Chapter 169

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Meanwhile, at the private property of the Marquis of Haneton.

Eoles was tending the silver trees with a lonely and happy look on her face.

It had been a really long time since Lina had taken her back to the Haneton mansion in the capital.

Eoles thought Lina seemed somewhat unstable and wanted to help her. It was because she was a Saint and adored Stern, which was something the Lumen clan had in common.

So she followed Lina to the capital, but Lina left for the Great Temple to transfer her sacred power to the sacred tree and did not return.

The butler of Haneton said that Lina was not feeling well and that she would stay at the temple for a while.

It was the next day that Lina’s letter arrived to the worried Eoles.

[If Kalis comes to the mansion, please let me know, Eoles. I must be informed in secret.]

Eoles was saddened to receive this letter.

While Lina was away, Eoles was planning to return to the Garden of the silver trees. If it had not been Lina in the first place, Eoles would not have gone to the crowded capital. The Lumen family loved their peaceful surroundings, so they did not fit in at all in the capital of the Empire.

But…Lina’s letter was a fait accompli that Eoles had to continue to stay in the capital.

It was an imperial mansion without a Saint who radiated divine power. It was not a temple, but a private mansion. It was very nerve-wracking.

Eoles eventually reached the point of a nervous breakdown and was finally able to return to the Silver Tree Garden under the discovery of the healing priest who had arrived suddenly.

Still concerned about Lina’s request, though, after a week or so, Eoles knew she had to return to the capital again.

It was some time later that Eoles, who was smiling sadly as she touched the silver tree, met an unexpected person.

“High Priest? Why are you here?”

Eoles was puzzled. It was difficult for the Lumen family to see the High Priests. They may or may not even see them once in their lifetime.

High Priest Henoch, who told Eoles his common name, hurriedly asked about his business.

“I heard that you have been taking care of Saintess Lina.”

“Yes? Yes. But why do you ask?”

“By any chance…..”

Henoch asked, biting his lip.

“Have you ever seen a strange and dark energy around the Saintess?”

With Lina’s confession, the power measurement relic was no more. Henoch was strangely anxious for Seria, who would be trying to purify Lina. If Lina truly had powerful demonic power, it might explode and become a threat to Stern.

He just couldn’t let it go.

“Dark? Come to think of it, the other day when the Saintess was stabbed by a branch of the silver tree, there was black smoke…”

Henoch raised his head.

***

“Bibi, did you convey the message well?”

Seria asked, and Abigail nodded quickly.

“I have safely and surely conveyed the message to the priests.”

“Thank you. They all know exactly what Bibi is capable of by now, don’t they?”

Abigail smiled.

“I just need the Lady to know.”

“It’s because I want to brag.”

After watching Abigail eat snacks and asking several questions about the atmosphere of the High Temple, Seria headed for the prayer room in the mansion.

The light pouring from the colorful stained glass was brilliant. She walked straight to the Stern insignia, which was kept sacred in front of the altar.

She actually used it to message Tuban…. Still, out of courtesy, she cut her prayer short once and released the protective magic.

She bowed her head toward the Stern insignia. She frowned as she felt her hair naturally flowing behind her.

“What is this?”

A very oddly shaped jewel was shown on the insignia. The blue diamond and mermaid’s spring that she had been told to bring were precious gems and had beautiful shapes.

The last gem Tuban asked for seemed to be a gem that had not been processed at all. The painting looked like a lump of raw material. Still, only about 80% of the picture was painted.

She thought the last jewel Tuban asked for would be the circlet. Was it fortunate or unfortunate that her prediction was wrong?

Touching the Stern insignia, she sat on the steps next to the altar. After resting her cheek on her raised knees, she was lost in thought.

It was clear that if she threw her divine explosive power at Lina, Lina would die.

She wasn’t sure if Lina was a real person, but Tuban told her that Lina was made of dark magi.

Maybe only Lina’s shell was a person.

The Great Temple was now busy closing the gate. They had also started sending official letters to the countries to temporarily ban people from visiting or even making pilgrimages.

It was a good thing. 

Because Seria did not expect Lina to be purified as easily as the men. Moreover, Liegel, who had the power of the Saint’s guardian, made it by directly imbuing it with power.

The magi would explode, or encroach….

People might get caught by it and might be seriously injured.

‘First of all, I’m not that safe either.’

But she thought she shouldn’t get hurt. She hated being sick, because she didn’t want to see the man she loved become emaciated and thin.

Therefore, on the day of the event, the knights of Berg were scheduled to wait inside the Great Temple, impersonating holy knights.

Seria tapped the insignia lightly and asked.

“Tuban. Once the seal is broken, you will handle Liegel, right?”

Lina could be purified, but would Liegel stand still?

Absolutely not.

So, throwing the sacred power at Lina and the complete unsealing of Tuban had to take place at the same time.

“I really spent a lot of money because of you, Tuban. Of course, the money I earn from the mines is more.”

Seria had already made enough connections between the various gem auction houses and jewelers through Linon. If Tuban didn’t want a really strange and unnamed gem, she would be able to get it right away in less than a few days.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a gem without a name, just by looking at the size depicted on the insignia.

Click.

The door opened and Lesche appeared.

“……..”

He stared at Seria intently, not entering the entrance. He tilted his head slightly as if he were guessing something, then turned back again and went out.

“……?”

Less than a minute later, Lesche entered again, this time walking straight toward Seria.

“Lesche? Why did you leave?”

“Seria.”

“Yes?”

Lesche sat down on the steps beside Seria and said.

“I called the painter. He’ll come tomorrow, so please spare me some time.”

Seria blinked. What was suddenly with the painter?

Perhaps reading her questioning gaze, Lesche’s continued.

“I just came in and thought I would paint you.”

“Suddenly? Was I that beautiful?”

Lesche burst into laughter.

“Yes.”

He passed Seria’s hair behind her ear and said,

“You are very beautiful.”

Laughter flowed. Propping his elbows on his lap, Lesche looked at Seria with his chin resting on his hands and asked.

“Can he draw you like this?”

“And the prayer room?”

“Yes. It would serve as a good backdrop for you.”

“Ummm, okay. I’ll allow you once.”

Seria half jokingly clarified, but still it was a really good idea to have this beautiful Berg prayer room in the painting. It would be a painting of the private prayer room of the mansion with Stern. To the eyes of the stranger, it seemed to have an extravagant temperament.

Suddenly, Seria remembered the letters of safety that flew in regularly.

“When the painting is finished, may I take it to the laurel manor?”

She thought it would be nice, but surprisingly, Lesche frowned his forehead.

“It’ll be hung in my office, Seria.”

“Your office?”

“Yes, why not?”

“Why? It’s not like you need my paintings.”

“I need it.”

“……?”

Seria asked back, really dubious.

‘’Why?”

“Because I miss you the times when I couldn’t see your face.”

“What… You see me every day.”

“We see each other every day, not all day.”

“What would the nobles and your vassals think of you?”

“I suppose…”

Lesche tilted his chin leisurely.

“They will think I am a true believer.”

“…… You are truly the most shameless person I know.”

“I hear those words so many times that I don’t even think about them anymore, Seria.”

Seria was speechless, and Lesche looked at her with an amused expression on his face. A few strands of hair hung on his forehead. Seria reached up and adjusted his hair, and Lesche cupped the back of her hand.

His body heat felt warm and the small smile on his lips tickled her heart.

“It’s strange.”

“What?”

“Why do I laugh every time I talk to you?”

Lesche lowered his face and laughed. Then he lifted his head and smiled kindly.

“Are you saying this so I listen to you well?”

“I’m serious.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“I wish you could show your true feelings more often. Is there anything else?”

“Is that not enough?”

“No.”

Lesche swept Seria’s cheek with his fingertips.

“I wanted to say it’s not enough even if it overflows.”

Their lips suddenly overlapped. Seria’s heart throbbed. A pleasant silence enveloped the prayer room.

It seemed to have been like that for a while. Lesche lifted his head from Seria’s lightly gasping lips.

Then he pulled from his pocket a letter stamped with the seal of the Imperial Palace.

“What is it?”

“The Emperor told me to personally deliver it to the Grand Duchess.”

Lesche looked a little tired as he said this.

Seria blinked as she opened the letter with trepidation.

***

A few days later.

“I’m going to the Great Temple tomorrow.”

Seria looked in the mirror. A large group of servants were leaning close to her, painstakingly adorning her, but her hair stood out in particular.

Her hair, tied high with a knot, swung down her neck. She didn’t often tie her hair high like this unless she was going to check the frozen lake.

If there was one thing that was different from the glacier inspection, it was that her hair was adorned with petal-patterned, expensive diamond ornaments. It was a very luxurious and extravagant decoration, like going to a party.

“This is enough.”

“Isn’t the dress heavy?”

“It’s okay.”

The servants dressed Seria in a gorgeous but thin and cool dress. The sleeves that came down from the shoulders were translucent, giving the impression of a summer dress. The light blue necklace and earrings shone gorgeously with just a little movement.

“It’s too bad we can’t wear a cape since it’s summer. Summer dresses will look weird if worn with capes.”

Susan laughed when she said in a disappointed voice.

“You look great, though. Well, have a safe trip, Grand Duchess.”

Seria went downstairs and found Lesche waiting for her. The moment she saw him, she gasped.

‘…is the hunting suit supposed to look like that?’

Lesche was wearing a red cloak that came down to his thighs and hunting clothes made of high quality materials. Perhaps it was because it was a tight fit designed….

Naughty thoughts came to Seria at the moment.

…which she managed to erase immediately.

She got in the carriage with Lesche and said,

“This is the first time I’ve seen a hunting banquet held in the summer.”

“The emperor is in a great hurry.”

What the emperor sent was an invitation to a hunting banquet.