* * *

Today was the day Yuelina visited the temple.

Lambros checked his well-ironed priest robes and carefully examined whether there were any foreign substances on his teeth.

Daniel, who was watching him, also applied fragrance oil that he had bought at a high price from the plaza to his wrist.

“What’s that?”

“It’s jasmine fragrance oil. The Saintess once said she liked the scent.”

“Let me have some too.”

After sharing the fragrance oil, the two waited for Yuelina in the temple garden.

Lambros observed the flowers blooming in the temple and the flowing fountain with hawk-like eyes.

Since learning that Yuelina loved flowers and trees, that is, nature, Lambros took special care in maintaining the garden.

She was none other than the saintess.

The saintess.

The saintess chosen by Goddess Daphne, who stepped into the world to help Goddess Daphne.

That saintess was in the principality and visited the Phaenyx Temple to study theology.

Lambros felt overwhelmed.

He thought that he had suffered through hardships and adversities since becoming a priest in Phaenyx.

Theo, the leader of the principality, showed absolutely no interest in the temple, and the principality itself was classified as a barren country on the border that was fading away.

But now it was different.

The saintess chosen by Goddess Daphne was the Grand Duchess. The one who protected that Grand Duchess was the Grand Duke.

The person who helped that Grand Duke and benefited Goddess Daphne was none other than Lambros—himself.

So Lambros always felt overwhelmed.

It was an honor that Yuelina, that beautiful and noble Saintess, came to the temple and happily listened to his theological stories.

“Hello?”

Just then, Yuelina got out of her carriage. Wearing a light pink dress, she shone especially today. Like a saintess.

“Oh—! Saintess! Was your journey peaceful…… Your Highness the Grand Duke?”

Lambros’s sparkling eyes instantly lost their luster.

It was because Theo had visited the temple with Yuelina.

Of course, Theo also caught Lambros’s bright smile disappearing in an instant. One of his eyebrows rose sharply.

“What’s with that reaction?”

“Ah, no! I, I was just surprised! Haven’t you been busy lately?”

Lambros awkwardly smiled and made excuses.

“I’ve come to discuss matters regarding the Bios Temple. I heard Percos is here?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right. The Elder Priest is staying here.”

With the fall of the Bios imperial family, the Bios Temple could not escape punishment as well.

They had diverted Goddess Daphne’s prophecy and cooperated in summoning the Water Wall.

However, Theo could not directly punish the Bios Temple. He had to proceed with the matter in agreement with the high priest.

Theo had visited the Phaenyx Temple to consult with Percos, the elder priest, before meeting the high priest.

“Then shall we go inside together?”

Lambros guided Theo and Yuelina to the reception room.

Daniel ran to the accommodation building to call Percos.

“Priest Lambros smells nice!”

Yuelina, following Lambros, laughed brightly. Lambros’s lips twitched.

The saintess smiled at me. She even complimented my scent.

He was moved to tears by the grace.

“I, I am honored! Saintess!”

Lambros bowed to Yuelina in gratitude. Theo stared down at Lambros with his hands behind his back.

At some point, Lambros had started calling Yuelina ‘Saintess’.

Was it at the funeral?

No. Since the funeral had changed to a wedding, it should be called the wedding.

Lambros almost fainted when he saw Yuelina and Theo who had returned alive.

After hearing the story of Goddess Daphne from Yuelina, he actually did faint.

His blood pressure rose due to the overwhelming impression that Yuelina was a divine being and had directly met and conversed with Goddess Daphne.

Moreover, Lambros was in the midst of secretly working on creating a statue for the living Saintess.

Of course, Theo already knew about it through Ulysse’s reports.

Nevertheless, the reason he didn’t stop it was because he wanted to see Yuelina’s face as a large statue.

Later when the statue is completed, I’ll have to smuggle it to the mansion.

Theo hid his ulterior motives and sat at the reception room table with Yuelina.

“Saintess. Shall I bring out dessert? Daniel stood in line early this morning to buy cake!”

“Wow! Really?”

Lambros showed the dessert box placed on a small table in the reception room.

It was a famous cake from a popular dessert shop in the plaza.

Theo looked at Lambros with one leg crossed over the other.

That guy.

He already figured out how to capture Yuelina’s heart.

Is this what it means to be a high-ranking priest?

“I’ll enjoy it!”

“Kuhub! It’s an honor!”

Although it was Yuelina who said she would enjoy it, it was Lambros who was moved beyond measure.

Filled with the power of the holy spirit, Lambros felt like he could fly just by being in the same space as Yuelina.

“You called for me?”

Just then, Percos opened the door and entered.

Theo hesitated.

“……You’ve grown younger  quite severely.”

“Haha. Is that so?”

Percos now looked like he was twenty-five years old.

His white hair had returned to its original dark brown, and his deeply wrinkled face was now smooth.

Looking at him like this, Percos was quite close to being a handsome man. His deer-like eyes and pure clear face even evoked a protective instinct.

“The Eye of the Storm. After the storm there subsided, drowsiness poured over me. Last time, I slept for three days straight. So my frown lines disappeared.”

Percos spoke calmly.

“And I dream. Very short dreams, and they don’t continue, but I think they might be memories from when I was at the Daphne Temple.”

“Didn’t you say that coming out of there makes you lose your memories?”

“I think there must be divine will in finding memories as well.”

Yuelina, who was listening from the side, smiled briefly.

“The Eye of the Storm was a place Goddess Daphne created to contain the glacier.”

“Yes, Saintess.”

“The more Goddess Daphne used her power, the more problems would have occurred with causality. I’m not certain…… but don’t you think you helped with that causality?”

Percos nodded with a thoughtful face.

The Eye of the Storm was neither the human realm nor the divine realm. It was a space artificially created by Daphne to prevent disaster.

To maintain that space, not only Daphne’s power but also other powers would have been needed.

Yuelina looked at him and continued.

“I think the divine power held by the priests might have been used to maintain that place.”

It was a highly plausible speculation.

The Eye of the Storm. Not remembering what happened at the Daphne Temple also made sense if it was to not go against causality.

“The fact that memories are returning now, does that mean the calamities of this world are truly coming to an end?”

Percos looked at Yuelina with an earnest face.

Yuelina smiled brightly.

“It wasn’t just Goddess Daphne who saved the world.”

“……”

“Goddess Daphne knows that too. I believe she will bestow blessings on the priests who used their power for her.”

Percos smiled along with Yuelina.

In that time he couldn’t remember,

He endlessly doubted and questioned what choices he had made, what he had done, and whether it was the right path for Goddess Daphne.

Sometimes, Percos often felt frustrated with his aging self, losing divine power.

So Yuelina’s words were a great comfort to Percos.

“May I hold your hand once?”

Percos extended his hand to Yuelina who then took his hand.

“……Why are they holding hands?”

Theo, who had been quietly listening, changed his expression sharply.

Lambros hurriedly stood up and whispered in Theo’s ear.

“When a priest holds hands, it has several meanings! Right now, Priest Percos holding the Saintess’s hand is to share a blessing!”

“So why is he suddenly sharing a blessing?”

“B-because the Saintess comforted Priest Percos. It’s a response to that.”

Theo was displeased.

Percos had grown so much younger.

Moreover, unlike him who was said to be as big as a mountain and like a wild beast, Percos looked like a flower deer.

It was quite irritating.

“I wanted the blessing out of my own greed. I apologize, Your Highness.”

Percos respectfully released Yuelina’s hand and spoke.

“……Control yourself.”

“Yes.”

Theo interlocked his fingers with Yuelina’s hand that Percos had just held.

Yuelina looked at Theo and chuckled.

“Theo.”

“Yes. Tell me.”

“Since we’re here, let’s pray to Goddess Daphne.”

“……”

Theo was about to turn his head to show his refusal but Yuelina’s hand cupped his cheek first.

“You’re my husband, and it bothers me that you haven’t even greeted Goddess Daphne once.”

“……Is that so.”

“Yes. And if you have something to say to Goddess Daphne, say it. She will listen.”

“I don’t need her to listen.”

Yuelina playfully pinched Theo’s cheek.

“Honey.”

“Yes. I understand. I’ll go to the prayer room right away.”

Theo stood up abruptly.

He had been abandoned by the gods.

When his mother was losing strength in the snow……

His desperate prayers, his wishes—no one had listened.

No one had reached out a hand to Theo’s life, so he too had not bothered with the side where the gods existed.

But now he knew one thing.

Goddess Daphne had made Yuelina come here.

His wife.

The person he loved.

She had sent her here.

So Theo decided to gather his courage once.

Warm spring sunlight was gradually shining into the painfully lonely memories where no one had listened to him.