For a moment, I thought my heart had stopped.

As I hurriedly turned my head to pull up the fallen hood, Hillstain grabbed my arm.

He lowered his head and brought his face close to mine.

His fox-like upturned eyes curved into crescents, and his gaze met mine precisely through narrow eyelids.

“A new priest, you say?”

Kuk- Hillstain laughed softly. The knight standing nearby, not understanding the situation, asked with a puzzled face.

“Sir Commander, do you know this person?”

“Of course. I know her very well.”

“I see… Oh? The face is fine…!”

It was at that moment when the knight leaned in to observe me. Hillstain, as if he couldn’t let this opportunity pass, pulled me forcefully with no mercy.

“L-Let go…!”

Before I could even resist, my body was dragged along stumbling.

Due to his rough steps as he climbed the stairs without hesitation, my feet were dragged along. When I looked back, I saw Maxium’s face had turned pale.

“W-Wait a moment! Commander Hillstain…!”

Just as we reached the last step, Maxium rushed up and quickly blocked the way to prevent me from being dragged further.

“Priestess…”

“P-Please let go.”

At Maxium’s words, the smile disappeared from Hillstain’s face as he slowly turned around.

His sharp gaze, like a predator eyeing its prey, passed over me and focused on Maxium, who was trembling but standing firm.

“I see. So this woman was brought by a priest?”

“Y-Yes. So…”

Hillstain released my hand and grabbed Maxium’s collar.

As the priest’s robe lifted, Maxium’s feet left the ground.

“Ugh, gah!”

Hillstain sneered at Maxium, who was struggling in the air with his throat being choked. It was like handling a scarecrow doll.

“Priest. Shouldn’t you refrain from lying in a holy place?”

His voice carried such weight that it was difficult to even respond.

“A new priest, you say? That can’t be.”

As if Maxium’s suffering didn’t matter to him at all, Hillstain twisted his head to look down at me.

“You must be spying for the Grand Duke.”

He hit the nail on the head. So that’s why he was so hostile towards us – he hated anything related to Edan unconditionally.

I felt it last time too, but Hillstain was the most instinctive man, impossible to reason with.

Is there a problem with talking things out?

“Please let go of the priest!”

“And if I refuse?”

I snapped at him angrily, but it was futile.

“Then I won’t go to Ivy.”

“What?”

“You said Ivy was looking for me, right? That’s why I came. Is this how you treat someone who came for that reason?”

“You came to meet the Grand Saint?”

“…Yes.”

I quickly nodded to him, who was showing curiosity for the first time. Hillstain seemed to have thought I approached the temple with some other ulterior motive. He remained still for a few seconds, as if considering the meaning of my words, then abruptly released Maxium.

“Cough, cough! Hack!”

Maxium, his airway cleared, barely managed to breathe out while coughing.

“Priest! Are you alright?”

As I patted his back, Maxium nodded a couple of times. Thank goodness. Damn it! Someone almost died because of me! That silver-haired fox can’t do anything against Edan, but he shows no mercy to those weaker than him!

“That’s rather suspicious.”

“…”

“Didn’t you tell me you didn’t want to come to the temple? I remember you were quite rebellious.”

Hillstain smiled coldly again, and I had to stay sharp to not reveal my true intentions.

“I came to miss Ivy too. You were planning to take me to her anyway, weren’t you? So please treat me with respect. There’s no reason for me to be treated like this.”

Hillstain laughed as if amused.

He might be enjoying himself, but for Maxium and me, it was a terror that gripped our throats. I had intended to meet Ivy and not leave until I did, but running into Hillstain was the worst possible situation.

“Well, that works out nicely. Lucky me.”

I worried he might do something else, but fortunately, Hillstain simply nodded.

“Walk.”

This is crazy. In the end, I headed towards Ivy’s room with Hillstain.

As I followed him, I pulled the priest’s hood back over my head.

I didn’t intend to stay at the temple like this anyway. I didn’t want to be discovered as Ivy’s friend who had run away and a saint candidate.

There were knights standing in the corridors on each floor, but fortunately, perhaps because I was following behind Hillstain, they didn’t give me suspicious looks.

Ivy’s room was on the highest floor, and as we neared our destination, Maxium asked quietly in a low voice.

“Lady Latieana… will you really be alright?”

I nodded slightly.

“I’ll be fine.”

Before I could add anything more, Hillstain grabbed my wrist and opened the large door without knocking. He truly was a man without any consideration. Well, he probably never intended to show any courtesy to me, only to Ivy, from the start.

“We’re here to see the Grand Saint.”

At this late hour, he rudely flung open the door, and with just a nod from him, three or four maids quickly scurried out of the room as if accustomed to it.

I entered with Hillstain alone, leaving Maxium in the corridor, full of worry.

Thud- The heavy door closed, and along with the fragrant scent of raspberries, a coquettish voice was heard.

“Welcome, Sir Hillstain.”

As I raised my lowered head, I saw Ivy smiling brightly.

Ivy, whom I met after a long time, had become even more beautiful than when I first saw her.

Her fine brown hair rippled softly like waves with just a gesture, and her peach-colored lips were lovely.

Wearing a light white dress made of silk and a long, translucent cardigan, she looked like a goddess of the night.

‘But it’s too sexy!’

My face flushed red without me realizing it.

She was beautiful, but her outfit was so revealing that even I, a woman, didn’t know where to look.

Ivy’s pose, sitting on the dressing table chair as if the maids had been brushing her hair before bed, was seductive, and the scent filling the room… If I were a man, I might not have been able to keep my senses.

“You’ve come like an unexpected gift again today. But…”

Ivy, who had been curving her eyes prettily towards Hillstain, shifted her gaze towards me.

“Why is that priest behind you here as well?”

Hillstain answered softly as he pulled me forward from where I was standing behind.

“Lady Ivy, you remember our promise from last time, don’t you?”

“Promise…?”

“That you would grant me a privilege if I brought your friend.”

“Ah, of course.”

Privilege? What does that mean? When Hillstain invaded the castle, he said he could have Ivy if he brought me. But did he set another condition besides that?

At this point, I became even more curious. Why Ivy had been looking for me so desperately.

As I furrowed my brow, unsure when to interject in their conversation, Hillstain unceremoniously pulled off my hood.

“Ah…!”

As my cherry blossom-colored hair was fully revealed, I met Ivy’s gaze.

We were both equally surprised, but unlike me, Ivy’s face also flashed with joy.

“…Oh my goodness! Latieana!”

As soon as Ivy saw me, she quickly ran over and hugged me tightly.

Regardless of how the situation unfolded, I thought there must be a reason why she had been looking for me. But this wasn’t just the warm welcome I had imagined.

As if she had truly found a precious lost friend, as if she had reunited with a separated family member, Ivy’s eyes quickly reddened and she called my name with a choked voice.

“Latieana! Is it really you? Really? Truly?”

“Yeah. Long time no see, Ivy.”

“I missed you so much!”

“Yeah.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say ‘me too.’ Because it would be a lie.

I awkwardly patted Ivy’s back as she clung to my neck for a long time with no intention of letting go.

My eyes met Hillstain’s.

It felt uncomfortable, so I thought it would be better to talk with Ivy alone, but as if reading my mind, Ivy turned to Hillstain first.

“Sir Hillstain, could you step outside for a moment? I’d like to talk with my friend alone.”

“If that’s what you wish. Gladly.”

Huh, unbelievable. That forceful and rude demeanor he showed me was nowhere to be seen.

Hillstain simply bowed slightly without a word and turned around.

Through the gap in the door as Hillstain left, I could see Maxium.

Maxium looked restless, but the fact that he was waiting outside without running away was comforting.

“Latieana, come this way.”

Ivy led me towards a large folding window. The window, with luxurious gold-embroidered curtains and chiffon curtains hanging in layers, matched Ivy’s atmosphere perfectly.

Ivy sat down first on the plush long bed sofa and patted the seat next to her.

But I shook my head in refusal and spoke while standing.

“Ivy, I don’t have much time.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll say what I need to say and leave.”

“Leave… What do you mean? Didn’t you come to the temple?”

I shook my head again.

“I think you’ve misunderstood something.”

Facing Ivy, who looked puzzled with an innocent expression, I spoke firmly.

“That day, me falling from the carriage wasn’t an accident. I fell on purpose because I didn’t want to come to the temple.”

“What? What do you…”

Ivy’s face filled with bewilderment.

“I was in a hurry, but I thought I had said goodbye to you properly. I didn’t expect you to be looking for me so desperately. I’m sorry, Ivy, but I have no intention of coming to the temple.”