I slipped back and headed for the dressing room where Nathaniel would be.

As I opened the door, I saw him sitting in a chair, his clothes loosely undone.

For a moment, I lost my words at the sight of Nathaniel, his eyes closed, basking in the sunlight.

He looked exactly like the ancient dragon in the holy flame, dressed in white.

“Jaina?”

He turned to me and smiled as he got up from his seat.

He slid towards me and embraced me.

My heart was still pounding.

I gripped his clothes tightly, fearing that he might return to the sky at any moment.

‘Something feels strange.’

Could the deity want to change not only Teresa’s fate but also Nathaniel’s?

An endless fear welled up to the tip of my chin.

“Jaina? Are you okay?”

Nathaniel was flustered and didn’t know what to do, babbling.

I wordlessly buried myself in his arms.

He looked around and gently patted my back.

“It’s okay. I’m right here.”

I continued to cling to him despite his comforting words.

(This is a time separator.)

The first day of the harvest festival ended with a heated debate about the existence of the deity.

Nathaniel and I fled from the priests trying to catch us and headed to the imperial city.

“Nathaniel, did you not hear any strange voices earlier?”

“Voices?”

“You didn’t hear them?”

Looking at Nathaniel shaking his head, I wondered if I had heard hallucinations.

“Why? What did you hear that you’re like this?”

“Ah, nothing…… I must have misheard.”

Although he seemed not to believe me, Nathaniel didn’t ask further.

Feeling guilty for some reason, I grabbed his hand and said,

“It really was nothing. Nobody else heard it, so I must have hallucinated.”

“Is it strange to be curious?”

Nathaniel’s eyes stared at me honestly.

His red eyes wavered as if infected by my emotion.

Even with immense power, anxiety couldn’t be stopped.

Just a few hours ago, he was a person guarding my surroundings…

Perhaps due to anxiety, I touched his pale, frightened cheek.

Nathaniel rubbed his cheek against the palm of my hand like a puppy and kissed it.

I had no choice but to succumb to his affection.

“To change fate……”

“Fate?”

Nathaniel’s face twisted.

“See, I told you it’s really nothing.”

“It’s nothing, but I wanted to know.”

The original story never mentioned divine power once.

‘It might be a good thing.’

I decided to think positively.

Until recently, I wasn’t disappointed that although the process was different, the result was almost similar to the original work.

A power not mentioned in the original work, especially the power of healing, would surely help.

“Don’t worry. I don’t think anything bad will happen.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Nathaniel laughed incredulously.

I kissed his soft lips and whispered,

“I feel like I can do anything with you.”

Nathaniel’s face flushed red.

He turned his head away, blushing, and I laughed out loud.

Thanks to that, our anxiety evaporated like alcohol.

(This is a time separator.)

After the first day’s event ended, the topic shifted to the imperial city’s Platinum Hall.

The emperor declared that he would open the Platinum Hall, which was not open unless there was a special reason, as a banquet hall.

‘Damn him.’

I cursed the emperor in my mind as I busily directed the servants.

What?

Would you like to hold a banquet in another hall to celebrate the manifestation of divine power?

You’re not the one doing the work.

And when I saw the empress, who didn’t hide her happy face behind the emperor, I became even angrier.

Elegantly covering her mouth with her hand, the empress offered a plausible alternative.

But I knew.

How much she would torment me if she was not satisfied even if I gave her that time.

“Argh!”
I threw the table layout I had been holding onto the floor.

Even staying up every night, the schedule was near impossible.

There were limits even if we worked people to the bone.

Manpower was limited, and there was too much to do.

“Calm down, Your Highness.”

Cassian, with a tired face, staggered and patted my shoulder.

I sighed deeply.

‘If Nathaniel were here, it would have been easier.’

Since his divine power appeared, he was called to the temple every day.

He had to take some tests or something.

I was worried he might suddenly change in a crowded place.

I shouldn’t be getting so stressed.

I’ll have to prepare a special cake for Nathaniel’s mental health tonight.

“Your Highness.”

“Princess, what is it?”

Anais spoke to me with a worried face.

“That is, Lady Menisil seems unwell.”

“Teresa?”

At her words, I looked at Teresa, who was instructing work from a distance.

She looked no different than usual to my eyes.

But just in case, I decided to ask.

“Teresa, are you feeling unwell?”

When I approached and asked, Teresa’s expression slightly hardened.

She sighed shortly and whispered as if making an excuse.

“I have a slight fever. I’ll probably be better if I rest at home today.”

“A fever? Then you should rest right away.”