She wanted to believe he wouldn’t do something so despicable, but her opponent was her good-for-nothing brother who frequently did crazy things. 

 “Why so quiet? Come on, try that attitude again, huh?” 

 Even though she felt wronged and anger was rising up, she couldn’t put Nicholas in a difficult position….. 

 It seemed better not to provoke a madman carelessly.

“Look here, Rarien Claude. I didn’t come here planning to cause trouble from the start. As Baron Claude, I want to act with dignity as we’re about to become in-laws.” 

 “……” 

 “I’m the head of House Claude, and you’re the eldest daughter. Should I call you Lady Claude now?” 

 Isaac kept sneering. 

 “Brother, I’ll say it again, I have no relationship with His Excellency. I’m just an assistant, and there must be some misunderstanding. Whatever you heard, none of it is true… please stop.” 

 “Stop what? This is your chance to secure your future by getting pregnant with that High Priest’s child. Otherwise, with your status, all you can hope for is becoming some old man’s second wife? You wouldn’t want that.” 

 “Brother, I……” 

 “What, you thought marriage had nothing to do with you anymore because you became a nun? That only works when the family has money, you selfish girl.” 

 Isaac’s eyes gleamed. 

 “Those old men, when they heard you were from the convent, they were absolutely drooling with excitement. While our whole family is about to starve to death, you’re leisurely seeking Goddess Arne?” 

 It seems he came intending to drag her out of the temple for money. 

 Why won’t they leave me alone? What did I do so wrong? 

 Tears fell drop by drop from the unfairness of it all. 

 “Don’t cry, Rarien.” 

 When he tried to wipe her tears with his fingertips, Rarien slapped his hand away. 

 Regardless, Isaac just kept smiling provocatively. 

 “Wouldn’t becoming the Grand Duchess of Reinhart be better than being sold off like that? I’m trying to be a good brother for once. So you should cooperate too.” 

 Grand Duchess of Reinhart? She was about to die, what is this nonsense about becoming a Grand Duchess. 

 Even if she told him she was dying, it was obvious he wouldn’t believe her. Rarien bit her lower lip hard. 

 “I’ll give you a few days. I need some business capital, so when that High Priest returns, pillow talk your way into getting about a million gold. If you can’t do it, then I’ll really have to meet with Her Highness the Grand Duchess.” 

 “……” 

 “You need to answer, Lady Claude.” 

 Under his persistent pressure, Rarien had no choice but to nod. 

 “Then, see you tomorrow.” 

 Isaac unpleasantly patted Rarien’s cheek a couple times and left the room. 

 Rarien remained alone in the empty room, standing blankly. She felt completely alone in the world. 

 *** 

 In the dark room, Rarien was staring at the zinnia plant. The leaves had withered and seemed dead. 

 She had been too busy lately to take proper care of it. 

 As she grew closer to the Grand Duchess of Reinhart, they chatted together in that room and even slept together. She had been so caught up in affection that wasn’t hers that she neglected and ignored what she should have been caring for. 

 “If I had a daughter like you, Rarien, it would have been so much better.” 

 “Then I would have bought her lots of pretty clothes, taken her to parties, and slept with her like this every day.” 

 The Grand Duchess of Reinhart spoke innocently with a dreamy face. Though she was a bit particular and overprotective, she was kind and full of affection. 

 If I had such an affectionate mother, would things have been different? 

 Rarien dared to have such idle thoughts. 

 Yes, it was all just a dream. 

 Looking at the withered zinnia, it felt like she had returned to reality. 

 Since it’s a flower that only blooms for a hundred days, perhaps it was time for it to crumble. When it’s time to go, it goes. What use would caring for it be now? 

On the empty pot where the flower had died, only the number of days Rarien had left was written starkly. 

 ‘Still, I had 24 days left… yet it’s already like this.’ 

 It was heartbreaking that she couldn’t even maintain that remaining time. With what courage did she tell Madam Rosalie this was a ‘flower that blooms for a hundred days’ when she gave it as a gift? Madam Rosalie’s voice warning her not to be presumptuous seemed to ring in her ears. 

 Believing things would certainly get better if you had hope…

 That had been Rarien’s way of living, but looking back, it was nothing but reckless presumption. 

 Isaac told her to arrange some money. Again with the business capital talk. She knew well enough he was planning to commit fraud with unrealistic plans. The more she thought about it, the more her chest felt suffocatingly tight. 

 “Is there anyone whose flaws you want to expose to others?” 

 “You are my only flaw.” 

 To be called the ‘only flaw’ by the perfect son of God. 

 When Nicholas first said this to her, she was too flustered. 

 “A flaw is something you want to keep hidden and know about alone. So I must keep you close and look at you only myself.” 

 After hearing these words though, it started to feel quite romantic. 

 Perhaps she was already so enchanted by him that she wanted to hear it that way. She had been so caught up struggling in the sweet affection he gave her that she overlooked reality. 

 Nicholas Reinhart and Rarien Claude don’t match. 

 Even if she didn’t want to admit it, this was reality. 

 “I’ll have to see how you as a flaw will affect me as a variable, but for now, I don’t dislike it.” 

 If things continued like this, it was obvious she would become a bad variable for him. 

 She was just a mere nun, so if she was lucky, she might simply be expelled from the temple, or even if she was dragged before the heresy inquisitor, it didn’t matter since she didn’t have much life left. 

 On the other hand, Nicholas was the High Priest. As high as his honor was, the magnitude of disgrace he would suffer from a scandal would be great too. 

 The thought of Nicholas being dismissed and condemned because of something that started from her own greed drove her crazy. 

 ……If I disappeared. No, if only I disappeared. 

 Isaac would lose any grounds to make demands from Reinhart. 

 There wasn’t much time left. 

 Yes, I should leave. 

 Leave and try to do something on my own. 

 Rather than ending her life being dragged around by others, she wanted to fill what little time remained with time that was truly her own.

After crying for a long while, Rarien caressed the canvas in the corner of the bedroom. 

 “……Goodbye, Your Excellency.” 

 It was Nicholas Reinhart’s portrait. 

 *** 

 Trees quickly passed by outside the swaying carriage window. Since he had urged the coachman to hurry as much as possible, they seemed to have arrived earlier than expected. 

 The carriage was already entering the birch forest in front of the Southern Temple. 

 Nicholas, who had been looking out the window, pulled out the pendant of the necklace he was wearing under his clothes. When he opened the lid, a small portrait appeared. 

 “Hello, Rien.” 

 No, should he say Little Rien? Thanks to it, he was able to endure the long trip. 

 Nicholas stared at the portrait for a long while before closing the lid. Then he kissed it softly. 

 “……I miss you.” 

 Still, the real thing is always more valuable than a fake. 

 He missed the real Rarien. 

 He should take a bath first when he returns. Fill the tub with warm water, add Rarien’s favorite rose oil, and finally add Rarien herself — soaking in that would surely wash away all his fatigue. 

 He had departed ahead of his entourage as soon as the ceremony ended. It was because he missed Rarien too much. 

 He wondered what expressions everyone would make if they knew that the only being who could shake the High Priest was just a twenty-year-old kid. Even he found it strange when he thought about it. 

 As soon as the carriage entered the temple grounds and stopped, Nicholas got out and headed straight for the annex. 

 She would probably be surprised, asking why he came so early. 

 Though he had m*sturbated while looking at the portrait, it wasn’t satisfying at all. He planned to thoroughly tease the real Rarien by biting and sucking as much as he wanted as soon as he saw her. With those thoughts, Nicholas entered the bedroom but was shocked to find an empty room. 

 Rarien Claude was nowhere to be seen. 

 “F*ck.” 

 When he finally went to Rarien’s bedroom and confirmed her belongings were gone, Nicholas collapsed in his seat, completely drained. 

 “……Rarien Claude.” 

 Rarien Claude had disappeared. 

 Ironically, when ‘his only flaw’ disappeared, the perfect son of God completely fell apart.