“…Viscount Eclace.”

Carlisle, whose voice had just moments before been brimming with anger, now sounded somewhat subdued.

Eclace glanced at the two of them with a pleasant smile.

“If you get any louder, I think the people inside might hear you.”

Carlisle’s jaw tightened. Not bothering to hide his displeasure, he offered Eclace a curt greeting and strode away.

Eclace chuckled at the stubborn retreating figure.

“Sir Carlisle’s loyalty to the Duke borders on excessive.”

Eclace remarked, shifting his gaze away from Carlisle.

“If you asked who among the knights would lay down their life for Duke Lester without hesitation, it would be Sir Carlisle.”

He shrugged lightly.

Carlisle, being Lupus like Shed, held a special kind of respect and loyalty toward him. He believed he owed Shed a great debt for employing him as a knight, and would do anything for his master—even to a fault at times.

“I doubt he ever considered how much his words might hurt you, Miss Liana. He’s so blinded by loyalty that he doesn’t think things through.”

Eclace’s tone was gentle, his ruby-red eyes warm as he looked at Liana.

Liana found his demeanor somewhat unfamiliar. Perhaps it was because he wasn’t a noble by birth, but a merchant’s son? He was always polite and considerate, even to a commoner like herself.

“You’re very kind, Lord Eclace.”

“That’s the secret to the Vitel family’s wealth.”

He replied, making a light joke.

“Oh, come to think of it, you worked for the Godwin family, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve been to the Godwin estate a few times on business, but I don’t recall ever seeing you there.”

“Oh… I was always kept in the back.”

The baroness couldn’t stand the sight of Liana, so she was only ever assigned work in the kitchen, by the fireplace, or in the laundry. Other maids were the ones who dealt with guests.

“I see. That’s a shame…”

“Pardon?”

Liana looked up, puzzled by his murmur.

‘What does he mean, it’s a shame?’

Liana blinked in confusion just as the tent flap suddenly swung open. The loud snap of canvas was as startling as a whip crack, making her jump.

“What are you doing out here instead of coming in?”

Shed Lester was standing in the entryway, holding the tent open. Liana bowed her head before him.

“I… I wasn’t told to come in, so…”

“If Eclace leaves, you’re supposed to come in on your own. Or do you intend to wait for every little command before you move?”

Shed’s voice was edged with annoyance as his gaze briefly flicked toward Eclace.

Eclace scratched his temple, smiling lightly at Shed’s reaction.

‘The duke really doesn’t miss a thing…’

Shed must have already noticed how closely Eclace was watching Liana. They got along well enough, but there was never complete trust between them. At the end of the day, they were business partners—nothing more.

‘Is he worried I’ll dig up some weakness from Miss Liana?’

She was, after all, the maid closest to the duke—she must have seen and heard plenty.

‘Or maybe… it’s something else?’

Eclace watched the two of them, keeping his expression innocent as he smiled.

“Come in.”

Shed said at last, holding the tent flap wide with his long arm and gesturing for Liana to enter.

With her face in shadow, Liana quietly stepped inside the tent. Eclace frowned at the sight and glanced around, wondering if anyone else had seen it. Fortunately, there were only a few simple-minded knights nearby, none of whom seemed to notice anything unusual. Neither Shed Lester nor Liana Serpens seemed to be aware of how odd their behaviour appeared.

‘This might be more dangerous than I thought…’

Only Eclace had noticed. Only he had realised it. Shed Lester had just treated Liana as if she were a lady and he were her servant.

The duke himself had held the door open for a maid and waited patiently for her to enter.

The duke’s face was fierce, the maid’s expression gloomy, but his actions were courteous and hers were graceful.

‘What a headache.’

Eclace, ever quick to read the room, realized that it might be easier to finish his business in Ideana without Liana Serpens present.

🌺⟡───⟡🌺 🌺⟡───⟡🌺

Meanwhile, at the heart of the Lester Duchy—Muenher.

“Y-you mean he’s gone straight to Ideana…?”

A stooped man who was leaving the temple stopped in his tracks.

“Yes, only a handful of knights and servants have returned. I’ve heard that His Grace intends to stay in Ideana until things have settled down, Deputy High Priestess.”

The priest bowed deeply to the silver-haired figure before him.

At this, the Deputy High Priest’s eyebrows drooped with worry.

“He’s been away from the capital for so long because of the war, and now—now he’s off to Ideana again…”

Through his glasses, the deputy’s sky-blue eyes wandered towards the ancestral home of the Lester family, Muenher Castle. The Lester banner fluttered in the breeze atop the castle’s ancient stone spires.

Deputy High Priest Dietrich Lester tucked his hands into his wide sleeves and sighed deeply.

“Why did he insist on going to that accursed land first?”

Even after all these years, he could still remember how dreadful that place had been. It was as if a part of the world had rotted away; the land had been stained black by magic. Once rich and peaceful, Ideana had become a cursed wasteland. The temple had sent priests to Ideana, determined to judge heresy and purify the land.

Dietrich, a young priest candidate at the time, was among those dispatched. He had seen the city corrupted by black magic.

Faradel Castle, the heart of Ideana and seat of the Count of Ideana, appeared hellish.

Death lay piled upon death upon blackened ground, and the air was so foul that it stung the nose. Crows, drawn by the scent of death, blotted out the sky, making even the daylight seem black.

Dietrich worked with others for almost a year to purify the place, until finally the order came to withdraw the priests.

Priests were a precious resource and the Order could not afford to keep them tied to such desolate lands forever. Once the major black magic rituals had been completed, the Church considered the matter closed.

‘When trouble began to brew in the Imperial Court, the Empire abandoned Ideana, too…’

In the eight years since then, the Empire had fought two wars. The Blancas of the North invaded on multiple occasions, pushing the Empire to the brink, while pirates wreaked havoc at sea. Monster hunts were even held in between.

Ultimately, the Pope decided that healing wounded soldiers was more important than purifying Ideana. All priests capable of wielding holy power were conscripted to the front lines or rear support. So, during those chaotic years, Ideana — a land fallen to death — was quietly forgotten.

“It seems His Grace requested priests from the Temple in advance, but there hasn’t been a response yet, Deputy High Priest.”

Dietrich glanced at the empty cage intended for messenger birds. It would take more than a handful of priests to purify land so heavily affected by black magic. The Temple was undoubtedly engaged in heated debate about whether to send priests to Ideana.

“This is… this is a problem…”

Dietrich muttered to himself. Just then, he saw a woman approaching the temple—her gait was elegant, but faster than usual. Everyone parted to let her pass, bowing their heads in respect, though some couldn’t help but sneak a glance at her face.

Dietrich swallowed hard when he recognized her.

“D-Deputy High Priestess Giselle Marlhein…!”

Dietrich fidgeted nervously with his glasses as she drew near.

Giselle Marlhein. Shed Lester’s fiancée, and one of only seven Deputy High Priests in the entire Empire.

Her signature mint-colored hair, unique to the Marlhein family, rippled like the southern sea as it caught the wind. Her beautiful golden eyes shone with the warmth of the midday sun. Her strong, athletic figure drew the gaze of every man present, while the pure white vestments of her rank only added to her aura of sanctity and mystery.

As she strode forward, the hem of her white robe sparkled in the cold sunlight of early spring, and everyone’s eyes were drawn to her.

Giselle Marlhein stopped right in front of the anxious Dietrich.

“My fiancé has gone to Ideana—is that true?”

Her voice was crisp and precise, each word as clear as if written on a page.

Dietrich nodded awkwardly under her slightly narrowed gaze.

“I-I believe so…”

At his clumsy reply, her beautiful face hardened even further.

“Did you not inform him… that I was here?”

The corners of her lovely mouth trembled ever so slightly.

“How could anyone not know when the Star of the Temple is here in person?”

Dietrich’s answer was nervous, almost pleading.

“And yet he went to Ideana anyway?”

“It seems… His Grace the Duke was eager to see the Emperor’s ‘gift’ for himself.”

Dietrich hunched his shoulders and scratched his head sheepishly.

Then her crimson lips formed the words, ‘That madman.’

‘Ah, there goes our elegant and holy Giselle, offering another prayer of thanks to the gods.’

Dietrich thought wryly. No doubt, she was hoping to send someone else to the gods today.

Giselle had a refined habit: whenever the gods tested her patience, she offered up a silent, graceful prayer—usually for someone’s soul.