“I’m sorry… I have to decline your earlier offer.” 

Leah couldn’t hide the regret in her heart as she turned down Dallin’s proposal. 

Dallin had always thought well of her and had even asked for her hand, but she couldn’t bring herself to accept. He had proposed because he did not know the truth. 

If he knew her secret – how her body had been tainted by a demon and r*ped by a stranger – would he still ask for her hand? 

“Please, think again.”

“I’m sorry.”

She knew Dallin was a good man. Life at the monastery was peaceful, and Dallin was not only handsome, but from an exceptional family. But none of that could change her decision.

It was amazing that someone like Dallin had proposed to her, but Leah knew she couldn’t accept. 

Having atoned for her sins, she wanted to devote the rest of her life to serving God. The decision she had made when she first took her vows remained firm. Leah had no desire to be anyone’s bride. She wanted to live quietly in the convent and grow old there, devoted to her faith. 

“Please let me know if you change your mind.”

Dallin said before he left, his words tinged with lingering emotion. 

When he was gone, Leah let out a long, tired sigh. 

“Did you go out every night to pray?” 

It had been three nights since Leah had met with Zion under the moonlit sky to cleanse her sins. Adele, it seemed, had noticed her nightly absences and Leah’s unease began to grow. 

Still, there was one consolation in her troubled heart: 

‘At least the demon hasn’t visited me in my dreams anymore…’

For the time being, this absence offered her a small measure of comfort amidst the chaos within. 

Since the day she had been r*ped by a stranger and fallen seriously ill, and since she had begun the purification ritual with Zion in the prayer room, the demon had stopped haunting her dreams. 

It was obvious that the ritual was working. 

‘Am I putting him through too much?’ 

Though relieved to be free of the demon’s presence, Leah’s heart grew heavy with concern for Zion. 

He was a priest – someone who had dedicated his life to serving God – yet here he was, burdened with her sins.

Everyone in the monastery believed that Zion was destined to become archbishop. 

Leah was deeply afraid that Zion, so highly regarded and respected by everyone, would suffer for her actions. 

Even though it was a purification ritual, if the truth were discovered – that she had broken her vow of chastity and engaged in such acts – and if it was revealed that the one who helped her was none other than her stepbrother Zion, Zion’s reputation would be ruined.

He would lose everything he had worked so hard to achieve. 

‘Is it really right for me to do this to him?’

But for now, she had no choice but to rely on Zion. 

‘I have burdened him beyond measure. How will I ever repay him?’ 

The more she thought about it, the more she saw Zion as the beacon of hope in her life. He was her saviour, the one who had stepped in when no one else could. 

But Leah still couldn’t understand why the demon had come to her in the first place. 

‘Maybe there’s some hidden sinful desire buried deep inside me that even I don’t know about… and the demon came because it sensed that…’

The thought unsettled her, filling her with doubt and guilt.

If a seed remains, it will eventually sprout. 

‘I want to wash it all away and become completely pure…’ 

Leah was sometimes shocked by the sinful pleasure she felt at certain moments. 

At times when she should have been filled with fear and horror, she instead felt joy and delight. Was this a side of her that she had never known before? 

“Leah, what are you doing over there?” 

Adele’s voice startled her, pulling her out of her troubled thoughts. Leah quickly gathered herself and walked towards Adele with a blank expression on her face, as if nothing had happened. 

It was time to leave for the charity work. 

It was the first time she had left the convent since the incident of her being r*ped.

***

“Leah? You don’t look well.”

Adele said, her voice full of concern as she studied Leah’s pale face. 

“I’m just a little nauseous.”

Leah replied, trying to sound nonchalant. But her heart was racing and cold sweat was forming on her palms. 

She was standing near the alley where the r*pe had taken place. Despite her best efforts not to look in that direction, her eyes kept drifting there.

“Leah, if you’re not feeling well, you should rest. I’ll take care of everything. Remember the last time I had a cold and you did everything by yourself? Today it’s my turn. Go and rest.”

“No, I’m fine.”

Leah said shaking her head. 

“You’ll collapse if you keep pushing yourself.” 

“But…” 

“Sr. Leah? If you’re not feeling well, do you want me to help you?” 

Leah turned, startled, as Zion approached. Adele’s face lit up at the sight of him, obviously relieved. 

“I would appreciate that.”

Adele said quietly and quickly handed her over to Zion. 

“I was on my way to visit a child whose mother has tuberculosis. Would you like to join me, Sr. Leah?”

Leah knew immediately who he meant – the child who lived alone with her seriously ill mother. 

After pawning Zion’s necklace to pay for a doctor to treat her, Leah hadn’t been able to visit the mother and child. Now, as she approached the house, she noticed how much had changed. 

The once cold and lifeless house now felt warm and inviting. The clutter was gone, the room felt more comfortable and even the sheets had been replaced with clean ones. 

Leah couldn’t hide her surprise at the transformation. 

“Thanks to you, my illness is improving.”

The child’s mother greeted them warmly, her face flushed as she sat up in bed. The child, now dressed in clean clothes and even shoes, stood by her side. 

“It’s all thanks to you, Father.”

“What are you talking about? It was the right thing to do.”

“Because you kept coming and helping us, we’ve been able to live like normal people again.”

As Leah listened to their conversation, she realised that Zion had been visiting and supporting the mother and child regularly since that day. 

‘As expected, my brother is incredible…’

If it had been her, Leah thought, she probably wouldn’t have been able to care for them with the same dedication. 

The more she came to understand Zion’s actions, the more her admiration grew. She couldn’t help but be amazed by his compassion and selflessness, and a sense of pride filled her heart – Zion was her older brother. 

***

“What’s on your mind?”

Zion asked as they walked down the alley, noticing Leah’s thoughtful expression. 

Leah smiled faintly.

“I was just thinking about how amazing you are.” 

“Me?”

Zion chuckled slightly.

“There’s nothing amazing about me.” 

“No, you’re really amazing, compared to you I feel so lacking and inadequate. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to fulfil my role like you do. Could I ever become someone like you?” 

“I’m just an ordinary person, there is nothing extraordinary about me.” 

He gently took Leah’s hand in his. Leah didn’t pull away, although she looked around carefully to make sure they were alone. The rest of the monastery group had already left, saying they would clean up and return later, leaving only Zion and Leah. 

“Is this the alley?”

Zion asked, stopping and pointing in a certain direction as they walked on, hand in hand.