The place to which she would flee came to her mind immediately: The Forest of Monsters.

In truth, she had no other option. Her relentless family would never think to look for her there. Once they realized she had vanished, they would undoubtedly search the entire region for her.

For a family who believed that money could solve everything, losing their greatest source of income would be more terrifying than any danger lurking in the forest.

‘If I try to hide in some ordinary village, they’ll catch me in no time.’

Only a place where no human dared to set foot could truly be her refuge.

She possessed divine power. Living deep within the Forest of Monsters would not be so dangerous for her. Most creatures could be subdued with her sacred strength. If a high-ranking monster appeared that was beyond her ability to defeat, she could simply cast a barrier and hide.

The very next day at dawn, after making her decision, Jaina quietly slipped out of the house and headed towards the forest.

The moment she crossed its threshold, she wrapped her divine power tightly around her body and ventured deeper inside.

She had to survive. To do so, she needed land she could cultivate — somewhere she could till the soil and grow her own food. Her eyes carefully scanned the surroundings, searching for ground suitable for small-scale farming.

There was no reason to panic. During her time at the Grand Duchy, she had read extensively and gained ample knowledge of agricultural methods.

In fact, one of the main reasons she had decided to leave was all the books she had read in the castle.

After marrying Cadel, the Grand Duke of the North, she found herself with nothing to do. She practically lived in the library, devouring every book she could find — especially those on farming and building homes capable of withstanding the North’s brutal cold and relentless storms.

She studied in the hope of being of even the slightest help to that frigid land.

Ironically, it was only after turning back time and abandoning her former life that the knowledge she had once gathered finally became useful.

‘Back then… I truly did nothing.’

She recalled her days in the ducal castle, during which time she had failed to fulfil the duties of either a grand duchess or a saintess.

Clearly, Cadel had married her because he needed the power of a saintess. Yet he had never asked anything of her. Nor had he given her the responsibilities of a Grand Duchess. Nor had he ever asked her to use her divine power to protect the North.

Being idle all day was stifling. It made her feel useless. She had once even asked him if there was a task she could take on.

‘What was it that he said back then…?’

He told her that the north was still experiencing a severe cold spell and advised her to stay in the castle until it had passed.

However, even after the cold spell had ended and it started to rain, he never sought her help.

After all, he had spent nearly half of the Grand Duchy’s fortune to bring a saintess with divine powers to the North. One would ordinarily expect him to make use of such an investment.

Yet he confined her to the castle, never asking her for anything.

Not only had he allowed her to remain there, he had also ensured that she lived in comfort, with everything she needed.

‘Now that I think about it… he really was a strange man.’

Perhaps that was why she had fallen in love with him.

Unlike her family, he hadn’t married her to exploit her abilities or increase his wealth. Realizing he was different brought her a quiet sense of relief.

That relief slowly turned into affection. And that affection foolishly deepened into love.

However, loving a husband who had never wanted his wife’s love — not even a little — could only lead to heartbreak.

Jaina let out a quiet, self-reproachful sigh as she remembered how naive she had been. She had failed once before. Now, all she had to do was ensure that she did not make the same mistake again.

One of the reasons she had chosen to flee into the forest was to sever her connection with Cadel completely.

At the very least, she would not fall in love with him again.

‘Still… this place is a bit…’

After finally venturing deep into the Forest of Monsters, Jaina looked around, her brow furrowing slightly.

The forest was overwhelming. The air felt suffocating.

Not only was the fog heavy, but the trees and grass also looked withered and dead, making the atmosphere feel even more desolate.

Of course, she knew they were alive. Everything here moved and breathed thanks to demonic power, even if it appeared lifeless.

‘Even so… I’m a saintess who carries divine power. Farming on land steeped in demonic energy feels a bit…’

The thought struck her anew—living here and cultivating the land might not be possible after all.

‘What should I do…?’

Then, without warning, she remembered the Village of the Spirits.

Long ago, the high priest of the Grand Sanctuary had spoken of it as though it were an ancient legend.

Deep within the Forest of Monsters, in a place that no human could ever hope to find, there was said to be a village where spirits lived.

According to the high priest, it was the most peaceful place in the world, bathed forever in warm, gentle sunlight.

Fleeing from humans, who destroyed and corrupted everything they touched, the spirits had settled in the deepest part of the forest. They revealed themselves only once a year, when the Elim Tree in the Grand Sanctuary bore its sacred fruit.

Even then, they never showed their true forms. They appeared only as brilliant, radiant light — so dazzling that not even the priests of the Grand Temple had ever beheld them in their true form.

Yet that blinding light was said to be beautiful enough to captivate anyone who saw it.

‘Yes… I’ll search for that place.’

Jaina pulled her hood lower over her face and quickened her pace.

If she was destined to live alone for the rest of her life, wouldn’t a place filled with warmth and light be better than this desolate forest?

Of course, the spirits might reject an outsider like her.

But whatever awaited her, this was her only option.

And so, she ventured deeper into the Forest of Monsters.

Kiiii—

Without warning, a massive, grotesque, fish-like creature swept past her, letting out a piercing shriek.

Startled, Jaina froze in place. The creature’s tail sliced through the air, narrowly missing her arm.

She knew the barrier tightly wrapped around her body would prevent the monster from sensing her presence. Even so, her heart pounded in her chest, and she could feel tension and fear surging through her veins.

She had fought countless monsters before returning to the past. But she had never encountered creatures lurking this deep within the Forest of Monsters.

They were unlike any of the beasts that prowled the forest’s edge and raided nearby villages. Everything about them was different, from their grotesque appearance to the suffocating aura they exuded.

They were more twisted and ominous, though this was difficult to describe. Their very presence radiated a foul, malevolent energy.

According to the high priest, who had studied ancient texts, one had to pass through a fog so dense that nothing could be seen ahead. Only after venturing far beyond it would the radiant Village of the Spirits reveal itself.

After walking for what felt like an eternity, a pale white mist slowly began to cloud her vision.

Hope stirred within her chest. Perhaps she would truly find the spirits’ village.

Gripping the edge of her grey hood, Jaina stepped cautiously into the milky haze.

The fog was so thick that it felt as though she were walking through a cloud. She could barely see what lay directly in front of her.

How long had she been walking?

Then, in the distance, she noticed a soft, radiant light that filled her with an inexplicable sense of relief the moment she saw it.

Instinctively, she knew: This was the Village of the Spirits.

Her steps quickened.

After a few more paces, the fog vanished as though it had never been there.

At last, the village was revealed.

“Ah…”

The word ‘peaceful’ did not come close to describing the scene before her.

A serene and radiantly beautiful meadow stretched out before her, seeming almost unreal. Countless beautiful flowers bloomed in vibrant clusters. Lush green grass swayed gently in the breeze, and towering trees stood tall, brimming with life.

Butterflies and bees drifted lazily among the blossoms. Sunlight bathed the entire meadow, providing a breathtaking contrast to the dark, oppressive forest she had just struggled through.

The fear born from those grotesque monsters vanished in an instant.

Jaina stopped where she stood.

She stood quietly, taking in the scene before her as if afraid that even the slightest movement might cause it to disappear.

***

“What? Jaina has disappeared?!”

Patrick, Jaina’s father, shot up from his chair.

“Th-that is… I brought her breakfast this morning, but she had vanished without a trace—”

“Find her. Immediately!”

Patrick cut the head maid off with a sharp shout. The color drained from her face. She hurriedly bowed and fled his study without saying another word.

Bang!

Patrick slammed his fist down on the desk.

Despite his wife’s resentment and his daughter’s complaints, he had taken that child into his home for one reason alone. He had heard that a child blessed with divine power could be turned into a source of profit.

He lied, claiming that she was the result of a secret affair. He played the part of a father, but only for business reasons. Ventures built on divine power were more lucrative than any other trade.

To a man who was a merchant through and through, Jaina was nothing more than his most lucrative investment.

“D*mn wretch.”

And now that source of income had walked out on her.

From childhood, he had carefully conditioned her, repeatedly telling her that she had nowhere else to go but this house, just in case she ever thought of leaving. And yet she had run.

Losing Jaina would be a tremendous loss for him.

In fact, it would be far more than that.

“I have to find her. No matter what.”

Muttering through clenched teeth, Patrick opened the desk drawer and took out a communication orb. Just as he was about to press the button to contact someone, the door burst open after a hurried knock.

“M-master, a g-guest has arrived.”

“A guest…?”

One of Patrick’s eyebrows twitched upward.

“Th-the Grand Duke of the North… His Grace Edgar…”

At those words, Patrick’s eyes bulged wide, like a frog’s.

“His Grace the Grand Duke?!”

He carelessly tossed the communication orb onto the desk and hurried out of his study as quickly as his large frame would allow.

In the lobby on the ground floor, his wife Melissa and his daughter Selina were already waiting.

Both mother and daughter were flushed with excitement as they stared at the visitor to their home. They must have hastily changed their clothes — their hair was slightly disheveled at the back, though they had arranged it carefully so that the guest would not notice.

Patrick’s gaze shifted to the tall man standing at the entrance.

Even without the emblem stitched onto his black uniform, Patrick would have recognized him instantly. He had seen his face countless times in the imperial newspapers.

The Grand Duke of the North, Cadel de Edgar: the Empire’s most breathtakingly beautiful — and coldest — figure.

Only now, seeing him in person, did Patrick truly grasp that the imposing figure before him was indeed the Grand Duke.

He bowed deeply at once.

“Y-your Grace, it is an honor.”

He could not fathom why the Grand Duke of the North had come to visit him, a mere commoner. But, truth be told, the reason hardly mattered.

Whatever had brought the Grand Duke there, the fact that he had set foot in his house could only work in his favor.

If word spread that the Grand Duke had visited his estate, the surrounding villages might come to him directly the next time monsters appeared, bypassing the Grand Sanctuary. They would pay him instead, eager to purchase divine power.

Patrick stole a cautious glance at Cadel, who stood with his usual sharp, unreadable expression, not acknowledging the greeting offered to him.

As if completely indifferent to the lingering stares of Patrick’s wife and daughter, Cadel’s gaze slowly scanned the room.

A heavy silence fell over the lobby, stretching out until it felt as though it might never end.

During that oppressive pause, Patrick, Melissa and Selina found themselves openly admiring Cadel’s striking appearance.

His jet-black hair and dark eyes suited him perfectly. His gaze was so deep that it seemed impossible to measure its depth.

Cadel surveyed every corner of the estate with quiet scrutiny. Then his eyes returned to Patrick, colder than before.

Finally, his finely sculpted lips parted, and a voice as refined as his face broke the silence.

“Where is Jaina?”