Once she got near the temple, she would be fine. She didn’t know why, but it had always been that way. No one believed her, but it was true. That’s why Freia believed in the existence of God more than anyone. She herself was living proof that the Goddess Amir existed.

And true to her word, Freia immediately felt better as soon as they reached the temple grounds.

“See? I told you I would be fine.”

“…That’s good.”

Though he thought it might just be coincidence, Ikanel nodded in agreement with Freia’s words without further comment.

The two walked around the temple walls. Freia felt strangely elated. It was the first time in her life she had conversed so comfortably with someone other than her brother Ian. She was noticeably different from her usual self. The girl who normally kept her mouth shut quietly was now asserting her opinions, engaging in pleasant debates, and chattering like a sparrow.

Perhaps this was her true self. Freia had always thought of herself as a weed-like existence that only caused trouble for those around her. This was because since childhood, she had constantly heard her father’s abusive words calling her a weed or a parasite.

So whenever someone made demands of her, she would simply endure and accept them. She thought she had no right to refuse. Who was she to dare? But perhaps this assertive and straightforward person was the real her.

“I could tell you were extraordinary from the moment you said you’d sneak out of the mansion. You’re clearly from some noble family, but if you’re seen with me, wouldn’t that cause serious trouble?”

Ikanel teased her mockingly. Freia snorted and retorted:

“You’re hardly in a position to tell me what to do. I still vividly remember how you were caught by me climbing over the temple wall when we first met.”

“When did I ever?”

Ikanel calmly shot back. Freia was flabbergasted and snapped:

“What? I saw you clearly. I could run to the temple right now and report you.”

“Do you have evidence? Unless I was caught in the act, I can just deny it. You should have reported me then if you were going to.”

Freia opened her mouth slightly in disbelief before bursting into laughter. This whole situation was unbelievably enjoyable.

The breeze was refreshing. She loved the occasional crunching sound of stepping on fallen leaves. Though Freia didn’t know the name, exact status, or family of the man walking beside her, such worldly matters didn’t matter at all. She suddenly said:

“Let’s not reveal our names or families to each other. I like it this way.”

“Why?”

Ikanel’s expression became somewhat sharp. Of course, he had no intention of revealing his identity, but he hadn’t expected the woman to suggest it first.

“Isn’t it obvious? We’ve been criticizing all sorts of aspects of Akelan’s political system. If we revealed our identities and one side happened to report the other for treason, it would be disastrous.”

Of course, among the various topics the two had discussed, there were parts related to politics and systems. But that didn’t seem to be the only reason.

“Besides that superficial reason, what’s the real reason?”

Ikanel asked in a serious voice. Freia hesitated for a moment before answering honestly.

“Well, I’d prefer you didn’t know about me.”

Suddenly feeling awkward, Freia turned her gaze to look at the leaves blowing in the wind.

She was Freia Nigritia, the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Nigritia. It was such a well-known secret that everyone knew the ducal family had traditionally sold their women to the imperial family, and it was equally well-known that this generation’s young lady was so physically weak that she was treated as useless within the family.

Ikanel roughly read Freia’s expression. She clearly had reasons she couldn’t speak of.

“Let’s do that then.”

“You agree so easily, it’s somehow deflating.”

“Actually, I don’t particularly want to reveal my identity either.”

Ikanel Riman Akelan was the Crown Prince. That was not an identity he could easily reveal to a woman of unknown family whom he met secretly like this.

“Oh my. Are you someone important enough to have an ‘identity’? I’m a bit curious now, but since I suggested it first, I’ll restrain myself.”

Freia quickly returned to her playful tone.

With their anonymity guaranteed, they could freely discuss more topics. From trivial matters about each other’s attire to criticisms of the political system. All sorts of conversations passed between them.

Both Freia and Ikanel thought the other was remarkably compatible. The two made promises to meet again when they parted. Their meetings continued at the temple or on deserted streets at night.

It wasn’t strange that the two, who had initially bickered, grew fond of each other and wanted to know more about one another. Freia and Ikanel naturally felt attracted to each other.

Freia had now become quite skilled at sneaking out of the mansion. She knew exactly when the servants fell asleep, and by carefully observing the maids’ behavior, she had accidentally discovered the existence of a secret passage that led outside the mansion, known only to them.

Whenever Freia went out to meet Ikanel and caught the cold wind, she would invariably fall ill the next day. There were times when she couldn’t get up for days, causing her to miss appointments with Ikanel.

At such times, as soon as she felt better, Freia would visit the Grand Temple. Inside the Grand Temple, at the place where they first met, Ikanel was almost always leaning against the wall reading a book. When Freia arrived, he would close his book and smile brightly. At first, she thought it was a coincidence that she could meet him there again like this. But it wasn’t a coincidence. Ikanel was always waiting for her there.

♣ ♣ ♣

That day too, Freia hurriedly ran to the wall where she always found Ikanel. He was leaning crookedly against the wall but straightened up when he saw Freia. As always, she apologized first.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t keep our promise. I collapsed again…”

“It’s alright. It’s not your fault.”

Ikanel now called Freia “you” in a more intimate form rather than the formal address. He knew why Freia often missed their appointed times. Although Freia acted as if her physical condition was nothing serious, she couldn’t hide it completely. The last time they met, Freia had coughed severely as usual and tried to quickly hide her bloodstained handkerchief, but Ikanel caught her hand. His expression upon seeing the blood Freia had coughed up was more serious than she had ever seen before.

Freia and Ikanel strolled through the temple as usual. Today, Ikanel was unusually reluctant to smile. Freia became a bit anxious. Normally they would make silly jokes or tease each other and bicker, but today’s Ikanel just walked silently, occasionally responding with “Ah, I see” when Freia spoke first. He seemed distracted by something else.

In truth, Freia wasn’t feeling very well today. Knowing that if she didn’t come, Ikanel would be leaning against the wall endlessly waiting for her, she had forced herself to come to the temple despite feeling dizzy.

She felt somewhat better upon entering the temple, but she wasn’t completely fine. Her vision kept flickering to black. Freia tried not to lose her balance, but she inevitably staggered more and more severely.

“Are you alright?”

Ikanel asked. Freia couldn’t answer. She finally stumbled and collapsed. Ikanel caught and held her. Freia breathed laboriously. Ikanel placed his large palm on her forehead and frowned deeply. She seemed to have a high fever.

“How could you come out in this condition!”

Ikanel raised his voice as if angry. But he quickly lowered his voice again and asked, “Are you okay? Can you stand on your own?” Freia grabbed Ikanel’s arm and exhaled. She couldn’t calm down easily. She collapsed into Ikanel’s arms again. He lifted her up.

Among the many temples within the Grand Temple complex, there were several that were virtually closed, rarely visited by people. Ikanel carried Freia into one of these temples and laid her down on a long bench.

“…I’m sorry.”

Freia murmured softly, her mind hazy with fever.

“You always apologize the moment you open your mouth. What are you sorry for now?”

Ikanel blurted out in a disgruntled voice. Freia smiled pitifully with her feverish face. Ikanel’s expression crumbled.

Freia habitually apologized to Ikanel. She had always been a burden to others. A burden to her family, a burden to her father, a burden to Ian Nigritia. And now she was becoming a burden to Ikanel as well.

“…I’ve been thinking deeply about our meetings.”

Ikanel spoke. It seemed to be about what had been distracting him from their conversation earlier. Freia, lying on the bench, fixed her gaze on Ikanel.

“You said you don’t go out much normally, right? I don’t know for sure, but it seems like no ordinary illness.”

Freia said nothing, but Ikanel patiently waited for her response. Finally, she acknowledged in a small voice.

“I’m not sure if I should continue to recklessly call you out like this when you’re ill.”

“Then, are you thinking of coming to my home? My father is a frightening person.”

Freia said lightly. She seemed to know what he was trying to say. She desperately didn’t want to hear it. But Ikanel didn’t soften his expression at Freia’s joke. He finally conveyed his decision to her.

“Let’s stop seeing each other. You need more focused treatment at home.”

“No.”

Freia refused flatly. This was why she had tried not to show signs of illness to him. If she had to spend her entire life lying in bed, could that be called living? Both the man before her and her brother Ian seemed to want Freia to lie still in bed and receive treatment, but she didn’t want to live that way. To Freia, the bed was no different from a prison. She already knew well enough that her illness couldn’t be cured with medicine.

Freia forced herself up and sat leaning against the bench. She didn’t want to appear weak. She wanted to show him that she was fine enough now and that he didn’t need to worry so much.