Chapter 9 – The Trap Set by the Saintess (Part 2)

After sending the two away, Ellerdin closed the door and sighed.

“Our castle is as lively as ever.”

Fernan said teasingly, smiling. Ellerdin looked at him with a pout, knowing his teasing intentions were obvious.

He couldn’t possibly be unaware of Mollek’s recklessness. He just wanted to see her surprised reaction.

“You stayed behind on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Hmm… Who knows?”

Fernan chuckled. Seeing his mischievous side, no less than Mollek’s, Ellerdin shook her head.

She took the letter and sat on the bed next to him. She accepted the letter opener from Fernan and tore open the letter.

“Oh…?”

Ellerdin was startled by the words written in the letter and looked at Fernan. The letter contained a short sentence written in black ink.

[If you don’t want your wife’s identity exposed, come to the temple.]

“…How do they know?”

Ellerdin blinked in confusion. Even her father, who raised her, didn’t know she had the power of a mermaid, so how did this person know?

“Ellerdin, this is a trap.”

Fernan said in a low voice. Ellerdin silently stared at the letter. Fernan hoped she would burn the letter quickly, but Ellerdin didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so.

Fernan gritted his teeth.

“I’ll be right back.”

As he stood up, Ellerdin grabbed his wrist. Fernan turned around, intending to tell her not to stop him, but he was startled by Ellerdin’s slightly angry expression and sat back down.

Seeing her expression for the first time, Fernan was flustered and began to watch her closely.

“Why, why are you like this? If I’ve done something wrong…”

“Of course you have. This letter is calling you using me as bait. How can you go to such a place? Isn’t that even more dangerous? This is a problem I need to solve.”

“But it’s definitely a trap.”

Fernan said, flustered, holding Ellerdin’s hand. She shouted with an even angrier expression.

“Why are you trying to go when you know it’s dangerous? Especially when you can’t even use your power properly right now.”

At those words, Fernan’s shoulders flinched. Seeing his awkward expression, Ellerdin pressed her lips together.

“I have to go.”

Ellerdin looked at Fernan with determined eyes. When she had this look, he couldn’t stop her. But he couldn’t let her go there alone, so he quickly spoke.

“Then please let me accompany you. We’re a couple. A couple being apart is unacceptable.”

“But I can’t put you in danger because of my problem.”

Ellerdin said firmly. However, as if expecting her response, Fernan answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“I prefer being in danger with you than being safe alone. You know I can’t live without you.”

“……”

Ellerdin closed her mouth. She couldn’t think of a way to break Fernan’s stubbornness.

After a long silence, Ellerdin sighed softly.

“Alright, but we’ll leave after you’re fully recovered. Is that okay?”

“But then Ellerdin, your identity will be…”

“It’s better for my identity to be exposed than to put you in danger!”

Ellerdin interrupted him, raising her voice for the first time. Fernan was so surprised that he closed his mouth.

He shrank for a moment and began to watch her closely. Seeing his large frame trying to make itself as small as possible, and him lightly tapping her sleeve, Ellerdin burst into laughter.

“What are you doing?”

Fernan replied, glancing at her cautiously.

“I was trying to be cute while waiting for your anger to subside.”

Was it successful?

Fernan subtly held Ellerdin’s fingers. When there was no word of rejection from Ellerdin as he touched her fingers and held her hand, Fernan lifted her up. It was a hug she had grown accustomed to. Standing at a high place, Ellerdin narrowed her eyes and looked down at him.

“Don’t think you can get away with it like this.”

Seeing her speak with a playful tone, he smiled brightly.

“I’m always listening to you. We’ll leave next week. Now, give me the letter. I’ll dispose of it.”

“It’s polite to reply when you receive a letter. From now on, I hope you also reply if you receive a letter. Got it?”

Ellerdin spoke as if teaching a child, lightly tapping Fernan’s shoulder.

***

“Next week…”

Yurishien tapped the table with the letter she had finished reading. The letter contained a polite statement that they would come next week.

‘I thought they’d come running immediately… Does it mean they don’t mind if her identity is revealed? No, it’s rather good. I needed time to prepare as well.’

Yurishien threw the letter into the fireplace with an indifferent gaze. The white letter paper burned and slowly disappeared.

***

Time quickly passed, and the day to go to the temple arrived. Through Mollek, they confirmed whether any rumors about Ellerdin had spread in the capital, but there seemed to be no significant movements from the temple’s side.

Ellerdin massaged her hands to relieve tension. She didn’t think anything bad would happen, but she also didn’t believe it would pass peacefully.

As the temple came into view from afar, Fernan slowly lowered Ellerdin to the ground.

Ellerdin, having descended from Fernan’s arms, looked at the temple with cold eyes.

A space that should have been crowded with priests and territory residents was eerily empty, giving a severe sense of alienation.

“Ellerdin, stay behind me.”

Sensing the same, Fernan blocked Ellerdin’s path and remained vigilant. The surroundings were filled with holy power as they entered the temple’s domain.

Feeling the holy power constricting his entire body, he squinted his eyes.

A woman was walking toward them from afar. Spotting the woman, Ellerdin lowered Fernan’s arm and stepped in front of him.

Yurishien, dressed in white, stopped in front of Ellerdin.

“Thank you for coming from afar.”

Yurishien greeted them with a smile.

“Thank you for the invitation. But I hope for a more amicable meeting next time.”

Ellerdin returned the greeting with a smile.

It was rare for Ellerdin to speak like this, so Fernan’s eyes widened slightly. Yurishien also looked at Ellerdin with an unreadable expression, as if surprised.

‘She seemed easy to handle at first… Was I wrong?’

After a brief silence, Yurishien gestured toward the inside of the temple.

“Please, this way.”

As they followed the guide, a heavy silence hung between them.

Then, Yurishien spoke.

“The world is quite noisy these days, isn’t it?”

“…A quiet world would be one where the weak cannot speak.”

Ellerdin replied softly.

“Hmm… That’s what you think, Madam. I have a slightly different view. Quietness means impurities have disappeared. Don’t you think so?”

“That’s what you think, Yurishien.”

Ellerdin scanned the temple with slightly downcast eyes. All the marble was polished to a shine, and the decorations were covered in gold.

The Saintess’s will was also the temple’s will. It wasn’t good for a temple, which should care for everyone from the bottom, to hold such opinions.

They turned a corner where the temple’s pillars stood.

“By the way, did you hear about the second son of Viscount Rutten losing all his money to gambling?”

Yurishien asked lightly, holding her breath and waiting for Ellerdin’s answer. The incident of Viscount Rutten’s second son losing money was something that happened before time was reversed.

Currently, it was said among nobles that he was successful in business and being invited everywhere.

If she answered yes, it would mean she had memories from before the time reversal.

“Oh… Is that so? I actually don’t know much about worldly matters, so this is the first time I’m hearing about it.”

Ellerdin’s words slowed Yurishien’s steps slightly.

‘Is she pretending not to know? That answer isn’t conclusive.’

As a Saintess borrowing divine power, she couldn’t recklessly use her power, as killing innocent creatures would bring divine punishment.

“Then, do you know that the third son of Earl Duran and the maid from Earl Jayden’s household got married?”

In the past, this marriage was so famous that no one didn’t know about it. Currently, they were still secretly meeting, and marriage was a distant future event.

‘Ah.’

Ellerdin knew about this marriage too. It was an incident Brian had drunkenly laughed about when he came into the basement where she was abandoned.

‘Did they already get married? I thought they married much later than now.’

Ellerdin answered with curiosity.

“Haven’t they not married yet?”

Yurishien replied slyly to her answer.

“Oh, is that so! I thought they were already married because they said they would get married when they visited the temple.”

The golden pupils lost interest in Ellerdin. Although more investigation was needed, it was no longer important now that they had arrived here. She had successfully brought the two here.

Yurishien smiled as she confirmed the numerous magic circles laid underfoot.

As soon as they entered the enclosed space, the door behind them slammed shut. Fernan sensed something ominous and pulled the doorknob, but it was securely locked and wouldn’t open.

“What is the meaning of this?”

He asked fiercely. His red pupils glowed menacingly, as if he wouldn’t let her live if she gave a frivolous answer.

Despite the oppressive air, Yurishien leisurely brought a chair and sat down, smiling.

Ellerdin, with a cold, calm expression, asked her.

“It seems we need to have a proper conversation now. Why did you call us?”

Even writing such things in the letter.

“……”

Yurishien silently looked at Ellerdin. While Ellerdin’s identity intrigued her, what mattered most to her now was Fernan’s magic power.

Having no need to waste time, she waved her hand dismissively.

“It seems there’s no need to answer.”

“What are you…!”

As they protested, the numerous magic circles on the floor they were standing on began to glow and activate.