“Bu, but I’m certain that 8 years ago, I dealt with all the major issues before leaving…!”

“It seems someone has managed to escape divine judgment. We’ve only confirmed one, but there might be more.”

Sched relayed the recent events to Dietrich and the priests.

“Th-that heretic came all the way here and d-did what?”

Dietrich’s eyes sparkled with a different light as he heard about the heretic.

The intense gaze behind his glasses was almost overwhelming.

“They collapsed the west wing of the mansion’s annex and infiltrated a room. It seems they were trying to approach the maid they had attacked before, but fortunately, there doesn’t appear to have been any significant problem.”

“N-no significant problem!”

At Sched’s words, Dietrich straightened his previously hunched posture.

“Th-that can’t be. A heretic came all the way here, th-there’s no way they left without doing anything.”

Dietrich shook his head vigorously.

“Th-that maid! I need to meet the maid.”

Dietrich repeatedly tapped the table with his fingertips, urging Sched.

“But she hasn’t fully recovered yet. The doctor said she needs rest, and I don’t think it’s the right time to bring up that incident and question her.”

“It, it’ll only take a moment. I just want to ask a f-few things.”

Dietrich glanced at him timidly.

But while his gaze was timid, he didn’t seem ready to back down easily.

‘This is why I didn’t want him to come.’

Dietrich was one of the high priests Sched had hoped wouldn’t come to Ideana.

With his eccentric tendencies, he had extensive knowledge of black magic and heresy, and was uncomfortably persistent.

While his competence and tenacity could be helpful at times, his tendency to fixate on one thing and ignore others often created barriers in collaboration.

Neither rational persuasion nor threats of power worked on him.

Sched fell into thought for a moment.

There was only one reason he didn’t want to show Riana to Dietrich.

She was originally a traitor who should have been dealt with by Dietrich’s hands 8 years ago.

‘Of course, the high priest wouldn’t recognize Riana, but…’

As far as he knew, Dietrich Lester had never interacted separately with the Ideana family. This was because Count Felix Ideana, who had been researching black magic, kept the priests at a distance and didn’t let them into his home.

So Dietrich wouldn’t recognize Louise Ideana’s face.

Above all, it was Dietrich Lester who had approved and submitted the report of ‘All members of the Ideana family deceased’ 8 years ago.

Recognizing that achievement, Dietrich was able to rise to the position of high priest.

So, from Dietrich’s perspective, Louise Ideana was someone who couldn’t possibly be alive.

“A-and the wounds, with my holy power, I might be able to heal them.”

As Sched’s contemplation lengthened, Dietrich leaned closer to the table and added.

“W-wounds inflicted by black magic. I might be able to heal them…!”

Dietrich said, adjusting his glasses once again.

Sched lowered his eyes in silence.

‘…It should be fine.’

He couldn’t keep Dietrich Lester and her from ever meeting anyway.

Insisting here would only increase suspicion.

Moreover, he also had things he wanted to hear from Riana.

“Alright. Let’s go together.”

Sched rose from his seat, detaching the overbearing Dietrich who had stretched his neck forward.

Dietrich promptly stood up, following behind him.

“Let’s go!”

Dietrich’s voice, clear and without stuttering, carried a hint of excitement.

Riana lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling.

The beautifully painted pictures and patterns had peeled off in places, revealing the gray plaster underneath.

The part where a small chandelier had hung was completely gone, leaving a deep hole.

If it had been unpainted plaster, it might have been plain but clean enough to look at.

Beautiful things become ugly more easily than unattractive ones.

In the face of that ugliness, she recalled the beautiful memories this room once held.

Her innocent childhood.

The warmth that stayed by her side on days like today when she was sick in bed, or on nights when she trembled in fear from nightmares.

“Are you alright, young miss?”

Those large, warm hands would gently brush back her hair damp with cold sweat, pat her back, and hold her trembling hands.

She remembered the boy’s eyes, rough yet beautiful.

But now, those memories remained only as grotesque scars.

‘No.’

Riana buried her face in her hands.

Old memories washed over her, making her nauseous.

Something seemed to be pounding in her chest, making her breath quicken and her heart race.

While she had grown accustomed to physical pain, the scars of memory lodged in her mind like daggers refused to dull.

She pushed back against the memories consuming her, again and again.

Knock knock.

The sound of knocking momentarily pulled her from her agony.

Her distracting thoughts retreated a step, creating a brief gap between breaths.

Riana pressed her chest firmly, calming herself, and summoned the courage to part her lips.

“Come in.”

Sched stood beyond the slowly opening door.

“Your Excellency.”

Riana composed herself, bowing her head respectfully towards Sched.

And when she raised her head again, she noticed those who had followed behind Sched.

The priest’s robes, white as if glowing even indoors.

For a moment, Riana’s heart sank.

The silver-haired man following right behind Sched wore a cape embroidered with the Divine Star, which only high priests could wear.

Her muscles tensed and shrank back instantly.

‘Why is a high priest here…?’

Those called the pillars of the temple.

She had managed to conceal her power in front of ordinary priests somehow.

But the powerful holy energy possessed by a high priest was incomparable to that of ordinary priests.

With that level of ability, perhaps they could instantly recognize that she was a heretic who could use black magic.

As if seeing through her anxiety, the high priest fixed his gaze on Riana as soon as he entered, blinking his blue eyes behind his glasses.

“Is, is it that woman?”

Unlike his timid, stuttering words, his gaze was perfectly focused on Riana.

When Sched nodded, the silver-haired high priest approached with quick steps.

Riana pressed her tense body against the bed’s headboard as she watched the approaching high priest.

Thump thump, her heart, which she had barely managed to calm, began to beat loudly like a drum.

“Pay your respects. This is High Priest Dietrich Lester.”

Another priest assisting Dietrich spoke in a solemn voice.

At those words, her heart sank once more.

Dietrich Lester. She knew his name well.

The high priest who had judged Ideana’s treason.

The person with the deepest knowledge of black magic in the world, and a heresy judge who showed no mercy to those who used forbidden sorcery.

Among the high priests, he was the one she least wanted to meet.

Yet, now he was right in front of her, staring at her.

“…May God be with you, High Priest.”

Riana bowed her head to the high priest with a trembling voice, showing the utmost respect.

However, without even acknowledging her greeting, those blue eyes stared at her penetratingly.

Despite being admirably beautiful eyes, to her they felt colder and more piercing than ice.

She felt as if her whole body would freeze and stiffen.

Unable to bear the clear gaze like glass beads, Riana lowered her eyes.

The sound of her heartbeat grew louder, making her think even the high priest might hear it.

Riana bit her lip.

Yes. There was a time when she had hesitated for a long while in front of the temple where the high priest resided.

If she could throw off the curse-ridden life and be judged by the high priest’s hands.

If someone could end this hellish guilt that wouldn’t stop no matter how much she struggled.

So perhaps this was for the best.

But…

Riana raised fearful eyes to look at the man standing far away.

The man gazing at her coldly with purple eyes.

She clenched her trembling hands tightly under the blanket.

Even if the day came when the whole world knew of her sin, she hoped that at least Sched would not know of her sin.

If her secrets were to be exposed in front of him…

The memories she had barely managed to suppress crawled out again like maggots, eating away at her.

Her father and the heretics, and the sins she had committed against him…

The memories of the past choked her throat.

“Um, are you alright?”

The flustered high priest reached out to her as cold sweat flowed.

The moment the high priest’s fingertips touched her body, Riana shuddered greatly and raised her head.

She saw the priests surrounding her.

No. Please, at least not in front of him…

“I’m fine.”

Riana smiled awkwardly, squeezing out composure.

The high priest was still staring at her intently.

Her head spun under the intense gaze with nowhere to escape.

At that moment.

“High Priest Dietrich.”

It was none other than Sched who broke the high priest’s gaze.

Riana’s heart was now beating so hard that the back of her ears were throbbing.

“What is the matter?”

Sched’s expression was grave in the face of Dietrich’s persistent gaze.

Then Dietrich withdrew his head that had been stretched towards Riana and stepped back, seeming embarrassed.

“Ah, no, it’s, it’s not that right now…”

Dietrich mumbled, unable to continue his words.

Sched’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“Is there a problem?”

“Well… rather than that, this woman you mentioned is, is more than…”

“More than?”

“…ex, extremely beautiful.”

As his voice shrank to the size of an ant crawling, Dietrich bowed his head deeply.

Dietrich’s ears, with his head bowed, were bright red.