‘Kissing someone like that. I must be crazy.’

Obviously, there was no lingering feeling from the kiss. It just felt like I had added another dark chapter to my history, which annoyed me.

My sense of romance had completely died because of the Crown Prince. Because of him, the idea that a man’s appearance isn’t everything had deeply rooted itself in my subconscious.

I needed to somehow revive my dead sense of romance.

But.

‘How would I know if I haven’t tried?’

If I had known it would come to this, I might have tried dating in secret from the Crown Prince. Anyway, he wouldn’t have cared if I did anything with other men.

“What are you planning to do today, lady?”

This time, Margarita asked.

“Nothing’s decided yet.”

I could already see myself holed up in my room all day.

“We’re going to do some missionary work and volunteer after breakfast. Would you like to join us, lady?”

“Can I?”

I gladly accepted the priestesses’ offer.

Most of the imperial delegation were middle-aged men, so I couldn’t blend in well and felt out of place.

Seren was also preoccupied with the man she had danced with at the banquet, so she didn’t spend time with me.

After breakfast, I changed into comfortable clothes, packed a few ointments, and followed the priestesses.

As soon as we left the castle, we quickly arrived in the city. Although it wasn’t as luxurious as the capital, it was a bustling and thriving city.

“It’s bigger than you expected, right? Although monsters frequently appear, the city’s public order is quite good,” Lucia explained as I looked around with wide eyes.

“I see. It’s different from what I expected.”

The priestesses took me to a spacious building in the city center. It was a building Pontos temporarily lent. Although the main purpose was volunteer work, the fact that they allowed missionary work suggested that the Holy Kingdom and Pontos were getting along quite well.

My tasks, since I didn’t have holy power, were to help with chores and apply the ointment I had brought.

“Oh, this must be the grace of God!”

A man who had his broken arm healed with holy power exclaimed loudly. The people of Pontos, witnessing divine power for the first time, praised the gods and the priestesses.

Soon, word spread to the neighboring village, and patients kept coming endlessly.

It was only after the sun had completely set that the volunteer work roughly ended.

The priestesses wiped their sweat and collapsed into chairs. They all seemed exhausted.

I was about to sit among them when I noticed someone lingering outside the window.

When I opened the door, an old woman with a cane stood there, looking shabby.

“May I come in?”

The priestesses, having exhausted much of their holy power due to the large number of patients today, seemed too tired to even turn their heads. Though I was inwardly flustered, I greeted the old woman brightly to avoid making her feel awkward.

“Please come in, Grandma.”

“You’re a kind young lady.”

The old man smiled, showing his sparse teeth.

While smiling back, I quickly scanned the old woman, wondering if she might suddenly melt away. The nightmare of what Enril did still lingered deeply in my mind.

The old woman wore a patched, worn-out dress in different colors, and her hair was so white that it was impossible to tell its original color. Even with a cane, her legs trembled, making her look like nothing more than a poor old woman.

Above all, her shy expression and gentle tone were completely different from Grandma Enril.

“What brings you here?”

“I cut myself while cooking. As I get older, I make mistakes I never used to.”

The old woman rolled up her sleeve to show the wound. Although the skin was badly torn, it didn’t seem to require holy power.

I disinfected her wound and applied the ointment. The ointment from Enril’s lair worked well, healing the wound quickly.

To the eyes of a poor old woman, there was no difference between the power of God and the magic of a dragon.

The old woman stared at me with her faded eyes the entire time I applied the ointment.

Even though I knew the old woman in front of me couldn’t be Enril, I broke out in a cold sweat.

“Is something wrong?”

“You seem to have a good personality, but your face looks so foolish…”

The old woman shook her head. I thought it was a joke, but she sighed deeply, looking as if she carried all the world’s worries.

‘Just laugh it off…’

“What can I do? I was born this way.”

I tried to answer calmly, but my voice came out sulky without me realizing it.

“It’s okay, young lady. What’s important isn’t the face.”

‘This is like giving a disease and then a cure.’

“Are you complaining about me?”

The old woman, who had heard me muttering in disbelief, laughed heartily.

Startled, I quickly shook my head.

“Of course not. There, it’s all done. Be careful from now on.”

“As a token of gratitude, I’ll read your fortune. I may not know much, but I’m excellent at love fortunes.”

Fortune?

My ears perked up.

The old woman took out a crystal ball from her pocket. It looked expensive, not something you’d expect from a shabby old woman. It sparkled in various colors when it caught the light, something that could ensure a comfortable old age if sold.

‘Is it an heirloom passed down through generations?’

The old woman’s face grew serious as she stared into the crystal ball.

“Tut tut, so unlucky. Every guy who approaches you is all shiny on the outside but completely empty inside. Out of all the fortunes I’ve read, yours is the worst.”

I was so shocked that my eyes widened.

“H-how did you know?”

“I’ve been giving prophecies for years. I can tell at a glance.”

“Then what should I do? No, actually, I don’t mind if they’re empty inside… After all, isn’t a man’s appearance everything? If I can just fall in love, I’m willing to give up on substance.”

I clung to the old woman desperately, like grabbing at straws.

“I just told you that appearance isn’t everything. The fact that you’re still alone despite those handsome men shows you already know that.”

“Hah, I wasn’t originally the type to care about the inside… It’s all because of my ex-fiancé. That wretched bastard.”

“I have nothing to say about him. Even though he’s my descendant… Oh dear.”

“What?”

“But there’s still hope. There’s a man who’s always by your side, right? He’s got substance, but his appearance is the problem.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Grandma, you’re really good at this. Better than the Sun God’s oracle.”

“W-what…?”

The old woman’s expression turned peculiar.

“This is a secret, but I received an oracle.”

I said it lightly as if joking. After all, this old woman from a distant land wouldn’t understand its significance.

“Do you have any complaints about the oracle?”

“Well, not exactly complaints. I’m not even sure what the oracle means now… But I’m grateful because it led to my broken engagement.”

“Well, if it’s a prophecy from the gods, it must be accurate.”

“Can I ask one more thing?”

The old woman nodded.

“The man you mentioned earlier, the one with substance but not looks. Realistically, it seems hard to end up with him. Can I overcome all that and be with him? Haha, come to think of it, this match was also arranged by the Sun God, but it’s just…”

I complained about the Sun God’s poor matchmaking skills.

The old woman awkwardly laughed and wiped her sweat with her worn sleeve.

“You’ll know the outcome with that man before this winter ends. But be careful not to lose him. Even if you do, follow him to the end and get him back.”

The old woman spouted vague words and stood up as if to leave immediately.

I quickly clung to her.

“A-anything else? Can’t you tell me more details? I worry a lot.”

“Even if hardships come, believe in yourself and act accordingly. That’s all I can say. Thank you for the treatment.”

The old woman stood up. Unlike her slow entrance with a limp, she now held the cane in one hand and walked briskly, almost at a fast pace.

‘Huh?’

Sensing my gaze, the old woman suddenly leaned on her cane and started groaning. However, her limping leg and the side she used the cane on were opposite.

I stood there in disbelief.

“Hohoho…”

The old woman awkwardly laughed and disappeared out the door.

“Lady?”

Lucia tapped me. She was looking at me very strangely.

“Who were you talking to earlier?”

“Who else? The old woman who just left.”

“What? No one came in. What are you talking about? Are you trying to scare me?”

“Lucia, what do you mean… W-wait a minute.”

I hurriedly ran outside.

Though she had just left, the old woman was nowhere to be seen, and only the desolate wind blew. It felt like I had been tricked by a ghost.

And then I realized. Once again, I had been fooled by someone disguised as an old woman.