Family, appearance, intelligence. She had all three in perfect measure.

“Dienne should have been the one to become princess consort……”

Not some saintess of common birth.

Zikhart’s irritation was nearing its limit when,

Knock knock.

Along with the knock, a priest’s voice announced that the saintess had arrived.

Zikhart spoke without opening his eyes.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and the sound of women’s heels followed.

He still had his eyes closed. He didn’t even stand, which was hardly proper.

The sound of heels stopped.

“I greet the Empire’s small Sol.”

Zikhart’s eyebrow twitched at the composed tone. Not a trace of trembling in the voice.

The unfamiliar quality of it made him open his eyes slowly. He turned his head and looked at the source of the voice.

In that instant, Zikhart froze, unable even to blink.

‘What……’

A woman stood there with the beauty and poise of a highborn noble lady.

Was his tired mind playing tricks on him? He couldn’t tell if this was a dream or reality.

Was the woman in front of him truly Saintess Mariella?

The timid, self-conscious figure he remembered was nowhere to be seen.

“Is something the matter, Your Highness?”

Even her voice was different.

Ella faced Zikhart without a flicker of unease.

Her eyes curved gently, giving her a warm appearance, but the message in her gaze was something else entirely.

‘Hello, you piece of trash. I’ve been looking forward to this.’

The blank look on his face was quite a sight.

Honestly, it exceeded her expectations. His expression made every bit of effort she had put into her appearance feel worthwhile.

Ella tilted her head with an expression of pure innocence and met his eyes directly.

“Your Highness? Why are you…… looking at me like that?”

“Ah…… it’s nothing.”

Zikhart’s eyes blinked rapidly.

Coming back to himself, he straightened his tie and rose to his feet.

“Miss Mariella.”

Zikhart extended his hand to her. Ella placed hers over it naturally.

He paused for a moment, then brought his lips lightly to the back of her hand.

The cold hardening of Ella’s eyes lasted only an instant.

‘Filth on my hand…… disgusting.’

Well, hands could be washed.

A gentleman’s formal greeting to a lady.

Unaccustomed to noble etiquette, Marian had always held out her hand shyly and with hesitation. She had trembled with anticipation at the moment her beloved’s lips touched the back of her hand.

But Ella was not Marian. Everything that touched him was simply revolting.

Zikhart lifted his lips from the back of her hand and spoke first.

“It has been too long, Miss Mariella. My duties have kept me from visiting as often as I should. I apologize.”

“Everyone knows how busy you are as the Empire’s future, Your Highness.”

Busy rolling around with Dienne.

‘I suppose that counts as a duty too.’

Swallowing the contempt that threatened to surface, Ella offered a gracious smile.

“Please don’t give it another thought.”

Her answer was clean and without excess. Her expression equally composed.

Zikhart studied her face with unmistakable puzzlement.

The atmosphere and the look in her eyes were subtly different from the last time they had met, just a month and a half ago. That was enough to warrant his confusion.

‘That time it was Marian. Now it’s me.’

Something has changed, but he can’t quite put his finger on what.

Ella knew exactly what that transparent look in Zikhart’s eyes meant, and it was nothing but entertainment to her.

‘Shall I walk a little tightrope today?’

She was actually looking forward to what would unfold at the duchy.

Today would likely be the starting point of a subtle crack forming between Zikhart and Dienne.

Ella intended to wedge herself into that crack without missing her moment.

And alongside that, she planned to deepen her connection with the one waiting in the forest cave.

‘Tonight, with Haven……’

Looking at Zikhart, she thought of him.

The silver wolf who was her chess piece, and who would become her loyal hound.

***

Haven had been pacing the cave entrance for an hour before finally turning back inside.

He returned to the cave and dropped heavily onto the ground, gripping his aching side.

It was already the third time he had done this since morning.

Lying back on the neatly folded blanket, Haven let out a long sigh.

“Phew……”

What on earth was he doing.

Haven laughed hollowly and rested his hand over the bandage Ella had tied. A faint tingling sensation came, and for just a moment, the faint sandalwood scent that clung to the priest’s body brushed past his nose.

His heart’s honest, thumping response was almost embarrassing.

“I’m starting to think it’s not my side that’s injured…… but my heart.”

His body had already healed.

The slash wound on his side hadn’t closed completely, but it was more than manageable for travel.

He had spent his whole life on battlefields.

On top of that, his enhanced recovery after his mana channels had opened meant that ordinary wounds rarely needed treatment.

‘Though this time, I really did nearly die.’

Being betrayed by one of his own men and ending up in a prison camp had been genuinely unexpected.

If it hadn’t been for the potion they had given him, the injury wouldn’t have lingered this long.

It had been a potion designed to block the mana channels in the body.

Even Haven couldn’t hold out long after taking critical injuries in that state.

“If it hadn’t been for that priest, it would have been dangerous.”

He probably would have died.

He was certain that the priest named Ella had saved his life.

So.

‘I should at least say goodbye properly to the person who saved me.’

That must be why his feet refused to move. That was all it was.

“Just…… that, and then I’m going.”

He knew he needed to rejoin the main force at the border as soon as possible.

His knights, who had shared every hardship with him, were waiting for him and preparing for war.

So leaving quickly was the right thing to do, and yet……

“……Ella.”

The name that had been rolling around in his mouth slipped out.

Haven closed his eyes slowly. He ran his hand over the carefully wrapped bandage, and her image bloomed behind his closed eyelids.

Soft golden hair grazing against his skin.

Pale blue eyes that sparkled every time they met his. Slightly parted red lips.

The sensation of pale, soft fingertips.

The image of her wrapping the bandage around him came back in vivid detail.

His heartbeat grew fiercer. The intense, pressing heat was no longer unfamiliar.

Haven dragged a hand down his face with a self-deprecating laugh.

“Something really is wrong with me.”

It was far too hot to be simple fondness for someone who had saved his life.

It was also a base desire he had no right to feel toward a woman of the priesthood.

“Tonight, I’ll just say goodbye and go.”

He couldn’t let himself get any closer.

If he stayed like this much longer, things would get a little…… dangerous.

***

Inside the carriage heading to the Orpen duchy, the situation was the precise opposite of Marian’s memories before the return.

Ella deliberately kept her face turned away and stayed silent, just as Zikhart had done to Marian.

While she kept her gaze on the window, Zikhart was busy stealing glances at her.

‘I didn’t realize he’d be this easy……’

The faint heat she felt in his gaze disgusted her.

His eyes had barely ever lingered on Marian. The fact that this little was enough to capture them was almost laughable.

The Grand Temple was roughly two hours to the duchy by carriage.

Ella kept her silence throughout.

“Miss Mariella, how is life at the temple treating you?”

“Fine.”

“Is there anything that troubles you, perhaps……”

“Hmm. Nothing comes to mind in particular.”

Zikhart tried to make conversation from time to time, but Ella gave only brief answers.

Instead, she kept his gaze anchored with a smile like a flower.

“Ah, it seems we’ve arrived.”

The carriage finally stopped, and Ella stepped out on Zikhart’s arm.

Even taking his hand to descend, she neither stumbled nor trembled.

Ella caught her skirt and dipped into a graceful curtsy of thanks.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Her posture was flawless, and Zikhart let out a short, involuntary sound of admiration.

Ella looked up at him as if to ask what the matter was.

“Is something wrong……”

“The imperial etiquette teacher assigned to you this time, that would be Lady Cladis, yes?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I find myself newly impressed by Lady Cladis’s abilities. To have made you this polished in a mere month…… I had been underestimating her. I should offer her my compliments.”

Ella gave a vague smile.

Zikhart bent his arm to offer it.

“Shall we continue inside?”

Ella looked down at his arm for a moment.

‘What is this supposed to be……’

It was only taking his arm, but even that had made Marian hesitate. Perhaps because touching the one she loved was both wonderful and terrifying. Her hesitation had been long, and the brief contact had been stiff with nerves.

Such a small thing to make such a fuss over.