***

Evening prayer was the one time each day when all the priests and nuns of the monastery gathered in one place.

Regardless of their duties, all were required to attend this final prayer before retiring for the night. 

After the service, which brought together over a hundred priests and nuns in the central hall, Leah began to make her way out. 

The crowd exiting at once created a rush, and priests in their black robes brushed past her on all sides.

Thud. 

Suddenly, someone pushed Leah from behind. 

“Ah…!” 

She stumbled forward and fell to the floor. She had no idea who had pushed her. 

‘That hurts…’ 

Her knees were throbbing, probably bruised, but she couldn’t just lie there. 

“Are you all right, sister?” 

As she struggled to stand, still unsteady on her feet, a hand was extended to help her. 

“I’m fine.” 

She couldn’t take a man’s hand so casually. 

Even if he was a priest, he was still a man. 

Leah, who had risen without taking the offered hand, found her eyes locked with the priest standing before her. 

‘Huh?’ 

For a moment she was startled. 

“Brother?” 

It might have been a mistake, but the priest before her looked so much like her brother Zion, whom she hadn’t seen in ten years. 

His platinum hair, his deep blue eyes like the still surface of a winter lake – everything about him was unmistakably Zion. 

The last time Leah had seen him, he was eighteen. Now he would be twenty-eight. And yet he hadn’t changed much. He was still recognisable at a glance. 

“Leah?”

He said, his voice full of surprise. 

Leah was wearing a black headscarf, which completely hid her characteristic red hair.

But Zion had recognised her at once. The realisation filled Leah with wonder and set her heart racing. 

***

“So that’s what happened… I thought you’d inherited the Marquisate.”

Lea said, nodding as she sat on a stone bench in the dimly lit garden. 

The late hour ensured that the garden was empty, no one around but her and Zion. Even if it had been earlier, Zion had mentioned that it was a secluded place, rarely visited by others. He had taken Leah there so they could talk freely without fear of prying eyes. 

It was only after they had moved into this private corner and started talking that Leah learned why Zion was at the monastery. 

Two years after Leah had left the Verbaine estate, a devastating fire broke out there. 

“The flames consumed everything and reduced the estate to ashes.

Although the estate’s land was untouched and rebuilding was an option, Zion chose a different path. Instead of rebuilding Verbaine Estate, he dedicated himself to the monastery. There he devoted himself to study and was eventually ordained a priest. 

“How did you recognise me? I was only ten years old back t hen.”

“If my eyes couldn’t recognise you, I’d rather pluck them out. I couldn’t possibly fail to recognise my only little sister.”

“But it’s been ten years…” 

“Even if twenty years had passed, I would still recognise you.” 

“You haven’t changed at all, brother.” 

“Really?” 

“Mm. You’re exactly the same as you were ten years ago.” 

Leah wasn’t exaggerating – Zion looked exactly as he had in her memories from a decade ago. It was as if time had stood still for him. 

The only noticeable difference was the quiet serenity on his face, a serenity that hadn’t been there before.

“It is amazing. To think I’d end up in the same monastery as you, brother… Will you return to inherit the title?”

Just as some noblewomen would temporarily stay in monasteries for training, it wasn’t uncommon for priests from noble families – especially heirs – to return to their families after ordination. For many, this was a formal step before resuming their duties within their lineage. 

“I have no intention of returning.”

“What about the title? You’re to inherit the Marquisate of Verbaine.” 

“Inheriting the family name isn’t that important to me.” 

“But…” 

“If you ever feel uncomfortable or have any difficulties, let me know immediately. We’re family, after all.” 

“Mm…”

Lea nodded quietly. 

“I’m so happy to see you again.”

Zion said with a warm smile. 

Leah blushed and smiled shyly in return. 

Those were the words she wanted to say. She was truly overjoyed to see him again. 

She had longed to see him again, and now that they had, it felt like it could only be God’s will. 

For her, it was a blessing – a sign of divine grace. 

***

Leah, who was in charge of charity work, left the convent every day with Adele. 

Their job was to visit the slums every day and distribute food to the needy. 

“Leah, look. Father Zion is looking at you again.” 

If Adele hadn’t whispered to her, Leah wouldn’t have noticed that Zion was looking at her. 

At Adele’s words, Leah turned her head and saw Zion, just as she said, watching her. 

Since Zion was also a priest, assigned to charity work, he had come to the slums with Leah. 

As their eyes met, Leah gave him a small smile before quickly looking away. 

“Doesn’t he seem to have feelings for you? You’re so pretty, no wonder the priests can’t take their eyes off you.”

“It’s not like that.”

She hadn’t told Adele that Zion was actually her stepbrother and had no intention of doing so. 

There was nothing to be gained by revealing such a fact. 

If the truth of their relationship were to be revealed, it could lead to them being separated and unable to stay in the same convent. 

“He’s probably just watching because I’m clumsy and he’s worried about me,” Lea said, trying to brush it off. 

“Oh, come on. Do you think I can’t tell the difference?” Adele teased. “Don’t worry. It happens all the time, priests fall in love with nuns, break their vows and return to their noble lives. Did you know that Father Zion is actually the heir to the Marquisate of Verbaine?” 

“Really…?”

Lea replied, feigning surprise. 

“The Marquisate of Verbaine is the largest estate in the East. Even though he’s a priest now, he’ll definitely return to his family one day.” 

Leah nodded, but the truth was that she didn’t know much about the size of the Verbaine estates. Having left the estate at such a young age, her memories of its size and importance were vague. 

Leah’s memories of the Verbaine estate were hazy, but she vividly recalled the vast grounds of her childhood—the sprawling meadows and the times she rode horseback across them with her brother. 

“I see…”

She mumbled, brushing off the subject as she pushed a cart filled with bread. 

“Let’s start handing out the bread.”

She said, steering the conversation elsewhere.