He was sincere.

Killing intent was flowing from Edan’s eyes as he looked down at Hillstain.

If I could feel it to this extent, Hillstain must have noticed too, as he took a step back.

“Are you going to kill Maxium if I come at you so hostilely?”

Hillstain raised the end of his words and smiled faintly, but anyone could tell it was a mocking tone.

“Do you think Maxium has that much value to me?”

Edan also replied as if saying do as you please.

I was appalled.

Of course he has value! Even if he’s Edan’s spy, he was imprisoned in the underground dungeon because of me, so he shouldn’t die!

I anxiously looked back and forth between the two men.

Unlike me, trembling with worry, the two were leisurely continuing their conversation with smiles.

The problem was that there was killing intent in those smiles.

“If what happened that day is revealed, the Empress won’t stay still either. You know I’m one of Her Majesty’s closest aides, don’t you?”

“That’s good. The Empress doesn’t like me anyway, so I might as well be hated more this time.”

No matter what, Edan didn’t seem to have any intention of compromising.

No. This absolutely can’t happen. At this rate, we might all die.

At times like this, I need to keep my wits about me.

First, the best thing I can do right now is to make Hillstain my ally. After all, what Hillstain wants is my healing power.

“I’ll give it to you!”

I hurriedly intervened between the two. Edan’s brow furrowed mercilessly.

“What did you say?”

“Master, I want to share my healing power with Sir Hillstain.”

Hillstain, on the contrary, had a look of bewilderment.

As if wondering why I was giving it so easily when he had been asking for it.

“Don’t move, just wait.”

I sprang up and headed to the dining room.

There’s no reason not to. It’s beneficial to make Hillstain my ally.

At this rate, Edan might really kill Hillstain. He was helplessly overpowered last time, and Hillstain knows that, but he came because he wants the healing power.

Then everything will get messed up. Until the situation is sorted out, I need to move in a way that’s advantageous to me. Until I find a way.

Instead of bananas, I returned to the reception room with the remaining apples and pepper.

“What is this……”

This time, Hillstain’s expression crumpled.

Well, it is a bit of an odd combination.

I sprinkled pepper on the unpeeled apple.

Hillstain’s face contorted terribly. An expression that said, are you joking?

“Eat it.”

I held out the apple with a rather serious expression, and because Edan was glaring intensely with an expressionless face, Hillstain ended up accepting it without thinking.

Crunch, crunch. Even I don’t know the taste of an apple sprinkled with pepper.

But at least Hillstain’s expression changed spectacularly.

When he had eaten about half of the apple, Hillstain suddenly bowed his head and held his forehead.

“Damn. This is crazy.”

Edan glanced at me as if annoyed, but I pretended not to notice.

While knowing nothing. In the end, it’s for you and me.

Hillstain, who had been letting out empty laughs as if dumbfounded, raised his head.

His cynical face was now filled with tremendous joy.

“Is this possible? How can it be this perfect? Huh?”

Hillstain smiled brightly, narrowing his eyes like a fox.

“Those temple guys were complete fools.”

Hillstain suddenly stood up and knelt in front of me.

“Lady Latieana. Let’s go to the temple right now.”

“Eh?”

“You’re the real Saint, aren’t you?”

In an instant, his attitude and form of address changed to an almost burdensome degree.

Hillstain grabbed my hand with sparkling eyes.

Hillstain’s characteristic scrutinizing, sensual gaze that I had seen in the original work came down on me.

“Let go of this!”

“What can I do for you? How can I get you to keep giving me healing power?”

“I said, let go of this hand…!”

Edan is right next to me, you idiot!

Sure enough, Edan grabbed Hillstain by the collar, lifted him up, and threw him to the floor.

As soon as I was free, I hurriedly went to stand next to Edan.

The feeling of Hillstain grabbing my hand was unpleasant.

Hillstain, who had fallen ungracefully, got up from his seat, smiling as if he didn’t care.

“Ha…… How can it be this perfect?”

Muttering to himself, he really looked like a madman.

To the extent that if Edan hadn’t been here, he wouldn’t have hesitated to come at me and do strange things.

Honestly, I didn’t know the response would be this good just from the healing power I put into the pepper.

Of course….. I knew there was an enormously pleasant, strong ecstasy when I had skinship with Edan, but I couldn’t know how this light healing power would work.

But considering Ivy’s healing power that appeared in the original work, it was possible.

It was a completely cheating power.

The problem is that it’s my power.

When I met Hillstain’s gaze, raised through his silver hair, I got goosebumps.

Is it because I know Hillstain is a pervert?

I grabbed Edan’s sleeve.

“I’m not going to the temple. Please keep my healing power a secret. If you reveal the truth to the temple before me, then I will never use my healing power on you again.”

“Alright.”

“Release Maxium right away too.”

“Then can I come again? If possible, direct healing…”

“No! I will absolutely not do that.”

Hillstain’s mouth closed. For a moment, I was a bit scared by his suddenly cold expression, but right now, I’m the one in charge!

It was time to make excuses at this timing. Also to boost Edan’s spirit, who seemed to be suppressing his anger next to me.

“My, my master won’t allow it.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

Fortunately, Hillstain seemed to accept that explanation.

Because he had seen how obsessed Edan was with me. And Edan also seemed quite satisfied that I was being mindful of him. Really, no matter how I think about it, I’m the one in charge. The energy consumption is no joke.

“Instead, I’ll give you that pepper. Take it. It contains my healing power, so sprinkle it well on your meals. Don’t let anyone find out.”

Nod.

In an instant, Hillstain’s eyes completely changed.

Hillstain’s steps were as light as if dancing as he left the castle, almost as if being chased out. He even waved and greeted Edan’s subordinates surrounding the hill.

Just a few hours ago, he had been threatening, ‘I’ll kill anyone who blocks my way.’

‘It’s the Duke’s order. We cannot let anyone in without an invitation.’

‘I’m going because His Highness invited me.’

‘Please prove it.’

‘Don’t you understand that I’m trying to persuade you nicely instead of killing you right away?’

‘……’

It was absurd, but knowing how bad the relationship was between Hillstain, who was like a dog of the imperial family, and Edan, the subordinates accepted his words.

Anyway, it was fortunate that the castle wasn’t destroyed and he came out without much commotion.

If only he wasn’t constantly smiling as if he had become a different person in just a moment.

He could see Edan’s subordinates looking at him as if he was crazy, but regardless, Hillstain’s steps were light and he seemed to be in a very good mood.

He tightly gripped the small pepper shaker in his hand, more precious than any treasure in the world.

‘So this is why Prince Edan was crazy about Latieana.’

When Hillstain used this ability, he sometimes had to guard the Empress, but what consumed him most was training the ability-user knights raised by the imperial family every dawn.

It meant that, although not as much as Edan, he was suffering from side effects consistently every day.

This was the reason why he visited Ivy most frequently and regularly.

Because receiving the blessing directly through skin contact was much more pleasurable and relieved the side effects than any potion.

In this situation, the secret was a greater gain than expected.

When was the last time he had such a clear mind?

“Latieana Merigold. Latieana Merigold… Latieana Merigold!”

Haha. Laughter burst out.

He had thought she was pretty at their first meeting, but now it was beyond that level.

Hillstain, recalling Latieana’s cherry blossom-colored hair and large, clear water-colored eyes, muttered.

“I want to possess her.”

It was a power of a different dimension from Ivy’s healing power.

So, this wasn’t a matter of the amount of healing power. Even the previous Saint wasn’t this much.

Even after receiving healing, there was always a throbbing pain remaining in one corner of his head.

But Latieana’s healing power completely eliminated it.

The overwhelming happiness that filled his entire body like a wave shortly after putting the apple in his mouth was indescribable.

To be honest, if Prince Edan hadn’t been there, he would have pounced on Latieana right then and there.

A perfect power that couldn’t be found anywhere else.

If Ivy’s power was a ray of light found in deep darkness, Latieana’s power was the sun over a meadow.

Due to the perfect healing without any sense of discomfort, Hillstain’s mouth was filled with ecstasy.

“I will never let go.”

As long as he could receive her blessing, he would crawl between her legs, even lick her feet to stay by her side.

Hillstain smiled, narrowing his eyes.

“Maxium, Maxium!”

In the middle of the night, Kol went down towards the underground prison.

It was a dark and humid place where not a single light could be seen without a torch.

Maxium, who had been curled up unable to tell if it was morning or day, raised his head.

“Kol?”

“Maxium!”

“Kol! It’s me! I’m here!”

Maxium groped along the wall towards the direction the light was coming from, searching for the bars.