Jaina lived a quiet and peaceful life, tending the crops that grew in the clearing near her fishing spot — land granted to her by the Spirit of Light, Elysion.

The soil was far richer than anything found in the human world. Because of this, everything she planted grew quickly and in abundance. There was far more than she could ever eat alone. She carefully stored the surplus harvest in the food shed Elysion had built behind her cottage.

As the supplies continued to pile up, Jaina began to wonder if she should reduce her farming activities. This thought lingered, accompanied by a sense of quiet uncertainty.

But that concern was soon put to rest.

“Jaina, the Water Spirit says it wants to try human food.”

After tasting her bread and soup by chance, Elysion had spread rumors among the other spirits about how delicious human food could be.

“That’s perfect. I baked more than I expected while experimenting with a new cookie today.”

Jaina stepped outside, carrying a basket of strawberry biscuits that she had baked herself. The Water Spirit appeared before her, glowing in shades of blue, and stared at the basket with open curiosity.

“Oh, that looks delicious.”

Elysion picked up a biscuit and popped it into his mouth.

Spirits were usually not interested in human food. Even when they descended to the human world to eat the fruit of the Elim Tree, they only ate the fruit before disappearing again. Despite their great appetites, their sense of taste was extremely refined. To them, human food was utterly flavorless.

At first, Elysion hadn’t been the slightest bit curious about what Jaina ate. Human food was useless to spirits. There was simply no reason for him to care.

The reason he eventually tasted her cooking was surprisingly simple.

One day, Jaina had baked a loaf of bread so perfectly that she could not bring herself to eat it alone. On a whim, she urged him to try it.

Elysion refused at first, scowling as he declared that he would never eat human food. However, when she insisted that it was exceptionally good and that it would be a shame for her to enjoy it alone, he finally gave in and took a bite.

He grumbled the whole time, complaining that he was only eating something so tasteless because they knew each other.

“Delicious. It’s delicious.”

Since then, he had begun eating her food with obvious enjoyment.

“Oh… it really does have flavor?”

The Water Spirit cautiously tasted a cookie, its eyes widening in astonishment.

“I think it’s because I’m using crops grown in the spirits’ land.”

Those who were usually unable to taste human food found that they could taste what Jaina had prepared. This was probably because the ingredients had been grown in soil infused with spiritual energy.

Of course, seasonings such as salt still came from the human world. However, perhaps because the main ingredients carried the essence of the spirits’ land, the spirits could perceive at least a hint of flavor.

She did not know the exact reason.

But this small difference changed everything. One by one, spirits began to visit the fishing spot to share the meals she cooked. Through these quiet gatherings, she grew closer to the spirits, who in turn blessed her in ways she had never expected.

For Jaina, this became an unexpected gift.

Each spirit ordinarily possessed its own attribute. A Fire Spirit could grant the Blessing of Fire, a Wind Spirit the Blessing of Wind, and so on.

The true advantage of these blessings was that they were not limited by attribute. One person could receive them all. For Jaina, who had already been blessed by many spirits, this would undoubtedly prove to be a great strength, helping her in ways she could not yet imagine.

“My name is Adrian, Jaina.”

In return for the cookies, the Water Spirit introduced himself and spoke her name.

With that, Jaina received a blessing from the twelfth spirit.

“Thank you, Adrian. Would you mind waiting a little? It’s almost lunchtime. As thanks for the blessing, I’ll serve you delicious bread and soup.”

“Oh, that sounds good.”

“I’m eating too.”

“Of course you are, Elysion.”

Smiling at them, Jaina turned and headed into the kitchen to prepare the meal.

***

One day, as life in the Village of the Spirits was beginning to feel natural—

“Did you think I wouldn’t find you just because you hid in a place like this?”

Cadel had come to find her.

He strode towards her, his face bearing the expression of a man who had finally found what he had been searching for. His entire body was covered in wounds.

It seemed as though he had fought his way through the Forest of Monsters armed only with a sword, not even shielding himself with divine power.

The moment she saw him, Jaina felt as if her heart had dropped to the ground.

In that instant, she realized that she had never truly forgotten him.

Cadel closed the distance between them and seized her arm without hesitation. He gripped her arm tightly, as though he feared she might disappear again if he loosened his grip even slightly.

Jaina stood frozen to the spot, torn between pretending she did not know the man before her and acknowledging him. She could not bring herself to speak. Her eyes flickered with confusion and her thoughts were in turmoil.

“Death cannot take you away from me, Jaina.”

The words that fell from Cadel’s lips were ones she had never expected to hear.

Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at him.

How could he possibly know that she had come back?

She could not fathom it.

And then—

“I will never let you die again. And even if you die and turn back time a hundred times, I will make you my wife every single time.”

The possibility struck her all at once.

Cadel, too, must have returned.

The realization only deepened her confusion.

***

“This is tea brewed from herbs that ease the pain of wounds.”

Jaina put the teacup down on the table as she spoke. Cadel, who had taken off his top to bandage his own injuries, paused and looked at the cup.

Resuming the task of binding the wound, he asked in a low voice.

“How long have you been here alone?”

His deep, pleasant tone pricked at her heart. A faint tingling crept through her fingertips. Without realizing it, Jaina clasped her hands together tightly. She hesitated several times, debating whether to ask. In the end, she parted her lips.

“…How did you find this place?”

“I went to your house.”

Her eyes widened.

“You had already left.”

Cadel lifted his head and looked at her. His pitch-black gaze locked with her jewel-like blue eyes. Meeting his eyes again after so long, her heart began pounding shamelessly in her chest.

“I…”

“Your false father has been dealt with.”

His voice was steady.

“Truthfully, I wanted to kill the man who deceived you and the Grand Sanctuary with my own hands. But k*lling him would not grant you freedom, so I restrained myself.”

“…What?”

“It means the people you believed to be your family—every one of them—were false.”

Cadel revealed the truths he had concealed in the past to Jaina, who was now experiencing a second life.

Seeing her shock and confusion, he explained Patrick Ariel’s crimes as clearly and simply as possible.

Once she had understood everything, she sighed with relief.

“Ah…”

The cold treatment and persecution that she had endured in both her previous and current lives had all stemmed from the greed of her false father.

Anger flared within her.

Yet another emotion followed close behind: Relief.

She was not a child born of impurity to a powerless commoner incapable of wielding mana. She was not the shameful result of an affair.

Like the other saintesses, she could believe that she had been born beneath the Elim Tree — without parents, without disgrace.

In that belief, she found a quiet, unexpected comfort.

Due to imperial law, there were pros and cons to the rule that saintesses could never know their parents. Nevertheless, Jaina supported the law that separated saintesses from their families at birth. It prevented tragedies like hers, where sacred power was exploited for profit by one’s own family.

From childhood, she had been burdened by the knowledge that she had to sell the divine power granted by God in exchange for money.

No matter how she looked at it, this truth brought her relief.

‘But how does this person know that…? No—how does he know that I’ve returned? And why has he returned as well?’

Countless questions filled her mind.

“This human… he’s one of those northern men who carries black mana.”

At that moment, Elysion suddenly appeared and tilted his chin toward Cadel.

“And he’s taken upon himself a god’s curse.”

Startled by those words, Jaina turned to Elysion. He merely shrugged and continued.

“I don’t know what corner he was driven into, but how desperate must he have been to shave years off his own life just to make a wish?”

“What?”

Jaina gasped, her voice rising at the mention of sacrificing his lifespan.

Cadel, who had been wrapping the bandage around his injured arm, shifted his gaze toward her.

“He can’t see me.”

Elysion said calmly. Only then did Jaina understand why Cadel had been looking at her with faint confusion.

She shook her head once or twice, as though it were nothing, then glanced at the bandage wrapped clumsily around his arm.

“Shall I tie the knot for you?”

“I’d appreciate it.”

As if he had been waiting for her to offer, Cadel extended his arm toward her without hesitation.

Jaina blinked.

‘Was he always this willing to accept help?’

“He doesn’t seem like someone who will harm you, so I suppose I can leave without concern. Well, if he meant you harm, he wouldn’t have been able to set foot in this place in the first place.”

Elysion raised a hand toward Jaina in casual farewell and disappeared.

As she tied the knot on Cadel’s bandage, she replayed his words in her mind.

‘He shaved years off his life to make a wish… What kind of wish could that have been?’

For a brief moment, a thought crossed her mind.

Did he wish to be reunited with Violet?

But no—she had died as his wife. There would have been no reason for him to sacrifice his lifespan for something like that.

‘Then… is that wish the reason he returned as well?’

The instant she released the tightly secured knot, Cadel’s low voice reached her ears.

“Thank you.”

Her eyes widened once more. He wasn’t the type of person to say such things. He didn’t usually express gratitude for small things or speak openly about his feelings.

As memories from the past came flooding back, she thought of Violet.

Jaina forced herself to stop thinking and turned away from him.

“It’s nothing.”

“Where are you going?”

“I thought you might need something to eat.”

“It’s fine. Stay here. In front of me.”

Cadel spoke as he applied medicine to the wound on his other arm.

Hearing his words, Jaina’s heart sank once more.

She slowly turned her head to look at him.

Their eyes met.

He had been staring at her the whole time. His dark gaze flickered subtly when their eyes locked.

“I searched for you with great difficulty. At least let me look at you for a while.”

His expression was so desperate that it evoked pity.

Jaina’s eyes trembled in the same way.

Cadel reached out with his hand, which was still warm from applying ointment, and grasped her wrist.

His palm was hot. The heat wrapped around her wrist and seemed to spread through her entire body, setting her aflame.

“Stay here, Jaina.”

His voice was low, almost pleading.

Confusion laced with sorrow spread across her face.

“Why are you doing this?”