In Tiendabis, the saintess is a symbol of hope and a proof of divine grace.

The first appearance of the saintess was about 300 years ago.

When the corpse of the traitorous dragon had halfdestroyed Tiendabis and people were immersed in sorrow.

Tiendabis in the era when divine protection intricately intertwined was a world that could be called paradise without any shortcomings.

The vast land received the protection of dawn, and every morning, clear water flowed from the sky, wetting the ground. When dusk fell, the atmosphere embraced the world, and at night, life lay still.

A newly created world to escape submersion was so perfect.

Moreover, at that time, the ancient knowledge sunken beneath the sea remained intact in people’s minds, and countries were established and cultures flourished throughout Bis.

But all of this ended with the dragon’s betrayal.

The world crumbled like a broken clock, slowly decaying under the poison spewed by the dragons.

The land burned red and melted, the wind carried poison, the water dried up, the grass withered. The barely rebuilt countries and civilizations also collapsed entirely.

Thus, when the divine messenger turned into a demon and caused destruction, all that weak humans could do was fall into endless despair.

Hope ceased, and faith disappeared.

At that time, filled only with chaos and despair, a girl appeared.

A girl with hair that seemed to mimic the color of Manyanya.

That girl cried towards the crumbling Bis with the voice of Manyanya.

Then, as if a lie, the collapse stopped, and the poison was purified.

The world was thus saved once more, and people praised the girl as the saintess, proclaiming her to be the manifestation of Manyanya.

The first saintess later entrusted the people to build a tower and purify the water on behalf of the sleeping Manyanya.

What was erected with this intention was the Manyanya Tower that stood tall in Tienda.

Since then, many saintesses have appeared.

Although there has never been one with watercolored hair like the first saintess, they have fulfilled their role for a long time.

Thus, the saintess was a symbol of hope that appeared in a world filled only with despair, a living grace, and so the saintess required qualities more noble and virtuous than anything else.

And the current saintess, Loble Tooha, was an ideal saintess as if painted.

“Do you suspect Loble Tooha?”

Zion asked as if surprised, so Evie quickly nodded her head.

“Yes, she is the only person who fits the conditions for now. She’s a young woman, has my belongings, and has a motive to curse me.”

Evie said this, recalling the scene she saw through Yubia a few days ago.

With Yubia’s help, Evie, who had a brief look at her curse, vaguely saw who had cursed her.

It was a young and cold woman.

Evie could only think of Loble Tooha when she saw that woman.

Loble Tooha matched the appearance, gender, and age Evie had seen, and she was of noble status for others to prostrate, and most importantly, the silhouette of the dress vaguely seen was similar to the ceremonial dress of the Manyanya Tower.

Moreover, although it was a very long time ago, Evie had entrusted her belongings to Loble Tooha.

So Evie needed to confirm if Loble Tooha was indeed the one who cursed her, and so she coaxed Zion to participate in the backflower festival.

“But Loble Tooha has the authority to choose the next saintess, so would such a person have a reason to do that?”

“Well, she’s a saintess.”

When Zion spoke suspiciously, Evie retorted as if to say, what’s the big deal about that?

The symbol of hope, the saintess, must maintain a noble dignity.

She must be kind, pure, modest, beautiful, and obedient.

At the same time, she must not argue, be jealous, enjoy playing or be dissolute, or be greedy and calculating.

Thus, due to the strict image of the saintess, they always kept a distance from social life and forbade marriage and romance.

This is why the saintess, Loble Tooha, mostly lived in seclusion and adhered to mysticism.
The Holy Maiden must support Evie due to this unwritten rule that a Holy Maiden must act like one.

Choosing a common girl who sings in the voice of Manyanya as her successor is the most saintly choice.

“But the Duke will want his sister to be the Holy Maiden more than me. Being a Holy Maiden has always been the duty of the Tuha family, and the two are said to be very close sisters.”

“That might be true.”

“Yes, so you must confirm this, Count. Only you can do it.”

Evie clasped her hands tightly and spoke, holding them under her chin.

She looked pure for a moment, but Zion decided not to be fooled anymore.

“So you want me to speak about your curse in front of the Duke?”

“Yes. If he can talk about it, it means he already knows about my curse.”

Evie spoke, her black eyes twinkling, and Zion nodded silently.

Yes, don’t be fooled by that cute face. She’s a scribe, a tactician who lets down her guard with her playful eyes, and a master of treachery who enjoys hitting others from behind.