A close aide, having met Miar’s gleaming eyes, flinched and hesitantly answered the question about where Hailla’s room was.

“Now that I think about it, that woman might actually be a good source of income if we keep her close.”

Miar muttered to herself, and the aide, who had glanced sideways at her, looked terrified. Although she held more power in the temple than anyone except the High Priest, she was always causing trouble. Nevertheless, he kept his mouth shut and silently followed her.

“Oh, and you — have everything I mentioned prepared and delivered to her room within the hour.”

“Yes, understood.”

“And deliver the Emperor’s letter to Lian Huriet.”

“Didn’t you say to hand it to him only after he leaves the temple?”

Even letters from the imperial palace had to be inspected before they could be brought into the temple. Miar had put the Emperor’s letter to Lian on hold, just in case. If Lian left for the palace while he still had a guest at the temple, she didn’t want to be left to clean up the resulting mess. But things were different now.

The corners of Miar’s lips, framed by her lustrous red hair, curved elegantly. She could almost hear the pleasant rustling of money being counted in her ears. It sent delightful chills down her spine.

“Make sure everything is perfect. I won’t tolerate even the slightest mistake.”

Rather than waiting for a priest who might never arrive, she decided to invest in something that would benefit her in the long term.

For Miar, and for her own advancement.

It was the afternoon of the day that Lian Huriet had departed for the imperial capital.

“When will Lian return?”

As soon as the door opened, a soft, delicate voice flowed out. Even before she had stepped fully inside, Miar could tell from the voice alone that this was Lian’s woman.

The maid, who had been neatly setting food out on the table, glanced over briefly, then resumed her task. Once she had finished, she quietly brought all the dishes over and folded her hands in front of her.

“He said he would return once his work was finished. That is all I’ve been told.”

She had probably been repeating that same excuse for three days. Miar clicked her tongue softly. It was easy to imagine her giving the same parroted response over and over again without offering Hailla any comfort whatsoever. With light steps, she entered the room.

“You’ll be able to see him soon.”

A soft but cheerful voice chimed in. The maid flinched and quickly turned around, bowing her head. Worried that her earlier bluntness might be held against her, she looked nervous now.

She clearly acted differently around Hailla. Miar casually gestured for the maid to leave, then sat down opposite Hailla. She rested her chin on her hand, exuding a graceful yet commanding presence.

“I’m Miar.”

Hailla’s round eyes, partially hidden by her long fringe, blinked rapidly. It was obvious that she was trying to figure out who this woman was; the way her eyes darted around looked quite endearing. She hesitated, quietly observing the stranger who had suddenly appeared.

“Do you know Lian?”

Miar brushed her gently swaying hair behind her ear and nodded slightly. The girl’s face was innocent-looking, with small, delicate features. She looked like she would be fun to tease. Miar even felt the urge to play with her unkempt locks. But that wasn’t why she had come. She hadn’t come to torment a girl who didn’t even know where she was staying.

“I have a bit of a connection with him. He asked me to look after you while he’s away. He said his work is taking longer than expected.”

Of course, it was a lie. Miar picked up the teacup that the maid had brought and smiled sweetly again. The part about Lian returning soon, however, was true. By now, he would have given in to the Emperor’s demands and be on his way to the palace. Tonight, he would probably hear that Miar had visited Hailla. He would therefore be back at the temple in no more than two days.

“Spend some time with me today. That should help the hours go by faster.”

Lian might be a little annoyed, but ultimately, Miar believed that she was doing something beneficial for him too. She intended to give their romance a little push while also forging a closer bond with Hailla. This might seem out of the blue, but Miar had a logical reason for setting all this in motion.

At this rate, Hailla was highly likely to become the next duchess. Judging by the young lord’s behaviour, it clearly wasn’t just a passing fancy. Lian was the kind of man who would actually go through with the insane idea of making a commoner a duchess.

Therefore, getting close to Hailla would be helpful for future business ventures. Given the temple’s uncertain standing and her own financial interests, it was necessary for Miar to form a connection with Hailla and place Lian in her debt.

Suddenly, Miar clapped her hands together and turned to Hailla, who stared at her blankly.

“I’ve prepared something very special, so I’m sure you’ll love it!”

Miar ordered the untouched food to be cleared away and pulled Hailla over to the long sofa. In front of the sofa, there was a wide, empty space with only a large framed picture hanging on the wall behind.

“Um… about you and Lian… what exactly—”

“Bring it in now!”

Hailla’s question about Miar’s relationship with Lian was swept away into thin air. Miar always prioritised her own agenda.

Instead of answering, she began filling the empty space with an astonishing number of items.

“Huh…?”

An overwhelming number of luxurious clothes began to pour in. From dazzling gowns fit for noble banquets to light negligées for wearing at home, hundreds of garments were displayed in an instant. Matching shoes, gloves, and accessories followed, laid neatly on temporary tables. Even someone like Hailla, who didn’t know much, could vaguely sense how valuable these items were.

“Uh… um…”

“What do you think?”

No woman could witness all this and remain unmoved. Miar wrapped her arm around Hailla’s shoulders with a triumphant smile. The jewels she had brought were the kind that even the most refined of nobles would covet.

“Absolutely gorgeous, right?”

Lian had apparently pretended to be a commoner for a long time just to stay by Hailla’s side. Foolishly! Instead of tempting her with sparkling gifts, he had simply stuck around, offering only small change. Such innocence was hard to believe. After all, the world ran on money — and love was a form of currency, too. In the end, even hearts were won by money!

Considering she knew nothing about seduction, Miar had put in quite a bit of effort. She had planned to win Hailla over as effectively as possible before introducing her to Lian. Having lived in poverty all her life, this method was bound to work on her.

“This, Miss Miar — no, um…”

“Call me unnie!”

Miar leaned in close to Hailla’s face, insisting on the awkward term of endearment. It wasn’t common among nobles, but she had heard lower-class people use ‘unnie’ and ‘oppa’ to show affection or familiarity. Miar was willing to use every trick in the book to get close to the future duchess. Besides, she was fond of Hailla’s appearance — delicate and full of potential, just waiting to shine. Hailla hesitated, her lips parting awkwardly before she finally replied.

“Okay… Unnie.”

“So you’re saying you prepared all this yourself, unnie?”

“Yes, of course. I have quite a bit of money, you see. And Lian does too! He’s got an absolutely obscene amount.”

Miar let out a sigh of mock envy as she picked up one of the jewels laid out in front of them. It was a delicate necklace that matched Hailla’s golden hair perfectly. But Hailla just stared blankly at it and asked an unexpected question.

“Is Lian rich?”

“Yes! He’s so wealthy that he could grind gold into powder and bathe in it.”

“Are you sure it’s not someone else?”

Instead of being stunned into awe, the woman met Miar’s gaze with a stiff expression. What she said was almost laughable.

“I think it must be someone with the same name. Lian… Lian isn’t rich. I know he isn’t.”

There was a hint of stubbornness in her tone. Her eyes were resolute. She showed no doubt whatsoever in her beliefs. For a moment, Miar felt a cold sweat trickle down her spine.

Had she made a mistake?

She knew that Lian was hiding his identity, but she hadn’t realised that he was pretending to be destitute. She’d assumed he would drop hints about his wealth while they were living together – just enough to *rouse suspicion. She’d never imagined that he’d kept it entirely hidden and that this girl had never caught on. Nevertheless, Miar thought that, after enjoying all the luxuries she had laid out for a few days, the girl would change her tune.

But it seemed that this girl didn’t like rich men. Miar mouthed the words in disbelief.

She’d just blurted out something that could be used against Lian. To make matters worse, the girl didn’t seem interested in jewellery or beautiful clothes. Her gaze was completely indifferent.

How could this be? Having grown up surrounded by greedy nobles, cunning servants and pragmatic temple officials who would kill or save someone for profit, Miar was genuinely shocked. She had no idea how to recover from this blunder.

Above all, the idea of a commoner who wasn’t swayed by money disturbed her. It was unpredictable — almost frightening.

“He never seemed short on money, but I honestly don’t know what he does. I had no idea he was so important. When he comes back, I’ll talk to him.”

“I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sorry…”

Miar forced a smile. She had managed to brush it off for now, but Hailla still looked somewhat dejected.

Damn it! Miar had always used her status as a temple official to get away with things, but even she found Lian scary. If things went wrong, he was the kind of man who could slit a priest’s throat. Although she valued money more than her own life, she certainly didn’t want to die a pointless death.

“Um… are you upset?”

Hailla didn’t respond. Even though she was just a lowly commoner, Miar racked her brains to try to figure out what was going on in the girl’s head. If not jewels or fine clothes, then what would win her over?