Even though her face was hidden by the pure white veil, I could recognize her for certain.

And that certainty turned into ecstasy the moment she lifted her veil.

Long, pure white hair that fell to her thighs, skin so pale it was almost transparent, and light green eyes like tiny buds blooming in a snow-covered field.

All of it matched perfectly with the descriptions I had read in the novel.

No.

‘She seems even more beautiful.’

Naturally, Celestina’s presence was overwhelming.

The moment she revealed herself, the hall was enveloped in silence.

No one dared to speak up.

It wasn’t just because she was the Saint.

As Celestina’s gaze fell upon them, people flinched and averted their eyes.

Just looking at her felt sacred, as if they feared she might see through to their very core.

Truly, she was the goddess Thelia incarnate.

‘Is this the dignity of the female lead?’

I stared at her blankly.

Shivers ran through my entire body moment by moment.

It was on a completely different level from seeing Hysterion.

That’s because <Everyone Loves Only the Saint> was in the third person, but essentially from the female protagonist’s perspective.

Celestina was present throughout the entire work.

<Everyone Loves Only the Saint> was Celestina herself.

So, to me, an avid reader, Celestina was like the god of this world.

Does that make me a devout believer then?

As I was thinking this, Kalbinur stepped forward.

He opened his lips.

“Thank you all for attending this gathering.”

His voice, as unremarkable as his appearance, spread widely throughout the hall.

‘Is it magic?’

I tilted my head in confusion, but soon realized it wasn’t magic but divine power.

Because Kalbinur’s body was faintly glowing.

Kalbinur’s greeting continued after that.

But his words didn’t register in my ears at all.

My gaze was focused solely on Celestina, who was standing beside Kalbinur with a gentle smile.

But soon I came to my senses and looked back at Cardien.

‘Surely he hasn’t fallen for her already?’

Just then, Cardien was in the middle of staring at Celestina.

An indifferent gaze, lips pressed into a straight line.

He didn’t seem particularly smitten.

Still, feeling somewhat suspicious, I kept staring at him intently, and Cardien, sensing my gaze, looked at me with a “what?” expression.

I raised myself on my tiptoes and whispered in his ear.

“Your Grace, you haven’t forgotten our promise, have you?”

Cardien made an expression as if I was being ridiculous.

That look won’t work!

If you fall for Celestina, it’s all over!

“You promised to only look at me. You have to keep it.”

“……Come to think of it, this seems unfair.”

“What?”

Contrary to my expectation that he would reluctantly agree, Cardien raised an objection with a displeased face.

“Why should only I do that? Even you were just staring at another man until a moment ago.”

He narrowed his eyes as if he didn’t like it.

Seeing him like this, I let out a small sigh and said.

“I think there’s some misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding?”

“Yes.”

I spoke boldly.

“Even when I’m looking at someone else, all my attention is focused on you, Your Grace.”

“……”

Cardien closed his mouth as if at a loss for words.

“And what I was looking at wasn’t a man, but the Saint.”

I turned my head again.

Celestina was looking down with a calm gaze.

She exchanged light conversation with Eden and smiled softly, and just that was enough to make me feel like all impurities were being washed away.

In the meantime, Kalbinur’s speech came to an end.

Celestina stepped forward for the next part of the ceremony.

After lightly bowing her head to the people who were only looking at her, she headed towards the statue of the goddess Thelia.

Standing in front of it, Celestina stretched out both hands and closed her eyes.

“Oh, almighty goddess.”

Her voice, pure like a lily of the valley, spread throughout the hall.

People held their breath, and I, knowing what was about to happen, also held my breath.

Soon, a bright golden light burst forth from beneath her hands.

That strongly erupting light was completely absorbed into the statue of the goddess Thelia.

And then.

“……!”

“Oh, my goodness!”

“How can this be…… It’s so beautiful……”

“Oh, goddess……”

Exclamations burst out here and there.

I also looked up blankly.

From the two hands of the silver statue of the goddess Thelia, a golden light was gently being sprinkled.

It was Celestina’s divine power that had been absorbed.

Because the goddess statue was so enormous, it looked as if the goddess Thelia herself was bestowing her blessings.

People gathered under the goddess statue to receive even a little of that light.

Unlike the intense light that had burst forth at first, the golden light spreading from the hands of the goddess statue was incredibly gentle, but people still struggled against each other to receive even that much.

The baptism ceremony literally refers to an event where one experiences the Saint’s divine power.

‘For ordinary people, it’s hard enough to even see her face, let alone her divine power.’

Divine power has the ability to cleanse impurities.

Most priests possess divine power, but among them, the Saint’s divine power is special.

It heals diseases, erases pain, and clears clouded minds.

Receiving even a small handful of it versus not receiving any is a world of difference.

‘Celestina’s divine power…..’

I was seeing that ability, which I had only seen in the original work, directly with my own eyes.

So it should be normal to feel overwhelmed.

‘This is strange……’

“Ugh……”

I hurriedly covered my mouth.

The moment I witnessed Celestina’s divine power, for some reason, I started feeling nauseous.

‘What’s this?’

Was I feeling unwell today?

No, that wasn’t the case.

And even if I had been, I should have felt better after receiving even a little of Celestina’s divine power.

‘It feels like my insides are turning over.’

Even at this moment, Celestina’s divine power was rippling like an aurora.

I instinctively stepped back.

To a place where Celestina’s divine power couldn’t reach.

“Your Gra……”

I reflexively looked for Cardien.

Cardien was standing still with his head deeply bowed.

“……Your Grace?”

His motionless figure seemed unfamiliar.

I called out to him carefully, but there was no response.

What’s going on?

A bad feeling washed over me.

I cautiously approached him.

That’s when it happened.

“Kyaaaah!”

A piercing scream came from somewhere.

I, who had been holding my breath, was startled and looked in that direction.

It was a woman who had been struggling to receive Celestina’s divine power from the back.

However, the direction she was looking at wasn’t the statue of the goddess Thelia, but towards the entrance.

She pointed towards the entrance and shouted.

“Th-there’s a strange person over there!”

I quickly turned my head towards the door.

As the woman said, there really was a man standing at the entrance, blankly staring this way.

I could tell at a glance that he was an uninvited guest.

Tattered clothes with dark red stains all over, disheveled hair, an emaciated body, and a hollow gaze.

The direction the man was looking at was……

‘Celestina.’

People who belatedly noticed the man’s presence screamed and stepped back.

On the contrary, the knights quickly surrounded him.

“What’s this!”

“Where did he come from?”

“You can’t take another step further!”

The holy knights pressured the man while pointing their swords at him.

However, the man continued to stare only at Celestina with eyes devoid of any emotion.

Soon, the man’s feet began to move.

Thud.

The moment he took a step.

“Huk!”

The man disappeared from sight in an instant.

The holy knights, confused by the sudden situation, looked around trying to find the man.

I immediately turned my gaze.

Because I knew where the man had gone.

‘Celestina.’

As expected, the man had instantly broken through the crowd and appeared in front of Celestina.

Celestina’s eyes widened as she saw the man.

Eden, who had been slightly apart for the baptism ceremony, gritted his teeth and rushed over, but it seemed he might be a bit late.

People screamed, and the remaining holy knights also hurried towards Celestina.

I quietly thought as I watched the situation unfold.

‘Celestina will be fine.’

This incident also appeared in the original work.

A strange man suddenly appears during the baptism ceremony.

And the Crown Prince, Hysterion, saving Celestina.

This incident becomes the catalyst for the two to grow closer.

Sure enough, Hysterion drew a sword from a nearby holy knight and climbed onto the platform.

As Hysterion stood behind the man and raised the sword high.

‘……Huh?’

I suddenly noticed something strange.