Lady Hazel’s fingers, which lifted a teacup engraved with elaborate rose patterns, sparkled with large jewels. The light reflected by the yellow indoor lamps seemed to painfully pierce her eyes, making Florencia blink.

Lady Hazel slowly examined Florencia with a cold attitude.

“I heard from Eriendna that you fell down the stairs. If you’re hurt, you should certainly receive treatment. However, unfortunately, Dr. Allen isn’t here right now. He went to his hometown this morning for a rare vacation, and it would be inconsiderate to call him back. Could you bear with it until the day after tomorrow?”

“……Yes. I will, Mother.”

It was ironic that Lady Hazel, who had never once acted motherly toward Florencia, wanted to be called mother without fail. Once when she was young, Florencia had called her “Madam” like the other maids did and received a harsh slap on the cheek. Since then, she never failed to address her as Mother.

Lady Hazel genuinely considered herself a good person. Her husband who touched a maid working in the house and got her pregnant, her forgiveness of her husband’s infidelity, and her inclusiveness and generosity in taking in the lowborn illegitimate child who was evidence of that betrayal…… Whenever people saw Florencia daring to call her mother, they were shocked by her audacity and cursed her as a shameless illegitimate child. Conversely, Lady Hazel was praised as a virtuous and wise lady. Every time she heard that small voice filled with guilt call her mother, she was dominated by a sadistic pleasure and a proud feeling as if she were truly a benevolent Holy Mother.

“You’re so careless…… If you don’t want to upset me, it would be better to be a more docile child. Don’t stand there bothering me, go back to your room at once.”

“Yes, Mother……”

Florencia’s face was filled with sadness as she turned away, biting her lip from the pain in her ankle. Back in her room, she had no choice but to endure the pain while sobbing quietly.

Someone came looking for her several hours later.

“Miss Florencia, there’s someone outside looking for you.”

“……For me?”

Florencia finally lifted her head from the pillow.

“Yes, there’s a carriage…… It seems to be from the Temple.”

“Um, excuse me. I’m sorry, but could you help support me down to the first floor?”

The maid, who was holding a laundry basket, sighed deeply and openly showed her annoyance, but she helped Florencia all the way so she could go out.

Waiting for her at the front gate of the Count’s mansion was a carriage sent from the Lebleia Temple in the capital.

“Lady Hazel, since you haven’t visited the Temple for several days, the High Priest has been very worried. He ordered me to inquire about your well-being, wondering if something might have happened.”

“Ah……”

It was indeed Ludwig who was worried about her and sent someone. If not for him, who in this world would care if Florencia disappeared?

With a deep sense of relief welling up from within her heart, Florencia’s eyes even glistened with tears.

“Um, excuse me, but when you return to the Temple, could I ride along with you? I have something I need to tell Father in person.”

The coachman readily agreed and opened the carriage door to make it easier for her to get in. Florencia headed toward Ludwig in the snow-white carriage from the Temple.

“Father Ludwig……”

“Laura, welcome.”

Although the coachman had only been sent to inquire about her well-being, Ludwig wasn’t at all surprised when he brought her back, as if he had expected it all along. Florencia had been reluctant to face Ludwig after what happened last time, but his kind greeting, just as usual, completely reassured her.

“……Father, I heard you were worried because I didn’t come for a while. I’m sorry……”

“When you didn’t appear at mass either, I was anxious, wondering if something had happened to you.”

“I’m really sorry…… I came to tell you this.”

“Laura, did you hurt your ankle?”

He didn’t reproach her at all, as if he understood everything about Florencia’s heart. Noticing her discomfort, he showed thoughtful consideration by not mentioning the previous incident and only checking on her well-being, which made Florencia feel deeply guilty.

The Kind Father Ludwig is so worried about me, but instead of being grateful, I had the arrogant thought of never seeing him again…… I’m sorry, Father.

“Sit over here, Laura. I’ll heal your injury.”

Ludwig, who had helped her fully onto the soft sofa in the reception room, sat down beside her. His brow furrowed slightly as he examined her swollen ankle, lifting her skirt.

“How did you get hurt like this?”

“On the stairs at home……”

“A leg doesn’t get into this state just from falling. Who did this to you?”

“Father, actually……”

After hearing the whole story from Florencia, his eyes cooled with a chilly gaze. It seemed to contain much more complex emotions than simply hating those who had hurt her.

“……Your family is increasingly crossing the line.”

“Pardon……?”

“It’s nothing, stay still while I treat you, Laura.”

After a short sigh, he placed his hand on Florencia’s ankle. Though his touch on the wound was very careful, it was still unbearably painful, causing a small scream to escape from her lips. Soon, light emanating from Ludwig’s fingertips gently enveloped the injured area, and the pain gradually disappeared.

“Um, Father. Will it be completely healed by the day after tomorrow?”

“Do you have something happening that day?”

“Actually, Professor Haley from the Academy suggested I go to the Bern region. She said if I wanted, she could arrange for me to teach young children at a boarding school there……”

“……So you decided to go to Bern?”

“I haven’t given a definite answer yet, but since the person from there happens to be visiting the capital, I arranged to have an interview the day after tomorrow. To be honest, I’m afraid of going to a strange place where I don’t know anyone……”

Because you won’t be there, Father. She was about to say this but let her words trail off, feeling it would somehow be presumptuous.

“But Professor Haley said if I work in Bern, I could take Michael with me…… I’ve been constantly worried about what would happen to my brother after I become a saintess.”

The tip of his finger, which had been touching her ankle wound all along, hesitated ever so slightly.

“I’m sorry, but it won’t heal by then. The power I possess isn’t that remarkable.”

Thinking his feelings were hurt by her decisive tone, Florencia hurriedly apologized.

“I’m sorry, Father! I certainly didn’t mean to judge your holy power. I was just feeling a bit rushed. The pain has already subsided a lot.”

“It would be better not to walk much for a few days. You’re an adult and have the right to decide your own path, so even if you don’t become a saintess, I respect your wishes, but…… unfortunately, you won’t be able to go to this interview.”

Fortunately, Ludwig seemed to have quickly forgiven her. Florencia, who had been more afraid of upsetting him than missing the interview, finally felt relieved.

“There’s a wound on your face too.”

Ludwig suddenly said as he slowly examined Florencia. Before she could answer, the tip of his long finger touched the space between her eyes and eyebrows. Florencia unconsciously fluttered her delicate eyelids and the eyelashes beneath them.

“It’s done.”

“Thank you.”

Unlike her ankle, the wound near her eye disappeared instantly without a trace. When Ludwig stared at her face, Florencia felt strangely embarrassed and quickly turned her head away.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“……No, I’m fine. I wasn’t injured except for my ankle.”

Though she answered that way, various parts of her body hidden by clothes were covered with wounds from tumbling down the stairs. But she couldn’t ask Father to heal her while showing her bare skin, so Florencia pretended to be fine.

“Laura, come to me.”

“……Yes?”

Ludwig, who had been gazing at her with emerald eyes as if seeing through her mind, opened his arms. Surprised by the unexpected command, Florencia’s eyes widened, and he smiled lightly as if it were nothing.

“You look troubled today, so I wanted to give you a hug. Now that I think about it, you used to often burrow into my arms before.”

“Ah, yes……”

That was when she was much younger than now. The young Florencia, thirsting for warm affection, completely depended on the only person who treated her kindly and behaved that way. As her body grew and matured and she gained understanding, she realized it wasn’t proper behavior, and such incidents disappeared.

“But, Father. I was a child then. I’m all grown up now, so I’m different from back then. I shouldn’t act that way……”

At those words, Ludwig gazed at Florencia intently and said in a low voice.

“Laura, I have never viewed you differently from when we first met eight years ago.”

“Ah……”