“Ella……”

The desire that had remained unsatisfied even after holding her through the night left him feeling all the more hollow.

He had never once surrendered to this kind of wanting before. Perhaps that was exactly why leaving felt so impossible.

“Hah…… how am I supposed to leave after you’ve done this to me.”

Haven pressed his face into the blanket and breathed in the scent she had left behind. The last conversation they had shared rose like an echo in his ears.

‘Come with me, Ella. Just come with me……’

‘Aren’t you in an unstable situation yourself? A runaway saintess and an escaped prisoner…… I’m sorry, but I don’t want to live like that, Haven.’

‘But if you go back in this state……’

‘I’ll hold on. Until you come back with the strength to protect me.’

‘……’

‘I’ll wait. I’ll survive by whatever means I have to. So come back quickly.’

Haven carefully picked up the hair ribbon she had left behind.

A sky-blue ribbon embroidered with a flower pattern in silver and gold thread. It reminded him of the color of her eyes and her hair.

“It’s just like you…… Ella.”

Haven wound it around his wrist again and again. He tied the knot firmly so it would never come undone.

With it there, he felt as though she were holding his wrist, and Haven was deeply satisfied.

“……You told me to come back.”

Haven had sensed it.

That until the day he could keep Ella truly by his side, he would live in a state of aching longing.

Every time he recalled the night of joy she had shown him, it would be so.

He wanted her beside him.

He wanted to keep her in his arms forever.

Perhaps he had known it would come to this from the moment his heart first responded to her. And it was none other than himself who had handed her his leash, knowing full well.

“I will. Without fail.”

Haven could no longer contain this feeling that pulled at him with the force of something inevitable.

Love? Devotion? Longing?

Whatever name he gave it fell short. He wondered if a word even existed in this world to hold it.

He didn’t know what to call this blind, consuming feeling that made him want only her.

‘I’d probably be cast aside. Made a scapegoat amid all manner of false accusations…… and if I’m unlucky, the charge of deceiving the imperial family could be added, and I could be executed.’

It was time to move up the plans he had made for Ella, who was walking on ice thin enough to crack.

He had to come back for her before this Empire swallowed her whole.

“I’ll come back quickly. Ella……”

It was the beginning of a terrible fever.

And the moment the gamble Ella had thrown began to catch the light.

***

“Miss Mariella, you said you received a divine oracle from the chief god at the Purification Spring?”

A rare flash of surprise crossed Capuasia’s eyes.

It had been more than five years since the last oracle, so his reaction was understandable.

“Yes, that’s correct. High Priest.”

The night before, after leaving the cave, Ella had dragged her aching body back to the Purification Spring.

She had hoped the water’s reputed healing properties would help, but after soaking in it for a long while, her body felt no better.

Her muscles screamed from every direction. Her legs still wouldn’t hold steady, which suggested the water had done nothing at all.

Well, at least her sorry state had given her a convenient excuse.

“What oracle did Solea give you?”

“She said that the energy of an evil god is spreading throughout the Empire.”

“An evil god?”

“Yes. She also said that to purify that malevolent energy, my own suffering must serve as the nourishment.”

Ella said it without blinking, her expression perfectly composed.

She clasped both hands together and held the posture of someone in prayer, her eyes sincere and devout.

“My child, your power will become unstable, shifting toward something close to its primordial state during this process. Do not doubt it. Know that the evil god’s energy weakens by exactly that measure, and be glad. On the day all that energy is purified, your power will return……”

“……”

“That is what our Solea said.”

“Then the reason your holy power remains so unstable even now……”

At Capuasia’s question, Ella gave a rueful smile.

“Yes. All of it is the chief god’s will.”

“My, my…… you must be carrying a great burden, Miss Mariella.”

“Not at all. It is simply fulfilling my purpose within Solea’s great love. I am glad of it.”

Ella delivered the textbook saintess’s answer.

“And she said the evil god’s energy is most heavily concentrated in the imperial palace.”

“……The imperial palace?”

Capuasia asked again. Ella nodded and added quickly.

“Yes. So I intend to enter the palace immediately.”

A brief silence settled over the high priest’s office.

Capuasia’s gaze fixed on her clasped hands.

His gray-blue eyes deepened as though weighing something carefully.

Ella held her serious expression and waited for him to speak.

At last, his lips moved.

“You said you wish to enter the palace.”

“Yes. I believe a consecration rite will be necessary.”

“A consecration.”

A consecration rite meant locating places touched by malevolent energy and purifying them with holy power.

Of course, Ella had no holy power and couldn’t actually perform one. But she was confident in her ability to put on a convincing performance.

A plausible pretext for entering the palace early.

There was no better excuse than this right now.

“However, in your current state, would it not be difficult to perform a consecration throughout a palace as vast as that?”

“That is precisely why I am saying I intend to enter the palace. If I am to perform regular consecrations at set intervals, it would be better to reside within the palace.”

“Is that truly necessary? We could simply send several senior priests to perform it.”

She had known that would come.

The corners of Ella’s mouth curved softly.

“All of it is the will of the chief god Solea.”

She repeated the prepared words like a parrot.

What could even a high priest do when it was the will of the wretched chief god?

It was a phrase Capuasia himself used like a habit.

‘As you did to Marian, I’ll do the same to you.’

She remembered him smiling coldly as he turned away from Marian, who had reached out for help.

‘All of it is the chief god’s will, Miss Mariella. So let go of this hand.’

Throughout all the false accusations Marian endured from the imperial family, the Grand Temple never once stepped forward.

They had even contributed to those accusations and encouraged her downfall.

So this time, Ella intended to return the phrase.

“It is what Solea has commanded, so as a servant of the divine, I can only follow.”

What more convenient and convincing excuse could there be.

In this moment, even the name of Solea didn’t feel quite so revolting.

Capuasia nodded slowly.

“If that is the chief god’s will, then we must follow it.”

A brief flash of something serious crossed his eyes.

Capuasia didn’t appear to be suspicious of her false oracle, at least not yet.

“Since the matter requires haste, I will send word to the palace immediately. The fact that an oracle has been received will be announced at the Grand Temple’s dawn prayer.”

“Thank you for your efforts.”

“Think nothing of it.”

Looking at Capuasia’s face full of concern, Ella added one final word.

“Solea Leoni.”

He answered in kind.

“Solea Leoni.”

Peace within the chief god.

A farewell wishing the other person well.

A fitting way to close a conversation built on a false oracle.

***

Ella’s entry into the palace was decided with unusual speed.

The imperial family, hearing only the words oracle and evil god, had taken fright and offered up even the crown princess‘s palace.

Word spread quickly among the nobles. Within just three days, there was no one who didn’t know about her entry.

The day before the saintess‘s scheduled arrival at the palace, the door to the Chamber of Silence where Molly had been confined swung open.

As sudden light poured into the darkness, Molly squinted.

“Who…… is……”

“Molly! Are you all right?”

“……Miss Mariella?”

Molly’s face lit up at Ella’s voice and she tried to rise. Her body gave out and she staggered.

Ella caught her quickly.

“You don’t need to get up, Molly.”

“Miss Mariella…… that matter…… how did it……”

“It worked out well, thanks to you. I’m truly sorry, and thank you.”

Ella pulled Molly into a tight embrace.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“I’m so relieved……”

Molly smiled weakly with relief.

“I hope I can continue to be of help to you, Miss Mariella.”

“……”

“Serving you is the same as serving Solea.”

Molly was a sincere and faithful priest.

Ella almost envied the chief god Solea. Once inside the palace, she would need Molly’s eyes and ears even more.

For the sake of what lay ahead, Ella decided to give her what she wanted to hear.

“Solea will remember your service going forward.”

“Oh, thank you……”