As I pushed the door open, the bell attached to it jingled.
“Welcome.”
“I’d like to leave a letter for a guest staying here. Could you deliver it for me?”
“Of course. May I have the guest’s name?”
“Louie Keyes.”
“I’ll make sure it’s delivered.”

The process of leaving the letter at the hotel was simple and straightforward.
My plan to deliver the letter to Louie was progressing smoothly.

After leaving the letter, I stepped out of the hotel.
If I returned to the Duke’s residence right away, no one would know I had been outside, would they?

But just as I was about to take out the mirror again, I caught sight of someone’s shimmering hair.
‘Huh? The Saintess.’
The Saintess’s silver hair glimmered under the sunlight, impossible not to recognize. It was as dazzling as sunlight reflecting off a calm lake on a bright day.

‘Why is the Saintess in this alley?’
What reason could such a noble figure have for coming to a shabby alley like this?

Beside the Saintess stood a single priest. There was no one else around them.
I carefully moved my body.

The alley was cluttered with wooden boxes used for the festival and discarded booths that hadn’t been cleared away. I hid behind a pile covered with a torn tent.

I could hear the two of them talking.
“Don’t you think I should ask why?”
The priest’s voice was sharp.
What’s this? It felt like the priest was scolding the Saintess.

“I… I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? You failed to perform your duties as the Saintess, and you don’t even know why? If you don’t know, shouldn’t you figure it out?”

“It just… suddenly… it happened so suddenly.”

I sensed that this was no ordinary conversation.
What’s going on?

“It just… suddenly… it happened so suddenly.”
“Are you sure you didn’t deliberately hold back your power?”

The Saintess didn’t reply to the priest’s accusation.
I wanted to lift my head and see their expressions, but I might be caught if I did, so I stayed quietly hidden.

“Do you think we don’t know? That you were scared earlier?”

What on earth were they talking about?
I had no way of knowing what the Saintess had done wrong or what she was afraid of, but the conversation was too intriguing to leave.

“I wasn’t afraid of the citizens. What happened earlier wasn’t something I could control.”
“So, are you saying that the Saintess lacks ability? That’s how it sounds to me.”
“T-that’s not…”

The priest’s relentless questioning left the Saintess stammering, unable to respond. She looked like a student being scolded by a teacher.

Seeing the Saintess being treated so poorly by the priest made me feel sorry for her.
‘This organization really is rotten.’

If she had been born a few hundred years earlier, she would have been revered and worshipped. But now, with the temple on the brink of collapse, the treatment she received internally seemed abysmal.

In the past, a priest wouldn’t have dared to speak so freely. They wouldn’t have dared to drag the Saintess into an alley to reprimand her.

I resolved once again that I would never allow myself to be dragged into that corrupt organization. I had to protect my life on my own.

If I were taken to the temple because of the “Priest’s Stone,” I would likely be interrogated under people like that priest. They’d probably question me endlessly about how I managed to activate the stone.

To maintain the peaceful life of a Duchess, I had to protect myself at all costs. Disguises and teleportation artifacts weren’t enough.

One thought suddenly came to mind—the Crown Prince.
If the Crown Prince’s feelings for the Saintess were further provoked, it might accelerate the collapse of the temple.

The two of them were supposed to meet during this festival.
In the original story, they met only twice during this festival period.

Once during the first day’s event and the other on the final day of the festival.
Twice—on the first and last days? That was too little. Shouldn’t they meet at least once more in between to solidify the obsessive male lead trope?

It would be nice if they could meet one more time.
But how?

The problem was that the Saintess had no connection to me or Kyron.
The only connection we had was this very moment.

While I was lost in thought, the conversation between the priest and the Saintess grew increasingly tense.

“Haven’t you been training in the temple all this time? There’s never been an issue before. So why now? Don’t tell me your power weakens when you leave the temple?”
“That’s… not it.”
“Then what is it? If you know something, speak up.”

Although the priest used honorifics, his tone was closer to that of a thug making threats.

“I don’t know.”
“Why do you keep saying you don’t know?! If the Saintess doesn’t know, then who does?!”
“Well, there is… something that’s been bothering me…”
“Something bothering you? What is it?”
“I’m not sure…”
“Ugh… how frustrating.”

The priest muttered to himself before stomping off angrily. His footsteps grew fainter as he walked away.

The situation seemed to be over.
Whatever it was, it was clear that the Saintess was dealing with an issue she didn’t understand herself.

Was this in the original story? I didn’t recall anything like this.
Why was something that wasn’t in the original story happening now? I could understand Kyron changing because of me, but the Saintess had no connection to me at all.

So why was this happening?
I had a bad feeling about it.

By the way, had the Saintess left too? I had heard the priest’s stomping footsteps, but I wasn’t sure about the Saintess.
Maybe her footsteps were so graceful that they made no sound?

I debated whether to step out now or stay hidden a little longer.
But my deliberation didn’t last long.

I decided to step out!
This might be the perfect opportunity to strike up a natural conversation with the Saintess. It could even be the only chance to set up her meeting with the Crown Prince.

I emerged from behind the pile of tents where I had been hiding.

The Saintess was still standing in the same spot as before. Her face, which had looked sorrowful yesterday, was now twisted in anguish. Was it because of the priest’s harsh words?

Her expression was so sorrowful that I hesitated to approach her directly. Instead, I slowly and cautiously moved closer.

What should I say? “Stay strong”? That would make it obvious I had overheard everything.
“Nice to meet you”? That sounded awkward too.

As I pondered what to say, the Saintess noticed me approaching.
Her eyes widened. Was she startled?

For a moment, I considered pretending not to notice her and walking past. After all, meeting someone right after being scolded might be uncomfortable for her.

But then, unexpectedly, the Saintess began walking toward me.
What? Why is she approaching me so boldly?

Before I knew it, I found myself taking a few hesitant steps backward.

“Are you the Duchess of Dermond?”

The Saintess spoke to me first.
Although we had briefly seen each other during the first-day event, I was surprised that she remembered me.

“Yes, I am the Duchess.”
I answered reflexively.
I had been worried about how she might react if I approached her first, but instead, the Saintess naturally led the conversation.

“I recognized you because I saw you at the event yesterday. It’s nice to see you again here.”
“Oh, you remembered me.”
“Of course. Someone as beautiful as you is hard to forget.”

This was actually turning out well. By naturally becoming closer to her, I could invite the Saintess to my home. And while I was at it, I could arrange for her to meet the Crown Prince.

“Since it seems like fate that we met here, why don’t we…”
“If it’s not too much to ask, may I hold your hand just once?”