¯s office. The knights outside bowed their heads when they saw her.


    <em>¡®What is it? Should I go back?¡¯</em>


    She knew Lesche had been in a meeting since dawn, but she couldn¡¯t believe he was still in session. Seria was just about to turn around, suddenly a voice called her from the inside of the office.


    ¡°My Lady,e in.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    What kind of free pass was this? She didn¡¯t think he would be looking for her separately. Even though she wondered, she went in anyway.


    There were a few vassals waiting outside, but there were many inside Lesche¡¯s office.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡­.


    Seria epted the greetings from the vassals and walked towards Lesche. Waiting at the front of the desk was a young man with an unfamiliar face. Lesche was holding a pen with a weary expression. He looked at Seria and gestured with his hand.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    Seria walked closer, and a nearby aide quickly brought her a chair. She inadvertently sat down next to Lesche. Then, he held out a pile of papers.


    ¡°Do you want any of these?¡±


    ¡°So suddenly?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It was abrupt, but she nced over the paper. It was a list of things such as iron carts, medicines, holy relics, mining rights.


    [Please choose one of the above items.]


    There was also a note attached to the document. But there was nothing that attracted Seria¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Anything?¡±


    ¡°No¡­..¡±


    At Seria¡¯s response, Lesche covered the file without any further questions. The pen was once again in the ink bottle.


    ¡°Great, Grand Duke!¡±


    Then the face of the young man waiting near the desk turned pale.


    ¡°Up until now, you just choose one and sign it¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± Lesche said.


    Even though Seria didn¡¯t know the circumstances before and after, she could see it clearly. They would cancel it just because there was nothing Seria liked.


    That was what the man who turned blue seemed to think. He unintentionally resented her, and when their gazes met, he cast his eyes down in surprise.


    <em>¡®Is he from the Capital?¡¯</em>


    He seemed like he was scared and avoided Seria¡¯s gaze from the start, especially when she wasn¡¯t even staring at him. She didn¡¯t know who he was, but he seemed to be someone who was well aware of Seria¡¯s incredible notoriety.


    <em>¡®So what is it? What¡¯s going on?¡¯</em>


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a meeting with the vassals again and call you.¡±


    ¡°His Highness, Grand Duke Berg¡­!¡±


    Lesche¡¯s eyes froze in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it twice¡­¡±


    The man puffed out a breath. He immediately changed his attitude.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Please be generous. But if it¡¯s really not enough, contact me again¡­¡±


    The man who had been struggling for a while finally backed down. Seria was expecting the next vassal to arrive soon, but they were too busy having a small meeting among themselves. There was no sign of Lesche calling for anyone either, so she opened her mouth.


    ¡°Lesche? Who is that man?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a vassal from Duke Howard¡¯s household.¡±


    ¡°Duke Howard?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seria widened her eyes. Duke Howard, Duke Howard¡­It was the family where people had ties with Seria.


    Queen Ekisel, who hadpeted with Seria Stern for the Red Diamond for some time, was from the Howard family.


    ¡°What¡¯s that list you just gave me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the list ofpensation for getting rid of Magi that Howard presented this year.¡±


    <em>¡®Wow.¡¯</em>


    Seria covered her mouth with both hands.


    This world in the original story was set to be tainted by Magi. Numerousnds on the continent were contaminated by Magi, including the vastnds of the Glick Empire. Even in the territory of Grand Duke Berg, there were ces that were abandoned.


    Land contaminated by magi could not be inhabited. It was also a problem that decentnd could not be used for living, but what about thend that was rich in natural resources in the first ce? Naturally, they would be determined to get it back.


    Whether it were mines buried in gold or rich farnds with abundant yields. The imperial nobles have shed with the imperial family many times in order to reim their highly valuable properties. The nobles wanted to raise knights wearing the Holy gold armor and reimed theirnds, but from the imperial family¡¯s point of view, it was dangerous for the noble families to expand the size of their private armies.


    There was a method devised after decades of siege, and it was to proceed with the defeat of the taintednds once every three years. The families of the chosennds would send forth their knights to add to their forces, and the firepower thus created would drive out Magi.


    Of course, when asked if it was a fair service, it wasn¡¯t. Every year, the family that received the most votes in the Noble Council would be the beneficiary, but this was because every family took advantage of the blind spot of voting rule.


    Recently, it was the Duke of Howard, the family of Queen Ekisel. Vainly holding their seats, they decided to reim thend of the Howard family this year as they did three years ago.


    They gavepensation to the Berg family in return for Magi¡¯s defeat. Every three years, after thepensation list was approved, the defeat began. As was customary, Duke Howard should have made apensation inventory for the defeat and sent it to Grand Duke Berg. He did, but¡­.


    Unknowingly, Seria disliked all the things in thepensation list, therefore, thepensation was denied.


    Seria didn¡¯t feel sorry for Duke Howard. What could she do anyway? They should bring something more to her liking.


    Of course thepensation over the years wasn¡¯t much, nheless, the Berg family silently cooperated in order to defeat Magi. This time, however, it was a terrible list.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°When will you be free?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m free now.¡±


    ¡°Now?¡±


    Seria nced at the vassals for a moment, who were ncing at her and Lesche.


    ¡°Call meter when you have time. It would be nice to have a cup of tea together.¡±


    ¡°Get ready.¡±


    As soon as Lesche spoke, the aide behind him immediately stepped forward.

 Chapter 49

    <h2>Chapter 49</h2>


    The idea was to have a cup of tea in the office if Lesche had time or in other words, to talk briefly.


    However, here Seria was, sitting across a proper tea table with Lesche. When she was Kalis¡¯s fianc¨¦e, she enjoyed tea with thedies from the Hon estate.


    Lesche took a sip of his tea and said,


    ¡°I see you like to drink tea here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡±


    <em>¡®Did he prepare this ce for me?¡¯</em>


    Seria did not easily understand him. He seemed to be interested in her but she wasn¡¯t sure ¡­. Perhaps because Lesche was a male protagonist.


    Seria lifted her teacup along with Lesche. The scent of tea tickled her nose. Unlike the office, which was full of vassals, this ce was as quiet as the dead world. As she became the Grand Duchess and busily managed the castle, this kind of mundane daily life seemed new to her.


    ¡°Why did you ask me to have tea with you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lesche.¡±


    Seria said as she put down the teacup.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to go to the basement.¡±


    ¡°¡­The basement?¡±


    ¡°I thought long and hard about the events at the Laurel Manor. It seems that the sorcerers deliberately burned the imprints. I didn¡¯t tell you because I was afraid you would take away the circlet that you gave me¡­.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°The first time I caught this circlet in the ossuary, the holy power was really amazing. Oddly enough, it¡¯s at a normal andmon level now.¡±


    ¡°You were afraid I¡¯d take back what I gave you?¡±


    Seria cleared her throat.


    ¡°I was just saying.¡±


    Lesche drank his tea quietly. Then, he put down the teacup, got up, and held out his hand to Seria. When she raised her hand, Lesche gently raised her up.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a good sight. ¡­. But I¡¯m not the type of person to make you have a stroke over something like this, so it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Lesche chuckled as Seria¡¯s eyes widened.


    ***


    The ce where the sorcerers were trapped was the basement of the main castle. Seria expected it to be tightly guarded by the knights, but it wasn¡¯t as gloomy as she thought it would be.


    She didn¡¯t hear any screams as she had imagined. There was no smell of blood or rotting corpses.


    <em>¡®Are they going to preach in the torture chamber instead of torturing? Or is it verbal indoctrination?¡¯</em>


    It was understandable that the atmosphere was more humane than she expected. But then again, Berg didn¡¯t seem to have such peaceful tendencies.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    The knight, who nodded modestly at Lesche, blinked a few times when he saw Seria following behind him.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Linon?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s downstairs.¡±


    ¡°Tell him I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡± Yes, sir.¡±


    The knight hurried down the stairs. There was the sound of a steel door opening and closing, and then a mming sound as if something was tipping over. Unlike how Seria perked up her ears, Lesche¡¯s expression was nonchnt.


    ¡°Seria. Give me the circlet. It would be better if it looks like I¡¯m the one who has it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course.¡±


    Seria immediately took the ne off her neck and handed it to Lesche.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go down.¡±


    Seria took Lesche¡¯s hand and carefully stepped forward. The iron door of the torture chamber opened and they entered. She could see a sorcerer tied to a chair in the middle of the room. It was the very same sorcerer who wielded the knife at her in the green manor.


    The torture chamber was clean. Seria expected to see some sort of torture device with blood hanging from it but there was no such thing, just a ck cloth covering it, which made it look like a funeral hall, but that was all.


    ¡°He¡¯s more stubborn than I thought.¡±


    Beside the sorcerer was Linon, who had a cloth wrapped around his nose and mouth, and he was wearing threeyers of gloves. Linon bowed.


    ¡°Your Highness. My Lady.¡±


    Lesche didn¡¯t even give Linon a nce and walked towards the drooping sorcerer. He took the ne out of his pocket and waved it lightly in front of the sorcerer.


    ¡°Is this what you were looking for?¡±


    The sorcerer¡¯s pupils, which were cheerlessly opened, instantly dted like a demon.


    ¡°It would seem so.¡±


    Linon shook his chin at a nearby aide. The aide immediately wrote something down.


    Suddenly, the sorcerer, who had been limp for a long time, suddenly began to glow. He tried to get up, but as soon as he realized it was impossible, he opened his mouth and screamed.


    The problem was¡­.


    Rattle.


    ¡°What¡­.?¡±


    Seria gasped and backed away. She backed away in a panic as broken teeth rattled out of the sorcerer¡¯s mouth. Linon stared straight at her. Their gazes met. Linon looked calm, unlike her.


    Linon crouched down on the ground and picked up the teeth that fell on the floor in a matter of seconds. Then, squeezing the sorcerer¡¯s chin, he whispered gruesomely.


    ¡°Oh, oh, oh. You startled the precious Lady.¡±


    Seria was perplexed.


    It wasn¡¯t until she looked around at the other two torture chambers that she realized that the torture devices were hidden behind the ck cloth that adorned the walls.


    The reaction of the sorcerer was ominous. They saw the ne and went crazy. By all ounts, the ne was exactly what they were looking for.


    And there was another fact that came to be known. When it was just Linon in the room with the sorcerer, nothing happened. But when Lesche showed him the ne the sorcerer was subjected to very severe torture.


    ****


    Then again, Seria was still by Lesche¡¯s side. Tea was prepared in the Lesche¡¯s office where all the vassals had left.


    She was drinking a cup of warm tea when she heard a knock at the door.


    ¡°My Lady.¡±


    It was Alliot. He hade to report. However, it was awkward for Seria to see Alliot for many reasons.


    No, burdensome seemed to be the right word for it.


    Unlike Linon, who pretended to cry, Alliot really did cry.


    Ben wasn¡¯t the only one who came straight to see Seria the day she came to her senses. By evening, Alliot also came to visit her like a ghost.


    He suddenly knelt down. He didn¡¯t bend one knee, as the knights usually do, but both knees. At that moment, he looked like a lowly beggar on the street.


    The knight kneeling on one knee and both knees havepletely different meanings. The first is a knight courtesy. Thetter is an expression of gratitude of the highest order, not often offered even to a lord, an expression that could only be done to a benefactor who owned his life. Seria was flustered because he even shed tears.


    <em><strong>¡°The manor is a ce of honor and life for me.¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°Yes¡­..¡±</strong></em>


    Alliott looked at Seria with red eyes.


    <em><strong>¡°So I owe you my honor and life, Young Lady.¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°Ah¡­¡±</strong></em>


    It was of course a good thing that Alliot, one of the best knights in the Empire, was so loyal to her.


    <em>¡®Did this happen in the original novel?¡¯</em>


    Alliot, who had seemed somewhat of a burden since that day, submitted his report to Lesche perfectly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the name of the person who sent the sorcerers.¡±


    ¡°Is it Mies?¡±


    Lesche easily guessed. No one else but his half-brother, Mies, could harbor such ill will toward the Berg family.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness, I suppose so. And on a muchrger scale than I expected.¡±


    ¡°That son of a b*ch.¡±


    Lesche flipped through the report with a nk look on his face.


    Mies was sick and tired of being called ¡®illegitimate¡¯ and had lost his mind. It was not like bringing down the family would make the fact that he was an illegitimate child go away.


    Lescheughed scornfully.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll find out more.¡±


    Alliot¡¯s voice trembled slightly. Lesche, who noticed his agitation looked at Alliot and said,


    ¡°I don¡¯t allow you to search alone.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    Seria blinked as Alliot retreated.


    She heard the name Mies from Ben at the Laurel Manor.


    Mies was the previous Grand Duke¡¯s illegitimate son. It seemed that he even hired the mad sorcerers¡­.


    <em>¡®I guess he really is crazy.¡¯</em>


    When Seria looked at Lesche with that thought in mind, Lesche immediately frowned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any hidden illegitimate children.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°You know?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the firstpliment I¡¯ve ever heard from your mouth.¡±


    ¡°If someone heard it, they¡¯d think I talk bad about Lesche every day.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we alike?¡±


    Knock. Knock.


    At that time, there was a knock at the door. Two aides and Linon came in together.


    ¡°Your Highness. We¡¯ve received an urgent message.¡±


    ¡°¡­An urgent message?¡±


    ¡°Dozens of imperial nobles who were on their way to Berg were isted due to the heavy snowfall, and the demons appeared.¡±


    ¡°Where are they?¡±


    ¡°Near the western side of the Tshugan ins. It is not part of our territory, but it is the closest to us, so we received a request for rescue first.¡±


    ¡°Send the knights. Alliot will lead.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness¡­..¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Since the isted people include the High Priest, who was on his way back to the temple, they have asked to send knights and Lady Seria if possible¡­.¡±


    ¡°Then they can freeze to death.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    Linon eximed, his eyes widened. His astonished eyes turned to Seria. He seemed to think Seria would be startled by Lesche¡¯s harsh words.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Linon cleared his throat.


    ¡°Hmm, but they earnestly asked for help. And most importantly, there is not just one person.¡±


    Suddenly, Linon nced at Seria again. Then, a momentter, he continued.


    ¡°There are priests, official ministers, the Saintess and her¡­Anyway, they say there are several others.¡±


    As soon as Linon finished talking, Seria knew. It seemed that the stranded people were the priests, and Saintess Lina and Kalis were with them.


    ***


    T/L: So basically, the nobles who wereing to Berg for their business ( you will know more in the next chapter) and the High Priest along with Lina, Kalis, and other priests, who were heading back to the temple, were stranded at the same time and same ce due to snow. Then there, they got attacked by demons.

 Chapter 50

    <h2>Chapter 50</h2>


    The fact that all the aides were looking at her made it all the more ufortable. But Lesche didn¡¯t even nce at her as he asked.


    ¡°Did they say how those demons are?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, Your Highness. They said they¡¯re small and medium sizes.¡±


    Lesche quickly signed with a quill pen and stood up.


    ¡°Are the people from Duke Howard¡¯s still here?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good. Tell them that I won¡¯t being to help this time.¡±


    <em>¡®Did I mishear him?¡¯</em>


    It seemed that Seria was the only one who was bewildered because the aides just went off to carry out their orders without showing any sign of panic.


    Linon also had a satisfied smile on his face.


    ¡°Duke Howard trusts his imperial bloodline and is too arrogant. It didn¡¯t make sense to use the Berg Knights¡¯ manpower, but it worked out well.¡±


    Linon¡¯s words were sarcastic. When he said imperial bloodline, he must have been referring to the prince that Queen Ekisel had produced. The Duke of Howard secured his seat by any means necessary and was secretly disgruntled among the nobility.


    <em>¡®It¡¯s even worse because he¡¯s pretending to be nice in front of them.¡¯</em>


    Since it was pushed through with arge number of seats, the formalpensation must have been greater than the good reward. And if it was only Berg, it was more profitable not to go than to dare to take it and bother to go support him. Nheless, Lesche probably had to go help because of the imperialw and tradition.


    Lesche nced at Seria.


    ¡°Thepensation list is worth your denial.¡±


    ¡°Who denied it? I just said I didn¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°It was Howard¡¯s fault for bringing something you don¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Linon interrupted with a look of satisfaction.


    ¡°Thanks to you, Duke Howard is the one who¡¯s going to flip.¡±


    <em>¡®That¡¯s not bad.¡¯</em>


    Seria nodded. At that moment¡­.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche held out his hand to Seria.


    ¡°You were asked toe. Do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°Do I have to?¡±


    ¡°If you want to.¡±


    ¡°The High Priest is calling for me.¡±


    ¡°There are a dozen excuses you can make up. So you can pick and choose as you please.¡±


    ¡°Tell me one to pick.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria stared at Lesche¡¯s hand. She didn¡¯t think long and took his hand. The funny thing was, she had held his hand a few times, and she was quite used to it.


    It was the hand of a male protagonist she thought she would never touch.


    ***


    The half of the nobles who were stranded in Tshugan territory had a few things inmon. That was, they were people in a hurry to get to Berg territory.


    And there was one more thing.


    They were the people who had sent only the low profile knights of their families to the wedding of Marquis Hon and Seria Stern.


    In a word, they werepletely shunned by Seria.


    Of course, it was a choice that they couldn¡¯t help but make to satisfy Marquis Kellyden. The problem was that Seria Stern suddenly married the incredible man, Lesche Berg, not Kalis Hon.


    ¡°What is really happening?¡±


    ¡°My father, who was a bit bewildered, asked me to send her a gift¡­I even had a hard time getting a suitable gift.¡±


    ¡°The knights of our family said that they couldn¡¯t even talk to Seria Stern.¡±


    ¡°Who did you send there?¡±


    ¡°A knight.¡±


    ¡°Because you sent a knight.¡±


    ¡°Frankly, if it wasn¡¯t for Marquis Hon, I wouldn¡¯t even send a knight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Thedies were not happy andined.


    Now was the time when socializing was just beginning in earnest, starting with the New Year¡¯s party. The invitation to the splendid social gatherings, which run untilte spring. Their parents didn¡¯t want to be on bad terms with the Berg family, so they used this asion to send gifts to resolve the situation quickly. Most of them couldn¡¯t bear the pain and had to wrap up their gifts and head for the Grand Duchy of Berg.


    ¡°God is really unfair too. He gave power to Seria¡¯s Stern, who has such a nasty personality.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying!¡±


    ¡°Honestly, if it wasn¡¯t for her name, she would never have be the Grand Duchess of Berg, no matter how temporary.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Ladies.¡±


    While thedies were adding a few words, they heard a gruesome voice. It was a voice that naturally sent shivers down their spines. Thedies turned around and let out a quiet scream.


    It was Seria Stern.


    She was staring at them with cold eyes.


    ¡°And I ran all the way here to help you.¡±


    Seria skimmed through thedies who stood frozen one by one.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were talking crap about me in this temporary barracks.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A silence descended. The Ladies swallowed hard. A Lady, who seemed to be braver among them, stepped forward with a scowl on her face.


    ¡°Um¡­Um¡­We didn¡¯t know Lady Stern, no, Grand Duchess Berg was here.¡±


    ¡°Is it okay to talk bad about others even if you don¡¯t know?¡±


    Thedies retreated as if they were scared. It wasn¡¯t that thedies were timid. There weren¡¯t many strong nobles in imperial society who could face Seria¡¯s angry, venomous re.


    ¡°Lady Stern, please stop it.¡±


    Suddenly, a Lady stood out boldly and screamed. She told Seria to stop because of what they had done? While it was ridiculous, it was also understandable.


    <em>¡®I haven¡¯t picked a fight in a year I¡¯ve possessed Seria.¡¯</em>


    People usually remember the closest thing to a bigger picture. Seria was like a crazy colt, while the Lady was a foal who bravely stood up for herself. She seemed to be trying to make a point.


    ¡°Can you please be a little more generous and understanding?¡±


    ¡°Young Lady.¡±


    Seria said as she slowly stepped closer.


    ¡°Is that how you beg for forgiveness? Using your cocky attitude to force me to be understanding?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Do it right, then I might be a little more forgiving.¡±


    Thedy then bit her lip. Her tinum hair swayed pathetically.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but¡­ No. It¡¯s a true fact that Lady Stern used to make trouble. I won¡¯t apologize for mentioning what happened in the past.¡±


    ¡°Do you decline?¡±


    Seria asked slowly and thedy swallowed hard. Her name was Eloise Hedon. She red at Seria with all her might. Still, her hand was gripping the handkerchief with a lot of strength.


    At that moment¡­.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    There were sudden screams everywhere. Seria turned around. There were as many knights as there weredies in the barracks with her. And all of them had the same thing on the ground under their feet.


    It was gloves. (*Not sure it was gloves or something else.)


    ¡­ It was Abigail.


    <em><strong>¡°She looks strong.¡±</strong></em>


    As Alliot had said once, Abigail was really strong. Looking at Abigail, who had crushed the knights in an instant, Seria also had a reasonable doubt that she would go stir up the Imperial Capital if she could.


    Only one knight was barely standing. He happened to be the knight of Eloise, the tinum hair Young Lady who had squealed at Seria.


    But that was only for a short moment. Abigail gave him a kick and he fell immediately under the force. The problem was that he fell backwards, exposing his wrist. There was a silk handkerchief with a prominent fancy pattern tied to his wrist¡­


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Lady Eloise¡¯s¡­..¡±


    Thedy, who shouted, immediately stopped. She turned around and looked at Eloise, whose face already turned pale.


    It seemed that the knight and Eloise were lovers.


    Abigail asked in a gruesome voice.


    ¡°Do you agree to a duel?¡±


    The knight stood up with a red face. But with a crunch and a stomp on his hip, he fell again. There was no mercy in Abigail¡¯s feet.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Eloise hurriedly clung to Seria.


    ¡°No! Lady Stern! It¡¯s my fault! I¡¯m sorry. What if my knight is permanently damaged¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    Eloise¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Lady Stern!¡±


    ¡°Get my title straight, Lady Eloise.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Was there anyone who was more unfamiliar than her to be called by the title of Grand Duchess of Berg? She had no intention of forcing herself to use the term Grand Duchess Berg, not in the least. It was rare to find someone who could treat Seria Stern so recklessly without it.


    Seria thought it would be better for her if she didn¡¯t get used to being called Grand Duchess of Berg, in case she gave up the titleter.


    However, there were those who believed their lives were spare. Lady Eloise, who was in front of her, was especially so. She had a lot of weapons to use, but her personality wasn¡¯t good enough to leave it alone.


    ¡°Lady Stern¡­ no, Grand Duchess¡­¡±


    Eloise had a very pale face. If she was so worried about her lover, she should beg Abigail, however, she didn¡¯t do that, which meant that she was quite scared of Abigail.


    <em>¡®That¡¯s right. I did wrong in the past.¡¯</em>


    Crazy and violent. It was right to maintain the image of the biggest crazy girl in society who never lets go once she bites. That way, no one would try to torment herter when she was resting and rxing alone on a beautiful southern ind.


    Who woulde and torment her if word got out that she was a mad dog with suspected rabies?


    ¡°Gasp! Ah!¡±


    When Abigail was about to step on the knight¡¯s face, Seria opened her mouth.


    ¡°Bibbi, stop.¡±


    Even though it was not a loud voice, Abigail immediately stopped her actions. Her footnded on the ground instead of the knight¡¯s face.


    Seria smiled faintly.

 Chapter 51

    <h2>Chapter 51</h2>


    <i></i>


    <i>As Abigail meekly retreated, the area became rather quiet. No matter how much they struggled and swung their swords, no one could stop Abigail, but with one word from Seria, everything was settled. So thedies and knights seemed to suffer a strange sense of defeat.</i>


    <i><em>¡®Not that it was any of my business.¡¯</em></i>


    <i>¡°Go out and get some snow.¡±</i>


    <i>At Seria¡¯smand, the knights guarding the entrance to the tent scurried to bring in the snow. It didn¡¯t take them long because the snow was piled up to the brim outside.</i>


    <i>Seria lifted the heavy bucket with all her strength and dumped it over Eloise¡¯s head.</i>


    <i>¡°¡­!¡±</i>


    <i>That was when Eloise, who was like a snowman, swallowed her scream and shook her hands. The otherdies did the same. They couldn¡¯t say anything except to open their rabbit eyes and cover their mouths with their hands.</i>


    <i>Seria threw the bucket on the floor and said,</i>


    <i>¡°Where did you learn to talk behind the back of a benefactor who came to rescue you? If it wasn¡¯t for the Berg Knights, you¡¯d all be buried alive here in the snow.¡±</i>


    <i>Of course, the Berg Knights belonged to Lesche. But the knight¡¯smander, Alliot, had knelt before Seria and even cried. So it wouldn¡¯t matter if she called them her own.</i>


    <i>Seria said, looking at thedies with venomous eyes, who could not say anything.</i>


    <i>¡°No, you could have died from the demons. If you want to get out of this barracks and leave now, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°¡­.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°¡­.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°¡­.¡±</i>


    <i>Seria looked at Eloise, who did not respond. Her tinum blonde hair, which was wrapped neatly and beautifully, was now dripping with melted snow. Seria said without taking her eyes off Eloise.</i>


    <i>¡°We¡¯re facing an emergency, so you all think I¡¯d let it slide?¡±</i>


    <i>Seria pretended that she was not going easy on them.</i>


    <i>¡°Think again.¡±</i>


    <i>As she slowly stretched out the words, she could feel that Lady Eloise and the otherdies flinched.</i>


    <i>Seria turned her gaze away from thedies.</i>


    <i>¡°Let¡¯s go, Bibi.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Yes, Miss.¡±</i>


    <i>The barracks were quiet as if they had been hit by a bomb, which was very satisfying. Seria didn¡¯t hide her satisfied expression as she left the dpidated barracks behind with Abigail escorting her.</i>


    <i>***</i>


    <i>The barracks of the priests had a nice atmosphere. It was because the Knights of Berg, one of the greatest forces, apanied Seria Stern.</i>


    <i>¡°Stern, indeed. How happy we have been to see your constetion gold armor shining so brightly.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°My eyes were teary for no reason.¡±</i>


    <i><em>¡®Why are they so sensitive?¡¯</em></i>


    <i>There were dozens of Imperial nobles in this isted ce as their paths had identally met. How did they see the Berg Knights in their constetion gold armor and also Seria Sterning together before them?</i>


    <i>In their eyes, they looked like angels.</i>


    <i>Since they clearly saw that the infamous Seria Stern came to help them, wouldn¡¯t their attitude toward God be more polite again?</i>


    <i>¡°By the way, where is the Saintess?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°She was in great pain because her divine power hasn¡¯t stabilized¡­..¡±</i>


    <i>¡°You don¡¯t think she¡¯s out, do you?¡±</i>


    <i>The priests¡¯ faces were hardened with wonders. They hurriedly ran out of the barracks and began searching for the missing Lina.</i>


    <i>****</i>


    <i>¡°Seria.¡±</i>


    <i>Seria turned around at the voice calling her. Immediately Seria¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.</i>


    <i>It was Lina.</i>


    <i>¡°You¡¯re here to help me, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ve hurt your feelings so much¡­¡±</i>


    <i>Lina suddenly burst into tears. Her rich sensitivity was a part of the original story that hade up many times. What would have happened before? If Seria could be friends with the heroine, the chances of her being able to survive would be much higher. She would have seized the opportunity.</i>


    <i>But now¡­.</i>


    <i>Seria avoided Lina¡¯s hand, which was trying to grab hers.</i>


    <i>¡°Lina. I¡¯ve been asked toe to your rescue because I¡¯m Stern.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°But¡­¡±</i>


    <i>¡°There are priests here, too.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°¡­¡­ Yes, I understand¡­¡±</i>


    <i>Lina quickly became sullen. It wasn¡¯t veryfortable being near Lina, so Seria quickly tried to step away, but she missed her steps.</i>


    <i>It was Abigail who caught her as she was about to fall.</i>


    <i>¡°Seria? That ne ¡­¡±</i>


    <i>Lina¡¯s gaze was fixed on the ne that appeared outside Seria¡¯s clothes.</i>


    <i>¡°Seria, the¡­¡±</i>


    <i>Lina couldn¡¯t continue to the end of her sentence.</i>


    <i>¡°Saintess!¡±</i>


    <i>A voice that sounded like a shout was calling for her. It was High Priest Amos from the Great Temple. Lina immediately flinched.</i>


    <i>It looked like Lina had been scolded by Amos. Seria used to be scolded a lot by him too.</i>


    <i>¡°It¡¯s been a while. Seria Stern.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°High Priest Amos.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°I see you¡¯ve learned to be sensible. I thought you would never change.¡±</i>


    <i><em>¡®What did I just hear?¡¯</em></i>


    <i>Amos was a very strict man. That was apliment. A very¡­. a very bigpliment for him. Without saying a word, Seria stared at him nkly. Amos smiled faintly.</i>


    <i>¡°Let¡¯s go, Saintess.¡±</i>


    <i>And Amos left, taking Lina with him. Of course, at that moment, he was back again with his usual stern impression.</i>


    <i>The priests were relieved as soon as they saw Lina.</i>


    <i>¡°Saintess!¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Oh, thank God.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°I thought you might have gotten curious and gone outside.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°I¡¯m not that stupid!¡±</i>


    <i>Lina raised her voice, and Amos hurried to silence her. This was exactly the kind of stern impression Amos had made.</i>


    <i>¡°Saintess, can I have a word with you?¡±</i>


    <i>Lina bit her lip and followed Amos. The priests gazed at each other nervously.</i>


    <i>¡°Saintess, stop bothering Stern.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°¡­?¡±</i>


    <i>If there was one thing Lina had learned while apanying Amos, it was that the priests of the Great Temple did not dare to call Stern by their name. This was because the number of Stern itself was too small to be used like a proper noun.</i>


    <i>But when there were two or more Sterns together, the words changed. And Lina was also a Stern. Of course, Amos should have referred to Seria as Seria Stern, but as a matter of habit, he just said Stern.</i>


    <i>It was as if Lina did not yet qualify as a Stern.</i>


    <i>But Amos just looked at Lina with a serious expression, as if he didn¡¯t realize his mistake.</i>


    <i>Lina wasn¡¯t in the mood to show her disappointment at such talk as usual either. Because what she just heard was quite shocking.</i>


    <i>¡°Who¡­ is bothering Seria Stern?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Saintess.¡±</i>


    <i>Amos sighed slowly.</i>


    <i>¡°Love is the most beautiful emotion God has given us. But because of Saintess¡¯s mistake, Stern was not able to marry her beloved fianc¨¦e.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°¡­.. I told you I was divorcing Kalis.¡±</i>


    <i>Of course, it would take a whole year. Nevertheless, Lina told Kalis that she would divorce him and that Kalis should return to his beloved Seria.</i>


    <i>¡°Saintess, that is a matter for ater date. You have a tendency to try to make light of the sinful deeds that you havemitted.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°Sin? I didn¡¯tmit any sin¡­.¡±</i>


    <i>Tears trickled down from Lina¡¯s eyes.</i>


    <i>¡°If I hadn¡¯t been there, Kalis would have died on the spot. You are saying this because you weren¡¯t there¡­..!¡±</i>


    <i>¡°That would have been a karma that Marquis Hon had to atone for himself.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°High Priest!¡±</i>


    <i>Lina eximed with a shocked expression on her face.</i>


    <i>¡°Kalis is my most precious friend. You want me to give up my friend¡¯s life for Seria¡¯s sake?¡±</i>


    <i>¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant, Saintess.¡±</i>


    <i>Amos¡¯s expression stiffened.</i>


    <i>¡°You must promise me that you will not go to see Stern again.¡±</i>


    <i>¡°If you¡¯re the High Priest, shouldn¡¯t you praise me for a job well done? I saved Kalis¡¯s life by showing resourcefulness, but¡­ you¡¯re always praising Seria. Always.¡±</i>


    <i>Muttering sadly, Lina lowered her head and began to sob. Although he spoke in a stiff manner, Amos was actually feelingplicated. The situation was, of course, moreplex.</i>


    <i>Lina literally descended into this world. Perhaps she didn¡¯t know much since she had only been here for a short time, but Amos was very familiar with Seria Stern¡¯s personality.</i>


    <i>Seria Stern had a low ignition point for anger. Very low. He was not interested in the notoriety she developed in the social world, but others were.</i>


    <i>Amos had no choice but to be aware of what was rumored about her in the world because of his frequent outside activities. Still, Seria was an important Stern to the Temple, so he could tolerate that much.</i>


    <i><em>¡®I saw earlier that she was unusually sensible.¡¯</em></i>


    <i>Would Lina still look pretty in Seria¡¯s eyes? She was a woman who stole Seria¡¯s fianc¨¦ from the perspective of a secr and innocent heart. Lina was a saint, but Seria was not. What if Seria Stern couldn¡¯t hold it in?</i>


    <i>This ce included arge number of Imperial nobles. It was a cringe-worthy incident to imagine Stern and the God-given Saintess feuding in theirmon space. A scandal of this magnitude had to be avoided.</i>


    <i>Moreover, considering Seria¡¯s past personality, once she exploded, it was bound to cause amotion not only in the social world but also in the entire continent.</i>


    <i>This was essentially the reason why Amos was trying to keep Lina and Seria apart as much as possible.</i>


    <i>But Lina was crying uncontrobly¡­.</i>


    <i>Still, he had to be strict about it. Amos took Lina to her private barracks and left, telling the knights to keep her safe.</i>

 Chapter 52

    <h2>Chapter 52</h2><i>


    Large snowkes were falling from the sky. It was snowing heavily.


    Fortunately, there was no damage to the barracks, as they were guarded by the branches of the silverurel tree and the divine power of the renowned High Priest.


    Well, if Lina¡¯s power was controlled properly, she would be able to cast spells that would be more powerful than in the original story.


    As they climbed a rtively high hill and looked down over a wide in, the high ranking Priest approached.


    ¡°Stern, did you get the map?¡±


    Seria nodded.


    Stern, along with themander-in-chief, was the first to be informed of the overall map when it came to defeating the Demons.


    It was a relief that the original Seria¡¯s knowledge was still in Seria¡¯s head.


    For now, the constetion armor with Stern¡¯s presence was effective at a radius of up to five kilometers.


    If the strike force identally went beyond 5km from Stern, the constetion gold armor would take away the body heat of the wearer. Knights would die from hypothermia.


    So at first nce, it was easy to think that even if they identally got more than 5 km away, they should quickly run towards the direction where Stern was.


    The problem was that it would be difficult to do so.


    First of all, it would not be easy for a person to grasp 5km with his eyes, and above all, it would be a desperate battle to defeat demons that could kill them if they look away. There were only a few great men who could measure the distance calmly.


    If they were not calm and thorough, they would panic left and right, and in many cases die of hypothermia.


    So therger the scale of the battle, the more careful they had to be. The knights had to maintain their original formation to the maximum extent possible, and Stern had to learn the terrain of the battlefield to the same extent.


    In the unlikely event that the formation should copse, Seria had to be able to keep track of therge crowd of knights and others and bnce them by crossing the line of movement at the shortest distance possible.


    ¡°Neighhh!¡±


    That was why horses were important to Stern, too, and when Seria stroked his nose, her intelligent horse let out a lush voice in reply.


    <em>¡®He¡¯s a cute guy.¡¯</em>


    ¡°Stern! Priest! I¡¯ve brought it here.¡±


    The holy knight ran over and held out the box.


    The high ranking Priest took the ceremonial robe out of the box and handed it to Seria. It was the priestly uniform that Stern customarily wore at all times in the battle to defeat the demons.


    Seria put it on. The cloak, shimmering with a variety of colors like mermaid scales, seemed to have been slowly developed to be worn to make Stern¡¯s position visible, aside from being pretty.


    ¡°Those Berg Knights are really strong.¡±


    The high priest, who spoke admirably, asked.


    ¡°By the way, where did Stern¡¯s knight go?¡±


    ¡°Bibi?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Abigail Orrien. If she¡¯s a dedicated knight, she¡¯s supposed to protect Stern¡­ Isn¡¯t that a breach of duty?¡±


    The hard voice revealed an unconcealed disdain for Abigail. Well, he was a high-ranking priest who worshipped the High Priest Amos. All the priests from the High Temple disliked Abigail, who had a history of almost being executed in the temple.


    <em>¡®But those are his feelings. It¡¯s none of my business.¡¯</em>


    Seria crossed her arms and said,


    ¡°I sent her and Berg Commander to provide support at the front because she is a very strong knight. Do you mean that I gave the wrong order? Shall I tell her toe back? I¡¯m sure that would make me very ufortable.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­no.¡±


    The high ranking Priest, who knew her personality well, immediately lowered his head.


    He left and began to examine the situation in the ins while the two holy knights were assigned to protect Seria. Of course it was because she didn¡¯t have the guts tomand the battlefield like amander-in-chief. She was just a scaredmoner who hated blood.


    At that moment, a woman dressed like Seria came running towards her, calling her name.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    The holy knights immediately bowed their heads.


    ¡°Saintess.¡±


    It was Lina. She had short, shimmering ck hair. As soon as she saw Seria, she looked happy and tried to shake Seria¡¯s hand, but then she saw Seria¡¯s pale face and withdrew her hand.


    ¡°You know, Seria! The ne you wore yesterday. Where did ite from? I was going to ask you about it yesterday.¡±


    It may be an illusion, but it seemed that Lina was obsessed with this ne. However, Seria answered insincerely.


    ¡°I got it from His Highness.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­! So it¡¯s a wedding present! So the Grand Duke and his wife are exchanging such things!¡±


    Lina murmured, her cheeks blushed.


    From behind Lina, a few knights were approaching from afar. They seemed to havee for Lina. When Seria turned her head to the side without replying, Lina spoke.


    ¡°I wish I had one like that too¡­¡±


    <em>¡®She wants it?¡¯</em>


    Was there a chance that the ne would show up at the auction house like in the original book, and Seria¡¯s half brother, Nissos Kellyden, won the bid and gave it to Lina as a birthday present? Of course not.


    While Seria was pondering these silly thoughts, Lina¡¯s voice rang in her ears.


    ¡°When you divorceter, you will return it to His Highness right?¡±


    ***


    For a moment, Kalis Hon thought he had misheard.


    But Lina¡¯s voice was high pitched and full of life, and it pierced his ears well. A look of concern crossed the face of the second-inmand knight who followed Kalis.


    ¡°Marquis, did the Saintess¡­.?¡±


    Kalis raised his hand to indicate that the knight should be quiet. Even if his second-inmand knight didn¡¯t say anything, Kalis knew well what Lina just said was problematic.


    On the one hand, Seria was feeling tired.


    Not long ago, on the way back to the Great Temple with High Priest Amos, Lina kept crying. She stubbornly refused to go back.


    No matter how strict High Priest Amos was, he couldn¡¯t bend his will when the Saintess was crying to the point of exhausting her energy. So High Priest Amos changed his direction. For the sake of Lina¡¯s stability, he called for Marquis Hon.


    Kalis had a lot of urgent matters to deal with, such as settling his marriage with Seria, which was also in dispute.


    He put away the proposal ring that Seria returned to him in the most important drawer of his desk for a while, and after busily processing his work with a bitter smile on his face, he decided to escort Lina again in the name of her protector.


    It was a decision that Kalis could not fail to make, as the temple had offered unbeatablepensation, including generous gold and holy objects, in exchange for the escort.


    However, Kalis didn¡¯t expect to meet Seria like this. Apart from the fact that it was awkward, Kalis was happy.


    ¡°Lina.¡±


    Seria said, raising one eyebrow.


    ¡°You seem to want this ne very much.¡±


    Lina hesitated and spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­..the ne is very beautiful. Oh, Seria! If you ever get tired of that ne, can you give it to me as a birthday present?¡±


    Kalis was troubled. Even though they were at some distance, Seria¡¯s eyes went past Lina to him.


    Eyes that faced each other for a while. Kalis felt his heart throb. She was the fianc¨¦e whom he had promised eternity at one time. His heart ached at the fact that he could no longer call Seria his fianc¨¦e. Kalis¡¯s emotions were still leaning toward Seria.


    At that moment, Lina followed along Seria¡¯s gaze, as if she had an ominous premonition.


    ¡°Kalis!¡±


    Lina said as she ran over to him.


    ¡°I was having a little chat with Seria¡­ I was about to go back.¡±


    Kalis became a little curious. Because by all ounts, Lina seemed to be trying to cover up her conversation with Seria earlier. Could it be that she was aware that the words she had said to Seria were not appropriate?


    ¡°Lina.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s disrespectful to tell a Glick nobleman about divorce.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­.. Seria is going to marry you anyway. I¡¯m sure she and Grand Duke Berg will divorce soon. I did it because I was thinking of you.¡±


    <em>¡®Thinking of me? No, if anything, you provoked Seria.¡¯</em>


    If it was the Seria from before, she would have already pped Lina in the face.


    ¡°She¡¯ll return the ne to His Highness when they divorced, won¡¯t she?¡±


    Kalis said once and for all.


    ¡°Even if that was unintentional, it didn¡¯t sound good, Lina.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lina fell silent and looked at Kalis with resentful eyes. They were ck with a hint of brown. In an instant, clear tears fell from the eyes of the unique color, which was different from those of any aristocrats in this empire.


    ¡°Lina¡­.Lina? Lina!¡±


    Kalis called her name in an attempt to soothe her, but Lina instantly ran down the hill. The knight said in surprise at Lina¡¯s sudden behavior.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go after the Saintess.¡±


    The second-inmand knight ran off in a hurry. Kalis shifted his gaze for a moment as the knight moved. Seria looked at Kalis.


    He seemed to have lost some weight.


    Up until a month ago, he had always been by her side. Her heart felt uneasy for no reason when she saw Kalis¡¯s bright blue eyes.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Their gazes met, and Seria turned her head away without much reaction. Kalis was about to grab Seria¡¯s hand, but he turned around. An instinctive sense of foreboding stopped Kalis. He raised his head. Seria¡¯s eyes and Kalis¡¯s immediately widened. The demon was right beside them.


    ¡°De¡­.Demon!¡±


    A holy knight in the vicinity of Kalis shouted. Seria panicked and rushed to avoid it, but the demon moved more swiftly.


    ¡°How did ite all the way here?¡±


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    It was the moment when Kalis hurriedly shouted Seria¡¯s name. Seria closed her eyes tightly.</i>

 Chapter 53

    <h2>Chapter 53</h2><i>


    In a sh, Kalis rushed towards Seria and stood in front of her. nk! With a sharp sound of shing metal, he managed to knock the demon down.


    ¡°Guh¡­¡±


    ¡°Marquis Hon!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡±


    The knights rushed over and joined Kalis.


    ¡°Stern! We must evacuate to a safe ce!¡±


    ¡°Seria! It¡¯s okay¡­¡­¡±


    The conversation did notst long. While Seria was contemting, the demon grabbed Kalis¡¯s arm and pulled him towards it.


    ¡°Marquis Hon!¡±


    For a moment, not knowing what to do, his arm was scratched by the demon. Fortunately, his arm was still intact, but red blood gushed out. When Kalis finally managed to strike the demon, a cold white de came out of nowhere and killed it.


    In the blink of an eye, the demon stopped breathing and crashed down the hill.


    ¡°Marquis Hon!¡±


    ¡°Marquis!¡±


    The second-inmand knights rushed to the scene.


    ¡°Stern! Are you alright!¡±


    The priests also came running over. But it wasn¡¯t their swords that killed the demon.


    Kalis shoved his sword into its case.


    ¡°Your Highness, the Grand Duke of Berg.¡±


    Lesche Berg, the master of the sword and the master of the Central Territory, appeared in front of them.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you take care of one person?¡±


    ¡°I was not good enough, sir.¡±


    ¡°It would be better if you knew. I don¡¯t want my wife to bleed.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Kalis silently red at Lesche. Of course, Lesche Berg was not a man who would ever avert his gaze just because someone else was ring at him. Even though he appeared to be rxed, he was actually looking at the other person with cold eyes as if he was about to kill them.


    The holy knight, who noticed this sharp, tense atmosphere, stepped in with wary eyes.


    ¡°Your Highness, Marquis Hon has just saved Stern from the clutches of the demon.¡±


    The knight was trying to soften the mood.


    However, it was better if he didn¡¯t. Lesche quickly clenched his teeth.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Yes?¡±


    ¡°What were you all doing? Were you mesmerized? How is it that the precious Stern almost died but your limbs are undamaged?¡±


    ¡°Um, Your Highness¡­!¡±


    ¡°One of the demons is dead, but you¡¯re so fine, you¡¯re amazingly negligent.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The knights¡¯ faces turned pale as Lesche approached him with a chilling energy.


    ¡°Lesche, please stop.¡±


    Seria¡¯s voice casually calling the Grand Duke of Berg by his name horrified Kalis for a moment, as if she had cut his chest.


    When Seria told him to stop, Lesche turned to her immediately.


    ¡°How did you get here?¡±


    ¡°I had a feeling that my wife was going to die.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not dying. Please don¡¯t kill a decent, living person.¡±


    ¡°If you were dead, the people who sent the call for help would be buried alive here.¡±


    When did Seria and Lesche be so close for her to call Lesche¡¯s name so casually?


    Kalis suddenly felt strange. Seria didn¡¯t seem to know, but Lesche¡¯s red eyes, looking down at her, had softened distinctly in an instant. For a moment, Kalis was incredibly jealous.


    It was then¡­.


    ¡°Kalis? Kalis! What¡¯s wrong with your arm!¡±


    It was unknown when she came back, but Lina covered her mouth with both hands. Her face turned pale with shock.


    ¡°Saintess.¡±


    Kalis¡¯s arm was dripping blood, but somehow he felt no pain. At that moment, a priest rushed over and gave first aid to Kalis¡¯s arm and bandaged it up.


    A high-ranking priest ran over to Lina, stamping his feet.


    ¡°Saintess, you¡¯re not supposed to be here! Please go back to your original post.¡±


    ¡°But, Kalis¡­.¡±


    ¡°Lina,e with me. I¡¯ll take you back.¡± Kalis said.


    ***


    That night, Lina was severely scolded by Amos.


    ¡°Saintess, what the hell¡­..! You¡¯re Stern! Stern! I know you haven¡¯t finished formal education yet, but didn¡¯t the priests teach you anything?¡±


    Amos was furious. Even though Lina knew he was strict, she had never seen him this angry before, she was scared.


    ¡°From the beginning, since there are two Sterns, we aggressively nned the battle to defeat the demons! Ten staff members stuck around and stayed up all night! Saintess is Stern, you must be there, and yet you¡¯re doing your job in such a dogmatic way!¡±


    ¡°Um, I was just worried that Kalis was bleeding, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    Amos¡¯s angry voice made Lina flinch.


    ¡°How many times have I told you? Stern is the star of the battle to defeat the demons! I¡¯ve always made it known to you that you can¡¯t leave your position at will!¡±


    Fortunately, the area wasn¡¯trge this time, so no knights froze to death due to hypothermia. But if there was even one such casualty, and if it was a knight of the Berg Order¡­.


    The problem would have caused Amos a great deal of trouble as well. Because of theplications in the affair, Lesche Berg became Seria Stern¡¯s husband, but that¡¯s all. Even if his wife was not Stern or a saint, Lesche Berg would still protest harshly to the Temple.


    The reason Grand Duke Berg was so good to Stern was because he demanded so much of her duty. Obviously, it was Stern¡¯s fault, and Amos had no idea how Lesche felt about what happened today.


    ¡°ns have already been made to deal with all of those demons tomorrow! The scope should be evenrger than today, so please just stay put tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­..¡±


    And the next day, Lina was deadly quiet, unlike her recent behavior.


    ¡°Saintess?¡±


    A familiar voice rang out to Lina, who was sitting in her assigned seat at the behest of High Priest Amos, wearing the sparkling ceremonial dress of Stern.


    ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡±


    Lina looked at the knight who was speaking to her. He was a knight that Lina feltfortable with as he admired her and was kind to her.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s about yesterday¡­.¡±


    Lina¡¯s mouth twitched as she talked about being scolded by Amos. ¡°He has nopassion,¡± she said. ¡°And he scolds me every day. Surely Seria would act as I did.¡±


    After mumbling that much, Lina raised her head and sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show High Priest Amos.¡±


    ¡°Show what?¡±


    ¡°Seria¡¯s personality is simr to mine. So, surely, if she was in the same situation as me, Seria would leave her seat ande running, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh no¡­but you can¡¯t hurt the Grand Duchess. Saintess.¡±


    ¡°You too?¡±


    The knight flinched as he saw Lina¡¯s lips quiver. He thought offorting Lina and giving her some insight about fighting demons.


    ¡°Well then, what about the others?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take that knight.¡±


    ¡°Abigail? She¡¯s Seria¡¯s loyal knight.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°But¡­..I like that knight.¡±


    Lina liked Abigail. She admired Abigail¡¯s sharpness, which was different from other knights.


    ¡°Saintess is apassionate person, but Abigail Orrien was a sinner detained in the temple.¡±


    ¡°Abigail? A sinner?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What sins did shemit?¡±


    ¡°She killed many people. She was on death row.¡±


    ¡°Then, how did she¡­..?¡±


    ¡°Stern saved her. Otherwise, she would have been decapitated along with other death row inmates.¡±


    ¡°Why did she kill those people?¡±


    ¡°I heard that she testified that she killed them for fun.¡±


    ¡°Fun? She killed for pleasure?¡±


    The blood drained from Lina¡¯s face.


    ¡°Why would Seria have such a bad person as a knight? I feel sorry for the people who died¡­.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know much about Stern because she travels a lot.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it outside either, Saintess. The temple kept this story hidden for a reason.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand. But if she is such a bad person, don¡¯t you think she should be punished too? It won¡¯t be a harsh punishment, of course. And she¡¯s a knight that Seria cares about.¡±


    ¡°Of course, but¡­¡±


    The knight intended to talk Lina out of it, but Lina grabbed his hand.


    ¡°Then will you do me one favor? I don¡¯t want anyone to get hurt either. I just want Seria to understand how I feel.¡±


    Then, Lina whispered to the knight.


    ¡°Thank you for the details.¡±


    Lina smiled and the knight¡¯s neck was red. It wasn¡¯t difficult to ask for a favor.


    ***


    Bang! The sword made a sharp sound as it collided with the metal-hard skin of the demons. Abigail swung her sword and breathed heavily. Before she knew it, the corpses of the fallen demons had begun to pile up around her.


    It was cold as her body was wrapped in the Holy gold armor.


    She shifted her gaze towards the hills. She saw two Stern¡¯s ceremonial robes fluttering about, and the green head on one side was more visible. The problem was that it was so much further away than before. Somehow Abigail crossed the safe line.


    A knight nearby shouted out.


    ¡°Abigail! On your right!¡±


    Abigail, who seemed distracted, mercilessly swung her sword. The demons that were running on the right were pushed back.


    At that time, there was also a demon running on the left side. However, because the knight shouted with one tempo toote, Abigail could notpletely avoid the attack. She retreated, but it was a little toote. A considerable amount of blood burst from the thigh that was scratched by the demon.


    Abigail quickly lifted her sword and jumped to the ground. The sharp sword stabbed the demon in the neck. The demon¡¯s neck cracked and fell to the ground with a thud.


    ¡°Abigail! Are you all right?¡±


    Abigail didn¡¯t answer but looked at the top of the hill. Seria, who was sitting down earlier, stood up quickly. Her face probably looked pale.


    Abigail walked withrge strides and suddenly grabbed the knight by his chest who was helping her defeat the demons.


    ¡°Why, why!?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I have exceptionally better eyesight than most people. I saw it earlier. You were looking at the Saintess.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Abigail red at the knight with murderous eyes as if about to devour him.


    ¡°Why did you keep pushing me outside the borders of Stern? Why did you pretend to help then obstruct me from fighting the demons? Did the Saintess make you do it?¡±


    The knight¡¯s face turned pale.</i>

 Chapter 54

    <h2>Chapter 54</h2><i>


    Crash.


    Gasp.


    The high-ranking priest who had been handling business in the barracks looked at the knight thrown in front of him in surprise. The knight¡¯s face was a mess. He looked like he had been beaten to a pulp.


    The person who suddenly threw this knight at the priest was none other than themander of the Knights of Berg. Even high-ranking officials from the Holy Land knew his name¡­


    ¡°Lord Alliot! This is¡­. What kind of disrespect is this?¡±


    ¡°Priest.¡±


    Alliot¡¯s face was unusually subdued. Whatever the reason, it was clear that something very serious had happened.


    ¡°I have something to tell you. It concerns the Saintess.¡±


    ¡°¡­What? What about the Saintess¡­?¡±


    The high-ranking priest stood up quickly.


    ***


    The defeat of the demons was a sess. Thanks to the two Stern¡¯s ability to take down the enemy aggressively, it ended faster than expected. The noblewomen who were deeply frightened by the fact that they had been surrounded by demons and heavy snow, breathed a sigh of relief.


    Moreover, the fact that the Grand Duke of Berg was in the barracks was even more exciting. He was the most powerful man in the empire after the emperor and barely appeared in society. Naturally, there was an overflow of nobles who wished to see his face once.


    Of course he was married.


    But all the people in the world knew that it was temporary. The wedding to Seria was misrepresented as the romance of a knight who jumped in to save Stern and instead became famous.


    Eloise Hedon was sobbing.


    She didn¡¯t care that Seria Stern had insulted her. What mattered was her rtionship with her knight that hade to light during this time.


    The nobledies, who were friends with her in the past, openly ignored or avoided her. Among them, a weak-minded and kind-hearted Young Lady modestly advised Eloise.


    ¡°Lady Eloise. It would be better to sort this out before your fianc¨¦ finds out.¡±


    But what good would it do to sort it out? There were already other warlords and their knights in this ce. They saw it all.


    In addition, Seria Stern was also there. Although she has been slowly hiding from society for the past year, the original nickname for Seria Stern was a deranged viper or a mad colt.


    Now that she was the Grand Duchess of Berg, Eloise would be aughing stock and a miserable failure to get an invitation when she came up to the imperial social gathering in the spring. Before that, her fianc¨¦ would break up the marriage and she would be locked up in a country mansion for the rest of her life¡­


    ¡°Hmm? Why are you crying?¡±


    Eloise quickly lifted her head.


    ¡°Oh, Saintess.¡±


    Eloise was usually arrogant, but now her heart was weakening.


    She grabbed Lina and vented her frustration.


    ¡°Seria Stern, she insulted me¡­.¡±


    Lina¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    ***


    Lina felt happy. She felt like Eloise Hedon had be her first friend.


    ¡°Seria was awful. She didn¡¯t have to insult Young Lady that much!¡±


    Eloise suddenly burst into tears at Lina¡¯s words.


    <em>¡®Honestly, though, it was your fault.¡¯</em>


    But Lina only thought that to herself.


    Lina needed a friend. She had already lost to thedies of Hon.


    So Lina didn¡¯t want to make the same mistake again. It seemed like thedies here were reluctant to point out their mistakes openly.


    <em>¡®This way, I will soon have a friend.¡¯</em>


    Lina danced to her feet. It was a temporary barracks, but there were many isted nobles, and the state of the barracks was built like a hunting ground with walking paths and everything in between.


    Right now, the priests were out of their positions. This was because thend was almost contaminated by magi and had to be cleansed with the silver branches and holy objects. It was not very efficient, but it was quite effective for the ces where this level of magic had left.


    Thanks to that, Lina was free.


    Lina ran into Lesche. He looked at her like she was a stone, and quickly passed her by, coldly averting his gaze.


    Of course, Lina didn¡¯t have any kind of friendship or connection with Lesche Berg. In fact, she was scared.


    Just as Lina was about to pass by.


    <em>¡®Huh? What just happened?¡¯</em>


    Lina was puzzled as she continued to move. The moment she grazed Lesche, it looked as if an invisible spark had spattered.


    She must be mistaken. No, even if she wasn¡¯t mistaken, she didn¡¯t dare turn around to check. At that moment¡­


    ¡°Saintess.¡±


    A voice came from behind. Lina thought that Lesche¡¯s voice was extremely good. She could understand why thedies were praising him so much.


    But, why was Kalis more visible when she was in Berg mansion? While thinking about it, Lina momentarily missed the right moment to turn around.


    ¡°What did you do to me?¡±


    ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then what is this?¡±


    Finally, Lina turned around and her eyes widened instantly. Because there was a trickle of blood falling from Lesche¡¯s arm, where Lina had just grazed.


    ¡°What? I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t do that¡­¡±


    That was when she heard a strong voice


    ¡°Your Highness! Your Highness? What¡¯s wrong with your arm?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Alliot looked at Lesche¡¯s arm with a surprised expression, then alternated between him and Lina.


    <em>¡®Why are you looking at me like that?¡¯</em>


    Lina was perplexed. She could only be perplexed. She couldn¡¯t put her fingers on it, but Alliot¡¯s gaze was strange.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t as hostile as thedies from Hon. Nor did it contain a stern reprimand like High Priest Amos¡¯s. Still, it wasn¡¯t as heartless and cold as Lesche Berg¡¯s, but¡­.


    It was then.


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    Lina turned around and flinched. It was because a high-ranking priest directly under Amos was approaching. His expression was gloomy, and Lina knew instinctively that something was wrong.


    ¡°High Priest Amos has something important to tell you.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ***


    Lina¡¯s eyes widened as she entered the barracks.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Because the knight that she sent to ¡®help¡¯ Abigail, Seria¡¯s knight, at the defeat battle earlier, was lying limp on the ground.


    The knight was tied up with a rope, and the other priests in the barracks were simply pretending not to see her.


    There was only one question.


    How did they find out? There was no one around them when they talked¡­


    Then, High Priest Amos walking in the barracks came into Lina¡¯s view. Lina knew the moment she met his eyes. That he was beyond angry.


    Lina hesitated to look at him.


    However, unlike usual, Amos spoke with a smile.


    ¡°Saintess.¡±


    ¡°Yes, High Priest.¡±


    ¡°Did you send this knight to Abigail Orrien?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. May I ask why?¡±


    Lina said in a fading voice.


    ¡°Well, High Priest, you said that unlike me, Seria will keep her position no matter what happens. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s true¡­.¡±


    ¡°So did you order the knight to hurt Abigail Orrien?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t order him! I just asked him for a favor.¡±


    ¡°Did you try to hurt Abigail to get Seria Stern out of her position?¡±


    ¡°As I said before, I want to show you that Seria would do the same thing as I did if an urgent situation arises.¡±


    Amosughed in bewilderment. The priests standing on either side of him closed their eyes tightly and stepped away as quietly as they could.


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    It was a loud cry.


    ¡°What the hell¡­.! In what spirit did you do that? Now, for such a trivial reason, you tried to hurt a knight? And she¡¯s Stern¡¯s knight! Stern¡¯s knight!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you have any excuse left!¡±


    Amos was extremely mad. He even staggered a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯ve promised the Great Temple to keep you safe and sound, but I can¡¯t do it anymore.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What? What do you mean ¡­¡­?¡±


    Lina¡¯s eyes widened with anxiety.


    ¡°I promised that I would take you to the imperial pce one month after the battle. I¡¯ll cancel that promise now. No matter what I think about it, this is for the best.¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡±


    ¡°Why did you fool Stern¡¯s knight while you¡¯re trying to avoid something you don¡¯t like!¡±


    ¡°I heard that knight was a death sentence anyway!¡±


    ¡°Saintess! Don¡¯t insult Stern¡¯s knight!¡±


    High Priest Amos trembled. Lina had insulted Stern¡¯s knight, and even Stern herself.


    Stern¡¯s knights were the ones who guarded Stern and spoke for Stern at the same time. They were not just mere escorts. Even if it was understandable for someone who didn¡¯t know anything to say something like that, it was definitely not something that shoulde out of the mouth of a saint who was anointed by God.


    Lina finally said, her hands trembling.


    ¡°Now¡­ I¡¯ll go to Seria right now and apologize to her. I¡¯ll do it right away!¡±


    As soon as her words were finished, Amos stopped Lina from running around.


    ¡°Saintess. Please stop.¡±


    The wrinkles on Amos¡¯s forehead were deeper than usual.


    ¡°I am the one who was assigned from the Holy Land to protect Saintess¡¯s safety, but I am also the Priest who guards Stern. As of today, Saintess will not be able to see Stern.¡±


    ¡°Bring him. I¡¯ll punish him in front of Stern.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, High Priest.¡±


    The tied up knight was dragged away by the hands of the other knights. Lina shuddered.


    ¡°How long do I have to stay before¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Amos did not answer. Lina remained persistent in his silence, but Amos did not give a definite answer. What could be more ominous than the silence of the High Priest? The blood slowly drained from Lina¡¯s face. Her eyes clouded over as if she was about to cry out.


    Lina ran straight out of the barracks.


    ¡°Saintess!¡±</i>

 Chapter 55

    <h2>Chapter 55</h2>


    Lina cried as she walked aimlessly along the dark trail of the barracks.


    It was still snowing heavily and there were no people around, which was a relief at least. Now she really wanted to be alone.


    <em>¡®Why does he keep asking me to go to ces I don¡¯t want to go?¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Why does he keep getting angry every day?¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®He¡¯s so mean, really¡­¡¯</em>


    Why did the High Priest Amos punish the poor knight when all she wanted to do was show him that Seria was just like her?


    It was hard to tell how far she had walked before she felt the cold. Lina wrapped her body with her hands. Then she looked down at the bandages wrapped around her arms.


    ¡°Yes, I am. I¡¯m a saint,¡± she said. ¡°I have yellow bruises all over my body from the collision of too much divine power, but this is still proof that I am a saint.¡±


    ¡°I wonder how strong my divine power is if my body gets bruises like this. When this divine power blossoms, will no one be able to ignore me then?¡±


    It was then.


    [God¡­Mo¡­]


    Lina looked around in bewilderment. But there was no one around. Scared for a moment, Lina snapped back to return to the barracks.


    [Saintess¡­..]


    The voice was clearer than before, and the unfinished words came to her ears like an illusion. Lina shuddered.


    ¡°Who are you? Who are you? Who is it?!¡±


    [Your divine power¡­¡­.It¡¯s not enough¡­]


    ¡°¡­.!¡±


    Lina was startled to the point of fainting. She was sure it was because the voice came from nowhere. It was a very listless and yet oddly angry voice. Lina stepped back.


    It felt like she had to leave her seat now, but strangely, the words lingered in her ears that shecked divine power.


    [You have to get it.]


    A ck, sinister darkness appeared before her. Lina suddenly felt thirsty. She didn¡¯t know why. The next thing that crossed her mind was the spirit that this darkness was spewing was a spirit that she had felt somewhere else.


    ¡°Seria¡¯s ne?¡±


    It was shining with gold and rubies, the ne that she had mysteriously wanted. It was the ne that made her visit Seria for no reason and ask her over and over again.


    [Take it.]


    ¡°¡­¡±


    [Take it.]


    ¡°¡­¡±


    [Take it.]


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lina caught the darkness as if possessed. A satisfiedugh sounded in Lina¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    The pitch-ck darkness disappearedpletely through Lina¡¯s skin. The light came into Lina¡¯s nk eyes a momentter.


    ¡°Now¡­¡±


    ¡°Lina, is that you? What did you just say¡­..?¡±


    Lina¡¯s heart was pounding. She shuddered and turned around. Seria was standing there with a bewildered look on her face. Here in the blizzard, they stood speechless for a while. The world seemed to have paused around them.


    Seria¡¯s eyes shook like never before.


    ¡°Shadow¡­.¡±


    Lina stepped back. She broke through the fence around the barracks and ran out.


    ***


    ¡°There really is a lot going on.¡±


    Lesche tossed the papers onto the bed.


    ¡°Did the Saintess go missing because she was saved from the clutches of the demons? Are you messing with me now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Grand Duke Berg. But really¡­.¡±


    The high ranking priest who came to Lesche for help in the middle of the night was frightened.


    ¡°What about the High Priest Amos?¡±


    ¡°He has already gone to find the Saintess himself.¡±


    High Priest Amos was an older man. Lesche couldn¡¯t believe he went out to look for Lina directly in such a severe cold. It seemed that he wanted to freeze and martyred himself together.


    ¡°Thank you for letting me feel three years¡¯ worth of frustration today.¡±


    Lesche rang the bell roughly. The attendant hurried in. He handed him a pair of boots, and that was when Lesche cursed in a low tone.


    The barracks door suddenly opened with a snap.


    ¡°Lesche!¡±


    It was Seria, who showed her face. Lesche¡¯s red eyes ran her up and down. Seria was dressed as if she was going to find someone in the freezing cold for all to see.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out with Alliot and Abigail!¡±


    ¡°Where are you going? They¡¯re in the barracks.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re both already wearing constetion gold armor, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°¡­wait. I¡¯ll be right out.¡±


    Seria nodded and quickly left. Much faster than before, Lesche put on his boots and red at the high-ranking priest.


    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss the damage to Berg specifically at ater date.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Of course, Your Highness ¡­.¡±


    The high-ranking official could only reply, ¡°Do as you please,¡± to Lesche¡¯s snarling words. He nodded with a pale face.


    It was inevitable. The fact that the Saintess had gone missing was a big deal. She sneaked out of the house like an immature tomboy. This was a ce where the defeat of the demons was notpletely finished.


    All of the priests staying in this barracks were already prepared to be reprimanded.


    However, the entire continent could turn its back on the High Priest if God¡¯s anointed saint was badly injured by the demons.


    The messenger of God was eaten by the demons. How would those who desired a savior endure their helplessness? The disbelievers would overflow, and the honor of the Grand Temple would be ruined.


    The high ranking priest sped his hands together and prayed earnestly that nothing would happen.


    Lesche immediately formed a search party with Seria.


    ¡°We¡¯ll divide the search into three groups from here. I¡¯m afraid the traces for the High Priest Amos will be erased from here.¡±


    The snow was so heavy that the footprints quickly disappeared. And it was the middle of the night, which made the tracking that much more difficult.


    ¡°The Saintess is a Stern, so the Holy gold armor allows us to keep track of her location to some extent. Knights, you should concentrate on the change of your body temperature.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The knights moved in unison.


    The knights in the procession away from Seria Stern soon began to feel the gradual freezing of the Holy gold armor.


    Their limbs slowly began to cool, and their breathing became white and shattered. Although the theoretical distance protected by Stern was a 5km radius, it was truly a distance ofst resort.


    With every kilometer, the temperature of the gold armor would drop sharply. The further away they were away from Stern, the more they really felt the cold.


    Therefore, the tracking groups, which moved away from Seria and got closer to Lina, would be able to locate her by the change in their body temperature.


    ¡°Run! Don¡¯t stop!¡±


    Dozens of horses kicked and ran across the pure white earth.


    ***


    ¡°Saintess, this way!¡±


    Eloise Hedon hurriedly shouted.


    After struggling all day, she was in a state where she and her knight had decided to run away. It seemed a bit reckless but romantic.


    There was also a practical calction. Because now she had a very expensive wedding gift to give to the Grand Duchess of Berg. If she sold it, she would have enough to use as a living settlement.


    Taking advantage of the night, she slipped out of the barracks with her lover, the knight, and on the way to escape, she saw Lina running alone as if she was scared. Lina looked very pale as if something had happened to her. She was running incessantly across the snowfield as if she just wanted to be far away from the barracks.


    Eloise had heard Linain that she didn¡¯t want to go back to the temple full of stubborn people and that she wanted to rest a little longer in the Hon estate, so Eloise had an idea right away.


    The Saintess was a blessing from God, a sign of good fortune. It seemed to imply that things would go well in the future. Eloise Hedon was inwardly relieved.


    ¡°I will take you to Hon territory!¡±


    They were quickly moving away from the barracks.


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    Just as they were about to flee, someone behind them called out for Lina. Amos gasped. The cold air mixed with snow seeped deep into his lungs. Amos finally managed to stall Lina.


    ¡°Stop right now!¡±


    He wondered how Lina was able to leave the barracks so quickly. She had escaped on horseback with the knight and thedy.


    Lina was still new to riding and could not ride alone. The youngdy was riding the same horse as Lina. He saw a few strands of her tinum hair through the cloak, and the knight eximed with a horrified expression.


    ¡°Young Lady Eloise Hedon.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Eloise, who was urately called by name, shuddered.


    ¡°¡­High Priest.¡±


    Eloise and the knight¡¯s faces turned bright red.


    ¡°How dare you try to kidnap a saint!¡±


    ¡°Kidnap?! It was never like that!¡±


    Hedon¡¯s knight shouted in panic. He was too confused to move because his retreat was alreadypletely blocked by the holy Knight¡¯s swords. (*the knight who was with Amos)


    The holy knight howled and lifted his sword.


    ¡°Bring the Saintess to us at once! Or I will retrieve her with force.¡±


    The Hedon¡¯s knight looked at his lover, Eloise, confused.


    ¡°Eloise¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let her go! I¡¯ll let her down!¡±


    Amos rushed over himself and grabbed Lina¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°Saintess! How in the world did you get here! Did I scold you for doing so? No matter how reckless you are, how are you going to handle the consequences?¡±


    Lina turned around, holding onto Amos. Amos was momentarily distraught. Lina¡¯s face was pale. By all ounts, she looked terribly frightened. Even though she had been through a lot in the past, she didn¡¯t look like this.


    Something was wrong.


    ¡°Saintess? Why on earth are you like this? Did something happen in the barracks¡­?¡±


    ¡°Knight! Go with the Saintess!¡±


    Amos¡¯s words were cut short.


    Growl!


    The holy knight gripped the reins and turned. A cold sweat began to flow from his body. A chill ran down his spine.


    ¡°Demon!¡±

 Chapter 56

    <h2>Chapter 56</h2>


    ***


    ¡°Miss, why do we have toe out in the middle of the night for the Saintess?¡±


    At Abigail¡¯s words, Alliot quickly jumped in.


    ¡°Lady Abigail. Please refrain from speaking inappropriate words.¡±


    ¡°I was in the middle of a private conversation with my Lady.¡±


    ¡°How can you not know it¡¯s your Lady who will get in trouble when you say such things outside?¡±


    Abigail turned her head, cheekily. Alliot looked at Seria, who was somehow less talkative and opened his mouth cautiously.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold, Young Lady?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. It¡¯s about time we got word from others.¡±


    Alliot raised his head and looked at the sky where snow was falling endlessly. The knights scattered in all directions. It was decided that the group that would spot Lina first would immediately set off the firecrackers. The firecrackers that could be used in such bad weather were veryrge and heavy. So they could only use one. Everyone¡¯s nerves were focused on two ces, the ground, and the sky.


    Seria was waiting with two knights not far from the barracks.


    She stared at the sky.


    <em>¡®What the hell was that thing I saw earlier?¡¯</em>


    She didn¡¯t follow Lina from the start. But when she saw Lina earlier, she saw a mysterious darkness that she couldn¡¯t understand.


    There were no traces left in that ce where Lina had fled. If anything, she could have guessed.


    Seria had a hazy feeling.


    The ck shadow, it looked just like Magi¡­


    The hardened Magi that covered the greenurel manor. She could tell because she had attempted to purify the demon shadow once in the manor. If it hadn¡¯t been for that, she wouldn¡¯t have gotten any sensation from seeing that shadow.


    How did that get into Lina¡¯s hands? There wasn¡¯t anything suspicious like this in the original story.


    Could it be that Lina was purifying Magi?


    Seria immediately shook her head lightly. No, Lina wasn¡¯t purifying it. She was absorbing the ck shadow.


    <em>¡®This wasn¡¯t in the original story.¡¯</em>


    Her head was about to explode when someone called her.


    ¡°Lady!¡±


    Seria¡¯s eyes widened when she looked at the sky.


    ***


    The holy knight gritted his teeth and jumped at the demon. His sword hit hard against the demon¡¯s metal-like hard skin. It was nearly impossible for a single knight to take on the demon by himself. Amos hurriedly pulled Lina¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Saintess! We must escape quickly! It¡¯s too dangerous here! There is a demon!¡±


    Lina, who had been in a daze for a long time, regained consciousness.


    ¡°Oh, High Priest¡­.¡±


    ¡°Now, get on the horse!¡±


    Lina hurriedly mounted Amos¡¯s horse. That was when it happened. The sound of horses¡¯ hooves came from not far away as if they had seen the signal. Amos shouted with all his might.


    ¡°Here! Here! Stern!¡±


    ¡®Here is Stern¡¯. Shouting out the sacred words that any knight in holy gold armor could understand, Amos began to run as fast as he could towards the sound of horseshoes.


    Lina turned around with a look of horror on her face. Immediately, the blood drained from her face.


    ¡°Aah!¡±


    It was because the holy knight screamed horrendously as his limbs were being ripped off by the demon. It was such a horrible sight that she felt like she was going to vomit. Lina covered her mouth with one hand. Amos gritted his teeth and shouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look back!¡±


    At the same time, the sword slipped from the holy knight¡¯s hand and flew out, plunging into the front of their horse. The startled horse struggled, and Lina, unustomed to riding, fell off the horse with a scream.


    ¡°Saintess.¡±


    Amos pulled straight on the horse¡¯s reins and finally stopped it. He quickly jumped off the horse and hurriedly to help Lina, who had fallen on the snowfield.


    ¡°Come on, get back on the horse quickly¡­!¡±


    The horse came to a halt in the middle of the road. For a moment Lina¡¯s face twisted into a lurid expression. Amos turned around slowly, groaning in pain. A pitch-ck smudge bloomed from his neck.


    A human contaminated by Magi.


    At that moment, the demon grabbed Amos¡¯s ankle with its mouth.


    ¡°High Priest¡­.High Priest¡­.!¡±


    Lina reached out with a trembling hand, and Amos shouted with all his might.


    ¡°Stern!¡± (*a call for help.)


    Crack.


    ¡°High Priest Amos, please!¡±


    Lina screamed helplessly with a nk face, but that was all. The demonpletely bit off Amos¡¯s lower body. Red blood poured out from his severed body.


    Blood sttered on Lina¡¯s face as she stared tremblingly at Amos¡¯s face rolled across the floor.


    ¡°Lina!¡±


    ¡°The Saintess is here!¡±


    ¡°High Priest Amos¡­!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a demon! Concentrate on the demons!¡±


    ¡°There are three more demons approaching!¡±


    A field of pure white snow, a rain of blood on top of it, and a white and red energy of death enveloped the moonlit night.


    ¡°Lina!¡±


    Kalis quickly ran to Lina. At that moment, some of the Berg Knights appeared on the other side as well. The man leading them was the Grand Duke Lesche Berg.


    ¡°We found the target! Everyone, join in!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The Berg Knights immediately lined up to hunt for demons. Lesche hastily assessed the situation.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    The person who had horribly died near the Saintess was High Priest Amos. That cruel amputation undoubtedly was done by the demons.


    Lesche said, cursing.


    <em>¡®I came to find a person, not a corpse.¡¯</em>


    At that moment.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Kalis, who had gotten rid of the demons and was heading towards Lina, widened his eyes dumbfoundedly. All the knights had the same reaction.


    ¡°Um, what is that¡­!¡±


    ¡°The moon. ¡­. It¡¯s the moon! The moon hase out.¡±


    The ice-cold blue moon appeared behind Lina. At the same time, Lina¡¯s body began to float up into the air.


    Kalis knew what it was because he remembered seeing it clearly on the Grand Duchess¡¯ terrace at Berg Castle.


    It was arge moon that had suddenly fallen. Lina was being sucked in. The moon was taking Lina with it as it was slowly disappearing. The moon had a different color than it was back then¡­but¡­ It didn¡¯t make sense why the moon suddenly appeared.


    ¡°Kalis!¡±


    Lina swung her arms and legs in a struggle as she shouted his name, but it was of no use.


    ¡°No! No!¡±


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    ¡°Lina!¡±


    Lina screamed incessantly. At that moment, the nearest knight, Lesche, came into her view. For a moment, time seemed to slow down. Lina reached out her hand earnestly toward those red eyes.


    ¡°Catch me¡­!¡±


    Lesche¡¯s silver hair glistened coldly in the unusually bright blue moonlight, and his red eyes were as cold as ice. Lesche reached out to snatch Lina¡¯s wrist, which she held out to him with all her might.


    ¡°Lesche¡­!¡±


    Her words were cut short. Lina waspletely gone with the bright blue moon.


    Gasp. Gasp.


    At the same time, the knights who were fighting with the demons let out ragged breaths. Because of the disappearance of Lina the constetion gold armor rapidly turned cold.


    It was the first time that Stern, who should be right next to them, suddenly disappeared. They felt the temperature difference that they had never experienced before which was horrifying. For some of them, it even clouded their eyes. The temperature difference was harsh, like being thrown into a frozen sea in the warm spring.


    Although they had ced silver branches inside their constetion gold armor, it was only a temporary measure. With a startling shock to their heart, one of the holy knights fell down.


    ¡°Pull yourself together! We have to be careful! There¡¯s another Stern nearby! She¡¯ll be here soon!¡±


    The knight, who fell on the snowfield, punched himself in the cheek to wake himself up.


    Brawling on the floor with no visible wounds was amon trait of panicked knights whose constetion gold armor¡¯s temperature had dropped to the limit. The knight¡¯s head hit a stone and blood was spilled in a steady stream.


    One brisk horse stopped beside him.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Please help me¡­.¡±


    The knight¡¯s eyes grew wide. Stern¡¯s distinctive, shimmering cloak came into view.


    ¡°It¡¯s Stern!¡±


    Seria Stern. The knight finally stopped rolling madly on the ground. He had scrapes all over his body, but they didn¡¯t hurt. Because the extreme temperature difference seemed to have just numbed his nerves.


    The warmth was circting the knights¡¯ bodies like an illusion. The severed heads of the demons fell to the ground.


    ***


    Lina was gone.


    That wasn¡¯t all. There was no small amount of damage caused by the demons that suddenly appeared in the middle of the night.


    How could High Priest Amos die¡­


    It was aplicated feeling. Seria couldn¡¯t believe that the person she just talked to the day before suddenly died. She didn¡¯t see his dead body. Lesche¡¯s cloak was covering something on the ground, and she knew it must be someone¡¯s corpse, but Seria didn¡¯t realize it was the body of High Priest Amos.


    Seria didn¡¯t feel well. She walked slowly along the barracks path.


    The barracks was turned upside down when Seria, Lesche, and the rest of the scattered knights returned.


    The barracks, which was full of high ranking nobles, knights, and attendants, had a wretched atmosphere that could not be described. The High Priest was dead and the Saintess was missing. It was okay, though. ording to the original story, Lina would reappear in the capital a yearter. Of course, there were parts that didn¡¯t progress in the same way as the original.


    Especially the part where Lina disappeared. In the original story, Lina disappeared from a frozenke in Berg territory, not from this snowy in.

 Chapter 57

    <h2>Chapter 57</h2>


    The situation waspletely different. In the beginning of the original story, Lina wanted to make a good impression on Lesche, the lord of the castle, so she followed him around.


    But how did the cold and indifferent male protagonist act? Lesche found Lina annoying and wouldn¡¯t look at Lina, who followed him to the frozenke.


    Then suddenly a thick mist appeared and arge moon floated over Lina. Lesche rushed to catch Lina, but in the end, the original story said that Lina was returned to her world by the moon.


    Seria squinted. She could see Lesche in the distance. He was talking to the priests, and the atmosphere seemed strange.


    It was understandable because of what had just happened.


    As Seria turned around and headed back the way she came, she thought it over.


    It wasn¡¯t umon for someone to develop other feelings if they thought about someone for a long time. As far as Seria knew, that was the case. In the original story, Lesche felt guilty for not being able to catch Lina, who cried for help. That emotion was the ignition point of his romance.


    It was the guilt that came from missing Lina.


    In a way, it was still going in the same direction as the original.


    The priests knew that Lesche lost Lina right in front of them.


    Guilt.


    <em>¡®Is he feeling guilty right now for not being able to help Lina a while ago?¡¯</em>


    Then someone suddenly grabbed Seria by the wrist. Seria turned around.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    ¡°You just stared at people and walked away?¡±


    <em>¡®Did he see me?¡¯</em>


    Seria didn¡¯t know Lesche was watching her, in fact, she didn¡¯t even know when he approached her.


    ¡°I thought you were in a meeting with the priests.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    Answering simply, Lesche wrinkled his brow.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Are you not feeling well?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    ¡°Your eyebrows look shaggy.¡±


    ¡°My eyebrows have always been like that.¡±


    Seria raised her hand and stroked her eyebrows. It felt the same to her, but Lesche¡¯s gaze was focused on her the whole time. Once again, Seria realized that while his gaze was basically cold, it often had a darker, sinful tinge to it. Just like now.


    Was that why? Seria suddenly felt like asking Lesche. One question that rose up like a cloud and filled her mind.


    ¡°There is something I would like to know.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°But it might be a bit of an ufortable question.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Are you feeling guilty, by any chance?¡±


    ¡°Guilt? To whom. You?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Since she was asking anyway, Seria wanted to make it clear.


    ¡°The Saintess.¡±


    Lesche didn¡¯t answer right away. Rather, he looked at Seria as if he was looking at a strange creature. He looked around as if to check if anyone was around. Then he looked at Seria again.


    ¡°Did you just ask me that?¡±


    ¡°¡­ If it¡¯s not you, who else is here?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were asking someone else a ridiculous question.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. Why would I feel guilty about a saint?¡±


    ¡°I heard you couldn¡¯t catch Lina.¡±


    Seria hurriedly added.


    ¡°I¡¯m not ming you.¡±


    ¡°Are you worried?¡±


    ¡°¡­A little¡­¡±


    Lesche had a look of triumph when Seria answered.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you saw me as a saint.¡± (*Lesche meant that he didn¡¯t know Seria thinks of him as a nice/ kind person like a saint.)


    Lesche said, raising his eyebrows.


    ¡°It was the Saintess who ran out of the barracks without permission. I didn¡¯t yell at her to leave, so why would I feel guilty about it?¡±


    Seria blinked slowly. As was her habit, she tried to read Lesche¡¯s expression. But he wasn¡¯t lying. He wasn¡¯t the kind of man who would lie anyway. He just spoke his raw sincerity without hesitation. Who dared to say something?


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel any guilt.¡±


    Lesche said with a strong voice as if he thought Seria was doubting him.


    ¡°Seria. Who the hell am I in your head? I can¡¯t figure it out.¡±


    Surely it wasn¡¯t guilt. Lesche was just irritated by the current situation. When Seria was being embarrassed about her question, Lesche suddenly raised his head. A knight approached with a haggard look on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to pick you up.¡±


    ***


    ¡°High Priest Amos has entered into eternal rest.¡±


    ¡°May he be at peace in the arms of God.¡±


    Amos¡¯s immediate high priest already had swollen eyes. He simply retreated with tears streaming down his face as if he no longer had the energy to speak in his usual long-winded manner. Seria didn¡¯t see Amos¡¯s body until the end.


    However, she had a pretty good idea of his condition.


    A handful of hair was cut off to mourn the deceased, and Lesche put it in the coffin. He said it was a useless thing to do, but he cut his hair anyway. It was a relief that it was winter.


    The Great Temple and the Imperial Court each dispatched people in rapid session, and since they were always together, the nobles involved in major incidents were busy covering up.


    ¡°I heard Lady Eloise Hedon helped the Saintess escape.¡±


    ¡°She was running away with her lover, leaving her fianc¨¦ behind.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they took the Saintess to that dangerous ce¡­..¡±


    ¡°I heard that Heden waspletely turned upside down.¡±


    Just like the high priest, who was busy crying and trying to get the situation under control, Lesche was also very busy. Everywhere, it was the same for the person with the highest title, and Lesche was one of the highest-ranking men in the entire continent.


    He decided that there was no reason to stay here any longer, so their belongings had already been packed and loaded onto the carriage. Seria walked slowly around the barracks, waiting for Abigail to return.


    Before she knew it, the world-shattering snow had stopped. The sky was clear and the sun was warm.


    But it was still as cold as ever.


    Seria shivered lightly. The winter wind was blowing. Her barracks had already been dismantled by Berg¡¯s followers. It would take a lot of work to clean it up, especially since it was cold and there would be no ce to sit and rest.


    She sat down in one of the chairs that the knight had ced next to the barracks. As Seria was slouching against the cold, a group of apprentice priests, trays in hand, hurrying along, came up to her at a trot and bowed.


    ¡°Stern!¡±


    Then a young priest politely offered Seria a cup. It was a rather clunky cup made of wood, and inside was a warm liquor. It was a drink to honor the deceased. It was customary in this world to pass around liquor when a person died.


    Since the person who was a big figure had left the world, the original etiquette was to serve it in a ss cup. ¡­. It seemed that they had hurriedly flown in some wooden cups because of the situation.


    The liquor in the wooden cups was warm, but the scent wafting through the air was a bit unusual. As Seria sniffed to see what it was, she jerked her head away in surprise.


    The liquor was made from snake strawberries. Seria couldn¡¯t drink it.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Suddenly a familiar voice called her name. Seria looked up. Kalis was right in front of her. He looked worn out.


    Kalis took the cup Seria was holding and offered her a water bottle he was carrying.


    ¡°Here, drink this.¡±


    Seria didn¡¯t take the water bottle that Kalis offered her.


    ¡°I already had a drink.¡±


    Kalis grabbed Seria¡¯s hand and ced the water bottle on it with a thud.


    ¡°You¡¯re allergic to snake strawberries.¡±


    It was so long ago but Kalis still remembered. He looked at Seria and immediately turned away without saying a word. Seria frowned as she watched him walking away.


    The water bottle Kalis gave her was warm, but she wasn¡¯t going to open it and drink it. But that didn¡¯t mean she was going to chase after him to return it.


    She was about to leave it, but then discovered that the lid was sterling silver.


    On the gleaming sterling silver was a small design of the Hon family¡¯s seal, and to anyone who looked at it, it belonged to Kalis, or the knights under Kalis¡¯smand.


    Seria turned away from the symbol and looked around. If anyone else saw this, it would be the opening of the second act of the scandal.


    She didn¡¯t need to be the talk of the town. Seria grabbed the water bottle and stood up. She didn¡¯t feel like going directly to return it to Kalis. So she looked for an apprentice priest to bring it back to Marquis Hon.


    ¡°Lady Seria.¡±


    It was then that she heard Alliot¡¯s voice. He called out to her, certainly from a very far distance.


    But in no time at all, he was standing in front of her. The Knight Commander, Alliot, who had run a short distance at a fast speed, didn¡¯t show any signs of distress.


    ¡°There you are. I¡¯m here to pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Are you done packing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done. We should be ready to board the carriage¡­What¡¯s that water bottle? It has a Hon¡¯s symbol.¡±


    Good kic vision was amon trait among the knights. Alliot perceived the Hon¡¯s symbol engraved on the nail-sized lid as if it were a demon.


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s in the cup?¡±


    ¡°Liquor. Because the liquor is prepared here from snake strawberries. I can¡¯t drink liquor made from snake strawberries.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a drink for nobles¡¯ ptes. And to be honest, heating up liquor brewed with berries is also a strange alcoholic beverage that I wouldn¡¯t even look at if I wasn¡¯t in this situation.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s because I¡¯m allergic to snake strawberries.¡±


    Alliot blinked slowly. He scratched his chin lightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure His Highness won¡¯t be too happy to hear that.¡±


    ¡°His Highness? Why?¡±


    ¡°No, I can see why His Highness would want to keep a guard on the youngdy all day.¡±


    ¡°I have spoken very little with Kalis.¡±


    This practically was the first conversation Seria had with Kalis since she arrived at the barracks. At that moment, one of the apprentice priests sauntered by.


    ¡°Here! Stern, did you call for me?¡±


    ¡°Could you please bring this to Marquis Hon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Stern.¡±


    The apprentice priest replied politely and held out his hands. Seria ced the water bottle on his hands.


    ¡°I see it belongs to Marquis Hon. I¡¯ll bring it to him right away.¡±


    Suddenly, his voice trailed off mid-sentence, as the water bottle in his hands was suddenly lifted up. His eyes and Seria¡¯s lined up to look at the man who had taken the bottle.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    The man¡¯s red eyes stared at Seria with deep frustration.


    ¡°Did hee to bother you again?¡±

 Chapter 58

    <h2>Chapter 58</h2>


    Kalis Hon and his knights were ready to head to the Great Temple. The High Priest was dead and the Saintess was missing. The atmosphere in the barracks was dreary, but the Hon Knights were exceptional in the depth of their gloom.


    It wouldn¡¯t be the same again.


    Seria, who knew that Lina wasing back, had no significant emotional changes, but most of the priests here looked dead except for one or two unusual ones.


    The Great Temple had yet to make a major announcement that Lina was a Saint. Although there wasn¡¯t any official announcement, most of the nobles were aware of the fact that a Saintess had descended.


    However, the Great Temple pursued perfection. They wanted to bring a strong Saint from the Berg territory, the frozenke, to the temple, to finish her education, and announce that God¡¯s representative came down in the most perfect condition on the most perfect day.


    Of course, it was not a forced education. The Great Temple voluntarily decided that for the sake of Lina¡¯s stability, she could stay in the Berg territory for another six months. She was a messenger of God.


    They didn¡¯t want to bring her here by force and have the Saint turn against the priests. So they sent the priests to the Grand Duchy of Berg, and asked the Grand Duke¡¯s permission to take the Saint away as soon as possible. There must have been a deep respect and love for the Saint.


    When Kalis reported that the preparations were almost finished¡­


    ¡°Marquis Kalis Hon.¡±


    An old priest approached and spoke.


    ¡°I have received urgent news from the Temple. Another person is to be added to the procession to the Great Temple.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Stern is to be brought along.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At that moment, Kalis¡¯s heart sank.The priest who had delivered the news also knew how Kalis, Seria¡¯s fianc¨¦, had ended up in aplicated marriage. So it wasn¡¯t a good idea to put them in one procession, but it wasn¡¯t a matter of mixing his own personal feelings.


    ¡°We have a big group. Among those who were in the same ce at the same time on the day the Saintess disappeared¡­ They asked to send one person who possesses divine power along. So, after a hasty meeting with the high ranking officials, they decided to bring Stern.¡±


    ¡°So I should be the one to do the guarding?¡±


    ¡°Stern will be escorted by us. It will not be easy for either of you, so we won¡¯t run into you unless Stern wants us to.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    There was quite a distance to the Great Temple. Seria wouldn¡¯t want to make eye contact with him, let alone talk to him, but Kalis still wouldn¡¯t mind at least guarding and protecting her. Suddenly, a bitter feeling arose in him, and he touched his wrist, which had a magic crystal bracelet, thest gift Seria had given him.


    It was then.


    ¡°Marquis Hon.¡±


    A short call. At the same time, something flew to Kalis at a great speed. Kalis caught the flying object with a gulp. Kalis¡¯s eyes went wide. What was in his hand was none other than the water bottle that he gave directly to Seria earlier.


    But the warm water bottle had already cooled down.


    Kalis turned around. The man he had already expected to see was standing there. It was Lesche Berg. Lesche asked, throwing a nce at the old priest with his characteristic cold nk expression.


    ¡°Priest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness¡­!¡±


    ¡°Who are you taking and where are you taking them?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness¡­ Your Highness¡­the High Priest is gone¡­¡±


    The old priest said with trepidation.


    ¡°And the Saintess is missing. Due to this great tragedy, we need someone with divine powers with us¡­.¡±


    ¡°Who cares.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°My wife has a lot to do in Berg¡¯s castle. She doesn¡¯t have time to go.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The old priest¡¯s eyes shook.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve been told that the Grand Duke of Berg saved Stern¡¯s life, but¡­ how much do you intend to use her for your great benefit? She¡¯s an important Stern, no matter how much¡­¡±


    It was expected the Grand Duke of Berg would be ufortable, for he was not of a disposition friendly to the temple. But the old priest didn¡¯t expect him to refuse so straightforwardly, like cutting a radish. The old priest finally regained hisposure.


    ¡°Your Highness. In view of the gravity of the matter, please be generous¡­¡±


    ¡°I will go instead.¡±


    ¡°¡­.?¡±


    For a moment, the old priest could not believe his ears.


    ¡°You said only one person with divine powers is needed. So does it matter if I go instead?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­.yes, but¡­¡±


    Lesche was also the head of the seventeenth family, so he had divine power. However, the old priest didn¡¯t understand it. Lesche was an arrogant and powerful man. He didn¡¯t even pretend to hide that fact. Even if the temple politely invited him, he wouldn¡¯t bother to visit, but now, he wanted to go on his own and on behalf of Stern, too?


    ¡°I will inform them at once. Your Highness.¡±


    The old priest was bewildered, but he had to inform the Great Temple first anyway. And so he hurried away.


    ¡°Your Highness.


    Kalis was already gripping his water bottle tightly. What exactly was it that Seria was busy with? Seria had inspected the cier almost every day until just before they got married. Kalis, the head of Hon, knew how much of a gain that was for the Berg territory.


    ¡°Seria is very frail.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°You seem to be making her work so much that she can¡¯t even go once to the temple, isn¡¯t it too much?¡±


    Lesche gave Kalis a funny look.


    ¡°I see that you knew that my wife was weak. I thought you didn¡¯t know about it at all, since you were too busy protecting your Saintess.¡±


    ¡°¡­.!¡±


    For a moment, Kalis¡¯s jaw tightened. On the other hand, his chest was churning. The veins in the hand that was holding the water bottle were raised tremendously.


    However, what Lesche said was horrendous. It was sad and frustrating at the same time. Kalis gave Seria the warm water because he knew her condition. Moreover, he was Seria¡¯s fianc¨¦ in the past. There was a lot he knew about her.


    *Few minutes earlier.*


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to drink his water. There¡¯s a lot of hot drinks here.¡±


    Lesche roughly snatched one of the wooden cups that had been neatly ced on the apprentice priests¡¯ trays and offered it to Seria. However, she only retreated. She had a panicked look on her face, too, which made Lesche think for a moment that he had offered her some kind of poison.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t drink it, Lesche.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t drink?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m allergic to snake strawberries.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ What?¡±


    Lesche didn¡¯t expect to hear that at all. The moment the word ¡°allergy¡± disappeared, Lesche reflexively put away the cup. He told the priest to clear all the trays, and ordered Alliot, who was looking at him vaguely, to go get any and all other liquors.


    He even kindly told Seria that he would throw away the water bottle of Kalis Hon himself. His tone wasn¡¯t gentle, of course, but if Seria wasn¡¯t there, he would have cut the priest¡¯s throat and thrown him to the incinerator.


    It wouldn¡¯t be another important issue for him either. Lesche had kept everything he thought from Seria. However, when he saw Kalis, that man who by all ounts was full of unrequited love for Seria, Lesche suddenly felt angry.


    ¡°Marquis Hon.¡±


    Kalis, who was holding a water bottle in a tight grip, shifted his gaze.


    ¡°Let my wife go. You seem to forget that your wife is the Saintess, not Seria.¡±


    ¡°Lina and I married because of unavoidable circumstances, just like Your Highness and Seria.¡±


    One side of Lesche¡¯s mouth lifted.


    ¡°You and I are different.¡±


    He said with a very unpleasant smile.


    ¡°I, at least, didn¡¯t have the temerity to meet another woman before my marriage to Stern.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    Kalis gritted his teeth. He suddenly took off his gloves and threw them at Lesche with great force. Lesche snatched the glove lightly.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Kalis said in an angry voice.


    ¡°As a knight, I challenge you to a duel.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re starting to do something right.¡±


    Instead of refusing, there was not the slightest hesitation in Lesche¡¯s voice. Lesche quickly took out the sword he was wearing, and so did Kalis. The atmosphere quickly turned sour, and it was then that the faces of the priests, who had been watching the two of them from afar with irritation, turned pale.


    ¡°Grand Duke Berg? Marquis Hon? What are you doing now?¡±


    I was the high-ranking priest. When he heard the news that Lesche was going to the Great Temple, he walked quickly to check the facts and found the two men with swords. Whether the priest fumed or not, Kalis said, not taking his gaze off Lesche.


    ¡°You came at the right time. Please stand as a witness to the duel.¡±


    The priest was startled out of his wits by Kalis¡¯s sudden words.


    ¡°Duel? What do you mean, duel? What are you two doing right now?¡±


    However, the atmosphere between the two was so sharp as if they would chop each other up right away. The priest immediately stepped back.


    ¡°As a servant of God, how can I be a witness to a duel¡­ ah! I¡¯ll take Stern as the witness!


    ¡°Go fetch the other nobles.¡±


    The high-ranking priest was flustered by Lesche¡¯s sudden order. While flustered, the priest quickly realized. It seemed that neither the Grand Duke Berg nor Marquis Hon wanted to let Seria see this duel.


    If that was the case, the priest gulped and gambled spitefully.

 Chapter 59

    <h2>Chapter 59</h2>


    ***


    ¡°No, Your Highness. Where can I find a noble person higher than Stern here? She is the Grand Duchess of Berg. If it wasn¡¯t Stern, the other nobles would feel pressured and not want to witness the duel.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s cold gaze went to the priest. The priest flinched and avoided the gaze, but he had to try everything he could anyway. Now that the High Priest Amos he served, had returned to the gods.


    He had to lead the unprecedented procession safely without causing any problems to the Great Temple.He was a poor man who was suddenly burdened with a tremendous duty.


    <em>¡®I will go back to God myself because there may be another ident here.¡¯</em>


    The priest was in a state of mental shock.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing the priest¡¯s pale face, Lesche raised his eyebrows. He folded the glove Kalis had thrown at him, and dropped them in the priest¡¯s hands. Then Lesche threw a grotesque look at Kalis.


    ¡°Then call her yourself, Marquis Hon.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The subject was omitted, but it was immediately clear that it referred to Seria. Kalis didn¡¯t want to. He only wanted to change Seria¡¯s mind, but would shee back to him if he showed her his violent side like this?


    When Kalis didn¡¯t answer, Lesche said sarcastically.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t, we¡¯ll postpone the duel.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ept your opinion.¡±


    The high ranking priest said, not missing an opportunity.


    ¡°Please put your swords away.¡±


    The swords returned to their original position with a high-pitched sound. Only then did the priest sigh with relief. The other priests and knights, who had been unable to move due to the atmosphere, once again paced about with pale faces.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Alliot approached Lesche. He was dismayed to see Lesche and Kalis pointing their swords at each other from afar, but he stayed put for once. As soon as the situation was under control, he quickly walked over and casually reported.


    ¡°Everything is in order.¡±


    Alliot would escort Seria to the main castle of Berg. And Lesche had already decided to take only the bare minimum of Berg knights with him instead.


    ¡°The knights who are supposed to return to the central territory will leave immediately.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°And Alliot.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Pull out all the snake strawberry vines from the main garden.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the Young Lady when we get back.¡±


    Lesche frowned.


    ¡°Do you have to ask her that too?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Well, as Linon said, the gardens are the hostess¡¯s domain¡­.If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll skip reporting to Lady Seria.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ask Seria and then proceed.¡±


    Kalis¡¯s eyes, which involuntarily turned at the name Seria, shook strongly for a moment. The man who loved Seria the most was him. However, as soon as he inadvertently looked into Lesche¡¯s eyes, he realized.


    Lesche Berg. How long has this man been in love with Seria¡­?


    ***


    <em><strong>06. Emotions Touch the Heart</strong></em>


    ***


    A few dayster.


    Returning to Berg Castle in a carriage, Seria had no time to recover from the fatigue of her journey because she had to face a truly perplexing situation.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the garden?¡±


    It was because in just a few days, the gardens of the Berg mansion, which used to be asrge as a park in the imperial capital, had fallen into disrepair. At first she thought she was dreaming, but it was real. There was nothing left of the garden except for a path of stone bs.


    Where had all those tall shrubs and sculptures gone? No way, did they go bankrupt in that short time¡­?


    Abigail, who had been guarding Seria the whole time, whispered quietly in her ear.


    ¡°It seems like the castle has been robbed.¡±


    ¡°¡­Berg? Who would? Does such a daring bandit exist?¡±


    ¡°Or some servants sold it. There are servants who do such unorthodox things when their masters are absent. Shall I look into it and cut them all off for you?¡±


    ¡°No, Bibi. Just calm down for now.¡±


    Alliot and the other knights of Berg were just as puzzled. Everyone was buzzing around the deserted garden. Seria was also a little nervous. She suspected that something had really happened to the mansion.


    But¡­


    ¡°Lady Seria. Wee back.¡±


    ¡°Wee back.¡±


    The entrance to the castle and the spacious halls were just as gorgeous as they were before she left. The servants, including Ben and Susan, bowed politely.


    The knights were bewildered but moved to unpack at once, and Seria looked at Ben as he approached.


    ¡°Ben? What on earth happened to the garden?¡±


    Ben, who was dressed in his perfect formal attire today, had a look of sheer terror on his face.


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know there were so many snake strawberry vines living in the main garden. When we pulled them out, it ended up ruining the garden.¡±


    ¡°There were a lot of snake strawberry vines?


    ¡°Yes, Lady Seria.¡±


    Seria was dumbfounded. Of course she wasn¡¯t a gardener. She only visited Berg Castle in the winter, so it was natural that she couldn¡¯t tell the difference between a strawberry vine whose greenery had disappeared.


    Besides, the main garden of Berg was extremelyrge, so it was understandable that there were some unfamiliar weeds growing mixed in with themon ones.


    However, if you really wanted to get rid of only the snake strawberry vines, wouldn¡¯t you just pluck them out where they had grown? It¡¯s not like everything in the garden disappears like you erased it with an eraser.


    ¡°Why did you turn the garden upside down?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady Seria.¡±


    Was it her imagination? The ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± that Ben repeated from earlier sounded a little too subtle. If she had to describe it strongly, it was simr to the feeling of a good actor acting with his soul. It was an apology with authenticity, but somehow she felt a little ufortable.


    ¡°The Grand Duchess¡¯s long absence prevented the gardeners from making a new attempt.¡±


    ¡°¡­So?¡±


    ¡°For almost ten years now, we¡¯ve been growing the same trees and nting only the same flowers in the garden. But this time, since there¡¯s a new Grand Duchess, the gardeners wanted to nt some new flowers, but they kept making small mistakes and the garden ended up like this.¡±


    ¡°If you make small mistakes, the garden will look like this¡­..?¡±


    It would be a mess, wouldn¡¯t it?


    ¡°The wrong fertilizer on the soil and the shrubs became sinewy. So they had no choice but to take the flowers and trees down to the ground to minimize the damage. The gardeners have asked me to be generous, but what can I do?¡±


    ¡°We need the gardeners to rebuild the garden. I didn¡¯t mean anything bad, so please understand.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s generous of you. Thank you, My Lady. I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault, Ben. Why did you thank me?¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡±


    ¡°Is it some sort of butler¡¯s duty?¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady. Let¡¯s say it¡¯s simr.¡±


    Ben smiled.


    Seria crossed her arms and looked at the wastnd garden. Lina disappeared from the Tshugan ins, and Lesche did note back with her. He went straight to the Great Temple.


    ¡°What do you have in mind, My Lady?¡±


    ¡°No¡­I thought I¡¯d take it easy and rest until His Highness returned, but I guess I was wrong.¡±


    Ben was startled.


    ¡°No. We¡¯re going to leave it alone until spring, anyway. It¡¯ll continue to snow until the winter is over, so there¡¯s no need to do anything right now.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It will be better in the long run if we let the soil rest until spring. Perhaps the Kellyden¡¯s garden was different?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Their garden was always gorgeous.¡±


    There was a scene in the original story where Lina marveled at the garden of Kellyden. It was a scene where Seria¡¯s brothers invited Lina to their mansion.


    Unlike Berg, Kellyden was a family where the hostesses proudly held their positions. It was one of the best families in the West.They had a lot of money and their garden was always perfectly decorated.


    Not as much as the weekly dresses and jewels, but the garden decorated by the noblewomen also had their own fashions to match the ever-changing trends. The garden of the Kellyden Castle always followed the trends and was famous in the West.


    <em>¡®Well, that doesn¡¯t mean that Seria learned anything from the Marquess.¡¯</em>


    While Seria was deep in thought, Ben suggested with a smile.


    ¡°My Lady, why don¡¯t you get some rest for now. I¡¯ll tell the merchant toe tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡±


    When Seria asked again, Ben was startled and changed his words.


    ¡°No, My Lady. If you want to rest more, we can postpone it as long as you want.¡±


    ¡°Ummm, no.¡±


    Lesche wasn¡¯t even here anyway. Of course, even if he was here it didn¡¯t mean that she was going to hang around with him¡­.. As Seria continued to think about it, one question urred to her: Does Lesche ever take vacations, and if so, what does he do with his free time?


    In the meantime, having experienced a lot together, Seria started to wonder about some of these things. One thing was for sure, Lesche would not be happy if he saw this messy garden.


    Seria wanted to show Lesche that she was still doing work even when he wasn¡¯t around.


    She concluded quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯d better see him as early as possible tomorrow. Call the merchant.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡±


    Ben spoke with a look of satisfaction on his face.


    ¡°Linon said that the Young Lady can get her work done quickly.¡±


    <em>¡®It¡¯s not the habit of my past life.¡¯</em>


    If there was any difference between her previous life and now, it was that the money units she spent had changed tremendously. It was her first time decorating such arge garden, so she was a little less worried and actually a bit more excited.

 Chapter 60

    <h2>Chapter 60</h2>


    Back in her room, Seria took off her winter travel clothes. She removed the thick warm cloak that hung heavily on her shoulders, then put on an indoor dress. It was winter, so the dress was made from the same thick fabric, but it was much lighter that she felt like flying.


    Seria drank a cup of warm, strong tea that Ben had brought, then she called for Linon. It was to check the size of the fund avable for the garden project. Ben and Susan were worried about Seria wanting to work immediately as soon as she returned, but not Linon.


    He was one of the few people who weed Seria¡¯s way of working. Because as soon as he was called, Linon immediately came with the ledger.


    Rebuilding the garden was not something that was in Seria¡¯s ns. She remembered that there was plenty of surplus money, but it was money that Linon had saved like acorns. So Seria was worried about spending it.


    <em>¡®I was worried unnecessarily.¡¯</em>


    It was only after she checked the avable fund that she realized, unless she was going to pave the entire garden with colored marble and the finest crystal, they would never run out of money.


    ¡°Lady, do you remember what I said with confidence?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember.¡±


    It would be fun to spend a lot of money. Linon and Seria stared at each other and nodded. There was a deep understanding between people who had built trust and did not need anything said. Like now.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know much about the garden¡­¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you some help. His Highness isn¡¯t here anyway.¡±


    Linon asked while looking at Seria.


    ¡°Is it perhaps too much of a privilege?¡±


    ¡°Why? Is it too much of a burden?¡± Seria asked.


    ¡°I think it would be really frustrating if someone was jealous of me being trusted so much by the Young Lady and conspired against me. Like Susan, or Ben¡­¡±


    Seria chuckled.


    After that, Seria called in the main gardener. The gardener who was guilty of identally spreading the wrong fertilizer on the shrubs in the garden. He looked pale, as if he thought he was going to be punished.


    Seria panicked as he knelt down with his face on the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grand Duchess! I made a big mistake using the wrong fertilizer.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ Never mind. I didn¡¯t call you here to me you. Stand up.¡±


    Ben, who had brought the gardener, was heard sighing with relief, but Seria was a little puzzled. Did he think she would still be mad and punish the gardener even after she already told them everything was fine?


    Well, it was possible if she was the original Seria.


    Ben was in the green manor all his life, so she didn¡¯t think he knew about Seria¡¯s raging past. But now, she had a feeling that he might actually know. He was the butler of Berg anyway. But he was still nice to her even though he knew her crazy past¡­.Somehow Seria remembered Alliot.


    It made her feel a little better. She possessed Seria, and no matter how many bad deeds shemitted or acts of kindness she showed, it was hard to find someone who believed in her. Maybe that was why Seria sometimes felt irresistibly good when she met people who had faith in her.


    Seria smiled and asked the gardener what the garden needed. The gardener faltered, but cautiously answered. His voice was subdued, but just like a professional, he said exactly what was needed and it was easy to sort out.


    She wrote down all the gardener¡¯s requests and organized them, and before she knew it, hours had passed. She put down the pen andy her head on the desk.


    <em>¡®I¡¯m really tired.¡¯</em>


    ¡°I¡¯ll do the rest tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You worked too hard today. Miss.¡±


    Susan, who had been taking care of Seria, sitting by her side the whole time, bringing her tea and filling the ink, was happy. At first she told Seria to rest, but after more than an hour of sitting at the desk, she chose to wait quietly.


    Later, Seria went out with Susan and had a conversation with Ben. But Ben had a concerned look on his face. When Seria asked what was going on, he smiled and replied that it was because he was deciding whether to havemb or beef for dinner tomorrow.


    Then Susan and Seria left Ben and went outside. Suddenly, they heard amotioning from the first floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s important! Let me see the Grand Duchess, butler!¡±


    Susan and Seria turned to each other, and as they came closer to see what themotion was about, they saw a man shouting at Ben for some reason. A well-dressed man who looked like a vassal of the Grand Duchy of Berg¡­


    ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about!¡±


    ¡°As I said, this is a castle-rted matter.¡±


    ¡°Butler!¡±


    Ben replied calmly, but that was all.


    Why was he shouting at someone else¡¯s butler?


    It was very rude behavior. Moreover, this was where the Grand Duke of Berg lived.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Ben then turned around. The angry man did the same. His eyes lit up the moment he spotted Seria.


    ¡°Ben.¡±


    Ben approached quickly when Seria called. As soon as he was standing beside her, he whispered in a very quick voice.


    ¡°His name is O¡¯Bron. He was originally in charge of general supplies for the garden, but even though the contract ended a few days ago, he¡¯s still delivering them.¡±


    It was understandable. Suddenly, the castle¡¯s garden was turned upside down, so the vassals who had been maintaining the castle¡¯s garden that was now in ruins, did not know what to do.


    ¡°Grand Duchess! I¡¯m really frustrated! How can you cancel the contract in an instant? If I can¡¯t sell this out after how much inventory I¡¯ve saved, I¡¯m done for!¡±


    This time, though, the castle was going to make some major adjustments to its capacity and turn to a minimum bid system. They had a lot of money avable for the garden anyway, so they didn¡¯t need to be frugal and cause a vassal¡¯s bankruptcy. Seria came up with a generous solution.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll buy everything you have in stock. Ben?¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady. I¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    Seria thought she had made a reasonably generous offer, but O¡¯Bron¡¯s face was only pale.


    ¡°Does that mean that you won¡¯t be signing your next contract with me?¡±


    ¡°I heard that your contract expired, but you were still delivering the goods?¡±


    It seemed that O¡¯Bron¡¯s delivery was still going on because the Grand Duke and butler were absent.


    ¡°I wish to renew the contract, Grand Duchess! You should¡¯ve renewed your contract with me in the first ce. But without discussing it with me, you¡­¡±


    O¡¯Bron said with so much unfairness in his voice that Seria suspected that there might be some hidden uses in the contract that she didn¡¯t know about. For example, if the contract expired and without O¡¯Bron¡¯s consent, the castle would never be able to change the supplier of the goods¡­.


    Seria soon came to the conclusion that it was a ridiculous contract.


    There was no way Berg would make such a dumb contract, and if it did, Ben would have managed to overturn it, even if he had to borrow Linon¡¯s powers. He just seemed to want more.


    It was true that he hadn¡¯t had a boss who was properly involved in the garden business, and he had been delivering for so long that this business felt like unearned ie. Somehow he managed to show up because he was suddenly deprived of the holy geese thatid golden eggs.


    ¡°The decision to re-sign will be made after we discuss the terms with our other business partners.¡±


    ¡°What? What terms¡­.?¡±


    Seria immediately raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Are you saying that you want to re-sign the contract without adjusting the terms?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, no. How could I dare!¡±


    <em>¡®No, you would. It was obvious.¡¯</em>


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back! Grand Duchess!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough for now.¡±


    Ben informed about the merchant¡¯s visit tomorrow and then sent O¡¯Bron on his way. After a brief conversation with Ben, Seria went with Susan, who was still waiting for her.


    ¡°I¡¯m d I told you to boil the bath water again earlier.¡±


    There were two fancy bathrooms located on the second floor. Seria had assumed that the bathrooms would be the same, just as the Grand Duke¡¯s and Grand Duchess¡¯ bedrooms were clearly separated, but that was not the case. As the name implied, there were only two bathrooms, and there was no fixed owner. When she heard about the bathrooms being chosen and used at will, she had a feeling that some of the sessive grand dukes and their wives must have washed together.


    Warm steam rose up from the bathtub, which was gorgeously filled with colorful rose petals. Come to think of it, it had been a long time since she had taken a hot bath.


    ¡°Youngdy, I heard there was heavy snow on the Tshugan ins. Wasn¡¯t it cold in the barracks?¡±


    ¡°They put a leather rug on the floor, but it was still cold. The cold wind came in little by little¡­.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I should havee along and taken care of the Lady. The problem with these ignorant Berg knights is that they prepare their barracks to suit their bodies. They have never had a preciousdy in their lives¡­¡­¡±


    Susan, who in a few words had disparaged the Knights of Berg, the most powerful order in the Empire, as mere ignoramuses, looked at Seria and smiled warmly again.


    ¡°The bedroom is very warm, so after your bath, you can restfortably.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Her whole body rxed sluggishly.The rose bath salts dissolved in the tub gave off a rich scent. It was fragrant.


    <em>¡®When will Lesche be back?¡¯</em>


    Seria suddenly remembered her room in the Great Temple. The original Seria Stern wasn¡¯t an overnight guest, but belonged to the Great Temple, so she had a fixed room. It was a room that had not changed since Seria received it when she was 15 years old.


    Seria went there when she and Kalis had their engagement. She stayed in the original Seria¡¯s room. The room was cleaned and organized. But she didn¡¯t stay there long because the food was not very good.


    Then she had to go to Berg territory to have her wedding with Kalis.


    Would Lesche be shown to the original Seria¡¯s room when he was at the Great Temple this time? Or is it the next room?


    But the next room was assigned to Kalis. As he was Stern¡¯s fianc¨¦, the High Priest offered him a permanent room. It was a kind of privilege.


    Seria wondered if they seized the room after she and Kalis broke off their engagement.


    She had a feeling they did. She couldn¡¯t remember for sure.


    Seria threw herself on the soft bed and soon fell asleep.

 Chapter 61

    <h2>Chapter 61</h2>


    ***


    The next day, after lunch, Seria had a cozy afternoon, and as announced, a merchant came to visit her in the main hall.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Grand Duchess Berg. I am truly honored to be here.¡±


    The merchant bowed deeply and smiled. It wasn¡¯t a sales smile. He seemed sincerely happy to be here.


    ¡°The butler contacted me beforehand. He said the Duchess is going to do extensive work on the garden of the main castle. I have brought some samples from my shop.¡±


    He seemed to have brought a tremendous amount of samples with him.


    Naturally, there were no cameras in this world. Perhaps because of this, realist painting was very well developed. The painters could capture things in the paintings as if they were photographed.


    Then Seria was naturally waiting for a book of samples, but what was brought in the parlor was unexpected.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She was at a loss for words when she saw the huge number of pots. There were dozens of potted nts that were all bonsai.Their weight wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary, but did that many just nowe all the way from his shop?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit too much work to bring all these trees?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor that the Grand Duchess called us, so we must show our sincerity. Please don¡¯t feel pressure and take your time to look around.¡±


    It was understandable that the merchant would do this. Considering the area of the garden of Berg¡¯s main castle, it was not a sensible size, especially when one had to ride a horse to get from the garden to the gate of the castle.


    Seria calcted that if she chose a single tree, the merchant would be able to sell enough trees to form a forest.


    She explored the small forest of bonsai trees. In fact, to her eyes, they looked very simr.


    ¡°Are there any garden styles that are in vogue these days?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess. Of course.¡±


    The merchant hurriedly took out a booklet. It was an extraordinary book, with gorgeous gold leaf painted on the cover.


    <em>¡®The book is very fancy.¡¯</em>


    At a quick nce, it seemed to be a book that was made separately for an important client. As Seria flipped through the good quality thick paper one page at a time, she suddenly heard a knock at the door. The door opened and Ben walked in, politely announcing that O¡¯Bron had arrived.


    Unlike yesterday, he came fully prepared with his servants and a lot of papers. O¡¯Bron nced at the booklet Seria was holding and gulped. Seria said to him,


    ¡°One moment, please.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Take your time, Grand Duchess.¡±


    O¡¯Bron¡¯s demeanor was so different from yesterday¡¯s that he even became a tea fetcher himself. Seria was surprised, because she thought he would be rushing to sign a contract as soon as he arrived. O¡¯Bron also served the tea to the merchant, and spoke cautiously, pointing with his chin to the booklet.


    ¡°You¡¯ve taken great care of your business. Only elegant decorations to match the Grand Duchess¡¯s new garden.¡±


    ¡°You have eyes, sir!¡±


    The merchant was delighted with O¡¯Bron¡¯s praise.


    ¡°Actually, this booklet is not meant to be shown to any guests.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve heard of the Chamber of Commerce¡¯s gold leaf booklet as well. That¡¯s a good choice. The Grand Duchess might order fifty of them.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The merchant¡¯s eyes widened at the figure of fifty. Seria cut him off in a cold voice.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was going to order that many. Berg¡¯s warehouse is filled with beautiful sculptures.¡±


    How could she when she had already talked to Ben about retrieving hundreds of pieces of marble from the warehouse.


    ¡°Who would have thought you would decide for me as if you¡¯re the Grand Duke?¡±


    O¡¯Bron became downright quiet, as if he knew Seria was displeased. The merchant scowled and hurried off.


    ¡°Of course, using existing sculptures is a very good idea. However, since the main garden is as spacious as a in, and since it is to be newly constructed, I would rmend adding new decorations. Regrity and uniformity are necessary elements to decorate the garden beautifully, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°How much do I have to purchase?¡±


    ¡°Sure, the more the merrier! How about we order 25 pieces each?¡±


    Seria figured if he said fifty, she would drop him too. But twenty-five¡­


    She put the book down and pondered. It seemed like a sensible quantity, perhaps because it was down a good half from the previous number.


    <em>¡®But it¡¯s all very expensive.¡¯</em>


    Of course she had a huge sum of money, enough money to cover the entire garden with colored marble and crystal. In fact, even if she was to decorate the garden with the decorations in this booklet, she would still have plenty of money left.


    But is it right to order 25 each? Seria had no knowledge of the garden. Even if she wanted to study in advance, there was no book that could tell her how to handle a garden this size


    <em>¡®Damn it, Seria, why didn¡¯t you make a friend of your age and pick it up from her?¡¯</em>She had a hopeless idea. Of course, with Seria¡¯s personality, her friend¡¯s mother would have told her not to hang out with her.


    Seria flipped through the book in silence, then looked at the merchant and asked.


    ¡°Do you have any rmendations? I¡¯d like to have an overall sketch.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I think the opinion of a nobleman who knows more about gardens than I do would be better¡­¡±


    The merchant slurred his words.


    ¡°Grand Duchess?¡±


    O¡¯Bron, who was looking at the booklet, hastily broke the conversation.


    ¡°As someone who has been delivering goods to the garden, may I add a few words?¡±


    ¡°You may try.¡±


    ¡°My idea is to dig a pond in the middle of the garden, set up a top quality crystal fountain, and then put a magic crystal with light magic on it. Since the garden isrge, I would rmend dividing it into sections from the beginning, each with a different theme. In the east, pure gold fairies are set up in a fountain, and on the southern edge, there is a dragonke with 99 tails made of magic crystals. It¡¯s truly limitless.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Seeia looked at the booklet again. O¡¯Bron wasn¡¯t talking nonsense. The decorations were all mentioned in the booklet, but it was rmended for an average size garden, not this spaciousnd.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be too expensive?¡±


    ¡°Of course, not on a small scale. But since you lived in the capital, you know better. Where else has a garden this size? Moreover, I heard that you haven¡¯t done construction for a long time. Then how important would it be to open the first shovel?¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°I rmend forty-eight themes to match the Grand Duchess¡¯s morous appearance.¡±


    ¡°What? Forty-eight different ones?¡±


    The merchant was surprised as well. His mouth dropped open at the unexpected number, and when Seria stared at him, his expression changed hastily. Well, he¡¯s a merchant anyway, so the more he sells, the better for him. Seria thought that O¡¯Bron had been very aggressive, but that was not the case.


    <em>¡®It seems he¡¯s done some research on me.¡¯</em>


    O¡¯Bron, who has been delivering goods to the Berg garden for over ten years, so it wouldn¡¯t be hard for him to gather information.


    <em>¡®Of course he knows Seria Stern.¡¯</em>


    It was easy to find out that Seria Stern was a very extravagant person. She bought jewelry and dresses from a famous shop in the Capital every month. The fact that she didn¡¯t get along with her family was also easy to find out.


    Putting these two pieces of information together, he coulde to this conclusion.


    An awfully wasteful Grand Duchess who wouldn¡¯t know much about the internal affairs of the noblewoman¡¯s life. (Old socialite¡¯s great disappointment)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    With the right money, Seria should be able to keep up with some of this, but this was too much money to use. Most importantly, it was not her money, but someone else¡¯s. As soon as she thought this, her expression stiffened.


    The merchant¡¯s and O¡¯Bron¡¯s faces hardened simultaneously. O¡¯Bron quickly recovered his smile and asked.


    ¡°Grand Duchess? Did I offend you in any way?¡±


    ¡°48 themes, are you crazy?¡±


    O¡¯Bron gulped and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his forehead.


    ¡°Because I only want to rmend what is best for you. ¡­. Or if there are any other garden sketches that the Grand Duchess wants¡­¡±


    Of course Seria didn¡¯t know anything about it. In any case, it was O¡¯Bron and the merchant who knew more about gardens. Even though she felt a little embarrassed, she expected to sign a good contract that wouldst long. So Seria decided that after studying and gaining knowledge about the garden, she would call the merchant back.


    Not wanting to decide on something she didn¡¯t know about, Seria quickly stood up and pulled the rope. Susan, who was standing outside, immediately came in and bowed politely.


    ¡°You wanted to see me, My Lady?¡±


    ¡°Bring me the Chief Aide.¡±


    ¡°I will summon him at once.¡±


    ring at O¡¯Bon, Seria sat back in her chair and folded her arms.

 Chapter 62

    <h2>Chapter 62</h2>


    As a result, O¡¯Bron was ravaged by the flurry of activity.


    ¡°I would like to order as many pot nts (trees nted in pots to maximize the convenience of movement) as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    The merchant was in a hurry to transcribe Linon¡¯s words.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make topiaries out of wood, cypress, butterfly boxwood, and juniper. Evergreen trees never go out of style.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. The chief aide is very nimble.¡±


    The merchant broke out in a cold sweat. O¡¯Bron¡¯s earthy face was pale and sullen. Seria sat there pretending that she understood everything Linon had said, but she really didn¡¯t.


    <em>¡®What are all those trees?¡¯</em>


    Thedies and noblewomen at the tea party wouldn¡¯t seat Seria down and talk about the garden trees, would they? The original Seria didn¡¯t know much about gardens since she had never been taught by her mother. There was one more thing that bothered Seria.


    Right now, Linon was kneeling next to her in front of the merchant, demonstrating his knowledge of the garden effortlessly. Heid a handkerchief on the floor and immediately knelt down, looking as neat as a priest reciting the Bible.


    As a result, the merchant moved his hips up and down in a frightened manner. O¡¯Bron was a vassal of Berg so he must have attended the meetings from time to time, but he was less used to seeing Linon like that than the merchant. He didn¡¯t know what he was witnessing, his eyes widened for a while.


    The merchant nced at Linon, taking notes and looking ufortable the whole time. It was ufortable for Seria as well. She had an idea why Linon was suddenly on his knees and was more than willing to help.


    ¡°Youngdy, I think we¡¯veid the groundwork for this.¡±


    Linon¡¯s voice was polite. But Seria was sure that the real meaning behind those polite words was, ¡®This much is perfect.¡¯


    That was what the words sounded like. The merchant wanted to avoid this difort as soon as possible. So unlike before, he asked in a concise manner, without any glittering qualifiers,


    ¡°Do you have any trees that you like, Grand Duchess?¡±


    ¡°I want to make a small garden with orange trees.¡±


    ¡°Orange trees! What an excellent choice!¡±


    At that moment, the ckened face of the merchant finally regained some color.


    Orange trees were very expensive. Saving money is not always a good thing.


    Seria thought that this expensive orange tree would be iparable if it were to be nted in the garden, also from a practical point of view since people could eat the orangester.


    The merchant who tried to make a fortune through her, whom he knew nothing about, was outrageous, but when Seria asked him about it, he didn¡¯t try to intimidate her. She just watched from the sidelines as O¡¯Bron tried to make a fortune. Perhaps O¡¯Bron was trying to get some sort of middlemanmission from the merchant after this aggressive sales pitch to the Duchess.


    ¡°There are already two fountains, but only one small pond, so I would like to dig arger pond to raise the fountains. And I heard that the existing garden is very difficult to draw water from.¡±


    He continued, ¡°We could also dig out a longerke to expand the low marsh so there would be plenty of water.¡±


    Seria decided to make a long green carpet with a yellowish-green variety of grass and also arge flower bed for the purpose of nting only flowers.


    It was going to be a much bigger project than she thought, even though it was simply organized.


    The merchant bowing formally and hurriedly retreated, saying that he would bring an orange tree bonsai the next time he came. The bonsai, which had be a small forest in the parlor, was soon out of the way.


    Instead of re-signing, Linon grabbed the atmosphere heavily, and O¡¯Bron, who intuited that his own position was over, was also kicked out with a face of death.


    ¡°Linon, get up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Lady.¡±


    Linon got up and shook his knees. He rolled up his gloves so that the outside didn¡¯t touch his hands, and folded them neatly, and put them in his pocket along with two handkerchiefs he had taken from his pocket.


    ¡°Hey¡­what were you doing kneeling down so suddenly?¡±


    ¡°Since the Young Lady trusts me enough to call me, I have to do this.¡±


    Linon was brazen. Of course, Seria had an idea why he was kneeling in front of the merchant. Many wealthy merchants who deal with the aristocracy pretend to be soft-spoken. They would deliberately bring up other noblemen when in fact they were tight-lipped.


    Since the construction of the main castle garden in Berg was quite a rumor, the merchant would be called around from ce to ce. She was sure they would casually mention Seria there. It would be the same no matter what kind of merchant she called.


    ¡°You did a good job calling me. Since it¡¯s arge construction project, and you¡¯re the Grand Duchess, many merchants would try to sell a lot of expensive and good products.¡±


    The aristocrats, who were more concerned with appearances, and the merchants, who were more concerned with practicality, pursued different paths. After hearing about a merchant who had made a fortune from a certain Count, Seria felt fortunate. Because the salesmen¡¯s suggestions she received would have easily exceeded the yearly budget of any other respectable noble family.


    So calling Linon was a good idea.


    However, the fact that the Grand Duchess had called the Chief Aide for advice without making a direct decision was enough for the nobles to mock her. But Seria didn¡¯t think it mattered. She called for Linon without hesitation.


    But for Linon, who knelt before her as soon as he came, the merchant would have had to fumble. People sometimes indicate their position just by the seat they are sitting on.


    Seria exchanged a few more words with Linon. He looked disappointed.


    ¡°Still, youngdy, you could have been more extravagant.¡±


    Linon continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t I hear you talking about building a garden out of orange trees?¡±


    Seria actually liked trees that bore fruits. Something edible. But imperial aristocrats did not nt trees that bear fruit as garden trees. This was because there was no difference between an elegant garden and a country orchard. And orange trees were expensive.


    ¡°Is that a luxury? You know they are different, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine for me to get down on my knees for you, youngdy.¡±


    Linon was very good at talking, even if he wasn¡¯t a chief aide. Seria fell for it and answered honestly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be extravagant with other people¡¯s money. ¡­.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t because Seria was particrly frugal. When she was a graduate student, she knew a professor in another department who misused state research funds and even bought a foreign-made car before he went bankrupt, so she wanted to be as careful as possible about such things.


    So Seria confided in Linon frankly, and Linon had an indescribable look on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, My Lady. It¡¯s a good thing I asked first.¡±


    Linon cleared his throat and diverted the conversation. The conversation was about gardens. The 48 themes that O¡¯Bron had rmended was too much for anyone to take, but she still felt that she wouldn¡¯t mind six of them, so she listened to Linon¡¯s opinion. After a while of drinking tea, Seria asked Linon what she was curious about.


    ¡°Linon, do you know all the garden trees by heart?¡±


    There was no such thing in Seria¡¯s knowledge. If it was something she didn¡¯t know, she would have learned it from her mother for generations, and she could have learned it separately, but the odds were high that Seria wouldn¡¯t have even cared about gardens, even for the sake of her pride.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s rare to have a grand project like this. Even so, people tend to the existing trees and use different kinds of flowers in the flower beds. Even if we were to proceed all the way from there, it would only be to build one or two more fountains.¡±


    After a brief answer, Linon looked at the paper Seria had scribbled all over and said,


    ¡°Anyway, My Lady. You will be sorely disappointed when the butler sees you.¡±


    ¡°Ben? Why is that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out in the evening.¡±


    Seria nodded with a puzzled face, and they finished talking.


    After a warm dinner, Seria took a bath. There was nothing much to do outside, so she quickly went back to the bedroom and threw herself on the soft bed. After lying on her back for a while, she reached over to the table. It was the document about the garden that she had been catching all day.


    Gardens were not a very trendy thing to do, but the booklet the merchant had brought with him had once described one clear trend. It was to nt arge tree as the centerpiece of the garden. Seria liked the fact that it would provide natural shade in the summer.


    <em>¡®I should nt one in my own garden, and buy magic soil.¡¯</em>


    The bigger the tree, the harder it was to bring in, so if she nts the tree in magic soil, the tree would never die, even if it was not in the right season.


    The only drawback was that the price and the maintenance cost was too high.


    It was not long before Ben came in with a knock on the door.


    ¡°I heard you wanted to see me earlier, Young Lady.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Ben. I¡¯ll have to go to the Laurel Manor tomorrow. I¡¯m going to call a lot of workers while I¡¯m working on the main garden anyway. I think it would be very efficient to work on the manor garden with them.¡±


    Ben¡¯s spirits sank at the mention of the Laurel Manor.


    ¡°Ben?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    <em>¡®Did I say something wrong?</em>¡¯ When Seria hurriedly asked again, Ben said in a somber tone.


    ¡°My Lady. ¡­.I only wanted you to enjoy decorating the garden, but for no reason I called the merchant. I didn¡¯t expect you to work all day without taking a break like this¡­I was not thinking clearly. I didn¡¯t know you would work so hard. It was true what Linon said.¡±


    ¡°Because the faster I work, the faster I can rest.¡±


    Not listening to Seria, Ben squeezed his eyes shut with his handkerchief.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a carriage ready to take you to Laurel Manor. But don¡¯t go back too early. You can stay a day or two.¡±


    ¡°Should I?¡±


    ¡°How happy Martha and Joanna will be.¡±


    Seria nodded at Ben¡¯s suggestion. It would probably take at least a week for Lesche to return, so it would be nice to stay in that beautiful manor for a day or two. She was curious to see what the green manor looked like with the shadows gone.


    Come to think of it, when Leschees back, he would see this empty garden. Would he be as solid as the stone like his knights and Seria had be? She couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of expression Lesche would have on his face.


    It was not long before she fell asleep.

 Chapter 63

    <h2>Chapter 63</h2>


    The next day.


    Seria rode with Abigail in the carriage to the Laurel Manor.


    One good thing about the disappearance of Magi in the green manor was that the list of visitable knights, which used to be strictly restricted, has been lifted. Seria was excited because Abigail constantly doubted that a manor built of green marble actually existed.


    ¡°We have arrived.¡±


    The footman moved quickly to bring Seria a footstool, and Abigail took her hand and escorted her in.


    The sun was shining brightly in the sky. The green manor, located in the middle of the white snowfield, was as graceful and beautiful as a rare peacock on the verge of extinction. The manor, devoid of Magi¡¯s characteristic deadliness, seemed sublime.


    Perhaps it was because Magi was gone that she was not familiar with the ce where she stayed for several days. As Seria gazed at the overflowing beauty with an emotional heart, she suddenly spotted a strange person near the manor. The man was sitting in front of a canvas with snow piled up on his shoulders and head. He was brushing the canvas nonstop.


    When her gaze reached the man, Abigail¡¯s gaze was already fixed on him. Her eyesight being particrly good, she blinked a few times and said,


    ¡°He looks like a snowman, but it depicts that green manor.¡±


    ¡°The green manor? Is he a painter?¡±


    Why was there a painter? Suddenly, the door of the manor opened and someone came out.


    ¡°Lady!¡±


    It was Martha, whom Seria hadn¡¯t seen in a long time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you! I see that His Highness is still doing well!¡±


    ¡°Lesche is what¡­.ah!¡±


    Seria was startled. It was because Martha had picked her up by her waist and spun her around. Abigail was able to snatch the wide-brimmed hat from Seria¡¯s head as it blew away.


    Martha marveled.


    ¡°I¡¯m a good knight, youngdy.¡±


    Seria burst intoughter at Martha¡¯s words. It was awkward, but at the same time, her heart was thumping a little.


    ***


    ¡°The trees have been growing in the garden without dying, all thanks to you, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°In spring, I¡¯ll pick some blueberries and make some jam.¡±


    While they were talking and catching up, Martha and Joanna fed Seria something the whole time. Before she knew it, the green manor was filled with flowering flowerpots. When the shadow was here, the flowers would wither away, it was sad.


    ¡°In the spring we¡¯re going to start with the main part and work on the garden¡­¡±


    Seria tried to talk, but the amount of cookies they fed her was more than the words she spit out. Abigail ate the cookies baked with rock sugar better than Seria did. After going around the manor with a basket full of cookies, they went back to the kitchen to recharge.


    Maybe it was because Abigail was a knight that she didn¡¯t gain weight even after eating so much?


    Anyway, they didn¡¯t leave the green manor until four days had passed. They finally returned to the main pce, feeling rxed as she often did after taking a break in the countryside, when¡­


    In the distance, Seria saw a tall man with silver hair in front of the main gate.


    <em>¡®Lesche? When did hee back?¡¯</em>


    ¡°When did youe?¡±


    The timing was appalling, and Lesche had just returned. She could see the words of the knight who had headed to the Great Temple with him snorting out. Blinking, she knew in time.


    ¡°¡­They saw it. They saw it.¡±


    The knights blinked their eyes several times as they entered the gardens. They must have been really surprised, because the garden, which was there when they left, disappeared without a trace when they returned. It was hard to read Lesche¡¯s expression as she could only see his side, but in the meantime, the carriage she was riding in stopped in front of the door.


    As soon as Seria got off the carriage, she saw a man standing right in front of her. Seria was startled.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    ¡°Seria, where have you been?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been staying at the Laurel Manor for a few days. By the way, you came back already?¡±


    ¡°I kept on riding. Shall we go inside and talk?¡±


    Lesche answered simply and held out his hand to Seria. Seria¡¯s hand rested lightly on the pitch ck leather glove he was wearing.


    ¡°Have you seen the garden?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I thought we were robbed.¡±


    ¡°Bibi said the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Then why is the garden in such a state?¡±


    ¡°They say they identally spread the wrong fertilizer and damaged the shrubs.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a terrible mistake. Did you get rid of the gardeners?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re going to do some major work. Not now, but in the spring¡­ Do you have any trees you¡¯d like to nt in the garden?¡±


    ¡°No. Do as you please.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Seria knew that was what Lesche would answer. As they entered the hall, the servants were already lined up, waiting to greet them. Ben took the coat and gloves from Lesche, and Susan removed Seria¡¯s cloak.


    Ben bowed deeply to Lesche and said,


    ¡°I¡¯ve been informed that you¡¯reing. The vassals are¡­¡±


    ¡°Call them to the meeting. I have something to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    <em>¡®Meeting? He just got back, does he need to work already?¡¯</em>


    As Seria was thinking, Lesche looked at her and asked,


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Are you done talking about the garden?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve almost finished a rough draft of the garden. I¡¯ll show you in the evening.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll show it to me?¡±


    Lesche tilted his chin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you just dress it up?¡±


    ¡°But since it¡¯s a garden everyone can see as well, let¡¯s be gracious about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m speechless.¡±


    Lesche grinned. He raised his hand slightly and Seria couldn¡¯t help but nce in his direction, suddenly slipping away.


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Seria staggered, and Lesche cheerfully supported her. She thanked him but felt strange. Lesche¡¯s wrist was much hotter than usual.


    ¡°Lesche. You seem to have a fever.¡±


    ¡°Fever?¡±


    Lesche ced the back of his hand against his forehead and tilted his chin.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡®When you¡¯re exposed to some wood in the High Temple, you sometimes get a high fever. Is that it?¡¯


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°Do I look like a person who easily gets hurt?¡±


    ¡°It might hurt.¡±


    Lescheughed.


    ¡°I see. I might be sick, but not now.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for Seria to figure out why he said not now.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Alliot came hurrying over at that moment.


    ¡°The knights are asking to see you urgently. There¡¯s been a slight setback in the military supply.¡±


    Lesche looked at Seria.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lesche strode up the stairs on his long legs. The meeting was on the third floor of the main office. Seria watched Lesche¡¯s back as he quickly moved away. He arrived almost at the same time as her, but he had to attend meetings right away.


    Lesche looked very busy. He seemed to have a fever, but couldn¡¯t rest. But Seria couldn¡¯t make a fuss about it, specting on Lesche¡¯s health, the lord of this castle. There were too many vassals around at the moment.


    Besides, she wouldn¡¯t be able to pull him out of the meeting room even if he had a real fever.


    There was nothing she could do except to bring him some hot tea. After a couple of hours, Seria was walking across therge hall when she came across Linon. She wouldn¡¯t have been able to ask more about Lesche¡¯s condition if she hadn¡¯t seen Linon walking at a trot.


    ¡°What, Young Lady? His Highness¡­sick¡­? No one in the world would look at His Highness as frail as the Young Lady.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it that bad?¡±


    Seria knew better than to ask. Linon said it with so much astonishment that she decided to just let the thought wash over her.


    After all, perhaps it was because Lesche had returned and called for a meeting, the work that had been in limbo was now moving forward. The vassals were constantlying in, and the servants were busy running around. Seria was also busy looking at the draft of the garden construction so she ordered dinner to be brought to her room and ate it there.


    ¡°His Highness?¡±


    ¡°The meeting isn¡¯t over yet.¡±


    ¡°Still?¡±


    Seria was conscience-stricken about Lesche first; she decided to get everything done that she was in no hurry to do. The sky was nowpletely dark after she was done.


    <em>¡®I need to show him a draft of the garden¡­¡¯</em>


    Seria thought about showing it to him tomorrow, but she had a feeling that tomorrow would be another series of meetings. It seemed like a good idea to leave the draft in Lesche¡¯s bedroom. He would see it when he woke up at dawn. Because she wasn¡¯t sure she could get up as early as Lesche to give it to him then.


    Seria packed up the garden draft and found Lesche¡¯s bedroom. She was on the same floor with him anyway. The distance was a bit far because of therge castle but when she asked if she could enter Lesche¡¯s bedroom, the servant guarding the front immediately opened the door for her.


    ¡°His Highness is already asleep.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then may I just leave this document in his room?¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡±


    Feeling a bit nervous, Seria quietly entered Lesche¡¯s bedroom. The Grand Duke¡¯s bedroom was exactly the same in structure as the Grand Duchess¡¯s bedroom. Although the second floor of the castle itself was a living space only for the Duke couple, it was very spacious.


    As the servant said, she saw Lesche lying long on the bed, asleep. Then quietly, she ced the document on the side table of his bed.


    Then she stared at Lesche, who had his eyes closed.


    Honestly, Lesche came home unbelievably early. He came back in four days, a distance that would have required a normal person to run for a week. Riding continuously in wet clothes and cold weather, it would make the rider very tired. It might not be too hard for Lesche since his stamina was different than most people¡¯s. But still¡­.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria looked at Lesche without saying anything and quietly walked out. She walked down the stairs to the first floor hall and immediately saw Susan.


    ¡°Miss?¡±


    ¡°Susan, can you get a fever reducer?¡±


    ¡°Fever reducer? Absolutely. There¡¯s a separate medicine in the main hall.¡±


    She told Seria to wait a moment, and Susan came back with a tray with three light brown grains, a canteen of hot water, and a cold hand towel with a wooden spoon.


    ¡°It¡¯s hot water, just let him drink it all at once.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Up the stairs and in front of Lesche¡¯s bedroom, Seria finally became suspicious. Susan¡¯s words about taking it all at once came to her mind btedly. Did she by any chance know that Lesche has a fever?


    <em>¡®Don¡¯t they usually call a doctor when they are sick?¡¯</em>


    First¡­ Seria went inside the bedroom. Leche was still asleep.


    <em>¡®Lesche, you idiot¡­you¡¯re sick, aren¡¯t you?¡¯</em>


    Seria opened the lid of the water bottle. She poured a little hot water into the wooden spoon. Steam rose from the spoon. As she waited for the heat to cool off, she carefully brought the medicine to Lesche¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Without a sound, Lesche caught her hand.

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    In no time at all, Lesche, with his eyes still closed, snatched Seria¡¯s hand. Seria opened her mouth, a little flustered.


    ¡°¡­Lesche?¡±


    When Seria called him aloud, Lesche opened his eyes. Seria felt strange when she saw his feverish red eyes, which were different from usual. Lesche looked at Seria and blinked slowly without saying anything. Even that was an unusual reaction.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought you some medicine.¡±


    ¡°Leave it there.¡±


    His hands were really hot. Not simply a slight fever, but it seemed like a high fever.


    ¡®You¡¯re burning in fever, and you¡¯re just lying there without taking any medicine? Don¡¯t you feel dizzy?¡¯


    Seria was afraid if she left the medicine, she would find his dead body soon.


    ¡°I think you¡¯d better take it now.¡±


    Seria said firmly, and Lesche looked at her intently and let go of her hand. When she was about to hand over the medicine, Lesche stopped her without a second thought.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t take it now, all the medicine will melt.¡±


    ¡°You are aware that your hands are hot, right?¡± Seria asked.


    ¡°Then lend me your hand.¡±


    With that, Lesche grabbed Seria¡¯s hand again. Her hand trembled. Then, he took Seria¡¯s hand, which was holding the medicine, to his mouth without hesitation. Seria¡¯s hand touched his hot lips. She felt embarrassed for no reason. She pulled her hand away, trying not to be conscious of it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s very bitter.¡±


    ¡°I took it as you suggest. Give me some water.¡±


    Seria tried to give Lesche a water bottle, but the water was still hot. It was obvious that if she let him drink it, it would burn his tongue.


    ¡®I tried to bring down his fever but I¡¯ll burn his mouth instead¡­.¡¯


    Lesche looked more tired than she thought.


    That¡¯s why he was hurt. Distressed, Seria brought a wooden spoon of cooled water to Lesche¡¯s mouth. Her hands trembled a little, probably because she had never fed anything to a sick person before.


    Lesche¡¯s lips, which were on fire from the fever, opened smoothly. Unlike the words, ¡°The medicine is bitter,¡± there was no change in his expression. After she fed Lesche water three times, Seria asked,


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    Lesche lowered his gaze and looked at Seria.


    ¡°The water is spilling.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s the first time someone has gotten sick near me.¡±


    Seria sneakily took out her handkerchief, since she had indeed spilled water on Lesche¡¯s clothes. As she carefully wiped it off, Lesche¡¯s voice dropped.


    ¡°I¡¯m the first person?¡±


    ¡°Yes, so be thankful when I feed you.¡±


    ¡°Should I bow?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take itter when you¡¯re feeling better.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a very high price to pay for one dose of your medicine.¡±


    ¡°Do you think anyone can get Stern¡¯s care?¡±


    Lesche smiled briefly at Seria¡¯s mischievous words.


    Lesche looked uncharacteristically tired, so Seria decided to ask,


    ¡°Lesche, don¡¯t you need to call a doctor?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s noisy if you call him for something trivial.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡®So that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t call the doctor?¡¯


    He kept working as soon as he got back.


    There was no other direct lineage in the Berg family. Not long ago, there was no hostess either. The duty of guarding the frozenke, the need to protect and defend it as a Grand Duke, and the need to pass it on was a heavy responsibility. Seria could imagine the weight of life on Lesche¡¯s shoulders.


    Even though she said that Lesche must have contracted her as a ve, the actual ve was Lesche no matter how she looked at it. Of course, he looked more like a natural born predator than a ve. She had never imagined such a person would get sick; all sorts of thoughts came to her mind.


    Seria put down the water bottle and ced a cold hand towel on Lesche¡¯s forehead. His eyes slowly dropped, unlike usual. Lesche said,


    ¡°I heard you brought a draft of the garden.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I put it on the little table.¡±


    ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    ¡°Now?¡±


    Seria frowned.


    ¡°You can see it tomorrow. It¡¯s nothing to rush.¡±


    ¡°Ben cried that you work as soon as you came back.¡±


    ¡°You worked as soon as you arrived, too. We¡¯ll be doing major work in the spring, so there¡¯s no need to rush to check now.¡±


    ¡°Spring?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s gaze met Seria¡¯s. He asked slowly.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be here then, too?¡±


    Her ears perked up.


    ¡°Can I leave before then?¡±


    ¡°No, the divorce would be next winter anyway. Where do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°I have a townhouse in the Capital. Even before the Great Temple, there is always a ce where I can stay. It¡¯s because the food there isn¡¯t very good.¡±


    Lesche smiled. He closed his eyes.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Do I look that sick to you? I didn¡¯t expect you would be mypanion.¡±


    Seria was a little shocked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­.it¡¯s sad when you¡¯re sick and alone.¡±


    Lesche opened his red eyes and looked at Seria.


    ¡°Is that what you experienced?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ Yes, well. asionally.¡±


    ¡°Did the Kellyden treat you so coldly?¡±


    ¡°I was the one who gave the Kellyden the cold shoulder.¡±


    Lesche nced at Seria as she spoke with effort in her eyes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be in the best mood for that.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of my notoriety? I don¡¯t get along with my family very well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    Of course, this man knew everything. There weren¡¯t many nobles who didn¡¯t know that Seria¡¯s mother was of lowly status. However, he didn¡¯t talk about it. Seria knew he wouldn¡¯t mock her, but her body shook nheless.


    Even in front of the heroine, Seria showed superhuman patience and finally ended up with self-inflicted ckmail. But there was no way she could get through to Lesche that way, and she didn¡¯t want him to see her like that.


    It was not a good thing to expose her shame to others. She was just about to change the subject when Lesche spoke up.


    ¡°I sent the marriage pledge to Marquis Kellyden, but he kept dying his answer.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    What does that mean? Seria blinked in panic.


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°Right after the year-end party.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Quite a bit of time had passed than she expected. Of course, Seria didn¡¯t live there for a long time ago, but the world knew all about her anyway, that she was the revival of a well known family called Kellyden. So, on the face of it, there was no denying the fact that the Kellyden family would be better off if he answered the marriage pledge.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because he doesn¡¯t want to admit that I married you.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°I told you. My family and I don¡¯t get along.¡±


    ¡°Marquis Hon, what about that bastard?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria blinked. Lesche raised his eyebrows softly.


    ¡°¡­I understand that the Kellyden epted your marriage pledge to Marquis Hon without difficulty¡­¡±


    ¡®How did you know?¡¯


    A question drifted through Seria¡¯s mind, but she answered without hesitation.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. The Hon and the Kellyden are on good terms with each other because they are in the west. And¡­¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Marquis Kellyden thought Marquis Hon was too good for me that he tolerated me¡­Lesche?¡±


    Lesche, who had been lying still with the cold towel on his forehead, suddenly sat up. Holding the wet towel in his hand, he asked,


    ¡°Tolerated?¡±


    It would be in the heart of most normal people to hope that the members of their family would have a good rtionship with people from good families, even if not necessarily in terms of connections, assets, or other added value gained from marriage. Especially in such a thoroughly status-based world, the higher the title of the spouse, the better it was unconditionally.


    ¡°Perhaps if Kalis was a Duke instead of a Marquis, Marquis Kellyden would make all sorts of excuses and postpone the marriage vows as well.¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche stared at her, then opened his mouth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s dere war on Kellyden.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a joke?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Just¡­¡±


    The words were enough. Seria couldn¡¯t believe that those words actually soundedforting. On the other hand, she felt a strange confidence that if she agreed, she would hear the news about Lesche Berg dering war on Marquis Kellyden around next week.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Seria changed the subject.


    ¡°If you need an answer from Kellyden, I can get it for you.¡±


    ¡°You want me to make my wife beg?¡±


    ¡°Not to the point of begging. I can be a little angry.¡±


    Of course, by the original Seria¡¯s standards, ¡®a little¡¯ was never weak. She destroyed some property, raged into Marquis Kellyden¡¯s Office, called in thedies of the estate one by one, pestering them. Of course this was what the original Seria did before, so Seria wasn¡¯t confident she could do it sober.


    Lesche stared at Seria and asked,


    ¡°Do you need an answer?¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it either.¡±


    Seria blinked. Of course, sending the marriage vows to each family and asking them to respond back was just a way to keep up appearances and had nothing to do with legal validity. Still, some nobles sometimes found it difficult because it was customary.


    Lesche, who was the Grand Duke of Berg, was also very strict. He even sent someone to Marquis Kellyden right after the year-end party.


    ¡°I thought you cared.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you send someone to the Kellyden?¡±


    ¡°That man.¡± (*I think Lesche meant Kalis, but Lesche didn¡¯t want to say his name.)


    ¡°That man?¡±


    Seria blinked at the vague words that suddenly came out. Halfway through his answer, Lesche ruffled his hair. He sneered in a low voice and sighed lightly.


    ¡°I only sent it as a matter of procedure.¡±


    ¡°Procedure¡­¡±


    Seria had a feeling Lesche was hiding something from her, but she didn¡¯t think he would answer if she asked more. A silence fell. She stared at Lesche¡¯s face quietly and suddenly noticed his under eyes were red.


    ¡®No way, did he cry out in pain before I came? That¡¯s not true, is it?¡¯

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    ****


    Lesche and tears were as ipatible abination as seawater and cotton bedding. Even in the original, he had never been depicted as crying.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Lesche asked sensitively, even though Seria didn¡¯t look at him for very long.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s a little red under your eyes.¡±


    Seria regretted it immediately after she said it. So what if Lesche was red under his eyes?


    ¡°If you¡¯re in a lot of pain, should I go down and get some painkillers?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ painkillers?¡±


    ¡°Yes, or I can call the doctor.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I cried because I was sick?¡±


    Lescheughed in exasperation as Seria stood still, having been shown the error of her ways.


    ¡°My eyes are always like that.¡±


    ¡°Always?¡±


    ¡°Is it strange?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not strange.¡±


    It was true. It wasn¡¯t that Seria thought it was strange.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you for a long time, and it¡¯s weird that I just noticed it now.¡±


    ¡°You are usually afraid to look at my eyes.¡±


    If a person has too intense of a look in their eyes, the others can¡¯t recall them. Lesche was just such a case. To a great extent, this man was the same way with the rest of his body, which was also equally intense. His face, his body, his height were immediately overwhelmed by his appearance so much that the small details were not yet captured.


    ¡°Always.¡±


    Lesche asked in a slightly slower voice.


    ¡°How about now?¡±


    Right now¡­.


    Seria turned her gaze, which she had been secretly avoiding, back to Lesche. His eyes were cold and expressionless, but the red eyes and the silveryshes that fell ¡­. There was a strangeness in Lesche¡¯s eyes that remarkably fascinated people.


    Certainly it also showed in one¡¯s face that he was a great man. Seria suddenly found herself staring at Lesche in a daze. After a moment, she realized that he was also staring at her.


    She wondered if ¡°epting¡± was the right word. She felt as if his eyes were biting her. Red shining eyes. It was like after all this time, their close proximity was being recognized. Silence. A strange tension. A close distance that felt like it was about to reach somewhere at any moment.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria couldn¡¯t help but turn her head away, feeling odd at that moment. Roughly, she stared at a corner of the bed.


    That was when a firm hand grabbed a strand of her hair that was flowing down her cheek and passed it behind her ear. A fingertip passed through her ear and lightly touched her chin before leaving. As it grazed her skin, there was an unusual heat. Seria felt like she was burning a little.


    Lesche, who¡¯d been staring at Seria the whole time, said,


    ¡°Seria. Go.¡±


    A low voice breaking the silence. It waste at night.


    ¡°¡­¡­ Good night.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    Seria hurried out of Lesche¡¯s bedroom. As she walked toward the Grand Duchess¡¯s bedroom, she raised her hand and touched her ear. It was a moment of heat. Of course it had already disappeared, floating in the air.


    Somewhere in her heart, the water seemed to fill slowly. It was such a strange feeling.


    ***


    It was early in the morning of the next day, not even the sun had risen yet.


    Lesche woke up. He used to sleep less and wake up earlier in the morning. If there was something that was different today, it was the wet, foreign feeling he could feel on his forehead. It was a wet hand towel that Seria had ced on his forehead.


    After she left the bedroomst night, Leschey down and stared at the hand towel, letting it rest on his vision. He did so for a period of time that was not quite short.


    After that, he slept with it on his forehead.


    Lesche, who was reflecting on what happened yesterday, sat up after a while. There was a document that drew his gaze to a small table ced right next to the bed.


    <Garden Draft>


    The cover letter was the size of a gate, so he couldn¡¯t help but look at it. It was that document that Seria had left behind. Lesche smiled as he covered his mouth with his hand.


    He wondered where Seria learned all this stuff.


    Lately, whenever Linon had a document that needed to be approved, he would print it out with a lot of ink like this and put the title on the cover in a weird way. Thanks to this, even if there were a hundred other documents scattered about, Linon¡¯s document would be the first to catch his attention.


    A title-writing style that reveals its unique presence. Lesche¡¯s eyes turned round. He wondered in what spirit she had devised this bizarre method of not being swamped by other documents, but he guessed Linon had learned it from Seria.


    ¡®Where on earth did she learn such a thing?¡¯


    Everything about Seria these days was a mystery to him.


    Anyway, the only thing that was amazing was the pressure to read this document as quickly as possible. Lesche pulled the string and the servants came in immediately.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    The servants had a curious look on their faces. Because Lesche was holding a document in one hand and a hand towel in the other.


    The document made sense, but the hand towel?


    Since Lesche, the master of the house, always woke up at a certain time, hot water was always prepared in the bathroom at this time. But this was the first time in their lives that they had seen the Grand Duke with a hand towel, so¡­ The servants didn¡¯t know what was going on, but they couldn¡¯t ask.


    After getting out of the bath and straightening his clothes, Ben waited. He bowed deeply to Lesche and asked,


    ¡°Your Highness, how are you feeling?


    ¡°Seria gave me a fever reducer.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Susan told me.¡±


    ¡°You got better in a day, even without eating. The Grand Duke didn¡¯t want the Duchess to have to take care of him.¡±


    Lesche was very aware that he was the Grand Duke of Berg, though it was rare for him to be sick. He would have called his doctor if he had a feeling that he was going to be in a lot of pain because if he put off the treatment and his symptoms worsened, and he had to rest, the work of the Grand Duchy would bepletely paralyzed.


    In other words, there was nothing wrong with having such a meeting for nearly eight hours yesterday. The Grand Duke would just go straight to bed and sleep it off.


    Ben smiled.


    ¡°Still, Your Highness. You¡¯re less hurt thanks to Young Lady.¡±


    ¡®Less hurt¡¯. It wasn¡¯t the wrong word. Lesche thought of the pill that had tumbled out of Seria¡¯s handst night. No, to be honest, the memory of her fingers touching his lips lingered still lingered. And he held Seria¡¯s hand with the medicine up to his mouth unknowingly.


    ¡®What was I doing?¡¯


    Lesche felt stupid.


    ¡°Pleasee, Your Highness. I¡¯ve prepared a meal for you.¡±


    Ben was smiling. Lesche clicked his tongue at the apparent intent of Ben¡¯s smile.


    ***


    Despite the fever boiling up like that, Lesche waspletely healed the next day. The male lead with amazing physical strength was really¡­ a scam, wasn¡¯t it?


    Of course, even when he was sick, he was busy checking all the garden rted documents.


    Seria herself had a habit of handling her work quickly because of her previous life, but what on earth was Lesche? She felt like she understood why Linon, a talented man, would make Lesche his lord.


    But so be it.


    A few days passed. Seria saw the empty garden again today. When she first saw it, she thought, ¡°I guess there are no ruins like this,¡± but now that the construction n was almostplete, her mind naturally pictured a garden full of greenery.


    To put it more bluntly, a garden that smelled of money¡­


    ¡°O¡¯Bron handed in his resignation in the morning. My Lady.¡±


    ¡°Resignation? Is that even necessary?¡±


    ¡°He looked very sick.¡±


    ¡°Why? He was in good health until a week ago, wasn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard this before, Young Lady, but people who almost get eaten by the demons can suffer serious mental injuries.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡®Wait a minute.¡¯


    Seria lifted her eyes as she listened to Linon.


    ¡°So are you saying I¡¯m a demon?¡±


    ¡°The difference between awe and fear is a small one. As a matter of fact, every time I look at you, I think of the demons.¡±


    Seria crossed her arms when Linon said that with a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to put this on me. Do you think I don¡¯t know that O¡¯Bron quit because he feared retaliation. After all,you, Linon, were kneeling down?¡±


    Linon¡¯s smile deepened a bit more as he flinched for a moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a lie.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Go on.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡±


    Perhaps he was busy worrying about the garden, and Linon disappeared in a sh. Seria looked out the window and was lost in thoughts.


    She had btedly heard the news that Eloise Hedon canceled the engagement with her fianc¨¦. It turned out that she was almost taken to the High Temple with her secret lover.


    They came to the conclusion that the Saintess had disappeared from the world altogether, and it was God¡¯s will, and they were soothed by it, but it would all go right down the drain.


    In the original story, Lina didn¡¯t disappear with such a fuss¡­ this time, the High Priest was involved and died and evaporated from the ce where numerous Glick Empire nobles were, so an even bigger ripple effect was expected.


    There would be whispering for a long time until Lina showed up again in a year.


    Seria decided that for the time being she would try not to go in front of it instead. It would be a good idea to avoid noisy scenes everywhere.


    There were things to do.


    One of them was to send a letter to the other Stern, Miyot.


    Since she had be Lesche¡¯s ve anyway, Seria decided she would start inspecting the ciers of Berg again next winter.


    This was actually the first time Seria had sent a letter to Miyot, as the Stern had very little contact with each other. She was a little worried about how the reply would be received, considering the haughty nature of the Stern people.


    [Why don¡¯t you stay at Berg for the rest of your life?]


    The reply came very briefly.


    Seria folded the letter, put it in the box, and looked out the window.


    The Berg mansion was noisier than usual. After the end of the year party, the nobles gathered again. This time, the reason was a bit more polite.


    It was to congratte her on her marriage to the Grand Duke of Berg.

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66


    ¡°Grand Duchess, I know I¡¯mte, but I really want to congratte you on your wedding.¡±


    ¡°Last time I sent someone because I didn¡¯t have the presence of mind, but this time my husband and I came in person.¡±


    ¡°My father just couldn¡¯t make the time, so instead, my sessor, myself and all my brothers came¡­.¡±


    The nobles from all over the country brought many gifts to celebrate Seria and Lesche¡¯s marriage. They had one thing inmon. They were the ones who sent only their knights to Seria and Kalis¡¯s wedding.


    Some of the nobles who were isted in the Tshugan ins were also the ones who tried toe to Berg. Of course, one of their barracks was ruined by Seria.


    Eloise and all the other warlords in that barracks didn¡¯te to Berg.


    Instead, it was said they left the Tshugan ins in a hurry, looking pale after giving their souvenirs to the Berg Knights. They must be terrified of Seria, but it was understandable.


    Anyway, far more nobles than Seria had expected came to Berg Castle. It was not an easy task to travel to the Grand Duchy of Berg this winter, but when she saw that they had the guts to shovel the snow, I realized how amazing Berg¡¯s prowess was.


    Originally, rooms had to be given to guests visiting the castle after careful consideration of various conditions. It is simr to the way that when you hold a tea party of any size, you have to take into ount all the guests¡¯ status, inclinations, rtionships, etc. to determine the seating arrangements.


    Of course, it was a muchrger scale seating arrangement than that, but that was what Seria would have done in the past. This time, however, she filled in the order ofing.


    She didn¡¯t feel the need to be attentive to the people who were rude to her anyway, because they came to apologize. Besides, Lesche did the same. Seria had already experienced the convenience and ease of that method, so she thoroughly benchmarked it.


    ¡°Grand Duchess, when are youing to the imperial capital?¡±


    ¡°My mother is very anxious to see you.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to give you an invitation to dinner¡­¡±


    Even at the ceremonial tea party, they were very quiet. No one dared toin why the garden was in such a state.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll nt some flowers.


    ¡°Flowers?¡±


    ¡°A flower called Confucius¡­¡±


    Seria was preparing to bury them upside down in the snow field if anyone dared to say anything, but unfortunately, no one did. They went home very quickly.


    ¡®I guess they all gritted their teeth and prepared their gifts.¡¯


    Maybe it was because most of the gifts were for Berg rather than Seria, so they were all very expensive.


    ¡®By the way, the next time I¡¯m on the road ¡­Should I meet Seria¡¯s family?¡¯


    Kellyden and Seria Stern could be avoided appropriately without meeting at the ball. Alternatively, they could just greet each other very briefly and part ways.


    Marquis Kellyden and Grand Duke Berg, however, were a bit more vague in their attempts to skirt around it. It was close to impossible. The number of people who would pay attention would be exceptional. Perhaps the Emperor and other members of the royal family would take a great interest in Seria¡­.


    ¡®Well, Kellyden was not a good image for me.¡¯


    They weren¡¯t her family to begin with, and more importantly, Seria was injured so badly on her wedding day, and even her husband was instantly reced, but they didn¡¯t send a single person to check on her. She was actually a little disappointed and didn¡¯t feel good at that time. Seria understood that they were tired of her rambunctiousness and disliked her, but that was it. That was just about the extent of her understanding.


    ¡®Seria has always ignored Marquis Kellyden, but now I¡¯m¡­Should I bring out the Red Diamond?¡¯


    It was the diamond that Seria kept intact in its original state without any modification. Societies are sensitive to trends, but diamonds of that size ignore trends.


    Seria exhaled, thinking of the clear red diamond.


    ¡°Young Lady!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±


    A servant and a stableman came rushing out. Seria had just returned from a visit to the cier. She was about to leave her beloved horse with the stable keeper and enter the main hall, but she changed her mind and looked around the garden.


    ¡°Oh my god, the Grand Duchess.¡±


    Seria had not walked very far when she heard a voice calling her. She turned around and saw the vassals who had just entered the main pce. They were quite familiar faces. The older of the two spoke to her.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve been to the cier again today. As Berg¡¯s vassal, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but tear up at the fact that the Grand Duchess has been there more times this year than Sterns have visited in the past ten years.¡±


    At first nce, this may sound like a sarcastic remark, but in reality, it was said with great emotion. Hearingpliments for Sterns without reserve, the Priest asked,


    ¡°By the way, Grand Duchess. Have you ever been to the frozenke with His Highness the Duke?¡±


    The vassals looked at each other as he asked back in an awkward voice.


    ¡°Go out to y? The Grand Duke¡­.at the cier?¡±


    ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t know, since you were only there to inspect.¡±


    The Priest cleared his throat.


    ¡°A couple times a month, a lot of the newlyweds go out to the southeast part of theke, not the northern part where the Sterns and their knights go to inspect. With the intention of taking the wives or the husbands from foreignnds unfamiliar with the ciers of the Berg territory to familiarize them.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡±


    All noble men and women in the Glik Empire had to debutantes at the Imperial Pce, regardless of their origin. Even if there was now, it was almost mandatory to debut in the imperial pce in order to find a good spouse. This was why many people got married and left their hometowns to go to other parts of the world.


    ¡°There might be demons, and they¡¯re okay with that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why they take knights with them.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Because, to be honest, the demons won¡¯t change the fact that the cier is beautiful. Where else on the continent can you see such a scene?¡±


    As Seria listened to the vassals, she had one thought.


    ¡®It¡¯s like people who know that puffer fish is poisonous, but still manage to eat it because it tastes good.¡¯


    Of course, there were many aristocrats who were passionate about hunting fierce animals, so it was not surprising that the Berg aristocracy in particr. The vassals didn¡¯t seem to have any idea what Seria was thinking.


    ¡°While we¡¯re on the subject, why don¡¯t you ask His Highness to take you there, Grand Duchess?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are both very busy, but it would be good for you to take a break, even if it is just once in a while.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it is. Grand Duchess.¡±


    The vassals let out augh and left. Seria thought it was a good idea for Stern as the Grand Duchess. Seria smiled too.


    And that night.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    As she ate with Lesche, Seria was a little confused by Lesche¡¯s sudden eptance.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I forgot all about it.¡±


    He said, furrowing his brow and trying to figure out the schedule.


    ¡°Do you have time tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    When Seria didn¡¯t respond, Lesche looked at Susan, who was standing behind him, doing her best to stifle augh.


    Seria then asked,


    ¡°¡­Susan?¡±


    ¡°Young Lady doesn¡¯t have any ns tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go tomorrow, Seria.¡±


    Seria replied a little awkwardly.


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go, Lesche.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to a cier in a dress before.¡±


    Seria said, but the servants startedughing.


    ¡°You always go out in some kind of riding clothes, don¡¯t you, youngdy? I heard you are going on a tour?¡±


    ¡°Of course, the riding clothes looked good on her.¡±


    What the maids brought was an ankle-length dress. It was not a dress that was usually worn at the ball, but rather an active design, and it had soft rabbit fur on its neck and shoulders, making it very warm and very beautiful.


    It was the kind of going-out dress that nobledies would wear to the park on a nice winter day. With the dress on, her hair was half braided and tied in a knot and decorated with jewelry pins. She skipped the ne because she covered her neck with rabbit hair, and instead wore fitted earrings and a sparkly safari ring.


    Wearing a pair of warm leather shoes, Seria looked at the parasol that the servants had flown in, and asked back.


    ¡°Should I bring the parasol?¡±


    In this winter?


    ¡°It¡¯s bright and hot on the southern part of the frozenke. Besides, it¡¯s so pretty. If you¡¯re going on an outing with His Highness, take it with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Miss. It¡¯s hard to get a parasol with such a rich variety of delicatece on the end. Everyone will be envious of you.¡±


    Once again, Seria felt that the servants¡¯ attitudes and rtionships had improved a lotpared to when she first came to the Berg mansion to marry Kalis. Before, they were too scared to even make eye contact, but now that was a thing of the past.


    ¡°Are there many people on the cier?¡±


    ¡°No, Miss. I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Unless they¡¯re newlyweds, they won¡¯t really go there.¡±


    ¡®Then who will be envious of this parasol? Lesche?¡¯


    Anyway, the servants looked like they were enjoying themselves, so Seria said yes and picked up the parasol.


    ¡°Actually, your skin didn¡¯t burn during your previous cier visits, so Young Lady doesn¡¯t need a parasol.¡±


    Seria thought it was good that she didn¡¯t have to worry about her skin getting burnt. She thought about the original novel, the author gave Seria a hell of a temper and a destructive ending, but he gave her an unchanging beauty.


    After she finished putting on the dress, she put on a thick coat and even a cloak on top of it. It might be a little over the top, but considering how cold it was on the cier, it was better to dress warm. If it was too hot, she could just take it off.


    ¡°There is no need to see me off.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°Have a good trip, Young Lady.¡±


    The servants bowed politely. Susan was waiting for Seria outside.


    ¡°Susan, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Very pretty.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t look too overdressed, do I?¡±


    ¡°Is that what you were worried about? We¡¯ll be riding in arge carriage, so if you find it hard to breathe, you can take it off. There¡¯s plenty of room for that.¡±


    Susan smiled.


    As Seria was on her way to the carriage, she was a little worried. Because Lesche might tease her a bit if she wore too much.


    Lesche was already on the first floor waiting. As soon as he saw Seria, he frowned lightly.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you dressed too thin?¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    What¡­he was definitely the only one thought so.

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67


    As Seria blinked in disbelief, Susan, who was next to her, smiled and said to Lesche,


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought Young Lady another coat, just in case.¡±


    ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Susan handed the coat to Lesche, who ced it lightly on his arm. Then Seria looked at Lesche. She thought their attire wasparable. He wore a dark blue suit and thigh-high coat.


    ¡®It looks good on him.¡¯


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Seria.¡±


    She put her hand on Lesche¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The path to the cier that Stern was inspecting was much closer to the north. It was a ce where visibility was not very good because of the dense fog that hung around all year round. Because of that, it was hard to tell when the demons would appear. Seria didn¡¯t know there was another road, because she always went that way.


    The other side, the one closer to the territory, near the cier was much more beautiful than she imagined. She had a vague feeling that if it hadn¡¯t been infamously known as the Tomb of the Demons, it would have been quite famous as a tourist attraction.


    Of course, the original story didn¡¯t mention the disappearance of the demons until the conclusion of the story. It may have appeared in the side stories, but she only saw it until the conclusion of the main story.


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    Seria came to her senses when she heard Lesche¡¯s voice. Pointing out the window, she said,


    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful here. I didn¡¯t know it was like this.¡±


    ¡°Is this your first time here?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Why didn¡¯t you show this side to the other Sterns?¡±


    ¡°You are now seeing it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but there are other Sterns.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in any Stern but you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty good at my job, right?¡±


    Lesche grinned at Seria¡¯s proud question.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d love to live with her forever.¡±


    It sounded like a joke, but somehow it made Seria¡¯s heart throb. She was about to stare at Lesche¡¯s red eyes, but she pretended to look at the cier and averted her gaze.


    Just then, she heard a light tapping sound from the horseman¡¯s seat. A wooden shroud opened, and a person pushed up a small, thick ss skylight and said,


    ¡°Your Highness, shall we go further inside? Or would you like to take a look here?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go a little further.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The shutters closed, and the wheels of the carriage began to roll again. After a while, the carriage stopped and the horseman raised the wooden cover of the carriage again.


    It was an outing, but she couldn¡¯t justy on the floor and enjoy the time like a normal outing. If she did that, she would freeze to death in no time. Perhaps that was why the carriages in Berg territory had a unique design.


    The carriage they rode in was one of them. When the wooden covering of the carriage was removed, it was coveredpletely with ss. By all ounts, the design was devised for appearance.


    The price of ss was not cheap in this world, but this kind of carriage was a true symbol of luxury. It was worth the money.


    Then a giant, clearke caught Seria¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She sat huddled against the wall of the carriage and looked at the shimmering scales of the water. Normal winterkes freeze opaque, but this one, perhaps because it was a magicalke, kept its clean surface intact. At first nce, it looked as if it was not frozen at all.


    But when you actually put your hand on it, it was frozen. It was not silky smooth or rippling in the wind as if time had stopped. The sunlight reflected off the clear ice and it copsed beautifully. How could such a hugeke be neither an ocean nor a river? Theke, which took her breath away as it embraced the secrets of the unknown, was just endless and terrifyingly mysterious.


    ¡°Can I get off and walk?¡±


    ¡°If you want.¡±


    Lesche opened the carriage door and the horseman hurried to bring the step stool. Luche quickly got out of the carriage. Seria followed him. As she grabbed the parasol in one hand and the handle on the outside wall of the carriage in the other and was about to dismount when she was suddenly grabbed by a strong force at her waist.


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    It was Lesche. Her heart was pounding as her body was suddenly lifted into the air.


    ¡°What, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°The handle of the carriage is frozen.¡±


    ¡°It froze?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s words puzzled the horseman.


    ¡°It seems the sudden drop in temperaturest night caused it to freeze. I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness, My Lady.¡±


    The horseman hurried to repair the frozen handle, and Seria looked puzzled.


    ¡°No. ¡­.Lesche, do you really think I¡¯m going to get frostbite from holding it?¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°No.. Please let me down.¡±


    ¡°Why? We can walk all the way down theke like this.¡±


    ¡°How is this walking? I¡¯m being carried away like a piece of luggage!¡±


    Lesche smirked. He insisted as if he was ying a prank, and he only put Seria on the floor after she hit him on the shoulder a few times. Somehow, she felt tickled every time she was held by him.


    ¡°Your Highness, My Lady.¡±


    The servant who followed in the other carriage handed two warm cups. Seria held a cup with her gloves on. The steam was rising in the air. As soon as she smelled the aroma, she knew. It was the sweet tea she liked. She was sure Susan must have prepared it for her.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Apparently Susan likes me more than you¡­¡±


    Lesche looked dumbfounded at the serious words.


    ¡°You just found out about that? I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no one more important to the Green Manor than you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you regret that you were pushed out by me?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you think of me.¡±


    Seria sped my teacup and smiled.The weather was cold, but the wind wasn¡¯t blowing, so it was manageable. Perhaps it was the crisp, clean air, she felt as if her mind was being cleansed. A huge frozenke spread out before her, sparkling. A tranquility that made her feel at ease.


    This was what it felt like to be in the winter that everyone loved.


    They drank their tea and walked along theke. There were knights who were following the aristocrats who appeared to be newlyweds. When they recognized Lesche and Seria, they bowed deeply in surprise.


    ¡®They are all newlyweds?¡¯


    Suddenly, Seria remembered the shouts of encouragement by the vassals as if they were sales words, intriguing her to go to the cier with Lesche.


    ¡°If you see ciers often, you¡¯ll fall in love?¡±


    ¡°Love?¡±


    ¡°The vassals told me that.¡±


    Lesche was silent for a moment, then asked a surprising question.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll fall in love?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a Stern who knows the underside of the ciers very well, so I don¡¯t fall in love easily.¡±


    Lesche stared at her and sighed lowly. Seria blinked. Why the sudden sigh?


    ¡°Lesche? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You are the most difficult person I¡¯ve ever known.¡±


    ¡°Me? No, I¡¯m a very straightforward person.¡±


    Lesche shifted his gaze without reply. Seria had dozens of question marks over her head, because she had no idea why Lesche was like that.


    Then she suddenly realized that she was walking with a parasol as if it was a walking stick. Still, the maids had given it to her, and it was a beautifulcy parasol so she thought it would be right to use it. When she opened the parasol, Lesche looked at her with an unusual look.


    ¡°Why do you open the parasol in winter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to cheer you up.¡±


    Seria was going to use it alone, but she asked Lesche to walk under the parasol with her. Lesche agreed but the problem was he was too tall.


    When she lifted the parasol with all her strength, Lesche clicked his tongue and took the parasol from Seria¡¯s and lifted it up.


    ¡°People willugh when they see it.¡±


    ¡°I think they probably look at the parasol because it¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Is this the sort of thing you prefer?¡±


    ¡°Actually, the maids gave it to me, so I just brought it.¡±


    Lesche smiled at the frank confession. It was peaceful.


    She could have walked all day looking at the beautiful ciers, but winter was winter. The further north they went, the frostier her cheeks became, and Lesche stopped her.


    ¡°If we walk more, you¡¯ll freeze and pass out again.¡±


    ¡°That was the only time I did.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    Seria obediently walked back the way she came with Lesche. It was then that the snow started to fall again, and she raised her head. The snowkes were small and soft falling from the cloudy sky.


    She understood why the newlyweds woulde out to the cier. The shimmering scene of this vastke was not one to be easily forgotten.


    ¡°Your Highness, my Lady, you look very cold. Pleasee in. It¡¯s better to watch from the inside.¡±


    At the suggestion of the horseman who was waiting for them, they climbed back into the carriage. The expensive carriage, with its magic device, was warm. Her frozen hands tickled and she took off her gloves. After she finished drinking a cup of warm tea, Lesche asked,


    ¡°Would you like another cup?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The horseman reached for it, but Lesche¡¯s hand was faster. He held the teapot and gestured with his chin. Seria held out her cup and Lesche poured in the tea. Seria was somewhat surprised. It was a little strange to see a man who was born and raised as the heir of the Grand Duke of Berg would serve tea so well.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you could do it.¡±


    ¡°When I was at the Academy, I did everything by myself. It was hard to bring servants there.¡±


    Seria took a sip of tea as she listened to Lesche. It felt like a warm, sweet liquid that pooled and flowed through her body.


    She was in a peaceful mood. She looked out the window and blinked. After rubbing her eyes once, she called Lesche.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Lesche looked to the side, following Seria¡¯s gaze, and his expression began to harden. He murmured,


    ¡°It¡¯s discolored.¡±


    The color in the center of theke had changed to ck. Discoloration. Discoloration was a word that had appeared in the original story. Every winter, the frozenke in Berg would change color irregrly like this. ck.


    Sometimes it passed by uneventfully, but there were quite a few times when the demons were out in the open. Therefore, even if he was ordered to return to the capital by imperial decree, Grand Duke Berg had the right to refuse, ording to the original story.


    In any case, the discoloration meant that Lesche would go to the Capital for one week.


    Lesche looked at Seria and said,


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid, Seria. I¡¯ll be there for only a week.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s surprising. You probably will cry your eyes out at the mansion.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You find it amusing to tease me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Lesche grinned.


    ¡°¡­Too bad we have to leave so early. Let¡¯s have dinner together.¡±

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68


    Seria had dinner with Lesche for two consecutive nights. He was always busy with work, and of course, we weren¡¯t close enough to have dinner with each other, so having dinner together was a rare urrence. But somehow, it wasn¡¯t as awkward as before.


    The unfamiliar feelings were still there, but they weren¡¯t as scary or frightening as they had been at first.


    ¡®We haven¡¯t been together that long.¡¯


    It seemed that they shared a secret ce called the Green Manor, a ce that the world had never been to. Moreover, since they proceeded together in the demon defeat, isn¡¯t it a love of war?


    In her own way, Seria tilted her ss, analyzing the reason for this closeness. After drinking the strong wine and eating the dessert, she was going to go back to her bedroom.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche asked, lowering his ss of wine.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk in the garden.¡±


    ¡°The garden? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to see.¡±


    ¡°You wrote everything down in the draft you sent me. Why don¡¯t we talk about it while looking at it in person?¡±


    It¡¯s true that the scale of the garden construction was quiterge.


    ¡°Shall we do that?¡± Then let¡¯s go, Lesche.¡±


    Normally, it would be romantic for a man and a woman to walk through the garden together.


    The sight of the deste garden, without a single crushed tree, only made her smile. How could this be the garden of one of the most important noble families in the empire? But it seemed that Seria was the only one who found it funny.


    ¡°You said you¡¯d put something on the left.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the topiary soldier. That¡¯s Linon¡¯s idea.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and see.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Seria grabbed Lesche¡¯s extended arm. They came out right after dinner, and she thought it would be hard to walk fast, but fortunately, Lesche kept pace with her.


    Come to think of it, Lesche had been walking at her pace the whole time¡­


    ¡°Lesche. How about we nt an oak tree here?¡±


    ¡°An oak tree?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But I¡¯m worried because it¡¯s a bit old-fashioned.¡±


    ¡°Do as you please.¡±


    ¡°As much as I like it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seria faltered at Lesche¡¯s words. He had never been interested in gardens before, and when he suddenly asked her toe see the garden, she thought he was going to check it out because of the scale of the construction. But he just told her to do whatever she pleases.


    ¡®Then why did he ask me toe out to the garden?¡¯


    ¡°At this rate I may as well nt an oak tree on the roof of the main building.¡±


    ¡°What right do I have to stop you from doing so?¡±


    ¡°Lesche, can I nt an oak tree in your bedroom?¡±


    Lesche burst outughing. As she watched him, Seriaughed too.


    After they went around the garden to check out the trial ns, they went back to the main castle. They handed their jackets to Ben and Susan, who were waiting in the hall on the first floor, and Ben said.


    ¡°Youngdy, you said you were going to the green manor this weekend?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to stay long?¡±


    ¡°Just for two days.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    ¡°Bibi ising with me.¡±


    ¡°Yes,My Lady. Joanna has grown very fond of Abigail, hasn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Bibi is full of charm ¡­..¡±


    In the middle of her conversation with Ben, Lesche suddenly interrupted,


    ¡°Are you going to go to the green manor?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I promised Martha and Joannast time I was there. I said I¡¯de back to visit for the weekend. ¡±


    Ben gently slipped in.


    ¡°Would you like toe with her, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re going with me?¡±¡®


    Seria was a little worried.


    ¡°Do you have a couple of days to lose?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not far from here to there. I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Well, he was the master of the house. Seria nodded in agreement. It was often forgotten because the Laurel Manor was like a different world, but it was also the cradle of the Grand Dukes within the Berg Grand Duchy.


    And fortunately, although the discoloration had progressed, there was no sign of a major outbreak of the demons. Thanks to that they were able to arrive at the manor smoothly.


    ¡°Lady!¡±


    Martha spun Seria around in her arms again.


    ¡°Every time I see you, the Young Lady seems to get thinner.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    Seria lost weight when she broke up with Kalis, but she didn¡¯t lose any more weight after that.


    ¡°¡­No? I was about to tell Ben. Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God! I¡¯ll prepare a meal as soon as I can.¡±


    Listening to Martha, she felt like she hade to her grandmother¡¯s house in the country. Actually, it was too fancy for a country house, but it was still simplepared to the main castle, and most importantly, she felt rxed, probably because it was an isted and idyllic ce.


    Of course Seria didn¡¯t have a country house in her previous life, nor did she ever have a grandmother, but there were so many things out here that one can¡¯t help but imagined.


    The corn soup was warm and delicious.


    Unlike Martha, who was still tied to the manor, Joanna went out freely. She said she was looking forward to working after buying as much yarn as she wished, and perhaps that was why the green manor had more and more knitted things each time she came.


    With the disappearance of Magi, it was also good to send more and more food ingredients to the servants.


    Abigail, who hade along with them, walked around the manor again, eating a basket of sweets that Martha and Joanna had baked. She was patrolling the manor in her own way. It was kind of funny because she always carried the pastry basket with her.


    That night.


    ¡®But it¡¯s really weird.¡¯


    Every time she came to the manor, she really enjoyed it and felt rxed. Seria found it strange as to why she felt that way.


    ¡°Why does the firece in the Grand Duchess¡¯s bedroom break down so often?¡±


    And so it was. Seria was in the Grand Duke¡¯s bedroom, Lesche¡¯s bed. He said that the antique firece in the Grand Duchess¡¯s bedroom suddenly had problems. Seria didn¡¯t like the cold, and the green manor had many rooms, but not all were managed.


    So naturally, she came to the Grand Duke¡¯s bedroom.


    ¡®I must order a new firece and send it here.¡¯


    Seria knew that too. She knew for a fact that many of the great aristocratic families used antique fireces that were over a hundred years old. Such a firece was not simply a fire-burning device, but a work of art gorgeously decorated withmbrequins and various objects.


    The one in the Grand Duchess¡¯s bedroom was one of a kind. Seeing that the inside malfunctions repeatedly, she thought she should be able to sessfully persuade them to rece it with a better working one.


    ¡®He might say no.¡¯


    The firece was beautiful, but that was all. The reason why they knew about it and didn¡¯t change it was probably because they still couldn¡¯t ignore tradition. It was either that or she¡¯d rather have another auxiliary one.


    As she was thinking about this and that, she heard the door open. Seria was sitting on the bed and averted her gaze. Lesche wasing in.


    They looked at each other for a moment. Lesche walked over and stopped in front of Seria. She could see that his hair was slightly wet, as if he had just returned from a bath. He was quiet and Seria didn¡¯t say anything. Maybe it was because she was aware of his red eyes, but this time those red eyes came into her view. Somehow, she felt strange.


    ¡°Lie down.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°Lie down, Seria.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Seria backed away in a panic, and Lesche tilted his chin slightly.


    ¡°Do you sleep sitting up?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no¡­¡±


    Seria lied down quickly and pulled the covers to her neck. She heard a strange voice, a mixture of low sighs andughter, and then the lights went out. The weight filled the bed. In the pitch ckness, she felt the realization that Lesche was lying right next to her.


    ¡®Why is it so awkward?¡¯


    ¡®I think I sleptfortably without this feelingst time¡­¡¯


    Seria was lying stiffly, as far away from Lesche as possible, then she heard a low voice.


    ¡°Are you trying to fall down that way?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t fall.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to fall. Come closer.¡±


    Seria felt embarrassed. It was obvious that she was the only one who was conscious. She didn¡¯t talk about it, so it was unlikely that Lesche would know how she felt, but she felt awkward inside.


    Seria gradually moved toward Lesche, and he quickly pulled her over.


    ¡°If you catch a cold, Martha and Joanna will me me all day long.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I understood. Now let me go.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t touch you, so just sleep.¡±


    ¡°No, who would have thought it?¡±


    ¡°Then can I touch you?¡±


    Seria was taken aback and repeated Lesche¡¯s words. ¡°Can I?¡±


    She could hear Lesche¡¯sughtering from above her head. What the hell is he doing? Seria had no idea that this man was so mischievous. She didn¡¯t think he was like this in the original story.


    Seria was dumbfounded, but Lesche¡¯s arms were certainly warm. She felt it was good enough to fall asleep.


    ¡°Good night, Lesche.¡±


    A low voice came back.


    ¡°You too.¡±


    ***


    Marthaughed as she tied the ribbon on Seria¡¯s cape meticulously.


    ¡°Come visit us every weekend if you like, Young Lady. I¡¯ll make sure we have plenty of good food for you.¡±


    ¡°Should I? I like it.¡±


    Martha¡¯s face brightened. She whispered in a small voice.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, bring His Highness too.¡±


    ¡°His Highness?¡±


    ¡°Ben told me that His Highness doesn¡¯t take much time off. We didn¡¯t know he works so much to begin with. I¡¯ve been tied up in the green manor¡­..¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Seria frowned. Actually, it wasn¡¯t that Lesche didn¡¯t have a workaholic side to him. In fact, was not without his workaholic side, as he presided over the meetings at which his vassals would often return home exhausted, and he was also in and out of the training hall every day to train the knights.


    ¡°But if you want, I¡¯ll ask him.¡±


    ¡°Please ask him, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    And Seria thought Lesche would definitely say no. However, she headed for the Grand Duke¡¯s bedroom anyway.


    Knock. Knock.


    Seria knocked lightly on the door, then went inside.


    As Lesche was getting ready to return to the main castle, Seria approached and asked him in a passing voice.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a good idea toe to the green manor every weekend to rest?¡±


    Lesche asked, staring at Seria for a moment.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I like it.¡±


    Lesche replied simply, wrapping his cloak around himself.


    ¡°Let¡¯s visit every weekend.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with the look?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Seria tilted her head, feeling embarrassed by the eptance, which was much easier than she imagined.


    Then her gaze met Martha¡¯s and Joanna¡¯s as they came to see them off. Seria walked up to them and told them in a quiet voice what had just happened.


    ¡°His Highness wille to the manor every weekend.¡±


    Martha and Joanna looked at each other andughed as they heard the words. Martha held Seria¡¯s hands tightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s Berg¡¯s good fortune that the Young Lady is in Berg.¡±


    ¡°Linon always says she¡¯s a good Stern.¡±


    ¡°Of course. The stars have aligned.¡±


    Martha and Joanna¡¯s smiles were so warm that Seria felt embarrassed for no reason.

 Chapter 69

    <h2>Chapter 69</h2>


    ****


    Seria thought of Martha and Joanna, who rejoiced at the news that the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess would visit the manor more often.


    Having a ce to return to every weekend was like having a nest. Of course, it wasn¡¯t her nest, but all the birds in the nest liked her so she decided to take it easy.


    ¡°Theke is turning ck.¡±


    ¡°The wholeke turned ck once, but it¡¯ll slowly diminish. Then it¡¯ll restore its original color.¡±


    Seria nodded at Alliot¡¯s exnation. She went to inspect the cier today. Because of the discoloration, not only Alliot, but also five other Berg knights were with her. Considering the strength of each of them, as described in the original story, she felt like she had brought a small army.


    They checked all the branches of the silver tree and returned to the main castle. It was then she saw a familiar face loitering outside the door.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Linon?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It looks like he¡¯s waiting for the Young Lady.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    As Alliot said, Linon waved his hands as soon as he saw Seria from afar. What¡¯s going on? Seria picked up speed and made her way to the front door of the main castle. As soon as she dismounted from her horse, Linon hurried up to her.


    ¡°Miss, are you here?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Marquis Kellyden¡¯s vassal has arrived.¡±


    ¡°¡­Kellyden? Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s an obituary.¡±


    Seria¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected words that Linon had delivered.


    ****


    [Lady Magrus].


    It was the name on the obituary letter from the Kellyden.


    She was Seria¡¯s aunt.


    She was an influential person in Kellyden, but she was a supporting character that didn¡¯t appear in the original.


    There were so many supporting actors in this world. Still, Lady Magrus lingered in Seria¡¯s memory in pieces. First of all, she had a very strict and thorough all-around temperament.


    In spite of this temperament, Lady Magrus did not dislike Seria that much. She was very fond of the theater before she died. She was very generous to actors as well, and she didn¡¯t mind the fact that Seria¡¯s biological mother was an actress. In other words, she was one of the few members of the Kellyden family who didn¡¯t discriminate against Seria.


    She didn¡¯t discriminate, but she didn¡¯t give Seria any love either.


    Perhaps that was why, despite the Kellyden¡¯s news of the person¡¯s passing, Seria¡¯s unconscious did not find this so gratifying or painful. Anyway, there was something that the vassal had told Linon along with the letter.


    ¡°Miss Seria is also an inheritance. As such, she will need to visit the Kellyden estate this week.¡±


    Lady Magrus was unmarried and had no children. Imperialw dictated that her inheritance was to be divided by her direct linage such as the Kellyden. Seria was one of them. Therefore, Seria had to visit in person if she wanted to receive her share.


    ¡°And the Marquis strongly urged you toe.¡±


    ¡°Marquis Kellyden?¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She was troubled for a while. It was a question of whether she should go or not.


    <em>¡®I should go.¡¯</em>


    Because she had something she wanted to check on when Lesche wasn¡¯t around.


    It was about a year ago.


    It was shortly after she possessed Seria. She attended a ball held by a certain marquis family. It was a time when she finally came to her senses after shivering at the fact that she possessed a viin who would die miserably.


    Fortunately, her body still had some of the original Seria¡¯s fragmented memories and habits, and she was able to adapt without difficulty. She was able to gracefully dance and talked to thedies easily.


    The problem was that she ran into the Kellyden people there. She knew that the original Seria didn¡¯t get along well with her family. But she thought she¡¯d try to improve the rtionship, the possessed body anyway, but¡­


    She couldn¡¯t.


    She shuddered with anger the moment she faced them. The people from the Kellyden family didn¡¯t even greet her.


    Anyway, she remembered that she was so surprised and ran back to her townhouse. Then she had a fever while she was all alone.


    Still¡­ When Lina mentioned Seria¡¯s mother, she managed to hold back and ended it by pping herself in the cheek.


    Of course, it was the result of a strong attachment to life, but she thought her long time in Seria¡¯s body may have helped calm this unidentified anger and hatred a bit. There was a reasonable doubt, and she wanted to test it once.


    And she wanted to do this test when Lesche wasn¡¯t around. she didn¡¯t want him to see her shaking with uncontroble rage.


    <em>¡®The cier is undergoing discoloration, and Lesche must be in Berg.¡¯</em>


    So it was best for her to go alone.


    <em>¡®It would be better to take Bibi with me.¡¯</em>


    Having made her decision, Seria replied to the Kellyden¡¯s vassal that she would pay a visit.


    It was Ben and Susan, who were in the back of the parlor, who heard the news first.


    ¡°Lady, do you have to go?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you send someone?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Linon is very resourceful in that regard.¡±


    ¡°No, Marquis Kellyden told me toe, so I¡¯ll go. It doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be a legacy issue, the deceased was my aunt too.¡±


    Of course, Seria had no contact with her at all, but she thought it would be good to honor her on her deathbed, given that she was less discriminating against Seria.


    <em>¡®While I¡¯m at it, should I ask for a response to my marriage vows? If I ask in person, wouldn¡¯t he give me his answer?¡¯</em>


    Seria was confident that she could break down half of Kellyden¡¯s true nature. However, if she could sublimate the hostility Seria had for Kellyden withbat power, there was nothing she couldn¡¯t do.


    It was after Seria told Susan to prepare for the trip¡­


    ¡°Do you need to go there?¡±


    Unexpectedly, Lesche had an unpleasant expression.


    ¡°Send Linon.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Linon the Chief Aide?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s about as adequate as a representative can be.¡±


    ¡°This time I will go there myself.¡±


    ¡°Then wait a week, Seria. We¡¯ll go together.¡±


    ¡°To the Kellyden?¡±


    Seria¡¯s eyes got bigger this time.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason why I can¡¯t go when the Empire knows all about my marriage to Kellyden¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­.It would be good for me if you came. Because I¡¯m sure they¡¯d all open their eyes and faint.¡±


    And in front of them, who ignored Seria and her mother, she would show up with the man who was second most powerful in the Empire, it would be quite a refreshing picture just thinking about it.


    ¡°By the way, Lesche.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Seria tiptoed and whispered a few words into Lesche¡¯s ear. He stared at her intently.


    ¡°Can you do this for me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lesche was not pleased, but eventually answered.


    ¡°If you wish.¡±


    ***


    The next day, the carriage to the Kellyden estate was ready.


    Seria was a little embarrassed when the procession turned out to berger than she expected. She had told them in advance that she was taking Abigail with her, but a few more people were added unexpectedly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll escort you safely, My Lady.¡±


    Alliot and the other four Berg Knights bowed their heads in discipline. She wondered a little whether she was going to the battlefield.


    Of course, Seria was pleased because the vassals from the Kellyden family were watching.


    She didn¡¯t even know Lesche was still standing there looking unhappy. He looked up and down at Kellyden¡¯s vassals in silence,


    but they bowed their heads in fear. It was an understandable reaction, as there were probably only a few people in this Glick Empire that could take Lesche Berg¡¯s sharp gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back, Lesche.¡±


    Seria whispered quietly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget what I said.¡±


    ¡°Is that all you¡¯re saying?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ have a good trip?¡±


    Lesche, who was standing at an angle, sighed and lifted the back of Seria¡¯s hand. Soon Seria¡¯s eyes grew wider and wider as Lesche kissed her hand. His body temperature was usually cool, so his lips had to be the same. But she didn¡¯t know why the kiss on her hand felt hot.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that letting my wife go would be so ufortable.¡±


    ¡°If anyone hears it, they would think I¡¯m noting back.¡±


    ¡°Then Kellyden will be dead meat.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to hold me like this there.¡±


    ¡°I think differently.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    At that moment, her face felt hot. Seria quickly climbed into the carriage, leaving the words ¡°I¡¯ll be back¡± again. The weather was so cold, but strangely enough, she had to fan herself a few more times.


    The trip to the Kellyden went smoothly. Maybe it was because it was one of the best carriages in Berg, so it wasn¡¯t too inconvenient. As she looked out the window, Seria thought of something else.


    <em>¡®Lina will be back within a year.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Would Lesche still be sweet to me then?¡¯</em>


    Seria was not sure. She thought she had the original story perfectly summed up, but given Kalis¡¯s betrayal, there was nothing she could put away with ease. And Kalis was the second male lead, while Lesche was the main character¡­


    <em>¡®I had a lot to think about regarding Lina. The first thing I had to think about was the strange darkness that was sucked into her body.¡¯</em>


    What was that darkness all about? Lina was a saint, she was light. It was intuitively difficult to understand how the light could hit and literally absorb the darkness instead of removing it. Frankly, she went to the Great Temple right now and told the priests about this, they¡¯d make a big deal out of it, saying it was heresy.


    <em>¡®I¡¯m still a Stern, though, so I might just get away with saying, ¡°Get a grip.¡¯</em>


    Seria touched the circlet around her neck. The sacred power she could feel from it was faint, as always. In fact, she had many questions about this circlet.


    <em>¡®People say I¡¯ve purified the manor, but in fact, it¡¯s because of this circlet.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®As for me? I don¡¯t have that ability. I tried to purify the demon shadow in the green manor once and found out right away.</em>


    <em>With the purification ability I have, it would have taken me a thousand years to cleanse it.¡¯</em>


    Seria didn¡¯t think that the circlet had the ability to purify itself. If that was the case, the manor should have been cleaned just by the fact that the circlet was already in storage.


    <em>¡®Above all, the circle doesn¡¯t have the explosive divine power to be a special holy relic.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®So, if I had to guess, I would say that Stern and this circlet purified the demon shadow. The problem is that there is a new question here.</em>


    <em>¡®Did Lina also have this circlet when she purified Magi?¡¯</em>


    <em>***</em>


    Note: Seria did lot of self thinking so I have to put it as the first POV, because the third person POV sounded weird and it didn¡¯t fit.

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70


    But Lina was a saint. Moreover, Seria clearly remembered this impressive scene in the original story. Lina told the emperor and the high priests that she was able to purify the demon shadow with her own powers.


    It was such a strong divine power.


    It was an unparalleled, God-given divine power.


    Seria took another long, hard look at Lina. But there was nothing unusual about her. In the original novel, the romance of Lina, the female protagonist, was the most important aspect. It also exined in detail her abilities, setting, background, and saga, which were necessary for the probability.


    ¡®Honestly, I don¡¯t think there is anyone in this world who knows Lina as well as I do. Because I read the original novel.¡¯


    ¡®But no matter how much I think about it, there¡¯s nothing strange.¡¯


    Lina was the heroine of an ordinary romance novel, with a spontaneous, cheerful personality and warmth. A little person-centric, but that was frankly not a w. Otherwise it would have been hard to create an excuse to connect with so many men.


    Seria and Lina had experienced unpleasant things , and Seria often said rude things to Lina, but objectively this was true.


    The mysterious shadow that was absorbed into Lina¡¯s body flickered again. There was really nothing easy about this. It was hard to guess. Finally, Seria came to a conclusion that she should visit the Grand Temple once.


    ¡®I should take a look at some oracles.¡¯


    ¡°Lady Seria.¡±


    At that moment, there was a tapping sound on the carriage window. Seria opened the window and saw Alliot¡¯s face, along with a cold wind.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there. We¡¯ll be entering the Kellyden estate within fifteen minutes.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will put up Berg g on top of the carriage.¡±


    ¡°Do so.¡±


    The carriage Seria rode in, although luxurious, did not have any engraved patterns on it. It was to avoid any idents. However, they have now almost arrived at the Kellyden territory. To inform the Marquis of Kellyden, a g embroidered with Berg pattern in gold thread must be attached to the carriage.


    Guards were always on standby 24 hours a day on the watchtower, so they would surely recognize thendmark of this carriage. Then they would rush to the castle to inform the Marquis.


    Alliott suddenly turned around and sighed lightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m being watched too closely to have a long conversation.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it, My Lady. My back is about to be torn.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Alliot¡¯s words were immediately understood. Because as soon as he retreated, Abigail approached Seria on her horse.


    Abigail had been ring at Alliot.


    ¡°Is there any inconvenience, Young Lady?¡±


    ¡°No. Aren¡¯t you cold, Bibi.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. Compared to the winters in Berg, this ce is a desert.¡±


    Seria burst intoughter. She beckoned Abigail toe closer.


    ¡°Bibi, how many gloves did you bring?¡±


    ¡°One.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s thirty¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria was speechless for a moment at her frankness and audacity. She wondered how far Abigail¡¯s charm would go.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just go around and throw your gloves.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you my old room when we get to the Kellyden Castle. You said you were curious.¡±


    ¡°All right. Miss.¡±


    The wheels of the carriage, which had been stopped for the g to be put up, began to roll smoothly again.


    ¡®I¡¯m a little worried.¡¯


    Seria had a vague assurance that she wouldn¡¯t swear and punch her family in the face as soon as she met them. She had shown superhuman patience even in front of Lina.


    ¡®What can I say, the more time I spend in Seria¡¯s body, the more I feel a little more in control.¡¯


    But just in case. She had to remind herself that she was now Seria Berg, not Seria Stern.


    ¡®But to be honest. I had a strange premonition that Lesche wouldn¡¯t react badly if I punched Marquis in the face.¡¯


    It was a ridiculous premonition, but on the other hand, she didn¡¯t feel bad.


    The Kellyden castle was just around the corner, so it was necessary to get her appearance a little more organized. Seria took out the mirror and checked her face. Green hair cascaded down her face. The strange and surprised feeling she felt when she first saw herself in the mirror had faded.


    It had been a year. So much had happened in one year. It was only natural that she got used to it.


    ¡®I am Seria now.¡¯¡¯


    ***


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    With a tap on the door, the Kellyden¡¯s butler entered.


    ¡°Young Master. Lady Seria has arrived.¡±


    ¡°Seria Kellyden? That evil woman is really here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    Nissos Kellyden had a frown on his face.


    ¡°I thought she would nevere, but I guess she¡¯s still afraid of father.¡±


    Marquis Kellyden made it clear to the vassal he was sending to the Grand Duchy of Berg. Be sure to tell Seria strongly that she must visit the Kellyden estate. But Nissos was skeptical. With Seria¡¯s personality, he didn¡¯t think she¡¯d evene halfway. So he felt fortunate that his father¡¯s words still had weight on Seria.


    ¡°She didn¡¯te to father¡¯sst birthday. I thought she had cut ties with the family. How is my father?


    ¡°He is greeting the guests.¡±


    ¡°My father and mother must be busy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, most of the western nobles have arrived.¡±


    Nissos said, staring out the door with his light blue eyes.


    ¡°Open the side gate.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    The butler retreated. Nissos looked out the window. A series of bright white flowers had been ced in Lady Magrus¡¯s coffin. Under the solemn supervision of the priest, countless mourners scattered the flowers while reciting the same words. The scene repeated itself for hours.


    ¡°Lady Magrus died in the presence of God¡­¡±


    ¡°May she rest in eternal peace.¡±


    The Kellyden mansion was ostensibly solemn, but in reality it was anything but. Often, when the elders of the house died, they would use the opportunity to gather people together to socialize. In fact, why would they be sad if it was the death of some strangers.


    Of course, the mourners couldn¡¯tugh out loud, but in their quiet and sad faces, the nobles would promise to meet next time.


    Above all, this time it was very¡­ There was even a bigger person who appeared.


    Grand Duchess Berg. There were no nobles who did not know that Seria Stern had be the Grand Duchess of Berg.


    Of course, because of the special process of her wedding, rumors were rife as to whether the marriage would continue or end in divorce. Even if it was thetter, nobles knew that Stern¡¯s divorce was very tricky. It was because the Great Temple set a date for only one day a year, and only on that day would they ept Stern¡¯s divorce.


    It was an unprecedented scandal. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the story of how she broke up with Kalis Hon and married the Grand Duke of Berg, and whether she was going to divorce¡­But in the Kellyden estate, she was just a daughter of a lowly actress¡­


    Was that why there were no wee gestures towards her? From her family to the nobles who were close to the Kellyden family.


    If people were to look for the ce with the least amount of talk about ¡°Seria Berg¡± through the Empire, it would by far mean the noble society near the Kellyden.


    So it was natural for them to be upset by the news of hering.


    ***


    ¡®I knew no one wasing out.¡¯


    There was a well established gate at the Kellyden castle. If it wasn¡¯t Seria who was returning, but Cassius Kellyden or Nissos Kellyden, the knights would have alreadye to greet them at the gate.


    If that was not the case, servants shoulde out.


    However, there was no one at the castle gate. No matter how much they hated her, Seria was the Grand Duchess of Berg, but they publicly treated her coldly like this?


    It was even more so in front of the castle.


    The center gate wasn¡¯t even opened.


    The Kellyden castle was a famous castle on thekeside.


    To get in and out of the castle, people had to go through the drawbridge, which was divided into three parts.


    One being the central drawbridge, and the smaller auxiliary drawbridges on either side. Usually, the Kellyden¡¯s family members used the smaller one on the right, while the small one on the left was used for servants and goods to go back and forth.


    And therge drawbridge in the center. It was customary for the Marquis Kellyden and his wife to use it when they returned after a long absence from the castle, or when they had guests of a higher status than the Marquis. Manipting arge drawbridge wasbor intensive.


    Seria looked for a while at the g on the carriage she had ridden in.


    The Berg pattern was vivid.


    It was customary for Berg to raise a g embroidered with gold thread.


    It was also a consideration for others to prepare to greet in advance.


    No matter how many times it was Seria who came here, the carriage she rode in belonged to Berg, and Berg was the powerful grand duchy in this empire, so it was only polite that the central bridge should be opened. Also, the direct line of the Kellyden family should be there to greet her at the castle gate.


    A courtesy that even the butler would know well.


    ¡°She¡¯s the Marquis¡¯s own daughter, but this treatment is terrible. It¡¯s the first time she came back since she almost died.¡±


    Seria suddenly wondered what the Knights of the Berg were thinking from behind.


    How could they not know that Kellyden and Seria didn¡¯t get along with each other¡­.If it was the original Seria standing here, she would feel miserable. There was a tremendous burst of anger there, and evil was a must.


    ¡°Let me show you this way.¡±


    So said a guard who jumped out from the side entrance of the castle, but Seria answered coldly.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Open the central bridge. I¡¯ming in that way.¡±

 Chapter 71

    Tragedy 71


    ¡°Huh, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But, what? Can¡¯t you see the pattern of the carriage I came in?¡±


    The guard froze. With a puzzled look on his face, he told Seria to wait a moment, then darted back inside.


    This was a matter of physical appearance before self-respect. She rode in the Berg carriage, and once she was publicly the Grand Duchess of Berg, she had every reason to be treated ordingly.


    ¡®If I¡¯m the only one who wants to make a joke of myself, I might just say yes, but I¡¯m not.¡¯


    After a few moments, what jumped out was a face that remained fragmented in Seria¡¯s memory.


    ¡°Lady Seria!¡±


    It was Kellyden¡¯s butler. He looked at Seria with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, butler.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady. How have you been in the meantime?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in first. Open the central gate.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Currently, the gate on the right is open, and it is not time for the central gate to open yet.¡±


    Even she was a Stern with the Great Temple behind her back, and a Grand Duchess, but she was tantly ignored by the servants. If Seria was an ordinary, timid youngdy, the current attitude of the butler would have been a hundred times worse.


    ¡®I can see why Seria¡¯s personality, which was a mess, was getting worse.¡¯


    ¡°Go and tell any of your superiors to open the central gate. You don¡¯t want to see me scream my deceased aunt¡¯s name in this solemn ce, do you?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡®It wasn¡¯t just a threat. Because I could have done so wholeheartedly.¡¯


    The butler¡¯s face paled as he knew exactly what Seria meant. He hesitated but then he said, ¡°I¡¯ll contact them again,¡± and went back inside. How much time had passed? In fact, they made her wait outside like this was already an act of disrespect.


    Seria quietly called Abigail, who was standing silently behind her.


    ¡°Bibi.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°You can see very clearly that I am being abused, can¡¯t you?¡±


    It was something she could say because it was Abigail. In fact, Seria was honestly embarrassed to look back at the Berg Knights behind her.


    ¡®How many people in the house would want to let everyone know that I was this much of an afterthought?¡¯


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Abigail was silent for a moment and then whispered in Seria¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Do you want me to smash the gate?¡±


    Seria chuckled, ¡°Then you¡¯d have to pay for it. I don¡¯t want to spend money on Kellyden.¡±


    ¡°Well, Miss¡­¡±


    Abigail asked when she thought she seemed distressed.


    Abigail seemed troubled and asked.


    ¡°I can cut down the people you have to reimburse for the gate?¡±


    ¡°Kuh-huhm.¡±


    Alliot, who was rtively close to her, gave a cough. It seemed obvious that he had just heard Abigail¡¯s words. He still wasn¡¯t used to Abigail¡¯s flowery way of speaking.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Bibi.¡±


    ¡°Just let me know if you need me.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Seriaughed, knowing that Abigail meant every word she said.


    After a while.


    With a creak, the central drawbridge began to descend.


    the opening of the Central Road began. Yes, it would be practically difficult to ignore the eyes of the Berg knights at her back, no matter how much she hated it.


    The carriage slowly drove inside.


    And that was where it was stopped.


    ¡°Lady Seria.¡±


    It was the chief butler of the Kellyden household.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    The chief butler greeted me in a skillful and polite manner. However, Seria could not easily fall for this greeting.


    ¡®Ha, what should I do?¡¯


    The carriage she rode in still had the noble Berg g fluttering in the air. Since the direct lineage of the Berg was riding in there, the unspoken rule was to demand a suitable level of hospitality.


    Of course, the appropriate treatment was not a butler, but a direct lineage of the Kellyden shoulde out and greet her.


    If she let it slide, they would treat her even more worse next time.


    Since they opened the Central gate, and if Seria was Kalis¡¯s Hon¡¯s wife, she would let it slide


    However¡­.


    ¡®Ever since the possession, I¡¯ve been trying to look like a pure seria. Because I wanted to live. But I didn¡¯t want to be suspected by anyone. In fact, Seria¡¯s original personality, which only acts recklessly, was not verypatible with me. How many people can walk for a long time wearing shoes that don¡¯t fit.


    ¡®But that was not as easy as it sounds. Moreover, after Kalis betrayed me so badly, I became very skeptical about just being good and realized that no matter how hard I tried, the original story was not so sweet.¡¯


    Seria didn¡¯t want to act like a crazy person, but she felt bitter when she was being ignored. she knew it didn¡¯t increase her chances of living.


    So.


    ¡°Butler?¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here as the Grand Duchess of Berg. Shouldn¡¯t one of the members of the Marquis familye and greet me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    ¡°I understand if Marquis Kellyden doesn¡¯te out as I¡¯m still his child, but, either his first son or the second son muste out and greet me. Or I will not be silent.¡±


    ¡°What the¡­. Miss?


    The old butler¡¯s expression immediately twisted in bewilderment. Whether it was or not was none of Seria¡¯s business.


    ¡°Bibi, Sir Alliot.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡±


    Alliot and Abigail stood side by side next to Seria, bowed. The old butler¡¯s eyes got bigger. Yes, the butler might not know Abigail, but for sure he knew Alliot. The Kellyden was one of the most prestigious families in the Glick Empire. And the old butler who served such a family, it meant that there was no way he wouldn¡¯t know the name of the Knight Commander of Berg, who was naturally coveted by many high-ranking nobles.


    Seria moved her chin and pointed to her side.


    ¡°Stop the carriage here.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°All of you,e closer.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡±


    There were a total of four Berg knights, including Alliot.They were uniformly dressed in conquest. A military cloak was always a must for a knight¡¯s conquest. The long cloak was fluttering with a clearly embroidered Berg pattern.


    With all of them standing behind her in a line, Seria ordered without batting an eye.


    ¡°Bring me a chair.¡±


    The carriage was loaded with one chair for Seria in case she needed to stay in the field. Abigail brought the chair to her with wind-like speed. She sat down in the chair and crossed her legs. Seria stared at the old butler¡¯s face, which finally turned pale.


    ¡°Go ahead, butler.¡±


    ¡°Lady¡­.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should let anyone know about this now?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As the confrontation took a long time, she heard a buzzing sound from the back. It was the nobles who were trying to get through the entrance of the castle. Some of them, the boldest of them,e in front of Seria and look at her with such vigor in their faces.


    ¡®What is it?¡¯


    She red at them with all the strength in her eyes, and they dodge her eyes with a huff.


    ¡°Youngdy, please stop.¡±


    The old butler couldn¡¯t even give the order to ¡®pull her out by all means¡¯. If there were any signs of giving such an order, the knights standing behind Seria like stone walls wouldn¡¯t keep still. She was right to stand there hoping it would look that way. Because of this, the butler could do nothing but try to talk Seria out of it.


    He was now in a very embarrassing situation. That was as it should be, and so were others. There seemed to be quite a few nobles from the western territories. They wouldn¡¯t dare to enter the castle first, ignoring the carriage with the g of the Berg flying in the air.


    As a result, the procession of nobles who could not enter from behind Berg¡¯s carriage gradually continued.


    The rustling sound was getting louder and louder, but Seria didn¡¯t even care at the slightest.


    Seria just sat in the most arrogant and unkind posture possible, thinking of the original Seria¡¯s umted infamy.


    The traffic was getting more and more congested at the main gate. That¡¯s when the old butler¡¯s face gradually turned the color of mud.


    Then came the sound of someone walking broadly on the stone b floor of the castle.


    And¡­.


    ¡°Seria Kellyden.¡±


    A heavy voice that fell.


    At that moment, Seria¡¯s hands began to tremble lightly and she clenched her fists. Her heart pounded reflexively. It reacted with that nervousness that came with seeing someone she didn¡¯t want to see. Seria looked up and locked eyes with the man walking towards her.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He had dark blue hair and bright blue eyes just like Seria¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°¡­Cassius Kellyden.¡±


    He was the eldest son of Marquis Kellyden, and Seria¡¯s half brother. And just like others, he hated Seria terribly.


    Cassius came out with an incredulous look on his face and stared at Berg¡¯s carriage, and the dozens of carriages stuck in traffic, unable to advance behind Seria. It was a dumbfounded look.


    ¡°Seria Kellyden. What the hell are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What are you asking? I¡¯ll tell you what I see.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell do you think you are?¡±


    Cassius, who was raising his voice, gritted his teeth when he saw the Knights of Berg standing behind her.


    ¡°How long are you going to be so immature?¡±


    Seria had abandoned the surname Kellyden a long time ago. The rank and dignity of the designation Stern was enough to supnt the surname Kellyden, and so she was named Seria Stern without regrets. That was what Stern meant, so no one ever called her the surname of Kellyden.


    Except for Seria¡¯s family.


    ¡°Hurry up and move your carriage. You still don¡¯t know how to tell heaven and earth¡­¡±


    ¡°Cassius.¡±


    Seria stood up from her chair and red at him.


    ¡°You should get my title straight. I¡¯m the Grand Duchess of Berg.¡±

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72


    Cassius also red at Seria coldly. His eyes were very simr to hers so it was like looking in a mirror.


    ¡°So you want me to kneel, now that the Grand Duchess has arrived?¡±


    ¡°What use are your knees to me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯vee for me, why don¡¯t you do it right? If you¡¯re not here for me, then you¡¯re here for Lord Alliot?¡±


    Cassius bit his lip. There was no significant change in his expression, but Seria could just tell that he wasn¡¯t going to argue. It was the fact that my words hit the nail on the head.


    ¡°They¡¯re all looking at us back there, so wouldn¡¯t it be better for both of us if we looked friendly even from the outside? Cassius.¡±


    ¡®It was embarrassing to show this scene to the Berg knights.¡¯


    It was Seria¡¯s frank and honest feeling. Of course she knew the knights to some extent, but what she vaguely knew and what she saw directly had a different feel. So she told him in the most roundabout way possible, and Cassius¡¯s expression changed strangely.


    ¡°I heard you were seriously injured¡­.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Seria frowned and held out her hand to Cassius.


    ¡°Escort me. We can¡¯t just stand here forever, can we?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Her hands were actually covered in cold sweat. Her heart was pounding, and fortunately it sank a little as she continued to confront Cassius, but she couldn¡¯t help but break out in a cold sweat. There were too many eyes watching her to rub it off.


    Half-heartedly, Cassius looked down at the hand Seria held out silently. His eyes trembled.


    She clicked her tongue inwardly, ¡®Good grief,¡¯as he just stared and didn¡¯t make the slightest movement. He didn¡¯t even seem to want to touch Seria.


    Only her hands were embarrassed. She tried to put away her hand that was dangling in the void, and Cassius grabbed it with a snap.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Cassius took her hand and led Seria to Kellyden Castle, so skillfully and carefully that it was hard to believe he was the one who had stared at her hand in a daze earlier.


    ***


    Many people visit the castle, which means many people stay overnight.


    There were also dozens of carriages of nobles who couldn¡¯te in because they were blocked by the Berg carriages. Fortunately, Seria¡¯s room was on the third floor of the main building, which was not open to outside guests, so it was quieter.


    However, before going up, the chief butler rmended another room.


    ¡°We have prepared the best guest room in the annex, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°The best guest room?¡±


    She remembered Abigail.


    ¡°Give that room to my knight. Abigail Orrien.¡±


    ¡°What? Your knight?¡±


    A momentary thought of difficulty crossed the chief butler¡¯s face. He quickly adjusted his expression and rmended it again.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you use the room, Young Lady? It¡¯s a room with a nice view and plenty of space.¡±


    ¡°Why use a guest¡¯s room when I have my own?¡±


    ¡°But your room is not clean enough¡­¡±


    ¡°Call your servant to clean it then.¡±


    ¡°Lady¡­¡±


    ¡°Noisy! How many times do I have to tell you?¡±


    The chief butler gasped. Cassius had been staring at her with cold eyes for some time.


    ¡°I see your bad temper has not changed.¡±


    How can you be kind to a butler who keeps forcing you when you clearly refused?¡±


    Cassius frowned.


    ¡°Get back, chief butler.


    ¡°¡­¡­ Yes. Young master.¡±


    Cassius said one word and he backed away, and Seria said many words and he didn¡¯t even listen¡­


    It was her first timeing to the original Seria¡¯s room at Kellyden Castle. Cassius also looked ufortable, as if it had been a very long time.


    Still, he came over anyway, as if he was going to walk Seria to her room since he was her escort¡­


    ¡°This room is a mess.¡±


    Cassius frowned at Seria¡¯s words.


    ¡°¡­we didn¡¯t clean it up because we didn¡¯t really know you¡¯de.¡±


    ¡°But, still, this messy?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Cassius seemed to lose his words for a moment at her repeated question. The room was full of dust. Trash was lying everywhere on the floor. To anyone¡¯s eyes, it didn¡¯t look like the room of a nobledy, even if it was true that the master was away and they didn¡¯t clean up.


    There was no proper bedding on the bed, and the long curtains that should have been normally drawn were torn off. There was not even a small vase of flowers in the room, and above all, the decorations were¡­. It was too sparselyid out.


    It looked worse than the servant¡¯s room. It was obvious that someone went through it. It seemed that all the expensive items were collected and sold.


    ¡®I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t bring the knights.¡¯


    Seria told them with great effort twice to choose good rooms for the knights, so the old steward took them there directly. Even if she didn¡¯t tell them, there was no way they would treat the knights of Berg coldly, so there was nothing to worry about¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡®So it was me that I should be worried about.¡¯


    Seria opened the closet to see if she could possibly find anything. Of course there was nothing in it. No dress, no shoes. No hats, no shawls, no ribbons, no essories, nothing. Even if Seria had left the castle out of the blue, she wouldn¡¯t have packed all that stuff.


    Seria looked back at Cassius, he still had a panicked expression on his face. From the look on his face, it was clear Seria didn¡¯t empty the room herself.


    It was robbed.


    ¡°Do you want me to tell you something amazing? In Berg castle, the horseman uses a better room than this. Cassius.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The heat in Cassius¡¯s face red up.


    ¡°Jason!¡±


    The chief butler, who hadn¡¯t made a single noise, rushed forward.


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°There must be thieves living in Kellyden. As soon as the funeral is over, I¡¯ll make sure to find them all.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The blood drained from the chief butler¡¯s face. At first nce, it looked like he was also in a gurney, or perhaps a senior official who knew about this fact but let it go.


    ¡°Go get the servants and clean up this ce right away!¡±


    The chief butler hurried away. Seria said, looking at the room.


    ¡°Cassius. I have to unload my luggage, but I don¡¯t want a single thing to go missing in the process, do you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    This was quite an insult. There are only thieves in this mansion. Cassius, who was staring at her, said nothing. He had already seen with his own eyes how the thieves had robbed her room, so there was nothing to say.


    Cassius bit his lip and left to find the butler, while the servants who hade up with Seria¡¯s belongings were busy around and ced the boxes and bags on a clean table.


    She didn¡¯t have a lot of luggage since she wasn¡¯t nning to stay after the funeral.


    ¡°Lady Seria. I think it would take a while to clean the room¡­. So it¡¯ll be inconvenient¡­¡±


    How long is it going to take?¡±


    ¡°At least three hours.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably how long it will take, since it¡¯s so dusty.¡±


    Seria stared at the frightened servants as they hurriedly moved, and eventually she walked out the door. Because the dust was no joke.


    She was d that Lesche didn¡¯t see it, though.


    ¡°Lady Seria.¡±


    Seria turned around in surprise. Alliot was standing there.


    ¡°Sir Alliot? Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I asked the butler to show me your residence. He allowed me toe up here.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The butler was very displeased with Seria, but he did not neglect the Knight Commander of the Berg. Seria frowned and asked,


    ¡°Sir Alliot. By any chance¡­ you saw my room?¡±


    ¡°Yes, mydy.¡±


    He answered, and then there was silence for a few moments. Alliot said in aplicated voice.


    ¡°Hurry up and get your inheritance share and return to Castle Berg, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a good thing Bibi isn¡¯t here.¡±


    ¡°She would have gone ballistic, killing all the servants. ¡±


    ¡°She would have.¡±


    ¡°I can understand some of Lady Abigail¡¯s feelings.¡±


    ¡°I wish you wouldn¡¯t learn that.¡±


    Elliot didn¡¯t answer, only smiled subtly.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here in Berg, My Lady.¡±


    It was not something to be so sad about. Seria was actually relieved that Cassius, who was arrogant, left without saying anything. Of course she couldn¡¯t say this, so she just smiled awkwardly.


    Then Seria left for the dining room immediately, partly because Alliot¡¯s expression was not good, but also for other reasons.


    ¡°Grand Duchess Berg?¡±


    ¡°I was told you were here, but I didn¡¯t expect to run into you!¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°You remember me, don¡¯t you? When I was a child, Young Lady and the Grand Duchess¡­¡±


    There were too many people who pretended to be close to Seria like this. They seemed to secretly hope that after the funeral, she would be here to host a tea party in Grand Duchess Berg¡¯s name. But that was not her intention at all.


    She had not yet made her imperial debut as Grand Duchess of Berg, and she had been so busy that she had never hosted a tea party even in Berg¡¯s main castle. The first tea party hosted by the great aristocrats means so much, and she didn¡¯t need to do such a good thing in the Kellyden family for no reason.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to go to the dining room as soon as I can to avoid the nobles.¡¯

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73


    The dining room was the ce where most aristocrats pay the most attention, along with the garden and the first floor hall. A ce that was immediately visible to the guests was usually more demanding, and it seemed that the Kellyden put a lot of effort into it.


    Softly curved silver trimmings adorned the dining room. Luxury ceramic vases were decorated with white flowers appropriate to the funeral atmosphere, and the long carpet was fluffy, with flowers and trees tightly embroidered with gold thread on both edges.


    The major framework in Seria¡¯s memory was the same, but the details had changed. More luxurious, of course. However, in such a luxurious castle there was a filthy room¡­..(only Seria¡¯s room that was robbed and trashed.)


    It was indeed a beautiful castle, just like the powerful people of the West, but people were really cunning beings.


    ¡®I¡¯m not impressed.¡¯


    The first time she saw Seria¡¯s townhouse, it was very nice and stunning. The other nobles¡¯ mansions that she visited were even more gorgeous.


    Needless to say, the Kellyden castle of the west was muchrger and more luxurious than those mansions in the capital.


    But that was all. The reason for this was obvious. Because she stayed at Berg castle. Two huge of the Kellyden castles had to be put together to make a Berg castle. It was just that.


    In the dining hall, there were many tables lined up, unlike usual. There must be a lot of people eating there.


    It was a great choice toe early. There weren¡¯t many people there now.


    ¡°Youngdy, I will show you to your seat.¡±


    The servant approached cautiously. Seria was ushered to the most senior of the many tables. It was a table made of marble and ivory, far more ornate than the other tables. Perhaps it was because Seria¡¯s family hadn¡¯t arrived yet, but all the seats were empty.


    ¡®But, why are there six pieces of cutlery?¡¯


    Weren¡¯t there five people in Kellyden castle?


    The Marquis and his wife, Seria¡¯s two older brothers, and Seria herself.


    As she was wondering why, she suddenly felt the presence of a person. A young woman¡¯s voice was heard.


    ¡°How are you?¡±


    Seria looked up. She tilted her head curiously at the young woman


    approaching and stopping right across from her.


    The servant quickly spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte in introducing you. Lady Seria. This is the daughter of Count Men. Miss Olivia Men. First Young Master¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    At the mention of Cassius¡¯s fianc¨¦e, Seria flinched.


    Olivia Men.


    ¡®So this is her.¡¯


    In every romance novel, there was always a character who had a fianc¨¦e, but was distracted by the heroine and messed around.


    That¡¯s right. That¡¯s exactly what Cassius Kellyden was.


    ¡®D*mn. I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s Seria¡¯s brother. It¡¯s embarrassing.¡¯


    Cassius Kellyden was also one of the men ying around with Lina¡¯s fishing grounds. And, as it was said, he was one of those men who couldn¡¯t prevent his heart from being stolen by Lina, even though he had a fianc¨¦e.


    ¡®I remembered the story, but I didn¡¯t remember the name of my fianc¨¦e as clearly.


    Olivia Men. That¡¯s what she was called.


    I think the engagement was called off.¡¯


    In the original story, Cassius began to watch Lina as she made her debut in the imperial society, and after he was tied to her, he neglected his fianc¨¦e Olivia. However, fortunately, Olivia saw his heart for Lina.


    In the end, Olivia secretly bullied Lina, who took her fianc¨¦¡¯s heart, behind his back, and was caught by Cassius, who broke off the engagement and immediately left the scene.


    ¡®Either way, there¡¯s nothing left in a broken family.¡¯


    The eldest son fell in love with another woman and broke off the engagement with his fianc¨¦e.


    The second son fell in love with another woman, and tried to steal his half sister¡¯s jewelry to give it to her.


    Both of them have no concept of decency¡­.The Marquis and Marchioness of Kellyden¡¯s child-raising was a clear example of failure.


    When Seria thought that far, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for Olivia. As the daughter of a Count, how exciting it must be for her to be engaged to the heir to the Marquis of Kellyden. Moreover, Cassius had a fine appearance too.


    But apart from these impressions, Olivia Men did not seem to like Seria very much. It was not really a relevant issue. In this empire, the aristocrats of the same age who were interested in Seria were close to rare creatures. They hated or feared Seria regardless of gender. The thought of living in vain crossed her mind.


    ¡°Hello, Grand Duchess.¡±


    Olivia spoke with a smile in her eyes.


    ¡°You came down early. I thought you would be thest to enter the dining room like the main character.¡±


    ¡®Look at her.¡¯


    ¡°Is that necessary? You don¡¯t have to be so childish to know that I¡¯m Marquis Kellyden¡¯s daughter and Grand Duchess of Berg. But if you want to, I can leave now ande backter when everyone is here.¡±


    Seria asked back.


    ¡°But not by myself. Lady Men, let¡¯s enter the dining room at the end with me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    When Seria tried to get up, Olivia panicked. She must know, too. As long as Seria was the Grand Duchess, whoever she entered with, people would just focus on her. Unless she came in with Lesche. Of course, no noblewomen liked to be treated as bridesmaids. And it would be even more inconvenient for Olivia, since she would be in a position to be a marchioness at the Kellyden¡¯s at ater date.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry ¡­ It¡¯s okay¡­.Grand Duchess¡­. You don¡¯t have to bother to enter again when you¡¯ve already sat down.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Olivia fanned herself gently with her hand, then smiled.


    ¡°Now, shall we eat first? I have heard that the others will be arrivingte. There were more mourners than expected, so everyone is busy weing them.¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s true. There were a lot of carriages.¡¯


    ¡°I was told that it would probably take a couple of hours, so you can eat first.¡±


    ¡°Eat first?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    This sitting was not a banquet. There were a lot of mourners, and even though the dining room wasrge, there was limited space. There was no such thing as a rule that they all had to eat together. Some of the nobles were already eating at other tables.


    Of course, just because they did, it didn¡¯t mean that she had to eat first and leave.


    ¡®The cutlery is ced on the table by number, but you want me to eat alone and go first?¡¯


    First of all, Seria was not close to her family.


    And she didn¡¯t like to be with her family either.


    Despite this personality, she was very sensitive to insults.


    Now the real Seria would have kicked her seat in anger and walked out. She looked at Olivia¡¯s face, which was smiling. She had an awkward smile and avoided Seria¡¯s gaze.


    ¡®It seems that it has been quite a while since she entered the mansion? She knows Seria well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just wait.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s eyes went wide, as if she didn¡¯t expect Seria to answer. She sounded a little perplexed.


    ¡°But if you wait, wouldn¡¯t it be difficult for your family to sit with you?¡±


    ¡°Why would it be difficult to sit together?¡±


    ¡°Because they are not in the position to eat with the Grand Duchess, are they?¡±


    ¡®You are really good at speaking in front of the infamous Seria¡­¡¯


    At first nce it sounded right, but of course it didn¡¯t fit the logic. Because there were already six pieces of cutlery here.


    ¡®Well, are you trying to start a fight?¡¯


    There was nothing Seria couldn¡¯t do if she had to. Seria nodded and spoke.


    ¡°Thank you for telling me. Young Lady Olivia.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    Seria raised her voice, not taking her eyes off Olivia.


    ¡°Butler!¡±


    Her voice was more than a little loud in the quiet atmosphere of the dining room, and for a moment, all eyes looked her way. Olivia immediately gave Seria a puzzled look.


    The butler came up to Seria quickly and she said,


    ¡°Put away all the cutlery in here. Oh, and leave mine and Young Lady Olivia¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What do you mean¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Get rid of them.¡±


    ¡°Miss Seria. What¡¯s on this table isn¡¯t something you can remove at will.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Lady, that¡¯s a very difficult order.¡±


    The chief butler looked at Seria with a protesting expression. He didn¡¯t easily obey Seria¡¯s order. She understood, of course, because it was an important table where the Kellyden¡¯s immediate family woulde and sit, but his attitude of stopping her was straightforward and arrogant.


    How polite and kind the Berg people had been to her came to mind.


    ¡°You are not going to do it? If you don¡¯t put them away, I might just break it all.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    This was not a joke. Didn¡¯t he know Seria¡¯s personality well? Without further ado, Seria lifted the te that was in front of her. When she was about to throw it on the ground, the butler was surprised and stopped her.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll put them away.¡±


    The butler hurriedly put away the cutlery with a pale face. He also took the te that was almost destroyed by Seria¡¯s hand and put it away carefully.


    Olivia¡¯s face went pale and the surroundings went silent, but Seria couldn¡¯t care less.

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74


    ***


    Seria folded her arms and looked at the cutlery being removed.


    It was then.


    ¡°Seria! What are you doing right now?¡±


    Seria didn¡¯t turn around, but waited for the owner of the voice to walk up to her. It was not a polite thing to do, but there was no voice to me. Seria¡¯s character was not too good to be med for that.


    ¡®Seria is such an easy-going character, isn¡¯t she? She can just do whatever she wants.¡¯


    Seria lifted her gaze as the owner of the voice came forward.


    ¡®They¡¯re finally here.¡¯


    It was Cassius and Nissos Kellyden. Cassius kept quiet because he and Seria had already interacted. It wasn¡¯t a good experience whatsoever. Nissos, however, was sarcastic as soon as his gaze met Seria¡¯s.


    ¡°You juste home after a long time and immediately start making trouble?¡±


    ¡®I can¡¯t?¡¯


    Seria pointed with her chin at Olivia, who was faltering.


    ¡°Olivia was kind enough to tell me to finish my meal alone and leave. So I asked them to put away the extra cutlery.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a maidservant and there¡¯s no reason for me to eat with empty tes on the table.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Perhaps they were all smart aristocrats, they understood Seria¡¯s implications. Cassius frowned and looked at Olivia.


    ¡°Lady Men.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant when I said¡­!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go out and talk.¡±


    Cassius spoke stiffly. Pale, Olivia walked out of the dining room with him.


    ¡®I kind of wanted to know what they were going to talk about, but oh well¡­¡¯


    There were certainly not a few people here. The nobles stopped eating there and looking this way. It must have been the remaining power in the original Seria¡¯s body that allowed her to say whatever she wanted despite all this attention.


    While she was thinking, Seria felt a sudden stare. It was obvious who it belonged to. Nissos Kellyden, Seria¡¯s second brother.


    ¡®What is he staring at? I¡¯m not afraid a bit.¡¯


    Nissos¡¯ face was distorted when Seria stared back at him. In the original, his eyes were referred to as angelic sky blue eyes.


    ¡°Butler, don¡¯t put them away. Leave it alone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡±


    The chief butler replied politely and immediately started setting the cutlery on the table again.


    ¡®When I told him to put it away, he said this and that. Isn¡¯t it discrimination?¡¯


    Nissos sat down in the seat next to Seria.


    ¡°You¡¯re quieter than I thought. After hearing what Olivia Men said, I thought you¡¯d be furious and quickly pull down the tablecloth and break all the tes.¡±


    ¡°What do you think I¡¯m up to? Is it because I¡¯m not a good person that Olivia was so mean to me? She must have heard a lot of things here.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Everyone here hates me, so I guess she thought she should, too. Is it her fault? No, I¡¯m not going to me it on her, even if she made a mistake.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Nissos looked at Seria in silence.


    ¡®Well, I have no choice, since anything I say would only bring shame to myself. It¡¯s a good thing Seria has a way with words.¡¯


    Seria spread the neatly folded napkin and ced it on herp. She hoped the funeral would be over soon so she could inherit the estate and go back to Berg.


    It would be nice to go to the main castle and check out the garden with Linon. She thought about making the green topiary in the shape of a soldier and a rabbit. After that, she would go to the green manor and eat the warm stew and sweet treats that Martha would make for her. Then all her tiredness would go away.


    ¡®I hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but Berg feels like heaven to me.¡¯


    A ce where that cold man stayed. Suddenly, Seria thought of Lesche, and she almostughed.


    ¡°Do you want me to dere war on the Kellyden?¡±


    ¡®Perhaps I should ask him how I could dere war on them when I go back.¡¯


    ¡°Why are you sulking? It¡¯s annoying.¡±


    Seria frowned at Nissos, who was suddenly picking a fight with her.


    ¡®He¡¯s older than Seria, so why is he being so childish? He even sounded cute when I read the original, but actually, when I became Seria, he just made me angry.¡¯


    ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t pick a fight, I¡¯ll still leave right after the funeral.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°I understand that you don¡¯t want to see me, but I too was told toe by your father, so I had no choice but toe. So would you stop picking a fight?¡±


    Nissos¡¯s blue eyes went wide.


    ¡°You¡­ What did you just say to me?¡±


    ¡°Are you deaf? Why can¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying at once?¡±


    Despite his feistiness, Nissos didn¡¯tin any more. As expected, everyone seemed to be quieter if she became rough.


    ¡°Ha. Your temper is really ¡­.¡±


    ¡°When will this table be filled?¡±


    She came down early to avoid the nobles, but it was a vain effort.


    However, Nissos answered surprisingly honestly.


    ¡°Father and mother will be here soon. More nobles have visited us here than we expected. The whole family hasete to greet our guests.¡±


    ¡°The whole family?¡±


    Seria asked back, and Nissos huffed.


    ¡°Why? Are you going to take it out on them for not telling you ahead?¡±


    ¡°No way. I know that the Kellyden doesn¡¯t think of me as family. I understand.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Nissos¡¯s face stiffened slightly.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why did you change so much?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, changed? I¡¯ve always been this way. You just didn¡¯t know because you weren¡¯t interested in me.¡±


    Seria had changedpletely, by all ounts. She was just trying to cover her true feelings, but surprisingly Nissos was quiet.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t it easy to be quiet?¡¯


    It was when some time had passed.


    Gradually, more and more people began to arrive in the dining room, and it began to buzz.


    The Marquis and Marchioness of Kellyden, the masters of this castle, entered.


    It was not a ball, and not everyone who was eating would stop and get up, but all eyes were on them.


    Be that as it may, the Marquis and his wife walked over to the top table where Nissos and Seria were sitting. After all, it seemed that the shamelessness to ignore spilled gazes was an essential attribute of high-ranking aristocrats.


    ¡°Father, mother. You¡¯re here.¡±


    Nissos, who had been fighting with Seria without rest until just now, greeted them politely. The Marquis just nodded lightly.


    The Marquis took the top seat, and his wife took the seat next to him. They all looked exactly the same as they did in Seria¡¯s memory.


    ¡®Cassius looks just like the Marquis.¡¯


    Blue hair and blue eyes. Cassius would likely turn into the Marquis when he got older.


    There was a fortunate fact in that. When Seria saw the Marquis and his wife, her hands didn¡¯t shake like they had earlier.


    ¡®Why is it that when I saw Cassius, my hands went cold and my whole body froze, but now I have no such reaction? I¡¯m not sure what it is. ¡­.but it seems that something happened between Seria and Cassius.¡¯


    Seria pondered over her thoughts. Come to think of it, Seria also saw Cassius at a social party she attended shortly after possessing Seria. Her hands shook too, and she was in a hurry to get away at that time. ¡­.


    ¡®What happened between the two of them?¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t known right now. Seria¡¯s memories and feelings remain in the body, and in Cassius¡¯ case, there was only a strange vague sense of anger.


    Seria opened her mouth.


    ¡°Hello, you two. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve said hello to you.¡±


    They both looked at Seria as she said her greetings, which were polite in her own way. First, she looked at the Marchioness, the hostess of the castle. Although Seria had expected it, the Marchioness had a strange look on her face. She stared at Seria and opened her mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a really long time, Seria. Or should I call you Grand Duchess Berg?¡±


    Her voice was faintly sarcastic.


    ¡®Oh, my¡­Somehow I could understand the Marchioness¡¯s feelings. Suddenly one day, her husband brought his illegitimate child into the family, so of course she would hate Seria.¡¯


    However, what she should have done was when she married and had children, she could pass aw that gives the death penalty to anyone who had illegitimate children¡­..only then would there be no such tragedy in the family.


    ¡®But apart from these ideas, I wasn¡¯t going to just agree with her cold treatment. That was not very Seria-like.¡¯


    ¡®And if you¡¯re going to bully me, I want you to bully the Marquis first, not me.


    Me, of all people. They weren¡¯t that scary¡­..In fact, what was the reason I fell into this novel and bowed so much to Charis?


    Wasn¡¯t it because I was certain that he was going to brutally murder me?¡¯


    The Marchioness saw myck of answer and gave a subtle sneer.


    ¡°Shall I continue to call you ¡®Grand Duchess¡¯ from now on?¡±


    The idea of the implications of her words, the Marquise, was sarcastically suggesting that Seria didn¡¯t be Grand Duchess Berg in the usual way. It was almost as if she foresaw her returning to Seria Stern shortly after her divorce. Seria became serious.


    Lesche said that he asked the Marquis to reply to his marriage vow.


    ¡®My rtionship with Lesche is strange, but he has treated me well enough as a Grand Duchess during my time in Berg. That¡¯s probably why he even requested a response to our marriage vows, which he didn¡¯t have to.


    The Marquis should have epted the marriage vows, but his attitude of assuming we will divorce with such certainty was not well understood.


    Do they really think Seria will get kicked out soon because of her personality?


    I understand if that¡¯s the case. Damn it¡­


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll live a thousand years with Lesche either. But I believed he would be polite to me until the day we divorce. I helped the green manor, too. Our rtionship is not as fragile as others think.¡¯


    There was also a trust that came from Lesche from being a reigning monarch whose rewards and punishments were certain.


    Seria turned her gaze away for a moment. Then she looked at the Marquis, who had bright blue eyes just like Cassius¡¯s. His gaze was very sharp.


    ¡®Guess who is not in power in the West¡­I¡¯ll ask him next time.¡¯


    There were many other nobles here, so this wasn¡¯t the appropriate ce to ask what was bothering her right now.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Seria raised one eyebrow when she heard the Marchioness calling her name again.

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75


    ¡°Yes, Marchioness. I was thinking of something else for a moment. What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I asked if you wanted to be called Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you may call me that. I think it¡¯s about time people should start calling me by my title.¡±


    Of course, the Marchioness was a difficult woman to please.


    ¡°Yes. If that¡¯s what the Grand Duchess wants, then so be it. While the Grand Duchess is staying here, she must dine only with us two couples. Cassius and Nissos are too low in the hierarchy to dare to sit at the same table as the Grand Duchess and eat with her.¡±


    ¡®A normal, educated noblewoman would have blushed upon hearing the words of the Marchioness. It is impossible not to know the ridicule in her words. But I¡­.I¡¯m just an ordinary graduate student who possessed Seria, and I¡¯m in a position to say what I want to say, but there¡¯s no reason to hold back.¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡±


    The Marchioness¡¯s smile was slightly distorted.


    ¡°As the Marchioness suggested, you and I will be eating together from now on. How can I refuse when you have so much respect for me?¡±


    Seria looked back at Nissos and deliberately made a gentle sound.


    ¡°Nissos, I¡¯m afraid today will be ourst meal together.¡±


    ¡°Seri¡­!¡±


    ¡°Butler!¡±


    Seria raised her voice again. It had taken some courage to raise her voice in front of Lady Men earlier, but it was even less of a burden the second time around. The butler, who was standing behind the Marquis, quickly approached.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You heard what the Marchioness said, didn¡¯t you? From now on, make sure you have only three pieces of cutlery ready.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At that moment, the butler¡¯s eyes turned to the Marchioness. She didn¡¯t look at him, but nodded slowly. The old butler immediately bowed his head in submission and retreated.


    The Marchioness, who immediately changed her expression like a good noblewoman, shifted her gaze to the Marquis sitting next to her.


    ¡°Perhaps it was because we hadn¡¯t seen her in a long time, but the Grand Duchess¡¯s personality isn¡¯t the same as before.¡±


    The Marquis listened in silence and opened his mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯ve changed a lot, haven¡¯t you? I also heard that you ordered for the central bridge to open.¡±


    When Seria stared at him without replying, the Marquis added.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling that you have yet to receive approval from the Imperial family.¡±


    ¡®You are referring to the imperial family¡¯s authorization is necessary for Grand Duke Berg¡¯s marriage.¡¯


    ¡°Until the official imperial approval is granted, you will treat us like your parents. Later, after the imperial authorization has been granted to the Grand Duchy of Berg, I will act as politely as you wish.¡±


    ¡°Yes, father. Do as you wish.¡±


    When Seria replied, the Marquis looked at her strangely. What is it? What¡¯s the matter? The Marquis gave Seria a stern expression, but having spent a year with her former fianc¨¦ who could cut off her head at any moment, and having spent time with the Grand Duke whose ruthless eyes nevergged behind wherever he went, she wasn¡¯t afraid at all.


    So Seria silently made eye contact, and surprisingly, the Marquis looked away first.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t he used to Seria¡¯s eye contact?¡¯


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    The Marquis shifted the subject in another direction.


    ¡°Did you have to open the central bridge?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am the Grand Duchess of Berg.¡±


    ¡°Before that, you¡¯re a Kellyden.¡±


    ¡°If I hade alone, I would have used the open bridge on the right. But the carriage I rode in was visible from the watchtower, I believe.¡±


    Seria averted her gaze toward the old butler as she was saying that. He cleared his throat and avoided her eyes.


    ¡°The carriage I rode in had the Berg pattern engraved on it and even the Berg g on the roof. On top of that, I was apanied by the Commander of the Berg Knights. So, how could Ipromise while undermining the prestige of the Berg?¡±


    ¡°His Highness cares so much about you.¡±


    ¡°Somehow it happened. I have a reputation to protect, so please.¡±


    ¡°Are you ordering me?¡±


    ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? You have to be careful. What good wille from Berg and Kerryden feuding?¡±


    The Marquis, who was silent, said,


    ¡°As you say, nothing good wille of it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. By the way, why did you ask me toe, father?¡±


    For a moment she saw the Marquis¡¯s eyes go wide.


    ¡®It happened in a sh. I would have missed it if I were my usual self, but I am different now. I was quick to notice the change in other people¡¯s facial expressions in order to survive for the past year¡­.What is it? What surprised him?¡¯


    Seria frowned and continued talking.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to meet with you alone for a moment to discuss some things about Berg.¡±


    Seria thought he would ask her what she wanted to talk about, but the Marquis raised his hand without dy, and the old butler came close. The Marquis told him to prepare for the meeting, then continued.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be free the day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡®Ah, yes.¡¯


    ¡®I, once again, have grown ustomed to Lesche¡¯s free pass. At Berg, I can see him anytime if I want to. It¡¯s a strange feeling. I was always rubbing my face on the warm and fluffy cradle, and suddenly I feel like I¡¯m bathed in cold water. The Grand Duchy of Berg is not my home, either. And this is Seria¡¯s house.¡¯


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Start the food.¡±


    As if the Marquis¡¯s words were a signal, the dining table immediately began to fill up with food. Surprisingly, the food ced in front of Seria was also warm. She thought they would set her cold food, just because¡­


    As she was eating, Seria suddenly became curious and shifted her eyes.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, I understand you told me to be sure to visit Kellyden. What was the reason for that?¡±


    The Marquis paused for a moment, then said.


    ¡°The entire empire was rumored that you were on the verge of death due to the distortion of the divine forces. I understand that His Highness Grand Duke Berg saved your life.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he did.¡±


    ¡°But seeing as how you are now in too good health, it seems that the rumors were wrong.¡±


    ¡°Wrong?¡±


    Seria chuckled.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it is not wrong. I was dying from aplication of divine power at the ceremony.¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s true?¡±


    The Marquis¡¯s face stiffened greatly, while Nissos sarcastically said right beside him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it so seriously, father. Seria has always been like that. If you don¡¯t give her something she likes, she will deliberately scratch her arm and pretend to be injured by a de¡­ You don¡¯t know how many servants got fired because of her.¡±


    ¡®I didn¡¯t know that Seria was self-inflicted. And since it was Seria who had done it as a child, and not me, I felt that I had no choice now.¡¯


    Instead of sticking her knife into the back of Nissos¡¯s hand, Seria plunged it into the bread.


    ¡°Brother Nissos poured out words to my father like this, but you didn¡¯t send a single person to Kellyden when I was dying, did you?¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to you, my position is very embarrassing.The nobles who came to the Berg also talked a lot behind my back. When I was vomiting blood and was about to die, not a single person from the Kellyden came.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, ask the captain of the Commander of Berg knights who escorted me, father. He¡¯s a straightforward character and he doesn¡¯t lie. In fact, I¡¯m not even worthy enough to lie for myself alone.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Nissos¡¯s expression visibly hardened. So did the Marquis of Kellyden. Then, more than all of thembined, the Marchioness¡¯s face stiffened horribly, and Seria shifted her gaze.


    ****


    ¡°Miss Seria.¡±


    When Seria finished eating and walked out of the dining room, no one saw her off. The Marquis¡¯s mood was unusual, and the atmosphere at the immediate dining table was very heavy. However, even in the midst of all this, mourners were pouring in, and among them were people of high status that the Marquis could not ignore.


    No one ate until dessert time because they were too busy with something else.


    But the old butler followed Seria and called out in a quiet voice. When she turned to look at him, the old butler said that the master of the house had sent him, and then continued modestly.


    ¡°I think your room is almost ready.¡±


    ¡°I see. Let¡¯s go there together. If it¡¯s still a mess, I¡¯ll be in a very bad mood, so it¡¯s a good idea to figure out in advance what excuses you need to give me.¡±


    ¡°Yes? Yes ¡­. Of course. I¡¯ll take you, Miss.¡±


    Seria thought she had made a rude request, but she just moved her feet. She followed the old butler up the stairs and back to her room. If it was still a mess, she would call Abigail for real this time, but fortunately the bedroom was normal.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. You can go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡±


    As the old butler was about to leave, Seria asked.


    ¡°How long has Lady Men been living in this castle?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been about three months.¡±


    ¡°Three months. Okay. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it then.¡±


    The old butler bowed lightly and left the room.


    Seria looked around the room for a while. The empty shelves had been filled. When she looked closer, she could see that they had hurriedly brought in things from other ces. Perhaps that was why they didn¡¯t look expensive. Anyway, it wasn¡¯t like the bedroom was a great western home.


    Even if it was a rush, Seria thought she wouldn¡¯t leave it alone if her room didn¡¯t fill up properly by tomorrow.


    It was then.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Along with a knock on the door she heard a voice from the outside.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    When she opened the door, Cassius was waiting outside. As soon as she saw his face, Seria clenched her trembling hands tightly. It wasn¡¯t as bad as the first time as if she had be immune to it. Seria lifted her chin and asked,


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Lady Men said she¡¯s sorry.¡±

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76


    ***


    ¡°Lady Men?¡±


    When Seria heard Cassius¡¯ words and looked behind him, Lady Men finally squirmed her way out. Maybe because of her small size, she was hidden behind Cassius. Theposition was really interesting. By all ounts, Seria was the viin again, and Lady Men seemed to be a poor victim.


    ¡®No matter where I go, this position seems to be the same. Seria is always the viin.¡¯


    ¡°By the way, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°To support Lady Men.¡±


    Seria couldn¡¯t believe Olivia sent Cassius. She stared at Olivia. She apologized in a shaky voice, but her words trailed off. She was frightened.


    ¡°If my words are not enough¡­.¡±


    ¡°Nothing is ever enough. It¡¯s done. Go ahead, Lady Men. I hope we don¡¯t run into each other again during my remaining time here.¡±


    The voice sounded arrogant, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears with her now paleplexion.


    ¡°Hm, now if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±


    Lady Men bit her lip and hurried away. Seria raised her eyes when she saw that Cassius didn¡¯t go back with Olivia.


    ¡°Lady Men went too far.¡±


    ¡°Went too far?


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    As Seria was listening to Cassius¡¯s words, she looked up to the side. There was a shiny windowpane. Just outside the window, dim evening light was falling, and their figures were reflected as if in a mirror. Seria looked more at her reflection. Her hair was green, flowing like seaweed. Those blue eyes looked like the direct features of a Kellyden. It was Seria¡¯s appearance.


    ¡®It¡¯s sofortable for me to say anything now.¡¯


    ¡°Lady Men must have followed my two big brothers¡¯ behavior, what¡¯s too much?¡±


    ¡°¡­what?¡±


    ¡°Do you think her vulgarity is due to her personality? Cassius, are you sure that you and Nissos have never spoken ill of me in Lady Men¡¯s presence?¡±


    Cassius, of course, was seemingly well-educated. Even if he gossiped, he wouldn¡¯t have been as frivolous as a countryman.


    It was mentioned several times in the original story. He said it was insulting and embarrassing that such a ruffian like Seria, an illegitimate whose humanity was ruined, was a Kellyden like himself.


    When she heard Cassiusining, Lina panicked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Cassius angry before. I always thought he was an educated Young Master.¡±


    Seria pointed with her chin to her bedroom, where the door was half open.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen my room with me, haven¡¯t you? What western nobleman would think so highly of Seria Kellyden when even the servants look down on me like that?¡±


    Even the servants of the castle treat Seria coldly. The Young Lady of the Kellyden, Seria¡¯s room was a mess and no one paid any attention to it. Lady Men would have been somewhat aware of these circumstances. She might have seen Seria¡¯s room.


    The Kellyden¡¯s status as the dominant force in the West meant that their influence on the other noble families was also significant. How could Lady Men think well of Seria when Seria¡¯s own family wasn¡¯t even nice to her?


    Seria was hated by the members of the Kellyden, both by the family and the servants. So how could Lady Men, an outsider, care for Seria, who left her own family¡¯sst name and reced it with a new one? There was no way.


    That was why she didn¡¯t want to me Lady Men separately. She had her priorities straight.


    ¡°I don¡¯t me Lady Men because it¡¯s my brothers who hate me so much. So don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What am I worried about?¡±


    Seria was annoyed at Cassius for pretending not to know and for repeatedly asking back. She wrinkled her forehead and said,


    ¡°You brought her here and made her apologize because you thought I would harass your fianc¨¦e about this. Do you think I don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°What? ¡­..I didn¡¯t bring Lady Men here for that reason.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Because what she did was too much. So, she apologized¡­..¡±


    ¡°Apologize¡­.?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Cassius couldn¡¯t answer any further. In the end, he seems to have realized that no matter what excuse he made, he would only repeat the same words.


    He just bit his lips. In other words, he seemed to think to himself that no matter what he said in his defense, he would repeat the same thing.


    There was silence for a while. Cassius¡¯s bright blue eyes looked up at Seria again.


    ¡°Whatever our actions, it was Lady Men¡¯s mistake to do such a vile thing to you. The choice was hers to make.¡±


    ¡®You are such a good talker.¡¯


    ¡°Yes, Cassius¡­¡±


    Seria told Cassius, who somehow tried to me someone else for his mistake.


    ¡°If you¡¯re right, Lady Men has made a wrong choice, if she¡¯s a person with only that much insight, then I suppose that¡¯s the extent of your insight in taking such a person as a fianc¨¦. If you want a short sighted person to be your bride, you must have no conscience.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Despite the tant usation, Cassius did not seem to say anything. He just kept his mouth shut. Seria huffed and turned away. She was going to go back to the bedroom. Just then Cassius reached out his hand and grabbed her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done talking yet.¡±


    The moment his hand grasped Seria¡¯s arm, it was as if she was struck by lightning. Suddenly a shiver ran through her. The strange thing was, while her body was shaking like this, it would be normal to scream along with it but she didn¡¯t let out any sound. She only breathed heavily as if she was choking.


    ¡°Seria? Seri Kelly¡­.!¡±


    ¡°Young Master? Ah¡­ Young Master!¡±


    At that moment, the old butler, who was walking from afar, came running in a rush and struck Cassius on the hand. Seria forced her trembling legs to stand up.


    While her brain was limping with unknown shock, the butler¡¯s words came to her ears as she was catching her rough breaths.


    ¡°I must tell you that you must not do such a thing¡­ Young Lady still has the emotional shock of that day.¡±


    An emotional shock? Seria shifted her eyes as the spirit that seemed to be scratching at her with a rake slowly awoke. Cassius¡¯s face turned white with shock. And now, the old butler¡­


    ¡®¡­Something is going on.¡¯


    The old butler knew what had happened, and she knew intuitively that she should question him.


    ¡°¡­.. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡®Seri ¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡±


    It didn¡¯t look good in any way, as Seria was stumbling weakly in front of the Kellyden people.


    It was unpleasant. Cassius, in particr, at the mere touch of his hand Seria shuddered. There was something going on between him and Seria.


    The butler looked at Cassius with a nk expression on his face and cleared his throat.


    ¡°Mydy, the Lord calls.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    It was unexpected. The ce the old butler led Seria to was the Marquis of Kellyden¡¯s private parlor. There was a normal building style in the Glick Empire. Such a ce was usually a reception room attached to the office of the Master of the house, a ce that would only be opened to very important guests or people close to the house.


    ¡®Is it because I¡¯m the Grand Duchess of Berg that he wants to talk here?¡¯


    Seria looked at the Marquis sitting across from her. The Marquis took a sip of his steaming tea. Seria also took a sip of tea. There was no refreshments.


    ¡°I thought you won¡¯t be avable for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Somehow I managed to free up some time.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    The Marquis asked,


    ¡°How badly were you injured on your wedding day?¡±


    ¡°As I said. If you don¡¯t believe my story, you can go and ask the priests.¡±


    There were many of them, so the ident should be recorded urately. The Marquis was silent for a while anyway. Seria waited patiently. Then he opened his mouth.


    ¡°What do you want to talk about Berg?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you respond to my marriage vows?¡±


    A momentter, the sound of a teacup rattling could be heard. The Marquis frowned and asked back.


    ¡°What do you mean by respond?¡±


    ¡°His Royal Highness, the Grand Duke, has sent people to Kellyden several times to ask for your eptance of his marriage vows, but has received no response.¡±


    ¡°What¡­.?¡±


    The Marquis frowned. He stood up straight and tugged at the rope on the wall. It was not the rope that was often used to call servants to fetch tea. It was a red rope that was used to call people in a hurry.


    ¡°Butler.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lord.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a wedding pledge from Berg?¡±


    ¡°I¡­.¡±


    The butler couldn¡¯t answer right away. His face just turned pale. The Marquis yelled at him.


    ¡°Speak quickly!¡±


    ¡°A few years ago, the Lord told me not to post any news about the thirddy.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    For a moment, the silence fell heavily.


    ¡°He did? When?¡±


    ¡°He did, Miss.¡±


    The butler said, looking at Seria.


    ¡°After the Young Lady left the Kellyden¡¯sst name, you took Stern as yourst name and began¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The silence fell once more.


    ¡°Bring it to me. You have it in storage, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the thing. I discarded it all¡­.¡±


    ¡°Butler!¡±


    The Marquis¡¯s face turned red.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t order them to be destroyed!¡±


    ¡°My Lord¡­..¡±


    The butler had a very troubled look on his face. The Marquis asked again.


    ¡°Is this something you have handled at your own discretion?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Who said it was okay?¡±


    ¡°Second Young Master¡­.¡±


    ¡®Oh my god.¡¯


    Even in the original story, Nissos and Seria were always at each other¡¯s throats. But she didn¡¯t think it was enough for him to cut off all connections with Seria.


    ¡°Nissos Kellyden, what did he even¡­..¡±


    The Marquis gritted his teeth.

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77


    He said to the old butler, who was at a loss.


    ¡°First of all, keep your mouth shut. Don¡¯t even let Nissos know. I¡¯ll deal with him after all the guests have gone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lord.¡±


    The old butler left with a scowl on his face. The silence in the private parlor was heavy again. Seria said to the Marquis as she watched the steam rise to the top of her teacup.


    ¡°Thanks to him, my father might not have heard of my obituary.¡±


    ¡°Seria, that¡¯s not what you want to say to your father.¡±


    ¡°Am I wrong? I mean, as you may have heard, I almost died. Father.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    At that moment Seria realized. The word ¡®father¡¯ made the Marquis flinched.


    ¡®What the hell, Seria? What did you call the Marquis of Kellyden? Did you call him Marquis? I don¡¯t mean to me her, but I was a little disappointed.¡¯


    ¡°I want you to give me a reply to the marriage pledge.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t your marriage to the Grand duke not normal? Well, just say I answered the marriage pledge, is this a longsting rtionship?


    I know that Stern divorce is possible only one day a year. Isn¡¯t it a timed rtionship that is maintained until that day, before the divorce?¡±


    ¡®He knew it well.¡¯


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I spend a day or a year there. I owe my life to Grand Duke Berg. So while I¡¯m there, I think I have to repay him. Father.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    The Marquis said, looking at Seria with a battered expression.


    ¡°I think you died and came back to life. You¡¯ve changed. You really have. Follow me.¡±


    He stood up and went to the other door instead of the one that led to the parlor and the hallway. As Seria went in, she was greeted by the sight of a spacious office. There wererge family portraits of the Marquis of Kellyden and other family members hanging on the wall, as well as Kellyden¡¯s patterned g.


    The Marquis walked to therge desk in the center of the room. There was the sound of a locked drawer being opened, and he seemed to be pulling something out of the drawer. At first nce, it looked like some document. The Marquis, who was writing something there for some time, lifted his head.


    ¡°I will send a new letter to His Highness the Grand Duke of Berg.¡±


    ¡°Shall I take it with me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do as you wish.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    Seria replied lightly and moved her head. Then she looked at the wall of the office that caught her eye for a while now. The portraits of Kellyden¡¯s family members shone as if the frames were painted with pure gold. The Marquis looked back, frowning his forehead.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    At that moment, there was a knock on the door and a voice sounded.


    ¡°My Lord, I have a message from the priest that the head of the family and all the direct descendants muste down.¡±


    ***


    Lady Magrus was of unbroken lineage to the Kellyden, and could therefore have a funeral in Kellyden castle. At the end, each of the Kellyden¡¯s direct descendants threw a flower into the coffin.


    With the priest¡¯s eulogy, the coffin went to Kellyden¡¯s cemetery on the outskirts.


    Once there, Seria suddenly heard a familiar voice as she watched the coffin being covered with dirt. She looked back.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It was Kalis.


    He gave her a subtle look as soon as their eyes met. However, he couldn¡¯t stare at her for long. Because the male nobles were gathered round Kalis Hon in a circle. Kalis shifted his gaze to the voice searching for him.


    ¡®That¡¯s odd¡­Who invited him here?¡¯


    Seria shifted her gaze and looked around. She spotted some nobledies with appropriate attire, and naturally she walked towards them.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    They looked at Seria with their wide eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Young ¡­ No, Grand Duchess Berg.¡±


    ¡°Thank you foring to the castle.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    After exchanging polite greetings, thedies looked at Seria ufortably.


    They were confused to see Seria here because all people knew that Seria and the Kellyden family weren¡¯t on good terms. Besides, she was Seria Stern. Seria spoke as thedies tried to move away.


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to hold a big banquet in Berg. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if my fellow western noblewomen coulde?¡±


    Thedies looked at each other. Since it was a funeral and they couldn¡¯t hold fans, the women lightly covered their mouths with their ck gloved hands.


    She could rephrase, but she didn¡¯t have a lot of time right now. Quite straightforwardly, the calction seemed to be done quickly.


    Thedies smiled at her.


    ¡°It is an honor to meet you, Grand Duchess Berg.¡±


    ¡°It must have been difficult for you toe so far.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    Any noblewomen with children would be worried about the Imperial Debutante. In particr, thesedies were simply dressed. Therefore, it was easy to see that the weight of such worries was a little heavier than others.


    Seria opened her mouth right away without spinning more.


    ¡°All the nobles of the West have gathered here.¡±


    The nobledies nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been away from the West for so long, I don¡¯t really understand it. The deceased¡­¡±


    Seria lowered her voice with a sad expression and didn¡¯t finish her sentence, but thedies seemed to understand.


    Lady Magrus had not been such a well-liked old nobleman before her death. And she wasn¡¯t andlord. There was no influential bereaved family that needed to be concerned about.


    But, why were there so many mourners?


    The nobledies lowered their voices as much as Seria¡¯s and spoke quietly.


    ¡°The Marchioness of Kellyden sent out arge number of obituaries.¡±


    ¡°I was actually puzzled when it came to my husband. I heard it was sent to all the aristocrats in the West.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you.¡±


    She knew she had to send invitations to these nobledies, so Seria put some effort into her head and memorized their faces. The crowd parted as she walked away from thedies. She walked slowly, pondering.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    It was then that she saw the back of the Marchioness standing straight as the hostess of Kellyden before the servants, who were covering the coffin with soil.


    ¡°Um, Stern?¡±


    It was a name Seria hadn¡¯t heard in a long time. Whether she was Kellyden, the Marquis¡¯s daughter, or the Grand Duchess of Berg, she was still Stern.


    She turned around and saw a young nobleman approaching with a cough. She could tell he was nervous, and his face was a little red from excitement.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about Stern¡¯s fame.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡®What kind of fame have you heard of?¡¯If it was the fame Seria had, the infamy was even higher. The man said with a sad face.


    ¡°It¡¯s sad for the deceased to have gone like this. But the deceased told me not to be too sad.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ Do you have a partner to dance with at tomorrow¡¯s party?¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Seria raised her head. At the look of what that meant, the noblemanid out his exnation smoothly.


    ¡°It was one of Lady Magrus¡¯sst wills. It was said that her funeral should not lead to a sad atmosphere as she loved ys and theater actors before she died. So she brought a custom from a distant country and ordered that after the coffin was buried, a beautiful ball dance should be held to entertain the mourners. As you know Lady Magrus was a high ranking noble¡­.¡±


    Of course, at regr balls, people decided on their partners in advance. But a funeral was a funeral¡­.


    ¡®But why didn¡¯t you tell me about it? Kellyden is really¡­¡¯


    Seria thought about it. It seemed like she was the only one who wasn¡¯t aware about the banquet with the dress code. She lifted an eyebrow, thinking that Kellyden was really childish.


    ¡°Thank you for the good information.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m sure I was the only one who was about to make a fool of myself.¡¯


    The man¡¯s face reddened slightly at the serious words, and he coughed again.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have a partner for the dance, would you ept me as your partner? I¡¯ve admired Stern for a long time. So¡­.¡±


    ¡°I have a partner.¡±


    The man¡¯s face turned blue when Seria refused nicely.


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, could I have a handkerchief?¡±


    ¡°¡­.?¡±


    Seria asked back.


    ¡°Are you a knight?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. I¡¯ve been helping out, but wouldn¡¯t it be better if you returned the favor?¡±


    ¡®No.¡¯


    Seria wondered why he was so attached. The love between a noblewoman and a knight was ssic. So it was very romantic for the knights to ask the noblewomen for a handkerchief. Of course, she was pretty sure this man didn¡¯t fall in love with her when he saw her, and he just seemed like a man who was bloodthirsty in collecting handkerchiefs fromdies and noblewomen of renown. So it was a kind of trophy.


    It was simr to the original story. There was a group of side characters who were willing to go to water and fire to get a handkerchief from the Saintess Lina¡­


    ¡®No, it¡¯s apletely different situation.¡¯


    The Lina of the novel was delighted but troubled, but that was probably because it was the actions of those men who were really courting her, while Seria was just annoyed by this knight in front of her.


    ¡®Right now, all I have is a handkerchief with the Berg pattern engraved on it, which is too good to give to a stranger.¡¯


    It was just when she was about to drive the knight away with a dissipating look, as the original Seria would have done.


    ¡°This nobledy had already agreed to give me her handkerchief.¡±


    It was a familiar voiceing from behind Seria. It was also a voice that seemed to be so unpleasant that for a moment, the knight panicked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir.¡±


    The knight retreated immediately, unable to speak.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria looked back. Dark eyes were looking at her.


    It was Kalis Hon. She had no idea when he came so close.

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78


    **


    *This chapter was so hard to trante. I tried the best I could but it still wasn¡¯t so clear. I apologize in advance.


    ***


    Kalis stared at Seria for a moment and then opened his mouth in a clerical tone.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me a handkerchief. Stern.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡®Who said I would give it to him?¡¯


    Seria was about to walk away, ignoring Kalis, when Marquis Kellyden, his wife, and the others approached as if they had timed it. The one who led them at the front was none other than the Marquis.


    ¡°I see you were talking intimately with the Marquis of Hon. It¡¯s a good thing that few people want to dance with you at the banquet.¡±


    Seria blinked a few times.


    ¡°It would be even better to dance with my father.¡±


    At these words, the Marquis and Marchioness¡¯s faces were stained with bewilderment. Especially the Marquis¡¯s face was spectacr.


    It was as if he had heard something he didn¡¯t want to hear at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m his daughter, yet I¡¯ve never danced with him. That¡¯s a bit¡­¡±


    The Marchioness immediately frowned and asked with a smile.


    ¡°You want your father to dance with you? Are you going to take away my partner?¡±


    ¡°Or¡­well¡­there¡¯s also Nissos.¡±


    ¡°Keck!¡±


    Nissos coughed. Seria couldn¡¯t say that she could dance with Cassius. Because her body began to tremble just as he approached and stood near her. Besides, if she mentioned Cassius, his fianc¨¦ would probably say something about it again.


    ¡°He¡¯s too old¡­dancing with him will make you look like a child. It¡¯s a good thing that the Marquis of Hon is here. Why don¡¯t you dance with him?¡±


    ¡®With Kalis?¡¯


    This was anotherpletely unexpected rmendation.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I have Sir Alliot.¡±


    ¡°Is he the Knight Commander of Berg?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Alliot would not be bad. As a Knight Commander of the Berg, he was not inferior to anydy. He was also tall and good looking. Seria was just worried that he didn¡¯t bring any suit for the dance.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to ask the old butler. If he doesn¡¯t provide any clothes, I¡¯m going to blow up the Kellyden Castle.


    Is it okay to treat people like this? It¡¯s sad that we¡¯re even family. If Lesche didn¡¯t let Alliote with me, I might have to stand by the wall until the end of the dance.¡¯


    The Marquis seemed to have nothing more to say. He hesitated.


    ¡°But you are the highest-ranking guest here today. I¡¯m not feeling good about that. Why don¡¯t you go with Marquis Hone?¡±


    Seria answered politely.


    ¡°Yes, I will. You¡¯ve taken such great care of me.¡±


    ¡°¡­. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    After nodding, Seria walked closer to the Marchioness. After she bowed slightly to her, she said in a low voice.


    ¡°Marchioness, I understand that you don¡¯t like me.¡±


    The Marchioness¡¯s face hardened.


    That¡¯s right. The original Seria would never say something like this because it would hurt her pride.


    ¡®I know very well how sad it is to admit with my own mouth that others dislike me, and sometimes how angry the fact makes me. But I can say this because I¡¯m not Seria.¡¯


    ¡°But if you want to do such a dirty thing, you should do it to my father first. I¡¯m not the only one who is sweet.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    With that, Seria disengaged herself from the Marchioness. The Marchioness did not move for a while. Seria thought back to the conversation the nobledies had earlier.


    ¡°The Marquis of Kellyden had sent out arge number of obituaries.¡±


    ¡°Actually, it came to my husband, and we were puzzled. It seems that it was probably sent to all the nobles in the West.¡±


    It seemed that the Marchioness was more interested in Seria than she thought. It was a fact that all the nobles who were in Berg that day knew that Kalis went to a secret meeting with Lina.


    It looked as if they called her there on purpose because they knew about Kalis and Seria¡¯s situation. The Marquis and his wife seemed to have a lot on Seria.


    ¡®I understand the Marchioness doesn¡¯t want to ept Seria because Seria is illegitimate, but she should take it out on her husband first instead of just tormenting Seria.¡¯


    ¡°Even if you kill the Marquis, I will understand.¡±


    ¡®People expected some entertainment from the scandalous Seria, but I can¡¯t do that.¡¯


    Seria took her gaze, ncing briefly at Kalis, who was following behind her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were friends with the Marquis of Kellyden, Marquis Hon.¡±


    ¡°¡­We are not friends. Seria.¡±


    ¡°No? Can¡¯t you see other people¡¯s eyes?¡±


    The mere presence of Seria and Kalis was drawing keen attention. In particr, somedies quietly led the way, and just by looking at their experienced gestures and nces, it was clear that they were prominent figures in society.


    The leading figure of the western part of the Glick Empire was the Marquis of Kellyden, and the hostess, the Marchioness, held Western society in her grasp. So it was easy to guess. Thosedies must be close friends with them.


    Knowing Seria¡¯s character better than anyone else, they should easily predict the fact that Seria would not be nice to her ex-fianc¨¦ who betrayed her.


    In other words, there was a picture that they expected to see.


    A scene that the Marquise of Kellyden would predict. It was that of Seria noisily judging Kalis and leaving.


    To break the expectations of others, Seria stared at the noblewomen who stared at her in the same way. Of course, she had to put the maximum amount of strength into her eyes, and after turning about ten faces pale that way, she slowly shifted her gaze towards Kalis.


    ¡°Seria¡­¡±


    Kalis already had his arm out to Seria.


    He said in a bittersweet voice.


    ¡°Many eyes are on us, you won¡¯t push my arm away, will you?¡±


    Kalis and Seria were engaged for quite some time. Although not as long as Seria, Kalis still seemed to be able to read her expression to some extent. So he knew. He knew that Seria had to choose to go with him for now.


    Seria raised her arm as low as possible to reach Kalis. She didn¡¯t need to manage her angry expression but decided to refrain from fussing.


    ¡°You¡¯ve be more generous to the Marquis.¡±


    Seria didn¡¯t want to give Kalis a specific reply, and her eyes were still focused on the people around her. After they coughed and avoided her gaze, she finally opened her mouth with a superior smile.


    ¡°I just thought a woman who was betrayed by her husband would at least do that much. That¡¯s all. I¡¯ve had first-hand experience of betrayal, so it¡¯s only fair to be generous, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Still, I didn¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to say anything to my father. Yes, you¡¯re probably wondering. Please don¡¯t talk to me anymore.¡±


    That was just the end of it.


    ¡®To tell the truth, it was strange to talk like this about my father, but what can I do? Is this my part-time job?¡¯


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Kalis looked at Seria nkly and bit his lip as if he was holding back something. Seria didn¡¯t give him any response or even a look.


    ***


    It waste at night after the funeral. The outside became dark due to a sudden rain, but the lights of the castle were bright. The atmosphere was also quite noisy. It had turned into a social gathering because all the influential people in the west had gathered there.


    Seria was called to the reception room.


    She could see that the estate of the deceased Lady Magrus had already been divided into several parts.


    As she listened to the exnation given by the person who appeared to be awyer, she took a good look around the estate on the table. Aside from everything else, the jewels in the velvet box especially caught her attention.


    It was that ruby ne that Seria was so persistent about in the original story.


    She recognized it immediately because of its amazinglyrge size. There was no particr description in the novel of where it came from, but it was something that was given at this estate gifting ceremony.


    ¡°You can pick them out one by one. In particr, this ruby ne is the one that the deceased treasured the most during her lifetime.¡±


    It was obvious from a quick nce that this was no ordinary object. As Seria was checking the luster of the ruby, she shifted her gaze to the side. To the left of the velvet box was a singlend document, but the name of thend written inrge letters above it caught her attention.


    ¡®Thisnd¡­¡¯


    It was thend where the Crystal Mine was buried. The verynd where, in the original story, Lina discovered arge crystal mine. However, it looked like and that no one would choose.


    Because it was mostly upied by Magi.


    She nced away and looked at Nissos. He was interested in the coral ind in the south.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to do this.¡±


    Seria remembered seeing a line in the original story where Nissos tried to invite Lina to his beautiful coral ind, but she refused.


    And Seria chose this gem, so naturally Cassius chose the remaining one, thend.


    ¡®So Cassius gave thatnd to Lina.¡¯


    Amazing. It¡¯s amazing.


    Well, since he knew it was not a greatnd, he might have given it out to Lina casually. Lina was a saint, so she should have purified its magical energy.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe that in such an abandonednd, she would discover a precious crystal mine of all ces ¡­¡­¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s a perk for anyone who is the main character in a romance novel.¡¯


    ¡®I like it.¡¯


    Seria raised her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take thend.¡±


    Then, everyone in the room had a bewildered look on their faces.


    Naturally they expected Seria to make a big deal about wanting that beautiful coral ind, or the ruby ne, or that she would fight with Nissos.


    Nissos frowned.

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79


    ¡°You idiot. You don¡¯t have eyes.¡± Nissos said.


    ¡°Father.¡±


    Seria called the Marquis of Kellyden. There was a slight hint of bewilderment in his eyes again. As usual, he wasn¡¯t used to Seria calling him ¡°father¡±. It was not a bad reaction. Seria pretended to be sad for now.


    ¡°You hear Nissos, father? He called me an idiot for just choosing my aunt¡¯s legacy.¡±


    But Nissos just chuckled.


    ¡°Nissos Kellyden.¡±


    That was, until the Marquis¡¯s voice dropped deeply, unlike usual. Nissos quickly straightened his posture, looking at his father.


    ¡°Yes, father.¡±


    ¡°How dare you behave like that in front of the inheritance your aunt left you? You¡¯re grounded for a week.¡±


    Nissos¡¯ eyes grew wide. Seeing that he could not answer immediately, the Marquis spoke again sternly.


    ¡°Did you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, father.¡±


    Nissos lowered his head quietly like he was dead. Seria was sure that the Marquis was angry at Nissos not just because he was misbehaving, but also because Nissos told the butler to destroy all the documents rted to her without permission.


    Seria nced at the Marchioness and saw a slight hint of embarrassment oozed from herplexion.


    It seemed very rare for Nissos to be embarrassed.


    Seria thought it was a nice gesture what the Marquis did. Of course, she didn¡¯t show her satisfaction. Then suddenly, the Marquis shifted his gaze to her as he asked.


    ¡°Seria, are you sure you want thatnd?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯d be better if you choose the ruby ne, or the coral ind. As you know, thend isrgely contaminated with magi.¡±


    ¡°I have a lot of jewels, not just that ruby ne, but any jewel can¡¯tpare to the blue diamond father bought me before.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    It was a true fact. Except for the crown of the emperor of the Glick empire, it would be hard to find a gem more precious than that blue diamond. That ruby ne was just like one of many jewelry in Seria¡¯s possession.


    ¡°And the coral ind¡­. I¡¯m not really attracted to it. I just felt the need to do a little experiment with the contaminatednd as Stern.¡±


    ¡°There you go.¡±


    ¡°A Stern¡­¡±


    There were whispers from all sides. Seria was famous for being a Stern who was never active in the West. Everyone could guess that the reason for this was because she separated herself from the Kellyden.Therefore, it was obvious that Seria mentioning that she was a Stern would be fresh in the minds of the western nobles.


    ¡®Perhaps this circlet. No. The ne would be enough to purify it.¡¯


    It was a guess, but it was well worth the experiment.


    ¡®I think it¡¯s enough. I¡¯d like to see more, but I just can¡¯t¡­ It seemed that just sending Nissos to house arrest for a week was enough. In the original story, he was a side character. I¡¯ve dealt with other viins before without knowing he was one.


    Of course, Seria was killed at the hands of Kalis.


    Anyway, the reason they didn¡¯t kill Seria might be because Seria was his half-sister. How would Lina look at him he killed his half sister?


    He just wanted to look good for Lina. However right now, they haven¡¯t met Lina yet, and I¡¯ll be leaving in three days anyway, so let¡¯s go a little quietly for now.¡¯


    There was going to be a big ball today, ording to the wishes of the deceased.


    Anyway¡­


    Seria was nning to ask the old butler about what happened between the original Seria and Cassius, but things didn¡¯t look good. Perhaps the old butler sensed what Seria wanted, he tried to avoid her any ways posible.


    ¡®Well, I might tell the knights to lock him up for a bit.¡¯


    Thinking lightly, Seria shifted her gaze to the mirror. Looking at her hair hanging down, she asked the two servants who was helping her get dressed.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You really are beautiful.


    ¡°Yes. You look great.¡±


    The two servants, whom the old butler sent to serve Seria, replied in a cautious manner.


    ¡®They¡¯ll say I¡¯m beautiful even if I¡¯m wearing a straw mat, but¡­ I just asked for no reason.¡¯


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Seria looked in the mirror. The calm dress, made of dark green and ck velvet, had an overall dark atmosphere. But there was definitely a different charm. Susan gave it to her, and it was her first time wearing it properly. morous gold leaf decorations caught the eye. Sha had a good eye.


    ¡®But that¡¯s not the point. I¡¯m wearing an outfit that I really like, but the person who is going to be my escort¡­¡¯


    ¡°Call Marquis Hon.¡±


    One of the servants bowed her head and then quickly left the room.


    Seria took her eyes off the mirror and slowly took her steps.


    The nobles of the Glick Empire mostly entered into political marriages and often broke off their engagements depending on the gain or loss of the family. Even if a man and a woman had broken off a marriage, it wasmon for them to make a polite appearance in public.


    The Marchioness of Kellyden had rmended Kalis to be Seria¡¯s escort tonight in this manner.


    ¡®He will be following me in a dignified manner so that people can see it. How annoying.


    It will be one of the paintings the Marquis wants. I had not the slightest intention of falling prey to the western civvies. I didn¡¯t know how many people wanted my handkerchief like a trophy. In the end, he has no choice but to go with Kalis.


    I looked outside the window. Lesche, where is he?


    I don¡¯t know why I¡¯ve been thinking about those red eyes since yesterday.¡¯


    ***


    Kalis stared at his reflection in the mirror. On his right pocket was a shining sapphire cufflink. It was a cufflink that Seria once said ¡®beautiful¡¯ in the past when they were engaged.


    Inside the pocket was a magic crystal bracelet. Seria gave it to him as a gift before their wedding. He didn¡¯t wear it for a while, but he brought it with him when he came to the castle on theke (the Kellyden estate) to meet Seria. (For the funeral)


    ¡°Marquis Hon.¡±


    Kalis turned around at the call of his aide.


    ¡°I have received letters from the estate, will you confirm it now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We still have some time left.¡±


    Kalis walked to his desk. The room at the Kellyden castle was veryrge and luxurious. It also provided a good quality desk for some simple work.


    The letters were from the Hon estate. They were all about the business of the Marquis. A few of them were about Seria.


    At first nce, many people seemed to be worried by the fact that a socialite was going to be the hostess of the Hon family, but the reality was otherwise. Seria was a Stern. Quite a few of Hon¡¯s main vassals were excited by the news that the rare Stern, of which there were two on the continent and three for a while, wasing in as the hostess.


    They had one thing inmon: they were all people who had witnessed the demons at least once.


    Such nobles cheered for Stern. Frankly, it would be a lie if such a political stance had not been taken into ount at all. But¡­


    Kalis checked some letters and mmed them down on his desk. The aide read quickly and looked at Kalis.


    It was a letter admonishing him to somehow maintain his marriage to the Saintess.


    ¡°All theses letters will have the same reply. I have no ns or intentions to keep my marriage with Lina.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marquis.¡±


    The aide busily took notes. Kalis opened the letter, which was sealed with a red seal. As he mechanically opened and checked it, his mind began to float. Seria¡¯s words slowly began to fill his mind.


    There were words that had been floating in his mind from time to time, every day since that day he left Berg castle.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so hurt by you. I don¡¯t want to live in a state of anxiety. I don¡¯t want to worry that you¡¯ll go back to Lina again.¡±


    ¡®How can you say that?¡¯


    After everything, he met Seria again. It was poison for Charis.


    Seria, whom he had not seen in a long time, ignored him. She asionally red at him with her bright blue eyes. But that was all.


    There was something fundamentally different about those eyes, which he saw when he saved a Young Lady from Seria¡¯s torment in the West that one day. He couldn¡¯t tell where the great venom in those eyes had gone.


    He wondered if Seria actually still have him in her heart. Or did she really just change?


    ¡®She almost died .¡¯


    In the Great Temple, one fact was hidden from Stern. The face that her wedding was the most vulnerable moment to death. If Stern knew this, she would think she had to risk her life.


    So, by any chance, an unexpected ident might be caused by the person who had a bad thought.


    Stern and her friends were cherished as such in the Great Temple. It was the fact that they hoped she would never have to know forever.


    So Seria didn¡¯t know, but Kalis knew. It was Kalis, himself, who had driven Seria to her death.


    He knew it, but he did it. For a moment, there was a thick feeling of disgust.


    ¡°I just thought that a woman who was betrayed by her husband would have put up with so much. That¡¯s all. I¡¯ve felt firsthand how it feels to be betrayed, so it¡¯s only natural to be generous.¡±


    ¡°Marquis? Marquis!¡±


    The aide¡¯s eyes wide opened. His hand trembled with a pale face.


    ¡°What¡­.¡±


    The aide was at a loss and couldn¡¯t even touch him. Kalis groaned in pain and pulled out the knife on the back of his hand with great force. A trickle of red blood fell from his hand.


    ¡°Marquis! I¡¯ll get you bandages and medicine!¡±


    The aide rushed out. He understood that he shouldn¡¯t call a doctor.


    It was obvious that if he told them that the Marquis of Hon in the West suddenly stabbed the back of his hand with a knife, they would be in an uproar, thinking he was crazy. This castle by theke was the ce where many nobles of the West gathered.


    The sound of a silver paper knife hitting the floor echoed through the quiet room. It was a blunt knife with no de, but Kalis was a capable knight. With little effort, it wasn¡¯t even difficult to cut through the skin.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Kalis slowly swept his face with his uninjured hand. Then he looked at his watch. It was time to go and escort Seria to the ball.

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80


    There was no Kalis outside Seria¡¯s bedroom door.


    The reason was Abigail.


    Yesterday evening, during those few hours, Abigail came in and out of the third floor looking for Seria countless times. She could have just stayed in her room, but Abigail was adamant.


    ¡°I can smell danger from the third floor,¡± she said, repeatedlying and going.


    Frankly speaking, Abigail seemed to think of this ce as one of Seria¡¯s vacation homes, not the Kellyden¡¯s. Seria was surprised to see her strutting around so unconcernedly.


    Thanks to this, the senior employees of the castle, including the chief butler, looked like they had a stroke. It was surprising that an armed knight stirred casually around the castle.


    Suddenly, at around midnight, a temporary ban was imposed on the third floor for the safety of the family¡¯s direct descendants.


    It was ridiculous, but the Marchioness took the lead in approving the ban, so there was nothing to say. Originally, the work in the castle was thoroughly the domain of the hostess.


    Originally, Kalis would have to wait for Seria on the third floor reception room.


    Because he was Seria¡¯s escort partner. However, the third floor was closed to outsiders, and because of this, Kalis had to wait on the second floor stair lobby.


    Walking to the main staircase, Seria looked down for a moment at the second floor lobby. Kalis was seen talking to the chief butler and there were some noblewomen talking.


    ¡®Why are the nobledies here?¡¯


    It seemed that the Marchioness put thedies here to watch Seria and Kalis. They were still expecting Seria to p Kalis on the face and make a big out of it.


    ¡®If they want a scene, let¡¯s give them one. Shall we?¡¯


    Seria raised her eyebrows and walked slowly down the stairs. When he heard the sound of shoes, Kalis turned to Seria. He was a little nervous and nice looking. Seria was annoyed and just walked down the stairs with her eyes fixed on the chief butler. When she came down the stairs, he asked.


    ¡°Lady Seria, could it be¡­Did the servants do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No? Why?¡±


    Seria looked at the butler because she thought he was talking nonsense.


    ¡°You look angry¡­.¡±


    Oh, he must think Seria was angry because her gaze was fixed on him as she came. Seria¡¯s irritated face was pretty scary too.


    Soon after, Kalis¡¯s voice fell.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go down now. Stern.¡±


    Seria nced at Kalis. She ced her hand on Kalis¡¯s arm without any response. Curiously, there was a bandage on the back of Kalis¡¯s hand.


    ¡®What, are you injured?¡¯


    A reflexive question came to mind. But a question was only a question. Seria immediately tried to look away, but her timing was not good. Red blood was slowly oozing out of the bandage. The butler¡¯s eyes were sharp.


    ¡°Marquis Hon ! Are you injured?¡±


    ¡°..It¡¯s nothing serious.¡±


    Kalis frowned a little and added.


    ¡°Just call my aide to the banquet hall.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marquis.¡±


    The butler gestured to the other servants who were followingbehind. Kalis stared at Seria and began to walk without saying a word. Seria wanted to say ¡®you should go and get some treatment¡¯. But it was obvious that it would be a trigger for a conversation.


    The conversation that started that way would not be peaceful. There were more eyes following them, so it was best to go as quietly as possible.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The banquet hall was set up in the Great Hall of the annex. The long colonnade connecting the main mansion and the annex was quite crowded with people heading for the banquet hall. What thete Lady Magrus said was that people should get together and control their sadness, dance to a song, and share wine.


    There was too much of a crowd. The funeral was just yesterday, so the gap was awful. It was a strange feeling. It was not so unusual for funeral cultures to drown their sorrows inughter. There were loud noisesing from the two marble gates engraved with the Kellyden¡¯s crest. Still, the buzz was a little more subdued than a normal banquet.


    ¡°Marquis Hon!¡±


    It was an urgent voice. Seria turned and saw a familiar face running towards her. It was Kalis¡¯s aide. He looked at Seria and bowed his head humbly. Then he looked at Kalis.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the lounge and change your bandage first.¡±


    ¡°I need to finish my escort.¡±


    Seria grabbed Kalis¡¯s hand without hesitation. For a moment, Kalis looked at Seria in a panic, like someone who was burning by fire.


    ¡°Marquis Hon.¡±


    Her forehead was wrinkled unknowingly.


    ¡°What happened to your hand?¡±


    At that moment, Nissos walked across the colonnade. He looked at Kalis¡¯s hand with bewilderment. Seria couldn¡¯t he,p but frowned because the amount of blood oozing from the back of Kalis¡¯s hand was quiterge.


    ¡°No, what the hell were you doing¡­¡­. ¡°


    Muttering to himself, Nissos came to his senses.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call the family doctor quickly.¡±


    ¡°I will take Stern all the way.¡±


    Nissos¡¯s expression suddenly changed as he heard Kalis¡¯s words. Nissos said,


    ¡°No, Marquis. I¡¯ll escort Seria. Seria, you¡¯ll be fine, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    Nissos¡¯s face contorted at Seria¡¯s short reply, but Seria didn¡¯t care.


    it was none of my business. With blood trickling from the back of his hand, Kalis knew the sooner he went with the doctor, the better it would be for him to keep the people¡¯s mouth shut, and for that reason, he had to let Seria go with Nissos.


    Nissos looked at Seria as soon as Kalis left and asked with a dumbfounded look on his face.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°¡­Marquis Hon¡­¡±


    Nissos was referring to the fact that Kalis had unrequited love for Seria. She heard the rumors after she entered the Kellyden¡¯s castle, and surprisingly, it was known to the public that the reason for the broken engagement was Kalis.


    Normally, a broken marriage would tarnish the reputation of the two parties involved.


    However, despite pointing out these facts, perhaps it was because Seria was too infamous. There was also a rumor circting that the Marquis Hon got tired of Seria Stern and broke off the engagement. And it seemed that Nissos was one of those who solely believe that rumor.


    Seria just pretended she didn¡¯t understand because it was likely that Nissos would pry, When they entered the banquet hall, all eyes were on them.


    People started whispering here and there, as if thebination was incredibly new to them. Seria strode over with Nissos and asked,


    ¡°I thought you are grounded.¡±


    ¡°Father let me off today.¡±


    Nissos replied in a flustered manner and bent slightly as if he was inviting Seria to dance.


    Seria thought for a moment that this man had lost his mind.


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s dance.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Nisoss gave Seria a puzzled look.


    ¡° I thought you said you were okay to dance with me.¡±


    ¡°I was just saying. You didn¡¯t genuinely believe that, did you?¡±


    Nissos¡¯s face immediately turned red and blue. He turned around roughly, stomping his feet with a m. Seria heard a voice restraining Nissos from leaving Seria.


    ¡°Young Master.¡±


    It was s big man who had been following Nissos around for a while.


    It was the Knight Commander of Kellyden.


    He just called Nissos, but Nissos flinched. He pointed at Seria and said,


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to dance with me.¡±


    ¡°The Lord has made it clear. You are not to go to any otherdies at today¡¯s ball. He wants you to stick to Lady Seria unconditionally. It was a condition of lifting your punishment for the day.¡±


    ¡°D*mn it¡­..¡±


    Nissos bit his lip, but brought his foot to Seria again, as if he couldn¡¯t help it. He seemed to be afraid of the Knight Commander. The sword scar on his face was not normal either. Nissos looked at Seria as he spoke.


    ¡°Did you hear that? Can¡¯t you dance with me?¡±


    Seria realized that if she didn¡¯t dance with Nissos, his position was worth watching.


    ¡°Well¡­.. But my first dance will be with the knight from Berg.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you kidding me?¡±


    ¡°Can you not stare at me like that? I¡¯ve already informed the Marquis Hon about this.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­¡±


    Nisos sighed and looked around the hall. However, he didn¡¯t see any knights from Berg from anywhere.


    Seria told Abigailst night toe aste as possible, demanding that the chief butler, who would bring the clothes for the knights to wear, give them the best attire he could find.


    ¡®Actually, I said this because I didn¡¯t want to dance with Kalis, but seeing Nissos this angry, this isn¡¯t so bad.


    Iughed heartily.¡¯


    ***


    ¡°These clothes are no good.¡±


    Abigail yelled and threw the banquet clothes on the floor.


    ¡°Berg knight.¡±


    The chief butler flinched.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find anything from the Western designers that fit your size, so I brought you something from the Capital designers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not very high quality work, is it?¡±


    Alliot looked troubled by Abigail¡¯s words. He looked around at the other Berg knights in the same room and they all had the same expression on their faces. Actually, in their eyes, the banquet clothes that the butler had brought weren¡¯t bad. No, it was a pretty good. Unlike the way the butler had so subtly stretched Seria, he couldn¡¯t do it in front of Berg knights.


    He was narrow-minded and sneaky. When the Knights of Berg asked to borrow his banquet clothes, he prepared some pretty nice clothes.


    It wasn¡¯t a bad. But of all people, Lady Abigail Orrrien, who seemed to be the least interested in the quality of banquet clothes, stepped forward and insisted on refusing the banquet clothes. It seemed that she received some kind of order from Seria.


    ¡®Did Lady Seria tell Abigail to toss the clothes like this?¡¯


    It was a fundamental question that went through Alliot¡¯s mind. The Grand Duchess had said she was going to do the first dance with Alliot, so it seemed to be a ploy to draw Marquis Hon away from her.


    Abigail huffed.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good either.¡±


    ¡°Oh, knight¡­!¡±


    Abigail ruthlessly threw the banquet clothes that were on the table to the ceiling.

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81


    Seria told Abigail to be as picky as possible because theter the better, and she seemed to be doing well.


    Seria looked with amusement at Nissos, who was smiling as he tried to stay close to her. It was interesting to see him dressed like that, aware of the eyes on him, but afraid to go anywhere because of the Marquis¡¯ orders.


    Meanwhile, the first dance song was over.


    While standing by the wall with Nissos, Seria lifted her gaze.


    ¡®Why did youe?¡¯


    Marquis Kellyden wasing towards Seria with his wife and Cassius. As they approached, countless aristocrats hurried to clear the way.


    ¡°Nissos, Seria.¡±


    They stopped in front of Seria. In fact, it was the first time Seria was with the family since she possessed the original Seria.


    In the meantime, Cassius came alone, wondering where he had left Lady Men. As usual, when Seria saw him she felt nervous and her body trembled, but it was much better than the first time.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you two dancing? Are you going to be a flower on the wall side by side?¡±


    When the Marquis asked in a terse tone, Nissos whined like a baby.


    ¡°Seria says she can¡¯t dance with me.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    Seria answered without hesitation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already scheduled the first dance with the Knight of Berg.¡±


    Nissos clung to Marquis Kellyden.


    ¡°Look, father. I don¡¯t have a chance, can I dance with anotherdy?¡±


    ¡°Nissos Kellyden. Have you forgotten my words already?¡±


    ¡°No¡­.¡±


    The Marquis reminded Nissos again. At that time, the Kellyden rtives, who were one of the most powerful aristocrats in the West, began to approach the Marquis and the Marchioness to have a conversation. The Marquis and his wife turned their gaze towards Seria from time to time.


    It was when they yed the dance song three times.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    It was Cassius¡¯s voice, sounding low. Seria looked back. Cassius was approaching. She clenched her fists in a cold sweat, but she steeled herself, folded her arms and asked,


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Stop being so stubborn and dance with Nissos. When you leave, Nissos will be ridiculed in the West, as the brother who only hangs around his sister, and can¡¯t even dance properly.¡±


    ¡®Oh, are you threatening me now?¡¯


    ¡°You sound desperate.¡±


    Cassius¡¯s expression hardened immediately.


    ¡°Is there any reason why I should consider Nissos¡¯s reputation?¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever thought about my reputation that way?¡±


    ¡°You have never acted like a decent woman.¡±


    ¡°So all you did was just pretend not to see me and ignored me altogether, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡®Come to think of it, even if I ran away from the Kellyden, they could havee looking for me. They didn¡¯t even do that. I didn¡¯t even run away quietly, and the first time I ran away, I was really confused.¡¯


    ¡°I can tell you¡¯re tired of my viciousness and don¡¯t want to be bothered with me. So I didn¡¯t say anything, but now you want me to hold his hand and smile?¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡±


    Cassius¡¯s bright blue eyes looked Seria straight in the eye.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just bend over a little this time to apologize for your evil behavior?¡±


    ¡°Apologize?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If you do that, we¡¯ll look at you differently. Wouldn¡¯t it change a lot if you were a little obedient?¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve figured out the power structure here. Being obedient was enough for the Marquis. No, who the hell are you to tell the Duke of Berk to be obedient in the first ce?


    That¡¯s arrogant too.¡¯


    ¡°Obedient?¡±


    Seria responded with a mocking look.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°¡­Seria!¡±


    Cassius yelled low through clenched teeth, so Seria flinched and closed her eyes. And at that moment¡­ Her pride was very hurt.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡®What on earth could Cassius have done to Seria to make her so scared? D*mn it, should I just call Abigail to kill him right here? It isn¡¯t too much work to have two funerals, right? So I can just send them off together?¡¯


    Seria was so scared just a moment ago that such a senseless thought disturbed her mind. It was a vivid fear that was imprinted on her body. Her body began to shake like it did when she first saw Cassius, or when Lina mentioned Seria¡¯s biological mother.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Cassius didn¡¯t move away from her, even though he should have been able to see Seria¡¯s bright blue face properly. She managed to squeeze out Seria¡¯s characteristic venom. She thought about getting up the courage to quickly step on Cassius¡¯s foot with the sole of her shoe, but¡­


    ¡°Cassius, what are you doing?¡± The Marquis asked.


    ¡°Father? Nothing.¡±


    An unexpected savior. Seria stared at the Marquis, she didn¡¯t know when he hade. Cassius looked a little embarrassed, perhaps he didn¡¯t expect it either.


    Marquis Kellyden carefully examined Seria¡¯s expression and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Seria doesn¡¯t look well.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because Seria has been standing too long. I will take good care of her, and father can go talk to rtives¡­¡±


    ¡°Father!¡±


    Seria quickly cut off Cassius¡¯s words. She immediately approached the Marquis and grabbed his arm. She felt the Marquis¡¯s arm hardened, but she didn¡¯t care. Her hands were shaking and she thought, ¡®This much is okay.¡¯


    ¡°Cassius keeps threatening me.¡±


    Instantly, Cassius¡¯s ceremonial smile hardened. The Marquis immediately asked back.


    ¡°Threatening?¡±


    ¡°Seria must be mistaken¡­¡±


    ¡°Father.¡±


    Seria quickly stood on her tiptoes and whispered to the Marquis.


    ¡°He told me that if I don¡¯t dance with Nissos, he¡¯ll not let me get away with it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t listen to father and acts like he¡¯s the Lord.¡±


    Seria deliberately chose only the most provocative words, and the Marquis immediately scowled in displeasure.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t try to drive a wedge between the family with such awful words, Seria.¡±


    ¡°That is my own personal opinion, but what I said before is true, father.¡±


    The Marquis did see Seria¡¯s pale expression earlier, so he should believe her.


    ¡°I always tremble when I see Cassius.¡±


    The Marquis looked at Seria and said to Cassius.


    ¡°Cassius, your sister hasn¡¯t been here in a long time, do you have to behave so harshly instead of weing her?¡±


    ¡°Father¡­¡±


    ¡°Cassius Kellyden.¡±


    Cassius¡¯s shoulders shook as the Marquis¡¯s voice became colder than ever.


    ¡°I¡¯m not finished with my words yet. There are many eyes here.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Cassius quickly bowed his head at the Marquis¡¯s cold response. It was then. The Marchioness, who seemed to be quietly watching the situation from a fairly close distance, approached quickly.


    ¡°Seria? Did I hear you wrong? Cassius¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask your father, Marchioness.¡±


    Normally, the Marchioness and Seria maintained this level of firmness in their conversation. Unexpectedly, however, she looked surprised when she heard Seria.


    ¡°Oh, Seria. Why do you speak so coldly?¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Seria gasped, tilting her chin and immediately fuming.


    ¡°.. Are you crying? Right now? Marchioness?¡±


    The Marchioness was in tears.


    ¡°Do you really have to talk like that? It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve been here like this. I¡¯m already sad that you didn¡¯t dance with me. Seria¡­¡±


    Her tears were powerful. It was very rare for a noble as high ranking as her to cry in a public ce. And because it was rare, the effect went without saying.


    ¡°Also, I rmended Marquis Hon, but you refused and humiliated him.¡±


    ¡®I humiliated Kalis?¡¯


    Some of the nobles were particrly upset by the Marchioness¡¯ words. All of their faces were new to Seria, but she could tell because the pattern of their family crests was clearly engraved on the banqueting cloak that one of them wore.


    They were the vassals of Hon.


    Seria¡¯s head ached instantly. The word ¡°humiliated¡± was far-fetched, though it was true that she avoided Kalis.


    There were so many people here and she could catch the sharp nces of some of the nobles. So she avoided Kalis, knowing that the extent of it didn¡¯t matter, but if the Marchioness continued being this blunt and kept bringing it up, the situation would change.


    Now was just the time. The Marchioness¡¯s words and her actions met and the atmosphere flowed badly.


    Murmurs broke out here and there.


    ¡°What a disgrace!¡±


    ¡°She wants to humiliate the people of the West just because she became the Grand Duchess of Berg?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too arrogant and disrespectful of you to behave like that.¡±


    ¡®Isn¡¯t it too much to try to tie me up with the Berg family?¡¯


    Seria searched her memory without getting upset first. However, the original Seria¡¯s response to such a disadvantageous situation was to re at them with venomous eyes, shout, and pour the champagne she was holding and break the ss.


    ¡®I can¡¯t¡­¡¯


    Those methods were not good to use now. The Marchioness continued to speak.


    ¡°Seria, even though you broke off the marriage with Marquis Hon, isn¡¯t that in the past? You don¡¯t have to be so hateful towards him. A true noble would never act like you did. You know how polite the Marquis of Hon was to you, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Hateful?


    Seria¡¯s hand went cold as she held the champagne ss.


    Other people would break off engagements for business reasons as the calctions between family crests no longer match up, and the rank of the pattern changes, but they would pretend to be friendly anyway. However, they didn¡¯t almost lose their lives like Seria did. And their fianc¨¦ wasn¡¯t like Kalis who chose Lina over her.


    But it was certain. It was clearly self-fulfillment to bring this up.


    Seria had no desire to buy sympathy votes with such words here, where the ce was filled with people who did not like her.


    What would be the point of looking pitiful to the nobles who were in the midst of preparing to bite her off? In the long run, it would onlye back to her in losses.


    Seria red at the Marchioness and lowered her gaze. She couldn¡¯t think of any other way other than to retreat to the wall now.


    ¡°Marchioness¡­¡±


    Just then, a voice sounded. It was none other than Kalis¡¯s.

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82


    ¡°What do you mean Stern humiliated me?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Marquis Hon, it¡¯s hard for me to say this out of my mouth, but Seria was hiding by the door even though the Marquis was looking for her.¡±


    The Marchioness¡¯ words echoed and people started to whisper.


    ¡°Hide by the door?¡±


    ¡°Did you embarrass the Marquis by going to such a low ce?¡±


    But Kalis opened his mouth without changing his expression.


    ¡°Stern avoided me? There must be some misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°Misunderstanding?¡±


    ¡°A lot of people attend the banquet, so I asked Stern politely before if she could wait for me at the door.¡±


    ¡°Seria¡­¡±


    The Marchioness looked at Seria.


    ¡°¡­ Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡±


    ¡°Is there any reason for me to tell the Marchioness everything?¡±


    She heard a small murmur around her. The eyes of those who had criticized Seria until just now had calmed down.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to tell you everything. We¡¯re not that close.¡±


    ¡°If you cared for me, you would have taken me to western society often, but you never did.¡±


    The Marchioness¡¯s face was clearly upset. Kalis looked at her with an unreadable expression as he spoke.


    ¡°Marchioness. Please don¡¯t get involved like this.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s unpleasant.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Kalis¡¯sment was harsh. Of course, Hon and Kellyden were both Marquis. However, Kellyden was the foremost authority in the West. Therefore, whenparing the two families, Hon¡¯s rank was a little lower.


    The Marchioness¡¯s face turned pale. As it was such a strongment, it caused quite a stir. The Marchioness and Kalis all had unexpectedly strong hands.


    ¡°Apparently young people these days are more sensitive to affectionate rtionships.¡±


    ¡°Also, they¡¯ve both had long social runs on the Imperial Capital.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a little different from the West.¡±


    A nobleman who seemed to be a close friend of the Marchioness added in. Kalis gave them a cold look.


    ¡°I want you to stop talking about us.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    A chilly silence descended.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop. Marquis Hon.¡±


    Marquis Kellyden, who had been watching the situation with a firm expression, stopped Kalis. At his gesture, music began to flow, evoking the atmosphere.


    ¡°You must stop as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    The Marquis spoke, and the Marchioness¡¯s expression hardened and she quickly disappeared. Kalis¡¯s appearance was a surprise. Seria didn¡¯t expect he woulde forward and try to sort things out like this.


    At Kalis¡¯s obvious words, the Marchioness would be remembered only for the fact that she got nothing and just caused mayhem.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Marquis Kellyden looked at Seria and said something unexpected.


    ¡°Will you dance with Cassius in a little while? A memorial banquet for Lady Magrus should never end in such an ufortable atmosphere.¡±


    A determined voice. But Seria had pointed out earlier that she wouldn¡¯t dance with anyone.


    Regardless of her notoriety in the West, Seria officially held the position of Grand Duchess of Berg. It would naturally help the party¡¯s social reputation greatly if she danced with the son of the family.


    ¡®What fear I have for Cassius if I can rule it out, I feel my hands would get cold in real time.¡¯


    Kalis nced at Seria, then turned his gaze to Marquis Kellyden.


    ¡°Marquis, Stern is my partner, so she must dance with me.¡±


    ¡°Marquis Hon.¡±


    Marquis Kellyden smiled unconcernedly.


    ¡°There is now that says Seria must dance with only one person.


    How many times are you going to embarrass me like this?¡±


    ¡°Marquis Kellyden¡­.¡±


    Kalis couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Because Seria stopped him with a slight tug on his sleeve.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern. Marquis Hon.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Kalis had already embarrassed the Marchioness of Kellyden in front of everyone. If he did more, they wouldn¡¯t just end up with a casual squabble in society.


    If rudeness was repeated, it could lead to conflict. Possibly a big one since Marquis Kellyden would not be able to ignore the public eye. It was evident that it would lead to great damage to Hon.


    Seria didn¡¯t want to owe Kalis such an emotional debt.


    It was only one dance with Cassius. Seria also didn¡¯t want to lose her reputation either.


    ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll have to get ready, Marquis.¡±


    ***


    Seria headed for the lounge connected to the banquet hall and changed her shoes. The shoes that her servant had made her wear had the thinnest and pointiest heels of all the shoes. The heels were like a weapon. It wasn¡¯t made for dancing.


    ¡®I will not be able to walk properly for about two weeks.¡¯


    Sigh.


    The maidservant was sent away, and after exhaling for a while, Seria turned around at the sudden sound of someone¡¯s presence. Her body immediately froze.


    ¡°Cassius.¡±


    Cassius strode into the lounge. Seria could feel some movement outside the lounge. She thought it was Nissos. The lounge she was in was the innermost one, only avable for Kellyden family.


    ¡°Did the Marquis send you? You¡¯re here to rush me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Seria asked, not hiding the fact that she was annoyed. The dance music had already started. This memorial banquet was thoroughly prepared by the Marquis, and with that, the time between dances could be increased or decreased as much as possible at his discretion.


    Cassius stopped in front of Seria, his bright blue eyes ring at her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot ofmotion in the banquet hall. It seems that you don¡¯t want to dance with me very much.¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you want to dance with me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t make it obvious that I don¡¯t like you. Thanks to you, I¡¯m a hot topic among people, no matter whether I talk or dance with you.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m an idiot, don¡¯t you? Do you think I don¡¯t know that even if people talk a little, the honor you get from dancing with the Grand Duchess of Berg is much higher?¡±


    Seria said quickly and walked straight past Cassius.


    Suddenly Cassius grabbed her arm.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Cassius opened his mouth in a low voice.


    ¡°I can tell by the arm. You¡¯re about to faint.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it still because of that time that you don¡¯t want to dance with me?¡±


    ¡®That time¡¯. Seria could tell instinctively. That was the decisive reason why Seria was so afraid of Cassius.


    Seria nced at Cassius and slowly adjusted her voice.


    ¡°Yes, why did you do that to me then?¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    Cassius bit his lip.


    ¡°You pretend to forget everything, but you are still so pathetic that you were driving me this far because of what happened then.¡±


    He said in a mocking voice.


    ¡°The Glick socialite, the one who pretended to be fearless, actually valued her life very much. Seria Kellyden.¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s life is precious. And¡­Was it worth it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria added, as vaguely as she could, since she didn¡¯t know exactly what happened back then.


    ¡°I really thought I was going to die then. You know that.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Cassius red at her, unable to answer.


    It seemed that there really was a time when the original Seria almost died because he did something.


    Her head whipped around in intense fear. Seria decided to borrow the name of the only person Cassius seemed to fear in this castle.


    ¡°Does your father know that I almost died?¡±


    Cassius¡¯ eyes wavered slightly. With all her nerves focused on reading his expression, Seria recognized it immediately. There was definitely something going on between the original Seria and Cassius, but it was clear that the Marquis didn¡¯t know about it.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It was then that she heard the quiet presence of people outside the door again.


    Cassius misunderstood her shifting gaze towards the door and grabbed her shoulders in a tight grip. Seria¡¯s feet trembled.


    ¡°¡­ Let go of me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been ten years and you want to tell father¡­¡±


    ¡°Why, you¡¯re gonna try to kill me again like that time?¡±


    The question popped out without much thinking, but Cassius¡¯s expression changed strangely at that moment. It was indescribable. It was really strange.


    Suddenly, the lounge door burst open.


    It was none other than the chief butler of the castle who jumped in.


    ¡°Young Master! Please calm down. You can¡¯t do this!¡±


    He hurried in and released Cassius¡¯s grip on Seria¡¯s shoulder. Seria said with trembling lips.


    ¡°Father¡­ I¡¯m going to tell father.¡±


    ¡°Mydy!¡±


    The butler grabbed Seria with a pale face just as Cassius¡¯splexion changed.


    ¡°Young Master didn¡¯t do it on purpose back then! It was a mistake!¡±


    ¡°A mistake?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Youngdy. He didn¡¯t know that there was a hole in the ice at that time!¡±


    A hole? Thin ice?


    ¡°You¡¯re acting really pathetic after all these years.¡±


    Cassius said and quickly left the lounge. Seria grabbed the butler¡¯s wrist like a cane. She asked, holding it up.


    ¡°Was it really a mistake?¡±


    ¡°Lady!¡±


    As expected, the butler opened his eyes wide in surprise.


    ¡°It really was a mistake. Miss. You were very young at the time and might have misunderstood¡­ But then, Young Master was also very young at the time. The age of mischief. The castle was turned upside down because Young Master Nissos and the Young Lady secretly went out to the rear gardenke of the castle in the middle of the night, and¡­ Young Master Cassius identally buried the Young Lady in the snow. It¡¯s amon prank yed by children.¡±

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83


    ¡®Amon prank?¡¯


    The butler¡¯s story could be summed up like this.


    Midwinter ten years ago. Seria and Nissos sneaked out to theke at night.


    Kellyden castle was surrounded bykes.


    It was the middle of winter and theke was frozen solid with ice. For some reason, Nissos left Seria there alone and returned. Although she was an illegitimate child, the Marquis made her official as Kellyden.


    When she disappeared, the castle was turned upside down and the servants hurried trying to find her in the middle of the night.


    Cassius was also included.


    The problem was that the Marquis of Kellyden was very angry at the time.


    When the Marchioness asked why the Marquis was so angry, the chief butler hesitantly replied.


    ¡°Young Master Nissos took Young Lady Seria to theke hoping that she would disappear from the castle¡­¡±


    ¡°He has been screaming that he doesn¡¯t want to see her, the illegitimate child.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t bad, but¡­¡±


    Cassius was the first one to find Seria. However, Cassius was worried that Nissos would be severely scolded by Marquis Kellyden. So Cassius pushed Seria¡¯s head in the snow to keep her quiet and wait for the Marquis, who was out looking for Seria to pass and until the chief butler arrived.


    The problem was that the ce Seria was buried was a water hole, so she almost drowned.


    Of course, Seria didn¡¯t remember any of this from the original Seria¡¯s memories, but the chief butler didn¡¯t know this fact.


    He would not know why Seria was questioning this story now. Seria just randomly exined it to him in a cold sweat,ing up with various reasons she could think of.


    But the butler incessantly excused Cassius, saying that he was a child and could only think one-dimensionally.


    One-dimensional thinking and mistakes.


    The story concluded like that. Because Seria didn¡¯t die and Cassius didn¡¯t do it on purpose.


    ¡°Seria Kellyden.¡±


    Seria raised her head and stared at Cassius in front of her.


    Under the dazzling chandelier lights of the banquet hall, Cassius¡¯s face bore a slight resemnce to Seria¡¯s. The central dance floor of the banquet hall was somewhat empty. Cassius was walking Seria out to the center of therge hall.


    It¡¯s funny. Only the dresses and suits that the nobles here wore were darker in color, otherwise it was not much different from any other balls. The more time passes, the more it will change.


    Officially, the remembrance banquet could be transformed to this extent at the will of the hostess.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe the memorial of a dead person turned into a dance ball for the nobles.¡¯


    There were many eyes on them. Seria whispered.


    ¡°The butler told me all about it. In fact, I¡¯ve forgotten about half of the story.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be more mutually beneficial if it¡¯s forgotten?¡±


    ¡°No, Cassius, you¡¯d better listen. There is one fact that the butler does not know.¡±


    ¡°What fact does he not know?¡±


    Human¡¯s malice is sharper than you think. Rather than the thoroughness of an ident, people are mentally shocked by idents that happened because they feel the deliberate malice of others with their whole bodies.


    ¡°You purposely stuck my head in the hole, Cassius.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    ¡°No matter how young I was, I wasn¡¯t a fool. How could you not know your sister was drowning when her face was pressed down in the water and struggled for help? You were a big boy, so you must have taken some sses from an early age.¡±


    The blood quickly drained from Cassius¡¯ face.


    ¡°If the butler didn¡¯te, you would have killed me outright. And you would have dropped me in theke.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­..!¡±


    Cassius raised his voice without realizing it.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡±


    In the end he was speechless. He just bit his lip hard.


    The news would be like the illegitimate child who was not weed at the castle, was lost and drowned. No one would know that Cassius gave the child a little push.


    ¡°I think I know why you did it. The Marquis brought in an illegitimate child and the perfect atmosphere of the castle was ruined. So¡­.¡±


    ¡°Seria Kellyden¡­.¡± Cassius¡¯ voice shook.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to erase me from your family anymore, do you?¡± (Seria)


    Cassius¡¯s eyes widened at Seria¡¯s question.


    ¡°Is it because I¡¯m a Stern?¡±


    Cassius frozepletely at these words.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He was unable to answer anything.


    ¡®It¡¯s true.¡¯


    ¡®To be honest, I wished a little that Cassius would deny it.¡¯


    In the original story, Cassius had a fastidious aristocratic tendency. He didn¡¯t have the personality to bully nobles andmoners. He just ignored thempletely like they weren¡¯t there. He didn¡¯t even give them a second nce. It¡¯s like touching the air, erasing even their existence.


    To erase itpletely.


    Cassius, such as he was, eventually became one of the side male characters who ended up loving Lina. Even though Lina reminded him over and over again of the fact that she herself was not noble in the original.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hidden in his past, not properly described in the original story, was the story of how he tried from the beginning to erase the illegitimate Seria entirely from this preciouskeside castle.


    And this was the reality for Seria.


    ¡°If I wasn¡¯t Grand Duchess of Berg, would you want to dance with me? Or would you run to your mother and tell her you didn¡¯t want to?¡±


    As soon as the the words were finished, they stood on the empty dance floor looking at each other. Cassius couldn¡¯t say anything. He just shivered, his eyshes shook.


    Seria deliberately brought up the story to Cassius to make sure her thoughts and predictions were right.


    And Cassius showed his shimmering pupils and bloodlessplexion. That was how Seria knew her guess was right.


    A soft dance tune began to y.


    With a stiff face, Cassius grabbed Seria¡¯s hand and waist. She felt as if her head had gone cold as she was pulled by his lead.


    Unlike most men and women who dance, Seria did not make eye contact with Cassius. She lowered her gaze to her dress. At first she nned to wear pointed shoes, ready to punch at least ten holes in the top of Cassius¡¯ feet, but now she felt like even that hardened will to fight had evaporated.


    *Seria¡¯s POV*


    That¡¯s right. To tell you the truth, I was scared.


    I was afraid of Cassius in front of me, of Cassius holding me.


    I was not Seria, I was someone who had no memory of that day, but on the other hand I was wearing Seria¡¯s body and had to feel the fear that remained in my body. The boy who tried to kill this body, the hated illegitimate child, the one whose head was submerged in the water with its malice that wished to disappear forever in theke¡­


    I don¡¯t remember that winter night, but now¡­


    Why do I gradually remember that time? Why do I feel like I¡¯m reying it vividly in my mind? No matter how much Seria pleaded for help, the answer never came. The young, merciless hand that plunged her head into the cold ice water, hoping that Seria would soon stop breathing¡­. It was sharp enough to pierce her lungs, and what her wide, young eyes could see was the ck, endless water of theke.


    The fear that I would choke and die soon filled my head with a dizzying sense of dread. One moment the light in the dazzling chandelier spread white as if it were burning my retinas.


    It was a moment.


    I started to shake and shake. I couldn¡¯t control the fear that filled my brain. I couldn¡¯t move, and my breathing became erratic. I felt as if the outside me and the inside me were separated by a thin membrane. It was a horrible feeling, as if they had thrown me into hot, melted wax and hardened me alive.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    What should I do about this horrible feeling ¡­.


    I don¡¯t know¡­


    Seria could see Cassius¡¯s panicked face as he grabbed her wrist and yelled something. She was sure this feeling would go away as soon as she got away from him, but she hoped he would let go of her. There was no way to tell him how she felt about this, because her lips were frozen and she couldn¡¯t move. Fortunately, the muscles on the side of her eyes were also frozen, and tears did not pour out.


    She was hoping that it was either Nissos, who was hovering nearby, watching her, or Abigail, who must have already fed enough candy to that cheeky butler, woulde and quickly pull her away.


    That was the moment she thought.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Cassius¡¯s face became distant. Then a familiar voice rang.


    ¡°¡­Seria!¡±


    It was a voice she didn¡¯t expect to hear. Both her shoulders were grabbed and turned. Contrary to what she expected to fall on the floor because of her trembling legs earlier, her body waspletely loosened.


    For a while, she thought she was dreaming. The blue-white light slowly clears. Under the lights falling into thousands of pieces of crystal on the chandelier, she saw ming red eyes right in front of her.


    ¡°Seria! Seria! Are you okay? Can you see me?¡±


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    Lesche Berg, it was him. It was the man. Seria blinked nkly with the thought that he hade to her much sooner than she had asked him to back in Berg.


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    Lesche growled and raised his head. Seria¡¯s eyes naturally followed his angry gaze. Cassius in front of her waspletely frozen. His shoulders were rigid. He couldn¡¯t say anything.


    Lesche grabbed her hand and shook it, calling her name, but she stayed stiff.


    ¡°What did you do with my wife¡­.Seria?¡±


    Tears that had been frozen all along began to burst out like a fountain. She didn¡¯t cry often in front of others. She often tried not to cry. But now she couldn¡¯t think of anything. She didn¡¯t even know what she was crying about. Seria just burst into tears.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here, Seria.¡±


    The soothing voice was sadly gentle. Lesche¡¯srge hand covered her head. A careful, but forceful hand buried her face in his chest. Warm tears streamed down her cheeks, wetting Lesche¡¯s chest.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84


    Lesche left a little earlier. He wasn¡¯t kidding when he said he wanted to visit the Kellyden estate with Seria, but Seria wished they would go separately. Above all, she even asked him toe a littleter.


    So.


    ¡°By the way, Lesche¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    She gently lifted her heels while herke-blue eyes stared at him. Her hair, reminiscent of early summer green, lightly touched Lesche¡¯s shoulder, and he couldn¡¯t help but look at her.


    ¡°How would you like to meet me at the borders of Kellyden? It would be interesting to see all of Kellyden¡¯s vassals scolded. Can you do that for me?¡±


    He had no idea what to make of Seria. She acted like a spectator watching a y in some ways, adhering to her life endlessly.


    People who enjoy other people¡¯s lives as if they were theater are scattered all over the ce, but if it¡¯s your life¡­ It shouldn¡¯t be that easy.


    Lesche had his schedule nk in advance.


    ¡°Your Highness? You¡¯re leaving today?¡±


    Linon checked the schedule with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°If you leave now, you will arrive at Kellyden territory at least three days earlier than nned.¡±


    ¡°There will be some dys on the way there. It¡¯s best to leave earlier.¡±


    ¡°What? The Western Road¡­?¡±


    Why is the Grand Duchy of Berg often referred to by the term ¡°Central Territory¡±? Of course, it was located in the center of the Glick Empire in terms of position, but it also had other symbolic meanings. One of them was that the road that led especially to it was clean and polished without any interruptions.


    Even in the Glick Empire, there were oftenrge stretches of road named ¡°boulevards¡±, especially with prosperous ces like the West.


    So there shouldn¡¯t be any worries about something wrong with the roads¡­.


    ¡°Why? Why? What are you talking about?¡±


    Linon couldn¡¯t understand what Lesche said. He tried to dissuade Lesche because he wondered if he really needed to go there 3 days earlier, but the moment Lesche started walking at a much faster speed than usual, Linon understood.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness¡­there might be some dy¡­..I¡¯ll get ready right away.¡±


    Linon was almost scolded by Susan and Ben for being tactless. That was fortunate. Linon immediately bowed his head and stepped down.


    Then today.


    Linon, Berg¡¯s chief aide, his prediction was not wrong. Lesche reached the Kellyden estate exactly three days earlier.


    Kellyden¡¯s knights, who were monitoring every side of the watchtower, were confused when Lesche arrived at the border of the territory. He wasn¡¯t impressed. He just thought of something else. Most of the western nobles were gathered here for the funeral, so the other western parts were empty.


    ¡°Just one noble died.¡± (* He talked about Lady Magrus who died)


    If he wants to start a war and hit the west, now would be a good time to do so. What on earth did the Marquis of Kellyden have in mind when they invited all the nobles of the West toe for a funeral? Lesche thought it was pathetic, but he didn¡¯t show any sign of it. He just stared at the man who ran out to greet him.


    ¡°Grand Duke Berg¡­.?¡±


    Nissos Kellyden, the second son of Marquis Kellyden. He was flustered because Lesche did not announce his arrival in advance. Nissos could not believe his ears the moment he actually heard the report the Grand Duke of Berg had arrived.


    The Marquis told him to stay with Seria throughout the banquet, but the unannounced arrival of Grand Duke Berg was an amazing thing that his father could understand. Nissos immediately ran out to the entrance of the castle by theke and froze in ce.


    While running out in a hurry, Nissos thought there might have been some mistakes. That thought was wrong. Because the man in front of him was indeed the Grand Duke of Berg.


    Nissos once saw Lesche at the imperial gatherings. The peculiarly intimidating feeling that he would never forget. The g that was fluttering had the pattern of Berg clearly embroidered on it.


    ¡®Why did hee all the way here? Because of Seria?¡¯


    For a while, Nissos couldn¡¯t help but freeze his mouth as the cold expressionless face, which was the reason most nobles were wary of Lesche Berg, headed towards him.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lesche saw the look on Nissos¡¯s face. Any little hope he had was quickly gone. Kellyden¡¯s second son didn¡¯t have much resemnce to Seria. His eyes were pale, and there was nothing about him that reminded him of Seria. Lesche thought Seria¡¯s half brother would look a lot like her, but¡­


    Lesche was well aware of the fact that Seria and the Kellyden¡¯s rtionship was at its worst. Looking Nissos up and down with disinterested eyes, Lesche said,


    ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up Seria.¡±


    ¡®I was just asking about Seria¡¯s whereabouts.¡¯


    ¡°¡­ I did not expect His Highness toe here in person.¡±


    ¡°Please guide me.¡±


    Nissos looked more than a little perplexed at the words he cut short. In fact, it was the first time he had such a one-on-one conversation with Grand Duke Berg. He saw him a few times before, but that was it. To speak with the Grand Duke Berg alone was not an opportunity that came easily to him, even as a direct descendant of a famous western family.


    However, Nissos didn¡¯t know Lesche was so arrogant and stiff in his speech.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already attached several Berg knights to my sister, Grand Duke.¡±


    It was a nuance that was well past the point of degree. Lesche gave him an amused look at Nissos¡¯s not-quite-provocation.


    ¡°It won¡¯t even be enough to attach the entire Order to escort my wife. Young Lord doesn¡¯t seem to know much.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Nissos¡¯s expression hardened. But he couldn¡¯t find any particr answer to say back. There was too much difference in status.


    ¡°¡­Seria is in the castle banquet hall. So¡­ I¡¯ll bring you to her. Your Highness.¡±


    The grand central opening bridge gave way to immediate hospitality. Lesche lifted his eyebrows lightly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if the Kellyden has treated my wife with appropriate hospitality.¡±


    For a moment, Nissos couldn¡¯t help but flinch. Lesche had already heard that the Kellyden didn¡¯t bother to open the central bridge for Celia when she visited the castle.


    ¡°¡­ Seria is my sister, so I tried my best to treat her well.¡±


    Red eyes nced at Nissos.


    ¡°I hope that the effort that Young Lord said he made was of a pleasing standard.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lesche and Nissos crossed the long road-opening bridge, passed through the spacious garden, and headed straight to the annex where the banquet hall was located. When they reached the entrance, they dismounted their horses.


    As they approached the banquet hall, the number of aristocrats dressed in dark and luxurious clothes began to increase exponentially.


    Among them, those with rtively low status did not recognize Lesche. However, his great appearance drew enough attention. Somedies mesmerized without even realizing it.


    ¡°What¡­¡­¡±


    Does he know the deceased Lady Magrus? Although she was a direct descendant of Kellyden, she had no particr presence, so the scale of the memorial banquet, which should have been held and finished quietly and with only ceremony, had grown so big that even a Grand Duke appeared.


    The Marquis of Kellyden, the owner of the estate, was already at the entrance of the banquet hall as Nissos was already dazzled. Not only the Marquis, but also Kellyden¡¯s vassals, who held an important position, rushed out and exchanged surprised nces.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Marquis Kellyden.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for not being able to get in touch with you in advance. What can I do for you all of a sudden¡­.?¡±


    The Marquis¡¯s polite words did not continue to the end.


    ¡°My Lord! You need toe and see!¡±


    The chief butler shouted as he rushed out of the banquet hall. The butler couldn¡¯t see Lesche as he tried to get past the Kellyden vassals who were standing inyers like a wall.


    ¡°Lady Seria is now¡­!¡±


    Before the butler could finish his breathless report, the Marquis¡¯ eyes grew unusually wide.


    Grand Duke Berg, the man who had visited and took away all of Kellyden¡¯s souls, strode toward the banquet hall without hesitation.


    Marquis Kellyden also urgently asked on his way back to the banquet hall.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Seria!¡±


    The banquet hall was filled with at least several hundred nobles. Somehow Lesche felt strange as he swam through the sea of frozen nobles.


    It was an unpleasant sensation like when he was ying the demons in the winter. This intuition was irritating but almost clearly matched.


    It was still urate this time. And it was annoying.


    He saw Seria in the middle of the dance floor, trembling strangely.


    ¡°Seria! Come to your senses, Seria!¡±


    Cassius, the first son of the Marquis of Kellyden, was waving Seria¡¯s arm, which had gone pale and hardened. Still, Seria didn¡¯t move at all. It was as if someone had driven a nail into her foot and pinned it to the floor.


    ¡°¡­Stop it!¡±


    At the same time, there was a loud voiceing from the opposite side of Lesche. It was Kalis.


    ¡°Marquis Hon!¡±


    Kalis, who was scuffling with a woman who appeared to be the Marchioness Kellyden, rushed towards Seria.


    However, Kalis¡¯s hand failed to reach Seria¡¯s shoulder. Because just before he touched her, his hand was stopped by an unexpectedly strong force.


    ¡°Grand Duke Berg?¡±


    Roughly releasing Kalis¡¯s hand, Lesche did not answer him. He quickly grabbed Seria by both shoulders and pulled her back. Instantly, Lesche¡¯s face hardened as never before.


    He had never seen Seria so terribly frozen. He lifted his gaze in a seething rage.


    ¡°What did you do to my wife¡­..Seria?¡±


    Lesche stopped his movements as tears trickled down Seria¡¯s cheeks. There were only a handful of times in his life that he felt defeated.

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85


    Lesche expected Seria to be surprised when she saw him arrive earlier than expected. Other than that, he couldn¡¯t really predict her reaction, so he thought it would be nice if she smiled even after being a little surprised.


    He had never imagined her crying like this. He never wanted to, but when he saw those bright blue eyes with falling tears, he felt like he was hit on the head. Her neck shook violently while she struggled to breathe as if someone had grabbed her heart and tightened it. Lesche buried Seria¡¯s head in his chest and looked up.


    Cassius, whose body was visibly stiffening, came into view.


    ¡°Lord Kellyden.¡±


    Lesche stared coldly at him.


    ¡°Can you bring all the knights of Berg staying in this castle?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Cassius didn¡¯t answer right away, but it didn¡¯t matter. Lesche quickly turned around and left the banquet hall with Seria in his arms.


    Many of the castles in the Glick Empire had the same style of banquet halls, even if their interior structures were different. Lesche stepped past a hallway lined with guest rooms and went further inside. There was a quiet room for only family members. The servant, who had been following him frantically, naturally could do nothing to stop him. Entering therge, beautifully decorated lounge, Lesche ordered.


    ¡°Close the door and leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Your Highness.¡±


    The Kellyden¡¯s servant hurriedly escaped without asking back.


    Click.


    At the sound of the door closing, Seria, whose head was buried in Lesche¡¯s chest the whole time, raised up. She looked puzzled for a moment, as if she was surprised to see herself in a lounge.


    Seria¡¯s face came into Lesche¡¯s eyes. Her cheeks and eyshes were wet with tears. Lesche carefully ced Seria down on a long, soft chair.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Taking the handkerchief from his pocket and handing it to Seria, Lesche knelt down in front of her.


    He stared at Seria as she wiped her cheeks gingerly with the handkerchief, then lowered his gaze. Seria¡¯s ankles were showing.


    From her ankles to feet. His gaze moves slowly. As he did, Lesche couldn¡¯t help but chuckle when he saw the shoes she was wearing.


    ¡°¡­ Why are youughing while looking at my feet?¡±


    Seria asked with red, swollen eyes. Lesche answered honestly.


    ¡°I can see that you were trying to poke your dancing partner¡¯s feet with your shoes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Clearing her throat, Seria stealthily shifted her feet to the inside of the chair, trying to hide the pointy heels of her shoes. Lesche grabbed her ankle, which was slightly moving. Looking at Seria, whose eyes were widened, Lesche opened his mouth.


    ¡°What did they do to you?¡±


    ¡°..They?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Who are you referring to?¡±


    ¡°Kellyden¡¯s first son, Marquis Hon. Which one of them¡­¡±


    Lesche, who asked, roughly shook his head. He wondered why he was asking this. In fact, it was a question without reason.


    Seria was indeed hardened like a stone in front of Cassius Kellyden. It was a fact that everyone could see unless he was blind.


    Despite this fact, he knew exactly why he mentioned Kalis. It was because half of the emotions in his heart overflowed.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche stared at Seria. His gaze locked with the round eyes beneath her tear-stainedshes.


    ¡°If I had known the Marquis of Hon wasing here, I would not have let you go.¡±


    At his serious words, Seria smiled with wet eyes.


    ¡°Still, thanks to you, I¡¯ve inherited a good legacy.¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of people in Berg who wille here on your behalf.¡±


    ¡°No matter who came, if it weren¡¯t me, they wouldn¡¯t hold the legacy gifting ceremony. They were determined to see me in person.¡±


    ¡°If I had known they wanted to see your face so badly, I would have summoned the entire Kellyden family to Berg.¡±


    Seria blinked.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of serving that many guests.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it, you don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    Seria eventually burst intoughter. She seemed to have heard it as a joke, but Lesche was quite serious. Truly, sincerely, he would prefer to call the entire Kellyden family Berg. However, Seria looked significantly better than before, so it wasn¡¯t bad.


    ¡°By the way, Lesche. Why did youe so early?¡±


    ¡°Somehow the schedule changed a bit.¡±


    ¡°It seems that Linon miscalcted the schedule.¡±


    Lesche chuckled.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s done his calctions correctly.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°You should consider for a moment the feelings of a husband who has to wait for his wife.¡±


    ¡°Lesche¡­ Did you think I¡¯ll go on a continental tour?¡±


    (*Seria meant was she only gone for a few days, but the way Lesche said it sounded like she was going on a long tour (the whole continent lol)


    Lescheughed without replying. His fingers dug between Seria¡¯s fingers as she held the handkerchief. He could see Seria¡¯s eyes went wide, but it didn¡¯t matter. He could feel her hand flinching in his hand.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Seria tilted her head.


    ¡°Since you¡¯vee all the way here, why don¡¯t you let your husband pamper you?¡±


    ¡°You? How?¡±


    ¡°What shall I do? Shall I make it into a carcass of Kellyden¡¯s first child and throw it away?¡±


    Blinking, Seria asked in a voice that she was slightly tempting.


    ¡°Can you secretly make it with the remains?¡±


    ¡°If you want to, yes.¡±


    ¡°What if you get caught? This is Kellyden¡¯s territory, it¡¯ll be difficult.¡±


    Seria¡¯s concern was reasonable. The problem was that Lesche wasn¡¯t really considering it.


    ¡°We can y a territorial game, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seria blinked. She wasn¡¯t quiet sure Lesche was joking or serious. But Lesche was thoroughly serious. His wife trembled in the middle of a banquet hall, and he didn¡¯t even know why. He had already noticed that Celia was subtly avoiding talking about Cassius. He was afraid Seria would freeze up again if he asked.


    But now seeing Seria was feeling better, Lesche had to ask.


    He couldn¡¯t just sit there and do nothing. He wanted to know. What the hell did he (Cassius) talk to his wife, who had grabbed Linon and wouldn¡¯t let go even in the face of the demon, be so frozen that she couldn¡¯t even speak? Thinking of that moment again, Lesche clenched his fist and his hand tightened.


    ¡°Seria, what did Cassius Kellyden do to you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it difficult to say?¡±


    ¡°¡­Very. It¡¯s because it happened a long time ago. It¡¯s a little hard to say.¡±


    ¡°You know about the Laurel Manor. It¡¯s only fair that you tell me as well.¡±


    Seria was silent for a while.


    ¡°Lesche¡­um¡­This isn¡¯t as big a story as the secrets surrounding the manor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s big for me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a story when I was really young.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Seria. I hope you can trust your husband.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria was silent for a moment, then let go of Lesche¡¯s hand. She stroked her face as if she was exhausted.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t remember, but recently I found out that Cassius tried to drown me by pushing my face into a winterke. Since I was an illegitimate child, he wanted to erase the stain of the Kellyden¡­.Lesche?¡±


    Seria rushed to her feet in a panic. It was because Lesche stood up and walked away.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I made a mistake. I should have break his neck at the banquet hall.¡±


    ¡°What? Neck? Cassius¡¯s neck?¡±


    *Lesche¡¯s pov*


    ¡®I should have killed him when we met earlier. I felt like I would only feel better if I used every single limb of his body as a sacrifice. That insane b*st*rd who tried to kill Seria, but shamelessly grabbed her shoulder and shook her to her senses. How dare you do that to my wife?¡¯


    His stomach churned.


    Fumbling through his clothes, Lesche checked the gloves he kept in his pocket. And they were ck. It didn¡¯t matter that there would be more swords here than he could count.


    Seria hastily grabbed his wrist as he was about to walked out of the lounge. Lesche paused.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill him.¡±


    ¡°He has to die.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but dyingfortably is too easy for him.¡±


    Seria seemed to misunderstand him. She thought Lesche would finish the opponent with a single blow like when he dealed with the demons.


    But they were demons. They had to be choked out quickly, so he just killed them in the way that best suited the situation.


    But Cassius Kellyden¡­ that b*st*rd¡­


    There was no way he(Lesche) would take it easy on him (Cassius).


    Rather, he would kill him by tormenting him so much that he would have asked to be killed, but Lesche didn¡¯t dare bring it up. To him, it wasn¡¯t even considered a job to take Cassius¡¯ head off. He could inflict pain as Seria wished. But if he insisted, he thought Seria would not like it.


    He couldn¡¯t inconvenience his wife¡¯s mind by trying to make himself feel better. Lesche ruffled his hair roughly with one hand. He decided not to kill Cassius, and thought it would be easier to dere a war on the Kellyden today instead.


    ¡°I¡¯ll allow a duel, Seria.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure you intend to keep him alive.¡±


    ¡°The Grand Duchess asks me not to kill him, so I will have to obey.¡±


    Seria chuckled. Seeing her smile with her red, swollen eyes made Lesche feel distinctly better. Earlier, if he was wearing a sword, he would have chopped Cassius up.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You know, there won¡¯t be any good bedrooms left because all the western aristocrats are here. Of course, the old butler will somehow empty the best bedroom and rmend it, but just say you don¡¯t like it ande to my bedroom.¡±


    ¡°¡­ To your bedroom? No¡­yes.¡±


    If the Grand Duke of Berg gave the impression that he wasn¡¯t treated well and came to Seria¡¯s bedroom. It was easy to guess how upset and scared the hostess would be.


    He could understand why Seria asked him toe to her bedroom with such an intention.


    ¡°It¡¯s exciting to see Cassius trembling.¡±


    Seria was just enjoying herself, not realizing how dangerous her suggestion sounded. Sighing, Lesche told Seria as the thought of the duel filled her mind.


    ¡°You are not going to attend.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to look good.¡±


    Seria blinked, and surprisingly meekly agreed.


    ¡°I understand. You¡¯ve been very considerate of me, so I¡¯ll do the same.¡±


    She was particrly willing to listened to him, so Lesche sighed softly.¡®Why are you doing this?¡¯He couldn¡¯t quite guess whether the content was good to listen to or if Seria¡¯s voice was good to hear.


    ¡°Why sighed?¡±


    Lesche did not answer. He just stared at Seria and reached out to her cheek.


    ****


    *The way Lesche used the words ¡°your husband¡±, ¡°my wife¡± so naturally makes me scream lol.

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86


    His fingers reach over her soft cheek. Her eyes roll quietly over and look down at his fingers touching her skin.


    He slowly stroked her round cheeks. Seria¡¯s face was warm. The redness around her eyes oozed out of her cheeks, and she could feel it vividly against Lesche¡¯s fingers. Most importantly, his fingers were touching her lips softly¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In this spacious and beautiful room, there were just the two of them. She could feel the presence of someone outside the door, but it didn¡¯t seem to matter to Lesche. It was difficult for him to take his eyes off the person in front of him. Temporary, but his own wife, Seria¡­


    No, it didn¡¯t make sense.


    Why would she be his temporary wife when Lesche himself had never given any thought to weing another wife besides Seria? Lesche lightly pushed away the reason why he was supposed to marry Seria, the primordial causality, the fact that it was to save Stern. That was not what was important now.


    Suddenly at that time.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    There was a small sounding from outside. It wasn¡¯t much different for Lesche, but Seria was different. She could notice the sign of a person holding her breath outside the door, so she moved her head as if she hade to her senses at the small sound heard outside.


    ¡°Is there anyone outside?¡±


    Lesche felt incredibly disappointed, so he answered honestly.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been here for about three days.¡±


    ¡°Seeing they can¡¯t get in, I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s the servants.¡±


    Seria said and took a step to pull the rope and lightly stumbled. Lesche clicked his tongue and held Seria right into his arms.


    ¡°Are those shoes people wear?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, they actually look like a weapon.¡±


    Seria continued with an embarrassed look on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to walk in them.¡±


    ¡°Sit down. I¡¯d better call the maidservant to bring you some new shoes.¡±


    Lesche set Seria down on the sofa. After kneeling one one knee in front of her, he rolled up the hem of her dress and grasped Seria¡¯s ankle in his hand. Then he observed her feet. There weren¡¯t any signs of strain, and the shoes were really the problem.


    ¡°I see the tops of the first Young Lord¡¯s feet were about to be a beehive.¡± (First young lord =Cassius)


    ¡°Even a beehive wouldn¡¯t be enough. I was very angry.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I must be careful not to make you angry.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I can¡¯t avoid making mistakes while dancing.¡±


    ¡°If my wife makes mistakes, I have to ept them all.¡±


    ¡°The tops of your feet will be a beehive then.¡±


    (*They are talking about the pointy heels of Seria¡¯s shoes. If she steps on people¡¯s feet, it will leave holes like a honeb.)


    Just after Lesche lowered his head andughed.


    There was a thump sound at the door.


    The outside of the door, which had been quiet for a long time. Hearing the knocking sound, the Kellyden¡¯s family must have arrived.


    Knock, knock. The knocking sound was repeated once more.


    ¡°Lesche, have we been here long?¡±


    ¡°¡­about twenty minutes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough time for everyone in this castle to fret.¡±


    Seria furrowed her brow and then looked at Lesche. He smiled at her.


    ¡°Shall we get up?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Lesche put Seria¡¯s foot down. But that was all. Then he grabbed her hand again. Seria blinked. Lesche opened his mouth in that position.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door opened cautiously as soon as permission was granted. Quite a few people were seen through the open door. All of them were Kellyden¡¯s vassals.


    Especially the ones standing at the front of the door was none other than the Marquis of Kellyden and his wife. As soon as they came upon Seria, who was sitting on the sofa and Lesche, who was kneeling in front of her, they were rendered speechless. The gentle way he was holding her hand seemed to be very shocking.


    The main vassals werepletely rigid, and some of the servants even stopped like their hearts had stopped beating, and they averted their gaze a momentter.


    It was only Lesche who didn¡¯t care. He immediately averted his gaze from them ans looked at Seria again. Then, he asked in an indifferent voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Well, hmm¡­..¡±


    Clearing his throat, the Marquis of Kellyden continued to speak.


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought the doctor. Seria, are you all right? Let the doctor have a quick look at you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marquis.¡±


    The doctor approached fearfully, as if the Grand Duke was scary and difficult. As for the others, they had no intention of stopping the doctor. Lesche let go of Seria¡¯s hand and stood up. Only then did the doctor rush to Seria¡¯s side.


    As the Marquis was about to walked over to Seria, Lesche, whose


    had somehow disappeared, took a long stride and stopped in front of the Marquis, who was still standing at the entrance. The Marchioness spoke to him in a skillful manner.


    ¡°I am very surprised at your sudden arrival. I hope your trip was not too ufortable for Your Highness.¡±


    Lesche did not answer.


    ¡°¡­Your Highness?¡±


    He just looked down at the Marchioness with a nk expression on his face.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The longer the awkward silencested, the weaker she smiled.


    The cold silence did notst long. Lesche walked straight past the Marquis and his wife, and out of the room without looking back. A small rustling sound filled the corridor quietly, but Lesche didn¡¯t pay any attention to it.


    ¡°Look at that. It¡¯s really the Grand Duke Berg.¡±


    ¡°What about the Young Lady?¡±


    ¡°I heard she copsed.¡±


    All eyes were on Lesche as he entered the banquet hall.


    Suddenly, the Grand Duke of Berg appeared and took the infamous Seria Stern in his arms and walked away. It was a story that had already caused a stir in the entire banquet hall.


    There were also a great many nobles who were seeing Lesche Berg for the first time today. The Grand Duke they actually saw was a much more attractive and wonderful man than they thought. While his red eyes were cold, there was a dangerous charm in them, and many of the nobles could not take their eyes off him.


    The soft music that the Marchioness had ordered to be yed to change the atmosphere of the boisterous banquet hall was now just a deafening noise.


    There were people approaching Lesche quickly, as if they had been waiting.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    It was Alliot and the other knights of Berg. Lesche had them follow Seria on her journey. They seemed to have been informed to some extent of the scandal that had urred in the banquet hall. Their expressions were uniformly hardened and they remained very tense.


    They came in with the anticipation of being punished, whether it would be some kind of extreme training until they copsed in the training hall, or they would be willing to take a beating.


    ¡°Go and take care of the Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    But it was a more finite order than they thought. Abigail, who had been looking around for Seria, rushed into the lounge with almost wind-like speed. The Berg Knights quickly followed. Alliot was an exception. Because he saw Lesche stare at one spot and follow him as he walked.


    The ce where Lesche was headed was where Cassius was sitting. Cassius, who was sitting with a pale face in a chair set up against the wall, looked at Lesche walking towards him, even if he didn¡¯t have much room to spare. It was only natural, since he was the man who currently had the full attention of most of the people in the banquet hall.


    Immediately, Cassius got up and gave a slight silent bow.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    p.


    At that moment Cassius didn¡¯t even know what he had hit.


    After a moment, he saw a white cloth on the floor. It was a glove.


    Cassius slowly raised his head. The problem was the next one. That glove was not the end.


    p.


    Removing the glove twice from his pocket, Lesche threw it at Cassius¡¯ cheek. Throwing gloves in aristocratic society meant a duel. As if to disprove that it was not a mistake, Lesche did not hesitate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it briefly. The location is next to theke behind the castle. Time is right now.¡±


    ¡°Theke?¡±


    Cassius¡¯ eyes hardened to stone at the mention of theke.


    So did the old butler who kept him calm at Cassius¡¯ side. In the residence of such a high-ss nobleman, there was a ce that could be used as a dueling ground. Otherwise, dueling between nobles usually took ce in the garden.


    The butler was very surprised, but he dared not say anything to the Grand Duke Berg and was at a loss.


    Cassius gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Your Highness. I cannot ept these gloves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    Lesche smiled grimly.


    ¡°Because I¡¯d rather dere a territorial war than to have a duel like this.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    It was a clear word: territorial war. The faces of the western nobles who had their ears pinned up went nk. Some of them werepletely frozen.


    Berg was not only the only Grand Duke of the empire, but also the family with the most powerful power. They could tell from just one word that Berg, the master of that order, had no mercy in his hands.


    ¡°¡­Your Highness.¡±


    Cassius refuted slowly.


    ¡°Without good reason, territorial warfare is considered barbaric.¡±


    ¡°Barbaric? It wouldn¡¯t be something to talk about with your mouth.¡±


    Cassius¡¯ body froze at the words. It seemed that the Grand Duke knew about what happened between him (Cassius) and Seria.


    ¡°You¡¯re also brazenly good at saying there¡¯s no reason. It seems satisfying to see you spit out on your own mouth.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Cassius¡¯ jaws tightened. His pride was hurt at the thought of being insulted, but it was his previous words that were the problem.


    Territorial war. Lesche wasn¡¯t trying to scared him. In Grand Duke Berg¡¯s devilish eyes, Cassius read the clear truth.


    Cassius gritted his teeth and bit his hip. He slowly bent down and picked up the gloves.


    ¡°I ept the duel.¡±

 Chapter 87

    <h2>Chapter 87</h2>


    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    If Cassius wouldn¡¯t put on the gloves thrown in front of this crowd. It would not only ruin his reputation, it would bury him in the floor.


    The atmosphere in the banquet hall was on the verge of exploding.


    The desire to follow him to the rearke and watch that duel welled up in the wide hall. However, it was only a desire that could note true, and no one dared to follow. That was exactly what was meant by the Grand Duke of Berg. A title that ced him above Kellyden, the highest aristocracy in the West.


    And so Cassius was to stand in front of Lesche near theke, with several of Kellyden¡¯s knights. Lesche stood with Alliot.


    ¡± ¡­¡­Your Highness.¡±


    Cassius felt that this cold winter wind blowing from theke was too unrealistic.


    ¡°Is this because of Seria?¡±


    Lesche, who was insincerely checking the de brought by a Kellyden knight, raised his head.


    His red eyes became murderously stern, and the Kellyden knights almost put their hands up and surrendered without realizing it.


    ¡°Will you shut up when your tongue is pulled out?¡±


    Cassius¡¯s pupils stop for a moment at the raw words.


    ¡°¡­What did I say that offended you?¡±


    ¡°Who gave you permission to call the Grand Duchess by her name? Do I have to pull out your tongue and throw it to the bottom of theke for you toe to your senses?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    A bright blue vein appeared on Cassius¡¯ hand as he gripped his sword.


    Officially, Lesche¡¯s words were correct. Seria was the Grand Duchess of Berg. In terms of rank, she was much higher than Cassius¡¯ mother and father. However, Seria was his sister, so he could call her by her name and speak casually. In the Glick Empire, that level of flexibility was eptable. However, the atmosphere of the Grand Duke of Berg was so bleak that it made his skin crawl.


    <em>¡®Did he hear that Seria almost drowned?¡¯</em>


    But Seria had a strong pride. She had been since she was a child. That was all, despite the fact that her head was pinned down in theke and she was about to drown. She didn¡¯t even say anything to offend the Marquis of Kellyden, who angrily asked, ¡°Why did you leave without permission and turn the castle upside down?¡±


    Her origin was Seria¡¯s greatest weakness, and since that day she became more and more vulgar, as one would expect from an illegitimate. She swore more often, and as if she was crazy about luxury, she bought jewelry and ordered a dress that was more expensive than Cassius¡¯s mother¡¯s. Once she wore shoes, she didn¡¯t wear them again.


    Cassius raised his sword more seriously than ever. He instinctively felt the crisis of death. Only the innocent old butler stepped on the ground, pacing back and forth. After that, he nned to tell Grand Duke Berg the honor of the castle on thekeside. It might somehow calm down his anger¡­..


    ¡°¡­.?¡±


    Immediately after that, the old butler¡¯s eyes went wide. It wasn¡¯t just the old butler. All the Kellyden knights who were standing there could not believe their eyes.


    Pow.


    With one shot, Cassius was stripped of his sword. Cassius fell backwards and couldn¡¯t get up. Lesche¡¯s merciless foot stomped on Cassius¡¯ chest. Cassius let out a painful cough.


    It was beyond belief.


    Cassius was not a famous knight, but his skill with the sword was objectively superior. The Marquis of Kellyden was strict about the education of his sessors, which was why the knights trained him rigorously.


    Still, Cassius now was as helpless as a child.


    nk.


    Lesche threw Cassius¡¯s sword to the distant floor. It rolled messily on the ck stone floor that had been robbed from his master¡¯s hands.


    After that,


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±


    Cassius screamed. Because Lesche stomped on Cassius¡¯ feet. He was merciless. Even though he wasn¡¯t even wearing his military steel tapped boots, Cassius¡¯ bones were smashed.


    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The old butler shouted in desperation. Because Lesche had grabbed Cassius by the chest with one hand, and dragged him towards theke.


    No one dared to run and get Cassius back as they were still in the middle of a duel, and more importantly, they were intimidated by the gruesome protection of Alliot, who stood there watching.


    Boom. The dull popping sound that could be heard then.


    The knights¡¯ eyes, including the old butler¡¯s, were drawn to the sound.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    The castle on theke. Theke that epassed Kellyden Castle wasrge. Because of the season, theke was frozen to a crisp. Lesche violently pierced the thickly frozen ice with a sheath. The force that pierced the thick ice at one was unimaginable.


    At the dark, freezing surface of the water, Lesche lifted his head. Cassius was unable to move due to the impact of his broken feet, and was only groaning.


    Lesche got down on one knee and sat down in front of him, then went straight to grabbing Cassius¡¯s neck and lifting him up.


    Then.


    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    Lesche shoved Cassius¡¯s face into the ice cold water.


    ***


    ¡°You muste! Oh, my God! His Highness, Grand Duke Berg, has thrown the Young Master into theke.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Marquis Kellyden, who was sitting in front of Seria listening to the doctor, quickly stood up. Seria was just as surprised as he was.


    <em>¡®Cassius in theke? Oh My God.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t get to see it in person¡­¡­!¡¯</em>


    What a waste. It was such a waste. Seria wanted to run to theke to see it. She jumped up, but the doctor stopped her immediately.


    ¡°Grand Duchess, no. You¡¯ll be startled.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Seria. I¡¯ll go check. Why are your husband and Cassius¡­.Marchioness, you stay here too. I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Marquis Kellyden hurried off. His head was now on edge.


    Everything that happened was harsh.


    She was shaking like a person having a seizure in the middle of the banquet hall, and now the Grand Duke who was equivalent to the emperor suddenly visited the castle and threw his eldest son into theke¡­


    At this point the story wouldn¡¯t just end in the Western society, it would surely spread to the capital¡­


    ¡°Seria, your father might die.¡±


    Even though the Marquis was quiet and indifferent, he was quite old. He might have a heart attack.


    Then she heard a voiceing from the entrance.


    ¡°Go quickly and check.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marchioness.¡±


    The Marchioness, who had hurriedly sent the servant away, was trembling slightly. She hurried up to Seria as soon as her eyes met Seria¡¯s.


    ¡°Seria. Come on, you should go too.¡±


    ¡°Marchioness, the Grand Duchess is ill.¡±


    The doctor stopped her, but the Marchioness turned to Seria and said angrily:


    ¡°My dear son is about to die!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going. Marchioness.¡±


    ¡°What? You¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°My Lady is not feeling well. Marchioness Kellyden.¡±


    Abigail, who had been lurking behind Seria the whole time, stepped out. Seria was surprised by her calmness.


    <em>¡®Doesn¡¯t Bibi normally throw her gloves first?¡¯</em>


    Abigail had gritted her teeth at the sight of Seria¡¯s swollen eyes when she ran in the lounge earlier.


    But once Seria looked at her, she stood behind her. Seria was so surprised by Abigail¡¯s calmposure, and now she let her anger out in such an elegant way.


    <em>¡®Alliot should have seen this¡­¡¯</em>


    But Alliot was with Lesche. Seria thought Alliot wouldn¡¯t believe her if she told him about thister. That Abigail had be a patient knight.


    However, the Marchioness was unaware of how precious this scene was. She was fueled with the will to take Seria to theke.


    ¡°Seria! Don¡¯t you know how messed up the banquet is because of you? Only when Cassius dies will your anger be released? Hurry up, please.¡±


    Just then, something white flew past Seria. For a moment, Seria couldn¡¯t believe her eyes.


    <em>¡®¡­Gloves?¡¯</em>


    Pack.


    The gloves that almost hit the Marchioness¡¯ face were caught by the Knight Commander of Kellyden.


    ¡°What does this mean¡­¡±


    ¡°I challenge you to a duel.¡±


    Abigail was consistent in size with the Kellyden Knight Commander. The Marchioness shuddered, stuttering.


    ¡°Seria, what is this! Now take back your arrogant knight!¡±


    Seria frowned. What nonsense is this?


    ¡°How dare I touch the honor of the knight?¡±


    The Marchioness red at Seria. But she didn¡¯t push Seria like before. She just ordered the Knight Commander to do the next best thing.


    ¡°Finish this as soon as possible, Commander. I must go to Cassius.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    After telling a servant to prepare a ce for the duel, the Commander said to Abigail.


    ¡°Don¡¯t me me too much, Knight.¡±


    ***


    Pow.


    Abigail defeated the Knight Commander of Kellyden in an instant.


    <em>¡®As expected, Bibi is the strongest in the world.¡¯</em>


    The scene reminded Seria of the time when she went to the Tshugan ins to save Lina, Kalis and the nobles who were isted in the snow.


    Abigail easily knocked down themander of the knight, just as she did with the knights at the barracks back then. Then, impressively, instead of stomping on the Knight Commander¡¯s face, she struck down with such force that it shattered the marble next to his face.


    Perhaps if Abigail was wearing military boots instead of leather shoes, the marble tile located there would have definitely been shattered.


    It was a very thorough defeat.


    All the nobles in this western part of the country were of lesser rank than Kellyden, so they had no choice but to be wary of the Marquis, but that was not the case with Abigail. She didn¡¯t care how she looked in people¡¯s eyes.


    Abigail didn¡¯t care one bit about the honor of the Knight Commander of Kellyden.


    While holding down the Knight Commander, her devouring gaze was directed at the Marchioness. Still, it was a sight to see the Marchioness¡¯ face, which often seemed like a young woman¡¯s, turned a different color every second.


    <em>¡®I must have the most perfect knight in the world.¡¯</em>


    As Seria smiled with satisfaction, she could sense the great fear of the maids nearby.


    Whoughed like some devil¡­.

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88


    The number of maids had increased to five in Seria¡¯s bedroom. The chief butler hurriedly assigned more maids to serve Seria after all the incidents that happened. He looked like he had been tormented by Abigail.


    Seria was looking outside the open window.


    How much time had passed?


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Seria looked back at the frozen voices of the maid. She naturally smiled.


    ¡°Lesche, are you finished washing?¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    His silver hair was wet. Seria¡¯s bedroom did not have a separate bathroom. So Lesche went to another avable bedroom on the third floor of the castle. It had a bathroom there. As a general rule, only immediate family members were allowed to stay on the third floor of the main castle, but in this world, that would be useless in front of a too high status.


    Then, hoping that Lesche would sleep in the third floor bedroom, the butler cleaned up the room, but Lesche said he didn¡¯t like it. And as Seria told him earlier, Lesche came to her bedroom.


    After rechecking the candles and bedding, the maids went out quietly, and Seria approached Lesche. She could feel the hot watering from him. Feeling strange, Seria took a few steps back again. Lesche looked at her suspiciously. But she pretended not to know and changed the subject.


    ¡°I heard that you drove Cassius¡¯ head into theke.¡±


    ¡°Rumors travel fast.¡±


    ¡°You should have seen the western aristocrat who drank all the champagne while enjoying the banquet, and then went away with a frozen face.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it was a remembrance banquet?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that kind of mood. The atmosphere here is frivolous.¡±


    The sarcastic Lesche looked at Seria.


    ¡°Is that why the Marquis of Hone came?¡±


    Seria nodded slowly.


    ¡°Yes. The Marchioness doesn¡¯t get along with me very well.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to talk about it in detail, so Seria roughly glossed over it.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay. Bibi threw a handkerchief at the Marchioness.¡±


    ¡°You have to take Abigail Orrien wherever you go. Take Elliot with you too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit inconvenient to take knights everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Or you could just take me.¡± ( Lesche ??)


    ¡°You do know that you¡¯re a Grand Duke, right?¡±


    ¡°You do know that you are a Grand Duchess, right?¡±


    Lescheughed. Laughter can be made consistently like this, but the problem was that the mind was not unified into one emotion. Seria was still not familiar with this kind of emotion from Lesche. But she didn¡¯t feel repulsed. That was the problem.


    ¡°Seria?¡±


    Seria cleared her throat. Fortunately, there was a session of topics that she could bring up.


    ¡°Well, Lesche. I got my father¡¯s response to our marriage pledge.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice to hear.¡±


    Lesche held out his hand to Seria. He walked her to the bed andid her down. The bedding was perfectly arranged by the servants. Another pillow was added. Seriay down with Lesche. The light swayed gently, creating enchanting shadows.


    Seria blinked a few times and parted her lips.


    ¡°You avenged him for me, didn¡¯t you? Cassius.¡±


    ¡°Avenge?¡±


    Lesche said with an unpleasant voice. Seria turned her head to the side and looked at him.


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°At least, I wish I could tell you that you gave me permission and avenged him. You tend to look at me poorly.¡±


    ¡°When have I ever looked at you poorly?


    ¡®Did he see it that way?¡¯


    Although sometimes Lesche would mumble inwardly that he would make her sign a ve contract under the guise of a wife contract. Seria slurred her words and let out a chuckle.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Seria turned her bodypletely to face Lesche. He had been looking at her in that position for some time now. Seria looked him straight in the eye as she held his cheek with her hand.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She felt like she was really going to die in front of Cassius at that time. The feeling of the whitish mist tightening around her neck was horrible, and the thought of Lesche¡¯s voice still calling her made her tear up.


    ¡°I mean it.¡±


    Lesche smiled softly at her added words. Seria¡¯s heart pounded wildly for a moment.


    Lesche¡¯s smile wasn¡¯t so unfamiliar anymore. He was a man whoughed more often than she expected. Of course, he was basically cold and expressionless.


    What was it? Was it because Lescheughed so close to her? Seria felt as if there was fish swimming in her heart.


    It was a strange feeling. She averted her gaze from Lesche andy down firmly. Pulling the nket up to her neck, Seria whispered.


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave early tomorrow, so go to bed early. Good night, Lesche.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    A low voice rang in her ear. She nced back at Lesche a few more times. Each time, he still looked at her with the same red eyes. In the past, that gaze was scary, but now it was different.


    Her heart fluttered and she closed her eyes.


    ***


    The next morning, all of the Berg knights packed up early. Alliot was particrly famous, but the other knights were also Berg knights. In addition, the carriage was of the finest original quality, so even if they packed quietly, it was inevitably noticeable.


    ¡®To be honest, the knights are noisy.¡¯


    It was loud enough to draw the gaze of the western nobles who were staying in this castle for the funeral of Lady Magrus. Plus there was the Berg pattern on the carriage.


    The fact that they were leaving early spread throughout the castle.


    As expected, the old butler tried to dissuade Seria several times. She burst outughing, knowing that the Marchioness made him do it. And Seria seeded in making the butler¡¯s face turned pale


    by telling him that she was leaving because she didn¡¯t like the castle¡¯s hospitality.


    Knock. Knock.


    ¡°Father.¡±


    Seria walked into the office. The Marquis of Kellyden, whose cheeks had turned blue in the course of the day, rmended a seat.


    ¡°Have a seat.¡±


    As soon as she sat down, the servant poured her a cup of tea. She looked at the warm, steamy tea.


    ¡°Tell me honestly, Seria. What did Cassius do to you? I don¡¯t want to be in a situation where I don¡¯t know anything anymore and face unexpected events.¡±


    ¡°When I was very young, Cassius tried to kill me.¡±


    The Marquis dropped the cup he was holding. The crackling sound of the cup rang the office.


    The sound of clinking and cracking pottery made me weep in my office. She cast her eyes at that disaster hidden on the table for a while.


    She didn¡¯t have to mention Cassius, she could have just muddled along and then quietly returned to Berg. But wouldn¡¯t it be very sad for the real Seria if she was so silent?


    ¡°Do you remember the night I went missing with Nissos? Cassius pushed my head into theke so that I couldn¡¯t get out. He hoped I would die just like that.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Marquis Kellyden was speechless. His chin twitched slightly.


    ¡°That¡¯s outrageous¡­.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, ask the butler. He knows.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    The Marquis had an incredulous look on his face. The old butler served the Kellyden family for a very long time. Such a person had taken the liberty of hiding an important case from the head of the house, so it was only natural for the Marquis to react like that, almost fainting.


    The Marquis, who had been silent for a while as if his mind was confused, gradually began to get angry.


    ¡°Seria. Why didn¡¯t you say anything to father? If you had at least talked to me a few days ago, on the day you came back to Kellyden after a long absence, I wouldn¡¯t have let you and Cassius dance. Why didn¡¯t you talk to me?¡±


    ¡°May I be honest?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Please.¡±


    ¡°I lost more than half of my memory after I was badly injured during the wedding.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The Marquis jumped up quickly. Then he staggered.


    ¡°Father?¡±


    The Marquis became more flustered as Seria stared at him in bewilderment.


    ¡°¡­.. Where¡¯s your doctor? I know there are many good doctors in Berg.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t call them. I didn¡¯t tell His Highness either.¡±


    ¡°Why?


    ¡°Because the only memory I lost is about Kellyden.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡®Seria¡¯s memory actually wasn¡¯t perfect¡­.Everything else came from the original story, so I could trace it, but the problem was that the childhood of the viin who dies miserably wasn¡¯t even narrated in the original story.


    So the statement that the only memory I had lost was about Kellyden was consistent with the truth.¡¯


    Whether a series of bomb remarks were shocking. The Marquis, who had a strong impression and physique, was silent for a long time. Soon after, he rubbed his face and asked in a gloomy voice.


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯ve changed that much?¡±


    ¡°Did I change a lot?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And¡­. Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me something so important? Amnesia is a weakness for a high-ranking noble. Isn¡¯t it a big secret?¡±


    Seria didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you one thing.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°When did Ie to live in this castle?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The Marquis¡¯s forehead wrinkled. He seemed to be searching his thoughts for a while, and then he said in a strained voice.


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t remember exactly. You were traveling between the vi and the castle until you were three or four.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Seria looked at therge family portrait that hung in the office. It was the same portrait she had seen the first day she came to the Kellyden¡¯s residence so many years ago.


    ¡°All the family members are in it. From what you said, I feel like I was in the castle at that time.¡±


    ¡°Seria¡­.¡±


    ¡®The Marquis is the one who is nice to me at the castle. But that is my position. Wouldn¡¯t the real Seria, not me, be most resentful of her father? Doesn¡¯t she know that no one in her family truly loves her?¡¯


    ¡°Father.¡±


    What did Seria think when she saw all the family membersughing together in the portrait?


    She pushed the Kellyden away that day when she almost died of strong pride.


    ¡°Father is just like the rest of your family. To me.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    ¡°I hope I will never see you again.¡±


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    Seria walked straight out of the office. And as soon as she went outside and saw Lesche, she smiled.


    ¡°Why are you here, Lesche?¡±


    Lesche, who was ready to leave this ce, held out his hand to her. A bit of warmth seemed to be reflected in his red eyes.

 Chapter 89

    Tragedy 89


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have toe to get me.¡±


    Seria said absent-mindedly, to which Lesche replied as if it was natural.


    ¡°But there are so many people who are after you.¡±


    ¡°Me? Ah!¡±


    She realized as she heard Lesche¡¯s words, looking behind her. There was a surprisingly familiar face at the end of the hallway.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t that Kalis¡¯s aide?¡¯


    He was alone and Kalis was nowhere to be seen. The aide seemed to be nervous. It looked like he had something to say to Seria, but he seemed too afraid of Lesche who was next to her. She had a feeling that whatever he was going to say was not something she wanted to listen to. So she turned her head away.


    On the other side of the room stood another unexpected person. It was Nissos Kellyden. He looked very unhappy with me for turning the castle upside down and walking away, but there was no good reason to stop her.


    Suddenly the question arose, does Nissos know what Cassius did to Seria? She thought all the people in this family were in unison, but Nissos¡¯ behavior was strange to know the matter.


    What was interesting was what he did afterwards. Nissos had been following Seria from afar. So she decided to at least say hello to him, since he looked sad. Seria let go of Lesche¡¯s arm and approached Nissos.


    ¡°Nissos.¡±


    He looked more than a little perplexed, as if he didn¡¯t expect Seria would talk to him.


    She tilted her chin.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    ¡°¡®Are you really going to leave aftre turning the house upside down?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°You are really¡­.¡±


    Nissos swept his face roughly with his hands. Then he came closer to Seria and whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about you. Did something happen to you? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just because of this dance. No one is telling me the truth.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What happened¡­?¡±


    He sounded nervous. Seria didn¡¯t answer, but only gave a faint smile. It was then Nissos¡¯s face looked more anxious.


    ¡°Nissos, you are¡­¡±


    He coughed nervously as Seria began to speak quietly. She whispered to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re really stupid. I think it would be better if you just spaced out like that all the time, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Seria Kellyden.¡±


    ¡°Myst name has long since changed, but you still call Kellyden.¡±


    Seria added, not hiding the look of shame in her eyes.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s true that I think it¡¯s better to live like an idiot, Nissos Kellyden. Don¡¯t try to take away my jewelry from now on, and live a good life.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What? What do you mean jewelry? Seria!¡±


    Nissos was rtively simple and ignorantpared to Cassius. Even so, he was the only Kellyden in the castle that I could approach with an empty head.


    It was clear that Nissos did not know what Cassius did to Seria. And well, it would be better not to know. To his mental health.


    ¡®No. He might tell me that there was no disagreement about trying to kill the filthy illegitimate child.¡¯


    There was really no one here who was on Seria¡¯s side. Seria took another look around this cruelkeside castle.


    Perhaps Seria became such a mess because she grew up in such a ce. The possibility of being rejected without being able to find a ce to settle down. A house where the sense of distance from the family would have been imprinted to her body. Seria didn¡¯t look back and walked over to Lesche without regret.


    ¡°Seria. What did you talk about?¡±


    Lesche asked, taking Seria¡¯s hand hand in his. Seria pondered for a moment before answering.


    ¡°I said living stupidly would be good for mental health.¡±


    ****


    ¡°What a fool. You have the most empty head.¡±


    Nissos swore enthusiastically at Seria. The castle waspletely turned upside down. In addition, one of the greatest men in the Glick Empire had left overnight, and his mother had finally fallen asleep. His brother was in bed with shattered legs and the flu after a duel with the Grand Duke of Berg¡­.


    ¡°Why did my father stay quiet?¡±


    He was the only one left. But a few hourster, Nissos heard the unexpected news.


    ¡°What do you mean Marquis Hon cut ties with my brother?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Hon¡¯s aide who has just left told him so.¡±


    ¡°Things got crazy, didn¡¯t they?¡­ the two were academy ssmates! How can he cut ties with Cassius after studying under a master like Kendo?¡±


    Unlike her marriage to Grand Duke Berg, Seria¡¯s engagement with Kalis was rtively amicable, in part because of the good rtionship between Cassius and Kalis. So it was difficult to understand why Kalis would suddenly unfriended Cassius now, rather than immediately after the breakup of their marriage.


    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t understand it either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going crazy¡­¡±


    Nissos hurried to Cassius¡¯ room. First, he sorted out what he wanted to talk about in his head, and then he suddenly heard a loud voice from inside. Nissos was startled. Thinking that perhaps the servant talked back to Cassius before he was sick, Nissos¡¯s face slowly began to turn pale as he put his ear to the door to listen.


    Then he suddenly opened the door.


    Cassius and the old butler were facing each other with bloodless faces.


    ¡°Nissos?¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­ What did you mean by that? What did you do to Seria?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother?¡±


    ¡°Get out, Nissos.¡±


    Nissos¡¯s shoulders shook slightly Cassius didn¡¯t say anything.


    He walked abruptly over to the bed, his eyes wide open as he shouted¡­


    ¡°What do you mean you pushed Seria into the water! Did you try to kill Seria?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just my fault, Nissos.¡±


    Cassius¡¯ eyes were bloodshot.


    ¡°When you were a child, you took her out because you didn¡¯t want to see the b*st*rd.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Nissos¡¯ lips froze. He couldn¡¯t quite understand what Cassius was saying now. Cassius¡¯ selfish eyes finally meet his.


    ¡°What did I just hear? Did I hear correctly? It¡¯s my fault? You tried to kill Seria because of me?¡±


    Cassius didn¡¯t answer, but it was possible to convey an affirmation without speaking. Nissos¡¯ hands shook.


    ¡°Don¡¯t put it on me! I¡¯m not¡­ I just took Seria outside because I wanted her to go back to the vi!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You pushed the child¡¯s head into the ice water? The child? Did you go crazy? Brother, you went crazy, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Every word he shouted and asked back brought a sense of reality. Cassius had tried to kill Seria, even though he was her half-brother. It wasn¡¯t enough, Cassius med it on him. Nissos murmured slowly.


    ¡°No wonder she hates us¡­ no, how could she dance with a person who tried to kill her¡­?¡±


    Nissos realized slowly. Come to think of it, Cassius hadn¡¯t revealed his hostility towards Seria since when. In fact, he treated her a lot better than when she was a child. Before, he would have been disgusted at the mere mention of Seria¡¯s name¡­


    That was the time¡­.


    ¡°Were you okay since Seria became a Stern?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The Kellyden turned over at the news of Seria actually being a Stern. Seria finally packed her bags and left, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that she was Kellyden¡¯s bloodline. Families that produced Stern could receive many preferential treatment regardless of whether they were aristocrats ormoners.


    Cassius Kellyden, who was a student at the Academy at the time, also enjoyed no small amount of privilege in this. Cassius personally revealed to the Academy that he was Stern¡¯s brother. He smiled with delight when the priests, who asionally visited the Academy, were pleased to hear that he was a brother of Stern.


    He was also gifted with several holy objects by the holy knights who seemed to fall in love with Seria Stern unconditionally. Cassius still maintained his connections. He sent out invitations on every birthday, and when the holy knights who epted the invitation visited Kellyden castle, he treated them as if they were his longtime best friends.


    ¡°Brother¡­.Are you human¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You tried to kill Seria, but you took all the gains you could from Seria! She was so young back then! She was smaller than her peers!¡±


    Cassius made no reply. Just then, the door suddenly opened. It was the Marchioness who came in. Nissos, who saw his mother, shouted with a blue face.


    ¡°Mother¡­.brother, he¡­.!¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Nissos.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about stopping! Do you know what brother did?¡±


    The Marchioness said gracefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean not a big deal? No, wait a minute. Mother?¡±


    Nisoss Kerryden looked alternately at his mother and Cassius with a pale face.


    ¡°No way¡­Did mother know it too?¡±


    ¡°I told you to stop, Nissos Kellyden. You can¡¯t ruin our reputation now because of something that happened in the past. And do you know how busy we are now? You know what my position in the social world has be since Grand Duke Berg left without saying a word.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Nissos trembled and backed away.


    Hating Seria. Nothing good ever came of it. What good about it when his half sister who couldn¡¯t mingle with her her family and spent her days in defeat and evil? But no matter how he thought about it, the act of throwing a child into ice water for such a reason¡­. Nissos could not understand.


    Seeing the two people who were so unconcerned made him feel as if his own mind was going crazy.


    Suddenly, Seria¡¯s whispered words came to his mind.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s true that it¡¯s better to live like an idiot, Nissos Kellyden.¡±


    ¨CSo that¡¯s what she meant.


    ¡°Brother and mother are all crazy¡­¡±


    ¡°Nissos! Nissos Kellyden!¡±


    ¡°Young Master!¡±


    Nissos ran out without looking back.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90


    07. The differences in the Grand Duke of Berg


    ***


    One day left before leaving the Kellyden territory and entering Berg territory.


    There was only a short distance left to the territory, but night had fallen and the group chose to stay in the field. After falling asleep in the carriage, Seria woke up without knowing why. In the dim light of the carriage, Seria blinked her sleepy eyes and suddenly became aware of the stiffness she felt on her neck.


    She opened her eyes wide to look to the side and was a little confused. That was how she knew she had fallen asleep with her head leaning on Lesche¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡®That¡¯s weird. I thought I was leaning against the carriage.¡¯


    She didn¡¯t know when Lesche hade in. She blinked and stretched out her arms. Then she waved it lightly in front of Lesche¡¯s eyes. He didn¡¯t respond. He seemed to be deeply asleep.


    Perhaps it was the middle of the night.


    ¡®What is this?¡¯


    ¡®Why is the nket only wrapped around me like this?¡¯


    Lesche wasn¡¯t even properly covered in any way. Is this the treatment of the empire¡¯s highest-ranking nobleman? A fundamental question arose. The Berg Knights didn¡¯t seem to care much about their lord¡¯s cold¡­


    Of course, he was far too fit and robust for a cold, but nheless, Seria pulled down the nket that hade up to her neck and gently spread it over Lesche. Gently she tried to cover his chest, and suddenly he grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    ¡°Seria¡­¡­.¡±


    Her shoulders flinched for a moment at the low voice that echoed in her ear.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s cold.¡±


    ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little cold in the carriage¡­Ah!¡±


    Seria screamed. It happened really fast. Lesche picked her up and held her in his arms.


    In the blink of an eye, she was attached to Lesche. Her heart pounded from the sudden rush.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not cold, I think you¡¯re cold.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m cold.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really.¡±


    Lesche whispered, and then he gently held her head and pulled her towards him. Her head was ced against his chest. Lesche patted her slowly on the back.


    ¡°Sleep. Seria.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Seria blinked. Is he really cold? It¡¯s cold in the carriage¡­.


    More importantly, she had no reason to struggle to sleep apart from someone who whispered in a sleepy voice.


    ¡®It¡¯s not as ufortable as I thought. Is it because we use the same bed often?¡¯


    Seria slowly drifted off to sleep.


    ***


    The next day.


    The carriage entered the Berg territory and arrived at the mansion


    at the crack of dawn. Lesche was greeted by the waiting servants and knights, and unloaded the luggage.


    Seria was asleep at the time. The fact that she woke up on her bed was disconcerting, but on the other hand, how thrilling it was. Someone must have carefully moved her while she was sleeping. It was sofortable. It was as if all the grief she had suffered from the Kellyden¡¯s estate had been swept away.


    No matter howfortable Berg¡¯s carriage was, it was not asfortable as the soft bed. She finally got up at noon to recover from the exhaustion of several days of travel.


    She washed up, ate, and went outside ¡­.


    ¡°Lady? Why do you look so sad?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sad when I saw the garden.¡±


    Lininughed, his shoulders shaking. But Seria was serious. After seeing the beautiful garden at the Kellyden Castle for those few days, seeing the Berg garden in such disrepair made her disappointed. What¡¯s the point of having a big name? There was not a single tree in the garden.


    She had to assume that when springes, she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep for a week. The garden was a wastnd that made her mind restless¡­. As she was walking along, Linon asked,


    ¡°May I ask where are you going now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to inspect the cier.¡±


    ¡°You just came back today. But you have to go today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been away for a long time because of the funeral. I¡¯m going to do all the things I¡¯ve been putting off, then take it easy and rest. ¡±


    Perhaps because she slept well, her body felt light. Linon asked with a serious expression.


    ¡°Youngdy, did you study the academy?¡±


    ¡°No. Why? Do I look like a student?¡±


    Linon frowned.


    ¡°Every time you work, I keep thinking about something, but now I remember it. I don¡¯t know why, but it reminds me of some of the younger professors with lower positions in the Academy. The ones who were busy working hard on their research and trying to impress the older professors¡­do you know what I¡¯m talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ Yes. I wonder why.¡±


    Sometimes Linon¡¯s sharpness seems to cut through her. Seria passed it with a rough smile.


    Closing her cloak tighter once more and Seria headed for the stable. After being greeted by her horse that she hadn¡¯t seen in a while, she took Abigail out to the cier.


    Well, it had been a long time since she went there and the branches of the silver tree had withered ck. She inserted a branch of the silver tree she had taken and looked around.


    The frozenke was shining like a jewel. The discoloration she had seen with Lesche waspletely gone. Normally, when people see arge, majesticke, they feel a sense of awe. However, the cier even felt strange the longer she stared at it, perhaps because it was the tomb of the demons. Or myaybe it was because it was where the cold air of the uninhabitable north hung in the air.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t feel like this when I went with Lesche to the other side.¡¯


    Abigail spoke to her then.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold, Young Lady?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not cold. How about Bibi?¡±


    ¡°What kind of knight says it¡¯s cold when the Lady is here?¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Seria smiled. It¡¯s true that the fear of losing body heat instead of protecting her from Magi and the constetion armor prevented a sudden loss of body heat, but it was still so cold. Abigail didn¡¯t seem to be very cold.


    Sometimes, when Seria look at her, she like Abigail was super human. The sheer brute strength and grip that even the Commander of the Berg Knights marvelled at. The skills of wielding a sword. In addition, the bulldozer-like spirit that wouldn¡¯t back down no matter what was reliable.


    There were many extraterrestrials in this world.


    Most of them died because of magi, but there were elves and mermaids in the world. Although she had never seen it because it had a small number of original materials. It didn¡¯t appear much in the original story either.


    ¡°My Lady!¡±


    When Seria returned after her cier inspection, Susan was waiting for her from the first floor entrance.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know your hands were frozen like this.¡±


    She let Seria hold the hot water bottle she brought with her in advance.


    ¡°Youngdy, His Highness asked you to join him for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Dinner? Yes.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a hot bath first.¡±


    ¡°Should I? Do you think I¡¯m going to turn to an ice statue?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you turn to ice, His Highness will go crazy.¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha.¡± Seria burst outughing.


    ¡°Good thing Stern doesn¡¯t have to wear the Holy star armor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that you¡¯re a Stern¡­.¡±


    Susanughed and led Seria to the bathroom.


    ¡°Okay, Lady. Hurry up and go in.¡±


    After soaking her frozen body in the hot water, Seria put on a thick but not constricting indoor dress. The dress, made of an easy, luxurious fabric with few embellishments, swayed down to her ankles with a ribbon slightly tightened at the chest. On her feet, she wore soft fur slippers.


    Her wet hair dried as soon as the three servants started working on her. The way they brushed back her side hair and set it naturally in the back¡­ Seria thought to herself as she watched them.


    It was the kind of look that said, ¡®Why don¡¯t you go and eat a lot?¡¯


    When she got to the dining room, Lesche was already waiting for her there. She couldn¡¯t help but nce over at his appearance. Lesche was wearing a light uniform, probably because he had juste down from a meeting. Of course, it wasn¡¯t apletely formal wear, but still, it wasn¡¯t asfortable as hers.


    She had always felt that the highest employees of the Grand castle of Berg were trying to give her all the grain and all the style that this castle had to offer. At the green manor, Martha and Joanna went all out.


    Here in the main castle it was Susan and Ben.Then what should Lesche eat¡­she felt it was a little funny.


    ¡°Seria?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    She flinched as Lesche¡¯s red eyes stared at her. He raised his ss of wine naturally and stretched out toward Seria as if to toast. She tilted her chin slightly as she lifted the wine ss along him.


    ¡°Are youughing at alcohol?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    It was before Seria could figure out what question he¡¯d asked. Lesche pointed with his chin outside the dining room and ordered.


    ¡°Ben. Bring me the wine in the back storage room.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Ben immediately took some more servants with him and left quickly. One tempoter, Seria realized that Lesche had misunderstood her. He thought she looked like a drunkard who naturally smiled at the sight of alcohol.


    ¡°Iughed while thinking about something else¡±.


    ¡°Thinking of something else?¡±


    Lesche nced at her and smiled.


    ¡°It looked like you were happy seeing the wine.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You find it amusing to tease me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. What kind of husband can tease his precious wife?¡±


    ¡°Really¡­.¡±


    Seria was bbergasted, but she couldn¡¯t speak any further. In no time at all, Ben and the servants brought 20 wind bottles along with a tub of ice. It was as if they had been waiting outside all along.


    ¡®I guess the house needs a butler and servants for a reason.¡¯


    ¡®They work so fast.¡¯


    Lesche smiled again when he saw Seria¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Since they brought it, let¡¯s drink together. You must be cold since you¡¯ve been on a cier tour.¡±


    ¡°Still, aren¡¯t 20 bottles too much?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one to drink it if you leave it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine.¡±


    Seria was dazzled as shw took a sip of the wine Ben poured for her.


    Ben smiled and asked,


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°Would you like a refill?¡±


    Ben filled the empty ss quickly. A sweet and bitter aroma filled the air. As she stared at the wine bottle, her forehead¡¯s wrinkled.


    A wide golden band ran along the neck of the wine bottle.


    And then there was the pattern on thebel at the bottom of the bottle, crammed with tiny jewels. It was a familiar pattern¡­..


    ¡°Lesche. Is the wine you received from the imperial family?¡±


    Lesche looked at the bottle.


    ¡°The pattern is very striking. You should have ripped off thebel before bringing it in, Ben.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Seria was puzzled. Looking at the bottle, the imperial pattern was clearly painted, all the wine must have been given by the emperor.


    The imperial family of the Glick Empire owned arge grape farm. The wine from this farm was served only to the imperial pce and the empress¡¯s pce. The only way for noble families to obtain wine with the imperial crest on thebel was through merit. This was the only way to get it.


    Since Lesche was a knight, he must have received it for his achievements in the battle to defeat the demons.


    Seria thought it was amazing. But the master and the servant thought they should take off thebel of such valuable wine.


    While thinking, Seria tilted her ss. She knew that she could keep the undrunk wine covered up with a cork stopper, but she thought she should drink the whole bottle.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A bite of sd with cranberries and nuts and a sip of wine, a bite of beef steak and three sips of wine. A bite of bread with a crusty crust and two sips of wine¡­


    Suddenly Lesche frowned as he stopped Seria.


    ¡°Seria. We¡¯re going to drink it after we finish our meal. Are you going to fill your stomach with wine?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my first time drinking imperial wine, and it bothered my eyes.¡±


    Lesche chuckled in exasperation. Anyway, at his gesture, Ben and the other servants who were taking care of the meal nipped at the wine. It was true that if the wine continued to fill up beside them, they would be distracted and left all the food untouched.


    That would have been a waste.


    Seria finished her meal without incident.


    The problem was that night.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91


    It was when the meal was almost over. Lesche finished his meal a little early as his aide arrived in a hurry. He beckoned to the aide and looked at Seria.


    ¡°Seria. After I finish checking the documents, join me for some more wine.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Seria nodded, then said.


    ¡°I thought you were going to tell me to throw the rest away.¡±


    ¡°How can I throw away something you like so much?¡±


    ¡°Okay, Lesche. I guess I really like drinking. I wonder if I should just drink every day.¡±


    When Seria snapped back, Lescheughed. Ben said with a smile.


    ¡°Where do you want me to put the wine? ¡±


    ¡°In my bedroom.¡±


    Then Lesche went to his office. Seria once again thought that Lesche was truly amazing. He had just returned to the castle with her today.


    She heard that Lesche was also working while she went to inspect the cier. In fact, he must have been much busier than her. But he just went to work like that¡­Wasn¡¯t he tired? She wondered how much energy Lesche had. Somehow she felt a little jealous.


    Seria entered the Green Garden Vault for the first time in a long time. Back then Kalis had taken the liberty ofing in here looking for her, and was about to fight Lesche. She gathered up the silver branches.


    Before she left, she took a moment to look around therge space. She had a sudden thought. At that time, Kalis was a sub-male protagonist after all, she wished that she could understand a little sooner that he couldn¡¯t abandon Lina, the female protagonist¡­


    ¡®Because I believed in Kalis. I believed him when he said that he loved me. I believed him, and then the ident happened. I didn¡¯t want to me him. I just made the best choice I could at the time.¡¯


    ****


    When Seria entered Lesche¡¯s bedroom, there was already an array of wine. Small slices of cheese, sour fruits, and peeled nuts were beautifully arranged next to them.


    She took one of the bottles and looked carefully at thebel. She could tell if it was fake or real. Thebel indeed was painted with imperial design with tiny gems, like cubics. The bottle was not just ss¡­


    At that moment the door opened and she felt a presence.


    ¡°Have you been waiting long?¡±


    ¡°I just got here. ¡±


    Lesche seemed to have taken a bath. She could feel the warm dampnessing from him as he sat next to her. It was always strange to see his silver hair, slightly wet at the ends, shining so beautifully.


    Seria wanted to touch it. There were all kinds of hair colors in the world. Right now, Seria had green hair. But unlike green hair, which people either love or hate, silver hair was a mysterious hair color that everyone adored.


    In fact, it¡¯s very beautiful¡­


    ¡°Why are you staring at me again? ¡±


    ¡°Can I touch your hair?¡±


    Lesche smiled. He took Seria¡¯s hand and immediately raised it above his head. He didn¡¯t hesitate, which in turn made Seria¡¯s fingers flinch a little.


    No. She didn¡¯t think she would have many opportunities to touch his hair like this. So she gathered the the courage and yed with the tips of Lesche¡¯s hair. The warm dampness spread a little on her fingertips.


    ¡°Are you done?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seria smiled.


    Then Lesche grabbed her hand as it slid down. Unexpectedly, their hands came to a stop on his cheek. Lesche didn¡¯t let go of Seria¡¯s hand.


    He held her hand like that and stared at her. Seria also looked at him and asked,


    ¡°Are you drunk?¡±


    Lesche smiled and let go of Seria¡¯s hand.


    ¡°How much did you drink?


    ¡°Are you a strong drinker?


    ¡°I¡¯m not weak. How about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But I¡¯m ascetic because I¡¯m Stern.¡±


    ¡°Ascetic? You are?¡±


    Lescheughed, as if he just heard an interesting word. It would certainly be a bit funny if Seria was to proudly say that she was ascetic too.


    ¡®I can¡¯t imagine how morous she must have looked walking around.¡¯


    Lesche, who must have made it one of his hobbies to tease her, and she expected to be teased again, but surprisingly Lesche didn¡¯t say anything else. He poured her a ss of wine and raised his ss as if to toast.


    Seria drank the wine. Some of the wines were too bitter to bear, but others were good for her taste. It smelled as sweet as fruit candy. It was the lushness of the grapes that cut through the strong spirit of the alcohol that tried to lift it. There was no such thing as luxury as this.


    As she continued to drink, her face immediately became hot. Her mood became buoyant as the liquor turned. She nced sideways at Lesche, who was quietly emptying his ss. Strangely enough, he looked very normal. Didn¡¯t they just finish four bottles? A strong suspicion passed through Seria¡¯s mind for a moment. Was it possible that only hers was wine and his was juice?


    ¡°Is it juice?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Did she just say it out loud? Lesche smiled, looking at Seria and the ss alternately.


    ¡°Come on.¡±


    Lesche ced his ss in Seria¡¯s hand. She couldn¡¯t help but tip his ss. It was indeed wine. Seria said, looking down at his ss.


    ¡°I thought you were drinking juice.¡±


    ¡°You are suspicious of everything.¡±


    No, he was very strong. There was no change in color on his face. Seria was about to fill the ss back up for Lesche, but she was momentarily embarrassed. Lesche was undressing.


    Perhaps, if she was sober, she would think that Lesche was undressing because he was too hot. But he was freshly washed, and with that he had a light indoor jacket to wear. But then, she was drunk from drinking too much wine in a row. She even suspected that Lesche¡¯s ss contained juice.


    Perhaps she was too stoned, but she saw Lesche raise one eyebrow as he stared at her. Seria cleared her throat and diverted the conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that it takes a lot of merit to receive an imperial gift like this. This is very valuable, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s piled up just enough.¡±


    ¡°If you say something like that in social circles, people will look at you with a real grudge.¡±


    ¡°Is it really that valuable?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is. Really. So what exactly isvaluable to you?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°You¡¯re the most valuable.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I¡¯m a Stern.¡±


    ¡°No, you.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Seria blinked slowly. What she just heard¡­ Her hands lost strength for a moment, and she spilled wine on Lesche¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Seria screamed in surprise. Lesche¡¯s clothes were all red. She staggered in surprise.Lesche grabbed her hand and sat her down on the sofa.


    ¡°Lesche? Aren¡¯t you cold?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that cold, just calm down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call someone to bring you some clothes.¡± (*wait, doesn¡¯t he have clothes in his bedroom? ??)


    Seria tried to pull the rope and call someone, but Lesche stopped her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call them. It would be too noisy if Benes in.¡±


    ¡°Ben, is he going to nag?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Lesche frowned.


    ¡°He willugh.¡±


    ¡°¡­.?¡±


    For a moment Seria couldn¡¯t understand what Lesche was saying. Why? What makes Benugh in this situation? Because she was drinking and spilled the wine? Or the fact that Lesche was the one who got wet? Ben liked her and was very polite. He was not one tough at her mistakes.


    Anyway,


    ¡°One moment, please.¡±


    Looking at Lesche, who was soaking wet up to his wrists, made Seria want to cry. First, she wet her handkerchief with ice water and wiped his hands.


    As she was wiping, she suddenly realized that Lesche was too quiet. She lifted her head and blinked her eyes for a moment, for Lesche was staring at her. When he met her gaze, he averted his gaze, covering his chin with his other hand.


    ¡°Lesche? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s cheeks were a little red. Seria lowered her gaze, feeling buzzed. Then, after she looked forward, all the feelings I had earlier werepletely blown away. Because Lesche¡¯s vest was stained with wine. Seria sighed¡­¡®why am I so clumsy¡­?¡¯


    Seria used to pour wine for people she didn¡¯t like when she was younger, and her skills must have umted in her body, causing her to pour so much. Was that so? Still, she was d it wasn¡¯t a swelling on her head.


    ¡°I have to take this off too.¡±


    With tears in her eyes, Seria unbuttoned Lesche¡¯s vest. Fortunately the shirt inside was only slightly wet because the vest was thick. However, Seria decided to unbutton the shirt, thinking she had to buy Lesche¡¯s new clothes.


    The good news was that his pants were not wet. Her hands were suddenly caught as she unbuttoned thest button. She almost screamed out loud. That was just as well, because for a moment, her heart felt like it was being grabbed.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria raised her head.


    Her gaze met with Lesche¡¯s. He looked her over slowly, from face to toes. Was it an illusion? but she felt as if a ravenous beast had just licked its prey with its tongue. It took her a moment to realize that Lesche¡¯s eyes were darker than usual. She couldn¡¯t help but shiver.


    She turned her head to the side, avoiding his gaze, and Lesche released one of her wrists. She made the mistake of thinking that he was going to leave it there and retreat.


    Lesche grabbed Seria¡¯s chin and made her look at him. She blinked slowly. Was this what this man¡¯s eyes normally look like?


    His fingers slowly brushed Seria¡¯s lower lip. It was that hand with the wine on it. For a moment, Seria couldn¡¯t think of anything else. She felt like her head was beingpletely exposed. The moment that seemed to stop didn¡¯tst long, as Luche slowly lowered his head towards her.


    Their lips slowly touched. Her heart started beating wildly. Her hand trembled as she grabbed his arms, and Lesche lifted his head.


    Seria gulped hard at the sight of Lesche. What was so exciting about? Was it because she was drunk right now? Or was it because Lesche is so beautiful? Strangely enough, she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche kissed her forehead and stepped back. Seria touched her forehead absentmindedly.


    ¡°We can¡¯t drink together anymore.¡±


    ¡°Is it because I spilled wine on you?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡±


    Lesche swept his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never prayed so much for imperial approval toe quickly.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Seria came to her senses btedly. She couldn¡¯t help but understand what Lesche¡¯s words meant. Suddenly she felt thirsty. She reached out, took the wine and drank it.

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92


    The next day. It was dawn, the sun had not even risen.


    When Seria woke up thirsty, something was blocking her view and she blinked nkly. A beatter, she recognized it. It was Lesche¡¯s chest. She was so embarrassed to see the bare skin in front of her that she jumped up. But both of her hands were held.


    It was Lesche. How could this man be sleeping holding people¡¯s hands? She propped herself up on her elbows and stared at Lesche. Why is he sleeping with his clothes off, she wondered, but the answer came quickly.


    ¡®I spilled some wine on him yesterday, I did.¡¯


    ¡®He didn¡¯t touch me in my sleep, did he?¡¯


    Seria frowned her forehead. Not that there wasn¡¯t a chance of that, there was, but she wanted to believe that there wasn¡¯t. Of course, she remembered yesterday vividly.


    ¡®Lesche and his lips¡­.¡¯


    ¡®My lips¡­.¡¯


    Heat fluttered in her ears. It wasn¡¯t a deep kiss. Her hands were shaking. She hesitated, trying to untwine their fingers.


    She was afraid she might wake Lesche. She thought it would be too embarrassing to make eye contact with Lesche now.


    So she slowlyy down again and closed her eyes.


    ¡°Are you going to sleep like that?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Seria almost fainted when she suddenly heard a voice from above her head. Rather than her, Lesche was embarrassed and so he let go of her hand and patted her on the back.


    ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡±


    ¡°Please, can you make some signs to make your presence known?¡±


    ¡°Signs of my presence? I did.¡±


    ¡°You did? When?¡±


    Lesche suddenly grabbed her hand and put it on his chest. His skin touched her hand and Seria nearly fainted again.


    ¡°It¡¯s beating fast.¡±


    ¡°Is that a sign of a person? Do you think I¡¯m a knight like you? How can I know that!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Seria. I was just kidding.¡±


    Seria trembled at Lesche¡¯s words that mixed withughter. When people are so startled, they raise their voices without even knowing it.


    She lost all her strength and went limp.


    ¡°Why did you wake up? Is it cold in the bedroom?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m thirsty.¡±


    ¡°Your throat?¡±


    Lesche let go of Seria¡¯s hand. She saw his naked upper body and hastily averted her gaze, then nced at him again. He was wearing pants, and even though it was only his upper body that showed, his muscles were very ¡­. He was a knight after all.


    ¡°Here, drink.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Seria drank the water that Lesche brought and returned the ss. He didn¡¯t lie down again, so she looked at him suspiciously.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to sleep?¡±


    ¡°I have to leave.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡±


    She tried to look at the clock, but Lesche justy her down and blinked. He pulled the covers to her neck. He must still think Seria was on the verge of freezing to death.


    ¡°You should get more sleep.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Do you mind if I stay here?¡±


    ¡°You can sleep until Ie back.¡±


    ¡°I will sleep until tomorrow.¡±


    Seria said yfully, and Lesche smiled. Her throat was moist and her body was warm. Her back was plump. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.


    ***


    It was noon that day.


    After visiting the cier, Seria was drinking warm tea.


    ¡°I drank so much wine, I thought I couldn¡¯t ride a horse.¡±


    Even though she drank a lot, surprisingly she didn¡¯t have a hangover. As expected, good drinks were worth it.


    ¡°Lady Seria.¡±


    Linon came to visit when Seria was organizing the internal affairs management money. He came with some very interesting news.


    ¡°Duke Howard?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I just got the news.¡±


    It was the news that the subjugation of the demons waspletely destroyed this time. She had no choice but to open her eyes wide. The subjugation units were organized by Duke Howard to find thend. What he was trying to reim this time was and with a mine where iron veins were buried.


    ¡°Even though it was difficult to enter, Duke Howard kept pushing it.


    So I heard that the protests from the other nobles who participated in the battle to defeat him were tremendous.¡±


    ¡°Berg wouldn¡¯t have participated either.¡±


    ¡° He was greedy. To be honest, I think Duke Howard made such a big mistake trying to show that he could be sessful without Berg.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­that¡¯s certainly true.¡±


    Even though it wasn¡¯t entirely dependent on Berg, Berg had thergest stake. It seemed that Duke Howard wanted to take this opportunity to visibly show that he could seed in the battle to defeat the demons without Berg.


    ¡®Well¡­he¡¯s managed to pull it off so far.¡¯


    In addition, there was a rather truthful rumor spreading around the Capital that the reason Berg didn¡¯t participate in this battle was because Howard couldn¡¯t provide a decent reward.


    ¡°Linon. Do you like it that much?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Miss. I can¡¯t stopughing.¡±


    Linonughed incessantly. It was so much fun that Seria startedughing too. But he was Berg¡¯s aide, so he didn¡¯t have to be thorough in his calctions or forceful in his exnations.


    It would be nice if the current system in which Duke Howard monopolized the benefits of the subjugation war with Queen Ekeziel at the forefront would subside.


    Honestly, how much of a loss of business would it be for the other nobles? When it piles up like this and pops wide open, the upper levels of the Glick Empire will freeze and tensions between the territories will rise, making it very troublesome.


    ¡°Did you and His Highness enjoy wine yesterday?¡±


    As the words fell from his mouth, Seria dropped the papers she was holding to the floor. Puzzled, Linon picked up the papers.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°His Highness, he¡¯s a very strong drinker. If we happen to be drinking together, I¡¯m the only one who can¡¯t drink.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the extent of it, then he really was sober yesterday.¡±


    ¡®To be honest, I was so drunk that I could go over with just a kiss from drunkenness, but why did Lesche kiss me? The atmosphere was a little off because I had to unbutton his wet clothes, but I didn¡¯t even take them off.¡¯


    The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt, and Seria swept her face with both hands. She didn¡¯t know why she was suddenly like this again when she spoke to Lesche sofortably this morning.


    ¡°Young Lady¡­?¡±


    It was shortly after Linon spoke with a trembling voice. Seria stopped sweeping her face and raised her head.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Linon was sorting through a bunch of papers with different thicknesses of paper in his hands.


    ¡°Are you going to thisnd?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Seria blinked. What Linon held in his hand was a document detailing the location andyout of thend Seria had inherited from Kellyden. It was actually a magic crystal mine that hid tremendous value, but on the surface, it had been contaminated by magi and abandoned.


    Seria was looking at it earlier, and it seemed to have gotten mixed up. She said casually,


    ¡°It¡¯s thend I inherited from Kellyden. You know it, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. I¡¯m very curious as to why theyout is being disyed.¡±


    ¡°Did you know that there is one mine here?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it an abandoned mine that produced a small amount of copper ore?¡±


    Seria blinked. Linon¡¯s words exactly matched the report that she had received after she finalized her inheritance.


    ¡°How do you know all this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one of my hobbies.¡±


    Seria frowned.


    ¡°Were you trying to check on the status of my estate?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? No, not at all! I was just saying that it¡¯s a hobby of mine to figure out the geography here and there!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I misunderstood you.¡±


    ¡°What am I in your eyes, Young Lady?¡±


    Seria just chuckled.


    ¡°Anyway, instead of the entrance to the mine here, I want to create a new entrance from theplete opposite side. I think only this part is free from the Magi.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where it connects to the Duchess of Polvas¡¯ domain. Since the Duchess of Polvas was from the Berg territory, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to arrange¡­¡±


    Even after answering, Linon still asked with a pale face.


    ¡°Lady, it¡¯s not a copper mine, but a vein of gold buried in the ground. Isn¡¯t this ce contaminated by magi? It¡¯s too dangerous. Are you listening to me, Young Lady?¡±


    ¡°All right, Linon. Calm down.¡±


    In fact, Seria just wanted to see about half of it. She had the circlet.


    But if she kept pushing, Linon might die soon.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to try some experiments.¡±


    ¡®Will this circlet be able to purify Magi? If it does, how much?¡¯


    Seria thought she shouldn¡¯t act recklessly until the exact result came out.


    Precise results.


    Seria looked out the window thinking hard. The snowy white scenery caught her eyes. Come to think of it, the current situation on the continent was that demons appeared everywhere. She was troubled by the fact that demons would asionally appear near Berg territory.


    After pondering for days, she lifted her pen.


    ***


    How many dayster was it?


    Seria stood in front of the main conference hall with her arms crossed.


    ¡°Come in, mydy.¡±


    A servant kindly opened the door. There were many people in the conference hall. She was a little embarrassed because the seats that were set out in order along the huge table were crammed so tightly that not a single seat was left empty. The vassals, who were standing, bowed silently as soon as their eyes met hers.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    The ce where the aide took out the chair was again next to Lesche. After Seria sat down, the vassals also sat down carefully.


    Lesche opened his mouth.


    ¡°Stern has suggested that we go ahead with the defeat of the demons of the Connes in.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seria didn¡¯t have anything else to exin, because the vassals were excited, shaking their hips. Seria proposed this subjugation a few days ago, and the paper was already worn out as if they had read the report countless times.


    ¡°If we seed in defeating the Connes in, we can use that road again!¡±


    ¡°In three years, at least a third of the magi will disappear. In ten years, it willpletely evaporate.¡±


    ¡°The road back to the east is very long, but the cost of transportation will be greatly reduced!¡±


    The Connes in was a small in located in the far east of Berg territory. Although it was small in size, it was inhabited by magical beasts, making itpletely impassable to humans.


    The overall size of thend was small, and the center was contaminated, making it a perfect ce for Seria to experiment since it was part of the Berg territory.

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93


    ¡°Can we start the subjugation immediately tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°The number of knights is¡­¡±


    ¡°Unlimited.¡±


    The vassals¡¯ eyes lit up.


    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s different that you¡¯re the hostess!¡±


    When Stern was not around, the knights wearing the Holy star armor could endure only for a limited amount of time. The cost of preparing the silver branches, and storage and transportation was also an issue. However, with Stern, they could theoretically fight the demons for an unlimited amount of time. The difference between with and without the Stern was that big.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were melting, and Seria was kind of enjoying it.


    ¡®To be honest¡­


    It¡¯s like they don¡¯t have a brain.


    Is that a terrible thing to say? But I couldn¡¯t help but think that. How much fuss did the original Seria make every time she came here? The vassals would run away, thinking that perhaps they would be the target of her evil. Look at those shining transparent eyes now as if they had forgotten it.


    Come to think of it, I also feel that if my chief professor is irritating me every day, and one day he suddenly changes and does a lot of things for me, I will forget everything that happened before. Humans are animals of oblivion.


    Anyway, it wasn¡¯t bad to see all the vassalsughing and going into the meeting. It¡¯s purely for my experiment, but it¡¯s also good for Berg, right?¡¯


    When Seria smiled with satisfaction, she felt the gaze looking at her from the side. She turned to the side and saw that Lesche was looking at her. As soon as their eyes met, he smiled.


    ¡®Was I too proud? Was it too obvious?¡¯


    Feeling a little embarrassed, she pretended not to see him and turned her face away. A few momentster, she looked to the side again and saw that Lesche was still looking at her. He seemed to have fixed his gaze on her.


    Seria tapped Lesche¡¯s ankle with her shoe, hoping that he would stop looking at her. Lesche¡¯s eyes stopped for a moment and he looked down. Then he looked at her again, and Seria asked him quietly.


    ¡°Why do you keep staring at me like that?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Rather, Lesche¡¯s forehead furrowed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really looking.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not looking?¡±


    ¡®Does this man think I¡¯m an idiot?¡¯Seriained quietly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been watching me for a long time now.¡±


    ¡°¡­ A long time? Have I?¡±


    Lesche looked a little perplexed. So Seria was taken aback too. The person who had been watching her for a while now suddenly seemed to have some sort of amnesia¡­


    Lesche¡¯s brow wrinkled again, and he slowly tilted his chin as he looked at Seria.


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, so I guess I was mesmerized for a while.¡±


    Seria was dumbfounded by what she just heard and couldn¡¯t answer. Lesche raised his head.


    ¡°Are you mad at me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Seria pretended not to hear him and looked ahead. Then she became embarrassed. The vassals, who had been engrossed in a small meeting among themselves, suddenly opened their eyes wide as they looked at them. Come to think of it, when did it get so quiet?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The vassals who met her eyes hastily averted their gazes, coughed, and took out their papers. Then, with a much more artificial attitude, they got enthusiastic about another small meeting. When Seria listened carefully, she heard words like ¡°demons¡± and ¡°defeat¡± mixed in with words like ¡°auditory hallucination¡± or ¡°vertigo¡± and ¡± ¡±faint¡±.


    ¡®¡­They heard it, right? I¡¯m sure they heard our conversation.¡¯


    It was winter, but suddenly Seria¡¯s cheeks became unknowingly hot. She fanned herself with her hands.


    ***


    Seria huffed out a breath.


    She crawled up the snow-covered hill on all fours. When she got up, she saw the knights. She had to show up in person for them to see what she was capable of.


    ¡°Stern!¡±


    When a demon appeared nearby, Seria was called Stern. Lesche would be appointed as themander-in-chief in most of the defeat battles, so it would be the same.


    She saw a broken carriage. The pattern wasrge and clear. It was the Duke¡¯s crest. It was a pattern in Seria¡¯s knowledge.


    It was the pattern of the Duke of Polvas. In front of the carriage, a woman was lying on the ground. Looking at her appearance, she was the owner of that carriage. She was surrounded by demons. They lifted her body up as if they were about to eat her.


    Seria panicked, but she couldn¡¯t go down.


    Stern was the most important entity in the official ¡°Battle of the Demons¡±. ording to the principle, even if the family was eaten by the demons right in front of her, she would not be able to help them by personal judgment.


    In the meantime, if Stern were to die, there would be a terrible situation where all the knights would be wiped out.


    Seria clenched and opened her cold sweaty hands. She had to make her decision as coldly and rationally as possible. She had to consider the distance. Her job was to keep her position well.


    At that moment, the knights of the Berg struck the demons. She stared at them, saying ¡°Oh¡±. Soon, one of the knights picked up the woman and carried her on his back. Seria quickly reached out her hand.


    The knight¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Coming, Stern!¡±


    The knight, who shouted louder than necessary, quickly climbed up the hill towards her. How could he climb up this snowy hill so well while carrying a person on his back?


    Unlike the urgency of the situation, Seria thought it was amazing. The woman arrived in front of Seria in an instant.


    ¡°You¡¯re the Duchess of Polvas, right?¡±


    The woman¡¯s face was blooming with blotches as dark as Linon¡¯s face before. The woman was on the verge of fainting. Seria held the woman to her chest. And sure enough, she noticed¡­.


    ¡°What exactly is this circlet?¡±


    Normally, it was just anions and gushing holy objects, but when divine power was needed like this, its power was greatly increased. She didn¡¯t know this because she didn¡¯t see anyone contaminated by magi during that time, but it was certainly different.


    It suddenly struck her as odd. It could just be her suspicion. In the original story, did Lina get helped by this circlet as well?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It was right after. The woman who was in a delirious state let out a groan. Seria hastily looked at the woman¡¯s face. The ck Magi had disappeared. Seria immediately shook the woman¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Are you okay? What? Wake up!¡±


    The demons attacked the carriage and almost knocked her unconscious. The woman pleaded in a voice that sounded like she was about to throw up after Seria shook her several times.


    ¡°S¡­save me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to help you.¡±


    The woman looked down in horror. Soon after, she fainted.


    ¡°Oh my God.¡±


    A knight said as he came up gasping for breath.


    ¡°She¡¯s the Duchess of Polvas.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think so.¡±


    Linon really was terribly meticulous in his work.


    He kept dissuading Seria and worried about her going to the contaminatednd she inherited, but when it came down to it, he had been keeping track of the Duke and Duchess of Polvas¡¯ movements the whole time, right from that evening. There was no other as fastidious and perfect as Chief Aide.


    So Seria heard early on that the Duchess of Polvas had left for her home in the territory of Berg, but Linon didn¡¯t expect that her carriage would be attacked¡­ Still, it was fortunate that this road was not far from the Connes in.


    ¡°Thank you so much for rescuing her, My Lady.¡±


    epting the knight¡¯s bow, Seria looked at Abigail who hade to pick her up.


    ¡°Young Lady.¡±


    ¡°Bibi, are all the knights out?¡±


    ¡°Yes, all went to the east, west, south, and north directions of the Connes in to deal with the remaining demons, and the Lady¡¯s husband went to the north.¡±


    ¡°To the north? That¡¯s the most dangerous ce.¡±


    ¡°The Lady¡¯s husband is the strongest knight I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    ¡°¡­Really?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    It was true that Lesche was the strongest knight approved by the original author. Then what was Abigail¡¯s rank? Lesche headed for the Connes in. A Magi contaminatednd. An abandonednd.


    Seria saw a few Berg knights here and there. As soon as they saw her, they rejoiced, waving the silver branches, which they were holding like their lifelines.


    It seemed they were really cold.


    Seria roughly waved and squatted on the floor. Then she focused her mind like when she purified the Magi of the green manor.


    How many minutes has passed? Seria looked at the ground with astonished eyes.


    The contaminatednd had indeed been cleansed.


    ¡®Did Lina really cleanse Magi with this circlet?¡¯


    But Seria didn¡¯t understand. Where did the power of a Saint go? Why didn¡¯t she use her Saint power instead? The content that Lina struggled with because of her strong power was one of the most important episodes in the original story.


    Suddenly, Seria remembered that Lina was very curious about this circlet.


    ¡°Seria, the ne I saw yesterday, where did you get it?¡±


    What is it?


    Seria felt terribly sick.


    ***


    The battle to defeat the demons in the Connes in, whichsted over a week, ended sessfully.


    Seria learned that the circlet could purify Magi, but she didn¡¯t purify the whole Connes in.


    It was obvious that if she tried to figure out the exact extent and limits of the circlet¡¯s cleansing capabilities, she would be in the public eye.


    She didn¡¯t mention this to anyone until she was sure of everything. Abigail, who was by her side, seemed to notice something, but she didn¡¯t say anything like a quiet woman.


    ¡®I¡¯ll keep quiet until I learn more about this circlet.¡¯


    She just grabbed the circlet in the basement of the green manor due to the circumstances of the situation back then. But the fact that it allowed her to perform abilities that she hadn¡¯t done before was very questionable. In the original story, this circlet was just a special essory that Lina loved.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    When everyone returned to the main castle after the battle of the demons at the Connes in, an unexpected document was waiting for Seria and Lesche.


    The sender was the supreme Emperor of the Glick Empire.


    The content was¡­


    It was an official approval for the marriage of Grand Duke Berg and his wife.

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94


    ¡°It¡¯s finally here! It¡¯s finally here!¡±


    Susan eximed with a look of excitement on her face. Ben looked gleeful and bemused.


    ¡°It came exceptionally fast, didn¡¯t it? It¡¯s a serious matter that usually takes a year.¡±


    ¡°Does it have something to do with the fact that Berg didn¡¯t participate in the battle to defeat the demons of Duke Howard this time?¡±


    ¡°I kind of have a feeling about that too. Susan.¡±


    Linon, who was listening, nodded.


    ¡°It seems that Duke Howard whined to Queen Ezekiel, and she told the Emperor. If you turn your back on Berg, only Howard will lose out.¡±


    ¡°Please use honorifics, Linon.¡±


    Linon replied to Susan¡¯s harsh words with a serious face.


    ¡°Lady Susan . I think that in the Berg, only His Highness and the Lady should have the honorific title.¡±


    Susan and Ben stared at each other.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    It only took a moment for them to be persuaded. If nothing else, they felt very good. How pleased Martha and Joanna in the green manor would be to hear this. It had been several weeks since Lesche and Seria failed to visit theurel manor due to thebination of the Kellyden¡¯s inheritance and the retaking of the Connes in.


    ¡°His Highness and the youngdy said they would be at the manor this week.¡±


    ¡°It has been a long time since I have followed them.¡±


    Seria and Lesche had not yet been told of this wonderful news. This was because they had both just returned from the Connes in. Seria took a bath and fainted in the tub, while Abigail carried her into bed.


    ¡°His Highness is in a meeting at the moment, is he not?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But this is a very important document, so I¡¯m going to show it to him right away.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Linon was so good at his job.¡±


    ¡°Well, congrattions on being alive to be praised by Lady Susan.¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the youngdy, this day would nevere.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what Susan said. The Lady saved us all.¡±


    Linon immediately gave a tired expression.


    Linon looked immediately tired.


    ¡°Anyway, if you get involved in the Grand Duke¡­.I¡¯m going up now.¡±


    Linon walked up to the main conference hall with a golden envelope containing the emperor¡¯s approval. It was a small meeting to decide what would happen after the Connes in was retaken. It was a meeting of only Berg¡¯s main vassals.


    If it was a medium-sized meeting orrger, Linon would have to assist, but for a small meeting like this, he didn¡¯t have to participate unless it was necessary. Lesche was a very efficient owner, and it made Linon feel good to be able to deliver such pleasant news.


    Linon went up excitedly.


    ¡°Your Highness, I have received documents from the royal family.¡±


    ¡°From the royal family?¡±


    Lesche asked as he received the golden envelope.


    ¡°When did it arrive?¡±


    ¡°This morning.¡±


    The golden envelope was stamped with the emperor¡¯s seal, a precious object that, ording to custom, should have been delivered as soon as Lesche returned to the castle. But Linon brought it upte¡­.


    ¡°You¡¯re beingzy, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°My priorities are clear. Your Highness.¡±


    As Linon had expected, Lesche didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of ming him. Linon was a chief aide who, like the fox, had a good grasp of the habits of such an owner. The fact that Lesche Berg was the only nobleman in the entire Glick Empire who could be so rude to the imperial family made Linon hang up his beloved cleaning kit.


    Linon didn¡¯t open the document, but he heard the imperial court officer who brought it to him start the conversation very politely.


    ¡°It¡¯s an official approval for the marriage of the Grand Duke Berg and the Grand Duchess.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s hand, which was unwittingly tearing off the seal, stopped for a moment. A pretty long pause. He looked down at the envelope again, then released the seal at the same speed as before and pulled out the thick document inside. The top-quality paper had a faint blue tint to it.


    Lesche slowly opened his mouth when he saw the writing on it.


    ¡°It¡¯s really true.¡±


    The vassals, who had been watching breathlessly, became excited.


    ¡°Is it really from the Emperor?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it toe so soon!¡±


    ¡°For generations, a Grand Duke¡¯s marriage must take a year to get eptance!¡±


    ¡°Apparently, the Duke of Howard¡­.¡±


    The vassals, being vassals, did their best to grasp the Emperor¡¯s thoughts. Linon opened his mouth.


    ¡°Marriage eptances are also down, so you have to go to the Capital once this year.¡±


    Lesche wasn¡¯t much of a socialite. So he just came as a courtesy.


    He always wentte. When the socialmunity was at their quietest, the emperor would personally invite him toe, but he would just¡­ete.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go next month.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Linon opened his eyes wide. Because Lesche hadn¡¯t been to the Capital much in the winter, when social activities were in full swing.


    Because he was ufortable to go among the nobles who were willing to bite even the nicest and most attractive young potential grooms throughout the empire.


    ¡°Fix the mansion in the Capital as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. I will contact them immediately today.¡±


    ¡°Should I change the garden over there?¡±


    ¡°Lady Seria will die of overwork.¡±


    ¡°Then leave it alone.¡±


    Lesche, who said so, added with a slight frown on his forehead.


    ¡°If Seria wants to, give it to her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Still, there will be no ce for major maintenance.¡±


    Lesche said, looking at the papers as Linon sorted them out.


    ¡°Send someone to clean up.¡±


    Then he frowned.


    ¡°Send all the gardeners to the imperial residence as well. It would be a good idea to tidy up beforehand.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Send Ben and Susan to the Imperial Mansion first. It¡¯s better formand if the butler and head maid are there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let them know.¡±


    ¡°Send Ben first and Susanter, since Seria will need to be attended to.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Linon was wise enough not to mention how many servants there were in the imperial mansion. Of course, he knew well that Ben and Susan were close to Seria, and how could Lesche not know?


    ¡°There is one hunting ground near the Capital, tell them to take a look beforehand. Seria likes to ride horses.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Would you like to release some of the beasts as well?¡±


    ¡°Have you gone mad?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Linon quickly stepped aside. But inwardly, he was frustrated. To be honest, Seria didn¡¯t seem that weak objectively. Linon¡¯s mind was strongly imprinted with the strength of Seria, who had pulled him out from the grasp of the demons without fainting or running away.


    What¡¯s more, she had be a 180 degree different person. But up until a year ago, Seria¡¯s supreme evil was¡­.


    It was the best¡­ She seemed to have forgotten everything. Linon wanted good things to be good.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to pay a visit to the royal family.¡±


    ¡°¡®Yes, Your Highness, as is customary, you must have an audience with the Emperor as soon as possible. Shall I inform the Lady of this?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lesche said while tapping the chair¡¯s armrest with her fingers.


    ¡°I think Seria likes that designer fromst time.¡±


    ¡°Yes. She likes designer Begonia¡¯s work.¡±


    ¡°Call her in advance.¡±


    ¡°All right, Your Highness. By the way, this is the social season of the Capital. Rather, I think it would be much more efficient to go to the Imperial mansion and call for Designer Begonia, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Ask Seria what she wants, then let her decide.¡±


    ¡°I will ask her right away.¡±


    The vassals, who had been listening quietly, blinked and exchanged nces. When their gazes his, Linon gave them all a knowing look.


    A few momentster, the vassals rushed out of the meeting hall and seized Linon.


    ¡°We must present the Grand Duke with a gift, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°But, would it be alright for us to send personal gifts to the Grand Duchess?¡±


    At the question, Linon tilted his head.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®personal¡¯?¡±


    They seemed afraid that Seria would say she didn¡¯t like the gift and throw it against the wall and break it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about before, but the Grand Duchess isn¡¯t very violent now.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡­¡±


    The vassals cleared their throats.


    ¡°I was a little worried that if I sent something that¡¯s not in the eyes, His Highness would get angry¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Linon recalled his conversation with Lesche for a while. Yes¡­ he understood. It must have been an unfamiliar sight to them. He was used to Lesche for a long time that he hadn¡¯t noticed, but Linon cleared his throat.


    ¡°His Highness is ¡­.. not that bad.¡±


    He said this out of courtesy, but Linon secretly sympathized.


    ¡®Actually, I suppose he seems that way.¡¯


    ***


    Ben and Susan formed a meeting.


    ¡°Ben, shall we talk to His Highness about itter? Why don¡¯t we have another wedding?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a really good idea. Susan.¡±


    ¡°I heard from the Hondies, the Lady, no. We have to call her Grand Duchess from now on. The wedding ceremony was prepared in such a splendid way to wee the Grand Duchess.¡±


    The matter was to thicken the pride of those in the green manor.


    ¡°Preparing more shy than that is not a thing in Berg.¡±


    Ben nodded. The neatly dressed butler added his thoughtful opinion.


    ¡°And let¡¯s send out invitations to all the leading nobles, with the exception of the Kellyden.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea. I¡¯ll take the opportunity to mention itter. We can talk about it in six months or so.¡±


    ¡°His Highness doesn¡¯t like to hear reports that repeat over and over, so that would be a good time.¡±


    Ben and Susan didn¡¯t know specifically what Seria had been through in the Kellyden mansion. However, the duels were strictly recorded. Throwing gloves in a crowded ce was not an informal but an official record.


    It had been recorded that His Royal Highness the Grand Duke won a duel challenge against the First son of Kellyden, and also that knight Abigail won against the Knight Commander of Kellyden.


    A quick nce gave him an estimate.


    That Seria did not receive any hospitality at Kellyden.


    Ben and Susan didn¡¯t know any details. Such things were beyond the subject matter, and in case it mattered, the rtionship between Berg and Kellyden had taken the worst of it.


    However, it was easy to grasp the situation between families. It was basic knowledge. Although Ben and Susan were voluntarily detained in the green manor for a long time, they were loyal to Berg.


    And they were busy. The orders given by Lesche had been spread to the mansion by Linon, and by all ounts¡­..the orders were all for Seria.


    Ben made sure that all the abundant flowers he had raised in the ss greenhouse were brought to the mansion for celebration.


    There was no need to exin how expensive winter flowers were. It wasn¡¯t enough that the expensive flowers adorned the mansion in a spectacr way, he even ordered more.


    At the same time, the vassals and servants who came and went were also excited. The Berg mansion itself was not winter-like but filled with a pleasant atmosphere.

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95


    ¡°Lady.¡±


    Seria woke up and opened her eyes. Abigail was looking down at me from above. They blinked and stared at each other for a moment.


    ¡°Why? Bibi?¡±


    ¡°Why are you in a bad mood? We¡¯re in a festive mood outside. I even bought some chicken from the kitchen.¡±


    Abigail was holding a basket full of herb-roasted chicken between her arms. Seria smiled and asked,


    ¡°Is it good?¡±


    ¡°How can you not know after looking at my face, youngdy? Why are you in a bad mood? Did the Chief Aide do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Linon? No?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been feeling well since the Chief Aide told you to go to the Capital. You also had a handkerchief over your face like a funeral cloth.¡±


    Abigail was right, Seria had a white handkerchief over her head.


    It was a handkerchief that Susan had given her as a gift. In the Glick Empire, it was customary to give blue flowers to the bride. How quickly Susan had moved her hands, this white handkerchief also had blue flowers embroidered on it.


    Seria touched the fluttering cloth with her hand and lightly wiped her forehead. She suddenly remembered how Lesche had wiped her forehead like this when she had fainted after her marriage to Kalis went awry.¡®What am I doing?¡¯Seria smiled and put down the handkerchief.


    She wondered if Susan had left some perfume on it, and the nice scent that permeated the handkerchief tickled her nose.


    ¡°Bibi.¡±


    Covering her eyes with the handkerchief, Seria opened her mouth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could find a better knight than Bibi.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever find a better lord than you either, youngdy. You were the one who saved me in the first ce. I¡¯ll never forget the way you grabbed the priest by the chest.¡±


    Seria smiled and said while looking at Abigail.


    ¡°Bibi, I¡¯m afraid to get married.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already done that.¡±


    ¡°Until yesterday, I could have called him your fianc¨¦e. But now¡­ it¡¯s a real marriage. I really didn¡¯t expect the imperial approval toe so soon.¡±


    ¡°Why are you afraid?¡±


    Seria paused for a moment and answered honestly.


    ¡°It reminds me of Kalis Hon.¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t forgotten that man?¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, are you worried that His Highness will end up like that man Hon?¡±


    Abigail was always straightforward. Seria nodded slowly.


    ¡°I guess so.


    ¡°Young Lady.¡±


    Seria looked at Abigail, saying, ¡°Huh?¡± and grabbed her hand in fear. It was because Abigail was spinning the knife brilliantly. It was a hand gesture like a former assassin.


    ¡°Why the knife? Where did you get it? What are you going to do with it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get the head of the Marquis of Hon, and you¡¯re going to take it to your husband. Fear is the best way to warn him.¡± ??


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°My Lady?¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Bibi¡­.Hon needs a lord, too¡­.. And if you¡¯re caught, I won¡¯t be able to help you.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Abigail said, putting the knife back in the basket.


    ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll get rid of the Knight Commander of Hon. Because I¡¯m your knight.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Bibi.¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you having supper?¡±


    ¡°I think I should have dinner with His Highness. He read my expression better than I thought he would.¡±


    ¡°Not as well as the youngdy, I¡¯m afraid. Please wake up. If you continue to starve like this, you may die of thinning.¡±


    With that, Abigail quickly woke Seria up and Seria went to sit down on the couch. Abigail cut up a piece of chicken with a knife and gave it to her. Seria chewed the meat slowly.


    As expected, people feel a little better when they have something in their mouths. Seria collected her vague thoughts.


    She thought she was dreaming when she heard that the imperial approval officially came. Because it was earlier than she expected.


    Her bemused surprise was crushed by the following words of the vassals.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have another wedding at this time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess! Let¡¯s make it more morous than the emperor¡¯s wedding!¡±


    No matter who heard it, it was meant for her and Kalis¡¯s wedding in mind. The vassals probably didn¡¯t mean to, but her mood waspelled to sink. Anyone would have had no choice but to ruminate on that situation, on Lina, on Kalis, on that near-death situation.


    Things, situations, andnd could be held in her favor if she used her head, but the human heart was not.


    That was true when it came to Kalis. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn¡¯t help but feel the same way about Lina.


    ¡®It wasn¡¯t mine, though. It really wasn¡¯t.¡¯


    ¡®If Lesche, who would officially be my husband, is also attracted to the heroine. Will my heart be okay then?¡¯


    ¡®What is this¡­¡¯


    Ben and Susan also looked like their cheekbones hurt with a big smile on their faces. The castle was a festival. So Seria told them she was tired from the subjugation and went back to her bedroom to lie down.


    ¡°Shall we go and inspect the cier?¡±


    It was very foolish and inefficient to slumber helplessly like this. She might as well get some work done. As soon as she felt like it, Seria got up.


    ¡®Or I might just end up lying on the couch for the rest of my life.¡¯


    ¡°Bibi, do you want to go out with me?¡±


    Abigail said after chewing arge piece of chicken.


    ¡°I love all the ces you go, Young Lady.¡±


    ***


    The office of Berg¡¯s castle.


    Lesche replied that he would go unorthodoxly to the annual urging letter sent by the Emperor. He was checking some documents and said, crossing his arms and looking out the window.


    ¡°Linon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Did you tell Seria that she had to go to the Capital?¡±


    The aides¡¯ ears perked up at the name of the Grand Duchess. Very few people knew, but there were no other ones in Berg as sensitive to the presence or absence of the name of the Grand Duchess.


    ¡°As I mentioned earlier¡­.¡±


    Lesche tapped his arm with his hand holding the document.


    ¡°Did she say she would go? Or should I postpone it?¡±


    ¡°What? Postpone? I¡¯ll put it on hold right now.¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t be a problem if he hadn¡¯t sent the response letter to the emperor yet. But if the emperor had already seen it, it would be a bit difficult. But Linon was curious. Seria didn¡¯t react much to the words that she had to go to the Capital. So what¡¯s going on all of a sudden?


    Linon walked over to the window. The window in the Grand Duke¡¯s office overlooked the expansive garden of the castle, which made it easy to see the peopleing and going from the garden.


    Linon expected this to some extent. Outside the window, there wasSeria. The problem was that she seemed to be going on a cier tour. She shouldn¡¯t be going there today. She should have been at the castle sorting out her presents.


    ¡°Your Highness, I see that the youngdy has already finished organizing the presents. The Lady¡­. No, the Grand Duchess is a very efficient and fast worker.¡±


    Linon¡¯s voice crept into the room as he mumbled excuses, the assistants in the room immediately sensed the situation and held their breath.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Recently, their Grand Duchess has often dined with the Grand Duke. But today was different.


    Seria sent Linon back, saying that she had to sort through the sudden overflow of congrattory gifts for the official recognition. All of Berg¡¯s aides turned a blind eye as Linon walked sadly. However, they thought it was His Highness the Grand Duke of Berg who was hit by the wind¡­.


    ¡®But she¡¯s going on a cier tour?¡¯


    Did the two have a quarrel? It couldn¡¯t be. Not even in the daytime¡­. The aides fell silent.


    Lesche stared out the window and put the documents down on the desk.


    ***


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    It was a cier inspection but they left sote, so Seria expected they wouldn¡¯t be able to get far. Time flew by as she gazed out over theke with a dangling silver branch in her hand.


    ¡°Bibi. We should go now.¡±


    Seria said as she tried to loosen her knees and get up. But suddenly, she was grabbed by the arm, a strong force pulled her up.


    ¡°Bibi?¡±


    Turning back around, Seria couldn¡¯t continue to finish her sentence. Because the red eyes were piercing into her. It waspletely unexpected.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    Seria panicked. No, why is this man here? Looking around, she saw that Abigail was far away, looking at Seria in a daze. When did Abigail go over there?


    ¡°Lesche. ¡­. Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°What hurt your feelings?¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Lesche frowned and stood Seria up straight.


    ¡°You went on a cier tour all week when Kalis and the Saintess went missing before the wedding.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the reason you are doing this again, Seria?¡±


    Seria said as she stared at Lesche.


    ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed because we got approval too early from the imperial family.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re embarrassed?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lesche slowly began to look at Seria. In fact, it was closer than just looking. Seri tried to read Lesche¡¯s expression, but quickly stopped. Lesche was not in a good mood.


    Very much so. To the point Seria felt a little scared.


    ¡°Is it going to be different if the approval came after one year?¡±


    ¡°It will be different.¡±


    ¡°What will change?¡±


    ¡°Things like timing and such. It¡¯s not a big deal. Aren¡¯t you cold? Let¡¯s go home¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject, Seria?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I want you to be clear. Because I have no idea what¡¯s going to change.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s tone was harsh,pletely different from usual. Seria stared into Lesche¡¯s cold, shining eyes as she realized once again that Lesche was the master of the Grand Duchy of Berg. He always had this kind of look in his eyes, but why was it so unfamiliar now?

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96


    Seria had thought several times that she wished Lesche was not the male protagonist. Each time she realized how happy she would be if he was a man who had nothing to do with Lina. Kalis¡¯s betrayal had taken a deeper root in her than she thought.


    On the other hand, she was also aware of the fact that this marriage license was a kind of marginal route.


    She was the one who knew that Lina would be back within a year. She also didn¡¯t forget that Lina was the female protagonist and Lesche was the male lead. She watched the shaking emotions of Kalis, who encountered Lina, vividly from the side. She was the one who felt it cruelly and painfully, even bleeding.


    ¡®How on earth can such a person like me wee the approval of marriage?¡¯


    ¡®How can I not think about the bloody wedding with Kalis¡¯?


    ¡®How can I pretend to be so innocent?¡¯


    Before the Emperor approved the marriage, it was a rtionship they could step away from at any time. It was better to have a rtionship that could even be called an engagement. It was a stage that had not yet been settled into such an ambiguous space, just floating in the void between the lines. Her mind was at ease then.


    But, to whom could she say these words?


    ¡®Dear Lesche, the reason I¡¯m scared is because you¡¯ll fall in love with Lina.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯d be a relief if he doesn¡¯t call me a crazy person.¡¯


    Seria opened her mouth, ring at Lesche.


    ¡°If the approvales in a year, as is customary, we¡¯ll be there before then.¡±


    ¡°Where is there?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be divorced before then.¡±


    ¡°¡­Divorced?¡±


    For a moment, Lesche felt as if he was punched in the cheek. Heughed wildly.


    ¡°Why? Are you going back to Kalis Hon?¡±


    ¡°Why is Marquis Hon being mentioned here?¡±


    ¡°Then why do you want to divorce me?¡±


    ¡°Did we marry in a normal way?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking about extraordinary marriages. Because there is no woman I need more than Stern.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m Stern. I am happy to be of sufficient service to Berg. Now that the marriage is approved, I will do my best to inspect the cier, so please don¡¯t speak to me again.¡±


    ¡°What the¡­?¡±


    Lesche breathed heavily. He red at Seria. It was understandable.


    Seria was stripping away the truth, picking up only the words she could confide in. It was the only way. It also sounded like she was picking a fight.


    ¡®Well, I was.¡¯


    ¡°Seria, what are you afraid of?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so scary?¡±


    Recognizing the multipleyers of embedded fear in this way would be Lesche¡¯s ability. The man who always had a casual expression on his face, at times like this, he saw it through her.


    She was scared. That was Seria¡¯s true feelings. While her heart shook every time Lesche was kind to her, she couldn¡¯t pretend to ignore the fear that followed her one after another.


    Seria gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m scared.¡±


    ¡°What are you afraid of, Seria?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the debt I owe you will be more than I can bear, and that¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of!¡±


    A silence fell. Debt. It was Lesche who broke the silence first.


    ¡°So¡­.?¡±


    Lesche looked at Seria with a look that was difficult to read.


    ¡°So. You¡¯re going to walk away once your debt is paid?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°It¡¯s up to me where a ve goes when he¡¯s finished with his debt.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Who in the world would want to enve someone¡­ aren¡¯t you against that?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Against?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Which master is paying attention to offending his ves? Opposite. I am concerned about your feelings. I only care about your feelings.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°So am I a ve or are you a ve?¡± (Lesche)


    The words didn¡¯t sound sweet. He didn¡¯t have that kind of tone in his voice. The words were red, dark and quiet, like Lesche¡¯s eyes. Seria felt like she was hit on the head. The cold wind blowing from the north froze her ears and hands, but she could not make any reply. However, Seria smiled with a sigh.


    ¡°Are you confident that you will still say that after a year?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s expression became strangely stiff. What would a year from now be an indicator? Lesche didn¡¯t get the meaning right away.


    If it was a problem Seria was afraid of, there was only Kalis Hon.


    Kalis Hon abandoned Seria in madness for a saint.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    After being silent for a while, Lesche asked slowly.


    ¡°Will the Saintesse back after a year?¡±


    If you keep your eyes on someone, it¡¯s their expression and their eyes. Every little thing about them makes you nervous. It¡¯s when you spend so much time trying to give meaning to those bright blue eyes and want to know what they¡¯re thinking every time.


    Even silence can be used to guess a person¡¯s mind. Now that¡¯s what Lesche did.


    ¡°It looks like she¡¯sing back. But, what does her return have to do with me?¡± (Lesche)


    Suddenly, a thought popped into his head as if on fire.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche asked very slowly, wondering what if, feeling like he was hovering around a herbivore with a hidden tail.


    ¡°Are you afraid that I might fall in love with the Saintess?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. I forgot that I was just a rag in your head.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t a rag,st time¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a man who is suspicious of my wife, but isn¡¯t it too much to call a rag?¡±


    ¡°I said you weren¡¯t. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Surprised and trying to quickly get to her feet, Seria was caught without taking a step forward.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche took both of Seria¡¯s hands in his and ced them on his cheeks. As expected, her hands were extremely cold. Clicking his tongue briefly, Lesche took off his gloves and wrapped his hands around hers.


    ¡°I¡¯m not Kalis Hon.¡±


    ¡°No, really. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to get an apology, I just wish you could see me as I am.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Earlier, when he saw Seria going on a cier tour from his office, the thoughts he heard were different. He thought about killing Kalis Hon. No matter how he thought about it, he felt Seria¡¯s mood hit bottom because of her d*mn first love, Kalis Hon.


    Now that the marriage was officially approved, she might as well be reminded of her first love. And that made him mad.


    But even if that d*mned Kalis regretted it now, Seria was still the Grand Duchess of Berg, and legally his (Lesche) wife. Most importantly, Lesche knew that Seria was lying to him.


    Not because she was afraid that Lesche would love the Saintess, but because she was half-confident. As if she had heard a prophecy somewhere that Lesche Berg woulde to love the Saintess.


    He could ask questions, but he was too worried that Seria would disappear somewhere. How long has it been like this?


    Seria talked about the huge amount of gifts the vassals began to send. Certainly, it was quiterge even for Lesche to hear.


    ¡°I think the people in the central territory are a bit frustrated. I think they¡¯d like it if Stern was just a little nicer to them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s frustrating.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe you like me because I¡¯m so beautiful¡­.¡±


    Lesche eventually burst intoughter. He tilted his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re right that you¡¯re beautiful. You¡¯re the most beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s why I like you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    He has eyes, so he could tell beauty from ugliness, but he had never noticed Seria¡¯s appearance in particr. For years it had been like that¡­..But now¡­Even if Seria was hiding in the midst of hundreds of crowds, she would be first visible to him. He was sure of it. So those blue eyes were the problem. That strangely contemtive gaze was the problem.


    Those contradictory eyes that were so regal and yet at the same time, at the same moment, held this judgment that it would kill everyone in the world who looked at it¡­..He thought he was going crazy when the tears filled those eyes¡­.


    That was because he wondered if he liked those eyes because of something other than their looks. He never did anything else with her. But now he even grabbed her hand and kissed her forehead.


    Lesche let go of Seria¡¯s hands. Then he grasped her round, soft cheeks.


    It was worse. Lesche lowered his head towards her.Then he found her soft lips and kissed them. Seria¡¯s body shuddered as his hot tongue entered the warm, moist space and touched her tongue in a rush. Lesche didn¡¯t kiss her any deeper, he just raised her head. It wasn¡¯t for any other reason. It was just¡­ It was just that she felt a strong pressure on her thighs. It was just a small reaction from Seria. If he turned her back to this frozenke and kissed her more impatiently, it would be really difficult to handle.


    Lesche took Seria¡¯s hand. Then he strode briskly toward the horse.


    ***


    Berg¡¯s castle.


    All the way back to the castle, Seria kept ncing at Lesche¡¯s head. She knew that he really had a body that she couldn¡¯t get enough of every time she looked at him, but earlier, definitely¡­ They were kissing.


    What came next was the problem. She couldn¡¯t understand the emotions dribbling from Lesche¡¯s eyes as he stared at her. For a moment, her fingers even tingled. When they returned to the castle, Seria left Lesche behind and ran straight up the stairs to the second floor. She didn¡¯t even look back. But she could still feel his eyes on her, and it sent a tingle down her spine.


    Whenever she came back after the cier inspection, her bath was always ready. She quickly took off her cloak and began to unbutton her clothes. The servants helped her take off her clothes and she was soon able to enjoy the heat of the water.


    Of course, while she was soaking, she couldn¡¯t help but think back to Lesche¡¯s kiss. Actually, more important than the kiss was what came next. She possessed the original Seria for a year now, and the habits andmon sense of being a noble remained intact in her mind.


    ¡®It¡¯s early. It¡¯s really early.¡¯


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    Susan came in before she knew it and applied a mixture of honey and milk to the ends of Seria¡¯s hair.


    ¡°No one will be on the second floor until tomorrow morning.¡±


    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t believe her ears.


    ¡°Why¡­why?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just telling you in advance. I¡¯m just saying¡­.¡±


    ¡®No¡­Susan is smiling¡­¡¯


    ¡®Why is she smiling? ¡­.. Why is she holding back herughter ¡­.?¡¯


    Seria felt a twinge in her ears. She covered her face with her hands in embarrassment.


    This castle was very big, but there were also rooms on the second floor filled with all sorts of rare objects. She couldn¡¯t believe they would leave the whole entire floor unattended.


    In the meantime, the servants did their best to rub a paste mixture of crushed brown sugar and fruit bark on her body. Something cold with a fresh scent was also applied on her face.


    The bath was very tedious today but also very quick. In fact, it must have taken longer than usual because the servants had carefully managed and washed every inch of her body. The fact that she thought it was over quickly was entirely her imagination.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it then. Grand Duchess¡­¡±


    Susan and the servants disappeared like the wind, and the second floor fell silent as if the words ¡°no one will be here¡± were true. Seria swallowed hard and took a step.

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97


    Where Seria arrived was the joint bathroom . She nced at the bathroom door. It was the Grand Duke and Duchess¡¯s shared bathroom, which was set up on the second floor, and it was the first time she had ever stood there like this.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    While she was absentmindedly losing herself in the rampage of the maidens earlier, Susan¡¯s voice sounded in her ears.


    ¡°Grand Duchess. Why don¡¯t you go to the joint bathroom?¡±


    ¡°Why there?¡±


    ¡°His Highness is taking a bath there.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Susan said with a big smile.


    ¡°¡­He came in here a while ago, but he went that way.¡±


    ¡°He tried to get in here? His Highness?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria was at a loss for words. Lesche tried to get in here? What was he going to do when he came in?


    ¡°¡­He can just wait in the bedroom¡­¡±


    Did all the Grand Dukes of Berg originally change suddenly once the imperial approval was issued? The moment she heard Susan¡¯s words, Seria began to explore the original story in her head. It was almost an instinctive act. But she soon gave up. In the original story, the ending was that Lina and Lesche get married, so she didn¡¯t know what would happen next.


    ¡®It¡¯s better not to know¡­¡­¡¯


    Seria swept her face with both hands. In the meantime, her skin was smoother than usual. She took a deep breath, grabbed her gown tightly and opened the bathroom door.


    It was the shared bathroom, and it was indeedrge. Statues of lions were ced on both sides of the door, and beyond therge partition blocking the view, she could hear the sound of running water and smell the warm moisture.


    Seria walked in.


    She didn¡¯t actually have to do a lot of walking. As soon as she walked around the partition, she could see a naked back. It was Lesche.


    Her heart raced for a moment. He was sitting in the bath tub set up in the middle of the bathroom, but thanks to that, she couldn¡¯t see below his waist.


    She sighed involuntarily. The sound of the water was still audible.


    ¡°¡­.!¡±


    The servant¡¯s eyes went wide as Seria walked over. She raised her finger and motioned for the servant to leave. She was actually a little skeptical when she gave the order, because she thought the servant would ask Lesche¡¯s permission to leave.


    But the servant quickly disappeared like the wind. As a result, Seria and Lesche remained alone in the bathroom.


    She looked at his wet silver hair, his neck beneath it. His back, with its broad shoulders and perfectly captured muscles. His arms, equally thick with muscles.


    She was mesmerized.


    Seria sat quietly on the marble at the end of the bathroom, and after a bit of deliberation, she reached for Lesche. She knew after a few seconds that it was a very wrong choice.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    She took a deep breath as Lesche suddenly grabbed her wrist and stared at her. Their gazes met. The air seemed to stop its movements. The expression when people first saw Seria¡¯s blue diamond was the same as the expression that Lesche was now making while looking at her.


    ¡°Lesche¡­..¡±


    Seria cleared her throat and called out his name anyway. Then she started to put together the dozen or so different excuses she hade up with beforeing here.


    ¡°Well¡­ Susan said you were trying to get into my bath? What if the servants faint? To be honest, I would have fainted too. So I came in¡­I should have knocked first¡­..¡±


    Seria couldn¡¯t continue to the end. Because Lesche climbed straight out of the bathtub and immediately kissed her on the lips. The sound of the water rushing along his body echoed like waves in her ears. The hot water soaked her body.


    It was a kiss that seemed to devour her. Lesche¡¯s tongue instantly dug into her mouth and it became chaotic. She choked on her breath. She ran out of breath and pushed Lesche away, but he didn¡¯t move. Her jaw started to hurt from the action of his tongue sucking and rolling hard.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    The thin gown Seria was wearing peeled off and fell to the floor. What she was wearing inside was a thin knitted slip. Lesche  grasped the thin shoulder straps of the slip. Veins popped up on his hand. Seria quickly shook her head, afraid that Lesche would tear her clothes off, pushing him out strongly and gasping.


    ¡°My clothes are ruined¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy them for you.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t have the same clothes as these. Susan made it for me.¡±


    ¡°Can you make the same thing again?¡±


    ¡°Have you tried making clothes?¡±


    Lesche looked at her in dismay. His red eyes were cloudy, but perhaps it was the slight tilt of his chin that made it feel so odd.


    ¡°Have you made it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Seriaughed softly.


    ¡°But it would be fun if you sewed.¡±


    Lesche looked at her and suddenly swept her face with one hand.


    ¡°Why in the world are youughing so hard?¡±


    ¡°What did Iugh so hard about?¡±


    ¡°Youugh so much that people go crazy.¡±


    ¡°What crazy? I was justughing.¡±


    Seria frowned.


    ¡°In your eyes, I¡¯m very beautiful, aren¡¯t I? It¡¯s because of your eyes.¡±


    ¡°I see. It seems so. I like the way youugh so much, it drives me crazy when I see it.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s serious.¡±


    With a low, moaning sigh, Lesche kissed her ear. Then he dragged Seria straight into the water.


    Ssh!


    She heard the sound of the water hitting her bare skin. In an instant, she was in Lesche¡¯s chest. The slip dress was still wet and rolled up in the water and stuck to her skin. Lesche¡¯s hands and body stuck to her that way, too.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the low voice calling her. Her head felt dizzy. Perhaps it was because she had been in the hot steamy ce for too long, or perhaps it was for some other reason¡­ Lesche started touching her from her neck down to her thighs. When Seria took off his hand, which was starting to touch every inch of her body, Lesche dug between her fingers and held them strongly.


    Lesche cupped the back of her head and tilted her chin up. Seria¡¯s eyshes trembled. This was the first time she had learned that bath water could maintain its temperature for that long, and the first time she had learned that there were always two dry indoor gowns avable for a couple¡¯s bath.


    However, there was no use in the bed. She didn¡¯t know how time passed. By the time she thought the colors reflected on the curtains changed a bit, she fell asleep as if passed out.


    (*Did they do it or not? Did she pass out before they did it? It was unclear here)


    ***


    08. The Capital of the Empire


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve been to the Capital, right? Bibi.¡±


    Abigail, who was riding a horse, approached the carriage and said.


    ¡°Yes, Lady. It¡¯s still a hell of a weather here.¡±


    Seria smiled and looked outside the carriage. A cool breeze blew and sent her hair flying.


    This was where the Imperial Pce of the Glick Empire was located. It was the capital, the center of the empire. It was much warmer than Berg, only because of its geographical location in the south. Of course, it¡¯s almostte winter now.


    Spring will soon be here. But the capital was like spring even now.


    Perhaps it was because she had been in Berg for a while, where it was particrly cold in early spring and winter. Her clothes were also lighter than in Berg. Meanwhile, the carriage rolled hard and headed southeast.


    In the blink of an eye, the number of passersby walking along the street rapidly decreased, and each of the passersby¡¯s clothes became unusual.


    This was the southeast district, where the mansions of famous high-ranking nobles were gathered. Seemingly luxurious mansions stood side by side.


    Of course, Seria had been to this district before. Not that Seria¡¯s townhouse was located here, but the residence of the Marquis of Hon, a high-ranking nobleman, was located here. Fortunately, the road split and the Hone mansion was no longer in sight.


    The carriage drove on. Strangely, from some point on, no mansions began to be seen.


    It was time to start wondering. The carriage stopped.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. Grand Duchess, please dismount.¡±


    Seri got out of the carriage with the help of the footman. The moment she straightened her wrinkle dress and raised her head. Her eyes were wide open.


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°Grand Duchess?¡±


    Susan hurried to Seria¡¯s side and asked.


    ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°No, I was just surprised that the mansion is so big.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­Well, if that¡¯s the problem, then it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Susan smiled. She walked with her to the front door. Even as they walked, Seria¡¯s eyes were glued to the size of the mansion.


    ¡®Why is the mansion so big? Is it a royal castle?¡¯


    In general, nobles with estates and titles usually have mansions on the imperial capital and castles on their estates. The more property and the higher the titles, the more glorious the castles be. Berg and Kellyden¡¯s castles were very morous.


    But what is this?


    Is it possible to own such arge mansion in the capital? The house with the dark colored bricks piled up looked like it could just be called a castle, since it was a mansion only in words. No wonder there were no other mansions to be seen for a while, but it was surrounded by a huge garden worthy of this huge mansion.


    It seemed that this mansion was even bigger than the castle in Kellyden.


    Seria regretted saying that she would get off at the entrance of the mansion all the way while touring the garden of the mansion. She should have just taken the carriage to the entrance.


    When she finally arrived at the front door after more than ten minutes of walking, Ben and the other servants were already lined up. As soon as they saw her, they bowed deeply.


    ¡°Wee, Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Ben.¡±


    ¡°Yes, how have you been?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been well.¡±


    ¡°The Grand Duchess¡¯s health is Berg¡¯s joy.¡±


    ¡°The health of the butler is also my joy.¡±


    Seria nced at the people next to Ben, who was smiling broadly.


    There were quite a few knights among the servants whose faces she did not recognize. She was fairly well acquainted with the knights of Stern and Berg before she was Grand Duchess, but there were many unfamiliar faces that made her head spin.


    ¡®These are knights who guard the mansion?¡¯


    It seemed like there were too many knights for that.


    It will be a bitter before we can figure out where they are from.


    ¡°The inside is just fine.¡±


    It was Seria¡¯s first honest impression of the mansion. Ben replied calmly, not seeming to panic.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grand Duchess. I don¡¯t have the talent to decorate, so I just put it away for now.¡±


    ¡°I see. But, Ben.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Grand Duchess?¡±


    Seria asked, tilting her head.


    ¡°Did you throw everything away while cleaning up?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Susan suddenly coughed and cleared her throat. Ben also cleared his throat.


    ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be, Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°¡­Right? It was just joking.¡±


    The mansion was too empty and dreary. It was clean, but overly clean, reminiscent of a house that had been put up for sale.

 Chapter 98

    Tragedy 98


    Ben said in a proper manner.


    ¡°His Highness often vacates the imperial mansion, so I was told that this is how it was originally. Also, many things were broken, and I only sorted them out after precise emotions. I bought all the furniture we need for living right now.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll organize everything, so you can decorate it as you please, Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll have to work, won¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Not work, but a leisurely hobby¡­Grand Duchess? Will you be doing that soon?¡±


    Ben followed Seria, not knowing what to do.The staircase leading to the Great Hall on the first floor opened wide on both sides, and she liked the way it was divided into the East and West wings. But this was arge building in itself.


    ¡°I see no need to postpone it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a hobby¡­..¡±


    As expected, there were many things to do in the capital. Seria looked around the empty mansion. It was like a drawing paper.


    ¡®I¡¯m the only Berg in thisrge, castle-like mansion.¡¯


    Lesche was not there.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lesche departed with Seria from the Grand Duchy of Berg. And he was sitting across from her as they passed through the first and second main gates of the imperial road.


    The problem arose just after they had passed through the third gate.


    ¡®What¡­.taking the person in the carriage, is that even possible?¡¯


    Seria had to notice when Linon seemed restless.


    It was the moment they passed through the third gate of the capital. Linon said with a really pale face and cold sweat trickling down .


    ¡°Um, Your Highness. I¡¯m sorry, but you really have to go.¡±


    Seria blinked again.


    ¡°Lesche? Linon, why is he like this?¡±


    She had no choice but to ask Lesche because she didn¡¯t know why Linon was looking like a corpse. To the point where even a passing dog would ask if he was okay.


    When Seria asked Rushe, he looked slightly embarrassed. Then he passed a strand of her hair behind her ear.


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    ¡°No, but why is Linnon like that? He¡¯s going to die soon?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to die from that.¡±


    ¡°¡­.?¡±


    Seria was able to find out after a bit more pursuit. The military officials had been waiting for them since they passed through the first gate of the imperial road. Seria had no idea about this.


    ¡°Where are they now?¡±


    ¡°They are following Berg¡¯s carriage. If you see them outside now, the procession will go crazy¡­¡±


    When Seria asked him why he wasn¡¯t going, he raised his eyebrows in return.


    ¡°How are you going to get the Grand Duke to enter the Imperial Pce alone? There is a procedure.¡±


    Naturally Seria gasped and said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall ever hearing of such a procedure.¡±


    Nor did it be in this original story, for that matter. If the stallion of the story was Lina¡¯s love, then the truth was actually the defeat of the demons. In the Glick Empire, the mainstay of the battle to defeat the demons was naturally the Berg Knights. Berg had informed them in advance that the Grand Duke Berg, the lord of that knightly order and master of the central territory, would being up to the Capital, but the military seemed to get impatient immediately.


    Linon was about to cry out, so Seria let Lesche go. When the carriage stopped for a while, she saw that the military knights were really following the procession with great enthusiasm. And theirplexion was not too different from Linon¡¯s.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think Lecher will be able toe in today.¡¯


    ¡°Grand Duchess?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve brought what you asked for.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ben.¡±


    Ben held out a bundle of papers held together with a tight leather strap. These came from Berg¡¯s main office, and the title was written inrge letters on the cover.


    <The List in the Basement.>


    Back then, Seria was being carried piggyback on Alliot¡¯s back. She almost fainted when she saw the many expensive items left in the basement of the castle, and she made this list while walking around with Linon whenever they had time. In this document, the valuable ornaments in the basement of the castle were recorded in detail. Linon in particr seemed to be an organizing fanatic and loved this list of items.


    Ben and Seria walked around the empty mansion, which was almostpletely undecorated. A few hours passed quickly as they checked together the ornaments they had brought from the castle. Of course, this mansion was also in a hurry to organize the luggage and boxes that many servants had brought with them.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    They went back and forth from east to west, from south to north, several times like that. Every time she went back and forth without a break, there was something that bothered her. After about thirteen crossings, she couldn¡¯t take it any longer and stopped at the central staircase of the mansion.


    Arge portrait hung above caught her eye.


    ¡°Is this the previous Grand Duke?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, Grand Duchess.¡±


    Ben¡¯s voice, always sweet and gentle, was ufortably quiet. Seria tilted her head. If they wanted to hang it, they should hang the portrait of the previous Grand Duchess as well. Seria wondered if the portrait was part of the reason why Lesche didn¡¯t want toe to Capital often.


    ¡°Take it down.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°Take it down now. I¡¯ll hang something else.¡±


    The first thing that immediately came to mind was Lesche¡¯s portrait.


    But is it really a good idea to hang his own portrait here instead? What if it offends him for no reason?


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to offend Lesche.¡¯


    However, Seria didn¡¯t have to worry about it for long. While looking at the floor and thinking, Seria lifted her head, she thought of something appropriate.


    ¡°Hang the picture of the green manor that Martha sent me.¡±


    ***


    Lesche put the pen down on the inkwell. High-ranking aristocrats above the marquis rank also have a position in the political world of the imperial government.The Dukes of Berg were promoted as military officials from generation to generation. It was the same with Lesche.


    In the military, it was only necessary to exchange ns and details regarding the battle to defeat the demons anyway, but there were other problems.


    In front of him stood a considerable number of nobles, looking around and wondering why they came like a pack of dogs.


    First, Berg refused to help the Duke of Howard in the defeat of the demons.


    Secondly, he ordered the old knights who had been living in the far West to return.


    The same western region was divided into four defenses and the ruling nobles changed. The far West had the mostnd and was also where the influence of the Marquis of Kellyden was the greatest.


    In a word, it was Kellyden¡¯s district.


    However, the Berg Knights were dispatched there. It was due to an old custom of the Glick Empire.


    The Grand Duke of Berg were allowed to raise special unaided firepower in the imperial court, considering their unique position in the empire and the uniqueness of their territory.


    Of course, there was a limit to the number of knights that could be stationed in the Berg territory. For this reason, Berg sent a number of knights to variousnds as support.


    Frankly speaking, it was a convenience method. However, it was so useful to the nobles of each territory that even the imperial family of the Glick Empire turned a blind eye to it for several generations, as it was sure to cause an immediate bacsh.


    Also, the imperial family would have to raise that many troops. The Imperial Guard¡¯s first priority was to protect the Imperial Family. Compared to Berg, which was optimized for defeating demons, they were told that it would be less efficient in many ways.


    However, the other day, Berg instructed all the knights who were in Kellyden to return. What happened at the funeral of the Lady Magrus has long since spread to the imperial society. So everyone could guess.


    The Kellyden was really messed up.


    It was true.


    It was a fact that the territories that received support from Berg were limited and almost fixed. However, since no small number of knights had returned from Kellyden this time, it was only natural that the nobles drooled when they heard the rumors about the troops.


    What¡¯s more. The Grand Duke of Berg was originally a tolerant man.


    However, since he refused to like thepensation proposal offered by Duke Howard, the nobles who had beenfortably sticking straws in his face had no choice but to get anxious. Moreover, Duke Howard even failed in his brilliant battle to defeat the demons.


    ¡°Let¡¯s think a little more before deciding the departure of the remaining knights.¡±


    ¡°Huh, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    Lesche asked back, and the Count shook his head hastily.


    ¡°No, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness! May I visit Berg¡¯s Grand Duchess with our Knight Commander in a week? It¡¯s my son¡­¡±


    Linon, who was standing behind Lesche, thought differently.


    ¡®You idiots. Go to the Lady and hang on to her.¡¯


    It had been quite a while since the power had been transferred. Idiots¡­


    Linon, who still often referred to Seria as ¡°Miss¡±, looked solemn, unlike that idea.


    Many hours passed after that. Lesche stood up, refusing the invitation of those who said, ¡°Since you haven¡¯t been to the capital in a while, let¡¯s go to the clubhouse together and rx.¡±


    ¡°A married man can¡¯t stay out overnight.¡±


    ¡°Oh,I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness! My thoughts were too short.¡±


    ¡°Go home early. You don¡¯t want to be med.¡±


    The military advisor¡¯s face turned a little red. Linon followed Lesche and whispered.


    ¡°Your Highness, did you take into consideration the fact that the man is a newlywed?¡±


    ¡°How do you know that? I¡¯m newlywed, so I¡¯m going to go in early.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    But¡­


    ¡°I think you saw the ring that he was wearing.¡±


    Linon suddenly had a question.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t His Highness give the youngdy a wedding ring?¡±


    Linon thought Lesche was going to tell him to go and raid the jeweler because the imperial approval for the marriage came so suddenly.


    Lesche went back to the mansion. The mansion was quiet because he came back withoutmunication. Only half of the lights were lit in the Great Hall on the first floor connected to the front door.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Ben, who hade running in a hurry, bowed his head deeply. Lesche asked as he took off his coat and handed it to Ben.


    ¡°What about Seria?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping.¡±


    ¡°She must be tired. The journey wasn¡¯t easy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she had her supper and went to bed right after. Your Highness, I¡¯ve prepared hot water for your bath.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Go get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Have a restful night.¡±


    Lesche paused suddenly on his way upstairs to the bathroom.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The portrait of the previous Grand Duke that had always been here, even in the earliest memories that Lesche could remember, was gone. The empty spot was not decorated in any way.


    He knew that Ben and Susan did not have good feelings towards the previous Grand Duke. They may even have a strong hatred for him. However, they were not the type to touch the portrait of the Grand Duke Berg that was already hanging. Therefore, the person who could give such an order was¡­.


    Lesche got out of the bath and went to the bedroom. It was Seria¡¯s bedroom, of course.


    Lesche saw Seria, lying like a corpse. She didn¡¯t seem to be breathing and he needed to make sure she was alive. He put his finger under her nose and held her wrist once. He smiled as he felt her pulse was rising. He theny down beside her. His gown slipped down, but he didn¡¯t care.


    He stared at Seria¡¯s face, then suddenly held her left hand and lifted it.


    How many months ago was it?


    Since the day she came to the main castle in Berg for Stern¡¯s wedding.


    Seria always wore the ring on her fourth finger.

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99


    How he found out about this was simpler than he thought. It was because Lesche had noticed Seria¡¯s Stern¡¯s attitude and personality had changed since herst visit to Berg.


    He wondered if perhaps the precious Stern had changed, and after a couple of nces, he saw the ring on her finger.


    Seria was quite protective of that ring. Any indifferent person would know that the ring was given to her by her fianc¨¦, Kalis Hon.


    She didn¡¯t wear that ring again after Kalis left with the Saintess, so there was nothing Lesche couldn¡¯t give her as a token of marriage or engagement. But if he gave her one anyway, she¡¯d probably think of Kalis Hon.


    At first, yes. That was certainly the idea.


    The problem was always the next.


    Lesche looked at Seria¡¯s white fingers. He knew that she would not be pleased if he told her that he would put a ring on this hand.


    That was the problem.


    Why is Seria so afraid that he will love the Saintess?


    He wondered if he resembled something in Kalis Hon.


    Lesche sensed that Seria was hiding something. He could only guess, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly what she was hiding.


    It didn¡¯t feel good to be hovering around the base of truth, but there was nothing he could do about it. The person holding the clues was Seria, his wife.


    Lesche held the sleeping Seria in his arms. The lips that he pressed down to carve a mark on her forehead slowly turned downward. After passing the cheek, it touched her lips. Then finally, he was able to sleep after a few moments.


    ***


    The next day.


    Drip. Drip.


    The incessant sound woke her up slowly. Seria raised her head slightly and looked out the window. It was raining.


    The nket was meticulously pulled up to her neck. She could tell immediately that Lesche was sleeping beside her. When did hee and when did he leave?


    In Lesche¡¯s eyes, she must look like a sick chicken who would freeze to death at any time whenever she was wrapped up tightly like this. And there was even a cup of tea with steam rising hotly on the small table beside the bed. It was definitely Lesche¡¯s idea.


    ¡°Haha.¡±


    ¡®But why am Iughing?¡¯


    Seria raised her body and grabbed the teacup, then leaned against the pillow. Drinking hot tea while listening to the sound of the rain hitting the stone walls and windows was quite rxing.


    After finishing the tea, Seria murmured to herself as she looked around the dark bedroom because of the dark clouds outside.


    ¡°Did he go to the meeting again?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go.¡±


    Seria almost dropped her teacup when she heard a sudden reply from the window.


    ¡°¡­Lesche?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Seria slipped both feet into her slippers and leaned forward. She couldn¡¯t see in front of her because of the thick canopy stretched over the bed. Lesche was sitting huddled in a recliner by the window, reading documents.


    ¡°When did you wake up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°I thought you left.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that busy, not even in Berg territory.¡±


    ¡°Not busy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go out somewhere.¡±


    Seria smiled and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s raining.¡±


    Lesche put the papers down as he looked out the window.


    ¡°Is there somewhere you¡¯d like to goter? Let¡¯s go to a tea party.¡±


    ¡°A tea party?¡±


    ¡°I heard that it¡¯s the fashion among the imperial aristocrats for husbands to take their wives to tea parties.¡±


    ¡°Where do you hear such news?¡±


    ¡°Linon has heard all sorts of things.¡±


    Seria chuckled. But theughter slowly faded away. Because Seria didn¡¯t have any friends to invite to the tea party.


    ¡®Of course, the original Seria Stern was a socialite. Her connections were strong, but that¡¯s actually where the original viin¡¯s connections allowed her to be. It was a rtionship where she couldn¡¯t expect emotional interaction with each other.¡¯


    ¡®After I possessed her, I was so busy paying off my debt with my life that I didn¡¯t have time to maintain such extravagant connections. Thanks to that, I never contacted anyone and lost touch with them.¡¯


    ¡®There¡¯s no one by my side. If it wasn¡¯t for Abigail, I would have been quite lonely in the capital.¡¯


    While Seria was deep in thoughts, Lesche put down the documents and strode to the bed where she was sitting.


    It didn¡¯t take long. Her slippers fell off her feet and rolled on the floor. She was pushed down on the bed and blinked. Lesche was just above her, his hand stroking slowly down her cheek.


    He grabbed her legs and pulled them close to his body. She couldn¡¯t help but shrink a little bit. Because Lesche was touching her thighs so she could guess what he wanted.


    It was morning¡­..Of course, the time wasn¡¯t that important. She could do it in the morning, too. ¨CIf there was a problem¡­.


    ¡°I have a lot to do today. Lesche.¡±


    ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°I have to decorate the mansion and designer Begonia ising. I need a dress when we go to the imperial pce.¡±


    Lesche let out a low sigh. It sounded like a moan, and her heart skipped a beat. Once again, the thought crossed her mind that she was d the bed was darker with the canopy. Otherwise, he would see her red face.


    Lesche touched her on the shoulder with a hand full of disappointment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the mansion business and you can do dress fitting.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to decorate the mansion?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Didn¡¯t you tell Ben everything?¡±


    That¡¯s true.


    ¡°Uh¡­.¡±


    Seria stared at Lesche, confused. What could she say? She felt like she just heard Abigail and Alliot say that they were going to decorate the castle. Would someone who had been a knight all his life be able to decorate to match Seria¡¯s aesthetic sensibilities?


    Her worries seemed to have been read as rejection. She was startled when Lesche suddenly kissed her neck.


    ¡°Please, Seria. Think about your newlywed husband for a moment.¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡®Why is he using tricks on me¡­.¡¯


    (*Did they do it again? Ahhh, I need more details¡­..)


    Eventually, after breakfast, Ben rushed to follow Lesche around.


    ****


    A few dayster.


    Time passed in a sh, and the day of the entrance ceremony came.


    She looked at her reflection in therge full-length mirror. Her round braided green hair was decorated with clear blue jewels, and her ne was also a bright blue color. Most people would have looked at the jewelry first, but not her.


    The fact that the dress she was wearing went up to her neck was the first thing that caught her eye. Begonia was definitely a forward-thinking designer.


    A few days ago, when she visited the Berg residence, Begonia rmended that all four of the dresses Seria would choose to wear when she entered the pce be designed to cover her neck.


    It was a great choice.


    ¡°The ne really goes well with the dresses, Grand Duchess.¡±


    Designer Begonia¡¯s powers of observation were truly outstanding.


    Susan and the other maids looked at her naked body as they tended to it after her bath, but they didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡®I think they saw everything¡­.¡¯


    Seria¡¯s skin was very white, so when any of it turned red, it was very noticeable. But, what if it¡¯s not one?


    She was even more embarrassed by their reaction to pretend that they werepletely unaware of it.


    ¡®Am I wrong? Would it be more embarrassing if they let out augh while looking at my skin?¡¯


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    When she was ready and walked out of the bedroom, Lesche was waiting.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lesche was also dressed in a suit that matched the etiquette of entering the pce, but with his neck covered. The servants who helped Lesche were more shy than the servants who served her. They averted their gaze as if trying to avoid her eyes.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure they could guess¡­that I made Lesche¡¯s neck like that.¡¯


    Seria stood there pretending to be shameless, but really she wanted to scream.


    No, she was actually a little frustrated because Lesche kept kissing her neck. It was like he was doing it out of his mind. Of course she wasn¡¯t in her right mind either, but the moment she looked in the mirror in the morning, she panicked.


    She wondered if this man really thought her neck was safe. As if he knew that she was going to wear a high neck dress, so he did it without worries.


    So that same day, Seria immediately did the same to his neck. If there was a slight misunderstanding, it was that Lesche did not avoid it at all. And here was the result.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Designer Begonia suggested the cravat suit.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like she knew my neck was going to be like this.¡±


    There was no high or low in Lesche¡¯s voice. Just a voice that told her that it was. Seria nced at Lesche¡¯s face, pondering what to say. Then she was immediately taken aback.


    ¡°Do you enjoy making fun of me?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I¡¯m happy looking at your face.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Please don¡¯t talk.¡± (Seria)


    Seria quickly got to her feet. Lesche was much taller than her, so of course it was easy for him to catch up with her. He tried to hold her hand, but she wouldn¡¯t let him. When she withdrew her hand for the third time, Lesche¡¯s face began to show embarrassment.


    ¡°Seria, are you angry?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t talk to me.¡±


    ¡°Why are you angry?¡±


    When Seria deliberately didn¡¯t answer, the troubled sound in Lesche¡¯s voice became more and more apparent.


    ¡°Seria, is it because we did it early in the morning for a few days?¡±


    Seria was so startled that she covered Lesche¡¯s mouth. His red eyes looked down at her hand that was covering his mouth. Then she looked into his eyes and whispered.


    ¡°Be quiet¡­.don¡¯t talk outside.¡± (Seria)


    Seria put down the hand that had been covering Lesche¡¯s mouth and he immediately grabbed her hand.


    ¡°This is inside the house.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Are the servants deaf?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°They are far away.¡± (Lesche)


    At Lesche¡¯s words, Seria nced back and sure enough, they were all in the distance. Somehow she wondered if being that far away with this conversation in her mind was better than having to hear it with her own ears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that unless there is no one else in the mansion. Please.¡±


    Lesche smiled and said he understood.

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100


    Auburn IV, the 16th emperor of the Glick Empire.


    He was crowned from the time of the Dowager Queen, but the Empress was weak. So she died early. After that, the emperor left the position of empress vacant, although he kept the queen for political reasons.


    Before her death, there were no concubines.


    It was described that they were very close and friendly.


    Auburn IV had 3 concubines after the empress died. He had 3 children, one Princess and two Princes.


    And both of them were crazy about Lina and became her ves¡­


    The novel was originally a reverse harem novel.


    Seria was face to face with an emperor who had two sons who were not chosen by the female lead. Thanks to that she was a little nervous when Lesche said, ¡°We must have an audience with the emperor.¡±


    In the second half of the original story, there was a major confrontation between the Emperor and Lesche, as Lina almost lost her life to purify magi in the imperial pce.


    Thanks to her, Seria was somewhat worried.


    ¡®They seem fine.¡¯


    Seria and Lesche were at the pce where the emperor resided. It was not a ce where many nobles could enter and have an audience at once, but an audience room with a more private atmosphere. All the furniture and wallpaper were painted with gold, but it looked morefortable anyway.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯vee, Grand Duke Berg.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s voice to the emperor was surprisingly ordinary. So was the


    Emperor.


    ¡°Please sit down, Grand Duchess Berg.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Seria sat down in my chair and looked into the emperor¡¯s face, it was the first time she had seen his face up close since she possessed Seria.


    The emperor looked more boring than strict royalty, like a farmer selling potatoes.


    He has gentle impressions. After he offered Seria tea, he looked at Lesche.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe when I asked you to?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it because of the frequent appearance of demons on the cier.¡±


    It was a lie. Seria Stern understood this very well.


    ¡°Aside from winter, there¡¯s spring, summer, and fall. Isn¡¯t it possible toe here at least once out of all three seasons?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have time because there was a setback in the supply of silver trees.¡±


    Of course, that was a lie, too. The vault at the Berg was always well-equipped with an abundance of silver branches. They were used, but they would be replenished the next day. Seria blinked, recognizing Lesche¡¯s casual deception.


    The emperor said after taking a sip of his tea.


    ¡°No matter how much I encouraged him to get married, he wouldn¡¯t do it, so I guess he was trying to marry Stern.¡±


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t Stern, I wouldn¡¯t want to marry anyone.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At that moment, Seria¡¯s expression and the Emperor¡¯s began to resemble each other. No, the chambein standing behind them couldn¡¯t believe his ears just now, either. Seria lifted her cup as she adjusted her expression.


    The emperor did the same. He cleared his throat and looked at Seria.


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess, I heard about the previous wedding.¡±


    Seria listened intently to the words that meant the wedding with Kalis. The emperor pointed to Lesche with his chin and continued speaking.


    ¡°It seems that you¡¯re the Grand Duke¡¯s preference.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡®Is this the emperor¡¯s joke? Should Iugh?¡¯


    At the same time as she thought, Seriaughed a little with survival and ttering instincts.


    But then the emperor looked at Lesche¡¯s and gave him a rather embarrassed look. Following his gaze, Seria looked at Lesche, and for a moment, she too felt her shoulders shake with fear. It was because Lesche¡¯s face was expressionless.


    ¡°I must have made a joke that wasn¡¯t funny. I was just happy to see you after all these years.¡±


    The emperor said, changing the subject skillfully.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Le would love to see this.¡±


    ¡°Le?¡±


    Seria¡¯s ears perked up. Her mind was still filled with the names of the nobles of the Glick Empire. The name Le was naturally there.


    Le Berg.


    She was Lesche¡¯s mother. Even in the original, the story of Lesche¡¯s mother was not mentioned in detail. Not only did he intentionally avoid it, but even when he came here, Lesche did not directly mention it, so Seria was curious that she couldn¡¯t hide it.


    The Emperorughed loudly, as if he knew Seria was curious.


    ¡°I was an academy ssmate with Le. We knew each other quite well. She was a nice and smart ssmate. It¡¯s too bad she got sick and went away.¡±


    The previous Grand Duchess was said to have died of illness, ording to the outside world. When Seria heard it from Linon, it wasn¡¯t like that. Well, actually, it was right.


    She remembered when she heard the words of the emperor. The emperor now¡­.He was like thosepassionate and broad-minded rtives she saw in dramas sometimes. Maybe it was because she thought such rtives were unicorns, but it was strange to see them in front of her.


    Now she could understand the emperor¡¯s attitude towards Lesche. It would be nice to keep going like that.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    The emperor looked at Seria.


    ¡°I was a friend of High Priest Amos. I personally respected him, but he left while protecting the Saintess. It was an official choice, but I still often feel bad.¡±


    The Emperor had a dark expression as if he was mourning. It was not a lie to say that he was close to Amos.


    ¡°Come here often. You stay a little longer. Don¡¯t you have a lot to say about the demon subjugation? Howard was crying and screaming and making a fuss.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you epting it?¡±


    The emperor smiled bitterly. Seria had a question mark on her head again. Was it because the emperor was swayed by Queen Ezikel?


    ¡®What? I¡¯m the only one who doesn¡¯t know anything about the royal family. They are the only ones who know.¡¯


    Seria didn¡¯t want to hear too much about something she didn¡¯t understand, so she just got up from her seat.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going now. Your Majesty.¡±


    Lesche grabbed her hand as she got up. He too left his seat and the emperor turned to look at him.


    ¡°Where are you going? I¡¯ve never asked you to go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only going to escort my wife ande back.¡±


    ¡°Is the Grand Duchess going on the continent tour?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll escort her to the carriage.That¡¯s the basic courtesy in Berg.¡±


    The Emperor looked unhappy.


    ¡°Have a safe trip.¡±


    ***


    The emperor had grudges. He kept a ledger on Lesche and Seria the whole time, as if he was trying to interrupt their time together.


    Seria inadvertently became someone who was escorted by the Grand Duke and the Emperor¡¯s personal chambein, though she was only going to the carriage.


    Even so, because it was the pce where the emperor stayed, aristocrats, bureaucrats, and hundreds of people seem to be busy passing by¡­


    It was embarrassing when everyone was looking this way.


    ¡°Just go, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s even a carriage left.¡±


    Seria quickly changed direction.


    ¡°Go ande back quickly.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you mean?¡±


    The chambein beckoned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your wife to the carriage.¡±


    The chambein was very skillful. Despite his skillful answer, Lesche did not go. Rather, he grabbed Seria¡¯s hand and put it on his cheek.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    His red eyes stared down at her.


    ¡°People are very shallow.¡±


    ¡°Why?


    ¡°I wonder why I came to the Imperial Pce. I want to stay stuck in the mansion with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria stared at Lesche. Every adult would understand what he said. Lescheughed as he saw Seria¡¯s flickering pupils. He pressed his lips tightly to the back of her hand while his eyes were fixed on Seria¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at home, Seria.¡±


    Seria felt her heart tingle at the sound of Lesche¡¯s voice. It was winter in the central region, but here spring was approaching. Her fingers twitched involuntarily as she felt something crackle inside her heart. It just tickled her, as if some part of her had been touched by a spring breeze.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t long before Seria reached the carriage waiting for her. The chambein who escorted her said politely.


    ¡°Have a safe trip, Grand Duchess Berg.¡±


    After the chambein left, Seria waited for a while in front of the carriage. The horses that had been brought to the stable by the imperial attendants had not yet arrived. It¡¯s really amazing how quiet it was, like a library even though there were so many carriages and attendants in one ce.


    At that moment.


    ¡°Um, Grand Duchess Berg?¡±


    A woman¡¯s voice called out from behind Seria. She turned around and saw a noblewoman standing there, whom Seria couldn¡¯t tell if she was ady or a noblewoman.


    ¡°Who¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh my!¡±


    The woman grabbed Seria¡¯s hand right away.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Marlesana Polvas. Duchess Polvas.¡±


    ¡®The Duchess of Polvas? Oh!¡¯


    Seria immediately opened her eyes. It was the Duchess whom she had rescued by climbing up the hill from the Berg Territory, Connes in.


    ¡°Now I¡¯m officially saying thank you. Me and Polvas are in great debt to Stern and Berg.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh my!¡±


    The Duchess of Polvas¡¯ eyes lit up significantly.


    ¡°I thought you were going to humble yourself and say it wasn¡¯t a big deal, but you¡¯re wrong.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡±


    The Duchess burst outughing. The Duchess¡¯s attitude was very original. Wasn¡¯t that what most of the nobles around Seria were originally like? They were so different inside and outside. Seria Stern was like a dog pleaser.


    It had been a long time since she met a Duchess with such a straightforward attitude. She naturally felt ten degrees of fondness for her.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I came to my senses a few days after that day. I was going to say thank you, but they said the Grand Duke¡¯s castle was too noisy because of the royal approval. So I just sent you a gift because I thought you would be out of your mind if I visited you. I regretted it after sending it. My present must have been buried, right?


    ¡°Well¡­.¡±


    ¡®To be honest, I wasn¡¯t aware that the gift was sent by the Duchess of Polvas. This is because, as she said, gifts poured in from all over Berg due to the imperial approval for my marriage.¡¯


    When Seria smiled awkwardly, Duchess Polvas said in a knowing voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Grand Duchess. I¡¯m just happy to see you like this.¡±


    The Duchess took off the hat she was wearing and handed it to the maid next to her, then raised one hand above her chest. Then, with the other hand, she lifted the hem of her skirt and then bent her knees.


    It was a deep bow. This was a greeting to express the greatest appreciation to the Lady of the Glick Empire.


    But something else caught Seria¡¯s attention before that polite greeting.


    ¡®Pink hair?¡¯


    Pink-haired Duchess?


    Looking back, Seria remembered that this Duchess was also wearing a hat when she was attacked by the demons. At that time, Seria didn¡¯t have time to look carefully at the Duchess¡¯s hair color. It was a very rare pink hair¡­.


    Seria asked just in case.


    ¡°Madam, could it be that you have pink eyes?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Yes, they are. I have unusual eye color.¡±


    The Duchess pped her hands.


    ¡°Oh, Grand Duchess! You¡¯ve just arrived at the capital. I would like to treat you to a cup of tea as a token of my gratitude. Do you have a regr tea party that you attend? If not¡­.¡±


    Seria blinked as she heard the Duchess¡¯s chattering voice.


    ¡®This person¡­¡­. Is she from the original story?¡¯

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101


    Linon was in a state of pride.


    The Grand Duchess was invited to the Duchess of Polvas¡¯ tea party. Naturally the Grand Duke said he would escort her.


    Seria was really impressed that she could even understand the social trends of the capital. She has been doing a lot of nningtely.


    And so Lesche followed Seria to the Polvas residence. They had to visit the imperial temple soon anyway.


    However, Seria noticed something funny.


    She as the Grand Duchess was wearing a blue dress, and the Grand Duke wore a matching blue suit.


    It wasmon for husbands and wives and couples to match their dress codes, but it was forrge banquets.


    At such a small tea party, of course, the host and the participants were all of the leading members of the Glick Empire.


    Still, it was a small tea party.


    ¡®I look like a weirdo.¡¯


    It was all about escorting Seria and bringing her back.


    ¡®You¡¯ve really changed, haven¡¯t you?¡¯ (Lesche¡¯s thoughts about Seria)


    Anyway, Seria looked happy. And indeed, she felt good.


    ¡°Wee to Polvas, Grand Duchess and Grand Duke.¡±


    ¡°Wee. The in of Polvas extends a hearty wee to you both.¡±


    The Duchess of Polvas, Marlesana, was by Duke Polvas¡¯ side. Considering Berg¡¯s powerful position and influence, it was a natural hospitality.


    Duke Polvas had a quiet impression. In fact, he was actually quiet. And when others looked at it, it seemed that he was not interested in his wife and would not give much love to his family.


    But Seria knew.


    That man, she had read about him in the original story.


    He never remarried after his wife¡¯s early death. He rarely went out in social circles, but every once in a while, when there was an imperial banquet that he had to attend, he would.


    He appeared wearing only an outrageous pink suit.


    The reaction from the social circles was not favorable. Everyone whispered, ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Lina, however, was different. She felt a great deal of curiosity about the conspicuously dressed Duke Polvas, and approached himter because she had to get acquainted with him on the mining issue.


    That was what he wore to mourn his dead wife.


    Because his wife, the Duchess, had a rare pink hair.


    Knowing this, Duke Polvas looked at his wife a little differently.


    She could see that Marlesana treated Duke Polvas with no difficulty at all.


    He was a man who listened to his wife.


    Seria said quietly to Lesche.


    ¡°Lesche, that duke is a good man.¡±


    Lesche looked carefully at Duke Polvas.


    ¡°What do you like about him?¡±


    ¡°He listens to his wife and he¡¯s gentle. He seems to be an unexpectedly faithful man in that aspect.¡±


    ¡°Did they get married by love?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, I remember it was a political marriage.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s strange. Isn¡¯t that unusual?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s rare.¡±


    Linon, who was listening in the background, was speechless at the conversation between them.¡®Someday,¡¯ Seria murmured, and a strange idiom popped into her head, the meaning of which she came to recall at a nce as she grasped the context before and after.


    ¡®You¡¯re really talking about yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡¯


    ***


    The tea party with Marlesana was fun. Even though it was kind of like an obligation that she (the Duchess) had to be nice to her saviors (Seria and Lesche), it was fun nheless.


    No, that quiet man who could barely do fifty words or so a day. After his wife died, he hid his burning love for her by wearing an outrageous pink suit as a gesture of condolence¡­.


    It was very interesting.


    ¡®The transport to the mine was also resolved very smoothly.¡¯


    The benefactor who saved his wife¡¯s life was asking for my help, and of course any sane man would ept. And Duke Polvas was a sane man, so he epted immediately.


    Seria happily headed to the imperial temple.


    There were a number of temples in the capital alone, but this was thergest of them all.


    ¡°Stern! How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Stern, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you.¡±


    The priests, even if Seria had be Grand Duchess, she was still an important Stern, she greeted them with an acquaintance.


    This huge temple was divided into several buildings, and they headed to the far end. As with any building, the further in you go, the stricter the conditions of entry be. But Seria was Stern, so that was not a problem.


    Seria was in a good mood. It had been a long time so she thought she¡¯d go and pray inside Stern¡¯s insignia.


    ¡°Good morning. Stern.¡±


    Seria turned around at the sound of a heavy voice of the middle-aged man.


    ¡°Do you remember me? I¡¯m Duke Dietrich.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Of course I remember you.¡±


    Duke Dietrich. He was the one who gave Lina many awards until she took her ce in the imperial society. Almost at the end of the book, he even yed the role of Lina¡¯s adoptive father.


    Even as the novel progressed and all the Dukes fell or stagnated, he was the lone Duke who seeded until the end andter became the empire¡¯s top figure.


    Inmon pance, he held the rope well.


    Envy.


    And he didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with Seria, who had confronted the heroine herself and was a rotten specimen of rope. It was no wonder.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I saw your face because you haven¡¯te out to the social world. It¡¯s hard to go to a private townhouse.¡±


    As the story goes, Duke Dietrich was quite frequent in social circles. It was because of the lust for power. He was a man who cared very much about expanding his influence.


    ¡°I will be out more from now on.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sure you will. I¡¯mte in greeting you. Congrattions on your marriage. Myote Stern is getting more beautiful every day, but she is no match for Seria Stern.¡±


    ¡®What the¡­¡¯


    ¡®Why is heparing Stern for?¡¯


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll tell her about it the next time I see Myote Stern.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to meet her?¡±


    Duke Dietrich, who had been smirking, gasped. The fact that he didn¡¯t like Sterns to meet each other wasn¡¯t a secret. It was a story that anyone with a great deal of influence over information would know. Seria was a Stern too, but¡­..Still, it didn¡¯t matter because she had a stronger ego.


    ¡®And on top of that, why is he picking a fight with me?¡¯


    Well, there was Lina, so of course it was rare for people to like Seria the crazy foal, but this wasn¡¯t the middle of a social banquet hall, or a temple where you have to be strictly chaste.


    Seria quickly turned to Duke Dietrich. In her hand was a chalice filled with holy water.


    ¡°Duke Dietrich?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Stern?¡±


    Seria gave him a toothy grin. But the Duke was puzzled, as if he had seen the devil. After all, a not-so-good smile on a not-so-good guy. Well, it didn¡¯t matter.


    She poured holy water on the floor without caring. It didn¡¯t just swell. She did it again and again, after halfway, she poured it all out.


    Duke Dietrich took a step back in fear.


    Ssh, ssh, the holy water crashed to the floor. Duke Dietrich, who was staring nkly at the holy water, asked in a puzzled voice,


    ¡°Stern? Now¡­ What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I prayed for the Duke¡¯s well-being. Holy water is precious, but I am Stern. I can use this amount of holy water for any private purposes, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, so are you saying thank you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too ungrateful.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, thank you. ¡±


    Duke Dietrich seemed to be somewhat concerned. Anyway, if Linaes, he¡¯ll press Seria in all directions again, so what¡¯s pretty?


    Seria walked in front of the altar, leaving behind the ufortable Duke looking down at the holy water sprinkled on the floor. There was an insignia hanging on the altar, and she suddenly felt the ne hanging on her neck was hot.


    She took out the ne and the insignia seemed to be pulsating. It was like it was trying to move closer to the front. She ced the ne against the insignia, and at that moment.


    ¡°Aah!¡±


    A tremendous amount of divine power exploded from the ne, and she heard a scream from behind her. And at the same time, there was a sound of crumbling. Seria removed the ne and turned around. Duke Dietrich had fallen unconscious.


    ¡°What? What is it? D*mn it.¡±


    Seria hurriedly put the ne in her pocket and rushed to Duke Dietrich.


    ¡°Duke, wake up? Priest! Is there anyone?¡±


    ¡°Stern!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Oh my god, Duke Dietrich!


    ¡®The divine power exploded like that, didn¡¯t they know outside?¡¯


    ¡°He copsed suddenly. He seems to be very weak. Call someone quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Duke Dietrich was carried out by the holy knights. Seria looked around the altar.


    ¡®What is it? I feel like I was possessed just now.¡¯


    Seria squeezed the ne tightly and quickly unsped it.


    Not a single part of the ne was hot, as if it wasn¡¯t hot in the beginning.


    ¡®What the hell was this all about?¡¯


    Seria stared at the dazzling Stern insignia adorned on the altar.


    ***


    ¡°Stern?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°Focus.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seria focused on the altar at the stern words of the High Priest. He recited a prayer and prayed.


    ¡°You can go in now. How long do you n to stay?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll know when I go in.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Stern.¡±


    After the incident at the temple, Seria left for the main temple from the Capital the next day.


    Seria left the High Priest behind and went inside. This was the Oracle Archives located in the heart of the temple.


    The good thing about being in Stern was the fact that it was such a simple procedure to enter the Oracle Archives, where others couldn¡¯t apply for ess, and even if they did, they had to undergo a five-year review.


    Inside, she could smell the old wood and paper. She liked the quietness of such a ce, but she had no time for sentimentality.


    She had to check the Oracle.


    The Oracle Archives in the temple were divided into three categories.


    One was that the subject and the prophecy were clear.


    The second was that the subject was clear but the prophecy was unclear.


    The remaining third has an unclear object and an unclear prophecy.


    Of course, most oracles fall into the third category.


    Oracles themselves don¡¯te down often¡­. There weren¡¯t that many oracles gathered over thousands of years.


    Seria looked up oracles. There was no number one, of course, and there was no number two either.


    She searched number 3¡­.


    But it was still a lot. It would take a few days to check each and every one, and Seria sighed for a momentarily. Her eyes, which had been passing through only the marked dates without much thought, suddenly grew.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    She remembered the day she got married. It would be rare for someone to forget.


    It was originally the wedding day of Stern, who had tried to marry Kalis and had ended up with Lesche as her husband. The oracle hade down on that day.


    Seria hurriedly opened the book and had to stop as if struck by lightning the moment she read the sacred print being written.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    [Only when the holy relics of the hidden pentagonal star are turned to the master will evil be punished.]


    The pentagonal star¡­.


    Hidden¡­.


    Seria reflexively grabbed the circlet that she wore on her neck. The circlet that was hot in the Imperial Temple was still calm and quiet today. She slowly removed her hand from the circlet. Then she swept her face with both hands.


    ¡°Darn it.¡±


    ¡®This circlet was the holy relic recorded here. And itsmasteris Lina, and I¡¯m evil.¡¯

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102


    *Seria¡¯s pov*


    I really just want to lie down. I¡¯m so angry. How can I be evil? Seria is the evil one, not me!


    ¡­Even though I scream like this, it¡¯s inevitable because I¡¯m Seria.


    I try to calm down. Whatever the Oracle said, I want to live.


    But, am I really evil?


    Maybe it¡¯s a rationalization that I can¡¯t talk about. But the reason why I think so is because I suddenly remembered what happened on the Tshugan in. That pure white snowfield, the isted Saintess, and the ck fog that moved around Lina¡¯s body¡­


    Since that day, I¡¯ve been searching pretty much everywhere for a lead, but I still don¡¯t know what it is. I know intuitively that it was not a good thing.


    However¡­


    I can see that this is a very useful justification. I¡¯ve been beaten up enough in the past year to just lie back in peace, and believe only what I want to believe about myself.


    Just in case, I must get a holy relic and hide it again in the basement of the manor. I¡¯ll stick to a gold ornament in the shape of a star.


    It¡¯s a kind of insurance, and if I¡¯m doomed to be a target that must be recognized and treated as evil then Lina can¡¯t be, but if I go into the green manor and look for holy relics¡­.


    Would Kalis really cut my head off then, just like in the original story?


    I have a bitter feeling. I¡¯m horrified by the fact that such an Oracle hade down, and that it was, in everyone¡¯s eyes, out to get me. What had I done so wrong? What¡¯s so wrong about being possessed?


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    With the oracle in my heart, I sighed involuntarily. If it was an ordinary piece of paper, I would have ripped it up, chewed it in my mouth, and swallowed it. Since I¡¯m under a spell, I have to be patient.


    (*back to third pov)


    Linon was waiting for Seria when she came out of the Oracle archive.


    ¡°Grand Duchess, did you find what you were looking for?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    ¡°Knight Alliot and Abigail are also waiting for you. Since it¡¯s toote, we¡¯ll stay in the war zone today instead and return to the capital tomorrow. I¡¯ve informed His Highness.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    It was a nned trip instead of a sudden decision. Seria was not able to wait for Lesche¡¯s itinerary because she was suspicious of the holy relics.


    Lesche assigned the Chief Aide and a Knight Commander to go with Seria. Anyone knew what that meant. Seria squeezed the circlet that she was wearing on her neck for a moment and then released it.


    ¡°Linon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess?¡±


    ¡°I need to get a higher level holy relic. In secret, of course.¡±


    ¡°A holy relic?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there an auction house for that?¡±


    ¡°Of course there is, albeit in a dark auction house. Would you like to go there?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have everything ready for you. Don¡¯t worry about anything.¡±


    Linon¡¯s strong answer lifted some of the burdens from Seria¡¯s shoulders. It was then that she realized something. That she was so nervous about the Oracle.


    Did Linon know it and say that on purpose?


    Anyway, there were only good people in Berg. Seria stopped and called out to Linon.


    ¡°Linon, thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Huh? Um¡­ It¡¯s so sudden.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m suddenly grateful.¡±


    Linon¡¯s eyes fluttered, and he cleared his throat.


    ¡°Will you praise me when we go to the Green Manorter?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Suddenly, Linon¡¯s smile rapidly began to fade.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seria asked, and Linon suddenly gulped hard.


    ¡°Grand Duchess, could it be¡­could it be? You¡¯re not¡­ you¡¯re not going to buy a ve, are you?¡±


    ¡°ves?¡±


    ¡°That auction house is a bit¡­ It¡¯s a very popr ce for female nobles.¡±


    ¡°ves are popr among female nobles?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    Seria immediately noticed and shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m a healthy Stern. I¡¯ll just get the holy relic and leave right away.¡±


    ¡°You will? If the Grand Duchess buys anything else, I¡¯ll die.¡±


    ¡°I said I won¡¯t.¡±


    That night, Linon came to visit Seria again.


    ¡°Grand Duchess?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Linon did note into Seria¡¯s room because it waste at night. He just stood there in front of the door. He was a cautious man.


    ¡®No, I know there are a lot of them, but¡­¡¯


    ¡°I heard that this time there will be more ves than ever, Grand Duchess.¡± (*Linon is afraid that Seria will buy male ves ??)


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re really quick with your information.¡±


    ¡°No, Grand Duchess. I will be honest with you. I¡¯m so worried, I can¡¯t sleep. Don¡¯t you think so? There are times when people are as quiet as a stone and have no desire, but when they see gold they are attracted to it. If you do the bidding by mistake, you will not be safe, neither will I. My dream is to live a long life, but ah! Of course, I can dly give this one life for my beloved Stern, but this kind of death is so regrettable that I am really too ashamed to say anything anywhere, and I will resent the Grand Duchess even as a ghost, and in the end, white bones¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop it, stop it!¡±


    Seria shouted.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so worried, I¡¯ll go with Lesche!¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ***


    It was a sunny day, exactly two weeks after. Linon had gotten tickets to the dark auction house, which he said was difficult to get. After all, he had the ability. And as it was, shaking and shouting for everyone to hear in the Great Temple, the precious Grand Duke Berg was with Seria.


    ¡°You¡¯re busy.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be busy about.¡±


    ¡°Lies¡­.really.¡±


    Seria¡¯s eyes were wide open as she looked at the ceiling. The decor of this dark auction house was truly unique. Mirrors were hanging on the ceiling as well. The color of her hair that reflected in the mirror was not green and was a rtivelymon ck.


    Ladies and noblewomen with green hair were so rare that it was almost like wearing an identification card on the foreheads. It was a very unfavorable physical condition in such an illegal auction house. For this reason, Seria wore a wig. She also wore a hat with a ribbon on top.


    Furthermore, she wore a white veil, which was a requirement to enter this auction house. At first nce, it was just a veil of pure white cloth, simr to the robes used in cathedrals.


    Seria liked her reflection in the mirror.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think dark hair is nice?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Lesche gave Seria a light nce.


    ¡°No matter what you use, I like your original hair.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s rare for someone to like the color of my hair.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so unusual about it?¡±


    Lesche asked with an expression of iprehension.


    ¡°Really. It¡¯s beautiful, like a summer leaf.¡±


    His words oozed sincerity and for some reason, Seria felt embarrassed. She tugged on Lesche¡¯s hand, aware of Alliot and Abigail standing behind her. Lesche obediently followed as Seria pulled him.


    The auction room consisted of a wide corridor with many corners. Everyone, young and old, males and females, had a pure white veil on their heads. It seemed embarrassing to show their faces in front of God while spending money in an illegal auction house.


    It was a dark ce, so Linon couldn¡¯t even follow. In his ce, Alliot and Abigail came. That was all. Only one guard per person could be brought in.


    Every time they walked a few dozen meters, a door appeared, and they checked their tickets all the way through that door. While Lesche and Alliot showed their tickets for thest time, Seria looked around, touching the ribbon on her hat again to make sure it was tied well to her chin.


    The walls and floor were ck and navy blue. Of course, it was marble. She could see just how much money had been spent on it. The atmosphere was definitely decadent.


    Then, with a loud bang, many people walked past at once. Seria widened her eyes. Two aristocrats, dressed as nicely as she was, along with two knights, who appeared to be guards, emerged. Then there was arge group of what seemed to be the staff and guards of this ce. And the one following them at the back¡­.


    ¡°He¡¯s a ve.¡±


    Abigail¡¯s voice pricked up her ears. Perhaps because she had seen so many knights before, she could immediately tell that the ve in the rags was a former knight.


    ¡®Linon¡¯s story is true.¡¯


    Half of the healthy ves that appeared at these illegal ve auctions were fugitive knights. They were knights who escaped from the battle to defeat the demons¡­. If they were caught, they would either be executed ording to militaryw or sold secretly like this.


    Usually, the ves brought to ve auctions were war ves. However, because of the rampant demons in this world, there was no room for war between countries. The reason was that it was more profitable to use those troops to defeat demons. The moment trade would bring more money than war, wars would be greatly reduced. It seemed to be no different here.


    ¡°They¡¯re ves too. Miss.¡±


    Another half of them were ves from the heretical missionaries.


    The Nes sorcerers she saw in the green manor looked the same.


    Although hidden by their distinctive, shimmering vestments, the sorcerers were quite muscr. The wobbly sorcerers seemed to have been eliminated by the dangers of traveling to distantnds to proselytize under the eye of the Great Temple.


    As Seria stared at the sorcerer¡¯s ve, she suddenly felt odd.


    The gazes of the surrounding guests nced at Lesche¡¯s back¡­


    It was too obvious.


    ¡®What¡¯s wrong with them?¡¯


    With a frown on Seria¡¯s forehead, she looked behind Lesche as well. The annoying thing was that she knew immediately what the reason was.


    Lesche was wearing a ck coat that was made of luxurious material, but had very few decorations, and it was cut to fit his body almost perfectly.


    Everyone here was crazy enough to buy ves with money, so when they saw a man, especially someone like Lesche, their lustful gaze seemed to turn that way.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    The women were fine, but why was that old man also looking at Lesche? Seria first thought it was Lesche¡¯s identity, but it was not the case. She could clearly see the male noble licking his tongue through the pure white veil that covered his face.


    The problem was Alliot.


    Did Alliot see what she saw? Lesche was still not looking this way, but Alliot was the knight who had originallye to escort. He had been looking around all this time, sensing the atmosphere and keeping a vignt eye out, so it was impossible for him not to notice that deep stare towards his lord.

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103


    Now Seria could see Alliot¡¯s expression hardened. But he overlooked one thing. He didn¡¯t really know that people were staring at him too.


    ¡°Lady? What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°No, Bibi. I was wondering if Sir Alliot was being eaten.¡±


    (*the word ¡®eaten¡¯ means the people stare at them intensely in a sexual way or something)


    Abigail nced at Alliot and asked back.


    ¡°What is it, youngdy?¡±


    ¡°Look carefully around you.¡±


    Abigail looked around slowly. She quickly realized.


    ¡°He¡¯s beenpletely eaten.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? The eyes are also very focused now. That¡¯s a little inconvenient in this auction house. It will also ruin my ns.¡±


    Abigail said in a very peaceful voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lady, I can¡¯t let life and ns get eaten together. I¡¯ll keep him safe.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll keep him safe?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯ll be easy.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Abigail¡¯s words were very reliable. Seria smiled then approached Lesche. Once she became aware of it, she realized that all the eyes of the people around her were looking closely at them. She didn¡¯t care and grabbed Lesche¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Honey.¡±


    Lesche turned and looked at Seria.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Her voice came out more resolute than she thought. But it didn¡¯t matter, because people would have heard enough. It didn¡¯t take long for the red eyes under the mask to look at her. Lesche suddenly lowered his head towards her. Seria was a little confused because Lesche kissed her with the veil on their faces. But it wasn¡¯t a long kiss and Lesche retreated.


    ¡°¡­ Why are you kissing me so suddenly? There are many eyes here.¡±


    ¡°I thought you meant I could kiss you.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God.¡±


    Seria cleared her throat. Lesche seemed to be smiling secretly behind his white veil. He grabbed Seria¡¯s hand and stepped closer.


    ¡°You wanted to show off that we¡¯re a couple, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°I see gazes shift to Alliot.¡±


    ¡°Did you know that? You knew, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Lesche was a knight, so it was really amazing to see him so nonchnt without a care in the world, even with dozens of pairs of eyes on him like that.


    ¡°Bibi is going to protect Alliot.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Hearing that, Lesche turned around. Seria followed his gaze. As if the god of timing had descended, Abigail just started talking to Alliot in a tone that was out of the ordinary.


    ¡°Sir. Please don¡¯t worry so much.¡±


    As if to confirm the owners of the pouring gaze, Alliot, who had been quiet, shifted his gaze.


    ¡°Worried about what?¡±


    Abigail¡¯s lower stomach tightened.


    ¡°Your ¡®night performance¡¯! But there must be a cure.¡±


    ¡°My night performance?¡±


    ¡®Did I hear it wrong?¡¯ (Seria)


    Alliot, who seemed to be more shocked than Seria, was smacked in the ear once.


    But that was Abigail. She did not care at all and dered it seriously and solemnly for others to hear.


    ¡°Heya! You will soon have a holy relic that will treat your condition¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°My master told me that it would be able to cure your chronic impotence!¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    It must not be an illusion that the area had gonepletely quiet. The hot lustful eyes for Alliot cooled down in an instant¡­.Through the masks and veils, Seria quickly turned her head away and let Alliot¡¯s face turn white as flour.


    ¡°Lady¡­..¡±


    Seria pretended not to notice that Lesche wasughing, while his shoulders shook.


    ¡°She indeed protected him.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    The entrance door opened. The ce where the holy relics auction was held was a veryrge hall. The ceiling was also very high as if it was made from the second floor. Following the guidance of the auctioneer, they were seated in the front row.


    ***


    ¡°I saw them in their seats.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    It was the report the man had been waiting for.


    The man let out a long breath. In the dark room, the smoke from the cigar rose and gradually disappeared.


    ¡°Whooo¡­¡±


    The man stared at the scattered smoke and asked.


    ¡°Did he reallye here to buy holy relics? With his wife?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the funniest thing I¡¯ve heard in years.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing this for years. His predecessors were crazy about their wives, and this man is crazy about his wife too¡­..It is the history of Grand Duke Berg that is affected by the Grand Duchess.¡±


    The man chuckled.


    ¡°So if my mother had been a Grand Duchess, it would have been more peaceful. It¡¯s a futile assumption though.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, listen to me carefully.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°The Grand Dukes of Berg are unlucky. They only pick the nicest women anywhere and make them Grand Duchess. The previous generation took the cleverest woman from the upper ss of the academy to serve as Grand Duchess, and this time it¡¯s Stern. Berg snatches up women like a demon when he needs them.¡±


    The man uttered a vulgar swear word and dropped the cigar on the floor. The man who had put out the fire by smashing it with his shoe continued.


    ¡°Did you release all the sorcerers?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are all waiting for orders to be given.¡±


    ¡°Can anyone in this empire imagine that so many auction houses are in my hands?¡±


    A smile sshed across his pale cheeks.


    ¡°I have only one question. What should I do with the people?¡±


    ¡°Kill all the men. Leave the women alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ***


    An auction house with no catalog provided.


    It was a natural thing to do in such an illegal ce. The reason was that they didn¡¯t want the items they were dealing with inside to leak out. They also didn¡¯t want it to be evidence. So, Seria had no choice but to purchase immediately after hearing the holy relics introduced by the host.


    Seria tried to sense the divine power of the holy relics as they were presented. It wasn¡¯t urate but it was usually spot on.


    There were many precious bargains.


    Still, she needed a strong relic to trick Lina.


    Before Lina went back to her world, the words she said when she saw Seria¡¯s circlet kept bothering her (Seria) since the original Lina wasn¡¯t such a crazy girl.


    But it was strange. Lina acted like she always wanted the circlet Seria had. And Lina would say things that even a crazy noble wouldn¡¯t dare to say.


    At the time, Seria didn¡¯t really think much, but after seeing the Oracle in the temple¡­.


    She wondered if Lina might have received a revtion from God about this circlet. Anyway, Lina was a Saint. Even though she was in a state of doubt about her divine power, she was still a Saint.


    So no matter how much she had to pay, Seria had to prepare a holy relic with very strong divine power and then carefully ce it in the basement of the green manor.


    It was around the time when about ten holy relics passed. Abigail, who was sitting behind Seria, whispered.


    ¡°Miss, I thought you were going to buy only one item.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It will be a make or break item.¡±


    ¡°What does it mean?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a big deal. The more I look at it, the more I want to buy it.¡±


    There was not a single mistake in Linon¡¯s words.


    She had just bought six out of ten holy relics, making her the biggest fish in the auction house. The presenter was also busy smiling and looking at her proudly. She felt like his mouth was going to split open over his ears.


    ¡°Now for a very precious treasure that even has the nickname ¡®Moonlight in the Desert¡¯! It¡¯s a very rare holy relic in the form of a ring.¡±


    The moment when a small holy relic came up to the stage. Seria¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    That was it.


    It was a holy relic with overwhelmingly strong sacred power. And coincidentally, the design was a bit simr to the circlet. It was made of a different material, but it had a pentagonal pattern (star shaped). It seemed like a set.


    (The circlet and the ring both have star shapes)


    ¡°The sacred power is strong.¡±


    Seria didn¡¯t do the bidding right away. She watched others bid at a reasonable price. The auctioneer was immediately pleased.


    ¡°This customer here will bid 3¡­ Oh, it¡¯s taken at 3.5! Let¡¯s try 4¡­. 4.5 is served! Another 5¡­5.5 is served! ¡±


    What is it? What is this dirty y?


    Seria craned her neck to look at the table to her left, which was holding up the bidding board. Of course, she couldn¡¯t see the faces very well. All the tables had been ced separately, probably for personal protection, because they had partitioned them with a cloth that resembled a long canopy.


    She continued to raise the amount from a small amount to 0.5¡­


    She wrote a new number on the bidding board and lifted it.


    ¡°10! 10 is up!¡±


    Suddenly the amount nearly doubled, and a light murmur passed once, and then another 10.5 was called out on the other side. Lesche, who was sitting with a light support of his chin, watched her auction with amusement , and said,


    ¡°Say whatever numbers you like.¡±


    ¡°Still, I don¡¯t want to be ripped off. It¡¯s my money, you know.¡±


    Lesche tilted his chin.


    ¡°You have my private money, too.¡±


    ¡°You want me to use your private money?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t all of a husband¡¯s private wealth his wife¡¯s?¡±


    Seria frowned, not answering. Lesche asked,


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering how I could tell you in a good way that your private property is mine too.¡±


    Lesche ended up bowing his head and burst intoughter. Seria then erased the numbers on the bidding board and wrote a new one.


    ¡°Twenty,dies and gentlemen, we have a twenty!¡±


    It was thrilling. Everyone looked at her wondering how rich she must be. And the buzz got much louder. She got quite a bit of money as a Stern. The auctioneer breathed heavily.


    ¡°Is there anyone else who would like to bid?¡±


    But there couldn¡¯t be anyone. The auctioneer standing next to the presenter lifted the auction stick.


    ¡°Sold to 20!¡±


    p! p! p!


    The sound of apuse spread.


    Standing up in a sh, Seria lifted the hat brim slightly and swept through the surroundings. She knew that among the people sitting, there were quite a few who wondered who she was, as she could see the silhouettes moving back and forth through her hidden veil.


    It was the same with the oddly aged person who was defeated whilepeting with her.

 Chapter 104

    <h2>Chapter 104</h2>


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    Seria walked happily to a highly secure secret ce for her hidden treasure which she just won. She spent quite a bit of effort trying to guess the sacred power from afar. She spent nearly an hour that way, and it was nothing short of exhausting.


    However, when she actually held the holy relic in her hands, she felt like the fatigue umted was relieved.


    <em>¡®Good. This is enough to deceive Lina, the Oracle, and the original!¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®I won¡¯t be punished!¡¯</em>


    As Seria stepped outside, Lesche was waiting for her with his back facing her. She almost called out his name out of reflex, but remembered btedly where they were and shouted.


    ¡°Honey!¡±


    She ran to his side with a smile. Then she grabbed Lesche¡¯s arm. He looked back at her and smiled.


    It all happened so fast. Lesche grasped her chin and lowered his face and kissed her. A light kiss across the veil. It was just like that kiss before they entered the auction room. It was exactly the same.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    She got goosebumps a beatter. The man wasn¡¯t Lesche.


    ¡°It¡¯s such a simrity¡­.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t I look like him?¡±


    The man¡¯s low voice was unusual. Seria mumbled as she looked at him .


    ¡°Mies?¡±


    The illegitimate son of the previous Grand Duke of Berg.


    The man, no, Mies, lifted the veil off his face. He smiled brightly. His pale face was like a mask, but the smile on his face made her feel repulsed.


    ¡°It looks like my brother told you my name.¡± (Mies)


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    At the same time heughed, Seria suddenly heard people screaming from the hallway. She looked sideways, startled, and was soon at a loss for words.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Where did theye from? The priests, dressed in ck, were killing men passing through the hallway. Red blood sttered mercilessly on the walls and floor.


    Seria turned to face the fallen corpses, but Mies grabbed her face and held her there. His eyes, simr to Lesche¡¯s, looked pleased as he looked at Seria.


    ¡°It¡¯s true what they say about the pretty trash. Seria Berg, by the way, it¡¯s really funny. How can they think that Stern is trash? You were just a bit mean, but you didn¡¯t even kill anyone. It¡¯s probably because the Imperial Aristocracy has a low threshold and beautiful wives and children.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°At the time I thought I wanted my predecessor¡¯s Grand Duchess, but now I want this one again. Why do I want everything that Grand Duke Berg has? Too many things will tear your stomach up and you won¡¯t live long enough.¡±


    Mies lifted Seria¡¯s veil uppletely.The mask peeled from his hand and rolled across the floor. Mies smiled even more and leaned toward her.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    At that time, deathly screams rang out from behind Mies. Seria grabbed Mies¡¯ face with her stiff hands, bringing her face close to his ear.


    Mies¡¯ hands tighten around her waist.


    ¡°You¡¯re very aggressive, Seria.¡±


    Seria tried to steel herself as much as possible. Then she bit his earlobe as hard as she could.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Mies, with his earlobe severed, pushed Seria roughly with a fierce scream. Seria spat out the lump of flesh out of her mouth onto the floor, trying not to feel the flesh texture in her mouth as best she could. There was a strong smell of blood, and Mies¡¯ blood flowed along her chin.


    ¡°You crazy¡­¡±


    Mies mumbled in disbelief as he grabbed his bloody ear. His eyes immediately fluttered.


    It was Abigail, who grasped his hand as Mies came close to Seria. Abigail was wearing a dress that she had obviously never worn before in her life, and she bent Mies¡¯ arms behind his back. Under the hem of her dress, instead of shoes, military boots were shining.


    ¡°Ah¡­!¡±


    It happened in an instant. The dagger that Abigail took out from her pocket pierced Mies¡¯ hand firmly. Mies tried to fight back but it was useless.


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    At that moment, there was a man in a dress who came running as he looked at Seria.


    ¡°Are you okay? Ah! Ah!¡±


    He quickly peeled off the veil he was wearing and wiped his mouth. He screamed the whole time.


    <em>¡®Honestly, it hurt my ears.¡¯</em>


    ¡°How dare you! It¡¯s my Duchess! Ohhhh! You crazy b*st*rd!¡±


    That¡¯s right. This man was Linon, Berg¡¯s chief aide. He scratched his head and roared. Then he immediately went to the suppressed Mies¡­ Dance shoes? Linon took off the dance shoes, lifted them in his hands, and jabbed Mies in the shoulder with the pointed, thin heel.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Seria didn¡¯t know he could wear high heels so perfectly. Seria¡¯s mouth hung agape. Mies seemed to be looking for his men with bloodshot eyes as he curled up on the floor.


    But Mies¡¯ hopes were soon dashed. For the Berg Knights had already rendered his men irresistible.


    ¡°When?¡±


    Seria walked over to Mies and crouched down. The front, sides, and back were all her people, so she had nothing to fear.


    ¡°I was worried you would turn around.¡±


    ¡°When did this happen?¡±


    Mies couldn¡¯t believe he was in this situation.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m crazy enough to spend that much money in an auction house? Anyway, you look like a fool. I¡¯m angry..ah¡­uh¡­.¡±


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    Seria couldn¡¯t finish her words. In the end, she couldn¡¯t ovee the bloody smell in her mouth and threw up on Mies¡¯ face.


    ***


    *Alliot¡¯s pov*


    Alliot looked around at the huge auction house. It was this decadent building. It reminded him of being eaten by the naked lust that enveloped the air, making him feel more unpleasant by the moment.


    ¡°Commander!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve takenplete possession of the east side of the building.¡±


    ¡°The ves had been divided and subdued, and the sorcerers were dispatched to the Great Temple.¡±


    Afterpiling the reports of the knights, Alliot went to Lesche to report. The floor was silk and the high quality shoes were tangled in a mess. The urgent report of the knight sounded like an echo in Alliot¡¯s ears.


    <em><strong>¡°The target has been captured.¡±</strong></em>


    That nightmare from his childhood came to mind, and Alliot felt an inexplicable chill run through his body.


    Ever since the Green Manor incident, Berg¡¯s aides and the Knights had been working closely together in secret to capture Mies. But where did the information leak from, and they failed every time to capture Mies.


    About two weeks ago, in a secret meeting where Linon only called Alliot, he hastily submitted his report.


    <em><strong>¡°Your Highness! The Grand Duchess wants to buy a holy relic! I had to shout it out to the temple just to be sure!¡±</strong></em>


    Alliot was a little more annoyed by the speed of Linon¡¯s head turning than by anything else.


    <em>¡®What, as soon as you hear that the Grand Duchess needs to buy some holy relics, does it make sense to make a n like that and put it into practice?¡¯</em>


    On the one hand, Alliot thought this was hisst chance. Mies had to be caught as quickly as possible, by any means necessary. He was not worried about Lesche, but Seria¡¯s safety. Even as a child, Mies had always wanted many things that Lesche had.


    Mies wanted Lesche¡¯s title, his parents, and affection.


    That was why he wanted Lesche¡¯s wife too.


    Linon didn¡¯t say anything, but he must have had simr thoughts.


    Every time Alliot walked, he could hear the scraping of steel. He nced through the auction house.


    An auction house where ves with sorcerers¡¯ background were the merchandise. In other words, it was rare to find a ce where sorcerers gather legally like here. Maybe Mies went to the trouble of getting more sorcerers to the vers for today.


    For every handcuff and lock there is a key that fits.


    If you want to catch a tiger, you have to make a trap, and the trap has to be ced on a path that the tiger frequents. Only then will it feel safe to crawl out.


    This was too perfect a ce for the Mies to delude himself into thinking it was his area. A ce that would allow countless sorcerers in its intricate streets. He must have thought it was perfect just because it was a dark and morous ce that was hard for the public authorities to subdue.


    If Mies was a little smarter, he wouldn¡¯t have fallen for this trap, but no one would be held ountable if the Berg family made a disturbance in this illegal auction house, and rather gained amand of breaking the underground market.


    Alliot clenched his hand and released it, thinking about the Green Manor.


    Mies. The b*st*rd son of the previous Grand Duke.


    He was smart, unusual, mean, and sometimes inhumane¡­ Alliot couldn¡¯t even call him the second young master. Because Mies was not officially admitted to Berg. Nevertheless, how bright were the eyes that kept coveting more than that?


    Alliot entered the Central Control. Lesche was already there with the knights. Elliot bowed deeply.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Is Seria okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Knight Abigail Orienne was disguised and watching nearby, and three knights immediately overpowered the sorcerers at close range.¡±


    ¡°Nothing special.¡±


    ¡°There is no separate report. And the chief aide was there. From this point on, the imperial army will be joining, so the Grand Duchess was taken to the imperial mansion in advance.¡±


    It was a smooth report, not bad.


    It was a n to capture Mies since they captured the sorcerers of the Green Manor alive.


    Mies¡¯ target was the circlet in the basement. For this reason, Berg had to wield the circlet in a very showy manner to attract Mies.


    However, if Lesche appeared to have the circlet, Mies would not be able to approach it directly, even with his magic and maniption. Even when he was treated as a Young Master at Berg Castle when he was a child, he pretended to look down on Lesche, but he was secretly afraid.


    They needed to make Mies show up again.


    So Lesche didn¡¯t hide the fact that Seria was given the circlet as a gift and she was the Grand Duchess of Berg. It was a monster brought from the basement of the Green Manor, but if his wife wanted it as a gift, he could not help but give it to her.


    Seria¡¯s existing naughty image also yed a part. She liked the circlet, and she asked Lesche to give it to her.


    They put no small amount of effort into making sure that Mies was convinced of everything and showed up.


    The result was that Mies was captured alive.


    Lesche looked at the unconscious man on the floor at his feet. It was Mies. Lesche¡¯s expression slowly began to change as he bent down and grabbed Mies¡¯ chin with his gloved hand.


    ¡°Is this the man who looks like me?¡±

 Chapter 105

    <h2>Chapter 105</h2>


    Alliot shook his head.


    ¡°I think he must have yed some kind of spective trick since he¡¯s developed such deep friendships with the sorcerers.¡±


    Lesche frowned, if it was before, he would have just let it go that this insane person had gone crazy again, but not now.


    He was curious. Very much so too. It was a natural reaction because Lesche already had a wife. And that wife, to Lesche¡¯s dismay, gave him very generous reviews to his face. It was not difficult to know the extent of it.


    Every once in a while at dawn, Seria would wake up and stare at his face, thinking that he was asleep. There were even a few times when she would continue to pretend to stare at him too closely. Then he thought she¡¯d at least kiss him, but why was Seria so cold-hearted? She only moved her fingers slightly on his cheek. It wasn¡¯t even a strong touch. Then, she would lie in bed again and fall asleep as if she fainted.


    However, Mies, an illegitimate child who had half the blood of Berg, looked simr to him. (Lesche)


    It was only natural that his mood was down. At this point, Lesche wondered if Mies had done this to try to seduce Seria. Lesche kicked Mies ruthlessly on the side, and then lifted him up. There were two tied up sorcerers passed out on the floor.


    ¡°Take Mies out first. Lock him up separately.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡±


    Immediately after the knight dragged Mies out, Linon crawled in.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Berg¡¯s knights, including Alliot, blinked, and Lesche gently raised one eyebrow.


    ¡°Um¡­ Your Highness¡­I¡¯ll give you a brief report here first ¡­.¡±


    In this urgency, the brief report in that short amount of time proved Linon¡¯s ability again.


    The problem was that he was still severely wary of Lesche. Lesche knew that Linon was in fear. He looked nervous as he hadn¡¯t seen Lesche in a very long time, thest time being when he was at the Academy.


    Linon averted his gaze without looking at Lesche.


    ¡°Sir Alliot. Please give me a cup of water¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t even drink water well.¡±


    When Linon started to choke on his water, a knight hurriedly patted him gently on the back.


    ¡°I¡¯m too scared to drink water. ¡­.. But Your Highness.¡±


    Linon couldn¡¯t continue to speak until the end and swallowed a lump about ten times. In the meantime, he gathered his courage as he watched Lesche read the report he put up.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    Lesche lifted his head.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Seria?¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you see that lord Mies¡¯s ear was torn off?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. Did you do it?¡±


    ¡°No, the Grand Duchess did it.¡±


    For a moment, Lesche felt strange. At the same time, a feeling of difort rose in him. Linon¡¯s diligent written report which he scraped his life force to write, fell plopped on the table.


    ¡°What did she cut it with?¡±


    He had never heard that Seria was a sword-wielding Stern. Linon was now feeling pitifully frightened.


    ¡°Her mouth¡­ She bit it off with her mouth.¡±


    Crash.


    Berg¡¯s knights backed away in panic at the tense atmosphere as the flower pot on the table fell to the floor.


    This caused the sorcerers, who had regained consciousness, to be transfixed by his soul-deprived eyes. The sorcerers saw Lesche standing there and gritting his teeth angrily.


    The knight immediately tried to draw his sword, but Alliot quietly held him back. Alliot, who was eye to eye with the knight, signaled for him to be quiet and shook his head.


    Lesche strode to Linon.


    ¡°Why did Seria bite his ear off?¡±


    Ohhhhh. Linon really wanted to cry. He was already crying a little. One of the sorcerers crawled across the floor, as quietly as possible.


    ¡°Mies¡­.put his lips on the Grand Duchess¡¯s lips¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The back of the sorcerer¡¯s hands that had grabbed Lesche¡¯s ankle and tried to knock him down waspletely trampled and broken. Lesche hadn¡¯t looked down once, no, not even now, so how on earth could he¡­! The sorcerer screamed, but there was no mercy in Grand Duke Berg¡¯s feet. The knights of Berg began to break out in a cold sweat as they saw the bones sticking out of the sorcerer¡¯s hands.


    It was anger.


    ¡°The lips, then¡­.¡±


    Linon was now in tears.


    ¡°Mies..licked her lips¡­¡±


    ¡°Aah!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    Susan, who had brought a new powdered toothpaste, said, ¡°Phew¡­¡± and filled the ceramic basin directly with water.


    ¡°You¡¯ve used seven toothbrushes now. What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°7?¡±


    ¡°I was so surprised when the Grand Duchess came back to the mansion¡­Ben and I almost fainted side by side.¡±


    Mies¡¯s blood stuck to her mouth. It made Seria look like a vampire, and she was able to get to the carriage and get half of it off, but she couldn¡¯t deceive Ben and Susan, who were always concerned for her safety.


    As soon as they saw her appearance, they were astonished to the point of fainting. Besides, Seria went straight to the bathroom and brushed her teeth seven times. Ben must have been hanging around outside the bathroom door.


    He knew something was wrong, but he couldn¡¯t question her and just wandered around her with a nervous face.


    ¡°Are you two having trouble sleeping?¡±


    Seria hesitated for a moment. This wasn¡¯t something to hide from Ben and Susan. They were the ones who knew Mies better than anyone.


    ¡°Hey, Susan.¡±


    Susan¡¯splexion changed immediately as Seria told her what had happened at the auction house. When Seria finished her story, Susan grabbed Seria¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Oh my¡­are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Look. I¡¯m not injured.¡±


    ¡°His Highness¡­.Did he know? What about Linon?¡±


    ¡°I told Linon that if he¡¯s scared, we¡¯ll keep it a secret from Lesche, but he shivered and said that it would scare him more. Then he sat down on his knees and wrote the report frantically.¡±


    Linon cried. He really cried.


    <em>¡®Honestly, I was flustered. This is because I had never thought that Berg¡¯s chief aide would cry. And it was Mies who kissed me pretending to be Lesche.¡¯</em>


    Feeling like a parent with a preschooler, Seria tried to follow Linon. But Linon hastily shook his head. What did he say? He said that the moment he showed the report to His Highness, he would die without being able to preserve his body.


    Linon begged Seria to go back to the mansion first, so she said yes. At that time, the imperial knights were going to join the confiscation and liquidation of the auction house in earnest anyway, so Seria decided to go home first.


    ¡°Susan, Linon is not not really going to die, is he? He exaggerated, right?¡±


    Susan smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°Linon will not die. But the protection of the Grand Duchess was part of the n, and now that the n has gone awry, He has to take responsibility as Chief Aide.¡±


    Seria felt unfamiliar with Susan¡¯s stern answer. Seria blinked and Susan looked puzzled.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Susan could say it so crisply.¡±


    Susan was kind and soft, at least she was like that to Seria, and she was close to Linon. Seria thought Susan was going to say no, but she surprised Seria with her unexpectedly decisive response.


    Susan smiled faintly.


    ¡°I was a knight once. Knights are supposed to protect something. It¡¯s a real shame when they can¡¯t. So His Highness must be very distressed. I¡¯m d it ended with a simple contact. You almost got seriously hurt.¡±


    ¡°I see. I didn¡¯t mean to make him upset.¡±


    Seria started to feel uneasy for some reason. Susan said as she undressed Seria.


    ¡°It¡¯s best to offset the bad feelings with good feelings.¡±


    ¡°Good feelings?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess. His Highness will be back at night. Please do what His Highness likes.¡±


    Susan said in a rather regal tone.


    ¡°As soon as you see His Highness, you can kiss him first.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    <em>¡®Abigail isn¡¯t the only one who is straightforward.¡¯</em>


    Susan¡¯s face still had the same warm smile on it.


    ¡°That¡­.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Yes?¡± (Susan)


    ¡°There¡¯s no one on this floor at night, right?¡±


    Susan said with a smile.


    ¡°Of course. No one will be here until morning, as usual.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to leave a little early today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, as soon as I¡¯m done with your bath, I¡¯ll tell everyone to leave.¡±


    People were really aware of their surroundings. Seria never imagined she would ask such a question herself. It was Lesche¡¯s fault. Why is he so energetic? Even if she multiplied her physical strength ten times, it would be less than Lesche¡¯s.


    After the bath, Seria went back to her bedroom. The scent of herbs wafted from her hair. She sat by the window that overlooked the garden of the mansion. Leaning on the window, she rested her chin on her arm. How long did she sit there?


    ¡°You¡¯re already here.¡±


    Across the expansive garden, Lesche was seening in riding on his horse. Seria got up. She expected him toe to the bedroom right away, but he didn¡¯t.


    As she watched the clock and waited for Lesche, Seria began to wonder.


    <em>¡®What is it? Did he get angry because of Mies?¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Susan said he was upset, is that why he doesn¡¯t want to see me?¡¯</em>


    Seria¡¯s eyebrows immediately rose. How could he do that? She needed to see Lesche right away.


    The moment she was about to open the door and leave, she hit something hard. As she faltered, a strong hand grabbed her arm tightly.                     *** Spoiler : next chapter will be hot¡­..

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    The heat from hot water came from him. He was wearing a gown made of the same material as the one Seria had on. For some reason, his hands rxed and slipped away.


    ¡°Did you take a bath?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°There¡¯s something sttered on your feet.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡®My feet? Did I step on something? The sorcerers¡¯ blood?¡¯


    Seria was puzzled but let it pass then asked Lesche.


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯ting to the bedroom today.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t Ie?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Linon tell you?¡± (Seria)


    Seria meant the incident with Mies. Lesche¡¯s expression changed slightly. At that time, Seria hugged his neck and kissed him.


    Lesche¡¯s red eyes grew wide. Their lips collided and Seria pushed her tongue in and Lesche opened his mouth, a little bewildered. As she dug inside his mouth and started licking, Lesche¡¯s body froze at the sudden action.


    ¡®Come to think of it, this was the first time I actively kissed Lesche. The first kiss is much better than I expected. It was a strange feeling, but not a bad feeling. Is this why Lesche kisses me so often as an addicted person?¡¯


    Lesche didn¡¯t stay still for long. He held the back of Seria¡¯s with a little more force as she tried to pull away. Then he dug inside her mouth. She felt like the kisses she gave were just childish pranks, because now Lesche was kissing her like he wanted to devour her.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Seria was soon out of breath. She pushed him away, but Lesche wouldn¡¯t let go of her body. Before she knew it, Lesche lifted her up.


    Seria reflexively hugged Lesche¡¯s neck tightly in fear that she might fall. The gown she was wearing slipped down a little.


    Her soft mounds were exposed. Lesche¡¯s hands stroked and lightly squeezed them. Her stomach tingled every time his fingers pressed against her bare skin. His lips then slid down and sucked the mounds deeply. Heat quickly built up in her lower belly. She could hear him moaning and her breathing becamebored.


    She felt the inside of her legs tighten and shudder. It was too much from the beginning, but why did she suddenly feel different now from earlier. Was it because she kissed him first?


    Seria raised her hand and touched the inside of Lesche¡¯s gown. She could feel him twitching as she tried to squeeze his muscr, perfect shoulders. She took advantage of the pause and finally managed to raise her head.


    ¡°Lesche¡­¡±


    She stroked his cheek slowly with her hand, trying her best to calm her hard breathing. She pretended to be serious, but her fingers were actually trembling.


    ¡°You like this¡­.?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s gaze met hers. His red eyes shook finely.


    ¡°I like you.¡±


    As soon as the low whisper ended, Lesche peeled Seria¡¯s gownpletely off. The thin fabric flowed down below her waist without resistance. Immediately, Lesche buried his face in her exposed valley as if he was thirsty for water. Her body trembled with the tingling sensation. Then, Lesche¡¯s hot and hard rod began to thrust deeper in her tightened valley. Seria just let her body flow with his movements.


    ***


    How much time has passed?


    ¡®I think I¡¯m going to faint¡­.¡¯


    Lesche rubbed Seria¡¯s cheek lightly. A hand stroked her hair, which was wet with sweat and clung to her forehead. She justy still as her body felt heavy. All her strength was lost. She just¡­ she just gave him a kiss. A light kiss. How did it end like this? Suddenly she wondered if she should tie Lesche up next time before she kissed him. Because the moment he touched her body, he turned into a beast.


    ¡®Buy a rope? Or should I get weapons from Bibi?¡¯


    With this thought in mind, Seria held Lesche¡¯s hand which kept touching her body endlessly. His strong hand that held the sword for a long time was calloused. The natural shape itself was very pretty. How much did those hands torment her body¡­.


    ¡®Let¡¯s stop thinking about it. At this rate, I won¡¯t be able to walk tomorrow.¡¯


    Seria was about to fall asleep, but then she exerted her superhuman energy.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s eyes, which had been watching her lips, slightly widened.


    ¡°Are you alive?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m still alive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡±


    She had been thinking about this since Mies was at the auction house.


    In the original story, too, did he act out so much?


    ¡®No¡­¡¯


    In the original story, she saw his name, but why did he appear so noisily now?


    At that moment, there was one thing that prated her mind.


    Berg¡¯s circlet.


    It was an object that was already deeply intertwined with Lina and the Oracle. It was easy to guess that if she searched behind Mies, who was trying to take the circlet, she could get important clues. To know that¡­


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you find out why Mies aimed for the circlet?¡±


    ¡°Are you curious about that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m curious. Is it confidential?¡±


    ¡°What confidential? I¡¯ll show it to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    At her thanks, Lesche looked at her with an amused expression. Did he like it that much? Seria coughed shyly and changed her expression, and Lesche tilted his chin slightly.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one thing now that you mentioned it. Howe you¡¯re so fearless?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not fearless.¡±


    Lesche sighed lowly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m a fool who believed what you said seven times that you promised to stay safe.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­Are you mad at me?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Not at you.¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche said in a slow tone as he stroked her cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯m mad at myself.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I should have chosen to destroy the auction house.¡± (Lesche)


    Seria flinched. After hesitating for a moment, the busy hand slipped away. Lesche¡¯s eyes were somber. Susan¡¯s words kept lingering in her head.


    ¡°Knights are meant to protect something. It¡¯s a real shame when they don¡¯t. That¡¯s why I¡¯m sure His Highness was most heartbroken.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s upset¡­.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that she wanted to fight with Mies on purpose. She didn¡¯t expect Mies would look so much like Lesche. And she never would imagine Mies would kiss her. He was like a snake. She had a sense of danger that she was really going to miss something the moment she wobbled a bit.


    If she didn¡¯t do what she did, the b*st*rd might have managed to escape right away, and the fact that she bit Mies¡¯ ear was also instinctive and resourceful. She had heard that a lot of manpower was used to catch him but it was unsessful, so she wanted to catch him. That was what she thought.


    Anyway¡­


    ¡®Susan¡¯s words weren¡¯t wrong. I¡¯m lucky I didn¡¯t get hurt.¡¯


    If she had bitten his ear a littlete, he might have swung his sword at her¡­.


    ¡­ Seria lowered her eyes. She could understand what Lesche meant when he said he was angry at himself.


    She tried to look into Lesche¡¯s red eyes, but she felt like she was being read, so she just lowered her gaze to his chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°¡­¡­ for what?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Just this and that. Actually no. The more specific the apology, the better, so let¡¯s talk about them one by one. Let¡¯s start with Mies¡­¡± (Seria)


    ¡°There.¡± (Seria)


    When Seria stopped talking, Lesche stared at her.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know this before?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°What is it?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so talented at shaking people¡¯s hearts.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°No¡­Lesche. If someone heard you, they would misunderstand.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot to misunderstand.¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche smiled bitterly and called Seria¡¯s name btedly.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    His voice was different than before. Lecher¡¯s hand approached Seria¡¯s lower lip and swept along the line as if drawing over.Then, he slowly bit her swollen lips and licked them. The kiss was shallow and soft. After a few moments, Lesche lifted his chin slightly and whispered.


    ¡°I wanted to cut out his tongue.¡± (Mies¡¯ tongue)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If you were hurt, I would go crazy.¡±


    ¡°Earlier¡­ You were insane enough.¡± (*Seria meant about the deed they did??)


    Lesche chuckled. He kissed her and raised his head. Seria raised her hand and touched Lesche¡¯s lips. She slowly brushed his lips like he did to her. Lesche yfully tried to bite her fingers, so Seria retreated fast, and Lesche burst outughing.


    ¡®If Linon interrogates Mies, he¡¯ll tell you everything, right?¡¯


    What kind of aide is germaphobic and smart enough to interrogate? Is that what Linon is? Linon¡¯s survival was bing more urgent. Seria was concerned.


    ¡®Can I ask about Linon? Is it too much to ask?¡¯


    Personally, Seria was very sorry for Linon, but¡­ This was his position. Linon was Berg¡¯s chief aide and Lesche¡¯s immediate subordinate. Capturing Mies itself was a huge n, and in the meantime, if anything went wrong due to Linon¡¯s mistakes in judgment, it was not something she could be involved in.


    ¡®Yes! This is the reason! Emotionally, I hope Linon doesn¡¯t suffer too much. I don¡¯t feel very good about the memory of him crying!¡¯


    ¡°Seria, if you have something to say, please say it.¡±


    Seria, who was looking at Lesche¡¯s face and thought, startled when Lesche suddenly opened his mouth.


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re staring at me very hard.¡±


    Seria felt embarrassed at the thought that he could read her mind. Seria looked at him and asked frankly.


    ¡°Linon¡­..Is he alive?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s alive.¡±


    Lesche answered simply, then stared at Seria.


    ¡°Are you worried that Linon might die?¡±


    ¡°A little.¡±


    ¡°If Linon dies, will you cry in your sleep again?¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    For a moment, Seria couldn¡¯t understand what Lesche was saying, andter she chuckled. That¡¯s right. She once woke up crying in front of Lesche. It was her wedding day. The day she almost died. The day she had a nightmare about dying.


    ¡°When was that?¡±


    That was a few months ago now. When Seria rebuked him, Lesche smiled gently. He reached out and pulled her deeper into his arms. He patted Seria lightly on the back as if he was trying to get her to sleep. She felt a little uneasy.


    ¡°Lesche, could it be¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°These days, I cry while sleeping¡­do I cry for help?¡±


    He didn¡¯t reply. A few moments passed, after Lesche¡¯s lips touched her forehead and fell away.


    ¡°Sometimes, yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria fell silent.


    It happened sometimes in the short time after she possessed Seria. Perhaps it was because she couldn¡¯t believe that she was destined to die with her head cut off. There were times when she was asleep and jumped up crying.


    But she didn¡¯t realize it at the time. She didn¡¯t realize that she had nightmares several times a week. It was only after she brought Abigail to her townhouse that she learned about the frequency of nightmares. Abigail burst through the door of Seria¡¯s room and asked me as she was okay.


    ¡°Do you know how many times you¡¯ve cried now? Who are those people who are trying to kill My Lady¡­?¡±


    ¡®Bibi is a sinful woman¡­She¡¯s very reliable and very energetic.¡¯


    She hadn¡¯t done thattely, but it was a relief.


    ¡®How would it feel if a person in the same bed with you cried begging for help? Lesche is the strongest person I know, but¡­.still I don¡¯t feel good.¡¯


    ¡°Did you feel bad?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°How about you?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°There¡¯s no way you can feel good when I¡¯m crying next to you.¡± (Seria)


    Lesche didn¡¯t answer right away. A short silence. Then¡­


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going crazy.¡± (Lesche)


    In an instant, Seria felt her heart sank.

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107


    ¡°It¡¯s really driving me crazy. If only you could tell me what scares you so much¡­¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Seria¡¯s fingers trembled a little.


    How could she tell him she was in a book? How could she say with impunity that the world he breathes and lives in was actually just a book? Wasn¡¯t that too selfish? Seria didn¡¯t want to shock Lesche.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read something like a prophecy. There¡¯s a record there that I¡¯m going to die early.¡± (Seria)


    She couldn¡¯t continue to the end. Lesche took both her hands in his. His expression hardened like stones.


    ¡°What kills you?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it because of an illness? Will it be an ident?¡± (Lesche)


    There was a deep concern in his voice. Seria bit her lip tightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m going to die by having my throat cut.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Someone will cut my throat.¡± (Seria)


    Seria smiled weakly.


    ¡°By the man I bullied.¡± (Seria)


    Lesche¡¯s expression changed slightly.


    ¡°There are many of them, right?¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche stared at Seria, smiling almost as weakly as she did.


    ¡°Yes.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, it¡¯s just that it shocks me and I have nightmares sometimes. It¡¯s nothing to worry about. It¡¯s just¡­¡± (Seria)


    ¡®It¡¯s fine if Lesche doesn¡¯t believe me. He might think I¡¯m crazy, but I still said it because I feel sorry for this man who had always been by my side, watching my nightmares. This is about as much as I could tell him¡­.¡¯


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    But Lesche said somethingpletely different.


    ¡°You think I¡¯ll let you die because of the prophecy?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°You wille out of it by not being my husband.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Then the prophecy is wrong.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Before we got married, things were simr.¡± (Seria)


    Lesche stared at Seria.


    ¡°Kalis Hon?¡± (Lesche)


    The name made her mouth prickly as if she had chewed some sand.


    ¡°Yes. Marquis Hon ¡­¡± (Seria)


    ¡°So in the prophecy, I just sit still like a fool?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°You, in the prophecy, didn¡¯t not care about me.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Why?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Why were you sitting still?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Yes.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡®Because you are the male protagonist.¡¯


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re the male protagonist of this novel.¡¯


    Was it her imagination, or did the silence seem tense? Lesche¡¯s eyes were uncharacteristically somber. He stared at Seria with those eyes. His hand was holding hers.


    ¡°Seria, answer me, please.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Because you were the Saintess¡¯ husband.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lesche¡¯s expression hardened.


    ¡°Still, I am trying to change many things. I¡¯m sure I changed a lot. Because you¡¯re my husband. ¡­.¡± (Seria)


    Of course, that wasn¡¯t the result of her efforts. Seria¡¯s voice slowly faded away. She thought of hiding something else after having said so much in the first ce.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Seria continued slowly.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid all of this is going to end one day.¡± (Seria)


    It was the most raw truth she could get out right now. She couldn¡¯t even talk about Lina, and the red eyes that were looking at her quickly cooled down. If fire froze, it would be like that, wouldn¡¯t it? She was not familiar with the fact that Lesche¡¯s expression could change so starkly.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lesche didn¡¯t answer, but stood up. Seria blinked. The moonlight left a dark shadow on his solid muscles. It didn¡¯t take him long. Lesche soon returned to the bed and put something in Seria¡¯s hand.


    It was a ring with the Grand Duchy of Berg¡¯s crest engraved on it. She knew this one well. Because Lesche always carried it with him.


    ¡°Why? Why are you giving it to me?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°The jewel in the center. Press it three times.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Why?¡± (Seria)


    Seria was startled, for a small, sharp de popped out of the ring. She pushed the jewel again with a click and the de went inside. She was dumbfounded and just looked around the ring.


    ¡°It¡¯s fascinating!¡± (Seria)


    ¡°¡®The de is coated with poison, so be careful.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°What?¡± (Seria)


    Seria quickly removed her hand from the ring. She was once again amazed and wondered at the bleakness of Berg.


    ¡®Why is he giving me this?¡¯


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°If you ever feel like I¡¯m betraying you, use this.¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche put the ring on Seria¡¯s hand and held it just below his chin.


    ¡°From here.¡± (Lesche)


    His hand drew a straight line and stopped just above the corbone.


    ¡°Draw a line to here.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I know best that I will never see a woman other than my wife, but you are so afraid.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I would like to bet my life on it.¡± (Lesche)


    Seria couldn¡¯t say anything. Her heart throbbed with pain. Lesche¡¯s hands sped hers and held them in a tight embrace. She could feel the heart beating in as they touched each other. It was a strange feeling.


    ¡®There¡¯s no reason for him to be so kind to me. It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m a Grand Duchess or a Stern, there¡¯s no reason for him to care for me this much.¡¯


    ¡®But in retrospect, this man had always been like this.¡¯


    ¡®Because I¡¯m afraid?¡¯


    ¡®Because he can see I¡¯m scared¡­¡¯


    Lesche lifted Seria¡¯s chin. They stared at each other like that. She looked into his red eyes and asked.


    ¡°What will Berg do if you die?¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche smiled in vain.


    ¡°Since I don¡¯t have a child, you have to continue.¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche, who spoke lightly, tilted his chin. His red eyes went down, sweeping Seria¡¯s body and looking at her belly. Seria became embarrassed and scowled.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly looking at my stomach?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I¡¯m just looking. Because we mentioned children.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I just looked at it, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t look at it so tantly.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Why not? I¡¯ve already seen every inch of your body.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Really ¡­. Why do you always talk so promiscuously?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Do I?¡± (Lesche)


    Seria slipped out of Lesche¡¯s arms and quickly wrapped herself in the covers. Lesche erupted into a lowugh. Of course he didn¡¯t just let her slip away. He trapped her with the nket in his arms. Lesche buried his lips on Seria¡¯s forehead and said,


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you go when you¡¯re asleep, so go back to sleep.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°How about you?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to sleep soon.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Do you want me to stay up with you?¡± (Seria)


    Lesche¡¯s eyes softened.


    ¡°¡­No. Sleep.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Even though it was nothing, it gave her a strange resonance. Lesche kissed her lightly on the lips. She didn¡¯t even want to have nightmares. She sincerely hoped that if she had, it wouldn¡¯t be noticeable.


    Lesche¡¯s red eyes stared at her. She couldn¡¯t look at them for long. She slowly closed her eyes.


    ***


    The full-scale interrogation of Mies and the other sorcerers began. Seria decided not to go to the annex where the dungeon was located on her own.


    It was a weekter when Linon¡¯s house arrest was lifted. Even so, it was sooner than she expected. When Seria visited him, he greeted her with surprise.


    ¡°How can youe here?¡± (Linon)


    ¡°Is there a ce I can¡¯t go?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± (Linon)


    Linon¡¯s cheeks were sunken, who quickly nodded.


    ¡°Why are you so thin?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Because I¡¯m under house arrest¡­.¡± (Linon)


    ¡°If you¡¯re under house arrest, they won¡¯t give you food?¡± (Seria)


    Seria honestly thought that Linon had done his best to keep to himself in his room, but Linon was really serious and came out looking very thin.


    ¡°Grand Duke will rip open Mies¡¯s mouth¡­¡± (Linon)


    ¡°He can do whatever he wants until his anger goes away. Linon, why don¡¯t you eat first?¡±


    ¡°The Grand Duchess is the only one who can take care of my food so well.¡±


    She was d that she told the chef to prepare the dishes that Linon liked in advance. Seria sat across from him and casually watched him as he ate. He ate very well. The noble manners were ingrained in his body, and it was amazing that he emptied the bowl so quickly. Seria rested her chin on her hand and stared at Linon. When their eyes met, she opened her mouth to say whatever came to mind.


    ¡°Linon, what is yourst name?¡±


    ¡°The family has fallen and there is nost name.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­?¡±


    ¡®I asked the wrong question.¡¯


    Seria broke out in a cold sweat. Then she naturally changed the subject.


    ¡°Well¡­.that¡¯s possible.¡±


    Seria knew Linon was from Altair Academy from the original story, but she didn¡¯t know anything else about him. It seems that he went there on a schrship. He was a top graduate. She skipped it without much thinking.


    Suddenly, Linon spoke.


    ¡°I was born in Muh.¡±


    Seria shifted her gaze towards Linon. He seemed hesitant. What was it that made him so hesitant to talk about his homnd?


    ¡°It¡¯s a southern ind, right.¡± (Seria)


    Linon¡¯s shoulders shook.


    ¡°You know¡­¡­.?¡± (Linon)


    ¡°Because I¡¯m interested in the southern inds.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s just that¡­.The juice is delicious.¡± (Linon)


    ¡°Drink more.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Please have some, Grand Duke.¡± (Linon)


    Seria beckoned and soon a servant came with more juice. Linon was so thirsty that he drank several more sses. The food that she brought today didn¡¯t suit her taste. It was all Linon¡¯s favorites.


    Linon dabbed his eyes with a napkin.


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°You have prepared only my favorite foods so openly. I¡¯m overwhelmed with faith.¡±


    When Seria burst intoughter, Linon said, ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°I thought of the word ¡®faith¡¯ because I¡¯m religious, Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember Duke Dietrich, who once visited a temple and fainted?¡± (Linon)


    ¡°Yes, I remember him. Why?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I heard that he was ill for a few days or so. He was quite shocked when he fainted and copsed in the temple. Now he doesn¡¯t visit the temple anymore. He used to go every other day.¡±


    ¡®He¡¯s really narrow minded. Still, if there¡¯s Lina, he¡¯lle to the temple every day.¡¯


    ¡°But that is not important.¡± (Linon)


    Seria¡¯s eyes widened as she listened to Linon¡¯s words that followed.


    Duke Dietrich was very religious. Therefore, he decorated the castle in the port city of the capital as a festival god hoping for the re-descent of the vanished Saintess, as beautiful and solemn as if it were a temple.


    Later on, Lina really descended to this world again, so Duke Dietrich presented that castle to Lina as if he had been waiting for her. In short, the castle was a bridge connecting Lina and Duke Dietrich.


    This time, however, Duke Dietrich, who fainted because of Seria, sulked at God or something, and didn¡¯t offer that castle as an offering, but just put it up for sale.


    What a shallow faith¡­


    If it weren¡¯t for that castle, he would have had the chance to get that close to Lina. Seria fiddled with the circlet on her neck casually.


    ¡°His Highness purchased that castle.¡± (Linon)


    ¡°What?¡± (Seria)


    What kind of development is this? The castle rolled into Berg?

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108


    ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to His Highness about it. Anything that goes to the Saintess or the Marquis of Hon will be given to the Grand Duchess!¡±


    Linon¡¯s words were as light as if Lesche just bought a bouquet of flowers or a cabbage instead of a castle. Of course, considering Berg¡¯s budget, it was understandable¡­


    ¡°¡­And that¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all. Grand Duchess. His Highness immediately sent his aides to purchase Dietrich¡¯s castle.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria was rendered speechless as it was.


    ***


    ¡°They destroyed that auction house with the Grand Duchess?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marquis.¡±


    Kalis Hon couldn¡¯t understand his aide¡¯s report. In fact, many of the nobles must have been busy specting on Grand Duke Berg¡¯s state of mind. Many of the nobles would be so intimidated by Berg¡¯s power that they would try to hold themselves back.


    The dark auction house organized in Berg was veryrge in scale even though it was illegal. And organizing an illegal market of such arge scale has a specific use. Usually, it was done by the children of high-ranking families who were in a fierce struggle for session to show off their abilities.


    ¡°He was probably trying to make a good impression on Seria.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Because showing off could be done that way. The jealousy that had scorched Kalis¡¯s heart ck was still lingering, tormenting him dozens of times a day.


    Lesche Berg, that man.


    He took Seria¡¯s heart like that.


    He just took it with him.


    Thest image of Seria that remained in Kalis¡¯s mind was the appearance of her shivering in the grand banquet hall of the Kellyden¡¯s castle. Why did she tell him what happened there?


    He wished she could tell him that she hated Cassius Kellyden so much.


    He had already cut ties with Cassius, but sometimes he still got angry. When that happened, he couldn¡¯t help but constantly swing his sword. From the day he stormed out of Kellyden¡¯s castle, he threw the letters Cassius persistently sent me into the firece without even reading them.


    ¡°Seria has always hated to say weak words.¡±


    She had a strong pride. She had changed so much, but that one thing hadn¡¯t changed. If he had married Seria normally, and spent time with her, he probably would have heard all of those stories. He was sure that would have happened.


    Kalis swept his face with his angry hand.


    ¡°Have you prepared the present for Seria?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s going well.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have to make it until her birthday.¡±


    Seria¡¯s birthday was in winter, so there were still six months left. However, Hon¡¯s aide did not make any specific rmendations. Because when his master (Kalis), who hadn¡¯t slept properly for months, found life when hepleted the gifts for Seria.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Kalis walked out of his office and into the Marchioness¡¯ bedroom, a room that had always been empty since his mother left this world.


    Now that Lina was gone, Kalis could not divorce her. She was a Stern so unteral divorce was not allowed.


    However, Kalis did not dare to marry anyone else. He couldn¡¯t even bring in a mistress. If he did , the High Priest would not let him live in peace.The old vassals of Hon, who were always moring for Kalis to marry, knew this situation well and could not say anything.


    But Kalis was pleased with their reaction.


    ¡®I¡¯m not going to marry another woman, other than her (Seria).¡¯


    It was an abandoned room, but all the essories and bedding were high-end and new. In particr, there was a beautiful Stern decoration hanging on the wall instead of a tapestry, a gold and silver version of the Stern insignia found only in temples.


    It was for Seria. The decorations he had secretly ordered, thinking she¡¯d be pleased when she saw them. All of them.


    From this bedroom, looking out the window, the garden was seen at a nce. Seria would like it. Kalisy down on the bed in a crumpled heap.


    In this ownerless bedroom, Kalis closed his dry eyes.


    (*somehow I feel sorry for Kalis)


    ***


    ¡°Well, Grand Duchess. It¡¯s done.¡±


    Seria was getting ready to go out, something she hadn¡¯t done in a long time. When she came out of the bedroom, there was no one there. It was obvious. Because she had purposely gotten ready at least two hours earlier than the time she had told Lesche.


    Seria headed for Lesche¡¯s bedroom. As she lightly knocked on the door and entered, she could see Lesche¡¯s back. He was wearing a shirt, but two of the servants each had a different form of tie.


    ¡°Seria?¡±


    ¡°I came to pick out some clothes for you. It¡¯s just right. Please bring it to me.¡±


    The servants immediately stood in a line beside Seria. Lesche smiled at her.


    ¡°Which one should I wear?¡±


    Seria earnestly chose the rightmost of the ties the servants were holding.


    ¡°Take this one.¡±


    It was funny that both of them still couldn¡¯t show their necks today (hickeys ??), but at the same time it was funny and it felt good. Seria said after getting into the carriage with him.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Martha sent me a letter.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t much written in the letter. She asked how Seria was doing, she talked about sprouts from the newly nted flower pots, and how she boiled some soup with rock sugar and it tasted good. It was the kind of letter that warms one¡¯s heart.


    ¡°When we return to Berg this time, we will go to the Green Manor and stay for a month.¡±


    Lesche tilted his head slightly as if he was checking his schedule. Seria quickly added.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have toe.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Why not?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Why? Martha wants to see me.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°So you¡¯ll leave your husband and stay in the manor for a month?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I¡¯ll write to you from time to time.¡± (Seria)


    Lescheughed in vain. He got up, and sat down next to Seria, then she took her hand and ced it on his thighs, and asked.


    ¡°I wondered what the hell she sent you a letter for.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°She made a new pair of pajamas for me. She has also developed two desserts.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Martha keeps tempting you with desserts.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I gave some to you, and you feasted on them.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°That¡¯s because you can¡¯t eat them all.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°What? I gave it up to you.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the Grand Duchess¡¯s generosity. From now on, I won¡¯t touch the snacks in the green manor.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Then what do you think Martha and Joanna think of me?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°They will dly give it only to you.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± (Seria)


    Lesche chuckled.


    ¡°Shall we make a bet?¡± (Lesche )


    ¡°Yes. Do you think I¡¯m afraid?¡± (Seria)


    When Seria identally decided on the type of bet with Lesche, she regretted it one beatter. It was because there was only one kind of reward that Lesche wanted.


    In the bedroom¡­


    She tried to sneak her hand away from Lesche¡¯s thigh, but he grabbed it again.


    ¡°You¡¯ll not really faint, will you?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Lesche, I¡¯m not as strong as you.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°We need to take a break when we do it.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Take a break?¡± (Seria)


    Talking from a man who never let her rest even for a moment.


    (*lol they went from fighting about desserts to the bedroom bet ??)


    Whether Seria was embarrassed or not, Berg¡¯s carriage rolled well to a stop in front of arge museum in the capital. She could see quite a few people outside the window.


    Escorted by Lesche, she stepped out of the carriage and a well-dressed director approached and greeted them.


    They entered the museum. It was one of thergest museums in the Empire, so there were many nobles who hade to see it.


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    Seria turned around at the sound of a voice calling her. Pink hair. It was Marlesana, the Duchess of Polvas. She and her husband, the Duke of Polvas, were approaching them, their eyes sparkling. Their gazes met, and the Duke of Polvas bowed lightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice that there are not too many people here! Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Half of the nobles noticed Lesche and opened their eyes wide, while the other half were astonished when they saw Seria and hurriedly averted their gazes. As expected, the capital is the capital.


    Seria shrugged and moved with Marlesana to the front of the painting.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t snow much in the capital, but the snowyndscape of Berg is very beautiful, isn¡¯t it? Theke is also very beautiful. I¡¯m nning to go there with my husband next winter. I would like to have tea with Grand Duchess at theke.¡±


    ¡°At theke? Okay.¡±


    As they passed through the corridor and went inside, Seria naturally walked with Lesche, Marlesana and the Duke of Polvas. Usually, this was what happened at banquets, so movement was also natural. It happened when they were walking and admiring paintings.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    There was a voice calling out to Lesche, breaking the unspoken rules of this spacious museum. Seria turned around and her eyes went wide.


    ¡°Hello, Grand Duke.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Prince Byuga Jeun.¡± (*I¡¯m not sure about the prince¡¯s name)


    Because the second prince of this empire, the son of Empress Ekizel, was Prince Jeun.


    ¡®What the hell? I didn¡¯t even get to meet him when I was in the capital alone back then.¡¯


    As expected, when she was with Lesche, the most powerful figure in the Glick empire, all the people she met were also powerful people. Of course, Prince Jeun was a little short of being a powerful person, but still, a direct royal family was a royal family.


    ¡°I heard you came and wanted to see you. It¡¯s even better because the Grand Duchess is with you.¡±


    Prince Jeun greeted Seria with a good-natured smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Grand Duchess. It¡¯s been a long time. I know I¡¯mte, but congrattions on your marriage.¡±


    ¡®I had never seen the prince before ever since I possessed Seria.¡¯


    ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Grand Duchess seems to like flower paintings.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t particrly like them, I just see them.¡±


    ¡°My mother likes flowers, too.¡± (Prince)


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡®So what?¡¯


    Despite Seria¡¯s cynicism, she had a feeling.


    ¡®It looks like Empress Ekizel wants to see me.¡¯


    Well, that¡¯s to be expected when she was the Grand Duchess of Berg. The original Seria and Blue Diamond had caused so much strife. The Empress didn¡¯t personally invite her because of her pride.


    ¡°Would you like to visit the Imperial Pce? There is an exhibition hall where only flower paintings are collected.¡±


    Instead, she sent her son discreetly. Seria straightened her posture.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I must decline. I¡¯m not much of a flower person.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh. I see.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Prince.¡±


    The good thing about being Grand Duchess was that the Grand Duke and his wife were in the same rank as the Crown Prince and his wife, so she didn¡¯t have to use honorifics. After all, power is a drug.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Lesche.¡±


    Lesche escorted Seria in a gentle manner. When they were some distance away, he asked.


    ¡°Are you on bad terms with Empress Ekizel?¡±

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. Why?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Because you like flowers.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Of course I do. I love them.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°d? What do you mean?¡± (Seria)


    Lesche couldn¡¯t answer. The nobles who had been vigntly waiting for an opportunity quickly began to follow Lesche, including Prince Jeun, who had started speaking. So Lesche was not the only one who was trapped in the crowd. Besides Prince Jeun, Duke Polvas was also trapped with him.


    No one boldly spoke to Seria, perhaps because of her close conversation with Marlesana, or because of Seria Stern¡¯s notoriety.


    Lesche¡¯s red eyes were sinking by the minute. She needed to push them out which was not a difficult task, as that was another one of Seria¡¯s specialties.


    ¡®The prince has already been pushed out.¡¯


    The chance of meeting the Grand Duke who mainly stayed in Berg territory was rarer than meeting a Prince who lived in the Imperial Capital. Most importantly, Prince Jeun had nothing obvious to show other than that he was the son of Empress Ekizel.


    Lesche was a nobleman who was greater than the royal family, and he was the male protagonist. Even if Seria detached all her personal emotions and looked at him objectively, he would still be a wonderful man. It was not just a matter of appearance. Seria still couldn¡¯t forget Berg¡¯s ring Lesche put in her hand.


    ¡®I¡¯ll probably never forget it. Words like that, actions like that. From whom could I get such affection?¡¯


    After looking at Lesche for a while, Seria shifted her gaze to Marlesana, who was standing next to her.


    ¡°Duchess¡­¡­? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Because Marlesana was looking at Seria in a very strange way, she blinked quickly.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Would you mind taking a closer look with me for a moment?¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Seria was confused but nodded.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Marlesana quickly shifted her gaze to her own husband, the Duke of Polvas, who was answering the greetings of the nobles one by one.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    But what could she say about Marlesana¡¯s eyes, her expression, and the way her hands sped in front of her chest? It was very peculiar. Marlesana looked like a wounded victim looking wistfully at her unrequited love from afar¡­


    ¡®Am I right in pointing out exactly what it was?¡¯


    ¡°You just looked at His Highness with this same expression.¡±


    ¡°What? I did?¡±


    Marlesana looked rather bewildered when Seria asked back.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Grand Duchess also have a crush on His Highness?¡±


    ¡°Of course not¡­¡±


    Seria was about to deny it at once when she encountered something really strange that instantly made her lips clenched.


    ¡®What is it? I can¡¯t open my mouth. Did someone cast a spell on me?¡¯


    In the midst of all this, Marlesana had a look of understanding that made Seria even more embarrassed. On the one hand, she thought it was strange. Duke Polvas loved his wife, but why did Marlesana say she had a crush on him?


    Marlesana whispered with an embarrassed look on her face.


    ¡°Actually, I have a crush on my husband¡­.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°But just now I felt as if I were looking in a mirror.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    There was silence between them for a while.


    ¡®Do I have a crush on Lesche? Do I?¡¯


    Oddly enough, Seria couldn¡¯t deny Marlesana¡¯s words for a moment when she confessed her secret feelings to Seria. This was the first time she had ever had this kind of conversation.


    Marlesana opened her mouth slowly and cautiously.


    ¡°Grand Duchess Berg. From now on, can you please call me by my name?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marlesana. You may call me by my name as well.¡±


    ¡°I would be honored, Seria!¡±


    Marlesana smiled and squeezed Seria¡¯s hands. In the Glick Empire, the higher the nobility, the more meaningful was the act of allowing others to call them by their names.


    ¡°Your husband is truly wonderful, Seria. It makes sense that he¡¯s the center of so many rumors in the imperial social circles.¡±


    She shifted her gaze to the Duke of Polvas with a gentle smile on her lips.


    ¡°My husband is a little picky, but that¡¯s okay, he¡¯s my favorite. I fell in love at first sight in the past.¡±


    ¡°Before you were married?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Yes. It was before we were even engaged.¡± (Marlesana)


    Seriaughed a little. Duke Polvas never forgot Marlesana, even after her death. Even though he was a stern and silent person, he still showed his unbelievable behavior by wearing a pink suit to social gatherings. There was no mention of him getting married again until the end of the original story.


    How can that not be love?


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think the Duke has feelings for Marlesana?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Marlesana, who had always been full of life and friendly, immediately looked gloomy. She smiled awkwardly, so unlike her normal self.


    ¡°I appreciate your wonderful words, Seria, but it can¡¯t be. I¡¯m the one who has a significant difference in status with him, and this marriage is purely a case of luck. Actually¡­ I feel a sense of distance.¡±


    ¡°¡­.distance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a one-sided love. That¡¯s why I was so surprised earlier.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I told you it was like I was looking in a mirror when I saw the way you looked at His Highness. But, Seria is from a prestigious family and also a Stern¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Marlesana was polite enough not to make a direct reference, but it was understandable enough. Seria wondered why she felt so distant from Lesche. Marlesana said that she felt distant from the Duke of Polvas because of their different status, so Seria understood why she felt the same distance from Lesche.


    Once again, Seria realized that Marlesana loved her husband very much. And that she had been thinking about her feelings for a long time too. After she knew what kind of look she was giving her husband, when others gave their husbands the same look she was able to immediately recognize it.


    In order for Seria to survive, she had to gaze at Kalis¡¯s expression, and in the end, she was able to read his and even Lesche¡¯s expressions very well.


    That was unless this was someone who had a deep unrequited love like Marlesana, no one would dare to read her mind again.


    ¡®My heart¡­¡¯


    Marlesana¡¯s words stuck in Seria¡¯s mind.


    It was unrequited love and distance. They were both words that opened a deep chasm in her heart. Thetter, in particr, didn¡¯t seem to be something that simply ended up being her problem. For no reason, Seria became conscious of the circlet on her neck.


    ¡°You can¡¯t read that kind of distance in people¡¯s eyes, right?¡±


    Marlesana smiled and nodded.


    ¡°But¡­..¡±


    Marlesana turned her gaze to the Duke of Polvas, who was still surrounded by nobles.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know from the party¡¯s point of view. I wish I knew at least a little bit.¡±


    ¡®It would be better if you didn¡¯t know.¡¯


    Seria shifted her gaze to Lesche. He looked like he was walking on a tightrope, on the edge between hassle, courtesy, tantrums and politeness when he suddenly met her gaze.


    As soon as he met her eyes, Lesche smiled softly.


    Several people followed Lesche¡¯s gaze and shifted their eyes in Seria¡¯s direction. Seria averted her gaze. She felt her cheeks hot for no reason.


    ¡®Why is he smiling and making my heart drop when there are so many eyes around?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get my husband out of there now.¡±


    ***


    Lesche looked at Seria from time to time, listening to the people at random. He didn¡¯t particrly mean to but his eyes went in that direction.


    Seria was having a conversation with the Duchess of Polvas. He had known for a while that Seria liked her since they shared quite a lot of letters.


    He could see that Seria was getting closer and closer. She stopped in front of a crowd and lifted her chin.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    She lowered her voice as if hinting to others ¡®I need to talk to him¡¯.


    She pushed the nobles who were circled around Lesche with her shoulders in a show of force and advanced into the center of the crowd with all her might. The aristocrats, who opened their eyes in embarrassment, turned their heads away, unable to speak when Seria red at them.


    Lesche could barely hold back theughter that was about to spill out.


    He wondered what Seria was going to say.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    (*Seria is so sassy ??)


    A brief word. Seria crossed her arms and held out one hand haughtily. Fingers tinkering in turn as if ying the piano. It was a problem because she was so imposing as if to give Lesche the opportunity to hold her hand. Each viewer couldn¡¯t take their eyes off of it. So thought the man who could not take his eyes off Seria the most in this empire.


    All the nobles in the same ce saw Lesche¡¯s eyes glued to Seria, watching her move, and even smiling. They had startled expressions on their faces. Several pairs of flickering pupils did not even enter Lesche¡¯s eyes.


    Lesche dly took Seria¡¯s hand.


    ¡°The banquet doesn¡¯t seem so bad with you here.¡±


    It was the first thing Lesche said when he got away from the nobles. Seria tilted her head.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t like banquets.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy them.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Then every time we have a banquet to attend, I¡¯lle rescue you like that. If we repeat it ten times, you will enjoy keeping peoplepany.¡± (Seria)


    Lesche burst intoughter. The two held hands and enjoyed the paintings hanging in the corridor quite leisurely. Seria bought some paintings, saying she wanted to hang them in the green manor, and this time the curator came out himself and bowed to them with appreciation.


    The tour was almost over.


    The Duchess of Polvas came over to Seria.


    ¡°Seria! I didn¡¯t know you were here! I just ran into two of the members of my tea party¡­!¡±


    Behind her stood two slightly nervous-looking noblewomen. As soon as they met Seria¡¯s gaze, they immediately greeted her politely. They all looked the same age as Seria.


    ¡°There is a very beautiful teahouse nearby, why don¡¯t you go with us and have a chat?¡±


    ¡°A teahouse?¡±


    Lesche saw Seria¡¯s cheeks flush red. She seemed troubled. When he saw the look in her eyes, he knew what she was worried about.


    ¡°Go. I¡¯ll pick you up in the evening.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°It¡¯s a long way from Berg residence.¡±


    ¡°You can just wait around. I have some business to attend to.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s business?¡± (Seria)


    When Seria blinked and asked, the silent Duke Polvas spoke up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been asked to consult with the Grand Duke about the subjugation n. I¡¯ll alsoe to pick my wifeter, so please rx and have a chat.¡±


    A skeptical Seria looked at Lesche with an expression that asked, ¡®were his words true?¡¯ After he nodded, Seria smiled. Lesche stared at her and asked,


    ¡°Seria, did you want a teahouse?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m just happy that it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve hung out like this.¡±


    Seria¡¯s words were very serious. It had been a long time since she had rxed and had tea with a friend of her own age and gender. She was always busy trying to survive, so her head was about to explode considering the original story that changed into a scary Oracle, and the fact that Duchess Marlesana Polvas liked Seria¡¯s personality also yed a part.


    Peaceful daily life. She could already smell the tea she hadn¡¯t even drunk.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, then. Lesche. I¡¯ll buy you a cake if it¡¯s good.¡±


    Seria, speaking in a whisper, walked over to the excited face.


    There was no hint of fear in her voice. Surely there was no way Seria would be afraid of a social gathering. But he didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be happy that much, to the point her cheeks blushed red.


    Lesche stared at Seria¡¯s back as she moved away. Her hair fluttered slightly in the wind. As Seria was walking away, she turned around and smiled at Lesche.


    Then he saw her back again. Lesche couldn¡¯t help but extend his hand towards Seria. But of course, there was nothing to catch. Because Seria was already far away. He lowered his empty hand. He only clenched his fist and opened it.


    The red eyes were still fixed on the distant Seria.


    Oddly enough, she seemed to disappear somewhere. An unknown feeling suddenly arose. Even after Seria got into the carriage, Lesche couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her for a while.

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110


    ***


    09. The lies you know and the truth you don¡¯t know.


    ****


    ¡°Stop¡­Lesche, stop¡­¡±


    Seria shuddered and pushed Lesche away from her. She wiped the tears running down her eyes. Her toes contracted at the feel of his soft rubbing. His cloudy red eyes were fixed on her. A chill ran down her spine as he looked at her with those eyes. She wanted to close her eyes.


    He grabbed both of her hands and lowered his head. His lips were hot as they buried into her corbone. Goosebumps rose up her spine as Lesche¡¯s tongue stroked up her skin. She was already quite used to the feeling of being eaten. Her neck and corbone, which had never been revealed since their first night, must be covered with new red marks today.


    Lesche¡¯s fingers that stroked her arm were wet. It was the same as his lips. He continued to bite, lick, and suck Seria¡¯s swollen lips as if he could never get enough. As the kissing continued, she felt the weight pressing between her legs.


    Eventually, Lesche lifted his upper body. Every movement of his muscr, toned body created a shadow that felt decadent. Lesche kissed her knees, and that was all Seria could think about.


    Seria blinked her sleepy eyes. In front of her, Lesche was lying on his side facing her. She rubbed and stroked the red marks on his skin with her fingers. He was used to it by now, and the servants who took care of Lesche didn¡¯t seem too shy.


    Would they have to wear only clothes that covered their necks in the full-blown spring or even in the hot summer? Seria decided to be a little more cautious. But Lesche¡­.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche, who was sweeping Seria¡¯s hair, suddenly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Is there somewhere you want to go?¡±


    ¡°Where do I want to go? Ah.¡±


    Seria blinked slowly and answered.


    ¡°I liked the new coffee house I went to with Bibi a few days ago, and I thought it would be nice to visit there with you. Do you want to go when you have time?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Lesche answered quickly and immediately asked about something else.


    ¡°Other than that, do you like to travel?¡±


    Why is he suddenly asking me this? Seria wondered. It was strange, but there was a ce that came to mind when she heard the word ¡®travel¡¯.


    ¡°I want to go to the southern resort ind.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go when summeres.¡±


    ¡°That would be nice.¡±


    Seriaughed and Lesche¡¯s eyes softened. She used to think it was rare to find something as difficult and frightening as Lesche¡¯s cold and indifferent eyes, but now the man had changed a lot. She reached out and touched Lesche¡¯s eyes as he closed them meekly. She gently stroked his thin eyelids.


    Lesche continued to ask.


    ¡°Did you want to go there?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­.. a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Alone?¡±


    ¡°No, I was going to go with Bibi.¡±


    It was because at that time she was worried about her own safety. Lesche held Seria¡¯s hand. His red eyes stare at her and Seria added just in case.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring it up because you have a lot of work and you¡¯re so busy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not busy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not busy?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If you want to go somewhere, tell me, Seria.¡±


    ¡®How could I tell him? This man looks like the busiest nobleman I¡¯ve ever seen. He always has countless meetings to go to. Come to think of it, I think he¡¯s even busier now that he spends more time with me every night. But well¡­he¡¯s the one who won¡¯t stop even after several times. I thought he would know better and adjust his schedule.¡¯


    Seria smiled and nodded and Lesche stared at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± (Lesche)


    He sounded strange. Seria blinked and asked,


    ¡°Lesche, is your work really hard? Can I help you?¡±


    It was a very modest question, but the look on Lesche¡¯s face was clearly cracked as he listened. Seria thought she said something she shouldn¡¯t have, but then Lesche¡¯s shoulders shook and he startedughing.


    ¡°¡­Lesche?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the first person who worries about the intensity of my work.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not.¡±


    ¡°What if it¡¯s not about work? Stopughing already!¡±


    Lesche¡¯sughter finally subsided as Seria withdrew her hand from his. Even in the midst of it all, his face, tinged with a faint smile, was very presentable from an aesthetic point of view.


    ¡®If I had met him at the banquet, he would have really caught my eye. Yes. Unless he wasughing at me¡­.¡¯


    ¡°Why do you want to go with me then? You¡¯re busy.¡± (Seria)


    The question was rather blunt, but Lesche gave an answer that Seria could not have imagined.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll disappear on your own.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°I am just scared, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Why would you say that?¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. It doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±


    Themon word ¡®afraid¡¯ was very unfitting when it came out of Lesche¡¯s mouth.


    ¡®How could he be afraid that I would disappear, of all things? I have no idea why he would be so worried.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere without you, Lesche.¡±


    ***


    ¡®I didn¡¯t know it was going toe out right after I said that.¡¯


    Seria looked around. This was the Temple of the Imperial Pce and the prayer room in the back was with Stern insignia. Alliot, who was busy moving behind her, said,


    ¡°Grand Duchess, I¡¯ve tied everything up.¡±


    ¡°All right. Go out for a bit, please.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Alliot and the other three Berg knights walked out of the prayer room, and the door closed quietly. It was then that Seria finally saw the man who was tied tightly to his post. Half of his face was hidden, but some of the hair that was exposed was silver.


    It was Mies.


    She crossed her arms and tilted her chin lightly. In fact, it was the first time she observed Mies¡¯s face this closely since the incident at the auction house.


    ¡®Lesche doesn¡¯t like it when I stare at Mies¡¯s face.¡¯


    Seria remembered Linon¡¯s report.


    ¡°Mies has never woken up and still has the Grand Duke¡¯s face on his face. It really is a nightmare!¡±


    It was said that Mies, who was impounded in the dungeon of the mansion, has never woken up. He was unresponsive to any physical stimuli. Even though he was like that, his pulse continued to beat.


    Hearing Linon¡¯s words, Seria could only think of one thing as she followed Lesche down to the dungeon and saw the drooping Mies.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a switch has been turned off.¡±


    Anyway, it was difficult to interrogate Mies in this state. That was not good. Because Seria wanted to hear the secrets rted to the circlet.


    ¡°Linon, do you want to give Mies a stronger shock?¡±


    ¡°Stronger shock?¡±


    Seria fiddled with the circlet around her neck. The strongest shock she knew of was the one that knocked out Duke Dietrich at once.


    That kind of destructive divine power mighte up again, but since that day, she had yet to put it on the circlet on Stern insignia.


    After checking Mies¡¯s still motionless face, Seria took out the circlet and put it on Stern insignia on the altar.


    That moment.


    The hair fluttered back strongly. This time as well, a tremendous amount of divine power came out as if exploding. At the same time, a strong scream was heard from the back.


    ¡°Ack¡­!¡±


    Seria turned around and immediately had to stand still as if she had been struck by lightning.


    ¡®That¡­¡¯


    Mies was vomiting something simr to ck smoke. An unidentified darkness that seems too dense to be just smoke. So that was definitely¡­


    ¡®Lina¡­¡¯


    It was very simr to the one that had been absorbed by Lina¡¯s body in the Tshugan ins. Why was thating out of Mies¡¯s body? Dozens of thoughts sprang up and nothing could be clearly confirmed.


    Standing as if frozen, Seria raised her voice.


    ¡°Al¡­!¡±


    Seria groaned and the door opened.


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    ¡®I haven¡¯t called your name yet¡ª!¡¯


    As if he was waiting right in front of the door, Alliot opened the door and ran right in. Alliot¡¯s eyes went wide when he saw Mies. He was surprised to see Mies was surrounded by an unidentified darkness.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure either.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡­¡­ unusual, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    Mies cramped his limbs violently like a patient in extreme pain. Spitting out a handful of blood was an added bonus. At the same time, a silvery glow slowly escaped from his hair. Lesche¡¯s face, which had been oveid, also slowly disappeared. It was a very eerie scene, but Seria couldn¡¯t take her eyes off it.


    Mies was almost back to his original face. Alliot walked with a broad stride toward Mies and suddenly jammed his fist into his jaw. As if he could feel the pain even during the convulsions, Mies rolled his eyes.


    Anyone could tell that the pain that had raised Linon¡¯s blood pressure to its highest level had disappeared. Alliot ordered the knights, ring at Mies with an unprecedented scowl.


    ¡°Tie him up. He¡¯s going to the mansion.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander!¡±


    It was early that morning. The sun had not even risen yet. Seria was able to receive a voluminous report on why Mies had targeted the circlet of Berg.


    ***


    Baron Ison had been living as if drenched in a dream after Lina disappeared. It was a surprise that his thoughts were different. He strongly believed that the holy Saintess was from another ce.


    She was back where she belonged, but Baron Ison believed that one day she would return. The Saintess was a being who gave him great faith.


    ¡®She was quite a good match for the Grand Duke of Berg as well.¡¯


    That was unfortunate, though.


    Grand Duke Berg and Seria Stern¡¯s marriage was due to an ident. The Baron had the strong impression that it was a temporary measure and they would divorce soon, or so Baron Ison had predicted. But thest time he heard another rumor, it was quite different. It happened at the museum.


    Now the Grand Duke¡¯s marriage was no longer temporary because the Emperor approved it. Still, it didn¡¯t feel good to see the vaguely expectednyard disappear.


    Baron Ison entered the temple with a sigh. He hade to the Imperial Temple every day to pray for Lina¡¯s return.


    There were strangely few people there today. He couldn¡¯t even see the priests passing by¡­ though a quieter atmosphere was better.


    When Baron Ison entered the prayer room, he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. Because he saw that green hair, so unique and absolutely unforgettable.


    It was so rare, and it was that same hair color as the Grand Duchess of Berg.


    Trying to back away immediately, Baron Ison failed spectacrly.


    ¡°Good morning, Baron. It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess Berg. It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    Baron Ison gave up running away and immediately greeted her politely. Seria Berg. She stood up from her sitting position. The way she approached him was scary as if a fierce beast was walking towards him.


    Seria was only smiling, but it was never a warm smile, but that arrogant, cold, and horrifying smile that famous people make when they find prey in social circles¡­


    It was a smile that made him realize why he admired Lina. The cheerful Saintess never smiled like that, which made his heart shrink.


    ¡°You¡¯re here to pray for your Saintess toe back.¡±


    At that moment, Baron Ison shivered nervously. He was surprised that Seria could read his true intentions.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The smile on Seria¡¯s mouth deepened.

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111


    Baron Ison was a very loyal mentor and acquaintance to Lina in the original story. Lina¡¯s disappearance from this world was the same as in the original novel. Baron Ison dreamed of the return of the Saintess and prayed for her every day¡­


    Originally, Baron Ison became a nobleman after Lina disappeared. This was because he felt a great interest in the suggestion that he could teach the saints, and had been organizing all the existing seats.


    However, Lina disappeared. Later, when Lina came back, the Baron was fullypensated as a teacher of saints, but until then, his position was a bit dangerous.


    In the original story, Seria didn¡¯t let Baron Ison be. She harassed him in all sorts of diverse and inventive ways, so much so that Baron Ison couldn¡¯t even show up at a social gathering without a good reason.


    ¡®I have no intention of going that far.¡¯


    Seria opened her mouth.


    ¡°I have something to tell you about Saintess.¡±


    ¡°Yes? What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit much to talk here, let¡¯s talk inside the prayer room.¡±


    Then Seria walked away. Baron Ison was in a hurry, but he couldn¡¯t move easily. It wasn¡¯t merely that he was timid. Even in the Glick Empire, there was no noble who could disobey the words of the Grand Duke of Berg and Stern.


    Inside the prayer room, there was an altar with the Stern insignia made of holy gold. Seria walked to the front of the altar and Baron Ison followed.


    ¡°Baron Ison.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess Berg.¡±


    Seria took out the circlet she¡¯d been wearing inside her clothes. Then, without hesitation, she brought it close over the Stern insignia.


    Instantly Baron Ison screamed and copsed.


    He didn¡¯t have time to assess the situation and passed out just like that. Seria crouched down in front of Baron Ison. Then, she covered her face with her hands andughed.


    To the world, she would look like a very crazy person who wouldugh in front of a fallen person, but herughter was an emptyugh that erupted in gasps.


    That bewilderment when a hypothesis that she had tried to formte as a ¡®what if¡¯ turned out to be a perfect fit.


    ¡°What if it really falls down¡­..¡±


    The problem was that the hypothesis had receded from the tone.


    ***


    *Linon¡¯s pov*


    ¡°Finally, I found the ce where these bug-like guys came from.¡±


    Linon sighed. It was fortunate that he found it before turning around.


    In his hand was a report much morepact than the one he had posted to Seria. Actually, he wanted to look good to Seria, so he purposely looked up resource books, extracted the original text, and uploaded an inted report. And, for the report to be used in practice now, just this amount was sufficient.


    It was already full of shocking contents even if he simply listed the facts.


    Especially¡­.


    ¡°Mies¡¯s biological mother was a sorceress.¡±


    This one was just more of a mundanescivious drama. It would have been better for the people in the green manor who encountered the nightmares.


    Linon sighed as he continued.


    His master, Lesche Berg, had put a lot of thought into trying to find a way to destroy the unidentified shadow that had consumed the Laurel Manor over the past few years. It was on the same level as suicide, considering the murderous amount of work that the head of the house had to handle.


    Of course, the same was true for the Knight Commander, Alliot. Linon had a history of vowing to be loyal to Lesche until the day he died, so he did his best as Chief Aide. He gathered information to destroy the shadows. Every time he was invited to the green manor, he would find and organize every speck of dust and information about the different races and sorcerers.


    Who would have thought that collecting this information would be a factor of inevitable defeat for Mies?


    The sorcerers of the Nes Kingdom, led by Mies, had certain qualifications that they had to fulfill.


    All of their parents had to be sorcerers.


    It was something that was clearly documented in the information that Linon had collected so far. This information wasn¡¯t much significant then, but it was different now.


    Therefore, Mies had already used the same spell..


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t even the young master¡­..¡± (*Mies is not rted to Lesche. Mies doesn¡¯t have Berg¡¯s blood. It was all fake)


    They thoroughly toyed with their predecessor, the Grand Dukes. Worms that sucked on Berg, no more, no less.


    ¡°Scary. It¡¯s scary. I¡¯m scared.¡±


    He dared not imagine what Susan¡¯s reaction would be when she heard this secret. Aside from the living release of Mies¡¯s flesh, he felt as if their suffering, which had already been submerged like a watery cloth over the years, had be a deep regret and hade to life again. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but tell them.


    They were solid people. They would somehow take it well.


    And fortunately, there were some people who were pouring out their hearts.


    Seria Berg.


    If it weren¡¯t for this Grand Duchess, they would ovee it somehow because she was here.


    Susan wouldn¡¯t change too much like nightshade, either. It was a matter of hope.


    ¡°What was I going to do without my beloved star?¡±


    Linon snapped angrily, his eyes bloodshot from not being able to sleep for days.


    ¡°If you see anything even remotely suspicious, no, just scrape up everything you can see! I¡¯ll be back to sort it out!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    There was a ttering sound as the aides swept the items into bags.


    ¡°Don¡¯t break it!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not happening!¡±


    Linon shook the report he had already memorized. It was then that the words suddenly entered his gaze.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t understand why the sorcerers wanted the circlet so much.¡±


    The aide who was following hurriedly replied.


    ¡°Mies wanted it because he received a sign.¡±


    ¡°Mies, Mies, what nonsense is that? Still, collect them for me.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Linon gave a tired look.


    ¡°The stigmata of the bones¡­.¡±


    ¡°The Grand Duchess will not be pleased.¡±


    ¡°Surprisingly, she might say it¡¯s okay¡­she¡¯s strong.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. She¡¯s very unpredictable.¡±


    It was then.


    ¡°Chief Aide!¡± Pleasee with me for a moment!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Linon hurriedly took off at the sound of fear. The three aides were buzzing around one object.


    ¡°What is it? Is it a box? Oh, this¡­?


    Linon¡¯s pupils dted.


    In the basement of the green manor, there was a ss box in the exact same shape as the Box of the Blue Sea, where Martha¡¯s hair was sealed. The only other thing in the box was a small piece of material. It looked exactly the same, so people would think it would be a replica if it was put next to it.


    ¡°I wonder what the ck thing is. It¡¯s very sinister.¡±


    ¡°Shall I take it off? Shall I destroy it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A ck shadow was swaying from the inside of the ss box. Shadows were also attached to the surface.


    The other aides buzzed with surprise at their first encounter with this strange darkness. But Linon knew this darkness well.


    It was that strange darkness that had consumed the green manor for so long. Linon said, crumpling up the paper and putting it in his pocket.


    ¡°Take this, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ****


    Mies slowly opened his eyes.


    A momentum of energy was flowing through his body. With clouded eyes he looked far into the distance at the square on the table. It was methodically wrapped in cotton fabric and leather, but it couldn¡¯t hide the energy that flowed from within.


    It seemed his home base had already been ransacked. They probably saw it and brought it here to interrogate him. Those fools.


    He thought his body would recover to some extent if he stayed a little longer like this. Mies was in a better mood and wanted tough, but he was too weak to do so.


    Click.


    Mies raised his head at the sound of the door opening, and immediately he chuckled.


    ¡°Long time no see. Sir Alliot.¡±


    Alliot closed the door with a sullen expression.


    ¡°I see the child has grown up. I was the second Master, and you are so cocky that you don¡¯t even answer. The one who just follows the Grand Duchess around¡­..¡±


    It was a provocation, but Alliot didn¡¯t answer anything. He just cleaned up the torture chamber with his familiar skills. He wiped up every single blood spatter on the floor and drew a straight line on the floor with chalk. After lighting the fragrant herbs, he finally opened his mouth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything nonsense about the Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense?¡±


    Mies twisted his lips.


    ¡°Oh, talk of being a b*stard? Why not? It¡¯s not wrong, is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Alliot didn¡¯t say anything, but he pulled out a dagger. The sharp de filled Mies¡¯s eyes with physiological dread. That was when it happened. The closed door opened and Lesche entered.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Lesche gave the torture chamber a cursory nce, then spoke to Alliot.


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Soon, they were the only two people in the torture chamber. It didn¡¯t take long for a stifling silence to flow.


    ¡°¡­ahh!¡±


    Lesche grabbed Mies¡¯s chin roughly and Mies gritted his teeth. His limbs werepletely restrained, and Lesche¡¯s strength was too strong. He couldn¡¯t hold it for long, not with Lesche¡¯s red eyes ring at him like he was going to kill him. Mies gradually averted his gaze. It felt like he was facing a ravenous beast in front of him.


    ¡°Your mother was a sorceress.¡±


    ¡°¡­.!¡±


    ¡®¡¯I didn¡¯t think you were nning to enter Berg after that, and there¡¯s so much to tear off and eat.¡±


    Mies swallowed dry saliva mixed with blood. While Lesche spoke in a low voice, Mies¡¯s jawbone, caught by Lesche, seemed to be broken by now.


    ¡°What¡¯s the spell, I didn¡¯t know you were so good at using magic.¡±


    ¡°How did you¡­?¡±


    Mies¡¯s eyes were shaking violently. The fact that Lesche knew that secret meant the betrayal of the sorcerers that Mies had been using.


    However, the reason why Mies was surprised was not simply because of the betrayal, but because the spell he had made to the sorcerers with his power had been broken. That was the problem.


    The spell was so powerful that it cut to the bone. It was the spell that was only possible because they were both sorcerers. It started when the sorcerers who had infiltrated the green manor before had betrayed him.


    He didn¡¯t use any spell on them that time because he didn¡¯t expect that Lesche would notice it as it was a simple task. As a result, the sorcerers easily surrendered to Berg¡¯s torture. He almost got caught in the tail several times since then.


    A memory shed through Mies¡¯s mind. If the spell had been removed, wouldn¡¯t you have known it yourself right away? For a moment, it was the divine power that flowed down like a waterfall.

 Chapter 112

    <h2>Chapter 112</h2>


    ¡°Is Stern¡¯s divine power that strong? It can¡¯t be. When was thest time their stars abandoned them¡­¡±


    Lesche said, carefully engraving Mies¡¯s enchanted words in his head.


    ¡°One question, Mies.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean when you say that the previous Grand Duke was mad for the previous Grand Duchess?¡± (Lesche)


    The sorcerers were no match for the intense interrogation of Berg¡¯s aides. And to begin with, Linon had a tough personality that squeezed out everyst drop.


    So the sorcerers frantically transcribed each and every dialogue they had with Mies. Not a single word evaporated in vain. It was a confession piled one foot long. All the other statements could be reasonably understood.


    The fact that Mies¡¯s biological mother was actually a sorceress, the fact that she deliberately tormented the previous Grand Duchess in order to have the circlet¡­


    It was a flood of those many sins.


    But only one of them. Lesche couldn¡¯t understand just one thing.


    [Mies repeated over and over the words that the previous Grand Duke was mad for the previous Grand Duchess]


    The previous Grand Duke didn¡¯t care about the Grand Duchess. He brought his mistress into the castle. So he wasn¡¯t crazy about the Grand Duchess but the other woman. He tore up the memorandum to his b*st*rd son Mies and loved himvishly.


    Lesche knew better than anyone how that love had left his mother cold.


    ¡°They even confessed to such things? Those trash¡­¡± (Mies)


    The anger in Mies¡¯s face slowly but clearly changed. He began tough.


    ¡°Are you curious? You must be curious. But why should I answer you? You can keep being curious until you die.¡± (Mies)


    Malice began to re up.


    ¡°Telling the hidden truth will make His Highness, the wonderful Grand Duke Berg, suffer even more.¡± (Mies)


    Mies¡¯ eyes dazzled and flipped over.


    ¡°Our father loved your mother very much. You don¡¯t have to go far to see how enamored Grand Duke Berg was with the Grand Duchess, just look in the mirror.¡± (Mies)


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°But, why was father¡¯s love suddenly broken, not by the counter inscription of mercy, but by my humble mother? Isn¡¯t that odd? Have you ever thought it was strange? Did father¡¯s love change so much simply because my mother was beautiful?¡± (Mies)


    Watching theplexion of Lesche who had felt inferior all his life changed so quickly was more fun than he imagined. Mies felt a numbing tion.


    ¡°The nightmare that had betrayed the Grand Duchess he loved so much and even threatened the rightful heir! How would it feel if it was actually just a magic trick that was treated as insignificant on this continent? I think it would have been more honorable to end up in ascivious drama¡­¡± (Mies)


    Mies¡¯d voice stretched like a snake.


    ¡°No, Lesche Berg¡­¡­ no, brother? If you get caught up in the spell and find out that you¡¯ve lost your father¡¯s love, your noble mother¡­..¡± (Mies)


    Mies¡¯s words were cut off mid-sentence. It was because Lesche, who had been cold and somber throughout the conversation, chuckled.


    ¡°¡­Brother? Why are youughing all of a sudden? Why are youughing? Why on earth are youughing¡­!¡± (Mies)


    ¡°Have you drowned out all your fantasies?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­What?¡± (Mies)


    ¡°You think I¡¯m a fool. If you make up all these nonsensical words, why did you think I would slyly squeeze you like a child?¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche¡¯s mouth was smiling, but his eyes were cold. Mies¡¯s face turned pale as Lesche saw through his lies.


    Gypsies, the abomination of the continent, the sorcerers of a different race. Lesche didn¡¯t discriminate against them, but seeing Mies¡¯s behavior like this, he understood why he couldn¡¯t trust them.


    Even though the shadows of the green manor had multiplied to a dangerous level, no one could easily enter the manor. Information that people could collect was scrapped, so it was impossible to fall for the lies of Mies.


    A spell that can manipte the emotions of a person you¡¯ve never met? If such a spell were possible, the kingdom of Nes would have already carried the sorcerers on their back and instead put war at their feet.


    His red eyes were as cold as ice.


    He had already recognized this painfully When he was a child, so it wasn¡¯t too difficult now. It was just that his father, the previous Grand Duke, had broken his lifetime vow of marriage. He was such a poor and horrible man that he didn¡¯t need any excuse, not even witchcraft.


    Lesche took out a bundle of old paper from his pocket. When Mies saw them, his eyes grew bigger than ever.


    They were Berg¡¯s memorandum, hidden in a box. The page that had been lost, the very paper that the previous Grand Duke Berg had personally torn out.


    ¡°And how did you get it out! That¡­! I had sealed it with Magi¡­!¡± (Mies)


    He stopped as if struck by lightning.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be the one who broke it open. It¡¯s Seria Stern. It¡¯s Seria Stern!¡± (Mies)


    Blue veins appeared on Lesche¡¯s fist. He was about to use it, but then he noticed the door* and lowered his hand again. (*Seria was outside the door)


    Instead, he roughly sat down in the chair on the other side of Mies.


    The torn memorandum contained information about the circlet. It said to store the circlet in the basement of the Laurel Manor, so it would be used like heirlooms for the future Grand Duchesses. In terms of content, yes, it was simr to the way other families often treated their heirlooms.


    ¡°It seems that my father didn¡¯t give you and your mother the circlet until the end.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Mies¡¯ eyes went wide as Lesche hit the target. Lesche folded the memorandum without sincerity.


    ¡°Is that why you said that the previous Grand Duke went mad for the Grand Duchess?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    That seemed to be the least conscience of the previous Grand Duke Berg. Of course, that was all. The previous Grand Duke tore a few pages out of his memorandum to Mies. Later, if Mies became Grand Duke of Berg, his future wife would be the Grand Duchess, and he meant to have the circlet he wanted that way then.


    Mies¡¯s body trembled. It was an instinctive feeling. He had no more information that Lesche wanted from him.


    ¡°I, too, inherited Berg¡¯s blood! You just want to look good for the Grand Duchess and kill your own blood? Have you forgotten that Seria Stern is also illegitimate¡­! Ah!¡± (Mies)


    His cheekbones copsed and crumbled as they were. Blood flew without mercy. Mies fell back with a scream.


    Lesche, who kicked the chair Mies was tied to, gently stepped on Mies¡¯s chest with his feet.


    ¡°Mies.¡±


    ¡°Save me¡­¡±


    ¡°I have looked over thirty earthly religions so far in an attempt to resolve the devastating shadow of the Green Manor. The same for the sorcerers of the Nes Kingdom, led by you.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Save me¡­¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t both your parents be sorcerers?¡± (Lesche)


    Mies¡¯s breath stopped for a moment. His pupils shook violently as if he had lost his axis.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of the previous Grand Duke being a sorcerer.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The evidence would be too poor to im that he was a sorcerer now, Mies.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    There was a scream mixed with pain. Lesche said, not caring about the red marks sshing on Mies¡¯ hands.


    ¡°I heard that the bloody ck magic was peeled off after visiting the temple with my wife.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    ¡°How many more times do I have to go to the temple before all your skines off?¡± (Lesche)


    Blood spattered from Mies¡¯ tattered fingers. Lesche¡¯s hand, which was going towards Mies¡¯s neck, moved away after a moment¡¯s pondering.


    Lesche methodically made sure that Mies was properly bound. He clicked his tongue briefly and also wiped the blood from his hand with a thick cotton fabric in the torture chamber. Lesche stood up and stepped towards the door.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Mies didn¡¯t reply. Seria pulled the table roughly in front of the line Elliot had drawn earlier. On the table was the box that Linon had seized at the sorcerer¡¯s headquarters.


    As soon as she removed the wrapper, the pitch ck magi shook like smoke. Mies, who had been drooping, wriggled toward the Magi right away. Seria shouted.


    ¡°Hey! How dare you call this thing Magi?¡±


    Mies quickly lifted his head.


    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s called Magi? Kakkak!¡±


    Before entering the torture chamber, she hit Mies on the head with the long stick Elliot had given her to hold. She red at him pratingly and immediately frowned. It was the look of witnessing an insane person. It was understandable. She could understand it, because right now, his eyes were filled with helpless tears.


    She had been outside for a long time before Lesche entered this torture chamber alone. The torture chamber was a torture chamber, and there was a device on the wall that allowed her to listen to the sounds inside.


    <em><strong>¡°How did you get that out! That¡¯s¡­! That thing I sealed it with Magi¡­!¡±</strong></em>


    She didn¡¯t know that the word ¡°Magi¡± woulde out of Mies¡¯ mouth. Her body almost bounced off as well.


    The name ¡°Magi¡± should not have been in this world yet.


    The name was given only by Lina in the second half of the original. A long timeter. Just looking at the dark shadow without thinking.


    How could Mies know the exact name if the heroine of this world hadn¡¯t named it yet, and it didn¡¯t exist?


    Strangely enough, tears just came to her eyes because she felt like her head was about to explode. She rubbed her eyes roughly with her sleeves and asked.


    ¡°Do you know Lina? Do you know Lina?¡±


    ¡°Why should I answer your question?¡± (Mies)


    The color of Mies¡¯ eyes was getting more and more hungry. It was that look when he licked her lips when they met at the auction house.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it some thought if Stern gives me generosity¡­¡± (Mies)


    Mies folded as if he¡¯d been hit with a spear.


    Seria was able to borrow the Stern insignia from the temple for a few hours thanks to being a Stern. Seria held the circlet up to the insignia without mercy and asked again.


    ¡°Do you know a saint named Lina or not?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°The Saint is going to freeze to death¡­Argh!¡±


    Mies bent his neck and back madly, as if he was being tortured severely. As expected, he did not faint this time, but an unidentified darkness was released from his body. Mies¡¯ reaction alone showed that it was an act involving considerable pain.

 Chapter 113

    <h2>Chapter 113</h2>


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! She¡¯s the saint who came downst time!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ she¡¯s a saint from the Great Temple¡­¡±


    It was obvious that the longer he was exposed to the holy power, the more Mies¡¯ mental defenses would drop significantly. Seria gritted her teeth and changed her question.


    ¡°Then why did you try to take this circlet?¡±


    Knowing that this circlet has explosive divine power, Mies tried to own it. The report posted by Linon said that the sorcerers confessed so. But Seria couldn¡¯t easily believe the confession.


    Because she knew how this circlet went in the original.


    She knew it well.


    In the original story, Mies would have taken the circlet, but no one else would have taken the Berg circlet out of its underground burial.


    It was not as bad as it was now, but even in the original story, Mies put in a lot of effort to have the Circle. It didn¡¯t seem to make sense to auction off something that took that much effort. It was absurd.


    There must be a real purpose for him trying to have this circlet.


    ¡°Mies.¡±


    The real purpose was that even if the circlet was put on the auction house in the future, the justification would be established.


    ¡°Why did you want to have a circlet?¡±


    As Seria continued to hold the circlet to the Stern insignia, Mies was swung in all directions with exploding divine power. Along with a hoarse scream, Mies shouted like a vomit.


    ¡°The moon¡­!¡±


    ¡°The moon?¡±


    As Mies¡¯ words were cut off with convulsions, Seria put the circlet back to the insignia again. Mies immediately twisted his body.


    ¡°Dedicated to my Moon¡­!¡±


    Simultaneously with those words, foam came out of his mouth and Mies fainted. Seria quietly removed the circlet and moved away from Mies.


    ¡°Moon? What is the moon?¡±


    Nothing came to mind. Was it Mies¡¯ secret lover? A term of endearment? But for that, he licked Seria¡¯s lips very passionately and expressed his desire without hesitation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Linon to be sure.¡±


    She kept interrogating Mies with her divine power and she was out of breath. Seria gasped and leaned against the table. The circlet rattled in her hands.


    As she tortured Mies, the magi circling around the box was also purified. Looking at the surface of the ss, Seria put the circlet back into her clothes.


    She had already heard and knew that Mies did not have even the blood of the previous Grand Duke Berg.


    Mies¡¯s end belonged to the people of the Green Manor, not to her.


    <em>¡®I¡®ll give them both a vacation.¡¯</em>


    Because Ben and Susan needed time topose themselves. Seria nced at Mies. Before seeing the end, she would have to squeeze the truth out of Mies again tomorrow.


    ¡°Magi¡­¡±


    <em>¡®He doesn¡¯t know Lina, but he shares the same word as Lina.¡¯</em>


    If Mies was a young, handsome, mastermind High Priest, it would be an understandable coincidence with romance-novel tolerance, but the fact that such gruesomeness was missing, and that such an important word ovepped with a grim sorcerer who didn¡¯t show up until the end in the original story, didn¡¯t quite add up.


    Seria¡¯s mind was a jumble. In the original story, this circlet was just for gifts. A tearful courtship present for the heroine from Seria¡¯s nerdy brother Nissos¡­.


    Does Nissos need to be tortured with holy power too ? The thought of torturing all the sub-male leads from the original story crossed Seria¡¯s mind if it went on like this.


    When she came out of the tortured chamber staggering, someone grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Bibi.¡±


    ¡°Miss.¡±


    ¡°I need a bath.¡±


    Abigail asked as she meekly escorted Seria out.


    ¡°Youngdy, does the sacred power of that ne affect your husband?¡±


    Seria chuckled, thinking of the sacred power that had knocked out Baron Ison and Duke Dietrich.


    ¡°Yes, Bibi.¡±


    It had no effect.


    ¡°There is no one more strongly affected by this divine power than Lesche.¡±


    That was Seria¡¯s guess. Even more so when she recalled the simrities between Duke Dietrich and Baron Ison.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Abigail seemed curious, but she walked Seria to the bath anyway. The tub filled quickly, and she soaked in the hot water, leaning her head back a bit as she sorted out what she wanted to say to Lesche.


    From that day on Seria couldn¡¯t wake up for a few days.


    ****


    How long did she pass out like that? When she finally woke up properly, it was midnight. It was not natural sunlight, but it could be fully guessed by the view illuminated by the lighting. And the face that she could see right above¡­


    ¡°Bibi¡­¡±


    ¡°My Lady!¡±


    Abigail immediately hugged Seria. She saw Abigail just before she passed out, and she couldn¡¯t believe it was Abigail she would see again as soon as she woke up. She tried tough, but she didn¡¯t have the strength, so she just gave up and slumped. Her body was very hot. The heat boiled over.


    It wasn¡¯t tingling or ufortably hot, as if her body had been beaten. It was more like the feeling after a long soak in boiling water. It was an unusual feeling, but she knew instinctively that it was not just fatigue, but overuse of divine power.


    ¡°This is what happens when you use too much divine power.¡±


    ¡°Give me some water¡­¡±


    ¡°Here you go, Grand Duchess. Please drink.¡±


    The lukewarm water flowed into her mouth. She heard a voice and knew it was Susan. After drinking water slowly, Seria opened her swollen eyes. Susan had a very haggard face. Seria was sure it was partly her fault and partly Mies¡¯ fault as well. She couldn¡¯t see Ben right now, but he would have a face simr to Susan¡¯s.


    ¡°You finally woke up. It¡¯s been days since you¡¯ve been awake¡­¡±


    When Seria heard Susan¡¯s words, she knew she had been out cold for days. She waited until enough water soothed her dry throat to open her mouth.


    ¡°Susan, vacation¡­two weeks, right?¡±


    Seria asked with a hacking cough mixed in.


    It was unsure if Lesche would give Mies to the members of the Green Manor alive, dead, or nothing, but she had to go to the Green Manor. Susan nodded as if she fully understood what Seria was saying.


    ¡°I will convey the Grand Duchess¡¯s message to the two* of them as well.¡± (*Martha and Joanna)


    Soon the doctor came running in. The doctor examined Seria¡¯s body methodically and then diagnosed that she was fine. Her fever would go down in the morning. In fact, her body was getting better strangely fast. Was it because of the divine power?


    At first it was hard for Seria to smile, but now her face was slowly changing. As her gaze finally moved with ease, she turned to look at the door, because the eyes of Susan, the doctor, and the maids had been looking that way for a while now.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria was more than a little perplexed when she looked there.


    Lesche was sitting by the side table staring at her. He didn¡¯t say a word. The problem was¡­..


    The problem was the fact that his red eyes were very downcast. She thought it was simply because she copsed that was why the atmosphere in the bedroom was heavy, but it was not. She was horrified by the cold, nk expression on his face. Lesche¡¯s mood was very unusual.


    When she turned her head slightly, avoiding Lesche¡¯s gaze that fixed on her. Unpredictably, he immediately stood up andmanded.


    ¡°Everyone, out.¡±


    The bedroom was instantly quiet. Lesche strode towards Seria. He sat down on the bed and opened his mouth.


    ¡°What the hell are you trying to do, Seria?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria gasped at the sound of his voice, which was much different than usual.


    <em>¡®Did I use too much power and Mies died?¡¯</em>


    Seria asked carefully.


    ¡°¡­ Could it be that Mies died?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Mies, it¡¯s you now¡­¡±


    There was a hint of suppressed anger in Lesche¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Do you know how long it¡¯s been since you came to your senses? Do you know how many days it¡¯s been since you¡¯re awake?¡±


    ¡°¡ªI didn¡¯t know that if I used my divine power, I would pass out.¡±


    As she said this, she suddenly realized that her neck was empty. Her gaze reflexively turned to the side. The circlet was very important to her and to Berg, because when she took it off and put it somewhere else, she always put it on the side table by the bed.


    The problem was that it was not there when it was supposed to be.


    ¡°Are you looking for that bloody circlet?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Seria couldn¡¯t help but panic. What did he mean ¡®bloody circlet¡¯?


    He seemed to know that Seria had extracted her divine power, and that she fainted from it.


    ¡°I guess Bibi told you.¡± (Seria)


    Well, it was a natural choice for Abigail to tell Lesche Seria because suddenly copsed and lost consciousness.


    It was just¡­


    ¡°¡­ What did you do with that circlet?¡± (Seria)


    Lesche looked at her and gritted his teeth.


    ¡°I broke it.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°What?¡±


    He broke it?


    His words were unexpected, and Seria tried to keep herposure. Yes, she was awake now for the first time in days. She could fully understand why Lesche was angry. The circlet was very useful¡­ but what to do. He already broke it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± (Seria)


    Seria grabbed Lesche¡¯s hand. She felt really very scared if he would shake her off, but luckily he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the divine power would shake my body that much. It¡¯s hard to see a holy object that produces such a strong divine power anyway, so I won¡¯t use it anymore. If I knew I would faint like that, I wouldn¡¯t use it so much¡­¡± (Seria)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you worry a lot? I¡¯m so sorry.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Seria¡­¡­.¡±


    For a moment, Lesche squeezed Seria¡¯s hand tightly. As soon as she shrank in pain, he let go of her hand. Lesche alternately looked at his hand and Seria¡¯s hand, and then he just swept his face with both hands.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°What would happen if you couldn¡¯t wake up forever during those days?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°How bad were those days, it was torture to even breathe.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Lesche¡­..¡±


    Lesche lifted his gaze, staring straight at Seria, he asked.


    ¡°I have one question for you, Seria.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Why did you pull me out of the basement? Answer honestly.¡± (Lesche)


    The basement torture chamber where Mies was locked up. She was pretty sure she asked Lesche toe up before she had her solo interview with Mies. She had given him a good reason to do so. He obeyed without saying a word. She did not expect he would ask again.


    The red eyes staring at her were a different shape.


    ¡°Your knight doesn¡¯t answer even when she¡¯s dead, does she?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡­ Bibi?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She saw a clean nket a few hours ago, which must have been new.


    That was why she sent Lesche up.


    It was a few days ago, before Mies was tortured in earnest.


    ***


    *Seria was afraid Lesche would torture Mies to death before she could obtain information from Mies that¡¯s why she told him toe out of the torture chamber. She wanted to get information from Mies alone, because she hadn¡¯t told Lesche the real story about Lina, the circlet, and the original story. It¡¯s not that she was afraid for Mies¡¯s life, she just wanted to get information before he would be beaten to death.

 Chapter 114

    <h2>Chapter 114</h2>


    ****


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Seria went to the temple on purpose. She was going to borrow the Stern insignia. That was the only way she could torture Mies. The more she came to the temple and prayed, the more the priests were pleased and puzzled.


    Of course, she had other intentions for her visit to the temple.


    She continued to reflect on theplex questions that had been hanging over her head all along.


    She couldn¡¯t understand why Duke Dietrich sold the castle in the port city that was as good a connection as any to Lina. Did he really do that because he was upset with God? It would take an unidentified darkness flowing from Mies¡¯ body to make her believe it was a coincidence.


    She held up her circlet to the Stern insignia. Just then, of all times, Abigail suddenly walked in.


    The even bigger problem was that Abigail waspletely fine. Of course she thought Abigail would faint like Duke Dietrich.


    In the original story, Bibi was already a dead assistant, and she was only in the episode for a few lines and that was wrong.


    That was why she had no connection to Lina.


    What if?


    Would only the characters who were positively rted to Lina faint?


    She limited it to positive because Seria herself didn¡¯t faint when she was hit by this divine power.


    Seria was a real viin. She was a viin who was at odds with the heroine.


    She quickly chose supporting characters who had a deep connection to Lina. One of them was Baron Ison, who was easy to find because he was right in the capital and would be praying in the temple for 100 days.


    He had great respect for Stern at the temple, and it was easy to find out the time of his visit.


    The result was Baron Ison¡¯s fainting.


    Seria couldn¡¯t understand it. What on earth could this circlet and Lina have to do with each other that would lead to such a result?


    It wasn¡¯t immediately clear to her, but Seria knew she had to get Lesche out of Mies¡¯s torture chamber, because he was the male protagonist.


    If the supporting characters who were close to Lina fainted one after another, Lesche, the male protagonist, would naturally get a bigger shock. Seria definitely did not want Lesche to faint.


    ¡°¡­You¡­¡±


    Seria continued slowly.


    ¡°Because you might be affected by the sacred power of the circlet. I was worried.¡±


    ¡°You were worried that I might be affected?¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche was still looking straight at her. Once again, she understood why Lesche always looked at her so carefully, as if he was observing her whenever they talked. He could see through her lies, and at the same time, he could find out the truth that she was not supposed to tell him.


    ¡°Then why did Abigail¡¯s Orrien stay down there?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡®Because Bibi has nothing to do with the Prophecy.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Do I have a connection?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Yes. The most.¡± (Seria)


    Lesche¡¯s expression suddenly changed at that answer. It was only a moment, but it was as if he was falling apart¡­ Why did he look like that?


    Lesche looked at Seria and asked in a somber tone.


    ¡°Because I was the Saintess¡¯s husband in that bloody prophecy?¡± (Lesche)


    It was not a long word. A look of deep hurt in his eyes at the same time. Hurt¡­. Wound¡­. As soon as Seria realized it, her heart sank. Lesche squeezed her hand and slowly put it down.


    ¡°¡­Take a rest, Seria.¡±


    Lesche got up from the bed. Seria was stunned as she watched him walk away, but she regained consciousness a beatter and hurriedly got up.


    ¡°Lesche!¡±


    She ran unsteadily and grabbed Lesche¡¯s arm. Perhaps because she fainted for a few days, her legspletely lost their strength.


    Lesche instantly caught her as she fell with a panicked look on his face, and they both fell straight to the floor. In the midst of all this, it was Lesche¡¯s body that finally touched the floor, as he showed a ridiculous amount of instantaneous agility.


    Seria was lying on Lesche¡¯s chest. Lesche¡¯s face in front of her.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t quite remember what she was supposed to say when she tried to stop him. It was just that his face, which had always been so cold, and the shadow that wavered deeply in his pitiless eyes, left a pain deep in her heart. Who doesn¡¯t know how strong and how often a shock must be applied to scratch a hard rock?


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Seria¡¯s other hand that was gripping Lesche¡¯s shoulder trembled. The fever had not yetpletely subsided.


    ¡°I¡¯m too afraid of dying¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­so I can¡¯t forget what I read at that time. Because if I forget, I will die.¡±


    <em>¡®Because I am destined to die. Because that¡¯s what Seria Stern is here to do, breathing like this. It would have been better if this was the beginning of the story. How much easier it would have been if I had kept you in my heart when I wasn¡¯t betrayed by Kalis, when I was sure I could be free in this original story.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®But that is thoroughly my own personal problem. I¡¯m cold hearted, but that was the truth. Does it make sense to hurt this person just because I got hurt?¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®No.¡¯</em>


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hurt you. I was just trying to find a way to live. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you, I really didn¡¯t¡­.¡± (Seria)


    Seria couldn¡¯t continue to finish her words. An overflow of tears trickled down her cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you feel nervous¡­.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    A silence fell. There were no more words that came to her mind. She let out all the words she had been keeping inside her heart. Even then, tears flowed out and fell onto Lesche¡¯s chest without rest. While she was rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, her wrist went down in a tight grip.


    Lesche was just looking at Seria with a face as twisted as hers.


    ¡°¡­¡­ You are a wonder, Seria.¡±


    His fingers brushed her cheek slowly.


    ¡°¡®I thought you were sorry for worrying me.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Can you see how I feel?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­Seria, stop crying.¡± (Lesche)


    Seria couldn¡¯t stop her tears and Lesche panicked. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket. The soft surface with body heat clinging to it reached her skin. She couldn¡¯t understand why her body was so warm when it should have been her face that was hot because of the fever.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m always anxious.¡± (Seria)


    Lesche¡¯s hand, which was wiping Seria¡¯s cheek, came to a halt.


    ¡°So¡­ If I were in your shoes, I would have been nervous too.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    There was no reply from Lesche. The slow pace with which he wiped her cheek didn¡¯tst long. Lesche dropped the handkerchief on the floor. Then he hugged Seria tightly. He hugged her tightly, as if it didn¡¯t matter at all that his clothes got wet.


    ¡°There is an end to the prophecy, isn¡¯t there, Seria?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­There is.¡± (Seria)


    The ending was Lina and Lesche¡¯s wedding.


    ¡°It¡¯s a relief if there is an end.¡±(Lesche)


    Lesche sighed lowly.


    ¡°When it passes, you won¡¯t be so anxious.¡± (Lesche)


    When Seria couldn¡¯t answer, Lesche frowned and added.


    ¡°Let¡¯s correct it, Seria. It¡¯s no use being anxious. Because I have no intention of breaking my marriage pledge.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Of course, Seria knew well that Lesche was very conservative in marriage pledges. She knew it well¡­.


    After saying it in a tone that even sounded coercive, the hand that stroked down her back was cautious. A soothing touch. Seria felt strange. She wanted to ask something. After getting out of Lesche¡¯s arms, Seria looked at him and asked.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so nice to me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Lesche looked at Seria with a wonder in his eyes.


    ¡°Because I like you.¡± (Lesche)


    Seria¡¯s heart skipped a beat at that moment. Her chest was throbbing fast. She looked up at Lesche in a daze, then lowered her gaze.


    <em>¡®When I hold my emotions in check, they bloom on the other side, and when I hurriedly push that side, they teasingly bloom again on all sides. ¡­.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®The reason my cheeks are hot is probably because I¡¯m still flushed with fever.¡¯</em>


    ¡°I like you too.¡± (Seria)


    Lesche blinked slowly. Seria didn¡¯t have time to figure out what expression he had on his face, because he suddenly covered Seria¡¯s eyes. Seria rushed to grab Lesche¡¯s hand and tried to pull it down. But he didn¡¯t move a muscle, as if he had steel on his hands.


    ¡°Lesche? What¡¯s wrong? What is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s just stay like this for a while.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Eventually Seria sat still, dumbfounded. She could hear Lesche mumbling to himself, but she really didn¡¯t know why. What was the reason for the sudden blindfold? Was there a dead body here?


    But this was a bedroom, and behind was a wall, so there couldn¡¯t be a dead body in the bed¡­.<em>¡®What is it?</em>¡¯


    Just in case, Seria slightly moved her knee to Lesche¡¯s solid thigh. Right away, Lesche asked in a surprise voice.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­.¡±


    Seria cleared her throat and said.


    ¡°I thought you were¡­¡±


    Lesche, who was staring at Seria dumbfoundedly, chuckled.


    ¡°Then why are you covering my eyes?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°¡­Just.¡± (Lesche)


    As Seria talked, she started to feel embarrassed. She was disgusted with herself for suddenly checking Lesche¡¯s manhood with tears streaming down her face. It was a perfect example of what happens when you get carried away by the heat.<em>¡®Has my brain been immersed in divine power? How could I act without thinking?¡¯</em>


    ¡°Even if I am hurt because of the divine power. I still have a fever. A person does things in vain¡­.¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ yes?¡±


    <em>¡®This is the man who notices me like a ghost when I¡¯m shy or embarrassed.¡¯</em>


    ¡°Seria, I have no intention of covering your eyes. It¡¯s because your eyes were on the bed.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Seria screamed out and covered her mouth.<em>¡®How in the world can a man named Grand Duke Berg speak ill of me whenever he has time? Do you think I¡¯m staying still because I¡¯m bad at it?¡¯</em>


    Then she suddenly noticed that Lesche¡¯s cheeks were warmer than usual. That was strange. Her hands were probably hot from the fever right now¡­ but if she felt the warmth from him, it meant Lesche was in a desired state.


    ¡°¡­Lesche, are you¡­? (Seria)


    ¡°It¡¯s your fever.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Your face is warm.¡± (Seria)


    Lesche chuckled and finally dropped the hand that was covering Seria¡¯s eyes. Finally finding the light, Seria looked at Lesche¡¯s face and tilted her chin slightly.


    ¡°Your face seems to be red.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°It¡¯s hot in the bedroom. You must be in pain.¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche answered simply and stood up with Seria in his arms. It was amazing. Seria wondered how tightly knit his muscles were, how he could get up so lightly, holding her in such a position.


    ¡°You must sleep, Seria.¡±


    ¡°You should sleep with me.¡±


    ¡°Shall we?¡±


    Lesche gently set Seria down on the bed and then stepped over to change. The gown was always new and up on the table near the bed every day, so Lesche changed it right then and there, without leaving the room. His shirt fell to the ground. His muscr back moved as he put on his gown.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for a few days, so I¡¯ll have to put up with it for another day.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡®¡­It¡¯s not that long.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°No?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°No.¡± (Seria)


    Lesche turned to Seria and smiled softly.


    ¡°I hope you get a good night¡¯s sleep today.¡± (Lesche)


    <em>¡®Does that mean he won¡¯t let me sleep tomorrow?¡¯</em>


    Seria asked because she was curious while trying to cover herself with the nket.


    ¡°How long have you been awake?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°The whole time you were unconscious.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­How long have I been unconscious?¡± (Seria)


    Lesche didn¡¯t answer the question. Whether he knew she was her curious mind or not, he changedpletely into his gown andy down beside her. Lesche hugged Seria and whispered,


    ¡°Ask your knight tomorrow. Now, go to sleep.¡±

 Chapter 115

    <h2>Chapter 115</h2>


    ¡°You were unconscious for exactly five days.¡±


    <em>¡®Wow¡­ that was a long fainting spell.¡¯</em>


    The next day Seria was all healed up, just like the doctor said she would be.


    Yesterday, her legs were weak, but everything else was fine. It was thanks to Susan that her body was fine after being unconscious for five days. All that time, Susan would pour soup into Seria¡¯s mouth every day, and wipe Seria¡¯s body 3 times a day.


    <em>¡®No wonder my body is so clean.¡¯</em>


    It was good.


    And she was d Susan didn¡¯t look too tired.


    Susan, Ben, Alliot and some of the Berg knights would leave Berg mansion to go to the Laurel Manor in two days.


    Seria couldn¡¯t get anything more out of Mies.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was too strong-willed to keep his mouth shut. It was as if he really didn¡¯t have any more information to give. It was strange to see Mies in such a state of iprehension. He was the one who had tried to steal this Berg¡¯s Circlet and the one who nned the whole thing, so why didn¡¯t he know much?


    When Seria asked him who was behind it, he said a lot of iprehensible things.


    <em><strong>¡°To dedicate it to my moon¡­!¡±</strong></em>


    It was strange.


    Seria looked at Mies, who was tied up in front of her. When she first met him at the auction, he looked like Lesche, and even after that spell was removed, he looked quite refreshed¡­ Now he looked like a limped old man.


    <em>¡°I don¡¯t even know what that moon is¡­then what do you know about it?¡±</em>


    Seria asked curiously, but Mies unexpectedly raised his head.


    However, he wasn¡¯t looking at Seria. His dazed pupils were looking into space. Seria as well as Abigail looked up, but there was nothing.


    Had he really lost his mind? Mies looked up at the sky and began to tremble. He kept reciting small, fast, and repetitive chants as if he was a crazy person.


    ¡°What is that man saying?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just mumbling.¡±


    Seria suddenly remembered the name that Mies had given to the circlet.


    ¡°Bone Sacrament.¡±


    The name was the same, but he named it after a revtion of that strange name. The fact that there was a connection between the word ¡°stigma¡± and the word ¡°saint¡± also made people ufortable.


    ¡°It looks like he¡¯s been given a revtion. I think he¡¯s possessed by a ghost.¡±


    Mies seemed to have gone truly mad, but it shouldn¡¯t be overlooked. Seria gazed at Linon¡¯s recording for a moment, then stood up.


    ¡°He¡¯s done. He doesn¡¯t seem to have anything more to say.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess.¡±


    At the summons of the aides, the knights came in and tied Mies up. Mies had been in a daze until his hands and feet were bound, but at thest moment, he seemed to havee to his senses. Mies, who had been looking around madly, looked at Seria and suddenly chuckled.


    He seemed to think that there would be no more torture and started to say something annoying.


    ¡°Seria Stern.¡±


    Bang.


    Abigail went to the side before she knew it and hit Mies on the head. Mies dithered with a scream. But it didn¡¯tst long. Mies whispered with eyes full of malice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust your husband too much. He¡¯s Grand Duke Berg. There wille a time when he will go crazy, just like his predecessor.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Bang.


    Abigail hit him again. At that moment, he felt as if the bone in his head might have been broken. Mies was ring at Seria, unyielding in his pain.


    Something drove Lesche crazy¡­ In the original story, there was this kind of existence.


    Lina.


    Seria was about to answer that she knew, but yesterday¡¯s conversation remained deep in her mind, so she decided to answer him differently.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°You know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who drives Lesche crazy.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I know it well, you trash.¡±


    Seria whispered as she lifted one of the tools that was hanging neatly in the torture chamber. It was a torture device of a very vicious shape, based on the scissors used by gardeners. This would cut the bones of a buffalo¡­.


    ¡°Mies, you know how pathetic it is to tter yourself that you are the only one who knows the great secret. If you were aware that you were pathetic, you wouldn¡¯t have done it.¡±


    Mies¡¯s face turned pale when he saw the scissors.


    ¡°But you¡¯ve heard the rumors about me, haven¡¯t you? You didn¡¯t think I¡¯d let you go clean, did you? I haven¡¯t even done half the work I¡¯ve been trying to do¡­¡±


    Seria smiled wryly.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to cut off all your limbs here today. With your other intact ear too.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Seria brought the pair of scissors that looked like a murder weapon close to Mies. The sharp de clicked and crossed right next to his ear, and instantly, blood drained from Mies¡¯s face.


    ***


    Seria shook her hands, remembering the scene of the bloody torture a few days ago.


    Of course, not a single drop of blood sttered on her hands that day. She just said the words strongly. Actually, she didn¡¯t have a heart strong enough to cut a human¡¯s limbs directly ¡­.


    Still, every time Seria took a seat away, Abigail¡¯s face changed, even if it was just to scare Mies. Then Mies was well packed and ready to go to the green manor.


    ¡°Stern.¡±


    ¡°Have youe to pray today?¡±


    The priests were full of smiles. Seria hade to the temple. During the time Seria was unconscious, the priest came and took the Stern insignia back to the temple. Of course, they were unaware of the fact that Seria had fainted.


    Thanks to that, she walked over to the front of the Stern insignia. Her physical condition was now very good. She didn¡¯t feel like a sick person anymore.


    When she raised her hand to her chest, she felt something hard.


    It was the circlet.


    When she went to bed and woke up in the morning, Lesche was gone. And on the side table next to the bed, there was a circle that was said to be broken. The moment she saw the circlet in its normal state, one side of her heart throbbed with pain. Even after hearing about the prophecy, Lesche felt terrible, but he returned the circlet back to Seria anyway. The more understandable and generous Lesche was, the more guilty Seria felt.


    <em>¡®I have to do something for Lesche, but what should I do?¡¯</em>


    There was nothing in particr that came to mind. It was also factual reasoning, she wondered what Lesche, the Grand Duke of Berg, could not have.


    Seria walked over to the Stern insignia, thinking hard. She knew for sure, how much of the sacred power she could use before she would faint.


    Most importantly, she had to use it at least once after the long fainting. Because she had to know if the sacred power would still erupt or if it would be okay now.


    When she held the circlet over the Stern insignia, she heard the door open. She turned around in a panic and opened her eyes wide, knowing that Abigail was supposed to be guarding it.


    Of all people, the man who shouldn¡¯t be in here at all was here.


    ¡°Lesche! He¡¯sing in now!¡±


    Of course, the divine power had already begun to grow stronger, and Seria felt as if it was burning. A clear sound echoed from the insignia.


    Lesche stopped when Seria screamed, but when he saw her expression, he came running to Seria. In an instant, he was in front of her. Seria stared at Lesche with bewildered eyes.


    ¡°Lesche ¡­ do you feel dizzy?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean dizzy?¡±


    Lesche frowned.


    ¡°You look much dizzier to me. You¡¯ve only been awake a short time and you already came to the temple?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Lesche looked really fine. Seria couldn¡¯t understand his sturdy figure at all.


    <em>¡®Isn¡¯t he the male protagonist?¡¯</em>


    The biggest connection to Lina in the original story was the protagonist, Lesche. Why didn¡¯t he faint?


    It was a little scary. What if Lesche didn¡¯t end up fainting to the extent that he should, but wore arger internal wound of sorts? As someone who had seen how Duke Dietrich and Baron Ison fainted in front of her eyes, Seria became helplessly terrified.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go home for now, Lesche.¡±


    Seria untied the shawl she was wrapped in with her impatient hands. Lesche¡¯s eyes flickered, but she didn¡¯t know why. She didn¡¯t have time to ask.


    Seria tried to put the shawl around Lesche¡¯s shoulders but failed. She didn¡¯t yet take into ount the difference in size between him and her. How could her shawl be so small? She tied a knot with a ribbon, and then took Lesche¡¯s hand in hers and stepped straight toward the door.


    ¡°Hurry back to the mansion and have the doctor take a look at you.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Why medical treatment? Because of the divine power?¡± (Lesche)


    Seria nodded, and Lesche obediently followed her. On the way back, Seria was worried that he might faint at any moment.


    Lesche was fiddling with the ribbon on the shawl on his shoulders, which Seria had tied loosely.


    ¡°Is it hard to breathe? Does it feel like your chest is tightening?¡± Seria asked worriedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s thetter, but not the former.¡±


    (*His chest tightened because he was touched that Seria wrapped her shawl on his shoulders??)


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Seria.¡±


    Lesche didn¡¯t untie that sloppily tied shawl until the end. The time filled with suspicion, worry, and anxiety did notst long.


    The doctor of the mansion was hurriedly summoned to examine Lesche. But the moment he entered the bedroom and saw Lesche, he looked dumbfounded. That¡¯s right, looks can be deceiving. Lesche looked very healthy on the surface, but who knows.


    Until then, Seria couldn¡¯t let go of Lesche¡¯s hand and held it tightly. She was worried.


    ¡°Grand Duchess, I have finished my examination¡­¡±


    The doctor said in a cautious voice. Seria¡¯s heart was pounding in her chest.


    ¡°His Highness is very strong.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

 Chapter 116

    <h2>Chapter 116</h2>


    The doctor was talking about how healthy and uneventful Lesche was, all that kind of talk. Seria looked at Lesche. He was looking at her with his arm raised on his elbow, his chin was resting on the back of his hand lightly. His other hand was still holding Seria¡¯s hand as tightly as ever.


    <em>¡®I¡¯m d he didn¡¯t get hurt.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Did I do something wrong?¡¯</em>


    The hand that Seria had unconsciously tried to pull out grabbed hers tightly. Lesche. Not only did he not let go of her hand, but he gripped it tightly with all his strength. It wasn¡¯t painful, but it was enough to leave a red mark on her hand. Seria shifted her gaze to Lesche.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Seria bent over and hugged Lesche.


    <em>¡®I can¡¯t help it.¡¯</em>


    The doctor cleared his throat and hurriedly picked up his medical tools.


    ¡°Seria¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Most importantly, Seria was d Lesche didn¡¯t copse. She felt Lesche¡¯s hand slowly caress down her back.


    ***


    ¡°Grand Duchess?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I must have dozed off.¡±


    The servant smiled and brought Seria a towel. She said thank you and then nuzzled her face into the fluffy towel. Her arms and face were fine, but her legs felt a little more shaky from earlier.


    <em>¡®It¡¯s true that he¡¯s strong.¡¯</em>


    Earlier, Seria didn¡¯t hold Lesche for very long. But when she tried to move away, Lesche pulled on both her arms. He immediately kissed her on the lips and made her sit on hisp. Only then did she realize that it was impossible to hug and move away from Lesche at will.


    He finally let her go just before dinner¡­.


    Almost at the end of the meal when Linon came in, Lesche went up to the office. Knowing that he would bete, Seria went back to the bedroom alone without much thought.


    ¡°Would you like some tea?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    After sending the servants out, Seriay down on the bed but then sat up. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t figure out what she had done wrong.


    Earlier, in bed, she had asked Lesche in distress.


    <em><strong>¡°Lesche.¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°¡­¡±</strong></em>


    <strong>¡°Can I ask you if you have ever been in contact with Lina¡¯s divine power?¡±</strong>


    As a saint, Lina¡¯s divine power was uniquely powerful. Why didn¡¯t Lesche get affected by her power? Lina¡¯s divine power might have acted beforehand.


    <em>¡®I walked with trepidation thinking that I was on thin ice that was about to break, but I was confused when I found out that I was not on thin ice, but on solid stone¡­. But I was so sure that I was on ake. A question filled my mind, ¡®Did I take a wrong turn?¡¯¡¯</em>


    <em><strong>¡°Why would I be in contact with that Saintess?¡±</strong></em>


    Of course, Lesche seemed to be very depressed.


    <em><strong>¡°No, Lesche. It¡¯s not a physical contact, it¡¯s a contact of divine power. It¡¯s divine power.¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°I¡¯ve never done that. Were you thinking about that? Throughout the whole time?¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°No, of course not. I just remembered now.¡±</strong></em>


    Seria was frustrated, but after seeing Lesche¡¯s reaction, she realized she didn¡¯t have good bed manners. That was right, after a long time of affairs, hugging him without clothes and talking about other people¡­. Seria tried to bring up an excuse, but it was useless.


    Because Lesche was on top of her. He silently held her chin and attacked her lips, pushing his tongue in. At the same time, his thrusts were harder than usual, Seria couldn¡¯t help but raise her back. The touch that tightly held her ankles waspletely different from usual..


    All other thoughts disappeared as tears trickled down her face. This was also why her legs were shaking. She couldn¡¯t even afford to look away even though she knew that Lesche¡¯s cloudy red eyes were fixed on her face.


    <em><strong>¡°Seria.¡±</strong></em>


    After almost finishing dinner, Lesche spoke before going up to the office.


    <em><strong>¡°I just walked past the Saintess once, but my arms bled immediately.¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°¡­Blood?¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°There¡¯s nothing else.¡±</strong></em>


    Seria sat down in front of the small round table that she mostly used for writing simple letters, and dipped the pen in ink. Then she drew arge pentagon.


    Five things were written on the vertex.


    Lina.


    Darkness.


    Mies.


    Lesche¡¯s blood.


    Revtion.


    It was abyrinthine feeling of knowing and not knowing. Just because she had a hypothesis didn¡¯t mean she could immediately confirm it. While fiddling with the circlet, she wrote two letters. She wrote the letters with a good deal of painstaking effort. After calling the servant and handing them the letters, Seria quicklyy down in bed.


    She fell asleep as if it was a dream.


    ***


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Lesche flipped through the document that Linon had given him. It contained details of the conversation between Seria and Mies.


    ¡°Bring this document to Seria tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°What about Seria?¡±


    ¡°I heard from the maidservant earlier that she is sleeping.¡±


    The thought of Seria made his blood rush to his thighs again and Lesche frowned weakly. It was true that the moment the name of the Saintess was mentioned by Seria in bed earlier, his mood hit rock bottom. He knew for a fact that it was not a frivolous name.


    <em>¡®Even though I know it.¡¯</em>


    Lesche rarely heard Seria talking about Kalis Hon. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, she kept avoiding it. By the same token, Seria didn¡¯t talk much about the Saintess either. It meant that her mind was tangled enough to bring up the subject of the Saintess while in bed with him.


    People fell in love with the Saintess and lost their minds, but the person in question thought differently. The fact was that the Saintess was associated with Hon of all people.


    In retrospect, it was simr in Berg, since Seria¡¯s immersion was mainly in Stern duties and the frozenke. Lesche couldn¡¯t help but be annoyed at Seria, as she kept looking at other things instead of him.


    <em>¡®You¡¯re always the same.¡¯</em>Lesche mumbled.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Linon, who didn¡¯t hear him properly, asked back.


    Lesche sat at his desk at an angle and looked out the window. Despite Seria¡¯s concern, Lesche¡¯s mood almost melted away as soon as he kissed her again. When Seria called his name and grabbed his forearms, he felt a shiver run down his spine¡­


    <em>¡®So much work, huh?¡¯</em>


    Linon remained silenced by Lesche¡¯s murmur. He wanted to ask if he had forgotten everything, if he didn¡¯t remember what he had dealt with when His Master was consecrated, but he held back.


    ¡°Did you get a call from Ben?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And as you ordered, I sent four more knights to the green manor.¡±


    Ben and Susan would be back in a couple of weeks.


    Martha¡­


    It would be nice for Martha to have some relief from that long-standing feeling of staying at the green manor on Alliot¡¯s behalf. Thanks to the Grand Duchess, they caught the lech-like Mies, so it was good to takefort in such things as well.


    Lesche thought about Seria. Some wordse to his mind right away.


    <em><strong>¡°I like you too.¡±</strong></em>


    It was a few days past. Yet Lesche couldn¡¯t forget those words. That day when Seria said those words while crying on his chest, he felt like he was about to go crazy. So he covered his mouth and sighed.


    On that day, his face unexpectedly turned red and he was embarrassed, which was not like him. He covered Seria¡¯s eyes, but¡­.


    He didn¡¯t know when the prophecy Seria mentioned would end, but it seemed like a good time to ept a little bit of the nosiness that Ben and Susan used so often a long time ago.


    <em><strong>¡°I think it¡¯d be nice to have a grand wedding in Berg territory for the Young Lady.¡±</strong></em>


    ****


    Few dayster.


    Seria quietly stole a look at Lesche in the mirror of her dressing table.


    Underneath Lesche¡¯s silvery eyshes, his red eyes were downcast. His eyes were fixed on Seria¡¯s hair.


    Most importantly, he had ab in his hand.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Lesche wasbing Seria¡¯s hair. At first, he wasbing it too gently, and then she told him that he could make it a little harder, so hebed it properly.


    She knew better than most that the man¡¯s fingers were hard, but it was strange that the way hebed her hair felt so soft. The hand that was brushing her hair tickled like cotton wool. She was constantly conscious of the feeling of rubbing her neck and ears.


    The sun was shining softly in the morning.


    Seria couldn¡¯t take her eyes off Lesche¡¯s reflection in the vanity mirror. Lesche took the ribbon that he had been holding lightly between his lips and tied Seria¡¯s hair up loosely. He seemed to be struggling for quite a while, and then he opened his mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as good as Susan did.¡±


    Seria gasped and burst outughing.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t underestimate the skills of the Grand Duchess¡¯s maid of honor.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t underestimate it.¡±


    Lesche said, brushing Seria¡¯s hair gently.


    ¡°Where did you learn this?¡±


    ¡°Ask the maids you sent out.¡±


    It was only Lesche and Seria in the bedroom. Until fifteen minutes ago, there were three maids in the room. What was that stunned look on their faces when their master took away their jobs.


    <em>¡®Of course, I¡¯m sure they are having a goodugh out there. Iughed a little too.¡¯</em>


    ¡°Lesche, just because Susan is away, doesn¡¯t mean you have to do this.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t always let me touch your hair.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°It¡¯ll be ruined.¡± (Seria)


    Lesche tilted his chin lightly. Then he asked a question that Seria hadn¡¯t thought of.


    ¡°Then is it okay to touch it in bed?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­Why are you suddenly talking about the bed?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°You don¡¯t say anything when I touch your hair in bed.¡± (Lesche)


    Seria¡¯s eyes widened.<em>¡®Of course there was a reason I didn¡¯t say anything. When I¡¯m in bed with Lesche, I have no problem with him messing up my hair¡­.¡¯</em>


    ¡°In bed, you are too¡­..¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Too¡­. what?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°No.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Stop talking.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I was talking to myself.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°You were answering my words.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know you don¡¯t have to answer?¡± (Seria)


    In the end, Lescheughed out loud. For a moment, Lesche kept looking at Seria¡¯s hair and frowned weakly.


    ¡°I think I¡¯d better go and get the maids.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Why? I like it.¡±(Seria)


    Seria stood up from the vanity chair. She looked back and forth in the mirror and her hair looked really good. Lesche was very good with his hands. Seria chuckled and said, ¡°Thank you,¡± and a smile was drawn on Lesche¡¯s lips.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not busy, let¡¯s walk in the garden together. Are you busy?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be busy.¡±


    The sunshine was good today. The capital, located in the south, got warm really quickly. Looking at the expansive garden, one could not help but be reminded of the wastnd-like garden of Berg¡¯s castle.


    Ben and Susan were also going to stop by the main castle in Berg territory, how vividly will they describe the empty garden?


    <em>¡®I¡¯m excited just thinking about it.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Aren¡¯t we supposed to go back to work instead of having a leisurely time like this?¡¯</em>


    It was time to seriously think about it.


    Lesche¡¯s gaze went to the other side. Seria wondered what he was looking at, so she also turned her head and blinked.


    Linon was running towards them.


    ¡°Are you looking for Lesche?¡±


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re looking for me?¡±


    Finally stopping in front of them, Linon gasped for air.


    <em>¡®No, he¡¯s suffering like that, no matter how much he ran¡­ I¡¯m not just talking about his weak body.¡¯</em>


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± (Seria)           ****  *Yes they did it when the doctor left the room. And the second part was Seria remembered their conversation while they were in bed¡­.

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117


    ***


    There was a thin document in his hand. Linon gasped and said,


    ¡°I have just received the news! Grand Duchess, a magic crystal mine was discovered on thend you inherited from the Kellyden at that time!¡±


    ***


    ¡°The Duke of Polvas gave me a small castle nearby.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. He* seems to be loving his wife, after all.¡± (*Marquis Polvas)


    Seria properly folded the letter Marlesana had sent her with a feeling of satisfaction.


    The fact that she had discovered the magic crystal mine was still a secret.


    However, the other day when she mentioned that she wanted to borrow the road, Marquis Polvas was willing to do so. He, who only came out in a suit with the color of his wife¡¯s hair after her death.


    ¡°By the way, Grand Duchess.¡±


    Seria lifted her head as Linon called her. He was sitting across from her in the carriage, and was flipping through the papers.


    ¡°May I ask you one question?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°When was this document prepared?¡±


    ¡°I wrote it after I came back from the Kellyden¡¯s residence.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    What Linon was looking at was the document that Seria had written down in the past. It described the location of the soon-to-be-excavated Crystal Mine and the approximate amount of reimednd that she read in the original story. Linon mumbled for a moment, ¡°That¡¯s outrageous,¡± and then leaned his head back.


    ¡°No, more importantly, how did you predict this? The discovery of the Crystal mine is thetest news toe in today. Did you or Marquis Kellyden know about it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But if he had known, he wouldn¡¯t have given me that preciousnd, would he?¡±


    ¡°Then¡­?¡±


    ¡°God¡¯s will¡­¡±


    Before Seria could finish her sentence, Linon stood up quickly.


    ¡°I was joking.¡±


    Linon sat down, disappointed.


    ¡°¡­¡­ I believed you just now, Grand Duchess¡­¡±


    ¡°Trust me. The amount ofndfill is that much.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°I know somehow. I can¡¯t give you any details. ¡­.¡±


    Linon didn¡¯t say anything. It didn¡¯t seem to matter much how Seria knew all these.


    ¡°The Grand Duchess borrowed me from His Highness.¡±


    Seria nodded.


    ¡°What can I do for you? If it were just for the miners and their aides, it would be a waste of money.¡±


    Berg had many mines in its possession, and Linon, the chief aide, was too busy meddling in such matters. Seria also wrote a transaction contract with Lesche to borrow this highly skilled personnel. Of course, she was going to give Linon a light shake now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deduct this much once the mine is fully profitable.¡±


    Linon¡¯s eyes widened slightly as Seria showed him the numbers on the contract.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need any more money since His Highness gives me a lot.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ don¡¯t you know that the more money you have, the better?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so busy, I don¡¯t have time to use it.¡±


    ¡°No, how¡­Is there anything else you want?¡±


    Seria asked, immediately despairing. She knew exactly what Linon liked.


    ¡°Cleaning supplies?¡± (Seria)


    Linon started coughing as if he was choking. He continued to cough and looked at Seria with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°No?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Yes, I really like cleaning products.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to buy enough of those.¡±


    Seria was in despair.


    ¡°Is there anything else you want? Nothing? Money can pay for many things.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Linon stared at Seria, then abruptly lowered his gaze. His expression darkened which didn¡¯t suit him. As a result, Seria became instantly flustered.¡®Is there something wrong with the question I asked him earlier¡­?¡¯


    ¡°Then, Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Linon, who had been holding back for a while, finally spoke up.


    ¡°If I make any mistakes within the next three months, could you be considerate for once?¡±


    ¡°Make a mistake? ¡­What is it?¡±


    Linon just smiled without answering. The smile looked very desperate, so Seria had no choice but to blink. She had never seen Linon make such an expression.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to hurt His Highness, I won¡¯t forgive you.¡±


    ¡°His Highness? Grand Duchess, why would I¡­.?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t hurt me either¡­¡±


    ¡°No, Grand Duchess!¡±


    Linon got up with a frustrated look on his face and sat down again, realizing that it was a rocking carriage.


    ¡°May I ask what kind of trash I am considered to be by the Grand Duchess?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not trash.¡±


    Seria said with a frown.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not like that, I¡¯ll see to itter.¡±


    ¡°Tell me to jump out of here.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll understand. Three months, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯s about right.¡±


    Linon said he shouldn¡¯t have brought it up and swept his face with both hands. Then the carriage, which had been speeding along, slowly came to a stop.


    With a light knock, the footman opened the door.


    ¡°We have arrived, Grand Duchess. The horses cannot enter from here.¡±


    ***


    ¡°The magi here is really bad.¡±


    Thend was taken away by demons and became contaminated with magi. There was a reason why the horses couldn¡¯te in.


    ¡°Bibi, are you all right? You¡¯re not cold, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not cold. The Young Lady is next to me.¡±


    Before she knew it, Abigail had already changed into her star gold armor.


    They were up on the highest point of a bumpy hill. Thend they looked down upon was even more wretched than Seria had expected. The pitch-ck purple color was constantly shaking like the ws of a demon¡­. If even a demon appeared here, she felt like she would faint. It was the first time she had actually seen suchrge-scale contaminatednd.


    ¡°Bibi, give me the insignia.¡±


    ¡°Here, youngdy.¡±


    In the back, the mine aide looked puzzled. Linon was there, too. Both of them were wearing constetion gold armor, but Seria sent them far away for the moment, not knowing how they would react to what needed to be done now.


    ¡°¡®Grand Duchess! Are you sure you¡¯re okay! Can¡¯t you contact the front instead, even now?¡±


    The voice of the aide echoed loudly.


    Seria had not yet told them what to do with this contaminatednd. However, it seemed that the people on the ground here naturally knew that she was Stern, and instead expected that she woulde with whatever favors they could get through her close connections to the Grand Duke. It was a general expectation.


    That was probably why he looked like he was about to faint when Seria told him she was going to the magi border herself.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    The Stern insignia wasrge and heavy. It was a certificate that Seria had sessfully borrowed for a week with the promise that she would offer night and day prayers at the temple. She ced the insignia carefully on the ground.


    ¡®Is a week enough? In the original story, it took a week.¡¯


    Lina cleaned up this massive amount of contaminatednd in just a week.


    Compared to the High Priest, who took several years to sessfully clean up, Lina¡¯s divine power was that overwhelming. Seria grabbed the circlet that she wore around her neck. She didn¡¯t know how many times she would need to unleash her divine power to cleanse this vastnd.


    She hoped that it would be as few times as possible, but as many cleansings as possible. With a pounding heart, Seria held the circlet in front of the Stern insignia.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    A burst of divine power followed, and her hair and cloak fluttered long. She checked the back, just in case. Fortunately, Linon and the other aide didn¡¯t copse. They were just looking dumbfounded.


    ¡°My Lady.¡±


    Abigail¡¯s stunned voice sounded in Seria¡¯s ears. She blinked her eyes quickly.


    ¡°Am I watching this right now?¡±


    ***


    ¡°What you saw today.¡±


    Seria said in a gruesome voice as she looked at Linon and the others.


    ¡°Do not speak of it to the outside.¡±


    At the same time, Seria heard a ttering noise nearby. It was the sound of Abigail lifting and releasing her sword menacingly in the air. It was a threatening look for anyone to see.


    ¡°No, Bibi. There¡¯s no need to threaten them¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡±


    That was exactly what Abigail did, she returned to her safe face. She paced, looking at the already cleanednd.


    Seria shrugged and looked ahead again.


    ¡°What¡¯s your answer?¡±


    ¡°All right, Grand Duchess.¡±


    Unlike the pale aide, Linon had a calm face. Not everyone had the ability of the chief aide.


    ¡°By the way, Grand Duchess?¡±


    Linon asked.


    ¡°Shall I silence the miners and others?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be hard to make them quietpletely?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard, it just takes some time.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Seria shook her head.


    ¡°Just make sure they don¡¯t say anything about today anywhere, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    This vastnd was cleansed in one day. Even though they might not say anything about what they saw today right away, little by little the story will spread. How long will it take for the stories to flow gradually and blend into the society?


    Of course, this was easy to predict from Seria¡¯s experience of being in and out of social circles on a daily basis.


    ¡°Six months.¡±


    It would be exactly six monthster. The reason she dared to reveal this was simple.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know how Lina will react.¡¯


    Of course, there was still plenty of time left before Lina woulde back, but by then, the fact that Seria Stern was the master of purification would spread throughout the Glick Empire.


    ¡®Of course, the fact that it¡¯s all thanks to the existence of this circlet will be an absolute secret. I¡¯m going to keep it a secret forever.¡¯


    There was one thing Seria was curious about.


    ¡®Would Lina connect the Circlet to the story of the purification I did today that would spread throughout the Empire and ask me about it?¡¯

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118


    As a Saint, Lina should be able to tell without difficulty that Seria Stern¡¯s power of purification was not that strong. Even the priests knew that.


    But if no one else can corrte the circlet with purification, and Lina is the only one who can tell about the circlet ¡­?


    ¡°Then there¡¯s really something there.¡±


    After Mies told Seria about the moon, Seria spent a lot of time confined to her desk. She wrote and erased over ten hypotheses and eventually burned them all.


    Among them, the one that stayed in her mind without being thrown away was : What does Lina have to do with the being who gave the oracle to Mies?


    ¡®If so, that being must be like God¡­.¡¯


    The name on the ne was Stigma.


    Lina was a saint.


    It was just that when Seria immersed herself in it, there was a connection to everything.


    How did the original circlete to be moved to the auction house? What was the twist in Mies that made it happen?


    Seria kept wondering, but this part was not something she could figure out for sure. So she tried to look at it differently. Considering that all the narratives in the original work were points for the heroine.


    If the circlet would not be auctioned, it would be owned by Lina in the end. Then.


    ¡®Could it be that Lina is the moon that Mies mentioned?¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t know anything for sure, but ¡­.¡¯


    Seria suddenly had a deep skepticism about the original story.


    Does the novel need to be so hard? It turned out that Mies did not have a single drop of Berg¡¯s blood, he was Berg¡¯s illegitimate child.


    The heroine was loved by the two brothers¡­. (Mies and Lesche)


    Oh, Cassius and Nissos loved Lina too.


    It was only the other day that she remembered the fact that the Princes of the Glick Imperial family were also psychological ves with a crush on Lina.


    Seria just shook off the thoughts.


    ¡°When can I go inside the mine?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Grand Duchess, you will be able to see it as soon as they make a quick inspection. As I said, the mine is truly blessed by God. Never before in my life have I seen a mine where the roads are so easy to make, where the reimed minerals are so regr, and where the veins are so straight.¡±


    Seria followed the aide and tilted her head. Not far from the entrance, her forehead frowned weakly as she looked at the blocked dirt wall.


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    That was when she heard a voice. It was the other aides under Linon¡¯smand.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°They say the altar has just arrived! Where should we put it?¡±


    ¡°Why? Did you bring the altar here?¡±


    Seria was taken aback by the unexpected words. That altar had been carefully brought to the vicinity of the mine by priests who were obsessed with prayer. But she was going to pray in the castle that the Duke of Polvas lent her.


    Why did they bring it to the mine?


    ¡®Do I look like a divine guardian in the eyes of the aides?¡¯


    ¡°The Chief Aide said that in order to purify the demonic energy, you must be present¡­¡±


    ¡°So he thought I¡¯d stay in the mine¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Linon seemed to have said that.


    ¡®I¡¯d stay in the mine for a while if I¡¯m going to fool people¡¯s eyes.¡¯


    It wasplicated to tell the aides to leave the things they had gone to so much trouble to get to return it, so he must have ordered them to prepare a ce to leave it in the mine.


    ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    And so, as Seria was walking to inspect the mine again, she quickly returned to her original position, with something strange that scratched her back from earlier. Right next to the entrance of the mine, the pass led her back towards the dirt wall that was a dead end. She had been wondering about the other side for a while now.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    A familiar energy seemed to bloom from there.


    No way¨CSeria didn¡¯t have to worry about it for long. She immediately called the aide in charge of the mine. The aide rubbed his hands together.


    ¡°What can I do for you, Grand Duchess?


    ¡°Open this door.¡±


    ****


    ¡°Why are you suddenly asking me to open this one? The vein of the magic crystal is over there.¡±


    ¡°Do you have to aske? Just open it.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to make a new entrance¡­. The scale of the job is getting bigger.¡±


    ¡°Just open it up. Or you can go to the Grand Duke and tell him you can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no.¡±


    They thought that if the Grand Duchess Stern came, she would have a unique way to purify Magi. Perhaps she would have brought a series of purification tanks from the Great Temple, but that wasn¡¯t the case. And the workers also thought that Mag was just being purified because ¡°Stern¡± had arrived.


    Of course, after a while, the workers would notice. They will realize that everything was purified faster than even their previous Saint¡¯s abilities could not exin.


    It was suspicious, but that was the only reason why the Grand Duchess hadn¡¯t ordered aplete silence. It didn¡¯t bother Seria anymore. Berg¡¯s aides did not question beyond the set line.


    They probably thought that the magi that was a few meters ahead of them had finally been cleansed as well.


    ¡®We will all knowter, though, as we slowly make our way through.¡¯


    There were a lot of workers who had just been working, so they were able to quickly clear the area that was ordered to break through by the Grand Duchess. The question was¡­.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t it dark inside?¡±


    ¡°Are there lights?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡±


    There was a hand blocking the way as the workers rushed to enter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, knight.¡±


    It was Abigail. She had a suspicious look on her face. If there was anything in the cave, and if it was good, they could take it and run. And there was no hesitation in looking at the aides and workers with such an expression.


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Abigail, who was soon inside the entrance, frowned. The workers who followed her in also looked dazed.


    The cave was filled with ores that gave off a faint blue light. Thus, the cave, which should have been dark, was bright enough for them to identify. Ordinary ores were usually buried in the soil or stone in their original form, but these ores were like bricks, sticking together in a pentagonal shape with a regr pattern and emitting light.


    None of the nearby workers had ever seen this kind of ore. Someone rushed over to call someone of higher rank. Abigail reached out and touched the glowing wall. It was this familiar feeling that slowly robbed her of her body heat.


    ¡®Constetion gold¡­?¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t long before Abigail came to her senses. Deep in the cave, Abigail quickly took a step back and shouted.


    ¡°Everyone, get out!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Grand Duchess, I have contacted His Highness and the temple.¡±


    Seria nodded at Linon¡¯s words. The feet were moving diligently.


    ¡°When will I hear from the temple?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t take long. It¡¯lle crashing down.¡±


    ¡°I see. They don¡¯t deserve toe with dignity.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    Linon gave a rare, nervous sigh. It was understandable.


    Constetion Gold Mine.


    It was a precious metal that could only be extracted from the mines under the Temple. A token of Stern. Iron of God. Raw materials essential to counter demons.


    ¡°Did you know that thest constetion gold mine found was a hundred years ago?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Stern. Wouldn¡¯t I know?¡±


    ¡°I went overboard.¡±


    Linon said, still wearing his constetion gold armor. Earlier, he was running in a hurry after hearing the news that arge-scale maggi and a constetion gold mine were found in a cave that seeded in blocking the entrance and drilling a new one. Linon followed closely, out of breath.


    ¡°Linon, stop following me and stand here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s too cold to be that far away from you, Grand Duchess¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so cold when you¡¯re that far away from me.¡±


    ¡°Could there be a mistake in the way the temple measured it?¡±


    ¡°Probably so¡­¡±


    Shaking her head lightly, Seria told Linon to stand at the new entrance. Not wanting to leave Stern, and not wanting to see the magi again, Linon immediately stopped where he was. Seria walked into the cave, leaving Linon behind. All the workers and aides working in the mine had been handed over.


    ¡°Bibi!¡±


    At the entrance border, Abigail was already waiting with her constetion gold armor on.


    ¡°There you are, youngdy.¡±


    Seria was suddenly embraced by Abigail. To the naked eye, there didn¡¯t seem to be any immediate Magi contamination.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am.¡±


    There was a huge amount of magi swaying inside the cave. The constetion gold minerals wrapped around the walls and ceiling, so the magi didn¡¯t seem to affect people¡¯s bodies. Likewise, the knights in the gold armor moved the altar and the Stern insignia and ced them inside.


    ¡°Everyone, leave. Only Bibi stays.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess.¡±


    The knights bowed and left quickly. Seria brought the Stern insignia and the temple altar here just in case she needed an excuse to clean up this mess. Of course, it was an excuse that she didn¡¯t mind being discovered, but still, the more cards she had in her hand, the better.


    She immediately bent down in front of the altar. Then she took out the circlet on her neck and ced it on the Stern insignia in the center.


    At that moment, a strong burst of divine power caused her hair to flutter back strongly. The cave in which the pitch ck magi was waving disappeared in an instant. It was a relief.


    ¡°It¡¯s done, Linon!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess!¡±


    As soon as Seria shouted, Linon came running in from the entrance. When she instructed the workers to normalize the operation again in two days, Linon nodded immediately. He ran quickly, not taking a good look around the Constetion Gold Mine.


    So that left just Seria and Abigail in this beautiful and mysterious cave.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Seria looked around the cave, finally catching her breath. As a Stern, it was the first time she had actually seen the Constetion Gold Mine in person. It was a constetion gold mineral that constantly emitted a faint blue light. It was certainly so mysterious and beautiful that she couldn¡¯t look away.


    Abigail came up to Seria and sat down on one knee.


    ¡°Are you still holding on to it?¡±


    ¡°Huh? There might still be magi inside.¡±


    Seria was holding the circlet against the insignia the whole time because there might be magi in the hidden depths of the mine. Not near the insignia, but at a considerable distance. It was a fact that Seria had learned from thest time she tortured Mies. How to adjust the intensity of the divine power so that she wouldn¡¯t get affected. This was one area where Mies was helpful.

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119


    A light divine power continued to erupt through the gaps of Seria¡¯s fingers. Even if it felt weak to her, it was a sacred power that purified the magi of the vastnd at once. Therefore, it wouldn¡¯t take long to purify the magi hidden in this mine.


    Even if it took a long time, she had to purify them all unconditionally.


    It was a constetion gold mine.


    It was the first constetion gold mine to be discovered in a hundred years.


    Once again, Seria was dumbfounded.


    Is the star that guards Lina also a constetion gold?


    The constetion gold was expensive.


    It was also the reason behind the regtion of the amount that was taken out of the Grand temple without permission, but the amount that was being reimed itself was on the low side. If it were to be depleted due to reckless excavation and use, it would be a serious problem. And ultimately, it would be impossible to deal with the demons.


    That was why the temple was always nervous about the amount of remation of the constetion gold mine. As Linon had said, it had been a long time since a new constetion gold mine had been discovered on the continent.


    But this was such a huge constetion gold mine¡­


    It was a discovery that was possible because Seria was a Stern.


    Just as priests were sensitive to divine power, Stern was sensitive to the energy of other Sterns and to the energy of constetion gold. That didn¡¯t mean that it was like a metal detector looking for iron, but if there was such arge constetion gold mine nearby, they would naturally know.


    Still, Seria was wondering.


    Because she kept getting the odd feeling that she could feel the energy of the constetion gold from within the walls.


    ¡®How much of it has been reimed, I wonder?¡¯


    ¡°We won¡¯t know for sure until we explore further, but there are certain rules to the path the veins follow.¡±


    The most experienced miners seem to continue all the way to the back. In other words, this constetion gold Seria was seeing now was an extremely small part of it.


    It was strange enough to make her keep thinking about it.


    The new constetion gold mine was never mentioned in the original story.


    So she had more feelings of bewilderment than amazement that she had now found something so tremendous that it could move the emperor of a country.


    How could Lina not have known that the power of the constetion gold was so strong in this mine?


    In the original story, Lina had visited this Magic Crystal Mine many times with Cassius. Seria remembered it clearly because she was the one who strangely had bad luck with Cassius since she read the original story.


    Was it because the entrance was different? Because the opening position was different.


    At that time, it was the workers under Duke Dietrich¡¯smand who were in charge of Lina¡¯s mine. Now it was the workers under Berg¡¯smand who touched this mine.


    However, the power of the constetion gold was felt on such arge scale that Stern would have been able to tell just by walking along the wall like this. This was enough for even a high-ranking noble to have a good idea of what was going on. So why was it that Lina didn¡¯t know?


    ¡®Did she pretend that she didn¡¯t know because she didn¡¯t want to give Cassius a share?¡¯


    ¡®Then I can sympathize with her.¡¯


    Lina got Cassius quite a bit of the profiting out of the magic crystal mine. Cassius was touched by Lina¡¯s generous spirit of sharing. This was actually the most likely scenario, but the problem was that there was no mention of the Constetion Gold Mine until the end of the original story.


    Then the conclusion would be that Lina could not use this constetion gold mine.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like they were building the Crystal Mine mine in front of arge constetion gold mine. Price is price, but how great is the symbolic significance?


    If Lina had announced to the world that she had discovered the Constetion Gold Mine, her fame would have truly hit the heavens.


    ¡®I hope the novel doesn¡¯t keep turning into a mystery like this¡­.¡¯


    ¡®I thought this was a romance novel ¡­.¡¯


    Seria slowly put the circlet into her pocket. Then she gazed at the altar, thanking the god in charge of money and treasure if there was one.


    And then suddenly. Some letters caught her eye.


    ¡°This is¡­.¡±


    ¡­What is it?


    Seria blinked slowly. The Stern insignia. On that sacred token, there was a lurid inscription that looked as if it had been carved with a cone. No, it was engraved. It wasn¡¯t fast enough, but it wasn¡¯t slow either.


    ¡°This is still¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    The number of characters increased.


    ¡°Does this ce still look like it belongs in a novel?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    For a moment, the circlet in Seria¡¯s hand began to cool rapidly, like a cier taking away all the heat. The temperature was a stark contrast to the very hot temperature that day when it knocked out Duke Dietrich.


    When Seria was about to withdraw her hand from the circlet¡­A pale human being with a gag in his mouth crawled towards her on all fours.


    Seria swallowed a scream, her mouth clogged up in the blink of an eye. Immediately after, a long, thin hand covered her eyes. In an instant, her entire field of vision turned to darkness.


    ***


    *Seria¡¯s pov*


    ¡®Did I just faint there? What was that earlier¡­.¡¯


    Seria blinked nkly.


    ¡®Why am I having this dream all of a sudden?¡¯


    It was. I was dreaming.


    People¡¯s traumas often manifest themselves as dreams. Ever since I possessed Seria, I¡¯ve been dreaming about being killed. Not as often as that, but I also had dreams like the one I¡¯m having right now. It is the kind of dream where I am sittingfortably and reading the original novel, that helps me expand my horizons.


    Like now.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Anyway, people really change a lot. Only a year ago, the day I had this dream, I woke up and immediately hit my pillow. I had to tear that book up instead of reading it.


    But now it¡¯s different. I don¡¯t cry out when I wake up from a dream. I don¡¯t need to say why. It¡¯s the face of the man I like thates to my mind reflectively.


    Thinking about these things, I have no doubt as to why I¡¯m aware of the dream. I just saw myself reading the original novel as if enchanted, and suddenly¡­.


    I saw things that I shouldn¡¯t see.


    For example, the color of the hair that flows down her waist.


    It¡¯s that dark green¡­.


    Green?


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Instantly, a vivid sense of unease hits my chest hard. I feel a twinge in my chest. I slowly lift my gaze along the green hair that is climbing up my chest.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    I saw the face of Seria, the face of ¡°me¡± reading the original novel.


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    I woke up with a gasp. I bit my tongue in reverence, for a white, disgusting being with a sack in its mouth was standing nearby like a doll.


    I was as hard as a stone. The unknown being must have crawled over to me earlier and blocked my mouth and hands. As I did so, I realized. I couldn¡¯t move a muscle.


    As soon as I had the instinctive realization that I couldn¡¯t move, I hurriedly looked around. I wasn¡¯t in the constetion gold cave where I had fainted. It was more like the night sky, but there was no trace of light, and only that unknown being stood in front of me.


    I was struck by how strange it seemed after all this time. The body was in the shape of a person, but I couldn¡¯t tell if it was a man or a woman, and the gag in his mouth was the same. The gag in its mouth also made it difficult to tell whether it was a man or a woman.


    Above all, its long bangs, like a horse¡¯s mane, were densely covered up to just above its lips, so I couldn¡¯t see its face at all.


    If I lifted up its bangs, would there be eyes?


    This is when I felt fear.


    Suddenly, my gaze fell on my hands. There was an insignia on my hand. Funny enough, it was a fact that I realized a beat toote.


    The Stern insignia was too big and heavy for me to hold in one hand, but now it was strangely light.


    As soon as I became aware of this, the Stern insignia was inscribed. It was not fast.


    ¡®Tuban.¡¯


    ¡°¡­Tuban?¡±


    I made an involuntary sound outside my mouth, and something like a shiver ran down my spine. I asked, my shoulders shook.


    ¡°Is that your name?¡±


    There was no response, but I knew instinctively that it was the name of that being.


    The hand that held Stern¡¯s insignia strengthened. I asked Tuban, intending to smack him in the head with the Stern insignia if this Tuban tried to threaten me.


    ¡°You carved those letters I saw earlier, didn¡¯t you? What do you mean, it¡¯s not in a novel? Where are we then? What novel did I read?¡±


    Tuban stood still like a mannequin. There was no movement. I don¡¯t even need to exin how bizarre it was. To tell the truth, I was still in a state of nkness.


    Slowly, the writing began to appear on the Stern insignia.


    ¡°What you* read¡­.¡± (The writing) (*you=Seria)


    Though it seemed to be slower than before. I bit my lip tightly.


    ¡°Do you remember the title of the novel you read?¡± (The writing)


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    I froze in ce.


    I remembered the contents of the original novel that I possessed, but I couldn¡¯t remember the title. Nothing came to mind from the beginning. While I can generally remember a novel¡¯s title in one way or another¡­ it was a fact that passed naturally because my life did not afford me the luxury of being buried in questions.


    That¡¯s right.


    I¡¯ve never once remembered the title of this novel.


    My mouth was already dry. My body began to tremble a little.


    ¡°Then¡­ What are these things that you know?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°You¡­¡± (the writing) (Tuban meant he knows Seria)


    This time the speed at which the letters were engraved was definitely slower than before.


    ¡°Because you want to live.¡± (The writing)


    I got nervous and looked at Tuban. How did he know that? It might have been true to say that I looked at his face because his dense head of hair was covered like a curtain. But that didn¡¯t mean that this Tuban was alive and moving. He just stood there motionless.


    He didn¡¯t even seem to be breathing¡­.


    A body without any movement as if it¡¯s a statue. The power to engrave letters on the insignia is probably his, right? If it¡¯s this slow, does that mean he¡¯s exhausted?


    ¡°The times you returned because you wanted to live.¡± (The writing)


    As I stared nkly at the Stern insignia, I covered my mouth with one hand in a panic. I felt nauseous.


    It was the first time I learned that when one is confronted with a fact so shocking that it makes them nauseous beyond help.


    ****


    *So basically when Seria was in a cave, she saw an unknown being like a zombie crawling on four. And that unknown being reached out and covered her eyes then everything went dark. She was magically taken to a space where only her and the unknown being exist. Like a dream. And that unknown being named Tuban. He doesn¡¯t talk or move. He has the power tomunicate with her by magically writing what he wants to say to Seria on the insignia. Somehow, this Tuban being knew who she was and where she came from, which she came from the novel she was reading (that¡¯s what Seria thought anyway). He knew how she wanted to survive. So Seria felt nauseous because how could he know her secret.

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    In the midst of all this, Seria trembled as she grabbed the chest of the unmoving Tuban.


    ¡°How could I, how could I have turned back time¡­!¡±


    Her eyes went nk. She grabbed Tuban and shook him, trying to keep sane somehow, but to no avail.


    ***


    ¡°¡­Seria!¡±


    As soon as Seria started to struggle, Lesche held her down with both arms. He also held both her swaying legs with his body to immobilize her. Seria, who had nevere to her senses since the mine, was experiencing something simr to a seizure, but that was it. She couldn¡¯t wake up.


    ¡°Please hold on to her, Your Highness!¡±


    That was when the doctor rushed to sedate her.


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Suddenly, Seria¡¯s eyes widened. For a moment, she felt like she was dreaming. Lesche noticed immediately.


    ¡°Seria? Seria? Are you awake?¡±


    Seria couldn¡¯t answer. Seria¡¯s hand did not move as she wished, as she reflexively tried to wrap her neck. It was because she was being held by Lesche.


    ¡°Your Highness! Grand Duchess needs to hydrate first!¡±


    Meanwhile, the doctor, moving like the wind, quickly brought a cup. He put in a little salt and sugar and slowly poured the well mixed lukewarm water into Seria¡¯s mouth. She couldn¡¯t drink much as she kept coughing. Lesche took his handkerchief and wiped the running water along Seria¡¯s chin.


    Abigail, who stood close to Seria, saw her hands trembling slightly.


    The doctor took a quick look at Seria and noticed that there was nothing wrong with her body. He said the same thingst week.


    ¡°Well, Your Highness. There is nothing wrong with the Grand Duchess¡­. I¡¯ll go warm up the medicine.¡±


    The doctor rushed out. Fearing that the air quality would deteriorate if there were too many people in the bedroom, only Lesche, Abigail, and one maid were in the room.


    They were not able to go to the Berg mansion in the Imperial capital. Seria had fainted and was unable to wake up. The castle the Duke of Polvas gave them was small but useful. The doctor of the Grand Duchy of Berg, who was urgently summoned here, examined Celia twelve more times a day.


    ¡°¡­Seria, are you all right? Do you see me?¡±


    Seria¡¯s eyes, which seemed to be searching the bedroom, went to Lesche.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Her hands, held by him, were very cold.


    ¡°Can I sleep some more?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to sleep more?¡±


    A strange feeling of unease tightens in Lesche¡¯s neck. It was an unfamiliar feeling, not easily experienced. Lesche straightened Seria¡¯s upper body and hugged her, trapping her to his chest.


    ¡°¡­Lesche?¡±


    ¡°If you go to sleep right away, the nightmares will continue. Take the medicine when ites and sleepter.¡±


    ¡°Can I¡­?¡±


    Surprisingly, Seria readily epted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you worry.¡±


    Seria turned her head and looked at Abigail.


    ¡°Bibi.¡±


    Her voice was cracked. As soon as Seria called, Abigail wanted to hug her, but she decided to give way to the youngdy¡¯s husband, who hadn¡¯t been able toy eyes on her properly for a week. Instead, she held Seria¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°The insignia from the mine¡­ did you bring it?¡±


    Abigail shook her head quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring it right away. My Lady.¡±


    Seria didn¡¯t have to ask twice. Abigail immediately got up and left the bedroom.


    Seria leaned on Lesche¡¯s shoulder. The silence was short-lived. Lesche¡¯s expression slowly began to harden. She tried to move her arms, which had been limp for a week, but they were not smooth. This was because Seria, who finally put her hands together, covered her face as she did so. Since he was in contact with Seria, he felt such a movement.


    It was as if she was crying.


    ¡°Grand, Grand Duchess! I have brought you medicine to replenish your energy. You¡¯ll have to take some of this and some of that. Here¡¯s some more. Yes, you¡¯ve been unconscious for over a week¡­..¡±


    With the doctor¡¯s quick treatment, Seria seemed to have regained a minimum of energy. As the doctor worked feverishly to bring Seria back to a revivable state, she finally regained her senses. He had no choice but to do so, because the pale face of Lesche, staring at Seria, was not normal.


    ¡°I need to get some more medicine, but I don¡¯t have enough hands. Can you help me?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Yes, of course.¡±


    The maid, already sensing the stormy atmosphere, greeted and left the bedroom with the doctor. She closed the door with the utmost quietness and patted her chest.


    Lesche began to speak as he looked at Seria in front of him.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± (Seria)


    The apology returned to him reflectively as soon as he opened his mouth. Lesche felt something like a cold sword cut through his chest.


    ¡°¡­Why are you apologizing?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I heard I¡¯ve been unconscious for over a week.¡± (Seria)


    Seria slowly swept her face with both hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you were worried again that it hasn¡¯t been long since I faintedst time¡­¡­. but this time I didn¡¯t really do it on purpose.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    ¡°¡­Seria.¡±


    Lesche grabbed Seria¡¯s hand and looked at her. Her blue eyes were somewhat clouded and her lips were colorless.


    ¡°You apologize because I was worried?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    An unbelievably innocent answer. Lesche¡¯s face slowly distorted. With such a pale face, for the first time in a week, she finally came to her senses. What could he say to her who was so quick to apologize?


    ¡°Why are you being so cruel?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°What?¡± (Seria)


    The light returned to her eyes, which had been floating strangely.


    ¡°Lesche? Why¡­ What do you mean?¡±


    As she asked this, Seria tried to observe Lesche¡¯s expression, but soon she frowned as if her head hurt from fatigue. Lesche knew she often looked at his face and expression. It didn¡¯t matter. He was concentrating on Seria¡¯s moods too. Because he was curious to know what she was thinking. Because he wanted to know.


    He always thought they were simr.


    But Lesche now realized that Seria and he differed in one crucial thing.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do that to your knight.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­What is it?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°For the first time in a week, you woke up, saw your knight, and told her to bring the insignia. I was told that you copsed in front of the insignia.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I have something to confirm because of my divine power.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Is that important?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°It¡¯s important.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Is it so important that you had to apologize?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­..¡± Seria)


    ¡°¡­because if you soothe me, I¡¯ll just be satisfied and keep my mouth shut.¡± (Lesche)


    Those words were his true feelings. So was the emptiness that hid behind the nted emotions.


    Lesche¡¯s hands tightened on Seria¡¯s arms. He didn¡¯t think there was sincerity in her apology. It was just an apology. What was the difference between that and a kiss to cover her mouth?


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just give me an apology?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I would have been convinced if you had faked it as a result of your divine powers.¡±


    As he spoke, a strange bitterness shed through him, as if his chest was burning. But it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. Just as he had silently consumed Seria¡¯s lies before, he would have done so this time.


    This time she woke up after a full week.


    In the past, she woke up after two days, so he waited two days. After that, she would wake up in three days, and so he waited three days. He knew she would wake up this time too and it would be soon, but she didn¡¯t wake up. As if she couldn¡¯t wake up forever¡­.


    The longer it went on, the more he felt strangled. Clinging to a ray of hope, Seria didn¡¯t open her eyes for a long time.


    So when she opened her eyes like this a while ago, he felt like he was dreaming for a moment, and then this happened. He didn¡¯t know before that not saying anything felt so cruel.


    ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t wake up, and it drove me crazy.¡±


    He had thought that nothing could drive him more crazy than Seria not being able to open her eyes, but no.


    ¡°But I¡¯m so anxious, I can¡¯t stop thinking about it.¡±


    Lesche wiped Seria¡¯s cheek slowly with his hand.


    ¡°Seria, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re crying silently again.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Tears trickled down Seria¡¯s cheeks. She didn¡¯t even blink, but tears fell under her chin as if it were broken. It was as if he was immersed in Seria¡¯s deepest dream, this dreamy feeling. It was an illusion that made his vision wet.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me why you¡¯re crying, Seria?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather do that if I could even make a wish to hear it.¡±


    Seria held Lesche¡¯s hand and spoke.


    ¡°¡­Where the hell am I? What am I?¡±


    Her question didn¡¯t make sense.


    Stern, Grand Duchess of Berg, Youngdy of Kellyden¡­. Lesche could have said any number of simple facts. But why couldn¡¯t he understand that Seria asked such a question? He was the one who had been insane for a week and a half when Seria couldn¡¯t wake up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to do now because everything I thought I knew was wrong. Am I crazy?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Yes.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°If you¡¯re crazy, then I must be crazy with you.¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche wiped the tears from Seria¡¯s cheeks and said.


    ¡°How can I be sane when my wife seems to have lost her mind?¡±


    ¡°What will happen then?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°What will happen?¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche continued slowly.


    ¡°Nothing will happen.¡±

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121


    ¡°¡­Nothing will happen.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Nothing will happen. Seria.¡±


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Tears began to fall from Seria¡¯s eyes. She wiped her eyes with both hands.


    ¡°Can I sleep again? When Ie back this time¡­.¡±


    Her eyes, clear as always, looked at Lesche as if she could see right through him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything when I get back.¡±


    ****


    *Seria¡¯s POV*


    ***


    When I woke up, I was in my room.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t easy to get back to the dream this time. I tried to hold the circlet over the Stern insignia that Abigail had brought, but to no avail. I wanted to head for the mine right then, but I had been unconscious for a week.


    After two days of taking medicine and rushing to replenish my nutrition, I finally made it to the mine. As soon as I arrived, I tried to do the same thing I did thest time in front of the altar, but to no avail. All I got was an outpouring of sacred power. I couldn¡¯t see Tuban.


    ¡°¡­I think what I saw was actually an illusion.¡±


    I said as I touched the circlet on my neck. The red jewel encrusted in the center of the circlet was uncharacteristically dented. This was something that was easily noticeable. I had been using the circlet as a tool to torture Mies.


    I pressed the gem hard just to be sure, and just like that I was able to enter the space of Tuban.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think I should stay here long.¡¯


    Thest two days.


    Lesche hasn¡¯t really asked me anything. He had bared his heart to me, and so this time when I return, I want to respond to him by telling him everything.


    Considering all that, is it good to have something sacred to tell him that this ce is not in the book?


    I¡¯ve always wondered how I could say that this ce is in a book to a man who has lived with the duty of defending thergest empire on this continent, and the most dangerous centralke.


    ¡°Tuban.¡±


    Tuban was still suspended like a mummy. No matter how little movement he was born with, if he was still alive he would have to move slightly, but he didn¡¯t. He was just dead. Of course, it was the same when I first met him.


    ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t die during that time, did you? I can¡¯t talk for a long time. I¡¯m here to ask you some questions.¡±


    I asked the questions I¡¯d managed to piece together in my head. But I couldn¡¯t askplicated questions because the speed Tuban was writing was not fast.


    ¡°If this isn¡¯t inside the book, did I turn back time? Am I the one who turned back time?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Yes.¡± (The writing)


    I exhaled. I can¡¯t believe I turned back time. I don¡¯t have a single memory of that. I just remember reading a book.


    ¡°Then why can¡¯t I remember?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°If you don¡¯t, your body¡­.¡± (The writing)


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Because if you don¡¯t, your body will shatter.¡± (The writing)


    ¡°Shattered into pieces?¡± (Seria)


    I was speechless. How in the world¡­ how could he say the answer like that? It really was the worst.


    I¡¯ve been organizing my questions, but the more I ask, the more questions I keep on having¡­It¡¯s making me crazy.


    Okay. Just calm down.


    ¡°Why is my body shattered?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°It was the moon.¡± (The writing)


    The engraved light didn¡¯tst long. I opened my eyes and saw Tuban, who had been standing,ing to a hard stop and falling to the floor with a thud. It looked like a person frozen in volcanic ash or hot beeswax.


    ¡°Tuban!¡±


    It was even worse when red blood began to flow under the gag he held in his mouth.


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    A situation that quickly turned into a horror. I managed to swallow a scream. I wanted to get out immediately, but I didn¡¯t know how to actually get out. In addition, since I came all the way here, I had to know the answers somehow.


    Of course, despite this brave thought, tears were flowing from my eyes.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do this¡­ I¡¯m really scared¡­!¡±


    I shivered, but I grasped Tuban¡¯s long back hair and continued to cry while wiping the blood flowing from his gag. Even as I cried, I asked sincerely.


    ¡°What do I need to do to hear the answer you couldn¡¯t tell me?¡±


    ¡°Release my seal.¡±


    ¡°How can I trust you? No, don¡¯t be offended. By all ounts you are very much like a monster right now. ¡­.¡±


    ¡°Hug me.¡±


    Hug? I gasped even as I sobbed. Can¡¯t he see that I¡¯m shedding tears in this horror-filled situation?


    ¡°But¡­.¡±


    Anyway, I grabbed Tuban by his cor and wiped the blood from his mouth with his hair. I hugged Tuan, brainwashing myself into thinking he was Abigail.


    Eventually, my eyes only grew more frightened.


    I could feel a strange, unexinable power from Tuban. It was like a mixture of Stern¡¯s and Constetion Gold¡¯s power. But I was not ufortable like when I felt Lina¡¯s power from Kalis. Because I felt that Stern usually faced the same energy.


    However, the power from Tuban was different. The power that I felt from Tuban was not only simr to mine, it was exactly the same.


    ¡°What the hell are you¡­¡­?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I am your¡­..¡±


    Tuban didn¡¯t answer until the end this time, and then copsed with a thud. A flood of red blood flowed sluggishly from the gag in his mouth. I wiped his mouth with his hair as I screamed,


    ¡°Please don¡¯t spill blood! How am I going to break the seal? Please tell me! Just tell me!¡± (Seria)


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand when youe back to reality.¡± (Tuban)


    I felt my strength drain away. After inquiring about how I would return from Tuban, how long I would be out, etc., I finally asked the question I really should have.


    ¡°Tuban.¡±


    I hesitated.


    ¡°Then I¡­. I¡¯m the real Seria Stern?¡±


    Even as I spoke, I realised that this was a real ¡®what if¡¯ question. But if this world was not really inside a book, then I could not establish what my existence really was. Once again, his answer was sincerely inscribed on the Stern insignia.


    ¡°More than that.¡± (Tuban)


    I closed my eyes and waited and then slowly opened them, because I felt like I was going to throw up my heart.


    ¡°Are there any other names you can remember?¡± (Tuban)


    ¡°Of course!¡± (Seria)


    As soon as I answered, I closed my mouth.


    ¡­What?


    I blinked slowly.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­.¡±


    My mouth naturally closed. My name. My original name. I couldn¡¯t remember it. Naturally, I thought that my real name would always be in my mind, just as my past as a graduate student naturally came to mind. But why couldn¡¯t I remember it?


    Letters engraved on the Stern insignia again.


    ¡°It¡¯s an unimportant name.¡± (The writing)


    ¡°Unimportant? Do you know how much trouble I had in my previous life? Those hardships are still vivid in my mind¡­. I just can¡¯t remember my name. ¡­.¡± (Seria)


    If this was all an illusion on my part, it would be unfair. I asked a few more questions after that, but Tuban just bled. I let out a sigh. Whatever it was, it seemed that I had to break that seal for now. I would have to check it out when I returned to the real world.


    That was when it happened.


    ¡°With the Saintess.¡± (Tuban)


    ¡°¡­¡­ Lina?¡±


    ¡°The Saintess and you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°That Saintess and your name.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°That Saintess and your name is Rain¡­.¡±


    As I waited in frustration, I began to think that something was wrong. The speed at which the letters were engraved has slowed significantly this time. It was not a level where I could wait patiently.


    I waited for a while, but I was so angry, wasn¡¯t I Korean? Was I wrong about me being a graduate student? No matter how much I think about it, It was impossible.


    ¡°You said it¡¯s a name that¡¯s not important, not a name that doesn¡¯t exist.¡± (Seria)


    Anyway, I did have an experience, didn¡¯t I? A mysterious being who could tell me everything was standing right in front of me, but all I could see was blood¡­


    Even in this situation, the letters were slowly engraved. I wrinkled my forehead. My eyes shed white again.


    That¡¯s when I woke up.


    ¡°How long have I been sleeping?¡±


    ¡°Four days this time. My Lady.¡±


    ¡°Thank God¡­¡±


    It was worth mentioning to Abigail beforehand. I sighed and touched the Stern insignia beside me. Strangely enough, there was no writing on it. It was just beautiful. I also checked the circlet that I had asked to be kept around my neck. The red gem in the middle was dented even more. There was a fixed number of times I could meet Tuban.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Lesche? Did he go back to the mansion?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I said and woke myself up. Abigail told me that Lesche went to the imperial Pce.


    Then I went to the bathroom, which was connected to the bedroom, to wash.


    ¡®The human heart is a very fragile thing.¡¯


    The other day, I passed out for a week and didn¡¯t feel hungry when I woke up. It was very shocking. But this time, I was hungry and it was hard.


    Maybe it was because I had figured out how to somehow talk to Tuban. When I think about it, it might be thanks to my past where I was shocked at the fact that I was reborn as a person in a novel.


    Yes, I¡¯ve been through all that, and now he told me that this ce is not actually in a novel, that I turned back time, and that I¡¯m the real Seria Stern, is that not a big deal?


    That¡¯s what I¡¯ve decided to ept. I can¡¯t help it. It was the fate of a graduate student to have to ept the absurdity of the world. When I thought about it, it wasn¡¯t as painful as it had been when I was first shocked.


    ¡®There¡¯s no way I wasn¡¯t a graduate student.¡¯


    It was very frustrating to see all that hard work disappear.


    I was about to leave the bedroom when Abigail¡¯s words caught my feet.


    ¡°There are many priests waiting for you outside.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I was puzzled. I didn¡¯t want to talk to the priests yet. My head was full of conversations I¡¯ve had with Tuban.


    ¡°Then they will speak with Lesche when he returns.¡±


    Nodding, Abigail said in a calm voice.


    ¡°Your husband hasn¡¯t slept a wink for four days.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ****


    Reminder: they¡¯re no longer at Berg. This is arc 9, everything happened in the capital. They were staying at the imperial Berg mansion. However, now, they are staying at the Duke of Polvas¡¯s castle while Seria is dealing with the mine.

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122


    After listening to Abigail, Seria ran to look for Lesche.


    ¡°Seria?¡±


    She turned around at the voice calling her name. Lesche ran over and grabbed her hand. She looked at him and raised a finger to her mouth, ¡°Shh.¡± There was no one behind him. It was worth it to secretly hand the servant a note with the jewel pin.


    Seria quickly took Lesche¡¯s hand and led him to a quiet ce.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    She finally got to see Lesche¡¯s face when she stopped near the wall of a quiet building without a constant stream of people. He hadn¡¯t been able to sleep for a long time¡­. He seemed to have lost some weight and it was heartbreaking.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sleep?¡± (Seria)


    Lesche didn¡¯t say anything, he just smiled calmly. He stared at Seria then hugged her tightly. She could feel his firm arms wrapped around her shoulders and back. Lesche pulled the hat Seria was wearing down. The hat on her cloak came off easily. The light cloak, made of thin fabric, was dark in color and specialized in disguise.


    ¡°Why did youe out dressed so suspiciously?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Because the priests might find out? I understand they are waiting outside your bedroom.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°There are a number of high-ranking officials as well. Because of the unprecedented events of the Constetion Gold Mine.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the High Prieste?¡±


    Seria thought for sure he woulde. Lesche said in a passing tone.


    ¡°When he said he woulde, I refused to entertain him.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°You¡¯re probably the only noble in the entire continent who refuses to see the High Priest.¡± (Seria)


    Seria smiled, and a faint smile was painted on Lesche¡¯s lips as well.


    ¡°How did youe here?¡± (Lesche)


    Seria pointed with her chin to the window of her room.


    ¡°I crawled down from the window.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Bibi helped me.¡±


    Laughing in exasperation, Lesche looked Seria up and down.


    ¡°Please sit down.¡±


    ¡°Yes. By the way, I need a ce to sit. ¡­.¡±


    This was a castle owned by the Duke of Polvas. Of course, she didn¡¯t know much about the geography of the garden. On top of that, she just concentrated on bringing Lesche to a deserted ce.


    For a while, they looked around for a ce where there could be a bench. Seria¡¯s feet started to get tired. Then Lesche lifted her up in a tight embrace.


    ¡®Oh. This is how he meant to sit down.¡¯


    ¡°Lesche, please forget what I said four days ago.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hm?¡±


    ¡°Stern is actually¡­ I had never gone mad because of my divine power. You are aware of the history of that, right?¡±


    Of course no such historical record existed. Seria just threw it out there because she was worried that Lesche would misunderstand the story she was about to tell him as a manic¡¯s whining.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I thought I was inside a book.¡± (Seria)


    ***


    ¡°Why is His Highnessing out of that bedroom?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s on another floor, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    There was amotion.


    The priests¡¯ eyes widened as Lesche Berg walked out from the unconscious Stern¡¯s bedroom. Obviously they remembered the Grand Duke was a temporary tenant of this castle (Polvas¡¯s castle).


    Of course, they didn¡¯t have a fuse big enough in their livers to approach Lesche and ask him why he was leaving Stern¡¯s bedroom.


    Above all else, Stern¡¯s safety was of utmost importance to them. The priests, who were only waiting for Seria to wake up, hurriedly asked their concerns as soon as Lesche moved away.


    ¡°Is the Grand Duchess awake?¡±


    ¡°May Ie in?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, no.¡±


    Linon said politely.


    ¡°But I¡¯ll be setting up a temporary seat for you all in a few days, and you can meet the Grand Duchess then. And I assure you, there is nothing wrong with the Grand Duchess¡¯ health.¡±


    They will have a seat in a few days¡­


    The priests scattered meekly, buzzing.


    Perhaps it was because they had amon enemy, the demons, or perhaps it was because this was a religion where the evidence for God was diverse and visibly evident. They were good atpliance. And they were especially vulnerable to the most direct agents of God.


    Typical examples were Stern, who was like a star spirit, and Lina, the Saintess who appeared recently but disappeared without a trace.


    When Linon saw that all the priests had retreated, he gave a light silent bow to the knights guarding the gate as a sign of thanks for their hard work and stepped away.


    There was no Lesche in the temporary office. Linon looked dumbfounded because it seemed that Lesche wasing this way.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°He went to take a bath.¡±


    ¡°All of a sudden?¡±


    Linon tilted his head.


    Just in time, the doctor he called earlier arrived. Linon asked the doctor about the health of the Grand Duchess. The answer came right back that she was absolutely stable for a few days.


    ¡°Absolutely stable? But she can¡¯t do anything, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She needs to rest. By the way, what¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem ¡­.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Linon, being the lucid aide that he was, put that very thought out of his mind. And, fortunately, he received an answer that Seria could at least attend a meeting two dayster. Linon immediately sent a subordinate aide to the priests.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    After the bath, Lesche came out wearing only a gown. Linon, who consulted with him and set the scheduled date for the meeting, bowed his head and stepped down.


    ¡°He looked a little upset. Did something happen? No way!¡± (Linon¡¯s thought)


    He couldn¡¯t invade his superior¡¯s personal life, so he erased his thoughts from his mind.


    Lesche raised his eyebrows slightly as he walked down the dark hallway to his bedroom. He was in a bad mood, just as Linon had guessed.


    ¡°She said it¡¯s not in the book¡­¡±


    Lesche didn¡¯t break off once while Seria continued to speak. She seemed worried that he might think she was insane, but that couldn¡¯t be true. Seria can¡¯t be crazy. Then he¡¯ll be crazy too.


    Lesche trusted her words more than expected. If Seria begged him to believe that she was actually a man, he would have believed it too.


    So he didn¡¯t doubt that everything Seria said was true.


    She said she turned back time.


    Seria, herself, turned back time.


    The problem was the Saintess.


    When he heard in the prophecy that he had married the Saintess, he didn¡¯t think it was a big deal, apart from being unpleasant. Because it didn¡¯t happen. He was married to Seria and had no intention of divorcing her. So he had no connection with Lina.


    But he couldn¡¯t believe it.


    So that meant he married the Saintess before?


    It was unpleasant even though it was an unknown past. Lesche let out a low sigh. Even so, the fact that Seria had told him a secret that she had been hiding the whole time was a factor that made him feel better.


    There were also some words he liked. Seria said that she felt good when she was with him because she felt her Stern power from him.


    She didn¡¯t usually say that to him. It felt like a tightening of his heart. He didn¡¯t know how long she had held on to everything so tightly in her hands.


    ¡°Seria. Was the reason why you didn¡¯t refuse me in bed just because of Stern¡¯s divine power?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­..¡±


    ¡°There was no reason?¡±


    Perhaps it was an unexpected question, Seria couldn¡¯t reply right away and only cast her eyes at him. A smile appeared on Lesche¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°It would be better if you responded to me for other reasons, Seria.¡±


    Seria turned her head and coughed.


    ¡°So. I¡¯m good at it?¡± (Lesche)


    What are you good at?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°You know.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°No, really! Do you always have to ask with your mouth to make you feel better?¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche eventually nuzzled his face into Seria¡¯s shoulder and erupted inughter. Seria suddenly grabbed his face with both hands and lifted it. Then she just lowered her head and kissed him. Even with that, her breathing quickly faltered.


    She had just woken up, so the light kiss was understandable.


    The problem was that Seria stroked his thighs with her foot.


    Lesche froze in ce. She only lightly touched the spot where he surfaced, but the area around his neck shook as if his whole body had been electrified.


    Seria grabbed his hand as Lesche was about to touch her andced her fingers together, then said seriously.


    ¡®¡¯I can¡¯t do it for a few days. The doctor says I need absolute rest.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Are you trying to get back at me?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°No, of course not.¡± (Seria)


    It was too much for just those words. Lesche believed it was torture, not revenge. A low sigh mixed with a groan naturally flowed out. Every time Seria touched his thighs with her foot, the area around his neck shook. Seria was missing an important fact right now, it had been almost over two weeks since she went to the mine¡­


    (*two weeks without s*x ??)


    Lesche caught Seria¡¯s foot. Seria¡¯s shoes, which Lesche had taken off, fell to the floor and tumbled. Seria was embarrassed.


    Holding onto the bare feet that were revealed, Lesche gently pressed them between his thighs. Her toes shrank, but he didn¡¯t let go.


    One moment, Seria¡¯s back was touching the wall.


    ¡°Ha¡­.¡±


    Seria moaned as Lesche¡¯s tongue prated roughly the inside of her mouth. Her hands were on Lesche¡¯s chest, but she didn¡¯t push it out at all. Seria¡¯s shaking legs were still being held tightly by his hands, stroking down Lesche¡¯s hard manhood. After a long kiss, Seria was barely released. Her chest went up and down significantly.


    He didn¡¯t know how much he kissed her that way. Seria¡¯s white foot also could not leave Lesche¡¯s thighs for a long time.


    That was why Lesche had to go to the bathroom immediately after sending Seria back to her room. (*to release ??)


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    The maid in the bedroom bowed her head. Lesche gestured her to leave and then went to bed.


    Seria, of course, was already asleep. Her pale cheeks, which had made Lesche shivered with lust, were red. It went without saying that she looked much better this way. Lesche kissed the sleeping Seria¡¯s forehead. Then he hugged her in his arms and went to sleep.


    ***


    *They are still at the Polvas¡¯ temporary residence

 Chapter 123

    <h2>Chapter 123</h2>


    <em><strong>10. Obsession or regret.</strong></em>


    <em><strong>***</strong></em>


    *This chapter is a little confusing. Sorry in advance*


    ***


    <em>¡®Ha, I¡¯m finally done.¡¯</em>


    A full-scale excavation and transaction agreement for arge constetion gold mine had been signed. In any case, the constetion gold mine had never been mined by a single individual before. This was not because of any legal issues at stake, but because of the fact that only the Ministerial Pce possessed the technology, equipment, and workers that could process the mine.


    It was not that others hadn¡¯t thought about introducing that technology. However, the mine was very difficult to handle. Moreover, as the term ¡°God-given metal¡± implied, it was arge amount of gold, and it was a real thing that could not be handled in other ces other than the Great Temple, such as prayer and the sacred power of priests. That was why the Great Temple made it easy for the masses to ess its technological city. But it was hard to copy it.


    It would be better to pay a fee. There was another purpose that was more important to Seria anyway.


    Seria had a more important goal in mind. She could use the constetion gold to make swords and weapons.


    Since the amount of constetion gold was not sorge in the past, it was more profitable to make another piece of constetion gold armor than to experiment with it.


    Anyway, It was a definite answer to the experiment, and now mining was scheduled to begin smoothly.


    ¡°Mydy.¡±


    Seria smiled when Abigail called her.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen the Lady smile so brightly.¡±


    Seria nearly spat out a mouthful of water and could barely keep it from spilling out.


    With the amount of money scheduled toe and go on an all-time high, it would be hard for anyone to hold back a giggle, wouldn¡¯t it? Seria thought to herself, in all seriousness.


    ¡°Are you going to the auction again?¡±


    The thrill of winning the bid for thest item at the highest price! Seria couldn¡¯t forget it. She put in her mind the idea of going once more to the auction house, both to buy a present for Lesche and to get to know the otherdies.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    At that moment, Linon came and said,


    ¡°The priests from the temple have arrived. I brought them to the reception room.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll see you downstairs.¡±


    Seria got up and looked in the mirror. After making sure that she looked wless, she took a step.


    ¡°They are here for the Stern insignia?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess.¡±


    In exchange for being the first disclosure of the constetion gold mine to the priests, Seria had persistently demanded various concessions, one of which was the Stern insignia that she used as a passage to Tuban.


    The Stern insignia was even inscribed with a number and was thoroughly controlled, so it was decided that the insignia would go to the Great Temple once to be contrasted, and after thorough recording, would be brought back by a qualified person appointed by the Great Temple to officially hand it over to the Berg family.


    Personally, the insignia of the Stern symbolized so much that it was normal for it to be handed over in the name of the family.


    April parlor was the name of one of the many parlors on the first floor of the Berg residence. Befitting its sunny name, it was decorated with a fresh and warm atmosphere, and was Seria¡¯s most favorite ce.


    As she entered the parlor, an old priest and three rtively young-looking priests stood up.


    ¡°Grand Duchess. How are you?¡±


    ¡°Good, please have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Why did they send such an old priest? It was quite a distance between the temp and the capital, Seria thought to herself. Moreover, the old priest was smiling consistently throughout the entire time, though his smile was a bit strange.


    She thought the meaning of the old priest¡¯s smile was simr to that of an envoy who hade to bring news of war to the enemy.


    ¡°The transfer of the ownership of the Stern insignia requested by the Grand Duchess has been handled well, and it will be transferred right here, ording to procedure.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Is there any difficulty with Stern¡¯s request?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    The old priest could not continue and drank his cold tea slowly.


    ¡°As you know, the transfer of the Stern insignia to an individual is extremely rare, even in the history of the Great Temple, and is usually administered by the High Priest. However, if the High Priest only visits one noble¡¯s residence in person, he has to consider the rtionship with the Imperial Family of the Glick Empire¡­ and if he visits the Imperial family, they would hold a banquet for him.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    It was a long exnation, but each word was usible.


    As a rule, wherever the High Priest visits, the ce must be thoroughly prepared. It would have to be decorated splendidly with a lot of effort.


    ¡°So I asked the other Stern, Miyote Stern. ¡­.¡±


    ¡°She must have said no.¡±


    <em>¡®I understood that. It would have been troublesome for me too, to be honest.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®By the way, why does he keep exining? Why is he breaking out in a cold sweat like that again?¡¯</em>


    Sitting in his seat, the old priest took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his forehead. Seria looked at the priests behind the old priest and wondered. They didn¡¯t look much different from the old priest.


    ¡°So I was looking for the right person, and Imunicated with the qualified people ording to the procedure¡­There¡¯s someone who volunteered to be the first one to do it. That person is¡­.¡± (the old priest)


    By this point, Seria began to get ominous. She was just going to say she would get itter. The old priest squeezed his eyes shut and shouted.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Marquis of Hon¡­!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Um, I was trying to fix the schedule in a hurry, but it just so happens that the High Priest in charge was absent that day! It is said that he approved it without knowing it well. This is not usually important, but unless a person dies, it can¡¯t be transferred, and even if he dies, it takes a lot of time in the process¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    The old priest was already breaking out in a cold sweat as he desperately tried to exin himself.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m an old priest and I¡¯ve always only been inside the Great Temple. So I don¡¯t know much about the outside world, Stern¡­..¡±


    They sent the older priest all the way from the temple to say that.


    Seria silently took a sip of her tea. She could see the priests twitching at the sound of her setting down the teacup.


    ¡°So when will the Marquis arrive in the capital?¡±


    ¡°The Marquis of Hon is scheduled to arrive in three days¡­!¡±


    ***


    ¡°So, Hon ising to see Seria?¡±


    Linon quickly replied to Lesche¡¯s question.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Besides, I just heard from the priests that the process of bing the keeper of the insignia is moreplicated than I thought¡­. If you¡¯re toox this time, you won¡¯t get it until muchter.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to even move.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Upon hearing the whole story from Linon, Lesche responded unexpectedly calmly. As soon as Linon rxed thinking it was a relief, Lesche casually spoke.


    ¡°Just kill him.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Linon saw a crumpled report in Lesche¡¯s hand a beatter. When did that happen?


    ¡°It¡¯s better to take the insignia and kill him. I think he¡¯s out of his mind. Why should I let him live?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Berg¡¯s aides looked at each other and broke out in a cold sweat.


    Lesche threw the crumpled report on the desk. It was a report on the new sword to be issued to the Berg Knights. As a test use of the new sword, it would not be a bad idea to use it on the Hon knights.


    Kalis Hon, the idiot, must have lost his mind.


    The reason for requesting qualification to deliver the Stern insignia, for taking the trouble of transporting the cumbersome property, all was for the sake of seeing Seria.


    Lesche felt an abnormal hatred for Kalis Hon. He had an urge to split his skull and turn it upside down.


    ***


    ¡°Lady Begonia will be arriving shortly.¡±


    The second designer spoke with a mechanical smile.


    All the shops in the Imperial capital were currently like that, but Begonia¡¯s shop was particrly busy.


    This month, with all the social gatherings and even the banquet for the Imperial Pce¡¯s seed sowing festival, the designers and their assistants were having a sleepless month. Of course, no designer really disliked it, because they just lived by the habit of saying they were tired because the busier they were, the more money they made.


    Today was the day when Begonia was away from the shop to order silk herself.


    ¡°Why, of all people, did such a big name visit today?¡±


    Designer Chasok looked at the man sitting in front of her with trembling eyes. He was a rare beauty¡­the qualifier seemed a littlecking. He was dazzlingly handsome.


    As a designer¡¯s habit of making clothes, she looked through the man¡¯s body first and swallowed her dry saliva. She looked at the man¡¯s neck, shoulders, chest, width, waist, arms and legs. It was a body that inspired her to create. Of course, she had to keep her facial expressions perfect because she knew she would die if she got caught.


    ¡°His Highness, Grand Duke Berg.¡±


    Lesche didn¡¯t even drink the tea that was ced in front of him. He just leaned back in his chair and seemed to be thinking. The next designer asked cautiously.


    ¡°May I ask what brought you here so suddenly?¡±


    ¡°I have something important to do tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    The tension finally dissipated as the second designer got a sense of what was going on. The high-ss shops of the Imperial Capital were basically ces that made elegant and luxurious clothes for the aristocracy, but they also provided styling for other important purposes.


    ¡°Your Highness. May I ask what kind of important business you are going to attend? An inspection of the Order? A visit to the Imperial Pce, an audience with the Emperor¡­?¡±


    The second designer added just in case.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, our Begonia Shop will keep the destination of the nobles in absolute secrecy.¡±


    Lesche was well aware of the fact that the Begonia Shop was tight-lipped. The owner of the salon, Begonia, was of imperial blood, and perhaps because of her pride in her lineage, she guarded the one secret as if it were her life.


    ¡°I am also an expert.¡±


    ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness the Grand Duke Berg.¡±


    The second designer was eager to present the boutonniere from the box that came in. Lesche raised his eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s an asion where I have to meet my wife¡¯s former fianc¨¦.¡±


    nk!


    The designer dropped the boutonniere she was holding. With a reddened face, the designer hurriedly picked up the boutonniere she had dropped on the floor.


    ¡°Excuse me! I¡¯ll bring Lady Begonia right away, so please wait a little bit, Your Highness!¡±


    The second designer immediately bowed and ran out of the guest room. Then she shouted as she ran down the corridor.


    ¡°Lady Begonia! Emergency! Emergency!¡±


    It was an unimaginably high level of difficulty. In any shop, this was unconditionally to be handled by the one in charge of seniority.

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124 			?? Listen to PostSponsored by Tulvander. Thank you ?? (1/3)


    ****


    The Duchess of Polvas, Marlesana Polvas closed her eyes and opened them.


    ¡°¡­¡­ What am I looking at now?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Everyone?¡±


    Marlesana saw the nobledies standing with her, their eyes rolling back and forth as they held their fans. They were not the only ones to react, and it was not a problem.


    Marlesana and the other nobles in the vicinity had their gaze focused only on one side. It was an irresistible force. To Lesche Berg, the master of this mansion.


    This was arge banquet hall located in the annex of the Berg mansion. The few nobles were already enjoying the ball, but the problem was after Lesche Berg had entered. The gaze that naturally fell on the host of the mansion could not return to its original position. There were dozens of pairs of gazes that were fixed as if they were nailed.


    It was not until the Great Duke Berg, who was greeting several nobles, left the hall with the butler who visited him that their eyes regained their original ce.


    The conversation did not bloom immediately. There was gentle music ying in the background¡­.


    ¡°I now understand why His Highness the Grand Duke doesn¡¯t oftene up to the Imperial capital.¡±


    Someone said, and everyone agreed. They were well aware of Grand Duke Berg¡¯s beautiful and outstanding appearance, but right now, it was really choking them in the purest sense of the word. It would only be troublesome to be subjected to such stares, knowing that Lesche Berg was not a personality that enjoyed socializing.


    This was also the masterpiece that Designer Begonia had put her heart and soul into. They even thought that she should pay a modeling fee, instead of getting paid for dressing Lesche.


    Marlesana was genuinely impressed.


    ¡°His Highness¡¯ boutonniere and cufflinks were all tailored with blue jewels, he must have thought of the Grand Duchess, right?¡±


    It was because Seria had blue eyes.


    Marlesana wondered if her husband, the Duke of Polvas, would only wear jewels that resembled the color of her eyes.


    If he really showed up wearing it, she would be so embarrassed that her cheeks would turn red. It was a very romantic gesture.


    ¡°The Grand Duke is really wonderful.¡±


    Marlesana said,ughing, looking to the side, then froze like ice.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    When did he arrive? The Duke of Polvas was next to her. He was looking at Marlesana with an expressionless face. The Duke of Polvas held out his arm.


    ¡°The old Count and Countess Rousseau are over there. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­sir.¡±


    Marlesana hurriedly grabbed Duke Polvas¡¯s arm. Thedies greeted her with ¡°See youter,¡± and Marlesana nced at her husband. No one cared that a noblewoman would say such apliment in a social banquet hall, but it was a bit of a different matter for someone who had a crush on someone else.


    ***


    ¡°Not that one, let¡¯s make it red.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marquis Hon.¡±


    The designer who was in charge of Kalis looked very sad.


    <em>¡®He¡¯s a man who goes to see his ex-fianc¨¦e. So I have to do it carefully.¡¯</em>


    The salon was a ce where rumors often spread, but only to clients who were allowed to the noble room, and the designers were very tight-lipped about it. Furthermore, when it came to going as far as requesting personal styling, the salon designers¡¯ mouths were very tight. To begin with, Kalis even chose a salon that was thoroughlymitted in that direction.


    ¡°Do you want these cufflinks? Or do you want me to rece it with that bracelet?¡±


    Kalis looked at the magic crystal bracelet in the box for a while. It was the bracelet that he looked at everyday. He rubbed the tip of the magic crystal cautiously and ced it slowly back in the box.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with the cufflink.¡±


    ¡°So this is it then¡­..¡±


    After preparing earlier than usual, he was able to make it exactly in time. Kalis went downstairs where the priests were waiting.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little nervous¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Seria¡­.¡±


    Kalis fell silent. Then he took a step.


    Hon¡¯s aide thought it was fortunate that Kalis¡¯s eyes were still lively.


    It seemed that his master, who has always been vexed since his return from Berg¡¯s castle in the Central Territories, hase to his senses for the first time in a long time, and what aide in the world would not like that?


    It was the first time he was going to the Berg castle and it made the aide a little nervous, but all Kalis could think of was seeing Seria again after a long time.


    ***


    Wee, Marquis Hon. We at the Berg extend our heartfelt hospitality to your guests.¡±


    The nicely dressed butler of Berg bowed his head. But there was something strange about it. Because the Berg mansion, which they had expected to be quiet inside, was very lively. There were a lot of people.


    Maids and servants were busily moving around, and above all, numerous nobles knew Kalis Hon.


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    The High Priest next to Kalis said with a smile.


    ¡°The handover of the insignia is a unique inclination, it¡¯ll never happen again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Berg was hosting a banquet tomemorate this. Please understand that I could not tell you in advance because the banquet was prepared in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just fine.¡±


    Kalis¡¯s expression sank slightly.


    There were many guests invited to the mansion. That meant that the hostess must meet with other people as well.


    That also meant there would be less time to be given to Kalis.


    <em>¡®Is Seria that ufortable talking to me?¡¯</em>


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go in.¡±


    Kalis¡¯s heart beat helplessly at the invitation to go in. But it quickly cooled down.


    It was Grand Duke Berg standing in the hallway. Seria was nowhere to be seen.


    Above all¡­.


    He realized that he wasn¡¯t the only one who had dressed up to make a good impression on Seria. Or was it to kill the spirits of his love rival?


    The high-ranking priest went to Lesche first and greeted him.


    ¡°Grand Duke Berg. It¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    ¡°I am honored to carry out the mission to deliver the Stern insignia.¡±


    Even as they greeted him, the priests marveled in their hearts. This was the first time they had seen Grand Duke Berg attending a banquet, and they had not expected him to be so nice. The priests were far removed from the mundane world, but there was something about him that was pleasing to the eye.


    <em>¡®It¡¯s a good thing he¡¯s not wearing a suit of armor.¡¯</em>


    Actually, that was why they were most relieved¡­ After being so neatly dressed, the Grand Duke wouldn¡¯t kill them, right? That was also the wish of the priests.


    The order of greeting had already shifted to the back.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve greeted you. Your Highness, Grand Duke Berg.¡±


    In a businesslike tone, Kalis began with what was most important to him.


    ¡°Where is she? Seria Stern.¡±


    The title was Kalis¡¯s obsession. He did not want to refer to Seria as Grand Duchess in front of Lesche Berg. Seria was also Stern, and that was not a misnomer.


    What¡¯s more¡­.


    His heart was pounding like crazy at the thought of really meeting Seria.


    How long has it been since he lost control of his mind?


    Surprisingly, aplex mixture of tension, happiness, and unrequited love emerged on Kalis¡¯s face that he couldn¡¯t hide. He¡¯d like to kneel down in front of her and dedicate the insignia to her, but then¡­ if he does that¡­.


    <em>¡®You son of a b**ch.¡¯</em>


    Thanks to this, Lesche¡¯s hand creases became more noticeable from the beginning. He really wanted to shove a glove in Kalis¡¯s mouth. What kind of backbone he (Kalis) has that wouldn¡¯t leave a man¡¯s wife alone with a look of unrequited love on his face, when he couldn¡¯t even hide it?


    The Stern insignia that Kalis held in his hands caught Lesche¡¯s reasoning for thest time. Seria said she wanted that. She said she had to have it. He remembered only that as patience.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    There was no way that the priests could have failed to notice this subtle current that flowed as soon as they met. They had just been gazing at the heavy atmosphere for a while.


    Lesche lifted one of his eyebrows suggestively.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I saw the Saintess¡¯s husband.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°My wife is waiting in front of the prayer room in the annex.¡±


    Lesche referred to Kalis as the Saintess¡¯s husband, and Seria as his wife. Kalis red at Lesche.


    He had no intention of fighting here himself. He had insisted on being the insignia carrier, and he felt that if he messed this up, Seria


    would never really see him again.


    So Kalis answered slowly.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you Stern after a long time. Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if my wife will be pleased to see you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here as a carrier, so she won¡¯t be put off.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, since you are the husband of another Stern.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Kalis¡¯s jaw tightened.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you several times that marriage with the Saintess is temporary.The Saintess¡¯ aspirations were so, and so were mine.¡±


    As soon as Kalis married Lina, he asked for a divorce right away. This was something that the priests were well aware of, so they were not put off by it.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if your marriage is temporary or not.¡±


    ¡°Of course it does. It¡¯s not to His Highness, but it¡¯s important to Stern.¡±


    ¡°Why is your trivial news important to my wife?¡±


    ¡°I thought you would understand without daring to say.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    Lesche said coldly and sarcastically.


    ¡°Is it something you want to say?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness¡­..!¡±


    He almost raised his voice louder. Kalis gritted his teeth.


    As his feelings for Seria deepened, she was the only one who was clear, but the others were slowly sinking into ck and white. But even in the midst of all of this, there was one person who would attack his feelings sharply, and that was Lesche, this man in front of him.


    That day. He didn¡¯t know he would lose Seria forever.


    Kalis¡¯s deep resentment that had grown since that day, 80% of it turned into remorse and tormented him, and the other 10% of it was directed at Seria. Why did she abandon him?


    And the remaining 10% was directed at Lesche Berg.


    Anyway, wouldn¡¯t Lesche Berg feel the same way as him?


    He still wants to throw the gloves at each other and duel until one of them dies.


    If he could, he wanted to throw the gloves he wore right away.

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125 			?? Listen to Post


    Sponsored by Tulvander. Thank you ?? (2/3)


    ****


    ¡°Now, wait a minute!¡±


    The priests hurriedly interrupted, their faces pale as the air slowly began to tense.


    ¡°Your Highness! Marquis Hon! Let¡¯s go to the prayer room first. This is a ceremony requested by the Grand Duchess herself, how difficult can it be if it is disrupted?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. If the Grand Duchess increases the number of prayers in order to rent the insignia, she may have to stay in the prayer room all day. If she does that, she won¡¯t have much energy left.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a forced march of prayer that the priests are also suffering greatly from.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Only then did Lesche and Kalis eased up a bit. The priests reviewed the advice they had heard beforeing to the capital.


    ¡°If the two of you try to fight, no. It is unconditional if you think even the slightest spark will stter! Make the unconditional excuses for Stern. Stern will be sad, resentful, suffering¡­ If you think like that, you will manage to keep the atmosphere down.¡±


    This was the advice of the high ranking priest who had served High Priest Amos closely.


    He was d that it worked well.


    It was into this subtle and tense atmosphere that the procession of priests made its way. There was apletely different path than the corridor leading to the banquet hall, and the further they walked, the quieter it became. It was forbidden for outsiders to enter or leave.


    The high ranking priest opened his mouth to see if he could evoke an atmosphere.


    ¡°The Grand Duchess must have been very happy, as she hosted such arge banquet.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the host was the Grand Duke, priest.¡±


    ¡°His Highness? Is that so?¡±


    The conversation continued in a friendly manner. The high-ranking priest believed that somehow the atmosphere would flow in a less stern direction like this. He believed so¡­..


    ¡°Marquis Hon. Do you have something to say?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s cold voice shattered the priest¡¯s belief. Kalis, who was staring at him, also replied coldly.


    ¡°It pains me to think of the hardships Stern has endured.¡±


    ¡°Hardship?¡±


    ¡°You know how hard it is to prepare for a banquet, don¡¯t you? It was also sudden.¡±


    Kalis was serious. The thought that Seria¡¯s reluctance to speak with him for so long had caused the Grand Duke of Berg to embrace theplicated preparations for the banquet before the big day of delivering the insignia left him speechless.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s hard.¡±


    Lesche spoke without hiding his expression.


    ¡°I know well because I prepared the banquet.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°And you. Why are you so concerned about my wife¡¯s safety?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the safety of the Stern the concern of any head of the seventeen families?¡±


    ¡°No head of a family is as arrogant and caring as you are.¡±


    ¡°Did you say I¡¯m arrogant?¡±


    ¡°Your earrings are ringing properly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s outrageous. Grand Duke.¡±


    ¡°Outrageous?¡±


    Lesche looked at Kalis with cold eyes.


    ¡°The only thing you should care about is your wife. If you¡¯re the husband of the Saintess, you should keep your mouth shut and pray.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Hey, calm down! Please calm down!¡±


    The high-ranking priest, who was wary of the situation, rushed to interrupt the fight.


    ¡°Your Highness! Marquis Hon! Stern is waiting!¡±


    ¡°Yes! How important punctuality is to her! If we don¡¯t, Stern will be very angry if the ceremony is obstructed!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Lesche looked away, clicked his tongue low in displeasure. Kalis did the same.


    ¡°Go, go quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    Eventually, the two men took their steps again.


    The priests were worn out. They clearly realized why the deceased High Priest Amos had returned to the Great Temple in such a state of exhaustion.


    *the poor priests ??


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯m so curious how Marquis Hone looks like.¡±


    Abigail replied in a quiet voice to Susan¡¯s words.


    ¡°I¡¯m tempted to cut him off.¡±


    ¡°That bad?¡±


    ¡°I heard he¡¯s very generous.¡±


    Seria pretended not to hear Susan and Abigail¡¯s whispered conversation. It waste yesterday evening. Susan and Ben hade back to the house. They must have been suitably surprised. They came and suddenly a banquet was held at the mansion¡­ And with Lesche hosting and preparing it¡­.


    Actually, it was this morning. When she saw Lescheing to escort her, Seria mistakenly thought that she hadn¡¯t woken up from her dream yet.


    So she pped herself on the cheek, and when the action was repeated for the third time, Lesche grabbed her by the wrist.


    She knew for a fact that Lesche was handsome, of course, but today she even felt dizzy, probably because Lesche put extra effort into dressing up. His silver hair was pomade. His dark suit billowed fiercely with every movement he made, and Seria naturally imagined the muscles inside and drooled without realizing it. ??


    Begonia went to dress up Lesche today instead of Seria, blowing all her doubts away in one fell swoop. Now Seria was d that Lesche was her husband. She could actually touch that body.


    <em>¡®He suddenly said he was going to hold a party today. ¡­.Does he want to show off his good looks again?¡¯</em>


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    At that moment, the servant came running to announce the news.


    ¡°The procession will arrive shortly.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Seria was waiting in the corridor in front of the prayer room. It was a prayer room that had been temporarily set up in an annex of the Berg mansion to receive the Stern insignia. Only certain people were allowed to enter this prayer room. Abigail and Seria entered the prayer room together.


    An altar in the center and chairs lined up. The dark colored floor. Flowers and candles. It was bright with the afternoon light streaming in. Seria stood in front of the altar and waited for the procession.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    The door was opened with the voice of the priest. Two high-ranking priests split off to the left and right, followed by four priests who walked in in a praying posture.


    At the end of the procession was Kalis, holding the Stern insignia.


    His eyes hardened the moment he saw Seria. Seria looked away. Because she didn¡¯t want to ept his gaze.


    Besides, the most important thing for her right now was the Stern insignia.


    Actually, she couldn¡¯t see anything else when she saw the insignia.


    The Great Temple was generous to Stern, but again, it was really rare for them to hand over the insignia. They would have given it to her in thirty years if she had not discovered the Constetion Gold Mine.


    Kalis stopped in front of Seria.


    ¡°¡­Thus is the boundless piety and sincere faith of Seria Stern¡­¡±


    Finally, after a long prayer, Seria reached out to Kalis. She was going to take the insignia, but¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Seria panicked as Kalis suddenly sat down on one knee.


    This had not been expected by the priests, and they too looked perplexed. In the midst of all this, the prayers kepting¡­.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    She didn¡¯t try to interpret Kalis¡¯s hidden gaze on her. She just¡­she didn¡¯t even look at it properly.


    She just bent her body slightly and took the Stern insignia.


    It made the circlet hanging inside her ceremonial dress shake a little. Suddenly, something she had thought about many times came to mind again. How would Kalis react if she held the circlet up to the insignia?


    Would he faint?


    Or would he be fine, like Lesche?


    ¡°The end.¡±


    The high ranking priest announced in a solemn voice that the ceremony was over. Handing the Stern insignia to the priest behind her, Seria looked at Kalis, who was standing up straight before she knew it.


    Thest conventions were still in ce.


    The kiss on the back of Stern¡¯s hand. And that deliverer was Stern¡¯s former fianc¨¦e, this was the first in history.


    Seria swallowed a sigh and held out one hand to Kalis.


    Taking her hand in his, Kalis bent down and kissed the back of Seria¡¯s hand. Seria nced at him. Somehow she was d she wore gloves.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Kalis¡¯s grip on Seria¡¯s hand tightened, but Seria didn¡¯t show any sign of faltering as she pulled it out.


    ¡°I hereby dere that the insignia has beenpletely handed over to Stern.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions, Stern.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Ha. This is myst prayer for the evening¡­¡±


    Seria was to take full possession of the insignia, but she could not break the promise she had said before. She still decided to pray for one more month afterpromising.


    <em>¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m praying when there¡¯s a banquet going on outside.¡¯</em>


    If other people saw her, they would misunderstand that it was her faithfulness. Absolutely not.


    As a result, Lesche was the lone host outside.


    And sure enough¡­. She clearly realized the fact that he was not only handsome in her eyes. Everywhere Lesche went, eyes were drawn to him.


    <em>¡®I guess you could call it a dreamy look that makes you forget yourself.¡¯</em>


    Why is he so handsome.. Even if he wasn¡¯t a male protagonist, he¡¯s still so handsome.This is uneptable.


    Seria had to put on a new pair of gloves.


    Besides Seria, Lesche was naturally among those who were allowed to enter the prayer room. His credentials were as a knight of Stern. He was an honorable knight who had been officially knighted.


    So as soon as the ceremony was over, Lesche came to Seria and took off her gloves. She didn¡¯t know why he looked her right in the eye as he peeled the gloves off her hands. Seria was d the priests left. Lesche had a look of making people thirsty for no reason.


    ¡°I¡¯m d this prayer was short.¡±


    It took less than ten minutes.


    That was when it happened. The door of the prayer room opened quietly.


    It was the priests who had built this temporary prayer room in the mansion. So today, it was agreed that only the main people of Berg¡¯s mansion and the priests would be allowed to enter the prayer room.


    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that the priests woulde in at any time.


    Arge banquet was prepared with plenty of liquor for the priests to enjoy.


    Seria didn¡¯t have to think long to figure out who it was that came in.


    After praying quietly, Seria got up from her seat. She tried to turn around and walk away, but failed. It was because of the man standing behind her.


    ¡°Praying is done sitting down, Marquis Hon.¡±


    ¡°Seria¡­¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t call me that.¡±


    Seria tried to walk straight past him, but it didn¡¯t work out the way she wanted. This was because Kalis suddenly held out a gift box or something like that. The ribbon was untied, and the lid was open.


    Inside were a pair of pure white silk women¡¯s gloves. Kalis spoke with a pained expression.


    ¡°¡­I think you already threw the gloves earlier away.¡±


    Of course it was Lesche who had stripped them off, but Seria didn¡¯t want to exin. Besides, she had gloves.


    ¡°Take it. Seria.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    ¡°Seria, please. You can at least ept this much.¡±


    She was tired of arguing with Kalis, so she epted it for now. Well¡­it did look very expensive.


    <em>¡®I¡¯ll have to give it to Alliot as a present when I leave.¡¯</em>


    ¡°Are you done? Then pray well.¡±


    Nevertheless, Kalis did not move away.


    ¡°Are you still mad at me, Seria?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call my name.¡±


    ¡°You are Seria to me. What should I call you?¡±


    ¡°Call me Grand Duchess.¡±


    Kalis said with a pained expression on his face.


    ¡°¡­Grand Duchess? I¡¯d rather jump into the contaminatednd with my bare skin than that.¡±


    Seria couldn¡¯t believe he said those words after directly participating in the demon subjugation.


    Anyway, she didn¡¯t feel any reason to avoid him all the time when she had never done anything wrong.


    She thought it would be better to end the conversation and leave as soon as possible.


    ¡°What can I do for you, Marquis Hon?¡±

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126 			?? Listen to Post***


    Sponsored by Tulvander. Thank you ?? (3/3)


    ***


    ¡°¡­I was wondering how you have been doing.¡±


    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m very well, so please leave.¡±


    ¡­ ¡°Why don¡¯t you just hit me instead? Please don¡¯t ignore me.¡±


    At the mention of hitting him, Seria immediately lifted the thick prayer book. She wondered what all this meant, so she just set it down again.


    The sound of the thick book falling with a thud echoed through the prayer room.


    It would be better if Abigail came and hit him instead of her. How much she could hit him if she tried.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Kalis looked at Seria with a pained expression.


    ¡°I¡¯vepletely cut ties with Cassius and the Kellyden. But, I have one question for you.¡±


    <em>¡®What is it he wants to ask?¡¯</em>


    That was why Seria didn¡¯t want Kalis toe as a leader. Because there was a limit to what she could do to stop him from entering and leaving the prayer room. If she did so, he would express his disappointment at the temple¡­


    Still, there would be Abigail in front of the prayer room, why did she let Kalis in?


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were so afraid of Cassius? If you had told me earlier, I never would have never talked about the Kellyden. You knew that I exchanged asional letters with Cassius. Why didn¡¯t you say anything at the time?¡±


    Kalis was right. When she was engaged to him, Seria noticed that Cassius and Kalis were asionally exchanging letters. Of course, at the time, she just didn¡¯t like the Kellyden and didn¡¯t know the details of their rtionship, so she kept quiet¡­.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always felt that way, ever since Cassius and I cut ties. I thought that if you had married me as you were originally destined to do, if you had, I would have heard all the stories you were hiding from me at some point¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    These were words Seria never thought she would hear. But honestly, she hated them.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    The box crinkled lightly in her hands.


    ¡°Why in the world do you keep talking about something that would never happen?¡±


    ¡°¡­Seria.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this when you¡¯ve made all the choices? Do you think you can go back in time by doing this? Is that what you want? Is it that easy?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Why do you always have to force your feelings on me?¡±


    Both of Kalis¡¯ eyes froze as if he had been shocked. He swept his face roughly with both hands.


    ¡°Every day, I regret that day. If I could turn back time, I wanted to go back to that time.¡±


    What Tuban said came to Seria¡¯s mind. After Tuban said she wasn¡¯t in the book, she thought of Kalis.


    She thought that the reason he was attracted to Lina was the causality of the original story.


    Therefore, she understood a lot of it. She really understood it.


    But the truth was, this wasn¡¯t some novel world.


    That was more selfish, wasn¡¯t it?


    It was more cruel to her.


    In fact, her fianc¨¦ had simply fallen for another woman. He was attracted to Lina¡¯s personality and the way she spoke, behavior and appearance.


    ¡°You chose Lina, and you abandoned me.¡±


    Kalis dropped his gaze. Then he asked an unexpected question.


    ¡°¡­Did the Grand Duke Berg save you and you hold him in your heart?¡±


    <em>¡®What do you mean, ¡°in my heart¡±?¡¯</em>


    Seria did not answer. However, Kalis¡¯ eyes, which were desperately looking at Seria, were greatly shaken.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    The corners of Kalis¡¯ eyes turned red. Suddenly, Seria saw a bandage wrapped around his left hand.


    Come to think of it, didn¡¯t he have a bandage on it the other day at Kellyden¡¯s castle? Hasn¡¯t that wound healed yet? So much time has passed since then.


    After a while, Kalis opened his mouth.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t give up on you.¡±


    There was a watery note in Kalis¡¯s voice as he held back.


    ¡°I saw the Oracle at the temple.¡±


    ¡°What Oracle?¡±


    ¡°The Oracle that Lina will return soon.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Such an oracle hase to the temple.¡±


    Seria blinked at Kalis¡¯ words.


    ¡°Lina wille back within a year at least. There¡¯s nothing clear, but¡­¡±


    Kalis was Lina¡¯s husband, so it seemed that he was told of the news beforehand. But why Kalis tell Seria such a secret?


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Kalis continued to speak in a watery voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to divorce her the moment shees back. I will prepare the promises that Stern¡¯s spouse will make again, alone. I will prepare everything. So you will abandon me at that time.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Seria couldn¡¯t believe her ears.


    ¡°You¡¯ll bete for Stern¡¯s wedding this time. But it¡¯s okay, please give me one chance.¡±


    Tears formed Kalis¡¯ eyes.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t know how to forget you¡­.¡±


    ***


    <em>¡®It looks like Marquis Hon has really gone crazy.¡¯</em>


    Alliot looked reflectively to the side as he had this thought. Right beside him was Abigail Orrien. She was the figure with her ear pressed tightly against the prayer room door. The knight¡¯s dignity looked like it had been thrown down a cliff.


    Of course, this strange behavior of hers wasn¡¯t a big problem.


    It was really nothingpared to having¡­Lesche by their side.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Lesche was leaning against the prayer room door. There was no need to exin how brutal his expression was.


    So much so that only the knights of the Berg nearby for no reason would be put off by it¡­.


    Alliot was also swallowing hard now and again.


    And Lesche also heard Marquis Hon¡¯s distracted words just now.


    <em>¡®I shouldn¡¯t have opened the door.¡¯</em>


    He wasn¡¯t eavesdropping on purpose. There was a knight¡¯s duty.


    However, Kalis was being monitored from the moment he entered this Berg mansion. He probably knew about it. This was because it was not a covert surveince, but a tant warning surveince.


    But Kalis managed toe into the prayer room somehow, even though he knew about those watchful eyes. He intended to see Seria. To cling to Grand Duchess Berg.


    No matter how much space it was inside the mansion, knights could not be ced inside the prayer room. Currently, the prayer room was the same space where extraterritoriality was applied. Above all, the master of the Order, Lesche Berg, did not seem to be willing to give such a bleak order. Because he was¡­.


    <em><strong>¡°When you fall in love, you be weak or go crazy. You see it in your own way.¡±</strong></em>


    The words Linon said yesterday suddenly came to Alliot¡¯s mind.


    He couldn¡¯t go in, but he certainly had to check on Seria¡¯s safety. Alliott opened the door slightly once in a while to visually check her safety. It was an appropriatepromise between privacy and protection of the main target.


    ¡°This time, you¡¯rete for Stephen¡¯s wedding. ¡°But it¡¯s okay, so please give me a chance.¡±


    The problem was next.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t know how to forget you¡­.¡±


    Alliot couldn¡¯t keep the open much longer, so he didn¡¯t hear Seria¡¯s response after that.


    <em>¡®The Grand Duchess has always cut the Marquis off cold, and I¡¯m sure this time will be no different.¡¯</em>


    Alliot actually didn¡¯t understand. As a third party, he could easily guess the Grand Duchess¡¯s reaction like this. Why didn¡¯t Marquis Hon know? When you fall in love, you be weak or go crazy. Marquis Hon was a ssic case of thetter.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    However, the conversation inside the prayer room was starting to lull.


    Alliot stepped back from the door in moderation. Of course, Abigail was still clinging her ears to the door of the prayer room.


    Some time passed.


    Click.


    The door to the prayer room opened and Seria walked out alone. Her forehead distorted as she came out, the door closing behind her. Abigail saw Kalis standing there, stunned, facing the altar.


    Was he crying or something? He was covering his face with both hands¡­.


    Abigail mmed the door shut.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    Seria looked puzzled as she saw Lesche outside the door.


    ¡°When did you get here?¡±


    ¡°Just now.¡±


    Abigail tilted her chin finely as she looked at the Grand Duke, who lied without blinking.


    ***


    Seria left.


    Kalis stood in a daze, staring at the altar. His heart ached as if he was being tortured, but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint what to do.


    Desperation struck him, and Kalis pressed down on his chest.


    The story of Lina¡¯s return was something that only he was informed at the great temple.


    Because he was Lina¡¯s husband.


    Even the temple knew that they did not have a normal marriage. In other words, Lina had saved Kalis¡¯s life¡­ but if it went back further, Kalis and Lina had almost taken the life of Seria, the Stern, side by side.


    Because of this, the great temple¡¯s attitude towards Kalis was subtle. Still, Lina¡¯s husband was Kalis¡­ so the Oracle was confidential.


    But that was all. It was a fragile rtionship.


    To Kalis, Lina was literally just a Saint. Nothing more, nothing less, just a poor friend that he wanted to take care of. From a political point of view, she was a big shot who would bring great benefits to Hon.


    When all this was considered, there was no way that Lina was more important than his beloved fianc¨¦, Seria.


    Seria fixed his arm. She got the herbs herself from the precipice.


    When he waste for Stern¡¯s wedding, he thought there was room for settlement. That was because they both were still alive. And because Seria liked him. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the proposal ring when he proposed to her.


    So he thought they should just get married again. He felt that everything would go back to the way it was somehow.


    However, Seriapletely closed her heart.


    At first, the distance didn¡¯t resonate with him. However, the more time passed, the more he began to realize it. The fact that Seria was neither his fianc¨¦e nor his wife.


    He struggled. He hoped she would understand how he felt.


    But, since when did Seria start dating the other man?


    It was like hell.


    If this wasn¡¯t hell, where was hell, Kalis could not easily find the answer.


    He staggered out. It was quiet outside the prayer room. No one was there. The High Priest who had juste to the prayer room met Kalis¡¯s gaze. He was surprised to see Kalis there. Seeing Kalis¡¯s pale face, he rushed over.


    ¡°Marquis Hon? Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°High Priest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marquis. Why such a pale face. ¡­.¡±


    Kalis cupped his face in his hands and slumped over as if he was about to break down in tears. It was then that the High Priest finally gave him a sad look. He (High Priest) realized that it was probably because of Kalis¡¯s unrequited love for Seria Stern.


    Kalis asked with tears.


    ¡°How should I atone for the wounds I inflicted on Stern?¡±


    ***


    * I feel so bad for Kalis. He is sincerely hurt and wants to repent. He still loves Seria very much.

 Chapter 127

    Chapter 127 			?? Listen to Post


    ***


    Seria was in therge banquet hall. Transparent air bubbles came up from the champagne ss and burst.


    ¡®<em>I can¡¯t believe it predicted that Lina woulde back within a year¡­¡¯</em>


    The moment she heard the confidential Oracle from Kalis, Seria calcted the schedule quickly in her head. Soon, she thought it was strange.


    <em>¡®The Oracle came too quickly.¡¯</em>


    Even in the original story, every time Lina descended, the Oracle came first. That was the case. But now, time was moving too fast.


    The Oracle came down again after Lina returned to the real world for the first time. It said that the Saintess will descend again. In the Great Temple, it seemed that based on previous experience, they determined that Lina would return one year after this Oracle descended.


    But in the original story¡­.


    <em>¡®It¡¯s also weird to use the word ¡®original¡¯ because of Tuban.</em>


    There was such a thing as a habit. Seria kept her train of thought going.


    In the original story, the second Oracle came down.


    Exactly one monthter, Lina came back.


    One month.


    She got the Crystal Mine. She even discovered an additional constetion gold mine, and her position at the Great Temple had hit the heavens. She also learned how to purify magi with the circlet.


    She didn¡¯t want to be blindsided and have a hard time weing an unidentified Saint in a situation where she already had doubts about Lina¡¯s identity.


    It was then. Marlesana whispered in a small voice.


    ¡°Seria. Are you sure you want to go to that knitting gathering?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well¡­ It sounds interesting.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m looking forward to it! I¡¯ll go with you!¡±


    The knitting gathering was the information Marlesana had brought earlier.


    Seria was tempted the moment she heard about it. She thought it would be such a small and cute gathering. And she had a desire to give something to Lesche as a gift. The best thing she could think of was jewels. She was going to give him a lot of jewels, but she wanted to make a big wrapping material for them.


    Perhaps it was because she was thinking about Lesche that she suddenly heard whispers ofughter among the nobledies, ¡°Grand Duke Berg,¡± and small voices cackling.


    Seria naturally looked over to where Lesche was.


    He was positioned on the other side of the room with the male nobles. She had to stretch her head out a little longer to see him.


    The longer Lesche stayed in the ballroom, the less people¡¯s gazes fell on her like she was possessed by sin. However, it was still he who upied the attention of the most people.


    Seria looked at Lesche¡¯s face, sipping her champagne for no apparent reason, and then tilted her head.


    <em>¡®He doesn¡¯t look happy.¡¯</em>


    Seria quickly excused herself from the noblewomen and stepped into the corner of the room for a moment. After that, she gave a small beckon to Abigail. Abigail, d in the distinctive ceremonial cloak that signified the knight of Stern, immediately approached Seria.


    ¡°My Lady? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Bibi. Did Lesche hear the conversation that I had with the Marquis of Hon earlier?¡±


    Abigail blinked and looked at Lesche, then looked at Seria.


    ¡°Miss, did your husband say that?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I just feel¡­.He doesn¡¯t look happy.¡±


    Abigail seemed to be thinking about something and gave Seria an unsure look. This was right before Seria asked, ¡°Why?¡± Abigail said in a calm voice.


    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t hear you.¡±


    ¡°Really? Hmm¡­ so it¡¯s just that Kalis came and made him feel ufortable?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable.¡±


    Abigail nodded. Seria looked at Lesche again. If Lesche¡¯s expression continued to look bad, she would think there was definitely something wrong, but Lesche¡¯s expression immediately unraveled when he unexpectedly met Seria¡¯s gaze.


    <em>¡®I guess I was wrong.¡¯</em>


    The atmosphere of the ball had just begun to heat up.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.


    The high-ranking priests greeted her as they were leaving.


    ¡°How rare is the Stern with its insignia¡­ Once again, congrattions.


    ¡°Please, you don¡¯t need to see us off.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Seria walked out into the hallway out of Stern courtesy and turned away from Kalis¡¯s pale face.


    ***


    ¡°Your Highness, Your Highness, they say that a man with a sense of righteousness is said to be unattractive.¡±


    At these words, Lesche stared at Linon. Linon immediately flinched.


    ¡°I just¡­ heard it from the capital.¡±


    Linon counted the number of times Lesche had taken the gloves out and put them back in today, and then erased his thought.


    As Berg¡¯s chief aide, Linon was skeptical about killing the Marquis of Hon so soon.


    Where would the Grand Duchess¡¯s suspicions lie if Kalis Hon met a sudden death? Even a monkey would suspect the Master (Lesche) of the Berg Knights.


    The only legitimate way to kill him was to duel him, but no matter what the evidence said, the title of ¡°Stern¡¯s former fianc¨¦e¡± was a problem. How long will it be up and down in imperial society¡­At the end of that terrible scandal will be the death of one of them¡­.


    It was a situation that only favored Kalis Hon, due to social conventions where people who die for love were regarded as romantic. Why make him the hero of a tragic love affair when he¡¯s the one who cheated on her in the first ce?


    So either way, it was too negative for his Master. As Linon was deep in thoughts, he nced at Lesche.


    Lesche looked at the procession of priests leaving the mansion and frowned.


    Kalis Hon looked only at Seria, like a dog in the rain, the moment he arrived at the mansion.


    Then, finally.


    He (Kalis) even wanted to perform the wedding ceremony with Stern again. Lesche¡¯s nerves were so focused in the prayer room that he didn¡¯t understand the feeling behind those words.


    If Seria had agreed, or if there seemed to be even the slightest hint of such, Kalis Hon¡¯s head would fall off his neck already. Linon kept his mouth shut, knowing that it seemed barbaric to even bring up such a subject.


    Lesche didn¡¯t want to put Kalis and Seria in the same space again, even for a moment. Don¡¯t be with her, even for a moment. Don¡¯t even look at her.


    But Lesche did. As Seria¡¯s bright blue eyes looked only at him (Lesche) all day long, he wanted to buy a deserted castle and take her away, embrace her, bite and kiss her all day long. Even if she had to push him away in pain, she wouldn¡¯t hate him.


    But he just waited outside the prayer room.


    He did that because he was scared.


    He thought she would hate him.


    ¡°Your Highness, the Grand Duchess is here.¡±


    Lesche turned around reflexively. Seria walked over and opened her mouth.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    She stared at him and suddenly asked.


    ¡°Can I kiss you?¡± (Seria)


    Instantly, Linon coughed loudly.


    Anyway, Seria¡¯s gaze was fixed on Lesche.


    Thanks to this, Lesche practiced what he rarely did, which was to manage his facial expressions.


    ¡°Why?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°You seem to be in a bad mood.¡± (Seria)


    Lesche chuckled faintly.


    ¡°Are you trying to keep my mouth shut?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°That and because you¡¯re very handsome today.¡±


    Linon disappeared very fast on his feet.


    From the moment he saw Seria, Lesche¡¯s overflowing murderous intent had diminished considerably. It became tamer as it subsided.


    Linon was once again relieved.


    The timing was so perfect.


    It was night. A spring breeze blew and Seria¡¯s hair fluttered lightly. Lesche said, putting her hair behind her ears.


    ¡°You said you don¡¯t like crowded ces.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°What can¡¯t we do, everyone is kissing everywhere. We¡¯re a couple.¡±


    With those words, Seria lifted her toes and kissed Lesche.


    As a result, Lesche¡¯s heart swayed like a wave. Soft and warm touch. That softness that made his heart tighten every time, and even hurt at times. He couldn¡¯t understand the feeling of theplicated heart melting like snow.


    Seria¡¯s kisses were, as always by Lesche¡¯s standards, woefully insufficient. A kiss that tickled and fell without undue effort could not be very irritating to one. Lesche hurriedly tried to trap Seria in his arms and kiss her, but to no avail.


    Seria pushed Lesche away, shaking her head.


    ¡°No more.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Seria said, lightly touching her wet lips with her fingertips.


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s a ceremony in my name, I have to finish it well.¡±


    Lesche hugged Seria tightly once with regret and then released her.


    ¡°How do you want me to finish up?¡±


    ¡°The senior socialite will teach you now, so make sure you learn well.¡±


    Lesche let out a lowugh. Seria also chuckled and held out her hand to him. Lesche took her hand in his. Unlike usual, Seria grasped his hand with all her strength. It was a ticklish grip for Lesche, but strangely enough, it felt like it grabbed his whole heart.


    ¡°I hope it makes you feel better.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Why do you care so much about what I feel?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Don¡¯t you always care about the mood of the people you love?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°¡­Do you say that to others?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Are you a stranger?¡± (Seria)


    Lesche felt one side of his chest stiffen somehow.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Right? I¡¯m a perfect Stern who even has the insignia, so I¡¯ve decided to live more charitably.¡± (Seria)


    Seria smiled triumphantly as she walked away.


    It was strange. Like the warm night breeze and the sparkling lights that decorated the mansion. Music, jewels, and flowers. It was dazzling.


    But none of those came into Lesche¡¯s sight. Not even a little.


    The only thing that came clearly into his vision was Seria. For a moment, he was blinded. Her long hair, and white hands. Blue eyes that looked back at him again. The lips he had always wanted to kiss. Her smile. Only things about Seria.


    So in retrospect, it was then.


    It was when he realized that he was in love with her.

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128 			?? Listen to Post


    Sponsored by Meowy. Thank you ??


    ****


    ¡°How is the Marquis?


    ¡°He¡¯s not feeling well¡­ I¡¯ll go get a doctor.¡±


    Kalis staggered into the Hon residence.


    Unlike the estate¡¯s Hon Castle, Hon Manor, located in the Imperial Capital, was still untouched. The Marquis¡¯s room was also still there, just tidied up after his mother¡¯s death.


    ¡°Set up the bedroom just like in the estate¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marquis.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a servant who didn¡¯t know that Kalis had been to the Grand Duchy of Berg today.


    Therefore, no one was unaware of the fact that the order of Kalis was given keeping ¡°Seria Stern¡± in mind.


    Kalis returned to the bedroom andy down on the bed. The wound had torn again and blood oozed from the bandage that covered the back of his hand.


    Kalis had recently learned that pain can also be addictive.


    The fact that the bigger addiction was to anesthetics was also a fact.


    He thought about the good times he had with Seria, and each time he repeated them, he was able to forget the pain of reality. So much so that he began to think only of the time he was engaged to her.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that he was engaged to the woman whom he had been so frustrated with, bickering with each other.


    And that he had fallen in love with her and proposed to her¡­


    Heughed many times because he couldn¡¯t really believe it.


    He felt as if he was the protagonist of a popr novel.


    It was hard, exciting, thrilling, unfamiliar, and best of all¡­ Discovering Seria¡¯s weakness, which he had never thought about before, was funny and heartbreaking.


    It was also the case.


    He learned that Seria was allergic to snake strawberries. Kalis ordered that all the snake strawberry vines inhabiting Hon Castle and the mansion should be pulled out.


    Kalis¡¯s aide wanted his master to look good for Seria, who would be Hon¡¯s Marchioness. He deliberately came and reported that the order waspleted while Kalis was having tea with Seria.


    He had expected that Seria would not react badly upon hearing the aide¡¯s report.


    However, contrary to Kalis¡¯s expectation, Seria blushed for a moment. The way she was smiling in panic was not like her at all.


    Thanks to that, Kalis¡¯s heart fluttered, too.


    He could tell as he got closer. Seria¡¯s apparent reputation as a rambunctious social dog made her very cold, but the truth was that she was not used to that kind of attention.


    So he wanted to show her all the kindness and consideration he could. He also thought that if Seria¡¯s cheeks blushed every time, he wouldn¡¯t have a heart left in him¡­


    He thought he¡¯d have a lot of time together since he¡¯d be living with her for the rest of his life.


    However¡­.


    Kalis covered his bloodshot eyes with his hands.


    <em><strong>¡°This time you will bete for Stern¡¯s wedding. Even so, please give me one chance.¡±</strong></em>


    If she hated him because she almost died, then he would do the same, no. He was willing to go beyond that.


    <em><strong>¡°Because I don¡¯t know how to forget you¡­¡±</strong></em>


    Seria¡¯s answer at that point was¡­¡­


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    That was when Kalis mumbled.


    ¡°Marquis? Marquis!¡±


    The aide rushed inside with the doctor. Kalis was shocked by the sudden disappearance of Seria, who was right in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Kalis groaned, holding his head. At the same time, the ¡®real¡¯ answer that Seria had really said to him came to his mind.


    <em><strong>¡°It¡¯s over. We¡¯re over.¡±</strong></em>


    It was her downcast eyes, her voice. It was real. Those words etched in Kalis¡¯s brain were the real thing.


    ¡°Marquis! Stay with me!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until the doctor hurriedly took care of him that Kalis came to his senses. He even reced a new bandage on the back of his hand, which was also oozing blood.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be in a lot of trouble if you keep this up, Marquis. Sleeping pills are not¡­.¡±


    ¡°Marquis¡­?¡±


    Kalis hadn¡¯t been able to sleep for a long time and was prescribed sleeping pills. The problem was that the dosage increased exponentially, and the bigger problem was that he would hallucinate from time to time like this. This was because the weaker sleeping pills didn¡¯t work and hallucinogenic sleeping pills were prescribed.


    The two of them couldn¡¯t help but realize that it was Seria that Kalis saw each time.


    ¡°Get out. I need to rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­My Lord.¡±


    They both looked depressed at the order of their weary master.


    ***


    A few dayster.


    An unexpected guest arrived at the Berg residence in the Imperial Capital.


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Nissos Kellyden.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    It was Nissos. He was both nervous and reluctant to be invited to the residence of one of the greatest aristocrats in the Imperial Capital.


    It was not long ago that he received Seria¡¯s letter telling him to visit Berg¡¯s residence in the Imperial capital.


    ¡°The Grand Duchess is waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    Ben¡¯s polite response brought Nissos to his feet. Now he had dressed himself as neatly as he could, but he was not like this in Kellyden. Although he was not disorganized in his behavior like an ideal high ranking nobleman, he had lost his appetite and became quite thin.


    It had been a while since Nissos didn¡¯t say a word properly in the Kellyden¡¯s castle.


    The fact that his naughty sister (Seria), whom he hated so badly for a reason, was actually almost lost her life behind his back was shocking, but he couldn¡¯t ept the fact that it was his brother (Cassius) who had done such a thing.


    His mother was even angry at him and told him why he kept exposing problems that were already in the past¡­


    And his father was busy putting things to rest.


    In Berg, Kellyden continued to be penalized as if retaliating, and as the head of Kellyden, his father never showed any sign of taking responsibility and was only concerned with controlling the situation.


    The old butler epted his semi-forced retirement and left the castle. It was his father¡¯s order.


    That was the current state of Kellyden.


    In fact, it was thanks to this appearance of his father, the master of the house, that Nissos persisted without wavering. But there were many times when he wanted to loosen up on his brother and mother, who were very close. ¡­.


    But he couldn¡¯t do that.


    This was because there was something that had been secretly bothering Seria when she was staying in Kellyden to inherit the estate.


    She had inherited the estate in earnest and it was a gathering of rtives only. Seria, who was not close to him at all, suddenly grabbed him by the sleeve.


    <em><strong>¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± (Seria)</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°What? Did you just catch me?¡± (Nissos)</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°Yes. What if Cassiuses in? I don¡¯t want to be with him.¡± (Seria)</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°¡­So you¡¯re saying that my brother is no good and I¡¯m okay?¡± (Nissos)</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°Yes.¡± (Seria)</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°Are you crazy? Are you really Seria Kellyden?¡± (Nissos)</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°It¡¯s Seria Berg, not Seria Kellyden.¡± (Seria)</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°Hey, let go of me.¡± (Nissos)</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± (Seria)</strong></em>


    Seria didn¡¯t let go of his sleeve until the very end, so Nissos ended up crumpling his hair and stood next to Seria with displeasure. However, Seria dumped him as soon as her knight arrived.


    But what was wrong with staying with her for a while? She was a human too, so she must have been scared.


    ¡°Ugh¡­.¡±


    Nissos sighed and headed towards the annex where Seria was waiting for him.


    ¡°Then I wille for youter.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    The door suddenly closed. Nissos became a little suspicious.


    ¡°A littleter?¡±


    Nissos looked around therge room. It was a very ornate prayer room, with stained ss windows. He couldn¡¯t believe they decorated it to look like it belonged in a magnificent temple in a mansion. As expected, this was the family of a great nobleman who had Stern as his wife.


    Seeing Seria¡¯s back in front of the altar, Nissos approached her, scratching his nose.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a while¡­ahhh.¡±


    Nissos coughed up blood and fainted.


    ***


    ¡°He vomited blood. What do you think? Is he okay?¡±


    The doctor said in a polite tone.


    ¡°Fortunately, the young master has no major physical abnormalities, just small signs of weak malnutrition.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s good. You can leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess.¡±


    The doctor left and Seria looked at the unconscious Nissos. This was the guest room of the Berg mansion. Nissos was lying on the bed in a daze.


    ¡°He¡¯s definitely handsome.¡±


    In order to be a member of Lina¡¯s men, this level of appearance must be a basic element.


    And he was¡­. well¡­he vomited blood.


    Tuban said this was not in the book, but his habits had not gone anywhere. So Nissos was still ssified as a side character to her.


    Besides, Nissos hadn¡¯t even met Lina, and yet he coughed up so much blood and fainted.


    <em>¡®I predicted it to some extent.¡¯</em>


    Duke Dietrich also hadn¡¯t met Lina at this point in time. And yet, the Duke was struck by the circlet¡¯s divine power and fainted.


    Today, her experiment with Nissos was perfect.


    It seemed that he reacted to the sacred power of the circlet in such a big way because of the rtionship he had with Lina. The closer the position was to Lina, the greater the repercussions.


    Therefore, Mies was clearly rted to Lina.


    Kalis could die on the spot.


    Seria had an unpleasant expression.


    Kalis Hon.


    The reason for not torturing Kalis with divine power when he came to visit her in person wasplex, yet simple.


    Like Duke Dietrich, she didn¡¯t want to bother with the feeling that Kalis had or should have for Lina. What if, for some reason, Kalis didn¡¯t like or love Lina any more? What¡¯s next after that?


    She didn¡¯t want to be responsible for anything between them, either fight or passion.


    Frankly, she wanted no part of it.


    Seria sat down on the chair next to the bed. She thought about Tuban¡¯s words.


    <em>¡®What the hell is the moon? Am I the moon?¡¯</em>


    She reached out to the sunlight pouring in through the window. But her skin didn¡¯t shine mysteriously, it was just human skin.


    She would get a definite answer when she untied the cloth that bound Tuban¡¯s mouth. Until then, she had no choice but to preserve her physical strength well.


    Staring at the unconscious Nissos, Seria opened her mouth.


    ¡°He¡¯s not waking up¡­¡±


    Almost at the same time, she heard a groan. She covered her eyes and frowned in a dry voice.


    ¡°What is this¡­?¡±


    With a grunt, Nissos raised his head. He sat on the bed and looked at Seria who was puzzled, and asked back in a curious voice.


    ¡°I heard you talk behind my back. Why are you surprised?¡± (Nissos)


    ¡°I said that for you.¡± (Seria)


    Sigh.


    Nissos stood up and rubbed his face. Then, unexpectedly, he muttered.


    ¡°Anyway, why did I suffer so much because I thought this was pretty?¡±


    <em>¡®A heartache?¡¯</em>


    At that moment, suddenly, a scene from the original story shed across her mind.


    ***


    Reminder: They are still in Berg mansion in the capital.

 Chapter 129

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    ***


    It was a scene that involved Cassius. Cassius once dared to treat the female protagonist, Lina, as if she was invisible, even though she was the Saintess. He liked her, vaguely thinking of her status as royalty, but Lina proudly told him that she was not royalty or nobility, but only amoner.


    Cassius then felt confused about his feelings. Not only that, but he also ignored Lina. He drew an embarrassing line at Lina, who pretended to know him at the ball.


    When Nisos witnessed the scene, he was terribly confused by his brother¡¯s attitude, and even fought lightly with Cassius¡­


    Perhaps because he was the second son, Nissos was given a lower title than Cassius. Nissos was less authoritative than Cassius, though more human-like. He had the same bad luck, though.


    If Seria had to choose one of the two, she¡¯d go with Nissos¡­ they both weren¡¯t very good.


    Nissos asked why he was in such a state. Seria told him it was because he was weak. She also gave him the doctor prescribed.


    Nissos looked like he didn¡¯t understand, but he couldn¡¯t ignore Berg¡¯s doctor. She could tell by the way he took his medicine.


    ¡°So why did you tell me toe up here?¡± (Nissos)


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of giving you a present.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°A present?¡± (Nissos)


    Seria had to have a good reason to call Nissos here.


    ¡°Here you go.¡± (Seria)


    Seria held out the small box on the side table. It was an amulet, the cheapest of all the holy relics she had bought at the auction house where she had gone to get Mies.


    She thought he was going toin, but surprisingly, Nissos¡¯ eyes grew wide as he looked at the amulet in the box. It was quiet.


    ¡°Why, out of the blue?¡± (Nissos)


    He cleared his throat several times and took the amulet from the box.


    Seria stood up and said, ¡°You¡¯ve done your job, now go.¡±


    ¡°What? Go? Are you kidding? Do you know how long it takes to get here from Kellyden?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a Kellyden mansion in the capital as well.¡±


    Nissos, who was looking at Seria with an exasperated expression, stood up from the bed, mumbling repeatedly. However, he listened well, because when Seria told him to go, he really tried to leave¡­


    Seria nced at the skinny Nissos and said,


    ¡°Have lunch and go.¡±


    ****


    ¡°He eats really well.¡±


    Seria smiled at what Susan said with a smile. Her story was true. Nissos had such an appetite that she was a little embarrassed in front of the servants. No, she thought he was on a diet because he had lost so much weight. She didn¡¯t expect him to finish the food on the table so aggressively.


    Of course, Berg¡¯s food was delicious. The chicken in a rich, hot cream sauce was one of Chef Berg¡¯s 40 specialties.


    Of course, that was not the only thing he ate.


    Nissos also ate several pieces of white bread the size of the palm of his hand with butter, and a nicely done steak that was slow cooked with grains and pepper. He drank only one ss of wine, though. Nissos Kellyden was a high-ss aristocrat with elegant manners, and one wrong move and he would have looked like a beggar scavenging and eating at speed.


    <em>¡®So it¡¯s now Nissos who gets bullied in Kellyden, not Seria?¡¯</em>


    Seria couldn¡¯t help but wonder as she watched Nissos eat eagerly. Moreover, Nissos returned to the mansion in the capital, not in the Kellyden estate. Looking at the back of Nissos on the terrace of the office as he was leaving, Seria had a question.


    Duke Dietrich had sold out his connection to Lina . What will Nissos do?


    Will he decide not to present it to Lina? Of course, the circlet was already in Seria¡¯s possession.


    Baron Ison has lived in seclusion since that day and dared not send anyone to look at it. As Seria stepped out into the hallway, she asked Ben,


    ¡°Ben, how is His Highness?¡±


    In the past few days, Lesche had beening home muchter from the Imperial Pce. Ben said with a warm expression on his face.


    ¡°I heard he¡¯sing early today. Oh, by the way, he told you to have dinner with your doctor first.¡±


    ¡°My doctor?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    ***


    ¡°Do I really need to eat this much?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess. Don¡¯t drink alcohol and have some of this juice.¡±


    Seria was puzzled why she had to eat with her doctor. But she only ate a very mild meal that didn¡¯t put pressure on her stomach.


    After finishing dinner, Seria asked him why he was doing this, he only gave her a troubled smile.


    Then the time was pointed at 8 PM. The doctor left the room for a while and Seria was reading the report on the magic crystal mine. Then after a while, a bowl of ck water suddenly appeared in front of her. Treat? The person who offered it to her was none other than¡­.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    Seria looked up involuntarily. Ben or Susan usually came to let her know when Lesche wasing, so why didn¡¯t anyone let her know this time? When she looked around, her doctor, who had been away, was also here. As Seria epted the hospitality offered by Lesche, she asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Drink it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Seria alternately looked at the drink and Lesche.


    ¡°Is it poison?¡±


    ¡°Poison?¡±


    Lesche asked back with an absurd expression, and took the spoon out from the bowl. He gulped some of the ck water and tried to feed Seria directly from his mouth. Seriaughed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drink it.¡±


    Seri took a sip and frowned.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to copse.¡±


    ¡°Is it medicine?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The doctor standing behind Lesche quickly added.


    ¡°It¡¯s a valuable medicine to help with your energy. Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    It was a precious medicine. It didn¡¯t taste very good, but it was not undrinkable. And Seria didn¡¯t have much to say because she copsed often. So she continued to take the medicine earnestly. It was worth taking because she thought it was like nutritional medicine.


    The problem was that the more she drank, the weirder she felt. It smelled like rich ripe grapes and chocte blooming beyond the distinctive peppermint flower scent. But it tasted strange, and her mouth was gradually turning into toothpaste, a taste that she could not forget, even if she tried¡­


    Seria opened my mouth, tilting her head.


    ¡°Metis Flowers?¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    The doctor¡¯s eyes turned round and asked. Seria was also perplexed.


    ¡°Lesche, is it real Metis Flowers?¡±


    ¡°You should finish it.¡±


    Lesche held Seria¡¯s hands and raised the bowl to her mouth. Seria finished the medicine and blinked her eyes.


    She finished quickly and Lesche took the bowl and gave it to the doctor, who gave her a ss of water. After she washed the bitter taste out of her mouth, she asked,


    ¡°How did you get it?¡±


    Lesche replied with an indifferent expression.


    ¡°I got it at random.¡±


    ¡°Random?¡±


    That was ridiculous.


    So when Seria woke up as Seria in the novel not long ago. She remembered drinking an infusion of Metis flowers in that temple.


    The Metis flower was so expensive and precious that even the temple, which could gather all kinds of precious offerings if it wanted to, could only prepare one cup of it and arbitrarily fed it to Stern who appeared first.


    At the time, she was able to consume the exorbitantly expensive medicine thanks to arriving a bit earlier than the other Stern, Myote.


    It was unknown if the temple felt obliged to her (Seria), or if they just didn¡¯t want to give it to Myote. The High Priest taught her (Seria) in great detail the price of Metis flowers and how to get them.


    Seria learned that it was a flower that even the emperor of the Glick Empire could not easily obtain. Indeed, a huge amount of money was a must, and it was a legendary medicine that could only be obtained with luck.


    Seria knew roughly how much Metis flowers cost. For Lesche, money was not the issue, but getting it was like taking the stars out of the sky itself.


    Lesche said as he sat down beside Seria.


    ¡°The Polvas offered it to me.¡±


    ¡°He presented it to you?¡±


    Seria tilted her head.


    ¡°Are you nning another demon subjugation?¡±


    Lesche touched Seria¡¯s eyes. His fingers squeezed the tip of her brows with soft force.


    ¡°It came to that. We voted to take back thend of Polvas.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The other day, Duke Howard was heavily defeated in a regr demon subjugation. Duke Howard suffered a great blow to the family¡¯s power as a result. They also had to give up their greed for the ¡°Demon subjugation¡± that they had been trying to monopolize for so long.


    Originally, the battle to defeat demons was held every three years, but this time it was only the Duke of Howard¡¯s troops that suffered the disaster. They wanted to show that the vacancy in the Berg was unimportant, so they forced themselves, and the other noble knights ended up in rtive safety.


    So, the noble council voted to have a temporary war on a smaller scale than originally nned¡­.That was Lesche¡¯s story.


    Of course, it was on the condition that Berg would definitely participate.


    When she heard Lesche¡¯s story, Seria tilted her head.


    ¡°There are contaminatednds in Berg, too. Why are you not looking for it?¡±


    Lesche asked with a small smile.


    ¡°Seria, are you busy?¡±


    ¡°Unlike you, I¡¯ve finished everything that needs to be done.¡±


    ¡°Then give me some time.¡±


    Seria raised her eyebrows slightly as she looked at Lesche, then smiled.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lesche smiled lightly and held out his hand to Seria. Seria grabbed his hand and stood up. Lesche took Seria to his office. They checked the map spread out on the desk and saw what kind ofnd they were going to explore this time in Polvas estate.


    After checking the boundary of thend contaminated with magi, Seria raised her head.


    ¡°The next ins belonged to Berg. Is this the kind ofnd you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ve never been there either, as it¡¯s a contaminated and closed in from previous generations.¡±


    ¡°The scale of the in is tremendous.¡±


    Indeed, they could not enter or attempt to enter without reiming thend of the Polvas and securing travel routes. The road was like that. Seria asked, looking at Lesche.


    ¡°Ah. So, three years from now, do you want to explore this in before the official defeat?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think that would be a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you should. That¡¯s good.¡±


    Seria understood if the n was to look ahead to three years from now. She nodded, but she still felt a strange twinge in a corner of her heart. It was a kind of instinctive feeling¡­


    However, it was solved sooner than she thought, because therge desk used by Grand Duke Berg was piled with papers, and one by one, her eyes scanned the papers.


    There was the list of rewards for participating in the battle.

 Chapter 130

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    ***


    The recipient was the Grand Duke of Berg and the source was the Duke of Polvas.


    Seria quickly flipped through the papers and was immediately surprised.


    <em>¡®It¡¯s quiteparable to Duke Howard. But this is normal.¡¯</em>


    The Metis flower was also located in the third line of the first chapter. The other things were only as good as the Metis flower.


    Maybe the matter of agreeing to take back thend of Polvas to get the Metis flower on purpose¡­. <em>¡®That¡¯s not true, is it? I think that¡¯s a bit much.¡¯</em> But the rest of the list was a bit eye-opening.


    ¡°Lesche, you should have chosen something other than Metis Flowers. This one, this one, or maybe this one would be better?¡±


    Lesche snatched thepensation list from Seria¡¯s hands and tossed it lightly to one corner of the desk.


    ¡°I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t show it to you.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­Do I look like a corpse in your eyes?¡± (Seria)


    Instead of replying, Lesche lightly picked Seria up and sat her down at the desk. Their gazes roughly met. Lesche¡¯s red eyes, bathed in the glow of the office¡¯s lights, shone from multiple angles.


    ¡°I want to show you how my heart was scorched every time you couldn¡¯t get up.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that why you chose the Metis flower for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Seria.¡±


    Lesche took Seria¡¯s hand and raised it to his chest. She could feel his heart beating beneath his clothes. Her fingertips tickled and she felt like she was rubbing his heart deeply. Lesche lowered his head towards Seria¡­Seria closed her eyes spontaneously.


    Seria finally pushed away Lesche¡¯s lips, which kept chasing hers, and she let out a light breath. Lesche¡¯s hands grabbed her wrists.


    Seria looked into Lesche¡¯s eyes and whispered.


    ¡°¡­You said you brought Metis flowers because you were worried about my health¡­¡± (Seria)


    At the same time, Seria swept Lesche¡¯s thigh with her knee. She could feel the raw strength in Lesche¡¯s hands as he gripped her wrists.


    ¡°Are you really worried?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I won¡¯t do it if you don¡¯t want me to.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± (Seria)


    Seria smiled mischievously.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t your purpose, was it?¡± (Seria)


    It was only for a moment. As soon as Seria thought that Lesche¡¯s eyes were suddenly cloudy, he kissed her without warning. A firm hand wrapped tightly around her back, trapping her in his chest. Instantly, her breathing chest went up and down significantly. Heat rose in her face. It was hard to breathe with their attached lips. Her hands on Lesche¡¯s shoulders reflexively tightened.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡±


    Lesche¡¯s hand stroked Seria¡¯s thighs and then climbed upward. His eyes stare at her. The way they did when he took off the gloves they Kalis gave her.


    ¡°If you were a little healthier, you wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of bed.¡± (Lesche)


    His voice was low and seductive. Lesche bit her ear and released it. The wet sound sent shivers down her spine. She could no longer tease him when she stroked his hardened member. Lesche was already paying no attention to that.


    He pulled down the ribbon on her dress. Lesche bit her soft mounds inside. Seria was a little worried that he could hear her heartbeat against her chest. She tried to unbutton Lesche, but he grabbed her hand. He kissed the inside of her wrist.


    ***


    It waster that night.


    Seria slumped against Lesche¡¯s chest and blinked slowly.


    <em>¡®Tomorrow my back is going to be sore.¡¯</em>


    Lesche was doing all sorts of things to her, like holding her hair and putting it down, sweeping her hair across her forehead. His reaction was in stark contrast to hers, where she felt like she was going to pass out and all she could do was open her eyes.


    After all, it must have been for this purpose that Lesche chose and epted Metis Flowers from Polvas¡¯s list of rewards. He wanted to get Seria¡¯s strength up somehow, and then devoured her.


    The more these conspiracy theories emerged, the more Lesche wouldn¡¯t let her go. Seria swallowed a groan as she realized that she would have to change the fabric on the couch in her office.


    That was when it happened. Lesche¡¯s hand slowly stroked her cheek. His fingertips touched the rims of her eyes, her eyshes, and then her lips again. And his other hand was touching her shoulder. Seria grabbed Lesche¡¯s hand because all of these little actions were disturbing her.


    ¡°Please stop.¡±


    Lesche dug in between her fingers and held them tight.


    ¡°I¡¯m just touching your face a bit.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°What¡­ do you know I¡¯m numb below my waist?¡± (Seria)


    Lesche couldn¡¯t answer. Because his mouth was already covered by her hand. She covered his mouth, obviously knowing that he would reply in a way that would make her ears turn red. Seria let out a long breath and nced down.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Every time Lesche touched her, his manhood got bigger and bigger¡­. She liked Lesche¡¯s body. It was nice to sleep in a firm, wide arms away from the aesthetic point of view and feel safe. But now she felt ufortable looking at his huge hardened member below¡­


    <em>¡®Will I ever see this man exhausted, even once, before he dies?</em>¡¯


    <em>¡®¡­No, he won¡¯t. I¡¯m bound to die first.¡¯</em>


    Seria said, blocking Lesche¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Please go to bed. You have to go to the Imperial Pce tomorrow, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Lesche stared into Seria¡¯s eyes without answering. Seria tilted her head and asked once more.


    ¡°You are going to sleep, right?¡±


    Laughter permeated Lesche¡¯s eyes. At the same time, she could feel his lips moving under her palm. Lesche pressed his lips hard on her palm that was covering his lips. His hot lips licked lightly at her fingers and bit down on them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired yet. Seria.¡±


    At the same time, his hands went to her thighs. Suddenly, he lifted her hips up and sat her on his arms. Seria¡¯s wobbling body was firmly supported by Lesche. She stared at him in panic as she sat upright in an instant.


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Their chests touched each other. His tongue prated into Seria¡¯s mouth and kissed her deeply.


    ***


    The next day.


    <em>¡®My back hurts.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®So this is what a subtle stiffness feels like. It¡¯s a good thing I don¡¯t have any outside activities today.¡¯</em>


    When Seria woke up, Lesche had already gone to the imperial pce.


    ¡°Should I add more hot water?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Seria opened the heavy door and entered. Silence instantly enveloped her ears.


    This was a formal prayer room in Berg¡¯s mansion.


    It was a ce of great power,parable to a temple. She always found the stained ss of the Great Temple beautiful, and she wanted the interior of this prayer room with the Stern insignia to resemble the Great Temple.


    She wondered if she could recreate a perfection simr to the translucent stained ss of the Great Temple in a short time ¡­.


    ¡°A lot of money can make almost anything happen.¡±


    Linon was right. Money was power.


    The colorful sunshine streamed in along the beautifully decorated stained ss windows.


    Deep inside this prayer room was where Stern¡¯s insignia was kept. The storage box was inessible to all. It was made by the holy constetion that she had ordered at an exorbitant price. Thanks to this, no one could touch the insignia.


    Her hands were able to pass through the constetion. A fist-sized picture was drawn on the insignia along with the number ¡°3.¡±


    Amazingly, it had been drawn in real time. What¡¯s more, it had been drawn all week. The speed was so slow that the drawing was already in the final stages of turning people around.


    Seria folded her arms, wondering what kind of painting Tuban was trying to draw and show her for more than a week, and after a while, she opened my eyes wide.


    <em>¡®Do you want me to bring this to you?¡¯</em>


    ***


    A Town Street with a dense cluster of high-end townhouses in the capital.


    Even from there, the green-haired woman returned to a building with walls built of clean, white marble, like a temple.


    ¡°Is that Lady Seria Stern?¡±


    ¡°Careful what you say. She¡¯s the Grand Duchess of Berg now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Didn¡¯t you hear that? Why, at the Berg territory¡­.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been here for a while, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Thedies who had gathered to watch the opera together blinked their eyes in surprise. Unconcerned, the Grand Duchess of Berg monument, apanied by her knight, walked into the townhouse.


    <em>¡®Everyone is ncing at me.¡¯</em>


    For Seria, the gazes of the others didn¡¯t matter much right now. This townhouse was where she used to live before she went to Berg territory. It had been a really long time since she had been here.


    ¡°Stern?¡±


    The young apprentice priest hurriedly hurriedly bowed. There were no fixed servants in this townhouse, and several of these older apprentice priests took turns taking care of Seria¡¯s convenience. The thing about these apprentice priests was that they are young and innocent. When she told them to go out for three hours, the apprentice priests said, ¡°Yes,¡± and hurriedly left the townhouse.


    ¡°Shall I close the door?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Bibi.¡±


    Abigail steadily locked the door. Seria closed the window and headed for the bedroom. The bedroom was still the same, only neatly cleaned and organized.


    Seria sat down on her knees in front of the bed and reached under it. She poked around the inside of the wooden frame and pulled out the three keys that were hidden inside the corners. After lightly wiping the dust off with a handkerchief, she went to the patronage. There was arge oak tree nted in the center of the rear garden, and she dug hard just below the center of the townhouse with a seedling shovel that she brought in advance.


    As she dug it up, Seria criticized herself.


    <em>¡®I buried it too far inside.¡¯</em>


    After digging for about 10 minutes, she heard the sound of the seedling shovel touching something metallic with a nk. She shouted with joy in her heart and hurriedly dug out the content inside the soil.


    Buried under the soil was a steel box. After putting back the soil, she hurried back to the bedroom with the box. She selected the smallest of the three keys and inserted it into the lock of the box.


    The box opened with the sound of seams fitting together. She unraveled the bundle of silk inside and rummaged through it, and what came out was none other than the Blue Diamond.


    It was the blue diamond that the past Seria had won in apetition with Queen Ezekiel.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    Seria murmured, staring carefully at the blue diamond. After waking up as Seria in the novel, she couldn¡¯t believe the fact that something this big was a real gem, and by extension, a diamond. I¡¯d left it hidden like this because she was afraid she would lose it on the trip to Berg.


    ¡°By the way, why does Tuban want me to bring this?¡±


    The picture on Stern¡¯s insignia was this blue diamond. She knew it immediately when she saw the picture, as she was the one who looked at the blue diamond every day.


    ¡°Bibi, let¡¯s go now.¡±


    Seria took the box of the blue diamond and went back to Berg¡¯s imperial mansion. She walked quickly to the prayer room and towards the Holy Golden Insignia.


    ¡°Now¡­ What do you want me to do? Should I put it on the insignia?¡±


    Seria tilted her chin and ced the blue diamond on top of the constetion box containing the insignia where the picture was drawn.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Seria blinked.


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Startled, Seria opened my eyes wide. The blue diamond began to be sucked into the constetion gold box as if it were being absorbed.


    The diamond flew out of Seria¡¯s hand reflexively. Seria grasped the blue diamond, which had been absorbed about a tenth into the insignia. The hand holding the diamond was full of strength.


    ¡°Tuban? Are you taking this? Are you crazy? Do you know how much it costs? It¡¯s a treasure that I had to sell my ind to pay for it.¡±


    But the blue diamond, absorbed by the constetion gold, did not rise again.


    Maybe it was theposition, but it seemed like Tuban was also holding the blue diamond tightly.


    It was only for a moment, but Seria felt the desire to just use the circlet and go to the world of Tuban.


    She wanted to go there and hit him¡­


    The hand that held the diamond trembled. Seria let out a short scream and eventually let go.


    ¡°You take this then I¡¯ll see what amazing secrets you can reveal.¡±


    When push came to shove, the first ornament of the Berg garden would be Tuban. (Threaten lol)


    Grinding her teeth as hard as she could, Seria watched as the blue diamond waspletely absorbed by the constetion gold insignia. Tears of blood came to her eyes. Now she felt like she wanted to tear off Tuban¡¯s hair.


    The number three on the insignia slowly turned into a two, and apletely unexpected letter appeared on the constetion gold insignia.

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131 			?? Listen to Post


    Sponsored by theWackyWombat ?? (3/5)


    ***


    *This chapter is very confusing. I¡¯m sorry in advance.*


    ***


    Tuban¡¯s message made Seria doubt her eyesight. Reading the writing with her eyes wide open, she touched the insignia.


    ¡°Miss ¡­¡­.¡±


    Just then, the door suddenly opened and Abigail walked in. Seria froze and turned around. A powerful divine force blew Abigail¡¯s hair and cloak back.


    ¡°Miss?¡±


    ¡°Bibi. Hide behind me.¡±


    Abigail moved in an instant and hid herself behind Seria¡¯s back. Seria ced her hand on the Stern insignia once more. Then the divine power filled the prayer room like a storm and disappeared.


    Abigail¡¯s questioning voice echoed in her ears.


    ¡°Is the Lady actually a Saint?¡±


    ***


    <em><strong>11. Stern and Stern</strong></em>


    <em><strong>***</strong></em>


    This is the first chapter of the conditions that God¡¯s representatives must have.


    It has a sacred power that is more powerful than all the power of the Priestsbined.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    Alliot, who had returned on horseback from a distance, reported as he jumped down with a flutter.


    ¡°The purification has beenpleted to the part you spoke of.¡±


    Alliot pulled out a ss bottle half the size of his palm from his pocket. It was a ss jar that contained a handful of clean soil.


    The contaminated soil was distinguishable to the naked eye. The cleansednd allowed people and animals toe and go, and nts to grow.


    Seria looked at the soil and looked down with her hands outstretched. From now on, sacred power woulde from her hands. Not only that, but it was easier to make fine adjustments to the sacred power than when using the circlet. Originally, considering the power of purification that Seria possessed, it was at the level of the Creation.


    It was for this that Tuban took the blue diamond¡­?


    <em>¡®I should have worn it at least once¡­¡¯</em>


    She cried tears of blood when she thought about the blue diamond, but it was what allowed her to use so much divine power without going through the circlet. Seriaforted herself.


    However, the next time she went to see Tuban, she was going to at least grab him by the chest.


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    Linon smiled brightly as he took off his constetion gold helmet.


    ¡°I guess we can add another zero to Berg¡¯s budget soon!¡±


    ¡°This is my ability.¡±


    But Linon, being thorough, didn¡¯t panic and pulled out a contract from his pocket.


    ¡°I figured you would, so I brought the contract with me beforehand.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even joke.¡±


    Seria turned away. She couldn¡¯t help but be careful when the circlet exerted its divine power. Because it was the subject of purification.


    The fact that there was a precious treasure that could cleanse the contaminatednd had to be kept as secret as possible, or else revealed only afteryers of shock-absorbent buffers had been piled up.


    But now, the situation had changed.


    ¡°Grand Duchess, here is a sample of the magic crystal.¡±


    Linon handed over the magic crystal. It was just the size of half of a finger. Seria felt it when she saw it. The fact that the magic power was packed inside was really a top quality crystal. She couldn¡¯t believe there was arge scale mine full of these things¡­.


    Although the magic crystal had a much higher purity of magic power than the constetion gold, the amount produced was extremely small. Thanks to this, no one could think of using magic crystals as a vtile energy source.


    Lina was the one who broke this stereotype.


    Of course, the amount that was buried in this mine was astronomical.


    Lina was the one who sustained this mine, opening up the era of using the magic crystal as an energy source in earnest. Thanks to this, Lina was also able to acquire arge amount of money.


    But Seria had a slightly different idea.


    Lina¡¯s methods caused a huge crash in the wizard¡¯s market. In this world, magic crystal was a mineral that was treated as a gemstone. Because of this, Lina caused a great deal of trouble with the families that mainly deal with gems and also with the families that train wizards.


    Of course, everything was resolved well¡­


    <em>¡®That method was very unsuitable, even if it didn¡¯t fit with her.¡¯</em>


    It was a solution that was possible thanks to Lina¡¯s good and honest image. The feeble aristocrats were absolutely impossible for Seria, whom they could not even make eye contact with.


    In addition, while living as Seria, Seria had presented magic crystal ornaments to others several times. She thought the value of precious jewelry will plummet and be rolling stones.


    <em>¡®I don¡¯t feel good.¡¯</em>


    If she hadn¡¯t had a year of Seria¡¯s memory, she would have chosen the same approach as Lina.


    ¡°And the wizards?¡±


    Seria asked as she rode back in the carriage with Linon. He said as he showed her the papers.


    ¡°They¡¯re still watching Duke Howard¡¯s mood.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    The great nobility has the characteristic that each family stands out from the rest. The Howard were a family that produced wizards. So much so that they invested a lot. Thanks to that, most of the wizards in the Glick Empire could be considered to be from the Howard.


    ¡°How is the rtionship with the Howard and Berg these days?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like the rtionship between demons and the silver branches.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    So it was as bad as she expected it to be. She wasn¡¯t going to look good to the Howard on a matter like this either. She was a Stern, and as a Grand Duchess, she had pride. In the first ce, she didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with Queen Ezekiel.


    ¡°I should think more about this.¡±


    Seria said, folding up the papers.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be busy for a few days when you get back. I¡¯ve booked you a seat at the auction house.¡±


    (*I¡¯m not sure what it is that they were talking about)


    ***


    ¡°Temporary demon subjugation¡­..¡±


    Duke Howard muttered with an unpleasant expression.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s Polvas¡­¡±


    The Duke of Polvas was a quiet man with little presence. Thedy of the house was fairly well positioned in social circles, but that was just about as far as it went. Duke Howard didn¡¯t know things would go like this. Polvas was so good at arranging things that he let people pester him.


    (*it¡¯s some kind of saying, I¡¯m not really sure. I think Duke Howard meant that Duke Polvas was normally quiet but Duke Polvas was actually savvy)


    Today, Duke Howard went to the auction house for the first time in a long time as a distraction.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    He saw the bright green hair!


    ¡°¡­Grand Duchess Berg?¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a person in imperial society who didn¡¯t know the person with green hair.


    That crazy, crazy Seria Stern¡¯s hair color was so unique that few people had the same hair as her.


    He couldn¡¯t touch her even when she was Stern, but now she was the Grand Duchess of Berg¡­she originally had wings, and now she had eight wings. (*it¡¯s just a fancy way of saying Seria is unreachable)


    She seemed to have very few social engagements these days. There was a lot of noise in the social circles that she didn¡¯te out to please Grand Duke Berg.


    He was skeptical of the whispering because of the report that the messenger sent by Berg almost made him cry.


    ¡°As soon as the Grand Duchess said she didn¡¯t like any of thepensation items, His Highness threw me out.¡±


    ¡°¡­I really don¡¯t understand. Who in the world is looking out for whom?¡±


    Berg was almost unreachable, and there were not enough rumors to collect, as the Grand Duke did note to the capital very often. He could tell just from the fact that Queen Ezekiel had tea with Grand Duchess Berg once¡­. However, it was difficult to find a way to contact her, as she was not of a status that could be forcibly ordered.


    The narrowed eyes of Duke Howard passed over Seria and went to Alliot, the knight guarding her from behind.


    The young leader of the Knights of Berg.


    He was a talent that Duke Howard would truly miss. Alliot was not just a knight. He was a knight that was always at the top of the list in terms of personal reputation, and it was a knight that every high-ranking nobleman tried to covet at one time.


    Duke Howard had offered him a surprising amount of gold, but Alliot didn¡¯t falter. He didn¡¯t seem to blink, even if a family was crushed.


    Duke Howard was rtively cking in force among the Dukes. He spentrge sums of money every month to bring in the best knights, but none of them was as talented as Alliot. Duke Howard hadn¡¯t slept for some time since Alliot had rejected him.


    It was when he wasforting his disappointment.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    One man suddenly went on a rampage and started running towards Grand Duchess Berg. The knight who was standing behind her quickly protected Duke Howard.


    ¡°Duke!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    It was only for a moment. The young knight, who had been following Seri around, suddenly disappeared. That was how it looked in Duke Howard¡¯s eyes. That young knight kicked the big man with his foot and knocked him down with a lightning speed.


    ¡°Aah!¡±


    It was by far the best knight that Duke Howard had ever seen.


    Howard¡¯s mouth dropped open. The ce was immediately thrown into chaos.


    ¡°Guards! Guards!¡±


    ¡°The ves are on the loose!¡±


    ¡°What? ve?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got a ve seal stamped on his back!¡±


    The auction house became a mess in an instant. However, that green haired Grand Duchess opened both of her eyes and walked over to the owner of the ve who caused themotion. Her sapphire eyes glowed dimly.


    ¡°Are you the owner?¡±


    ¡°Grand Duchess Berg¡­..?¡±


    ¡°You dare to manipte a ve to attack me?¡±


    ¡°No! Grand Duchess! Absolutely not! It¡¯s unfair!¡±


    The numerousdies debuting in the Capital learned as they looked into Seria¡¯s eyes. If it was strong, it was madness. The young nobleman knelt with a pale face. If he got locked up in prison, he would experience great hardship. Because¡­


    ¡°Prison ves.¡±


    ¡°Convict ves are illegal, so in what spirit did you bring them here¡­?¡±


    ¡°I did it on purpose. After that prisoner used his sycophancy to get himself brought in, he probably went wild to attract attention like that. Are there many noblemen who don¡¯t enjoy thrill-seeking?¡±


    ¡°They are lucky to have attacked Grand Duchess Berg of all people.¡±


    At the whispering voice, Howard¡¯s knight looked back at the Duke.


    ¡°Duke, are you okay¡­.?¡±


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Duke Howard was covering his mouth with his hands.


    The Duke¡¯s trembling gaze was fixed to Abigail Orrien, who subdued the prison ve with a curt expression.


    ***


    ¡°I think red is the most beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you like the color red?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°In that case¡­this yarn is better.¡±


    Seria was just looking at the thread and needles she would bring to tomorrow¡¯s knitting meeting with Susan. The bedroom door opened and in walked Lesche, who had said he would be a littlete today.


    ¡°Lesche? You¡¯re here early.¡±


    Susan gathered up the thread and needles on the table, then bowed lightly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get going now.¡±


    Lesche, who strode to Seria, pulled her hand and raised her up. Then he locked her in his arms and swept her back¡­ Seria was ticklish and pushed Lesche away.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly touching me like that?¡±


    ¡°Linon came all the way to the imperial pce. Did you get hurt?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Realizing that Lesche was not wearing anything under the silk gown, Seria continued.


    ¡°I bought them all.¡±

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132 			?? Listen to Post


    Sponsored by theWackyWombat ?? (4/5)


    ***


    <em>¡®I did. I bought the whole thing.¡¯</em>


    It was a secret that the Grand Duchess of Berg could easily find out that Duke Howard had had a hard time trying to win Alliot over. However, not many people knew the fact that Duke Howard pretended to be arrogant in front of Alliot, but couldn¡¯t sleep peacefully behind the scenes.


    ¡°Duke Howard couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Bibi. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be in touch soon.¡±


    That could be used as bait to contact the wizards. Lesche listened and asked.


    ¡°Did you see all that stuff in the book?¡±


    They didn¡¯t talk about this often. However, perhaps because he knew Seria was unfamiliar with the fact that she turned back time, Lesche also used to describe it as just in the book.


    Seria nodded.


    ¡°Yes. I read it in the book. Do you want me to tell you some of these stories?¡±


    Seria asked with a businessman¡¯s look on her face, and Lesche nced at her.


    ¡°How high is the price I have to pay?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Half of the Berg territory.¡± (Seria)


    Lesche burst into a lowugh and said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Is it too expensive?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s not the problem, I just need you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯m enough.¡±


    Seria said it as a joke, but Lesche didn¡¯tugh. He just answered in a strange, gentle voice that made Seria squirm.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t just enough, it¡¯s overflowing.¡± (Lesche)


    Seria felt like a flower blooming in her chest.


    Lesche¡¯s well-toned fingers swept Seria¡¯s cheeks and chin. It was a very wistful touch, perhaps because of its slow speed. They were so modest, so soft that they didn¡¯t match his calloused hands. Lesche moved his lips slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but that was all.


    Instead, he just kissed Seria¡¯s lips and tilted her chin up. The mischievous kiss didn¡¯tst more than ten seconds. Lesche lifted Seria up and ced her on the table. Their bodies were snug together and his hands cupped Seria¡¯s neck and waist, pulling her in tightly against him.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    What is it?


    Seria wondered. She was pretty sure they weren¡¯t in this kind of mood at first, so why did the short kiss lead to this?


    She gasped and pushed Lesche¡¯s chest away. Lesche¡¯s gown loosened, and his solid body revealed halfway. Lesche¡¯s eyes were fixed on Seria¡¯s. His other hand came up to her thigh again and again. Seria shuddered and squeezed Lesche¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wear anything underneath?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take it off anyway.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Why are you so promiscuous?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Am I promiscuous?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°You¡¯re the most promiscuous person I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± (Seria)


    Seriaughed as she said that. She was actually out of breath and said it as it popped into her head, stalling for time, but it was fun to do.


    Lesche stared at her as sheughed, and then suddenly sighed lowly.


    ¡°You know what it feels like to be a fool?¡± (Lesche)


    Even in the midst of it all, Lesche had his eyes fixed on Seria. Seria felt like she was being possessed. She felt a satisfaction that was difficult to express. Lesche¡¯s hands slowed down as he untied the ribbons on Seria¡¯s dress. And yet, his body was attached tightly to hers. Even though he was doing all these things, he was paying all his attention to Seria¡­


    It didn¡¯tst long before Seria blinked and stared at Lesche. He ced his lips on her forehead, cheeks, and anything else he could find, right up to her eyes and nose.


    In the meantime, Seria¡¯s cheeks kept turning red. It was because her hand unexpectedly touched Lesche¡¯s chest. Every time he kissed her, she could vividly feel Lesche¡¯s heart beating much faster. He was like a boy in love at times like this¡­


    It waste that night.


    <em>¡®Did he fall asleep? He fell asleep.¡¯</em>


    She had just experienced that if a person desperately tries not to fall asleep, he can get by with a little sleep.


    Exhausted, half-conscious, and proud of herself for waking up, Seria carefully got down the bed. After removing the earrings from her ears, she ced it against Lesche¡¯s ear.


    <em>¡®Nice, nice, nice. You look good in all colors.¡¯</em>


    It was worth the trouble of not even bothering to turn off one of the lights and wearing earrings of various colors. Seria chuckled as she thought of all the jewels she had swept up at the auction house today. She knew that Lesche was not the kind of person who liked jewelry, he would feel good if he received gifts, wouldn¡¯t he?


    Lesche¡¯s sleeping face was one of the truly unsightly figures. When she was holding her chin in her hand and appreciating his handsome face, a hand pulled her closer without warning.


    Seria blinked in surprise as she copsed into Lesche¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Lesche? Are you awake?¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche asked in a slightly tired voice.


    ¡°Do you still have energy left?¡±


    At the same time, that outrageous thing that touched her skin¡­. Seria pretended not to know and tried to move away, Lesche held her tightly in his arms. No, she just fell asleep, half passed out earlier¡­ So she just closed her eyes.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    Perhaps she was tired, but less than a minute after she closed her eyes, Seria quickly fell asleep.


    ***


    The next day.


    Thanks to her retained physical strength, Seria was able to attend the knitting session in a lighter state.


    ¡°Wee, Grand Duchess Berg, Duchess Polvas.¡±


    The atmosphere at the knitting party was peaceful. The carpet on the floor was soft, and the easy chairs at intervals had no name tags on them, so they could just sit wherever they wanted.


    And they were all quietdies. That was a relief. They had heard of Seria¡¯s misdeeds, but no one in this knitting group had experienced them firsthand. Of course, they were all scared of her and avoided looking at her¡­.


    The music of the small orchestra that they invited echoed calmly in the air. Perhaps it was their personalities, or perhaps it was the thread and needle they were holding, but everyone was talking quietly. It was more likeing to a library than a social gathering.


    Some of the people were of higher status than others, but the atmosphere was not one of standing up to greet each other and exchange introductions. Seria had never been to a social gathering like this before, so it was really refreshing.


    <em>¡®Is it a sorority?¡¯</em>


    After taking a sip of iced tea with ice floating on it, Seria opened the box with a handle that she had brought from the mansion in earnest.


    <em>¡®I still think embroidery is the way to go.¡¯</em>


    Since this morning, the weather had be rapidly hot, so it had been hot just looking at the knitting room. The moment she took out the design.


    ¡°Oh my God, Seria?¡±


    Marlesana asked with a twinkle in her eyes.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the pattern of Stern?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to embroider it in the middle with this.¡±


    ¡°Seria will be the first andst to embroider the pattern of Stern at this knitting meeting. I think it¡¯s the first time in the capital¡­..¡±


    A mischievous smile appeared on Marlesana¡¯s face as she continued to speak.


    ¡°By the way, why do you look so tired already?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too big¡­.¡±


    It would take a full week, she thought.


    ***


    ¡°His Highness is waiting for her again today.¡±


    Linon thought, looking at Lesche from a distance in the opposite corridor.


    For over a week, Lesche had been waiting for Seria. In front of the library door.


    Seria had locked herself in the Grand Duchess¡¯s study and had note out, saying she had something to do privately.


    She didn¡¯t even tell him what she was doing. And no one could enter.


    This left Lesche standing with his back to the door, waiting for her for days.


    Linon suddenly didn¡¯t understand.


    <em>¡®Can¡¯t he wait somewhere else?¡¯</em>


    The fact that the wait wasn¡¯t going to be short became apparent just by looking at the stack of papers in Lesche¡¯s hands. So Lesche waited in front of the locked door without saying a word for as long as it took to process the papers.


    Linon frankly felt sorry for his master. He had no doubt that the aides who passed quietly were probably all thinking the same thing.


    But pretending not to know was the virtue of being an aide.


    And even after all that, half of what he said today was about the Grand Duchess¡­.


    Lesche, who had been reading the documents with his arms folded, looked up. He handed the papers he was holding to the aide next to him and turned around.


    Almost at the same time, the well-locked study door suddenly opened.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    Seria looked stunned.


    ¡°Have you finished all your work?¡±


    ¡°I just finished.¡±


    It was the same time of day for days. Seria asked with a frown.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t waiting for me, were you?¡±


    ¡°I just got here, so I didn¡¯t wait for you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    The aide who had received the documents was already walking far away. There was absolutely no room for doubt in Seria¡¯s mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me today what you have been doing?¡±


    She hadn¡¯t told him in over a week, so she wouldn¡¯t this time either. Lesche asked without any expectation, and got a surprising answer.


    ¡°No, I finished it today.¡±


    ¡°Finished?¡±


    ¡°I was going to call for you.¡±


    Seria grabbed Lesche¡¯s hand and smiled. Lesche couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her eyes, which were filled with joy. Seria held Lesche tightly like this. He was rather used to focusing on her, not her eyes, not her mouth.


    So it didn¡¯t matter that he was waiting. Nothing was a problem when he thought about Seria¡¯s smiling face.


    ¡°Close your eyes.¡±


    At Seria¡¯s words, Lesche closed his eyes honestly. He wasn¡¯t used to following someone with his eyes closed, but Seria was holding his hand tightly, so it was fine. Lesche followed Seria¡¯s hand movements and sat down on the couch.


    Bang! and the sound of something being ced on the table. Lesche opened his eyes. There was arge box on the table.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Open it, it¡¯s a gift.¡±


    ¡°A gift?¡±


    Lesche opened the box, a little puzzled.


    The box was filled with all kinds of jewels. He wondered which jeweler she stole it from¡­. Lesche lifted his head after looking at the feast of sparkling jewels from various angles.


    ¡°What day is it today?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big day¡­ If I have to pick, it¡¯s the day I finished the wrapping paper.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wrapping paper?¡±


    Lesche finally looked at the cloth that wrapped the box tightly.


    ¡°So this is what you have been doing in your locked office for over a week?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It was bigger than I thought, so it took a while.¡±


    He could see Seria had done the embroidery herself. Stern¡¯s pattern could only be skillfully used by Stern. Without Stern, even the Emperor of the Glick Empire couldn¡¯t use the Stern crest without permission.


    That was the discipline and unspoken rule of the Great Temple. And Stern, free from that strict discipline, was his own wife¡­.


    Seria asked with a thrilled expression.


    ¡°What do you think? Do you like your present?¡±


    Lesche lifted his head andughed.


    ¡°I love it. It¡¯s the best thing I¡¯ve ever received.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, Seria.¡± said Lesche, grabbed Seria¡¯s hand and sat her down next to him.


    ¡°I really love it.¡±


    ***


    * Seria thought he loved the jewelry ??. She could just give him the wrapping cloth and he¡¯ll be happy. Obviously he¡¯s too rich to care for a box of jewelry , plus he only needs her in his life, lol.

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133 			?? Listen to Post


    Sponsored by theWackyWombat ?? (5/5)


    ***


    A faint blush spread across Seria¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡±


    It was at times like this that Lesche began to have illusions. The illusion that Seria was already in love with him, and that he could do as he pleased. It was a marriage made for a purpose, but now he was hoping that it was different. Although it was a word that could not be hastily said or thought positively.


    Seria had an obvious first love, and she was betrayed. He could see that the intensity of emotions was not a good memory for Seria. Like a boy with his first love, he never wanted to confess this feeling too enthusiastically, and then be afraid that she would reject it.


    Looking back on all of this one by one, it was only natural that he should feel not irritation but murderous intent toward Kalis Hon.


    <em>¡®I should have met you first.¡¯</em>


    Indeed, when he thought about it, he sometimes wondered if he should still be grateful to be this woman¡¯s legal husband.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with this boutonniere for this sowing festival banquet. I have one just like it¡­of course I¡¯ll have about ten of them. You can have one.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have this for the first day¡¯s ball¡­You¡¯re onlying to the afternoon banquet the next day, right?¡±


    ¡°You may stay longer, if you like.¡±


    Seria ced the jewels on Lesche¡¯s arm one by one. She seemed to be ying with her dolls, but it was honestly nice to see she was having fun. Lesche was caught by her.


    How long has it been since then? Lesche held the soft hand that kept passing by his wrist.


    He really wanted to ask her something.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Seria lifted her head.


    ¡°Why are you so nice to me?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Seria, who opened her eyes wide, smiled like a rascal.


    ¡°You noticed that I spent a lot of my personal fortune to get you this gift, right? I am grateful for everything you do, Lesche.¡±


    ¡°I want the real answer, Seria.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Seriously.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    Seria frowned. She also put down the many red jewels she had in her hands. She sat close to Lesche and covered his face with her hands.


    ¡°I like your face.¡±


    ¡°¡­My face?¡±


    Seria nodded. Lesche asked back, a little stuttered.


    ¡°You only like my face?¡±


    ¡°I like your body very much, too.¡±


    Lescheughed in exasperation.


    If she liked his face and body, she certainly looked at him, at least for the time being. Though, he didn¡¯t say it out loud for fear of reminding Seria of her ex-fianc¨¦ and the Saintess. Lesche held Seria¡¯s hands, which wrapped his face. Then he pulled her by the waist and sat her on his thighs.


    ¡°I hope you always say that.¡±


    ¡°You want to hear that you¡¯re handsome that often?¡±


    A smile was drawn across Lesche¡¯s lips at the terse reply.


    ***


    Ugh¡­.


    It was really strange.


    <em>¡®I gave Lesche such an expensive gift, why do I still have a hard time at night?¡¯</em>


    Seria half passed out, and every time she woke up, Lesche was awake. Then he would kiss her again and wake her up with his hot body¡­..


    <em>¡®Was he waiting for me?¡¯</em>


    Seria let out a low breath.


    ¡°You have no conscience, you know that, don¡¯t you?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°You said I was promiscuous, now I have no conscience?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Yes.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Since you say I don¡¯t have one, let¡¯s pretend I don¡¯t.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°You¡¯re so shameless¡­.¡± (Seria)


    Seria fell asleepzily. She couldn¡¯t remember how many times they did it since she woke up. Whenever she woke up even for a brief moment, Lesche would embrace her. It was only in the morning that she was able to sleep.


    ¡°It certainly seems to be the Metis Flower¡¯s effect.¡±


    In the meantime, she woke up very early. Is this what it would feel like to eat mountain ginseng? Indeed, it was expensive for a reason. Lesche, who didn¡¯t take Metis flowers, but had more stamina than hers. She couldn¡¯t exin it withmon sense¡­..


    It was afternoon when Seria had almost finished her work, Alliott came in.


    ¡°I just got back from watching Abigail Orrien make contact with Duke Howard.¡±


    ¡°I guess he really wants Bibi¡­¡±


    In that short time, three letters arrived from Duke Howard. He was really desperate. He was a nobleman, but he had no capacity. Seria tapped the letters with her fingertips.


    He begged to let him meet Bibi even just once¡­ Done. As a condition to meet Bibi, Seria asked for a meeting with the wizards.


    She had aplished her goal. Even if she could bring in one wizard, it was a sess. However, she was curious about something.


    ¡°How does Duke Howard rmend we wee them?¡±


    Alliot said with a troubled look on his face.


    ¡°Well¡­ he¡¯s suddenly offering money.¡±


    ***


    ¡°These are the terms I presented to the Commander of the Berg Knights earlier.¡±


    Abigail nced at the table full of gold. At the unpredictable gaze, Duke Howard became nervous and asked.


    ¡°How much do you want? How much?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a knight of Stern.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know! The knights of Stern are willing to give their lives for the cause of Stern. Grand Duchess Berg is difficult because of her high position, but there is another Stern. Yes, I¡¯ll really try my best so that you can often meet Myote Stern. I promise you that.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Abigail tilted her head. What did Myote Stern have to do with her¡­ Seria was meaningful to Abigail because it was Seria, and Stern was a side issue.


    Duke Howard was anxious.


    ¡°When you join, you can work as the deputy knightmander of Howard¡¯s knights right away.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    However, Abigail knew that it would be better for Seria if she continued the conversation in order to recruit the wizards as Seria wanted.


    In addition, what Alliot said beforeing here scratched her nerves.


    <em><strong>¡°Think about the Grand Duchess and try to stay a little longer.¡±</strong></em>


    Thinking about those words made her irritated.


    Abigail knew that she was the unrefined one, but she still had a true heart for Seria. But Alliot only saw her as a knight that only knew when to cause trouble¡­


    He didn¡¯t even know how she felt about Seria. He didn¡¯t know the strange feeling she had, like if she leaves Seria with silver-tipped shoes and she¡¯ll disappear into the void.


    Abigail had seen too many people who only spoke smoothly without knowing anything.


    Suddenly, Abigail¡¯s fever grew.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you already have a deputymander in the Howard¡¯s Order?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, if it¡¯s for you¡­.¡±


    ¡°No, Duke Howard.¡±


    Abigail said as she stood up quickly.


    ¡°If Ipete in a battle with your knightmander and win.¡±


    ***


    ¡°You¡¯re back, Marquis.¡±


    Kalis turned around. The aide standing behind him did the same.


    ¡°I see you¡¯vee to see if the trees are growing well. As you can see, they are growing very well.¡±


    Kalis hade to the top of a hill where the silver trees were neatly nted. It was a low hill that they were now stepping on, but on all sides were fields as wide and secluded as a farm.


    It was a spectacr view that was hard to find. Silver tree seedlings that could only be obtained through the Great Temple. There were very few people who were allowed to cultivate them for private purposes like this. This was because the qualifications for approval were very strict.


    It took Kalis several months to fill this garden with silver trees. He hadn¡¯t been able to sleep for several days since he delivered the Stern insignia to Seria, and the number of hallucinations of Seria was increasing little by little.


    However, when he came here, his gloomy face brightened up a little.


    Kalis said in a dry voice.


    ¡°This is a birthday present for my fianc¨¦e, so grow them nicely.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Because no amount of wishes is enough¡­.¡±


    ¡°Marquis¡­.?¡±


    Outside, he would call her Stern, but not here. The aide¡¯s face was sad as Kalis¡¯ words were filled with regret. It was the same for Eolds.


    Eolds was from a n called the Lumen. The Lumen were a chaste minority tribe whose ancestors were said to be half-spirit and half-human, and so the Great Temple had entrusted the Lumen with the task of growing and maintaining the Silver trees.


    The same was true for the Eolds, who were far removed from the world.


    Therefore, EOlds was sent here on a temporary basis, but in a state ofplete ignorance of foreign affairs. They knew that Kalis was the husband of the Saintess, but it was an unwanted marriage. And the fact that they would soon be divorced.


    The unknown fianc¨¦e whom Marquis Hon loved so much was Stern. Like everyone else in the temple, the Lumen n adored Stern.


    If they make a tree that grows with care into a human being, it¡¯s literally Stern herself. They couldn¡¯t help but like her. Eolds was no different. It was fantastic.


    ¡°By the time of Stern¡¯s birthday, the branches will stretch out and be really beautiful. Your fianc¨¦e will know how you feel, Marquis.¡±


    Kalis nodded weakly. Then he looked at therge silver tree garden in the middle of the eastern mountain with great regret.


    After wandering around the hills of the silver trees for a while, Kalis returned to the Hon mansion at sunset.


    ¡°Marquis Hon. A message came for you from the imperial pce.¡±


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯srge for a temporary demon subjugation battle.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only natural since Duke Howard left. And Berg has joined us.¡±


    This was the contaminated area of Polvas territory.


    The knights, wearing their constetion gold armor tightly, passed by busily. Currently, everyone here was wearing constetion gold armor.


    The defeat proceeded smoothly and at a rapid pace.


    The conquest of the demons was already over, and all that remained was the ritual of Magi¡¯s purification. The nobles who participated in the event realized the difference between with and without the Berg Knights. So, is Polvas really the only one who will benefit from this defeating battle?


    The knights stationed in the central barracks moved quickly.


    It waste at night and the ce was buzzing. One simple vote had to be taken in a hurry, so the nobles who had participated in the defeat had to bring one in quickly.


    The knights stopped dead in their tracks.


    ¡°Oh, my god¡­¡±


    They saw at the same time Grand Duke Lesche Berg and Marquis Hon, walking from opposite sides of the street, respectively. The knights¡¯ troubles were not long ining.


    ¡°Marquis Hon. Come to the central barracks for a moment.¡±


    It was psychologically easier to talk to the ¡°still¡± lower-ranking of the two, Marquis Hon.


    Berg was already in a state of retreat. Because there was no reason to remain since all the threatening demons were defeated.


    Theoretically, this was true.¡­.


    It was only a day, but they hurried to go first.


    Alliot was the only one who knew what was going on.


    At best, Lesche hade out wearing one of the dozens of jewels Seria had given him as a gift, and now he wondered if he hade out. Because every time his eyes reached the jewelry, it reminded him of Seria, which made his stay in Polvas territory seem boringly long.


    The jewel that the master of the Order wore on his wrist. It was exactly ten minutes after Berg had returned earlier because of that one jewel.


    ¡°The moon¡­ isn¡¯t the moon a little strange?¡±


    It was bright blue, so the moon, which looked especially pale, was getting closer and closer. It seemed to be crashing to the ground. It wasn¡¯t a mistake. The moon, which looked like it could be reached by reaching out, gradually grew huge with its pale blue light.


    ¡°Bloody, avoid it!¡±


    The moon rained down on the barracks. The priests and nobles opened their eyes wide in shock.


    ***


    *Lina is back.

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134 			?? Listen to Post


    Sponsored by Meowy. Thank you ??


    ***


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Lina woke up and screamed. In an instant, the surroundings became noisy, but there was no time to take a closer look. It hurt as if her whole body had been beaten.


    ¡°Ah, Saintess!¡±


    ¡°The Saintess is awake!¡±


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    Coughing like a drowned person, Lina was finally brought back to her senses by the warm medicine and the sincere care of the waiting doctor. She crouched down in pain and struggled to open her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m back¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Saintess. You¡¯re back. You¡¯re back again.¡±


    ¡°Hahaaaaaaa¡­l¡± (crying sound)


    Tears burst out without a break. Lina cried and asked.


    ¡°What about High Priest Amos?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    High Priest Amos, who was killed by the demons on the Tshugan ins several months ago. When Lina mentioned that name, the atmosphere instantly sank. The priests could not continue speaking.


    ¡°Saintess¡­.¡±


    Priest Jubelud, one of the nine priests, sat before Lina with a reverent expression and met her gaze. He took Lina¡¯s hand and said.


    High Priest Amos has returned to the arms of God.¡±


    Lina curled up and wept.


    ¡°Even after I returned to the world, I dreamed of High Priest Amos¡­¡±


    ¡°Saintess¡­.¡±


    Lina couldn¡¯t stop crying. It was that horrible and miserable sight of High Priest Amos¡¯ body being cut in half. The memories of the nightmare tormented Lina constantly.


    ¡°Stern!¡±


    It was a voice she would never forget.


    Lina was wracked with guilt. She made a tearful vow to pray a lifelong memorial prayer for High Priest Amos. While she was endlessly sorry, she was also a little resentful. Lina¡¯s tears trickled down and soaked the covers.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing special about Stern. He sacrificed himself for me¡­..¡±


    ¡°Saintess.¡±


    Priest Jubelud replied in a firm tone.


    ¡°Stern is one of the most important beings in the Great Temple. It is the natural duty of a priest to give his all for Stern. So don¡¯t say that.¡±


    Eventually, Lina broke down and cried like a child. Her body was all bandaged up, as the side effects of the strong divine power still remained in her body.


    Priest Jubelud spoke to Lina, trying to stabilize her sacred power as much as possible.


    ¡°Saintess, do you remember what happened at theke?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t remember much¡­ Did I fall into theke?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It must have been God¡¯s will that the demon subjugation was underway at the time. It¡¯s a ce where high sacred power gathers at once, so it might have attracted the Saintess.¡±


    Water was the source of life and birth. The huge moon disappeared after spitting Lina out into theke that shone as brightly as the sun.


    If there hadn¡¯t been anyone even remotely nearby, Lina could have drowned.


    Hearing this, Lina asked with tearful eyes.


    ¡°What about Kalis? Did Kalis save me?¡±


    ¡°No. Marquis Hon was in the central barracks at that time.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ then who saved me?¡±


    Lina asked in a cautious voice.


    ¡°Is it Seria?¡±


    ¡°Stern?¡±


    When Seria¡¯s name was unexpectedly mentioned, Priest Jubelud was inwardly perplexed, but he shook his head without showing any sign of it.


    It was the ordinary knight of the imperial pce who saved Lina.


    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡±


    Arge number of priests were dispatched to the Glick Empire¡¯s regr demon subjugation. Thanks to that, they were able to get a report on the situation at the time from the priests.


    It was said that Grand Duke Lesche Berg was passing by theke.


    However, instead of going towards theke, Grand Duke Berg had returnedpletely.


    If only Grand Duke Berg¡¯s return had been a littleter¡­.


    <em>¡®It could have been the Grand Duke who rescued the Saintess.¡¯</em>


    It wasn¡¯t a high probability, but it wasn¡¯t an impossible probability to begin with either.


    The problem was that there was an unprecedented incident where Stern¡¯s fianc¨¦, Marquis Kalis Hon, had even married the Saintess. As a result, the priests were nervous about these situations.


    For the priests, it was fortunate that Grand Duke Berg had left before they did.


    Lina looked depressed.


    ¡°I miss Kalis.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You must have been surprised and wanted to see a familiar face. But the Saintess¡¯ health is not very good, so we notified him using magic. Marquis Hon will be arriving in a day or two.¡±


    Priest Jubelud paused for a moment then continued with difficulty.


    ¡°Saintess. There is something you should know before Marquis Hon arrives.¡±


    Priest Jubelud hade to Lina for a reason. He was usually well known for his calm personality and warmpassion.


    So it had just been decided in an emergency meeting of the priests that he would be the best person to tell Lina ¡°the news¡±.


    ¡°It will be difficult, but please do not be frightened.¡±


    Lina was scared by the heavy atmosphere.


    ¡°¡­What is it?


    Priest Jubelud looked as if he didn¡¯t know how to start. The look in his eyes was seemingly evenplicated. He held Lina¡¯s wrist lightly. Then heid his hand carefully on top of Lina¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°The Saintess is carrying a child.¡±


    ***


    ¡°¡­A child?¡±


    Kalis couldn¡¯t believe his ears, but the priest, who¡¯d been running for hours without a break just to tell him these words, exhaled slowly.


    ¡°..Since when? How long has Lina been pregnant?¡±


    The words were utterly unbelievable. Kalis was, in any case, the husband of the Saintess recognized by the Great Temple.


    Now this was a situation where everyone would only suspect him.


    The moment he thought of that much, Kalis couldn¡¯t help but look flustered.


    ¡°We¡¯ve never slept together!¡±


    It was true. Kalis had never had more than a passing contact with Lina.


    In the meantime, Lina went to a ce called the World, and she might have had a lover there. However, Lina never mentioned that she had a lover.


    Of course, she might have had a lover while she was gone. ¡­.


    ¡°Marquis Hon. Please take a moment to calm down. Please calm down.¡±


    Kalis¡¯ eyes, who hurriedly snatched the Bible from the priest, shook aimlessly.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    He was also the head of the 17 families and knew about the miracles described in the Bible.


    ¡°Marquis Hon has also read the Bible, so you know.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. I know, but¡­!¡±


    Kalis¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°Does this make sense?¡±


    ¡°The one who will be most shocked will be the Saintess. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re shocked or anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    A vast volume of the Bible recorded special cases that were created only by the union of divine forces. It was a story that appeared many times. Thest child of divine power that appeared was a thousand years ago¡­


    ¡°Whose divine power is it? Are you saying she¡¯s carrying a child of God? Because Lina is a Saint¡­.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°If not, then it¡¯s a person. Who is it?¡±


    Lina said that the world she originally lived in had no divine power. This meant that it was someone from this world.


    ¡°Marquis Hon.¡±


    Kalis listened with a frustrated face.


    ¡°Among the holy objects stored in the Great Temple, there are many whose very existence is kept secret.¡±


    With such holy objects, the tremendous divine power possessed by Lina could be properly measured. It was thanks to them that the descent of the Saintess was clearly indicated.


    And these important relics show even more detailed results than they thought.


    It was on the Tshugan ins that the sacred forces werebined in earnest.


    Due to the detailed results shown by the relics, both priests and holy knights were removed from the candidate list. Those who remained were very limited.


    Kalis asked in a trembling voice.


    ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s my child then?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one of the candidates.¡±


    ¡°A candidate¡­.?¡±


    ¡°The Marquis also possesses divine power as the head of the 17 families of the Glick Empire. But the problem is that the Marquis is not the only target.¡±


    Kalis¡¯s face slowly began to harden.


    ¡°In the Tshugan ins, there was another head of the seventeen families.¡±


    Karis could only intuit the name that would follow.


    ¡°¡­No way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Grand Duke Lesche Berg.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°And, theoretically, there¡¯s another person.¡±


    Kalis¡¯s face sank like a deep sea. But there were no other leaders of the seventeen families on the Tshugan ins at the time.


    The Priest continued to speak slowly, looking at Kalis¡¯s confused face.


    ¡°Seria Stern was there too.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Grand Duchess, are you done cleaning up?¡±


    Looking around the Laurel Manor, Seria turned around. Alliot was smiling, as usual.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, His Highness should havee to the manor instead of me. Still, he will arrive tomorrow.¡±


    Seria nodded.


    This was the Laurel Manor. As befits the season ofte spring, it was getting hotter and my clothes were getting lighter. Right now she was wearing a light dress with see-through sleeves, and it showed her white amrs.


    She was surprised to see a bruise a few days ago.


    She learned yesterday that if she used her divine power to the limit, she would get bruises all over her body. Thanks to this, it was possible to predict the timing not to faint. She was taking it easy, thinking it was like an rm function where Tuban would give her back the blue diamond he took.


    Which, by the way, it looked a lot like how Lina got her bruises.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Miss.¡±


    Abigail followed closely behind Seria. She nced alternately at Abigail and Alliot as she pretended to change her parasol¡¯s position.


    <em>¡®What is it? Did the two have a fight?¡¯</em>


    She was sensitive to the mood among people. Thanks to this, Seria noticed that the mood of the two knights following her had bottomed out.


    Of course, the two of them had never been that close to each other to begin with. Thest few days had been much more chilling.


    <em>¡®Why are they doing that?¡¯</em>


    It was a kind of escapism that brought them to the manor during this warm and beautiful social season.


    <em><strong>¡°Grand Duchess, sir Abigail Orrien had caused an ident. May I report it?¡±</strong></em>


    Seria remembered Linon¡¯s stern voice.


    <em><strong>¡°She destroyed all the Howard¡¯s Knights.¡±</strong></em>

 Chapter 135

    Chapter 135 			?? Listen to Post


    ***


    Bibi single handedly defeated Duke Howard¡¯s knights. Did that make sense to the nobles? No, it didn¡¯t make sense.


    When Seria saw the nobles sitting in front of Berg¡¯s mansion, she was very angry. It was the first time she realized that there were so many nobles desperately trying to recruit new knights.


    On the one hand, she was curious.


    Abigail rarely unted her military prowess unless she had a special purpose. What kind of windup had she suddenly gotten, and how had she managed to trample down all the knights?


    ¡°Bibi, it was my negotiation, wasn¡¯t it? Thanks to you, I was able to get the wizard firmly on board.¡±


    ¡°I was helpful to you, youngdy?¡±


    ¡°Of course you did. It¡¯s very impressive.¡±


    Abigail gobbled up the cookie with a satisfied look on her face.


    Seria couldn¡¯t understand Alliot¡¯s reaction.


    <em>¡®Is it because Bibi broke Howard¡¯s heart?¡¯</em>


    But Duke Howard didn¡¯t me her either. He just asked to have another meeting with her.


    Alliot also knew about this.


    knows about this fact, though. Still, he was the Commander of the Berg Knights, so Seria told him in detail¡­ She had no idea what on earth could have caused the rift between them to deepen like that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go by myself from here.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a walk in the garden. You two can leave first.¡±


    The deadly atmosphere of the two knights seemed to choke her, so Seria let them go and walked through the expensive garden.


    It took over an hour to reach the mansion because she had walked all the way there without riding a horse.


    This was Laurel Manor that people without permission were never allowed to enter. Thanks to this, the ce was as quiet as a small spring heaven separated from the world.


    When she was picking up one of the flower clusters on the floor and holding it to her nose, suddenly, a hand grabbed her waist and spun her around. Before she could fully perceive the scene in front of her, her legs were in the air. Her body was lifted straight up.


    The man holding her tightly by her thighs and waist was¡­


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    Surprised, Seria asked with a puzzled look on her face. She didn¡¯t have time to ask him why he came so early when he told her he would be here tomorrow. Lesche went straight to kissing her.


    Perhaps he just finished his bath beforeing out, a pleasant perfume smell came from Lesche.


    His tongue, which prated Seria¡¯s lips desperately, was sexy and strange. Lesche¡¯s chest was heaving. Why a man who didn¡¯t even run breathing hard like this? What made him so excited?


    Seria felt like she could understand nowadays why Marlesana had a crush on her husband, the Duke of Polvas, for so long.


    She swallowed her desire to ask her if Lesche had missed her. She also hid the words that she missed him so much and hugged Lesche¡¯s neck tightly.


    ***


    ¡°Grand Duchess?¡±


    Martha said with augh as she followed Seria into the bedroom.


    ¡°His Highness had a flower on his head.¡±


    Seria immediately sent Martha a sign to be quiet. She looked quickly out the window, but Lesche was not there.


    ¡°Lesche doesn¡¯t know, so don¡¯t tell him.¡±


    ¡°The people at the manor are heavy lipped.¡±


    Seria chuckled.


    It was at the end of their kiss that Seria noticed a flower in Lesche¡¯s shimmering silver hair. She was thinking of removing it, but it looked surprisingly good on him, so Seria let it be.


    Alliot¡¯s eyes widened when he saw Lesche, but resolved themselves after a moderate amount of eye rolling from Seria. Alliot pretended not to see it, turned his face away, and coughed madly.


    <em>¡®I hope I don¡¯t see you forever.¡¯</em>


    Seria stared at the firece at the back of the bedroom. While they did major work on the deste garden of the Laurel Manor, they also repaired all the small details of the mansion. However, the firece, which always broke down, was left alone.


    The firece, embossed with grape vines, was elegant and old-fashioned. Now that it was warm, there was no need for it.


    Just when Seria was thinking that¡­


    Crack!


    She heard a sharp popping sound. Startled, she turned around. A wide ss bottle filled with fragrance was lying on the floor. The scent was quickly bing thicker. The scent was so strong that it would cause a headache if she smelled it for too long.


    ¡°What shall we do, Grand Duchess? I think you have to use the other bedroom today.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    And so Seria was moved back to Lesche¡¯s bedroom.


    As she sat on therge, fluffy bed, she thought long and hard.


    Did they break the firece on purpose?


    Everyone was so sneaky. Was she the only one who didn¡¯t know? Seria was in a state of deep suspicion.


    ¡°Lesche? Are youing now?¡±


    With the sound of the bedroom door opening, Lesche appeared. The flower was still on his hair. Seria tried not tough as much as possible.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche stood at an angle right in front of her. Then he took the flower from his head and made eye contact with Seria.


    Seria quickly pretended to be surprised.


    ¡°What kind of flower is it?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°You¡¯re asking because you don¡¯t know?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± (Seria)


    One of Lesche¡¯s eyebrows lifted slightly.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± (Seria)


    Seria was surprised and took a breath because Lesche suddenly picked her up again. A beatter, she realized. She was in the same position as when they had kissed in the garden.


    In that position, Lesche lightly wrapped his right hand around Seria¡¯s and brought it to the top of his head.


    ¡°Huh?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°You did it like this earlier.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Did you see it?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Why did you do that? You didn¡¯t take it out on purpose?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°How can I take it out when you¡¯re having so much fun?¡± (Seria)


    Seria ced the flower neatly on Lesche¡¯s hair again. A giggle broke out.


    ¡°Are you going to keepughing?¡±


    Seria nodded without hesitation, and Lesche finally gave her a puzzled look.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s like this again when I see youughing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll only do it in the house out of consideration for you.¡±


    Lesche chuckled. Seria alsoughed. Lesche knew he had the flower on his hair but he just let it there. He was just looking at Seria. At times like this, Seria remembered the past with Lesche.


    It was really strange. She used to be really scared of him¡­.


    Since when did she start feeling Lesche was this cute?


    ¡°I like it whenever you¡¯re like this.¡± (Seria)


    It was a moment. Lesche¡¯s eyes shook unexpectedly. Seria didn¡¯t have time to ask why. Suddenly her lips were covered, and her heart skipped a beat at the sudden kiss.


    Lesche¡¯s hands dug into her shoulders. Joanna¡¯s light gown with a thin knitting came off and was about to flow down. Seria pushed Lesche away with all her strength. Lesche didn¡¯t move but his lips dropped a littleter.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Seria?¡±


    ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    ¡®¡¯¡­Why?¡±


    ¡°Martha and Joanna are here.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re on a different floor.¡±


    ¡°Still, I don¡¯t like it. This ce is as big as Berg castle or the Imperial Mansion.¡±


    Though this green manor was alsorge enough, Seria just felt like that. Lesche raised his eyebrows and asked.


    ¡°Do you want to make it bigger? I will.¡±


    ¡°What¡­no, I meant just go to sleep.¡±


    Lesche groaned and leaned his forehead against Seria¡¯s shoulder. She could feel the weight on her chest as it rose and fell after a deep kiss.


    Lesche eventually set Seria down on the bed carefully. He didn¡¯t get up right away. He kissed Seria¡¯s forehead. She was getting serious because of the lingering contact.


    <em>¡®Why do I feel so good?¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Why¡­ Why am I so satisfied to see that Lesche can¡¯t touch me in the end even though he was impatient?¡¯</em>


    Lesche stood up in the meantime and turned off the bedroom lights. She felt him lying down next to her, and in an instant, Seria was in Lesche¡¯s arms. He put his lips near her eyebrows, and asked with strength in his arms as he squeezed Seria.


    ¡®¡¯Is it alright to sleep like this?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°If I say no, will you let me go?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say no.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate it.¡± (Seria)


    She could feel Lesche¡¯s lips, touching her forehead, drawing a thin reciprocal line.


    ¡°You know how to y with people¡¯s hearts.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I¡¯m charming by nature.¡± (Seria)


    Seria heard a low chuckle. Lesche¡¯s hand gripped between her fingers. Her heart fluttered for no reason and she squeezed her eyes shut.


    A quiet, green manor. Even if the world was dying outside, it seemed to be quiet here.


    ¡­ but the next day.


    The next day, when Linon brought Seria the news with a pale face, Seria pped herself on the cheek as if she couldn¡¯t believe it. Linon stopped her and said,


    ¡°Grand Duchess. I¡¯m not going to let you kill yourself in front of me¡­¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if I¡¯m dreaming.¡±


    ¡°But can¡¯t you do it somewhere else, not in front of me?¡±


    Her cheeks tingled a little. Seria asked slowly.


    ¡°Lina came back again¡­whose child did she have?¡±


    ***


    ¡°What about the Saintess?¡±


    Kalis asked, exhaling hastily as he arrived at the templete in the evening. He almost went crazy half way.


    The priests who were taking care of Lina looked at him and said,


    ¡°The Saintess is still resting.¡±


    ¡°She has been since she faintedst time¡­..¡±


    Lina tossed and turned at the sound of whispering. Kalis froze in ce. The priests closed the bedroom door as quietly as they could.


    Ironically, the sound of them closing the bedroom woke Lina up. As soon as she woke up, she saw an unfamiliar ceiling.


    Lina¡¯s eyes fluttered chaotically, and she shifted her gaze to where she could feel the presence of people. Lina¡¯s eyes went wide when she saw Kalis.


    ¡°Kalis!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t run!¡±


    Kalis shouted reflexively when Lina tried to run to him. Kalis hurried to his feet and Lina sat back in bed.


    Kalis¡¯ words reminded her again of the shocking story she had heard earlier.


    As soon as Lina heard the story, she couldn¡¯t ept the reality and fainted.


    ¡°How could I have gotten pregnant?¡± (Lina)

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136 			?? Listen to Post


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s divine power, Lina. Calm down.¡±


    ¡°Divine power? If it¡¯s divine power, it¡¯s nothing. I don¡¯t want it. Does it make sense?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Lina. It¡¯s only three months, and the priests said it¡¯ll be over in just three months..¡±


    Lina burst into tears and nodded.


    3 months.


    It was three months. That limited time was the hope that sustained Lina.


    After three months, the sacred child would be transferred from her body to the sacred tree. This was exactly what was normally recorded in the Bible.


    So, Lina only had to endure three months.


    Kalis had aplicated look on her face. Before he came in, he spoke to priest Jubelud. He was told that as soon as Lina heard that she was pregnant by divine power, she just fainted. Her body and mind had be so weak that she could not bear the shock.


    The priest also said that Lina continued to look for Kalis. So he said to make sure that what he said was alsoforting¡­


    ¡°¡­Lina.¡±


    It was unknown if it was his divine power, or the divine power of Lesche Berg, or Seria¡¯s. They won¡¯t be certain until after 3 months.


    Kalis rubbed his dry face and opened his mouth.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear whose divine power is tied to it, did you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t hear.¡±


    The fact that two divine powers could bebined was something that Lina had learned while taking the ss. Kalis spoke in a slow voice.


    ¡°He said it could be my divine power or the divine power of God.¡±


    Lina finally looked relieved.


    ¡°I¡¯m d if it¡¯s Kalis¡­ I was scared that it might be a total stranger.¡±


    ¡°It could be God¡¯s child.¡±


    The reality of having an unwanted child out of the blue was too much to handle, but if it was someone she didn¡¯t know, she would have felt cursed.


    ¡°Lina. I¡¯ll tell you in advance.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm? Tell me what in advance?¡±


    Kalis continued to speak slowly.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whose child it is, I will take responsibility for the child.¡±


    ***


    ¡°What are you thinking? Grand Duchess.¡±


    At Linon¡¯s words, Seria moved her meaningless gaze from the window.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I would have a child with another woman.¡±


    ¡°¡­Grand Duchess, please!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that because it hasn¡¯t been confirmed yet. My heart is about to drop.¡±


    It was not an exaggeration. Linon¡¯s face was really pale.


    ¡°Why do you look so pale?¡±


    ¡°No, His Highness¡­¡±


    ¡°Lesche? What¡¯s wrong with Lesche?¡±


    Linon hesitated and said.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think the Grand Duchess has seen this, but His Highness went out to the frontier earlier and was in a bad mood¡­The Berg knights were frozen for a while, unable to speak. The sturdy knights did, but what about the soft and feeble me?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    The call from the temple about Lina and the report from the demon defense post came at the same time. Lesche decided to visit the border first.


    Seria thought about going with Lesche, but ¡­.


    She wasn¡¯t sure she could handle the atmosphere.


    It was surprising that Lina hade back, but she even came back pregnant. And it was even more unimaginable that the child may be the result of Seria¡¯s divine powerbined¡­. After she heard that, she thought it was ridiculous, absurd, amazing.


    <em>¡®How is that possible?¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®Between me and Lina?¡¯</em>


    Of course, Seria was also a Stern, so she could at least remember most of what the Bible said. She also knew that there were several instances in the Bible of children being born out of the union of divine power.


    Who in the world reads the Bible and could predict this would be their story?


    It was her ex-fianc¨¦¡¯s wife and child¡­


    The more she thought about it, the more she was appalled, but still, that was the extent of it.


    It was ridiculous.


    But there was a possibility that Lina¡¯s child may havebined with Lesche¡¯s divine power.


    So it could be Lesche¡¯s child. ¡­.


    Her mood plummeted. She felt like the floor caved in. So she thought it¡¯d be better to go to the Great Temple first. The priests were restless, and it hadn¡¯t been long since she received the Stern insignia.


    <em>¡®The b*stard Tuban said this isn¡¯t in the book.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®He even took my precious blue diamond¡­..¡¯</em>


    Seria stared out the carriage window at the fast passing scenery.


    If, indeed, it was Lesche¡¯s divine power.


    How would he react?


    ***


    ¡°Your Highness. Please check again tomorrow morning.¡±


    Alliot said as he looked at Lesche. Alliot had yet to hear the secret message from the Great Temple. So he didn¡¯t know why Lesche¡¯splexion was so somber.


    Still, it was only after the primary confirmation of the boundary line that he was able to ask.


    ¡°¡­Your Highness. Did something happen to the Grand Duchess?¡±


    Lesche asked as he put his sword into the case.


    ¡°Alliot.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Are there any women who prefer a man with a child?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there are.¡±


    Lesche swept his hair roughly.


    He didn¡¯t even know why there was even a hint of divine power in his body. He didn¡¯t know why Berg was one of the Grand families.


    If he hadn¡¯t been one of the heads of the seventeen families, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to take that precious Stern as his wife. Lesche thought about Seria as he took off his cold constetion gold armor.


    He was going crazy.


    ***


    Priest Jubelud was relieved to see Lina in much better shape after meeting Kalis.


    ¡°Did Marquis Hon tell you that? He¡¯s taking responsibility for the child?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But I¡¯m a little sorry for Kalis. All he was thinking about was getting divorce.¡±


    Priest Jubelud nodded at Lina¡¯sment. After exchanging a few more words, he left the room.


    ¡°Then rest well, Saintess.¡±


    However, priest Jubelud feltplicated.


    Marquis Hon had yet to request his divorce from the Saintess. And he still couldn¡¯t forget about Seria.


    Furthermore, he did not mention that it might be the sacred power of Stern and the Grand Duke Berg.


    However, Kalis¡¯s response was understandable.


    That it could be his child instead of from the other two.


    But if the child was from the other two people, wouldn¡¯t it bepletely different stories?


    Since Lina had just returned, her body¡¯s shock still hadn¡¯t worn off, and her spirit was weakened by the shocking news of her pregnancy.


    They had to wait at least a week. After feeding her delicious food and replenishing her body with good medicine, if Lina regained her strength, it wouldn¡¯t be toote to let her know the truth then.


    The priests were also scared that the Saintess might faint.


    ¡°Saintess. Look out the window.¡±


    ¡°The moon is red today.¡±


    ¡°I heard the Saintess appeared under the blessing of the moon.¡±


    At the priests¡¯ tantalizing words, Lina also looked out the window. She was afraid of the moon, but also curious. What in the world was that moon, and how could it take her away and bring her back?


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Looking at the red moon, Lina suddenly frowned a little. She stretched out her hand. Strangely, looking at the red moon reminded her of a treasure that she had forgotten all about.


    It was that beautiful ne with a bright red gemstone encrusted in the center and a star carved in gold.


    It was Seria¡¯s ne.


    She suddenly remembered what she had said to Seria on the Tshugan ins.


    <em><strong>¡°When you divorceter, you will return it to His Highness the Grand Duke, right?¡±</strong></em>


    She said it hastily because she wanted it, but on second thought, she shouldn¡¯t have said that to Seria. If she were to divorce Kalis, Seria would not have thought of it that way either.


    Moreover, thanks to Kalis, she was able to calm down and think positively and epted this situation.


    She even had a new realization after experiencing the extraordinary event that she had been given a child through the union of divine power, and that it might even be God¡¯s child. She was truly a testimony of God.


    ¡°The world I was originally from had a Bible, and I found a story simr to mine there. It makes a little more sense if I think about it.¡±


    The Priests¡¯ eyes lit up at the words ¡°Saint¡¯s original world and the Bible.¡± Lina spoke to the priests and found stability on her own.


    There were two Stern, or three, who were precious, but there was only one Saint.


    There was nothing she could tell Seria to have an equal friend rtionship.


    If she apologized for her previous rudeness, and if Seria generously epted her apologies, they could get to know each other slowly.


    If she became a normal and lovely friend, Seria may give her the ne as a gift. Eventually, Lina regained some of her former exuberance.


    ¡°Kalis has a strong sense of responsibility.¡±


    The priests opened their eyes wide at Lina¡¯s words.


    ¡°I saw him running like crazy from the entrance from the temple entrance to here. He came to see the Saintess.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Kalis¡¯ words sounded reassuring, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whose child it is, I¡¯ll take responsibility.¡± He was also a friend who had taken care of her and treated her well in this strange world.


    Lina smiled and raised her stiff body.


    She¡¯d spent a few days in the dim light, and she wanted to walk. It waste at night, but it would be nice to visit Kalis and have a nice conversation.


    Lina took her steps. The ce where Kalis was was close to the building where Lina was. The patrolling holy knights also gave way to Lina.


    If it was the Hon¡¯s castle or mansion, the servants would have been guarding the bedroom, but this was the Great Temple. So there was no servant who dared to guard it.


    Only Hon¡¯s aide was sitting there.


    ¡°Saintess?¡±


    The aide jumped up as soon as he saw Lina. He looked puzzled. Lina remembered the aide and said lightly,


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Kalis.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ the Marquis is sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡±


    Lina was about to leave, feeling disappointed. But then she suddenly realized that something was wrong, because of the aide¡¯s behavior, like he was trying to keep her out of Kalis¡¯s room.


    It was suspicious.


    ¡°Saintess? Ah, the Marquis is really sleeping¡­!¡±


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll just look at his face. It¡¯s okay, right?¡±


    ¡°Saintess¡­!¡±


    Without any time to stop, Lina opened the bedroom door. However, contrary to Lina¡¯s vague expectations, the bedroom was quiet and frozen. Moreover, Kalis was closing his eyes on the bed quietly, just as the aide had said.


    ¡°He¡¯s really sleeping¡­¡±


    The aide sighed, inwardly relieved.


    It was the moment when Lina was about to turn around with an embarrassing look. Kalis covered his face with both hands with a low moan. The face reflected through the gap of his hand revealed his deep agony. Tears flowed down from his tightly closed eyes.


    ¡°Kalis¡­.?¡±


    The moment a panicked Lina hurriedly walked to the bed where Kalis was lying.


    ¡°Seria¡­¡±


    At the name Kalis called out in a cracked voice.


    Lina¡¯s feet came to a halt.

 Chapter Tragedy 137

    Tragedy 137 			?? Listen to Post


    Sponsored by Meowy. Thank you ?? (1/3)


    ***


    A few dayster.


    It was a fine afternoon when a new storm blew into the Great Temple, which was in turmoil over the matter of the Saintess.


    The priests were trembling with fear.


    Boom!


    Arge desk made of thick mahogany wood split in half precisely. It was none other than the knight of Stern, Abigail Orrien, who had done it.


    Abigail Orrien was on death row. That was, until Seria Stern saved her life. Perhaps that was why Abigail was so quiet in the Great Temple. She kept her head down like a prisoner of sin, and obeyed it silently after being told that was the way to repay Seria Stern for saving her.


    In the Great Temple, Abigail was always without expression. It was more shocking to see the force of that explosion now because she had lived as if invisible. Half of the priests had their mouths frozen in surprise at Abigail.


    ¡°Priests.¡±


    And they could hear Stern¡¯s voice with a venomous look on her face.


    ¡°Yes¡­.Stern.¡±


    The priests shuddered.


    Every time Seria Stern approached, the sound of her shoes could be heard. It sounded like a de striking their necks, it rang in the quiet temple.


    ¡°Perhaps, instead, you would like to see me go mad in front of you?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­. How is that possible? Calm down, please.¡±


    ¡°Calm down?¡±


    Seria Stern¡¯s eyes shone with madness. At least that was what all the priests here were seeing.


    ¡°After telling me that the Saintess might have a child because of my husband¡¯s divine power, you tell me to calm down?¡±


    Boom!


    At the same time as Seria¡¯s words fell, something broke. The Priests looked behind them and were noiselessly shocked to see the sword inserted straight into the stone floor.


    They had expected Seria Stern to be angry, but as soon as she walked in, things broke instead of greeting?


    However, Seria¡¯s momentum was too harsh for them to protest. The priests¡¯ hands were shaking.


    Seria, sitting on the couch, crossed her legs and said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t marry a man with children.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    The eyes of the priests widened.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Stern?¡±


    ¡°Within a week, if you have no definitive results as to whose divine power Lina¡¯s child is.¡±


    Seria crossed her arms and said with a cold face.


    ¡°You have to prepare for Stern¡¯s divorce.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    The priests couldn¡¯t believe their ears for a moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just anyone else¡¯s child, it¡¯s the child of the Saintess who had bad incidents with me. So don¡¯t force me to understand.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡­.¡±


    The priests were speechless. But what a divorce! It was absolutely uneptable.


    It wasn¡¯t simply a matter of divorce. No, of course divorce was a problem, but more importantly, would Grand Duke Berg meekly ept the divorce?


    The man?


    They were sure he would never do it.


    It was just recently when the Priests went to Berg¡¯s mansion in the Capital of the Glick Empire with Marquis Kalis Hon to deliver the Stern Insignia.


    They paid attention to the attitude of Marquis Hon, but they also had to watch the reaction of the Grand Duke Berg.


    Grand Duke Berg would never let Seria Stern go.


    It was the behavior of a man who had fallen in love.


    But the problem was that Seria Stern¡¯s character was also tremendous. Even the priests knew that she was known as a crazy dog in the Great Temple, and even in Imperial society. What they knew, they understood.


    And Seria¡¯s request was reasonable, so they couldn¡¯t even say no to it.


    So where would the anger of Grand Duke Berg go after the loss of his wife?


    To the Saintess or the Great Temple.


    To the priests or the Saintess.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    As one of the heads of the seventeen families, Grand Duke Berg, the guardian of the demon tomb, had a particrly important position in the Great Temple. Offending such a man was absurd.


    The priests¡¯ faces naturally turned pale. No wonder Grand Duke Berg didn¡¯t show up with Seria, but Seria Stern came first¡­


    ¡°Open the holy vault. Right now.¡±


    ¡°Stern¡­..Why the holy vault?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m told there¡¯s one secret relic that can give you readings within a week. Am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°How did you know about that?¡±


    ¡°Open it and get it out now. Unless you want to see me go insane.¡±


    Seria¡¯s eyes were filled with just such madness.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    In the end, the priests hurriedly summoned High Priest Jubelud and began the process of opening the holy vault, which they would prefer not to open, after much worry.


    Seria was right, there was a hidden holy relic in the deepest part of the Great Temple¡¯s holy vault.


    It was a holy relic that was used privately and only once to record the sacred power of Saints for generations. It was also correct that with that borate object, the speed of measuring sacred power could be reduced to a revolutionary level.


    Aside from how Seria knew such details about this secret artifact, why didn¡¯t she think of taking it out before?


    The priests hoped it would be the child of Marquis Haon, otherwise the mudslinging would start from then on¡­¡­¡­.with Stern, with Grand Duke Berg, with the Marquis¡­.


    However, there was a reason why it was not easy to bring out the sacred relic.


    ¡°Stern, It takes too much divine power to use it. I just can¡¯t take it out, all the priests might faint¡­.¡±


    The priest, who was assessing Seria, gasped. He sped his hands tightly together and said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but the Saintess¡¯s condition is, uh¡­ not normal.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t ask Seria to take the Saintess¡¯s health into consideration. He just couldn¡¯t open his mouth.


    The priests were well aware of that extent. They knew it didn¡¯t make sense to ask Seria Stern to be considerate of the Saintess.


    Seria red at the priests without saying a word.


    The cold, steely look in her eyes made the priests want to cry. Who in the world leaked information about the hidden relic to Seria?


    Already the pregnancy of the Saintess had thrown the temple into chaos.


    Even Seria Stern, whom they thought had be different, was turning into a crazy dog of the past. The priests were afraid that Seria would not be able to shake off her past notoriety again and turn even more. Their faces were losing blood¡­


    It was at that moment that they were scared that Seria would grab the Saintess by the chest and threaten to use their divine power.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the divine power you need. Go and take out the sacred relic and set it up.¡± (Seria)


    ***


    ¡°Huh¡­Stern?¡±


    High priest Jubelud could not help but be perplexed. But he quickly made a decision.


    ¡°First, take out the holy relic and set it up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, High Priest!¡±


    The deceased High Priest Amos was worried that Seria Stern and Lina woulde into conflict. Moreover, Stern¡¯s fianc¨¦, Marquis Hon and Lina, had already hurt Stern beyond repair¡­


    High Priest Jubelud had the same worry.


    ¡°Do whatever Stern asks. That¡¯s how it should be.¡±


    However, the only thing that was questionable was that Seria Stern would handle the divine power alone. That would be impossible with Stern¡¯s divine power¡­


    ¡°Stern¡­.seems to be invisible at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Where is she now? Just in case, please coordinate your movements well so that the Saintess never meets Stern.¡±


    He heard that Lina had been avoiding Kalis for the past few days¡­ High Priest Jubelud hurried to his feet.


    ***


    ¡®¡±Bibi, I think you broke the desk.¡±


    Abigail tilted her head as Seria spoke, leaving the frightened priests behind.


    ¡°I broke a lot more than just the desk.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m especially good at breaking shin bones, Miss.¡±


    Seria smiled faintly. It was worth it to keep the timid Linon away.


    ¡°You¡¯re good at breaking things. But you were always quiet before.¡±


    ¡°I was on death row, so I had to keep silent.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Seria stopped dead in her tracks. She looked back at Abigail and asked.


    ¡°What¡­.so that¡¯s why you have been quiet?¡±


    Abigail nodded. Seria wondered what this meant again. Abigail was usually quiet, so she thought it was her personality.


    ¡°You¡¯re a knight of Stern. Did someone say something to you?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask that?¡±


    ¡°Naturally, I don¡¯t intend to leave them be!¡±


    Seria knew this because the priests didn¡¯t like Abigail, but that and directly telling her to be quiet were two different matters.


    However, Abigail stared at Seria and asked an unexpected question.


    ¡°Howe you don¡¯t me me, youngdy?¡±


    ¡°Why would I me Bibi?¡±


    ¡°I was a criminal. The priests don¡¯t like me.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill anyone. You killed only trash, and that makes you a hero.¡±


    ¡°Am I a hero?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I see.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the Lady¡¯s standard?¡±


    Seria nodded, and Abigail smiled in an uncharacteristic way. Then suddenly, Abigail held Seria¡¯s hand tightly and leaned forward. She whispered in Seria¡¯s ear.


    ¡°I have no one but you, youngdy.¡±


    Seria opened her eyes wide, a little startled. Abigail stepped back with a dark smile on her face. After staring at Abigail for a while, only blinking, Seria opened her mouth, scratching her chin gently with her finger.


    ¡°Well then¡­ don¡¯t be quiet anymore. Be loud.¡±


    ¡°Should I scream loudly?¡±


    ¡°The more you pretend to be angry, the better.¡±


    Abigail nodded, and suddenly unsheathed her sword. As soon as she lightly kicked the sword up with the top of her foot, her hands covered Seria¡¯s ears. The sword that flew from Abigail¡¯s feet in a blink of an eye smashed the window while making a loud shattering sound.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138 			?? Listen to Post


    Sponsored by Meowy ?? (2/3)


    ***


    ¡°Ugh¡­.¡±


    Kalis grabbed his fragile head and got up from the bed. He never had this kind of pain to begin with, but he used too many sleeping pills for a few days. He had be quite a bit better at suffering from insomnia, but the problem was that he unexpectedly heard about Lina¡¯s child. He couldn¡¯t sleep at all.


    A haggard face reflected in the mirror. Kalis frowned slightly at his forehead.


    Although he desperately needed a rest, he couldn¡¯t rest properly because even if hey down, he would think about Seria.


    Besides, he had to decide about Lina¡¯s future. Lina really didn¡¯t like being in the temple. As a Lord of Hon, he needed to prepare for the winter¡­


    After bathing and changing clothes, Kalis came out of his bedroom.


    The aide who had apanied him seemed to be out of the room. It was a quiet hallway. Kalis walked over to see Lina.


    ¡°Marquis Hon!¡±


    The priests caught him. When he heard an unexpected story from them, Kalis¡¯ eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°Do you want to measure my power again?¡±


    ¡°The High Priest made the decision just a few moments ago.¡±


    The exnation was that within a week at thetest, they would know whose sacred power the baby belonged to. Thest was the diagnosis that Kalis¡¯s health was at its worst.


    ¡°Marquis Hon. It seems that you¡¯re surprised by the Saintess¡¯s situation. The measurement of the sacred power is more urate when you¡¯re healthy¡­ so you must stay at the temple for a week to rest your body and soul.¡±


    Kalis nodded.


    He thought it¡¯d take three months, but to see the results in a week¡­


    He had mixed feelings about it, because he both wanted to know and didn¡¯t want to know.


    He knew best that he was not in good shape. Kalis stepped out to sunbathe in order to help with the measurements, but he suddenly stopped.


    It was like he was dreaming. How could Seria be in his field of vision¡­?


    He didn¡¯t realize he was already dreaming in bright daylight.


    He had been taking hallucinogens instead of sleeping pills¡­.


    That was the moment. Kalis staggered. His heart ached, even though he knew it wasn¡¯t real. He knew it was just an illusion.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    However, Kalis walked over, grabbed Seria¡¯s hand and turned her around. The moment he held her tightly in his arms and buried his face into her neck¡­


    He knew something was wrong.


    The soft body he could feel in his arms was so vivid. The skin his lips touched and the hand that quickly pushed him away was so real¡­


    ¡°Seria?¡±


    She looked very pale, more like a ghost, more like an apparition. But it really was Seria.


    That was when he realized the truth¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Someone roughly pulled back Kalis¡¯s hand that was surrounding Seria. His arm was twisted with a snapping sound. Just as a reflexive groan was about to break out, Kalis¡¯s body was thrown back with the broken arm.


    At the same time, gloves flew into his face. He reflexively snatched the gloves. Kalis was rather distracted by the vivid sound of the wind. At the same time, grabbed by the cor, a low voice prated his ears.


    ¡°If you wanted tomit suicide, you could have told me beforehand, Marquis Hon.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    It was then that Kalis could finally see the man in front of him properly. It was the Grand Duke Lesche Berg. He was furious. His eyes fiercely stared at Kalis, as if Lesche was about to bite his neck off.


    It wasn¡¯t an illusion because he held Seria for a moment¡­. Kalis¡¯s gaze turned to the side as if he was trapped.


    It really was Seria. It was very brief, but the warmth that touched his arms¡­.Kalis¡¯ eyes shed with longing. At the same time, Kalis felt a crushing pain in his head and closed his eyes.


    ¡°Kalis? Kalis!¡±


    It was a startled voiceing from behind. It was Lina.


    ¡°Saintess! If you¡¯re over there¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    ¡°Stern!¡±


    The high-ranking priests who hade running from all directions felt like jumping when they saw these four gathered in one ce.


    (*Poor Priests, they tried so hard to keep them separate but the four met lol.)


    ***


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong with Kalis?¡±


    Seria frowned. Being held in Kalis¡¯s arms was an ident she couldn¡¯t have predicted. He suddenly grabbed her hand and held her tightly, the force of the hug was strong. She realized that it was Kalis who had hugged her after a dy.


    Linon, who was by her side, was startled and tried to pull Kalis away, but there was a limit to what Linon¡¯s frail body could do. She pushed him away, but he didn¡¯t even budge. And what could she say about Kalis.


    ¡°It was like he had lost his mind.¡±


    It was the same now. His eyes were a little slow to focus as he alternated between Seria and Lesche.


    The area was already buzzing. Nearly ten priests had rushed in and were shivering. It was a relief that they were in the temple, so there was not a single person from outside yet¡­


    How long will thatst?


    Here was Stern¡¯s husband and the Saintess¡¯s husband dueling in the Great Temple¡­.


    ¡°This is driving me crazy.¡±


    Seria tried to calm Lesche down once he grabbed Kalis¡¯s chest and punched Kalis in the cheek with his fist.


    ¡°Seria¡­¡±


    She heard Kalis call her name.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    The voice was so sad that if some strangers heard it, they would think they were lovers.


    The problem was¡­.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Marquis Hon!¡±


    Lesche punched Kalis in the jaws. Seria¡¯s eyes wide open. It was chaotic. Gasping noises came from everywhere. The priests looked like they were about to have a heart attack.


    Blood flowed from Kalis¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Kalis!¡±


    Lina sat down, startled, and wrapped Kalis in her arms. Her resentful eyes red at Lesche.


    ¡°Your Highness! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    There was no reply from Lesche. He bent down on one knee in front of Lina, instead of grabbing Kalis. Since he was positioned with his back to Seria, Seria couldn¡¯t see Lesche¡¯s face.


    ¡°Saintess.¡±


    Lesche spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m very conservative with my marriage vows. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier for me to bury him now when your husband is out of his mind?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Lina faltered, perplexed for a moment. No, she was scared. Lesche took his eyes off Lina. With his eyes fixed on Kalis, he spread his palm to the back of his shoulder.


    ¡°Sword.¡±


    Lesche arrived at the Great Temple much faster than originally expected. Seria couldn¡¯t leave her seat because she had to imbue the sacred power measuring device with sacred power. Instead, she sent Abigail, who was familiar with the geography, to greet Lesche..


    Perhaps because he came in a hurry. There were no other knights seen at the moment. Neither did Alliot or any of the other Berg Knights. The only knight that there was was Abigail ¡­.


    Abigail quickly took her sword and presented it to Lesche in a serious manner. That sword, Seria, had lifted once and it was really heavy. However, Lesche took it lightly with one hand.


    Seria had no choice but to look at Abigail with a dumbfounded look in her eyes. No, if you run into Lesche, you should bow your head and run away. Why did she give Lesche the sword without hesitation?


    <em>¡®She still hasn¡¯t given up on taking Kalis¡¯s head?¡¯</em>


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop him.¡±


    Abigail said in a whispered voice to Seria. She added in a much quieter voice than before.


    ¡°I saw your husband¡¯s eyes.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Seria was more than a little perplexed by the too raw expression. Was that why Lina was so scared?


    In the meantime, Kalis seemed to havee to his senses.


    ¡°¡­Your Highness.¡±


    Kalis pushed Lina away and stood up. He wiped the blood from his mouth and red at Lesche.


    ¡°Where can we have a duel?¡±


    ¡°Kalis!¡±


    ¡°Marquis Hone!¡±


    The priests blocked the two men with their bodies, but to no avail. Truly, Abigail was right, and no one could stop Lesche or Kalis at this moment as if they had lost their reason.


    Stern¡¯s man and the Saintess¡¯ man dueling in the Great Temple¡­ It really was crazy once pictured.


    Seria suddenly began to roll up her sleeves. There were yellow bruises all over her arms, hidden by the long, thin sleeves. They were bruises that had appeared after she had infused the sacred power into the secret relic of the Great Temple.


    Aside from the fact that the eyes of the priests who were there only grew wider and wider, and theirplexion turned pale, it was as difficult as someone who had been swimming in water.


    That was how she finally managed to infuse the sacred power and preheat the holy object¡­


    ¡°You can¡¯t measure sacred power if your body isn¡¯t healthy.¡±


    Seria grabbed Lesche¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Lesche , you have to do the divine power measurement too.¡±


    But it was strange. Suddenly, the faces of the priests who had been standing beside them, looking at Seria with her hand on Lesche¡¯s arm, stiffened.


    <em>¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯</em>


    ¡­The moment she thought that¡­


    The eyes of all the priests tilted towards Lina. Lina had a stunned expression on her face. It was the same for Seria.


    The priests looked at each other and squeezed their eyes shut. They snuggled up to Lesche and Kalis respectively.


    ¡°Seria Stern is right, Your Highness. Please calm down.¡±


    ¡°Blood in the High Temple is an absolute no-no.¡±


    ¡°Stern¡¯s husband, please show your generous heart.¡±


    Lesche flinched at thest word. <em>¡®Am I mistaken?¡¯</em> Seria had that feeling because she was holding his arm.


    The situation was no different for Kalis.


    ¡°Marquis, please calm down¡­¡±


    ¡°This will slow down the measurement of divine power.¡±


    ¡°Please take into ount the position of the temple too¡­.¡±


    On the other hand, Seria was a little curious about Lesche¡¯s deadly gaze.


    The moment when she leaned her face forward to catch a glimpse of Lesche¡¯s face, Lesche turned around. In the blink of an eye, Lesche picked Seria up in his arms. He didn¡¯t actually carry her like he usually did. He threw her over his shoulder¡­.


    <em>¡®How many people are here now?¡¯</em>


    That was before she could ask Lesche to let her down. She could see the priests from the leadership, who were in the conference hall where Abigail had broken all the furniture earlier, running towards them as if they had heard the news.


    There may be a few more threats, but the more Lesche appeared to never want to divorce from her, the better.


    ¡°Priest.¡± (Lesche)


    It was also okay to go to the measuring room like this. As soon as Seria thought that¡­


    ¡°Show me the bedroom.¡± (Lesche)


    For a moment, she couldn¡¯t believe her ears.

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139 			?? Listen to Post


    Sponsored by Meowy. Thank you ?? (3/3)


    ***


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    As soon as the bedroom door closed, Seria called out his name.


    ¡°Can I see your face?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t even see his face, because she was carried on Lesche¡¯s shoulder the whole way here. Arge amount of divine power had escaped her, and Lesche would surely know.


    But¡­she frowned and asked.


    ¡°Won¡¯t I see your face forever?¡±


    And finally, the strength in Lesche¡¯s hand that was holding Seria firmly rxed a little. Seria looked up.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    She had an idea why Abigail had said that Lesche¡¯s eyes had gone crazy. Lesche¡¯s eyes had an unusual red color. It was not a bright color, but more like a dark blood color. Perhaps that was why Lesche was so unapproachable, even after his eyes had subsided a bit.


    This was what he looked like when he was angry.


    Seria touched Lesche¡¯s eyelids with her fingertips.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad.¡±


    ¡°Not at you.¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche leaned his forehead lightly on Seria¡¯s shoulder and gave a low sigh.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    He let out a breath and asked an unexpected question.


    ¡°Was I too violent in your eyes?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°You threw your gloves. That¡¯s fine.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°You¡¯re generous.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I¡¯m very thorough in my social practices. Your wife is very good.¡± (Seria)


    Lescheughed out loud. He looked up at Seria with a more rxed expression than before. She cupped his cheeks lightly as she looked at him.


    ¡°I missed you.¡± (Seria)


    The words were impulsive. Instantly, the eyes of Lesche, who was nearby, lightly wavered.


    ¡°Me too.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    His words stabbed her strangely in the heart. Because Lesche started kissing her.


    The hand that wrapped around the back of her neck was stronger than usual. It wasn¡¯t a strong grip, but rather a forceful control, as if he was afraid that his strength would be more than necessary. The impatient kisses always made Seria run out of breaths. Lesche¡¯s arms covered her body tightly.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡±


    She felt the pain and groaned without realizing it. At that moment, Lesche¡¯s kisses stopped. He lifted his head, holding Seria with one arm and using his other hand to roll up Seria¡¯s clothes. Lesche¡¯s face hardened. He quicklyid Seria down on the bed and began to check her arms and under her clothes carefully.


    ¡°How did you get so many bruises? Didn¡¯t they all heal when we left the manor?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can wait three months.¡± (Seria)


    Seria used all her power to find the result.


    The tearful truth she learned in graduate school worked in the temple.


    Lesche didn¡¯t know she had rushed to use her power to activate the Holy relic for measuring the divine power.


    After she briefly exined what she had just done, Lesche asked,


    ¡°How many more times do you have to do this?¡±


    ¡°One more time.¡±


    ¡°Are the priests, the saints, so useless?¡±


    Lesche didn¡¯t touch the bruises on Seria¡¯s arms, only clenching his fists and opening them.


    That was when it happened.


    Knock. Knock.


    A careful voice of a priest was heard with a knock on the door.


    ¡°Stern, Your Highness! High Priest Jubelud is here.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Fortunately, Marquis Hon wasn¡¯t seriously injured.¡±


    The high priest breathed a sigh of relief at the doctor¡¯s diagnosis. He was a high-ranking priest who was in the same ce when the ident urred earlier.


    <em>¡®So Stern was watching and His Highness controlled his power¡­?¡¯</em>


    Was it the reason?


    ¡°By the way, Marquis Hon is in bad shape.¡±


    ¡°Kalis is taking sleeping pills.¡±


    Lina said gloomily. This was a fact that she had learned after questioning Hon¡¯s aide.


    The doctor reminded the priest that he needed to be more concerned about Kalis¡¯s health, and then left the bedroom to get the medicine. The priest also left.


    Then Lina was alone in Kalis¡¯ bedroom.


    ¡°Kalis, are you okay? You should sleep a little longer. Why are you getting up again?¡±


    ¡°I have to n your future.¡±


    ¡°My future?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t like staying in the temple. So you will have to decide quickly whether you will go to the Hon estate or continue to stay here.¡±


    ¡°Kalis¡­.¡±


    ¡°Do you still hate being in the temple?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t like it then because it was unfamiliar, but I¡¯m fine now. You¡¯re here too.¡±


    Kalis smiled faintly. Lina grabbed Kalis¡¯s hand. She too looked somewhat sad.


    ¡°But let¡¯s go to Hon Castle. I liked it there very much.¡±


    ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll have to stay in the capital for the time being.¡±


    ¡°I want to go to the capital too!¡±


    After a while, the doctor brought some medicine that contained a powerful sleeping effect. Lina¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as she watched Kalis fall asleep quickly.


    ¡°Does this have any side effects?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a special sleeping herb handled only by the temple.¡±


    ¡°Can I take it home? I think Kalis needs it.¡±


    ¡°Of course you can, Saintess.¡±


    Lina was inwardly happy that it could help Kalis. She sat with her knees together for a moment, looking at Kalis.


    She had aplicated mind.


    A few days ago, she was shocked to realize that Kalis still hadn¡¯t forgotten about Seria. She didn¡¯t have the confidence to look Kalis in the face for days and she even avoided him.


    But today she learned one thing.


    Seria seemed to be on good terms with Grand Duke Lesche. It was true.


    It was even more validating to Lina that Kalis had told her that he would be responsible to the end for the unidentified divine force in her stomach. In this unfamiliar world, there was no one who cared about her like Kalis. She hated Seria, considering that Kalis had never been able to forget her¡­


    ¡®Maybe Seria and I are in a simr position. I definitely heard that earlier.¡¯


    Lina recalled the story she had heard during the noisy whirlwind earlier. She cautiously stood up.


    It was to Seria¡¯s bedroom that Lina was headed.


    She could easily find out where Seria¡¯s room was. But there was no Seria.


    ¡°Where is Seria now?¡±


    ¡°She told me not to let anyone know where she was going, but I¡¯ll ask Stern and send someone to you, Saintess.¡±


    But Lina did not give up. She went to the ce where the divine power was measured. But it was deserted. It was strange. Until a few days ago, it was a ce where many priests went back and forth because it was operating.


    Now they even covered it with a white cloth as if it was not in use.


    ¡°Has the holy object of the holy power measurement changed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Saintess.¡±


    There was a priest here that was friendly to Lina and didn¡¯t know much about what was going on outside, so she was able to ask.


    Lina was puzzled to hear that the holy relic was taken out of the safe.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t they use it from the beginning? Why are they changing it now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that it takes a lot of power to use the holy relic. Infact, the priests said that it would only work if several people put in sacred power together.¡±


    ¡°Ah. That means I should use my sacred power, right? Please guide me.¡±


    The other priests stopped Lina, who wanted to go immediately.


    ¡°No, Saintess. The sacred power of the relic was already infused.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, Seria Stern has infused it with her divine power.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Lina blinked and asked back.


    ¡°I know Seria¡¯s divine power isn¡¯t that strong.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the holy object that we stored in the basement.¡±


    ¡°Saintess has seen it. It is a crown-shaped sacred object that was used when Saintess first appeared. Those who were sent to the oracle, like Saintess, cannot be urately understood without measuring their divine power with such a holy object¡­..¡±


    ¡°Of course I remember.¡±


    The problem was.. It was an object for a Saint like her.


    Certainly the priests said so. They said that the holy object, which was so special that it was even kept underground, was used for Lina who was the representative of God.


    ¡°But Seria isn¡¯t as powerful as I am, is she?¡±


    ¡°A Saint is a Saint. To directlypare the sacred power of Stern and the Saintess is as different asparing the stars to the sea.¡±


    <em>¡®I was hoping you would say no right away.¡¯</em>


    Lina was confused. She opened the door and walked out. She thought she should take a proper look at the power measuring device.


    After walking to a ce she could think of, Lina eventually saw Seria.


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    Lina rushed over to Seria. Looking at Seria, who seemed strangely weak, Lina asked.


    ¡°Seria, could it be that Seria is also pregnant with divine power?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Right? Otherwise the Grand Duke suddenly didn¡¯t have to measure his divine power.¡±


    Even as she asked the question, Lina¡¯s feelings wereplicated. On the other hand, she also had a strange sympathy for Seria, who had always seemed distant and unfamiliar to her.


    But¡­


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Lina¡¯s hopes were shattered.


    ***


    ¡°Did Kalis tell Lina that?¡±


    Seria folded her arms and red into the power measuring room.


    ¡°Yes? Because the Grand Duke suddenly didn¡¯t have to have his power measured.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Divine power¡­.¡±


    When Seria had reached that point, she felt something was wrong and stopped. Because Lina looked as if she really didn¡¯t know anything about it.


    <em>What is it?</em>


    Seria quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s my husband. It¡¯s an annual event.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Lina was about to say something, but the High Priest Jubelud, who had rushed in, took her aside.


    This Great Temple was truly enormous, where tens of thousands of priests were staying.They felt a little sorry for the High Priest Jubelud, who had to run around the wide area all day long.


    And¡­


    After the High Priest Jubelud left with Lina, Seria was able to hear about the whole story. The fact that Kalis had lied to Lina to keep her stable. The priest, who was under High Priest Jubelud, told Seria with aplicated expression.


    She also heard that Kalis wasn¡¯t well to be measured right away. Since she was the one who infused this holy object with divine power, she couldn¡¯t measure her power right away either.


    When she thought about it, she could have measured only Lesche and Kalis and still gotten the results.


    But now, if not Lesche, not Kalis. Seria was the only one left.


    <em>¡®Is it possible that there could be a child between me and Lina?¡¯</em>


    Seria wrinkled her forehead, unable to ept this very bizarre situation.


    In that sense, it was difficult for ordinary people to ept the situation from the time when her fianc¨¦ Kalis went out to y in the snow with another woman and got stranded.


    ¡°The measurement is almost finished¡­. Stern.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Seria walked along the reddened faced priest, and with it came a thought she had been thinking about for a few days.


    <em>¡®Is it possible that this child of Lina¡¯s is not the child of the divine power mentioned in the Bible?¡¯</em>


    The darkness that was absorbed into Lina¡¯s body in the Tshugan in had been lingering in her mind for a long time.

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140 			?? Listen to Post


    ¡°Saintess?¡±


    Kalis, who had been given a new bandage by the doctor, raised his head. Eventually, his eyes opened lightly.


    ¡°¡­Kalis.¡±


    Lina was crying a lot as she walked in. It was High Priest Jubeluding in after her¡­ From the expression on High Priest Jubelud¡¯s face, he could tell that something was wrong. Kalis sat up.


    ¡°Lina?¡±


    ¡°Saintess?¡±


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The doctor and the priest rushed out. Lina, who was standing in front of the entrance to the bedroom with tears streaming down her face, put her face in her hands and cried. The High priest Jubelud was tooplicated to speak.


    Kalis asked.


    ¡°Lina, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I heard it all from Seria.¡±


    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±


    ¡°You lied to me. My child is not your divine power, is it?¡±


    For a moment, Kalis¡¯ eyes shook.


    ¡°Lina¡­¡±


    ¡°Answer me quickly. Be honest with me! Before you go to Seria!¡±


    ¡°Lina!¡±


    Kalis hurried to seize Lina. High Priest Jubelud gave a small shake of his head. Kalis sighed.


    ¡°Lina, sit down. I didn¡¯t tell you the truth because I was afraid you would be shocked.¡±


    Lina sat in bed, tears streaming down her face.


    ¡°You know from reading the Bible that a child of divine power is born. And since you¡¯re a saint, you¡¯ve been exposed to that divine power. ¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject!¡±


    She didn¡¯t need a theory that everyone knew. What she needed now was the truth. The truth that only she didn¡¯t know.


    Lina cried out with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Whose child is it, then?¡±


    No, the moment she asked the question, she felt it like she was hit with a bolt of lightning.


    ¡°Is it the child of Grand Duke Lesche?¡±


    ¡°It could be the ¡°divine power¡± of His Highness Grand Duke Berg, Saintess.¡±


    High Priest Jubelud spoke quietly, and corrected the word ¡°divine power¡± with force. After hearing everything else that had been said, Lina slowly dropped her hand.


    She didn¡¯t hear anything else.


    The fact that it might be Seria¡¯s divine power, rather than the fact that it might be Grand Duke Lesche¡¯s child, bored into her ears like a lie.


    ¡°Seria¡¯s divine power.¡±


    Lina murmured in a daze.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Lina¡­.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t like me.¡±


    ¡°Saintess! Why do you say that?¡±


    The High Priest was astonished. Lina was crying hysterically.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t like me, that¡¯s why she won¡¯t smile at me! I wanted to be her friend, but she has never liked me!¡±


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    Lina asked, burying her hands in her face as she cried aloud.


    ¡°I will ask you one thing. Kalis.¡±


    ¡°¡­Lina.¡±


    ¡°You said you would be responsible for my child, no matter whose child it is ¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Kalis¡¯ words were a sturdy wall of support for Lina.


    Lina was a Saint. The Saint that appeared in the oracle. She wasn¡¯t worried about practical issues like living expenses because she lived generously in this gorgeous great temple. Kalis¡¯ words touched her heart warmly.


    Lina thought that Kalis was serious about his feelings.


    ¡°Because if it¡¯s the Grand Duke¡¯s child, you¡¯re afraid Seria will feel hurt, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Kalis did not reply.


    But these words were not cruel. Because Lina sawte that Kalis was crying while calling Seria¡¯s name.


    Then a thought urred to her.


    ¡°If it¡¯s Seria¡¯s child, you want to raise her even more, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Lina.¡±


    ¡°Kalis Hon.¡±


    Lina gripped her hands tightly in herp. She asked fiercely, tears trickling down her face.


    ¡°If you lie to me, I will never see you again. In the name of the Saint, I¡¯ll dere Hon an enemy.¡±


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    Dere Hon an enemy in the name of the Saint? It was a supreme principle of the Priests, not to be in conflict with any of the seventeen families. At the mention of viting it, the High Priest cried out in surprise.


    ¡°What mad talk is this! Saintess..!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t interrupt!¡±


    Tears fell unstoppably down Lina¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say anything, please ¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Just tell me the truth. Kalis Hon.¡±


    Kalis slowly dropped his head.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    The silence was enough of an answer. Lina felt as if her feet were hollow. She wiped her wet cheeks.


    ¡°When will Grand Duke Lesche¡¯s divine power measurement be finished?¡±


    ¡°¡­We¡¯ll have the results in a few days.¡±


    Lina jumped up from her seat. Why couldn¡¯t people just tell her the truth? Not the priests, not Kalis, not Seria.. because she didn¡¯t know anything about this world? So did they think it was okay to lie to her as they see fit?


    How can people be so cruel and arrogant to her?


    ¡°I won¡¯t let it go your way. Kalis.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    And Lina left Kalis¡¯s bedroom without turning back as if running away.


    ¡°Lina!¡±


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Stern, you look very pale.¡±


    The priest said with trepidation.


    Seria replied roughly.


    ¡°I¡¯m dying.¡±


    It was twice as difficult as purifying the contaminatednd. The holy relic took more of the divine power than she expected. It was different from purification with the sacred power. She now understood why the priests had dissuaded her from taking it out. The priests must have fainted one after another, because this was the extent of her divine power after she gave the Blue Diamond to Tuban.


    ¡°The Grand Duke?¡±


    ¡°I took him to his bedroom. He¡¯s still resting.¡±


    She had a few Stern-like experiences with holy objects, though not as big as that huge measuring device. When the divine power in the body sensed the sacred object, it felt like soft, warm air surrounding the body. It meant that they would fall asleep immediately.


    ¡°He must be tired, he just needs a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    On her way to the bedroom, Seria saw Linon, who looked pale. He followed her as he described the incident where Kalis had just hugged her as an unprecedented heart attack.


    ¡°Grand Duchess. I didn¡¯t know the Great Temple was such a dangerous ce.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t always like this. Because the people here now are in a bit of a mess¡­..¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather see the demons of the manor.¡±


    Linon said in a weeping voice, covering his face with his hands. Seria felt like she had to leave as soon as possible for his sake.


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    Shw heard Lina¡¯s voice. Linon lifted his head with a wary look in his eyes. She chined lightly at Abigail and she stepped back appropriately.


    Seeing Lina¡¯s face, her eyes opened a little wider. Her face was a mess of tears. Lina stood in front of Seria and rubbed the edges of her eyes.


    ¡°I knew everything.¡±


    Seria knew it intuitively.


    ¡°It¡¯s unknown whose divine power this is in my stomach.¡±


    Lina said with tears streaming down her face.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me? Did you have fun watching me not knowing anything?¡±


    Seria crossed her arms and looked at Lina briefly and replied.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know whose divine power it is that¡¯s in your belly and that¡¯s why we¡¯re testing it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Is this what you wanted me to say?¡±


    Lina eventually bowed her head, sobbing.


    Seria sighed. So did Lina. It was an absurd situation, and (Lina) she wanted to be angry somewhere. But it was ridiculous that it was her (Seria)¡­ (Seria) She had never been pregnant, but she learned how big the mood swings change when a person is pregnant.


    She wasn¡¯t going to forgive Kalis for the rest of her life, and she wasn¡¯t going to get involved with Lina either. But apart from this decision, it did give her this level of consideration. Actually, there was no reason for her to be so straightforward and dare to y the bad guy.


    She wasn¡¯t going to feel better even if she said that.


    In fact, it seemed to be another consideration due to the hope that it might not be Lesche¡¯s divine power.


    ¡°If you want to take it out on someone, take it out on God, not me.¡±


    To be honest, she didn¡¯t even know who Lina¡¯s God was, but she was the one who firmly believed that Lina was a Saint.


    At the sound of Seria¡¯s cold voice, Lina seemed toe to her senses. She bit her lip and said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry with me.


    Tears were constantly streaming down from Lina¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be angry. This child could be Seria¡¯s, or even Grand Duke Lesche¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°What did Baron Ison teach you?¡±


    Seria lifted an eyebrow.


    ¡°Who taught you to call my husband¡¯s name without permission?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    As had been the case earlier, Lina had a tendency to need to hear cold voices to get her attention. She tightened her clouded expression and spoke again.


    ¡°It may be the divine power of His Highness the Grand Duke.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Then Seria and His Highness will take the child and adopt it?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be a child with no future, and he should be well publicized and raised well as a child of the divine power in the Grand Temple, so why would I?¡±


    The words were tinged with aggression, but Lina was surprisingly not offended. Rather, she slumped. Tears trickled down her downcast face.


    ¡°Seria, if it¡¯s your divine power¡­. Kalis says he wants to raise it. He wants to raise it because it¡¯s your child.¡±


    Seria¡¯s ears perked up involuntarily. Because she was afraid that Lesche might overhear this conversation.


    But fortunately there was no one but the priests passing by.


    ¡°Has Kalis really lost his mind¡­?¡±


    Lina said, sobbing.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not for Kalis to decide. It¡¯s up to me.¡±


    ¡°You will have to settle your own affairs.¡±


    <em>¡®Don¡¯t drag me into this.¡¯</em>


    She was about to turn around when she saw the priestsing for Lina.


    Lina grabbed Seria¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see my divine power partner marrying anyone else.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Linon was sucking in a breath next to Seria. He didn¡¯t usually interrupt the conversation, but what Lina just said sounded pretty shocking to him as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry to interrupt you while you¡¯re talking, Saintess. I am Berg¡¯s chief aide. If I may be so bold, the position of Grand Duchess of Berg is not one that can be obtained by remarriage or children.¡±


    Lina struck Linon with a sharp re. Tears fell from Lina¡¯s eyes as if she had turned on a faucet in the process.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of going back to where Seria belongs. Why would I want to live in the shell of a shadow of you? Why are you so arrogant?¡±


    At the time, Seria couldn¡¯t hear any of the angry conversation between Lina and Kalis, so she couldn¡¯t understand why Lina was crying so much. So¡­


    She couldn¡¯t understand what the hell Lina was trying to say.


    ¡°So, what do you want from me?¡±


    <em>¡®What does she want to say?¡¯</em>


    Just in time, High Priest Jubelud and Kalis were seen walking in a hurry from afar.


    Lina cried out with tears streaming down her face and shouted.


    ¡°If this child is Seria¡¯s divine power, divorce Grand Duke Berg and marry me.¡±

 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141 			?? Listen to Post


    ¡°Lina!¡±


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    Seria blinked slowly against the backdrop of the high-pitched voice behind her.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± (Lina)


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not just saying that out of anger?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± (Lina)


    Seria was hoping that Kalis would hear what she said. Lina was still not good at hiding her expression. And Seria was d that she was exceptionally good at reading people¡¯s expressions.


    Seria slowly closed her eyes and opened them.


    ¡°Then¡­I¡¯ll think about it.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Mydy!¡±


    Seria looked down, startled.


    Linon had grabbed her leg and was holding on to it. Wait, did Linon just call her ¡®Lady¡¯? Linon was disconcerted, which was unlike him. It seemed that he was so surprised that the appetion came naturally to him.


    Seria pushed Linon away, who was grabbing her leg. Then she looked at Lina again.


    ¡°You¡¯ve finished what you wanted to say?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± (Lina)


    Seria said with a nk look on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s about marriage, I hope you¡¯re not ying with me¡­.I¡¯m not very patient. Lina.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Seria walked past Lina.


    She naturally passed by Kalis, and there was a huge shock on his face. She stirred, thinking he was going to hug her again this time, but he averted his gaze when Abigail came out with a scowl.


    After they left the building.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    Linon asked in a voice more shaky than ever.


    ¡°Are you really going to marry the Saintess? Are you going to divorce His Highness?¡±


    Seria nced back. The priests were also very sensitive about her moods. And her expression was quite cold.


    Thanks to that, there was no one behind her. She looked back at Linon and said,


    ¡°Am I crazy?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m buying time. I want to confirm something.¡±


    ¡°I knew it.¡±


    Linon said and smiled brightly. Then he crossed his arms and made a pose that covered his chest¡­


    ¡°Linon!¡±


    He then fell backwardsughing and fainted. Abigail, who snatched Linon like the wind, shook her head.


    ¡°This man is very weak, youngdy.¡±


    It waste that day.


    Seria marveled as she looked at her arms in the bathroom.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the bruises to disappear so quickly.¡±


    In just a few hours, the few yellow bruises had almost faded away.


    At the Berg castle, there were people to help her with clothing and meals, but now no one attended to her bath here in the Great Temple. And helping with the bath was a very luxurious thing.


    It took Seria longer than usual to take a bath herself because she was used to being taken care of by the servants.


    Dressed in a thick, fluffy gown, I left the bathroom and walked to the bedroom.


    Lesche was still asleep on the bed. She crawled into bed, trying to keep the noise down, but inwardly she was worried.


    <em>¡®What should I tell him when he wakes up?¡¯</em>


    She had threatened the priests that she can¡¯t marry a man who has children.


    She even told Lina she would think about Lina¡¯s marriage proposal.


    Also¡­.


    Kalis said he would raise the child if it was Seria¡¯s divine power.


    <em>¡®It would be better if Lesche doesn¡¯t hear those words.¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®I wish I didn¡¯t hear that myself.¡¯</em>


    Earlier, she nced back before entering her bedroom, the temple was bright and noisy, with lights on in the corridors. Numerous priests were on their feet in a frenzied effort to contain this major ident. It was noisy outside, but this bedroom was quiet.


    Because Lesche had the right to rx in his quiet bedroom. In fact, there were a few times when she wished he could take some time off.


    Seria tucked her arm a little more between Lesche¡¯s neck and shoulder. Because his sacred power was drained from the measurement, he wouldn¡¯t wake up easily like he usually did.


    Still, she hugged his face to her chest, taking utmost care not to wake him.


    ¡°Have a good dream.¡±


    With a low whisper, she gently stroked Lesche¡¯s hair with her hand. As she watched his hair casually tumble in her hand, she wondered whose divine power that made Lina pregnant.


    Then,te at night, she finally fell asleep, and a few hourster.


    Much sooner than she had originally expected, Lesche¡¯s result came out.


    ***


    ¡°Did you hear that? The result is that it is not the divine power of His Highness!¡±


    High Priest Jubelud¡¯s voice was unusually high-pitched. When he saw Seria¡¯s eyes turned round, he said, ¡°Oh,¡± and cleared his throat. Seeing how he had aged over the past few days, she could well imagine the hardships he was going through.


    Still, Seria¡¯s face was a little brightened at the news. High Priest Jubelud sat down across from Seria and continued speaking.


    ¡°On the Tshugan ins, Stern was not very close to the Saintess. So it is most likely now Marquis Hon¡¯s divine power.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    When Seria nodded her head, the High Priest looked at her with a sad expression.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep well, did you?¡±


    ¡°I was a little nervous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. After that unsavory incident that happened some time ago, I was doing my best to make sure that Stern and the Saintess didn¡¯t bump into each other¡­¡±


    He with a sigh mixed in.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why God would put everyone through such a trial.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m d the child is not His Highness¡¯s.¡±


    Although she replied lightly, she couldn¡¯t help but feel her body rx. It seemed that she had be quite nervous without realizing it. The High Priest didn¡¯t speak, but he stared at Seria with an expression of understanding.


    ¡°Marquis Hon is also recovering his health quickly. He wasn¡¯t feeling too well, but he¡¯s a very strong man, and when he makes up his mind, he moves fast. He says he¡¯s been sleeping welltely, so if we wait a little longer, we should be able to measure his power.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Stern.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    The High Priest asked in an cautious voice.


    ¡°Will you be able to infuse your power to the holy relic again this time?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure I can.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stern.¡±


    The eyes of the High Priest trembled like never before.


    ¡°What happened? Why did you suddenly have such strong divine power¡­¡±


    ***


    ¡°I heard that Stern has infused thatrge holy relic with divine power again?¡±


    The High Priest nodded. A priest tilted his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand. Do you think it makes sense that she had such strong power?¡±


    Just yesterday, there was another emergency meeting among the priests.


    They were the most respected high priests on the continent. They weren¡¯t far away from the temple because they were on a mission to clean up the contaminatednd. In order to cleanse the contaminatednd, the powerful divine power of the priests was very necessary.


    Those with the strongest sacred power among the priests were naturally the high priests. They were always busy umting the divine power in the holy object. Instead, they spent a lot of time inside the temple preparing their bodies and minds and refining their divine power.


    That was why former High Priest Amos, and now High Priest Jubelud, was busy running around on behalf of the other priests.


    Because major incidents urred one after another under such circumstances¡­.


    This meant that Seria Stern¡¯s strong divine power was as ridiculous a news as the Saintess had a child of divine power.


    The priests recalled what they heard from High Priest Jubelud. It was about how Seria was able to increase her divine power in such a way.


    ¡°She discovered the Constetion Gold Mine, and her divine power increased dramatically in a strange way.¡±


    The Constetion Gold Mine was precious, and Stern was precious.


    The priests were convinced that a miracle had urred when the precious things met.


    ¡°That¡¯s why Stern asked for the insignia.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Yes. She said that she wanted to keep praying to God because of her great divine power.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been slightly distracted by the meaning of Stern¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    They privately thought that Seria had realized a strong desire for honor as the price for discovering the Constetion Gold Mine. The priests cleared their throats.


    ¡°Just to be safe, please don¡¯t ever say those words in front of Stern.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t want to see Stern upset again. You know that sword that the knight thrust into the floor in the conference hall? It won¡¯te out.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯te out?¡±


    ¡°No. I told them from the beginning that they would have to tear down the stone bs, remove the sword, and do some work on it¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Choosing to remain silent, the priests shifted their gaze towards the holy relic again.


    It was such a holy relic that even the high priests raised their heads. It was the secret property of the High Temple. It was a huge holy relic that could only be activated by absorbing the sacred power of the high priests who had raised it to the limit.


    How could Stern be able to infuse divine power into such a holy object all by herself?


    A priest murmured.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that like two Saintsbined?¡±


    The High Priests nodded in agreement.


    ¡°The priests had gathered in a hurry with that in mind.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should say this, but..Grand Duke Berg is very lucky.¡±


    ¡°I think so too. His Highness can give half of the territory as a dowry to Stern.¡±


    Despite this worldly conversation andughter, the eyes of the priests looking up at the sacred relic were extremely pious. To be able to see the holy relic that was only activated once every several hundred years in front of their eyes like this was like a blessing from God, so it was natural.


    So the priests did not notice.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Not far from them, in the corner, Lina was standing with her back against the wall.


    ¡°Two Saintsbined?¡±


    Lina¡¯s eyes sank.

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142 			?? Listen to Post


    Sponsored by Meowy ?? (2/4)


    ***


    ¡°Marquis Hon, this way please.¡±


    For the first time in a long time, Kalis was in a normal state of body and mind. The sleeping medicine prescribed by the doctor was effective, and also thanks to Kalis¡¯s own efforts to take maximum care of his health for the measuring test.


    ¡°Pleasee in.¡±


    ¡°Is all this divine power from Seria?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Stern¡¯s divine power.¡±


    Kalis was also one of the heads of the seventeen families whose bodies were imbued with divine power. So he had some idea of how much divine power was added to thisrge holy object.


    Je couldn¡¯t tell how much, but he could tell that it was a tremendous amount of divine power that even a high priest couldn¡¯t do it at once.


    Does that mean Seria¡¯s divine power is of a simr level to Lina¡¯s?


    ¡°Marquis Hone. The result of the measurement of His Highness¡¯ power came out unusually fast.¡±


    Kalis had already heard about it.


    And High Priest Jubelud said one more thing. There was a high probability that half of the divine power that Lina had conceived was the divine power of Marquis Hon.


    The probability of it being Seria¡¯s divine power was rtively much lower.


    ¡°It¡¯s my divine power¡­¡±


    Kalis¡¯s desire to take responsibility for Lina¡¯s child had not changed.


    <em><strong>¡°Because if it¡¯s Grand Duke¡¯s child, you¡¯re afraid Seria will get hurt, right?¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°¡­¡­.¡±</strong></em>


    <em><strong>¡°If it¡¯s Seria¡¯s child.¡­.you want to raise it?¡±</strong></em>


    He didn¡¯t mean to hurt Lina, but it was Kalis¡¯s sincerity. He couldn¡¯t help it. If Lina¡¯s child was his divine power, there was nothing more to say. He would have to take her to Hon.


    Lina has been avoiding Kalis ever since that day.


    <em>¡®It must be confusing to Lina.¡¯</em>


    He had to give her time to sort out her thoughts. She wasn¡¯t a noble of this world, and she wasn¡¯t that good at organizing her emotions.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Kalis gulped lowly at the divine power that warmed his body. Even in the restful sleep that hadsted for several days, he had dreamed of Seria every time. However, it didn¡¯t feel like it was enoughpared to that body he had actually hugged a few days ago.


    That warmth that soothed the pain that had always gued his heart as if it were a lie¡­.


    ¡°Marquis Hon, I¡¯ll cover you with this now. It should be easy, so please don¡¯t worry.¡±


    The priest carefully exined and put on the covering made of constetion gold. It was a measurement that was likely going to produce results in one¡¯s power with a high probability.


    But if it¡¯s really Seria¡¯s divine power¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    A soft shadow cast over. Kalis closed his eyes. The sacred power of the sacred relic was surprisingly warm. Perhaps that was why. Tears trickled down Kalis¡¯s cheeks.


    ***


    Most courtyards in the Great Temple were very sunny.


    Afternoon sunshine. Quiet time. Seria sat leaning back in a swing shaped chair in the garden. The breeze was just blowing lightly and she felt good.


    Then, suddenly she felt a shade cast over eyes. Without opening her eyes, she smiled.


    ¡°Why? Bibi. Do you want another cookie?¡±


    ¡°Cookies?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t Abigail¡¯s voice. Seria hurriedly opened her eyes¡­.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    ¡°So Linon brought you a cookie basket.¡±


    Lesche was looking down at Seria with his back bent. Seria blinked and he smiled gently. Her heart skipped a beat at that moment.


    No, why is he smiling like that¡­? Feeling her cheeks burning, she scolded Lesche for no reason.


    ¡°Why are you smiling all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°You saw my wife, but I can¡¯t smile?¡±


    Seria looked around, trying to offer him a seat, but the swing chair was just for one person. So two people could never fit.


    ¡°Shall we go somewhere else?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°We¡¯ll just stay here. You lookfortable.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Oh, you want to sit here then?¡± (Seria)


    In an instant, Seria¡¯s body was lifted and sat down again. The swing chair was the same as before, but this time it was a little different because she was sitting on Lesche¡¯s thighs.


    Her feet swayed as they failed to reach thewn. The hem of her skirt spread lightly.


    Lesche¡¯s arms were wrapped around her.


    ¡°How many swings like this shall we put in the garden of the mansion?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°You¡¯re going to use it more than I will.¡± (Seria)


    Seria said with a pout.


    ¡°Those are your feet that are swinging now.¡± (Lesche)


    Lescheughed. The swing continued to move back and forth. In the midst of all this, Lesche¡¯s arms were gripping Seria tightly and she wasn¡¯t worried that she was going to fall. To be honest, she felt like she was on her favorite ride.


    <em>¡®It¡¯s fun.¡¯</em>


    She nced up at Lesche¡¯s face, which waspletely different from what she had seen the past few days. He looked much more at ease. She was sure that Lesche had heard about the result of his test.


    When the man she liked looked in a good mood, she naturally felt better. There were times when she was exhausted from filling the holy relic with her power.


    She gazed at the garden in silence, enjoying the warm sunshine and the soft breeze. Lesche¡¯s hand yed with her fingers. A few moments passed.


    Lesche opened his mouth.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    The words continued in the same tone.


    ¡°You said you would divorce me if the Saintess¡¯ child was mine.¡±


    The swing stopped. Seria¡¯s eyes shook loudly. Their gazes met. Lesche asked, tilting his chin.


    ¡°Are you going to divorce me?¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Then, why did you say that?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ there was a bit of a need to threaten.¡±


    ¡°What threat?¡±


    ¡°To make them take out the hidden relic¡­.No, I was going to tell you, but when I woke up, you were gone.¡±


    <em>¡®Before that, I was just too sleepy to talk!¡¯</em>


    It was awkward. What did those priests tell Lesche! As Lesche stared at Seria, one of his eyebrows raised up. Suddenly, she began to think that the smile that Lesche was building was not because he was in a good mood.


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to divorce me?¡±


    ¡°It was a threat, really.¡±


    Seria apologized softly.


    ¡°But I¡¯m sorry if I upset you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t realize that you¡¯re the kind of person who thinks about my feelings.¡±


    Lesche became sarcastic, which scared her a little. She couldn¡¯t help but gasp at the sight of herself apologizing somely now, after having done something so usible. On the other hand, she realized that the priests had very light lips. (*meant talk a lot)


    ¡°We broke down the office a bit¡­..¡±


    Has she been too nice to the Great Temple? The thought didn¡¯tst long. It was because Lesche¡¯s eyes were glued to her.


    She cleared her throat awkwardly.


    ¡°Do you want to talk to them now? That you can¡¯t stay married to a Stern with a child¡­¡±


    Seria¡¯s joking words didn¡¯tst long. Because the smile instantly disappeared from Lesche¡¯s face.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ yes?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to divorce you, no matter how many kids you have.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I wish you wouldn¡¯t put words like that in your mouth.¡±


    Seria was embarrassed. She cleared her throat, wanting to evoke a sudden strange atmosphere.


    ¡°What do you mean how many? There¡¯s no one.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Good, I mean I¡¯m not going to divorce you no matter where you go and make them.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­Do I look like a home wrecker in your eyes?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°You know how to break your husband¡¯s heart.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Mean! You¡¯re mean!¡±(Seria)


    ¡°You¡¯re mean! I¡¯m going to cry.¡± (Seria)


    Eventually, Seria covered her head with her hands and screamed, ¡°Ahhhh!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do it again! I¡¯ll never do it, really¡­¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche burst outughing at Seria¡¯s scream. He had a lot of fun teasing Seria, and the strange expression earlier waspletely erased.


    ¡°Swear to the Stern insignia. Even if you die, you won¡¯t divorce me.¡± (Lesche)


    When Seria didn¡¯t answer, Lesche asked again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I think it¡¯s unfair. What if you have a child?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Another child?¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche¡¯s hand suddenly touched Seria¡¯s stomach. Every time his fingers slowly passed by, a shiver went down her spine. Lesche whispered.


    ¡°I have no intention of making my children anywhere else but here.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Seria couldn¡¯t help but look around, afraid someone would hear it.


    Of course, everything was quiet. No one was there¡­ Lightly grabbing Seria¡¯s chin, Lesche stared into her eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡±


    ¡°You should¡¯ve answered, Seria.¡±


    He sounded strangely adamant. Sometimes she got the feeling that this man¡­ if he really wanted something, he¡¯d use all kinds of strategies and means. Seria slightly avoided Lesche¡¯s gaze and spoke as coyly as possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s about the Stern insignia, I¡¯ll give it some more thought.¡±


    ¡°¡­There¡¯s nothing you can honestly overlook, is there?¡±


    Said Lesche with a low sigh, tilting his head towards Seria. Their lips naturally met. She suddenly felt that Lesche¡¯s cheeks were thinner than usual. It was only a little¡­.


    Because it was a really tough schedule. The fact that he was able to make it to the temple so quickly whilepleting the itinerary to check the boundaries of the demons meant he didn¡¯t have time to rest at all and just kept running.


    Anding to the temple wasn¡¯t for a good reason.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Seria asked in a faintly breathy voice.


    ¡°Shall we return to our castle instead of the imperial mansion?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Seria continued to talk while touching Lesche¡¯s cheek with her fingers.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a rough time. Why don¡¯t we rest together for a bit and then leave?¡±


    Come to think of it, Linon also fainted, saying that he would rather see the demons in the manor. For the sake of Berg¡¯s well-being, Seria thought it would be better to return to Berg castle and rest.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± (Seria)


    Lesche stared at Seria and smiled a little. His hand dug in between her fingers and squeezed tightly.


    ¡°Anything. Do as you wish.¡± (Lesche)


    His hands cupped Seria¡¯s cheeks and chin and lifted it carefully. Lesche kissed her more deeply than before. It was the kind of gentle kiss that went well with this quiet garden.


    .


    .


    .


    A few dayster.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    It was early morning. Seria had fallen asleep and was awakened by the presence she could feel from outside. She lifted her head and saw Lesche standing in front of the open door in his gown with his arms crossed. He seemed to be having a conversation with someone outside the door.


    <em>¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯</em>


    ***


    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not my divine power!¡±


    Kalis banged the desk angrily. The priests who hade to inform him were bbergasted.


    ¡°Whose divine power is it then?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Seria?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Kalis sat down with a thump. The priests were at a loss for words.


    ¡°Is it really Seria¡¯s divine power?¡±


    Kalis rubbed his face repeatedly with both hands.


    Not Lesche Berg, not Kalis Hon.


    Then, of course, there was only Seria left. Kalis swept his face.


    ¡°¡­.Then the child will be raised in Hon.¡±

 Chapter 143

    Chapter 143 			?? Listen to Post


    ¡°Hello, Chief aide.¡±


    ¡°Yes, hello.¡±


    A senior priest under High Priest Jubelud met with Linon. Perhaps it was because of the fiasco in the temple this morning, but the senior priest¡¯s face had aged considerably in the past few hours.


    ¡°Have you heard about today¡¯s results?¡±


    ¡°Of course I heard.¡±


    ¡°Grand Duke Berg?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well. He was a little surprised.¡±


    Linon was very nervous about the change in Lesche¡¯s emotions. It was natural. Anyway, Lesche was really surprised to hear that newsing in so early this morning¡­


    Seria was even more surprised.


    She could even say thatpared to when she had heard the news that the child of the Saintess could be her divine power, she was calmer.


    Actually, it wasn¡¯t serenity by any means, butpared to of Lesche¡¯s aura when he first heard of the Saintess¡¯s appearance, which was more frosty than a cier, it was more peaceful.


    Linon¡¯s reaction was rather gratifying.


    Although his head felt like exploding at the issue of the child, he was the chief aide to a Grand Duke who had had thousands of more head-splittingplications on his hands.


    He could bear this much.


    ¡°Grand Duke, it¡¯s Linon. May Ie in? Grand Duchess?¡±


    Linon knocked lightly and went in, but the bedroom was empty. He immediately looked flustered.


    ¡°Where did they go?¡±


    He heard a littleter that Seria had gone to the measuring room. Linon couldn¡¯t help but panic.


    ¡°Why there? Isn¡¯t it already over?¡±


    ***


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    Standing in front of the sacred power measuring room, Seria looked back. Lina hurried over and walked quickly towards Seria, only being stopped by the priests.


    Lina¡¯s ck eyes were trembling.


    ¡°It¡¯s really¡­it¡¯s really you¡­¡±


    ¡°Will you marry me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Lina¡¯s eyes shook. Okay, so she probably wanted to payback for the lying Kalis did to her, but she didn¡¯t really want to marry Seria.


    Of course, it was the same for Seria.


    ¡°I have no intention of marrying you.¡± (Seria)


    Lina¡¯s face turned bright red.


    ¡°Who would want to do that with you? I just said that on impulse..!¡± (Lina)


    ¡°I told you not to propose to me out of spite.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I told you not to be angry with me. ¡­.¡± (Lina)


    ¡°¡­Do you think this is anger?¡± (Seria)


    The priest behind Seria cleared his throat. He must be nervous because he remembered how Seria made Abigail destroy the headquarters building when she pretended to be angry¡­


    She thought about doing the same here, but she held back, considering the fact that Lina was pregnant.


    ¡°¡­Seria.¡±


    Lina¡¯s eyes filled with clear tears.


    ¡°Seria has nothing to lose. Seria has nothing to fear. I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s worried about this divine power, the only one who¡¯s surprised and scared¡­ But can¡¯t you understand that? You can be so calm because you have nothing to lose.¡±


    Lina¡¯s words about not having anything to lose suddenly reminded Seria of what she (Seria) had done a year ago. That time when she had resented God over and over again, pretending to be a heroine with a guaranteed happy ending who would get whatever she wanted.


    However, she only spoke ill of God and fate, and never once did she turn the arrow of resentment on Lina.


    ¡°Lina.¡±


    That was the proof of her righteousness.


    ¡°But, why are you angry with me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take anything from you.¡±


    ¡°You did!¡±


    ¡°¡­..?¡±


    Lina bit her lip and covered her face with her hands.


    ¡°What exactly do you think I took away? What?¡±


    ¡°Saintess.¡±


    The priest held out a handkerchief to Lina, telling her to stop. Lina, in tears, wiped her eyes with the handkerchief.


    ¡°What are you going to do about the child?¡±


    Seria nced at Lina¡¯s still t stomach. Sacred Power. The child of divine power¡­.


    ¡°I need to take the measurement test too.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Stern?¡±


    The counter-questions came from all sides simultaneously. The priest, who was sweating behind Seria, hurriedly stopped her.


    ¡°Stern, haven¡¯t the two of them already been measured? So it¡¯s automatic¡­.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I really don¡¯t understand the results either¡­If it¡¯s not the two of them, then there¡¯s only Stern.¡±


    Seria didn¡¯t speak to him further. She walked to the measurement room, pushing past the flustered high-ranking priests. They continued dissuading her.


    ¡°Stern. You already used too much divine power.¡±


    ¡°I can take care of myself.¡±


    ¡°Stern!¡±


    Just looking at the huge measuring device, a groaning sound came out naturally. But she really couldn¡¯t believe it. Warmth spread through her as she ced her hands on the familiar holy object. On the arms visible under the fluttering long sleeves yellow bruises began to emerge anew.


    Lina was tense as she watched, snuggled up against the windowpane.


    ***


    The power measurement would take a long time.


    Lesche stood with his arms crossed, silently gazing at the huge holy object visible in the windowpane. He couldn¡¯t see Seria, but he could tell that all that warm light was Seria¡¯s divine power, so it wasn¡¯t bad to look at it for so long.


    The ce where the giant relic was set up was specially designed, and the ce where Lesche and Lina were standing was far away. So they didn¡¯t know they were opposite sides of each other. The tearful movement of High Priest Jubelud also yed a part in this.


    Of course, all the movements could not be blocked.


    Thud. Thud.


    Kalis Hon came this way.


    At a reasonable distance from Lesche, he stopped. Without even averting his gaze in that direction, Lesche opened his mouth.


    ¡°Did youe here to continue the duel we hadst time?¡±


    Kalis¡¯ eyes shed brightly.


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duke Berg.¡±


    The gloves flew at Lesche. Without looking away, Lesche snatched the gloves. After a quick nce at those familiar gloves, he dropped them on the floor and lightly trampled on the gloves with his shoes while smiling viciously. Of course, his eyes weren¡¯t smiling at all.


    While they were this way, the other side was over there.


    Of course, the high-ranking priests who had been following the two of them nced at each other. It was at that moment that they timed it most perfectly to separate the two.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    One of the priests sucked in a breath. When the hell did she appear?


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Abigail Orrien, who opened her eyes wide like a ghost, stopped in front of Lesche.


    Lesche looked annoyed.


    ¡°Get out of my way.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The priests thought she would stop him, but surprisingly Abigail stepped aside obediently. Without any hesitation, Lesche stepped toward Kalis.


    ¡°What about the Lady?¡± (BiBi)


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°She said no.¡± (BiBi)


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    It really was a specimen of a strong heart that the high priests could not even imagine.


    Lesche shifted his gaze to Abigail, then he swept his hair roughly.


    To be honest, Lesche wasn¡¯t sure how he could take that guy¡¯s neck without saying anything.


    So, with Linon and Seria both absent, he decided now would be a good time.


    However, if Seria sent them to Abigail, the situation would change. Because if the Grand Duke of Berg kills the Saintess¡¯s husband in the Great Temple, the rumor will spread. Perhaps Seria left her trusted knight here with this situation in mind to some extent.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Kalis also knew Abigail well. From the time he and Seria were engaged, Abigail had been Seria¡¯s most trusted knight. Ever since he and Seria had broken off their engagement, he could tell that the way Abigail looked at him was filled with murderous intent.


    Abigail¡¯s sharp gaze was like those of a watcher observing everything. Needless to say, the priests were speechless at the unexpectedly reliable reassurance.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    Linon, who found Leschete, ran over.


    Gasp.


    He saw Kalis a beatte, standing at a reasonable distance. Linon quietly grabbed the documents he was running with in his arms¡­.


    ¡°Please take a look.¡±


    Gently flipping through the papers, Lesche raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Have you already decided what to do with the child?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Yes, yes, Your Highness, why not?¡± (Linon)


    ¡°With all due respect, Grand Duke Berg.¡± (Kalis)


    Kalis¡¯s voice dropped sharply.


    ¡°I decided to raise the child in Hone.¡±


    At the same time, Linon took two steps back without realizing it.


    ¡°Ah. That crazy punk¡­!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    With a faint smile, Lesche folded the papers neatly and handed them back to Linon. Gritting his teeth, Lesche took off his gloves and punched Kalis hard on the face.


    The high ranking priests who had been frozen in ce gulped down their spit. Abigail nced at the side of her waist.


    Thanks to her qualification as a knight of Stern, she was able to wear a sword without restrictions in the temple.


    In the blink of an eye, her sword disappeared, but her sword case was still on her waist¡­.(*Lesche took Abigail¡¯s sword)


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Red blood began to slowly spread over Kalis¡¯s eyes. He hit his head on the floor and felt as if a concussion hade lightly.


    Then it was the sword that plunged mercilessly right into the side of Kalis¡¯s temple. Kalis¡¯s face, which had returned to that side, soon distorted into pain. Lesche¡¯s foot pressed mercilessly on his chest as if trying to shatter his bones.


    ¡°Should I shove it into your ear canal for you to hear it?¡± (Lesche)


    Cough. Cough.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t this b*stard understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± (Lesche)


    Cough. Cough.


    Kalis coughed in pain. The blood in his mouth leaked out and soaked his face.


    Linon gestured earnestly for Abigail to help Kalis, but after ncing into Lesche¡¯s eyes, Abigail quickly put on an easy face.


    Then, without hesitation, she shook her head slightly.


    Linon was about to scream at that look that told him not to intervene.


    At that moment, the sound of cking shoes came from far away.


    Only nobles, royalty, and the imperial family were allowed to walk around in this great temple wearing such worldly shoes, but unfortunately, only the saints and Stern were allowed to enter and leave this building.


    Seria should still be in the measuring room with the holy object, so the sound of the shoes must have been the Saintess in the other corridor¡­.


    Even so, Linon could see how badly the Saintess cared for Marquis Hon as he was her husband.


    <em>¡®He is not going to kill the Saintess, is he? I hope not.¡¯</em>


    ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡±


    A voice thatpletely sounded like an angel¡¯s trumpet to Linon rang in the corridor.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s fist, which had been punching Kalis¡¯s face, stopped in the air.


    ***


    It must be Seria¡¯s voice. Because no one can stop Lesche but Seria.

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144 			?? Listen to Post


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Seria blinked slowly at the voice calling her. Warm steam rose in the air. It was a pure white ceramic bathtub in the temple. The scent of sweet bath salts also tickled her nose.


    She was like a ginseng that grew in that sweet and warm water. Perhaps because she had used all her divine power, her body was very tired. It was as if she could pass out at any moment.


    She moved her eyes slowly. she immediately saw a hand rubbing her arm. It was a familiar hand. A soft,thered hand moved up her arm. She looked at that hand nkly and opened her mouth.


    ¡°Before I went to the power measurement room, I asked Bibi for help. If something happens, make sure she stops it.¡±


    The foamy hard hand paused. She opened her drooping eyelids as wide as they would go and spoke.


    ¡°If this bes a topic of concern for me at the temple, I won¡¯t be able to go out in public for about 10 years.¡±


    The stopped hand did not move at all. It stood frozen on her shoulder. Seria moved her weak hand and grasped the back of it slightly.


    A strong force contrasted with the weakness, and soon it held her hand strongly.


    The skin on the foamy hand was slippery.


    She lifted her eyes as she rxed his hand in front of her chest. Red eyes were reflected in her vision.


    ¡°But I think it was my fault. I should have told Bibi to assassinate Marquis Hon¡­¡± (Seria)


    ¡°¡­Assassinate?¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche asked back. Seria closed her sleepy eyes and opened them again.


    ¡°I heard what Marquis Hon said.¡± (Seria)


    Linon was a very shrewd Chief Aide. It was because he quickly whispered to Seria what Kalis said and backed away.


    ¡°Were you angry? I should¡¯vee out earlier.¡± (Seria)


    Lesche looked at Seria without saying a word. Seria chuckled.


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    Seria reached out her arm and Lesche suddenly took off his gown. He walked straight into the bathtub. Seria was stunned.


    No, she just wanted him toe closer with his upper body¡­


    Swish.


    The tub full of water overflowed and spilled onto the marble tiles. Lesche sat in the tub and sat Seria on top of his body. His arms were sturdy, as always, as he held Seria from behind and trapped herpletely in his arms.


    Unable to get back out, Seria stayed still and leaned her head against Lesche¡¯s chest. The water, which was still hot, fluttered.


    ¡°Why do youe to me when I¡¯m so sleepy?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I was going to give you a bath.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I¡¯m not very good at this, am I?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not bad at it¡­¡± (Seria)


    Seria coughed, and Lesche put his lips on her ear. Her body jolted a little.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Seria changed the subject. There was something she wanted to ask.


    ¡°Does Marquis Hon say that whenever I¡¯m not here?¡±


    Lesche replied, lifting his chin lightly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell you about him.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Okay, well¡­¡±


    Seria quickly lifted Lesche¡¯s hand, which was submerged in the water, holding her waist.


    Earlier.


    She could single-handedly finish the divine power measurement quickly. Perhaps the divine power that operated the holy object itself was hers. High Priest Jubelusd, who was guarding her side, said that.


    It took a long time, so when she walked out of the measuring room and found that Lina had already left her seat. The High Priest was still smiling, and hisplexion was dry as he smiled, so Seria had a hunch that something was wrong.


    She was right.


    The timing of her appearance was good, but in her panic she almost copsed.


    When Seria was carried piggyback to the bathroom, Lesche followed her. There was red blood on the back of his hand. She could easily guess that it was Kalis¡¯s blood.


    At that time, Lesche¡¯s eyes and her eyes met.


    Seeing Seria¡¯s eyes had reached the back of his hand, Lesche went out for a moment.


    When he came back a short timeter, the surface of the back of his hand was red and clean.


    How hard did he rub his hand¡­.


    She remembered what Lesche had said to her once.


    He said he likes her and that¡¯s why he treats her so well.


    Her heart still fluttered, thinking about that. But on the other hand, she didn¡¯t want Lesche¡¯s feelings to stay there.


    Because this man was¡­.


    The hand that grabbed Lesche¡¯s hand tightened.


    ¡°Seria?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    He wanted to check Seria¡¯s expression carefully, Lesche grabbed her chin and made eye contact, but Seria just smiled. To think that he could read her expression which she intended to hide, who was famous in society.


    In the end, Lesche gave up, lifted a handful of Seria¡¯s hair and kissed it.


    ¡°Seria, are you very tired?¡± (He wants to do it ??)


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I have a good conscience.¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡±


    She heard Lesche chuckled with delight. His lips bit down on the tip of her ear and released it. She shrank because it was slightly stinging.


    ¡°Get some sleep, Seria¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to work.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything you can¡¯t do?¡±


    She had a feeling that if she closed her eyes now she would really fall asleep, but she also had a feeling that Lesche would move her on his own.


    She closed her eyes that way and when she opened them, she was on the bed. Right next to her, Lesche was watching her, supporting his chin with the back of his hand. Seria blinked sleepily and asked,


    ¡°What time is it? Did I sleep a lot?¡±


    Lesche held Seria to his chest and whispered.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long. If you¡¯re sleepy, sleep more.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Seria fell asleep again, enchanted by his words.


    The next day she learned that she had slept two full days.


    ¡°He said it hadn¡¯t been long.¡±


    This time there was no Lesche in bed. Seria went to the bedroom, washed and changed into some light clothes. When she opened the door¡­


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    She ran into Lesche , who was about to enter.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    Lesche asked, as he reached out and took Seria¡¯s hand. At about the same time, Linon suddenly jumped out from behind him. The day before yesterday, Linon was very pale, but today, he was all smiles.


    ¡°Grand Duchess! It¡¯s not even the Grand Duchess¡¯s divine power!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ***


    ¡°We were a bit arrogant from the start.¡±


    The urgently convened meeting of the priests came to this conclusion.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Saintess the one whom God sent down?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­.¡±


    ¡°There is a strong possibility that she is to be inherently sacred.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    The hall buzzed. An inherent divine power, in other words, was the direct divine power of God.


    In other words, what Lina had could be a representative of God.


    In the Bible, ¡°Child of the Divine Power¡± was mentioned. However, Lina was not in the same league as the other priests mentioned in the Bible.


    Lina was a Saint. God had sent her down to them.


    ¡°Maybe¡­maybe God gave her a child with tremendous divine power that could purify the soil contaminated by demonic energy all at once.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°And Seria Stern also has a divine powerparable to that of a Saint?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    High Priest Jubelud held his breath. Currently, Seria had installed the holy object with her divine power three times, so a precise examination was difficult. The ¡°Crown of Spring¡± holy object that had been taken out was nned to be used once Seria¡¯s divine power was sufficient.


    However, testing was necessary when recording official figures. So far in history, no Stern has ever produced such power other than the Saint. However, Seria¡¯s power, amplified, could not be seen in a regr Stern.


    The priests had already recognized Seria as a new Saint.


    ¡°We have to announce two miracles on the day of celebration.¡±


    ¡°Yes, God is going to look down on us.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps the final chapter of this long battle is about to begin.¡±


    Instead of having to supplement their sacred power due to the ever-increasing emergency meetings, the schedules of the priests were pushed out and ruined, but considering that, Seria gained strength.


    ***


    ¡°¡­inherent divine power?¡±


    Lina looked puzzled as she heard this story.


    ¡°What will I be then?¡±


    ¡°You are truly the only representative of God.¡±


    ¡°The only one?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Saintess.¡±


    The priest smiled warmly.


    Lina¡¯s bedroom was already filled with beautiful flowers. They were the heartfelt flowers that the priests had sent her, dying in a series of emergency meetings, but unable to leave the Saint who might havee to possess the divine power of God.


    ¡°The one and only¡­¡±


    Lina covered her stomach. She was still not sure.


    A child who possesses the direct divine power of God?


    Isn¡¯t that really God himself?


    If so, Lina was not simply referred to as a Saint. It was easy to see from the priest¡¯s attitude that she has be something more unique.


    ¡°Strange¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, Lina was in a surprisingly depressed state. Because it seemed that it was because of this unidentified divine power that High Priest Jubelud came to visit her from time to time with an aged face. Of course, he didn¡¯t say anything, but he was very concerned and considerate of Lina all the time.


    Lina was also very considerate. She felt ufortable for no reason.


    Knock. Knock.


    At that moment, she heard a knock at the door. When Lina allowed it, High Priest Jubelud walked in.


    The expression on his face was a little different from the other priests.


    ¡°Saintess.¡±


    Unlike the other priests who were excited, High Priest Jubelud¡¯s face was serious. In fact, he was also busy in the meeting, continuing to think about some things.


    Minister Jouberud sat down in front of Lina and said,


    ¡°Saintess, have you heard the news?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Saintess.¡±


    The High Priest spoke with a cautious face.


    ¡°Did God say anything special to you?


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you have no idea about its divine power? Any details would be helpful.¡±


    Lina shook her head.


    The High Priest finally rxed his tense expression. He took Lina¡¯s hand and said with great force.


    ¡°I will do my best for your child in the Great Temple. From this day forward, the temple will seek out all records and sacred objects to ensure the perfect protection of your divine power.¡±


    <em>¡®¡­¡­ I have always been like a stone that has rolled in.¡¯</em>


    The priests were kind and polite to her. However, as much as they cared for Lina, they also cared for Stern.The nobles were getting worse. The priests cared for Lina, but the nobles, while treating her as a ¡°Saint¡±, made it a bit difficult for her to join them.


    She had a vague feeling that she now stood in a position to offset even that.


    High Priest Jubelud had been very polite and kind to her to begin with, but now¡­now he was like a man who had a truly living myth in front of him.


    If this child was really the divine power of God.


    ¡°Saintess.¡±


    That was when it happened.


    Severalrge baskets of flowers arrived with a knock on the door.

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145 			?? Listen to Post


    *Lina¡¯s POV in the first half chapter.*


    ***


    Hon¡¯s aide walked in and bowed deeply.


    ¡°Saintess. It¡¯s a gift from Marquis Hon.¡±


    ¡°Is Kalis all right?¡±


    ¡°The doctor says he needs more rest.¡±


    Lina heard about what happened between Lesche and Kalis. She was startled by what happened and went to visit Kalis, but he politely sent her back.


    ¡°¡­Why doesn¡¯t Kalis want to see me?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want you to see his injuries, so I hope the Saintess will understand. He said congrattions from the bottom of his heart.¡±


    With several congrattions, Hon¡¯s aide retreated, and Lina felt relieved.


    <em>¡®Kalis isn¡¯t such a bad guy.¡¯</em>


    However, her elevated heart went cold at the mention of Kalis¡¯s request for another divorce the other day.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    If it had been the Lina of the past, she would have divorced Kalis immediately.


    But Kalis had hurt her so much.


    For he had used her as a tool after all.


    So she deliberately asked Seria to marry her so that Kalis would listen.


    Lina was filled with the desire to make Kalis regret. She was also full of resentment as to why she was the only one who had to be in pain and unhappy. So she proposed to Seria. Kalis would never ask Seria to marry him, but Lina, the saint, would be different.


    <em><strong>¡°If this child is Seria¡¯s divine power, divorce Grand Duke Berg and marry me.¡±</strong></em>


    It was outrageous, but if she really was going to live with Seria in the Great Temple.


    She intended to ban Kalis from entering the temple.


    It would be difficult topletely control Lesche Berg because of his status, but he would still lose his wife.


    Won¡¯t Seria feel ufortable too?


    That one word was slightly better than telling Kalis that she couldn¡¯t divorce him and that she wanted the position of Grand Duchess of Berg.


    Then the three of them will have a hard time like herself (Lina¡¯s).


    Seria was right, the proposal Lina had made out of spite had been such a reasonable one in retrospect. After Seria left, Kalis came to her (Lina) and looked at her in great pain. Her heart hurt a little when she saw that look¡­


    First of all, it was Kalis who was in pain.


    In the meantime, Lina didn¡¯t beg to marry Lesche Berg because he looked too hard in her eyes.


    Then again¡­wouldn¡¯t it be great for Kalis to marry the Grand Duke Berg?


    Because the man who wanted Seria to be alone the most was none other than Kalis.


    On the other hand, Lina resented Seria.


    Because if it weren¡¯t for Seria, Kalis would never have seen her (Lina) as a tool.


    Then she wouldn¡¯t feel hurt.


    Until now, Lina had never properly exercised her power over any priest or noble.


    That was because she was new to this world and had always been insecure.


    But now ¡­.


    Lina wrapped her lower stomach tightly.


    ¡°Saintess?¡±


    ¡°Tell Kalis I can¡¯t divorce him right away.¡±


    ***


    <em>¡®Sir Abigail¡­did the priests take her money?¡¯</em>


    Linon, who was walking with a bunch of documents, thought of this because of the people gathered in the corner of the garden.


    In the corner of the Great Temple garden full of greens, the high ranking priests were in a circle with Abigail in the center.


    Linon, who was naturally familiar with basic personal information about Abigail and her reputation in the temple, quickly made his way over.


    Meanwhile, the priests had quickly parted ways, as if their business was done.


    ¡°Sir Abigail, what were you doing?¡±


    Abigail looked at Linon indifferently.


    ¡°I was demonstrating how I can insert the sword on the stone floor.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Linon looked stunned.


    ¡°Why would people who will never hold a sword in their lives care about that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Did you do what they were curious about?¡±


    Abigail put her hands on her hips in response to Linon¡¯s question. It was a moment.


    Boom!


    Abigail inserted her entire sword into the stone floor. Linon backed away with a grin. Abigail said without blinking.


    ¡°As you can see, it¡¯s a simple matter, and I wouldn¡¯t say no to it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    As Abigail retrieved her sword, stone dust scattered in the air. Linon did not want to say anything even remotely appropriate.


    ¡°Um, um, yeah, hmmm¡­We will be returning to Berg territory soon. As long as these papers are settled, that is.¡±


    These were the documents held in Linon¡¯s arms.


    This was the sum total of the sacred power that Lesche demanded from the Great Temple. The number was higher than usual, which made Linon curious.


    <em>¡®Why is he asking for more sacred power when there¡¯s an archangel?¡¯</em>


    It was like demeaning a reward because people were called in one way or another during this busy time. Lesche wasn¡¯t the type to lose money.


    But with Seria around, Berg didn¡¯t need that much divine powers anymore¡­


    Linon couldn¡¯t quite understand why he was demanding so much to stir things up.


    He couldn¡¯t ask.


    It was because Lesche¡¯s atmosphere was very bad when he requested.


    ¡°His Highness is in a bad mood.¡±


    Linon¡¯s voice naturally came out in sorrow. Even though he couldn¡¯t say this to Seria, Abigail was also in a position to serve someone like him.


    He spoke a little morefortably. He felt like he was talking about his worries in front of arge rock in the form of a person.


    ¡°I have no idea why but try to pick the options, Sir Abigail. Number one is the one where the Saintess proposed to the Grand Duchess. Number 2 is Marquis Hon said he would raise the Grand Duchess¡¯s child. Number three is what His Highness is doing today with the priests¡­.¡±


    Linon mumbled, not expecting a reply.


    ¡°Number three.¡±


    Abigail answered in a casual tone.


    ¡°Because of his uncontrolled behavior at the temple.¡±


    Linon¡¯s eyes fluttered open.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Yesterday, the priests stood frozen due to Seria¡¯s divine power.


    It turned out that Seria knew that she was going to be announced as the new Saint, thanks to supplementing the holy object with a frightening amount of divine power.


    Until a few days ago, the temple building where Seria was staying had been visited from morning to evening by the priests.


    The reverence for Stern was formidable, but after witnessing the immense divine power, some of the priests were even more desperate for Seria.


    However, when it was mentioned that Lina could create the child of God, the nerves of sin leaned in that direction.


    The original story was a tremendous miracle that was not even recorded in the Bible, but that was, well, the position of the Great Temple.


    ¡°Sir Abigail. I¡¯m saying this just in case. You can¡¯t just sweep away the holy knights.¡±


    Abigail¡¯s brows furrowed. Linon was scared.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything that the Lady won¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Abigail said shortly and carried on walking, and as he heard that clean answer, Linon was taken aback.


    <em>¡®This knight¡­.what is it?¡¯</em>


    Abigail was a mystery to Linon. The other day, Alliot, themander of the Berg Knight, had shed concern as if Abigail were going to cause an ident. Linon had remembered and never forgot it.


    Alliot¡¯s worry was not so wrong. Abigail had caused the legendary ident that had killed all the knights of Duke Howard¡¯s family. And yet she was a very silent knight. But she was also more insightful about people than he thought¡­.


    Something Seria said to him one day suddenly popped into his head.


    <em><strong>¡°How did Bibi have such a narcotic charm?¡±</strong></em>


    ¡°Sir Abigail! Let¡¯s go together!¡±


    Linon quickly chased after Abigail, who was moving away.


    ***


    ¡°Now then, Stern, prayfortably.¡±


    When Seria entered, the priest closed the door himself.


    This was one of the hundreds of prayer rooms in the temple. The Stern insignia was neatly positioned in front of the altar.


    There was an old saying that the closer the Stern insignia was to the Stern, the more it shone. Instead of this, the Stern insignia was also shiny, probably because there were two Stern.


    Lina was also Stern.


    She may now have inherent divine power.


    Seria stared at her hands, which were in prayer position. The reason she hadn¡¯t used her power on Lina was simple.


    What if Lina dies?


    This was the question.


    Duke Dietrich, Baron Ison, and Nisso Kellyden passed out and coughed up blood¡­.


    Will Lina be okay?


    She didn¡¯t want to be stigmatized as Saint¡¯s killer.


    There was no way to get Lina out separately. She was shaking more in the previous match than she thought. Perhaps she and Lina would sh. Even after Lina¡¯s official debut in imperial society, the priests would always follow her.


    At first she thought she would try to make some time to talk to Lina alone as she felt very ufortable about Lina¡¯s unreasonable proposal¡­


    But if Lina dies, she (Seria) would never be able to fix it.


    Besides, she (Seria) had never killed anyone before.


    So Seria waited until after Lina¡¯s divine power had been transferred to the sacred tree. Because if Lina had the divine power of God, it was safe for Seria¡¯s divine power.


    Then she didn¡¯t know what the darkness was before, but God would not give inherent divine power to a saint who was not an equal and was tainted.


    What would have happened if Lina didn¡¯t have a child with divine power? Seria had a lot of trouble figuring out how to use the divine power of the insignia on Lina. It was a selfish thought, but she had no choice.


    That was when it happened. She heard someoneing into the prayer room. She didn¡¯t request any annoying private prayers, so it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if a noble came in.


    It was strange. The footsteps that were walking stopped just behind her. A distance close enough to hug her from behind. There was no other sign of movement.


    ¡­What is it?


    Seria turned around to look behind her and her shoulders shook. A man dressed neatly in a form-fitting uniform. The familiar silver hair and the red eyes staring at her¡­


    It was Lesche.

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146 			?? Listen to Post


    There were so many seats avable in the prayer room, why did he stop behind her? Seria was dumbfounded. The moment she left her seat and walked past Lesche. He immediately grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I finished praying.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°I was told you had juste in.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Um¡­.¡±


    ¡°Why did you pray so short?¡± (Lesche)


    Seria nced at the altar. Then she smiled as she looked at Lesche.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know? Stern is allowed to do this.¡±


    Lesche chuckled and opened his mouth.


    ¡°I have a question for Stern.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What should I do when my faith is about to sink to the bottom?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Seria blinked. She thought he was joking¡­but she realized that he was not. There was a smile on Lesche¡¯s face, but no mischievousness.


    ¡°¡­.Lesche? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Lesche didn¡¯t answer right away, but stared at Seria. She didn¡¯t urge him either. How long has it been? Lesche finally spoke with a low sigh.


    ¡°The temple is trying to eat you up.¡±


    ¡°What? Is it because of the request?¡±


    It was true that High Priest Jubelud came to Seria earlier and politely asked for a favor.


    <em><strong>¡°Now, I officially request Stern to use her divine power once more. It is for the purpose of verifying the sacred power of the Saint, so please help us.¡±</strong></em>


    Seria scratched her cheek in panic.


    ¡°I told Linon that¡­.Didn¡¯t you hear me? As Stern, I can¡¯t refuse the High Priest¡¯s kind request.¡±


    Stern was not obligated to inspect the frozenke. There was also an unspoken obligation to cooperate with anything of importance that was recorded in the Bible or the Trust.


    In any case, Stern belonged to the Temple. Just as the priests could not refuse Stern¡¯s earnest request, the same was true of the opposition.


    ¡°Just do it this one time and don¡¯t do it again.¡± (Lesche)


    Seria chuckled.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding, Seria.¡±


    ¡°All right, all right. And Lesche, it¡¯s okay because my power paid off well.¡±


    That¡¯s right.


    Apart from her suspicions about Lina, the temple had given Seria an expensive townhouse in the imperial capital and helped her through the process withoutining about her idea of making Stern herst name. So she had no bad memories about the temple.


    Lesche frowned. He carefully stroked Seria¡¯s cheek with his hand and said.


    ¡°The priests are waiting for you outside. They asked me to bring you out.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    Lesche didn¡¯t answer right away, but held out his arm to her. She couldn¡¯t help but put her hand on it.


    ¡°You can see for yourself, Seria. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ***


    <em>¡®You really are in trouble, priests.¡¯</em>


    Seria sat down at the same table as Lina. The courtyard, which was one of the most famous and beautiful ces in the Great temple.


    At the tea tables, High Priest Jubelud and the priests were also sitting with nervousness on their faces. At Lina¡¯s side was Kalis with his chin and cheeks still bandaged, and at Seria¡¯s side sat Lesche.


    There was another person sitting at this table, where the high priests were constantly exchanging nces.


    ¡°Myote Stern.¡±


    Seria raised her eyebrows softly.


    This was called the Feast of Sterns.


    The Great Temple was frequented by many nobles and royalty from other countries, but they were also interested in Stern¡¯s whereabouts. The Sternsing together in one ce was also an extraordinary thing.


    It was understandable why they had arranged for such an asion, despite their reluctance to let Seria and Lina meet each other.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the dy in congratting you on your wedding, Grand Duchess. I am very grateful to you for relieving me of my obligation to go to Berg.¡± Said Myote, setting down her teacup.


    Her voice was very regal, but Seria knew that because she had met Myote several times. That was really a sign of gratitude.


    When Myote beckoned, the priests standing behind her brought out some boxes.


    ¡°This is a congrattory gift. Well, you¡¯re already the Grand Duchess of Berg, so this is nothing much.¡±


    ¡°Even if I¡¯m not satisfied, I can¡¯t just throw it away. Thank you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t throw it away.¡±


    The conversation between Myote and Seria ended briefly like that.


    Lina seemed troubled a bit without saying anything. So did Lesche and Kalis. No one said a word.


    ¡°Pleasee and visit us often, Grand Duchess.¡±


    Seria smiled faintly at High Priest Jubelud¡¯s words.


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°You always say that.¡±


    It was about this time that the conversation continued.


    Lina opened her mouth.


    ¡°My, Myote Stern.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lina flinched at the icy tone.


    But Lina¡¯s expression tightened.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯lle to visit the temple often too.¡±


    ¡°Visit the temple?¡±


    Myote asked back in a cold tone. Lina wouldn¡¯t know it yet, but Myote was cold and arrogant.


    ¡°There must be something wrong with you, Saintess. For me, the Great Temple is a home, not a ce to visit, but a ce to return to.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡±


    ¡°You speak as if you¡¯re the temple¡¯s owner.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way!¡±


    ¡°Saintess, don¡¯t be so surprised. If you were truly blessed with the child of god, then you could be the master of the High Temple, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Lina had a confused look on her face. But Myote didn¡¯t say anything, she only drank her tea.


    After a while.


    ¡°I heard some interesting things on the way here.¡±


    ¡°Oh. What was it about? Was there an interesting story?¡±


    High Priest Jubelud asked, observing the atmosphere carefully.


    ¡°I heard that the Saintess proposed to the Grand Duchess?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    nk.


    Seria looked sideways at Lesche, almost reflexively. It was Lesche who had just ced the cup down loudly.


    What was surprising was that Lina did the same, she had a scowling look on her face.


    ¡°Is there a problem with the Saintess that made you propose to a married woman?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Just out of anger¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to destroy a family just out of spite, Saintess Lina. Peace in the home is probably one of the most important virtues to emphasize in the Great Temple.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    In order to grasp Lina¡¯s weakness, Seria said she would consider Lina¡¯s proposal, something she would never bring up. So she had to give up a little.


    <em>¡®Sterns really do have amazing personalities.¡¯</em>


    That¡¯s true, and Myote didn¡¯t say those things to get on Seria¡¯s good side. Lina was in a bit of a bad mood, so she did it to make things difficult.


    ¡°So, have you apologized? Saintess.¡±


    ¡°Apologize¡­?


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t embarrass fellow Stern. And that¡¯s out of anger too. And¡­.¡±


    Myote said with her characteristic smug expression.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you and Marquis Hon almost kill Stern just a few months ago?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Lina¡¯s face flushed white.


    ¡°Well, I¡­¡±


    Myote nced at Lina¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°I heard that it will take three months before they can test to see if it is divine power or not. I¡¯ll be sure to congratte you then. I heard there¡¯s a possibility that it¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°¡­The probability that it is not is said to be very low.¡±


    ¡°The odds of there are three Sterns in the same time period are also very low. Saintess.¡±


    ¡°Myote Stern is¡­Why do you talk like that?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You say as if you don¡¯t want it to be divine power.¡±


    As Lina said this, Myote¡¯s gaze turned to High Priest Jubelud. The High Priest sweated profusely and soothed Lina.


    ¡°Saintess. That¡¯s not what Myote Stern meant.¡±


    High Priest Jubelud gave Myote a look asking her to move on just once. Myote crossed her arms and leaned her back against the backrest.


    High Priest Jubelud hastily changed the subject.


    ¡°So, Saintess. The person who will apany you to the sacred tree should naturally be Marquis Hon, right?¡±


    Lina was about to nod, when she suddenly looked at Kalis and said,


    ¡°I¡¯m not going with Kalis.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I want to go with someone else.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Kalis looked perplexed.


    ¡°Who do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Grand Duke Berg.¡±


    ¡°Lina!¡±


    Kalis hissed and gritted his teeth. It seemed that the pain in the bandages had risen. Lina looked down at the white table and said.


    ¡°Kalis is not feeling well right now, so I want Grand Duke Berg.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Silence fell.


    Lesche, who had been holding Seria¡¯s hand for a while and not letting go, tapped the back of her hand lightly with his thumb. Linon said that this was something Lesche would do when he was about to run out of patience.


    ¡°So¡­.¡±


    Lesche nced at Lina and asked with a weary expression.


    ¡°You want me to take responsibility for you?¡±


    Lina flinched and looked at High Priest Jubelud. High Priest Jubelud looked pale.


    Seria slowly alternated her gaze between Lina and High Priest Jubelud.


    She did not participate in the fight and watched silently. For it was Myote and Lina who were in the swordless war. Her past was just a means to an end.


    <em>¡®By the way, did I look sweet to Lina?¡¯</em>


    ¡°Lina.¡±


    Lina turned at Seria¡¯s call. High Priest Jubelud did the same. An awkward silence fell over the table.


    ¡°How much more of this coercion do I have to endure?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not forced¡­¡±


    ¡°You want to take my husband, why? What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to make him take responsibility for his actions.¡±


    ¡°How dare you, to my husband.¡±


    Lina¡¯s eyes widened, but she straightened her shoulders and said,


    ¡°I don¡¯t think ¡°dare¡± is the right word, Seria.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re both Stern, and I¡¯m also¡­I¡¯m officially the only saint, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand me at all. Lina.¡±


    Seria said coldly.


    ¡°I meant that it¡¯s funny that a Saint who has never taken responsibility before would dare to talk about responsibility like this.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Lina¡¯s face turned blue. She was too stunned to say anything. That was true. She really hadn¡¯t taken any responsibility for her actions in all that time. Most recently, she had proposed to Seria out of anger, and before that, she went to the cier with Kalis¡­.


    Since Myote mentioned thetter earlier, it must be the first thing thates to the minds of the people here now. Lina did the same.


    But the moment someone at the table mentioned this conversation again, she could have said that she meant Lina¡¯s impulsive proposal a few days ago, and that would have been the end of it.


    <em>¡®Because I am not dumb enough to mention that scandal with my own mouth.¡¯</em>


    ¡°And, Lina, think carefully about how much all your actions so far have dishonored Marquis Hon.¡±


    Seria said coldly.


    ¡°It¡¯s childish and ugly to be so stubborn in a duel that¡¯s already over, something not even a 10 years old child would do in society.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Seria kept her gaze fixed on Lina, who could not say anything, and continued.


    ¡°High Priest Jubelud.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Three months from now, it will be autumn. How can you expect my busy husband to help move it to the sacred tree¡­¡±


    Seria asked gruesomely, trailing off the words for a long time.


    ¡°Do you mean that he should neglect his duties as Grand Duke of Berg for the Great Temple?¡±


    High Priest Jubelud was as pale as a corpse.


    ¡°Am I wrong? Is the Great Temple nning to do that?¡±


    Seria raised her lips in a smile. The priests standing behind High Priest Jubelud shook their shoulders.


    ¡°Berg is busy enough as it is with his duty to protect the cier, he has absolutely no time to listen to the Saintess¡¯s selfishness.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Lina jumped up from her seat. She left her seat and ran away at a fast pace.


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    High Priest Jubelud hurriedly followed Lina. The priests rearranged the seats, not knowing what to do.


    Kalis and Lesche were the first to be separated.


    Seria and Myote sat at the table for a little longer because they were Stern.


    Sipping the cold tea, Myote said in a passing tone.


    ¡°The Saintess is amazing, isn¡¯t she? It¡¯s my first time being treated like this after awakening as a Stern.¡±


    Seria replied lightly.


    ¡®¡¯It won¡¯t end once or twice.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s unpleasant. I¡¯m sure the Grand Duchess will be fine, she¡¯s leaving first.¡±


    The faces of the priests behind them hardened in bewilderment at Myote¡¯s outspoken words. Of course, Seria didn¡¯t mind at all, and neither did Myote.


    Seria emptied her teacup and then walked over to Lesche, who was waiting for her.


    Lesche stood there with his arms crossed, staring at the empty seat of High Priest Jubelud with an unknown expression.

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147 			?? Listen to Post


    Late evening that day.


    High Priest Jubelud signed the transfer of divine power in support of Grand Duke Berg this year, and even stamped the seal of the Great Temple, then walked out of his office.


    He hoped this would make Grand Duke Berg feel a little better. Grand Duke Jubelud sighed. It was regrettable that Seria and Lesche Berg would be leaving the temple so soon tomorrow. He also felt that if Seria and Lina were on good terms, there would be no reason for them to leave like that.


    <em>¡®I wish the Saintess would be more mature¡­¡¯</em>


    Lina said that the world she had been living in from the beginning had changed, so she had to be careful about the temple.


    Lesche Berg was waiting for her in the private reception room.


    ¡°Thank you for your patience. Grand Duke Berg, here are the documents I¡¯ve stamped. Please ept them ande backter to visit with Stern.¡±


    Lesche, who had been looking out the window, turned around. He walked on his long legs and sat on the couch. And¡­ his expression.


    ¡°High priest Jubelud.¡±


    It was still very bad.


    Was it because he was called during the social season?


    ¡°When I bring my wife back, will you use the sacred relic to extract her power again?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    <em>What an outrageous thing to say. ¡­.</em>


    ¡°She¡¯s getting thinner.¡±


    ¡°Stern?¡±


    ¡°Seria didn¡¯t eat much of the temple food before¡­She couldn¡¯t even eat properly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡±


    Seria was only newsworthy in the temple. It was a fact known to all priests who were interested in Stern.


    ¡°When you made such a big deal out of the discovery of the Constetion Gold Mine, now you¡¯re so distracted by the Saintess and treating my wife poorly?¡±


    ¡°Treat her poorly? No, Your Highness! Please calm down.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the priests be the first to make a request? What the hell¡­..¡±


    It was only btedly that High Priest Jubelud knew that Lesche¡¯s mood was really bottoming out. With Lesche¡¯s eyes sunk in anger, the High Priest couldn¡¯t help but make an excuse.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that I paid more attention to the problem of the Saintess¡¯s child, but I¡¯m definitely not neglecting Stern¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice story, High Priest. Does your treatment of Stern change depending on whether or not you have the Saintess¡¯s child in the Great Temple? I can¡¯t imagine such a faithless rtionship.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    The usation left High Priest Jubelud momentarily speechless.


    ¡°In the Central Territories, under no circumstances is Stern the most valuable. I hope you understand it clearly.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Those were words that could only be said because he was Grand Duke Berg, the guardian of the demons¡¯ tomb. It was also serious enough to send shivers down the spines of the listeners. Originally, Lina was also a Stern, and there was also another Stern, Myote, but it didn¡¯t matter to Lesche.


    He said with a cold smile.


    ¡°Okay. And by the way, my wife will serve the Grand Duchy of Stern in Berg.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It seems to me that it¡¯s difficult for you to serve your precious Saintess already. I can¡¯t believe you treat Stern poorly¡­¡­. I have never heard of it in all of Berg¡¯s history.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    So Lesche told them to hold their Saintess and get lost.


    High Priest Jubelud¡¯s face naturally turned pale. Whether or not, Lesche stood up with only the papers. The High Priest reached out and grabbed Lesche¡¯s without realizing it, but he couldn¡¯t even hold on.


    The High Priest staggered lightly, and called in the other priests.


    ¡°Were the remaining Sterns ufortable after I followed the Saintess earlier?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it was actually Myote Stern¡­¡±


    After High Priest Jubelud heard the story, he was horrified.


    But there was no time to stop her, Seria Stern left early the next morning, and Myote Stern also left the Great Temple without staying another few days.


    ¡°Wee back, Grand Duke, Grand Duchess.¡±


    It had been a long time since Seria had been back to Berg Main Castle, and she felt like she had arrived home. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but she felt calm and at ease. She had no reason to think that she wasn¡¯t home.


    Ben and Susan didn¡¯te, because after staying in the main castle for a while, she had to go back to the Imperial mansion in the capital again. Still, there were always a great number of live-in servants here, so it was not particrly inconvenient.


    ¡°Should we stop by the Laurel manor before going up to the capital?¡±


    Surprisingly, Lesche shook his head with concern.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better if they don¡¯t see you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If Susan or Ben see you, they will yell first.¡±


    ¡°After seeing me? Why?¡±


    Seria was dumbfounded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat more.¡±


    Lesche cut the bread directly for Seria. Seria refused, saying she was too full, but Lesche finally fed her a few more slices. And yet, he didn¡¯t seem to like it..


    Anyway, in Berg¡¯s main castle, there was nothing to do, and no nobles to meet right now. Seria was bored for over a week and spent some time lounging around in the big castle. The weather was already early summer.


    After the short outing, Seria returned to her residence in the capital.


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    ¡°Wee back.¡±


    Susan and Ben weed Seria with bright smiles and immediately looked at her strangely.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so thin?¡±


    ¡°Did you have a hard time?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    It was true that Seria had lost some weight after visiting the Great Temple. She had used arge amount of divine power this time, and the issue with Lina¡¯s child took a toll on her.


    She ate well in the Berg¡¯s main castle, but neither of them seemed to believe in it at all. So she told them about the menu, remembering what she had eaten so far. Then Susan said, ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem with the menu. The Grand Duchess needs to go to bed earlier in the evening.¡±


    Seria coughed.


    It was also true that she still didn¡¯t gain weight even though Lesche tried to feed her a lot of food in the main castle¡­


    She felt a little embarrassed, because the reason she was thinking about it alone and the reason Susan was thinking were simr. (*too much s*x ??)


    After a quick check of the luggage being unloaded from the carriage, Seria took a bath, dried her hair, and quickly tidied up the internal affairs that had umted. While she was away for a while, she received letters of regards and invitations from all over the ce¡­.


    One of them was a letter from Duke Howard. It seemed like an ordinary greeting letter, but it was a letter that secretly showed a desire for Abigail.


    Moreover, the carriage with Berg¡¯s crest on it had crossed the capital today, so she was looking forward to seeing what kind of letters she would receive again tomorrow.


    After she wrote a reply to Marlesana¡¯s letter, Seria walked around the mansion. The Berg mansion has a clever butler and maids, but the hostess had to check things. Just because¡­


    After checking everything, three or four hours had flown by.


    Returning to the bedroom earlier than usual, Seriay still on the soft bed.


    She lifted the circlet on her neck above her field of vision, then pressed the red gem in the center of the concave.


    Her vision immediately became cloudy. When she opened her eyes¡­.


    There was Tuban.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    She thought his appearance might have changed a bit, but it remained the same. This time, he was still as motionless as ever, and the bizarre visuals that made people faint were still the same.


    How she wanted toe and punch him in the face because he took the blue diamond¡­.She cleared her throat a few times, adjusted her neck, and opened her mouth.


    ¡°Tuban.¡±


    She instinctively knew that the less time she had to stay here, the better, so she began to ask.


    ¡°What is the jewel you painted on the insignia? Do you have a name for it? If I don¡¯t know the name, I can¡¯t find the jewel.¡±


    Earlier, she went to the prayer room in the mansion, and when she checked the insignia, there was a painting of a new gemstone on it.


    It was the gemstone she had never seen before, unlike her blue diamond fromst time. She asked what kind of gem this was, but of course she got no answer. Then she deliberately pressed the red gemstone in the center of the circlet.


    Again, on the weightless Stern insignia, still in her hand, letters began to be engraved.


    <Mermaid Spring.>


    ¡°¡­Mermaid Spring? Is it that bright blue gem?¡±


    Seria flinched at the unfamiliar name.


    ¡°Oh, my. How can I get that?¡±


    It was impossible for her not to know about the jewel. In the Glick Empire, it was customary to give blue flowers to brides. Like the handkerchief that Susan had embroidered for her with blue flowers when her marriage was approved by the imperial family.


    In the original story, when Lina married Lesche, she also received blue flowers.


    A precious jewel in the shape of a blue flower, to be exact.


    The name of that jewel was ¡°Mermaid Spring¡±.


    Unlike Seria¡¯s blue diamond, which she could see everyday, she only remembered the description of ¡°Mermaid Spring¡± and didn¡¯t notice it because she didn¡¯t see it in person.


    ¡°If I find the Mermaid Spring, I can bring another gem to break the seal, right? Make sure to write the name of thest jewel on the insignia next time. I can¡¯te here often.¡±


    <Okay.>


    Seria tilted her head. Tuban answered in one short word. The short answer reminded her of Lesche in a strange way. Perhaps Tunab was not a long talker either?


    ¡°And¡­Tuban.¡±


    She asked carefully.


    ¡°You know Lina, don¡¯t you? What¡¯s the rtionship between Lina and Magi?¡­.Whoa! Please don¡¯t throw up blood! I won¡¯t ask!¡±


    Tuban vomited red blood again. Seria screamed and grabbed a handful of Tuban¡¯s hair and wiped the blood.


    ¡°Why do you keep vomiting blood? I¡¯ll have to hurry up and find the jewel or something. Seriously. Phew.¡±


    She was worried that if she stayed here long, she wouldn¡¯t be able to wake up in reality. She told Lesche in advance that she woulde.


    On the one hand, it was frustrating.


    ¡°You took my Blue Diamond, shouldn¡¯t a third of the seal be released by now? How can you eat something so expensive and not be able to talk?¡±


    <I¡­.>


    An unexpected answer came back to herint that she wanted the blue diamond back.


    <I abandoned Stern.>


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    That was all of what was written on the Stern insignia. And since Tuban was bleeding a lot, she felt like she was struck by lightning.


    ¡°¡­.abandoned Stern?¡±


    It was not something that anyone could do.


    At the same time, the words that kept running through her head.


    Is Stern¡¯s divine power that strong? It can¡¯t be. When was thest time Sterns were abandoned?


    These were the meaningful words that Mies said to Lesche in the torture chamber.


    Learning from the Great Temple, It was said Stern was the most brilliant evidence among the numerous evidences God showed. Also, the reason why they were called ¡°Stern,¡± which meant ¡°star,¡± was because they were blessed by stars¡­.


    Star that blessed Stern. In the Great Temple, it was called Saint.


    Seria asked with a look of disbelief.


    ¡°So Stern is Saint¡­?


    Why is the Saint of Stern so obnoxious?


    At the same time, Tuban spurted out a lot of blood. She couldn¡¯t hear it, but she could hear the sound effect of the gushing blood.


    ¡°Tuban!¡±


    She squealed again, wiping away the blood. He told her to prepare for the hearing after all the jewels were found. It was terrifying to see bright red blood gushing through the gag that Tuban, a living mummy, was biting.


    But even in the midst of being scared, she thought.


    Wouldn¡¯t it be more efficient to ask one more question since he was bleeding anyway?


    She nced at Tuban and asked.


    ¡°Original story¡­no. You looked like this even before I turned back time? Then why didn¡¯t you ask Lina to help you?¡±

 Chapter 148

    Chapter 148 			?? Listen to Post


    She didn¡¯t know how much blood Tuban would cough up this time, so Seria untied the wide ribbon that was binding her waist.


    It was strange.


    Tuban didn¡¯t say anything, and his face was hidden by his long, fine hair, so she couldn¡¯t read his expression.


    Still, she had a feeling that Tuban was in a lot of trouble. It was hard to exin in words, it was just a feeling. In the midst of this, bloody was still leaking out of his mouth.


    Soon, letters began to be engraved on Stern¡¯s insignia.


    The writing was more forceful than before.


    <She is¡­>


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    <She is a replica.>


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t believe her eyes.


    Tuban, who had not moved slightly until then, copsed with a thud. At the same time, blood flowed out of his mouth like water flooding a river. To give you an idea of what level it was, it almost bled up to the ankles in no time.


    The problem was after that.


    ¡°Ah! Tuban!¡±


    Seria hurriedly tried to cover Tuban¡¯s mouth with the ribbon and wipe it off.


    Suddenly she turned her head back at the strange presence.


    Soon after, she had no choice but to open her eyes wide.


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Something that looked like Tuban was crawling quickly towards her. That was when the unidentified thing reached out its long arms and tried to snatch her ankles.


    White light shed before her eyes.


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±


    Seria jumped up like she was having a seizure. The arm she was trying to shake off didn¡¯t go as far as she wanted. Her both wrists were being held tightly by someone.


    ¡°¡­Seria? Seria!¡±


    Her eyes widened in response to the voice in her ear. In an instant, her body lost strength.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    She understood btedly. She was being held in Lesche¡¯s arms while lying with her back on Lesche¡¯s abdomen. It was like Lesche was holding her like that as she slept.


    The strong force that held her trembling body inplete captivity, the tension that had made her shudder all the way up to my neck, melted away as if it were a lie. Unlike her, who was rxed, Lesche¡¯s body had more strength than usual.


    She stroked her face down with both hands and turned her over. She wrapped her arms around Lesche¡¯s neck and buried her face into his shoulder, the heart pounding fast at the close contact. Her heartbeat was slow and steady, whereas Lesche¡¯s was not.


    ¡°¡­I saw something strange.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®strange¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Something monstrous tried to grab my ankle¡­It¡¯s like a nightmare.¡±


    Seria shuddered. After the recent mining incident, she had decided to tell Lesche everything about Tuban. She thought it was the polite thing to do for this man who supported her.


    ¡°How long did I sleep?¡± (Seria) (*Whenever Seria goes to Tuban¡¯s world, she will sleep for a long time.)


    ¡°You slept for a day.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­One day? Is that all?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°You sound disappointed. ¡®Only slept for a day.¡¯¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I wish you didn¡¯t go there so often.¡±


    Her heart ached at the slight tremble in his voice.


    ¡°I understand. Then I won¡¯t be able to see you for a while.¡±


    Lesche chuckled low.


    ¡°I hope that feelingsts for a long time.¡±


    After keeping Seria trapped in his arms for a while, Lesche finally let her go when she told him she was thirsty.


    Shortly after, the doctor came in and she was examined like a rite of passage. Of course, there was nothing wrong with her body. She used her sacred power just to be sure, and it was fine too.


    <em>¡®Thank God.¡¯</em>


    Honestly, if it wasn¡¯t the powerful divine powering from her hands.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I follow you there?¡±


    Also, if it wasn¡¯t for Lesche, she would have suspected many times that she was crazy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can, but I¡¯ll ask Tuban next time.¡±


    ¡°I want to ask him a question.¡±


    ¡°What are you the guardian of¡­?¡±


    Seria asked that question back, but her aching heart felt warm. This man who informed her that she was in reality was too precious to her.


    On the other hand¡­


    She couldn¡¯t help but think of Lesche¡¯s heart, who had no choice but to watch over her as she slept.


    <em>¡®I¡¯ll have to live as Lesche¡¯s ve for a year once everything is sorted out.¡¯</em>


    Shey down on her darkened bed again and reconsidered.


    <em>¡®By the way¡­Lina is a replica?¡¯</em>


    What exactly does it mean? No, the question is ¡®Lina is a replica of who?¡¯


    <em>¡®It¡¯s not me, is it?¡¯</em>


    The reason why such a thought suddenly came to her mind was because she remembered what Tuban had said the other day.


    Seria¡¯s and Lina¡¯s name was Rain..


    Could it be that their names were simr?


    Seria and Lina.


    Lina, Seria.


    <em>¡®D*mn it.¡¯</em>


    Seria was scared. It was an eerie feeling, as if she had suddenly fallen into something terrifying.


    She felt fortunate once again to be in the real world that waspletely in her favor instead of Tuban¡¯s world.


    ***


    The next day.


    She finished the work that needed to be done as quickly as possible, and immediately began to select jewelry auction houses. No matter what she thought, it seemed that the most important thing was to quickly unseal Tuban.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    It was Linon who had brought her the list of auction houses. He nced at the stack of papers on her desk and tilted his head.


    ¡°I was wondering what you are looking for. Are you looking for the Mermaid Spring?¡±


    ¡°Do you know this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But why are you looking for it?¡±


    ¡°I want it. I¡¯m not quite sure where to find it.¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, it¡¯s in Murat.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Seria raised her eyes. She wondered if Berg¡¯s aide knew that well in the beginning¡­


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess.¡±


    <em>¡®Is he a search system, or something?¡¯</em>


    Seria was bewildered and confused at the same time. She put down her pen and stood up.


    ¡°Will I be able to get it if I send someone to Murat?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little difficult to send someone inferior. It¡¯s an ind near the Mermaid Sea, and the jewel Mermaid Spring is very important.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to go to Murat myself then.¡±


    Murat was a small to medium sized ind vige located in the south. Linon¡¯s eyes suddenly began to shake at her words.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Linon quickly cleared his throat.


    ¡°I can go and buy it for you.¡±


    ¡°Linon? What about your work schedule?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I still have a lot of unused vacation time left. May I leave for Murat in twelve days? It will take about a month in total.¡±


    ¡°Then, well, you¡¯ll be grateful¡­.¡±


    How difficult it was to buy a piece of jewelry when you only know its name. She thought she would spend at least a whole season to find it. It was also time that she had drastically reduced because she was Stern and Grand Duchess of Berg.


    She felt much lighter. However, her smile froze as soon as she saw the expected cost.


    <em>¡®Tuban, you b*stard.¡¯</em>


    It was fortunate that she had a lot of money from the mine. Swallowing tears of blood, she asked Linon.


    ¡°Are you going to see your rtives? I¡¯ll prepare some presents, so take them.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I heard you were born in Murat.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Linon was silent for a moment, then slowly asked back.


    ¡°Do you remember that?¡±


    ¡°I do remember. Do I look like an idiot?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Linon¡¯s cheeks reddened slightly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the Grand Duchess would remember.¡±


    It was the moment Seria blinked. Abigail, who had been with her in her office the whole time, suddenly moved like the wind. She grabbed Linon by the chest. Seria got up from her chair with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°Bibi, what¡¯s wrong with you all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s trying to invade my territory.¡±


    ¡°Your territory? What ¡­.?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go for a walk with him. Lady.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Seria couldn¡¯t understand what was going on, so she just tilted her head. Linon was dragged by Abigail¡¯s merciless grab on his cor.


    The door mmed shut. Seria couldn¡¯t see Linon¡¯s face for days after that.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Oh, Grand Duchess. You¡¯ve received a letter from the Great Temple.¡±


    ¡°Letter?¡±


    The sender of the letter was High Priest Jubelud. She was wondering if there would be any mention of Lina in the letter, but there wasn¡¯t. It was a letter asking how she was doing. (*too much pressure from Lesche ??)


    <em>¡®Why are you suddenly asking me if I¡¯m well?¡¯</em>


    He wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would even send a letter to ask about his well-being. The High Priest was a very busy person.


    <em>¡®I¡¯ll have to reply to him when I get back.¡¯</em>


    She looked at her face in the mirror. The hair was neatly braided with a red jewel decoration. Even in this mansion, the maid was very skillful.


    The dress she wore was bright and light in color and it went well with summer. It was also the work of designer Begonia. As a famous designer, Begonia didn¡¯t make everyday clothes. The fancy dresses for banquets were her main creations.


    Just like the one Seria was wearing.


    ¡°Wow, Grand Duchess! You really are dazzlingly beautiful! There¡¯s a reason why rumors have been spreading that she was always beautiful!¡±


    A youngdy openly and exaggeratedly praised Seria. Seria turned around in disgust. Linon was barely able to keep his hands together. If there was one thing that was different from the norm, it was that Linon was also decorated splendidly.


    ¡°Duke Howard will be surprised, as Chief Aide Berg at his own banquet.¡±


    Linon flinched.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard some strange things about Duke Howard¡­Should I not go?¡±


    ¡°If you want to go, you can go. You¡¯ve already made your preparations.¡±


    Linon¡¯s face immediately brightened.


    Seria climbed into the carriage alone and looked out the window. Lesche, who had been busy for the past few days, decided to leave the Imperial Pce right away.


    Seria didn¡¯t n to attend Duke Howard¡¯s banquet in the first ce.


    However, Lina had always been eager to make her debut in the imperial court, and instead of bullying the saint, she would not let the battle stop her from doing so .


    The Grand Noble Family was just about to hold a banquet, so it would be better to attend and check out some social trends. As an aristocrat, socializing was an inseparable part of daily life.


    In fact¡­hearing the strange story that Lina was a replica didn¡¯t change things much.


    It wasn¡¯t that Lina would suddenly disappear, or die. However, that divine power in her belly would certainly not be the child of God. Of course, that would be determined in a month or two, when the results were certain.


    <em>Does Lina know what she is?</em>


    <em>I don¡¯t know.</em>


    Then will she find outter?


    Seria frowned.


    There were many people at Duke Howard¡¯s banquet. Abigail and her image in his mind had deteriorated, but he was still a dignified Duke of the empire.


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    Marlesana saw Seria and approached her. The Duke of Polvas was also with her. They exchanged a brief greeting and stepped inside.


    ¡°They have decorated the banquet hall with an unusual atmosphere.¡±


    ¡°Since there¡¯s a subjugation¡­¡±


    It was obvious that the Duke had prepared this banquet in a hurry. She picked up a ss of champagne and drank a few sips.


    When she went inside, Marlesana tilted her head slightly and asked.


    ¡°I was wondering, what is that strange thing in the corner?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Marlesana was right, there was a low, t wooden table in the corner of the hall. It was on wheels and appeared to be easy to move. On top of it was something covered with a in white cloth, but looking at the outline alone, it looked like a box of some kind.


    Suddenly, Seria turned her gaze towards Linon. Linon, who came to the banquet as her escort, had his eyes fixed on the white box strangely.


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149 			?? Listen to Post


    <em>¡®Why is he staring at that thing so intently?¡¯</em>


    Seria asked to be excused and then quickly went over to Linon¡¯s side.


    ¡°Linon, do you want that one?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Linon looked flustered and waved his hands.


    ¡°No! No!¡±


    He was very flustered, which looked very suspicious, but Seria didn¡¯t have time to find out.


    ¡°Hmmm, Grand Duchess Berg.¡±


    She turned around and saw that Duke Howard had approached her before she knew it. In the meantime, Linon greeted him politely and quickly stepped aside.


    Duke Howard asked her how she was doing. In the meantime, he also asked how Abigail was doing with an anxious voice.


    In this way, Duke Howard was still a duke, although he was fascinated with Abigail.


    Even in the briefest of conversations about her safety, he secretly tried to arrange a meeting with Empress Ekizel.


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a mysterious friend for you, and I hope you¡¯lle along with your dear knight.¡±


    Duke Howard was full of confidence.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Howard¡¯s butler approached nimbly and whispered to the Duke.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Duke Howard, whose face turned blue, nced at Seria.


    <em>¡®Why is his face so pale?¡¯</em>


    Duke Howard asked to be excused and hurried to his feet.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The question didn¡¯tst long.


    There was a loud buzzing sound. She could see a self-conscious face in a bright white dressing through the door.


    ¡°Lina?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God. Oh, my God, it¡¯s the Saintess.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I heard that the Howard family ambitiously prepared this banquet, but it seems that all the powerful people in the empire have received invitations.¡±


    What¡¯s strange was that she didn¡¯te with Kalis. Why did Linae to the capital?


    While Seria was confused, the music changed.


    ¡°Seria. Duke Howard must have sent invitations to all the major families as is customary?¡±


    Marlesana whispered quietly,ing to Seria¡¯s side at some point.


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°But did he invite a religious person who didn¡¯t debut in the imperial capital? It¡¯s notmon to call temple people to private parties.¡±


    Seria chuckled as she had the same thought. It¡¯s always fun to have a friend you can talk to.


    ¡°We¡¯ll know for sure in a bit.¡±


    Marlesana nodded.


    <em>¡®I think Duke Howard only invited Marquis Hon.¡¯ (Seria)</em>


    Duke Howard has been very busy trying to please Seria, including weing Abigail and arranging a meeting with Queen Ekizel. Would such a Duke be willing to go to the trouble of inviting Lina and Seria together?


    It didn¡¯t make sense.


    Duke Howard must be well aware of the huge scandal that had urred between Lina and Kalis in Berg. There was no way Duke Howard was going to invite Lina.


    Did Linae using Kalis¡¯s invitation? By the way, why didn¡¯t Kalise?


    Suddenly all eyes turned to Seria.


    She became more of a spectacle than the banquet that Duke Howard had ambitiously prepared.


    It was at that moment that she felt the atmosphere of the banquet hall was disturbed. The servants of Duke Howard¡¯s family dragged the box covered with the white cloth from the corner. It was the very same box that had captured Linon¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡±


    Duke Howard stepped out into the center of the room with a ce face was, but he didn¡¯t care.


    He weed his guests.


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared something special especially for you.¡±


    The well dressed butler standing beside Duke Howard pulled the white cloth away.


    The light of the banquet hall poured into the center of the room while the lights of the chandeliers were adjusted in a theatrical fashion.


    The rectangr box was made of opaque metal only a third of the way down, and the top was ss. The box, or more urately, the tank, which was really tall and expensive for this world, was filled with water, and inside it was¡­


    Seria¡¯s eyes widened.


    Everyone was surprised.


    ¡°Is that a mermaid?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a mermaid.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    As she imagined, it wasn¡¯t just a beautiful, fairytale-like being, but anyway, it was a mermaid with a fish tail on the lower half of his body and a human on the upper half. It was a male mermaid. His long hair shook like seaweed. The aristocrats, who had at first been amazed at the exposure to the rumored being, were now silent as they looked at the scales on his tail.


    ¡°No¡­.¡±


    ¡°very is illegal, Duke Howard.¡±


    One nobleman¡¯s sharp point came in quickly. Duke Howard shook his head. He looked as if he didn¡¯t think so.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®ve¡¯? I haven¡¯t introduced it as a noble. The mermaid was injured when it appeared on the imperial beach. And my people saved it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ Is that right?¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t talk about it in detail right now because he¡¯s not feeling well, but under our care, he¡¯s steadily recovering his health. He is a friend who takes a great deal of interest in Imperial society, so he will always be present at Howard¡¯s banquets.¡±


    Duke Howard said with augh. Seria tilted her chin lightly.


    <em>¡®You¡¯ve taken coteral in the right ces.¡¯</em>


    It was easy to host a banquet only if you were a member of arge aristocratic family or a famous socialite, but those noble families who weren¡¯t always had to worry about hosting a banquet and not having enough guests.


    For this reason, they would often prepare especially famous beauties, renowned mystical artists, or unique spectacles.


    Duke Howard had never had to do that before. However, the failure of the demon subjugation was painful.


    He said the mermaid was noble, but who would think of it as a noble when it is disyed like that?


    They would also rather see a precious mermaid than any prisoner, so for the time being, Howard¡¯s banquet would be full if he held it¡­.


    Of course, prison ves were officially illegal, so there were many unfavorable stares. Perhaps conscious of these stares, Duke Howard approached the tank with a water bottle, perhaps to express his intimacy with the mermaid.


    He said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard it said that just as we don¡¯t nibble on our clothes to eat because we¡¯re hungry, mermaids don¡¯t drink the water that surrounds their bodies because they¡¯re thirsty.¡±


    The mermaids took the water that Duke Howard offered them and drank it. She was so young that she almost exploded with envy and curiosity at the look in the hostile aristocrat¡¯s eyes. ¡®The look was that for the time being, Duke Howard¡¯s banquet was going to be unconditionally full.


    At this rate, in five years¡¯ time, each banquet hall might be decorated with an aquarium filled with mermaids. Seria was staring at the mermaid with these thoughts in her mind. The mermaid¡¯s face was expressionless, but he seemed to be strangely scared.


    <em>¡®Did they torture it?¡¯</em>


    But how they can torture it without showing any signs when it has no clothes? The scales didn¡¯t seem to be damaged in any way. Seria looked closely to the mermaid¡¯s fingertips, wondering if they poked them with needles.


    ¡°Do you like mermaids?¡±


    At that moment, a low voice resounded in her ears. She turned her head to the side.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like them at all.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just not my taste. Lesche.¡±


    She didn¡¯t even know when Lesche had arrived. She just saw a faint smile in Lesche¡¯s eyes as he came to her side. He nodded lightly to Marlesana, whose eyes were wide open. Marlesana bowed her head in surprise.


    Lesche held out his hand to Seria. She took his hand and chuckled.


    ¡°You are not even surprised.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m never surprised in a situation where there are so many aristocrats staring at me.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, not everyone is a socialite.¡±(Lesche)


    Seria giggled and asked him.


    ¡°When did you arrive?¡±


    ¡°No long. It was when the Duke gave the mermaid a drink.¡±


    ¡°It really hasn¡¯t been that long.¡±


    <em>¡®By the way, how did he find me so quickly? Is it because he¡¯s a knight?¡¯</em>


    When Lesche appeared, all eyes were on Seria again. He asked as he led Seria to a quiet ce.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t youe with Linon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I came with him.¡±


    <em>¡®Where is he?¡¯</em>


    Seria tilted her head, trying to point to where Linon was. But Linon was nowhere to be seen. Did he go to the bathroom? It didn¡¯t look like it because he didn¡¯t appear even after the mermaid tank disappeared.


    Lesche¡¯s eyebrows lifted quickly.


    ¡°He must be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    How dazed Linon was¡­.


    In a moment, a thought shed through her mind.


    ¡°Is it because I told him to find the mermaid spring?¡±


    To kidnap and torture the mermaid to find out where the gem is? Was that why he wanted to escort her to the banquet?


    ¡°You know, Lesche.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    When Seria whispered in his ear, Lesche chuckled.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be. Linon wouldn¡¯t torture a mermaid. He might kill it, though. (Lesche)


    ¡°What do you mean kill?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Linon doesn¡¯t like mermaids. To be precise, he doesn¡¯t like mermaids in human hands.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­Why is that?¡± (Seria)


    Lesche stared at Seria. He whispered in a voice that was rarely heard.


    ¡°Did Linon ever tell you that he¡¯s a half-blooded mermaid?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Seria?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Seria gasped. Telling such a secret did not cause any significant change in Lesche¡¯s expression. After a while Seria calmed down.


    She smiled vacantly as she looked at Lesche, who had grabbed both of her hands before she knew it.


    ¡°I almost screamed just now.¡±


    ***


    Click.


    Linon walked into therge, dark room. He had a map of Duke Howard¡¯s mansion, though the Duke knew nothing about it.


    He had memorized the map well, and thanks to it, he was able to find his way around easily.


    Inside the room, there was a water tank covered with a white cloth. Just a few moments ago, the aquarium had been the center of people¡¯s attention, and now it was ced in a dimly lit corner of the warehouse.


    Linon walked towards it with a pale face. He wanted to forget the scene he saw today.

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150 			?? Listen to Post


    Mermaids were really afraid of drinking clean water. Mermaids would never swallow water into their esophagus, just as humans suffer when water enters their lungs. The water that came in contact with their skin was enough.


    So Linon, a mermaid half-breed, was also afraid to drink pure water. He didn¡¯t know why, though, since tea and beverages smelled different and could be drunk. Unlike the pure-blooded mermaids, his body needed to consume water anyway, so he drank it when he really needed to.


    But to make such a mermaid drink this much water¡­. It seemed that Duke Howard had already figured out what the mermaid¡¯s weaknesses were.


    Nobles like beautiful things. They like rare things. They are willing to spend money on mystical hobbies. Linon was well aware of the habits of these nobles. Having seen the scales of the mermaid in front of their eyes, the nobles would want to keep it close to them¡­.


    Linon could vividly picture how Duke Howard would use this mermaid for socializing.


    But when mermaids becamemon, their value would be low, and the nobles would quickly lose interest. Then, of course, the mermaids would be re-sold, but in rare cases, it would be thrown away.


    And if the mermaids got in the hands of themoners who had nothing to eat¡­.


    Linon¡¯s white-gloved hands trembled.


    <em>¡®Then they¡¯ll eat the mermaid in front of me. It¡¯s terrible.¡¯</em>


    All themoners didn¡¯t want to know the difference between a fish and a mermaid who was too old to make any money. The dirty, filthymoners, blinded by their appetites, did.


    Feeling nauseous, Linon crouched down. Gasping as if hyperventting, then finally got up. Scratching at the cloth, he woke up the mermaid who had been cowering in his sleep.


    Their gazes met in silence.


    He wanted to release it right now, but it was impossible. Now that there were the Grand Duke and Duchess of Berg, and the Saintess attended the banquet, the Howard family would be in an uproar, but today was the only chance. Even if the power of the Howard family had fallen recently, Duke Howard was still a Duke¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    When Linon opened the lid, the mermaid lifted his face to the surface. The water-soaked skin, the hair, those shimmering scales¡­. Even if it lives anyway, it will be a spectacle, and it will be a life where it will be tortured with clean water and shed weaknesses of the race.


    The mermaids had a separate viin to protect them anyway. For mermaids like this, identally washed up on shore, a quick death was the way to go for the safety of the species.


    Linon untied his cloak with shaking hands andid it on the floor.


    ¡°Run away.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­You may die on the way to escape, but it¡¯ll be better that way.¡±


    As of today, this mermaid would receive the explosive interest of most nobles of the Imperial capital. All the observant and greedy nobles will recognize it.


    Ssh!


    After Linon finally took the mermaid out of the tank, he wiped the water off with his cloak. At a certain moment, his eyes spun around in front of him.


    ¡°Why are the gods always so stingy with the beastmen¡­?¡±


    Of all times, now was such a tense time.


    He felt like he was experiencing a rpse of the panic disorder he had experienced so many times at the Academy. Linon hugged his knees and lowered his head with wet eyes. His lungs were throbbing with pain from hyperventting. He was out of breath when suddenly he was grabbed by the cor and lifted up.


    Linon turned around, his cheeks wet with tears.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown braver. Totally ¡­..¡±


    Seria stood there, clicking her tongue.


    ***


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the mermaid is gone!¡±


    Duke Howard eximed with a pale face, less than an hour after the banquet had begun.


    For a moment, the music died down, then hastily reconnected.


    The gazes of the nobles who had been talking about the mermaid gathered on Duke Howard. Duke Howard¡¯s face waspletely pale.


    ¡°Lock the doors and search immediately!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!


    The nobles began to rustle at the unexpected situation. Seria nced at Linon, who was fidgeting behind her.


    ¡°What is it? Did someone steal the mermaid?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps he thought he wouldn¡¯t get caught because there were too many people. What kind of noble person is he?¡±


    ¡°The scales were really fantastic. It was like Stern¡¯s ceremonial dress¡­¡±


    Duke Howard was not a member of the royal family, but he was a Duke by rights. The Duke Howard¡¯s butler and servants politely asked each of the nobles who attended the banquet if they could check their carriages. They politely asked for permission.


    ¡°Of course. Come on, check it out.¡±


    Among them were Prince Jun whose presence was so small that they didn¡¯t even know he attended. Knowing that he was the son of Empress Ezikel, he immediately epted it. But what nobleman could say no?


    Rather than the Prince, it was Seria¡¯s own husband that the butler had a hard time with.


    ¡°It¡¯s a terribleck of respect, Grand Duke Berg¡­.¡±


    The butler of Duke Howard¡¯s family approached him awkwardly.


    ¡°¡­Duke Howard.¡±


    Duke Howard¡¯s eyes shed.


    ¡°I saw the Grand Duchess go to the mermaid¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    There was silence for a moment. The eyes of Duke Howard, as well as the rest of the nobles, were only focusing on the person who had just opened her mouth.


    ¡°¡­Saintess?¡±


    The nobles by Lina¡¯s side were also bemused. They had just learned about their simple tendencies. Many of them were pious, sincere nobles.


    Duke Howard asked in a shocked voice.


    ¡°What did you say just now?¡±


    ¡°I told you that I saw Grand Duchess Berg go to the mermaid¡¯s room. And she came back quite a whileter.¡±


    Lina spoke clearly one more time, but the atmosphere became as cold as ice. When it came down to it, Lina was quite nervous to speak and couldn¡¯t seem to grasp it. ¡­.


    It was the way they looked at her.


    ¡°So¡­..¡±


    Seria stared at Lina without concern.


    ¡°Are you suspecting me?¡±


    ¡°¡­I just testified as a witness. Since Duke Howard is looking for it busily¡­..¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯m a mermaid thief?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Lina fell silent. But she didn¡¯t deny it either.


    Duke Howard asked in a trembling voice.


    ¡°¡­Why did the Grand Duchess enter the room with the mermaid?¡±


    Seria looked at Duke Howard quietly. The longer they looked at each other, the more pale the Duke became.


    ¡°My knight is from the southern ind of Murat, and he told me something.¡±


    Duke Howard¡¯s eyes shook at the mention of ¡°my knight,¡± and the nobles whispered quietly to the word ¡°Southern Murat.¡±


    As it should be, the ind of Murat was so secluded that even the nobles living in the south did not know much about it.


    ¡°It looks like the mermaid is not a noble, but a ve.¡±


    ¡°A ve? No!¡±


    ¡°No? See, Linon?¡±


    Linon, equally pale faced, hurried out.


    ¡°Roll up your sleeves.¡±


    Linon immediately rolled up his sleeves. He then untied the temporary bandage he had made with the cloth. The nearby nobles inhaled.


    It was a well known fact that mermaids have teeth as sharp as sharks. And Linon¡¯s wrist was full of ragged flesh and blood marks as if he had been bitten by a shark.


    It was a bit disgusting.


    ¡°Prisoner ve prosecution is my duty as an Imperial citizen, and I have the right to hear what Stern¡¯s knight wants. I asked my aide to look into it in case, and the mermaid threatened and bit Berg¡¯s chief aide like this.¡±


    Seria tilted her chin and continued.


    ¡°Release it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°Duke Howard tortured the mermaid in a way that was not well known to the public.¡±


    The Duke¡¯s eyes went wide. All the nobles were interested in what method he had used. Of course, if they asked now, they would be scowled at, so everyone stayed quiet.


    Setia said with a grim look on her face.


    ¡°ve or noble, the mermaid was under Duke Howard¡¯s responsibility, so the price for making Berg¡¯s chief aide like this should be fully paid, Duke.¡±


    Linon had deliberately ced his arm in the mermaid¡¯s mouth, but there was no way they could tell.


    That was when Duke Howard¡¯s face turned very pale.


    The servant announced with a pale face that the ve prosecutor had arrived from the Imperial Pce.


    <em>¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s been an hour since I reported it. They came really fast.¡¯</em>


    The atmosphere of the banquet quickly became chaotic. Duke Howard excused himself with a pale face.


    ¡°Ha, Grand Duchess Berg.¡±


    That was when Duchess Howard spoke to Seria, stomping her feet.


    ¡°Priests.¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche¡¯s voice dropped sharply. The priests, who had been standing consistently behind Lina, flinched.


    ¡®¡¯Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°The Saintess drove my wife into a thief, and you have nothing to say?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not trying to run away without apologizing, are you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Your, Your Highness.¡±


    Lesche shifted his gaze to Lina. Her face was as pale as porcin.


    <em>¡®It would be ridiculous for a saint to run away to such a small banquet hall.¡¯</em>


    Then Lina asked with tearful eyes.


    ¡°¡­Why is Your Highness forcing me to apologize?¡±


    ¡°Saintess!¡± (The priests)


    The nobles on all sides froze, and the priests looked as if they were about to copse, but Lina did not retreat.


    ¡°This is a matter between Seria and me¡­.¡±


    Of course¡­ her voice was trembling uncontrobly.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, call Marquis Hon, Saintess.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­Why Kalis?¡± (Lina)


    ¡°Isn¡¯t running away the best thing a Saint can do?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Why do you say that? Unlike Your Highness and Seria, I¡¯m just not used to being in a ce like this!¡±


    Lesche gave a short, coldugh.


    ¡°It¡¯s annoying to even say it.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°Either apologize properly right here, or bring your husband before me right now. I think it¡¯s time for you to stop talking.¡± (Lesche)


    His voice was like ice. Lesche didn¡¯t hide any hint that he didn¡¯t want to even exchange any more words with Lina. Even the nearby Duchess Howard stiffened.


    Lina, her lips tightly squeezed, walked towards Seria. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on her. She stopped in front of Seria and bowed her head without saying a word.


    She lifted her head and her eyes were filled with clear tears. That was the end of it. It seemed that Lina probably didn¡¯t know what words she had to say to make a formal apology. Or maybe she did, but didn¡¯t want to for the sake of her pride.


    A stifled silence fell.


    Seria shifted her gaze from Lina, whose tears were trickling down her face.


    Then she stared at Duchess Howard.


    ¡°What were you going to tell me?¡±


    That was her answer.


    The gaze of the nobles on Lina dissipated in an instant.


    Duchess Howard hastily cleared her throat.


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess Berg. Her rudeness is truly¡­.¡±


    The priests cautiously took Lina out of the room. Lina¡¯s shoulders trembled in her shimmering dress that matched the season. At the same time, the music in the hall changed. Duchess Howard beckoned.

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151 			?? Listen to Post


    *Lina¡¯s POV*


    ***


    ¡°As expected, Seria is a wicked woman¡­.¡±


    In the banquet hall¡¯s lounge, Lina pressed her wet eyes with her hands . Every time she did, her eyes would blur. The truth was, Lina hadn¡¯t been able to sleep properly for days.


    There was no other reason. It¡¯s just that¡­.


    ¡°Did you see her just now? The Saintess.¡±


    Lina¡¯s hands stopped.


    She was sitting in the chair closest to the entrance of the lounge, and for a moment she could hear the noise outside. Lina put her ear to the wall.


    ¡°How could she call the Grand Duchess a thief right then and there?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she actually the thief?¡±


    ¡°She seems to have forgotten the scandal that had the whole social circle buzzed.¡±


    ¡°Did you see how strange the atmosphere was just now?¡±


    Lina¡¯s hands went cold. She stood up quickly. Then she opened the door. She saw the young noblewomen who had been talking about her passing by. As soon as they saw Lina, their faces turned pale.


    ¡°Ah, Saintess¡­!¡±


    Lina didn¡¯t shout or get angry. She just red at them, as Seria had done earlier. Quiet and expressionless, as if memorizing their faces.


    The young nobles faltered, apologizing incessantly. Lina returned, mming the door behind her, and sat down in her chair again.


    <em>They have friends, so they can talk with each other and bully people. They have roots here, they have family, they have people to rely on. So they have nothing to be afraid of.</em>


    <em>I couldn¡¯t even be an extra.</em>


    <em>I couldn¡¯t even get a name.</em>


    The word ¡°extra¡± made Linaugh, cry, and suffer. Duchess Howard also changed the sound of the music as soon as she sobbed.


    Lina trembled as she rolled up the skirt of her dress with her hands slightly. They were low heeled shoes. The exposed top of her foot was wrapped with a bandage.


    She habitually held her stomach. Lina slowly ruminated on the shocking memory that had kept her from sleeping for the past few days.


    ¡°¡­I am the main character.¡±


    ***


    A few days ago.


    When Stern and the others had all left, Lina didn¡¯t want to be in the battle any longer. She felt like a fake Stern.


    Under the condition that she was always apanied by a high-ranking priest, Lina was able to go to the Hon mansion in the Imperial capital. On the way, though, Kalis had to go down to the Hon estate for something urgent.


    At the priest¡¯s suggestion that they should go together, Lina shook her head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t ride a horse. It would be toote for Kalis to arrive at the estate.¡±


    Before leaving, Karis repeatedly asked Lina to only stay at the mansion.


    Lina liked the Hon imperial mansion. Especially the room of the Marchioness where she was staying, which was even prettier with its pure gold decorations in the same shape as the Stern insignia.


    But after a while, she learned that this beautiful room had been prepared for Seria.


    With a pained look on her face, Lina asked for a different room, then she sat on the bed and hugged her stomach.


    It was a total coincidence that she heard about the Garden of Silver trees.


    ¡°Is it for Seria, too?¡±


    The maid of the Hon mansion looked puzzled. Lina stood up.


    ¡°Show me. I want to see it.¡±


    There was no one who could stop the Saint of the Great Temple, at least not here in the Hon mansion.


    The Garden of Silver tree was beautiful. Filled with shiny silvery tree branches. There were no people. Just a peaceful, quiet little hill.


    It was there that Lina met Eoles, who was said to be in charge of the Garden of Silver trees. Being from a mixed race of spirits, he was as mysterious as an elf. And he was thrilled that he was actually seeing Lina, the Saint and Stern.


    Lina also felt at ease. She had no reason to dislike someone who liked her so much.


    But¡­


    The more she looked at the man, the worse it made her feel. Soon Lina seeded in guessing the cause of this chilling feeling. Lina held out her palm to shield the eyes of Eoles.


    ¡°Seria¡­.¡±


    Lina¡¯s eyes trembled. Eoles¡¯ eyes were that blue. When she nced at the color of his eyes, she immediately thought of Seria¡­..


    Lina looked disappointed. She felt sorry for Eoles rapidly.


    ¡°You must be Seria¡¯s recement too. You and Seria had the exact same eye color, which is why Kalis brought you all the way here.¡±


    ¡°No, Saintess. The Marquis didn¡¯t even know what I looked like. It was just a coincidence that I came here.¡±


    Lina felt a moment of anger at the words that seemed to soothe her.


    ¡°How dare you lie to a Saint?¡±


    Eoles dropped like he was scared, but when Lina saw those blue eyes, she couldn¡¯t help it. Why was she angry?


    The former Lina would have believed Eoles¡¯ lies. However, Kalis once said that he wanted to raise the child of the divine power that Lina gave birth to, purely because it might be mixed with Seria¡¯s divine power.


    Kalis.


    The Kalis in Lina¡¯s eyes¡­.


    When Seria was involved, Lina couldn¡¯te to her senses at all.


    Kalis was her only friend and family.


    If Seria took away even that Kalis, what would she really have left? Why Seria has many things¡­.


    ¡°Saintess, please don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m sorry. It was my fault¡­.¡±


    Eoles didn¡¯t know what to do. The moment Lina shook off his hand that was constantly trying to wipe her eyes.


    The branch of the silver tree, which Eoles had sharpened to check its growth, fell on the top of Lina¡¯s foot.


    This was the moment when it identally hit her.


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Dark smoke flickered from the top of her foot. At the same time, the scene in the Tshugan ins that she had somehow forgotten about hit her hard in the head.


    It was the ck smoke that was absorbing into her body. It was something Seria was surprised to see when Lina was running away¡­


    <em>¡®How could I have forgotten this?¡¯</em>


    Lina couldn¡¯t continue her thoughts any further. Because Eoles was looking at her and his hands were shaking. It reminded her exactly of Seria on the Tushgan ins, and Lina was frightened. She fainted.


    Then Lina had a dream. It was a very strange dream.


    Seria was sitting alone, reading a book.


    But after a while, Seria put the book down, went somewhere and disappeared, and Lina went there, picked it up and read it.


    (*Rememer Seria had the same dream when she was reading the book and met Tuban.)


    Lina¡¯s eyes grew wide.


    <em>¡®What is this book?¡¯</em>


    Gasp!


    ¡°Saintess! Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Doctor! Doctor!¡±


    Lina broke into a cold sweat as she recalled the contents of the book. The book was thick and full of words, and she remembered them one by one as if she had read it before.


    In the world of the book, Lina was the main character. And the man she was going to marry was the Grand Duke Lesche Berg.


    Lina was sick for many days after that day. When she woke up, she could not believe it.


    <em>¡®All those people calling me ¡®Saint¡¯ and worrying about me, but they¡¯re all characters in a book?¡¯</em>


    And the thought that she had to see Seria filled her head. In a dreamy state of mind, thinking that maybe she was crazy, she went to Duke Howard¡¯s mansion.


    There, Lina felt very clear.


    Grand Duke Lesche Berg, whom she was terrified to even make eye contact with, was not cynical about her. It was clear. The man really hated her.


    The nobles of the empire didn¡¯t like him because he didn¡¯t show his face much. But that Grand Duke seemed to be standing on some other level.


    <em>¡®How could a man like thate to love me?¡¯</em>


    It was truly outrageous¡­


    ¡­And Seria.


    ¡°Hic hic¡­¡±


    Lina held her face in her hands and sobbed. Seria was too cold hearted. She didn¡¯t have to treat her coldly like she was a sinner, even when there were so many people around.


    There was no Kalis by her side.


    Or rather, did Seria ignore her more because Kalis wasn¡¯t here?


    If not¡­..that was probably Seria¡¯s true nature.


    A wicked woman. In the book, the wicked Seria tried to kill Lina the Saintess.


    ¡°¡­Seria might kill me.¡±


    This was real. It really was real.


    Lina and Seria. They could never have been friends in the first ce.


    Because this is inside a book.


    Seria was a beautiful, evil woman, and she (Lina) was a fool who only wanted to be close to her without knowing anything about her.


    <em>¡®¡­I¡¯m done acting like such a fool.¡¯</em>


    Lina got up and headed for the banquet hall. She saw the nobles looking at her with surprise in their eyes when she reappeared, having thought she would not return.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Lina picked up a champagne ss. She walked over to the young nobleman, who was one of the people she saw in the corridor of the lounge earlier. The nobleman¡¯s eyes colored with bewilderment.


    ¡°¡­Saintess?¡±


    Lina poured the champagne on the man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡±


    ¡°Saintess!¡±


    In no time at all, everyone around her was buzzing. But Lina only stared into the man¡¯s shocked eyes. The man flinched.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go around and talk about me. This is the only time I will let it go.¡±


    Lina did not want to die at the hands of the viins. She would never shudder at the thought of buying their favor again.


    ¡°You will only get ink when you stab me¡­¡±


    She was sick and tired of being beaten by such people.


    nk!


    The empty champagne ss rolled on the carpet. Lina turned away with tears in her eyes.


    ***


    ¡°Bibi?¡±


    It was that night.


    Abigail lifted her head after trying to gently pull her dagger. Seria looked at her with a shocked expression on her face.


    She quickly walked over and snatched Abigail¡¯s wrist. The dagger fell to the floor.


    ¡°What are you doing? Linon¡¯s in big trouble too, his wrist is all torn up!¡±


    ¡°Why does that Chief Aide rant and rave so loudly in the mansion when he¡¯s so quiet outside?¡±


    Seria chuckled. Abigail stared at the red blood on her fingertips.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Bibi?¡±


    Abigail smiled, ¡°I was just wondering if ink would reallye out if it poke it.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Earlier.


    In the banquet hall of Duke Howard¡¯s mansion, Abigail was watching Lina closely. Originally, she should have been closely observing Kalis, but he was not here today.


    <em><strong>¡°You will only get ink when you stab me¡­¡±</strong></em>


    Abigail heard Lina murmur clearly. Still, Lina was a Saint, so Abigail thought Lina was making a prediction. Because when the human body begins to produce ink instead of bloodstains, it will change the way they manage their sword des.


    So Abigail pricked her fingers when she came back to the Berg imperial mansion.


    ¡°¡­Ink?¡± (Seria)


    Abigail didn¡¯t expect her Lady¡¯s expression would be so stiff.

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152 			?? Listen to Post


    ¡°¡­To Duke Howard¡¯s banquet?¡±


    Kalis, who had hurriedly finished his work in the Hon territory and came up to the imperial capital, couldn¡¯t help but panic. And that wasn¡¯t all.


    ¡°Lina called Eoles?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Why did she call him to the mansion?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Kalis didn¡¯t know why Lina had called Eoles to the Imperial mansion when Eoles had to take care of the silver tree garden.


    Kalis went to see Lina first.


    ¡°Lina, didn¡¯t I ask you to stay at the mansion until I return?¡±


    ¡°¡­I had to check on something. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Kalis said, managing to hide his tiredness.


    ¡°Let Eoles go.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why? He had a job he¡¯s been assigned.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I want to get to know Eoles. Can we make Eoles the chief attendant instead of the current one?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Kalis¡¯s face stiffened. Lina looked at him intensely and asked abruptly.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to do me a favor because you¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll ruin the birthday present you¡¯re going to give Seria?¡±


    ¡°The chief maid of the house is not one to be changed at will, Lina.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your wife now, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Lina.¡±


    Kalis got down on one knee in front of Lina.


    ¡°We¡¯re temporary.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your guardian. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll meet a better man.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­Kalis, are you waiting for Seria?¡±


    ¡°¡­Only if Seria allows it.¡±


    ¡°Kalis, you.¡±


    Lina was angry. It was that unidentified book she had read. In that book, which contained all the stories and lives of this world, Kalis had truly loved her (Lina).


    Even though he (Kalis) evenmitted suicide because Lina married Grand Duke Berg.


    Because Lina abandoned him (Kalis).


    Because Lina didn¡¯t choose him (Kalis).


    This was the reason why Lina couldn¡¯t just dismiss the book as a dream. It was too detailed. Dreams aren¡¯t that detailed.


    Seria had really taken a lot from Lina. Lina was the hero who had so much taken from her.


    And ¡­ Lina couldn¡¯t let it be taken from her forever.


    ¡°Seria is the Grand Duchess of Berg. How can she give up that marriage? I know that¡¯s impossible!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Lina was about to cry as she looked at Kalis who didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Kalis, please¡­ Please don¡¯t act like you¡¯re someone who can¡¯t live without Seria.¡±


    Lina spoke miserably. Her brown eyes eventually hardened like stone. Because she saw the tears running down Kalis¡¯ cheeks.


    Kalis covered his face with both hands.


    ¡°¡­Poor Kalis.¡±


    Lina¡¯s hands trembled. It was possible that she had been wrong all along. This was in a book. Kalis was a minor character who killed himself because he fell in love with Lina, so it should have been natural for him to be drawn to her.


    She thought she¡¯ll try to approach Lesche Berg first without fear. But¡­even if she were to go back, Lina was afraid of that man, Lesche Berg.


    How did things turn out differently from the book in the first ce?


    It was Seria¡¯s fault.


    She got engaged to Kalis, and that was why everything went awry.


    Instead, if Seria had rescued Kalis just before he killed himself, everything would have flowed more smoothly and effortlessly¡­


    Why of all things?


    Why, of all people..?


    The female protagonist of this world was Lina herself.


    The man who was finally chosen by her was Lesche Berg.


    But¡­


    ¡°Since I¡¯m the heroine, I¡¯ll make you the male lead.¡±


    Lina sped her hands tightly.


    ¡°But for that to happen, the wicked woman (Seria) will have to lose to me.¡±


    ***


    Ink.


    Ink¡­


    At first, Seria was very surprised to hear Abigail say that word, but the more she thought about it, the calmer she became.


    She felt as if she had been holding it in a corner of her mind for a long time.


    At first she thought she was in the world of the book, but it turned out to be a real world. Lina might find out one day¡­.vague assumptions.


    Listening to Abigail, it seemed that Lina only knew the former, not thetter.


    How did Lina know?


    It was Tuban who told Seria the truth about this ce. And so, from the first time she met him, despite his frightening appearance, he had a strange, effortless power.


    Reflexively, she remembered the being that had crawled over to pull her ankles. It was that strange and terrifying being that looked so much like Tuban.


    If Tuban was Seria¡¯s guardian, was that strange being Lina¡¯s guardian? She had never heard of two Saints¡¯ guardians¡­ but Tuban taught her that.


    Seria had a flicker of suspicion towards Tuban for a moment. If that was the case, Tuban would die with all his hair pulled out.


    Thinking like this, Seria looked at the wizard in front of her. It was the wizard she had sessfully recruited while Duke Howard was drooling over Abigail.


    ¡°Chloe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess!¡±


    ¡°Have you heard from your mastertely?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ actually, letters have beening every day.¡±


    ¡°Ignore them.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ Yes!¡±


    As Chloe replied with a little trembling, Seria put down her teacup and said clearly once again.


    ¡°I will build you a magical tower within ten years.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, Grand Duchess!


    There was no such thing as a magical tower in this world yet. Most of the wizards in the Glick Empire were supported under Duke Howard.


    Since she needed a lot of wizards in the future, she needed her own magic education, different from Howard¡¯s.


    She named it the Magic Tower, which was actually the same as her promise to build a school for wizards to attend.


    Chloe was still trembling.


    Duke Howard was crazy about Abigail, but that didn¡¯t mean he was stupid enough to show off all his talented wizards.


    Seria didn¡¯t want a wizard too young or too old.


    She chose the wizard who had umted the most small achievements among them. So¡­


    As a young wizard who had published countless thesis papers for her Master and whose name was listed¡­ was Chloe.


    <em>¡®Poor graduate student.¡¯</em>


    Her teacher gave her countless assignments and tormented them. It was said that wizards always needed a teacher, and that academic training was important, so they had no choice but to endure.


    The rtionship between Seria and Duke Howard was irretrievable due to the incident of the mermaid very, so Chloe¡¯s master, who was under Duke Howard, seemed to be in a big hurry to go get Chloe back.


    ¡°How¡¯s your research going?¡±


    ¡°I brought a sample with me.¡±


    Seria¡¯s eyes lit up.


    She opened the crate that Chloe had brought and found paper rings of various thicknesses. The rings were made of specially treated paper with a magic circle drawn on it.


    When the processed magic crystal was inserted into the dented groove in the center, the magic crystal glowed as if it was on fire.


    Chloe¡¯s assistant put the ring on his hand and inserted the magic crystal. At the same time as the glowing light, the wind blew loudly and the assistant suddenly disappeared.


    Seria hurriedly stood up and looked out the window.


    ¡°Grand Duchess! ¡­Master!¡±


    At the edge of Berg¡¯s huge garden, the assistant waved his hands and shouted loudly.


    Seria smiled brightly as she looked back at Chloe.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seeded!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess! It¡¯s still only that far, but now that we know the principle, we can increase the distance we can travel if we keep up our research!¡±


    ¡°I will build you a magical tower within nine years!¡± (?? Seria reduced one year)


    ¡°Thank you very much!¡±


    Her heart was filled with joy.


    She didn¡¯t express it, but riding in the carriage for long distances often made her exhausted. She wanted it to go quickly, but horses were living creatures, so they couldn¡¯t run infinitely like machines¡­


    Seria sat down at her desk again, putting two rings on each finger that Chloe had left as a gift.


    ***


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you sell it?¡±


    The vige chief of Murat Ind shivered. Linon reced his gloves with a cold expression. The vige chief and all the other high ranking people in themunity could not even raise their heads.


    Linon packed the blue jewel tightly and walked out, avoiding the heavy air.


    The Mermaid¡¯s Spring was tucked well into his pocket.


    ¡°Stubborn¡­¡±


    The elders of Murat Ind did not sell this gem easily. Linon gasped when they said that the legendary blue jewel, which was said to contain sacred power, was a guardian god that protected the ind.


    How many mermaids have been eaten here?


    When there was a famine, the mermaids got eaten openly, but the people pretended not to know.


    This was the territory of the Glick Empire, but it was a remote ce, beyond the reach of centralw and power.


    A ce where they didn¡¯t know the crest of the Berg, but where they trembled at the word of a nobleman¡¯s subordinate who was higher than the Count, a ce where it was hot and poor.


    Linon had always paid attention to his homnd. That was why he soon found out that a mermaid had been taken out by the Imperial noble family a few months ago.


    He decided to kill the mermaid before it became a fashion for the Glick nobles.


    It was the only way he could think of.


    So that day he asked Seria for forgiveness. Seria really didn¡¯t like the idea of her social reputation being tarnished, but she could see the fact that Berg¡¯s chief aide had damaged Duke Howard¡¯s fortuneing back to haunt her.


    In the end, it was Seria who saved Linon who was crying in front of the tank because he couldn¡¯t strangle the mermaid¡­


    ¡°I guess Godes down to mermaids, too.¡±


    Linon smiled faintly. At the same time, there was a thumping pain in his back, but he ignored it.


    Linon squatted down and looked out at the salty sea.


    ¡°Murat Ind was the only ce where it was not easy to walk, even if you were Berg¡¯s chief aide¡­¡±


    He was given an unexpected order to visit the Mermaid Spring. He let the order win over the fear of having his whole brain carved into his bones and brought him here.


    ¡°Just as this southern sea is as blue as the eyes of the Grand Duchess¡­ Ouch!¡±


    Linon fell forward. He screamed as he brushed the sand off his body.


    ¡°Abigail Orrien! I¡¯m not as strong as you, sir!¡±


    ¡°I helped you because you seemed to have forgotten that we were still carrying out the youngdy¡¯s order.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t forget! I¡¯ll be frank with you as it is! Doesn¡¯t it remind you of the Grand Duchess while looking at the ocean?¡±


    Abigail waved her hand and didn¡¯t even pretend to listen.


    ***


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Seria was at her desk, looking at some papers, when the lights flickered. She looked up involuntarily and her eyes widened.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    She didn¡¯t even know when he had arrived.


    Lesche, dressed in a ck gown, was leaning on her desk and looking at Seria. He nced at the paperwork Seria was working so hard on and chuckled.


    ¡°I wanted to leave Linon with less work, but he just pushed it all on you?¡±


    Seria cleared her throat.


    ¡°I hired Linon, so I¡¯m doing it for his welfare.¡±


    Linon went to Murat Ind as soon as his wrist had healed to some extent.


    ¡°You will die while guaranteeing welfare.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t die with this much¡­.¡±


    ¡°Seria, look at your clock.¡±


    At Lesche¡¯s words, Seria looked at the clock in her office, startled. It was close to two in the morning.


    <em>¡®Linon is a human¡­?¡¯</em>


    She wondered if Lesche was a human too. It seemed that the meeting that had been going on since early evening was already over. Now that the social season wasing to an end, Berg was busy with several issues.


    Seria got up from her chair with a troubled look on her face.


    ¡°You should have gone to bed first.¡± (Seria)


    Before she knew it, Lesche came to her side and sat lightly on the edge of the desk, staring at her intensely.


    ¡°How can I sleep without you in bed?¡± (Lesche)

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153 			?? Listen to Post


    Seria raised her eyebrows slightly as she gathered up her papers.


    ¡°How did you sleep when I wasn¡¯t around?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Lesche smiled faintly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°People will think we have been married for a hundred years.¡±


    Lesche chuckled.


    ¡°That would be nice too.¡±


    Lesche turned and picked up the documents as Seria did. But he didn¡¯t just pick up the papers. Because he was attached to Seria, hugging her from behind. She felt Lesche¡¯s lips on the back of her neck.


    Lesche¡¯s arms hugged Seria¡¯s waist tightly from behind. As she staggered for a moment at the unannounced heavy weight upon her, Lesche grabbed her hands and made Seria grab the desk.


    She continued to watch the papers moving away to one corner. Unlike his body, which was leaning against Seria from behind without any gaps, Lesche¡¯s hands moving the papers in front of her were so rxed that she felt strangely thirsty.


    Her desk was now organized enough for her to lie down. It was all too clear what that meant, and heat rose in her cheeks for no reason.


    Lesche tilted his face and kissed her earlobe. The sensation of a slow lick made her hands that were holding her desk gain strength. At some point, one by one, the clothes Seria was wearing flowed down her arms.


    She was wearing a light indoor dress, and the truth was¡­Lesche was a man who could untie her as easily as the servants, even if she was wearing a moreplicated dress than this. Of course, due to her posture, he couldn¡¯t undress her as perfectly as in bed¡­..


    In the midst of all this, she tensed as she became aware of the hard sensation that was behind her. It was also very ufortable, and she felt that this hard thing couldn¡¯t belong to a human. (*how big is Lesche¡¯s thing ??)


    When Seria twisted her body slightly, Lesche asked in a drowsier voice than usual,


    ¡°Why, Seria?


    ¡°Because it¡¯s ufortable¡­..¡±


    ¡°What makes you ufortable?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask when you know?¡±


    Lescheughed in a low voice.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t ask, how will I know how you feel?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s knees came between Seria¡¯s legs.


    ¡°I will have to know if it¡¯s good or not. Seria.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s hand dug in as hard as it could at the exposed skin. Seria didn¡¯t have time to resist, her body shuddered. A feeling of the huge massing in made her spine stand up straight and her legs lost strength. The strength in her toes was strong as she pressed on them to avoid falling down.


    ***


    <em>¡®I can see very well why there were always gowns ready in the study¡­¡¯</em>


    The edges of the bedsheet were cold, quickly cooling her burning body. Seria was moving groggily, looking for a cool spot, but her waist was grabbed again and she was up smoothly. Then her eyes met with Lesche¡¯s, who was looking down at her from directly above.


    ¡°Why?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Yourplexion is fine now. You were pale all day.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Linon to have so much work.¡±


    ¡­Seria had replied, but suddenly she felt a deep suspicion. Lesche asked.


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Myplexion¡­..? Is that why you pushed me like that?¡±


    ¡°Pushed you?¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche¡¯s hands were caressing Seria¡¯s body.


    ¡°Can I push your doubts a little more?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡­ Seria shook her head quickly. Lesche seemed to want to keep her up until the sun came up.


    Smiling faintly, Lesche leaned over and kissed Seria. Since when? She felt a strange sense of nervousness when Lesche kissed her.


    Maybe it was because she tried to push him away a little, but he caught up.


    He was so passionate about kissing her that he didn¡¯t seem to let her go. The problem was ¡­.


    Seria put all her strength into her hands and pushed out Lesche¡¯s chest.


    It looked like the sun was really rising.


    With a low moan, Lesche kissed Seria¡¯s corbone. He hugged her, trapping her in his arms tightly.


    ***


    <em>¡®¡­I can¡¯t quite remember these parts¡­¡¯</em>


    As Lina was carefully examining her notes, the Hon¡¯s butler came in with a sound.


    ¡°Saintess, thedies have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God!¡±


    Lina neatly put away the locked notebook and put it in the back drawer.


    In the notebook, it was written the ¡°story in the book¡± that Lina remembered from the Garden of the silver trees. As soon as she came back to her senses after she left the garden that day, she wrote it down as fast as she could. Even so, it was impossible for her to memorize all the contents of the book.


    So she kept only the big facts in her notebook.


    ¡°Now, why don¡¯t we go to the garden and have some tea?¡±


    Lina asked, and the nicely dresseddies followed her,ughing.


    Before the annual Holy Day, the Great Temple officially announced that Lina was carrying a Child of Divine Power.


    Among the nobles of the Glick Empire, there were many who were deeply religious. Thanks to this, there were manydies who wanted toe to see Lina with admiration.


    Lina chose two of them and sent them invitations to the tea party. This was the basic way of dealing with a society that Baron Ison had taught her when she was at Berg.


    <em><strong>¡°You can¡¯t be friends with everyone in the society. Don¡¯t try to establish friendships with too many people. It is better to send invitations to only two people at first since it is difficult for a saint to receive a family foundation.¡±</strong></em>


    Lina had encountered many idents in the Berg territory, so she couldn¡¯t follow Baron Ison¡¯s teachings at the time, but time has changed now.


    Previously, Baron Ison had repeatedly reminded her not to meet Seria.


    Before, she didn¡¯t know why, but she found out after attending Duke Howard¡¯s banquet.


    It was Lesche Berg who openly expressed his displeasure, but most of the nobles attending the banquet at the time were watching Seria¡¯s mood.


    Seria was indeed a socialite.


    On the one hand, it was depressing. After the terrible embarrassment at Duke Howard¡¯s banquet, Lina asked the High Priest.


    ¡°There is a man in the capital named Baron Ison. Can you bring him to me?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Is he the one who was the Saintess¡¯s teacher?¡±


    In the book and even now, Baron Ison was always on Lina¡¯s side.


    Strangely, however, the high priest looked troubled.


    ¡°Saintess. Baron Ison left for Altair Academy a few weeks ago and he is unlikely to visit here for a while.¡±


    ¡°¡­Academy?¡±


    Instead, Lina hurriedly sent a letter to Baron Ison, saying she wanted to go to the capital. She hoped he would help her with her life in the capital.


    However, Baron Ison had ended his life in the Empire and left as a faculty member of Altair Academy. The Great Temple offered him more money, but Baron Ison politely refused, saying that he already had students to take on.


    Along with the words that he woulde to see Lina when he was on vacation instead.


    ¡°He had copsed and was bedridden for over a month, but the Academy would like him to do more research.¡±


    ¡°Once he has other disciples, he will forget me¡­¡±


    Lina felt deeply alone. In the midst of it all, she was anxiously and modestly enjoying the time she spent drinking tea with thedies who favored her.


    When some time had passed, Lina heard the unexpected news from the priest that hade to visit her, and panicked.


    ¡°What? The castle was bought by Berg?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Saintess.¡±


    Lina couldn¡¯t believe it.


    It was true that in the book she had read, she had had her own strong supporters. One of them was Duke Dietrich. He was a man of faith, who had dedicated his castle in the port city to her, and was a strong supporter in many ways. ¡­.


    She thought it was strange that Duke Dietrich did note to her for a long time.


    She asked the priests to look into it, and they said that the castle that Lina should have, had already been bought earlier by the Grand Duke of Berg.


    ¡°Why? Doesn¡¯t Berg already have a castle?¡±


    It couldn¡¯t be. Baron Ison thought it would be nice if Lina could get along with Lesche Berg, and with this in mind, he gave Lina more information about the Grand Duke of Berg.


    How many castles Berg owned already¡­.


    Why that one¡­


    Lina was terrified of this situation where Seria was taking everything from her. At the same time, she thought it was strange.


    Why did Seria suddenly buy that castle? Did she know that it was a castle that the Duke was going to give to her (Lina)?


    If that¡¯s the case, then does Seria know she¡¯s in a book?


    Suddenly, a shiver ran down her spine. When Lina, who had been absent for a while, returned with a pale face, thedies stood up in a panic.


    ¡°Saintess. You don¡¯t look well.¡±


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I need to warm up the tea.¡±


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Linaughed helplessly as she looked at the girls who still loved her so much. She was struck with a vague fear that all of these kind friends would be taken away from her, too. The fear that they would give themselves up for Seria. Lina felt that she couldn¡¯t just let herself suffer like that.


    She needed someone who would love her for who she was and not for Seria. She remembered the names she had written in her notebook.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the young masters of the Kellydening up to the capital?¡±


    ***


    ¡°So this is the Mermaid Spring.¡±


    Seria held the bright blue jewel in her hand. It reminded her of a very blue spring. So it would be okay to name it Mermaid Summer¡­¡­.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    Linon, who had just returned from Murat Ind, spoke to her in whispers.


    ¡°Sir Abigail is trying to monopolize the Grand Duchess too much.¡±


    ¡°Monopoly?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She seems a bit harsh. ¡­.¡±


    Linon looked behind him in surprise. Because Abigail was looking at him with her eyes wide open. Linon was startled.


    ¡°Can you hear me from over there? It seems that you can¡­¡±


    Linon smiled awkwardly and hurriedly moved on. Seria had a thought when she saw Abigail disappear like an assassin after Linon.


    <em>¡®You two y well together¡­..¡¯</em>


    <em>¡®You two are having fun ying¡­.¡¯</em>


    Honestly, Linon was like a chick and Abigail was like a ck lion ying with that chick. To Seria, she felt good that her precious Abigail had a friend of sorts.


    The thought suddenly crossed her mind.


    <em>¡®They¡¯ve be close like that¡­. can Linon and Abigail get married?¡¯</em>

 Chapter 154

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    Sponsored by Meowy. Thank you ?? (4/8)


    ***


    Seria shook her head quickly, as the Mermaid Spring got on her nerves again..


    She looked at the beautiful poor jewel which would be Tuban¡¯s food with lingering eyes and walked into the prayer room of the mansion.


    The prayer room was quiet as usual, and the stained ss windows were as colorful as ever.


    As she walked to the altar, she ced the Mermaid Spring on top of the Stern insignia. The gemstone began to absorb in the insignia, just as it did to the blue diamond before.


    The problem was¡­.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The problem was that the speed at which the gem was absorbed into the insignia was very slow.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you eat the blue diamonds well¡­?¡±


    After watching in silence for over five minutes, she began to get frustrated. It would take days for it to absorbpletely at this rate.


    She paid a high price for this Stern insignia¡¯s security magic, but it still made her uneasy.


    In the meantime, in a hurry, she airlifted all kinds of jewels and looked for the Mermaid Spring.


    It was a crazy thing to decorate the sacred Stern insignia so beautifully, but she had no choice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t chew. Eat quickly, Tuban!¡±


    <em>¡®Please eat it quickly to break the seal and talk about Lina¡­.¡¯</em>


    Seria earnestly put her hands together in prayer, then she sat with her knees together in front of the insignia.


    ¡°Lina knew I bought Duke Dietrich¡¯s castle, right?¡±


    In the book, Lina always dealt wisely with the assumption that circumstances would support her. For example, Baron Ison, the perfect mentor, and Duke Dietrich, the backer¡­. Lecher¡¯s affection and longing, Kalis¡¯s unwavering courtship, etc..


    And then there was Seria Stern, who was a truly foolish viin.


    However, she was unsure about now.


    Lina was drawing attention from the socialmunity for having a ¡°child of divine power.¡± Among them, especially the families approaching Lina had already been identified. The imperial aristocracy was still quick to take advantage of the news.


    Still, to this extent, Lina handled the situation quite wisely, albeit differently from the original.


    It was almost as if she was using the methods Baron Ison had taught her.


    ¡°By the way, why I you do so many stupid and evil things in the past?¡±


    Even though she thought she was in the book at that time, Seria was much embarrassed to learn that those silly misdeeds were her own doing.


    It was okay when she was the only one who knew, but now Lina already knew.


    She prayed piously in front of the insignia once more.


    <em>¡®If you eat it all, you will tell my story, right? So please eat quickly.¡¯</em>


    The next day Seria received a letter from Nissos.


    ***


    She didn¡¯t understand why Nissos responded to the Saintess¡¯s tea party invitation.


    <em>¡®What kind of rtionship is there between Nissos and Lina?¡¯</em>


    The Saintess was someone who has been linked to Seria in a horrible scandal less than a year ago.


    Besides, she was now the nominal wife of Kalis Hon, who had cut ties with the Kellyden. She didn¡¯t want to see Lina, but she went to the party to find out why Lina sent the invitation in person and what her intentions were.


    The Saintess she saw in person certainly had a unique atmosphere. Bright, beautiful, and even chaste to the point of being sacred. There were quite a few people who liked that kind of person. ¡­.


    ¡°What in the world is wrong with you, brother?¡±


    After Lina¡¯s tea party, Nissos asked Cassius in a sharp tone.


    It had been a really long time since he saw Cassius since Nissos ran away from home, but that was not what was important now.


    ¡°Why do your cheeks turn red when you are talking to the Saintess? Are you insane?¡± (Nissos¡¯)


    ¡°¡­She grabbed me by the wrist out of the blue.¡± (Cassius)


    ¡°Crazy¡­How many women tried to seduce you. You didn¡¯t blink at all then. Do you think I¡¯m a fool without eyes?¡± (Nissos)


    ¡®How many women have tried to lure your crazy brother? I didn¡¯t even blink at that point. Do you think I¡¯m an isometric without eyes?¡±


    ¡°Nissos, I told you to speak elegantly.¡± (Cassius)


    ¡°Brother, be careful. You have a fianc¨¦e, and do you really think father won¡¯t hear about it?¡± (Nissos)


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°No, and didn¡¯t youe out to see if you could restore your rtionship with Marquis Hon? But crazy¡­ Blushing at other people¡¯s women¡­ Are you out of your mind? Are you really crazy? The Saintess is not even single. What are you doing! Really!¡± (Nissos)


    It was only after Nissos was very angry that Cassius came to his senses a little. In fact, he could still feel that the sessor¡¯s position was almost in his hands. However, his rtionship with his father was really at its worst.


    If Nissos had been a little more greedy for session, the Marquis might have already been confirmed as Nissos was the next master of Kellyden.


    Nissos searched Cassius¡¯ pocket and tore up the invitation that Lina sent him right in front of his eyes. Cassius frowned but failed to stop Nissos.


    Meanwhile, Nissos once again understood Seria.


    He now thought his brother was such a crazy guy.


    ***


    ¡°I think it would be best to proceed this fall.¡±


    Since the defeat of the Duke of Polvas¡¯ contaminatednds, Lesche had looked at the map whenever he had time.


    Alliot nodded.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. We will be able to conquer all thends adjacent to the vicinity of the Grand Duchess¡¯s mine.¡±


    Seria¡¯s magic crystal and constetion gold mines were in odd positions. The front was said to have been purified, but in case it was not. A holy knight had to be sent to finish the confirmation process, but it would be ¡°official¡± and Seria refused to do so. That was the problem.


    No matter how much he thought about it, Seria was fearless.


    He wanted her to take her along, but the problem was that Linon had gone and left Seria to do the work.


    This was because Seria, who had learned specifically about Lesche¡¯s workload, looked dismayed by it.


    That said, if Lesche added more knights to his satisfaction, there was room for this to be perceived as a threat to the Duke of Polvas, who was also making the trip.


    Seria was concerned about the Polvas, and so was Lesche.


    Lesche headed for the imperial pce and soon heard the courtiers whispering in hushed tones.


    ¡°Look. It¡¯s Duke Howard.¡±


    ¡°Look at his face.¡±


    ¡°He showed people the mermaid he used as a ve at his many banquet¡­.¡±


    They were right, and Duke Howard¡¯s face was quite damaged in the meantime. It was because of the judgment that came out in the morning. Few people knew that mermaids were reluctant to drink water, but it was revealed that Duke Howard knew this and made the mermaid drink water from time to time.


    The higher the rank of the ves, the greater the fine that had to be paid.


    Before long, summer was approaching the middle of the year.


    Every estate prepared carefully for winter every year, but the Berg estate had a different dimension.


    Every winter, not even the emperor of Glick could summon the Grand Duke of Berg. The duty of guarding the frozenke was not light.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s have a drink together before the winteres.¡±


    Lesche looked at the ss from which the drink was being poured. He checked thebels on the bottles that wereid out on the table and let out a low sigh.


    The emperor clicked his tongue.


    ¡°You are truly amazing day by day. How can you sigh so majestically in front of the emperor of a country?¡±


    ¡°I just took a deep breath, Your Majesty.¡±


    The emperor asked, absurd.


    ¡°Does the Grand Duchess know you¡¯re this shameless?¡±


    He heard the word ¡®shameless¡¯ dozens of times from Seria. Like when he kept her up until dawn, or touched her until she fell asleep, or when she saw all the red traces on her body in the mirror the next morning.


    But Lesche has never thought of himself as shameless.


    Perhaps anything would be generouspared to the feelings he has for her. When he thought of Seria, he felt as if his heart was being peeled awayyer byyer. It was as if her bright blue eyes melted and filled his body.


    He felt like he was dragged helplessly¡­¡­¡­ Lescheughed unusually.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re smiling. You¡¯re smiling.¡±


    The chief chambein, standing quietly on the other side of the room, blinked repeatedly. The emperor was so amused by Lesche¡¯s reaction that his heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°How about children?¡±


    ¡°It is just less than six months since imperial approval was granted, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°It is not umon for nobles to have children even if it¡¯s less than six months.¡±


    The emperor was still emperor. Of course, the nobles almost always married for political reasons, but that was not to say that some of them did not have hot love affairs. In either case, the atmosphere between couples was often strange. At such times, the news of a pregnancy was heard absolutely quickly.


    Looking at Grand Duke Berg, it seemed that it was not yet the former.


    Still, the emperor was convinced that at least thetter was possible.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m infertile.¡± (Lesche)


    The emperor nearly spit out the alcohol he was drinking. He would have made such an unseemly gesture if it were not for the imperial courtesy and grace he had been subjected to since childhood¡­.


    ¡°You are not going to take a joke as a joke?¡± (Emperor)


    ¡°So you were joking? I didn¡¯t know because it was serious.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Very well. Anyway¡­the more you talk, the more you try to ground my reputation. Just drink.¡± (Emperor)


    Lesche looked unusually troubled.


    He could see the corners of the emperor¡¯s mouth twitching behind his ss. Lesche was, in any case, the one and only Grand Duke of this Glick Empire, and the Berg and the imperial family had always maintained a close rtionship. Plus, the emperor made a big deal about the fact that he and Le, Lesche¡¯s mother, were academy ssmates, and he wanted to pretend to be a close rtive¡­.


    This was one of the consequences of the subtle mess.


    ¡°Hurry up and drink. I prepared this myself.¡± (Emperor)


    By all ounts¡­


    Lesche looked down at the pumpkin-colored liquor.


    Lesche was not as good at drinking as Seria had suspected one day.


    The problem was the emperor.


    The emperor of the Glick Empire was a strong drinker who was not afraid to get drunk, and as the master of a huge vineyard, he was very interested in various alcoholic beverages.


    When alcohol that ordinary people could not even taste was mixed in proportions known only to the emperor, a monstrous liquor was born.


    Such was the case in Lesche¡¯s position. Indeed, he had no idea why he was drunk after drinking it, even though it didn¡¯t seem like even half of his normal drinking capacity.


    However, he knew from experience over the past few years the fact that no amount of refusal would help.

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155 			?? Listen to Post


    ***


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    While sitting in her bedroom reading a book, Seria looked at the clock.


    She had just received a message that Lesche was going to bete today and that he told her to go to bed first. However, she didn¡¯t seem to be able to sleeptely.


    She heard the sound of a carriageing from the quiet yard. She pulled on the rope and heard the news that Lesche had just returned.


    <i>¡®It wasn¡¯t aste as I thought.¡¯</i>


    As she continued to read her book while waiting for Lesche, she thought it was a little strange. Because even after many more hours than usual, Lesche did note.


    Did he take such a long bath?


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    That was when she put the book on the table and walked to the bedroom door.


    The door opened quietly and Lesche entered. His hair was half wet at the ends as if he had washed it. If there was anything unusual about him, it was the corners of his eyes that were redder than at any other time. Lesche looked at her slowly, and then he swept her face with both hands.


    ¡°Lesche? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She didn¡¯t get an answer back. Lesche hugged her tightly in his arms. He buried his face between her neck and shoulder, and asked slowly.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sleep?¡±


    ¡°I was going to sleep, but you came¡­.¡±


    Seria could not continue. Because when she looked up, Lesche stared at her with an unknown expression.


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Soon he lifted her chin and devoured her lips. The problem was that the kiss was too ferocious from the start. One of Lesche¡¯s arms hugged her waist tightly, while the other hand cupped the back of her head. Her chest raised loudly in the close contact.


    ¡°Haaa¡­.¡±


    The hand that dug in between her breasts was too obsessive. In no time at all, her breathing becamebored. Seria asked, out of breath.


    ¡°¡­Have you been drinking?¡±


    ¡°Do you smell alcohol?¡±


    Seria shook her head. Lesche smelled good after his bath. She only knew because she could taste the weak liquor on the tip of his tongue. On the one hand, it was strange.


    ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing you drunk. Is this your drinking habit?¡±


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s different than usual.¡¯</i>


    ¡°There are a few things I want to do.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Lesche looked at Seria and smiled.


    At that moment, she thought she shouldn¡¯t have asked. ¡®What is he trying to do?¡¯ Seria tried to change the subject right away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s calm down and get some sleep¡­.¡±


    Seria could not finish her words. She also failed to step back. Because Lesche grabbed both her wrists and hugged her tightly again. In no time at all, they came in close contact with each other.


    ¡°Lesche¡­.?¡±


    Lesche did not answer, but only smiled kindly. But Seria could see the look in his eyes. His gaze was much more somber than usual, his throat shaking repeatedly like a thirsty predator.


    Lesche bent down and licked Seria¡¯s lips. Instantly, her body was lifted up andid on the bed.


    He held her hands together with one of his hands and used the other hand to loosen the belt on his gown.


    His gown flowed down the muscle-tight body without resistance. Why did it look so sexy? Lesche lowered his head and began to kiss Seria as if he was devouring her. At the same time, he lifted her legs.


    This wasn¡¯t much different than usual.


    Less than a minute after she thought that, her eyes grew bigger.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­.ahhhhhhhh!¡±


    Seria breathed out. The weight of Lesche was loaded as it was and filled her up in the blink of an eye. Her whole body tensed and became acutely aware. Ever since the first night, she had been the one to panic¡­.


    ¡°Seria¡­..¡±


    Lesche¡¯s red eyes took on an even stranger glow today.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been going crazy ever since the first time, but I still feel the same.¡±


    Seria¡¯s cheeks heated up at Lesche¡¯s groaning murmur. She realized for sure. Lesche was really drunk. Whether it was because his cloudy eyes were drunk or for some other reason¡­ The strength in Lesche¡¯s hands, holding her arms, was full of force.


    ¡°Haaaa¡­..¡±


    Seria¡¯s thighs trembled as Lesche began to thrust.


    ***


    Seria miscalcted in thinking that Lesche would soon fall asleep because he was drunk.


    Perhaps this man had taken a shot of an energy drink instead of alcohol at the Imperial Pce? She suspected that this was the case.


    ¡°Lesche¡­¡±


    Her throat was so sore and she couldn¡¯t even speak properly. How many hours had passed? She didn¡¯t even have the energy to check her watch. Because she fell asleep like passing out three or four times, and then her equity kept waking her up with a feeling and her toes would curl at the strength.


    This time too it was the same. Still, Lesche attached his body to hers to the fullest. She didn¡¯t have the strength to push him out anymore. She let Lesche touch her hands and lips.


    <i>¡®I can¡¯t wear a dress that exposes my neck for another week starting tomorrow¡­.¡¯</i>


    Of course, the same was true for Lesche. He too would only be able to wear a suit that had to be buttoned up neatly to the very bottom of his chin for a week.


    Then she suddenly realized that Lesche¡¯s eyes were staring at her face. Seria blinked her eyes.


    Their gazes were silently intertwined. Gradually she fell asleep again when the gap between closing and opening eyes became quite long.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    A low voice prated her ears. Lesche¡¯s hand slowly touched her cheek.


    ¡°Do I look shameless to you?¡±


    Did he suddenly read her mind?


    Seria answered by nodding lightly, her neck aching from hours of torment.


    Lesche started tough faintly.


    ¡°I told someone I am not shameless, but I guess I was wrong.¡±


    This man¡¯s conscience¡­..


    Normally she would have tried to go straight back to sleep, but she was too stunned by his shameless words. Her throat was sore, but Seria managed to speak up.


    ¡°You¡¯re really shameless.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°You have no conscience.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I usually think.¡±


    Seria was abashed by the reply he responded without hesitation. On the other hand, she thought he was cute.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t know where he looks cute¡­.¡¯</i>


    Perhaps it was because it was the first time in her life she had witnessed him drunk. She decided to be honest.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve never hated it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s lips, which were drawing lines, were closed in a straight line. It was the moment Seria was about to ask if she had misspoken.


    Without warning, Lesche locked her tightly in his arms. She could feel the lively sound of his heartbeat through the bare skin that was in close contact. Lesche buried his lips on Seria¡¯s forehead and slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be afraid.¡±


    <i>¡®Afraid? What is he talking about?¡¯</i>


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Anything.¡±


    Lesche, who answered simply, stared at Seria and added.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to feel nervous.¡±


    She felt that the words he just said were somehow borrowed from the momentum of alcohol. But her heart throbbed strangely.


    ¡°I hope I¡¯m the only exception to your anxiety.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    These unknown words of Lesche felt like a puzzle. The words were deliberately cut out because he did not want to show the finished picture. But there was room to put thest and final pieces together¡­.


    Perhaps it was because his voice sounded gentler than usual. Seria¡¯s heart fluttered aimlessly.


    In the meantime, Lesche¡¯s manhood, which was in contact with her body, did not subside, so she instinctively began to get nervous.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Seria?¡±


    Seria deliberately did not answer. Of course, Lesche knew she was pretending to be asleep, but ¡­.


    ¡°¡­I really don¡¯t want to put you to sleep.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Can I wake you up?¡±


    She was certain what he meant was ¡®listen to me¡¯, but she pretended not to hear it.


    ¡°Or can I stay tucked in?¡±


    Seria flinched. Lesche let out a moan. Unlike his desire, his hand lightly patted her back. His other arm remained covering her waist. Seria exhaled deeply.


    The very person who knew her fear and terror best was Lesche. She had cried helplessly, trembled, and had nightmares in front of him. He was also the one who was willing to carry her pain without a care in the world.


    Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be anxious.


    When he said that he wanted to be the exception to her anxiety, it wet her chest. She fell asleep carefully holding Lesche¡¯s hand.


    ***


    A few dayster.


    After Seria sneaked into the prayer room every hour today, she cheered.


    ¡°Tuban! You ate it all!¡±


    The mermaid spring had finally disappeared. She quickly took everyst piece of jewelry that adorned the Stern insignia. A smile blossomed fully on her face. She feared it would take more time, but surprisingly, Tuban ate the mermaid spring quickly.


    It was interesting.


    At first, she thought it was a waste to give the expensive mermaid spring to Tuban, but the past few days, she prayed for him to eat it quickly. Because she was anxious when he ate it so slowly¡­


    She even thought Tuban was training her how to be patient¡­


    A change had urred in the Stern insignia. The picture with the mermaid spring had disappeared, and the number two had also changed to ¡°one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really curious to see what you tell me to bring this time that will make my spine bend again.¡±


    The reason why she couldugh generously even if she said this was because she had been concerned about Tuban¡¯s safety since that day.


    When she fed him the Blue Diamond, her sacred power exploded, so the mermaid spring strengthened the power of Tuban.


    <i>¡®It¡¯d be nice to lose that gag.¡¯ (*the gag in Tuban¡¯s mouth)</i>


    Seria went back to her bedroom and wrote a letter for Lesche, just as she had donest time. Lesche was attending a meeting in the conference room next to his office, but it was hard to tell what time he woulde down to the bedroom.


    ¡°Again, please wake up early this time.¡± (*Seria is going to see Tuban when she sleeps)


    Seria sped her hands together in prayer andy down on her bed. On the one hand, she didn¡¯t forget to pack some weapons just in case.


    Then, in full force, she pressed the red jewel in the circlet.


    In no time at all, her vision shed and she entered the familiar space of Tuban¡¯s world. She looked around and was shocked.


    ¡°No, what is this?¡±


    Tuban¡¯s world was basically like a dark night sky. It was empty and clean.


    But now it was covered in blood. Moreover, what was clearly Tuban¡¯s hair was badly scattered on the floor. This was the amount of hair that Tuban would have. Fear began to strike.


    ¡°Tuban? Tuban? Tuban!¡±


    She repeatedly called out to Tuban, but nothing but her own voice came back empty, bumping into nothing but empty air.

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156 			?? Listen to Post


    ***


    Sponsored by Meowy. Thank you ?? (6/8)


    ***


    *Seria¡¯s POV (first pov)*


    ***


    ¡°Tubaaaaan!¡±


    How could it be so quiet¡­¡­..the blood spread under my feet gave me goosebumps.


    ¡°Tuban, are you dead¡­?¡±


    No way¡­I had the feeling that at any moment the monster that looked just like Tuban might return and snatch me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back now.¡±


    As soon as I made that decision, I involuntarily reached out in front of me toward Tuban¡¯s hair.


    Suddenly I felt something foreign in this empty space. I reflexively turned around. At that moment.


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    I felt like I was about to faint. I even dropped the weapon I was holding all at once.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    Lesche was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed.


    <i>¡®Am I dreaming now? Why is Lesche here?¡¯</i>


    I habitually pped myself in the cheek. Of course, I felt no sensation. As I was about to return to the real world, I suddenly thought, ¡°What if it was really Lesche?¡±


    <i>¡®If I leave Lesche here alone¡­?¡¯</i>


    I know how to get out of here, but I don¡¯t think Lesche knows.


    Suddenly I was scared. I immediately hugged him and shook his shoulders.


    ¡°Lesche? Lesche.¡±


    My voice was shaky, probably because I was startled by the unexpected situation. If he didn¡¯t wake up, it would be a huge trouble, but fortunately, Lesche woke up instantly.


    ¡°Seria?¡±


    ¡°Lesche!¡±


    He frowned and looked around.


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    ¡±It¡¯s the ce I always visit ¡­. Is it really you?¡±


    I took a few steps back and asked. I couldn¡¯t make sense of the fact that Lesche suddenly appeared in the world of Tuban.


    Moreover, he appeared under a spell in a form simr to Mies¡­. I backed away, but Lesche didn¡¯t show any sign of difort. Rather¡­


    ¡°Even I¡¯m suspicious of this situation.¡±


    Lesche said with a frown on his forehead and stood up lightly. That was all. Lesche didn¡¯t take another step toward me.


    ¡°Stay far away, Seria¡­.From now on whoeveres near you, you will cut off their heads.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never cut anyone¡¯s head before.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been sleeping with a lot of weapons.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s you.¡±


    Even though I said this with my mouth, I was nervous.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to be wary of me, Seria.¡±


    Lesche gave a fake smile. He was much more unconcerned than I was, but that was all. Lesche must be quite bewildered by the situation. He must havee right out of the meeting because he was dressed in simple formal wear, but he pulled on his cravat as if it was tight around his neck. At the same time, his neck, which had been well hidden for the past few days, was exposed.


    Aside from the fact that the love red marks have faded considerably¡­.


    The chain mark from his neck radiated a silver glow and disappeared. My eyes became wider.


    I clearly remembered the shape of that chain. I had seen it when I married Lesche. I waster told by a priest that it was a kind of token that was engraved on Stern¡¯s spouse.


    I breathed a sigh of relief when I told Lesche about it. Then, as soon as I was relieved, Lesche came to me in a sh and took my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you put me on a leash.¡±


    ¡°A leash?¡±


    The moment I said to him let¡¯s hurry and leave¡­


    Lesche put his finger on my lips. In an instant, everything went silent. Lesche looked around quietly.


    ¡°I hear a presence over there. Let¡¯s check it out and go.¡±


    ¡°Should we¡­?¡±


    I was secretly worried about Tuban¡¯s safety, and it was also true that I was curious that I could hear signs from this ce, which was always quiet.


    And it was incredibly reassuring to see not anyone else, but Lesche, in a space where there was no one else but me and inanimate Tuban.


    Lesche bent down and picked up one of the heaviest swords of all the deadly weapons I dropped on the floor. Lesche, who had a good view of the sword, looked at me and said,


    ¡±You picked and held all the ferocious ones well.¡±


    ¡°¡­Because they are all on Bibi¡¯s list of rmendations.¡±


    Lesche smiled. I picked up a small dagger and stepped over to Lesche, He said in a passing tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m d I went to the bedroom early.¡±


    I nodded and agreed.


    ¡°What did you do while I was sleeping?¡±


    ¡°I only kissed you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy if you allowed me to do something else.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do more? No! Don¡¯t say it.¡±


    Lesche, who was about to speak inly, looked back at me with anotherugh and said.


    ¡°I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t take all my clothes off and kiss you. We were all about to go naked and walk around here¡­..¡±


    ¡°You really are¡­..¡±


    I was taken aback by Lesche making such a joke. Unlike my nervousness, this man didn¡¯t seem to be afraid too much. I wondered if there was anything in the world that he was afraid of¡­.


    This made me involuntarily look up and wrinkle my brow.


    I was too scared to notice because I was walking around looking only at the floor, but the walls and ceilings were lined up with Tuban¡¯s hair like a Milky Way.


    <i>¡®Did he mean to tell me to follow his hair?¡¯</i>


    How long did we walk?


    ¡°Seria, wait¡­¡±


    As soon as Lesche stood in front of me, I felt a foreign momentum from only a few steps away. I felt like I was held back by an invisible boundary.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve felt this a lot somewhere¡­What is it?¡±


    While hiding behind the rock along Lesche, I btedly realized.


    ¡°Lina¡¯s divine power?¡±


    That sacred power could be faintly felt not only from Lina, the Stern, and Saint but also from Lina¡¯s husband, Kalis. How could Lina¡¯s divine power be felt in Tuban¡¯s world?


    I looked up and my face hardened.


    Until earlier, it was a cave that looked like a night sky, but a strange space made up of Tuban¡¯s hair was revealed in front of me beyond the boundary.


    It was a space that did not harmonize with the cave at all, as if it were made by cutting paper into pieces and carefully pasting them together.


    There¡­.


    I was lying.


    I was lying on a weird altar with magic circles painted all over it.


    I was lying there as if dead, but it was definitely me. I had terrible bruises all over my body¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    I was not alone as a corpse.


    There was a monster that I saw the other day that looked exactly like Tuban. That monster that tried to snatch my ankle was with me. And somehow, the monster exuded a sacred power that felt like Lina¡¯s.


    <i>¡®Is it really Lina¡¯s guardian?¡¯</i>


    At the same time, I realized. This was not real, it was an illusion. I had an instinctive intuition that Tuban was showing me the image of the past.


    The monster was seen hugging my body and speaking in an anxious voice.


    [I begged you not to abandon me¡­]


    The tone and content of the voice seemed sad, but objectively it sounded terrifying. It was as if hundreds of people were speaking at once, and it gave me goosebumps.


    [Knowing that your body is the only thing that can keep the moon alive¡­.]


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    My ears perked up for a second.


    The moon?


    Is my body the only way to keep the moon alive?


    Yes, Mies, who was possessed by Magi, certainly said so. He tried to dedicate the circlet to the moon.


    And that monster seemed to be trying to keep alive this thing called the moon by using me as a sacrifice. Does the existence of the moon hurt? Or¡­is it trying to keep alive something that is dead?


    <i>¡®I wouldn¡¯t want to be a sacrifice, so¡­Did I run away?¡¯</i>


    Was that why the monster said not to abandon him?


    [Seria Stern.]


    Blood dripped from the monster¡¯s hands.


    [This time, I¡¯m sure.]


    Just when I was distracted by the bizarre scene unfolding before my eyes, a low, evil voice prated my ear from the side.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Reflexively, I looked to the side and immediately flinched. Lesche¡¯s eyes were filled with cold anger.


    ¡°Is that son of a b*tch called Tuban?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know what that monster¡¯s name is yet, but it¡¯s not Tuban. It looks simr, but¡­..¡±


    As I said, there was no Tuban here either. Lesche sighed as if it was scratching his patience, grabbed my hand, and pulled it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see this side, Seria.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    In an instant, my eyes opened wide in the direction where he stood.


    The monster was quiterge, and I didn¡¯t notice it because I waspletely hidden on this side¡­.


    There was another person in that bizarre scene I was seeing.


    Hair that shone brown.


    Eyes of simr color.


    Ivory skin.


    Lina.


    It was Lina.


    There was Lina, dressed the same as me, as if dead. She had her eyes open and was dazed. I had goosebumps all over my body. I had no doubt in my mind that that was really Lina because I could certainly feel her divine power.


    <i>¡®What in the world?¡¯</i>


    Whatever the monster had done, my corpse disintegrated and disappeared in an instant. All that remained were bandages and clothing.


    The monster hugged Lina and whispered.


    [I even turned back time¡­.]


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    [If you don¡¯t want to be thrown away, you have to seed this time¡­.]


    It was a voice so cold that it made me cringe. But Lina dazed like a marite, showed no reaction.


    [Yes¡­.]


    [I don¡¯t have much time left. There is no more time. There is no more time. There is no more time. There is no more time. There is no more time. There is no more time. Time, time, time, time, time, time¡­.]


    The words repeated endlessly like a malfunctioning recording machine and gave me chills.


    <i>¡®Have he gone mad?¡¯</i>


    The seemingly endless repetition of the monster¡¯s words did notst. For the space with the scene had suddenly turned white and disintegrated. I felt as if Tuban stopped showing me the scene because he had shown all that I was curious about.


    Right after I grabbed Lesche reflexively.


    When I opened my eyes again, I was on the bed.


    I was even more surprised when I reflexively looked to the side. Lesche was sleeping. I sat up immediately.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    I shook his shoulders carefully as I called his name. But Lesche did not wake up.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you trapped there alone?¡±


    My heart sank. Suddenly a terrible feeling came over me. It would be really scary if he was alone there. When I lifted the circlet in a panic, suddenly both of my wrists got caught.


    Then I fell straight into Lesche¡¯s chest. Did he just wake up? I looked at him in surprise and immediately wrinkled my forehead.


    I saw the mischievous look in his eyes.


    ¡°Lesche!¡±


    Lescheughed. He hugged me and turned me around. I was instantly ced under him. I red at him fiercely.


    ¡°I thought you were trapped there all alone!¡±


    ¡°So you were going to rescue me?¡±


    ¡°If not, would you stay there forever?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you go.¡±


    No, now I was very serious. Was this guy joking?


    I was really angry and clenched my fists.

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157 			?? Listen to Post


    ***


    <em><strong></strong></em>


    <em><strong>Sponsored by Meowy. Thank you ?? (7/8)</strong></em>


    ***


    *TL: I want to say it once again, since this novel¡¯s story is veryplicated with aplex writing, the chapters will only get more and moreplicated the further we go, I¡¯ll try my best to to make it clear but I won¡¯t promise anything. There are detailed spoilers from novel updates forum, you can read there if you¡¯re confused.


    *First POV*


    ***


    When Lesche saw my clenched fists, he burst outughing as if he had given up. He grabbed my wrist and ced it against his chest.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to hit me, hit me here.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Do you think I won¡¯t hit you?¡±(Seria)


    I punched Lesche in the chest. My wrist felt a little tingling. I asked, a little concerned.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°What do you think? I think instead of hitting me you just hurt yourself instead.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Is your body made out of stone?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°If my body is of stone, then your fist is of cotton.¡± (Lesche)


    Lesche saidmely and pushed his hand into my fist to open it. Then, he brought my wrist to his mouth, licked it with his tongue and bit it gently. My shoulders jolted at the stinging sensation.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt to bite this much.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    I tried to follow Lesche and bite his wrist, but gave up. Because somehow that didn¡¯t seem to be the end of it. When I stayed still, Lesche asked.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it scary to go to a ce like that alone?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not too scary.¡±


    ¡°You were shaking and trembling behind me.¡±


    ¡°All I could think was that something was about to pop out¡­.¡±


    I said that, but eventually I confided in him honestly.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m d that you were there with me. ¡­I really almost fainted today.¡±


    Without saying a word, Lesche looked at me and ced a slow, heavy kiss on my cheek. His pressed lips made me lively.


    Soon, Leschey down beside me and stayed there for a long time. His fingertips tickled my skin as they passed by.


    ¡°How did he take me there?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Did Tuban take you? Let¡¯s try experimenting again.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have to go right away, you shouldn¡¯t go.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. You¡¯re tired, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡±


    Lesche smiled faintly.


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t want to experience that feeling again when you close your eyes this soon.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how Lesche felt while waiting for me here when I was in Tuban¡¯s world. Was the kiss he gave me when I was asleep a sign of impatience? Why does this man not hide his heart from me? Why is he always.¡­.


    I felt sick. Lesche, this man.


    Does he love me?


    ¡°Seria?¡±


    The expression on Lesche¡¯s face as he stared at me instantly became distorted.


    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­what?¡±


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    I hurriedly touched my face at Lesche¡¯s words. Indeed, my eyes were a little wet. Why would I want to know how Lesche was feeling and why was I crying¡­? I smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°I guess because I was afraid today.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s hand reached for my neck. I was puzzled as he grabbed the circlet on my neck.


    ¡°What are you doing? Lesche? Lesche!¡±


    Startled, I seized Lesche¡¯s hand. Because the gold was distorted under his hand. I thought the circlet was going to be ruined. Lesche smiled, keeping his distorted expression intact. It was a smile that was not in the least bit pleasant.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That damn thing wouldn¡¯t scare you so much if I opened his bloody throat.¡±


    I exined to Lesche, in a cold sweat, that it was an illusion and I did not know what it was. Without managing his expression at all, Lesche asked.


    ¡°That saintly saint doesn¡¯t even look like a saint.¡±


    ¡°Lina¡­.¡±


    Somehow it sounded like Lesche meant that even Lina would be put away. It was understandable. Because the situation at the time, by all ounts, seemed to be that Lina was scheduled to harm me. It was such a bizarre fantasy¡­.


    However, Lina was still a saint, and she was still pregnant with divine power. There was not much left until the day when Lina¡¯s sacred power would be transferred to the sacred tree. Of course, in the meantime, we have to make sure Lina can¡¯t do anything more, but¡­.


    ¡°Berge must not have a war with the temple.¡±


    I was a Stern now, but I was not sure whether my child born in the future would be a Stern like me. I could see how hard the next great Duke of Berg would suffer if there was a war between Berg and the temple.


    ¡°Please bear with me for the sake of our future child.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    While I was wondering what I had said wrong, Lesche¡¯s eyebrows drooped, which was unlike him, as his gaze was fixed on me. At the same time, a thin smile crossed his lips.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche buried his face in my neck.


    ¡°You often confuse people.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    Still with his face buried in my neck, Lesche moved only his hand to sweep my ear, then to my lips and cheeks. It was so tender that it stung my chest.


    ***


    *Lina¡¯s POV*


    ***


    Lina was smiling for the first time in a long while.


    It was because she had received a polite letter from Cassius. He had identally lost the invitation on his way home and wanted the Saint¡¯s approval.


    The tone was dry, but there was one warm word at the end.


    <The sacred power you showed me that day was warm.>


    Lina sent a reply and a new party invitation to Cassius. She wondered why she hadn¡¯t heard anything from Nissos, but that was all. It was not easy to capture their hearts and minds, even in the book Lina read.


    <i>¡®It doesn¡¯t matter. I just have to work a little harder. That¡¯ll do.¡¯</i>


    Lina, who was consoling herself in this way, smiled after a while.


    Because she was reminded of a dream she had a few days ago.


    <b><i>¡°The truth is, I turned the time around¡­.¡±</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°If you don¡¯t want to be abandoned, you must seed this time.¡±</i></b>


    <b><i>¡°Time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time ¡­.¡±</i></b>


    Cruelly, a corpse, clearly Seria,y before her. Lina clearly recalled that darkness, whose shape was hard to discern, embraced the corpse. The corpse of Seria vanished like dust. The next thing Lina knew, the darkness hugged her (Lina) and whispered¡­ (*Lina had the same dream at the same time Lesche and Seria saw the illusion in Tuban¡¯s world that day)


    A strange and bizarre dream. Lina scratched her head. Could it be the darkness that was absorbed into her body in the Tshugan in?


    ¡°Should I ask the High Priest? But¡­¡±


    She was scared. A Holy Saint and such horrible monsters, isn¡¯t it outrageous?


    Even more¡­.


    She was terribly scared that she would be abandoned again. Because she heard those words many times before she came to this world. Days that she could barely get over only by hanging on and staying alive¡­.


    <i>¡®Maybe it¡¯s just a dream.¡¯</i>


    Whileforting herself, her hands trembled. Unable to bear the deep anxiety, Lina finally got up and went to the bedside of her bed. Therey the ck and luminous Stern insignia. It was not real. Instead, this beautiful ornament made of ck stone put Lina¡¯s mind at ease.


    It was proof that she had properly solidified her position in the social world.


    She happened to overhear that Seria had been handed over the Stern insignia. The priests took great care of the Stern insignia. She also learned for the first time that it could be epted by an individual. Feeling envious, she asked for the Stern insignia for herself, but the High Priest refused. It was unexpected.


    <b><i>¡°Seria Stern discovered the Holy gold mine, so there is an exception, Saintess.¡±</i></b>


    What does he mean ¡®a mine¡¯?


    Lina in the book discovered a huge magic crystal mine with a nearly unlimited amount of purchase with the help of Cassius. With it, she made a huge profit and seeded in her business.


    Instead of that, she decided to donate it to the front and get the Stern insignia.


    But, how did Seria discover the Constetion Gold Mine¡­?


    Lina didn¡¯t find any such content in the book¡­ and on second thought, a lot of things were already at odds with what was in the book. But Lina deliberately turned away. Even though she tried to make it easy, the anxiety that was about to explode racked her brain. She felt as if something unknowable wasing after her.


    In the end, Lina replied to the invitation she had just received and headed to the Imperial Pce that afternoon. This was the pce of the person who had presented her with the model of the insignia made of the ck stone.


    ¡°Wee, Saintess.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, My Queen.¡±


    Queen Ekizel weed Lina with a seductive smile.


    ***


    *Seria¡¯s first POV*


    **


    ¡°Did Lina meet Queen Ekizel?¡±


    While writing a letter to the temple, I was surprised.


    ¡°Why? Did Baron Ison not tell her? She can¡¯t recklessly meet the people of the Imperial Pce, especially Queen Ekizel.¡±


    I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a level Lina can stand. Especially Queen Ekizel. Even in the original story that Lina has read, she didn¡¯t have any particr connection with Queen Ekizel.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that much either. Should we kidnap Baron Ison?¡±


    ¡°No. Only fatigue will prevail, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s frustrating, Grand Duchess! I¡¯m a pacifist!¡±


    I pretended I had not heard Linon¡¯s words.


    What was certain was that Lina was now openly taking the opposite route from me. No matter how many people were going in and out of the Imperial Pce, no matter how bright the afternoon¡­


    But funny enough, I was relieved by Lina¡¯s move.


    Lina was trying to squeeze me out of the social world. It was too obvious.


    I meant that I had to deal with this now.


    ¡°Sir Abigail sent you a letter.¡±


    I read the letter that Linon gave me and said ¡°as expected¡­¡± I knew it.


    ¡°Cassius really has no answer.¡±


    The letter Nissos sent the other day contained a brief insult of Cassius, along with a brief exnation of the situation.


    I immediately sent Abigail near the Kellyden¡¯s residence just in case, and today.


    I was able to hear the news that Cassius had gone to see Lina. The Capital was littered with hidden and elegant cafes, essible only to the nobility.


    On the other hand, it was a bit interesting to see that Nissos¡¯s great disdain for Cassius was directly expressed in the letter.


    <i>¡®In the past, Nissos himself was distracted for a while by Lina.¡¯</i>


    Of course, many things were different now than then. For example, Lina was now married or ¡­.


    And that Nissos was hit by the holy power from the circlet and vomited blood.


    But¡­


    Seeing Cassius panting like a dog at Lina, I felt it was necessary to make sure. Is Casius the only one? There were two Princes in the pce alone. There were so many ves of Lina in this world and almost all of them were powerful. They became more and more powerful as time went on¡­.


    <i>¡®I don¡¯t have to suffer.¡¯</i>


    I nced at the circlet on my neck. The sacred power that had been faintly emitted from it had clearly faded. It was interpreted as a sign that Tuban worked hard to show me Lina and the monster¡¯s recollection.


    I was worried that perhaps that monster, which resembled Tuban, had taken the mermaid spring instead of Tuban, but the groundless fear was evident in the change in the type of sacred power flowing from the circlet.


    It was clearly the sacred power of Tuban. Very simr to mine.

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158 			?? Listen to Post


    *Seria¡¯s POV (first pov)*


    ***


    <i>¡®¡­ If there¡¯s anything urgent, he¡¯ll contact me, won¡¯t he?¡¯</i>


    With that thought in mind, I crumbled the letter I wrote. It seemed that Linon flinched.


    I unfolded the letter again, sealed it well, and handed it to Linon.


    ¡°Send this letter to the temple.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Grand Duchess.¡±


    Linon answered in a firm voice, and then, perhaps unable to resist his curiosity, he asked.


    ¡°What kind of letter is it? May I ask why it¡¯s wrinkled?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a letter saying that I won¡¯t leave Lina alone.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The temple always trembled in fear of what I would do to Lina. But Lina had once shamed me at Duke Howard¡¯s party, so I could use that to my advantage.


    ¡°The temple will be scared and call Lina back.¡±


    I deliberately damaged the letter in an attempt to pretend to be inmed with anger and contempt.


    ¡°What are you going to do after driving the Saintess out of the capital?¡±


    ¡°Linon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°The mermaid was returned safely to the sea, and I saved your face and Berge. So¡­. Shouldn¡¯t you give me a little help?¡±


    I deliberately added more gruesome wordy to try to create a tense atmosphere. But Linon just blinked and suddenly fell to his knees.


    Thanks to that, it was me who panicked.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Mermaids do not betray their saviors. I am half mermaid myself¡­I will be loyal to the Grand Duchess for the rest of my life, just as I told His Highness so. I will do so to the best of my ability.¡±


    ¡°No¡­Okay, so get up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    As I was about to leave my seat, Linon finally stood up. Is he trying to ventte the slightly heavier atmosphere? Linon put his hands on his cheeks and his eyes lit up.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve long suspected that since God couldn¡¯t be here, He sent the Grand Duchess down to Berg!¡±


    <i>¡®I think I understand a little bit why Bibi wouldn¡¯t leave Linon alone.¡¯</i>


    I remembered the signs of ttery. Then I picked up a quill pen and scribbled it on a nk paper and showed it to Linon.


    Linon tilted his head.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It is a sign of ttery and loyalty I learned before.¡±


    From the next day on, Linon wrote ¡°^^7¡± at the end of every document he sent me. ??


    ***


    Some timeter.


    As usual, dozens of gossips consumed and disappeared in the imperial social circles where rumors always abound.


    This time, in particr, there was a lot of fresh gossip, with the full-fledged arrival of the Saintess. Of course, there was constant talk about Seria, who was announced as the new Saint.


    It was at the great celebration that happened the other day.


    Seria Berg was recognized as a Saint because the sacred power she possessed exceeded the categories described in the oracle.


    But it was not merely this that caused the capital to be in an uproar.


    It was because the Grand Duke of Berg promised a huge response.


    ¡°What do you mean they¡¯re going to show us a purification ceremony inmemoration of the Grand Duchess being dered a Saint?¡±


    ¡°I thought the rules of defeat had beenpletely broken!¡±


    One nobleman was angry, but no one voiced sympathy. Because¡­


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, does it?¡±


    ¡°No. Berg paid for everything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the best thing.¡±


    The nobles looked at their hands if they had made a promise. Each one was wearing a ring. This ring was a gift to several hundred nobles in the name of the Grand Duke of Berg.


    ¡°What in the world?¡±


    ¡°How did they process the magic crystal like this?¡±


    ¡°From what I hear, it was developed by a wizard in Berg.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a distance, and yet it¡¯s amazing.¡±


    Transportation magic originally existed. However, the cost to use it was very high. Even in the high temple, they hardly used it.


    This magic crystal ring was different. Since it only required the insertion of a processed crystal ball, it was considerably more economical than its enormous price.


    Who could not be enthralled by this tremendous means of transportation?


    In addition to receiving this precious ring as gifts, there were about a hundred people invited to the Berg today. Even though not everyone was invited here, they arbitrarily yed roulette in Berg, but they were still proud of the feeling of being chosen.


    ¡°The scale of Berg is truly extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Isn¡¯t it the empire¡¯s only grand dukedom?¡±


    Thanks to the magic crystal ring, Seria was able to travel in an instant to Berg where purification had not yet taken ce. As a result, there were no shrewd nobles. Even the nobles who would normally have said it was dangerous, joined in, thinking it was nothing more than a curious spectacle, when they heard that the Knights of the Berg would be protecting them. As a result, Berg was crowded with people. The hired hands setting up cabanas were busy.


    ***


    ¡°I really can¡¯t eat anymore.¡±


    I pushed away the fork that Lesche offered me. My stomach was about to burst. For nearly an hour, Lesche had been feeding me something. Lesche looked dissatisfied, even though I seemed to have eaten twice as much as I normally do.


    Lesche stared at me with his cheek resting on the back of his other hand. He frowned.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to cleanse the whole vige, and what if you happen to copse again?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    ¡°Eat one more.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really thest one.¡±


    I ended up eating one steak for thest time. Lesche put what was left in his mouth and chewed it, but didn¡¯t take his eyes off me. I mped my mouth shut, meaning I wouldn¡¯t eat it anymore.


    The preparation was over.


    I went out with a heavier stomach than usual.


    It was an interesting sight to see the nobles, who were not knights, dressed in constetion armors. They all held silver tree branches in their hands as if they were lifelines. Some even wore them on their heads like flower crowns. It was good that I, Stern, was there, but they looked scared.


    I looked around slowly.


    Linon asked.


    ¡°What are you going to do after you have driven the Saintess out of the capital?¡±


    Present among these hundred nobles in this ce were Lina¡¯s ves. It was said that they were chosen at random, but they were not.


    There was a young and handsome Count who helped Lina open the shop, a Marquis who saved Lina from the water, a Young Master who passed on his magic knowledge to Lina, a knight who had a crush on Lina and would fly his body to cover the wine that Seria poured on Lina¡­.


    Of course, the two Princes were also here.


    Prince Mm, the first prince of the Glick Empire. And then there was Prince Jun.


    Virtually all the ves, with the exception of Kalis, were sent rings and invitations.


    It was dangerous to visit Lina¡¯s would-be ves one by one, because of the method of using divine power. Nissos had once vomited blood. If all the people I visited copsed and vomited blood, I would be condemned as a witch. It was natural to be suspicious.


    So the way I thought of it was this. To call all Lina¡¯s ves at once and purify them as a group.


    It cost me a fortune, but that was okay. I¡¯m confident that once I start selling the magic crystals that Chloe and her assistants studied so diligently in earnest, I¡¯ll be able to recover my money in less than a month.


    ¡°Hello, everyone.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    At my words, the buzzing aristocrats looked at me with a mixture of interest and curiosity.


    I looked around at them with a rxed smile. There were many of them.


    <i>¡®Cassius didn¡¯te?¡¯</i>


    I wondered. Why would he refuse toe when even the Princes couldn¡¯t refuse?


    Cassius was too unlucky, but I really did send the invitation after worrying about it until thest minute. I was strangely worried since he didn¡¯t respond, but he wouldn¡¯te when I was going to save him. I wondered if I should save him¡­


    In any case, I couldn¡¯t go and kidnap the heir to the Marquis of Kellyden, and now I didn¡¯t have time.


    After brief introductions, we also heard a short congrattory speech from a high priest who had been invited especially for today.


    I stood in front of the crowd and smiled brightly. The nobles in the very front seemed frightened.


    ¡°Before I get started, I would like to say something in advance. My divine power is very strong.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°It is so powerful that you may experience ringing in your ears.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Those with strong tinnitus are not clean-minded. So visit the temple often and do your best to pray.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    The high-ranking priests who were called here served as witnesses. They¡¯ll prove what I was about to create and show them was pure divine power.


    It was a ce where it was legal to evoke immense sacred power. Among the Knights of the Berg who surrounded the nobles gathered in the center, were also Abigail, Alliot, and Linon, who had been prearranged.


    Okay.


    I turned to the altar with the pre-prepared Stern insignia. It was not the one that was present in the Berg prayer room, but it was specially lent to me by the High Temple.


    I knelt down and gathered my sacred power.


    My long green hair fluttered with the sacred power that exploded in a poof. The Stern formal attire I wore also fluttered wildly.


    At the same time, screams rang out behind me.


    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±


    ¡°Arghhh!¡±


    ¡°Prince!¡±


    ¡°Count!¡±


    ¡°This way! This way!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hear them well because of the mixture of sounds. I had to make sure to show them that I was purifying the Magi, which was swirling with magical energy, so the divine power, which I had been more careful than usual, continued to blow strong winds despite my withdrawal.


    I looked back, sweeping my hair behind my ears. And then¡­


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    I was greatly surprised for a moment. It was a man standing far, far away, quite a distance from the nobles gathered here.


    ¡­It was Kalis.


    <i>¡®Why? Why is Kalis here?¡¯</i>


    I barely strengthened my eyes, which were almost shaking. Kalis shouldn¡¯t be here. Berg didn¡¯t send him a ring or an invitation. I thought he would have followed Lina to the High temple.


    His dark blonde hair shone in the sun. Kalis¡¯s dark eyes were fixed on me. Of course, my eyes could not leave his, either.


    Kalis was¡­.


    He was normal. He was perfectly fine.


    After learning that the Sacred Power from the circlet had an effect on Lina¡¯s ves, I knew that Kalis might die if exposed to it.


    However, Kalis did not spit out blood nor did he spit out the demonic shadow.


    I just couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him and slowly bit my lip. But I was the first to avert my gaze. I vaguely saw Kalis turn away at the end of my vision.


    ***


    With unsteady steps, Kalis climbed into Hon¡¯s carriage. The moment he sat down on the seat. With a shriek, Kalis vomited something ck.


    ¡°Marquis? Marquis!¡±


    The aide was startled and jumped up.


    ¡°Um, what is that¡­!¡±


    The ck mold moved slowly and soon disappeared as if the water had dried up. Magi? But why is it in the Marquis¡¯s body? The Hon aide turned to Kalis with a shudder.


    ¡°Marquis!¡±


    The aide was about to faint.


    Blood was gushing out of Kalis¡¯s body. Red blood flowed out as he coughed and coughed.


    The aide hurriedly removed the jacket that Kalis was wearing. His whole body was a mess. His body was filled with wounds that looked like they had just been cut, and there was bright red blood everywhere.


    ¡°I need a doctor¡­doctor¡­!¡±


    The aide, who urgently opened the carriage door, was grabbed by Kalis.


    ¡°Marquis?¡±


    ¡°¡­Shut your mouth.¡±


    Kalis fell straight down and fainted. The luxury carriage was stained with red blood all over.

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159 			?? Listen to Post


    The Glick empire was turned upside down.


    This was because the amount of sacred power that Seria showed them made everyone speechless.


    It basically took years to clean up the contaminatednd. The priests did not rest, gathering sacred power and sending priests and holy knights to work on purifying thend.


    This enormously costly and time-consuming task waspleted in a matter of minutes by Seria.


    The nobles had to keep their mouths shut because they thought it was preposterous that Seria Berg, the wicked woman, was a holy Saint. The nobles, who had witnessed Seria¡¯s divine power before their very eyes, were in an uproar of excitement.


    ¡°She¡¯s a Saint. I saw it firsthand!¡±


    ¡°In just a few minutes, she had purified a vastnd. Is that a myth?¡±


    The problem flew in the other direction.


    There was another Saint in this empire.


    Lina.


    ¡°If the Grand Duchess is that good, the sacred power of the other Saint must be simr enough.¡±


    ¡°Of course. She is the one who was sent from God, so she might be stronger.¡±


    Among the admiring nobles, another question emerged.


    ¡°But why has the Saintess never shown such a miracle?¡±


    No one could answer immediately. A stepte in the silence, a mouth was opened.


    ¡°The Grand Duchess has fallen ill.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I heard that too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    If Seria had not fallen ill, there would have been a flood of requests and bribes to purify the familynds¡­. It was a shame, but still terrific.


    ¡°Since the Saintess is pregnant with the child of divine power, I doubt she can show us the miracle of purification right now. What if she falls ill like the Grand Duchess?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    The positive conviction did notst long. One noblewoman opened her mouth with a frown.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little different from what the Saintess told me.¡±


    Bothdies, who recently became members of Lina¡¯s tea party, belonged to a good family with strong connections.


    And Lina once told them how muchnd she could purify and over how long a period of time. It was a story based on a memory she had read in the book.


    The Ladies were astonished. The reason was that the power of Lina was so much greater than that of the high priests. Thedies eagerly boasted about Lina¡¯s abilities to the people.


    The power of Lina was astonishingly great.


    Butpared to the enormous purification Seria did that shook the empire, it was a disappointing divine power.


    Silence frayed once.


    ¡°Why is the divine power so different when she is the same Saint?¡±


    One sincere nobleman frowned severely.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. She¡¯s carrying a child of divine power.¡±


    ¡°But¡­have not some of the saints who had also given birth to children of divine power?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that even more amazing?¡±


    The nobleman who defended Lina also stopped talking. But it was a burden on everyone to keep referring to the sacred power of the Saints recognized by the Great Temple and to drive them into negativity.


    The topic changed, and the Saint and Stern were no longer mentioned. But everyone who was present could not forget the conversation that had just taken ce.


    ***


    ¡°Seria?¡±


    Lina was at the Great Temple, so she was a littlete to discover this tremendous news about Seria. She was perplexed. Lina didn¡¯t immediately know how big thend was that Seria had purified. She could only be surprised when the priest showed her a map.


    ¡°Can I do this, too?¡±


    Lina¡¯s foundation was the fact that she was a Saint. She had inwardly wished she had a stage where she could prove her overwhelming divine power before the eyes of many.


    But the High Priest¡¯s reaction was unexpected.


    ¡°That¡¯s difficult, Saintess.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±


    Lina was shocked.


    The question of how Seria could be more sacred than herself was filled with disappointment. The moment High Priest Jubelud heard theint, he suddenly wondered.


    ¡°Could it be that the Saintess wants to push Stern?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    There shouldn¡¯t be a single reason to do so.


    Seria had done nothing wrong to Lina. Rather, it was the other way around. In a sense, it was thest act of mercy that Seria, who said she would not leave Lina alone, sent a letter in advance.


    Thanks to that, the High Priest was able to bring Lina to the Great Temple like this and protect her.


    ¡±Saintess, the Grand Duchess, by the grace of God, discovered the Constetion Gold Mine and received the blessing of the stars. So thetent divine power exploded.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to take the Saintess to the High Temple after the social festivities are over.¡±


    So far, Lina had always done what she pleased.


    But now Lina must have misdirected her thinking. Stern was not her enemy, but her closest ally.


    If it was simply because Seria was a prominent member of Glick imperial society with status and prestige, and if Lina was hostile to her¡­.


    High Priest Jubelud seemed very disappointed in Lina.


    On the other hand, what was strange was his own feelings. Although he thought that Lina would never do such a thing, he could not ask Lina directly about it. This was out of character for him.


    In other words, he had already guessed the answer that woulde out of Lina¡¯s mouth.


    It was also the one that disappointed him the most¡­.


    With mixed feelings, High Priest Jubelud drank the tea.


    Still, Lina was the one whom God had sent. She was a Saint with strong divine power. He believed that if he took care of her, she would be good again.


    It was on that night that an unexpected secret visitor arrived at the Great Temple with aplicated heart. It was Kalis Hon¡¯s immediate aide. He asked if he could take one of the priests with strong healing sacred power.


    Since Kalis Hon was Lina¡¯s husband, of course, it was possible. The problem was¡­


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell the Saintess.¡±


    ¡°¡­the Saintess? Why?¡±


    ¡°I cannot tell you right away, but it is the Marquis¡¯s wish. I have asked him several times to exin the situation, but he said he would exin itter.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­. Take one as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. High Priest.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Then, Grand Duchess, I wille back in the evening.¡±


    Berg¡¯s doctor bowed his head and left.


    This was Berg¡¯s mansion in the capital. It was such a fantastic and good thing that the travel time was drastically shortened.


    And she was incredibly proud that the technology belonged to her wizard.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    Susan wiped Seria¡¯s hands with a warm hand towel. The sweet smell of the perfume oil made herugh.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m not sick, Susan.¡±


    ¡°I know. But do you know how big thend is that the Grand Duchess purified?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing. Really, I¡¯m alright.¡±


    Susan let out augh.


    After showing the people the purification ceremony, Seria pretended to be terribly sick and justid in bed.


    However, Susan and Ben made a big fuss as if they had been waiting for such a moment. ¡®Why am I taking supplemental medication?¡¯ Seria nodded her head when they said, ¡°If you¡¯re going to act anyway, why not act perfectly?¡±


    Ben didn¡¯t even go out. He sat down in a chair in the corner of the bedroom and began to y his little harp. It wasn¡¯t any other music he was ying. It was a luby for babies. Seria onlyughed because Ben smiled shyly saying that that was all he could y.


    In addition to this, even Susan sat in the chair next to the bed and embroidered. It made Seria wonder again.


    They were both senior employees with proper private rooms, so why were they here ¡­.


    <i>¡®Did they want to see my face?¡¯</i>


    It was true that recently she had been very busy preparing for the purification rituals, so she had not been able to get a good look at their faces.


    Seria leaned her back against a stack of pillows and pulled the thinforter up to her waist. She thought as she listened to the sweet, peaceful harp sounds that drifted into her ears.


    <i>¡®Kalis¡­.why did nothing happen? How could he be so healthy?¡¯</i>


    Of course, she thought he would have the most serious injuries. There was no sign of anything. She had seen Lina¡¯s ves react extremely abnormally when they were exposed to the divine power. Why was Kalis so different?


    ¡­like the Lesche of the other day.


    She was suspicious of Kalis. She really felt the need to check it out.


    With that thought, she leaned her head back.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    When she opened her eyes again, it was pitch ck everywhere. Then she also felt the hard, familiar arms holding her body.


    <i>¡®When did hee¡­?¡¯</i>


    When did he sleep holding her so tightly in his arms? Lesche¡¯s lips were attached to her forehead. She wanted to touch his cheek, but the problem was that this man would wake up right away, even if he was asleep. For some reason, he seemed to wake up as soon as she made the slightest sound.


    Eventually, while pretending to be asleep, she carefully held his waist. This man¡¯s body, muscr and finely detailed, was very satisfying in terms of volume. It made her smile.


    Meanwhile, she remembered the thought that had been bothering her since the purification of the contaminatednd.


    <i>¡®Should I tell Lesche about Kalis?¡¯</i>


    Perhaps he had already heard that Kalis came to the wilderness uninvited. Since there were knights around.


    But it was a little too much to say that Kalis was nothing like the other ves. It was ufortable to tell Lesche about Kalis in detail. Lesche didn¡¯t seem to like hearing about him.


    <i>¡®An unscathed Kalis was an unexpected oue, and I had to see Kalis at least once. Preferably in a neutral area, like the Temple.¡¯</i>


    But¡­She didn¡¯t want to meet Kalis in secret without telling Lesche.


    <i>¡®I have to say it¡¯s not a big deal.¡¯</i>


    Pretend it¡¯s a passing story, tell him hundreds of other stories, and then tell him about it vaguely.


    It was quiet all around. It was true that she used a lot of sacred power, and her eyelids soon became heavy. Seria soon fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 160

    <i>¡®I can''t stay here.¡¯</i>


    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 thend where Magi was active.


    She even mentioned that it was a pity that the priests were so overprotective that she could not see thend with her own eyes, and that she had heard how much of an excellent knight Cassius was, and wanted him to take her there onceter¡­.


    It was exactly what she had read in the book.


    ¡°Saintess? I see you¡¯re happy that Master Kellyden hase to visit you.¡±


    The more the priests said this, the more Lina weed 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 rtive on the border.


    ¡°The high-quality wooden box¡¯s inside must be thend 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 ne 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 ne was not at all beautiful.


    Lina was thirsty and took a sip of tea. Her hands trembled.


    ¡°Not this ne¡­didn''t they give you thend?¡±


    ¡°Thend? 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 ept 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 fianc¨¦e.


    Why did Lina meet with a man who had a fianc¨¦e? 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 fianc¨¦e.


    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 Hon¡¯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 juste up from Hon stated that a high-level healing priest had been seen for days praying in the temple near Hon Castle and entering the castle.


    It was Lesche¡¯s order to send people to the Hon territory.


    As Seria predicted, Lesche found that Kalis hade 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 nce, made an unexpected report.


    ¡°The carriage has made a sharp turn into Hon territory. Your Highness."


    It was strange. Lesche sent a man to Hon, 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 Hon 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.


    <i>¡®Should I tell Seria about this guy?¡¯</i>


    Should he tell the woman he loves the news that her crazy love interest seems to havee 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 Ie backter?¡±


    ¡°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¡­


    <i>¡®Was he being scolded?¡¯</i>


    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 andpiled 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>¡®I¡¯ll just tell him.¡¯</i>


    ¡°Lesche."


    ¡°Seria."


    They called each other at the same time. She was a little surprised. She was so preupied 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 toce with worry, Lesche, who swept his hair roughly, spoke with a look of disgust.


    ¡°It seems that Hon''s brain is finally working properly.¡±


    ***


    Meanwhile, inside the castle of Hon.


    ¡°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.

 Chapter 161

    Kalis had cuts all over and looked like a sinner who had been tortured. Still, he was healed to some degree by the healing divine power of the high-level priest.


    It had already been a few days since Kalis refused to see any visitors and concentrated only on healing. Sighs came out of his mouth.


    A bracelet rattled against his wrist.


    It was put on by Kalis''s aide. The aide, who was with Kalis the whole time in the carriage, thought that Kalis was really going to die. So he found the magic crystal bracelet that Kalis usually treasured like his life and put it on Kalis''s wrist.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡±


    Kalis let out a breath full of pain.


    It was truly cruel and horrifying to spit out blood. It was hard and painful as if his chest was on fire.


    Suddenly, he recalled the priests in the Berg territory, their tear-stained faces calling him.


    <b><i>¡°Marquis Hon! Stern vomited blood at the ceremony. Blood, sir!¡± </i></b>(*This was at the wedding when Seria vomited blood and almost died)


    <b><i>¡°How could you do this to the precious Stern!"</i></b>


    Yes. Seria said she coughed up blood.


    It was because he, who promised to marry her, didn''t show up.


    She stood lonely at the ceremony¡­


    "¡­."


    At the same time, the brutal words he had said to Seria surfaced one by one. The hurt he inflicted on her made his head ring painfully.


    His own brutal actions had one thing inmon. The fact that Seria was united in her feelings, her actions, and her resentment that she did not understand the care and protection Kalis had poured into Lina.


    The fact that he hoped for Seria¡¯s understanding of all that was ridiculous¡­.


    Whether he went to apologize or cling, Kalis¡¯s actions were misdirected.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Kalis was in agony, his chest was wed out, and thousands of sharp needles seemed to be sticking out of nowhere. Every breath was painful and unbearable.


    How could he have been so selfish?


    Was he really that crazy?


    Ruminating over the tears that were falling down from Seria¡¯s eyes with a nk expression, Kalis hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand. Without doing so, he felt like he would spit out blood again. His eyes instantly became wet.


    He felt like someone stuck a knife in his heart and pulled it all the way out, did Seria feel this kind of pain?


    Crazy, why did he push Seria away?


    And he was the one who almost killed Seria. It was also him who put other women first, not her. At that moment, his head rang terribly with a thumping sound.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Kalis coughed up blood again. In no time at all, the bedroom became a scene of carnage. It was just after one day that he calmed down. An aide approached him cautiously and spoke to him.


    ¡°Marquis. I have a letter from Young Master Kellyden.¡±


    ¡°Bring it to me.¡±


    Kalis received the letter with a stern expression. It was a formal letter of regards.


    [Since the Saintess has given me an invitation, I would like to officially visit Hon¡¯s mansion. I hope that you and I can meet each other. Also, since the Saintess is the hostess of Hon, it is only logical that I should inform you beforehand¡­]


    Kalis did not read to the end. Instead, he replied shortly with a pen and a paper brought by his aide.


    The aide''s eyes widened when he received and read Kalis''s letter before sealing it. Because the content was too short and calm.


    [The Young Master does not seem to be aware of the fact that I am divorcing her. I don''t care, do what you want.]


    It was an uncharismatic reply, unlike himself, who was always very forting in engaging with Lina. The aide, who was familiar with such tendencies of his master, could not help but be deeply perplexed.


    Eventually, Kalis instructed him to fill a box with glittering gold and sterling silver to the brim.


    "Send it to Young Master Cassius Kellyden. This is the price of the Berg ring and the invitation he gave me the other day."


    ¡°Yes, Marquis.¡±


    The aide bowed politely.


    The other day, Cassius had given Kalis the ring and the invitation from the Grand Duke of Berg. It was to soften and resolve the severed rtionship.


    But Kalis drew a definite line in return. Hon and Cassius will never be able to return to their former cooperative rtionship.


    On the other hand, Kalis had really overpaid for the ring and the invitation. The box was very heavy.


    Soon Kalis copsed, coughing up blood again. The healing priest once again infused him with divine power. While the aide seemed to faint, every time he woke up and came to his senses, he felt sorry for his master, who was looking only at the magic crystal bracelet as if he were an insane person. (*it was the bracelet Seria gave Kalis as a gift long ago.)


    ***


    Some timester.


    Seria heard the news that Linon had returned to the capital.


    At the same time, old acquaintances came to the Berg residence.


    Abigail, Linon, and Alliot.


    ¡°Bibi!¡±


    ¡°Lady.¡±


    Abigail looked at Seria and smiled.


    She was ¡®boo¡¯ when she showed her sacred power, but the aftermath was not. The knights of the family, along with the holy knights, officially confirmed that thend had been cleansed, the priests documented it, and so on. It took a lot of manpower.


    ¡°Grand Duchess, all the people you purified showed abnormalities.¡±


    ¡°All of them?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Those on my side did. People who fainted or had hemoptysis are also shown separately."


    It was worthwhile to intentionally stand three people among the Berg knights. Alliot and Abigail seemed unscathed and firm, while Linon was a soft seaweed. Seria told the people to go rest and talkter.


    "Bibi? Bibi, go and get some rest, too. Why aren''t you leaving?"


    ¡°Young Lady.¡±


    Abigail, who had remained alone, approached Seria with quiet steps.


    ¡°One of the men you asked me to check on was looking a little strange.¡±


    "Strange?¡±


    ¡°He coughed up something ck, and his face melted and stuck back together.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?"


    Seria froze in ce.


    ***


    ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    Lately, Queen Ekizel was not in a good mood.


    This was because the purification ceremony done by Seria Bergpletely overturned the capital. It was so sacred that the whole empire, perhaps the whole continent, was surprised and was in an uproar.


    "I can''t believe that crazy foal is a Saint."


    And suddenly her position became ridiculous as she caught the rope that was Lina.


    The Queen, who had heard Lina had boldly confronted Seria Berg at the Duke of Howard''s residence, quickly sent her precious treasures and even invited her to the Imperial Pce.


    It was already an open secret that Seria¡¯s sacred power was so tremendous that even Lina could not keep up. There was no noble who did not know that.


    A Saint who was the same only in name, Seria had emerged as the one and only.


    As Queen Ekizel wrinkled her enchanting brow, the imperialdy-in-waiting gently brought in a ss bottle.


    "My Queen, the Saintess presented you with a gift, holy water, which she brought from the Great Temple."


    ¡°Who is the Saintess?"


    ¡°Oh, Saintess Lina¡­.¡±


    ¡°Put it away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Countess Kutnel, a close aide, looked at Queen¡¯s mood and said,


    "But don''t be so displeased, Your Highness and the Saintess are both lovely and dignified. She will soon emerge as a social star."


    Queen Ekizelughed aloud.


    ¡°What dignity? Even if Baron pinch her and teach her, how would she hide her immaturity?¡±


    ¡°The purity of her appearance is also a factor that attracts attention in social circles.¡±


    ¡°I''m not sure how pure she is. Even if she was a Saint, I expected her to look like an angel without worldly scruples, but she is jealous of Stern, who is also a Saint.¡±


    Still, the Queen thought Lina¡¯s ambition wasn''t so bad.


    Besides, she was a Saint recognized by the Great Temple.


    <i>¡®I thought she will be very useful when Prince Jun ascends to the throne.''</i>


    Queen Ekizel was only concerned about the issue of her son, Prince Jun, ascending to the throne. Although the Prince was already in his early twenties, the emperor had not decided on a Crown Prince.


    The emperor was weak against the queen for one reason or another, but the issue of session to the throne was another matter.


    <i>¡®I can only be concerned because the sinking emperor would not answer me.¡¯</i>


    Queen Ekizel took a sip of tea.


    <i>¡®The Emperor is a cruel man.¡¯</i>


    Thedies pretended not to be ustomed to hearing. These were the words that Queen Ekizel muttered with augh.


    A cruel Emperor from her point of view.


    A heartless emperor who lived with only the dead empress in his heart.


    When the Queen was young and innocent, she was greatly hurt by that fact. She even cried for days in front of the emperor. She didn¡¯t know how other concubines felt, but she really loved the emperor.


    When she thought of the death anniversary of the deceased empress, she remembered the incident when Prince Jun went missing.


    The emperor expressed great sorrow to her at that time and listened to what she had to say, but that was all.


    The emperor was a man whose first love was hisst love. Because of that, the affection of Queen Ekizel was frozen, and all she could do was just wait for her own bloodline, Prince Jun, to take the throne.


    What was important about her title? She would be called Empress Dowager.


    It should be recorded in history forever.


    ¡°How is Prince Jun doing?"


    The Imperial physician bowed his head.


    ¡°Yes, Your Imperial Highness. He is recovering well."


    "Take good care of him.¡±


    During thest purification ceremony, many people fell ill, including Prince Jun.


    The rumors were about to get worse, but fortunately, the first Prince also copsed. However, each of them had already begun to donate many offerings to the Great Temple.


    ¡°I heard that Saint Lina has visited Prince Jun.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    In the midst of all this, there was no change at all in the expression on Queen Ekizel¡¯s face when she heard that Lina hade to visit Prince Jun.


    "The Saintess is a candy that has already lost its sweet juice, and I still have to capture the heart of the Grand Duchess of Berg after all¡­"


    The Queen sighed. Why did Prince Jun make such a big deal about wanting the blue diamond before? If only her family didn¡¯t have a bad history with Seria Stern, she could have approached Seria more easily.


    In the meantime, she felt that she had to put aside her pride as an imperial Queen and present Berg with a gift.


    The gift had to match the status of the recipient.


    The other day she gave Lina a model of the insignia made of ck stone. Then she had to send Seria at least one made of diamonds.


    <i>¡®¡­ I have to spend quite a bit of my personal money.¡¯</i>


    If it wasn¡¯t a gift of that magnitude, Seria would throw it away. She wouldn¡¯t be the only one who would send Seria a gift.


    ¡°My Queen.¡±


    It was then that a maid of honor approached and delivered the unexpected news.


    ¡°The Grand Duchess of Berg is here.¡±


    "¡­.?"


    At that moment, the hands and eyes of the noblewomen, including Queen Ekizel, stopped at the same time.

 Chapter 162

    As soon as Lina returned to the capital, she knew something was wrong.


    ¡°How is Kalis?¡±


    ¡°The Marquis had some business to attend to in his estate.¡±


    ¡°Business? Suddenly? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°There is always some minor friction among the vassals during this time of the year. He will be back soon.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­.¡± said Lina and agreed to the butler¡¯s wise reply.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be back soon, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Saintess,¡±


    ¡°Okay, I see.¡±


    Lina was impatient. First, she invited twodies whom she had befriended in order to get a feel for the atmosphere of the Imperial Pce.


    But as soon as she called them, her heart only ached more.


    Thedies did not talk to Lina about the sacred power anymore. The distance became more apparent because they always said that Lina¡¯s sacred power was amazing every time they had a pleasant cup of tea. The Ladies¡¯ attitude was still kind, but as for Lina, she couldn¡¯t help but be concerned.


    ¡°Come to think of it, magic crystals are very popr in the capital these days.¡±


    ¡°I was going to buy one too, but the pre-orders have umted for half a year¡­ Ah, this is the magic crystal I brought to give to the Saintess. Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­beautiful.¡±


    Lina bit her lip. That huge magic crystal mine was supposed to be hers. It was not Seria¡¯s, but Lina¡¯s.


    On the other hand, she wanted to ask Seria if she had read the book too.


    Lina wondered if that was why Seria took her own things like this at every turn. She was angry, but she couldn¡¯t just go and ask her.


    If Seria answered, ¡°Yes,¡± then Seria was bound to reveal her true nature, which she had been hiding. It was better to leave it while she still didn¡¯t know that Lina had read the book.


    ¡®I¡¯m afraid.¡¯


    Lina¡¯s nervousness grew even greater the moment she checked the letter that arrived a few dayster.


    ¡®¡­Why are the letters so hard?¡¯


    Even before returning to the capital, Lina frequently made efforts to connect with the people she had written about in her notebook.


    She could wait for romantic events to happen like the ones in the book, where she missed a hat or took the same book from the library, but it seemed somewhat slow. In the midst of this, Cassius became hopeful that he would be liked.


    She thought she could cut to the chase with the letters and get to know them more quickly as they exchanged correspondence. In fact, there was no male group that would turn down Lina¡¯s letters. Some of them mumbled about why she would write to them without their knowledge, but still, all the replies were sufficient to allow for improvement.


    But the letter Lina got now was very clerical.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    The letter gave a good reason. It said that they had all copsed.


    ¡®They all went to see Seria¡¯s purification ceremony.¡¯


    That Seria¡¯s sacred power was much stronger than hers. Lina murmured.


    ¡®¡­I doubt it.¡¯


    Perhaps Seria did something evil. Or why on earth would they suddenly copse, vomit blood, pass out¡­.


    Lina couldn¡¯t just stand still. She then decided to visit Prince Jun.


    Because the royal family could never refuse a visit from Lina.


    It was difficult to visit both the first and second Prince. Lina¡¯s choice was, of course, Prince Jun, the second prince. She also received a big present from Queen Ekizel the other day, so it was the right choice.


    ¡°Saintess, I¡¯m in bad condition.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Lina went to see Prince Jun and was left speechless. He couldn¡¯t even walk so he had to be helped by helpers from both sides.


    Despite Lina¡¯splicated feelings, the sunshine was good enough to bring tears to her eyes. Thanks to this, Lina was treated to tea and sweets in the quiet garden that only the prince could offer.


    ¡°By the way, Saintess, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to be your partner at the ball like I promised the other day.¡±


    When she was told that Prince Jun had fallen ill and would have to stay in seclusion, her eyes went dark.


    She didn¡¯t even know what she was supposed to do anymore. She had no one to rely on. Kalis did note back from the estate, and she just couldn¡¯t send a letter to Baron Ison. This was because she had vited the teachings of not contacting the royal family. It would be a while before she could reply again, otherwise, she was going to get in trouble.


    After all, the only thing Lina could believe in was the power she had conceived. This sacred power had to be an inherent sacred power.


    Only then would she be able to rise one day, as Myote said, to the very high position of being the Master of the Great Temple.


    Lina wrapped her stomach and trembled. She cried out in istion, feeling like she was on a deserted ind that she had fallen into.


    ¡°Saintess?¡±


    Prince Jun, with a flustered look on his face, handed over the handkerchief as a courtesy. Lina did not get it, so he reached out to wipe the tears for her. The very moment Prince June¡¯s hand touched Lina¡¯s wet cheek.


    ¡°¡­when the Saintess cries in front of me, there¡¯s something sad and frustrating about it¡­ What¡¯s wrong with you, Saintess?¡±


    ¡°Hic¡­hic.¡±


    This was when Lina, saddened, sobbed silently.


    ¡°You must answer me, Lina.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°What have I done to you?¡±


    At that moment, Lina froze at the unfamiliar voice. She raised her head in horror, and her eyes immediately turned wide. For the face of Prince Jun had ovepped with the pitch-ck darkness she had seen in her dream the other day. That was when Lina faltered away.


    ¡°I told you you were the recement.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let Seria see your child.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    It was a strange voice as if hundreds of people were talking at once. At the same time, ck smoke rose from Prince Jun¡¯s body and soon disappeared.


    Immediately, Prince Jun fell to the ground, vomiting blood and ckness.


    ***


    ¡°It would be really nice if the Grand Duchess coulde to our next tea party.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I can¡¯t imagine how pleased the Queen would be¡­¡±


    Thedies in the Queen¡¯s entourage tried to get Seria¡¯s attention. They all went to see her off.


    ¡°I look forward to our next tea party.¡±


    When Seria returned the answer close to positivity, thedies¡¯ faces brightened.


    ¡°I¡¯ll walk a little further before I go.¡±


    ¡°Take a look around, Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°See you, Grand Duchess.¡±


    Seria walked leisurely. Three turns around the colonnade and she had the same expression on her face. The movement was so natural that no one noticed.


    ¡°Youngdy.¡±


    Abigail, an escort who had been an assassin, summarized all the conversations she had heard undercover and told Seria in a quiet voice.


    ¡°The prince told the Saintess¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Seria¡¯s hands went cold. It was worth it to have deliberatelye to the pce of Queen Ekizel to ce Abigail undercover¡­.


    Seria kept walking, looking ahead with a stiffened face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get the hell out of here.¡±


    ***


    After a while.


    Seria heard the news that Prince Jun had copsed and was on the verge of life and death. Since Lina was there, rumors also spread that apparently, Prince Jun was weak against the sacred power.


    Along with the ridicule that whether it was possible for a prince who was so weak in sacred power to seed to the throne, or that he was a sorcerer¡­. It was also said that because of Queen Ekizel¡¯s solitary efforts to hide the wicked rumors, there were morous tea parties held every day.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    Linon looked unusually serious.


    ¡°About Prince Jun whom you mentioned some days ago. There is one peculiar thing.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°When he was three years old, he went missing.¡±


    ¡°Missing?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And all the sorcerers who came to the Laurel Manor had gone searching for the Prince. The ce where the prince went missing was the ce where that madman, or rather¡­The mad sorcerers, who mumbled ¡®Genshagensha,¡¯* were quite a bunch of crazy people. That¡¯s where the Prince stayed for a long time.¡± (*this word couldn¡¯t be tranted as it was a worshipping term or something like that)


    ¡°Really?¡±


    The situation was clearly suspicious.


    Those were the sorcerers who worked for Mies.


    Of all people, it was Prince Jun who went missing in the ce where they stayed for a long time. Did the nt something on the Prince¡¯s body at that time? Was it magi?


    ¡°His face melted then stuck back together.¡±


    ¡°It looked like a monster¡­¡±


    Linon nced at Abigail as she replied. Abigail tilted her head. By this point, she was in a state of resignation about reasoning on her own.


    So the list of people who knew roughly about this was extended to Abigail and Linon.


    ¡°The question is ¡°Is Prince Jun really Prince Jun or someone else¡±?¡±


    Silence fell at Seria¡¯s question.


    ¡°Could he have been switched?¡±


    Linon answered cautiously.


    ¡°To me, I think the real Prince is dead.¡±


    ¡°I think so too, Miss.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­.¡±


    So what has Queen Ekizel raised so far?


    Who was the one that had a conversation with her before this?


    Prince Jun was now on the verge of death. It was beginning to get serious.


    On the other hand, Seria was too afraid to go back to her bedroom alone.


    ¡®It would take a long time for Lesche toe.¡¯


    Seria snuggled up to Abigail in the study and read the papers. It was not long before a shadow fell on her head.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Seria lifted her head and saw Lesche with a bewilderment expression on his face.


    ¡°May I ask what you are doing?¡±


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Seria shifted her body with an embarrassed expression on her face, as she was stuck tightly to Abigail.


    ¡°Because I need a knight to protect me.¡±


    ¡°You often seem to forget that your husband is a knight.¡±


    Lesche bent down and took Seria by the waist and lifted her up.


    ¡°I will go.¡±


    Abigail gave a silent bow and disappeared in a swoosh. Seria asked, being held in his arms.


    ¡°Is the meeting over?¡±


    ¡°We finished half an hour ago. I went to the bedroom, but the bed was empty.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t stay in the bedroom alone. I feel like strange things are going to pop up suddenly¡­.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s meeting endedte, and it was getting darker and darker outside the window. At that time, the thought of being alone in a spacious bedroom was very frightening.


    ¡°You should have called someone. The servants are overflowing the mansion.¡±


    ¡°¡­Actually, I was a little worried that you would see what I was wearing and suddenly take off your gown.¡±


    Lescheughed in vain.


    ¡°Thankfully, you are concerned about my reputation.¡±


    ¡°You should thank me, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Seria.¡±


    Seria burst intoughter. Lesche sat down on the couch with Seria in his arms.


    ¡°So, tell me what is so frightening?¡±


    ¡°Lesche, um¡­ you know¡­¡±


    When Seria told Lesche what she and Linon and Abigail had talked about earlier, Lesche raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°The second Prince cannot be a sorcerer, Seria.¡±

 Chapter 163

    ***


    ***


    <em><strong>Sponsored by JunJun. Thank you ?( ?)</strong></em>


    ***


    ¡°What? Why?" (Seria)


    ¡°Since the immediate royalty is a national treasure, they inspect them from time to time. If he was a fake, they would have been processed long ago without a peep. And would have announced that he was dead.¡± (Lesche)


    Certainly, since Mies also hid in the Grand Duke¡¯s household, it must have been the case with the imperial family. But¡­.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I am hearing about this.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Because it¡¯s an imperial family¡¯s secret. By the way, Linon doesn''t know either, so don''t tell him." (Lesche)


    "¡­¡­?"


    <i>¡®Then why did you tell me the secret?¡¯</i>


    Lesche lifted Seria¡¯s chin and asked,


    "Was that why you were trembling so much?"


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trembling¡­..I¡¯m d, though.¡±


    Seria was able to calm her mind, which was even more at ease than before. Finally, she began to read the letters that she couldn¡¯t even see when she was attached to Abigail earlier.


    As she read the documents, she recalled what Queen Ekizel had said earlier at the Imperial Pce.


    <b><i>¡°Prince Jun is very interested in gemstones. He asks repeatedly for that blue diamond. He never once bothered me, but that''s what my son asked for."</i></b>


    Queen Ekizel might have said it to soften the mood, but Seria was shocked inside.


    Did Prince Jun want her to bring it? Nissos, who was one of Lina''s ves, also wanted the blue diamond.


    It was to give to Lina.


    <i>¡®What happened to my blue diamond after I died in the past?¡¯</i>


    In the past Seria Stern was summarily punished by Kalis for the alleged abduction, torture, and murder of the Saint. Rather, he was able to kill Seria because he was condoned by the Great Temple.


    Moreover, the townhouse where Seria had stayed was given to her by the Great Temple. All of Seria¡¯s personal property was located there, so it would have all been seized by the Great Temple after her death.


    The blue diamond, a jewel of the national treasure, probably went to Lina. The priests of the Great Temple were the ones who were eager to give everything valuable to the Saint and Stern.


    The mermaid spring also went to Lina.


    As Seria tried to break Tuban¡¯s seal, Lina must also break the seal of that mysterious monster. So did she have the blue diamond?


    <i>¡®There is still one jewel left.''</i>


    Seria still did not know what thest gem would be that Tuban wanted her to bring. This time it seemed that the power was even more depleted because a new gem was being drawn on the Stern insignia very slowly.


    <i>¡®First, let''s use the power of the circlet.''</i>


    Writing things down would clear many things.


    Then a few dayster.


    The day approached when the sacred power conceived by Lina would be transferred to the sacred tree.


    ***


    ¡°So I don''t have to go to the sacred tree?¡±


    When Seria asked back, the high-ranking priests of the Great Temple shook their heads in a flurry.


    "The journey to the sacred tree is not an easy one, so we asked you to take a good rest at the temple.¡±


    Seria folded her arms and asked.


    ¡°Why? Did Lina tell me not toe?"


    "¡­¡­!"


    ¡°No way!"


    <i>¡®You really can''t lie.¡¯</i>


    In any case¡­.


    It seemed that Lina was trying to carry out exactly what the darkness ordered her about not letting Seria see the child before Prince Jun spit out blood and ck darkness.


    Seria clicked her tongue when she heard that they said that Lina would handle the measurement with her divine power


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it if I¡¯m not invited. At most, I came all the way to the Great Temple.¡±


    "I''m sorry, Stern ¡­.."


    She turned and blinked at Abigail. Abigail nodded lightly as if she understood. Of course, after making sure that the priests who served Lina were looking at her.


    ***


    Lina looked very pale. She took a series of rough breaths.


    ¡±Saintess, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Ha, give me some water, please."


    ¡°Here it is!"


    Lina finally drank the water offered by the priest and sped her shaking hands. The divine power measurement consumed more power than she had imagined, and she felt like it was squeezing out her soul.


    How in the world did Seria do this? If not a monster. ¡­.


    It was the day after the sacred power was infused into the measurement relic.


    A long line of people headed for the sacred tree led by Lina.


    Kalis was not there. He had not returned from his territory yet. Instead, the other headmaster of the seventeen families apanied her with great effort.


    <i>¡®Is Kalis avoiding me?''</i>


    Lina questioned the butler several times because she was suspicious, but he also showed her evidence that Kalis wasn¡¯t.


    There was evidence that a major dispute had arisen between two venerable vassals of Hon over the ownership of somend.


    He said, "If something goes wrong, there will be a fight in the territory." But Lina''s mind was still restless. She wanted to go down to the Hon territory to check it out herself, but she didn''t.


    If everything about the butler was a lie¡­.It was because he didn''t think Lina could handle it.


    It took exactly one day to get from the Great Temple to the sacred garden with the sacred tree. The ceremony began shortly after Lina changed into Stern¡¯s robe.


    After a three-hour ceremony, Lina was exhausted. But¡­


    "Thank you for your hard work in holding it, Saintess.¡±


    High Priest Jubelud¡¯s voice was dripping with bitterness. So did the other priests. Some even cried. Lina also felt emotional.


    <i>¡®If this divine power is really born as a person.¡¯</i>


    The Divine Power that had caused Lina so much suffering at first was now on her side. Lina thought she should try to give it affection.


    <i>¡®You don''t hate me, do you? You won''t hate me because of Seria.¡¯</i>


    The scheduled return date was the next day.


    Lina came out to the garden, wanting to see the sacred power again that had been transferred to the sacred tree one more time. There, Lina found a connection.


    <i>¡®Seria?¡¯</i>


    Lina remembered well what Seria¡¯s sacred power was like. She was wearing a wig or her hair was a different color, but ¡­.


    <i>¡®Why is Seria here?''</i>


    Lina reflexively ran to the other side. Her heart throbbed. She looked to the side when she heard the sound of water sshing.


    The sacred tree was as huge as 20 thick treesbined. There was a small pond at the base of the tree where she stood. ording to what the priests had told her earlier, it was a sacred pond with a beautiful name, "Mirror of Truth.¡±


    Passing the time until Seria went, Lina squeezed out thest of her sacred power and threw it into the pond. The dark, shimmering pond shone brightly. The moment she approached it with curiosity.


    "¡­¡­!"


    Lina swallowed her scream and took a step back.


    Reflected in the pond was her own face, obviously dead. And the dead Lina''s face was visible¡­


    Lina ran toward Seria, tears streaming down her face in horror.


    <i>¡®So I¡¯ve finallye to the sacred tree.¡¯</i>


    Seria lifted her head. The sacred power that Lina had given birth to was tied in the form of light in the center of the sacred tree.


    If possible, she wanted to check that out when Linapletely left this ce. But in order to visit the Garden of the Sacred Tree, she had to break the blockade of the Great Temple. It was a noisy thing, majestic andrge and always officially documented.


    There was no need for aplicated ceremony, such as the head of the seventeen families apanying the procession.


    <i>¡®If it wasn¡¯t because of Prince Jun, I would haveeter.¡¯</i>


    The words of Prince Jun were conveyed to Seria by Abigail. How dirty and suspicious those words were, telling Lina not to show the divine child to her (Seria).


    In the end, Seria had to sneak in like this.


    <b><i>¡°I beg you toe without telling the Saintess, Grand Duchess.¡±</i></b>


    Of course, it was not aplete infiltration, since the High Priest Jubelud helped Seria out with a troubled expression. In the distance, the three Holy Knights were also hiding, breathing hard. Thanks to her threatening words to them to never interfere.


    ¡°Phew~"


    Seria sped her hands together and took a deep breath. The moment when she strongly released her power toward the sacred power that resided in the sacred tree.


    She opened her eyes wide.


    ¡°Crazy¡­.!¡±


    Arge amount of magi began to erupt from Lina''s sacred power. The magi that exploded together poured down the sacred tree and the garden without a moment''s rest. It was unlike any magi she had ever seen.


    As she backed away without realizing it, she felt a chill behind her. The moment she turned around, her breath caught in her throat.


    <i>¡®¡­¡­ Why is that thing here?¡¯</i>


    There was that monster she saw in the world of Tuban.


    It was the same monster whom she saw pleading in front of her bruised corpse, holding Lina and urging her that time was running out. She knew it was by no means an illusion because that monster was crawling from far away at a tremendous speed.


    Seria could not even scream.


    It was when she reflexively backed away. In a sh, white smoke escaped from the sacred tree that touched her back. It was a strange entity that grazed past her and quickly took shape.


    One tempote, Seria realized what it was.


    It was Tuban.


    Tuban attacked the crawling monster without hesitation. Tuban¡¯s long hair fluttered.


    Tuban¡¯s hand took off the gag in his mouth and threw it away.


    "¡­¡­!"


    Tuban bit off the monster that was about to jump at Seria. Huge magi erupt from the monster''s body as if exploding.


    At the same time, Tuban¡¯s growl filled the sky.


    "Liegel!¡± (*the monster¡¯s name)


    Thump!


    Tuban and the monster''s body collided and began to roll around the sacred ground in a mess.


    ¡°Stern!"


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    Seria was certain that she was not the only one who could hear this tremendous noise andmotion. For the Holy Knights, who had been hiding in the distance, came running like crazy.


    "¡­¡­!"


    It was shortly after that she felt a familiar holy force behind her and her spine shriveled. When she turned around in a panic, Lina was standing there, pale-faced and shaking with a shudder.


    ¡°Um, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡±


    The moment when Seria staggered to her feet.


    The sacred tree, which had been just as quiet as a gentlemp, even with Seria¡¯s sacred power, vomited an enormous sacred power. At the same time, the magi which had been hanging around on the garden floor united. It all happened in an instant. The magi and sacred power began to mix like madness.


    Watching the chaotic scene as if they were attacking each other, Seria grabbed onto the sacred tree without realizing it, as if she was holding a walking stick.


    It was at that moment.


    She felt tremendous pain and bent forward.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    She heard a strange voice in her head.


    ***


    *My god, my heart was pumping the whole time tranting thest part of this chapter. Everything was chaotic like a magic battle when everyone appeared. Tuban, the monster Liegel, Lina, Seria, magi, sacred power¡­.Ahhhhhh.

 Chapter 164

    ***


    <em><strong>Sponsored by JunJun. Thank you ?(2/3)</strong></em>


    ***


    *Seria¡¯s first pov*


    <¡­> = Tuban, the writing on the wall.


    ¡°¡­¡± = Seria and others.


    *****


    <¡­¡­ What are these? Are they the offerings to me from Berg?>


    <Is it an offering? It is a wedding gift¡­ mermaid¡¯s ¡­ spring, this is¡­.>


    It was a muffled voice. I couldn''t hear clearly. Tears trickled down my face as a pain rang hard in my head.


    My legs felt weak. When I was able to barely raise her head, I saw Lina staring at me, shivering.


    I stumbled like a fallen leaf in the rain, and thend I was standing on began to shake violently.


    ¡°Aah!"


    Lina''s scream echoed in my ears. It was Tuban who grabbed my hand as it stretched out into the air because there was nothing to hold. Lina was not worried as she stared reflectively. Because just as Tuban had caught me, the monster caught Lina.


    As a result, I was finally convinced. Like my guardian was Tuban, the monster was Lina''s guardian.


    It was not long before I wondered why there were two guardians of stars. The soil of the sacred tree began to crack and crumble.


    ¡°Tu¡­.."


    I looked back at Tuban and froze in ce.


    For the first time, Tuban¡¯s face, which had always been covered with long, messy hair, was revealed.


    My face whitened at the sight of Tuban¡¯s face in front of me.


    "Lesche¡­..?"


    Because Tuban had Lesche¡¯s face¡­..


    At the same time, the groundpletely copsed and we crashed.


    ***


    ¡°Myote Stern!"


    Myote, who had calmly changed into Stern''s formal attire, walked in quickly. Not only High Priest Jubelud but also four other priests were present there.


    The news that had juste in was of a terrible disaster. Myote hurried out, closing the button on her wrist that she had not yet filled.


    ¡°The end of the world is exactly today? I can''t believe that Sterns were buried alive under the sacred tree."


    "¡­¡­."


    This was the terrible news that raged the Great Temple just a moment ago.


    In a one-kilometer radius around the sacred tree, everyone had copsed.


    The problem was the fact that two Saints were there together, of all people. The Great Temple was like a buzzing beehive at the news that Seria and Lina had been buried together when thend near the sacred tree copsed.


    The shocking story of the discovery of arge number of magi on the sacred tree was also reported one after the other, but the urgent news that arrived first was so terrifying that it shook people¡¯s hearts.


    It was shortly afterwards that the sound of iron crashing was heard in the wake of the urgently summoned Myote Stern.


    ¡°Grand Duke Berg! Are you here?"


    Lesche was already wearing his constetion gold armor.


    "The Saints are confirmed to have fallen over here¡­.¡±


    After confirming Seria¡¯s fall from High Priest Jubelud, Lesche turned away without saying a word. The knights of the Berg who came with him were also nervous, as his expression was too bleak for words.


    As Alliot followed Lesche, the knights moved in perfect order.


    ***


    ¡°Aaaaaahhhh!"


    I woke up with a start, feeling like I was rolling around on the floor.


    There was nothing there as if I had walked into a cave. Fortunately, it wasn''t too dark because there was a swarm of firefly-like lights floating around the sacred tree.


    Where am I? I am sure the ground copsed and I fainted¡­. Am I under the sacred tree?


    I lifted my head and sighed. I could not sort out anything, perhaps because it was night time. If it had been daytime, I would have been able to identify it in the sunlight.


    Suddenly I realized that it was not soil that I was holding in my hand. Tuban¡¯s hair was all over the floor.


    At that moment I pped myself in the cheek. After I felt the pain, I was convinced. This was not Tuban¡¯s world, but the real world.


    ¡±Tuban¡­"


    Why does Tuban have Lesche¡¯s face?


    I sat up. Tuban¡¯s hair was tied around my left wrist from earlier. Then he pulled me as if he wanted me to follow him.


    I had to go and check with my own eyes what Tuban was trying to show.


    At first, the hair pulled slowly, as if it was trying to be attentive to me, who had just noticed it, but gradually the pull became stronger. As if to tell me to walk faster. ¡°I don''t know why you are urging me like this," I tried to open my mouth.


    I heard a strange sounding from behind me. A chill ran down my spine. I couldn¡¯t help but turn around and immediately my eyes widened.


    <i>¡®Demons? Why are the demons here?¡¯</i>


    The demons were chasing me. I had goosebumps. The demons tried to grab me, but Tuban¡¯s hair under my feet wound around their ankles.


    Every ce I passed was contaminated with magi. It was horrifying, I felt like I was walking on a poor wooden bridge between cliffs where the ropes were breaking and crumbling one by one.


    But no magi could be here. They shouldn¡¯t be. This was a sacred garden where the sacred tree had taken root and made its mark. It was a blessed ce where sacred power was always in the air and flowers and grasses, buoyed by life force, bloom from season to season.


    <i>¡®Is it because of that monster I just saw?¡¯</i>


    Because before the crash, the sacred power and the unidentified magi that sprang from the sacred tree attacked each other. So, it was easy to predict that the temple had been turned upside down.


    It was the moment when we entered a certainrge space, unable to walk easily to avoid the demons.


    The flow of air changed. It was a sacred force that was strongly felt. I knew it when I saw the roots of a sacred tree extending between the ceiling and the earthen walls. This was directly under the sacred tree.


    And in the center of it, there was Tuban.


    "Tuban!"


    Tuban with no gag in his mouth. Tuban with hands and an unbound body. I rushed madly to him and lifted up his bangs. I saw his red eyes. I asked in shock.


    ¡°¡­. why do you have Lesche¡¯s face?¡±


    Tuban looked down at me with strange eyes.


    ¡°There won''t be any more tricks. Talk to me! Are you really going to watch me go crazy? Tuban, you punk¡­.¡±


    I could not finish my words. Suddenly, Tuban¡¯s eyes sharpened and his long hair wrapped around me like a cocoon. His hair hid mepletely.


    It was right after I blinked.


    Bang!


    I looked out through the cocoon and covered my mouth with my hands.


    I was so shocked because that monster, the very one that had just tried to grab me, had chewed off the roots of the sacred tree and went inside. Magi and red blood fell constantly from the monster''s mouth.


    ¡°My moon! Give me my moon!¡± (Liegel)


    At the same time, the monster leaped at Tuban with great speed. The cocoon shook with a loud roar. My wrist was still tied to Tuban''s hair, and I knew it the moment Tuban and the monster collided. The monster was coexisting with Lina''s divine power and magi.


    How could such a thing exist?


    Earlier, Tuban called that monster Liegel.


    As I nervously looked at the situation outside, I suddenly looked back at the powerful divine power felt behind me. Soon my eyes opened wide.


    The cocoon that Tuban put me in was definitely a small space enough to barely fit even an adult. But when did the space expand? A huge semicircle of space had formed behind my back.


    It was like a night sky where all celestial bodies were spread out.


    Tuban¡¯s hair pulled me in that direction.


    At the same time I jumped into the semicircr night sky. Numerous constetions were painted on the pitch-ck walls and ceiling.


    "¡­¡­!"


    <Originally Liegel was a small, dark star.>


    At the same time, glowing letters appeared on the walls.


    <Liegel greedily grew light by eating all the constetions.>


    I was astonished. As soon as the letters changed, a giant constetion that I didn¡¯t know where it sprang from greedily swallowed the shining constetions.


    "Why is it so vivid?¡±


    I frowned when the scene of the stars being eaten was vividly depicted.


    <Liegel, who was the darkest, became one of the brightest stars, but could not win the heart of the moon.>


    The disgustingly distant moon was vividly depicted on the wall. The huge constetion sat as if frustrated as if its brightness would hurt its eyes.


    <i>¡®Did Liegel love the moon?''</i>


    With a question in my mind, I heard a vivid voice from outside the cocoon.


    ¡°It can''t be.¡±


    Reflexively, I looked to the side and my shoulders shook. It was because I could see the situation outside through the walls as clearly as if I were looking through the cocoon. Both Liegel and Tuban were covered in blood, but Tuban was a little calmer.


    Tuban continued in a calm tone.


    ¡°The moon has died before, Liegel.¡±


    "¡­¡­."


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you kill it?¡±


    "¡­¡­!"


    Liegel¡¯s eyes bled.


    ¡°Shut up, shut up. Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up¡­!"


    At the same time a tremendous roar pounded in my ears, the sacred power and magi attacked each other.


    Then the night sky semicircle shook violently, so I held on to the wall. The constetions steadily carved letters in the midst of it all.


    <Liegel killed the moon because he wanted it to see only him.>


    The moon, made by his own hands, had to see only him.


    I looked up at the sky with cold eyes. The scene depicted a constetion, obviously Liegel, brutally stabbing the moon and knocking it down.


    <Before it died, the moon divided its blood and bones and sprinkled them over the world.>


    <The moon''s bones were turned into jewels and given to the House of the Watchers*, while the moon''s blood pooled in mankind to create the only star.>


    (*Lesche¡¯s family= the watchers of the demon tomb)


    <The moon asked its most important guardian star to protect it, and that star is Stern.>


    ¡°Stern?¡±


    <Liegel, who lost much of his power to y the moon, was all but seized by the moon¡¯s bones, which were soon sealed in a jewel.>


    Moon bones, and jewels.


    As I read out my thoughts, the constetions in the night sky painted a jewel that was all too familiar.


    It really was a familiar gem.


    It was the circlet of Berg that was in the basement of the green Laurel Manor.


    "¡­¡­."


    I took the circlet that I wore on my neck and gripped it tightly. The back of my powerful hand turned white.


    <i>¡®What Mies said was true.¡¯</i>


    Annoyingly, the story of Mies came to my mind. He called it a bone stigmata.


    <Liegel awoke one day from the seal through Stern''s blood, which happened to be attached to the bone stigmata.>


    <Liegel then realized that the owner of the blood was the most suitable vessel to revive the moon.>


    <It was Seria, the very Stern who first promised to marry Berg.>


    ****


    *So you¡¯ve learned about Liegel¡¯s and the moon¡¯s origins.


    *The circlet¡¯s origin is made of the moon¡¯s bones. And Seria was the moon¡¯s blood so no wonder she had such a strong power when she used the circlet.


    *Seria and Lesche were meant to marry each other in the first timeline, not Lina. You will learn more about why they couldn¡¯t sessfully get married and more details about the ¡®book¡¯ , Lina¡¯s origins , and other things in the .

 Chapter 165

    Seria¡¯s Pov


    ***


    I took a deep breath.


    I couldn¡¯t help but do so.


    Because numerous constetions cascaded down from the center of the sky and painted an extraordinary scene in the sky.


    <¡­.. What are these? Are they the offerings to me from Berg?>


    <Is it an offering? It¡¯s a wedding gift. The aide says it¡¯s a mermaid¡¯s spring. This is¡­.>


    The voices raked through my head with intense pain.


    Lesche, in his constetion gold armor, was offering me two jewels. One was the blue diamond and the other was the mermaid¡¯s spring.


    I could see my own bewildered face. I was wearing Stern''s formal attire, but I did not look good. I was bandaged up to just below my chin, and my wrists and ankles, which were exposed, were also bandaged.


    At that moment I realized it was a scene that I did not remember.


    <This is Seria Stern¡¯s first life.>


    "¡­¡­!"


    The constetions scattered like shattered ss. Instead, sparkling letters filled my vision.


    <But Berg and Seria Stern died quickly. Unable to withstand the mighty power of the stars, Stern departed to a distant arid world, bleeding.>


    <Atst Stern''s guardian star realized. That it was such terrible violence to extinguish all the star power in one human being¡­>


    My brow wrinkled naturally. Surely I was reading the letters, but it was as if Tuban was mumbling to himself in contrition.


    <Stern''s guardian poured the blood of the moon to stop time in the world.>


    I remembered the scene where the emaciated Tuban grabbed the sacred tree. The tree, which had been so huge that it seemed to pierce the sky, gradually became smaller and smaller until it finally sprouted into a new tree.


    <The world began again right after the death of the Moon.>


    <The guardian star reduced to a power of few star that a single Stern could bear and purified more than half of the demons that had exterminated mankind.>


    <And that is when Seria Stern returned to this world.>


    <Stern no longer had to carry the world alone. But Seria was the only Stern who had fully inherited the blood of the moon.>


    <Eventually, Stern, depicted in the celestial bodies, is not alone.>


    <This is Seria Stern¡¯s second life.>


    "¡­¡­."


    The shooting star drew a long tail. Another new scene was painted.


    That vicious Seria I had read about in the "book" was smiling like a viper. Without blinking, Seria poured wine over the young nobleman''s head. There was not a scratch on Seria¡¯s body, she was not dressed in Stern''s formal attire, but in a fancy dress. She was not even bandaged.


    I wondered how she became such a wicked woman as soon as she came back to life. The question that had been filling my head earlier exploded.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait! Wait, Tuban!¡±


    I barely resisted the urge to scream. I could hear the dizzying sound of the ground breaking outside.


    "Doesn''t a distant dry time mean my life when I was a graduate student? Why isn''t that my second life?¡±


    As soon as I asked, the constetions swam powerfully through the night sky like fishes. Soon the constetions scattered like firecrackers spreading out and literally fell into the air.


    At the same time, the book fell into my hands.


    It was the very same book that ¡®Seria¡¯ was reading the day I first met Tuban.


    A breeze blew from somewhere and opened the book. The ink, shining like constetions, etched the words on the paper.


    <In the first timeline you prayed, cursing for your own life.>


    ¡°What?"


    <You cried and begged me to let you go to a ce where you had no family and no power.>


    ¡°¡­¡­ what?"


    Eventually, I couldn''t help but ask aloud. The constetions floating on the celestial bodies made and showed Seria crying alone between the corpses and the demons. Seeing bandages all over her body, she looked like Seria in the first life earlier.


    "¡­¡­."


    It was so cruel that I bit my lip.


    <The only thing that hasn''t changed during so much time is Liegel.>


    <The ¡®recement¡¯ that Liegel has created dozens, hundreds, thousands of times have failed to keep the moon alive.>


    <In despair, Liegel hatched two ns. One was to put the substitute on the real Stern''s seat. The other is to get full possession of Seria Stern.>


    "Isn''t that really crazy?"


    I gritted my teeth. The recement was obviously Lina.


    <While Stern''s guardian star lost his power and could not protect his ce, Liegel gained massive power by eating all the stars and took the guardian position. And Seria Stern has long since lost her memory of her first life.>


    The constetions moved and painted Lina with a circlet of Berg on her forehead. It was the same bright and lively image I knew as the original.


    <Liegel put the recement (Lina) in Stern''s ce through magi. Isted, Stern was killed legally, and eventually, everything fell into Liegel¡¯s hands.>


    At the same time, Liegel¡¯s image, seen with Lesche, was painted in the sky.


    <Stern, who was awakened just before being sacrificed, turned back time herself.>


    Liegel was in despair in front of my dead body, which was badly bruised all over.


    I was able to realize that it was right after I had awakened and turned back time.


    <Stern sealed her own memories into a story in a book and turned back time. Without her, I didn¡¯t have enough power to turn back time.>


    <This is the present and Seria Stern''s third life.>


    My face was contorted mercilessly.


    The words "not enough power" made me reflexively think of the previous "Seria". She was born with a weak cleansing power.


    "Ha¡­"


    I let out a sound, but I didn¡¯t know whether it was augh or a sigh.


    ¡°I give up¡­.."


    After all, that crazy monster killed the moon and caused death? He manipted people with magi to iste Seria and even acquire her corpse?


    ¡°So, what was Lina made of?¡±


    The words were inscribed in the book right after my question.


    ¡°Do you know this too?¡±


    <You¡¯ll find out soon. You must have guessed.>


    ¡°Guess?¡±


    I thought Tuban had no idea. I actually was a little shocked. I pulled myself together. I still had questions I wanted to ask.


    ¡°So, Tuban, why do you have Lesche¡¯s face?¡±


    While Tuban was fighting hard with Liegel outside the translucent wall, Tuban looked back at me. He was smiling faintly.


    Then an answer came back.


    "¡­¡­."


    The answer was somewhat heartbreaking.


    Soon, a strong wind came from somewhere. The book flew into the sky. The book scattered like shards of ss from the air and returned to its constetion.


    At the same time, the night sky subsided and before I knew it, I was in that narrow cocoon I was in earlier. I looked out through the crack and wrinkled my brow.


    The demons had entered. I naturally lost my breath at the sight of those terrible, inhuman-looking demons.


    "¡­¡­ what should I do now?"


    The letters were inscribed on the cocoon just in front of my field of vision.


    <Since you¡¯re aware, use as much of your sacred power as you can.>


    I squeezed the circlet tightly and let go.


    Three, two, one.


    At the moment I counted to three in my mind, Tuban¡¯s hair that had been hiding me disappearedpletely.


    All the eyes of the demons who had been wandering around chewing away at the roots of the sacred tree focused on me. Liegel¡¯s gaze did the same.


    I raised my hands.


    Pow!


    I hit their faces with my fists as hard as I could, and there was a dull sound like flying. The sacred power that I had released explodedpletely, hitting the wide space furiously. At the same time, the figure of Tuban changed into the face of a blurry dragon.


    Tuban¡¯s sharp teeth ravaged Liegel and the demons all at once, and the underground shook violently.


    ***


    Boom!


    Behind Lesche, the bodies of the demons were lined up in rows. With a single sword strike, the demons copsed into a rampage, rumbling the soil of the ground. Berg''s knights were following behind. Like a murderer trying to chew up the demons, Lesche never once looked back.


    A strange phenomenon urred: the more one moved toward the center of the sacred tree, both the magi and sacred power became denser at the same time. The number of demons also increased geometrically.


    It was certain that there were already two Sterns in the garden of the sacred tree. Nevertheless, Myote Stern rushed out because the life and death of the Sterns could not be guaranteed in the battle.


    The fact that no blood had yet been found was a thin line that maintained Lesche¡¯s reason.


    Myote Stern took her eyes off Grand Duke Berg, who disappeared in the blink of an eye. It was that man of the highest rank who seemed the most distraught, but the actual general atmosphere was not so different from the mood he radiated.


    ¡°Half of you follow Sir Abigail Orrien. The other half follow me and His Highness!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander!"


    Abigail Orrien. Myote knew her well. She was a knight on death row. But Myote didn''t expect her to be so strong, and she didn¡¯t know Abigail was so serious about Seria Stern. Likewise, Abigail also disappeared not long after.


    Near Myote, Berg''s chief aide, d in constetion gold armor, was looking at a map with his chiefs of staff.


    "If you look at the map provided by the temple, you will see that we are now in seven directions, excluding the direction of His Highness¡­."


    Unlike his cool voice, the Chief Aide''splexion was a sight to behold.


    It went from pale to bright red, to blue, and back every other three minutes. His eyes were also teary like he was about to die.


    Myote Stern was fed up and could only wonder.


    In the past, Seria Stern was used to standing alone with a cold expression.


    ¡°I hope she is still alive.¡±


    Myote Stern mumbled briefly.


    If Seria Stern dies, Myote has to assume the duty of protecting the frozenke. But, it was unlikely that Berg would wee another Stern.


    Rather, If Seria Stern was found dead¡­..¡­..Berg¡¯s master (Lesche) would choose self-destruction. (*If Seria dies, Lesche would die with her.)


    ***


    *Okay, so, in the beginning, the first life, Seria was promised to marry Lesche but couldn¡¯t, because both of them die quickly from being unable to withstand the star¡¯s strong power.


    *Second life was the one Seria was a wicked woman who bullied everyone and Lina and got killed by Kalis. Which was what she read in the book. And the book was her actual second life.


    *Third life is what is going on now.

 Chapter 166

    <em><strong>Sponsored by k. Thank you ?( ?)</strong></em>


    ****


    TL : Hmm, it¡¯s unexpected but I¡¯m going to take a long hiatus due to my health problems. I will try to finish the 4 novels that are about to be done soon, along with some sponsored chapters of other novels. The 4 novels are: The tragedy of the viiness, who stole the empress, failed to abandon the viin, political marriage with the friendly enemy. The rest of other novels that I have been tranting will be on hold. After I finish the 4 novels mentioned, I might update once in a while (if I can ) the novels that I like most. The list is The Princess¡¯ bedroom doll, and maybe a couple others. I¡¯m not quite sure right now. I know it¡¯s sudden and I was surprised too. But I will need time for treatment and recovery so obviously I can¡¯t continue tranting as it takes a lot of time. Anyway, I hope this won¡¯t be thest goodbye.


    ***


    About an hour aftering down to the underground, Lesche stopped in ce for the first time.


    He looked ahead, breathing roughly.


    At the same time, the strange hair that had been moving in front of him since he left the knights, as if telling him to follow quickly disappeared.


    It was the hair that had been scattered throughout the strange world that Seria had called "Tuban''s World." It was worth it to follow without looking behind.


    Seria was sleeping.


    Lesche¡¯s heart bounced to the top of his neck and sank slowly. The breathing felt sweet and painful as if someone had let go after strangling him for a long time. The surrounding scenery, which was not even recognized, was now in sight.


    The demons were lurking in the vicinity of the sleeping Seria. The reason why those demons did not jump on Seria was simple.


    It was because Seria fainted on the knee of the man named "Tuban" among the firmly stretched roots of the sacred tree.


    Lesche, who had cut down the demons at random, walked forward with all his might. Tuban, who had already be translucent, said nothing and watched the scene.


    Tuban thought he would stop in front of him, but he didn''t.


    Because Lesche, who had inserted his sword into the floor, bent over Seria. His hands trembled a little. Lesche carefully picked Seria up.


    It was only after checking her pulse that Lesche closed his eyes slowly and then opened them. When he held the living Seria fully in his arms, Lesche realized that she was not breathing properly.


    If this were not a ce where the demons were infested, he would have buried his lips in her forehead and chose to breathe for a while.


    He tore Tuban¡¯s hair that wrapped around Seria¡¯s body loosely without hesitation. The hair fell to the floor in a flutter.


    When Lesche¡¯s hand touched Tuban¡¯s hair, the chain pattern glowed fast and disappeared from his neck.


    ¡°Take my wife.¡±


    "¡­¡­."


    Tuban realized after a pause that the words had been said to him. Lesche¡¯s eyes were fixed on Seria, but the words spit out of his mouth without hesitation.


    Only Seria would hear what he was saying anyway. She had used too much power. Liegel, who was also aiming for the moon''s blood sealed in the sacred tree, would not be able to move for a while. Almost everything had been done, so there was only one thing left to do.


    Just one.


    Suddenly Tuban remembered a past that neither Seria nor Berg could remember.


    Stern was the only one in the world at that time, and the demons had multiplied so horribly that they exceeded humans¡­.


    It was a time when the emperor was recognized as lower than Stern.


    Seria, pressed by duty, could not take her eyes off Berg''s face when he came to visit her, even though she thought he was arrogant.


    ¡°Berg is here to protect you.¡±


    Lesche Berg''s voice came to her faintly.


    ¡°And you look so lonely.¡±


    Meanwhile, Lesche turned his head to see if he had satisfactorily confirmed that Seria was safe.


    Once again, Tuban¡¯s face was finely hidden by his hair, but Lesche felt no minimal interest.


    Just ¡­¡­.


    He didn''t feel too bad when he knew Tuban was Stern¡¯s guardian, because it reminded him of Seria. That was really odd. It was the same when Tuban gave her a bracelet that looked like it was woven out of his hair. The strong sense of divine power seemed to mean giving it to Seria.


    Lesche held Seria firmly to his chest with one arm and the sword in the other. And so, without looking back, he went back the way he came.


    Her green hair swayed like a carpet. Tuban thought of the vanished past, of Seria sobbing in despair.


    ¡°I wish I didn''t have this power. I don¡¯t even want a family. So no expectations from the beginning¡­.¡±


    And if she could meet that arrogant Berg again¡­. she said she wanted to say something.


    Tuban was quietly dispersed into the sacred tree.


    ***


    13. Words to keep firmly in your heart


    ***


    The copse of the sacred tree was half recovered in a day.


    Perhaps thanks to the protection of the sacred roots, the garden did not copse.


    The master of the Berg rescued the Grand Duchess with bloodshot eyes, the Great Temple also found Lina, and the knights of the Berg rescued the three holy knights.


    However, they had yet to find any clues as to where in the world the demons came from and why they appeared in the sacrednd.


    At the time, the Holy Knights, who were quietly dispatched by High Priest Jubelud to protect Seria, had been in aa for several days, and Seria and Lina were simrly unable to regain consciousness.


    And so it was¡­.


    ¡°Saintess? Saintess!"


    ¡°The Saintess is awake! Healing priest!"


    ¡°Here!"


    After two days, Lina came to her senses, her body trembling.


    ¡°Saintess? Are you hurt? I''ll get you some painkillers right away¡­!"


    The problem was Lina''s condition. As soon as she woke up, she wrapped her face in her hands without saying anything. Then she kept crying sadly.


    In the end, the priests had no choice but to close the door and go out and engage in a serious conversation.


    "As expected¡­ I think it''s because of the disappearance of divine power in the sacred tree."


    ¡°If that''s the problem, didn''t the High Priest warn you about that?


    For the sake of her stability, do not talk about it for the time being.¡±


    ¡°What? I have not mentioned¡­."


    "¡­¡­?"


    Lina asked the priests one by one after that, but no one told Lina that she had lost the divine power she had transferred to the sacred tree.


    The priests were confused.


    ¡°Then what is the Saintess crying so much about?"


    ***


    It waste at night.


    Knock. Knock.


    With a knock, the elegant doors of the building inside the Great Temple opened quietly.


    Despite the fact that it was night, the Temple was noisy because of a series of incidents. Under these circumstances, the priests were in a state of haste to return to their original positions in order to minimize the damage to the n to deploy the new star power.


    However, some priests were not able to do so.


    It was because of the guest who visited them in secret.


    Her eyes were reminiscent of a mountain of wildflowers out of reach of man. It was Titania, head of the Lumen n, a race whose ancestors were half-spirits. (*Lumens are mixed race with spirits who can grow silver trees.)


    Titania had long been working with the temple and was tasked with the asional inspection of several key locations designated by the temple.


    But¡­


    Where the Lumen family''s unique atmosphere was ced, Titania looked very nervous.


    ¡°Where is the Saint?¡±


    The two priests who had been working on the sacred tree in ce of the fallen High Priest, priest Henoch and priest Joel looked at each other.


    ¡°The Saintess is now resting in another building.¡±


    ¡°Is it far from this building?¡±


    ¡°It''s far, but¡­"


    Titania finally rxed her tense shoulders slightly. She said in a low voice with a cautious look on her face.


    "I''m here to tell you something."


    ¡°What is it¡­?"


    ¡°I felt from afar the tremendous magical energy erupting from the sacred power that the Saintess had transferred.¡±


    "¡­¡­?"


    "¡­¡­ yes?"


    Both priests froze in ce.


    ***


    It was early in the morning when a priest paid a visit to the Berg residence in the imperial capital.


    The Great Temple was busy recovering the copsed Garden of the Sacred Tree, but they also faithfully sent a priest to the Berg residence to see if Seria was in any danger.


    The priest asked nervously.


    ¡°Has the Grand Duchess not awakened today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, priest.¡±


    Ben''s mncholy answer caused the priest to sigh deeply. He looked around therge hall on the first floor, which only the servants passed through.


    "His Highness¡­¡­."


    "His Highness has always been in the bedroom to guard the Grand Duchess''s side. He feels terrible because she has been unconscious for many days.¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­¡±


    Lesche Berg returned to the capital as soon as he rescued Seria from the copsed ground. Although Lesche lent to the temple the knightmander Alliot and his Order to defeat the demons, Lesche¡¯s bloody cold eyes made any dialogue impossible.


    Therefore the temple had not yet been able to say thank you.


    Berg was not the only one who was afraid that Seria would not wake up.


    ¡®I hope she wakes up soon.¡¯


    Contrary to the anxious feelings, the Grand Duke''s butler was polite and kind.


    ¡°Priest. Would you like a cup of tea while you''re here?"


    ¡°I thank you for your kindness, but no. I have to go back to the temple.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand¡­.¡±


    The priest thought that Ben was very determined. In fact, everyone was afraid the Grand Duchess wouldn¡¯t wake up.


    He thought that he had to reduce the number of times he visited them and tormented each of them.


    ¡°Please contact the Temple as soon as the Grand Duchess wakes up.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll tell them right away.¡±


    The priest left with a worried look on his face.


    ***


    ¡°Seria?¡±


    ¡°Yes?"


    As soon as Seria answered, her arms wrapped around Lesche¡¯s neck.


    On the bed.


    Lesche did not avoid her contact. Seria wrapped her arms around him, and buried her face in his shoulders and neck. However, he could not hide his giggling voice.


    No, he couldn''t hide the giggle. Nor did he seem to be trying to hide it.


    ¡°You¡¯re touching me.¡± (Lesche)


    "¡­¡­."


    Seria let out a soundless scream. She was really going crazy and felt a strong desire.


    She only regained consciousness a few hours ago.


    She heard many urgent voices. Her weak body felt like it was being washed in hot water. Bitter medicine and lukewarm water poured into her mouth one after the other, and when she finally came to her senses, Lesche was in her field of vision.


    Lesche looked a little emaciated. Had she been unconscious for a long time?


    At that moment, she couldn''t help but be puzzled.


    ¡°Seria?¡±


    Because her hands were trying to open Lesche¡¯s shirt.

 Chapter 167

    TL: I thinkst time I didn¡¯t say it clear enough. But my hiatus will start after Iplete this novel (hopefully I¡¯ll finish it in 3 months).


    ***


    And that was not all. Seria¡¯s hand,pletely against her will, began to slide into Lesche¡¯s shirt without resistance. The hand moved of its own ord, as if it wanted to peel off Lesche immediately.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Though Lesche¡¯s reaction was more perplexing.


    He stared, alternating between Seria¡¯s face and her hands. Her hands, which had lost their strength, slid down the buttoned shirt without sess, and she began to unbutton them one by one herself.


    Tak. Tak. Tak.


    Contrary to what he had heard, Lesche¡¯s eyes werepletely fixed on Seria. How surprised she was even in a situation where she was half out of her mind¡­.


    It was fortunate that there were only Susan and Abigail in the bedroom.


    Susan left with Abigail, smiling with relief, and the doctor hurriedly examined Seria as if he didn''t know where to put his eyes and left the bedroom.


    The faithful doctor didn¡¯t forget to say a few words to Lesche before he went out.


    ¡°You must be patient for at least two days." (*poor Lesche?)


    Seria fully understood why he dared to say those words. That was how tightly her body was attached to Lesche. By that time she could have guessed the cause of this crazy situation.


    ¡°This is caused by the side effects. A side effect of the power. You hear me?¡±


    ¡°I hear you, Seria.¡±


    "¡­¡­."


    Seria¡¯s body was like a can that was nowpletely empty.


    She was so horrified by Liegel and the demons, she used all her strength in her body and released all her sacred power when Tuban said to use as much as power as she could.


    The emptied power went up quickly, but it was not without side effects.


    But, if she had known the side effects would be something like this¡­


    Tuban said Seria was the only Stern with moon¡¯s blood, and that the Berg was a family that had kept moon¡¯s bones as heirlooms. That was why her body madly wanted Berg''s master¡­


    As a result, her body now seemed to hate that Lesche was wearing clothes.


    Because of the hands that were constantly trying to take it off without sess, in a matter of minutes, Lesche took off his jacket himself.


    He leaned over Seria to make it easier for her to touch him.


    ¡°The side effects of the sacred power are too promiscuous.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Please¡­." (Seria)


    Seria really wanted to cry. In the meantime, her hands groped his tight muscles.


    She didn''t want to touch Lesche like a pervert to this extent.


    But her body, contrary to her mind, was desperately clinging to Lesche.


    The silk gown that Susan must have put on her had long since fallen to the floor.


    Every time her knees or thighs grazed Lesche¡¯s body, his hands would tighten as he endured the temptation. Her back shuddered as Lesche let out a low sigh.


    ¡°Are you torturing your husband who had a hard time rescuing you?¡±


    ¡°It seems so¡­.Don''t question me, question my divine power.¡±


    ¡°You want me to question your divine power?¡±


    Lesche then buried his face on her neck and held her waist tightly.


    ¡°¡­.. what are you doing?" (Seria)


    ¡°You said I need to question your power.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re questioning it or teasing me?¡±


    On the other hand, the side effects of the senseless power were deplored even in such a situation, and both hands were touching Lesche¡¯s body. She wanted to take her hands away. Lesche had a look of great amusement on his face.


    ¡°You are right about the side effects. When I do this, you usually just push me away.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I really like it, but you don''t like it so much? I wish you would do this every day." (Lesche)


    "Really, you are¡­¡­." (Seria)


    Lesche, smiling, hugged Seria with force as he trapped her in his arms.


    Seria¡¯s lips were perfectly stuck to Lesche¡¯s cheek. Was it because she could feel a faint divine power from Lesche¡¯s body? Apart from her desire easing off, the expression on his face didn¡¯t unravel easily.


    She could feel his heart beating faster. It felt strange to see his cheeks turning pale.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Seria asked.


    "How long was I out?"


    ¡°It hasn''t been more than three days. Are you feeling dizzy?"


    ¡°I''m fine."


    Seria hesitated and asked.


    ¡°Did it take long to rescue me?"


    Lesche lifted his upper body and looked at Seria.


    "It didn''t take very long."


    Around that point, Seria¡¯s hands finally started to listen a little to her will. She hurriedly cupped Lesche¡¯s cheek, delighted. Lesche chuckled and asked,


    ¡°Do your hands want to touch my face now?¡±


    ¡°This is my will. I wanted to touch it earlier."


    Lesche covered the back of Seria¡¯s hand as he asked.


    ¡°Why?"


    ¡°Your face looks gaunt. Were there that many demons under the sacred tree?"


    ¡°There weren''t that many."


    ¡°Then what happened?"


    ¡°I was afraid you were dead.¡±


    "¡­¡­."


    Lesche smiled with a twisted expression.


    ¡°What if you were already dead the whole time I wasing in? That was all I could think about. I thought I was going crazy and d*mn it ¡­. I hate to even say this.¡±


    He looked into Seria¡¯s shaky eyes and frowned.


    ¡°I''m not angry, Seria.¡±


    "¡­¡­."


    The words, which were nothing, spread a stiff pain in Seria¡¯s heart. It was simr to the strange pain in her chest when I heard Tuban¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Seria looked up at him and opened her mouth.


    ¡°I promised to marry you first in the past.¡±


    Lesche just stared at her without saying anything.


    ¡°But we never got married because we both died early. You even brought me some jewelry, saying it was a wedding gift.¡±


    The bright blue jewels were still vivid in her eyes.


    "I guess the power of Stern was too much for me in the past. I didn''t get along with my family, and it was the same then. So I wished to leave it all behind and run away, and Tuban listened to my wish.¡±


    Seria had died young in her previous life. She thought she died early because she was just unlucky, but after hearing Tuban''s story, she couldn''t stay in the world for long, so her life span was short.


    Of course, she had no family there.


    ¡°I hear it''s time to be gone ¡­. Still, it doesn''t feel very good to think about it."


    Especially the first life where Lesche and she died early.


    Lesche sped Seria¡¯s hands and kissed the back of her hand and asked.


    "What kind of idiot was I in the past that left you behind?¡±


    "Well? I could have died first."


    "Then I guess I followed you. I see I wasn¡¯tpletely stupid.¡±


    "What in the world are you talking about, some old-fashioned practice?"


    "Old-fashioned? I''m serious."


    Seria burst outughing. Lesche smiled gently, ran his fingers over her cheeks, and said,


    "Don''t dwell on it alone, Seria."


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    "If you really want to, I''d like you to talk to me as you do now. You don''t like it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Seria shook her head weakly.


    ¡°I''ll tell you. Can you hear everything?"


    ¡°You still don''t seem to know me well enough to know that I''m going crazy for wanting to hear you talk.¡±


    ¡°What a ¡­¡­. Why would you say that?"


    A fewughs came out.


    It was important for someone to say something light about her heavy thoughts.


    On the other hand, it also made her realize how unsuitable the word short-lived was with this strong and robust man.


    As she touched Lesche¡¯s face, she remembered Tuban¡¯s answer.


    <b><i>¡°Why did you have Lesche¡¯s face?¡±</i></b>


    <b><i><Because that''s what Berg wanted.></i></b>


    What exactly did Lesche want so that Tuban would have his face?


    Tuban wasn¡¯t the type to deliberately hide something from her. Even when he couldn''t talk because of the restrictions, he tried to somehow respond while spitting blood.


    So that vague reply was probably the best Tuban could answer at the time.


    <i>¡®If I bring thest jewel that Tuban told me to bring, my doubts would be answered, wouldn''t they?¡¯</i>


    Despite these thoughts, Seria¡¯s legs began to wrap around Lesche¡¯s thighs.


    "¡­¡­."


    Why on earth would the side effects be so unhealthy?


    Seria coughed.


    ¡°So, well, my body isn''t listening to me again.¡±


    Lesche did not answer.


    Instead, she could clearly feel his dense muscles wriggling. He was still clothed, but she could see the bulking.


    It was impossible to know how much Lesche had been suppressing himself. Seria¡¯s ears turned hot.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche stared at Seria and opened his mouth.


    ¡°The doctor told me not to touch you.¡±


    ¡°I have no strength in my body. ¡­. I''ll faint if I''m not careful."


    ¡°I¡¯m going crazy¡­.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s neck shook. He could not turn away from Seria at all.


    It was then that a knock was heard.


    Lesche lifted his head for a moment. Seria¡¯s hands still wrapped around Lesche¡¯s face as he tried to move away to check outside the door.


    "¡­¡­."


    Seria lifted her body along Lesche''s upper body and kissed him on the lips. The kiss was full of strength.


    <i>¡®Why I can¡¯t stay apart from him even for a second, really¡­¡¯</i>


    Fortunately, thanks to thest vestiges of conscience left in her flesh, it didn''t lead to any more intense skinship. Seria looked at Lesche with a sigh of relief. He didn''t seem surprised by the sudden kiss.


    It was at that moment that Seriaughed, embarrassed.


    The thought of Lesche¡¯s lower body, which he had been holding out on his desire, was now in her mind. Lesche immediately wrapped Seria¡¯s head and kissed her roughly.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡­"


    Immediately Seria was short of breath. The weight pressing down on her was overwhelming. Seria was weighed down and struggled to breathe. Lesche¡¯s body felt much hotter than usual. Seria felt like she was going to burn.


    The kiss that seemed to eat her upsted for a long time. Her hands were held by Lesche.


    ¡°Lesche¡­.¡±


    Hot eyes slowly looked at Seria. Lesche kissed her on the cheek and went unstoppable down her chin and neck. The dizzy sensation sent chills down her lower abdomen.


    Lesche bowed his head. Instantly, he put a lot of strength into his shoulders.


    Instantly, she felt lots of tension in her shoulders.


    How much time had passed?


    ¡°It can be hard if you don¡¯t¡­.¡±


    Seria blinked, keeping to the doctor''s words and realizing the fact that a lot could be done this way. She had no power in a different way than before. And she fell asleep. Lesche¡¯s fingers swept her eyelids.


    Her hands lost strength and fell from Lesche¡¯s body. Lesche took her hand and put it on his skin again. It was the same with her arms and legs. Little by little, each time she woke up, Lesche¡¯s body was still attached to hers.


    After two full days like that, Seria waspletely free of the side effects. It was only after a few days that she was able to walk properly¡­


    ¡°Send someone to the temple.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess."


    She folded her arms, ignoring the pain in her lower back. It was time to deal with Lina''s problem.


    ***


    *fyi just in case you misunderstood. They didn¡¯t have s*x, well, they couldn¡¯t because the doctor said to wait for 2 days. So Seria¡¯s lower back pain was just from lying down for a long time.

 Chapter 168

    ¡°The Grand Duchess regained consciousness?¡±


    High Priest Joel asked with delight. The priest nodded with a happy expression on his face. But soon hisplexion darkened.


    ¡°High Priest Jebelud must rest absolutely still.¡±


    ¡°Oh my¡­¡­.¡±


    High Priest Joel¡¯s eyes also sank.


    High Priest Jubelud was seriously injured. The holy knights who were with the High Priest found Lina, copsed in the sacred treend.


    The demons were snooping around Lina, who had fainted, and they moved in a hurry. In particr, High Priest Jubelud was badly wounded because he tried to block the demons with his body.


    The priests, who were stirred for fear that the Saintess might possibly receive a great shock, were investigating Lina¡¯s case behind closed doors for now.


    The matter was severe. Although it was being investigated in strict secrecy, there was more than a little hope that it was not. They wanted topensate her greatly with even this sorry feeling, so please ¡­.


    ¡°The priests told me to bring it to you.¡±


    Lina looked up from her exhaustion.


    The priest brought a bottle of ink and a pen that glowed in a variety of colors.


    ¡°It is called Coral Ind Ink, and it is a luxury ink produced only in very small quantities in the south. When you write on paper with this, the letters sparkle.¡±


    ¡°Put it away.¡±


    Lina mumbled weakly. The priest was at a loss.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too depressed, Saintess, take a look. It¡¯s really beautiful¡­.¡±


    ¡°Put it away!¡±


    Lina shouted loudly. The priest bowed his head in surprise. Lina realized a beat toote, but the priest was already frightened.


    In the end, Lina dropped her head.


    Why did they bring ink? It was already hard when she recalled telling the people if they stabbed her, and all they got would be ink.


    ¡®It would have been better if I were in a book.¡¯


    There Lina¡¯s mind would have been more at peace than knowing that she was in a world where Seria had turned back time.


    With empty eyes, Lina looked at the beautiful jewelry essories the priests had left under her pillow. Among them, one of the essories was a crescent moon made of sterling silver and sapphires.


    Moon.


    ¡°The moon.¡±


    Lina put the crescent moon ornament on her forehead and looked in the mirror. A hollowugh broke out.


    A forgotten truth rushed in. She was a fake. She was just an offering to keep the dead moon alive in ce of the real one.


    It all finally made sense as to why she hated with such disgust that she was Seria¡¯s recement.


    Her real name wasn¡¯t even Lina.


    ¡°It was Luna.¡±


    It was Luna.


    A name that meant moon.


    It was natural. Liegel only wanted to keep the moon alive, so he took a mold from Stern, who had traveled to another world, and created a number of vessels.


    But no one could be the real thing. Behind Liegel , numerous ¡°Lunas¡± had died. Seeing that these Lunas he made up disappeared in golden dust, the living Lunas had no choice but to be horrified.


    Lina wanted to live. She did not want to be abandoned. She didn¡¯t want to be abandoned like one of the many Lunas.


    She wanted to get rid of the meaningless name.


    ¡°Luna ¡­¡­. I want to change my name to Lina, not Luna. Because that way my name is more like Stern ¡­..¡±


    Lina changed her name. It was the only different name among the many Lunas. Lina tried constantly. She prayed and prayed that she would not be thrown away.


    In the first ce.


    All the memories she had of the other world were built on the foundation of Seria¡¯s memories.


    How could life be so cruel? Why should she be the only one so miserable?


    Lina buried her face in her hands. Sheughed and cried at the same time.


    She threw the jewelry she was holding onto the floor. She held her head in her hands, screamed, and then shifted her gaze to the Stern insignia on the small altar.


    It was the insignia that had temporarily been brought from the great temple, hoping for her quick recovery. The temple was concerned because they had turned down Lina¡¯s personal request for the Stern insignia.


    Crash!


    Lina lifted the Stern insignia and threw it on the floor. This was unimaginable for Stern, but it didn¡¯t matter to Lina now.


    ¡®I am not Luna.¡¯


    She did not want to die as one of the many nameless Lunas.


    She had to send Seria to Liegel. Only then would she be able to live. In the first ce, Seria ran away from Liegel and turned back time herself. Because of her many Lunas died.


    That was why.


    ¡°There is no time.¡±


    Lina murmured, looking at the moon floating outside the window. Physical time was needed to dedicate Seria¡¯s body to Liegel.


    Before the Holy Knights woke up, before Seria came to the Great Temple.


    An escape n had to be created in advance.


    Lina got up from her seat.


    On her way to visit the High Priest Jubelud, the healing priest stopped her as she wandered around, saying the High Priest needed absolute stable rest.


    ¡°It¡¯s really urgent. Let me see him for a moment.¡±


    ¡±Saintess, High Priest Jubelud is in really bad shape. Why don¡¯t you speak to the other High Priests?¡±


    ¡°Are there other High Priests¡­..?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Saintess. They will serve you.¡±


    Lina followed the healing priest to the temple building where other priests were staying. It was a little scary because it reminded her of the old strict High Priest Amos. Thoughts filled her head as she hoped the other High Priests to be as warm and gentle as High Priest Jubelud.


    ¡°Saintess?¡±


    High Priest Joel and Henoch stood up at Lina¡¯s visit. They had already decided how they would treat Lina until the investigation was over.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so pale?¡±


    The slightly less stiff voice made Lina rx. She clenched the hem of her skirt with both hands and opened her mouth.


    ¡°I came here because I have a confession to make.¡±


    ¡°A confession?¡±


    Lina gulped down dry spit.


    ¡°My body was invaded by Magi in the Tshugan ins.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Lina left. The air around the high priests sank to the point of fright.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    The Great Temple had a long history. What Lina did not know was that the phenomena she mentioned were actually recorded in the Temple¡¯s memorandum.


    The Demons had been roaming this world for a long time.


    Why has there never been a case where a priest with strong sacred power was not contaminated by demonic energy and it invaded his body? It was too rare a case, so the story was recorded in the temple¡¯s memorandum.


    But¡­.. It was a rare case that appeared only twice in that vast memorandum. Moreover, in those cases, the body could not function as it should because of the struggle between the sacred power and the demonic energy within the body.


    So in the end¡­


    ¡°They returned to God in less than 3 days.¡± (Died in 3 days)


    ¡°Yes, and I have never seen a single case where the two energies were not inseparable. The only record I could find was that distinctions were certainly possible with the naked eye.¡±


    Lina was quite different from the cases recorded in the memorandum.


    In other words¡­.


    ¡°She already has Magi¡­.¡±


    High Priest Joel clenched both fists at Henoch¡¯s murmur. It wasplicated. Complicated, yet every nerve in his body stood on its end.


    ¡°I wish the Saintess had not said that in the first ce¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    If Lina really has Magi, why on earth?


    Why would she say something like that in the first ce?


    ¡°Could it be that she is aware of the fact that Titania witnessed it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible¡­.¡±


    Lina was an official Saint. And it was even announced that she gave birth to the sacred power.


    The Great Temple was in the process of recovering the Garden of the Divine Tree, and the fact that it had copsed there was kept thoroughly secret.


    The Garden of the Divine Tree was in a remote ce, so no one outside knew about the fiasco.


    Titania¡¯s eyewitness statements alone would not be enough to earn


    her official canonization. It would be a serious matter, and if anything, the Temple¡¯s merit and reputation would fall to the ground. Above all, they could not ignore the outside believers who were following the Saint. It could have ignited a great deal of conflict and confusion.


    That said, they could not keep Lina locked up without a name. For one thing, it was only a matter under investigation.


    High Priest Joel sped his hands together anxiously.


    ¡°First of all,¡­¡­the Saintess had testified in person that magi had invaded her body. It doesn¡¯t matter how many amazing measurables you use on her, it¡¯s useless.¡±


    ¡°Yes, because it is only natural that Magi would be detected.¡±


    High Priest Henoch slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°¡­¡­Seria Stern has awakened.¡±


    ¡°Then she must know something about it.¡±


    Both priests went silent at once.


    An unofficial witness in such a serious matter would be driven into the arms of the conspirators. But if Seria were to be brought in officially, it would be a dogfight.


    High Priest Joel spoke in a serious and decisive tone.


    ¡°We must settle this on our own. All evidence must be constructed by us. There must be at least onest testimony and we have to ask Stern for help.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we would have had a lot of trouble if we didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Stern was not a priest. The priests wanted the Sterns to live freely and be happy the rest of the time, as long as they fulfilled the duties given to them. That was the basic idea held by the temple. They did not want them to be sacrificed in this mudslinging.


    Apart from Lesche¡¯s dislike of the priests, they were very serious about Sterns.


    ¡°Phew. ¡­¡­.¡±


    It was time for the two High Priests to soothe their mncholy with a cup of tea. They heard the news that a knight from Berg had arrived, and gave permission to bring him here.


    After a few minutes.


    Suddenly the High Priests felt a chill down their spines.


    High Priest Joel nearly dropped the cup he was holding. The other priests were very surprised, because in the silence, something pure white and sharp came gingerly into the vicinity of his neck.


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Looking back trembling, High Priest Joel breathed heavily.


    ¡°Sir Abigail Orrien¡­.!¡±


    It was Abigail. A beatter, he also realized that it was a fine envelope she held out near his neck.


    Joel, who thought it was the sword of the assassin, asked tremblingly.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret letter from my Lady.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    To Abigail Orrien, the youngdy she mentioned would be Seria Stern.


    Abigail straightened her body.


    ¡°I must leave now, then. Please keep it a secret that I came.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Bowing lightly, Abigail vanished again like the wind. A quiet summer breeze blew in through the window, which had been opened at some point. The priests stood still for a moment, then ran to the open window.


    Naturally, no one was there. Only the Holy Knights patrolling could be seen asionally.


    ¡°This is the second floor, how in the world¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I remember thest time the priests were following Sir Abigail in wonder.¡±


    The High Priests, shaking their heads, finally returned to their seats and opened the letter.


    Gradually, the eyes of High Priests Joel and Henoch grew wider at the same time.


    [I¡¯m suspicious of Lina. So I¡¯m going to purify Lina with my superior divine power. Please make a safe and informal meeting. Do not reply. If Lina suspects anything, it will be troublesome.]


    ¡°Purification¡­?¡±


    The High Priests were speechless at the unexpected content. On the one hand, they recalled the purification that Seria had performed in the wilderness. Many nobles had vomited blood or copsed¡­.


    High Priest Joel moved his trembling hands and ced the letter on the candle and burned it.


    ¡°¡­.. Let¡¯s get ready for now.¡±

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169


    Meanwhile, at the private property of the Marquis of Hon.


    Eoles was tending the silver trees with a lonely and happy look on her face.


    It had been a really long time since Lina had taken her back to the Hon mansion in the capital.


    Eoles thought Lina seemed somewhat unstable and wanted to help her. It was because she was a Saint and adored Stern, which was something the Lumen n had inmon.


    So she followed Lina to the capital, but Lina left for the Great Temple to transfer her sacred power to the sacred tree and did not return.


    The butler of Hon said that Lina was not feeling well and that she would stay at the temple for a while.


    It was the next day that Lina¡¯s letter arrived to the worried Eoles.


    [If Kalises to the mansion, please let me know, Eoles. I must be informed in secret.]


    Eoles was saddened to receive this letter.


    While Lina was away, Eoles was nning to return to the Garden of the silver trees. If it had not been Lina in the first ce, Eoles would not have gone to the crowded capital. The Lumen family loved their peaceful surroundings, so they did not fit in at all in the capital of the Empire.


    But¡­Lina¡¯s letter was a fait apli that Eoles had to continue to stay in the capital.


    It was an imperial mansion without a Saint who radiated divine power. It was not a temple, but a private mansion. It was very nerve-wracking.


    Eoles eventually reached the point of a nervous breakdown and was finally able to return to the Silver Tree Garden under the discovery of the healing priest who had arrived suddenly.


    Still concerned about Lina¡¯s request, though, after a week or so, Eoles knew she had to return to the capital again.


    It was some timeter that Eoles, who was smiling sadly as she touched the silver tree, met an unexpected person.


    ¡°High Priest? Why are you here?¡±


    Eoles was puzzled. It was difficult for the Lumen family to see the High Priests. They may or may not even see them once in their lifetime.


    High Priest Henoch, who told Eoles hismon name, hurriedly asked about his business.


    ¡°I heard that you have been taking care of Saintess Lina.¡±


    ¡°Yes? Yes. But why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°By any chance¡­..¡±


    Henoch asked, biting his lip.


    ¡°Have you ever seen a strange and dark energy around the Saintess?¡±


    With Lina¡¯s confession, the power measurement relic was no more. Henoch was strangely anxious for Seria, who would be trying to purify Lina. If Lina truly had powerful demonic power, it might explode and be a threat to Stern.


    He just couldn¡¯t let it go.


    ¡°Dark? Come to think of it, the other day when the Saintess was stabbed by a branch of the silver tree, there was ck smoke¡­¡±


    Henoch raised his head.


    ***


    ¡°Bibi, did you convey the message well?¡±


    Seria asked, and Abigail nodded quickly.


    ¡°I have safely and surely conveyed the message to the priests.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. They all know exactly what Bibi is capable of by now, don¡¯t they?¡±


    Abigail smiled.


    ¡°I just need the Lady to know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I want to brag.¡±


    After watching Abigail eat snacks and asking several questions about the atmosphere of the High Temple, Seria headed for the prayer room in the mansion.


    The light pouring from the colorful stained ss was brilliant. She walked straight to the Stern insignia, which was kept sacred in front of the altar.


    She actually used it to message Tuban¡­. Still, out of courtesy, she cut her prayer short once and released the protective magic.


    She bowed her head toward the Stern insignia. She frowned as she felt her hair naturally flowing behind her.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    A very oddly shaped jewel was shown on the insignia. The blue diamond and mermaid¡¯s spring that she had been told to bring were precious gems and had beautiful shapes.


    Thest gem Tuban asked for seemed to be a gem that had not been processed at all. The painting looked like a lump of raw material. Still, only about 80% of the picture was painted.


    She thought thest jewel Tuban asked for would be the circlet. Was it fortunate or unfortunate that her prediction was wrong?


    Touching the Stern insignia, she sat on the steps next to the altar. After resting her cheek on her raised knees, she was lost in thought.


    It was clear that if she threw her divine explosive power at Lina, Lina would die.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if Lina was a real person, but Tuban told her that Lina was made of dark magi.


    Maybe only Lina¡¯s shell was a person.


    The Great Temple was now busy closing the gate. They had also started sending official letters to the countries to temporarily ban people from visiting or even making pilgrimages.


    It was a good thing.


    Because Seria did not expect Lina to be purified as easily as the men. Moreover, Liegel, who had the power of the Saint¡¯s guardian, made it by directly imbuing it with power.


    The magi would explode, or encroach¡­.


    People might get caught by it and might be seriously injured.


    ¡®First of all, I¡¯m not that safe either.¡¯


    But she thought she shouldn¡¯t get hurt. She hated being sick, because she didn¡¯t want to see the man she loved be emaciated and thin.


    Therefore, on the day of the event, the knights of Berg were scheduled to wait inside the Great Temple, impersonating holy knights.


    Seria tapped the insignia lightly and asked.


    ¡°Tuban. Once the seal is broken, you will handle Liegel, right?¡±


    Lina could be purified, but would Liegel stand still?


    Absolutely not.


    So, throwing the sacred power at Lina and theplete unsealing of Tuban had to take ce at the same time.


    ¡°I really spent a lot of money because of you, Tuban. Of course, the money I earn from the mines is more.¡±


    Seria had already made enough connections between the various gem auction houses and jewelers through Linon. If Tuban didn¡¯t want a really strange and unnamed gem, she would be able to get it right away in less than a few days.


    Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be a gem without a name, just by looking at the size depicted on the insignia.


    Click.


    The door opened and Lesche appeared.


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    He stared at Seria intently, not entering the entrance. He tilted his head slightly as if he were guessing something, then turned back again and went out.


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Less than a minuteter, Lesche entered again, this time walking straight toward Seria.


    ¡°Lesche? Why did you leave?¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Lesche sat down on the steps beside Seria and said.


    ¡°I called the painter. He¡¯lle tomorrow, so please spare me some time.¡±


    Seria blinked. What was suddenly with the painter?


    Perhaps reading her questioning gaze, Lesche¡¯s continued.


    ¡°I just came in and thought I would paint you.¡±


    ¡°Suddenly? Was I that beautiful?¡±


    Lesche burst intoughter.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He passed Seria¡¯s hair behind her ear and said,


    ¡°You are very beautiful.¡±


    Laughter flowed. Propping his elbows on hisp, Lesche looked at Seria with his chin resting on his hands and asked.


    ¡°Can he draw you like this?¡±


    ¡°And the prayer room?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It would serve as a good backdrop for you.¡±


    ¡°Ummm, okay. I¡¯ll allow you once.¡±


    Seria half jokingly rified, but still it was a really good idea to have this beautiful Berg prayer room in the painting. It would be a painting of the private prayer room of the mansion with Stern. To the eyes of the stranger, it seemed to have an extravagant temperament.


    Suddenly, Seria remembered the letters of safety that flew in regrly.


    ¡°When the painting is finished, may I take it to theurel manor?¡±


    She thought it would be nice, but surprisingly, Lesche frowned his forehead.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be hung in my office, Seria.¡±


    ¡°Your office?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why not?¡±


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s not like you need my paintings.¡±


    ¡°I need it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Seria asked back, really dubious.


    ¡®¡¯Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I miss you the times when I couldn¡¯t see your face.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ You see me every day.¡±


    ¡°We see each other every day, not all day.¡±


    ¡°What would the nobles and your vassals think of you?¡±


    ¡°I suppose¡­¡±


    Lesche tilted his chin leisurely.


    ¡°They will think I am a true believer.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ You are truly the most shameless person I know.¡±


    ¡°I hear those words so many times that I don¡¯t even think about them anymore, Seria.¡±


    Seria was speechless, and Lesche looked at her with an amused expression on his face. A few strands of hair hung on his forehead. Seria reached up and adjusted his hair, and Lesche cupped the back of her hand.


    His body heat felt warm and the small smile on his lips tickled her heart.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why do Iugh every time I talk to you?¡±


    Lesche lowered his face andughed. Then he lifted his head and smiled kindly.


    ¡°Are you saying this so I listen to you well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I wish you could show your true feelings more often. Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°Is that not enough?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Lesche swept Seria¡¯s cheek with his fingertips.


    ¡°I wanted to say it¡¯s not enough even if it overflows.¡±


    Their lips suddenly ovepped. Seria¡¯s heart throbbed. A pleasant silence enveloped the prayer room.


    It seemed to have been like that for a while. Lesche lifted his head from Seria¡¯s lightly gasping lips.


    Then he pulled from his pocket a letter stamped with the seal of the Imperial Pce.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The Emperor told me to personally deliver it to the Grand Duchess.¡±


    Lesche looked a little tired as he said this.


    Seria blinked as she opened the letter with trepidation.


    ***


    A few dayster.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the Great Temple tomorrow.¡±


    Seria looked in the mirror. Arge group of servants were leaning close to her, painstakingly adorning her, but her hair stood out in particr.


    Her hair, tied high with a knot, swung down her neck. She didn¡¯t often tie her hair high like this unless she was going to check the frozenke.


    If there was one thing that was different from the cier inspection, it was that her hair was adorned with petal-patterned, expensive diamond ornaments. It was a very luxurious and extravagant decoration, like going to a party.


    ¡°This is enough.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the dress heavy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    The servants dressed Seria in a gorgeous but thin and cool dress. The sleeves that came down from the shoulders were translucent, giving the impression of a summer dress. The light blue ne and earrings shone gorgeously with just a little movement.


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad we can¡¯t wear a cape since it¡¯s summer. Summer dresses will look weird if worn with capes.¡±


    Susanughed when she said in a disappointed voice.


    ¡°You look great, though. Well, have a safe trip, Grand Duchess.¡±


    Seria went downstairs and found Lesche waiting for her. The moment she saw him, she gasped.


    ¡®¡­is the hunting suit supposed to look like that?¡¯


    Lesche was wearing a red cloak that came down to his thighs and hunting clothes made of high quality materials. Perhaps it was because it was a tight fit designed¡­.


    Naughty thoughts came to Seria at the moment.


    ¡­which she managed to erase immediately.


    She got in the carriage with Lesche and said,


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a hunting banquet held in the summer.¡±


    ¡°The emperor is in a great hurry.¡±


    What the emperor sent was an invitation to a hunting banquet.

 Chapter 170

    Since they continued to stay at Berg¡¯s residence, they were not much affected, but the social scene, including the Imperial Pce, became noisier than before.


    In fact, all the male groups, including the two Princes, were handsome and attractive, and were perfect for the role of husbands. However, they all copsed because of the divine power¡­.


    Moreover, Prince Jun was going toe tomorrow.


    It seemed that the emperor felt he had to open everything and arouse the social atmosphere. Or perhaps Queen Ekizel requested it.


    So the news was that the hunting banquet, usually held in the fall, was going to be held earlier. It seemed that they wanted to arrange the hunt on arger scale before the summer social season was over when the nobles were still in the capital.


    It seemed that they had decided to hold the party at the Imperial Pce. There were many carriages in therge area outside the pce. Seria took Lesche¡¯s hand and got out of the carriage.


    A huge line of barracks, awnings, and cabanas surrounded the area. Countless servants were moving busily.


    Seria was looking around with her hand on Lesche¡¯s arm, and she suddenly noticed a smallmotion. Her eyes widened a little as she turned to look in that direction.


    The temple¡¯s carriage. And the person who was getting off was¡­


    ¡°Lina?"


    The emperor''s attendant was approaching her with a smile.


    <i>¡®How did she get here?''</i>


    Lina was dressed in an elegant red hunting suit. The shoulder-length hair was also braided with a ribbon with jewels and tied neatly.


    <i>¡®It¡¯s strange. I don''t think Lina could hunt.¡¯</i>


    Behind Lina''s carriage, many of the Great Temple carriages were rolling in. Many high ranking priests were getting off¡­.


    Why are these priests at the hunting banquet? Everyone seemed to be buzzing for simr reasons. Seria strode toward the cabana.


    ¡°Grand Duchess."


    As expected, a priest, who must have been the High Priest¡¯s direct assistant, came to see Seria secretly. He said, breaking out in a cold sweat,


    ¡°The Emperor sent an invitation directly to the Saintess. We declined, but the priests who worshiped the Saintess secretly replied that she would attend.¡±


    ¡°Secretly?¡±


    Setia lifted her eyebrows. The high-ranking priest shook his shoulders.


    ¡°We can''t lock up the Saint who is still on official business. Instead, we will take her back as soon as the hunting banquet is over. The holy knights are also standing by. I have the letter prepared by High Priest Joel.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Seria told the High Priests that she wanted an informal meeting with Lina so that she would be as unaware as possible. Frankly speaking, who would have expected the emperor to throw such a surprise hunting banquet?


    Unless it was High Priest Amos or High Priest Jubelud, who oversaw the business outside the temple, others were expected to becking.


    When Seria left the cabana and returned to the barracks, the emperor had already arrived.


    The emperor was dressed in his hunting outfit along with a golden cloak, and after a short opening ceremony, he rode directly on horseback.


    Lesche was on horseback behind the ceremonial riders, who were following behind the emperor.


    <i>¡®Many people from Berg are participating.''</i>


    Abigail, Alliot, and the familiar knights of Berg were all on horseback in their hunting gear.


    It was then that Abigail jumped off her horse. She hurried straight back to the awning.


    ¡°Bibi?¡±


    She ran toward Seria in the blink of an eye and whispered in a small voice.


    ¡°Miss, I see Hon.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The right front.¡±


    As Abigail spoke, Seria shifted her gaze and saw dark blonde hair. Kalis was looking toward the forest on his horse.


    ¡°The emperor has really called all the nobles here, hasn''t he?¡±


    Seria couldn''t see him well because his back was facing her, but she could see that his chin was very prominent. Kalis seemed to have lost quite a bit of weight.


    <i>¡®Did he cough up a lot of blood?''</i>


    He even went so far as to secretly call a healing priest to the Hon estate. He must have been badly purified.


    Seria turned her gaze away with a frown on her forehead. Meanwhile, the whistle blew loudly three times.


    ¡°I have to go, Bibi.¡±


    ¡°Lady.¡±


    ¡°Yes?"


    Abigail looked at Seria silently and took a dagger out of her pocket. It was a very small dagger, smaller than her palm. By all ounts, it was for assassinations.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like human corpses as trophies?¡±


    Seria burst outughing.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll catch you a beast.¡±


    Abigail handed Seria the dagger and turned to get back on her horse. Seria put the deadly weapon inside her sleeve. Then excited voices were heard.


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    ¡°Is that the famous Knight of Stern?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Among the expectant voices, she could hear a lot of information.


    First of all, the fact that the forest here was particrly flooded with ravenous beasts.


    Normally, they enjoy letting the beasts loose on the hunting grounds, but the emperors of this country had emphasized efficiency for generations. Therefore, they put people in several ces in the forests and mountains where ravenous beasts breed and cause damage to private homes, and every year they send people to select the hunting ground for that year to catch the animals in the ce where they thought many ravenous beasts were present.


    ¡°That''s better."


    After all, it seemed that the continent''s most powerful people were not the only ones who did this.


    At that moment, the sound of a whistle echoed loudly through the forest.


    With the sound of horseshoes ringing the earth, many nobles, including the emperor, disappeared into the forest.


    The nobles who were not on the hunting grounds moved from ce to ce with champagne sses in their hands.


    Perhaps because of therge number of people, there were few reserved seats under the vast barracks.


    Even then, only seats for high-ranking nobles of marquis rank and above were reserved; the rest were non-reserved seats.


    Sitting leisurely in the top designated seat, feeling the taste of power, Seria thought it was a pity that Marlesana was not here.


    ¡°I can''t believe she has a summer cold."


    After sitting there for an hour or so and taking stock of the situation going around the social circle, Seria slowly got up. There were many nobles trying to get in the mood without having to go into the deep woods to hunt the wild beasts.


    Thanks to this, no nobles wondered why or where she had gone to.


    Walking into the deserted forest, Seria saw Lina and spoke.


    ¡°Lina."


    Lina''s back, which had been dragging a horse, was greatly startled. She slowly turned around.


    "¡­¡­."


    It was very strange to see Lina up close.


    It was because the hunting outfit she was wearing was very simr in detail to the clothes Sterns wore when they inspected the cier.


    The only other thing was the material of the fabric. ciers were cold and required thickyers of fabric, but it was summer now.


    Besides, it seemed like Lina hade all the way here alone to practice horseback riding. Seria could tell by the grass on her feet. When Seria¡¯s gaze turned in that direction, Lina''s face turned red.


    Seria looked at the reins Lina was holding in her hand and asked,


    ¡°Do you want to go on a cier tour?"


    Lina''s hand on the reins tightened.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a Stern too.¡±


    "I''ve already told you that I''ll be in charge of the cier."


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    "You really want to go?"


    It wouldn¡¯t be a very good experience. Didn¡¯t she see hering home every day shivering like she was freezing to death?


    Moreover, Lina was a vessel that Liegel had created. The sacred power and Stern''s power were Liegel¡¯s. If she was purified by the explosive divine power, she would probably lose all that power.


    ¡°I have a question.¡±


    Seria asked, looking at the horse.


    "Do you know how to get away from Liegel?¡±


    "¡­¡­!"


    Lina didn''t expect Seria to mention that name out in the open. Startled, Lina looked around as if scared. Even herplexion turned as pale as a corpse.


    Just as Seria had trembled when she saw Cassius when she knew nothing about him, Lina began to tremble all over.


    So much so that she even missed the reins, which she was holding with all her strength.


    ¡°You should confide everything to the priests and take refuge.¡±


    ¡°Refuge?¡±


    ¡°Since the temple has all kinds of precious holy objects in their possession, they¡¯ll be able to protect you from the evil spirits.¡±


    "¡­¡­."


    Seria did not like Lina. Of course, it was much closer to dislike. But now the essential center of this madness was Liegel. Frankly, she felt ufortable because she kept thinking about the past when she was thoroughly used as a tool.


    She was cornered in the position of a doomed evil woman who ended up dead.


    Hence this¡­


    It was an action to ease her mind, so to speak. She reached out to Lina onest time.


    ¡°Then¡­.¡±


    Tears began to flow down Lina''s cheeks. Lina wiped her wet cheeks and asked.


    ¡°What about my status as a Saint? My status as a Stern¡­."


    ¡°It¡¯ll be gone.¡±


    No matter how many amazing holy objects there were in the Great Temple, there was no holy object that could truly turn a fake Saint into a real Stern.


    Lina fell silent and lowered her head. How much time passed? Seria waited without haste, and after a while, Lina lifted her head.


    Her brown hair shook violently.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± (Lina)


    ***


    Left alone, Lina looked down at her arms in her red hunting suit and gripped the sleeves.


    She wiped her tear-stained eyes as she held them.


    Originally, she wanted to wear the clothes Stern would wear when they went to the cier. Last winter, Seria always wore it.


    But it was too thick and not suitable for summer. So she tried on a simr hunting outfit.


    When she tried it on, she liked it. She came wearing it with a lot of willpower, even though she had no weapons to use.


    She had been practicing riding hard the other day, and she thought it would be good to try riding a horse once in such a big forest¡­.


    Lina recalled a time in the past.


    When she was the main character, she once inspected the cier in Berg herself.


    She wore clothes simr to these.


    She felt light in winter embracing the frozenke, and never felt cold at heart. Because of her too-strong divine power, she was sick for a while but did not find it hard.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to live her own life proudly, not as a substitute for anyone else.


    She survived this long among hundreds and thousands of Lunas.


    She finally managed to have a life as the main character.

 Chapter 171

    Seria, who was the real vessel that could receive Liegel¡¯s love easily, turned back time without permission. She trampled on Lina¡¯s happiness at will.


    No matter how true it was, Seria was selfish. And so was Liegel. Perhaps he didn¡¯t even know it.


    What was so special about one of the many duplicates that abound anyway?


    It was the same Luna.


    The same Luna something¡­


    For a moment, Seria¡¯s words echoed in Lina¡¯s head.


    <strong>¡°Do you know how to get away from Liegel?¡±</strong>


    <strong>¡°They will be able to protect you from the evil spirits.¡±</strong>


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Lina squatted down and wrapped her head in her arms.


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to.¡¯


    She could not even trust Seria. Even if she (Lina) took refuge, Liegel would not give up his obsession to Seria, and he would manage to get her (Seria) with the persistence that had made thousands of lunas.


    Then it was decided that she (Lina) would run away from Liegel on her own. She (Lina) would disappear in the dust and no one would remember her.


    Besides¡­.


    There was no turning back now.


    She somehow erased Seria¡¯s words from her head.


    Lina had already gone too far.


    ***


    Whooo!


    With the sound of the trumpet, the knights who had gone deep into the forest returned one after another.


    Behind the knights, the prey that the servants diligently brought in by carts were all beasts. Every time a particrlyrge animal was brought in, a cry of admiration could be heard from the barracks.


    Of course, there were quite a few wounded among the knights. Thanks to this, some noble couples stamped their feet in fear that their children who entered the forest might be injured.


    ¡®I hope Lesche isn¡¯t hurt. Abigail and Alliot, too.¡¯


    It was unimaginable for Berg knights to be injured on a hunting ground that was not a battle to defeat demons.


    Disturbed by Lina¡¯s rejection, Seria stared at the knights and the animals in the carts with disinterested eyes.


    ¡°Sir Alliot.¡±


    ¡±Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°You have caught only big ones.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for epting it.¡±


    Alliot looked embarrassed. He caught three wild boars and wolves, each the size of a house, and offered them to Seria, and received apuse from the barracks. But strangely, he was not proud, but only embarrassed.


    ¡°Actually, I tried to catch a bear, but it was taken away.¡±


    ¡°Taken away? By whom? His Highness?¡±


    ¡°No ¡­¡­.It was taken by Sir Abigail Orrien. Many knights had also missed their prey because of Sir Abigail.¡±


    ¡°Many?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see for yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Alliot¡¯s words, which sounded like exaggeration, soon came true.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What the hell¡­.¡±


    The nobles sitting in the barracks were all buzzing. As Seria looked out wondering what it was, her eyes widened.


    A huge cart was piled high with various beasts of prey.


    And with Abigail in the middle¡­.


    Abigail walked in a great stride toward the barracks. She epted a towel offered by a surprised servant and vigorously wiped off the blood sttered on her face.


    Then, as the knights of the Berg had done earlier, she knelt down on one knee in front of Seria.


    ¡°I offer Stern the spoils of the hunt.¡±


    ¡®Oh my god.¡¯


    Seria reflexively covered her mouth with both hands.


    There were 4 cartsing in one after the other behind Abigail. A bear was on one cart alone. No knight had ever caught a bear before, and yet she had caught so many beasts of prey¡­?


    Abigail looked at Seria in spite of the pouring apuse. In the end, Seria held her hand and raised her up, and couldn¡¯t hold back herughter.


    Seria took a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to Abigail, and Abigail blinked.


    ¡°Miss, what about your husband?¡±


    ¡°I brought two in advance.¡±


    Abigail finally smiled and took the handkerchief.


    Behind her, she could hear the astonished nobles whispering.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the one? The Knight of Stern that Duke Howard wanted so badly.¡±


    ¡°There was a great deal of noise. Is that the knight?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing to see her in person.¡±


    Seria sat down, leaning back in her chair with great pride. The empty barracks were quickly filled with nobles.


    ¡®But when is Lescheing?¡¯


    The emperor had returned, but some of the nobles, including Lesche, had not.


    ¡®By the way, Kalis isn¡¯t here either.¡¯


    Soon, the Great Temple would take Lina back because of the official letter. Seria was also nning to leave immediately tonight.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    Seria stood up quickly.


    The emperor, dressed in his hunting suit, came toward her, smiling broadly. All the nobles around got out of their seats.


    ¡°Can you give me your seat? Lady.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Your Majesty.¡±


    The noblewoman next to Seria hurriedly excused herself and the emperor sat down in her ce. It was then that Seria sat down as well.


    ¡°I am very d that you have joined us here, even though I threw a hunting party in a hurry. It¡¯s worth telling Grand Duke Berg to give you the invitation.¡±


    The emperor looked very happy in the atmosphere of a sessful hunting banquet.


    It was then.


    At the sound of a whistle, arge group of servants pulling carts started running toward the forest. It seemed that the rest of the nobles, including Lesche, wereing.


    The gazes of the nobles who were talking to each other were focused in that direction. Just after Seria thought that this gave her the feeling that she was sitting in the audience.


    A familiar face suddenly appeared in front of her.


    ¡°Cassius?¡±


    Why did that guy suddenly pop out? At the same time, she thought about something else. Nissos was very thin, but that guy was still the same ¡­.


    ¡®It¡¯s really bad luck.¡¯


    As Seria looked at Cassius with a cold expression, there was something strange about Cassius. His wobbly gait¡­.


    ¡®Magi?¡¯


    Cassius¡¯s hands were indeed speckled with ck.


    As Seria reflexively stood up at the unexpected sight, the high priests in their seats eximed in surprise.


    ¡°Master Cassius! He has been contaminated by Magi!¡±


    Magi.


    Yes, it was Magi. Cassius was contaminated with so much Magi that people could see it with the naked eye.


    ¡°What do you mean magi?¡±


    ¡°Why are you suddenly¡­!¡±


    At the mention of magi, the feeble-minded nobles quickly retreated. The emperor sat like a statue and stared at Cassius with a stern gaze.


    ¡°Magi? Cassius!¡±


    At the same time, a middle-aged man rushed out of the barracks¡­. It was the Marquis of Kellyden. With a forehead contorted slightly, Seria looked at the Marquis, whom she hadn¡¯t seen in a long time.


    ¡®Why is he so skinny?¡¯


    Nissos was the same, and neither the Marquis or Marchioness looked well-nourished. At that moment Seria thought that the rich guys went on a diet together.


    A high-ranking official who seemed to be receiving a report from the knights approached with a serious face. It was the same for the captain of the Kingsguard.


    ¡°There is a gap at the demon border, Your Majesty. It is being restored now.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean a gap?¡±


    The emperor¡¯s face twisted horribly. Seria didn¡¯t quite understand either. It was not unusual for the demon¡¯s boundary to copse, but this was the emperor¡¯s hunting ground. During such arge-scale national event, the emperor would have asked for help from the temple.


    That was why there were many Holy Knights and priests.They should be patrolling the entire perimeter in groups of two, so why the sudden gap?


    ¡°Stern! Prepare to purify!¡±


    ¡°Bring the silverurel branch!¡±


    Following Cassius, Magi¡¯s contaminated people were put into the cart one after another.


    Seria immediately got up from her seat and proceeded faster toward the cart. She asked the high-ranking priest who hurriedly followed her.


    ¡°Why was there a gap in the boundary?¡±


    ¡°A holy knight and a priest were dead.¡±


    ¡°Dead?¡±


    The moment she heard those words, Seria gasped. If they had been killed by the demons, they would say it where everyone would hear, but¡­


    Does that mean they were murdered?


    Looking at the priest¡¯s trembling hands, that seemed to be correct.


    ¡°What is it? Something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±


    Seria said coldly, her brow wrinkling.


    ¡°Go get Lina. I will purify only half of it, and she can purify the rest.¡±


    ¡±Yes¡­! Yes¡­!¡±


    Cassius was already lying under the priest¡¯s hands. The Marquis of Kellyden was looking at Cassius when he quickly raised his head.


    ¡°Seria!¡±


    Seria stopped before Cassius and lifted her hands.


    A powerful divine force exploded spectacrly. The sacred power explosion concentrated so that it affected only Cassius, and spread with a warm heat.


    At the same time, the magi that had risen to Cassius¡¯s arms, neck, and face disappeared in an instant.


    ¡°Cassius! Are you alright? Cassius!¡±


    The Marquis of Kellyden grabbed Cassius¡¯s body and shook him. The priest pulled him off in a panic.


    ¡°Marquis! Calm down! It¡¯s all right!¡±


    Seeing Cassius let out a weak cough, Seria realized reflexively.


    ¡®This b*stard is still the same¡­.¡¯


    Cassius did not vomit blood or faint. Despite being exposed to the strong divine power, Cassius still had magi.


    Seria lifted her head and looked at Lina, who was diligently purifying others on the other side of the room. In that state, Seria tried to use sacred power one more time.


    Pow!


    The sacred power was iparably more powerful than before.


    Lina slowly turned her head to look at Seria. Her face was expressionless. Like one of the many dolls that had malfunctioned.


    Seria dropped the force at once.


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Instantly, the rtively young priests involuntarily clenched their hands. The demonic spirits of the nobles who were lying down were instantly purified and vanished. With a holy power so powerful that even those who were sitting in the barracks gasped.


    Lina, of course, had no reaction or problem.


    Just like Cassius now.


    ¡®As expected, it¡¯s not easy to purify.¡¯


    She was worried that Lina might be affected by her divine power and throw up magi. It was an unnecessary worry.


    ¡±Seria. Thank you, thank you so much. Really¡­¡±


    The Marquis of Kellyden was very grateful and thanked her, but couldn¡¯t hold her hand.


    This was a ce where the emperor was present, and Seria was ufortable because if it was a private ce, the Marquis would have bent his back and thanked.


    ¡°Father.¡±


    Seria held out her hand to the Marquis of Kellyden. The Marquis of Kellyden, who couldn¡¯t hold Seria¡¯s hand and was circling around, hardened for a moment and hurriedly grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Yes, Seria.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so skinny¡­?¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Seria¡¯s sentence was cut off. She and the Marquis turned sideways at the same time.


    Cassius was already up and standing before she realised it.


    He arranged his disheveled clothes and asked.


    ¡°Is that divine power really yours?¡±


    ¡°What if it¡¯s mine?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve been ying tricks.¡±


    Instantly the atmosphere turned icy cold.

 Chapter 172

    Cassius¡¯s voice contained a clear intent. There was a kind of usation that the maximum number of people could hear.


    Even the Marquis of Kellyden, who waspletely unaware of the circumstances before and after, had his expression distorted.


    ¡°Cassius, watch your mouth.¡±


    The Marquis sounded stern, but Cassius was unyielding. He stared only at Seria. She pulled out her hand that had been caught by the Marquis of Kellyden and asked back.


    ¡°What do you mean? Have you already forgotten who purified the magi that had invaded other people earlier?¡±


    Cassius looked Seria up and down with a nk face and said,


    ¡°I thought it might be the power of the holy relic on your neck, Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Immediately Cassius¡¯s hand reached toward Seria¡¯s neck. As if he was about to find the circlet ne hidden under her dress¡­


    p.


    But his hand was caught in mid-air. Alliot, who held Cassius¡¯s hand with great strength, asked with a look that showed a clear intent to kill.


    ¡°Is the Kellyden dering war on Berg?¡±


    The clear implication was that Berg would answer this great rudeness with a territorial war. The Marquis of Kellyden also looked at Cassius madly.


    ¡°Cassius Kellyden! That¡¯s enough. What in the world is that delusion about your sister!¡±


    ¡°Father, before you question my treatment of my sister, I expose her for the sake of the peace of the empire as the heir to the throne of the seventeen families.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°If the Grand Duchess exercised strong divine power through the Sacred relic, she deceived all the nobles. Therefore, it is only natural that the name of the Saint should also be collected.¡±


    ¡°Cassius Kellyden!¡±


    But Cassius did not budge. Only the face of the Marquis of Kellyden turned red. He was so angry that he would have dragged Cassius by the cor right away if there weren¡¯t many people around.


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting that the next head of the seventeen families doubts Stern.¡±


    Smiling like a viper, Seria removed the circlet that was hidden under the cor of her dress.


    ¡°But this is just an ordinary thing. I got it as a wedding present in Berg.¡±


    ¡°Is there any chance that the artifact contains demonic power?¡±


    ¡°Master Cassius Kellyden! You must watch yournguage!¡±


    It was the high priest by Seria¡¯s side who shouted in anger. The Marquis of Kellyden was still boiling with anger. He clenched and unclenched his hands repeatedly.


    But that was the situation.


    The nobles immediately began to murmur at the bombastic statement.


    ¡°Demonic object?¡±


    ¡°Did the Grand Duchess really use the sacred object to generate divine power?¡±


    ¡°Many nobles copsed during the purification ceremonyst time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡±


    Still, the emperor was sitting there, maintaining his dignity even as much as he did, for he would have broken Cassius¡¯s left wrist, which could have been far more noisy.


    Seria cast her gaze toward the barracks.


    The nobles, who had been making noise, freaked out and shut their mouths. Seria asked again, turning her attention to Cassius.


    ¡°So, ording to your words, do I look like a fool who can¡¯t even tell the difference between the demonic things?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t make a distinction.¡±


    ¡°Why me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to take the ce of the Saint¡­.¡±


    Cassius¡¯ words did notst. A dagger flew across his cheek. Both of Cassius¡¯ eyes went wide.


    It was none other than Seria who threw the dagger. When she saw him snatch the dagger from the air and twist his forehead, Seria said ferociously.


    ¡°Go and soak yourself in Magi.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will purify the magi in your body without any relics, so go immerse yourself in Magi, Cassius Kellyden.¡±


    Seria stopped using honorifics. She stared at Cassius as she said it, chewing each word.


    Cassius was surely tainted by Magi.


    But was it Magi¡¯s influence that made him drive her head into theke when she was a child?


    Thinking about it, before Seria met Lina in person, the men did not try to kill her, even though they also disliked her.


    Neither did Kalis, nor Nissos.


    Only Cassius, however, with his childhood malice, threw her into the icy water to die.


    The nobles in the barracks were buzzing about. The servants who were standing outside the barracks, ran down the path toward the forest.


    Seria hung the ne on her finger and swung it around as she said.


    ¡°What if your usation is wrong?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°As a price for daring to insult Stern so much, the young master will not be able to take his ce as the head of the seventeen families forever.¡±


    Both of Cassius¡¯s eyes shook wildly at the demand that he return his sessor¡¯s position.


    Surprisingly, the Marquis of Kellyden just stood there without saying a word. Seria thought he would stop her and tell her to calm down.


    ¡°Return?¡±


    The thicklyid silence was shattered at once. Seria turned her gaze to the voiceing from behind her.


    ¡°Will that do?¡±


    Lesche was approaching. Blood sttered everywhere on his hunting suit. His mood was very rough. While it reminded her of the heat of blood spurting out like a fountain, his expression was cold and chilly in contrast.


    Even she was a little scared. Lesche paid no attention to the people looking at him.


    He just stopped in front of Cassius.


    ¡°You deserve to be kicked out of Kellyden.¡±


    Instantly, Cassius¡¯s expression changed. It was as if someone had poured a whole bucket of ice water on his head.


    Lesche did not take his eyes off Cassius and said in a stern voice.


    ¡°Or what would you wager as the price for insulting Stern of Berg? Your life? Oh, it¡¯s your son. You choose, Marquis Kellyden.¡±


    The Marquis of Kellyden¡¯s eyes grew wide. After a pause, his suppressed voice came out.


    ¡°..I choose the former.¡± (*kick Cassius out of Kellyden)


    ¡°Father!¡±


    Cassius¡¯s jaw tightened. The shocked nobles opened their mouths in dismay.


    It was then that Lina¡¯s voice rang in the forest, breaking the silence.


    ¡°Kalis? Kalis!¡±


    Lina¡¯s face, which had been standing quietly for so long, turned white. Seria turned around. The forest road stretched out behind Lesche.


    Along the way, a considerable number of aristocrats were busilying in the carts. All of them were covered in blood and thickly contaminated with Magi.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    Seria sensed something strange and approached Lesche. Immediately her eyes went wide.


    Lesche was also contaminated with Magi. As soon as she noticed, she reflexively used her sacred power. Lesche looked at his arm, his forehead twitched and heughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m d Stern is here.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe closer?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of blood on it¡­.Seria?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s eyes widened at the light hug. Seria smiled and fell away.


    ¡°This dress is so expensive, it¡¯s a bit of a waste.¡±


    Seria looked down at the bloodstain on her dress. Then she stepped toward the aristocrats contaminated with Magi.


    The beautiful golden circlet was already in Lesche¡¯s hands. She could feel people¡¯s gazes drifting in that direction, pretending to be different.


    Poof!


    She used her sacred power on those closest to her and immediately took a deep breath.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    It was strangely difficult, even though she hadn¡¯t used her power many times yet.


    She tried to purify them all at once and clean them up, but she thought she would faint if she did that, so she divided them into two or three and purified them.


    The nobles¡¯ eyes stared alternately at Seria¡¯s hands and the circlet in Lesche¡¯s hand.


    Reluctantly, Kalis wasst.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Up close, Kalis looked really gaunt. Hollow cheeks. The ck eyes that stared nkly at her did not stay long. The eyes that shook like waves were covered by the eyelids and disappeared.


    Seria stood up. Her legs wobbled and she felt like she was going to fall right over, but she squeezed thest of her strength.


    Then she lifted her chin to the stiffening Cassius.


    ¡°Congrattions on being stripped of the family name of the Kellyden, Cassius. Are you amoner, then?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    At the same time, a noisymotion was heard from the barracks.


    ¡°Marchioness of Kellyden!¡± (*Cassius is her beloved son, and now he¡¯s amoner, so she fainted.)


    ¡°No way, she fainted!¡±


    ¡°Doctor! Doctor!


    ¡®Fainting? I am the one most likely to faint now.¡¯ (Seria)


    Swallowing her cynicism, Seria red at Cassius, who was shaking crisply.


    ¡°But it¡¯s strange, Cassius.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, there is only one outsider who is aware of the fact that this gift is sacred¡­.¡±


    At the same time, her eyes moved toward Lina. Seria kept her gaze fixed on her and continued talking.


    ¡°Who asked you to do this?¡±


    Both of Cassius¡¯ eyes shook momentarily at the words.


    Of course, Seria deliberately asked him the question while others were listening, and it was easy to guess who did it.


    Lina.


    Lina refused Seria¡¯s offered hand. Firmly.


    The sacred power would be wasted on her, but it was something Seria could manage to solve by bringing thest jewel to Tuban.


    It was only a matter of time before the fact that Lina was a false Saint would be revealed.


    So as Stern, she had to start drawing the line with Lina in advance. She didn¡¯t want Stern¡¯s status to drop to the bottom.


    ¡°What the Grand Duchess just said¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it the Saintess?¡±


    The nobles were well aware of the fact that Seria¡¯s eyes were focused on Lina. They also seemed to immediately grasp the implication of her gaze.


    ¡°The Saintess¡­.¡±


    ¡°But why? Is it possible that the Saintess can¡¯t even distinguish between holy and demonic objects?¡±


    ¡®Perhaps she was attempting an insidious attack?¡¯


    On the one hand, it was funny.


    Did Lina know about the fact that Seria could use sacred power without the circlet?


    Did she know before ¡­. Lina who also knew Liegel¡¯s name.


    Why did Lina, who must have known everything, fight a battle that was obviously going to be lost?


    Of course, even in Lina¡¯s calctions, Cassius would not have been stripped of his status.


    Seria was so angry that she even threatened Cassius that he could not inherit the title of the head of the seventeen families.


    And thanks to the Grand Duke of Berg, Lesche¡¯s vehement encouragement, Cassius¡¯s status was put in jeopardy.


    While thinking, her body was very tired. She felt like she was going to fall back any moment.


    ¡®Damn it. Is it because I used too much divine power without the circlet?¡¯


    It was true that her body produced sacred power, but sacred power was not the perfect power for the human body to begin with. If there was an excess of sacred power, her body would be full of bruises.


    It seemed that the circlet was a kind of medium that supported the huge sacred power so that it would not run out of control¡­.


    ¡®¡­is that right?¡¯


    Did Lina aim for this?


    ¡®Why?¡¯


    It was a moment of doubt.


    ¡°Your Majesty! There is urgent news from the Great Temple!¡±


    One of the knights hurriedly came running and reported.


    ¡°The boundary between the demon border and the 4th pce has copsed!¡±


    ***


    Pang!


    Cassius, who came to the Kellyden¡¯s barracks, was struck on the cheek with a fist by Nissos as soon as the door was closed.


    ¡°Did you really lose your mind? Why?¡±


    His father went to tend to his fainting mother, and a streak of blood exploded from Nissos¡¯ eyes.


    ¡°Do you hate Seria that much? Yes, I hated her too. But wasn¡¯t that when she was little? What is so detestable about the child who had avoided us on her own? What is so horrifying that you are in such a hurry to kill a child who has now be the Grand Duchess of Berg!¡±


    Blood flowed from Cassius¡¯ parted lips.


    ¡°What on earth are you going to do now? And why did father ept that? He¡¯s the one who made you!¡±


    ¡°Watch yournguage, Nissos!¡±


    Nissos was furious.


    ¡°Shut up, brother!¡±


    Nissos¡¯ thin cheeks shook with anger.


    ¡°Is it because Seria is illegitimate with amoner mother? What about brother, then?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Brother is also amoner now.¡±

 Chapter 173

    Seria eventually fainted shortly after the hunting ground became as noisy as a beehive being pecked at.


    <i>¡®¡­If it hadn''t been for Lesche, my head would have been cracked open.''</i>


    But it was a relief that she held out till the end. It was fortunate that the attention of the nobles was diverted when they heard the demon border had copsed.


    No, t was the right word.


    Immediately after Seria fainted, she was put on a carriage and brought to the Imperial Berg residence. She slept soundly for 19 hours out of 24 hours a day for several days after returning to the mansion.


    ¡°I was amazed at how bruised the Grand Duchess''s body was."


    Susan said, anointing Seria with perfume. It smelled of a very special herb.


    "If you leave it, it will disappear.¡±


    "But still. It was sent from the Green Manor, so I hope it will help.¡±


    Seria sat meekly and looked at the fading yellow bruises. She didn¡¯t remember much whening back to the mansion. However, she knew she didn¡¯te with Lesche.


    <i>¡®But why was the demon boundary broken?''</i>


    The boundary line that was created against the demons by the Great Temple was not perfect.


    However, even though it was broken asionally, the number of times it copsed was too few to count¡­.


    The Great Temple urgently asked for help from the Glick Empire.


    The empire, of course, was obliged to respond, as were the seventeen families. There was news that Lesche, master of the Knights of Berg, was the first to go to war.


    <i>¡®I can''t believe that Myote and Lina were dispatched at the same time.''</i>


    The boundary was wide.There was no limit to the length it crossed from east to west. If the border restoration was dyed further, it was clear that Seria, thest Stern, had to go there.


    She ate bread baked with raisins mixed in, did not leave any sd made with a mixture of fruit and a sweet and sour sauce, and eagerly devoured chicken baked to a golden brown hue with lemon juice.


    It was ate afternoon when she was taking as much sleep as


    possible to speed up her recovery of physical strength and divine power.


    ¡°Grand Duchess, a letter has been sent to you from the Chief Aide.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I can''t believe he''s been murdered again!"


    The High Priest eximed with a look of astonishment on his face.


    ¡°It''s the third one already. The dead Holy Knight."


    "¡­¡­."


    Three Holy Knights inspecting the border have already been found dead.


    The demon boundary was in the form of a long wall, like a border line, and its length was considerable when connected end to end. Therefore, Myote and Lina were sent to the west and east, respectively, to work on restoring the mass boundary line.


    When the boundary was about to be restored, the body of a holy knight inspecting the other end of the boundary was found. The durability of the boundary line was just barely enough, as the demons were constantly pouring in through the already copsed boundary line.


    It was not enough to immediately break all the boundaries, but there were areas that continued to be prated by them.


    The High Priest swallowed dry spit and visited Lesche.


    He was very worried about what Grand Duke Berg''s reaction would be if he told him that the Holy Knights were dead, but fortunately he just listened without any particr change of expression.


    "So for the time being, the entire Order of the Holy Knights will be replenished. Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°They are scheduled to arrive the day after tomorrow.¡±


    Lesche took off his constetion gold armor and shifted his gaze. It was the cool temperature of the constetion gold armor which he was familiar with. The knight hurriedly brought up Lesche¡¯s sword, which had cut through the demons earlier.


    He had to leave again a littleter anyway. Lesche did not have the habit of leading the battle to defeat the demons in a rxed manner. Therefore, the defeating battles he conducted were always conducted without a moment to catch one''s breath. It was little to no different than an actual war.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    It was then that Alliot visited Lesche.


    "After 15 minutes, Myote Stern will finish her tour."


    When Myote was mentioned, the high priest looked worried.


    Myote was very busy right now. The boundary copsed and she could not sleep properly for many days. She couldn''t even rest because she was busy walking around the long, long boundary.


    This was because of Lina, who had little experience in the battle to defeat the demons.


    Lesche jawed at the high priest.


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    The high priest went out and Lesche leaned back in his chair. He pulled out the knight¡¯s assignment and entry/exit rosters and began to look at them.


    ¡°Alliot.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who will be the most supportive as the demons continue to flood in?"


    It was a somewhat sudden question, but Alliot answered calmly.


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Alliot¡¯s forehead contorted weakly.


    ¡®''It''s Stern, isn''t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Stern.¡±


    The temporary barracks was full ofurel branches brought by the priests.


    Aside from the Berg Knights, who had to guard the huge cier every year, the other noble knights were not that good at defeating demons. That did not mean that the Bergs could not monitor the entire border.


    Thus, there was never a spare time to defeat the demons.


    That didn¡¯t mean it was difficult.


    Lesche had a cold expression on his face. The restoration of the border proceeded without a hitch, as most of the best knights of the Glick Empire were gathered in a hunting ground close to the border.


    The problem was the idents caused by the murder of the holy knights. This meant that the time spent at the boundary line continued to increase.


    "It''s a perfect time for some clueless outsider to be scared.¡±


    A cynical Lesche stood up, cing the entry list down on the table.


    ¡°Tell the priests. As soon as the Holy Knights are replenished, we will drive them all to the east, leaving only the Berg Knights in the south. We will move all the existing knights to the east.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness."


    Lesche shifted his gaze to the branches of the silver tree. It reminded him of Seria in the hunting ground. Her body had lost a lot of strength. Even on the way to the carriage in Lesche¡¯s arms, Seria said she was not fainting, but she was rather whispering with a strain in her eyes before fighting off sleep became too much to handle.


    Lesche almostughed a little, unfit for the situation.


    He couldn¡¯t be unaware of her consideration.


    ¡°Also tell Linon not to call Seria.¡±


    ¡°She is alive!"


    Four dayster.


    The priests let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°The Grand Duke of Berg yed a major role. Fortunately. I was worried that I would have to summon the Grand Duchess, but I don''t have to."


    ***


    ¡°Miss."


    Seria turned around at the call and saw Abigail approaching.


    ¡°The carriage is all ready for you."


    "Already? There''s nothing to get ready for."


    Seria walked straight out of the bedroom and downed the stairs. As she walked out into the warm, sunny entranceway, she saw arge carriage waiting with the Berg pattern engraved on it.


    "Have a safe journey, Grand Duchess.¡±


    "Have a safe journey.¡±


    Ben and Susan saw Seria off and she got into the carriage with Abigail. Berg''s carriage began to roll smoothly.


    Since she didn¡¯t set a destination beforehand she could not use the magic crystal ring to move around.


    ¡°Miss.¡±


    ¡°Yes?"


    "What in the world is that chief aide making such a fuss abouting?¡±


    Seria leaned back against the carriage seat with my arms folded. The carriage was well stocked with Stern''s formal wear. And in her pocket was a neatly organized letter that Linon had sent.


    ¡°The restoration of the border has been dyed. Linon was suspicious of Lina, so he asked me toe quietly.¡±


    A few days ago, he had told her not to pay attention to the border, but what had happened in that short period of time had not yet been known to the capital.


    However, Linon''s letter described a short description of what he had found suspicious about Lina during that time.


    ***


    Cassius stood with a cold expression on his face.


    ¡°<b><i>Brother is amoner too."</i></b>


    For days, Nissos¡¯s words haunted him. The cold words seemed to hurt Cassius''s pride. The disgusting feeling of a messed up honor rolling at his feet¡­.


    There were many things he had prepared for. Cassius sat down then stood up again.


    His fists, clenched tightly, turned white.


    A few days ago, at the hunting ground.


    His blunt father looked at Cassius without saying a word as soon as he came to the barracks. Then he punched him on the cheek as hard as he could.


    If he (Cassius) didn''t have to go straight to the border, he (Cassius) didn''t even know how much more he would have been beaten by his father.


    Besides, his father meant it. He was seriously thinking of expelling him (Cassius ) from Kellyden.


    <b><i>¡°And why would he do that? He''s the one who made you!"</i></b>


    Cassius''s jaw tightened. Nissos, being the second son, tried to understand, even if it was a little foolish. He called that a word? Why couldn¡¯t he speak to father?


    Their father was a marquis.


    The Kellyden was by nature perfect.


    A noble father. A highborn mother. Two clever and upright sons.


    That was until one bastard child ruined the atmosphere of the house. She was eager to live in spite of all that, and became an evil woman who lived extravagantly.


    But as soon as she awakened as Stern, she abandoned the house of Kellyden and had never given any help.


    Seria was not active in the West as Stern, and the West was naturally served by Myote Stern. She did not embrace a cier like the Grand Duchess, but since it was a time of boiling demons, she diligently worked around the clock.


    But Myote Stern was passive in Kellyden. It was because the pride of the Sterns has been soaring for generations.


    Also, because it would be an obvious confrontationalposition if she became acquainted with them when the world knew all about the fact that another Stern, Seria, had cut ties with the Kellyden.


    Seria will threaten other Sterns in any way she can if he bes Marquis.


    The fact that the Kellyden he inherited would not thrive was obvious.


    Cassius polished his sword with bloodshot eyes.


    Cassius''s foot, which Lesche Berg had broken, still throbbed from time to time.


    The Grand Duke Berg tried to make Cassius amoner, and the emperor acquiesced.


    There was only one person who could hold his hand and pull him up.


    Lina Stern.


    Unlike the other Sterns, who were as cold as ice, she wept from her heart in front of him. Her tears wet Cassius''s heart.


    Lina would have shone brighter than anyone if not for Seria. A Saint from another world. And she was very much like himself.


    The fact was that she could have enjoyed a perfect noble life, but she was suffering from the viper-like Seria Stern, who was busy with tyranny and luxury.


    ¡°I will help the Saintess, so will you be the Stern of Kellyden?¡±


    There were numerous stars, but they were only the Milky Way.

 Chapter 174

    ***


    Sponsored by Meowy. Thank you ? (2/10)


    ***


    ¡°Sir Cassius."


    Cassius raised his head.


    ¡°I have just received word. The boundary has been sessfully restored."


    Cassius had to go up to the capital as soon as the restoration was done, so he was currently at the easternmost boundary. It was the safest but, at the same time, most disgraceful position for a knight.


    A ce like a gatekeeper.


    All the major nobles of the Imperial were gathered at the hunting ground. The whole social world would be busy talking about Cassius.


    The other knight also knew about Cassius'' circumstances, but he pretended not to know.


    The knight, who shifted his gaze for a moment, looked perplexed.


    ¡°Isn''t that the Berg carriage? Why is iting here? I haven''t received any separatemunication from them¡­.Sir Cassius? Did you receive a message from them?"


    ¡°I would not have received it."


    Cassius raised his body.


    ¡°How hostile is Berg to Kellyden?¡±


    There was a vivid anger in his quiet voice. Cassius was always the quiet one, so rarely did he reveal this raw emotion so clearly.


    Especially in front of outsiders.


    "¡­¡­?"


    The knight turned around, thinking something was wrong. It was at that moment.


    ¡°Sir Cassius! Why is that¡­..!¡±


    More than 70% of the magical boundaries were created by the Great Temple. The sacred power from the priests was poured into special holy relics to create long boundaries.


    There were no rules at all for the rate at which the sacred power contained in the relics decreased. So the holy knights periodically walked around to check.


    Realistically, it was impossible to observe the boundaries of thisrge continent on a daily basis. This was why it was not umon for the boundary to be breached.


    Most of the borders were like solid trees nted in the soil, safe from double or triple protective coverings. No one could eradicate them. However, there were also boundaries where the protection level was rtively low due to the low supply and high demand of the sacred goods.


    For example, this boundary where Cassius was standing.


    So instead, they supplemented the degree of safety with easy ess to the holy knights and their priests. The seal of the Great Temple, which was used to release the protective shield of this fortress, was already in Cassius¡¯s hands.


    The knight, who looked into Cassius¡¯ calm eyes, instinctively sensed danger. He immediately took his sword and jumped at Cassius.


    ¡°Kaaaaa!"


    But he was one step toote. The knight who had been stabbed in the chest fell as he was, dropping his decisive sword.


    Cassius lifted the sword, which was dripping with blood.


    m!


    Cassius broke the holy seal with strength.


    The sacred power that was shining like the Milky Way lost its way and began to be disturbed. An ominous spirit began to spread, as if the demons who smelled the scent of humans were gradually crawling toward them.


    Cassius looked at the bracelet that Lina had ced directly onto his wrist beforeing to the hunting ground.


    The bracelet, which looked just like a handful of long hair cut and braided, looked like a token for a knight on the battlefield.


    It was full of Lina''s sacred power. She said it could hold up for a very long time, even without Stern or silver tree branches.


    Only a Saint could do that.


    Only the Saint.


    ¡°Demons! Demons!¡±


    ¡°Demons are here!¡±


    ¡°Protect the carriage!¡±


    The tense screams of the knights below could be heard.


    The demons, who instantly began to attack, crawled and ran quickly toward Berg''s carriage. The horseman hurriedly cut the rope and the horses ran away. The carriage, inscribed with elegant patterns indicating the highest ss status. Bang! It made a noise as it fell over on its side.


    The door of the carriage broke.


    "¡­¡­."


    Both eyes of Cassius, who was watching attentively, gradually became distorted.


    Because the carriage was empty.


    He couldn''t see green hair anywhere. (*He was thinking Seria was in the carriage and tried to kill her)


    Immediately after.


    "¡­¡­!"


    He felt terrible pain piercing his back.


    Boom! Cassius copsed, and was barely able to turn around. Immediately his breath stopped for a moment.


    ¡°I should have killed you then.¡±


    Those red eyes shed brilliantly. At the same time, Lesche kicked Cassius roughly as his body flipped over in the blink of an eye. Lesche grabbed Cassius by the chest and lifted him up.


    ¡°Kuk!"


    Cassius¡¯s face was struck with a fierce fist. Violent grip, Cassius''s mouth burst into a mess and bright red blood poured out. His cheek seemed to have caved in the shape of a fist.


    Thud!


    Cassius was thrown to the floor. Immediately after, military boots stamped mercilessly on his back. With each breath Cassius took, the smell of blood came up to his nose, which left him gulping for air.


    ¡°Cassius Kellyden.¡±


    A letter fell in front of Cassius''s blood stained vision. His eyes widened as he identified the paper.


    It was¡­.


    <b><i>[¡­I have found something suspicious from the Saintess, pleasee to the border as quietly as possible¡­.]</i></b>


    "I should tell you, since the effort to kill Stern by even forging a letter is great.¡±


    ¡°Kak¡­!"


    ¡°The Saintess you love so much that you even lick her feet has been proven a fake."


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Instantly, forgetting the pain, Cassius quickly raised his head. But that was all. He still couldn''t withstand the force of the stomp on his back, and he fell to the floor again.


    Cassius''s head started to spin like crazy.


    <i>What do you mean she¡¯s a fake Saint?</i>


    <i>Lina is a fake?</i>


    ¡°That''s outrageous!¡±


    "If only I could put you and her in the demon boundary and let you live there until you get old and crumble."


    Unlike his sarcastic voice, Lesche¡¯s eyes shed with murderous intent. He kicked Cassius brutally in the ribs. Cassius couldn''t even scream from the pain as his ribs shattered to pieces. His whole body seemed to be crushed, and gradually he copsed.


    ¡°Take him away."


    Soon Berg''s knights dragged Cassius away. Lesche touched the broken seal with a frustrated look on his face.


    "Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    Alliot, wearing the constetion gold armor, rushed up. The priests were with him. They looked as if the world had copsed when they saw their broken seal and hurried to begin repairing it.


    Alliot approached Lesche and reported.


    ¡°Fortunately, the demons had only partially gathered at the border. I don''t think any more wille in until the repairs areplete.¡±


    ¡°How many people are guarding the perimeter?¡±


    ¡°Twenty.¡±


    ¡°That seems appropriate.¡±


    Lesche looked down with a frown.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    It was then that a priest approached with a pale face.


    ¡°The boundary will be restored in less than half an hour. I had no idea that Master Cassius would unseal it and destroy it so wickedly¡­."


    The search for Cassius''s body, which the Berg knights had thrown on the wagon, was already over. What they found on Cassius''s body was the seal of a High Priest.


    The seal of High Priest Jubelud.


    "¡­¡­."


    The priest nced at the fallen Berg¡¯s carriage. It was horrified to think that Stern might have been in that carriage.


    ¡°I¡­. I must return first to report to the temple.¡±


    ¡°Go.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±


    The priest quietly retreated.


    ¡°Your Highness, you have a lot of blood on you.¡±


    Lesche asked, wiping off Cassius¡¯s blood on his armor with the cloth Alliot had given him.


    ¡°Where is Linon?"


    ¡°I heard he arrived at the imperial residence.¡±


    ¡°He followed Seria again.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Linon went to the mansion looking like a corpse, so he would cling to the Grand Duchess.¡±


    ***


    "Hic¡­hic¡­hic¡­¡±


    Linon put a wet handkerchief in his mouth and sobbed without rest. Seria nced to the side. Abigail''s expression was spectacr.


    She thought if she were to describe the letter "u" with a face, it would be just such an expression. Like looking at something you can''t unsee ¡­.


    Of course, Linon didn''t care; he cried as he spoke.


    ¡°Those lunatics didn''t know while forging the letter, did they? The loyalty and trust between me and the Grand Duchess.¡±


    Seria chuckled.


    Linon was right. Linon''s "forged" letter, which came to Seria through the hands of an aide, was truly perfect.


    It was signed by Chief Aide Berg, the order in which the seal was stamped, and even the color of the sealing wax was the same.


    But, oddly enough, there was only one thing that was missing.


    ^^7


    It was the emoticon that was Linon¡¯s signature.


    At that time, feeling odd, Seria immediately called Ben and Susan quietly. She did not call the aide who had brought her the letter, because he was also a bit suspicious.


    <i>¡®Of course it wasn''t that aide.¡¯</i>


    It took less than half a day for it to be clear that the letter was a fake. Because as soon as Seria sent all the pigeons to Lesche on the border, Linon was so surprised that he sent a reply. Then he even used the magic crystal ring and went back to the imperial mansion.


    He said it was Lesche¡¯s order.


    It was a forged letter sent by someone with an agenda. When Linon made some duplicates and brought them to Seria, he spoke with a crisp look on his face.


    ¡°His Highness told me to have a fake carriage depart to the border. I don''t know who it is, but¡­ no, no, His Highness said he would catch the culprit in the act, along with the evidence."


    Seria nodded when she heard it. So she deliberately got in the carriage and went outside.


    "Actually, there was no need for the Grand Duchess to get in the carriage and go out.¡±


    ¡°I did so because I thought that whoever sent this letter might be sending someone to keep an eye on me. He must have been so excited to see me being fooled by the letter."


    ¡°I can see why the Grand Duchess was so famous in the social world at one time!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean it in a good way.¡±


    Seria raised her eyebrows quickly, but Linon only wiped his eyes.


    ¡°So how long are you going to follow me?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how my heart pounded when I got the letter? And His Highness told me to stay close to the Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°I need to change my clothes, but will you still stick to me?"


    Linon gasped.


    ¡°I''m sorry.¡±


    Seria¡¯s sleeves were soaked because of Linon who grabbed her arm and cried. After she got dressed and came out, Linon was very quiet, unlike earlier.


    "¡­¡­?"


    Abigail was just staring nkly, but her expression looked more rxed than before. Yeah. For Abigail, Linon was a handful.


    Two dayster,te at night.


    An unexpected visitor came to the Berg residence in secret. Seria couldn''t believe her eyes when she saw the person who had taken off the hat thatpletely covered him.


    ¡°High Priest?"


    It was High Priest Joel. For a moment, Seria reflexively looked around the mansion. It was because she remembered the rule that all the ces the High Priests visited should be modest.


    The Berg residence was very morous because Lesche had decorated it to Seria¡¯s taste¡­.


    But her thoughts did notst long.


    High Priest Joel suddenly covered his face with his hands and began to cry. Panicked, Seria immediately took out her handkerchief.


    She had never thought that the High Priest would cry in front of her. It was something she had never thought of even once. High Priest Joel spoke through his tears.


    ¡°Stern, pleasee to the Great Temple with His Highness the Grand Duke¡­¡±

 Chapter 175

    A few days ago.


    On a dark night, Lina quietly lit a candle and poured holy water inside Stern''s barracks. Then she put her hands together and closed her eyes.


    It was a prayer for the dead.


    Lina sincerely hoped that their sacrifice would not be in vain.


    On the other hand, there was also a practical disappointment.


    It would have been nice if she had some support. Seria had cut off all her connections, so Lina had to struggle amongst the shortage of manpower.


    Silence flew coolly in the night breeze.


    "Did someone you knew die?"


    A voice suddenly broke the silence. Lina turned around, startled. Her eyes widened.


    ¡°High Priests¡­?"


    High Priest Henoch and High Priest Joel hade to the barracks. They said, while looking at the candles and holy water ced in front of Lina.


    "I guess that''s how you honor the dead in your world."


    It was a moment, but Lina''s heart throbbed. Her world.


    It was a lonely world where she originally belonged. She had no good memories apart from memories of her being abused, but even that was fake created on the basis of Seria¡¯s memories.


    While Lina kept silent, the High Priests approached the altar.


    Then they knelt down as Lina was doing.


    ¡°High Priests?¡±


    ¡°In this world, when we honor the dead, we cut off a bit of hair.¡±


    As if prepared in advance, High Priest Henoch took a small pair of scissors from his pocket, cut off a bit of his hair, and ced it in front of the candle. Then High Priest Joel also epted the pair of scissors and cut his hair. Lina also tried to get the scissors, but the High Priest refused to hand them over and said,


    "You don''t have to cut it."


    They just stared at Lina. She was strangely horrified by their appearance.


    Was it her imagination?


    No, in the first ce, why¡­..


    "¡­Why did youe here so suddenly?" (Lina)


    The High Priests, having finished praying to the deceased, raised their bodies.


    ¡°Saintess.¡±


    ¡°You must return to the Great Temple now."


    ¡°What? Why?"


    "If you go back, you''ll get a divorce right away."


    At that moment, Lina felt as if High Priest Henoch''s voice had punched her in the cheek. The words hit her head like a bomb.


    Slowly grasping her trembling hands together, Lina was finally able to pull the knowledge out of her head.


    "But isn''t Stern''s divorce like a wedding, with a fixed date and time?"


    Otherwise, her sacred power would go out of control and her life would be in danger. That reminded her of her many injuries in Berg territory.


    ¡°Saintess.¡±


    Seeing Lina''s bloodless face, the High Priest slowly opened his mouth.


    "The Marquis of Hon made his own choice."


    "The Marquis, under the authority of the seventeen families, has filed for divorce himself."


    ***


    ¡°Saintess!"


    It was unknown with what spirit Lina got out of the carriage. She was in a state of oblivion to the fact that the huge great temple was quieter than usual and even colder.


    Lina half walked half ran through the main room, and slowly stopped when she spotted the back of Kalis.


    A figure dressed in red.


    Kalis¡¯s dark blond hair was wet as if he had poured holy water on his head for the ritual. It was unfamiliar.


    Lina could not say anything. Her lips wouldn¡¯t open.


    Perhaps Lina had a hunch.


    While Kalis did note up from the Hon estate, he did not reply to any of Lina''s letters. The same was true at the emperor''s hunting grounds.


    Both eyes of Kalis followed only Seria. As usual ¡­.


    ¡°Kalis.¡±


    Kalis turns back at the voice calling him. Both his eyes sink into Lina. Immeasurable, indifferent. It was the eyes that showed no warmth, like a piece of pottery thrown in the middle of a snowbank. Therefore, for Lina it was the first time in her life that she had evere across this expression.


    ¡°You didn''t even respond to my letters." (Lina)


    "¡­¡­."


    ¡°You were preparing for a divorce even after all this time? Why?" (Lina)


    ¡®Why?¡¯ She asked in a questioning tone, but she understood.


    Kalis waspletely out of Liegel¡¯s power.


    She had not noticed him in the hunting grounds because he was contaminated by Magi. But now he was different. After standing this close to him and exchanging long nces, she noticed.


    There was no more Magi left in Kalis¡¯s body.


    He had only a little bit of divine power left as one of the heads of the seventeen families¡­.


    <i>¡®¡­When did Seria use her sacred power on him?¡¯</i>


    Wasn¡¯t Seria disinterested in Kalis? Wasn¡¯t she fed up with him? So when?


    Lina understood that at the moment Seria¡¯s strong sacred power struck Kalis¡¯s whole body at the hunting ground, Seria''s divine power made even the Magi nted by Liegel disappear.


    Liegel¡¯s power, which remained from past times, disappeared in a few moments. That''s how people turned their back on Lina.


    No one knew, though, that this fact made Lina even more miserable.


    If it wasn''t for Magi, she wouldn''t be important to anyone.


    The moment she came up with that much, she felt the ck me that had been burning in her heart for so long re up. It was suffocating, like she was choking under her neck, and her feet felt like they were crashing into the endless underground.


    "Do you think this way you could marry Seria again?"


    "¡­¡­."


    ¡°Seria hates you, Kalis. Seria has a man she likes. You and I both know who that is! Kalis, you are¡­!"


    ¡°Lina."


    Kalis cut off Lina¡¯s words.


    "Why did you use Cassius Kellyden to hurt Seria?"


    "¡­¡­."


    For a moment, Lina was stunned. She clenched her fists unconsciously. She seized her trembling body and managed to squeeze out her voice.


    "What do you mean?"


    "You don''t know what could happen in a society if you lose your status as a Saint.¡±


    Kalis¡¯s reply made Lina lose strength.


    <i>¡®You mean what happened on the hunting grounds.''</i>


    On the one hand of reassurance, ¡­.


    <i>¡®¡­that''s what it''s all about, isn''t it?¡¯</i>


    Lina couldn¡¯t believe Kalis wanted to divorce a Saint just for that reason.


    Kalis''s sincerity in Magi¡¯s absence was painful to Lina. He was her only friend, he was so clear about the direction of his true heart that he considered her a family member.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready." (Kalis)


    Lina didn''t ept a word, but the divorce ceremony had already been halfway through. Lina thought something was strange.


    "No way¡­"


    She finally saw Kalis¡¯s clothes and opened her eyes wide. She had wondered why Kalis was dressed in a red outfit for a person performing the ceremony in the Great Temple.


    Kalis¡¯s clothes were covered in blood. He deliberately chose to wear red clothes to hide the bloodstains. Now she understood why the scent she smelled was strong.


    The ensuing divorce ceremony was terrible.


    The blood falling without rest from Kalis¡¯s body looked like a living hell. It was like being tortured. Blood stains pooled in circles on the floor.


    Lina could not stand it at all.


    Time for a little rest to change the holy water used in the ritual. Lina rushed to High Priest Henoch, who was in charge of the ceremony.


    ¡°Please stop this. What if Kalis dies?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t die.¡±


    High Priest Henoch was bitter.


    ¡°Because when it is over, it won''t be even half of what Seria Stern went through.¡±


    "¡­¡­."


    The hellish divorce ceremony ended nearly an hourter.


    "With this, Kalis Haon will permanently lose his status as Stern''s spouse¡­."


    Kalis staggered back.


    <i>Is this really the end?</i>


    <i>Is this really the end?</i>


    Lina reached out, wanting to grab Kalis.


    It was at that moment.


    Both of her eyes widened. This was because blood flowed along the back of Kalis¡¯s exposed hand along with the feeling of a spark.


    Lina involuntarily backed away. Kalis looked down at his blood-stained hand in silence.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re not clean either. I see the spark phenomenon ur in contact with the Saintess.¡±


    "¡­¡­."


    Left alone, Lina looked nkly at the divine sign hanging on the wall of the main room.


    Seria turned back time, but the demonic power that remained on people''s bodies did not disappearpletely.


    The same was true for Kalis. Cuts remained on his body.


    But ¡­.


    Kalis did notpletely cover himself with Magi. There wasn¡¯t much left.


    Lina didn''t know at the time, but she knew now. Even if it wasn''t Liegel¡¯s power, Kalis, who took care of her, was really precious to Lina.


    ¡°I¡­"


    <i>¡®You can''t love me, because I¡¯m magi?¡¯</i>


    Lina wrapped her arms around herself. Tears streamed down her face.


    A saint living with the power that Liegel had infused into her. That was who she was. Should she still infuse Magi into Kalis again? If she did that¡­.


    She wanted to scream. Until now, Lina had never looked at Liegel¡¯s power. She had been hesitant. She was horrified that she would admit that she was really a monster, not a human being. She was the magi whom everyone rejected.


    But she came so far.


    ¡°Do you need more pride?"


    Lina gritted her teeth.


    She believed Seria a little when Seria asked if Lina knew how to get away from Liegel. But Seria had secretly used divine power on Kalis without her (Lina) knowing.


    It was such a horrible thing to do to abandon her (Lina).


    It was Seria who had put Lina in such a corner. She had to pull herself together. There was really no one on her side.


    ¡°Saintess."


    Holy Knights and Priests suddenly appeared in Lina¡¯s blurry vision. The two High Priests standing in front of the crowd, Henoch and Joel, approached Lina.


    High Priest Joel suddenly bowed deeply to Lina and grabbed her hand. It was an oddly cautious action.


    "High Priest?"


    It was the moment.


    Lina''s eyes widened. The silver tree branch with a sharply pointed tip went straight into the back of Lina''s hand.


    "¡­¡­!"


    The faces of the priests were stained with shock. Arge amount of demonic energy spewed out.

 Chapter 176

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    ***


    Lina was stripped of her sainthood.


    The Great Temple officially admitted to misreading the trust.


    ¡°What are you thinking? Seria."


    Seria turned around. A smile inevitably rose.


    ¡°If it was me, I would have announced that Lina had lost her life.¡±


    Seria hadn¡¯t seen Lesche in a long time. He tilted his chin lightly.


    ¡°That can also defend the honor of the temple. That''s nice."


    ¡°And very despicable, isn''t it?"


    "Yes. Don''t you usually say it''s a strategic move?"


    ¡°Where did you learn how to present it that way?"


    Lesche chuckled. Seria¡¯s smile deepened as well. Immediately, Seria ran to Lesche and hugged him, while Lesche hugged her tightly in his arms.


    She wondered when in the world she would see him again. Seria asked as she stepped into the carriage already prepared with Lesche.


    ¡°Aren''t you tired? We have to go to the Great Temple right away.¡±


    "There''s nothing to be tired about.¡±


    Seria tilted her head at the light sound.


    ¡°I know it must have been difficult to restore the border with Stern suddenly down by one, are you all right?"


    ¡°Are you talking in a roundabout way about how much you missed me?"


    ¡°What? No, I don''t know why you¡¯re saying that¡­..¡±


    Seria asked in exasperation.


    "So. Did you miss me?"


    Lesche startedughing.


    "I felt like my eyes were spinning because I missed you. And you?"


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that long, right?"


    Lesche faintly furrowed his forehead.


    "It''s not the answer I thought it would be."


    "I''m serious. What should I do?"


    "You''re ying with me as soon as I get here.¡±


    Seria smiled. Actually, She missed Lesche a lot. She climbed into a big carriage and tried to sit on the seat, but the ce where she sat was on Lesche¡¯s thighs. The footman hurriedly closed the door with a ¡®huck''.


    She was so embarrassed that she was fanning her face and Lesche grabbed her wrists.


    ¡°Did you really not miss me? Seria.¡±


    Seria cleared her throat.


    ¡°I just answered you.¡±


    "I thought I was going crazy because I missed you."


    His hand was holding her neck and waist tightly. The moment she touched Lesche¡¯s chest, he dug in unannounced and kissed her. Her body kept pushing back, but Lesche wrapped her and trapped her in ce.


    Her heart beat wildly. A gasping breath. Lesche¡¯s body, in full contact with her, felt hot. The sensation of him touching her silk stockings was arousing. She was dizzy because she could picture what he was going to do to her.


    Seria finally pushed Lesche out of the way. She gasped and asked him as she looked at his colorful eyes.


    ¡°¡­You couldn''t do it for two weeks. Can you get it done in one sitting?"


    Of course, when it was one time by Lesche¡¯s standards, it was not Seria¡¯s one time. So she hurriedly tried to get out of the mess, but Lesche was¡­.


    She wasn''t sure.


    Lesche had a history of not letting go of her when they were in bed every day.


    And, strangely enough, Lesche seemed to react badly to her question about his body. Shey back on the seat and looked up at Lesche. He stroked down her cheek, tracing it with his fingertips. His manhood was very hard to the point of tearing as he touched her leg.


    ¡°I wasn''t going to do it, but you¡¯re driving me crazy."


    "Is this why your body is like this?"


    "It''s not something I can control, Seria. Don¡¯t you know?¡±


    Despite the rxed tone, Lesche¡¯s hands never left Seria¡¯s body. A thirsty sigh came out, and his fingers dug into Seria¡¯s mouth. Lesche¡¯s eyes werepletely fixed on her as his wet fingers scoured the mucous membrane in her mouth.


    Before she knew it, Lesche¡¯s upper body waspletely tilted toward her. He kissed her like crazy as if trying to unleash all his desire with this kiss. On one hand, it was unbearable to feel Lesche¡¯s desire holding her down, and on the other hand, it was sweet.


    Her ears turned red with a constant flush.


    ***


    It didn''t take long to reach the Great Temple.


    ¡°It''s noisy.¡±


    Seria agreed with Abigail''s words inwardly.


    The door, which had been locked by the authority of the High Priests, was opened, and it seemed to be a mess when it was announced that the Saint from another world was actually fake.


    Many countries on the continent had already sent envoys that included royalty, and a number of nobles from the Glick Empire were also present.


    "There will be a religious trial."


    High Priest Henoch said with a stern face.


    All the priests were in a state of hunger for a week.


    They had tobine all the holy relics they had. And most of therge, sophisticated relics ate arge amount of divine power.


    Perhaps not even all of its many holy relics have been taken out since the Great Temple was built.


    Thanks to this, with rtive uracy, the Great Temple could figure out who Lina was.


    "¡­How can one be made up of Magi?"


    ¡°Perhaps the sacred power she conceived was also fake, so it was scattered.¡±


    Myote, who was standing by Seria, asked coldly.


    ¡°Will that also be made public on the continent?¡±


    High Priest Joel shook his head emphatically.


    ¡°I don''t think so.¡±


    "That''s a relief. It''s good to keep it a secret that the Magi were the same Sterns.¡±


    In the cold voice of Myote, the priests smiled bitterly.


    If she was the High Priest, she would announce that Lina had died. Just like Seria told Lesche.


    Lina was in a state of anxiety as her sacred power continued to decrease,bined with the story that she had tapped into a forbidden spell that had been sealed away in the Great Temple.


    The Great Temple seemed conflicted between conscience and reputation.


    So they came up with thispromise.


    ¡°Let''s go. We will begin immediately."


    As Seria walked along with Myote and the Priests, High Priest Henoch caught her.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    "¡­Do you know what the Saint¡¯s true identity is?¡±


    High Priest Henoch said, sweeping down his gaunt cheeks.


    "I''m asking because I had a particrly bad rtionship with her."


    "Well, what did she say?"


    ¡°She didn''t say anything. She probably won''t say anything in court either. I''m sure there is no small amount of shock that was put on her body because of Stern''s divorce¡­."


    Seria looked at the void.


    It was just as High Priest Henoch had said.


    The religious trial with Lina in the middle ended simply. In the first ce, numerous priests and holy knights saw that her body was infused with demonic energy, and there was nothing more to prove.


    Lina, her entire body bandaged, said nothing.


    The problem was Cassius.


    Seria sat with her legs crossed in the top reserved seat for Stern.


    ¡°After he had received the Saint''s message, he murdered the holy knights. Hemitted the infamous act of breaking the holy relic of the border in order to raise Saint Lina to the sole Stern.¡±


    ¡°The story is shocking."


    It didn¡¯t matter how much. No one could believe he would break the seal of the border.


    "Crazy guy¡­"


    "He tried to end the continent¡­."


    The audience was even more shocked than Seria was. Some were swearing and the majority were frozen like ice.


    Seria nced over to where the Kellyden family was sitting. They had made the official decision that they wouldn¡¯te, but they couldn¡¯t help but be here. The Marchioness and Marquis of Kellyden and even Nissos were sitting there looking very pale.


    Cassius'' sins could not be ended as individual sins.


    In the Great Temple, they will use all sorts of means and methods to apply the sit-in system. Still, Seria was Stern, and she was of Kellyden''s blood, so they¡¯ll take only one direct line.


    That direct line had a good chance of bing a Marquis. Thanks to the Marquis of Kellyden¡¯s official statement that he would abolish Cassius in the hunting ground.


    Still, it was unknown if the Marchioness would give up Cassius so easily, well ¡­. For a long time, the Marchioness of Kellyden was very protective of her eldest son and heir, Cassius.


    ¡°Therefore, after having Cassius Kellyden imprisoned in an abandoned tower in the name of the Great Temple, he will be sentenced to death ording to themonws of the continent.¡±


    "¡­¡­!"


    ¡°Anyone who has objections, protest now. However, if the sinner is guilty, those who protest shall receive the same punishment."


    Naturally, Seria¡¯s gaze turned to the Marchioness of Kellyden. Seria was not the only one who did that. Most of the gazes of the nobles, who knew how the Marchioness loved Cassius, also looked at her.


    The Marchioness of Kellyden could only tremble and say nothing. As she did so, Seria¡¯s and her gaze suddenly met. She sent Seria a pleading look.


    It was that tant look. <i>¡®Do you want me to help Cassius?¡¯</i>


    ¡°You really have no conscience or spirit."


    Seria¡¯s mumbling waspletely buried. This was not the society of the West. Moreover, the Great Temple was full of people who envied Stern more than anyone had imagined.


    People who had read the meaning of the look the Marchioness of Kellyden sent Seria looked at Seria intensely.


    ¡°Is the Marchioness crazy? Didn''t she hear that the High Priest said earlier that he was going to kill all the Sterns?"


    "The Marchioness must have lost her mind. ¡­. There is a reason the Grand Duchess disowned her family.¡±


    ¡°Shame on you, the man called the High Nobility!¡±


    One nobleman sitting next to her even raised his hand and announced to the judge.


    ¡°The Marchioness of Kellyden is going to object!"


    "¡­¡­!"


    In no time at all, the presiding judge turned cold and everyone''s eyes were on him. There were many high ranking aristocrats in the West in the mix.


    The Marchioness of Kellyden¡¯splexion turned white as a nk sheet of paper.


    ¡°Do you object? Marchioness of Kellyden.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Marchioness of Kellyden! Speak properly!¡±


    The Marchioness¡¯ hands trembled elegantly at the stern voice that fell like a reprimand.


    ¡°I do not object¡­.."


    Seated at the defendant''s table, Cassius¡¯ eyes shook violently.

 Chapter 177

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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.


    <i>¡®Tuban gave it to me.¡¯</i>


    The design was very simr to that bracelet that Lesche had brought from thend 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¡¯tin.


    <i>¡®That bracelet must have been given to Cassius by Lina.¡¯</i>


    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 reced a hundred times over years ago.


    <i>¡®The situation on the border would have been possible because of that Saintess. What about the rest?¡¯</i>


    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 ce where the most letters flowed.


    Where Linon used a lot of power for theurel 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 pce 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 epted it as Lesche removed his thin jacket.


    ¡°Let the Imperial Pce 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 cier 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 wouldplete 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 ce. On top of Stern''s sacred insignia, the letters wereplete. 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.


    <b><i><The heart of Lesche Berg.></i></b>


    She tried to read it slowly, but it was the same. Her breath slowly stopped.


    ***


    A few dayster.


    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 ced 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 morerge 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.


    <i>¡®Yeah, he knows he''s gonna get hit when I meet him, right?¡¯</i>


    <i>¡®Should I just give up on unsealing him?¡¯</i>


    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>¡®I think I''ll have to take the insignia with me instead.¡¯</i>


    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 hadpensated 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 nce at the flickering light.


    <i>¡®Should I just remove the insignia?¡¯</i>


    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 bete 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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 Chapter 178

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    ¡°Did you eat well? You don''t seem to be eating much these days.¡±


    Was it that obvious? Seria was a little embarrassed.


    ¡°It''s just that I haven''t had much of an appetitetely.¡±


    Lesche frowned.


    "That''s why you¡¯re so thin. Is there anything else you want to eat? I''ll get it."


    "Nothing in particr. ¡­. And I¡¯m not thin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, only the bones remain."


    ¡°No one said anything like that."


    ¡°I know you¡¯re.¡±


    A hand with explicit intent roamed over Seria¡¯s body.


    ¡°I''ll touch you to check it myself.¡±


    "Of course you would. Where is another man who touches me as wildly as you do¡­."


    Seria said this, but every time his hands touched her skin, it felt like electricity on her back.


    When their bodies touched each other to the fullest, she could feel Lesche¡¯s pulse beating strongly. She wrapped her arms around Lesche¡¯s neck, quickly leaving herplicated mind behind.


    His eyes widened a little as Seria kissed him. After going through the soft mucous membrane with her tongue, she lowered her hand and touched his solid body.


    Lesche¡¯s thighs wriggled relentlessly. Raising her head, she licked his earlobe as she always did.


    In the midst of all this, the lower half of his body under the water continued to move. Apart from the groaning of something the size of an arm¡­.


    Her wrists were caught by Lesche.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    While the voice calling Seria oozed unresolved desire, Lesche¡¯s face was strange.


    ¡°What''s wrong?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Is there something you desire? Why do you turn me on so openly?¡±


    "If I tell you there''s something I want, will you give it to me?"


    ¡°Tell me."


    "¡­No. It''s just that you do this every time too."


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s eyebrows were slightly furrowed. Seria couldn''t help but frown as well.


    She had always sworn to this man that she would never keep secrets from him. But what could she do about the fact that Tuban told her to bring him Lesche¡¯s heart?


    She knew Lesche¡¯s character. She knew him very well. So she was worried.


    Tuban was Stern''s guardian star, and he had protected her under the sacred tree, so she was afraid that if Lesche knew what Tuban wanted, he would one day grant it, if not immediately¡­.


    She thought she would lie to him appropriately, but she wasn''t too keen on that either.


    In the end, she slowly brushed his face down with both of her hands that were caught.


    ¡°I don''t want to think about anything.¡±


    She was thoroughly serious about these words. She hadn''t been able to eat well for the past few days, and she couldn''t sleep properly either. Even in bed, she pressed the red jewel of the circlet hundreds of times and passed out at dawn.


    Lesche looked at Seria with darkened eyes and suddenly lifted her chin. Her expectation that he would kiss her was quickly dismissed. Lesche bit down hard on her neck. Seria let out a painful moan. He walked out of the tub. He kept a firm grip on Seria¡¯s body.


    Water dribbled along their bodies. Lesche, who roughly wiped Seria¡¯s body with a thick towel prepared by the maids, even dressed her in a gown. Likewise, he in his new gown, held Seria¡¯s hand, opened the bathroom door, and went out.


    The servants passed in the hallway bowing their heads in surprise. It was unknown how many servants they met before they reached the bedroom. They all stepped back in amazement. Perhaps it was natural, since their gowns were wet and the bite mark was visible on Seria¡¯s neck.


    The bedroom door closed.


    The bed was ced in the middle. Lesche picked Seria up andid her down. He put his knees between her legs and asked.


    ¡°Do I need to stop you from thinking about anything? How many days? A week?"


    It was clear what he meant. Seria hurriedly shook her head. Then Lesche spoke in a sarcastic tone.


    "Why? I don''t mind staying in bed for a week."


    ¡°¡­Are you angry?"


    Seria asked as she looked at her gown, which was half torn from Lesche¡¯s hands. She felt like her body was about to be crushed like that. His hands, which even felt rough, stopped for a moment.


    ¡°No.¡±


    "¡­¡­."


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    A short call. A few moments of silence passed. Lesche stared at her with an immense expression. She did not avoid his gaze either.


    "I hope you can answer me one thing."


    ¡°What is it?"


    ¡°The reason you don''t want to think about anything.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s forehead frowned a little. He seemed unusually careful in selecting his words.


    "Is it because there''s something bad?"


    ¡°What do you mean bad?¡±


    ¡°You''re always afraid of many things.¡±


    "¡­¡­."


    ¡°It seems that there¡¯s something that is scaring you again."


    The moment Seria heard those words, she tightened her fingers strongly. Otherwise, she felt like tears would suddenly flow down her eyes. She reached out her cold hand and touched Lesche¡¯s eyes. He ced his face on her hand gently.


    His red eyes were fixed on her.


    This guy who had been making her heart flutter from a long time ago.


    "It''s not like that. Really."


    A sincere whisper. Lesche took Seria¡¯s hand in his and pressed it firmly to his lips.


    "That''s enough.¡±


    "Is that really all you need?"


    Lesche gave a thin smile.


    ¡°Yes, Seria.¡±


    That was all. He didn''t ask any more questions.


    Her heart throbbed. Seria held Lesche¡¯s cheeks with her hands. She lifted her upper body a little and kissed him just like that. It felt like the hot and naked feeling was entwining with her heart. The problem was that a man who was so cold had be so warm.


    That was a problem for her¡­.


    ***


    Late at night.


    Alliot opened the old, rattling door and entered.


    The disappearance of Prince Jun was now known to the emperor of Glick. The imperial pce must have been turned over secretly, but it wasn¡¯t Berg¡¯s business.


    However, they were quietly tracking Prince Jun in Berg. If it was tracking experience, thanks to the umtion of it because of Mies, Alliot already had a clue.


    <i>¡®I just need to confirm the information here.''</i>


    Prince Jun had a peculiar eye and hair color, as he was from the imperial family. No matter how well he hid it, he could notpletely erase any trace of his escape.


    "You said you saw a man with blue-gray hair and orange eyes."


    When Elliot opened his mouth, a man who had been hiding in the darkness quietly walked out. He was the owner of this hut and the keeper of the forest. The roof was open, and the pouring moonlight was all the lights that could identify the man.


    ¡°Yes, sir. The one who looked like that passed by a week ago.¡±


    ¡°Which way did he go?"


    Alliot tossed over a pouch and the man bent hurriedly.


    ¡®''I''ll¡­I''ll show you directly!¡±


    The man suddenly approached Alliot. Apart from walking as if his hips were breaking, he was strangely reaching toward Alliot¡¯s wrist.


    This was when Alliot watched this suspicious behavior with cold eyes.


    ¡°Arghhhhh!¡±


    Suddenly the man''s hand was cut off. At the same time, red blood gushed out like a fountain. The arm plopped to the ground,pletely cut off. Alliot turned around.


    Abigail was standing there, unknown when she hade in. She quickly threw the bloody dagger into the sky and inserted it into the ceiling. At the same time, two men who had been hiding in the darkness ran out shouting, but that was all. The suppression took ce in a matter of seconds.


    Alliot stepped down hard on the men''s backs.


    ¡°Commander!¡±


    Berg''s knights jumped in from the distance, holding their breath. The priest, who had been secretly dispatched to the Great Temple, was with them.


    The priest shouted.


    ¡°Those are sorcerers, no doubt! Strip them all."


    Immediately the knights stripped the menpletely. Indeed, there were peculiar patterns engraved on every inch of their bodies. Alliot nced at Abigail, but she merely blinked.


    The priest, who was hurriedly searching through his notebook, spoke with a gasp.


    "Good. These are thest ones."


    The Priests had such a vast store of information about sorcerers from other continents that there was even an Inquisitor in the Great Temple.


    Thanks to this, the inquisitor was able to distinguish the patterns carved on the sorcerers'' bodies. It was the moment when they finally caught thest of the sorcerers who had crawled onto the continent and mumbled at the end, "Gensha".


    ¡°So you finally caught all these lunatics.¡±


    ¡°We''ll fly all of them immediately to the castle, Commander.¡±


    ¡°Inform His Highness that we are heading for the Central Territories."


    The knights rushed out. The sorcerers were already out of breath.


    They had already received information from several sources that Prince Jun was headed for the central territory. The Berg knights could not understand this.


    The central territory was Berg territory.


    Alliot opened his mouth after ordering them to take the bodies of the sorcerers.


    ¡°Sir Abigail Orrin.¡±


    Abigail, who was about to disappear from the hut, turned around. The man¡¯s severed arm was still in her hand.


    ¡°Why are you taking that arm with you?¡±


    ¡°The hand is poisoned. It is a poison that only works when fresh blood is on it.¡±


    ¡°Poison?¡±


    Abigail was right. The man''s palms were rotting with the poison and covered in reddish-ck blood. So he sacrificed his body to kill someone¡­.


    Alliot frowned his forehead. They were terrible people.


    ¡°By the way, how did you know about that poison?¡±


    Abigail nced at Alliot.


    ¡°I learned it before. Unlike Sir Alliot."


    "¡­¡­."


    Abigail was right. Alliot did not know about that poison.


    But if he, the Knight Commander of the Order of Berg, didn''t know enough about it, then it was a really rare poison. But he had no knowledge about such a poison in his memories, he was not at the level of a knight¡­.


    ¡°Sir Abigail Orrin.¡±


    Alliot asked, recalling Abigail''s dagger that had cut the man''s arm in an instant.


    ¡°Did youe in without telling me because you thought I might be infected?¡±


    ¡°I don''t want to see my master worry. If Sir Alliot was injured, I''m afraid the efficiency of the chase would slow down.¡±


    "¡­¡­."


    Abigail disappeared with the arm, which was dripping in a mess of blood and poison. There was no time to stop her. Alliot frowned his forehead.


    He scratched his neck as he watched Abigail disappear.


    ****


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 Chapter 179

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    ***


    It was not until the next day that Seria visited the Great Temple.


    ¡°Grand Duchess!"


    The high-ranking priests, who hade to the ce where the carriage stood and was loitering, approached her in a group. Seria got out of the carriage, escorted by a holy knight. The moment she stepped out of the carriage, her legs started to wobble involuntarily.


    "Oh, are you all right?"


    "Your body doesn''t seem to be in good shape, is it safe for you to use your divine power?"


    "Yes, I am fine. Where can I go?"


    She just felt pain and tingling below her waist. She walked inside the building, urging the priests.


    "As you can see, this is the only supply and demand of divinity this year."


    It was just as the priests had sadly exined. The big holy relics that gather the sacred power of the High Priests were filled with only 70% of the sacred power of previous years.


    It was because of Lina and the catastrophe caused by Cassius. It was easy to see how busy the priests had been.


    Seria devoted almost a week of her sacred power to them. She did not miss a single moment. So much so that on thest day, all the Priests of the Great Temple visited and held her hand with tearful eyes.


    It was a look that naturally reminded her of the time when she went to the Berg territory to check on the cier every day while she was engaged to Kalis. The Berg vassals and treasurers had that exact same look on their faces.


    ¡°High Priest Henoch.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess?"


    ¡°May I see the holy relics in the basement?"


    ¡°Of course! Look as much as you want to.¡±


    High Priest Henoch, who had be quite thin, said he hadn''tughed in a long time and took Seria directly to the underground sanctuary.


    In a ce as cool as a wine vault, there was indeed a dizzying array of properties.


    Normally, her heart would have been pounding due to Stern''s characteristics, but now she was preupied with finding a recement for Lesche¡¯s heart, which Tuban had mentioned.


    ¡°High Priest, are you short of donations these days?"


    "Huh? Not at all¡­"


    High Priest Henoch asked back with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°Could it be that our hospitality has been neglected?¡±


    "No, it can''t be. I was just curious.¡±


    <i>¡®D*mn it.¡¯</i>


    If the High Priest had said that things were a little difficult, she would have been more open to a donation. Even though Lina turned out not to be a Saint, the Great Temple was always full of faithful believers.


    <i>¡®I have to say I''ll give you the entire crystal mine.''</i>


    She could give them the ownership of the crystal mine if they let her have a good holy relic. The High Priest was also gracious enough to ept Seria¡¯s request to pray with a holy relic.


    Seria selected 11 holy relics that were red, small, or associated with the heart or blood, and brought them to the private prayer room. She then pressed them gingerly on the Stern insignia that she had brought all the way from the mansion. However, Tuban showed no signs of taking it.


    She stood up with a sigh. There were still many unidentified holy relics left, but if they didn¡¯t work¡­.


    Seria was depressed. Suddenly, she felt the presence of someone behind her. She thought it was a priest, so she turned around and saw a face that caught her eyes.


    It was Kalis.


    "¡­¡­."


    She was inwardly surprised. Kalis was really wounded. His whole body was wrapped in white bandages, and there was also a piece of gauze cut and pasted on his cheek. The left side of his head was also wrapped in a bandage.


    Kalis had divorced Lina.


    Seria knew that both marriage and divorce to Stern, who did not keep time and date, would be a great strain on the body.


    She turned her gaze without staring at Kalis for a long time. After cing the magical seal on the Stern insignia again, she raised her bent body, but a somber voice prated her ears.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Seria was going to ignore him and leave, but she paused for a moment. She had to because Kalis faltered and knelt before her.


    Silence fell over the prayer room.


    ¡°I''vee to apologize."


    "¡­¡­."


    "And¡­there is also something I need to know."


    Kalis slowly raised his head. He asked,


    "Why did you let me live?"


    "¡­what?"


    "Did you not resent me?"


    I didn''t resent you? ¡­. Seria stared at Kalis and opened her mouth.


    ¡°It''s toote now.¡±


    "¡­yes. It''s toote now."


    Kalis¡¯ eyes slowly became wet.


    ¡°I''m sorry.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    "I am so sorry, Seria¡­"


    She noticed that the demonic shadow was missing from Kalis¡¯s body. Since Kalis no longer had the demonic shadow, will he no longer move ording to Liegel¡¯s will? Then¡­


    Was Kalis being sincere?


    "I hurt you and wished that you would stay with me all along. The funny thing is¡­ I still hope so.¡±


    Kalis dropped his gaze. His voice flowed as if he was trying to squeeze out.


    "¡­ do you love him?"


    Kalis did not mention a name. But they both knew who "he" referred to.


    With tearful eyes, Kalis asked again,


    ¡°Do you love that man? Seria.¡±


    Seria silently stared at the man who was once her fianc¨¦. She really liked Kalis. The time when she fell into this world and was filled with nothing but fear, the hand he held out to her felt like a dream, even though she was confused.


    There were times when she thought that perhaps it was a rescue.


    She once thought that they were destined to be together.


    She always tried to hope that Kalis would never hate her. There were times when she held him in her heart with a pleading heart, begging him not to hate her, not to see her as the Seria she used to be.


    Such was the case.


    As a final courtesy to the man she had loved at one time, she slowly let out the feelings she had kept hidden in her heart.


    ¡°I love him.¡±


    Tears streamed down Kalis¡¯ goldenshes.


    "¡­Because he saved you?"


    ¡°No."


    Seria slowly lowered hershes.


    ¡®''For reasons you don''t know.¡±


    She said this to Kalis to draw a line, but she herself didn''t know exactly either. When did shee to love Lesche? But it was not because Lesche had saved her in the Berg territory. Because at the time she was still afraid of him.


    Yeah.


    Since when did she fall in love with him?


    But looking back was not something she could do in front of Kalis. She left him and walked out. It was at that moment that she opened the heavy door of the prayer room.


    ¡°Bibi?"


    Seria couldn''t believe her eyes when she saw Abigail.


    ¡°Why are you here? I heard you are joining the tracking group." (They formed tracking groups to track Prince Jun)


    "I just wanted to check something, and they said the youngdy went to the Great Temple.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you''re here?"


    ¡°I don''t want to leave the Lady alone."


    Abigail''s words brought a smile to Seria¡¯s face. She saw a priest passing the prayer room. She gestured to him and he rushed over.


    ¡°Stern?"


    ¡°Go inside and take the Marquis of Hon with you. He¡¯s bleeding.¡±


    "¡­Bleeding?"


    The priest, his eyes rounded, went inside and was quickly astonished. Abigail, ncing inside, opened her mouth.


    ¡°Mydy. But I didn''te alone.¡±


    ¡°Huh?"


    Abigail pointed with her chin at the wall next to the door. The prayer room was constructed by digging through a thick wall, so the wall, like a corner, supported both sides.


    Puzzled, Seria stepped toward it.


    ¡°Lesche?"


    Seria blinked. Lesche was standing with his back leaning against the wall right next to the prayer room door.


    ¡°When did you get here?¡±


    ¡°Not long.¡±


    ¡°And your work?¡±


    ¡°I finished it.¡±


    Seria didn''t quite understand at the moment. Abigail was at the door, but why was Lesche here? Seria frowned and grabbed Lesche¡¯s hand.


    <i>¡®He knew Kalis was inside.''</i>


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe in?¡±


    ¡°If something had happened, I would havee in."


    ¡°If something happened?¡±


    She thought Lesche was a little strange. Normally he would havee in and stayed before anything happened. Why did he wait at the door as he was?


    ¡°Why didn''t youe in?"


    Lesche said, looking down at Seria¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°What?"


    It was probably not her imagination that those words sounded very strange. Frowning, Seria asked, wondering if it was possible.


    ¡°Why would I not like it? Is it because the Marquis of Hon was my fianc¨¦?"


    Lesche did not openly ept it, but his silence was affirmative. While his temper was cold, the bottom of his neck shook. His weak appearance made her heart ache for no reason.


    ¡°How could I not like it?¡±


    Seria felt a little sick. She bit her lip and tried to remember the conversation she had with Kalis.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t talk much inside. What we talked about was¡­.¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche said, looking her straight in the eye.


    ¡°Your knight told me all about it, about the conversation in the prayer room.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?"


    ***


    Earlier.


    ¡°Did you not resent me?" (Kalis)


    Abigail put her ear to the door and listened. A voice that was quite simr to Kalis Hon''s. Abigail was an assassin-like person who specialized in mimicry. Seria and she used to y with this a lot in the past.


    ¡°¡®It''s toote now¡¯, the youngdy said.¡± (Abigail told Lesche)


    Lesche, who unintentionally eavesdropped on the conversation in the prayer room, tilted his head slightly.


    ¡°Did she tell you to tell me that?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Abigail said proudly.


    ¡°But the Lady didn''t tell me not to tell Your Highness either."


    "¡­¡­."


    Lesche lightly clicked his tongue. Abigail shrugged.


    <i>¡®He listens to everything he needs to hear¡­.¡¯</i>


    But Abigail decided to keep an open mind and understood. She was not the least bit interested in Lesche Berg''s detailed change of heart, but she could still predict the one thing that was still the same.


    He (Lesche) wants to slit Kalis Hon¡¯s throat.


    And why wouldn''t he, when he has the ability and thepetence to do so?


    Abigail once did not cut Kalis¡¯s throat because someone she liked stopped her.


    She put her ear to the door and listened, and she was sure Lesche was very curious too.


    Lesche stared into the air as he leaned his back against the wall.


    After handling the business about Prince Jun, Lesche immediately headed for the Great Temple.


    On the surface, it had to be the Imperial Kingsguard, not Berg, who directly captured Prince Jun. In any case, the second Prince was a direct member of the imperial family. However, the pursuit team had already been joined by the holy knights and priests.


    Perhaps Prince Jun would be dead or crippled. The condition was not normal from the Imperial Pce. Berg''s knights, including Alliot, followed quietly. It was because of the information that the ce where Prince Jun was headed to was the central territory.


    Lesche did not expect to see Kalis Hon kneeling down before Seria as soon as he came to the building where Seria was.


    From the moment Seria stopped and looked down at Kalis, Lesche waited with his back to the wall next to the door without looking any further.


    It was a fact that always kept him on his toes. In any case, the fact was that Kalis was his wife''s ex-fianc¨¦.


    It was not his job to attack without permission and grab the corpse-like Kalis Hon by the chest. But it was because of Seria that Lesche was waiting in a way that was unlike him. He thought she would not like it.


    Who''s the one scared¡­.


    ¡°The Lady said she loves Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Lesche, whose whole nerves were focused on the inside of the prayer room, felt like he was hit on the head for a moment.


    He thought he must have misheard it.


    ****


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 Chapter 180

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    ***


    "Bibi told you the whole conversation?"


    Seria asked back with a puzzled look on her face.


    ¡°Yes."


    "¡­¡­?"


    "She told me as she heard it.¡±


    Seria turned around and saw Abigail standing far away. She had the most harmless look on her face.


    Most likely, Kalis could have hugged Seria freely in the Great Temple. So she was sure Abigail wouldn¡¯t stay still outside. Still, it seemed that she (Abigail) did not enter out of consideration for Seria and monitored outside the door, but to tell Lesche all she heard¡­.


    Chuckling, Abigail looked ted. Then, she bowed her head and disappeared just like that. She was Seria¡¯s knight, but Seria couldn¡¯t understand her¡­


    ¡°Wait a minute."


    The smile on Seria¡¯s lips gradually disappeared.


    "Lesche¡­. Did Bibi tell you everything?¡±


    She broke out in a strange cold sweat as she asked. Come to think of it, Lesche¡¯s expression was different from usual. Something more strange ¡­.


    "She told me everything.¡±


    ¡°Everything?¡±


    ¡°Yes, everything.¡±


    "¡­¡­."


    At that moment her face became hot like she was having a fever. She turned around reflexively.


    ¡°Time for prayer.¡±


    The words came out without going through her head. Seria walked away quickly. On the one hand, she was inwardly worried. No matter how fast she ran,pared to Lesche¡­. If he was going to catch her, it seemed she would have to take off her shoes and run away.


    She was not prepared for this.


    She didn''t think she would let out the feelings she had been hiding.


    She was very embarrassed. Her face was gradually turning red and she felt like she was going to explode right away. How much did she run? After passing many priests and arriving at a quiet courtyard, she finally stopped to catch her breath.


    Before she knew it, it was the courtyard with the swing that she had previously sat on with Lesche. As she sat down, grasped those four strings, and exhaled, a shadow hung behind her.


    Seria turned around and screamed.


    ¡°Argh!"


    Her heart pounded. Unlike her, whose chest was rising and falling in an attempt to escape, there stood Lesche, looking all too normal.


    ¡°¡­Why are you following me?"


    ¡°You ran away.¡±


    ¡°No¡­.you would have caught me. You didn¡¯t hold me back.¡±


    "I thought it''d be nice if we were in a ce where there were few people."


    "What?"


    "I didn''t expect you to gasp like this."


    "¡­¡­."


    ¡°I should have carried you.¡±


    Lesche walked in front of Seria and grabbed her hand, making her stand up. Instantly, their positions changed and he sat her on his thighs as he sat on the swing. Those four strings touched her back, and Lesche¡¯s arms closed around her.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Their gazes meet helplessly. In fact, there was some hope. Lesche was going to spin a little bit and mention it''s going to be¡­.


    "Why don''t you tell me you love me?¡±


    It was a funny hope.


    Seria screamed inwardly and covered her face with her hands. Her face felt like it was on fire.


    ¡°How could I say such a thing to you?"


    "¡­Why?"


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®why¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I didn''t hear it from you. I heard it from your knight.¡±


    ¡°That¡­"


    "Let me hear it from your mouth. Don''t tell anyone else."


    "Ah!"


    Seria eventually screamed. Her ears were so hot they felt like they were going to explode. If this was a confession, shouldn''t it be sweet and exciting? Why was she so embarrassed?


    ¡°Look at me, Seria.¡±


    "Do I have to talk to you face to face in this situation?"


    "Show me, please.¡±


    "Why are you saying that again¡­.¡±


    This time, Lesche grabbed Seria¡¯s hands and pulled them down.


    Seria¡¯s head, which had been lowered so low, rose. She slowly made eye contact with him. At the same time, her eyes started to shake a little.


    Because Lesche¡¯s face was red. He was just like her, whose face turned red when her heart was revealed to the one she loved.


    Both eyes fixed on him were shaking like her heart. She waspletely lost for words.


    Why does he look at her like this?


    ¡°Is there a man in this world who would want to hear those words more than I do?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    It was a feeling that she was unsure of, and so she traced it sadly to its roots. It began to invade her heart like water seeping into it. Her heart, which had been running madly, slowly rose as her eyshes trembled.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    "¡­¡­."


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve always¡­¡­.. Tsk, Seria.¡±


    Lesche caught Seria¡¯s hand and ced it on his chest. The overwhelming beating heart felt like a witness to all this confession.


    "I don''t know how I''ve endured what I wanted to say.¡±


    He kissed Seria gently on the cheek.


    "I love you, Seria."


    It felt like someone was engraving a letter on her heart. It was so sweet and weirdly numb that she felt like she was going to stop breathing.


    "¡­Are you not going to tell me?"


    Somehow, Lesche¡¯s voice seemed uncharacteristically nervous. Even that reaction was like the sincerity he was showing her¡­


    ¡°Lesche¡­..¡±


    A locked voice came out. She hugged Lesche¡¯s neck in her arms and asked slowly.


    "Is it okay to say I love you?"


    Lesche gently stroked her hair.


    "Will you believe me if I say I''m desperate?"


    "I love you."


    At that moment, Lesche¡¯s arms, which had been wrapped around Seria, tightened. She didn''t feel suffocated at all even though she was weighed down in his arms. Strangely, she didn¡¯t know why she felt like crying.


    ¡°You''re right."


    Every time she blinked, her eyes became wet.


    "How did you hold back what you wanted to say?¡±


    "¡­¡­."


    ¡°I love you, Lesche."


    She once thought of that. Every time she heard certain words from Lesche, a sapling seemed to bloom in her heart. Now she understood. Before she knew it, her mind was full of greenery.


    Lesche released his arms. With his face still red, he frowned slightly at his forehead. He brushed Seria¡¯s eyes with his fingertips. It was a touch that made her feel ticklish. When sheughed because it tickled, Lesche also smiled lightly.


    "People will never know you''re this cute.¡±


    "Cute? What are you talking about?¡±


    "You cry andugh a lot.¡±


    "¡­¡­?"


    "It''s better to be cute only to me. Stay cold on the outside.¡±


    Seria frowned with her watery eyes.


    "You know you were like Susan and Ben just now, right?"


    "Why, would you also say I was like your knight?"


    ¡°Bibi¡¯s frank?¡±


    Lesche chuckled. Seria raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Why are youughing?¡±


    ¡°I think you really think that.¡±


    ¡°Of course I do.¡±


    ¡°Then I must think so too."


    Lesche¡¯s smiling face lowered to Seria¡¯s. His kiss was warm. When Lesche lifted his head a little, he whispered words that made her heart race.


    ¡°I love you, Seria.¡±


    ***


    Abigail was walking to her bedroom. Linon saw her and thought, ¡®She seems more content than usual, what''s wrong?¡¯


    But when he saw the priests loitering irritably in front of Seria¡¯s room, he immediately adjusted his gait.


    The atmosphere was so strange that he could see it at a nce.


    A priest recognized Abigail and rushed over.


    ¡°Sir Abigail Orrin! Where is Seria Stern?¡±


    ¡°What''s the matter?¡±


    ¡°She must leave immediately!"


    ***


    Duke Howard was nervously pacing his study.


    ¡°¡­Jun, have you gone mad?"


    Duke Howard was very quick to learn that Prince Jun had disappeared. It was because Queen Ekizel had asked for help.


    Herplexion turned blue and she let people go. How many days have passed since then? Surprisingly, Prince Jun visited Duke Howard secretly.


    Naturally, Duke Howard jumped. He asked the Prince to go back to the Imperial Pce now, but Prince Jun refused. Then, shockingly, the Prince didn¡¯t look normal.


    It was not simply a level of contamination of Magi.


    Blood vessels were ck and bulging around his left chest. The heart, protruding in the center in a reddish-ck color, looked like something out of a nightmare.


    "What the¡­ What the hell is this¡­?¡±


    Duke Howard had never seen something like that before. And if the Prince was that tainted, he would have fainted, let alone walked around¡­..


    With such a bizarre look on his face, Prince Jun opened his mouth.


    ¡°The temple is chasing me. I will die."


    "¡­¡­!"


    ¡°But the Saintess is on my side. Even though she¡¯s a fake¡­ a fake that will be real. ¡­. Then my wish to be emperor will not be difficult."


    It was hard to believe that the eyes that shed around belonged to a human. If the Prince was taken to the Great Temple, he was likely to be executed immediately.


    Duke Howard used his hand. In order to confuse the High Temple''s pursuit team, he deliberately and covertly provided false information. False information spread. As a result, the pursuit teams headed in the opposite direction of Prince Jun.


    Duke Howard helped Prince Jun in this way, but he was very concerned about where he was going.


    <i>¡®Why to the northern border¡­.?¡¯</i>


    No matter how much he pondered, he felt guilty.


    "No good.¡±


    He thought he should call back his henchman whom he had sent out to help Prince Jun. It was at that moment that Duke Howard walked irritably toward the door.


    ¡°Please don''t do this ¡­.Knight¡­¡­!"


    The butler''s voice, who seemed to be at a loss, could be heard from outside, and at the same time, the door broke down as it was.


    m!


    Duke Howard¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the butler was thrown to the door with one kick. There was no way he didn''t recognize who the knight was. Berg''s knightmander, Alliot. He was the knight he tried to covet desperately.


    He (Howard) didn''t even have time to ask what the heck this was.


    A ferocious man walked into the study afterwards ¡­.


    "His Highness the Grand Duke of Berg. Ahhh¡­!"


    "My Lord!"


    Duke Howard was grabbed by the chest. He was struggling for breath. However, there was an overwhelming difference in strength, so it was impossible to shake it off.


    Lesche Berg¡¯s eyes glowed with murderous intent.


    "Thank you for shoving my duty to protect the cier to the floor. Duke Howard.¡±


    ¡°Ha, what do you mean¡­.?"


    ¡°Half of the northern boundary began to copse.¡±


    Duke Howard''s eyes couldn''t get any bigger.


    <i>¡®Jun¡­!¡¯</i>


    At the same time, a body was thrown from the floor. Duke Howard was about to faint.


    The body belonged to the henchman the Duke had sent to help Prince Jun. He was so stained with magi that he died without closing his eyes.


    "Did you send the magi-contaminated child to the boundary?"


    Duke Howard began to shudder. Lesche threw him to the floor with a merciless hand.


    ¡°Ugh¡­.¡±


    ¡°Duke Howard.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s voice was horrific, shaking with cold fury.


    ¡°Tell me exactly where the damn prince bastard went. Or I''ll chop your head off.¡±


    "¡­¡­!"


    ***


    Please support to save ROS. Your help is desperately needed.

 Chapter 181

    Locked in a private prison, Lina was crouching while holding her knees.


    Her chestnut hair clinged to her cheeks and her pale skin, her usually effervescent mood hadpletely disappeared. Unmoving slightly, Lina looked like a marite with seemingly broken strings.


    There were no prisoners other than Lina in this prison, which was tightly constructed with holy relics. No other human beings were there either.


    Three times a day, all the food came in through the hole made in the bars, and only the palm-sized windows were on the high wall. She could guess the time by the lighting through the window bars.


    But it didn¡¯t matter.


    Because Liegel would take her out of this ce.


    As long as Prince Jun arrived properly.


    She hoped he would.


    Squeak.


    It was then that the three tightly closed gates of this prison were opened.


    And then¡­. Lina heard the voice that she thought she would never hear again in this life.


    .¡±..Saintess¡­¡±


    Like a person burning on fire, Lina stood up quickly. Then she faltered and retreated.


    It was High Priest Jubelud.


    ¡°You guys stay back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, High Priest.¡±


    As the Holy Knights and the priests moved away, High Priest Jubelud approached and sat down in front of bars.


    ¡°Saintess.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°You took my seal.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°That has unlocked and destroyed the holy relics at the boundary of the canyon. There were holy knights and several other knights who died.¡±


    Lina made no reply. But there was a smear of blood from her bitten lips.


    A silence fell. High Priest Jubelud looked at Lina without saying anything else and quietly took out a book from his pocket.


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Lina¡¯s eyes shook like a wave when she recognized the book. She couldn¡¯t help but notice. It was her favorite book when she was educated in the Great Temple. When Lina was just a Saint, when she didn¡¯t have any worries, and used toy on her stomach reading it¡­


    High Priest Jebelud opened his mouth in a somber voice.


    ¡°Ie every week. I wille and read this book to you.¡±


    Lina opened her mouth for the first time.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Her voice choked. It was because Lina, locked in the prison, was terrified and screamed loudly.


    The High Priest looked at her.


    ¡°Because I believed you to be a Saint.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°You would have wished that you were a Saint too, not anything else .¡±


    Lina almost copsed, her legs momentarily losing strength.


    ¡°What you did cannot be forgiven, and those who died cannot return¡­. Still¡­¡±


    The voice came in wet as it sank in.


    Lina stood still and listened to the book High Priest Jubelud was reading to her. Like a doll whose spring had been loosenedpletely, she showed no reaction.


    The 30 minutes flew by. High Priest Jubelud¡¯s injuries had not yet healed, and he roused his tired body.


    ¡±High Priest Jubelud.¡±


    Lina opened her mouth for the first time.


    ¡°My name is Rina. Yurina.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°But everyone just thinks of me as Lina¡­. I¡¯m telling you.¡±


    High Priest Jubelud smiled, clouded but clearly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that.¡±


    The night in the pitch-dark prison came on tediously. Lina shivered a little and gritted her teeth at the blue moon seen through the window.


    Kung!


    Soon a dull sound was heard inside the prison. The small but clear sound brought the holy knight who was guarding outside inside.


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    Lina was bleeding from her forehead. The same mark was on the wall. It looked like she had smashed her forehead against the wall with great force.


    ¡°What are you doing¡­!¡±


    While the holy knight was looking for the key in a panic, Lina approached the bars. She stuck out her arm and caught the holy knight.


    It was in an instant.


    With a decisive scream, the holy knight copsed, leaving only bones and skin. His skin was tainted as if everything had been contaminated by Maggi.


    Beep! Beep!


    At the moment, the holy relics, which sensed an unregted force, began to sound an rm like crazy.


    ¡°What, what is it!¡±


    ¡°Ha! He¡¯s dead!¡±


    ¡°¡­Wait a minute. Was her hair that long?¡±


    The Holy Knights who immediately rushed in were confused. Lina¡¯s hair, which had always been short, had grown oddly long.


    In an instant, Lina¡¯s hair was braided round like the bracelet Liegel had put on her. At that moment when the Holy Knights took out their swords.


    Boom!


    With a powerful explosion, part of the prison broke down. When the dust that hade in disappeared, so did Lina.


    ***


    ¡°Ha¡­¡±


    Moving into a strange space, Lina became engrossed and nauseous. She hated it. Liegel had made her to suck human life the way he had eaten numerous stars. Finally wiping away her tears, Lina straightened her body.


    ¡°Cassius! I¡¯ve been waiting for you¡­..¡±


    Lina¡¯s lips stopped moving.


    Cassius wasn¡¯t there. Instead¡­


    ¡°Kalis¡­¡±


    Kalis stared at her.


    ¡°Why¡­why are you here?¡±


    Lina looked around reflexively. Surely this must be the abandoned tower where Cassius was ¡­. Where was this ce?


    Why was there no one here?


    Kalis¡¯s gaze went to the bracelet Lina was holding.


    ¡°They said they seized a bracelet identical to that one from Cassius and burned it.¡±


    The priests thought it was strange that Cassius was so honest about the bracelet. If Seria was so clear about it, there must have been something to it, but it was also suspicious that Cassius let it burn.


    Their intuition was right on target. Cassius had hidden the real bracelet.


    ¡°There¡¯s no better way to hide it than to swallow it. Normally, he would have suffocated to death¡­.you said you were Magi.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°So he was made of Magi, too?¡±


    Lina backed away. There were two reasons why Kalis got involved in this. Because it was dangerous. Kalis felt responsible.


    In any case, he was one of the heads of the seventeen families with whom Lina had the closest rtionship.


    ¡°I wish I had never met you then.¡± (Kalis)


    Hearing Kalis¡¯s words, Lina¡¯s hands tightened. She felt resentful and disappointed. She wanted to put a dagger in Kalis¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Why do you me me?¡± (Lina)


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°You may think that it was my fault and that I used some strange method to make you abandon Seria, but no! Because while there was some Magi left in your body, it wasn¡¯t enough to control you on making important choices. You¡¯ve been with Seria for so long. How much could Magi control you?¡± (Lina)


    Kalis¡¯ eyes shook as if they had met a storm. Lina said emphatically.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I believed in you more.¡± (Lina)


    Lina wiped her wet eyes and gritted her teeth.


    ¡°It was you who abandoned your fianc¨¦e. Kalis.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°It is you who chose me. Kalis.¡±


    The abyss of Kalis slowly copsed.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s unfair that I am the only one who is miserable.¡±


    Just as Lina murmured, a holy knight tried to attack her from behind. Kalis reflexively lifted his sword. Lina turned around. Her gaze met Cassius¡¯s bloodshot eyes as if it was a dream. His body was full of blood. (*Cassius blocked the attack and got hit)


    Kang.


    The holy knights held Cassius to the floor. In Cassius¡¯s body, Magi was growing little by little. It took a moment for him to show his inhuman strength.


    Cassius opened his reddened eyes as a vein popped up on his neck.


    ¡°Lina!¡±


    Yes, Lina was Cassius¡¯s only lifeline.


    The only one that could return honor again to Cassius, who had been robbed of all preciousness.


    Lina held the holy knight¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    The holy knight copsed, leaving only bone and skin. Lina staggered back and disappearedpletely. A stepter, Kalis reached for her, but there was nothing to catch.


    ***


    ¡°Stern! You are here!¡±


    A high-ranking priest weed Seria with tears of joy.


    ¡°Pleasee this way. The staff have almostpleted the route now. There will be a few more revisions, but¡­.¡±


    The magical border of the Berg territory has copsed. This was much more severe than Cassius¡¯s breaking of the canyon boundary the other day.


    It was because all five of the magical borders copsed at once.


    A state of emergency was dered, including the Great Temple, the Glick Empire, and even the neighboring kingdoms. Seria immediately went with Myote to the northernmost part of the Berg territory.


    At therge outpost, which she was also visiting for the first time, knights from various families, including the Holy Knights, arrived one after another.


    ¡°Miss.¡±


    Abigail approached and nced outside.


    ¡°It¡¯s starting to snow.¡±


    ¡°Snow? This time of year? It¡¯s true.¡±


    It was not just the demons that poured down along the copsed boundaries.


    Even the harsh cold air of the uninhabitable north was gradually flowing. Although the season was stillte summer, it was already even snowing here.


    When she thought she had to prepare the formal attire for the cold, a loud voice struck her ear.


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    It was Linon. He ran up to Seria, hugged her knees and gasped.


    ¡®Is he weak in the lower half of his body because he¡¯s half mermaid?¡¯


    By the way¡­


    ¡±Why did youe all the way here? You must be in the Berg castle.¡±


    ¡°I was. Now the importance has long since changed.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    A smirking Linon whispered as he looked at Abigail.


    ¡°By the way, Grand Duchess. Why is Sir Abigail wearing something strange on her back? Is it a weapon?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s the Stern insignia.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Does carrying that on your back protect you from the demons?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be. I brought it with me and Bibi took it from me.¡±


    Hanging on Abigail¡¯s back was the Stern insignia wrapped in cloth.


    The words that Tuban engraved, ¡°Bring Lesche Berg¡¯s heart,¡± were still clear.


    In an unparalleled state of emergency, the Great Temple dispatched an enormous number of holy knights to Berg territory. Seria was anxious to leave the insignia where the security level had dropped sharply, so she brought it with her.


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    She heard Alliot¡¯s voice shortly after. He ran toward Seria in a sh and whispered.


    ¡°His Highness will be back soon.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Kah!¡±


    Prince Jun was thrown to the floor.


    The mountain range was close to the north, so the snow was already piled white. Prince Jun looked horrible as Magi took over his body. It was unknown if he was a human being or a demon¡­


    But Prince Jun was human. Tears streamed from his eyes.


    ¡°I am sorry¡­ It is not because I want to. It is because my body moves on its own¡­.Magi¡­.¡±


    The noble royalty knelt down like a lowly ve and mmed his forehead on the frozen floor. When even the high-ranking priest with the tracking team couldn¡¯t speak.


    ck, ck.


    The sound of metal shing. Lesche, who had heard the news that they had captured Prince Jun alive, was walking in a hurry.


    Without any hesitation he walked past the knights to Prince Jun.


    Immediately, his hand grabbed the prince by the hair and lifted him roughly.


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Instantly, a cold sweat broke out on the backs of all those present.


    Prince Jun smiled brightly.


    Very bright.


    That speckled face, with wet eyes contorted in regret but only the mouth wickedly raised¡­. It wasn¡¯t human anymore.


    ¡°Berg.¡±


    Prince Jun¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Give me my moon.¡±

 Chapter 182

    At the same time, Prince Jun tried to bite off Lesche¡¯s arm like a demon. Lesche turned his body to avoid the bite and grabbed Jun¡¯s chest. Then a rough fist pierced Jun¡¯s face. With a popping sound, red blood exploded and sttered onto the constetion armor.


    ¡°Arhhh¡­!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    The knight hurriedly ran over with a cloth. Lesche, who had crumpled the cloth and shoved it steeply into Jun¡¯s mouth, spoke in a chilling voice.


    ¡°Tie him up. Drag him down.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    Having to climb back up again to ensure that Prince Jun was handed over to the Great Temple, Lesche descended the mountain range and headed directly for the outpost.


    It was a vast outpost. Numerous knights and nobles had already joined up in various ces, but none of them were of higher status than Lesche Berg.


    Staff members dispatched from the Great Temple were busy running around, and the metallic ng caused by the shing of swords and constetion armor made people¡¯s ears weep.


    As soon as Jun entered the base, the holy knights pressed him and took him away.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    The knights of Berg quickly began to deliver the news that they had received from the staff.


    ¡°The holy relics to be repaired have just arrived from the Great Temple! They entered the leftmost mountain range first, while killing the demons¡­.¡±


    Lesche, who was listening to the report without stopping his walk, suddenly saw something and stopped.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    Lesche, who had aborted the report that was continuing with a raised hand, stepped forward.


    ¡°Sir Abigail.¡±


    Abigail, who had been trudging along in search of her sword, turned around. She saw Lesche and bowed lightly and silently.


    Lesche asked, slightly distorting his forehead.


    ¡°Is that the insignia on your back?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    It was Seria¡¯s cherished Stern insignia, so there was no way Lesche couldn¡¯t recognize it. But why was her knight carrying it now?


    He didn¡¯t quite understand, but Lesche didn¡¯t ask her any more questions.


    ¡°Put it down.¡±


    Abigail obediently took down the insignia.


    Lesche took off his cloak and spread it on the floor. An ordinary knight would not have known what to do at the sight of Grand Duke of Berg on one knee wrapping the insignia, but not Abigail. She was interested in making sure it was properly protected.


    Lesche unwrapped the cloth that was wrapping the insignia. At that moment.


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    His eyebrows rose quickly.


    The protective magic that had been doubled and tripled on the insignia disappeared as soon as Lesche¡¯s hand touched it. No, to be precise, the magic was still there. But even the magic parted, and the surface of the insignia came to life as if it were imprinting itself in Lesche¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    A moment passed.


    Lesche moved his hands, which had been hanging still, to wrap the insignia before handing it to Abigail. It was just as Abigail wrapped the insignia around her back again.


    The entrance became terribly noisy.


    It was the return of the most important person of all in the battle to defeat the demons.


    Stern.


    The green-haired one who stood from afar among the swarming crowd.


    Seria didn¡¯t see this side because she was listening to the reports being hurriedly reported by the High Temple¡¯s chiefs of staff.


    What was strange was Lesche. Normally, he would have immediately gone to Seria, but not this time. He kept folding his arms and staring at her.


    Just before Abigail tilted her head.


    Lesche moved his steps.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Seria, who had been straining her eyes and pushing theplicated line of motion into her head, raised her head.


    ¡°Lesche!¡±


    A smile spread on her face. Seria walked half running to him, holding a map with every note inscribed tightly in her hand.


    The Stern¡¯s formal attire shone like a dream.


    It was a star adored by the knights in their constetion gold armor.


    Even now there were many gazes ncing at Seria. Different soft eyes than the ones she received at the banquet.


    Once again Lesche realized the fact that Stern was his wife.


    ¡°Are you leaving already?¡±


    Seria nodded.


    ¡°I came back because I heard the holy relics hade in.¡±


    Lesche, smiling faintly, took Seria¡¯s hand in his and ced it directly on his left chest. Seria¡¯s warmth spread over the cold constetion armor.


    In this state, Lesche opened his mouth.


    ¡°What is the writing on the insignia?¡±


    For a moment, Seria¡¯s bright blue eyes shook. They seemed to ripple like waves.


    ¡°It seems that your guardian wants to take my heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Seria¡¯s hand, which was stretched out on Lesche¡¯s chest, curled up.


    ¡°Tuban is talking nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Seria said in an unprecedentedly decisive voice.


    ¡°When this defeat is over, I will smash the insignia.¡±


    Unlike her cold words, Seria¡¯s hands were shaking slightly as Lesche caught her. She didn¡¯t seem to realize it, but he could.


    ¡°So don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Lesche looked down at Seria¡¯s hands, moving only his eyes. After some time, his gaze came up again.


    ¡°Are you just going to hit it and break it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, or put it in the temple¡¯s sanctuary, or¡­..¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    He stared at her in the eye.


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to die without you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t even think about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right, so just breathe.¡±


    Seria¡¯s shoulders, which had be rigid, slowly rxed. Lesche lifted Seria¡¯s hand and kissed the back of her hand.


    Unlike usual, his lips were warm against the cold hand. Seriaughed a little.


    ¡°By the way, what happened to your cloak?¡±


    ¡°Your insignia looked shabby, so I used it as a wrapping paper.¡±


    ¡°Wrapping paper?¡±


    Seria burst outughing. Just then Linon snooped around with a new cloak. The sharp Linon quickly handed over the cloak and retreated as soon as Seria¡¯s expression rxed a little.


    Seria took the cloak without a second thought and scoffed.


    ¡°Stern will take care of your clothes¡­. Think of it as the honor of the family. And your body¡­.¡±


    Lesche, who understood the gesture, stooped gently. Seria draped the cloak over his shoulders. Lesche stared at her face as she moved. She frowned her forehead and secured the cloak firmly in ce.


    It was kind of funny.


    ¡°Lesche? Why are youughing?¡±


    ¡°Just.¡±


    Lesche passed a messy lock of hair across her forehead.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    Seria moved her eyes softly.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    At about the same time that Alliot ran over, the priests also came to see Seria.


    ¡°Stern, we must go out.¡±


    Seria nodded and moved her steps. Just before she left the entrance, she nced back. She saw Lesche as he was listening to Alliot. His red eyes raised up as if he had sensed Seria¡¯s gaze. Lesche¡¯s chin tilted slightly as his eyes met Seria¡¯s.


    It was a thin smile on his lips.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t that man afraid of this situation?¡¯


    An unavoidable smile was painted on Seria¡¯s face.


    The snow was falling more and more.


    There were five borders that Prince Jun destroyed. The demons had beening incessantly. They had to defeat the demons who were invading the Berg territory while protecting the priests who were repairing the holy relics.


    Seria continued to move ording to the line of movement she had locked in her head. This was an unprecedented and widespread battle to defeat the demons. Stern could not make even the slightest mistake in the line of movement.


    ¡®Thank goodness it was after the mass distribution of the magic crystal rings.¡¯


    Thanks to the knights gathered from all over the empire in no time, they were able to defeat the demons more calmly than expected.


    ¡®It was also fortunate that we caught Jun so quickly. Is Liegel still attached to Jun?¡¯


    That was the moment when Seria thought so. From far away, High Priest Henoch was running on his horse with a pale face.


    Intuitively, she felt ominous. At the same time, Abigail, who was guarding Seria¡¯s side, raised her head. Abigail opened her mouth as she looked carefully at the mountain range on the other side.


    ¡°Young Lady.¡±


    Fluttering snowkes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tie the Stern insignia around my horse¡¯s neck.¡±


    That was when Seria looked back at Abigail.


    Boom!


    It sounded like a mountain range was copsing. The sound of High Priest Henoch shouting came a beatte.


    ¡°Stern! Stern! You must avoid it!¡±


    At the same time, the incredible first-ss special report of the frozenke copsing hit her hard in the ear.


    ***


    An emergency evacuation order was issued for the entire Berg territory.


    Upon hearing the news, the Great Temple was paralyzed for the first time in hundreds of years.


    Seria folded her arms and stared out at the mistyke.


    ¡°What about Cassius?¡±


    ¡°I just received word that he arrived at the base.¡±


    ¡°Guide me.¡±


    Cassius was sitting up straight, his hands and feet bound. His body was still stained with magi, but his posture was that of his former noble sessor.


    ¡®You sat in a very low position¡­¡¯


    Seria approached the holy knight and gestured with her chin. As soon as the holy knight hurriedly opened the prison door, Seria pped Cassius in the face.


    p!


    Her hand wouldn¡¯t have even hurt, but Cassius¡¯s jaw tightened.


    ¡°You, now¡­!¡±


    ¡°You must be hurting your pride.¡±


    Stern¡¯s insignia came in behind her as sheughed coldly. Seria asked for one from the temple. She put the insignia on Cassius¡¯s thigh and pressed it hard with her hands.


    A burst of divine power.


    ¡°Arghhh!¡±


    Cassius bent his back for the first time. A powerful divine power that made Seria¡¯s dress flutter. Cassius even vomited blood.


    Magi was instantly purified, but that was all. The eyes of Cassius ring at Seria were still in equilibrium.


    But her business was done. As Cassius coughed up blood, the holy knight behind him, quietly approaching the insignia, gave a small nod.


    Seria looked again at Cassius.


    ¡°Yes, I am counting how many have died because of a not so honorable desire, Cassius. You can count on me not to kill you beautifully when I return.¡±


    As Seria kicked Cassius out, she happened to run into a group of Kellyden¡¯s knights moving urgently. They avoided her gaze, unable to say anything.


    Seria was never active in the west. So this was the first time she had met the knights of Kellyden as Stern.


    She turned her head without saying anything. As she did so, she saw a familiar face. It was Nissos. He spotted Seria and quickly approached and opened both eyes wide.


    ¡°You¡­. Why is your face so pale? Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Do I look okay? Yes, it¡¯s because of your big brother that I¡¯m like this.¡±


    ¡°..because of brother?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thanks to him, we are all going to die, how do you feel?¡±


    Seria expected Nissos to look unpleasant at the tantly sarcastic words, but he looked rather shocked. Then he swept his dry cheeks with both hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Why are you apologizing for him?¡±


    ¡°Just.¡±


    Nissos¡¯s voice trembled.


    ¡°It¡¯s just all¡­¡±


    ¡°You must be aware that we are in a continental apocalypse. I pray that all the Kellydens are not taken to the capital.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I also pray that they don¡¯t die before that happens.¡±


    Seria said meanly, and climbed on the beloved horse Abigail had brought with her. Nissos, who had stood frozen, yelled loudly behind her.


    ¡°¡­you be careful too! Don¡¯t get hurt!¡±


    Seria felt goosebumps on her body.


    ¡®Has he gone crazy before he dies?¡¯


    People would think they were close to each other. Seria gripped the reins without looking back.

 Chapter 183

    The holy relics that the holy knight was secretly holding earlier had already been delivered to the high priests. It wouldn¡¯t be long before they could track Lina¡¯s location.


    Every time the bloody knights were transported to the base, Seria tried not to pay attention to them as much as possible.


    ¡°Stern!¡±


    Seria frowned as they passed by the foggyke.


    ¡®What?¡¯


    There was arge sculptural statue set in front of the cier. The Stern insignia, donated by the Great Temple, was always ced there.


    But ¡­..it was empty now. It was as if someone had taken it on purpose.


    When did they take it? It was certainly there when she inserted the branch of the silver tree earlier.


    ¡°Stern¡­.Stern¡­.¡±


    A dying voice was heard. Seria¡¯s eyes opened wide. The knight staggered over to her, covered in blood.


    The holy knights hurriedly jumped off their horses. Seria bit her lip as she looked closely at the knight. He was missing one of his legs. The fallen knight managed to squeeze out his voice.


    ¡°We need to modify the route¡­¡­ The Knights northeast of the cier have been wiped out.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    ***


    Lina looked down with a pale face. The ground she was standing on was so high that she could see what was going on below.


    And the dead demons by her side.


    It was Liegel¡¯s. After Jun was being locked in the holy prison, Liegel wanted to use other means ofmunicating his voice to Lina.


    But right now the only ones left were the demons. The bodies of the demons were very vulnerable to the sacred power.


    In any case, Liegel was the guardian star that preyed on the stars. When he delivered his voice, the demons that became the host died instantly on the spot. But it didn¡¯t matter. There were so many of them, and when they died, they didn¡¯t stay long and burned ck.


    Like so many lunas, they were merely expendable tools for Liegel.


    Lina knew it well.


    She just had to pretend not to know.


    But why did it bother her so much ¡­.


    Lina put down the Stern insignia she was holding in her trembling hands.


    She finally retrieved it from the front of the cier.


    ¡°I have the insignia¡­.. Tell me here ¡­.¡±


    Stern insignia, contaminated by Magi, was as ck as poison. Liegel¡¯s words began to be inscribed on the ck insignia.


    <Kill that Stern.>


    Lina¡¯s gaze turned downward. Soon her eyes opened wide. As Liegel had said, the sparkling Stern ceremonial dress came into her view.


    It was Myote Stern.


    And by her side was High Priest Jubelud.


    Lina¡¯s hands went cold. The armor of the 100 or so knights protecting Stern was filled with red blood. Since the demons would never spit blood, it was probably all the blood of their fellow knights.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    A voice came from the other side. Lina, who had shifted her gaze, shuddered.


    The knights, including Grand Duke Berg, were advancing at an unbelievable speed. Lina thought they hade this way by chance, but they were not.


    How could they have tracked her so quickly?


    Lina¡¯s trembling gaze suddenly turned to Lesche Berg¡¯s wrist. Her eyes couldn¡¯t get any bigger.


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡±


    For that brief moment when Lina couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him, Lesche Berg was looking at her.


    It was at that instance when the two pairs of eyes met.


    ¡°I found her!¡±


    Alliot, who had sensed her presence like a lightning bolt, shouted. Lina fell down, startled. The snow wall that touched her back melted into her skin. It felt cold and wet, but she didn¡¯t have time to care.


    The ttering of the Holy armor felt like horror. They¡¯ll catch her and kill her. She was sure they¡¯d kill her.


    Lina crawled closer to the holy relics.


    These were the holy relics that protected the border. No human arm strength could break them no matter what.


    m!


    Liegel¡¯s forceful hand struck down on it repeatedly, and it cracked.


    In the blink of an eye, only one holy relic remained. At the same time, her spine felt a chill.


    ¡°Demons!¡±


    ¡°D*mn it! This side has copsed, too!¡±


    ¡°Keep the formation! Don¡¯t break away!¡±


    In no time at all, it became hell below. Lina¡¯s arms and legs were stained with magi as she ran to destroy all remaining relics.


    ¡°We Stan Stern!¡±


    At that time, Lina¡¯s eyes stopped because of a screeching sound that sounded like a scream.


    ¡°We stan Stern! Run backwards with Stern on your back!¡±


    ¡°Myote Stern!¡±


    The voice of the dead High Prest Amos came to life like a lie.


    <strong>¡°We Stan Stern!¡±</strong>


    Lina remembered the High Priest who had died for her. She remembered the worry in his eyes as he looked at her when his body was cut in half.


    ¡°Lina!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°Yurina!¡±


    High Priest Jubelud¡¯s voice rushed into her ears and her heart thudded in her chest. Her eyes immediately grew hot with agony as the frozen sword raked through her heart.


    ¡°Come down, please, please! Please¡­!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lle every week. I wille and read you this book.¡±


    Perhaps noticing Lina¡¯s trembling eyes, the Stern insignia she still held in one arm began to be inscribed with words.


    At the same time, the pitch-ck demons screamed out to Lina.


    ¡°Lunaaaaahhh!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    It was a horrible scream. The vocal cords of the demons could not be the same as humans¡¯. Liegel continued to scream in this same violent voice.


    After spitting out that one measly word, the demons fell straight down and died.


    Lina¡¯s shuddering gaze roamed over the fallen corpses. The body of the demons gradually scattered and disappeared, as did numerous Lunas.


    Again, other demons cried out and died.


    ¡°Lunaaaaaaah!¡±


    ¡°Lunaaaaah!¡±


    Lina screamed and covered both ears. Cold tears trickled down onto the white snowfield. Everything was like a nightmare.


    Luna.


    Luna.


    Luna.


    The desire she had held all her life was cracking. She wanted to be real. She wanted a name. She wanted to be loved by Liegel. She didn¡¯t want to be abandoned or die as a recement. ¡­.


    Luna wasn¡¯t her name anyway, and Lina wasn¡¯t her name either.


    Was there such a thing as a name for her?


    What does a name matter in a life born as a substitute?


    <strong>¡°You too would have wished that you were a saint and not something else ¡­¡±</strong>


    High Priest Jubelud¡¯s voice cried unceasingly in her ears.


    ¡°Yurina! Yurina!¡±


    What could possibly go wrong?


    Lina thought of the holy knights she had killed with her own hands in the 4th Pce Canyon. They turned away, smiling brightly when they realized it was her. But those eyes could not believe the dagger stuck in their chest.


    Everything was wrong.


    She had never chosen anything right.


    Lina looked down at the divine power coexisting with the thick Magi that shimmered from the surface of her skin.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Its sacred power to counter the demons and purify the evil special disposition, felt like spring sunshine.


    She had never told anyone this, but she had felt the warmth of Seria¡¯s sacred power that remained in the holy relic. She had never felt unpleasant.


    Even if this body was filled with demonic energy, even if it was born as a false vessel, even if it was created in such a way that it was destined to live and die as a substitute¡­


    Linaughed and cried at the same time.


    There was no reason to hate the truth that she was a substitute.


    She had to hate Liegel who made her a substitute.


    She should have held the hand that Seria offered her¡­.


    Liegel¡¯s power-filled demons walked constantly and fell down screaming.


    ¡°What you did cannot be forgiven, and those who died cannot return¡­ Still¡­¡±


    It was a feeling that shattered existence into pieces. Lina broke down and sobbed.


    She gathered as much of the sacred power that was in her body as she could and pushed it into Liegel¡¯s bracelet. Then she raised her body and touched the snow wall.


    Lina shouted with all her might.


    ¡°Lesche Berg!¡±


    As soon as Lesche¡¯s blood sttered cold face turned toward her, Lina threw the bracelet.


    It was impossible to tell if the man had caught it or not. Lina did not have the strength to endure any longer.


    If she died, would there be nothing left but Magi swarming around her?


    If not, would she still be human?


    Lina ced the Stern insignia, which had been tainted by Magi, and wrapped it carefully. There was nothing left on her arms that could be called human skin anymore. It was just as ck as a demon.


    ¡°Still, I wish I was a person in the end.¡±


    The Stern insignia was exhausted by Magi, but the sacred power that even Liegel could not extinguish was breathing thinly.


    Lina did not destroy thest piece of the holy relic.


    She did not even go down to where High Priest Jubelud was. Instead, she crawled to the high cliff on the other side. When she reached the end of the cliff, Lina took out a silver tree branch that she had kept hidden in her chest.


    It was stuck on the Stern insignia on the cier.


    Who would have inserted this branch of the silver tree?


    Would it be Myote Stern? Or, since the Sterns were busy right now, the priests below may have inserted it instead¡­.


    She thought it would be nice if Seria would put it in. Of course, she didn¡¯t think God would allow her to have such good luck.


    Lina staggered and barely stood on the cliff. A cold wind blew like a gentle breeze.


    <strong>¡°My name is Lina.Yurina.¡±</strong>


    <strong>¡°I¡¯ll remember that.¡±</strong>


    Lina suddenly remembered Kalis. She was irritated and wanted to hurt him, but he hated her. Still, he was the first family Lina had in all her life.


    A family she could never have again.


    She felt that it would have been far more interesting if the child she had was Seria¡¯s sacred power.


    So, could Seria and her have been a family?


    She wished she could have lived so peacefully¡­.


    Linaughed, and the tears that had been hanging on her eyshes fell in droplets.


    The branch of the silver tree did not need to be sharpened. Lina stabbed the silver tree branch with all her might in her left chest.


    A terrible amount of Magi burst out.


    It was as if the strings that had always been holding her in ce were being cut. Lina¡¯s legs went limp. The light slowly disappeared from her eyes.


    At the same time, numerous demons screamed like a nightmare.


    ¡°Lunaaaaahhh!¡±


    Lina¡¯s body tumbled down the snowy cliff.


    ***


    *I cried tranting this chapter. It¡¯s so sad how Lina desperately wanted to live but died terribly and alone. And only 5 more chapters the main story will end.

 Chapter 184

    Cassius, who had been sitting in the prison, stood up quickly. He felt a strange chill behind him.


    He didn¡¯t know why, but his heart suddenly felt uneasy.


    ¡°Hey! Hey!¡±


    Unable to use his hands, he was forced to smash the bars with his shoulder, but no one came in.


    And when Cassius thought something was wrong.


    The door opened without a sound. Cassius was about to yell out, but his eyes widened.


    ¡°Cassius! Come out quickly.¡±


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    ¡°An evacuation order has been issued for this whole area. The cier has broken, the Berg territory is finished. Come out,e on!¡±


    The knight brought by Marchioness Kellyden hurriedly removed the thick iron bars. He also untied both of Cassius¡¯s hands and feet.


    Cassius hesitated a little, but put on the hat and cloak the Marchioness had brought with her.


    ¡°We must escape now. Now!¡±


    ¡°Marchioness of Kellyden.¡±


    At that moment, a voice sounded faintly. The Marchioness¡¯s face turned pale.


    ¡°High Priest¡­¡­?¡±


    It was High Priest Henoch. His cold eyes were filled with contempt.


    ¡°You are truly noble. In court, you didn¡¯t say anything in fear of being punished. Do you know how many people died because of the sinners?¡±


    ¡°Oh High Priest! Please have mercy¡­!¡±


    The Marchioness was stricken with despair. She was caught trying to help Cassius escape by the High Priest. Even though everyone was already anticipating Cassius¡¯s death sentence, it was no longer an ordinary death.


    Her mind went nk.


    ¡°High Priest! High Priest! It was my fault. Please, please do Kellyden a favor. Kellyden has Seria!¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Seria will be more active as a Stern, so you can see to it that I and Cassius¡­!¡±


    ¡°Marchioness of Kellyden!¡±


    High Priest Henoch could not hold back after all and finally exploded.


    ¡°Did you really just say that?! Are you saying that Stern has to risk her life to save your son? How can you be so brazen!¡±


    ¡°High Priest¡­!¡±


    ¡°How dare you want Stern to sacrifice and beg for mercy¡­. It is truly horrifying.¡±


    ¡°¡­.!¡±


    ¡°Take them away!¡±


    The Marchioness of Kellyden and her knights were taken away, and Cassius was also thrown into the new prison. Boom! Being thrown to the floor, Cassius red at the holy knight who had shoved him in.


    But the holy knight¡¯s eyes were much bigger. They were filled with hatred.


    ¡°It is because of trash like you that my colleagues died.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Everyone knew exactly why Stern cut ties with the Kellyden. The Marchioness will be executed with you for trying to help you escape, so wait for the day you die.¡±


    Hearing the words of the knight, Cassius intuitively realized. They must have known that his mother was going to infiltrate and had deliberately pretended not to know to catch them in the act.


    It was clear that they did not want to miss this opportunity to team up with the capital.


    Cassius was angry. He continuously made an effort to calm himself down, telling himself to endure a little longer. To hold on until Lina became the only Stern and Saint.


    That would be nice.


    ¡®What if I can¡¯t?¡¯


    Cassius so far had little instinctive fear of death and the demons due to the magi in his body. However, he had just been purified and had almost returned to his natural human senses.


    It was a physiological fear that humans have no choice but to perceive.


    Cassius¡¯s face gradually distorted as he sat on the floor.


    ¡°Let me out! Now! Let me out right now!¡±


    He pounded hard on the bars with his body, but there was no reply in return. As Cassius began to gasp more and more.


    Thud. Thud. Thud.


    He heard the sound of human footsteps, Cassius¡¯s face, which was pleased, froze at the sight.


    It was Kalis Hon. Hollow cheeks smeared with blood. He was not in a good condition. Kalis had purposely not worn the constetion armor for fear of provoking Lina. So it was a dangerous mission, and also he was more seriously injured than expected.


    Kalis entered the prison with a key he had received in advance from the Holy Knight.


    ¡°Cassius Kellyden.¡±


    ¡°¡­What is it?¡±


    ¡°The Knights of Kellyden were wiped out.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    ¡°Nissos Kellyden is dead too.¡±


    ¡°What¡­!¡±


    Shocked, Cassius sprang to his feet. His eyes began to tremble.


    ¡°Why did Nissos die! Where is his body?¡±


    ¡°He was killed by the demons. It¡¯s all your fault.¡±


    Cassius staggered and fell down.


    ¡°Why is Nissos¡­¡­.?¡±


    Kalis stared at Cassius with an expressionless face.


    Cassius would still be breathing and would be alive until this terriblemotion was over. Perhaps he might not be even executed after that.


    This was because there was a possibility that no imperial court or great temple would be left that could proceed with the execution. The situation outside was that urgent.


    When the timees, he (Kalis) would have the conscience to kill himself. What about Cassius?


    It was the virtue of removal.


    The sound of a sword being taken out of the sword case made Cassius raise his head. Ominousness ate a little at his heart. With a cold expression he had never seen before, Kalis lifted his sword. At that moment, both of Cassius¡¯ eyes widened.


    Whoosh!


    Cassius¡¯s neck split in half. Blood spread out.


    ***


    ¡°Berg territory is Berg territory.¡±


    Nissos let out a cold breath and inwardly admired it. He knew that they had a duty to protect the cier, but he was surprised that they possessed the technology and materials to build a temporary wall so quickly by strongly weaving silver tree branches.


    ¡°But who is that knight swinging her sword?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Stern¡¯s knight. But she doesn¡¯t seem to be human.¡±


    The knights were whispering. Nissos¡¯s gaze was also turned in that direction.


    There stood a monster.


    It was Abigail Orrin. She was Seria¡¯s personal guard and a knight of Stern.


    She was by far the best in the group of elite knights who had gathered together to defeat the demons. The number of demons killed alone easily exceeded several hundred.


    Nissos didn¡¯t have time to rest either. What Cassius did was a sin that could not be forgiven by the whole continent. Nissos had to kill as many demons as he could.


    When he was about to work on his sword.


    ¡°Master Nissos Kellyden.¡±


    Nissos turned around and bowed his head lightly. It was Kalis Hon. His pitch ck eyes looked directly at Nissos


    ¡°I lied to your brother.¡±


    When Cassius was mentioned, Nissos¡¯s face scrunched up. His brother who had tried to kill Stern and had even broken the magic boundary.


    He didn¡¯t want to ask anything else, and he wasn¡¯t in a situation to ask.


    Fortunately, Kalis moved away without adding a word. Nissos sighed and suddenly looked up at the sky.


    ¡°Why is it snowing so much?¡±


    It was then.


    The bells on the guard station began to ring deafeningly.


    The bloody knights hurried back on their horses. That was not all.


    ¡°Stern!¡±


    There was also a lot of blood on the body of the unconscious Myote Stern. Instantly, all the knights froze.


    ¡°Healing Priest! Healing Priest!¡±


    ¡°Call all the priests waiting in the pce to the Berg territory!¡±


    ¡°Where is Seria Stern? I¡¯ll redirect the movements!¡±


    ¡°Priest! The Imperial Kingsguard has arrived!¡±


    Half an hourter.


    A state of supreme emergency was dered throughout the Glick Empire.


    ***


    The situation had beenpletely overturned.


    With the almostpletely copsed boundary line, demons poured in endlessly, and the bodies of numerous knights rolled across the snow. The Berg Knights did not suffer any casualties, but that was all. The demons were already a number that humans could not withstand.


    They had to go back to the guard post where the walls were built with silver trees, reorganize, and carry out a full attack.


    Even so, it was unknown if there were any people left who lived in this Berg territory.


    A blizzard, which could now be called a heavy snowstorm, blew constantly.


    Myote was carried away with an injury to her back. The 100 or so knights in front of her were killed or injured. Despite Stern¡¯s urgent return, the temperature of the constetion gold armor worn by the knights in the mountain range did not drop.


    This meant that another Stern was approaching within a five-kilometer radius.


    ¡°Hold the line! Stern ising!¡±


    Alliot¡¯s voice rang out loudly.


    ¡°We must hold out until the advance group returns!¡±


    Lesche strode rapidly, holding the heavy,rge red g in one hand. This was where Lina had been hiding. The insignia that she must have broken was lying in a mess, and the same with the equally broken relics.


    Kung!


    Lesche¡¯s eyes quickly cooled as he inserted the g in the snowfield.


    Between the broken relics, he caught sight of the Stern insignia, ck and shimmering. A magi-stained insignia was unheard of. A strangely cracked insignia. Lesche¡¯s eyes hardened as he walked in that direction.


    <Seria.>


    The words were engraved on the metallic surface.


    <Seria.>


    Eventually, the letters covered the cracked insignia.


    <Seria. Seria. Seria. Seria. Seria.Seria. Seria. Seria.>


    Lesche took out his sword. He thrust it hard into the Stern insignia.


    The center of the hard insignia waspletely prated, and the cracks in the insignia became even deeper. Seria¡¯s name finally disappeared.


    ¡°Crazy b*stard.¡±


    An exasperated sigh escaped his lips. For now, he thought he should hand it over to the Great Temple.


    Lesche tore up the g lying on the floor, picked up the contaminated insignia, and tied it up.


    Suddenly Seria came to his mind. If she saw this, she would have asked if he only wrapped the insignia every day.


    A smile came out.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Only white snow fell constantly in the mountain range where the green had disappeared.


    In the midst of this, demons crawled when he was about to forget. The fact that there were more demons in today than demons in all these years was astonishing.


    Lesche, with the insignia in his hand, raised his body. It was at that moment. Suddenly his chest felt heavy. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand and coughed lightly.


    He looked down at the insignia.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    There was red blood on it. It was the blood that he just vomited.


    ***


    Please support to save ROS. Your help is desperately needed.

 Chapter 185

    ¡°Sir Alliot!¡±


    Seria shouted, and Alliot turned around. She was amazed at the speed with which he came toward her in a sh, cutting off the demons that were swarming.


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    He had to raise his voice to be heard clearly due to the blowing snowstorm.


    ¡°His Highness has gone as the first group to put up a sign at the boundary line! We will retreat in three minutes!¡±


    Seria nodded and immediately turned the horse¡¯s head. Focusing on not getting too far from the front line, she moved along the route revised 5 minutes ago.


    Once she learned the motion lines, a new one was added and the existing one was removed. She memorized the lines of movement with her eyes wide open so as not to miss any of them. She had to check the distance while checking the war situation, which was mind-boggling.


    When the visible distance was thus reduced, She had to stick close to the knights, closer than 5 km. Stern was a mental stimnt.


    ¡°Stern!¡±


    A high-ranking priest rode up on horseback, gasped and shouted.


    ¡°The holy relics that will set up a temporary boundary have just arrived! But since it is literally temporary, there is a strong possibility that the ground will not hold and will copse!¡±


    ¡°I understand!¡±


    ¡°Be careful! As soon as we find solid ground, we¡¯ll set it up!¡±


    Seria bit her lip. The temporary holy relics said to have been brought in in a hurry from the Great Temple were closer to the real relics. Disposables with destructive power. It could only be used to spare time for a while¡­


    It could not be used to the maximum. The best they could do was to somehow maintain their formation and retreat to the outpost.


    At that moment, Lesche was seening in from a distance. He jumped down on the snow-covered slope with his sword in his hand. Meanwhile, the demons fell dead on the floor.


    Alliot¡¯s voice hit hard in her ears.


    ¡°His Highness ising down! We are retreating at speed!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t break the formation!¡±


    The formation of knights was maintained while fighting the pouring beasts began to retreat. At that time, Seria was moving as busy as possible so that there were no knights left behind.


    ¡°Miss?¡±


    ¡°Bibi?¡±


    When did shee to her side? Abigail appeared like the wind and whispered.


    ¡°Run as fast as you can toward your husband, youngdy.¡±


    With a flick, Abigail jumped down from her horse. With that, an ear-splitting scream was heard close by.


    ¡°Arghhhhh!¡±


    Abigail¡¯s sword pierced through the crawling beasts. At the same time, a headless knight fell from his horse. Red blood sttered all over Abigail¡¯s face.


    Screaming reports poured in from all over.


    ¡°The left wing is torn!¡±


    ¡°The right wing has copsed!¡±


    ¡°They areing from the rear!¡±


    ¡°The rear?¡±


    ¡°We have urgent reports of demons crawling out of the cier!¡±


    ¡°What kind of bullsh*t is that?¡±


    ¡°Stern!¡±


    Someone shouts with all his might.


    ¡°You must run forward!¡±


    Immediately after Abigail¡¯s instruction was given, Seria was already running her horse toward Lesche.


    ¡°We are setting up a temporary perimeter!¡±


    Shouts, screams, and the sound of horse hooves cried in the ears.


    Seria wondered as she rode in a hurry. How could the demons have crawled up from the frozenke? The mountain range ahead was where the boundary copsed.


    It was then.


    As if in response, a demon crawled up with bewitching swiftness and tried to bite her to bits.


    ¡°Stern! Get down!¡±


    Kung!


    The beast that the pdin had struck down was cut in half and died. Seria¡¯s eyes widened as saw the corpse.


    It was different from the previous demons. The shadows that were spewing out from the corpses had faint power.


    It was obvious. It was Liegel¡¯s power.


    ¡±Thirty seconds, just endure for thirty seconds!¡±


    The priest clenched his teeth and spurred the instation of the boundary line.


    ¡°Thirty!¡±


    The corpse of a knight, wet with red blood,y near the feet of his beloved horse.


    ¡°20!¡±


    Seria¡¯s heart was about to burst. She did not turn around.


    ¡°15!¡±


    If Stern dies here.


    ¡°10!¡±


    Every knight in a five-kilometer radius would freeze to death.


    ¡°5!¡±


    ¡°The boundary is set!¡±


    The Holy Knight¡¯s voice rang loudly over the mountain range.


    It was also just after Seria had finally reached the vicinity of Lesche after running like crazy.


    An explosive force spread out in a line. For a moment, her spine contracted. She felt a strange sense of foreboding in this hellish ce.


    ¡°Lesche¡­.?¡±


    It was strange. Lesche was just busy killing the demons like he had been doing. But that was all. He should have heard the holy knight¡¯s cry, but Lesche did not turn his head back.


    His sword just kept cutting through the demons.


    When Seria thought it was strange.


    ¡°Stern!¡±


    The demon, who was already inside the boundary line, kicked the earth and jumped at Seria. Before she could pull on the reins, Lesche¡¯s sword cut off the demon.


    Seria¡¯s horse, startled, struggled around. It seemed to have injured its leg. She jumped down from the saddle and left her beloved horse in the hands of the approaching holy knight. After hurriedly retrieving the Stern insignia, which had fallen to the ground, she ran to Lesche.


    ¡°Lesche!¡±


    Why on earth has he not looked at her at all since a while ago? Seria had the strange feeling that he was deliberately avoiding her. She pulled Lesche¡¯s hand, who was still only showing his back. When Lesche looked back at her, she froze like the snowfield. Because Lesche¡¯s red eyes were shaking coldly.


    While doing so, she could feel Magi in those familiar hands that held her so tightly. It was not simply the feeling of someone contaminated by Magi. In the first ce, Lesche was wearing the constetion gold armor, so there was no way he could be tainted by Magi.


    So this was definitely¡­..


    Like the demons rolling on the floor ¡­.


    ¡°¡­Lesche?¡±


    Why?


    Why are you¡­.


    This was the very moment when Seria¡¯s oice was slowly trembling.


    ¡°Stern? Stern! This way¡­!¡±


    The blizzard turned into a heavy snowstorm,pletely blocking the visible distance. The ground began to crack. Lesche grabbed Seria as she was about to fall.


    ***


    ¡°Have you gone mad!¡±


    Alliot grabbed the Holy Knight by the chest.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the Grand Duchess is missing! Tell me! Where is she?¡±


    ¡°Ha, His Highness the Grand Duke of Berg has gone missing with her¡­.¡±


    ¡°These useless children! Where? Report exactly where they went missing!¡±


    It was not only the Holy Knights who saw Alliott¡¯s anger for the first time in their lives. The knights of Berg had hardly ever seen their leader, Alliot, this angry¡­.


    ¡°I am sorry. I am sorry.¡±


    Tears trickled down from both of the holy knight¡¯s eyes as he was grabbed by the chest. The holy knights¡¯ admiration toward Stern was stronger than any of the knights.


    ¡°D*mn it¡­!¡±


    Alliot, who had grabbed the Holy Knight by the chest, let out a snide remark and threw him out. He gritted his teeth.


    The blizzard was so bad that he could no longer see straight ahead for another 30 meters. Alliot looked at the priests.


    High Priest Jubelud was being ced like a corpse on a horse.


    Earlier, the High Priest had chosen to remain in the mountain range in order to concentrate the protection force on Myote Stern. Being caught in a terrible battle with a half-alive body, his body and mind would be exhausted like the bottom of the barrel.


    The boundary line that they just set up prevented the demons froming down, but it will notst long.


    Harsh cold air pouring down from the north. A temporary boundary line.


    Vanished Lord of Berg and Stern¡­.


    A vein popped up on the back of Alliot¡¯s hand as he gripped his sword. The Commander of the Knights of Berg also temporarily took over the same position as the second-inmand in the absence of the Grand Duke.


    With all of his strength, Alliot shouted.


    ¡°All! Retreat at the fastest speed!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    There were exactly 14 restoration relics currently in possession of the Great Temple. And there were also exactly 14 broken boundary lines.


    He thought Lina had destroyed all of them, but it was unknown why she left one intact¡­.


    He had to somehow get down to the outpost and bring the remaining relic. He had to sessfully bring the priests and restore the boundaries.


    The search for the Grand Duke and Stern was only possible when the heavy snowfall and the demons stopped.


    Then, the back view caught in Alliot¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Sir Abigail!¡±


    As if it is not enough to kill the demons who were inside the boundary line, the knight was aiming to kill the other side of the boundary line with her sword in her hand.


    ¡°What are you doing ignoring the ranks? Are you disobeying orders?¡±


    ¡°I only take orders from the Lady.¡±


    ¡°Sir Abigail Orrin!¡±


    ¡°I only take the orders from my Lady!¡±


    Abigail, raising her voice harshly, looked back at Alliot with bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°I have said so, Sir Alliot.¡±


    A streak of blood burst in both of her eyes.


    ¡°If you are leaving, collect your formation and leave first. I will look for my Lady.¡±


    ¡°Sir Abigail Orrin!¡±


    Alliot¡¯s neck was blue.


    ¡°Listen to me! Even if we restore the border, there are tens of thousands of demons that have already entered the mountain range! And that¡¯s if we don¡¯t find the two of them today!¡±


    What if Seria is found dead?


    Or if Lesche dies.


    ¡°One Stern alone will never be able to defeat that many demons! It means the end of Berg territory anyway!¡±


    The end of Berg was like saying the end of the Glick Empire, and by extension, the entire continent. It was a swarm of demons that must spread geometrically. There was no knights in any of the kingdoms that could prevent the demons that the Knights of Berg had failed to stop.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t find the two of them within three hours, I¡¯m going to jump into that swarm of demons! Because that would be a rather honorable death!¡±


    Alliot said with bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°Sir, like a Knight of Stern, help me die with honor. But first, as a knight of Stern, help restore the boundary! Then you can risk your life to find the Grand Duchess of Berg!¡±


    Abigail nced at Alliot.


    ¡°Sir Alliot.¡±


    The cold silence did notst long.


    ¡°Honor in a world without my Lady means nothing to me.¡±


    Abigail spat out nastily and stomped off toward the formation of Berg Knights.

 Chapter 186

    *First pov*


    When I was studying the history of Stern, I read such a saying.


    The silver trees, and the insignia of Stern. The constetion gold and the noble guardian always protect Stern, they will always shine nearby¡­


    I thought it was amon praise for Stern, but I had a feeling that maybe the saying was right.


    I let out a breath.


    Scratched here and there, my hands, and ankles were swollen from being bumped, but it was only minor wounds. I couldn¡¯t afford to worry about my body now. I only saw the ck Stern¡¯s insignia shattered like a lie in front of me.


    I couldn¡¯t figure out why it was so polluted with Magi or why it was so full. In the first ce, I didn¡¯t even know why it was lying around in front of the fallen me.


    But.


    The letters were engraved there.


    <strong>{My moon.}</strong>


    The letters, as if mocking me.


    <strong>{If you take that man¡¯s body, you will love me.}</strong>


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    <strong>{Even if you want to hate me, you can¡¯t hate me.}</strong>


    I had a hallucination that Liegel¡¯s voice, which could not be heard, seemed to be stuck in my ears.


    <strong>{That¡¯s all I need, Seria.}</strong>


    For that reason¡­


    I lifted my head.


    Maybe twenty steps? The distance between Lesche and I.


    A snowy field with endless snow. Lesche stood firm on his two feet like a giant tree. The skin visible through the golden armor of his constetion was a mess. The ck skin that started from his wrist. He was all stained with Magi.


    Was it because of the powerful divine power that permeated my body?


    I knew instinctively. He, Lesche Berg, was bing a demon.


    ¡°¡­Lesche.¡±


    With a little strength in my legs, I managed to get up. I limped on one leg and ran towards him. Much more ingenious than usual and indifferent red eyes stare at me.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Lesche!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯te.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A weakly distorted forehead, Lesche took a step back.


    My heart broke at the act of avoiding me.


    That man knew it too. He knew that he was tainted by magi, and that he was bing a beast.


    Therefore¡­.


    I clenched my teeth and ran to Lesche and caught him. At the same time, the divine power exploded. I gathered the divine power from my body as if scratching even the blood vessels of my body and sent it to Lesche, but to no avail.


    Nothing has changed.


    I gathered divine power several times and poured it on him, but it was the same. It¡¯s just my hair that¡¯s fluttering like crazy. Lesche grabbed my hand as I was about to try again.


    An eternity of silence passed.


    ¡°Since when¡­.¡±


    I barely let out my voice.


    ¡°Since when have you been like this?¡±


    Lesche looked down at his wrist.


    ¡°It looks like since when Prince Jun was trying to bite me.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°I think it has been since then. Guess what, that madman is really a demon.¡±


    With an expressionless expression on his face, Lesche raised his head.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    He took his gaze away from me and turned around.


    ¡°Your knight wille to find you.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­Lesche.¡±


    ¡°Go this way. I beg you.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°And you?¡±


    Lesche didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°You, Lesche..¡±


    Tears fell from my eyes.


    ¡°And you!¡±


    Lesche did not return any reply. He didn¡¯t even look at me. What emotion jumped out in that moment?


    I grabbed Lesche, squeezed out my strength, and held him.


    Then, slowly, Lesche looked back at me. For a moment, it felt like someone was choking me. I knew it after looking at it up close. Because I knew. The fact that those cold eyes were shaking like that.


    Lesche couldn¡¯t even reach out to me. Only my wrist, which was protected by Stern¡¯s formal dress, was held.


    ¡°¡­Seria.¡±


    There were no more words.


    But he fixed his sword and held it. At the same time, an energy that made my spine scream.


    Nightmarish beasts were crawling endlessly.


    Kang!


    Sharp metal cut the beasts¡¯ necks, and the beasts who had lost their breath copsed, burned and disappeared with ck smoke.


    Then, suddenly, I felt strange and shifted my gaze.


    The holy constetion armor that protected people from the demons. There was something strange about Lesche¡¯s skin that could be seen through it. Once, twice. I only realize it after taking a few breaths.


    Lesche¡¯s skin was burning.


    It was clearly burning. The body gradually spread and turned to ashes¡­


    A brutally obvious fact. The fact that the demons couldn¡¯t touch the holy armor¡­.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    The end of my calling voice trembled a little. My cold hands grabbed Lesche¡¯s constetion gold armor.


    ¡°Take it off. The holy armor is burning, so hurry up¡­¡±


    But Lesche¡¯s hand came out and grabbed the back of my hand.


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡± (Seria)


    ¡°Leave it.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Why? You¡¯re like this¡­¡± (Seria)


    ¡°If I even throw away the holy armor, it would be really difficult to protect you.¡± (Lesche)


    I closed my mouth slowly.


    ¡°Let me keep myst reason. Seria.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lesche¡¯s expression, who was staring at me, was rarely blurred.


    ¡°I make you cry every time.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know how I could die leaving you like this.¡±


    With one breath, tears flowed down as if a dam had broken.


    I couldn¡¯t help but understand him. This terrifying constetion armor that burned Lesche¡¯s body alive was the thin cord that kept him rational as a human being.


    So he wouldn¡¯t take it off.


    To protect me¡­


    For that reason¡­


    At the same time, Lesche¡¯s eyes shone sharply. The demon¡¯s lull was only temporary. Now the snowfields looked ck. A swarm of demonic beasts that can¡¯t be broken through.


    The crawling beasts were ughtered and disappeared in an instant. However, Lesche¡¯s breathing, wielding the sword, was getting rough little by little.


    ck stains started to run up his neck and up to his cheeks.


    My ankle, which was injured in the fall, was swollen and it was difficult to walk now. I was limping and walking with the contaminated insignia.


    And threw a holy power bomb. But the insignia was purified too slowly. A feeling of helplessness enveloped my body.


    It was then that even the blood disappeared from my ice-cold hands. Suddenly, like a lie, I felt a heavy warmth on my shoulders.


    I blinked my clouded eyes.


    ¡°¡­Lesche?¡±


    Why am I suddenly wearing a cloak?


    ¡°I remember the first time I heard you say ¡®I love you¡¯.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I felt like those words were engraved in my heart, but now that I think about it, it¡¯s not.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­what do you mean? Suddenly.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°If it was engraved, I¡¯d rather have your name engraved.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Lesche¡­?¡±


    I thought it was strange so I raised my head and when my eyes met his, I stopped. I had no choice but to do that.


    As for Lesche, the man was still wearing the Berg Knight¡¯s cloak. Just as I fixed it before he left for war.


    So the cloak he put on me was¡­. (the cloak Lesche put on Seria¡¯s shoulders was the one he used to wrap the Stern insignia a while back in another chapter.)


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡±


    What was in Lesche¡¯s hand was obviously Tuban¡¯s insignia.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. What are you doing? Lesche?¡±


    I jumped up reflexively, but fell down with a short moan. A terrible pain, like being stabbed in the ankle with a thick awl. I clenched my teeth and barely got up. I limped and walked to Lesche. As I walked, I continued to shake my head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it. Don¡¯t do it. Lesche, don¡¯t do it¡­ Don¡¯t do it!¡±


    Indelible writing engraved on the surface of the insignia.


    <strong>{The heart of Lesche Berg.}</strong>


    I had once seen the vivid scar in Lesche¡¯s red eyes. It was a thing of the past. I once told him that he was cruel to me because he was dying and didn¡¯t say anything. The bitter wounds I inflicted on Lesche bothered me, and I never kept anything secret from him since.


    So Lesche knew.


    How I delivered the jewels to Tuban.


    How to get gems¡­


    It would have been better if he didn¡¯t know forever.


    I lifted Stern¡¯s insignia, which was too heavy for me to lift with one hand, and Lesche lifted it with ease. I couldn¡¯t even see the expression on the noble man¡¯s face before his death.


    ¡°¡­.!¡±


    Then a terrible scream was heard. My eyes widened as I looked back. Liegel slipped out of Stern¡¯s insignia that had been engulfed in magi and began to crawl quickly, but I felt no fear. (*The tainted insignia was the one Lina took from the frozenke, which just now Liegel crawled out of. And the insignia Lesche was holding and wrapping in his old cloak was Seria¡¯s insignia which she used to deliver jewels to Tuban)


    I only captured the vivid red blood in my eyes. Fresh blood poured from Lesche¡¯s body, wet the insignia, and dripped onto the pure white snow.


    I ran blindly towards Lesche¡¯s body, which was slowly breaking down. I couldn¡¯t speed because of my broken ankle, and tears fell endlessly. Everything seemed like a lie, and pleadings were as fleeting as broken breaths.


    The moment when Liegel rushed in and tried to snatch Lesche¡¯s wrist, a powerful spark bounced off Liegel¡¯s body. My eyes widened. It was because the bracelet that fell under Lesche¡¯s feet, like braids of hair, tied Liegel¡¯s body tightly like a thin thread. (*It was the bracelet made of Liegel¡¯s hair that Lina gave to Lesche before she died.)


    ¡°Lunaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±


    Evil screams. The divine power was felt from the bracelet bound Liegel for a moment¡­


    ¡­.Lina??


    I clenched my teeth and ran to Lesche. Almost at the end, I crawled and arrived in front of him.


    Lesche¡¯s heart was already being eaten by the insignia. I could not at all admit that this blood on his hands belonged to Lesche.


    I raised my hands as if vomiting blood. I gathered and poured divine power into Stern¡¯s insignia.


    Poof!


    My body was drained of strength and my heart waspletely consumed like a lie. The letter ¡®1¡¯ on Stern¡¯s insignia disappearedpletely.


    Powerful divine power and light emitted from the insignia.


    Tuban, who came out like white smoke, was no longer looking like Lesche. It was just the shape of a dragon so huge that I had raised my head high to look up.


    ¡°Aaaaah!¡±


    Tuban bit Liegel, who rushed at him. The beasts ran towards them with monstrous screams, and Liegel struggled, but he could not defeat Tuban. The giant guardian frantically exploded with divine power and began to purify the magi.


    Thump, thump.


    Liegel¡¯s body, torn by Tuban¡¯s fangs, fell on the snow. Liegel¡¯s eyes shed with only his upper body. He slowly crawled to me with his arms.


    Gel¡¯s eyes twinkled. Rigel slowly crawled towards me with his arms.


    ¡°My moon¡­ my moon¡­ my¡­ everything¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Kiss me just once. Just once¡­ Just once¡­¡±


    Boom!


    Tuban¡¯s feetpletely crushed Liegel¡¯s body.


    His long arms outstretched towards me trembled, and then Liegel¡¯s body began to scatter in gray dust. The moonlight pouring out of Liegel¡¯s body began to be absorbed as if it had melted beneath the earth.


    ¡°Tuban.¡±


    I said in a trembling voice while hugging Lesche.


    ¡°Give it back.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Give it back!¡±


    No answer came back. Damn it.


    Tuban was my guardian, so I could tell without listening to an answer.


    Lesche¡¯s heart no longer existed in this world. Like the jewels that I lost to Tuban and regretted.


    Like those gems that were eventually absorbed andpletely disappeared¡­


    As if thecrimal nds were broken, tears fell nonstop. Lesche¡¯s body was trembling with the thick divine power that Tuban pushed with his heart.


    I hugged Lesche¡¯s body tightly. Red blood smeared all over my face without mercy, but it didn¡¯t matter. At the same time, the divine power left by Tuban was absorbed by me.


    A strong divine power shone from Lesche¡¯s wrist. The bracelet, which looked like a braid of Tuban¡¯s hair, stretched out like a string connecting two things.


    It was then that I instinctively realized it.


    Why Tuban gave this bracelet to Lesche.


    I grabbed the bracelet that was hanging around Lesche¡¯s wrist as if tied to it. My hands trembled. I didn¡¯t even have the strength to keep my eyes open, but it must be nothingpared to Lesche, who gave his heart away.


    I poured out thest of divine power.

 Chapter 187

    Lesche opened his eyes after being immersed in deep water for a long time.


    He was walking.


    He didn¡¯t know where he was. The space, which waspletely different from any ce he had seen since he was born, was just like the space of Tuban that he had seen before.


    A space as dark as the night sky, where the stars gently float.


    The maze-like structure was still there.


    In this unknown ce, the reason Lesche continued to walk without stopping was simple. Because Seria was walking by his side and holding his own hand.


    Her hair, like the green of a midsummer day, fluttered in front of his eyes.


    Suddenly, Seria¡¯s shoulders trembled.


    She slowly looked behind her. Lesche¡¯s eyes stopped. Seria was crying. He wanted to wipe the tears running down her cheeks, but his hand didn¡¯t move. Seria smiled with a wet face and looked forward again.


    In the meantime, her steps never stopped.


    Only then did Lesche realize where she was taking him.


    <strong>¡°I promised to marry you back in the day.¡±</strong>


    <strong>¡°It¡¯s said that I don¡¯t have time anymore, but when I think about it, I don¡¯t feel very good.¡±</strong>


    She didn¡¯t know how she found out right away. Just like an animal that instinctively learns how to breathe at birth, it was a fact that came to mind naturally.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    It was a voice that crushed his chest painfully.


    ¡°Can you die without me?¡±


    Lesche couldn¡¯t answer. His hands had not moved. Seria raised her other hand and rubbed the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°You always say that I am cruel to you. Who is really cruel?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you whispering all kinds of good things and getting so far away?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I hurt my ankle and I couldn¡¯t run straight to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t leave you either¡­¡±


    How far she had walked. The time that Seria wanted to live flows like a meteor over the ck sky. There was one thing that she learned thanks to him.


    Seria burst intoughter with her wet eyes.


    ¡°I thought Lina was married to you in the past, but did you know she wasn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°When Mies pretended to be you. When I believed that it was the original story, I couldn¡¯t remember anything about you as a child.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It was the memory of Mies, so it was not necessary to keep it.


    Lesche did not return any reply, but Seriaughed.


    The fact that this man had never been married to any other woman was somewhat pleasing to her.


    At one point they were standing in a ce like an exit. As Seria, who had been to the world of Tuban many times, it was the first exit she had ever seen in her life.


    If she went out here¡­


    If only traces of the lost time were real¡­


    Then she would be able to bring back Lesche¡¯s heart at that time.


    But if time has alreadypletely evaporated.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Seria turned back. The fact that she cried the entire time she walked through this space, but still had something to pour, was a miracle in the midst of it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in case it¡¯s thest time.¡±


    Tear-soaked cheeks rubbed against Lesche¡¯s face. Seria lightly kissed him.


    ¡°It was nice to meet you.¡±


    The exit was open. It was a ce full of warm divine power, and there was also a ce where the light was too strong to see anything.


    The smile on Seria¡¯s face was painfully distorted.


    ¡°Whether we live or die, we¡¯re going to see our old days. We both died early, so it won¡¯t be a big deal, but¡­ it¡¯ll be fun to see you proposing to me while bewildered.¡±


    Squeezing Lesche¡¯s hand once more, Seria turned her back. That image clearly remained in Lesche¡¯s eyes.


    It was painful as if someone was pressing his heart tightly, but he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of it. Soon after, Seria stepped forward.


    ****


    <strong>14. A long time ago</strong>


    ***


    (*First timeline)


    Seria was the illegitimate daughter of Marquis Kellyden.


    She was also the only Stern of the vast continent.


    With strong divine power, her whole body was full of yellow and ck bruises, and she had never taken her bandages off except when she was bathing.


    Stern, who alone bore the power of the stars, spent her whole life in solitude. Seria, in particr, had strong star power and lived alone in her deepestvish vi. Everyone froze when they saw Seria. They couldn¡¯t even speak. Thanks to this, Seria worked hard to learn how to read other people¡¯s facial expressions.


    A crack came to that quiet life on one spring day.


    Her starting point was that Seria, who was taking a walk, almost tripped over a stone beak.


    ¡°¡­.!¡±


    A hand gripping Seria as she was about to fall. She couldn¡¯t help but panic. The power of the stars in her body was at a level that humans could not handle.The weak ones could be seriously burned even if they touched her for a short time.


    She hurriedly shook the opponent¡¯s hand off and looked at him.


    A man big enough to break her neck was a very great looking man. Red eyes were staring down at her.


    Seria asked, flinching.


    ¡°¡­Doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It would be normal if it hurts¡­¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± (Lesche)


    A voice dripping down to the confused Seria.


    ¡°I think there must have been only weaklings around Stern.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°So why are you alone like this?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°No, why are you so rude¡­?¡±


    It waster that Seria learned from the priests that the man was the headmaster of Berg. He was always wearing a helmet thatpletely covered his face, so Seria didn¡¯t recognize him.


    And why did that young Grand Dukee all the way here?


    Seria held the jewel called Berg¡¯s Circlet tightly in her hand. It was hard to control it, and she could feel the power of stars, which had always tormented her, slowly flowing.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen something like this.¡±


    She called it the heirloom of Berg.


    Can he just present such a precious relic¡­ ?


    It was true that Seria helped a lot in Berg¡¯s subjugation. She was hurt a little bit, but she used to get hurt everywhere that much.


    But it was not enough to receive the heirloom of the Grand Duke.


    With that thought, Seria had trouble sleeping for several days. In the Great Temple, they were incredibly aware of Seria¡¯s lovesickness and proposed marriage to Berg.


    She was embarrassed by the speed of their work. Seria almost fainted when she heard that Lesche Berg had epted the marriage proposal.


    ¡°Are you crazy? Get away right now! If you stay close to me, you will die!¡± (Seria)


    However, it seemed that Lesche had no intention of leaving. He groaned and raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°I thought I told you I wasn¡¯t a weakling.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Lesche continued with a more gentle attitude, like a gentleman, who hade to promise his marriage.


    ¡°Besides, the precious Stern chose me, so is there a reason to refuse?¡±


    Chose?


    It was a word that could only be used by nobles under the title of Duke. Wasn¡¯t Grand Duke Berg on a different level? Seria hesitated and asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me and give me an honest answer as to the real reason why you want to marry me, Grand Duke¡­¡±


    ¡°Well¡­.¡±


    He looked at her and said,


    ¡°The purpose of Berg is to protect you.¡±


    Lesche smiled faintly.


    ¡°You look so lonely.¡±


    Seria didn¡¯t understand his words.


    Being a noble who protected Stern, he was arrogant.


    Lesche tilted his chin and added.


    ¡°Again, the priests pleaded that you have love sick.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re at the marriageable age, so why not get married?¡±


    Whether Seria screamed inwardly or not, Lesche took a booklet out of his pocket. Seria took the booklet from his hand and read. The more she turned the pages, the more strange she felt.


    ¡°What is this??¡±


    ¡°This is Berg¡¯s memorandum.¡±


    ¡°Read it all and return it to me when we get married.¡±


    Then Lesche drank all of his tea and left. Seria was stunned. Does the Grand Duke of Berg change like this once his marriage is confirmed? She felt like she was standing in the middle of a storm.


    The funny thing was that she didn¡¯t hate it at all.


    After Lesche Berg became Seria¡¯s fianc¨¦, there has been a noticeable decline in solicitation to rely solely on her favors.


    Seria was the only Stern on the continent, and she was always called around to purify thends where the demons thrived.


    ¡°¡­Still, you must have called me because you needed me, but it¡¯s a little too much to say no.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you are so kind.¡±


    ¡°Then next time¡­¡±


    Seria became embarrassed for no reason.


    ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll try to be a very mean person.¡±


    Lesche chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡±


    One day not long before the wedding.


    Lesche, who always visited Seria, took out two small, luxurious boxes from his pocket. When he opened it, there were two blue jewels. One was a unique jewel in the form of a flower, and the other was just a blue diamond.


    In the Glick Empire, it was customary to give blue flowers to brides, so he understood the flower jewelry had that meaning, but what about the other one?


    Lesche said with a rare hesitancy.


    ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s the same color as your eyes.¡±


    Instantly, Seria¡¯s cheeks flushed. Her face turned so red that she quickly turned her head away.


    ¡­In this man¡¯s eyes, her eyes looked like that.


    Her heart pounded wildly.


    The genuine relics in Berg were really unique. Thanks to this, Lesche also learned how to control the power of the stars himself. Seria poured the power of the stars into the two blue jewels that Lesche gave her.


    Since she received the heirloom, she wanted to return the favor. He came every week, and she wanted to relieve the burden of the power of the stars on Lesche.


    But¡­He looked really strong.


    It was the day before the wedding that there was a problem with the boundary against the demons.


    The scale of the invaded beasts was muchrger than expected. The news that the Knights Temr had been annihted was reported three times. The escape route was blocked, and reinforcements were dispatched in a hurry, but the beasts were too crowded that they could not easily join.


    At that time, Seria saw Lesche vomit blood. She didn¡¯t know in what spirit she ran.


    ¡°Lesche!¡±


    He said he was okay. He said he wasn¡¯t weak. It was only then that she realized that there was a bandage wrapped around Lesche¡¯s wrist. She wanted to scream, but no voice came out. The burn marks in the bandage were all too familiar.


    It was caused by not being able to handle Stern¡¯s power¡­


    Her heart shattered with a pounding sound.


    Even in the midst of crying, Stern¡¯s power was gradually built into the body of the dead fianc¨¦. At some point, Seria found out that she had survived alone.


    She didn¡¯t feel any presence anywhere. It was just a gloomy beast¡¯s energy. On the cliff where Seria was, the demons struggled nonstop to climb up.


    Seria held Berg¡¯s relic in her hand. Her blood, which had burst from her hand, was endlessly smeared on the red jewel.


    Despite having ovee so much of Stern¡¯s power, she killed her fianc¨¦. She still had bruises on her body from divine powers.


    No one could stay with her for long.


    ¡°Why¡­?¡±


    It was said that everything would be detached before death, but it wasn¡¯t. Everything that was empty began to be clear. Everything gradually turned into excruciating pain.


    Seria couldn¡¯t handle this world. She was disgusted with her fate, where she had no ce to run or hide.


    Unless she allowed Stern¡¯s powers to make her suffer.


    ¡°Just give me a normal life just once.¡±


    She wished she didn¡¯t have this kind of power. She wished she didn¡¯t have a family. So she wouldn¡¯t expect anything from the start¡­


    There was something she wanted to say when she met that person (Lesche) again.


    Tears streamed down Seria¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°I miss you, Lesche.¡±


    When they meet again, she wants to give him a bunch of red jewels. These jewels remind her of his eyes.


    As Stern was bitten to death by demons, divine power exploded like a bomb. A 5km radiuspletely exploded, and the corpses of the knights began to disappear at the same time as the beasts burned to death like dust.


    Even while everything was being erased and Stern was dying, the divine power did not destroy Lesche Berg¡¯s body, and it gently descended with all its might.


    Because she had the desire to leave only the body of her fianc¨¦¡¯s intact.


    It might mean nothing now¡­


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m d it meant something.¡±


    Seria, who had been walking for a long time, lowered her head as her tears were dripping down. There were no bruises or bandages on her exposed arms and neck. A body where her loved ones could stay close. Even if she grabbed Lesche¡¯s hand and kissed him, he wouldn¡¯t die.


    Tuban¡¯s hair, which had been extended all the way to Lesche¡¯s heart, shone white. It was reminiscent of the silver chain drawn on Lesche¡¯s neck. A mark that was said to be engraved only on Stern¡¯s spouse.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a beating heart, I was worried about how to carry it.¡±


    Seriaughed a little.


    Lesche¡¯s heart was wrapped in Tuban¡¯s divine power, like a mass of light. Holding his heart dearly, Seria immediately turned back and started running.


    Lesche was already dead, so he couldn¡¯t walk as long as Seria. So they couldn¡¯te together anymore, and he was scattered all alone.


    She ran as hard as she could to Lesche. She didn¡¯t stop or look back.


    The time that had already disappeared became white pieces and began to crumble. Exactly like that, she saw Lesche on the verge of disappearingpletely.


    She finally caught him.

 Chapter 188

    *First pov*


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    When I opened my eyes, I felt nauseated. I curled up and came to my senses to a stinging pain rising from my ankle.


    Splints and bandages were carefully wrapped around the swollen ankle. And¡­.


    ¡°Miss!¡±


    I muttered to see Abigail hugging me.


    ¡°¡­Bibi?¡±


    At the same time, another person jumped in was Linon. He burst into tears and hung on my leg.


    ¡°Ahhh, Grand Duchess!¡±


    The surrounding area was buzzing in an instant along with Linon¡¯s scream.


    ¡°Stern has awakened!¡±


    ¡°Healing Priest!¡±


    Warm water flowed into my frozen mouth. It was then that I felt real. My head, which had only been blurry as if it had been beaten, started to spin properly.


    ¡°What about Lesche?¡±


    ¡°Your husband is not a human, he¡¯s a monster.¡±


    ¡°¡­huh???¡±


    At that time, the appearance that caught my eyes was like an illusion. Silver hair that I once thought resembled a cier. Red eyes were fixed on me.


    The cold winter wind from the harsh cold of the north touched my cheeks. My heart jumped up to the tip of my neck, and then it went down very slowly. It felt like that.


    It was Lesche.


    He was alive and moving.


    It was several times faster for Lesche to close the distance than for me to jump out of the patient¡¯s bed. I felt as if my body was being ripped apart. His arms hugged me tightly as he sat down.


    His face was fine. There were no ck stains anywhere. No skin was burnt in the constetion armor.


    He was the same as before.


    Really, everything was fine¡­


    ¡°Lesche¡­¡±


    Tears welled up without thinking. Lesche¡¯s hand wiped my cheek. The corners of his eyes, who were smiling softly, were likewise distorted.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    The voice pierced my heart and shook me. With both trembling hands, I carefully wrapped Lesche¡¯s face.


    At that moment.


    ¡°Stern!


    ¡°Stern is awake! Stern¡­! Ha.¡±


    The two High Priests who rushed in, Joel and Henoch, were startled and averted their gaze.


    A pdin rushed in behind the High Priests who coughed in embarrassment.


    ¡°Sir! This is urgent news that the temporary boundary will be extinguished in two hours!¡±


    The High Priests¡¯ faces turned blue. After that, it was very urgent and noisy outside. Like an outpost that was still conducting an unprecedented subjugation of beasts.


    ¡°Demons¡­¡±


    A wet voice came out, I cleared his throat and asked Lesche.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t the demons destroyed?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t advance beyond the border. Now the first team is back.¡±


    ¡°¡­You have been cutting down the beasts so far. Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±


    ¡°So what.¡±


    It was then that I understood why Abigail called Lesche a monster.


    At the same time, it was absurd.


    While returning to this chaos, of course, I thought that Tuban would have taken care of the demons on his own.


    I cursed at him for what all the divine powers meant, but I knew the truth. The fact that Tuban had poured all his strength into restoring Lesche¡¯s body, which was stained with Magi and burned in the constetion armor.


    I reflexively groped my neck. Berg¡¯s circlet was still hanging well. As I was about to get up, Lesche frowned.


    ¡°You stay here, Seria.¡±


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to theurel manor. Will we be able to get there before the boundary copses?¡±


    ¡°Why there?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go at once.¡±


    ¡°Prepare the horses!¡±


    Linon jumped up and ran outside. He was so quick even though he was covering his mouth and only shed his tears. Guess who¡¯s the chief aide¡­


    Was it because Tuban¡¯s divine power exploded? The heavy snowfall that seemed to cover the world was quiet to some extent.


    I couldn¡¯t ride a horse alone because my ankle was injured, so I was wrapped in a nket and and rode on Lesche¡¯s horse. I felt a strange sense of dread.


    ¡°Your Highness? Grand Duchess¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, why are you so frozen¡­!¡±


    Fortunately, I didn¡¯t faint in the middle this time. I told Susan and Joanna I was alright, but I was limping and was picked up by Lesche.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to use your legs at all. Where do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ the basement.¡±


    Berg¡¯s memorandum, which I saw in the lost time, was not torn. Contrary to reality, it was intact. So, I was able to learn some things that I didn¡¯t know about in reality.


    Open the basement door covered with arge tapestry. I frowned. While I often visit the green manor, I never came down to this grotesque basement.


    I pretended not to see the densely hung portrait as much as possible. The real purpose was further downstairs.


    Ossuary of the previous Grand Dukes.


    The skeletons embedded in each wall did not match the proportions of the human body at all. So, just like the demons who were swarming over the boundaries.


    If there was a difference, was it that they were holding a sword in both hands?


    If I had toe here alone without Lesche, I would have shed tears. I was terrified of horror movies, and this ce was so scary. It was still the same today.


    ¡°Lesche. Drop me over there.¡±


    Where the constetions were piled up. Lesche dropped me down in front of it. I limped a little and bent over. The moment when I took the circlet I was wearing around my neck and strongly infused with divine power.


    This time, tears really flowed.


    It was because the skeletons that had been embedded in the wall raised their bodies. Dragging the swords, the skeletons crawled out of the door.


    A family that has had the duty of a watchman for a very long time. Berg¡¯s memorandum had very important information torn out.


    ¡®Warrior. I don¡¯t know who came up with the name.¡¯


    I grabbed Lesche¡¯s shoulder and climbed up. With a thumping sound, the skeletal warriors were running towards the mountain range.


    Lesche, who was staring at the scene, said.


    ¡°Go up. There are many knights waiting for Stern.¡±


    At the border of the Laurel Manor, the Knights of Berg were already waiting. They looked like they were going to faint when they saw the swarm of skeletons running away, but when there were no words from Lesche, they just stood in line and held out.


    Lesche, who was holding me with one arm, checked his sword with the other hand as usual.


    ¡°See youter. Seria.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t die.¡±


    Lesche smiled faintly.


    ¡°How hard did you save my life?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°How am I going to die?¡±


    He shook his head. Lesche with a soft smile kissed my forehead. And handed me over to Abigail, who hade close without any signs.


    ¡°Miss.¡±


    I was truly amazed.


    ¡°Bibi is really strong. Aren¡¯t I heavy?¡±


    Abigail was not as big as Lesche, but she was bigger than me. Still, I didn¡¯t know how they could hold me so well.


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    Abigail smiled darkly.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe. If you were not, I¡¯d prepare to throw Sir Alliot into the Beast Border.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Shall we go?¡±


    Abigail started running with me on her horse. I held her tightly so I wouldn¡¯t fall. Then the horse stopped.


    ¡°Ha, Stern!¡±


    Two High Priests recognized me and ran to me. Theirplexions were also pale and tired.


    ¡°What is that? Those monstrous bones¡­!¡±


    ¡°High Priests.¡±


    With Abigail¡¯s help, I got off the horse and said with reverence.


    ¡°The guardian of Stern gave me a message.¡±


    ¡°¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Just before the world is destroyed, he will send powerful warriors with the power of the stars, so don¡¯t lose hope.¡±


    ¡°¡­.!¡±


    Tuban never said anything like that, but I said it roughly.


    The skeletal warriors didn¡¯t harm humans at all and only ughtered the demons. So the priests would have no choice but to trust.


    It¡¯s been a while since they were thrown into chaos, they weren¡¯t idiots to miss this opportunity.


    ¡°Build a new boundary line!¡±


    ¡°We will divide into 5 groups!¡±


    ¡°Skeletons don¡¯t harm people, so you can leave them alone!¡±


    Aside from the fact that the Great Temple was friendly to Stern, if people found out that such warriors existed, they would immediately try to overthrow the Berg Mansion.


    The moment this fact became known to the outside, there would be a real war over this circlet that could awaken the skeletal warriors.


    Maybe that¡¯s why it was hiding in the Memorandum.


    As the boundary line began to slowly recover, the fluttering snow gradually subsided. The battle to subdue the demons that hadsted for several days was almosting to an end.


    The news that Lina¡¯s body had been found was heard in top secret.


    It was news that only reached me and a few high-ranking priests.


    ¡°¡­Stern?¡±


    ¡°High Priest.¡±


    High Priest Jubelud was silent and only tears were falling. I walked slowly, approaching Lina¡¯s corpse lying as if asleep.


    My eyes widened a little.


    I had heard a glimpse of Lina¡¯sst appearance from Lesche. ording to him, Lina¡¯s skin was all ck.


    Now it was different.


    Lina waspletely human. Magi seemed to disappear from her bodypletely.


    And a silver branch that pierced her chest was still there.


    <strong>¡°Lunaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±</strong>


    The divine power that bound Liegel¡¯s hand and held him back was definitely Lina¡¯s.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    High Priest Jubelud said in a watery voice.


    ¡°¡­I intend to give up the seat of the high priest. I thought that ending the rest of my life by making atonement for this person was thest task God gave me¡­¡±


    There was a handful of hair lying in front of Lina¡¯s body. It was the hair color of High Priest Jubelud.


    I lifted the scissors without a word. A handful of my cut hair was ced in front of Lina.


    High Priest Jubelud¡¯a shoulders shook as he put a white cloth over Lina¡¯s face.


    A quiet silence passed.


    Then I walked out. I smiled at the familiar presence.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Lesche, who had been waiting with his back against the wall, looked back at me. He walked up to me and picked me up right away. Embarrassed, I put my hands on Lesche¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    He raised one eyebrow.


    ¡°Do you really want to lose your legs?¡±


    ¡°The healing priest said it was okay to walk this far, right?¡±


    ¡°How many times are you walking around saying that?¡±


    ¡°But Stern can¡¯t just lie down. It¡¯s a demon subjugation battle.¡±


    ¡°You can be carried by your knight. Or call me.¡±


    ¡°¡­ to call the front-line knights?¡±


    I scratched my cheek with my finger.


    If either one of them was missing, it was obvious that the battle to subdue the demons would be dyed more. I wanted to finish the subjugation battle as soon as possible and get out of here.


    Lesche moved forward with a terrifying expression on his face.


    The sun shining through the window was dazzling.


    ¡°By the way, Lesche. Why are you here already?¡±


    The demon subjugation always ended just before the sun went down. Now, it was still so bright¡­.


    As if to answer, Lesche took me outside.


    The bitter winter wind had been fading for a few days, and the unusual weather was slowly returning to thete summer temperature.


    My eyes went wide.


    In Stern¡¯s formal dress, Myote Stern was returning. She was out of the mountains and came back so early¡­.


    ¡°Sir Abigail!¡±


    In the distance, Linon saw Abigail and was walking fast. Berg¡¯s aide one after another moved toward that direction. Alliot and the Berg Knights were returning.


    Countless knights and priests returning one after another.


    Then I realized.


    The cold from the north was no longer felt.


    ¡°The subjugation is over.¡±


    ¡°Oh my gosh¡­.¡±


    My eyes once again opened wide. I asked Lesche in a whisper.


    ¡°What about the Skeletal warriors?¡±


    ¡°They disappeared when there weren¡¯t many demons left, and went back to the manor.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    If they were that smart, they would have returned without being noticed by others. I fidgeted with the circlet, thinking it was amazing. A Berg heirloom made of moon bones and imbued with the power of stars.


    The hell-like battle to subdue the demons that seemed like it would never end, was over.


    I exhaled slowly.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    I looked into Lesche¡¯s eyes right in front of me. Suddenly, I remembered what I had to say to him.


    ¡°I forgot, I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The words Seria couldn¡¯t say when Lesche died early in the first timeline.


    ¡°I like you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Lesche frowned. Lesche squeezed me hard and asked.


    ¡°Why did you suddenly change your mind after saying ¡®I love you¡¯?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I love you too, but I also like you.¡±


    At that moment, Lesche¡¯s expression softened a little.


    ¡°Then let me just tell you. Don¡¯t make people¡¯s hearts flutter.¡±


    ¡°¡­what kind of words make your heart flutter?¡±


    I asked in annoyance.


    ¡°You, haven¡¯t you already forgotten how I got it?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t forget it.¡±


    Lesche tucked my hair behind my ear. He had a faint smile.


    ¡°I will never forget. Seria.¡±


    My heart pounded aimlessly. I thought of Seria from the past who had lovesickness, and a littleugh came out.


    I leaned over and gently kissed Lesche¡¯s lips. A smile spread slowly.


    Meanwhile, themotion was getting closer and closer from behind. It seemed that the Knights of Berg hadpletely returned and were approaching.


    ¡°Now go home. Lesche.¡±


    Lescheughed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back, Seria.¡±


    When I got home, I thought that I just wanted to sleep for a few days. On the one hand, will this man leave me alone for a few days? That thought crossed my mind.


    But I didn¡¯t bring it out of my mouth because I thought I¡¯d be at a disadvantage no matter what I said.


    The summer sun was dazzlingly pouring over the numerous knights wearing constetion armor that protects humans from demonic beasts. It reminded me of the brightly shining guardian. Tuban.


    I looked up at the sky. It was such a hot sun.

 Chapter 189: Side Story (1) - Bergs Daily Life

    Chapter 189. Side Story (1) - Berg''s Daily Life


    I was not able to get out of bed for a while because I injured my ankle during the subjugation.


    ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that there are a lot of knights to carry you around.¡±


    Berg¡¯s doctor carefully changed the bandages. The Great Temple also showed sincerity by sending the highest level healing priests.


    Two Sterns returned from the war with broken bodies.


    It didn¡¯t matter how noisy it was outside. Because only the bedroom in Berg¡¯s mansion was quiet.


    Unlike each day at the outpost, it was nice to be able to sleepfortably. A cozy bed and bedding as soft as feathers were perfect.


    The maids filled the bathtub with hot water and pulled my hair back andbed it with a fineb. They used sweet perfumed oil, then poured honey into it and applied it to the hair thoroughly. There were three more maids in the bathroom, who were busy examining my skin exposed outside the tub.


    A cold scrub of walnut kes and granted ck sugar was spread over my skin.


    My body was soaked in the hot water, but my face and arms were cold, which was perfect. I couldn¡¯t get one foot into the bathtub, which was splinted and bandaged, but still.


    I really felt like I was alive.


    ¡°Grand Duchess. Your fingertips are damaged.¡±


    ¡°It must have been because it was scratched in the snow.¡±


    ¡°I really thought the continent was going to end.¡±


    ¡°Even those who left came in and out of the castle with serious faces every day.¡±


    The maids chattered and skillfully trimmed my nails. It was also very nice to enjoy the luxurious bath to the fullest.


    The problem was¡­


    It was from the evening of the next day.


    I was conscious of Lesche¡¯s breath as he lightly bit my earlobe. On thefy bed, Lesche was hugging me from behind, and his arms were getting stronger. I thought I was going to be smashed.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    My crushed chest was a little suffocating.


    ¡°My ankle isn¡¯t healed yet.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Why are you touching me if you know?¡±


    ¡°I just feel like touching you.¡±


    I grabbed Lesche¡¯s hand that was rubbing my body.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it.¡±


    Lesche obediently withdrew the power from his hand. But for a moment he asked, burying his lipspletely on the nape of my neck.


    ¡°Can I do it?¡±


    ¡°Do it? I can¡¯t even shake my ankles.¡±


    ¡°I can keep it from moving.¡±


    I replied bluntly.


    ¡°How? You¡¯ll make my whole body shake.¡±


    Lescheughed and said,


    ¡°I want to see your face, but you only read books.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ wait a minute.¡±


    I was dumbfounded and put down the book I was reading. It¡¯s ¡°the book I was reading,¡± but I couldn¡¯t focus on a single word from the moment Lesche came and sat on the bed.


    Because he hugged me from behind and reached out to cover the book. He grabbed my hand again. If that¡¯s the case, just take the book away. Lesche left the book alone and covered it up so I couldn¡¯t read it. I was stunned¡­


    ¡°If I don¡¯t read, can you really only look at my face in a healthy way?¡±


    ¡°Healthy?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s voice was filled withughter.


    ¡°So you are reading books because you¡¯re worried about that? I didn¡¯t know you felt like that.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything, but even now, the attached back was very ufortable. His intention was so clear, not only in the tantly hard touch but also in the hands roaming over my gown¡­


    ¡®It¡¯s exactly what I expected at the outpost.¡¯


    When I got home, I just wanted to sleep for a few days. But I thought this man would never leave me alone. That feeling was right.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche hugged me tightly and kissed my neck, then he said.


    ¡°I was joking.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do anything, so just give me your lips.¡±


    His fingers brushed my cheek and chin. It was a touch that felt strangely sad, unlike the one that touched my body without hesitation.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I do that?¡±


    Thanks to him, my heart was tickled.


    To be honest, I wouldn¡¯t be able to read books even if my ankle wasn¡¯t injured. As much as this guy, I also wanted to feel the temperature of the living Lesche.


    I put down the book and only moved my upper body. And I kissed Lesche¡¯s cheek that was still attached to me.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Instantly, my body was lifted up, and in the blink of an eye, my view changed. I was sitting face to face with Lesche. The hands that easily embraced me and moved me were full of strength as usual, but he was also cautious enough that I could clearly feel it at that short moment.


    One of his hands grabs my wrist. Lesche, who wrapped his other arm around my back and embraced me, lowered his head.


    His lips parted and his tongue entered at an unhurried pace. Strangely, it was a kiss that reminded me of the first kiss I had with Lesche. The touch that felt tickling like cotton wool did notst long. His deep desire began to pour on me little by little, but surely.


    ¡°Ha¡­..¡±


    I was starting to run out of breath. All of a sudden, Lesche¡¯s hand was supporting the back of my head. My chest was in pain, but I didn¡¯t want to push Lesche away. My arms around his neck trembled slightly. It was definitely our lips that were touching, but it felt like it was melting from the bottom of my neck.


    ¡°¡­Seria.¡±


    After a while, Lesche barely raised his head.


    ¡°Anyway, I think it would have been better for me to get hurt.¡±


    The whispers shook my spine. The eyes fixed on me were twitching deep. As always, this man never hides his desire for me.


    Contrary to the gaze that looked like he was about to do something right away, Lesche¡¯s hand was only gently sweeping my thighs. It was soft, tender, and even cautious. He stared at me and hugged me again.


    I felt my heart pounding against my chest. If love could be expressed through sound, this was it.


    I buried my face between Lesche¡¯s neck and shoulder. He seemed to pause, and then his other hand grabbed my hand and lifted it up.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be alive.¡±


    ¡°Why all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°I can touch you like this.¡±


    I burst outughing with my cheeks buried.


    ¡°All you can do is touch.¡±


    Lesche patted my back. A faint smile leaked out.


    ¡°This is enough for now, Seria.¡±


    It was a voice that prated so deeply that my heart pounded for a moment.


    Lesche¡¯s tongue ran through my mouth. As if saying that this was enough wasn¡¯t a lie, Lesche¡¯s hand roamed just above my waist. It didn¡¯t go down any further. But he didn¡¯t seem to want to let go and kept holding me in his arms.


    The long kiss didn¡¯t seem to end. If I tried to move away even for a moment, Lesche¡¯s hand that was on the back of my head pulled me in. His eyes were dark, making my toes numb.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche said while I leaned my back against his body and blinked slowly.


    ¡°I have to be away for about a week from the day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°A week? Why?¡±


    ¡°I have to go to the Imperial Capital. There are a few things left to organize. The battle to subdue monsters was long.¡±


    ¡®Ah.¡¯


    ¡°Go carefully.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­.?¡±


    Lesche looked at me with his brows narrowed. He seemed dissatisfied with something¡­.. Why?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I thought you would hold on to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­what?¡±


    I blinked my eyes.


    Lesche was themander-in-chief in this Demon Subjugation Battle. Moreover, the scale of this subjugation battle was huge. How could I, a Stern, not just any noblewomen, not know that the amount of work Lesche had to handle would be enormous?


    I couldn¡¯t hold on to him when I was aware of his duty¡­


    Though this thought crossed my mind, I just wrapped my arms around Lesche¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t go.¡±


    At the same time, I lightly rubbed my cheek against Lesche¡¯s face. Our chests were touching, and I could feel his heart beating fast. A moment of strange satisfaction.


    An unexpected answer came.


    ¡°¡­Really?¡±


    An unusually low voice. I wasn¡¯t kidding. I said it with sincerity.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s arms wrapped around my back tightly and pressed me into his arms.


    ¡°You told me not to go.¡±


    ¡°I was joking.¡±


    ¡°Joke? Ah.¡±


    Lescheughed as he fiddled with my hair.


    ¡°Right. I forgot that you like to y with your husband¡¯s heart.¡±


    ¡°Why are you framing me?¡±


    ¡°Who dares to frame the Grand Duchess?¡±


    I wondered if this situation that I was in awe of was funny, Lesche continued.


    ¡°Tell me not to go one more time, Seria.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go. But it¡¯s only been a week, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Lesche let out a light sigh and smiled faintly.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s always just me who¡¯s fretting.¡±


    Lesche grabbed my chin and lifted it up, then he dug into my mouth again. The kiss that never let me go made me lose all my strength.


    ¡°Seria. Are you sleepy?¡±


    Maybe the medicine the doctor gave me had a drowsy effect, I couldn¡¯t resist the rush of drowsiness. Heid my body down and stared at me. Amidst the flickering of the weak light, Lesche¡¯s gaze on me was different from usual.


    A feeling of deep relief was oozing out from Lecshe¡¯s eyes and gestures.


    Relief¡­.


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Even when I was tired, I gently stroked his cheek.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s voice was soft and low. With the clear pulse and a pleasant body temperature, I closed my eyes slowly. The thick and soft texture of the sheet that wrapped around my body seemed to seep into my skin. Because my heart felt so full.


    Eventually, I fell asleep, and the next day.


    Unlike a satisfactory sleep, I had no choice but to panic in the morning.


    ¡°Why are you following me here?¡±


    ¡°You need someone to help you to wash. Your ankle is hurt.¡±


    Lesche tried to take my clothes off without hesitation. I was horrified and kicked him out of the bathroom.


    I sighed a little as I immersed myself in the bathtub filled with hot water. With ss bottles filled with spices in their hands, the maids moved in perfect order as if nothing had happened.


    The next day was no different. When I woke up in the morning, Lesche didn¡¯t let me go. He tried to feed me in bed with the tray of food the maids had brought. Lunch and dinner were the same.


    Susan said with a smile.


    ¡°His Highness has gotten worse.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±

 Chapter 190

    A few dayster.


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    The castle was very noisy from early in the morning. It was because of Ben who came down in haste after organizing the mansion in the capital.


    ¡°Seeing that you are safe, this butler is finally relieved.¡±


    Ben wiped away the tears with his handkerchief.


    ¡°When I heard the news of the subjugation, Susan and I couldn¡¯t sleep at all. Are your ankles okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I just put on a splint.¡±


    Numerous employees of the imperial mansion who followed the butler were busy carrying in their luggage.


    In the first ce, the summer social gatherings in the Capital has ended, and soon in winter, I will have to stay at Berg as Stern, so I sent amunication to tell them to organize the imperial mansion ande down.


    I knew they wore a magic crystal ring for transportation, but I didn¡¯t know they woulde down like the wind.


    ¡°Have you already organized everything?¡±


    ¡°I stayed up all night and did it all. I was so worried that I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡±


    Ben changed the subject and delivered the news from the capital.


    ¡°Even in the capital, there is only talk about the demon subjugation. Grand Duchess. It snowed heavily in the capital as well. Everyone was amazed¡­¡±


    ¡®Somehow.¡¯


    I was puzzled because the amount of tribute that the Great Temple had foretold in a letter earlier was much greater than I expected. It seemed that the heavy snow had gone there, and even the nobles of the Imperial Pce were quite frightened.


    ¡°Then¡­ Shall we repair the inside of the castle first?¡±


    Berg¡¯s castle, which had been rather quiet due to the small number of employees staying, quickly became busy with roaming workers. After going through several seasons, all the curtains that were dusty were taken down and washed, and new curtains I had already picked out fromst spring were hung on the windows.


    The carpets on the floor were also changed to different colors. The castle was chaotic all day to demolish the building where the knights¡¯ quarters were located.


    ¡°I told the kitchen to keep desserts cold.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still hot in the morning.¡±


    Susan faithfully carried out my orders, but didn¡¯t like me working as before.


    ¡°The Grand Duchess has worked hard at the outpost, so you should rest well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be veryzy from tomorrow. What should I do?¡±


    Susan smiled as she spoke with enthusiasm.


    ¡°It¡¯s so good to hear that.¡±


    Stern, who suffered enough to die in the demon subjugation battle, said she was going to rest; no one couldin. Knowing that even the emperor couldn¡¯t even say anything, I thought I¡¯d stretch it out to my heart¡¯s content.


    ¡°So, did you fix the castle first?¡±


    ¡°Because when work is piled up, I don¡¯t feel like taking a break even if I take a break.¡±


    ¡°You are very simr to Linon.¡±


    As I listened to Susan, I closed my eyes. The hot towel on the back of my neck felt like a pillow.


    ¡°¡­I slept a lotst night, but why am I so sleepy?¡±


    ¡°Get some sleep. Grand Duchess.¡±


    Those words sounded like some kind of magic. After only closing my eyes a few times, I really fell asleep.


    When I opened my eyes again, I was on the bed, and Lesche¡¯s arms were wrapped around my waist. Slowly blinking my eyes, I moved my head a little and brought my lips to Lesche¡¯s lips. A light kiss. Looking at Lesche sleeping, I couldn¡¯t help but draw a smile.


    He said he¡¯s leaving tomorrow.


    I have to get up early and see him off. I told him to be careful ande back early. I hugged Lesche¡¯s body and closed my eyes.


    It was quitete at night.


    ***


    ¡°Why did he leave at dawn¡­?¡±


    I woke up early in the morning and Lesche was already gone. I wanted to wake up early to see him off, so it was a pity that I couldn¡¯t see his face.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    Linon came to me with a puzzled expression when I was only looking out the window.


    ¡°I am sorry to interrupt your rest, but from now on, I have not been able to arrange arbitrarily.¡±


    ¡°What can¡¯t you organize?¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s customary to make a tribute to Stern right after the subjugation, but I¡¯m not a gift organizer¡­.¡±


    ¡°I understand, so don¡¯t pretend to cry.¡±


    Linnon immediately politely put his hands together.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I should go down first.¡±


    I got on Abigail¡¯s back and went down to the first floor.


    And I fully understood Linon¡¯s words.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing¡­.¡±


    Almost all the Knights of the Glick Empire were recruited, and before the subjugation, the seventeen families participated without exception. Was it because of the situation in the early and mid-stage that was not optimistic even though the Imperial Guard was urgently dispatched? The tribute to Stern was truly a mountain. There were a lot of things sent from the Great Temple, and the gifts honored in the name of the emperor were enormous.


    Other royal families in the neighborhood and noble families that didn¡¯t belong to the seventeen families were also sufficient to keep up appearances.


    Considering that it was the scale of the crisis of the continent¡¯s destruction, which would be newly published in the history book, it seemed appropriate.


    The employees were busy moving around and organizing the gifts.


    After organizing the heavy, expensive and formal offerings such as sapphire-studded swords,rge marble sculptures, and expensive ornamental nts and precious fabrics brought from the south, the rest were filled with more quaint, literally ¡®gifts¡¯.


    Tightly wovence in the shape of a rose vine, flowers made by folding blue satin,rge ribbons dyed in 17 different colors for the same design, silk stockings finished with satin, etc¡­.


    Then there was one with the family name that caught my eye.


    <strong>Berg.</strong>


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Turning to the side, Linnon immediately coughed. Only then did I know Linon struggled to hold down his expectant expression. What to expect, a thought ran through my head.


    ¡°Linon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Why did Berg send this to me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because we can¡¯t lose to any families!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha.¡±


    Iughed out loud.


    ¡°Do you know that I am the Grand Duchess of Berg, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is carved into my bones, Grand Duchess. And that¡¯s it. All of this was ordered as your own private property.¡±


    ¡°What kind of wealth do you use¡­¡±


    I burst intoughter and opened the box.


    ¡°A ring?¡±


    Inside the red velvet box was a sparkling ring with a diamond the size of a finger and a half. I put it on my finger and opened the next box.


    ¡°Another ring?¡±


    Curious, when I opened the next box, another ring came out.


    I raised my head. Linnon, who had been holding back hisughter, straightened up. I blinked and looked down again. There were still countless boxes with Berg¡¯s signature on them. Every time I unwrapped them one by one, beautiful rings came out without fail.


    Therge jewels gleamed beautifully under the flowing sunlight.


    At this point, I was confused.


    What the rings meant¡­


    ¡°His Highness has been preparing them for a long time. That¡¯s why he ordered too many.¡±


    ¡°What¡­.¡±


    Unable to resist, my face turned red. I remembered the time when Lesche hugged me tightly. It felt like my heart was about to explode. It felt as if soft, fluffy hair was wrapping my heart without a break. My heart was pounding, and a smile spread across my lips.


    ¡°Grand Duchess?¡±


    Linon said in a bewildered voice.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you smile when His Highnesses back, instead of here?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I even smile?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too much for me, isn¡¯t it? Susan? And the Grand Duchess¡¯s face is so red right now.¡±


    ¡°Quiet.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Even after quieting Linon, the tickling feeling did not go away. I lightly scratched my red cheeks with my fingers.


    In the midst of this, all my nerves were focused on the rings, and I had no choice but tough.


    ¡®When did he (Lesche) start preparing?¡¯


    I didn¡¯t know about it at all.


    After putting all the offerings in ce, I went up to the bedroom without dy.


    Iy on the bed and spread my fingers. Hundreds of rings. I couldn¡¯t fit them all on my fingers, so I picked out only rings with red gems.


    In the Glick Empire, a ring was a gift with a very clear purpose.


    It was only given to a lover or fianc¨¦e. My heart was pounding like a person who had been running for a while.


    ¡°I can take the splint off in a few more days.¡±


    At the doctor¡¯s diagnosis, I looked down at my ankle.


    ¡°Are the bones good?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It stuck very well.¡±


    ¡°Then tell the healing priest it¡¯s okay to return to the Great Temple.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess.¡±


    A few dayster, the doctor removed the splint from my ankle and said:


    ¡°It¡¯s better not to overdo it for a day or two and stay on your knight¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°Get up. Miss.¡±


    Abigail put out her back right away and I burst outughing.


    During the day, I was carried on Abigail¡¯s back and looked around the castle. Because these days, changing the interior of the castle has been my hobby. Many of the items brought in as tributes were expensive decorations. The scale of Berg¡¯s castle was enormous, so if I changed them one by one, time went by quickly.


    Of course, wherever I went, my hands were full of rings.


    ***


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Lesche lifted his head and looked around the castle.


    ¡°The castle has changed in a few days.¡±


    Ben smiled at Lesche¡¯s words, who had just returned from the capital.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. The Grand Duchess said that she was bored and reced many things. She continues to be carried on Sir Abigail¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°Is she still being carried around?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That was just an hour ago.¡±


    Lesche frowned.


    ¡°She should be resting. Where¡¯s the doctor?¡±


    ¡°Of course the doctor said that, but¡­.Your Highness, the rest we think of and the rest that the Grand Duchess considers seem to have different meanings.¡±


    Lesche fully understood what Ben was saying immediately.


    He remembered the time when Seria and he had just gotten married, which was an unexpected marriage. (*when Seria was bleeding out at the altar without Kalis.)


    At that time, Seria said that she would somehow repay the grace that saved her life, and took the job of decorating the castle. Because it was better in many ways to be physically tired than to be engulfed in misceneous thoughts.


    He didn¡¯t expect her to perform her duties so perfectly.


    At that time, Linon did not listen to Seria¡¯s opposition and followed her around saying that he liked her.


    It was already dark outside because it was ratherte when Lesche returned home. Ben epted Lesche¡¯s coat and walked with him.


    ¡°Is Seria in the bedroom?¡±


    ¡°She was in the bedroom a while ago.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Lesche nced at the stairs.


    ¡°I want to take a bath first.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have it ready.¡±


    After taking a bath, Lesche put on a gown and walked to the bedroom.

 Chapter 191: Side Story 3

    Chapter 191. Side Story 3


    ***


    Lesche, who ced his hand on the doorknob of the bedroom, did not immediately open the door like usual. He paused in that position for a moment. His heart raced like a boy who fell in love for the first time just before seeing Seria.


    He wanted to immediately open the door and locked Seria in his arms, but at the same time, he got strangely nervous.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    If it hadn¡¯t been for a voice from afar, he would have opened the door.


    Lesche looked to the side with his hand on the doorknob. Seria was on Abigail¡¯s back, her eyes wide open. In an instant, Abigail sped up and stopped in front of the bedroom door.


    In the blink of an eye, Seria was in front of Lesche¡¯s sight. Seria asked as she was perplexed.


    ¡°When did youe?¡±


    ¡°I just came.¡±


    Lesche took his hand off the doorknob and looked at her.


    ¡°They said you were in the bedroom.¡±


    ¡°I went to the garden for a while because I had something to see with Bibi. Bibi, put me down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll transfer you.¡±


    Abigail handed Seria over to Lesche without a sign of hardship. Then she bowed and disappeared like the wind.


    Seria, who was smiling while watching the disappearing Abigail, her chin was turned and made eye contact with Lesche.


    ¡°Le¡­.?¡±


    Lesche tongue, which had dug into Seria¡¯s gap lips, gently brushed the inside of her mouth. At some point, Seria¡¯s back stuck to the cold marble wall next to the bedroom door. Lesche grabbed Seria¡¯s two thighs and supported her, kissing her relentlessly.


    A red color quickly appeared on Seria¡¯s cheeks. Her arms were naturally wrapped around Lesche¡¯s neck, and her fingers touched his skin, which was revealed above the silk gown.


    At that moment, Lesche felt several hard, unfamiliar touches on his skin.


    His tongue, which had been digging into Seria¡¯s as if to devour her, stopped. After kissing her lightly a few more times, Lesche lifted his chin slowly. His hand grabbed Seria¡¯s hand and brought it in front of his eyes.


    Eight rings on her five fingers.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seria coughed awkwardly.


    ¡°I wanted to wear them all because you gave them to me. But there are so many so this is my limit. It¡¯s funny, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It looked like Seria was trying to wear as many rings as possible somehow, so she thought it might make himugh.


    But noughter came out. Lesche¡¯s heart pounded strangely.


    How could he describe this moment of holding her hand in his eyes? These were the rings that Lesche had spent a lot of time choosing. He couldn¡¯t give them to Seria right away because he thought there might still be traces of her ex-fianc¨¦ somewhere in her heart.


    Seria didn¡¯t know the feelings Lesche had while Lesche¡¯s gaze was fixed on her fingers. Seria, who bowed her head, buried her cheek between his neck and shoulder and asked.


    ¡°When did you start preparing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°Just.¡±


    After hesitating a bit, Lesche continued his words.


    ¡°¡­I just wanted to.¡±


    Seria raised her head. She moved her hand, which was caught by Lesche, and wrapped his cheek. She smiled brightly. Her eyes twinkled withughter.


    ¡°It¡¯s the best gift I¡¯ve ever received in my life.¡±


    Was this how it felt to hold a full hand of midsummer? Lesche couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Seria at all.


    Without knowing his feelings, without knowing his anxieties,


    The woman who grabbed all of Lesche¡¯s tightly and did not let go was kissing his lips.


    It was such a light kiss that made him even more thirsty.


    ¡°I¡¯m d I married you.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s throat stopped for a moment at the whispering voice. Seria was not aware of the reaction.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    He no longer kissed harshly. He entered the bedroom with just as much smile as Seria¡¯s. The door closed. Lesche put Seria down on the bed. He leaned her upper body against her body and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Tell me again what you said.¡±


    ¡°Was it a good thing I married you?¡±


    Lesche let out a groan and buried his face in Seria¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m going crazy.¡± (Lesche)


    Seria blinked her eyes.


    ¡°If I knew you would say that, I would have given it (the rings) to you sooner.¡± (Lesche)


    Then Seria, who was about to say that she would say it every day from today, mped her lips. It was because Lesche, who had been buried in her neck and raised his head, his eyes were shimmering deeply.


    ¡°Why are you doing this when I¡¯m not well?¡± (Seria)


    Lesche bit Seria¡¯s finger. His tongue, licking her fingertips, was terrifyingly erotic. A wet sound rang in Seria¡¯s ears.


    His hand went down and lightly touched her ankle.


    He knew that Seria had taken her splint off. The only thing wrapped up was a bandage. Lesche grabbed the ribbon from Seria¡¯s dress and pulled it. Her spilled clothes fell onto the sheets. Lesche held Seria¡¯s injured calf tightly with his hand.


    Seria¡¯s smile slowly faded. Her breathing was starting to get worse.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    ¡°How can I not¡­ahhh!¡±


    Seria¡¯s spine straightened up. She found out btedly. Everything about Lesche was naked with desire. Just like a man whose eyes have turned around. Lesche¡¯s handprints were red on Seria¡¯s injured calf, which had been held captive the whole time. She tried to struggle several times, but she couldn¡¯t even move. It was as if her leg had been nailed to a strong force.


    The more he plunged into her, the more her body trembled. Her tears dripped down and wet the sheet. Seria was sobbing for a long time that she couldn¡¯te to her senses. Her lower back was so weak that it was almost painful, but her body responded faithfully, as always.


    ¡°Stop¡­.Lesche¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. She didn¡¯t even have the energy to push Lesche away.


    Seriay down and buried her wet face in the pillow. How much suffering. She began to doze off as soon as he let her go.


    It seemed that Lesche was whispering something, but it didn¡¯t evene into her ears.


    Seria quickly fell asleep as if fainting. Lesche, who was staring softly at the motionless eyshes, reached out and put her long, sweaty, disheveled hair behind her ear. No matter what Seria did, he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her. He didn¡¯t want to take it off.


    He was just staring at her, but somehow his heart was pounding. He sometimes had her in his eyes without a word, and it felt like he sometimes forgot to breathe. Lesche raised Seria¡¯s droopy hand and put it on his chest. His heart was beating very fast.


    Obviously.


    Lesche covered half of her face with one of his hands. A sigh escaped.


    He pressed his lips to her forehead and to her lips a few more times. Still not enough, he embraced Seria, who had fallen asleep, into his arms. Like the flowing sunlight, the warmth was smeared on the skin that touched it. Only this body temperature of her, only her smile, felt like his everything.


    Every time Seria rubbed in his arms, a faint smile appeared on Lesche¡¯s lips.


    Really overflowing with love.


    ***


    Seria couldn¡¯t get out of bed for a while, even after the splint was removed.


    She did note out in any way. (*Lesche tormented her for a few days )


    ¡°What about this?


    Susan pondered for a moment, and she thought it would be good to leave the second floor empty for the rest of the day as well. The only problem was that she had to clean the bedroom every day.


    In particr, sheets and nkets have to be changed every day¡­


    She couldn¡¯t miss a single day.


    ¡°Ben, I guess I¡¯ll have to move the cleaning on the second floor from tomorrow to lunchtime.¡±


    ¡°Good idea. Susan.¡±


    Considering the magnificence of Berg¡¯s castle, there was a need to leave the entire second floor empty.


    Just in case.


    Anyway, there was a time when Seria and Lesche went to the bathroom. Cleaning the bedroom was something that would have to be done quickly when they were in the bathroom.


    Susan and Ben went down to the first floor and had a small conversation today, such as how about putting in a new damask.


    (*Lesche and Seria do it almost all day every day, Susan had to change the sheets but couldn¡¯t find a good time to do it, unless when Seria and Lesche were bathing.)


    ****


    <strong>Part</strong> <strong>2. Can I tie it up?</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>


    ¡®Finally trying on the shoes.¡¯


    Seria looked down at the leg with new eyes. The blue shoes that the maids carefully picked out of the twenty pairs of shoes were very pretty and expensive.


    It had been two weeks since she had to wear slippers and only with the foot that wasn¡¯t injured. It was a strange feeling to wear expensive shoes with blue ribbons and jewels after a long time.


    She wore a light blue dress that matched her shoes, and her hair was braided to expose her neck and tied up with a ribbon. It was still a bit hot in the middle of the day, so this outfit suited her well. Whenever she moved her face, a ribbon with colorful gems fluttered.


    Even carrying an expensivece parasol that the maids had airlifted, Seria and Abigail went out to the main entrance garden.


    ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been to a weapon shop.¡¯


    It was. She was going to follow Abigail to the weapon shop.


    She couldn¡¯t get out of the bedroom for a while, and there came a time when she had to let people know that she was alive.


    ¡°Oh my, Grand Duchess!¡±


    And, as expected, numerous vassals recognized her and crept up and groveled.


    ¡°Looks like you finally got the bandages off.¡±


    ¡°I was very worried because it was difficult to see you for a long time.¡±


    Seria flinched, but she was able to hide her expression very well if she made up her mind.


    ¡°I got a good rest because I was injured. I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    ¡°Ah. You worked so hard as Stern in the subjugation battle.¡±


    ¡°But where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I have a ce to go with my knight.¡±


    ¡°Ah. They said that the carriage was out there.¡±


    The vassals left saying that they had taken a lot of her time. Seria got into the cart with Abigail.


    ¡°By the way, Bibi. Why are you going to see the arms dealer?¡±


    ¡°I have to buy a sword.¡±


    ¡°A sword?¡±


    Seria lowered her gaze. There was a sword Abigail always wore on her waist.


    ¡°It¡¯s not for me.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°I broke Sir Elliot¡¯s sword in half during the Demon subjugation battle.¡±


    ¡°Did you fight with Elliot?¡±


    ¡°Please, Miss. There was only a minor disagreement.¡±

 Chapter 192: Side Story 4

    Chapter 192. Side Story 4


    *First Pov.


    ¡°¡­ ?¡±


    I don¡¯t know what kind of disagreement had caused the Knight Commander¡¯s sword to be cut in half, but¡­


    ¡°Tell me if you don¡¯t have enough money.¡±


    Abigail smiled softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Miss. I don¡¯t need such a good thing.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    It took quite a while to get out of the vast garden of the castle. The carriage wheels headed to the city of the central territory ran diligently. Looking out the window at the changingndscape, I imagined what the weapons store would look like. I was not a knight, I had little connection with the weapon shop. I once came along with Abigail to a shop in the capital.


    ¡®It¡¯s huge here, too.¡¯


    As a territory with the best knights on the continent, the size of the weapon store was enormous. I stepped on the footstool


    and get off the carriage. When I entered the shop, I could smell metal and wood. There were a lot of people. As I looked up, precious-looking swords were hanging on the wall like exhibits.


    Rtively cheap swords were ced carelessly in several wooden barrels like umbre stands. Each of them was tied with a pricebel. In addition, there were many rare things that made my eyes turn. Armor, weapons, shoes with iron, wooden baskets full of keystrokes, etc. There was one of them that caught my eye.


    ¡°What are these ropes for?¡±


    The shopkeeper, who had alreadye out and followed me, rubbed his hands.


    ¡°Yes. Ropes to tie small animals, Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Small animals? So the surface is smooth.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was wrapped in a fluffy cloth.¡±


    I lifted the rope. The rope, which was not rough, was very thin.


    ¡°Will it break?¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of small animals that are strong¡­ They look thin, but they are very tough. This is the toughest rope we have.¡±


    ¡°Tough?¡±


    ¡°Tough.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really¡­ ho, maybe I did something wrong?¡±


    The shopkeeper asked, shaking his shoulders a little. I shook my head and grabbed the rope.


    ¡°I¡¯m buying this as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess.¡±


    Berg was thend of the Grand Duke, and there were a lot of nobles who were vassals. There were cases where such aristocrats were suddenly addicted to these things, so the shopkeeper immediately wrapped the rope without asking anything.


    ¡®Maybe he¡¯s just scared of me.¡¯


    I walked with a rope wrapped in a paper bag in my hand.


    ¡°Bibi. Did you buy the sword?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I bought it.¡±


    ¡°Is it this?¡±


    I tilted my head. It was because it was one of the swords that were lying carelessly in the umbre stand I saw earlier.


    The cheap pricebel was still there, so I immediately recognized it.


    ¡°Is that really okay? Alliot is a knightmander.¡±


    ¡°Since it was a legitimate conflict of opinion, this is overdone. Because the Lady¡­¡±


    ¡°Me¡­?¡±


    ¡°It has been twelve hours since the Lady disappeared and was not found. The Lady and your husband.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­.¡±


    ¡°Then I grabbed Sir Alliot by the neck.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°But they didn¡¯t let me go look for the Lady, so I threw my gloves.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Sir Alliot is themander of the Berg Knights, who was acting as a temporarymander-in-chief, right? I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to beat him in a sword fight, so I just broke his sword.¡±


    ¡®Where is that minor disagreement¡­?¡¯


    Seeing that talking wasn¡¯t doing any good, Abigail was avoiding the eyes of others and threw her gloves.


    ¡°Still, you care about Alliot.¡±


    Abigail blinked at my words.


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t need to buy him a sword. It was a duel.¡±


    It was cold, but it wasn¡¯t wrong. The world of knights was cold. Besides, considering Abigail¡¯s personality, buying and returning a sword like this was a very nice gesture.


    ¡°Still, since he¡¯s themander of the Berg Knights, you should let him keep his reputation, right?¡±


    Abigail smiled.


    ¡°The Lady is the only one who knows me best.¡±


    I returned the smile and left the weapon shop with Abigail. Here, in one of Berg¡¯srgest towns, the clock tower district also hadvish jewelry stores, ssical antique shops andrge bookstores that would enthrall the aristocrats. After looking around for a while, we headed to a dessert shop in a good mood.


    ¡°Bibi. Is there anything you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Anything. I want to eat what the Lady wants to eat.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Then, um¡­¡±


    Actually, I didn¡¯t know much about Abigail¡¯s eating habits. Because she wasn¡¯t picky about food at all. So I traced the menu from the first line to thest line.


    ¡°One of these and some tea. Give me some ice too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it ready soon.¡±


    I sat by the window on the second floor with a good view and enjoyed the afternoon breeze. What will Alliot look like when he receives that sword with the cheap pricebel on it? My inclination was to stand by and watch, but it was clear that if I did, both of them would not like it, so I held back.


    ¡°You waited a long time.¡±


    The table, which could seat six people, quickly filled up with tes and teacups.


    A pie and plenty of whipped cream on top of colored cookies with a rich buttery vor, or fillings with lime peels finely ground.


    Various tarts and several crepes topped with jam. The almonds, each topped with caramel and chocte, were a bit sweet to my taste, but still delicious.


    ¡®It seems to fit Bibi¡¯s taste very well.¡¯


    Haha, Abigail was never picky about food. She ate everything well, a lot and cleanly. Our Abigail, full of rewarding food¡­. After drinking a cup of bittersweet ck tea with ice, we returned to the castle.


    ***


    *Third pov*


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the vacation is short.¡± (Lesche)


    Linon tilted his head as Lesche said, resting his cheek on the back of his hand.


    ¡®Does he really think it¡¯s a vacation?¡¯ (Linon)


    The aides all knew that in the past few days, Lesche just finished his every other morning meeting and went down to the second floor in a hurry. And then he wouldn¡¯te out of the bedroom until dawn the next day. (*Lesche rushed and finished all his work in the morning then went to the bedroom to have fun with Seria until dawn the next day for a few days.)


    They knew very well that the second floor became a temporary off-limits area.


    Originally, Leschemanded the Knights Temr in the training hall every morning at dawn. However, because of the previous battle against the demons, now the Knights of Berg were also on a temporary leave.


    Thanks to that, Lesche checked the documents at that time. So¡­.


    ¡®It¡¯s not a vacation.¡¯


    Anyway, he was still working on other things. Linon thought so.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Linon wanted to rmend it.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡­ take a vacation?¡±


    He (Linon)ter wanted to score some points by telling Seria that he had fervently convinced the Grand Duke to take a vacation. Besides, human psychology goes even more crazy if you offer something sweet. Rather, if Lesche took a real vacation and enjoyed it fully, and in the long run, he would be less obsessed with his wife as he is now¡­.


    In fact, Linon was worried that Seria wouldn¡¯t be unable to walk.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re married, you can rest a little longer¡­¡± (Linon)


    Lesche, who was reading the documents, raised his gaze.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you marry?¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a partner?¡± (Lesche)


    Linon couldn¡¯t answer right away and hesitated. Lesche raised her eyebrows slightly.


    Just as he once told Ben and Susan, who encouraged him to get married, to get married themselves. And in the past, every time Linon talked about marriage, Lesche would tell him to get married too.


    Like now.


    But at the time, Linon listened appropriately, but now things were a little different than usual. The unced nces were new, but¡­


    Lesche looked down at the papers indifferently.


    ¡°Get married. I¡¯ll give you a luxurious wedding..¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Thank you, Your Highness.¡±


    After that, Lesche finished his work in silence. Since Seria went out today, he worked untilte evening.


    But by that time, the bedroom was still empty.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Ben approached and bowed his head gently.


    ¡°The Grand Duchess isingte because she has some work to do in the study.¡±


    ¡°As soon as the bandages are removed, she moves immediately.¡±


    Lesche clicked his tongue low. In fact he didn¡¯t like that Seria went out to the city today. What if she suddenly gets sick while moving?


    Of course, Seria was the kind of person who just walked around when her ankle was injured.


    He wondered if he could be wrong. As Lesche was about to go straight up to the study, Ben stopped him with a troubled face.


    ¡°She said to tell Your Highness not toe.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Lesche frowned slightly. Ben hurriedly added.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that the Grand Duchess was in a bad mood. No, on the contrary, she looked very happy.¡±


    ¡°Happy?¡±


    ¡°Yes. In my eyes, she was¡­¡±


    At that moment, Lesche¡¯s expression softened a little. He remembered he was not allowed to enter the study from Seriast time, and she gave him a secret gift that she even embroidered on herself.


    Since she was happy, it must be the same this time. What other gift was she nning to give him?


    Lesche cast his gaze at the empty bedroom. He had been working all day, and he didn¡¯t really want to be alone in the bedroom without Seria.


    ¡°Prepare the bath.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    In fact, Lesche always took a bath before entering the bedroom for nearly two weeks. Today was different. It was because he wanted to take a bath with Seria. It was to tease her for staying in the study. It would be fun to see her face turn red from surprise.


    Perhaps Seria knew about his prank, so she stayed in the study.


    Lesche took a long bath and waited, and when he came out, there was still no Seria.


    So he just stood at the door waiting, thinking that he should get some papers from the office to look over to pass the time.


    But then the doorknob turned.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Seria blinked her eyes when she saw Lesche right in front of the door.


    ¡°Lesche? Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I want to wait in front of your study.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Seria burst outughing. Lesche fully understood why Ben said that Seria had a happy expression on her face.


    Seria looked noticeably happy. He loved seeing those blue eyes looking at him as if it would suffocate him.


    Back in the bedroom. With such a sparkling smile on her lips, Seria walked closer to Lesche. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips.


    Lesche didn¡¯t have time to panic, or act. It was because Seria, who quickly kissed his lips to the point of being wild, spoke in a whisper.


    ¡°Close your eyes for a second.¡±

 Chapter 193: Tragedy 193 - Rain Of Snow

    Tragedy 193 - Rain of snow


    9-12 minutes


    ***


    <strong>Sponsored by Meowy ?? (7/10)</strong>


    ***


    Lesche quietly closed his eyes. Seria grabbed his wrist and carefully dragged him towards the bed, and she sat him down.


    Lesche¡¯s head was raised. It wasn¡¯t his doing. Because Seria lifted Lesche¡¯s chin with her finger.


    As she leaned over and kissed his forehead, Lesche¡¯s hands naturally moved towards Seria¡¯s waist, but was stopped.


    ¡°Stay still.¡±


    Seria walked on her knees on the bed and headed behind Lesche¡¯s back. Slippers dropped from her feet and fell under the bed.


    After a while, she grabbed Lesche¡¯s arms from behind, and began to tie his hands.


    ¡°¡­what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Are you ufortable?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s reply was a bitte.


    ¡°It¡¯s not ufortable.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t move.¡±


    The feeling of his wrists being tied with a rope was vivid. Lesche did not understand this situation at all, but for the moment, he decided to keep quiet at the sound of Seria¡¯sughter.


    In an instant, his hands werepletely tied.


    Lesche asked, moving his tied hands behind his back a little.


    ¡°Are Sterns also taught how to tie a rope?¡±


    Seria said triumphantly.


    ¡°Can I? I learned from Bibi a while ago.¡±


    Lesche chuckled. It is certainly the way knights tie up prisoners when they subdue them.


    So this¡­


    ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡±


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Seria crawled on her knees and sat down on Lesche¡¯s thighs. A warm and soft body came close to him. The weight felt too light for Lesche. He always grabbed it with his hands, as he felt like she would fly away.


    Seria pushed Lesche¡¯s upper body back as it was. She tried toy him down as he always did to her. Seria¡¯s body, which was closely attached to his, was sensitively felt. Not knowing that, Seria smiled contentedly. In that state she bowed her body.


    Lesche¡¯s neck trembled as a wet touch touched his lips. He tried to move his hands reflexively but they were tied with a rope and did not work as intended. The kiss that felt seductive was still the same, and the long hair flowing down his face was still there¡­


    Lesche opened and closed his eyes slowly.


    It was driving him crazy.


    He could cut off the rope easily, but¡­


    How meticulously¡­


    Even in the midst of it, he was thirsty for fear that Seria¡¯s lips would move away. If she didn¡¯t let him touch her, shouldn¡¯t it be okay if she kissed him all day long like this? Seria lifted her head up, as expected, not long after. At the receding body temperature, Lesche lifted his upper body, and his shoulders were quickly pressed against her.


    ¡°¡­.Seria.¡±


    Little by little, there was a mix of panting breaths.


    ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡±


    ¡°Every day, if you kiss me, you try to eat me.¡±


    Lesche raised his eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°Therefore?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to kiss you like this.¡±


    ¡°That¡­.¡±


    Lesche¡¯s words did notst to the end. Seria awkwardly blocked his words with her lips. Even with a kiss that was clearly intentional, Lesche didn¡¯t even think to push her away. He just wanted to grab Seria¡¯s arms that were supporting his body and press her onto the bed. Contrary to her desire to force him out of breath, Seria¡¯s kisses were so sweet, enough to make him yearn.


    Seria¡¯s hands dug into Lesche¡¯s open robe. The chest was tightened with muscles, and she stroked his solid chest with the palm of her hand and went down. With her cheeks blushing from the long kiss, but with her yful eyes, Seria lifted her head.


    She remembered the night she first found out that the corners of Lesche¡¯s eyes were red. His eyes now were much redder than that.


    ¡°Do more.¡± (Lesche)


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± (Seria)


    ¡°You¡¯re going to kill people like this.¡± (Lesche)


    Seriaughed without denying it. Seeing her take her clothes off in front of his eyes, Lesche couldn¡¯t tell if he was actually thirsty or if he was engulfed in the thought of being thirsty.


    Breathing mixed again. He could clearly feel the body sitting on top of his robe. It was the same with Seria. It was when Seria was just moving her body, thinking it would be good to step away from the danger she felt instinctively.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You only tied my hands.¡±


    ¡°¡­.?¡±


    It was at that moment when Seria felt that strength entered Lesche¡¯s thighs vividly.


    In an instant, her vision was turned upside down, still with a bewildered expression on her face.


    ¡°¡­your hands are tied, how did you do that?¡±


    ¡°You seem to often forget that your husband is a knight.¡±


    Lesche, who answered in a triumphant manner, bowed his upper body. Contrary to his calm voice, in reality, his clinging lips were filled with impatience that could not be erased.


    His hands were still tied, but better than before. Seria wouldn¡¯t be able to get away now. Seria also seemed to have sensed that fact. In every act, Lesche¡¯s thirst and desire dripped. Obviously his hands were tied, and she knew he couldn¡¯t break it, but she didn¡¯t know why this man looked like a predator.


    Gradually, Seria¡¯s breathing began to shake. She was willing to feel the sweetness of her burning cheeks, her arms wrapped around Lesche¡¯s neck. Lesche¡¯s robe, which was half stripped off, stopped flowing near his arms, where they were tied.


    The veins in his tightly bound hands were prominent.


    (How could they skip the smut!!)


    ***


    The next day.


    It has been raining since dawn, and the sound of raindrops pounding against the window could be heard incessantly in the early morning.


    Lesche was sitting in his office, checking his documents.


    He wasn¡¯t alone. Because Seria, who was asleep, was in his arms.


    It was not a week visited by vassals, nor did his aides have a special task to call, and Lesche¡¯s office was quiet and undisturbed.


    It was when his hand ruffled Seria¡¯s hair a little.


    Knock. Knock.


    A knock on the door was heard, and the doctor cautiously entered. He had brought warm medicine.


    ¡°Your Highness. I¡¯ve brought some medicine for the Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll feed her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    The hard-to-find Metis flower was the medicine. It was one of the things that the emperor granted the Grand Duke of Berg for his contribution to the battle against the Demons. As soon as he saw Lesche, he thought he had to feed Seria this special flower medicine.


    ¡°Can I feed her after a while?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s okay if it cools down.¡±


    ¡°Leave it here.¡±


    Why was the Grand Duchess sleeping in a ce like this instead of the spacious bedroom¡­


    The doctor did not ask. Because he remembered how much the revered Grand Duke had to work to check when the Grand Duke¡¯s ankle was healed.


    The knights of Berg suffered enough to die in the subjugation of the beasts, and the castle users were also busy arranging the pouring tribute, but frankly, the doctor was exhausted and struggling.


    The doctor carefully set the tray down and looked at Lesche¡¯s wrists involuntarily. The doctor¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Your Highness. Should I bring you some ointment?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°It looks like you injured your wrists¡­.¡±


    At the careful voice, Lesche¡¯s gaze moved toward his wrists.


    Traces of something like a rope were clearly visible. It was a clear mark that would cause bruises.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Yes? Yes¡­ let me know if you need it.¡±


    ¡°How long do you think it will take for this to heal?¡±


    The doctor said after examining Lesche¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°It will disappearpletely in a week or so.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯tst very long.¡±


    ¡®¡­do you want it tost longer?¡¯


    The doctor was puzzled. He felt a strange tone in Lesche¡¯s words. But for a while. Lesche pointed to the door with his chin.


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    The doctor nodded his head and stepped back.


    The doctor, of course, had no idea that Seria had loosened the rope because of this very wound. The fact that Seria had shriveled up like this after releasing Lesche.


    Not only the doctor, but no one in this great castle would know.


    The only one who knew reflected on what had happened earlier in the early morning.


    He didn¡¯t expect Seria toe to the office with a knock. Because Seria couldn¡¯t get up for lunch, let alone morning, all these days.


    ¡°Are your wrists okay?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s eyes grew slightly bigger due to Seria¡¯s sudden visit, and he looked down at his wrists and slightly distorted his eyebrows.


    ¡°It hurts a little.¡±


    No. It didn¡¯t hurt at all.


    Seria came into his office with a worried face. As she asked if there was anything she could do to help, she seemed quite concerned about Lesche¡¯s wrists.


    Lesche asked Seria to help with his paperwork and sat Seriapletely in his office. He said it would take more time than usual to finish the work because his wrists hurt. Seria¡¯s restless appearance caught his eyes.


    After a while Seria slowly began to doze off. She couldn¡¯t keep her eyes open for a long time. Especially because she suffered badly all nightst night.


    She eventually fell asleep in Lesche¡¯s arms.


    It was a pity that the marks on his wrists would be gone after a week.


    The next day and even the next day, Lesche did not bother to cover his wrists in front of Seria. Every time she saw it, she came to his office with a troubled expression on her face.


    Lesche was happy.


    Seria¡¯s body, touching his chest, was warm and soft. It¡¯s just soft¡­. So it¡¯s normal to be excited, but why did his heart feel like it¡¯s fluctuating like this? It was such a distant feeling that no matter how deep he threw his body, he couldn¡¯t see the bottom of the sea.


    Lesche raised Seria¡¯s sleeping hand. In the midst of this, she was still wearing four of her rings on her soft hand. Laughter inevitably came out. Lesche pressed his lips to the back of Seria¡¯s hand and listened to the rain for quite some time.


    It was a cozy morning.

 Chapter 194: Side Story 6. Confinement

    Chapter 194. Side Story 6. Confinement


    *First pov*


    ¡°Stern!¡±


    Several weeks have passed since then.


    Even after Lesche¡¯s wrists werepletely healed, the high-ranking priests who ran from the entrance hall of the castle with happy faces immediately asked.


    ¡°Long time no see. Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    The priests turned red to the tip of their noses and asked how I was doing. I reassured them by reciting all the precious medicines I had taken during that time. It was because I was well aware of the feelings of the priests who cared so much about me.


    ¡°Who is the high priest?¡±


    ¡°High Priest Henoch has arrived.¡±


    ¡°I see. Ben?¡±


    ¡°Wee to Berg, priests. I will show you to your amodations.¡±


    The priests followed Ben, and I and Susan looked inside the castle meticulously.


    When I injured my ankle, I had nothing to do, so the interior of the castle was splendidly changed. Rather than wallpaper withrge patterns, I preferred expensive looking wallpapers and carpets because of the luxurious material instead of soft patterns. Thanks to that, the castle was thoroughly decorated ording to my taste.


    Just until yesterday.


    It was covered with a simple cloth and all the decorations were removed, so it looked much more simple.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that High Priest Henoch woulde.¡±


    It had been a week before I received a notification that the High Priest had decided to stay in the castle due to some sort of incident.


    ¡°Is the food ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grand Duchess. I¡¯ve got it all ready. Bread, stew, and dessert were prepared with fruits. Oh, the chef said that the bread was also made in a very rustic style.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡±


    A thought urred to me as I nodded at Susan¡¯s words.


    If the frugality of the priests was not widely spread, the nobles who served the priests would have sprinkled gold powder on the bread, right?


    A world where the divine power lived and breathed, and the evidence that God was alive was vivid. Even if it wasn¡¯t for that, I used to think that if I hadn¡¯t put any restrictions on it¡­ it would have been corrupted soon. In fact, just look at the tremendous hospitality Sterns received.


    Considering this, it was undoubtedly a custom to be followed. I was the Grand Duchess of Berg, so I was bothered and I had a lot to worry about.


    After checking everything, I went horseback riding after a long time.


    ¡°Grand Duchess! Look!¡±


    Linon, who was riding a horse from behind, shouted in a proud voice. Of course, even if he didn¡¯t shout, I could see him.


    The sun was clearly softened.


    Below that, a huge silver tree stood tall enough to be alien to the in. The leaves shining in silver were thick.


    There were many priests around.


    In the center of it stood High Priest Henoch. After simply saying hello to each other, we met the surprised eyes of High Priest Henoch, who couldn¡¯t hide it.


    ¡°Actually, it looks like the size of the world tree. It¡¯s such a huge silver tree.¡±


    These were the words of High Priest Henoch. The silverurel tree towering over this field was almost the same size as the world tree that was protected in a separate garden at the Great Temple.


    It was because of this huge silver tree that a high priest was dispatched from the Great Temple. Of course, the aristocrats and residents of Berg were also very surprised. I slept and woke up to see a huge silver tree suddenly sprouting out of the in¡­


    High Priest Henoch asked with an iprehensible expression.


    ¡°Stern. Do you have any guesses?¡±


    I looked up at the shade of silver leaves. There was something I could guess. This was the ce where the moonlight that Liegel shed when he died permeated the earth.


    So, I thought that the moonlight was stagnant, and this huge silver tree was blooming. It was a guess, but there was no good reason other than that.


    Not telling everything about Tuban and Liegel, but also lying at all.


    I spoke moderately conscientiously and as close to the truth as possible. Because he had the right to know the truth considering how much the Great Temple had suffered.


    ¡°That¡­ it¡¯s a gift from the star guardian to Stern.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly what the Grand Duke said.¡±


    High Priest Henoch smiled in regret.


    ¡°So Berg transferred ownership of this silver tree to Stern. Grand Duchess¡­.¡±


    ¡°I have no intention of giving it away, so it will be mine.¡±


    High Priest Henoch let out a smallugh.


    ¡°Yes, I understand. We¡¯ll deal with that. By the way, I heard that you were injured a lot during the battle of defeat. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve helped the star guardian and killed the ghost of the demons¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill it. The guardian did it.¡±


    ¡°Nevertheless.¡±


    High Priest Henoch looked up at the silver tree with a new look. Then he slowly opened his mouth.


    ¡°Then¡­.¡±


    A slightly shaky voice.


    ¡°The Magi that was encroaching upon her¡­¡±


    High Priest Henoch euphemistically expressed ¡®Her¡¯, but I couldn¡¯t help but understand who he was talking about.


    ¡°The Magi attached to Lina belonged to that ghost (Liegel).¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    For a moment, High Priest Henoch was silent. I thought he would be very surprised, but he was more calm than I thought. I learned a fact while drinking tea together. The Great Temple was already aware that Lina was made of Magi. I knew when Lina was locked up in the holy prison.


    ¡°High Priest Jubelud is busy these days. He was about to resign as High Priest, but I said that I would ept his resignation next year because I don¡¯t have a lot of divine power to use for the boundary.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I heard that High Priest Jubelud decided to spend the rest of his life wandering the slums. For a priest who was ordained a high priest to go around the slums, the admiration would be tremendous.


    ¡°By the way, Stern.¡±


    High Priest Henoch tilted his head.


    ¡°How long will you be here? Haven¡¯t you been here for five hours?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have to go back.¡±


    I coughed and lifted my head.


    ***


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche opened his mouth as he looked out therge window in his office.


    ¡°Did she go to the silver tree today?¡±


    Ben nodded his head.


    ¡°Yes, my lord. She had breakfast and went with High Priest Henoch.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the third day.¡±


    ¡°The Grand Duchess seems to like it very much.¡±


    Ben¡¯s shrill voice rang out. Lesche tilted his chin lightly. Henoch¡¯s words came to his mind.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s particrly attracted to the silver tree because she¡¯s a Stern. I¡¯m not sure, but that¡¯s what I see. If Myote Sternes, it will be more certain.¡±


    Thanks to that, Myote Stern will alsoe to this Grand Duke¡¯s castle tomorrow.


    ¡°It¡¯s good for Berg. Your Highness.¡±


    Linon, who was standing with them, said slyly.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s a good thing.¡±


    Grand Duke of Berg, who struggled to bring Stern every winter. Decorate the room with expensive things, cook and offer food from the most precious prey, but the only trouble with the central territory was that even though the vassals were at their wits¡¯ end to serve, it was difficult to win the hearts and minds of the Sterns.


    It was very pleasing for the Grand Duke of Berg toe up with something that could capture the hearts of those difficult Sterns. It was something that should be considered to be good but Lesche¡­.


    His wife kept going there from morning to evening.


    ¡°It will be a problem in winter.¡±


    Lesche frowned slightly. The ce where the silver tree stood tall was not far from the borderline of the demons.


    Still, the winter of the Grand Duchy was harsh. And if Seria kept going to the silver tree like that¡­


    ¡°It must be a matter of time before she catches a cold.¡±


    ¡°Should we build a new hut over there?¡±


    At Ben and Linon¡¯s question, Lesche¡¯s brows furrowed slightly.


    ¡°If we build a hut, she won¡¯t be able to see the silver tree. If she can see it from inside and she doesn¡¯t need to go outside in the cold, it would be better to build something like a ss greenhouse.¡±


    Having said that, Lesche tilted his chin slightly.


    It was a ce that Seria liked so much, but the fundamental question of whether she would like the ss greenhouse has passed.


    With a more honest heart, Lesche wanted to present something much better. Just like a man in love always does.


    After checking thest document, Lesche without dy went down to the first floor and got on the horse.


    ¡°Grand Duke Berg.¡±


    The pdins who were guarding the silver tree¡¯s perimeter, backed away and bowed as they saw Lesche.


    Lesche raised his gaze.


    The overwhelmingly gigantic silver tree, with its lush leaves shining beautifully with a soft silver color, catches the eye. Was it because of the dense shade? The strong sunlight fell softly like the moonlight.


    Lesche looked at Seria¡¯s back, clearly speaking with High Priest Henoch.


    In the not-so-short time, Lesche, who had only been staring at her, looked at the silver tree again. Sunlight scattered like shards of crystal through the dense leaves. Perhaps that was why Seria liked this silver tree so much and came out to see it so often.


    ¡°We¡¯d better make a greenhouse ceiling out of crystals.¡±


    ¡°Crystal? Yes, I¡¯ll prepare it right away. Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°That would fit the status of the Grand Duchess.¡±


    Lesche, who gave a simple order, quickly strode towards Seria. Linon murmured to Ben, who was apanying him.


    ¡°Ben, did you hear that? In my opinion, it would fit the status of the emperor.¡±


    Ben grinned.


    ¡°But for His Highness, that is not good enough when ites to the Grand Duchess.¡±

 Chapter 195

    ¡°I¡¯m really curious what the other Sterns are like.¡±


    Susan was excited. Ben was no different.


    ¡°I am very curious. Grand Duchess.¡±


    Susan and Ben, who seemed to have been sleepless the previous day with anticipation, seemed to have grasped everything in five minutes after Myote entered.


    ¡®Oh my.¡¯


    Myote looked up at the silver tree and looked back at me.


    ¡°In the subjugation battle, you broke your ankle and could not walk properly. Are you walking well now?¡±


    ¡°Myote Stern fainted and was carried on a knight¡¯s back like it was just yesterday, but now you look well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid, and I can¡¯t stay stunned for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Same here. My ankle was healed a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯ve heard that before. If you have a strong personality, you don¡¯t get sick. ¡°


    ¡°Thank you for saying what I wanted to say.¡±


    Ben and Susan, who had followed up to the silver tree as a sign of hospitality to Stern, were seen startled with wide eyes.


    Myote opened her mouth as she sat down at an outdoor table under the silver tree.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you were all well, and I brought a bunch of medicinal herbs as a gift for my visit. I see it¡¯s useless now.¡±


    ¡°I will keep it well for entertaining guests visiting the Berg Castle.¡±


    ¡°Give it to at least guests with the title of Marquis or higher. I¡¯ve carefully selected expensive and precious items.¡±


    ¡°Since Myote Stern¡¯s sincerity cannot be ignored, should I receive only nobles who visit the castle with the title of marquis or higher?¡±


    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. If the intent is to insult me, you seed.¡±


    ¡°Should I openly curse at the precious Stern?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it behind the scenes.¡±


    I smiled and leaned back on the chair.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of swearing behind your back?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Myote Stern answered in a proud voice.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t care because I don¡¯t need toe to the Central Territory for the next 60 years.¡±


    ¡°Enjoy yourselves in your spare time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on it.¡±


    The rustling of expensive tea cups echoed through the quiet field.


    ¡°Hmmmm¡­¡±


    Henoch, who had no presence like an invisible human between me and Myote, coughed awkwardly. He lifted the cup and opened his mouth.


    ¡°I wondered if Myote Stern liked this ce¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really like it.¡±


    ¡°¡­You seem to be pleased enough to be here for five hours.¡±


    Myote only tilted the teacup without saying a word.


    Myote and I already stayed here for five hours. We could never get out from under the silver tree. And High Priest Henoch was sitting here with us.


    As the time I spent here became too long, the castle was busy procuring various items under the silver tree.


    Thanks to this, in just a few days, all kinds of things had been added under the silver tree.


    A beautiful white tablecloth embroidered withce was spread on the round tea table. The chairs were padded with soft cushions, and the variety of refreshments became much more varied.


    So, enough to survive for five hours¡­


    From the wooden baskets brought by the employees, there were endless snacks. Only outdoor refreshments could be served as an exception, so the chefs of the castle prepared it diligently.


    ¡°In the castle, I eat frugally at every meal.¡±


    High Priest Henoch smiled as he looked at the newly set table. His gaze turned to the cherry candies in a pretty ss bottle.


    ¡°Why are you smiling?¡±


    I was wondering.


    ¡°Come to think of it, Myote Stern has been very fond of this since she was a child.¡±


    Myote Stern¡¯s arrogant expression was still there, but for a moment there was a rattling sound of the teacup. I knew right away that Myote Stern was embarrassed.


    High Priest Henoch smiled warmly.


    ¡°The Grand Duchess knew and prepared it.¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    I lifted my chin slightly. The High Priest didn¡¯t even bother to hide the smile that appeared on his lips.


    ¡°Myote Stern has a childish taste, but it is still Stern¡¯s taste. Of course, I have to consider it from the perspective of the host.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Myote Stern seems to think that this gigantic silver looks like this fruitpote.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Myote did not answer, but High Priest Henochughed softly.


    ¡°Definitely, you can set a new record in the Great Temple, saying that the Sterns prefer the giant silver tree.¡±


    High Priest Henoch gave a few words to the priest behind him and spoke with a smile on his face.


    ¡°The Grand Duchess also stayed here for five hours for several days.¡±


    Myote Stern, who was slowly drinking tea like a thirsty person, put down her teacup. She said with a smile as if she was having fun.


    ¡°So the Grand Duchess just stuck here every day.¡±


    ¡°It seems that guests do not want to leave this ce either, so I¡¯m guarding this seat as a hostess.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were such a considerate person.¡±


    ¡°I hope you know it by now.¡±


    ¡°¡­you two.¡±


    High Priest Henoch made a perplexed expression on his face.


    ¡°Can I ask why you don¡¯t get up at all when you say that?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°You seem to really like it¡­¡±


    Now, me and Myote Stern silently tilted the teacup.


    Ben, who was standing behind me, approached and poured new tea into Myote¡¯s empty teacup.


    High Priest Henoch said with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s a blessing to have something that Sterns like in the Grand Duchy of Berg.¡±


    It was a bit embarrassing, but it wasn¡¯t wrong. I felt like a bee stuck to honey. Even if I find a holy relic that suits me, my heart is pounding because I want to own it, and I wondered if the answer woulde out in a moment saying that I could live here for the rest of my life for this huge silver tree.


    ¡°The weather is nice¡­ I¡¯ll go in after a while. The High Priest can go back first.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m with you.¡±


    Henoch was a High Priest, not a Stern, but I didn¡¯t understand why he also liked this silver tree so much and stayed to talk about various things.


    He seemed to be secretly worried that Myote Stern and I might have a fight.


    Well, it was understandable because all the priests were worried.


    ¡°You two¡­¡±


    High Priest Henoch said with a tired face as if he had already run out of things to talk about.


    ¡°Now why don¡¯t you go back to the castle? It¡¯s already seven hours.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Thanks to you, they left early in the morning after all four days.¡±


    Susan said with a smile.


    It was the day Myote and Henoch had just left the castle. In the meantime, some of Berg¡¯s employees, who had been visibly nervous, said they would take a leave of absence.


    The tension was relieved but they felt sick.


    I understood. Because it wasn¡¯t easy to meet Sterns and the High Priest.


    Moreover, whenever Myote and I had a conversation, it was almost visible to the naked eye that the nearby employees were stiffening.


    It was surprising that Susan and Ben were only smiling skillfully the whole time.


    ¡®It¡¯s just daily life.¡¯


    In fact, Myote Stern and I were already hostile to each other like that. I said looking at the hardworking employees, especially Ben and Susan.


    ¡°You both lost some weight.¡±


    Ben and Susan looked at each other andughed.


    ¡°Because everyone had simple food. The chef is excited now.¡±


    I mean, how sad it must have been for a person who excelled at cooking delicious food not to be able to make use of his/her skill. From today, it was clear that only very luxurious and expensive foods would always be served.


    I headed to the dining room.


    As soon as I opened the door and entered, the person sitting in the chair jumped up.


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Chloe. Sit down.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    I had a meal with Chloe. Salted and herbed roast goose, steamed beef, and butter and honey dripping over the fluffy pancakes. Raisins and almonds in a small silver bowl were fully filled, and the leafy vegetables served in the sd were cold and fresh.


    Chloe looked nervous, but her tongue was honest and she ate very well. When I was almost finished eating and dessert came out, I spoke first.


    ¡°Okay. Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Chloe quickly handed me the report. After reading the neatly organized reports one by one, I smiled brightly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll build the magic tower within three years!¡± (*remember Seria said she will build the magic tower in 10 years , now it reduced to 3 years.)


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Inside this report was written about the curse on the green manor.


    Magi disappeared after I purified it, but Martha was still tied to the green manor.


    ¡°She helped me a lot.¡¯


    Although Chloe took the initiative in preparing, she even opened a top secret book about witchcraft in the Great Temple. It seemed that she had not forgotten that I had suffered in the battle against the beasts.


    I immediately gave Chloe¡¯s wizards and Berg¡¯s aides a pass to the Laurel Manor. This was because of Chloe¡¯s exnation that it was aplex curse magic that requires meticulous preparation in advance to solve it.


    Because Berg¡¯s knights were also apanying them, a noisy procession began to form.


    ¡°Uh, but Grand Duchess¡­¡±


    Chloe sneaked up and asked in a hesitant tone.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you spend a lot of much money to dispel this spell?¡±


    ¡°I did. Why?¡±


    Chloe asked cautiously, rolling her eyes back and forth.


    ¡°¡­But wouldn¡¯t it be too difficult to build the tower within three years?¡±


    It was a strange question. I raised my eyebrows as I re-read Chloe¡¯s report. Chloe sighed and rolled her eyes.


    ¡®She¡¯s still very scared.¡¯


    ¡°Chloe.¡±


    I said as I turned a page of the report.


    ¡°Originally, schrs don¡¯t care about money. Research funding? That¡¯s thew that should be provided by the party entrusting the research, not the one doing the research.¡±


    Chloe¡¯s eyes twinkled. I understood everything. As I, who had to support research funds, suddenly spent a lot of money, she thought that I might stop the research.


    Apart from that I was the Grand Duchess of Berg¡­


    I tapped Chloe on the shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. Chloe.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­.?¡±


    ¡°I have a lot of money.¡±

 Chapter 196: Side Story 8

    Chapter 196. Side Story 8


    ¡°yes¡­!¡±


    Ironically, you could tell by looking at thews of the Glick Empire how well the Magic Crystal Rings were selling. As the Magic Crystal Rings recorded an all-time hit,rge-scale kingdoms including the Glick Empire began to impose restrictions on movement magic using the Magic Crystal Rings.


    It seemed that it was the same wherever technology advances first andwseter.


    Originally, you could set up a destination where you could use the Magic Crystal Ring anywhere, but now the imperial court began to establish its branch.


    It wasn¡¯t bad. Because it meant that there was credibility.


    Conservative aristocrats were distrustful of magic crystal rings, but when the imperial family started managing them directly, they began to purchase them.


    ¡®I¡¯m d the magical crystal reserves are astronomical.¡¯


    It could be used for at least a thousand years.


    Like this, I was enjoying my wealth, but Chloe rolled her eyes a little, wondering what she was worried about.


    ¡°Actually, the Grand Duchess didn¡¯t wear any magical crystal rings¡­ so I thought it was slowly closing or giving away the magic crystal ring business.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    I followed Chloe¡¯s gaze and lowered my gaze to my hand. Eight shiny rings on ten fingers.


    ¡°I am wearing these because it was a gift.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I see. Which ring did you receive as a gift?¡±


    Chloe asked very enthusiastically as if she were trying to socialize, but I was a little embarrassed to have to answer.


    ¡°¡­all of them.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­!¡±


    I felt my face heated up. Perhaps it was because Chloe¡¯s eyes were too round, or maybe it was because of the startled voice of a rabbit.


    I turned my head and said coldly.


    ¡°Can we leave in a week?¡±


    ¡°Yes Yes¡­! Grand Duchess!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I turned around and fanned my hands. Susan, who had been smiling with her mouth covered behind me, quickly spoke to Chloe in a gentle tone.


    ¡°We will guide you to the annex you will be staying in.¡±


    It had been a week like that.


    We headed to theurel manor in a carriage.


    ***


    ¡°Martha is finallying out.¡±


    Linon said in a strange voice that was not like him. I think he was a little thrilled. Of course, Linon was a nobleman.


    Alliot, standing in an angled position in the distance, seemed tense. He had a nervous look that did not match the great title of Berg Knight Commander.


    ¡®Martha was a sacrifice for the young Alliot.¡¯


    Meanwhile, I raised my eyebrows slightly. There was no choice but to do so¡­. Because Alliot had two swords on his waist.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t that the cheap sword that Bibi bought?¡¯


    What? Why is he wearing that? It wasn¡¯t the only thing he was wearing. He was also wearing a famous sword that would suit themander of the Berg Knights.


    ¡®Hmm?¡¯


    Why would he wear the easy throw away sword? Interest arose right away.


    ¡°Bibi.¡±


    I called Abigail, who was standing behind me. She leaned her body towards me.


    ¡°Yes, Lady?¡±


    ¡°Look at Sir Alliot.¡±


    Abigail moved her gaze straight away. She had an unknown expression on her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think he¡¯ll cry if someone touches him?¡±


    ¡°Should I touch him once?¡±


    I almost choked.


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Or?¡±


    ¡°I feel like he is about to cry, so don¡¯t touch him.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do it because the Lady says so.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Having said that, I was a little curious. What if Abigail made Alliot cry? Abigail has a cold-hearted personality.


    She was without blood or tears, to borrow the expression of any priest¡­.


    It was easy to imagine Alliot crying, because when I purified the green manor¡¯s magi, Alliot came to me and shed tears.


    Even Alliot didn¡¯t know at the time. The fact that Martha woulde out like this. (*Martha was stuck in the manor due to a curse, and now they were going to take her out.)


    ¡®I feel like everything is in order.¡¯


    I looked at the green manor with pride.


    The appearance of the green manor, which had been ready to lift the curse for a week, was strange. Thousands of magical crystals surrounding a part of the garden, paper with magic modifiers on it, and relics borrowed from the Great Temple were formed like a giant magic circle at simr intervals.


    It was difficult to estimate how many magic crystals were used here.


    But the result came out so quickly thanks to being able to supply enough magic crystals. Schrs with strong supporters were naturally full of enthusiasm. The research was also going well.


    ¡®After all, it¡¯s all thanks to me.¡¯


    Great.


    ¡°Why are you smiling so much?¡±


    While I was smiling happily, I heard a voice. As soon as I shifted my gaze, a man immediately caught my eye.


    ¡°Lesche!¡±


    When I saw him, I couldn¡¯t help butugh for a moment. Then I frowned.


    ¡°Did you not sleep well?¡±


    ¡°I slept well.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    I put my finger to the corner of Lesche¡¯s eyes. It seemed like he didn¡¯t sleep well at all.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been busy these days.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve beening into the bedroomtetely.¡±


    Lately, Lesche has been really busy. It was really nice for Stern to have a giant silver tree.


    But the problem was that it was not far from the demon boundary. Now that it was early autumn, the winter that Berg was wary of would being soon. High Priest Henoch returned with Myote Stern, but due to the designation of a new base near the boundary, the high-ranking priests and staff who came down from the Great Temple continued to stay at Berg Castle.


    Lesche was the type of person who pushed hard until the end when there was work, so the lights in the conference room wouldn¡¯t turn off until veryte.


    As a result, it had been almost a week since I met him again.


    Lesche said, wrapping my hand.


    ¡°It sounds like you missed me.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±


    ¡°I missed you. You didn¡¯t miss me?¡±


    Lesche, who sped my hands, sighed softly.


    ¡°Are you doing this on purpose?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I think you only say nice things to make me excited.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not my intention. And why are you saying excited outside?¡±


    I said softly and pulled out my hand. Lesche said with augh.


    ¡°Let me hold your hand.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that outside.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so noisy over there, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to hear me.¡±


    Lesche pointed with a chin gesture. Sure¡­ it was noisy. It was said to be a veryplicated spell, and the magical power required to dissolve it and the divine power were mixed with a dazzling light. At the same time, the sounds like fireworks exploding grew louder and louder.


    ¡°Grand Duchess! Grand Duke! I¡¯ll take you this way!¡±


    Lesche and I followed Chloe into the magic circle. It was a circle of magic drawn around the green manor, including the nearby garden.


    After a while, when I doubted that my ears might explode like this, Martha came out. She looked a little trembling as she walked out.


    ¡®How do you feel?¡¯


    She had been tied up in the manor for ten years and finally got out. I couldn¡¯t imagine how she would feel. And how Lesche felt.


    Lesche was silently staring at Martha. It wasn¡¯t long before he noticed my gaze and looked towards me.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Just.¡±


    At the same time as Lesche had a soft smile on his face, Marthapletely passed the line of the shining magic circle. That was the moment.


    Boom!


    A huge explosion was heard without warning. I was pulled into Lesche¡¯s arms and when I turned my head in surprise, my eyes widened inevitably. An opaque wall wiggled and rose high along the line of the huge magic circle created by the wizards.


    ¡®What is this?¡¯


    Chloe let out a scream.


    ¡°Grand Duchess! There is an error in the form. Ahhh!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The wall won¡¯t go down for a week¡­!¡±


    Before Chloe could finish speaking, the wall rosepletely. It was a wall that looked like a mountain range.


    I blinked in bewilderment. Lesche looked up and asked with an exasperated voice.


    ¡°Are we trapped?¡±


    ***


    ¡®I¡¯m dead.¡¯


    Chloe trembled.


    The bound spell in this idyllic and beautiful manor was veryplicated. It was a rare case ofbining witchcraft with a very ancient relic. Probably, if the Great Temple didn¡¯t actively help, and if it wasn¡¯t for the magic crystals that the Grand Duchess willingly used, it would take a lot longer¡­


    It would have taken an additional 10 years.


    Furthermore, a kind of curse flowing through the blood of Berg, who was the head of the seventeen families, was able to release the curse on Martha more quickly and safely only if two beings of Berg were inhabited officially.


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard. Okay.¡±


    ¡°Grand Duchess¡­!¡±


    Yes, but¡­.


    ¡®The two of them will be locked up¡­!¡¯


    Chloe looked up, unaware of the heights of the sky, at the towering wall with a desire to die. Berg¡¯s knights hurriedly shed, but to no avail. The raised wall was so slippery that the sword didn¡¯t even stick. They couldn¡¯t even climb up. They had been rushing to airlift the equipment used to climb the ice wall, but to no avail.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    ¡°Arggg!¡±


    Meanwhile, from afar, Abigail Orrien, known as the ¡®Knight of Stern¡¯, grabbed each of the wizards¡¯ cors one by one and threw them on the floor relentlessly. Chloe was terrified and closed her eyes tightly. But Abigail didn¡¯t get her. why?


    ¡°Sir¡­?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who made it like that, so I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡±


    The magic crystal ring shone in front of Chloe¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Focus on the release. If you don¡¯t get the Lady out in a week¡­.¡±


    Chloe seemed to know enough without Abigail saying more.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Abigail turned around coldly. Chloe hurriedly helped the wizards that were thrown like rags on the floor, and then began to spread the magic circle.


    How much time has passed? Linon, who was in a hurry to have a meeting with aides from afar, ran panting.


    ¡°Sir Abigail! What do you think¡­ You look more peaceful than I thought?¡±


    ¡°Because they need a vacation, too.¡±


    ¡°A vacation¡­?¡±


    Linon gave a bewildered expression.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a vacation. It¡¯s like confinement, but¡­ For now, no one can interfere.¡±

 Chapter 197

    Fortunately, Lesche just finished all his work this morning. The rest were things that could be solved by the aides with the official seal.


    ¡®No. there is one left. What Linon can¡¯t do¡­¡¯


    He lifted his head.


    Martha sighed with a pale face. Indeed, it was a shock to everyone. Abigail suddenly moved towards it.


    ¡°Martha.¡±


    ¡°Sir Abigail.¡±


    ¡°Before the wall was identally raised, thedy said something.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, go and have fun.¡±


    ¡°How did she get in a situation like this but to say something surprising¡­¡±


    Even as she said that, Martha¡¯s eyes reddened a little.


    ¡°Still, helping with the castle¡¯s work is the way to pay tribute to the Grand Duchess.¡±


    It was unknown how long it would take to lift the curse, for a week Martha and Joanna had been making winter duvets. They were all gifts to Seria.


    ¡°I¡­.¡±


    Abigail frowned for a moment.


    ¡°¡­Sir Elliot will be on guard.¡±


    She remembered what Seria said earlier. She said Alliot would cry if someone touched him. Abigail had no idea what Alliot had to do with Martha in that green manor. In the first ce, Abigail had never been curious about anything other than Seria¡¯s well-being, so it was only natural for her.


    But now, thedy and her husband were suddenly imprisoned in the green manor.


    In any case, the two owners were not contacted for a week, so the top-ranked employees were obliged to keep and manage the castle perfectly.


    After the top-ranked employees returned to the castle, Linon approached Abigail.


    ¡°Sir Abigail. That¡­ When did the Grand Duchess say such a thing?¡±


    About Martha should go and have fun. Linon didn¡¯t hear it.


    Abigail nced at Linnon and said.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t.¡±


    For a moment, Linon doubted his ears.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I just expected that thedy would want to say that.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t say that, they¡¯d be paralyzed. Who¡¯s going to take care of the Lady in a week?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Linon waspletely speechless and only blinked his eyes.


    Abigail nced at the opaque wall.


    ¡°Anyway, the Grand Duke is with her, she will be safe, wouldn¡¯t it be a good thing to have fewer people who are unnecessarily depressed?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ yes¡­ yes¡­¡±


    In any case, there was nothing wrong with Abigail¡¯s words. Outside the magic wall, a temporary shelter was set up in the manor¡¯s garden.


    Whether the two bosses were locked inside or not, the aides had tasks to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Wizards had to sleep, and knights had to sleep too.


    ¡°It is fortunate that the weather is still mild.¡±


    ¡°I know. I don¡¯t want to even think about it if it was winter.¡±


    Linon sat down at an outdoor table, checked his papers, and did some sorting. After working for a while, he nced at the wall.


    Two figures right in front of the wall catch his eye.


    Abigail and Alliot.


    Alliot had a particrlyplex face. It was understandable. It was the Grand Duchess who brought Martha out, and the Grand Duchess was trapped while dispelling the curse¡­


    Wouldn¡¯t their legs hurt if they stand like that for three hours?


    The wind was breezy and the sun was warm, so wouldn¡¯t it be better to take a break?


    Linon took two simple chairs and approached the Knight Commander of Berg. He was going to tell him to sit down, but suddenly his eyes turned toward Abigail.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    It was unknown what changed his mind, but Linon decided not to tell Alliot to sit down.


    Linon left a chair next to Alliot and walked towards Abigail.


    ¡°Sir Abigail. Shouldn¡¯t you sit down and rest for a while? I brought a chair.¡±


    Tuk. The sound of putting a chair on the floor rang out.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    But Abigail didn¡¯t even look at him. In fact, Linon was ustomed to being ignored by Abigail, but this time, he wouldn¡¯t let it go.


    ¡°Are you going to sit down?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ have you already forgotten what you said earlier? Are you going to stand like that all week? Are you nning to lie ill in front of the Grand Duchess when shees out?¡±


    After hearing all those questions, Abigail looked back. She had a surprisingly sullen expression on her face, her eyes turned to Linon¡¯s face, and then went down and stared at his two legs.


    Linon asked, confused.


    ¡°..What is it? Why are you looking at my legs?¡±


    ¡°Looking at it, I remember something you said a while ago.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Abigail rolled her eyes slightly.


    ¡°Mermaids have tails instead of legs. So, is a half-mermaid half-tailed?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mixed so I wonder if your lower body is weak.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°I was just curious.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, I was just curious.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel any pain in my legs even after standing for four days, but when I see you asking me if I¡¯m going to lie down sick, it reminds me of that.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Abigail looked at Linon and tilted her head slightly to the side.


    ¡°Is it stale?¡±


    Linon¡¯s face, which was dazed, turned bright red as if it was about to explode. He squealed like a scream.


    ¡°Not stale!¡±


    After a while.


    ¡°Why was the chief aide taken away?¡±


    The other aide whispered in response to the assistant¡¯s cautious question.


    ¡°Hey, you know Sir Abigail Orrien.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The Grand Duchess¡¯s exclusive knight.¡±


    ¡°They said they (Abigail and Linon) had a running contest.¡±


    ¡°Suddenly?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Suddenly.¡±


    ¡°But the chief aide has weak stamina.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. He hates running. He doesn¡¯t even ride a horse.¡±


    ¡°What about Sir Abigail Orrien?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s sitting over there.¡±


    ¡°ah¡­.¡±


    Abigail was sitting in a chair, looking so innocent. And at a distance, Alliot was sitting on a simr chair as well.


    Why did they sit so far apart and just stare at the wall? They couldn¡¯t understand Linon either. If he had been transported to the Castle, he could restfortably. Why did he have toe here again? Now Linon was lying fainted in the barracks.


    Abigail was staring at the wall soaring high into the sky. Until the sun went down she still did not move.


    It looked like she was just going to sit there and sleep. The gossiping aides watched as Linon managed to get up and approach Abigail Orrien.


    Linon, who seemed to be having a conversation with Abigail, made a strange expression and squatted down on the floor.


    ¡°Does he want to sleep there?¡±


    ¡°No, why did he have to leave the barracks here¡­¡±


    Of course, the chief aide¡¯s travels were the best known to his subordinates. At the same time, Abigail Orrien was looking down at Linon, who seemed to have fallen asleep, half-passed with an uh-huh expression.


    ¡°What if the chief aide freezes to death?¡±


    ¡°Then all the work will be paralyzed¡­¡±


    Eventually, the aides left the nkets with Alliot, who was sitting nearby. They didn¡¯t dare to approach Abigail as they were afraid of her after seeing her throwing the wizards on the floor earlier.


    Alliot suddenly ended up with a bunch of nkets. He hasn¡¯t had much conversation with Abigail since the Beast Subjugation War. At that time, Abigail was really mad at him¡­. She bought a cheap sword from somewhere the other day and gave it to him.


    As he was looking down at the nkets a shadow fell over him.


    ¡°Sir Alliot.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh, Sir Abigail¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to use them all by yourself, are you? You can share it with the chief aide.¡±


    ¡°I was going to bring it to you¡­¡±


    Alliot shut up. Because Abigail reached out as if asking for a nket from him. Alliot got up from his chair.


    Then he strode over and covered Linon, who must have passed out. It was the knight¡¯s unavoidable attitude toward the sick to cover him thoroughly in the midst of it.


    When he got up, Abigail was staring at him nkly. As always, it was very difficult for Alliot to read Abigail¡¯s expression. She didn¡¯t show much emotional change except when she was angry¡­


    ¡°Sleep with this on.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    ¡°Are you rejecting it because I¡¯m giving it to you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not even a winter night, so I don¡¯t need a nket, Sir Alliot. Didn¡¯t you put the nket on the chief aide directly because you didn¡¯t want to touch me?¡±


    ¡°You think I have germaphobia like the chief aide¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you have germaphobia?¡±


    Realizing the mistake, Alliot took a deep breath and turned his head.


    Only the aides who had been watching their actions from afar looked bewildered. In the meantime, Linon, who was lying face down beside Abigail¡¯s feet, caught their eyes.


    Perhaps because of theposition, the atmosphere seemed a little strange. An aide who was watching inadvertently drew a triangle on the dirt floor and then erased it. (*love triangle )


    ¡°The night air is really nice.¡±


    ¡°I know, right.¡±


    A bonfire was burning in front of the aides who were suddenly brought here. Between summer and autumn, the weather was mild, just right, and the night air was soft and cool.


    Unlike Linon, it was the first time the aides had even entered theurel manor. The gardens of the manor, which had already been repaired and maintained with a considerable budget in the past, wereparable to nobility¡¯s territory no matter where they looked.


    In addition, chefs in the castle delivered delicious food for their hard work. In fact, the aides who always spent time in their office didn¡¯t feel bad in this sudden situation.


    To be honest, it was very good.


    The aides looking up at the stars in the night sky naturally shifted their gaze to the wall. No matter how much they shouted, no answer came back. It was only after hearing that it was a magical wall of form errors that even blocked the sound, Abigail let go of the wizards.


    Still, the sky that spread out on the inside would be the same. That was fortunate.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if His Highness and the Grand Duchess are doing well.¡±

 Chapter 198: Side Story 10

    Chapter 198. Side Story 10


    ¡°There¡¯s no way out.¡±


    After checking the wall a few times, Lesche said so.


    ¡°Chloe said it wouldn¡¯t go down for a week.¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything important to do for the week?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­you?¡±


    ¡°Neither do I. It¡¯s good that I did everything beforeing here.¡±


    I turned around and looked around the mansion. Lesche asked as I frowned.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Is there anything to eat in the mansion?¡±


    He smiled.


    ¡°There must be enough. Because Martha and Joanna had stayed here. Ben stocked up food every time he came.¡±


    ¡°Go and check it out.¡±


    I took Lesche¡¯s hand and went inside. He meekly followed me. As I entered the kitchen across the hall on the first floor, I saw well-organized cooking utensils and dishes. When I entered the food pantry inside, I breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°We won¡¯t starve.¡±


    Lesche, who was standing behind me, burst intoughter.


    ¡°Why are youughing?¡±


    ¡°Now I understand. Foodes first, wherever you go.¡±


    ¡°Then when you¡¯re locked up, you don¡¯t worry about food¡­¡±


    ¡°Every time you see me, there¡¯s a reason you ask me if I¡¯ve eaten. Why are you so cute?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to make fun of me, just don¡¯t say anything.¡±


    I turned my head away. I heardughter from behind, but I didn¡¯t look back.


    Leaving Lesche behind, I took a good look at the kitchen.


    The various seasonings in eight bottles were well maintained, and there were plenty of olives and pickles in vinegar.


    Arge sack was filled with potatoes and flour, and the refrigerated cupboard was opened.


    Turns out, there were plenty of vegetables that had been cleaned. Carrots, pumpkins, celery, onions¡­


    Dried mushrooms, pre-baked and cooled bread, and cheese slices to be grated.


    There was also arge chunk of smoked ham, so I thought I could eat it right away if I cut it up.


    The problem was that these were all cooking ingredients.


    ¡®I¡¯m d we have bread.¡¯


    I nced at the cupboard and scratched my chin.


    ¡°Do you know how to cook?¡±


    ¡°Well. I haven¡¯t done it recently.¡±


    ¡°Then your wife is going to make trash food, would you like to try it?¡±


    ¡°Trash food?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m a precious Stern, I¡¯ve never cooked before.¡±


    Lescheughed.


    ¡°Sit down. I¡¯ll do better than you.¡±


    ¡°I want to help.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, sit down.¡±


    I ended up being half kicked out of the kitchen. Perhaps because of the small number of people staying, this green manor, where the dining room and kitchen were originally strictly separated, was much thinner. So there was a small dining table right next to the kitchen.


    I sat on a high chair and looked around, dangling my feet. Dried colorful flowers tied with ribbons were hung all over the ce. It felt strange. Because there was never a time when no one was around the table.


    Even when I was in the Stern townhouse, the apprentice priests were always by my side. After bing the Grand Duchess, there was no need to say how many people were around me.


    But there was no one here now, so it was strangely unfamiliar.


    ¡®Can we really get out of here after a week?¡¯


    Lesche and I were imprisoned in this mansion. It didn¡¯t seem real.


    ¡­. Watching the sunlight pouring through the window made me feel drowsy.


    It was after some time. I nced over the table and blinked.


    ¡°Is the stew in there too?¡±


    ¡°I cooked it.¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    Lesche frowned slightly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will suit your taste.¡±


    ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t taste good, I¡¯ll tell you it¡¯s delicious.¡±


    He chuckled.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor. Eat slowly. It will cool off soon.¡±


    I scooped out a spoonful of the stew and put it in my mouth. Soon my eyes went round.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious. Did you learn to cook?¡±


    ¡°I learned a little bit at the academy.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Why should I be lying about this?¡±


    ¡°No¡­. What academy teaches high-ranking nobles to cook?¡±


    Lesche said, cutting the bread.


    ¡°Because as a knight, we need to know how to cook in case of emergency.¡±


    ¡®Ah.¡¯


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I took the bread and smiled.


    The bread freshly baked by the chefs of Berg was excellent, but this fluffy bread baked by Martha and Joanna also had its own vor and it was my favorite staple food.


    ¡®So do they bake a lot every day?¡¯


    ¡°Eat more.¡±


    I asked while eating the bread that Lesche had cut.


    ¡°Is there any jam?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s inside.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a food pantry inside too. You just left without looking earlier.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    I smiled.


    ¡°You must have rummaged through the kitchen as a child.¡±


    Lesche tilted his chin.


    ¡°Do you think I am you?¡±


    ¡°When you were young, you could have. And you were docile when you were young, right?¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°You.¡±


    As I raised my eyebrows, Lesche burst outughing as if having fun.


    ¡°Eat, Seria.¡±


    It was absurd, but I ate first because I was hungry. Although there were no employees who always served the meal, it was not very inconvenient. I stopped Lesche, who kept spreading jam on the bread.


    ¡°Stop it.¡±


    ¡°Why? It doesn¡¯t suit your taste?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m full.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat a lot when you like to talk about food?¡±


    ¡°I ate enough.¡±


    ¡°Eat one more.¡±


    ¡°Whoever sees it would think we are in distress in the winter mountains.¡±


    I was hungry but I didn¡¯t want him to cut more bread. I took another slice after saying a few more times that it was myst.


    Boiled stew emptied. I was worried about eating more because why if we couldn¡¯t get out after a week? But it seemed that I ate more than I did in the castle¡­. Lesche cut the bread again and gave it to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m full.¡±


    I got up to wash the dishes. Lesche raised his eyebrows as I picked up the bowls on the tray that he had brought.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I have to wash the dishes. We¡¯re the only ones here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a precious Stern.¡±


    ¡°I can do the dishes.¡±


    Lesche made a look of exasperation.


    ¡°What kind of crazy Berg would make Stern do this?¡±


    In an instant, Lesche, who took my tray, strode away.


    ¡°Lesche!¡±


    I hurriedly followed Lesche. This ce was different from the castle or the imperial mansion, which had all kinds of expensive magic drainage works.


    So there was no sink right in the kitchen, but a separate ce to wash the dishes on the other side. I just found out that Lesche was strangely aware of this trivial structure for someone who was not interested in the green manor.


    ¡®It¡¯s true that he went looking around when he was young.¡¯


    In retrospect, I had never personally asked about Lesche¡¯s childhood. I knew he had a bad childhood like me.


    It wouldn¡¯t have been bad the whole time though. Like any other children, he normally wandered around the mansion, discovered trivial ces, and saw where the jam was hidden.


    I had that thought again.


    I was d this pretty manor didn¡¯t disappear.


    In the meantime, it was fascinating to see Lesche working in the kitchen. No, what kind of Grand Duke Berg would wash the dishes?


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Are the Grand Dukes of Berg being brainwashed about Stern from generation to generation?¡±


    Lesche looked at me.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Why are you so restless? Are you ufortable?¡±


    ¡°That¡­.¡±


    His arrow hit the target. I rolled my eyes slightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who keeps doing something.¡±


    ¡°Nothing much.¡±


    Lesche, who smiled, gestured with his chin.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be ufortable for a week, so go sit down.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I stay here?¡±


    ¡°Do what you like.¡±


    I grinned and hugged Lesche¡¯s waist. When I buried my face on his wide back, Lesche, who had paused for a moment,ughed.


    He squeezed the back of my hand tightly with a hand that had not yet been submerged in water. Soon I heard the sound of water running again.


    ***


    That night.


    With trembling hands, I grabbed Lesche¡¯s wrist, which was holding my face by the side. To no avail. Every time Lesche moved, it seemed as if my lower side was melting tightly. He swept aside my sweaty hair on my forehead.


    This man didn¡¯t even bother to hide the naked desire in his eyes. He bent over and kissed me. His tongue, which had dug into my mouth, ran through everywhere so harshly that it hurt. I felt the heat on his hot body.


    ¡°¡­just watching you sleep for a week made me thirsty.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­.¡±


    ¡°Call my name, Seria.¡±


    ¡°Lesche¡­.¡±


    My legs trembled. My scream broke out. It felt like I was about to pass out whenever Lesche pushed harder. I couldn¡¯t think of anything. I didn¡¯t understand Lesche¡¯s statement that he had been abstinent for nearly a week.


    For a moment, the thought of what kind of week he had to push me like this filled my head. Our bodies convulsed.


    How many hours has passed? From the moment Leschet put me on the bed, I turned the clock on the side table but couldn¡¯t tell.


    As I tried to catch my breath in Lesche¡¯s arms, he sped my fingers and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that there are no doctors here.¡±


    ¡°¡­why?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have enough strength.¡±


    ¡°You¡­. didn¡¯t have enough?¡±


    ¡°No, Seria. Like my heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°You know, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ I know you¡¯re the standard of no conscience.¡±


    Lesche, who smiled faintly, hugged me tightly and I fell into dark oblivion.


    The next day. When I woke up, Lesche was not there, and after a week, the pain from below the waist, which had been overworked, came out of nowhere.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    It was fortunate that the bathroom plumbing was done in the summer. After a rough wash, I sat down in the bathtub. As I watched the hot water being filled with sleepy eyes, I heard a chuckle.


    Of course it was Lesche.


    He poured hot water from the canteen into the bathtub. I looked up at him and thought how he had been working as if he were my servant.


    After I approached Lesche and unbuttoned the shirt he was wearing, I took off the gown I was wearing. Lesche¡¯s eyes fluttered.

 Chapter 199: Side Story 11

    Chapter 199. Side Story 11


    I hung up the robe and walked into the bathtub.


    ¡°Come in if you¡¯re not going to do anything.¡±


    Lesche, who was slowly staring at my bare body hidden beneath the surface of the water, asked.


    ¡°What would you like to do?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯te in here, use the bathroom over there.¡±


    ¡°Not likely.


    While saying that, Lesche took off his shirt. The prominent muscles were clearly visible in my eyes. Hepletely undressed and entered the bathtub without any hesitation.


    The water overflowed with the sound of sloshing.


    Lesche, who was sitting behind me, gathered my hair to one side, hugged me tightly as he pressed my body against his chest.


    I grabbed his arms and asked, blinking my still tired eyes.


    ¡°Where did you go earlier?¡±


    ¡°I went out to check around. I didn¡¯t check the backside yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Are not you tired?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You are in great shape.¡±


    I smiled and then closed my eyes. Without a word, Lesche picked me up.


    When I opened my eyes again, I was already on the bed. It didn¡¯t seem like much had changed, except that I wasn¡¯t wearing anything.


    After getting dressed, I went outside on the first floor and sat down with my knees bent and looked at Lesche. He was holding a watering can.


    ¡°Did the academy teach you something like this?¡±


    ¡°The principles apply to everyone.¡±


    ¡°Even to the Grand Duke?¡±


    ¡°It will be the same for the emperor.¡±


    I tilted my chin and asked.


    ¡°Then you learned to fix the watering can then?¡±


    ¡°You said you need to water the garden.¡±


    Iughed out loud.


    ¡°I have nothing to do.¡±


    ¡°So, are you looking for something to do?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Are you bothered?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible.¡±


    Smiling, I got up and pressed the pump. Water poured into the basin. These days, an old-fashioned pump was not often used in the homes of ordinary people.


    ¡°When we get out, I will fix this ce.¡±


    When Martha and Joanna were here, it wasn¡¯t inconvenient to change things. Now that they were out, I wanted to tear this ce down and change everything.


    Still¡­..


    It was peaceful.


    It felt like my heart was warming up in thete sun.


    ¡°By the way, Lesche.¡±


    It was a quiet afternoon. I asked while walking in the garden with him.


    ¡°Linon also went to the academy. Did you meet him there?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    Lesche frowned slightly and added.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t that crazy at first.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Interest arose. Wasn¡¯t crazy¡­. Well, Linon was still not that crazy. Just, he was afraid of germs¡­.


    ¡°Did Linon have germaphobia then? Was he staying vignt to those around him?¡±


    ¡°Right. How did you know? Did he say something?¡±


    ¡°No. But that¡¯s usually the case with disadvantaged geniuses.¡±


    As I whispered, Lesche let out a smallugh.


    ¡°Linon is going to cry when he hears it.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m only talking to you.¡±


    While holding hands and looking around the garden, a thought suddenly urred to me.


    ¡°He said hand is okay, but is Bibi¡¯s hand okay to hold?¡±


    In fact, Linon had never held Abigail¡¯s hand before, but I was wondering. What would happen if they held hands?


    I wanted to ask him, but I couldn¡¯t make him cry.


    It was a rxing, quiet and peaceful day.


    Next morning.


    When I woke up, it was nice to see that Lesche still had his eyes closed. I moved closer and looked at his face. I would never get tired of looking at this man¡¯s face. It made sense that he was the protagonist. I lightly touched his cheek and kissed him. I smiled and fell back to sleep.


    And definitely¡­ I also realized that it was right for Lesche to consider my stamina. He seemed to be worried that I might get sick.


    A gentle breeze blew through the open window.


    There were a few times when I was curious about what was going on outside the walls, but still¡­..It was such a peaceful week that I wanted to experience it again.


    ****


    ¡°Phew¡­The two of them are finallying out today.¡±


    Linon, who had fainted for two days, said with a thrilled expression. He had been really busy.


    A high priest was beside Linon. He belonged to the Great Temple.


    And a priest who was absolutely necessary for Stern¡¯s wedding.


    Stern¡¯s wedding.


    Because of this, Linon burst into tears. Ben and Susanughed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been telling His Highness to have the wedding again half a year ago.¡±


    ¡°He said he wouldn¡¯t do it back then.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll do it now.¡±


    It had been a long time since the temporary Grand Duchess was not temporary, and Seria¡¯s wedding did not even have Lesche¡¯s name¡­


    ¡°Actually, it wasn¡¯t a wedding, it was almost a mess.¡±


    Linon recalled that time and said.


    ¡°His Highness¡¯s name wasn¡¯t even there¡­.¡±


    Kalis Hon¡¯s namete, which was hanging next to Seria at the time, was torn off by Abigail and thrown on the floor.


    Even though he was still a high ranking aristocrat in the empire. The vassals of Berg said that the wedding should be held again because they wanted to tter Seria, but they could not ignore the prestige of the Grand Duchess anyway.


    They said they liked the leisurely Seria.


    While working hard to prepare for the wedding, suddenly the two of them were imprisoned inside a magical wall. Hearing this secret news, the priests nearly fainted. They couldn¡¯t believe the news. And they sent many high-ranking priests.


    ¡°We only need the two of them toe out. The wedding preparations are already at thest stage.¡±


    The wizards who had been standing near the wall since early in the morning were sweating. So, based on the form, it was certain that the wall would disappear today. There could never be any errors.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    The knight of Stern standing behind them like a mountain and staring at them silently was so frightening. This time, it would not end with grabbing their cors.


    Would they be killed?


    Die¡­


    The wizards concentrated on releasing the form, shaking their hands, and after a few hours¡­.


    ¡°Miss!¡±


    ¡°Bibi!¡±


    The cruel knight, who had thrown the wizards mercilessly to the floor, even Berg¡¯s aides were afraid, ran to Stern and hugged her.


    ****


    <strong>Lesche Berg¡¯s Dream, Kalis Hon¡¯s Dream</strong>


    <strong>***</strong>


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be in charge of the Grand Duchess¡¯s wedding dress again.¡±


    Begonia said while putting six wedding dresses on Seria one by one.


    ¡°But there is one thing I want to tell you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I need to take care of the Grand Duchess from here until the day of the wedding.¡±


    The ces Begonia touched with her fingers was from the top of Seria¡¯s chest to her neck. She pretended not to see the red marks on Seria¡¯s skin.


    ¡°It¡¯s too much that I can¡¯t even cover it withce.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The same goes for the Grand Duke. I¡¯ll tell him again.¡±


    Seria couldn¡¯t bear to look in the mirror. The day beforeing out of the green manor, Lesche kept her in bed all day, so the red marks on her skin were even worse.


    ¡®¡­I didn¡¯t expect it to be this bad.¡¯


    Dress preparation proceeded smoothly. As soon as they came out, and because of the wedding, they had topletely change the interior of the castle, the wedding hall, and outbuildings for guests¡­


    She thought she would be very tired.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had all the annexes sorted out.¡±


    ¡°Because Martha and Joanna are both here. The Grand Duchess is tired and shouldn¡¯t be worried.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem.¡±


    Susan, who smiled kindly,bed Seria¡¯s hair and told her what had happened in the castle in the week she was confined. Seria fell asleep while listening to it.


    ***


    Seria thought Lesche had too much work, but Lesche didn¡¯t think he was too busy.


    He was ustomed to less sleep, and took care of all the work at once.


    Moreover, he finished almost everything before he was confined in the green manor. After returning, he went to the training hall at dawn and went to his office after as he always did.


    A day in the afternoon sunshine.


    Seria seemed to have gone to the silver tree again today.


    Couldn¡¯t they pluck the tree and rent it in the garden? With this thought in mind, Lesche rode on a horse and headed to the ce where the silver tree was.


    Why Seria liked the tree so much, Lesche couldn¡¯t intuitively understand. But all Sterns liked it, so she seemed to feel something he didn¡¯t know.


    The priests also said they didn¡¯t know.


    There was no one under the silver tree.


    Just the sunlight pouring through the thick leaves. The silver leaves swayed slightly in the wind from afar. Like being swept away by the wind, the rustling sound echoed in his ears.


    Lesche raised his head involuntarily and then lightly frowned at the corners of his eyes. Was it because the sunlight was strong? It was as if the twinkling stars were pouring down.


    It said that the power of the moon resided, but now it poured out stars as fruit.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    He stretched out his hand to catch the falling stars without thinking. He caught a star passing by. It was an unaware act.


    Then when he opened his eyes and he was in a familiar bedroom at midnight.


    A soft touch and familiar body temperature. Seria was fast asleep in his arms.


    Lecshe only moved his eyes and looked at his empty hands.


    It was a strange dream.


    ****


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Lesche, who was looking up at the silver tree with his arms crossed, shifted his gaze. Although the Grand Duchy was busy preparing for the wedding, he was also busy dealing with issues rted to the borderline of the Demons.


    Alliot reported that they had strengthened almost all of the surrounding boundaries.


    ¡°This is where Seriaes out almost every day, so we need a different boundary.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Anyway, High Priest Henoch¡­¡±


    Luckily, Seria couldn¡¯te out today because she was caught by Begonia all day because of her wedding dress. After hearing the report from Alliot, Lesche looked up at the silver tree again.


    The wind suddenly blew, and he naturally remembered the strange dream he had yesterday.


    Lesche held out his palms as if in a dream.


    Of course, there were no falling stars. Instead, he caught a falling leaf.


    ¡°What are you doing, Your Highness?¡±


    Martha, who came out to look at the outdoor tables here, tilted her head and asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Lesche stared at his palm with curious eyes.


    ¡°I remember having a dream yesterday.¡±


    ¡°A dream?¡±


    ¡°The stars fell. I think I should ask the priests.¡±


    After hearing about the dream from Lesche, Martha had a puzzled expression on her face.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a foreboding dream about a child?¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

 Chapter 200

    ¡°The wedding is already in a week.¡±


    Begonia sighed. The dress she picked and decorated for a few days fit my body perfectly.


    ¡°Okay. You look magnificent.¡±


    Then a light knocking sounded. Begonia¡¯s assistant, who ran out, announced.


    ¡°The Grand Duke has arrived.¡±


    ¡°Let him in.¡±


    Begonia couldn¡¯t hide her joy, saying that Lesche came just in time.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s watch the Grand Duke blush.¡±


    ¡°Blush?¡±


    As I looked skeptical, Begonia said confidently.


    ¡°Leave it. I am a good designer.¡±


    Begonia turned me around with her confident demeanor, and she made eye contact with Lesche, who had just entered.


    ¡°You came right in time, Grand Duke. May I ask how dazzling your wife is?¡±


    Lesche¡¯s eyes fixed on me. He didn¡¯t even respond to Begonia¡¯s words. I wondered if Begonia was embarrassed.


    By the way, I thought Lesche was going to say something but he just stood still. In silence, he just stared at me. It was strange.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    It was only after I called him that he narrowed our distance. He frowned as he came closer. Then he made an unexpected statement.


    ¡°What did you do? Why are you so pretty?¡±


    ¡°I am always pretty.¡±


    I said coyly but I couldn¡¯t hide a smile.


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    Lesche, who was staring at me, averted his gaze a little. A red glow appeared on his cheeks. It was like Begonia had predicted.


    ¡°¡­you are so pretty.¡±


    ¡®Oh my gosh.¡¯


    It was a really raw reaction. My face began to heat up to the point that even doubts about whether I was responding nonchntly on purpose were quickly dissipated.


    Why was my face blushing over something like this? As Grand Duchess and Stern, I thought that I was immune to praises. I was embarrassed, happy, and satisfied.


    In the distance, Begonia and her assistants pped their hands, but my cheeks, once heated, did not cool down.


    It was after I had finished changing my dress behind the partition that Lesche brought up why he hade. I found out that the doctor was with him. Why was the doctor here?


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I had a dream yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Dream?¡±


    Lesche said with rare hesitation.


    ¡°They said it was a conception dream.¡±


    ¡°¡­yes?¡±


    I reflexively looked down at my stomach. I was perplexed because I didn¡¯t know anything.The doctor who seemed to be more nervous next to him swallowed dry saliva.


    ***


    ¡°Seria is getting married.¡±


    Kalis mumbled upon receiving the letter.


    ¡°Did I get an invitation?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯te¡­..¡±


    ¡°I can get one¡­.¡±


    Kalis couldn¡¯t finish his sentence.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Perhaps even if they somehow managed to get an invitation, it would only be painful.


    He couldn¡¯t congratte her on her marriage, as he knew she wasn¡¯t marrying him and she would never be his wife.


    Kalis closed his eyes and opened them. Seria was sitting by her desk, looking at him. He knew it was an illusion, but he was choked with breath at the sight of her smiling.


    ¡°Marquis, Count Horun hase to visit.¡±


    ¡°Why the Count again?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for you to get married soon¡­?¡±


    Kalis didn¡¯t answer.


    It wasn¡¯t that he made a troubled expression, he literally didn¡¯t react as if he were a deaf person. Leaving the office, the aide quietly shook his head to Count Horun.


    However, this high-ranking vassal was thest.


    Hon¡¯s vassals could no longer speak of marriage to Kalis.


    They would rather see him angry, making a fuss.


    Now Kalis didn¡¯t even respond to talk of his marriage. He seemed like a rogue when it came to that part. He felt nothing but dry emotions, like a doll filled with crumbling sand.


    Talks about marriage in Hon Castle hade to a stop.


    There was no other heir in Hon, so in order to pass on his marquis title, Kalis would have to adopt one of the children who carried one of the seventeen families¡¯ blood.


    Even if he wouldn¡¯t make a choice in the end, the Grand Temple would be forced to make the decision for him.


    Kalis, who was unaware of this and must have been deliberately ignoring it, sat by the window with a tilted chin.


    An emerald ring was shining on his hand.


    Not long ago, Kalis removed this emerald ring from Hon¡¯s official heirloom list. A beautiful ring that had been passed down from generation to generation to the Marquis of Hon. No woman would ever get to wear this ring again.


    Kalis stared at the emerald ring for a long time.


    ***


    The hectic week passed by.


    ¡°Grand Duchess. Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I like it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really pretty¡­¡±


    Perhaps it was true that Berg¡¯s vassals said, ¡®Let¡¯s make it more morous than the emperor¡¯s wedding.¡¯


    From the entrance to the ceremonial seat, a long red pedestal spread out. On both sides of the tform, light pink marble vases with gold frames were lined.


    The vases were plentiful with flowers, some of them flowing down artistically like streams of water. So were the walls. Wide ribbons adorned with flowers and various fine gold ornaments hung around the edges. The ceremonial hall did not spare flowers and jewels, so it was really bright like a field on a spring day.


    Was that all? I lifted my head and looked at the ceiling. The luxurious golden chandelier dazzled the eyes as if thousands of water droplets were falling gently. How much money had been spent?


    ¡®Are you dering war on the nobles whoe to the wedding?¡¯


    When I saw the shockingly colorful ceremonial hall, it was an instant thought. Besides, from a few days ago, the annex was crowded with guests from all over the world.


    ¡°Grand Duchess, I¡­¡±


    How to deal with a guest who wasn¡¯t invited. After a bit of trouble with the words Ben conveyed with an annoyed look on his face, I went directly out to the parlor.


    ¡°What? Why did youe?¡±


    Nissos, who had been sitting in the parlor, reflexively stood up. It had been a while since we had seen each other, but I wasn¡¯t happy at all, and it seemed like he still hadn¡¯t recovered from his weight loss. He would be a skewer soon if he kept getting thinner.


    ¡°Why did youe?¡±


    Nissos avoided my gaze.


    ¡°If my blood is getting married, shouldn¡¯t Ie at least once?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even send a single vassal to my previous wedding. Perhaps you thought it was a circus, not a wedding.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I have a conscience. I see you can¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, Kellyden has been devastated, so I guess you are trying to make a connection with the Grand Duke.¡±


    ¡°You are really¡­ the snout of hell¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What can I say? Please allow me to sit down.¡±


    ¡°Sit.¡±


    Nissos sat down on the chair. He said in a low voice, biting his lips lightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I got goosebumps again.


    ¡°If you came here to say that, you can just leave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going. Kellyden knows shame. I didn¡¯te to ask to attend the wedding.¡±


    ¡°Then go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Nissos wiggled his fingers ufortably, and said in a hesitant tone.


    ¡°Next time when you have free time, how abouting over to Kellyden¡­father¡­¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay. But if you change your mind¡­¡±


    Nissos looked back at me several times and then left. Why were there too many carriages with him?


    ¡°He knows best how to look pitiful. It¡¯s very Kellyden¡¯s specialty.¡±


    As I spoke with my arms crossed, Abigail opened her mouth.


    ¡°By the way,dy. He left the most gifts.¡±


    ¡°Most?¡±


    Ben shook his head next.


    ¡°Yes. Grand Duchess.¡±


    ¡°More than in the Imperial Household?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m sorry to tell you this, but I think Kellyden may have sold all thends they own. All of that carriage procession is your wedding gift from Master Nissos Kellyden.¡±


    Ben wasn¡¯t the type of person to exaggerate¡­. The Emperor also sent a wedding gift so generously that my eyes couldn¡¯t get bigger. If Nissos had sent something more expensive than that, he could have sold all thends he really had.


    I frowned silently.


    I was not going to get along with Kellyden like a normal family, and I didn¡¯t intend to. Well¡­ Two of the four people were gone, and there were only two left.


    ¡°I should feed him some food.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll catch him, Miss.¡±


    ¡°If he says no, you can grab him by the neck and bring him back.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Miss.¡±


    Unfortunately, Nissos said that as soon as he saw Abigail, his face brightened and followed along.


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing that you have a wedding party first.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s even more interesting is that? Under the silver tree.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it really scary? They say it¡¯s not far from the Beast Border.¡±


    Even with that said, the nobles were loaded into carriages and diligently headed towards the silver tree.


    Hundreds of people gathered under a huge shaded tree. They could not take their eyes off the huge tree.


    ¡°Myote Stern.¡±


    On behalf of the high priests who were unable to attend any wedding ceremony, High Priest Jubelud, who had been released from these rites by officially returning the high priest¡¯s seat ording to custom, attended. His official ordination was ¡®high ranking priest¡¯, but all the nobles still called him, High Priest.


    Myote was no exception.


    ¡°High Priest Jubelud.¡±


    ¡°How did youe to the Grand Duchess¡¯s wedding?¡±


    Myote said in a proud voice.


    ¡°I will not even set foot in the Central Territory for several decades, so I came here thinking it was thestmemoration.¡±


    ¡°I heard from High Priest Henoch. He said you like this silver tree.¡±


    ¡°To some extent.¡±


    ¡°Once you sit down, they say you don¡¯t move for five hours.¡±


    ¡°¡­ High Priest Henoch is talking too much.¡±


    Myote Stern cleared her throat.


    ¡°Two metis flowers came in and one was made into medicine.¡±


    One had already been brought to Seria as a gift for her wedding celebration.


    ¡°After the wedding, stop by the Great Temple and take it with you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better for us to give to Sterns.¡±


    The smile was sincere. Priests were always sincere towards Sterns, and no matter what their personalities like Myote or Seria were, the priests were busy pampering them.


    So, as a fake saint, Lina, who was dered a fake Stern¡­


    Once they gave a deep affection, it would be difficult to take it back. Even if they were repeatedly disappointed. Or, it may be a characteristic of priests who were more focused on the person before they copsed.


    Anyway¡­.


    Myote turned her head away without asking further.

 Chapter 201

    Listen to Post


    ***


    The reception in the morning was full of aristocrats.


    I was happy to send invitations to the arrogant families who had only sent knights to myst wedding with Kalis.


    They could attend the reception, but not the wedding.


    It was usually the opposite, but anyway, as the Berg vassals insisted, it was a wedding that was carried out as splendidly as possible for everyone.


    Even if not, there were no nobles who did not know that I and Lesche were a married couple.


    Who would say a little change of custom?


    Aristocrats who received only invitations could attend the early reception, but were not allowed to enter the ceremonial hall. Therefore, they were forced to wait to attend the reception after the wedding ceremony.


    They were tired, but they couldn¡¯t just leave without greeting the nobles in the central territory.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    When I changed out my wedding dress and entered the bedroom, the doctor was waiting for me. As he sat in front of me, my stomach trembled.


    The day Lesche brought the doctor in while talking about his conception dream. No definitive results were confirmed.


    If I were pregnant, it would be too early to diagnose.


    ¡°If you wait one more week, I will know for sure.¡±


    I could send the guests back and take my time, but frankly, I was too nervous.


    That there could be a child in this stomach¡­


    I looked at the busy doctor. Said it would take some time. Even in the midst of the whirlwind, I was gathering my nervous hands as best I could, afraid that my wedding dress would be ruined.


    "I''ll be back soon."


    The doctor who poked the tip of my finger to collect a drop of blood trembled and walked out the door.


    Actually, I used to think about it.


    Lesche and I had done it every night, so why didn¡¯t I get pregnant?


    I wasn''t really nervous, but I did have some doubts from time to time. Perhaps, if it hadn''t been for the time when I went through the world of Tuban to get the heart of Lesche, I would have wondered forever.


    click.


    I habitually pressed the red jewel in the circlet around my neck.


    Of course, I would I longer have to go to Tuban¡¯s world anymore.


    However, I knew that the divine power of the circlet had be stronger than before.


    It didn¡¯t matter because there were several Sterns now, and the power of the star that was difficult to handle was divided, but Stern in the lost time seemed to have had a very difficult time having children.


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious.¡±


    The power of the stars was so strong that I lived with ck bruises all over my body. How could a child be born easily in a body that seemed to be tortured all the time?


    That world had copsed and disappeared, but Tuban''s power was still hidden in my body. That was until Tuban unlocked the seal.


    In other words, the power of the stars was preventing me from having children. Some sort of contraceptive role? As a Stern, I never thought that I could use contraception like this.


    On the one hand¡­.


    ¡®If I adjust the power of the stars, can I continue to use it as a contraceptive?¡¯


    If the priests heard it, they probably would faint.


    ¡®But it''s strange.''


    Seria was the only Stern in the lost world, so it must have been very difficult to have a child, but why did Lesche ept the marriage when he was the Grand Duke of Berg?


    The higher the rank, the more sensitive the nobility as well as the imperial family about heirs.


    ¡®Because he wasn''t too attached to me.¡¯


    I had to ask Lesche.


    ¡®He must have been crazy about me.¡¯


    He probably would give an answer like this.


    To be honest, I was a little embarrassed that Seria from the past was having love sickness after seeing Lesche¡­


    Then the door suddenly swung open.


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    ***


    ¡°It¡¯s such a perfect wedding.¡±


    ¡°Isn''t it really more morous than His Majesty''s wedding?"


    Berg''s vassals were very satisfied. No one paid any attention to Seria''s meanness. Berg was weak against Stern from generation to generation, and the vassals were the same.


    At this time, just two years ago, Seria Stern was very scary. She stayed only a week and they couldn¡¯t wait for her to leave.


    Of course, Linon was one of them, so he knew how to keep his mouth shut. It was a story that would be buried forever if there were only a few mistakes.


    ¡°By the way, the chief aide won¡¯t get married?¡±


    "Yes?"


    Linon had no family, so some of Berg''s older vassals often treated him as a child of rtives from where he was picked up. Linon was so unfamiliar with this kind of ce that he would only smile like a machine.


    ¡°Don''t get married toote. Aren''t you going to raise your child as an aide too? Oh, who''s taking the next one?"


    "That¡­ Maybe you forgot that His Highness waspletely focused on the ability system¡­"


    "No! If you look like the chief aide, you''ll have a smart kid!"


    Linon bit his lip.


    ¡°The Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess got married properly now, and they will have a child soon, but if the age difference between the master and subordinate is too much, the work efficiency will drop a lot.¡±


    "That''s right."


    The vassals who were nodding their heads, saw Abigail passing by. There was no vassal who did not know how many demons that knight had ughtered before the subjugation. Seeing the vassals rushing in saying they would make friends with her, Linon rubbed his face.


    There was a captain who kept an eye on the vassals, so they wouldn''t dare say anything to Abigail.


    But¡­ at least they would say they respect her.


    ¡°Ah, who will take the next generation?¡±


    Abigail pricked her ears at that.


    "Senior aide!"


    "Let''s go! The reception is starting!"


    Perhaps because there were many people, few people had noticed that the main characters of this wedding and reception did not show their faces.


    Linon did the same as he nced at Abigail.


    ***


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant!¡±


    I was speechless for a moment as the doctor screamed and trembled. There was no need to ask if it was real. Because the doctor was running around like he was going to pass out.


    ¡®It''s true.''


    "It''s been about a month."


    "One month?"


    "Yes. Grand Duchess."


    ¡­Then when?


    Was it around the time Lesche saw her wearing a bunch of rings?


    Contrary to the fierce calctions in my head, my hands were already on my stomach. I didn''t even realize it, but now my heart was beating wildly.


    Then, as soon as Tuban regained some strength, I immediately became pregnant.


    No one would know the details of this, but it was strangely embarrassing. Besides, it didn''t feel real.


    ¡­can I raise the child well?


    Am I too immature? Besides, it''s very painful to give birth, will I be okay? Can I give birth? Will the child grow up safely? What if something happens? All kinds of worries swirled around and filled my brain.


    I was already out on the terrace.


    I thought I would calm down after a little bit of a cold wind. The giant silver tree was visible from here. What''s more, the reception was going on there, bright lights were shining greatly.


    It was dazzling.


    I heard the sound of the terrace door opening.


    I immediately looked up at the man standing in front of me.


    "¡­Lesche."


    ¡®Did he run?¡¯


    Lesche, who had very good physical strength, did not have trouble breathing or anything. However, his hair, which Begonia had paid as much attention to as mine, was a little disorganized.


    I reached out to smooth his hair but my hand was caught.


    "Ah!"


    Suddenly he gripped my waist and lifted me up.


    I screamed.


    "I¡¯m pregnant! Put me down!"


    Lesche who was uncharacteristically embarrassed put me on my feet.


    "¡­I''m going crazy. Are you okay?"


    "I¡¯m fine, but don''t just lift me up like that."


    In the meantime, I was worried that the dress might have wrinkles. This was the main work of the season that Begonia prepared while staying up all night, but fortunately, the dress was intact. When I lifted my head, it seemed that Lesche had barelye to his senses.


    How unfamiliar those reactions were, and


    the tickling under the neck.


    "What about your hands?"


    ¡°You can hold it.¡±


    Immediately, both of my hands were caught. I asked bluntly.


    ¡°Have you heard from the doctor?¡±


    ¡°I heard. I did.¡±


    Lesche''s eyes alternately scanned my face and my stomach.


    ¡°¡­Seria.¡±


    At the end of that sentence, Lesche covered his mouth with my hand. As I stared at his slowly reddening face, I felt like my heart was submerged in warm water. Strangely I felt choked.


    What should I say?


    Hearing the report that all the water sources in Berg had suddenly turned into constetion gold, he seemed to have that kind of expression on his face.


    Early evening. Time for the real banquet to begin. In the sky that turned blue, the stars rose little by little.


    ¡°What should I say now?¡±


    ¡°You said you would hand over all of Bergs to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you all.¡±


    ¡°You said you would give me the title of Grand Duchess too.¡±


    "I''ll give it to you. Is that all?"


    ¡°Kiss me too. But don¡¯t mess up my makeup¡­"


    I couldn''t finish telling him to be careful.


    Lesche immediately bowed his head and came to meet my lips. However, it was a very careful touch, unlike the usual kiss that burned with passion.


    Was it because it was very overwhelming? It seemed to swell petals on my chest. The kisses were as soft as cotton wool.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    He licked my lips and said in a whisper.


    ¡°Can I be honest?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡±


    "¡­yes?"


    "You¡­ you''re too weak."


    One side of my heart ached at the rare appearance of Lesche''s weakness. How long would it be if I added up all the days I couldn''t wake up while sleeping? How could this man be waiting for me every time and not saying anything?


    ¡°Seria?¡±


    Lesche frowned.


    ¡°Why are you crying? Where are you hurt?¡±


    "I¡¯m not hurt. The doctor told me earlier that pregnancy makes emotions worse."


    Using the doctor as an excuse, I carefully wiped the corners of my eyes with my fingertips. A little bit of tears were shed. At the thought of Begonia going to faint seeing my messy face, I decided to somehow hold back my tears.


    "I¡¯m not.¡±


    I deliberatelyughed.


    ¡°Come to think of it, you should have taken the contraceptive pill.¡±


    A soft smile was also drawn on the corner of Lesche''s lips.


    "Yes. I should have done that.¡±


    ¡°Is that a joke? What if Berg doesn¡¯t have a sessor?¡±


    For a moment, Lesche looked at me without saying a word. Then his arms wrapped around me.


    ¡°Honestly, all I need is you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Other than that, it doesn¡¯t matter. That¡¯s the problem.¡±


    ***

 Chapter 202

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    ***


    "No..¡­¡±


    To be so honest, I couldn''t help but panic. A conversation like this¡­ Is it okay for prenatal education? For Lesche and me. We didn''t know anything about children yet. To be precise, we were ignorant. Because I didn''t know anything, the word bothered me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t say that to a kid.¡±


    Lesche had already put me on the terrace table and sat me down. I asked as I stared at him stroking my cheek.


    ¡°Lesche. Will we be able to raise children well?"


    ¡°Are you scared?¡±


    "A little bit. No, a lot."


    Lesche rubbed my tummy and whispered a few words in my ear. I burst outughing.


    "Really?"


    "I have no reason to lie to you."


    A roar ofughter flowed out. "Then we can raise them well."


    ***


    Shortly after Berg''s wedding, attended by close to a thousand nobles, ended in a grand way.


    Rumors of the Grand Duchess of Berg having a child spread throughout the social circles. Even though it was not the social season, the rumors spread very quickly.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped.


    Stern was the most important topic in the country, and the pregnancy of the Grand Duchess was very interesting in the social world.


    ¡°It started with one person¡¯s pregnancy.¡±


    "It''s going to be noisy again during the winter socializing season."


    ***


    "Stern is pregnant."


    There was a lot of excitement. The Great Temple was in chaos. On the surface, the demon subjugation battle waspleted perfectly, but each royal family had been protesting informally and fiercely that the demon border could be broken so easily.


    It was never so easily broken, but it was true that the continent was in danger of extinction anyway. Thanks to this, the Great Temple was busy reconstructing the entire Borderline.


    It''s about organizing information about Lina¡­


    ¡°Did Marquis Hon say that he would not marry at all?¡±


    "That''s right."


    High Priest Henoch and High Priest Joel did not add any further words. It was the same with Jubelud.


    Knock. Knock.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡±


    ¡°Ah, High Priest.¡±


    It suddenly rained heavily, so Kalis decided to stay for a day at the Great Temple. The bedroom assigned to Kalis, who wasn¡¯t Stern¡¯s husband, but one of the heads of the seventeen families, was luxurious but quiet.


    ¡°You are drinking.¡±


    "I can''t sleep¡­. If you feel ufortable, I''ll leave the room."


    ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you drink it quietly.¡±


    Jubelud knew that just one bottle was a very strong drink, but he was silent.


    It was like his throat was on fire, but Kalis was only looking at the empty bottle without any response.


    Lately, every time Kalis was seen, he had be much thinner. Rumors had it that he worked all day every day like a crazy man. He had no time to rest from dawn to midnight the next day due to his hectic schedule.


    As a head of the seventeen families, Kalis didn¡¯t have toe to the Grand Temple in person¡­


    Thanks to this, it seemed that it had been a while before Kalis had heard about Seria''s pregnancy, which was a buzz in social circles.


    The rain was pouring down, and Kalis was silently staring at the ss of wine.


    ¡°Priest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marquis Hon.¡±


    ¡°There is no chance that Seria¡¯s child will be mine.¡±


    ¡°The Grand Duchess¡¯s child is not a child of divine power. She is carrying a child of the Grand Duke.¡±


    "Yes¡­"


    Kalis knew.


    He just wanted to hang on to such an absurd hope.


    He nced at the emerald ring he carried every day in his pocket. Now that it had been removed from the heirloom, no vassals or aides could find it, but it was the personal belongings of Kalis.


    It was a ring that no one could say anything about even if it was carried into the tomb.


    ¡°I regret it every day.¡±


    ¡°What regrets do you have?¡±


    ¡°Looking back, I started to regret even being born. I wish I could reverse the choice.¡±


    Kalis took out a magic crystal bracelet on his wrist.


    ¡°Nowadays, almost all nobles have magical crystal rings. As you probably know."


    Thanks to the proper control of the amount taken out of the magic crystal mine, the magic crystal still maintained its status as a semi-precious stone. It also became the core energy source of the magic rings, giving it a strangely new meaning.


    Pleasee to me.


    Although Seria had given it to him before it even meant anything like that.


    Kalis, who had to live with only this for the rest of his life, had no choice but to engrave those words with the tip of his tongue every time. Words that sound sweet like poison.


    He suddenly remembered the time when he kissed the back of Seria''s hand. It was now an irreversible past.


    Deep in his heart, wounds continued to grow and he didn''t know what to do. Actually, he didn''t even want to do anything about it.


    If even the burnt scars disappear, there would be no trace of Seria left.


    He wanted to leave it alone and let it eat himself slowly.


    He wanted to suffer like that until he died. Kalis looked away with his eyes drenched in pain. The reason he kept seeing the vision of Seria was because he took too many strong sleeping pills. Hon''s doctor made a diagnosis like that.


    Seria was smiling at him¡­.


    Kalis slowly wiped his wet eyes. He always thought of his ex fianc¨¦e, whom he would never be able to reach again.


    He would have been better off if Seria had hurt him.


    He would never ask her forgiveness for the deep wounds he inflicted on Seria again. Such a position was now Lesche Berg, Stern¡¯s husband. He would never let go of Seria.


    Seeing the ungraspable fianc¨¦e in front of him brought a smile to his face, while on the other hand, his chest was heavy.


    ¡°¡­to Seria, no.¡±


    Kalis slowly changed his words.


    ¡°I would like to hand over the title of Hon to Stern.¡±


    After being silent for a moment, Jubelud answered.


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t ept it.¡±


    ¡°Or won''t she ept it if I want to give it to Stern''s child¡­."


    After all, it''s the seat of the head of the seventeen families. If Kalis did not have a sessor to the end, the Great Temple would surely bring a suitable child.


    Jubelud looked at Kalis silently for a while.


    ¡°Take your time, and a littleter¡­ Then, if you want it then, give it a try. But for that to happen, Stern would have to have at least two children.¡±


    No matter what Jubelud said, it didn¡¯t change what Kalis was suffering from. He smiled silently. Rainy night. The magic crystal bracelet and the emerald ring were rattling in Kalis¡¯s hand for a long time.


    ***


    ¡®¡­Is prenatal education like this?¡¯


    Iy on Lesche¡¯s thigh and blinked. I don''t know how many days I''ve been doing this.


    Did the baby feel safe when the parents were close? I heard from the doctor that it was also good for babies in the stomach.


    But I don¡¯t think we had to be close like this all the time¡­


    It was good at first. But after two weeks, I had a thought that Lesche wouldn¡¯t want me to get out of bed.


    ¡®Do you want me to stay like this for 8 more months?¡¯


    I frowned. As soon as I got up, Lesche asked.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I want to drink something.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring it to you.¡±


    It wasn''t even pulling her string. When I got pregnant, I was thirsty all the time and craved for sour drinks, so I had a full cup of tea with lemons in the bedroom.


    I drank the sour tea that Lesche poured himself. It''sfortable for a while, but¡­


    Now I wondered whether this was a confinement or a break.


    Lesche was like this all along, even when eating. When I change clothes or head to the window. Bathing was no exception. Even when I went to the bathroom, he tried to take me to the bathroom, so I got angry.


    "It¡¯s done!"


    I screamed in frustration. However, I was the only one who was surprised, there was no change in Lesche¡¯s facial expression.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait here.¡±


    ¡°Just go to work.¡±


    ¡°How can I leave you?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this home?¡±


    But Lesche didn''t move at all. Thanks to him, I was slowly getting angry.


    ¡°And in winter, Miyut Stern doesn¡¯t evene, so who inspects the cier? If you follow me every time, who will take care of the Grand Duke¡¯s duties?¡±


    As I spoke, my eyebrows rose more and more. I quickly turned back.


    ¡°Grand Duchess.¡±


    Every time I left the bedroom, the doctor who followed me hurriedly came up to me and said,


    ¡°It is unavoidable that you are experiencing severe emotional ups and downs. It''s natural, so just get angry."


    ¡°Go to Your Highness and tell him that I am not a patient.¡±


    "I''ve said it over a hundred times, but¡­"


    I closed the bathroom door and looked out the window at the sky. After thinking for a moment, I opened the bathroom door connected to the bedroom and left. The bathroom had another door. It was a wall door with a hidden corner, so Lesche could not see me.


    I walked out cautiously and looked around as far as possible from the bathroom.


    "Bibi? Bibi¡­¡±


    "Here you are. Miss."


    "Bibi!"


    I hugged Abigail. I was very happy to see her. Sadly, the Berg Knights refused my orders because Lesche was their lord. Their direct boss should be the most important person.


    However I didn''t know that Alliot would be like that as well.


    "I¡¯m sorry. Grand Duchess."


    ¡°I want to go to the silver tree.¡±


    ¡°Shall we go?¡±


    Abigail, who was trying to hold me straight, said, "Oh," and then picked me up. Startled, I wrapped my arms around Abigail''s neck.


    She went down the stairs in an instant with a fast speed.


    ¡°Grand Duchess?¡±


    When Martha saw meing down to the first floor, she had a surprised expression on her face. She reflexively looked behind the stairs. Of course no one was there.


    ¡°Oh my God, you finally escaped.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Lesche too harsh?¡±


    Martha was silent for a moment, then she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s really bad.¡±


    ¡°I want to go out.¡±


    Martha looked down the second floor and lowered her hand gesture. She prepared a small carriage in an instant, and I was able to get out of the castle after a really long time.


    In the meantime, everything seemed quiet. It was suspicious¡­. I thought Lesche would be looking for me by now. Did I really escape?


    Anyway, it was good to see the silver tree.


    After my pregnancy was announced, Myote sent a congrattory gift to Berg, which also included a single-line letter.


    It''s really not a drug exclusive to Stern.


    It seemed that I had to invite Myote next week. If I could add those words to her arrogant personality¡­ Moreover, as a Stern, I knew how good a giant silver tree was.


    While I was thinking about this and that, the running carriage stopped.


    "We''ve arrived, Miss."


    I took Abigail''s hand and carefully got out of the carriage. The huge silver tree made me feel good just by looking at it spread wide above my head. I smiled unconsciously.


    I turned my head involuntarily and saw something strange.


    "What is that? A greenhouse?"


    ***

 Chapter 203

    Listen to Post


    ***


    In a in where it was obviously empty, something simr to a ss greenhouse was made out of nowhere. It was a building that caught the eye with its shiny exterior much more than the ss greenhouse loved by nobles. Perhaps the inside was still under construction and the workers were busy, but¡­


    As I walked over there with Abigail, I saw an unexpectedly familiar figure.


    ¡°Linon?¡±


    ¡°Ahhh! Grand Duchess!¡±


    Linon looked at me and raised his voice in surprise. He looked behind me and Abigail, and he made a face that understood it all.


    ¡°Did you end up running away?¡±


    ¡°I just came out for a second.¡±


    ¡°I thought you ran away.¡±


    ¡°As for running away, is Berg really that concerned about children?¡±


    "No¡­ His Highness is particr¡­especially to the Grand Duchess.¡±


    Linon blurted out his words. As expected, there was no way this was the history of a great aristocratic family. Then it was just that the man was too particr. I frowned.


    "What''s this?"


    ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    Linon hesitated.


    ¡°That¡­ His Highness prepared it. As one of the birthday presents¡­¡±


    "¡­birthday present?"


    ¡°It was prepared in secret, but the Grand Duchess found out like this, but it¡¯s not my fault, is it? Please say no. Please."


    "No. But can Ie in?"


    ¡°Grand Duchess!¡±


    I went inside and blinked my eyes. From the outside, I thought it was not an ordinary ss greenhouse, but the center of the transparent ceiling was scattering light from various angles. It soon became clear that it was crystal, not ss.


    ¡°His Highness said the Grand Duchess goes to the silver tree every day as if it had applied honey, and you would catch a cold in winter. So he came up with this.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    "Since you have found out, I will guide you personally. I am a faithful chief aide who is forever loyal to my beloved Grand Duchess."


    Linon, who was eagerly exining the bird''s-eye view, smirked, saying that there will be tables on this side, a pond will be built on the other side, and flowers and trees will be nted in the corner.


    ¡°By the way, seeing the Grand Duchess who managed to escape like this today, I can see that His Highness made a really good choice.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm."


    For a moment, Linon''s face hardened. I was also half-stiffened.


    ¡°You seem to have made a good choice, Seria.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯m d I came out here.¡±


    Alliot murmured as he looked up at the silver tree. He was serious.


    If the dear Grand Duchess went further, somewhere else that he could not find immediately¡­he didn''t want to imagine much.


    The entrance to the Crystal House was a spectacle.


    A little while ago, it was crowded because it was busy with workers. Of course, he also sneaked out and closed the door very carefully, as if inserting a piece of sugar.


    Among those quietly driven out was Abigail. Without anyints, she was walking towards the center of the silver tree with her characteristic sullen expression.


    It was when Alliot was looking there without thinking.


    "Alliot."


    "Yes."


    Martha asked while looking at Alliot.


    ¡°Who did you get that sword from?¡±


    ¡°I got it from Sir Abigail Orrien.¡±


    For a moment, Martha''s lips twitched. She looked at Abigail and Alliot alternately with knowing eyes. A face with clear intentions for anyone to see.


    Thanks to that, Alliot couldn''t help but panic.


    "Why¡­."


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Miss Martha?¡±


    Martha held back herughter and walked over to Abigail.


    "Bibi."


    Abigail recalled the conversation she had with Seria in the carriage earlier.


    She said, "You made Alliot a famous man, so you should be held ountable."


    ¡°How so?¡±


    Abigail, who asked so, slightly distorted her forehead.


    ¡°Do I have to?¡±


    "No. No way. It''s a joke."


    Responsibility.


    Naturally, it ended with the word marriage.


    A while ago, in the carriage, Abigail suddenly remembered what Berg''s elder vassals were talking about at the reception.


    Contrary to Linon''s expectation that Abigail would be ttered, the older vassals were also busy flirting with Abigail.


    ¡°Can¡¯t anyone be an escort from generation to generation?¡±


    ¡°A great knight like Sir Abigail will be very strong and loyal even for the second generation.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, oh.¡±


    In fact, Abigail had never thought of mixing the appearance of Lesche with Seria''s child.


    There would be another little girl in the world with her shiny green hair and blue eyes. That was Abigail''s idea. Her interests were far more biased than others think.


    She was born with that inclination, and she was also blunt because she was raised harshly as an assassin from a young age.


    She had the life of an assassin that no one saves, who was treated like a piece of trash rolling on the floor.


    She had no regrets even if her life ended on death row. Seria saved her life that no one regrets. Could Abigail have any other interests besides Seria?


    At least not in this lifetime.


    "Miss."


    Anyway, she just talked to Seria because she thought it was okay when she pictured being an escort knight for the next generation.


    After a long time, Seria, who looked very excited, was busyughing out loud when she heard the story.


    Then Abigail brought up the story of Alliot, the famous man she had long forgotten. Seria continued speaking with a serious expression.


    "But I''m fine if you¡¯re with Linon."


    "Why are you talking about the chief aide?"


    ¡°If Bibi doesn''t like it, I won¡¯t do it.¡±


    "It''s fine. It''s good that you''re having fun."


    Abigail looked up at the gigantic silver for a moment.


    What if she gets married¡­. What if she marries that chief aide?


    It wasmon for married knights who formed a family to be given a private residence. A portrait of the youngdy would be hung in the center of the living room wall of the house, and every morning she would greet the portrait with the chief aide¡­


    Abigail raised her eyebrows slightly. Not a bad idea.


    Or what if she marries the knightmander Alliot?


    Hanging the portrait of the youngdy in the center of the living room wall of the house, she and the knightmander would salute the portrait every morning¡­.


    "Hmm..¡±


    It was the same.


    Both weren''t bad. But it was just ¡®not too bad'', so Abigail neatly postponed her marriage ns.


    The silvery leaves glistened in the sunlight.


    ***


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    I stiffened and looked back slowly.


    Lesche''s two eyes were perfectly fixed on me. Even in the midst of it, I could feel Linon slowly stepping backwards out of sight.


    In the blink of an eye, Lesche was standing right in front of me. We stared at each other for a moment. No, to be precise, I was the only one staring with strength in my eyes, and Lesche was staring at me with an unknown look.


    The reason I dared to stare at him was because it was inevitable. I was stunned by the momentary emotions I felt.


    No, I screamed to him to stop following me and ran away secretly.


    But as soon as I saw his face, I didn''t think of anything else. Could he hear my heart pounding?


    My brain didn''t understand. It was to the extent of doubting that I had a multi-personality rather than a level of emotional ups and downs.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche contorted his eyebrows a little, then he asked.


    ¡°Is it so frustrating to be in bed?¡±


    "I''m frustrated. You¡­."


    My mouth froze for a moment as I prepared to yell if he would tell me to stay in bed. Come to think of it, Lesche was by my side the whole time. I couldn¡¯t go out at all and so did he.


    Thanks to this, I was momentarily at a loss for words.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s frustrating.¡±


    I decided to focus on ¡®It''s too severe for a human being'' because I didn¡¯t have much to say.


    "The doctor said to be careful in the early stages of pregnancy."


    "Even in the beginning, you¡¯re too much.¡±


    ¡°Is it too much?¡±


    "It''s really bad. And the doctor told me I was fine 30 times a day."


    Lesche didn''t answer, just stared at me with strange eyes.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    He let out a low sigh and ruffled his hair roughly. No matter what he said, I was getting ready to refuse right away.


    "I can''t believe you''re saying it''s okay."


    I was speechless. Lesche had a puzzled expression on his face.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­but I didn¡¯t know you would hate it so much.¡±


    Uncharacteristically, Lesche, who had blurred the end of his words, gave a faint smile. I thought it was because I was just staring nkly.


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    Lesche leaned over and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.


    "I¡¯m sorry."


    "¡­no."


    Unable to even move in the arms of Lesche, I barely raised my hand and swept his face.


    ¡°What am I going to do if you apologize like that?¡±


    "Well. The Grand Duchess, who doesn''t care about her husband¡¯s heart?"


    ¡°¡­¡±


    "It''s okay. It''s not like it¡¯s the first time you''ve been mean to me."


    I clenched my fists. Lesche buried his face on the nape of my neck and burst outughing. I was bewildered to see his broad shoulders trembling withughter.


    ¡°I should not speak.¡±


    Still, I didn''t want to go back. I just stretched out my arms and hugged Lesche''s waist. He paused for a moment, then kissed my neck and whispered.


    ¡°But don¡¯t disappear so suddenly. I felt like I was going crazy.¡±


    ¡°¡­what are you saying? If I go, I wille out here. And¡­¡±


    I looked around.


    ¡°Thanks to you, I found this ce.¡±


    "Do you like this ce?"


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I answered right away, but Lesche had a dissatisfied expression on his face.


    "I was going to show you when it''s finished, but now it''s a mess."


    "Is it? It''s already pretty in my eyes."


    It wasn''t empty words. The exterior and interior walls were already finished. I vaguely thought that this was a greenhouse with a ceiling made of crystals, but Linon told me to think of it as just a private room. After making the greenhouse, it was so humid and hot that he thought it wouldn''tst long, so he repaired it again.


    I couldn''te in the middle of winter when the heavy snow piled up, but in other seasons, I could be here every day.


    Wouldn''t it be nice to drink hot tea while the snowkes fall and watch the silver trees all day long?


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    I smiled and asked.


    "Perhaps you made the process slow so I wouldn¡¯te out, did you?¡±


    ¡°There is no reason for that.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I didn''t know if he would agree with what I said as a joke. Immediately, my eyebrows rose.


    "I said because I was worried about you.¡±


    By making me feel restless? Lesche smiled and swept my eyebrows with his fingertips.


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s the biggest concern.¡±


    "That''s okay. I don''t believe you."


    "Why. Are you mad again?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you mad about this?¡±


    Even though I replied coldly, Lesche onlyughed. I was stunned¡­.


    ¡°Seria. I asked the doctor earlier, and he said hugging is okay now.¡±


    "Yes?"


    I immediately panicked and looked around. There was no one in this crystal house. I thought there were people around the corner¡­ but it waspletely empty.


    I was d no one heard what he said.


    "Why are you surprised?"


    ¡°No¡­ isn¡¯t it too fast? I think my stomach would be shaking too much."


    ¡°Shaking? Ah."


    Lesche, who asked the question, chuckled. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close.


    ¡°It will be okay.¡±


    ¡®Oh my gosh.¡¯


    I misunderstood. I avoided his gaze, but it was of no use because I was in Lesche''s arms already. The sound of hisughter rang in my ears. (*Lesche said it¡¯s okay to hug, but Seria misunderstood that hug meant sex. That¡¯s why she said her stomach would be shaking )


    ¡°What were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡­.¡±


    ¡°You have to be patient, Seria.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    In an instant, my ears went hot. I couldn¡¯t stand it¡­.Lesche didn''t seem to have any intention of ending his talk there. It was clear that if this promiscuous man said a few more words, my whole body, not just my ears, would be on fire.


    So, I grabbed Lesche''s cheek with both hands and kissed him fiercely. Lesche¡¯s eyes widened a little. It was an unexpected kiss. I learned from this man countless times, so I thought I would do well. I dug into Lesche''s mouth and explored the wetness.


    My body responded in the blink of an eye.


    As it was before, and as it was now. Lesche was never satisfied with my kiss. Very rarely, every time I kissed him first, he quickly grabbed the back of my head and kissed me like he was going to devour me. Each time, my body was also pressed down, and my breathing would run wildly.


    As if he was worried about my stomach, Lesche couldn''t hug me tightly like he was about to explode like he used to. But when I was about to disengage the kiss, he held me tighter.


    Even a small thing like that made my heart pound, so I hugged Lesche tightly. I was beyond happy to have met this man, the thoughts I had had many times filled my mind again.


    ***

 Chapter 204

    Listen to Post


    ***


    ¡°Good night. Your Highness.¡±


    Linon mouthed the words quietly and disappeared. It was inevitable because Seria was sleeping inside the bedroom.


    Lesche, who handed all the papers to Linon, returned to the bedroom.


    Contrary to the desire to be locked up in the bedroom with Seria all day, he had daily agendas to deal with.


    As a result, when it was time for Seria to go to sleep, Lesche checked the documents in the bedroom.


    Linon hade to the front of the bedroom to collect the finished documents.


    Lesche took off his gown andy down next to Seria. As he watched her with the back of his hand on her cheek, he suddenly saw the circlet ne hanging from her neck.


    Lesche stretched out his hand, feeling that his throat was tickling because of the cold metal. In fact, Lesche did not like this circlet very much. Because Seria often used this circlet to go to the world of the guardian.


    He didn''t want to go back to how he felt every time he saw her not waking up.


    On the one hand he couldn''t forget a ce called the world of Tuban.


    Especially since it was the ce where Seria had died.


    Lesche slowly stroked Seria''s cheek with the back of his hand, reflecting on the past.


    Seria was a story he didn''t know.


    ***


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Seria¡¯s face was wet.


    ¡°Can you die without me?¡±


    A voice full of water.


    "You always say I¡¯m cruel to you. Who is really cruel now?"


    Seria took Lesche''s hand as she walked, and she never stopped. He couldn''t take his eyes off her back. It looked like someone had nailed it shut.


    The back that seemed to disappear somewhere.


    He now knew that he would not be with her anymore.


    After walking for a very long time, Seria arrived at the missing time, from a certain point on, she could no longer walk. Her body did not move.


    ¡°¡­Lesche.¡±


    Seria looked back at Lesche and bit her lip. He was terribly saddened by the tears that flowed nonstop from her eyes.


    "I''ll be back soon.¡±


    Seria let go of Lesche''s hand and started running. A sh of white light afflicted the retina. Lesche''s eyes, standing alone on the spot, turned to the other side very slowly.


    It was Lesche Berg at this time.


    ***


    "What about Stern?"


    At Lesche''s question, Alliot pointed straight to the left.


    ¡°She¡¯s over there.¡±


    There was only one Stern on the continent. Without her, it could not proceed with the subjugation of the beasts, and the number of beasts in this continent was growing immensely.


    The day that Stern''s legacy ceased would be the day this continent would be destroyed.


    Grand Duke Berg, who took on the duty of a watchman, always lived with such a thought.


    Magi was so strong that the advance team had to press the helmets made from the constetion gold. The reason why Lesche was on the dangerous advance team even with the status of Grand Duke Berg was simple.


    As fast as possible, as efficiently as possible. Let''s finish this damn monster subjugation battle because he wanted to end this sickening battle with the demons.


    It''s not about taking life lightly. However, Alliot, who went with Lesche every time, had a slightly different idea.


    The high-ranking lord had nothing to protect personally.


    Because all Lesche had was obligations and duties. It was a word Alliot couldn''t dare to say.


    The sword, which was strangely boring while ughtering the demons without hesitation, stopped at some point. This was because the number of demons that burst out was muchrger than expected in the Great Battle. It was such a big error that the temple staff in charge of the forecast were punished.


    That time when Lesche Berg had a foreboding that the beast would bite his neck.


    Kang!


    When they received instructions, the pdins jumped out and beat the beasts. It was almost simultaneous. A woman grabbed Lesche''s wrist and quickly pulled him behind her.


    He couldn''t have known the woman. She was Stern.


    Seria Stern.


    Green hair like midsummer scattered in front of his eyes. Stern blinked her eyes as she looked back at Lesche, who had been frozen in an unexpected situation.


    ¡°Are you okay? Don''t die, sir."


    Then, without hesitation, she dropped his hand and walked away.


    "Your Highness! Are you okay? Your Highness?"


    For a long time, Lesche couldn''t take his eyes off Seria''s back.


    Oddly enough, since Lesche was born until now he had never heard of anyone telling him not to die. Not from his family and definitely not from his subordinates.


    Berg. Don¡¯t die.


    Who would dare to say something like that?


    Lecshe, lying on the bed, looked at his wrist.


    Stern was a special existence that maintained the temperature of the constetion gold armor within a 5km radius.


    Therefore, it was purely Lesche Berg''s misunderstanding that the wrist held by Seria Stern felt warm at that moment.


    It must be an illusion¡­


    Every time the other knights looked at Stern as if possessed, he thought they were fools, but before he knew it, Lesche was doing the same thing as those idiots.


    Seria Stern. The fact that the woman''s hair color was so unusual was strange.


    He saw her everywhere. He kept staring at her. She kept showing up with her green hair like a fresh midsummer.


    After that, Lesche did something simr a couple of more times. If there was anything different from before, it was that he deliberately nned a situation where he was near Stern while fighting the demons.


    Stern, who clearly knew nothing, to be precise, Seria Stern, who was clearly not interested in each and every knight, told them not to injure himself or die, as always. Hearing such kind words, Lesche felt suffocated.


    Even when the words weren''t directed at him.


    Seria Stern.


    He filled his hunger with that name for a while.


    And yet, why was he getting more and more hungry?


    "Your Highness. I heard you¡¯re losing sleep.¡±


    Linon looked up and said. It was a day when Stern helped Berg in the subjugation.


    ¡°If it¡¯s because of Stern, wouldn¡¯t it be better to pay tribute? Prepare a lot of expensive jewels and relics."


    ¡°Jewels or relics?¡±


    "Yes. Stern liked jewels and relics."


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    A few dayster, Linon was speechless as he watched Lesche leave for the Great Temple. It was because of the jewels and relics that Lesche carried.


    Berg''s Circlet.


    A family heirloom of the Grand Duke that had been passed down for generations.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would pick the heirloom¡­¡±


    What family would give the heirloom as a gift all of a sudden? Moreover, he was not able to calcte profit and loss well because of his tender heart for Stern.


    In a country where there were many families who only say thank you.


    Above all, as Linon knew that Grand Duke Berg gave that circlet to a woman would only have one meaning.


    A proposal of marriage.


    ¡®Ah¡­ His Highness is in love with Stern.¡¯


    It was only then that Linon realized that Lesche was suffering from lovesickness.


    ¡®He said he had no interest in women.''


    He had high standards¡­..


    The Grand Duke did not just look at anyone, so Stern must have caught his eyes. He had no intention of having children, but he did not speak out. Such a problem was not important to the man who had been carrying the heirloom.


    After some time Stern epted the Grand Duke¡¯s proposal.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me and give me an honest answer as to the real reason for wanting to get married, Grand Duke¡­¡±


    "I do not know."


    Lesche looked at Seria''s surroundings with eyes as if to sweep. It was too quiet for Stern, the envy of all knights, to live. Emotions were at the forefront, but the truth was¡­


    ¡°The purpose of Berg is to protect you.¡±


    Every time I think of you.


    ¡°You look so lonely.¡±


    It was so hard that it was difficult to breathe every time.


    Even Berg''s doctor was unaware of the fact that Stern''s strong divine power was making Lesche''s body full of burn marks.


    Lesche had no intention of breaking the marriage, even as he bandaged his arm himself.


    Seria Stern.


    Even before she promised to marry him, and even after her promise, Lesche couldn''t understand why he couldn''t sleep.


    After he¡¯s married, would he be able to sleep properly then?


    After the marriage, he had to show her these burn marks, who should he do? She might be scared and run away.


    Although Stern''s ceremonial hall, which he had prepared hard in Berg, ended in blood without anyone entering.


    It was the day that Lesche vomited blood in the Demon Subjugation Battle.


    ¡°Lesche!¡±


    Just before he took hisst breath, he looked at Seria, who was running towards him in that short time.


    What would he do when she cries like that?


    He had a thought. Her blurred face formed on his chest.


    There was a problem with the boundaries, and reinforcements could not enter this ce. No one would be able to protect her, but that was fine. Seria was only Stern, and she once told him her secret that she had her ¡®Guardian of Stern''.


    Seria read Lesche''s expression quite well.


    Thanks to that, he also found out without difficulty that Seria was paying more attention to his well-being than he had thought. So, that must be why she told him that secret.


    But that face with a smile, saying that it was a bit scary because the guardian looked like a giant dragon.


    Now it was just a blurred face.


    He wished the guardian could wipe some of her tears.


    Seria''s divine power had barely grasped the soul of Lesche, and he thought of those thoughts in a short time.


    After hearing the priests say that Stern was stricken with lovesickness, he felt as if he had been beaten in the head for a moment. Seria liked his appearance so he thought it would be a good idea if her guardian had his face.


    A corpse would rot anyway.


    Because it would be better for the guardian to look like him (Lesche) than a scary dragon. So Seria wouldn¡¯t be scared.


    His hands couldn''t move any more. His vision gradually darkened. In that short time, it was thest wish that Lesche had. (*That¡¯s why Tuban had Lesche¡¯s face.)


    ***


    ¡°Seria.¡±


    As I was leaning against the window of the study, I looked back. When did hee in?


    ¡°Lesche.¡±


    Just then, a strong wind blew through the open window and ruffled her hair. I tucked my hair behind my ears and smiled.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it cold?¡±


    At this time other nobles wear short-sleeved dresses¡­ But instead of saying that, I just replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s not cold.¡±


    Lecshe, holding my shoulders, bowed his head and kissed me. His strong arm hugged my back before I knew it. I took a deep breath in Lesche''s arms.


    His hand gently caressed my stomach. There were times when I felt strange when I saw my stomach slowly inte, but Lesche touched my stomach asionally to see if it wasn''t the case.


    Suddenly, a question I had asked before came to mind.


    Why did Lesche marry me in the past when I couldn¡¯t even have children? Was it because he didn¡¯t care about the heir?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk about the past these days?¡±


    At the same time, I was surprised when Lesche spoke his words as if he had read my mind. I said bluntly.


    "I thought you were so attached to me that you wanted to marry me, but it''s not.¡±


    Lesche lowered his head and burst intoughter. He asked.


    "You really think so?"


    "No?"


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that.¡±


    I widened my eyes at the unexpected answer. Was there something I didn¡¯t know?


    "Then? Why?¡±


    "I saw something then."


    ¡°What was it?¡±


    When I asked with a pounding heart, Lesche looked at me with tenderness. Then.


    ¡°Lesche?¡±


    He turned around and left. I followed him with puzzlement.


    We were in a hallway in an instant.


    "Are you busy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not busy. But I¡¯m pleased that you have something you''re curious about."


    "What? No! Tell me!¡±


    Lecshe looked at me and smiled faintly.


    "No."


    "Lesche!"


    "It''s fun to have you chase me.¡±


    Unbelievable. I stopped on the spot. it didn¡¯t matter, Lesche kept getting farther away, and I fell into a realistic question as to whether I would be able to hear his answer today if I kept following him.


    ¡®But what did he see? I''m curious.''


    I blinked my eyes when I thought it would be good to follow. Then Lesche came back and frowned.


    ¡°Why didn''t you follow me? Are you mad?"


    ¡®I wasn¡¯t.¡¯


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mad because I didn¡¯t tell you.¡±


    "The doctor said that''s what happens when I¡¯m pregnant."


    As I said that, I couldn''t even put strength in my eyes. It was the right time to stare at him, but I couldn''t do it. I reached for Lesche¡¯s face with a smile that unavoidably rose.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Instead of answering, Lesche smiled and hugged me. He was silent for a moment.


    ¡°You are always like this.¡±


    ¡°You still like me.¡±


    Lesche, who was staring at me, chuckled.


    "Yes. I feel like I''m going crazy because I like it."


    Laughter flowed out. I put both my hands on Lesche¡¯s chest. The sound of his heart beating spread through my palms. Feelings like this sometimes, unannounced, and often so painfully. The fact that this man was still alive.


    Lesche took me to the garden. In the afternoon in the warm sunlight.


    ¡°Tell me quickly.¡±


    ¡°What can I tell you?¡±


    ¡°Everything.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Then suddenly the wind blew. The wind swept through the silver leaves and green hair fluttered gently.


    Lesche''s hand ran through my hair. ¡°I feel it every time, but your hair looks like midsummer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just green, does it look like that?¡±


    "Yes."


    A smile that spread softly enough to tickle my chest.


    ¡°I think this is what it feels like to catch summer.¡±


    Lecshe''s warmth spread slowly through our joined hands.


    We were where we were today because he never failed to catch me. So I, too, held on to Lesche as best I could. There were still so many seasons that we would spend together.


    Lesche Berg. The man I loved so much. In the meantime, I loved the smile of this man.


    It was such a smile that I would never forget for the rest of my life.


    ***


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