The back of the temple.

Glen stood quietly in a secluded corner where people rarely passed, not entering the temple like other priests.

“……”

An undisguisable worry was etched on Glen’s face, as if lost in thought.

‘This is ominous.’

Glen muttered to himself, anxiously stroking his chin and repeatedly looking around. As if checking if anyone was there.

“Why are you alone in a place like this? The ceremony will start soon.”

And not long after, a familiar voice rang in Glen’s ear.

“Is there something bothering you? Sir Glen.”

Turning around, he saw Schuler staring at him with a puzzled look.

“You don’t look well either.”

“……”

“Sir Glen?”

Glen looked around once more to make sure, then grabbed Schuler’s wrist. He then pulled him behind a large tree.

“Gle…!”

“Sir Schuler, I heard a strange sound earlier.”

“Pardon?”

Schuler made an expression as if to ask what he meant.

“You know. The fact that I have fallen completely out of favor with the High Priest.”

That was no lie. There was no way the temple would look kindly upon Glen, who was one of Sinclair’s men.

“So today, instead of the main preparations for the ceremony, I was assigned minor chores. For example, tidying up around the temple to make a good impression on visitors, or running errands.”

Glen continued urgently.

“But earlier, as I was passing by here, I heard someone scream.”

“…A scream?”

“Yes. It was so faint that I barely heard it. But I didn’t mishear.”

Schuler’s face hardened subtly for a moment, and he moved his lips in a small voice.

“If it’s in front of here, isn’t that the entrance to the temple’s underground waterway?”

The underground waterway was very deep. So if Glen was right, it made sense that the scream was heard faintly.

“As you know, Sir Schuler, the underground waterway eventually connects to the temple. To the main hall where the ceremony will be held.”

“……”

“If we tell Sir Sinclair right now, it will capture attention. So I think we should check it out first.”

“Let’s go together. It’s too dangerous for you to go alone, Sir Glen. Something like last time might happen again.”

Schuler replied, touching the sword at his waist, and Glen nodded as if he understood.

Then, he opened the door leading to the underground waterway with Schuler.

As they descended the endless stairs going down and down, the characteristic damp smell of the underground waterway began to emanate.

“……”

Glen and Schuler, having arrived underground, froze in place.

Now they could tell for sure. The smell filling the waterway wasn’t just dampness.

…A thick smell of blood.

And a very strong one at that.

Glen and Schuler, who had turned pale, began to run breathlessly towards the front without anyone taking the lead. And not long after, they stopped in their tracks with faces that had turned ghastly white.

“This, this is……”

Midway between the entrance and the path to the main hall.

There were things there that they had never expected.

“What… what on earth happened here…?”

The blood-soaked clothes of Sinclair and Elaina, and…

“They’re all dead. It must not have been long ago.”

Corpses that seemed to have been brutally torn apart by beasts.

And the trail of blood continued on.

Towards the main hall.

Glen and Schuler, who had turned pale, began to run madly towards the main hall.

[This is the timeline separator]

The temple, having finished all preparations for the ceremony, was already full of people.

But unlike before, it was all royalty, nobles, and priests.

The Emperor sitting with a somewhat stiff expression, and Hister still wearing that unsettling smile. Chaz, still cowering as if he had been threatened by someone, just like before.

Numerous priests standing solemnly in rows and the old High Priest positioned in front of the altar.

Lady Leggett sitting in her seat, wearing extravagant attire quite unsuitable for a temple, and Eric Connor, whom they had greeted at the wedding, could also be seen.

And Sinclair…

He was waiting for Elaina, dressed in pure white attire symbolizing nobility in Edenbell.

It was a laughable thing. If Sinclair in his all-black formal wear at the wedding had looked like a complete rogue, today’s Sinclair looked like a majestic emperor.

Thus, perfectly fitting for such an occasion.

“……”

At last, Sinclair extended his hand towards Elaina.

Elaina, also dressed in ceremonial attire like Sinclair, hesitated for a moment due to the long dress that wrapped around her ankles, but fortunately, she didn’t fall and approached Sinclair to clasp his hand.

Sinclair’s hand was still as cold as ice. And perhaps his heart was the same.

But the fact that he was supporting her as she limped remained unchanged.

[I won’t even care about you, and I won’t keep you in my heart. But it’s true that I was worried you might make a fool of yourself, and I didn’t like the idea of offering help unnecessarily.]

…Elaina couldn’t understand why those sharp words suddenly echoed in her ears like an echo.

“Manage your expression properly.”

Sinclair said in a low voice.

“As I’ve said many times, we need to appear as a perfect couple in front of others.”

“I know that very well.”

Yes. How could I not know. That’s all you want from me.

Elaina smiled faintly, a smile rooted in emptiness, and soon the High Priest standing in front of the altar looked down at everyone and began to speak.

“The glorious Founding Festival of Edenbell is once again heading towards a successful conclusion this year.”

Despite the High Priest continuing to speak, people’s gazes remained fixed on Sinclair and Elaina.

“This year, we have enjoyed much more glory than last year. We were able to expand our territory by winning a war where the chances of victory were slim, and Prince Sinclair has become a proper adult of the imperial family by welcoming a princess consort.”

The High Priest’s gaze lingered on Sinclair for a moment.

It was strange. Despite knowing that he was the High Priest praised by all and a person who had devoted his entire life to the temple, why did that gaze feel so unsettling…

“Therefore, this year’s temple ceremony will be specially conducted by Prince Sinclair.”

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the hall became subtle, and the nobles looked at each other with restless eyes.

Could Lady Leggett’s words that ‘Sinclair Butler has restored his relationship with the Emperor’ really be true?

Otherwise, how could such a thing happen?

If Sinclair had regained the Emperor’s favor, what would happen to those who had been aligning themselves with Hister Butler?

“I request the prince and princess to come forward.”

Eventually, Sinclair and Elaina began to slowly walk in step towards the front of the altar.

As they leisurely arrived at their designated place, the High Priest smiled gently and stepped back from the altar.

“As everyone knows, the Founding Festival ceremony is a place to honor the previous emperors and pledge the endless prosperity and glory of Edenbell.”

People could be seen making surprised expressions at Sinclair’s attitude of not using honorifics even in such a setting. The Emperor was no exception.

“However, I, Sinclair Butler, will honor not the previous emperors, but all those who sacrificed their precious lives to protect Edenbell, and pledge their glory. Not just for this Founding Festival, but for all future Founding Festivals as well.”

Future Founding Festivals.

The faces of the nobles who caught the meaning of Sinclair’s words instantly hardened.

Elaina was no different.

But she didn’t harden her face for that reason.

‘…What is this sound?’

It was because of the sudden, inexplicable noise she heard.

A clanking sound.

Just like chains colliding.

“At the same time, I swear on my life to never lose and always protect the new border drawn with their blood, and on behalf of all the royal family, I promise to always strive for the glory of the shining Edenbell.”

Meanwhile, Sinclair, who had finished speaking with words that were meaningful yet had a very clear hidden intent, stepped closer to the front of the altar.

‘Did I hear wrong?’

But she had clearly heard it.

Elaina wore a puzzled expression but remained focused on what she had to do.

She limped behind Sinclair and stood, and Sinclair soon reached for the sacred sword placed right below the altar.

It was the sacred sword that had been passed down through generations in the Edenbell royal family.

Sinclair raised the still sharp-edged sacred sword high, showing respect, and placed it in the center of the altar, on a pedestal inlaid with countless jewels.

Now it was the last part of the ceremony.

Sinclair offering the wine brewed with last year’s grain to pray for a bountiful harvest this year.

Soon, a priest brought an extravagantly ornate wine bottle, and Elaina received it. Then, together with Sinclair, she began to pour the wine into a golden cup embossed with the Edenbell emblem.

At that moment, the inexplicable clanking sound was heard again.

This time, Sinclair seemed to have heard it too, as his expression became subtle.

And it was at that very moment.

“Aaaaagh-!”

Along with a thud, someone’s loud scream loudly echoed through the vast main hall.

At the same time, Elaina realized exactly what the cause of that sound was.

A lion.

A lion that had come up through the underground waterway, still with chains loosely tied around its ankles, now rampaging madly.

“Get out of the way! Hurry!”

Schuler and Glen, who seemed to have chased after the lion, shouted as they ran out of the passage, looking at the couple.

The temple, which had been so solemn, instantly turned into chaos, and although soldiers rushed out, it had no effect. The lion was literally charging towards Elaina and Sinclair like a madman.

Fear and terror were clearly etched in Sinclair’s golden eyes.

But those emotions didn’t arise from worry about getting hurt himself.

‘The sacred sword…!’

He had to grab that at least, and swing it.

But Sinclair knew all too well.

The moment he turned his body towards the sacred sword, Elaina, left alone, would be torn to shreds by the lion’s fangs.

The fact that she couldn’t even run away with her limping leg…

Meanwhile, the rampaging lion leapt over the altar and lunged.

Directly at Elaina.

“Eli…!”

He couldn’t think of anything else anymore.

Sinclair just stood in front of Elaina, blocking her.

While tightly embracing her.

“No, Sinclair!”

…And bright red blood sprayed like a fountain over Elaina’s face as she screamed in bewilderment.