Chirp, chirp.

The fresh sound of birdsong outside the window gently pulled her from sleep. It seemed she had fallen into a deep slumber for the first time in a long while. Judging by how good her body felt, she must have rested well.

“Haaah!”

Martiana stretched as she sat up. Her voice echoed within the tiny room—barely large enough for a single person to lie down.

“Ah, ah.”

She had heard it for days now, yet it still felt unbelievable. The fact that she could speak.

“How strange.”

Until recently, she had never imagined a moment like this would come.

And that wasn’t all. She had never dreamed she would step outside Duke Vandyk’s estate, either.

“Good morning.”

Martiana opened the window and greeted the people outside. Dressed in pure white garments, they were already busy cleaning despite the early hour. All of them were lower-ranking priests.

“Did you sleep well, Lady Martiana?”

“Thanks to you. You’re working hard so early in the morning. I’ll come out and help soon.”

As she put on her outer robe, Martiana called back to them.

This was the Grand Temple, where Lawrence lived. She had come here four days ago, on the day he had found her in the forest and brought her to safety.

Initially, once her treatment was complete, she had intended to return to her family home. That would have been the proper thing to do.

But she was divorced now.

She had nowhere else to go.

However, after hearing about everything she had been through, Lawrence gently suggested that she stay at the temple instead.

“You want to find Licorice?”

That single question marked the beginning of their lengthy conversation.

Martiana poured her heart and soul into her explanation.

From the outset, it was clear that Lawrence did not fully understand her.

How could he?

Siliar had searched for five years. Even the elite city guards — men renowned for their expertise — had failed to find the child. And now Martiana was saying that she would find her instead?

It sounded impossible.

Her brother might have thought she had lost her reason, even if he didn’t show it on his face. Or perhaps he simply pitied her for still being unable to let go of her missing daughter.

If the situation were reversed, she might have felt the same.

All the more reason for her to convince him.

They were the only people left who could help her.

“I’m not saying this lightly. I saw Licorice.”

“You saw her? Where?”

Lawrence’s head snapped up, clearly taken aback by this revelation. Deep down, he also longed to find his niece.

He believed that doing so might heal the wound carved into his sister’s heart.

“Before the attack.”

“Hm?”

“Before he stabbed me—I saw her inside a passing carriage.”

“Inside a carriage?”

Lawrence repeated her words under his breath. There was an unmistakable hint of doubt in his quiet voice.

“You think I saw it wrong, don’t you?”

Martiana asked, her tone revealing a hint of irritation. Under normal circumstances, that kind of skepticism would have been understandable.

But hearing it from Lawrence left a bitter taste in her mouth.

“You said you’d do anything for me. Liar.”

Pouting like a child, Martiana glared at her brother. It was something she could only do in front of him.

“No, Marie. Don’t look at me like that. I don’t have a choice.”

“What do you mean you don’t have a choice?”

“You said you saw her before you were hurt. And you were gravely injured—almost fatally. In moments like that, people often see the person they most want to see. You might have…”

“Isn’t that what happened?”

Lawrence swallowed the rest of his words. He had tried to explain it rationally, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask his sister outright.

Her eyes sparkled every time Licorice’s name was mentioned.

‘How can I tell her it might have been a hallucination?’

In truth, though, he had already revealed half of it.

Unable to continue, Lawrence looked away. But Martiana did not back down.

“Then how do you explain Countess Pumilum? I might want to see Licorice—but not Ramelata.”

“What are you talking about? Why is Countess Pumilum coming up now?”

“Ramelata was with Licorice that day.”

Martiana held Lawrence’s gaze as she spoke.

Fine. Let’s assume, as he suggested, that before she lost consciousness, she saw the person she longed for most.

That could happen. There are countless recorded cases of such things.

But Ramelata?

Why would she ever want to see her?

They were nothing more than sisters-in-law. There was never any real closeness between them, nor any bond that could be called familiarity.

At most, they exchanged a few polite greetings at tea gatherings before the wedding.

After that, the only time they met was at Pameli’s wedding. Once Ramelata had moved to the Pumilum estate, Martiana never saw her again.

In truth, if not for Ramelata’s unmistakable pink hair, Martiana doubted she would have recognized her.

“Now that you put it that way… it is strange. Countess Pumilum…But why would she be with Licorice?”

“I don’t know. That’s what I want to find out.”

Martiana did not look away as she spoke.

Desperation shone in her eyes.

“Help me brother. You said you would stand by me no matter what. You told me to follow my own will.”

Those words were written clearly in her gaze.

Seeing that expression, Lawrence let out a long, weary sigh and lowered his head.

The sons of House Kisca had always been at a loss when their little sister looked at them like that. It was that very look that had led them to allow her to marry Siliar in the first place.

“Alright. Then first, we restore your health. Even if your wounds healed through divine power, you know your body is still a mess, don’t you?”

Lawrence clicked his tongue as he lifted Martiana’s wrist.

It was so thin that it felt as though it might break under his touch. He could not tell whether he was holding flesh or bone.

It pained him.

“Start by rebuilding a healthy routine.”

“But if I do that, Licorice might—”

“You said you saw Ramelata. If what you saw is true, then that woman is in the capital, isn’t she?”

“…Yes.”

“That much, I can find out for you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. But you regain your health first. Only then will I support everything you want.”

“Thank you—thank you so much!”

Martiana jumped up and embraced Lawrence.

Her vision blurred instantly.

Tears welled up without warning.

After being denied and dismissed for so long, the fact that someone believed her and promised to help without suspicion meant everything.

“Yes, yes. I’m grateful too. That you came back alive.”

“Hic…!”

“You’re a grown woman, crying like this. Enough tears. Come with me to the Grand Temple. I’ll have your old room prepared again.”

With that, Lawrence gently brought the matter to a close.

And that was how Martiana came to be here.

***

“Are you truly sure? It doesn’t seem like you’ve ever done this before.”

One of the lower-ranking priests, who had been cleaning the temple corridor, looked Martiana up and down anxiously.

She had offered to help after observing them working.

“You should rest over there instead. We do this every day, so we’re used to it.”

“That’s right. Soon it will be time for the High Priest to start praying. Why don’t you go over there?”

Even the other nearby priests joined in to try and persuade her.

It seemed that her family background was a significant factor.

Her uncle was the High Priest, and her brother was next in line for the position.

If anyone were to see their niece or sister mopping the temple floors, they would be the ones reprimanded.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason they were trying to stop her.

“With arms as thin as that mop handle, what exactly are you planning to do? Just leave it there!”

Martiana herself made them feel uneasy.

Watching her attempt anything made them anxious.

So they spoke with one voice, determined to dissuade her.

But Martiana was equally stubborn.

“It’s fine. I did all of this when I was even younger, at the seminary.”

At the priest’s comment, Martiana glanced down at her slender wrist and smiled faintly.

The priest blinked, clearly surprised.

“Oh? You attended the seminary? Even though you’re a noble?”

It was no wonder he was shocked.

A seminary was typically a training ground for priests, but it also functioned as a school for laypeople.

Given his noble status, his reaction was only natural.

“Yes. It’s a tradition in our family.”

Martiana replied, her smile never fading. She added that their ancestor had established the first seminary in the kingdom.

With high priests continually emerging from their lineage, this custom had formed naturally over time.

In House Kisca, this had always been considered normal. She had never given it much thought.

The only difficulty was the school rules — having to do everything herself, including cleaning, at such a young age.

“Oh—then do you know how to arrange the altar?”

The moment she finished explaining, one of the lower-ranking priests raised his hand in visible relief.

Martiana nodded readily.

“Yes, I do.”

“In that case, could you take care of the altar in the small chapel? I was supposed to handle it, but I haven’t been able to finish what I’m doing.”

“Of course.”

Martiana accepted the request with a bright smile.

She headed lightly towards the small chapel, unaware that someone was following her.