Saraph blatantly looked over Magus, the Marquis of Spencer who had come out to escort her, from head to toe.

The Marquis of Spencer she knew was certainly young. Moreover, he was famous as the cold flower boy of the Polroid Empire.

Although she had never seen him before, she was sure that Magus, who had reached out his hand to escort her, was not Teishar.

“What’s wrong, Grand Saint?”

At Magus’s seemingly oblivious words, Saraph’s voice trembled more, and her hands shook violently, not stopping.

“I will escort you to the banquet hall, Grand Saint Saraph.”

“Marquis Spencer.”

“Yes, Grand Saint.”

“I would like the son of Marquis Spencer to escort me. So please bring your son before me right now.”

Magus’s red eyes, which had been looking at Saraph, curved gracefully like a crescent moon.

“That’s impossible.”

“You said it’s impossible even though the Grand Saint of the Ella Temple personally requested it?”

“Currently, my son is escorting his fiancée. Even if you are the Grand Saint, I cannot call my engaged son to escort you.”

“Then bring another handsome unmarried man. I don’t want an old man to hold my hand.”

“But Grand Saint. If you keep stalling like this, the banquet will end.”

“Did you say the banquet will end when I haven’t even entered the hall yet?”

“You came too late.”

Saraph wondered if she should just return to the Ella Temple at this point.

“Many noble guests are waiting only for the esteemed Grand Saint.”

As Magus reached out his hand, Saraph took a deep breath and barely swallowed her rising anger.

“Take your hand away.”

Saraph said to Magus with all her might. She glared at him with cold eyes.

Saraph was already in a very bad mood because there weren’t many servants or knights welcoming her at the entrance despite her arrival, and now her desired escort partner hadn’t shown up, making her anger rise to the top of her head.

Ignoring Magus’s outstretched hand, Saraph gently grasped the hem of her empire dress and slowly entered the imperial palace. The watching guide servant was flustered.

“Are you going to enter alone without a man to escort you?”

Watching Saraph’s back as she disappeared, ignoring his words, Magus’s lips gradually pressed tightly together.

“The Grand Saint……”

The corners of Magus’s mouth slowly lifted.

And so, without an escort, Saraph stood in front of the entrance to the banquet hall.

Gentle music flowed from inside the door. The guide servant who had entered the banquet hall first announced her arrival.

It was the moment she set foot in the banquet hall.

Saraph expected people to be at a loss or stare at her beautiful self in awe.

However, the atmosphere in the banquet hall was very different from what she had imagined.

‘What’s going on here?’

People took notice of Grand Saint Saraph, who entered wearing a white empire dress.

Those who had high expectations for Saraph, rumored to be so beautiful that one might go blind, did not speak when they saw her appearance in person. No, they couldn’t speak.

People agreed that Grand Saint Saraph, whom they saw for the first time, was beautiful, but they didn’t feel beauty worth admiring.

‘Rather than……’

“The expectations were too high.”

Rather, they looked at Saraph once and then looked at Lorencia.

“Lady Lorencia is much more beautiful.”

“Yes. With her noble yet soft facial features, mysterious purple eyes, and lovely smile, no one could help but fall for her.”

“Right? I learned that a person could be this pretty. But the Grand Saint is, how should I say it.”

“What do you mean? The Grand Saint is also ordinarily pretty.”

“What do you mean by ordinarily pretty?”

“It means she’s ordinary compared to Lady Lorencia.”

The noble ladies continued their chatter, opening their fans to cover their mouths.

The men who had been looking at Saraph also turned their gaze to Lorencia.

Saraph felt humiliated. No one came to escort her or talk to her. All of people’s attention was directed towards someone else.

“Everyone is bewitched by the witch’s daughter.”

At Lorencia’s lovely appearance, sparks flew in Saraph’s red eyes.

She saw the young man with black hair and red eyes standing next to her.

Handsome features and a dignified demeanor. His tightly closed plump lips and cold but occasionally visible smile were charming.

That person was Teishar, who should have escorted her today. It was disgusting to see him standing by Lorencia’s side instead of escorting her.

“That black snake has also fallen for the witch.”

Everyone looked at Lorencia like a beautiful jewel. And they looked at her like a common pebble fallen on the road before averting their gaze.

This was not the picture she wanted.

“Grand Saint Saraph.”

Saraph turned her head. It was Magus who had followed.

“I will escort you to where Her Majesty the Queen is.”

Magus held out his hand. Saraph reluctantly took his outstretched hand. Her anger was rising.

“Your Majesty the Queen. How do you do? I am Grand Saint Saraph of the Ella Temple.”

“Welcome, Grand Saint Saraph.”

Queen Benedict also saw Saraph for the first time. She was certainly beautiful, but it was a beauty that somehow felt repulsive.

“Until now, only saints and priests have come. It’s the first time the Grand Saint has personally visited the Polroid Empire. We welcome the Grand Saint’s visit.”

Saraph had a lot to say to Queen Benedict. But her head ached trying to figure out where to start.

Apart from the escort issue, she needed to state the reason why she came here now.

“There is only one reason why I came here.”

“What is it?”

“I would like you to hand over the daughter of the witch Musilla.”

There was only one reason why she came here. If they don’t hand over Lorencia, it would be declaring a religious war.

“Hand over……”

Benedict trailed off, tapping her fingers on the armrest of her chair.

“If you don’t hand over the witch’s daughter to the Ella Temple, something big might happen. Queen Benedict.”

Benedict nodded at Saraph’s words. Then she called the head servant and whispered something in his ear.

Saraph glared disapprovingly at Benedict whispering to the head servant.

‘In front of me, the Grand Saint of the Ella Temple…… How dare she.’

To whisper in front of her, a mere human not even worth a lowly creature!

It was truly outrageous.

“And it seems Your Majesty Queen Benedict enjoys playing word games in letters.”

“I don’t like beating around the bush. Grand Saint. If you have something to say or ask, speak.”

“Are you really pretending not to know? I’m talking about my escort partner.”

“We sent Marquis Spencer as the Grand Saint wished. What is the problem?”

“Did you really not know that the escort partner I wanted was the hero of the Polroid Empire when you assigned such an old man as my escort?”

Saraph sharply questioned Benedict.

“Even if you are the Grand Saint of the Ella Temple, I wish you would watch your words.”

“Do you treat me like this because you’re not afraid of the goddess’s punishment?”

“I am also afraid of the goddess’s punishment. If the goddess Ella really exists in this world and is watching over us, that is.”

Saraph bit her trembling lower lip. She was displeased with everything.

“Do you really think the escort partner I wanted was such an old man?”

Saraph turned her head. Many people were not looking at her, but at Lorencia. With utterly enchanted faces at that.

“To think they’re all falling for the witch’s daughter……”

Saraph spoke loudly enough for people to hear. People had no choice but to turn their attention to Saraph and Benedict.

“I think it’s too much that you show support for the witch’s daughter in front of the Grand Saint who came from the Ella Temple. Queen Benedict.”

Saraph raised her voice even more as people turned their attention to her.

Lorencia looked at Ruans’s face. He frowned at her, seemingly annoyed by Saraph’s remarks.

“It seems the Grand Saint, who is to become the empress of Emperor Ruans, is trying to somehow paint me as a witch.”

Whether she’s branded a witch 10 years later or now.

One thing is certain – the Ella Temple’s goal is to brand her as a witch.

“Lorencia. I have absolutely no intention of taking the Grand Saint as my empress. I told you. You are my only queen.”

Rather than being moved by Ruans’s sweet voice and confession, Lorencia only found it horrifying.

“I know I hurt you. I’ll reflect on it. What on earth do I have to do for you to understand my heart? My sincerity?”

“I don’t want to know Your Majesty’s heart or sincerity.”

Seeing Lorencia speak so firmly, Ruans felt frustrated. He felt angry and irritated.

In the past, she would at least listen when he hit her, but now he couldn’t control her at all.

Could Pelena really persuade someone like her to become his concubine?

He felt uneasy, wondering if he had made a mistake by listening to Pelena and stamping the decree canceling her family name.

‘If I just kill her and preserve her current beautiful form, wouldn’t I no longer have to feel this filthy feeling?’

As Ruans began to doubt Pelena’s words, his mood soured, and seeing Lorencia so close to Teishar made him incredibly irritated. In short, he felt utterly disgusted.

A dog that betrays its master should be killed. That’s the right principle. But could he kill her? He felt frustrated. Why does she keep refusing when he’s trying to give her so much love?

Ruans clutched the left lapel of his chest as frustration welled up inside him.

“To be honest, it was the Empress Dowager and my maternal grandfather who said they wanted to welcome the Grand Saint as empress. I said I didn’t want to welcome the Grand Saint as empress, and that I wanted to make Lorencia my concubine first and then raise her to empress.”

Lorencia briefly smiled at Ruans’s words, raising the corners of her mouth. But that smile was very brief.

“Being honest doesn’t mean talking about your experiences. Nor does it mean talking about your feelings. Being honest means not telling lies. Emperor Ruans.”

“There hasn’t been a shred of lie in anything I’ve said to you so far. Lorencia.”

At Lorencia’s words, Ruans smiled brightly, his eyes curving.