Rukna contemplated the possibility of becoming Kim Ha Young again if she were to die like this.

‘I’ve done a lot of training and service as a priestess, so maybe I can find the knot in space-time and go back like the Grand Priestess.’

Then I must find Sister Agnes and thank her properly.

Having experienced Hans’ gang, I think I can get along better with my awkward colleagues at work this time.

If I exercise regularly as the holy sword instructed, perhaps I can lead a slightly better life.

Rukna finished preparing to go out and looked in the mirror, imagining the happy smile on Kim Ha Young’s face. Just the thought of it should make her feel good, but…….

‘I don’t want to.’

Tears rolled down the corners of her eyes.

Of course, she missed the precious people she left behind, but she didn’t want to leave this place.

This world where Rukna was born had already become too precious to her.

‘And I want to see Matian more.’

Her cheeks became damp. Her desire to live was desperate.

At that moment, Matian, who was sitting on the bed, carefully wiped away her tears.

“Are you conscious?”

“……Mmm.”

Through her blurry vision, she saw his distinct face.

In the midst of the pain, it was an appearance that made her regain consciousness, which was really a shameful thing to say.

“First of all, Miss Gale is hospitalized at the central hospital. She is receiving treatment, so she will improve soon.”

Matian first informed Rukna of the information she would be most curious about. Then he sighed, saying, “The problem is your condition, Rukna.”

“You are now addicted to drugs. It’s a very bad drug that is banned from distribution, but I heard the imperial palace uses it secretly. If you were unlucky, you would have gone into hea…… Ah, no.”

Matian couldn’t bear to say the word ‘heat’ and turned his head the other way.

The elf doctor said that golden elixir had been applied to Rukna’s wounds.

It was probably this that had seeped into her body and neutralized the deadly poison to some extent.

‘Rukna, I still don’t understand you.’

It was surprising to learn that the health teacher was actually the next Grand Sage who had refined the golden elixir, but to make her pour out her only golden elixir.

‘You’re really.’

Matian was about to sigh.

“Chad…….”

Rukna barely managed to name the culprit who had drugged her.

“I know, so don’t talk. Your fever is rising.”

Matian turned his back to Rukna and only reached out to pat her shoulder.

Rukna found it unfair. Why wouldn’t the man who claimed to like her look at her?

Why was he ignoring and turning away from her when she had a fever and was struggling like this?

“Uuu.”

She even let out a whining sound mixed with resentment, but it was no use except for making his hand tremble slightly.

“This is our territory. Have you been here before?”

At Matian’s question, Rukna only breathed heavily instead of answering.

“Thanks to being exposed to various poisons since I was young, our family has a lot of information about antidotes. The capital city also had no particular solution, so I brought you all the way here.”

In fact, there was only one solution.

To spend the first night with the opposite sex and remove the accumulated poison from the body. But he couldn’t force that on Rukna, who was not in her right mind.

Perhaps she could survive if she endured well like this.

Rukna was a descendant of a saint and had also received help from the golden elixir, so there was a possibility.

‘I can only pray that Rukna endures well.’

Pray? Did I just say pray?

Matian was dumbfounded even after thinking about it himself. He had never believed in God since he was young.

He thought only the demon who had embedded a shard in his heart existed. If God really existed, how could he possibly put such a thing in the heart of the hero who would save the world?

Matian was about to get up from sitting on the edge of the bed.

At that moment, Rukna, who couldn’t even lift a finger, grabbed the sleeve of his robe tightly.

“Rukna?”

Matian’s body tilted towards the bed and fell over.

It was something he couldn’t make excuses for, that a weapon master lost his balance to the strength of a woman with a heavy illness, but he really staggered as if swept away by a storm.

Matian supported his body with his hands on either side of Rukna’s head as she lay down.

Somehow, he ended up in a position of pouncing on her.

Rukna filled his field of vision.

Her wet eyes, flushed cheeks, and lips exhaling hot breaths were too stimulating for him to handle.

If he lost even a little bit of his reason, he would have committed a sacrilegious act on the sacred priestess robe she was wearing.

Matian clenched his back teeth so hard that the tendons in his lower jaw were taut.

As he tried to push his body away, Rukna’s trembling hands grabbed the collar of his robe.

“Where are you going……. You have to help me.”

“Help? With what?”

Matian’s blue eyes narrowly avoided Rukna in front of him and faced the wall.

He had to somehow push away her feverish body, but his hands and feet became as heavy as lead when she grabbed him.

“Ugh, please!”

Rukna shed tears and shook the hand gripping his collar.

Matian’s Adam’s apple slowly moved. He closed his eyes tightly and held onto his reason as much as possible.

“Rukna. You’re not in your right mind right now.”

“Still, please help me.”

“You have a fever, and your body hurts because of the poison, so your judgment is clouded. You’ll definitely regret it later. So just endure a little longer.”

Matian straightened his heavy body. His instincts were taut towards Rukna, but his reason desperately suppressed it.

“You jerk.”

“I’m leaving.”

Coward, spineless, stupid. Even when Rukna cursed at him in a tearful voice, Matian coldly turned his back on her until the end.

“……Then call the butler.”

Rukna stared at his back with all her might.

Even if her gaze was piercing, it seemed he would turn his head to look, but Matian only nodded and quickly left the room.

Matian closed the door and walked down the corridor. The sobs coming from inside held his steps, but he thought he had to ignore it.

You did well. This is right. Muttering those words, Matian headed straight to the bathroom. He had to wash his body with cold water right away.

It felt like he was going to die because his blood was boiling all over his body as if he had swallowed the poison Rukna had drunk.

‘Damn Rukna’s closet.’

The sound of water in the bathroom did not stop. By the time Matian came out of the bathroom naked after relieving his heat for a long time, quite some time had passed.

As he passed through the bathroom’s double doors, the head butler, Alechi, bowed deeply and draped a robe over his shoulders. But his complexion didn’t look good.

“Did something happen?”

Matian swept back his wet hair and looked at the head butler coldly.

“I have something to report, young master.”

Alechi bowed his head once more. He was quite experienced, but sometimes he shrank in front of Matian.

The young master occasionally exuded an intimidating aura, even more so than his father, and at those times, it felt like facing someone who had lived for hundreds of years.

“There is something Lady Rukna asked of the young butler, but the content is a bit…… I wanted to consult with you beforehand, young master.”

“What did Rukna request?”

Matian asked as if he was uninterested while tying his open robe.

The carved statue-like body was hidden inside the robe, but the contours of his sturdy physique were clearly visible through the thin fabric.

“She asked to send messages to the Grand Priestess, Count Perta Golden, and Alchemist Bolton Boutke.”

Flinch. Matian’s hand froze while tying the waist string.

“And she said to let in the man who arrives first to her room…… Young master?”

Bang! Alechi stared blankly at the spot where Matian had been standing.

The young master, who had been like a well-fed lion until just a moment ago, had now become a beast whose territory had been invaded and was swiftly running somewhere.

Matian caught his breath in front of Rukna’s room door.

It wasn’t that far from his bedroom to here, but it felt like he had been running for a long time. That’s how much he was out of breath and his breathing was rough.

The servants, who saw the disheveled appearance of the young master for the first time, exchanged glances, not understanding the situation.

“Has any outsider visited this place?”

Matian asked the maid guarding the door.

The maid looked up at Matian in his robe as if enchanted, then forgot to answer.

When a sharp gaze flew at her, she finally came to her senses and bowed her head.

“Ah, no one has come.”

“Never let anyone in from now on.”

“Pardon?”

“Inform all the servants. From now on, drive away anyone who comes looking for Priestess Rukna.”

“What does that…….”

“I told you to convey it right now.”

At the master’s fierce order, the maid shrugged her shoulders and quickly left to relay the instructions.

Matian turned his gaze to the servant guarding the corridor.

“You guys also leave. Don’t let anyone near here for the time being.”

‘I wonder if Matian has heard by now.’

Rukna hoped her plan would succeed.

She expected that if he knew she had called for another man, he would come running in a flash.

‘If he doesn’t come…….’

And if another man came. Rukna closed her eyes tightly. They were men who showed interest in her, but her heart didn’t greatly move.

She felt a belated regret, but she also thought it was fate. Due to the boiling heat, her reason had become as thin as a candy stick.

At that moment, the door swung open.

Matian, wearing only a robe, was standing at the entrance of the room, taking deep breaths. He had just finished bathing, and his body was not fully dried.

Ah, that’s a relief. Rukna couldn’t help but smile as soon as she saw him.

At that reaction, Matian, who had been frozen like ice, also relaxed.

Click. The sound of the door latch being locked was followed by the sound of slippers being dragged.

It wasn’t far from the entrance to the bed. However, he walked very slowly, lost in thought.

Thud. When he plopped down on the edge of the bed, the mattress creaked slightly and tilted towards him.

“Why do you look like that?”

He caressed Rukna’s cheek. Then a slightly sarcastic remark followed.