《The Obsessive Second Male Lead Has Gone Wild》 Chapter 1 How can life be so shitty? ¡°Do you, Rurutia Brucke, take Count Hyde to be your husband?¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± The new bride, Rurutia, sighed instead of answering. Count Hyde, who stood far of her ideals, could not be accepted as her husband. Beyond the fact that he was thirty years old, Hyde was someone to have a marriage with many problems. In less than a year, he was going to have an affair with another woman and was planning to poison Rurutia. God is so indifferent. I tried to escape my father¡¯s violence at best, but this time, do I will die while running to my unfaithful husband? ¡°Rurutia Brucke.¡± I was going to die of anguish, but the priest on the platform just kept insisting. I couldn¡¯t help it during the wedding. Once the wedding is over, I have to think about the future. ¡°I¡­¡± Rurutia, who raised her head to curse, closed her mouth. It was because I had a perfect statue that I could see in the temple. Fine silver hair finely trimmed, purple eyes clear as amethyst. It was a statue that felt strong even though he was wearing a priest¡¯s uniform, a symbol of abstinence. ¡°You could answer¡± What do you say? The perfect sculpture fascinated me without fail, and I lost my words. ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± The statue moved its lips as Rurutia watched it. It was a person. Who was this beautiful statue? The high priest decided to take over the weekly meeting, so he was told that he would be replaced by another priest. Being a priest was an office of age. He seemed to be in his early twenties, and he was like a minor priest who had just finished his practice. Well¡­ After thinking about it, it was a chance to have the wedding annulled. At least, the wedding to Count Hyde, who was planning to poison his future wife, that could be bitter¡­ ¡°Can the priest under oath tell me if he likes someone?¡± The priest who climbed to the pedestal frowned slightly. ¡°A lover?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Priests who serve God can not been able to have a lifelong relationship. His question was very rude. The priest looked down instead of the answer. His eyebrows trembled. ¡°I don¡¯t like anyone.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What a relief. Please ask me as compensation whatever you want.¡± Those were good words. If he were a priest who valued family honor, I¡¯d pay compensation to calm the commotion. Rurutia threw the bouquet and stole the priest¡¯s lips, not her husband¡¯s. I thought he would be as cold as marble, but his lips were warm and soft. It was a short kiss, so she could not feel a great variety of sensations. She withdrew her lips and smiled at the priest. It meant ¡®you mustn¡¯t worry, just believe in me.¡¯ Even though his lips were stolen, he¡¯d go home with a lot of money. The priest, who had lost his lips, did not understand what had happened, staggered and took a step back. For the moment, the quiet hall was mixed with prayers, shouts, whistles and all sorts of noise. Meanwhile, Count Hyde shouted. ¡°Madam, what is this?¡± ¡°I took the oath, and now I am a wife.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to get married soon, and you¡¯re going to marry me!¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I gave the priest a kiss of oath. Marriage has no validity.¡± Hyde¡¯s excited face turned red. It would be nice if you backed up and fell down. ¡°How dare a bitch dare to put me through such shame!¡± He raised his hand high. If I decided, I can easily avoid it, but I chose to endure it. Hit the bride in front of a large crowd. It would have been the easier way to break off the engagement. The hand of the old man must be hot. I would rather take a blow and survive. ¡°Ouch!¡± Instead of clicking his cheek, the old man let out a painful scream. This was because the paladin, who stood near the platform, blocked that dog¡¯s palm with a gauntlet. Hyde¡¯s hand hit the hard, swollen armor. ¡°Count Hyde, stand back.¡± That was not the end. The paladins of the entire temple stood out and stood in front of Rurutia. Sighs and prayers burst out from all the majestic appearance of the silver-armored paladins. They surrounded her as if trying to protect Rurutia. Count Hyde, who was crushed by the pressure of the knights, shouted. ¡°What is this?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we want to know.¡± The paladin, who was in the vanguard, looked at the little Count Hyde with pride. ¡°I cannot let a woman who has insulted me stand still. Move!¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be natural to hit her so that she understands?¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to be taken to the basement of the Grand Sanctuary for blasphemy?¡± The blasphemy is on the side of Rurutia, who stole the priest¡¯s lips. Thanks for blocking Hyde, but I didn¡¯t understand what they said. One of the paladins who left Rurutia approached the priest who had lost his lips and was shaking. ¡°Commander. Congratulations on your marriage!¡± Oh, what? Are you the commander of the Holy Knights Division? Chapter 2 The Duchess of Br¨¹cke gave birth to Rurutia despite the doctors¡¯ attempt to dissuade her from doing so. Due to the irrational birth of the child, the duchess¡¯s life was rapidly disappearing. ¡°Madam, please don¡¯t leave me, oh!¡± Gael cried, holding his wife¡¯s cold hand tightly. Could it be because of her husband¡¯s cry? The Duchess struggled to open her eyes. She sought out the midwife before her husband sat beside her. ¡°And the child?¡± ¡°Here you are, madam. You have a healthy princess.¡± ¡°Thank God. I¡¯ve had my daughter¡¯s name on my mind for a long time¡­¡± The Duchess¡¯s voice gradually faded. Everyone in the room even took their breath away and focused on her voice. ¡°Rurutia¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t leave a will, she just left by naming her daughter, and then closing her eyes. Gael¡¯s daughter, whose life was exchanged with his beloved wife, was not well regarded by him. If she had not been born, he would still have someone he loved. ¡°A bitch born with the death of her mother.¡± He looked at his daughter sucking on the nanny¡¯s breast and cursed her. There was one more reason to hate her. The Br¨¹cke were one of the few excellent families of wizards in the Empire. One of the greatest wizards of all time was Gael, and of course he also thought that his daughter, Rurutia, would make an exceptional wizard. ¡°You can¡¯t even do the easiest of magic! Pathetic!¡± At the age of five, the children of the Br¨¹cke lineage were able to create a flame to burn down a small hut. But Rurutia, at the age of six, she could only make a small flame that was like a match. ¡°Try again.¡± A fire flower, which grew in size for a very short time, became the original size of a match again. Rurutia looked at her father. He was still angry. The father¡¯s anger spilled out along with all his powers into a fearsome energy inside Rurutia¡¯s body, which was drawn by the excess power as she trembled. Cough Rurutia vomited blood due to the excessive manna. ¡°Ugh¡± Gael clicked his tongue. ¡°How many times have I taught you, and you still can¡¯t even do that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t. You¡¯ve said it more than ten times today! You there¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Master.¡± ¡°Take Rurutia to the reflection room.¡± The servant looked at Rurutia with contempt as he followed Gael¡¯s orders. Rurutia¡¯s frightened head shook from side to side. The reflection room was a small room attached to Gael¡¯s magic laboratory. The servant did not know exactly what was going on, but he could guess with the bruises on Rurutia¡¯s arms and legs, as well as the needle marks. A mere servant could not rebel against the Duke of Br¨¹cke. Should I kill her? he asked himself. He would bring the priest. At night, the wounds on Rurutia¡¯s arms and legs will heal. ¡°Understood.¡± The servant brought Rurutia to the chamber. Rurutia, who was trapped in the reflection room, waited for her father to come. What should I do? Will it hurt less? Every time she goes into the thinking room, she thinks, but she couldn¡¯t find the right answer. No, it was less painful to keep her mouth shut. If you stay quiet, at least he doesn¡¯t slap you. Kiik The reflection room door opened and her father walked in. Her father wasn¡¯t alone. He was with his first cousin Diord. Diord was gifted with talent, unlike Rurutia. Despite his young age, he was a gifted man who learned most of the magic of the attack system and was coveted in all the knightly divisions. Dior smiled brightly and waved a hand. ¡°Hello, Match. It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Match was a nickname given by Diord to Rurutia, since he always laughed at her magic. Don¡¯t call me that! There was a time when she refused and Diord crushed her for it. It¡¯s an unpleasant nickname, but she had to put up with it. Rurutia nodded slightly up and down. ¡°Eh, long time¡­¡± ¡°The conversation is over.¡± Gael cut off Rurutia¡¯s words. Then he pointed at Rurutia, who was sitting crouched in the corner, with his finger. ¡°She has power. The amount of power in my blood is enormous. However, it seems that in her its power is very thin and cannot be used.¡± The wizard¡¯s manna flowed through the blood vessels. This was called the Magic Tube. ¡°Is there a drug that temporarily expands the potency?¡± ¡°I used the amplifying drug immediately. It didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Wow, in an adult wizard it¡¯s a pain medicine, but how is she alive? Does she feel good?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been stupid from the start, there¡¯s nothing worse. She¡¯s a useless bitch anyway.¡± Rurutia trembled at the words of her father who cursed her. She is useless. Not necessary. After saying she was not worth it, she was afraid, she knew it because her hands and feet were shaking. ¡°Why are you afraid?¡± ¡°A crime¡­¡± If I say sorry, you¡¯ll be angry. I can¡¯t think of any other words, so I usually shut my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m treating you. What should I say to the person who helped you?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Satisfied Gael smiled. She was relieved. If her father¡¯s mood were good, the time for reflection would have been short. ¡°If there¡¯s no medicine, I have to learn how to make it. Diord, begin.¡± A great flame blossomed before Rurutia¡¯s eyes. There was terrible pain even before she realized what had happened. She crouched, enduring the screams. Diord stepped forward and hesitated. ¡°You can use magic today, not your feet.¡± ¡°What? Ah, no¡­¡± ¡°No?¡± A snake made of flame in Dior¡¯s hand is entangled in Rurutia¡¯s arms. ¡°It hurts me¡­! Stop it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t order me around on this subject, Match¡± Dior increased the temperature of the flame. Rurutia finally screamed. ¡°I have a chance to experiment with attack magic on a person, so I have to do it, right?¡± Standing up, Gael looked at his daughter, who was struggling with the pain. ¡°I was calling you to kill the bitch, so pull yourself together. Be modest.¡± ¡°Yes. Yes.¡± The wizard also awakened his ability when confronted with the same kind of magic. However, it was a training law that was banned long ago because people died or became incapacitated while receiving training. Gael, who wanted Rurutia to become a true magician as soon as possible, revived the training. It wasn¡¯t that he wanted Rurutia to be self-sufficient. He had to be able to use magic in order to continue experimenting with his wife¡¯s resurrection. Although he could use magic, he had to stay alive to have a happy time with his wife again. He pushed the extremes to use Rurutia in his experiments while keeping life secure. Three years later, Gael¡¯s experiment was only half as successful. He couldn¡¯t revive his wife, but now Rurutia can use magic properly. Through all sorts of experiments, Rurutia¡¯s body was ruined. Every time she used magic, she felt her life diminished. Gael forced her to do the magic for his experiment. ¡°Place your hand on the stone here and let the manna flow.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The moonstone that absorbed Rurutia¡¯s vitality glowed red. At first, it was bright enough to light up the room, but now it wasn¡¯t. It was because there was no more vitality to draw from her. Gael¡¯s expression was one of extreme disappointment. ¡°Is this all you can do?¡± She didn¡¯t refute her father¡¯s words. Her role was just to keep her mouth shut and do what he said. Gael, furious, looked at her and slapped her cheeks. ¡°You killed my wife, so now you have to save her!¡± If I apologize for my mother, will the pain end? I missed my mother, even though I didn¡¯t know her face. ¡°The bitch who killed her mother.¡± ¡°You scumbag.¡± Her father¡¯s words were trapped in her chest and head. I thought there was nothing more to hurt, but the inside of my chest hurt like a stab wound. The tears wanted to come out, but she held them back. If the experiment is successful, maybe you can let me go. When her mother is revived, father might forgive her. Rurutia held her heart tightly. She tried to hold on through it to the limit, but she finally fell out. When she came to her senses, the family doctor was taking care of Rurutia. When she opened her eyes she would be taken to the laboratory again. Rurutia pretended to close her eyes and sleep. The doctor sitting next to her was talking to Gael. ¡°Miss Rurutia would not be more than twenty years old.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the life of a bitch. What I want to know is the state of her manna.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gone. It will be difficult for her to use magic in the future.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not good at doing experiments¡± Rurutia¡¯s lips curled gently even with her eyes closed. She was very happy. She no longer had to go to her father¡¯s laboratory. Chapter 3 Rurutia, who was released from the experiments, received several classes. It was because she had to be intelligent and decent to be able to marry at a high price. Regardless of her father¡¯s intention, studying for Rurutia was fun, in particular, Gust Espeda¡¯s history class was the most interesting. Originally, he was the supervisor of the iron mines in Br¨¹cke. Now he was in the first position at the top of the Br¨¹cke. ¡°There was a time when the superior race prevailed among the nobles.¡± he said. ¡°Both my family and I have entered the business, but only a few companies have survived.¡± One of them was the Br¨¹cke¡¯s main company, which took care of the daily needs of free people. The nobles, who easily thought of using the most expensive items of the highest quality, dedicated themselves to manufacturing and selling them for consumption among themselves. Gael also imagined expensive sculptures to sell to the nobles. He summoned his vassals and explained his business plan. ¡°I plan to make and sell sculptures. It is a business that will never fail because you only need to get a black crystal gemstone and an excellent craftsman.¡± The black mineral was a symbol of good luck. There were many who wanted it. ¡°lt¡¯ll come up with something nice, but the raw material is expensive. There is only one mine where black crystals are mined.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a problem if you sell the finished product at such a high price? If you sell one, it¡¯s worth fifty stones!¡± Br¨¹cke¡¯s vassals noticed each other. He had several businesses, so he easily jumped at the opportunity. There were several nobles who declared themselves bankrupt. They would not be ruined by falling into a single bad business, but it would have had a negative effect on them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of it myself. Hasn¡¯t this property flourished so much with my outstanding skills?¡± Gael made several balls with his outstanding magic skills, and received additional states. Thanks to this, he has the largest territory of all the Br¨¹cke. They developed a vague belief in the Master. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°You think so? Then I¡¯ll raise taxes.¡± Of course you should. ¡°Haha. That¡¯s good. If you succeed, I¡¯ll give you each a nice villa.¡± ¡°Very nice. I¡¯m already looking forward to it.¡± Everyone was excited about success, but only one man didn¡¯t laugh. Espeda, one of Br¨¹cke¡¯s vassals, represented by Gust, the young successor to the family. The only black crystal mine in the Empire was owned by another family. Rumors that the Br¨¹cke family is starting a business may have raised the price of the ore ten or twenty times. It is even rumoured that the mining volume is declining, so I could not predict how much the price will increase in the future. It was a high-risk business. If it did, no one would know if the business would really flourish. He was brave. ¡°There are already many top-notch operations for nobles. We must target the free people.¡± ¡°Are you saying my plan is wrong?¡± Gael was very upset, but Gust didn¡¯t back down. If it doesn¡¯t work, Espeda¡¯s whole family will be held responsible! He threatened to proceed at will, but Gust didn¡¯t back down. As a result, most of Br¨¹cke¡¯s vassals succeeded in following Gust¡¯s will. With the capital, it was time to expand the business. Unfortunately, Gael¡¯s permission did not allow for this. Pride was important. Well, even at this level, Gust was incredibly busy. There wasn¡¯t even a moment to rest, it had to be enough to bring several new products to the classes that teach the history of countries throughout the Empire. ¡°Today is a broom? Five of those.¡± Thanks to this, Rurutia had a lot of fun looking at various objects. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late. Where did you go last week?¡± ¡°You should now that there is even a relationship between the Holy State and the Empire.¡± ¡°So the next step¡­ Ah!¡± Gust, who was holding the broom in danger, threw it on the ground. Rurutia, who was looking at the book, ran and picked up a broom. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it together and it¡¯ll be over quickly. Then I¡¯ll teach you as soon as possible.¡± Gust was one of the main players in the calculation of time and profits. Knowing the preciousness of time, he nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He didn¡¯t even listen to young Rurutia. Because of this, unlike other teachers, she felt comfortable. Rurutia smiled at him and picked up a broom that fell to the floor. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Why are you doing that, young lady?¡± ¡°All the other brooms¡­¡± It was similar when seen from a distance, but when seen up close, both the handle and the color of the comb were different. ¡°Yes. This is the only one for those on top of our Br¨¹cke. How does it look in your eyes?¡± ¡°The color was dark, so dark it was almost invisible. I can¡¯t see it well.¡± He smiled with an honest childish response. ¡°Is that so? The rest of the brooms here are on top of the competition. I have to sell our products next week, but I wonder how to show them.¡± ¡°What will you do, Gust?¡± He collected all the brooms and lined them up on a wall. The broom in brown shades was high up in front. ¡°I¡¯ve been worried for days, but it¡¯s more noticeable if you stand like this. I¡¯d like to ask the shop owners to pay a fee and show it.¡± He was right next to the brightest broom. Does it express light and darkness? Although it stands out, I wanted to choose a bright broom instead of a dark one. To be honest, the Br¨¹cke¡¯s broom was similar to these objects. ¡°Does it have to be this dark?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. It¡¯s made of rock juniper and has a subtle aroma. The resistance is also much harder than other products, so it can be used for a long time, but the color of the solid wood is defective.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a broom that¡¯s swept a chimney.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Gust himself made a noise that, although sad, was in agreement. He sighed and scratched his back. ¡°Ha, if they are show up like that, it¡¯ll be a failure. Only if people try it, they¡¯ll know it¡¯s a good product¡­ ¡° Unlike other nobles, it was good to go for the free people. The problem is that the daily necessities market already had several old layers made by free people. It was good to make an exceptional product with the wealth and information of the Br¨¹cke family, but they often face this challenge. ¡°If you don¡¯t find a way to fix it, things won¡¯t be good.¡± ¡°Is it a visual issue?¡± ¡°Yes. However, since the color is dark, it will have to be buried. This new product should be stopped to get a return on investment.¡± Rurutia looked at the carefully placed handle. Then she looked at the dress she was wearing. It would be nice to use it in a broom too. ¡°Are they on display in this territory?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ruritia, who stood up from her seat, took a handkerchief from her arms and wrapped the broom. It didn¡¯t squeeze properly and flowed down. It didn¡¯t come out the way I thought. It was a failure. I looked at Gust because I think I might be confused. Gust, who met his eyes, opened his mouth ¡°Wait, it¡¯s also a good idea for class to practice what the lady was thinking.¡± Fortunately, Gust wasn¡¯t angry, unlike his father. Rurutia was feeling extremely anxious. She wanted to do something like what was going on in her head. ¡°I need something fixed.¡± She unwrapped the yellow ribbon that bound her hair. The ribbon was something she had tied for the first time, but she had seen many maids at work. She moved her hand to make a loose ribbon. Rurutia, who had been whispering for a long time, removed it from her hand. It was complete. But Gust said nothing. Will I be scolded too? The silence was not a good sign. Rurutia looked at his complexion. Gust, whose mouth was hard, looked at the broom wrapped in a hand towel. ¡°I will try again¡­¡± ¡°No. Leave it.¡± ¡°You are angry¡­¡± ¡°Me?¡± Instead of answering, he nodded carefully from top to bottom. He knelt down at Rurutia¡¯s level. ¡°I scared you. When I do calculations in my head, I concentrate and my expression becomes hard.¡± He gave her a soft smile as always. Finally, she was relieved. ¡°I was very surprised, by the way. I couldn¡¯t think of using¡­ ¡° ¡°I thought it would stand out well¡± ¡°Uh¡±. ¡°The free person-directed top has no decoration or packaging because it saves the cost as much as possible.¡± It was difficult to imitate the luxurious packing method operated by the aristocratic family, even if they tried to follow it. Not only this time, but other products will be packed, and there are many numbers in Gust¡¯s mind. ¡°Yes. You did very well.¡± He was the first person to praise her for doing well. Rurutia¡¯s ears were slightly red. ¡°I don¡¯t need to pay any fees, so I can worry about the packaging. How did you come up with this idea?¡± ¡°I just¡­ thought about how I¡¯d like to dress.¡± ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re thinking about dressing things. I¡¯ll make small clothes and put them on the broom according to the lady¡¯s words.¡± Rurutia¡¯s face grew redder. It was clear that Gust¡¯s words were pleasant. But she did not know how to respond, so she only smiled as she played with her fingers. I didn¡¯t know what to say, but it was a warm feeling in my chest, near my heart; it was an area that had always been painful. Chapter 4 ¡°The scumbag that killed her mother.¡± Garbage. Her father¡¯s words were stuck in her head and didn¡¯t leave. She thought she could feel no more pain, but the hurt cut deep inside her chest. Tears came out, but she held it in. ¡°If the experiment succeeds, maybe you¡¯ll recognize me.¡± If my mother came back to life, my father might forgive me. Rurutia grabbed ahold of the Mana Stone. She endured to the limit but eventually collapsed. When Rurutia woke up, a family doctor was taking care of her. If I open my eyes, they might take me back to the lab. Rurutia pretended to close her eyes tightly. The doctor, who was sitting next to Gael, saw her stirring. ¡°Rurutia, you won¡¯t be able to live past twenty.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that girl¡¯s life. What I want to know is the state of the magic power tube.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gone. It¡¯ll be hard to use magic in the future.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t proceed with the experiment.¡± Rurutia¡¯s lips curled gently with her eyes closed. She was very happy. I don¡¯t have to be my father¡¯s slave anymore. *** Finally released from the experiment, Rurutia took on various classes to broaden her horizons. It was because the entitled females of the day had to be refined and dignified in order to get married off to a rich and respectable husband that it was imminent that they started their education early on. Whatever her father¡¯s intentions, Rurutia had fun studying. In particular, the history class that Gust Espeda taught was especially fun. Originally, he was a supervisor guarding the iron ore mine in Bruque. Now he was in charge of the upper echelons of Bruque. Top management was once fashionable among the nobles. Now only a few tops survived the rigorous responsibilities. One of the few establishments that survived was the Top of Bruque, which makes daily necessities for free for the citizens. But the market was in constant flux. Pretty soon the Top of Bruque was charging for their items. The nobles, who constantly thought of ways they could remain on top, made and sold expensive items that only could be consumed by themselves. Gael also conceived of a line of expensive sculptures to sell to the nobles. He summoned his minions and explained his business plan. ¡±I plan to make and sell sculptures. It¡¯s a business that will never fail because it only needs black crystal stones and excellent craftsmanship.¡± ¡°Yes. But since the color is dark stone, it will be the most durable even though it will be the hardest to work with. You have no choice but to get started right away to save time and money.¡± ¡®¡±Are you saying my plan is wrong?¡± The black mineral was a symbol of good luck. There were a lot of people who coveted it. ¡±I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve thought of something nice, but the cost of raw materials is high. There¡¯s only one mine where black crystals are mined!¡± Brucke¡¯s vassals looked at each other. There were also several nobles who thought they had a nose for business and eventually went bankrupt. A business failure would certainly not bring the Brucke name down, but it would certainly have a bad influence. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll manage it myself. Haven¡¯t I impressed you enough with my outstanding abilities?¡± Gael made several contributions with his magnificent magical powers and was granted additional honors. Thanks to this new business venture and his contributions, his realm grew into the largest territory in history. This led to more people following the Duke with Burcke gaining many disciples for his liege. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°You think so, don¡¯t you? So I¡¯ll increase taxes.¡± ¡°Of course, you should.¡± ¡°Haha. It¡¯s nice to be cool. If I succeed, I¡¯ll give you a nice villa.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very cool. I¡¯m already looking forward to it.¡± Everyone was excited about the success, but only one man didn¡¯t laugh. It was Gust, a young heir to the Espeda family, one of Brucke¡¯s vassals. The empire¡¯s only black crystal mine was owned by another family. If rumors spread that the Brucke¡¯s family was going to start a business, the price of the gemstone might steadily increase ten or twenty-fold their normal asking price. Chapter 5 Rumor has it that mining was not producing enough profit, so it was hard to imagine how much the price will go up in the future. It was a risky business. If they proceeded like this, everything might have a dominos effect with everything being knocked down in one fell swoop. But Duke Burcke took faith in his abilities. ¡°There¡¯s already a lot of top management for the noble families. We must turn our eyes and attack the free people,¡± Gust said. Gael was furious, but Gust was unmoved from his position. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t produce results, the entire Espeda family must be held accountable!¡± Gael went forward with the business plan and continued to threaten him, but Gust did not bend. As a result, the Top of Bruque flourished under Gust¡¯s guidance. Since capital was being created, the permission for business expansion did not drop. It seemed that Duke Burcke¡¯s pride was not to be tolerated. Well, even on that epic scale of events, Gust continued to be a very busy guy. He did not have time to dawdle, so he brought a variety of new products to the class that teaches the history of countries around the empire. ¡°It¡¯s a broom today. Five of them.¡± Thanks to this, Rurutia had a lot of fun looking at various items. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late. Where were we last week?¡± ¡°The class was discussing relations between the Divine States and the Empire,¡± a student volunteered. ¡°Then the next chapter¡­ Oh!¡± Gust, who was holding a broom as if ready to strike in case of danger, threw it on the floor. Rurutia, who was looking down at her book, glanced up and saw the fallen item. She ran up to it and picked up the broom. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that,¡± said Gust. ¡°The two of us have to contribute. So that the task ends quickly. That way, lessons will commence as soon as possible,¡± Rurutia suggested. Gust was a fast learner and could rapidly calculate time and profits in his head without the help of ink or parchment. Knowing the importance of time, he nodded his head. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He listened to the young Rurutia¡¯s opinion without being impatient. Unlike with other teachers, Rurutia felt at ease as his pupil. Rurutia smiled at him and picked up the broom that fell on the floor. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss?¡± ¡°They are all different brooms.¡± When viewed from a distance, they were similar, but when viewed up close, the colors of the handle and the comb were all different. ¡°That¡¯s right. This is the only thing at the Top of Bruque. How is it in your eyes?¡± It was a broom that was unnoticeable because of its toxic color. ¡°I can¡¯t see very well.¡± He smiled embarrassedly at the childish, honest answer. ¡°Right. The rest of these broomsticks are from the top of the competition. We have to start selling our products next week, and I¡¯m wondering how to display them.¡± ¡°What are you going to do, Gust?¡± He picked up all the brooms and lined them up against one wall. The broom at the Top of Bruque was in front. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it for days and days, but I think focusing on the presentation is the most noticeable thing to do. I¡¯d like to ask the store owners to arrange for a fee.¡± The broom he had picked up was right next to the brightest colored broom. Rurutia noted the contrast. Is this an expression of light and darkness? Although it was noticeable, she wanted to choose a bright broom rather than a dark broom. Frankly speaking, the broom of Bruque was like a thing put into good use. ¡°Does it have to be dark?¡± ¡°Yes. Because it is made of juniper wood, it has a subtle scent. The strength is much stronger than other products, so it can be used for a long time, but the dark wood color is a flaw.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a chimney sweeping broom.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Gust made a disagreeable sound with his nose in agreement with her. With a full sigh, he scratched his back. ¡°Ha, it¡¯s ruined if you display it like this. You¡¯ll know it¡¯s a good product once you try it on¡­¡± Chapter 6 Unlike other nobles, it was fine to attack the free people. The problem is that the daily necessities market already had several old stores made by free people. The Bruque family¡¯s wealth and lineage were good enough to make an exceptionally good product, but they often faced such difficulties. ¡°If we don¡¯t stand out, our products won¡¯t make a profit.¡± ¡°Will our problem be solved if the broom stands out?¡± Rurutia stared at the neatly placed broomstick. Then she looked down at the dress she was wearing. ¡°Even a broom would be pretty if you put clothes on it.¡± ¡°Would you display it in that condition?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rurutia got up from her seat and took out a handkerchief from her arms and wrapped her broom. The fabric flowed over the broomstick without being fixed down properly. It didn¡¯t work out as I thought. I¡¯m a failure. She glanced at Gust, thinking that she might be scolded. Gust, who made eye contact, opened his mouth. ¡°Slow down. It¡¯s a good lesson to practice your lady thoughts.¡± Fortunately, Gust was not an angry person unlike her father. Rurutia, who was relieved, was feeling more greedy. She was suddenly struck with an idea and she was excited to carry it out. ¡°I need something to fix it.¡± She untied the yellow ribbon that tied her hair. It was her first time tying a ribbon, but she¡¯d seen a lot of maids tie one. She busily moved her hands to make a sloppy bow. Rurutia, who had been wiggling for a long time, removed her hand. It was complete. But Gust said nothing. ¡°Are you going to scold me?¡± The silence was not a good sign. Rurutia looked at her teacher expectantly. Gust, whose mouth was firmly stiffened, stared at the broom wrapped in a handkerchief. ¡°I¡¯ll untie it again¡­¡± ¡°No, leave it as it is.¡± ¡°You¡¯re angry¡­¡± ¡°Me?¡± Instead of answering, she nodded cautiously up and down. He knelt to Rurutia¡¯s s height. ¡°I must have scared you. When I do calculations in my head, I concentrate and my expression hardens.¡± He gave her a gentle smile like he did normally to other students in the class whenever he wanted to encourage them. Only then, did Rurutia feel relieved. ¡°By the way, I was very surprised. I never thought of thinking of wrapping it¡­¡± ¡°I thought it would stand out if I did this.¡± The upper section operated by the free people saved the cost as much as possible, so there was no decoration or packaging. Even if I followed it at its best, it would be difficult to imitate the luxurious packaging method run by a noble family, thought Gust to himself. But not this one, just the other products. The column of numbers went up and down in Gust¡¯s head. ¡°That¡¯s right. You did very well.¡± This was the first time that she was praised for a job well done. Rurutia¡¯s ear tips turned slightly red. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay a separate fee and just pay attention to the packaging. How did you come up with such a good idea?¡± ¡°Just¡­ I thought it would be nice to dress up the broom.¡± ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re thinking of dressing things. As you demonstrated, I¡¯ll make a little dress and put it on the brooms.¡± Rurutia¡¯s face turned a darker shade of red. It was clear that Gust¡¯s words were pleasing. But, not knowing what to say, only her fingers fluttered. She was embarrassed that she did not know what to say, but this did not put Rurutia in a bad mood. The compliment warmed the inside of her chest and her heart felt less heavy, which had always been weighed down by pain and sorrow until now. A few months later. The daily necessity items at the Top of Bruque were a hit. Even kitchen and cleaning supplies, which had seen slow sales before, saw an increase in the market. Daily necessities were essential items. It was sold even if it was made roughly, being that the existing tops of the free people did not care too much about the quality. Brucke, who entered the daily necessities market late, paid attention to quality. ¡°The wrapping paper can be used as a doll¡¯s clothing right away. How much my daughter loves doing this!¡± Chapter 7 ¡°Once you buy it, you can use it for a long time.¡± ¡°My house is converting everything into Top of Bruque¡¯s premium products.¡± In a short period of time, it became the top of the empire, with people buying it in doves because of the packaging and quality. After that, Gust often brought new products over and discussed it with Rurutia. Rurutia slowly began to feel useful again. The class with Gust became very enjoyable. But this happiness didn¡¯t last long. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± ¡°Father¡­¡± ¡°I asked what you were doing, Rurutia!¡± Gust intervened, after feeling the tension in the air. ¡°I was looking at a new product at the Top of Bruque with the Lady Rurutia.¡± ¡°Gust! I¡¯m not asking you. I was asking the girl!¡± Her father¡¯s violence diminished after she started the bridal class. It was to hide the fact of abuse. Her heart fluttered at the image of her angry father. It had been a long time. ¡°Well, I want to improve the top stuff¡­¡± ¡°You, useless girl!¡± Gael, who cut off Rurutia¡¯s words, raised his hand. ¡°What did I say? Didn¡¯t I tell you to cultivate yourself until you had a family that actually wanted you, not this scum?¡± The poor Gust attempted to appease Gael. ¡°You¡¯re too much, Master. Quit it.¡± ¡°Get out of here!¡± Gust kept his master at bay. Flushed with anger, Gael used his magic. A black flame hit Gust¡¯s face, and half of it melted his features in an instant. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Gust!¡± Rurutia ran to Gust, who had fallen. He didn¡¯t even move. ¡°Once more a person has been hurt because of me.¡± The tears that she held for years burst out, like a broken dam. She couldn¡¯t think of anything and cried, holding his hand tight. Flinching, he moved his hand inside Rurutia¡¯s grasp. The urgency of the situation immediately flashed through her mind. ¡°Father, please. Please call a priest.¡± Gael was laughing. He watched with great joy the scene unfold before his eyes as if it was exactly what he wanted. * * * Rurutia hadn¡¯t been able to meet Gust for a while, but when she heard the news that he was safe, she was greatly relieved. A few more days and I could see him in person. The few days arrived. ¡°Miss Rurutia. Please take this.¡± Gust had half his face wrapped up in bandages. She received the box, not before she checked his condition. Though it was her first gift, this wasn¡¯t something she was overjoyed about. ¡°You said you called the priest¡­ Why haven¡¯t you removed the bandages?¡± ¡°You know Brucke¡¯s black flame can¡¯t be healed even by a priest.¡± Rurutia¡¯s teacher trembled. ¡°I¡¯m fine, open it.¡± With a weak nod, Rurutia opened the box. ¡°Wow.¡± It was a comb made of crystal that was transparent enough to show through as if it was cut out of the stars in the sky. The beautiful figure of the comb struck Rurutia as she continued to admire her newly attained present. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes, it shines brightly.¡± ¡°Your eyes are also sparkling,¡± commented Gust, looking at the little girl happily. He added, ¡°The comb was used by the Duchess.¡± Hmmmm, Rurutia¡¯s hand trembled. It felt like an object that a murderer like herself should not dare to touch. ¡°It¡¯s not a gift I should receive,¡± said Rurutia. Her excitement subsided in an instant. She put the comb back in the box. ¡°Take it to your mother¡¯s grave.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your comb.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s your mother¡¯s. You should have it. This is the thing that the Duchess entrusted me to give to you.¡± ¡°My mother?¡± ¡°Yes. When she came down with the Duke to patrol the estate, she handed it over to me. She told me once you became an adult to give it to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an adult yet.¡± There were eight more years left until Rurutia reached adulthood. ¡°In my eyes, you are.¡± Mother must¡¯ve wanted to prepare for the unexpected. So, she set aside a gift like this. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it dearly in order not to forget my sins.¡± Rurutia laughed bitterly. As he quietly looked on at Rurutia, Gust bent his back and murmured, ¡°If trouble arises, take the comb and go to the Imperial Bank.¡± Chapter 8 That was Rurutia¡¯s last meeting with Gust. A few days later, Gust stood trial in court. He was indicted of crimes over inflicting excessive abuse on the princess of the class. Gael said that he cried every night, thinking of his daughter. He also claimed that Gust had attacked him when he stood in front of his daughter¡¯s attacker. The judge sided with Gael. Gust was to be hanged. Gael said he couldn¡¯t kill the vassal and ended up exiling him from the empire. The audience was moved, saying he had a merciful heart. Gael, who took over the place of the ¡®successful top-lord,¡¯ worked with the new system and saved the cost of materials to achieve even greater results. The competitiveness of the Top of Bruque turned the line into one geared toward a quality product, not the packaging, under Gael¡¯s stewardship. When Rurutia found out the truth, everything was over. She was alone again, but luckily she had in her schedule several new meetings. But the miraculous new connections didn¡¯t last long. ¡°I lost my life partner because of you. You should be alone just the same!¡± Anyone who opened up to Rurutia faced a miserable end due to Gael¡¯s harassment. When the same thing happened several times, everyone who worked in the mansion became reluctant to approach Rurutia. Fortunately, Sui, a maid, was left with Rurutia, but Rurutia couldn¡¯t open her heart completely. If I get any closer, my father will hurt Sui. Rurutia was left all alone with her thoughts and emotions. * * * A week before the wedding, there was to be a reception at the Duke of Brucke¡¯s mansion. Rurutia, sitting in front of Gael, bowed her head like a sinner. ¡°You¡¯ll need a lot of food in order to prepare for the ceremony. You must marry Count Hyde, who has a large farm.¡± Rurutia read the marriage declaration Gael handed over. The marriage partner was to be Count Hyde, who had in his possession many acres of farmland. Unlike Rurutia, who was just around the age of the coming-of-age ceremony, Count Hyde was in his late 40s. The conditioning class that Rurutia had to attend was not bad, but the age difference proved to be too much. Gael unilaterally informed her without asking her opinion that the decision had been made. ¡°I¡¯m done preparing for the wedding and we¡¯re going to have a huge feast in a few days.¡± She knew this day would come. She knew she would be the wife of an unwanted man, but wasn¡¯t a man as old as his father too much? ¡°Father. Count Hyde is too old¡­¡± As if there was no need to listen, Gael hastily cut off her words. ¡°About thirty years older than you. So what¡¯s the problem?¡± Sitting across from him, Rurutia grabbed her skirt tightly. It was clear that accepting this marriage would lead to sudden death and not without great pain. It wasn¡¯t simply because she would become the wife of an old count. When she experimented a long time ago, she often came across strange dreams. Rurutia, lying on a white bed, was reading a book in her room with a bottle of water next to her. Every time she dreamed the same dream, her memories became clearer, and recently she learned that it was a past life. She, in her previous lives, was also limited in time as she was now. In her last life, she was a part of a love story. The love story of the prince and his maid in the whirlpool of the imperial throne. In it, Rurutia appeared and the story unfolded before her. The story didn¡¯t have a happy ending, but soon another vision unfolded. In this version, she saw her future. In it, Count Hyde couldn¡¯t believe his misfortune when he heard that Rurutia didn¡¯t have long to live. ¡°What? You¡¯ll die when you¡¯re 20?¡± Gael gave his blessings for Rurutia to marry Hyde, all the while hiding her psychic abilities from Hyde. Count Hyde was furious when he learned the truth. ¡°I have only two years left! Can I have children in it?¡± Count Hyde became very angry saying he had been scammed, then sent for wine. Rurutia, who drank the wine he received as a gift, vomited blood. Chapter 9 She scratched the floor in terrible pain. It felt like her intestines were burning, and all her nails were falling out. Poisonous wine killed her in a long-suffering struggle. Foresight is the most horrible of gifts to bear. Rurutia had been obedient to her father all her life. She thought she was being punished for killing her mother. ¡°I don¡¯t want to put up with this anymore.¡± If you keep your mouth shut as always, you will learn to regret it, she told herself. Rurutia was very strong. It felt like another lifetime ago when she was lying in the hospital room, waiting for death. ¡°I hate Count Hyde.¡± ¡°What? What did you just say? Rurutia. I think I misheard you.¡± ¡°Father! I just became an adult. I hate Count Hyde because he¡¯s too old.¡± ¡°You are trash, born of the Brucke family, and unable to properly use magic. You¡¯re a girl who couldn¡¯t even be chosen by Count Hyde himself!¡± ¡°I know¡­ I am.¡± ¡°After feeding and raising you for nothing, are you now rebelling against my orders?¡± ¡°Thank you for raising me, but I want to decide for myself who I marry.¡± ¡°Rurutia!¡± Boom! Gael, who hit the desk hard, got up from his seat. Scared, Rurutia shrugged but did not stop speaking. ¡°I would rather be cast out of my family, then marry Count Hyde.¡± Gael¡¯s expression was as terrifying as a fierce beast. She had no regrets because she had said what she wanted to say. If I get married, I will die, right? Suddenly, she wanted to close her eyes, being once again comfortably surrounded by her favorite things. Silence continued. She felt weighed down by the heavy atmosphere. The weak body was vulnerable to stress. Her breathing, exposed to Gael¡¯s blatant life force, gradually faded. She shuddered away as though she was about to fall. Gael, who was gritting his teeth, gave out a warning. ¡°Don¡¯t think of running away without my permission. There¡¯s no place in this land where my hands can¡¯t reach!¡± Gael was the Duke of Brucke, one of the three most prestigious families of the East Empire. He had the largest territory and was allowed to have soldiers. In addition, though sales weren¡¯t the same after Gust left, the Top of Bruque continued to remain on top. Wherever people lived together, the Top of Bruque existed. All the upper echelons were a-buzz over their exceptional inventory. Due to the Top of Bruque¡¯s success, it was such that Duke Brucke¡¯s influence was felt all across the realm. ¡°If anyone hides you, I will tear them apart and kill them all. No one will help you because I¡¯m the most feared man in the empire.¡± Unfortunately, Gael¡¯s words were true. The Duke of Brucke had nothing to fear. No one in their right minds would lend a hand in helping Rurutia Brucke after knowing about her insolence. She struggled for her life, but she couldn¡¯t beat Gael by her own sheer will alone. She knew from the head and the heart that she didn¡¯t have what it takes. She held back her tears and clenched her fist. Gael issued his last warning to his disobedient daughter. ¡°Anyway, a wrecked body with a mana will help no family in the end.¡± She swallowed her tears and looked straight at Gael. Not afraid of his weak daughter, who had no strength, he looked away and went back to his work. Having no power to postpone the wedding, she chose to hold out, but couldn¡¯t keep back the inevitable. Eventually, she burst into tears and was put into the wedding hall like a cow being dragged into the slaughterhouse. *** ¡°Congratulations on your marriage, Sir!¡± Rurutia had learned a few days before the wedding that the dream of unknown meaning that she often had was from the future. She didn¡¯t have time to make plans, so she kissed the officiant, not her prospective husband. As a result, Count Hyde, who was supposed to be a husband, rolled on the floor with swollen hands. Something fell on the floor because of his violent movements. ¡°It¡¯s a wig!¡± ¡°How could there be so little hair?!¡± Thanks to the Count¡¯s smooth bald head, which was revealed to the whole world, the guests opened their mouths and laughed. The red-faced Count Hyde slowly got up and picked up his wig. Chapter 10 There was no room in Rurutia to observe his ugliness. She had changed her fate in the nick of time just as she wanted. ¡°Are you the paladin?¡± The clergy must live a lifetime unattached to romance. Few people chose such a hard path for themselves because they know they could not keep this vow for the entirety of lives and then roll over and die. In fact, those who became priests often shunned riches or the aristocratic lifestyle that they were not privy to. It was a given that the newly married priest was going to serve Rurutia, who saved him from a prison-like scenario, and he was going to take the money and live a happy life. But life was screwed up. Only those who were enlightened priests, especially those who were extremely religious, could become paladins. The paladin, who rescued Rurutia, further crushed the hand of Count Hyde. He would not relax his hold until given the command to do so by the Chief of Paladin. The paladins were a festive lot, even though their lives were relatively short-lived. They lived a life filled with violence and few reached to the ripe old age of 30. But paladins were likely to marry if the pope allowed it, though this wasn¡¯t a very likely scenario. Rurutia, who was standing in a daze, opened her mouth, and said, ¡°The wedding didn¡¯t go well.¡± In the Empire, the wedding ceremony ends with a kiss after the vows were spoken at the temple as a seal of the marriage. So if you kiss and say your vows, you¡¯ll be a couple. ¡°I haven¡¯t shared an oath with anyone yet.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen it all.¡± ¡°All I did was kiss you!¡± ¡°You will be good. You both will be a prospective husband and wife soon, ¡± said a paladin. It was embarrassing for a paladin to pretend to be friendly. But Rurutia needed to know, so she asked, ¡°You mean you can accept me even though I¡¯m not a paladin?¡± Unlike her, who was perplexed, the paladin skillfully guided Rurutia. ¡°In the future, you will be in the Paladin building. The ceremony ends when I swear to accept you as my sister-in-law.¡± Rurutia¡¯s eyes were raised. It was like a crook trying to get over what they got away with. ¡°I didn¡¯t swear anything over there.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to worry about.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Sir?¡± The man¡¯s vow to Rurutia had to be made first, but the Commander of the Paladins had not yet to say the word. So this marriage was null and void. ¡°So, where are you taking me?¡± ¡°To the Paladins¡¯.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We will take you with us in the future.¡± It soon became a too distracting process. Everyone around her felt like a wave. She rolled her head, wanting to wake up before she was swept under the current. But it was impossible to organize her thoughts in such a hectic place. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much. The temple has a building for guests who stay for a long time. Please leave the Moulays Hall where the servant¡¯s quarters are. You don¡¯t have to worry about any of that because we¡¯ll all be watching over you.¡± Another paladin stumbled forward. ¡°Honestly, we¡¯re no better than Count Hyde himself.¡± The paladin, who held the Count locked in his hold, approached her and shook her hand. Rurutia became even more confused by the number of people speaking at the same time. As they said, the paladins were no better than Count Hyde. But how would they compare to Father? The next thing she knew a bystander was forcibly dragging Hyde, as he said he didn¡¯t want to see a jilted groom. Rurutia saw that he had blood on his face. ¡°Stop.¡± A low, majestic voice echoed through the tumultuous wedding ceremony, and the excited paladins stood still. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to the paladin. His body, standing beneath the gorgeous stained glass, poured forth with colorful light. At one point, he had gained everyone¡¯s attention and looked at Rurutia as he stood on the platform. His eyes seemed to tremble. He sighed low and made an impression as he turned his gaze toward his subordinates. The paladin, who had blocked Count Hyde, approached him coldly. Chapter 11 ¡°Would you like to meet with us?¡± Instead of answering, he wiped his bangs. It was intended to merely move aside the disturbed hair, but it took nearly everyone¡¯s breath away. The gesture stole the show. Beautiful Paladin Kaneshel Incruder. He was a sub-southerner destined to die, as did Rurutia. His refusal to answer was an unwanted answer. However, the Duke of Brucke could not enter the temple, where all the rules must be observed. Rurutia knew this and thought she had finally found an escape away from her father¡¯s dominance. Even if she was reluctant, she had no intention of changing the answer to follow. Kaneshel was a man with lots of power that greatly twisted the atmosphere of every room he was in. With him, my life, which is a mess, will change a little, thought Rurutia. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you.¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m going to take you in, in the future!¡± As soon as Rurutia¡¯s answer was over, the paladins cheered cheerfully, and they respectfully gathered her in their embrace. * * * Guided by the paladins, Rurutia headed to the Knights¡¯ building. Rurutia was uneasy and rubbed her hand. Gael Brucke, whose experiments were more important than his daughter¡¯s wedding, did not attend the ceremony. Even though I was able to get the paladins¡¯ attention, I knew my father would never come out. Fortunately, the temple was the only chapter that was not influenced by the aristocracy. Even an angry father would not be able to get his influence across at the temple. But it didn¡¯t stop her from worrying. The temple was buzzing with activity. The Temple of Crescentia belonged to the Holy Nation, not the East. However, the Holy Nation had long since broken exchanges and become a hostile nation. Because religion had no borders, temples remained in the East. However, with the recent suspension of all official activities, many bad stories have circulated. Nevertheless, she followed the paladins. ¡°Whatever, it was better than being in my father¡¯s house.¡± Judging by the attitude of the paladins, it seemed that even if your abilities proved lacking, you wouldn¡¯t be slapped for not getting the task done, unlike with her father. She knew she had to look at the results in the end, even if she had to gamble with her life. One of the leading paladins turned his head and looked at Rurutia. Rurutia, with her eyes meeting his gaze, blinked several times. He was a man donning blonds and greens on his white, tall shoulders. He smiled and walked fast. The paladins were all in white and armed. Rurutia felt a little nervous because he was standing right in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s not too late for an introduction. I¡¯m called Cronu Erebus, the Vice President.¡± She nodded. Their meeting was soon interrupted by a driver of a cart who suddenly appeared before them singing loudly. ¡°It¡¯s Brucke! She¡¯s a big celebrity!¡± The driver screamed strangely. Surrounded by strangers, she was forced to relax a little. The discipline of the singing professions was different from that of the ordinary aristocrats. Was this a mistake? What excuse do I use? she asked herself. He struck his hand, clenched both his hands into fists, and screamed, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re good, even your voice. It¡¯s like that of a famous singer who received God¡¯s rewards.¡± Cronu was as impressed as the goddess probably was. Rurutia was not accustomed to the praise. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know. It seems that all of you have given me a great gift even though I¡¯ll probably never get used to the idea of seeing the President every day.¡± Rurutia recalled Kaneshel. The real-life of Kaneshel, who was thought to be as beautiful as anyone else in the city, who became even more than he could have ever imagined. The glowing purple eyes of the priest seemed to have a lot of stories to say. He seemed a little sad when she last encountered him, but he was well suited for his role. The death of Kaneshel will be a great loss for the Empire. Coincidentally, Rurutia knew how to save him. ¡°You¡¯ve married our President. You¡¯re on your way!¡± It felt like the impact had not cleared before the next compliment struck her. This will be a good place to call home. Chapter 12 ¡°I didn¡¯t have a wedding with him. Please do not call me that.¡± ¡°When you want to get married, you can proceed. It¡¯s part of the rules of the temple.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t come to get married. I came along because I wanted to apologize for my disrespect.¡± Cronu seemed visibly shaken. He¡¯s a big man like a bear, but doesn¡¯t have the courage to match. ¡°Did you change your mind?¡± When she returns to the Duke of Brucke¡¯s mansion, she will marry the next man her father decides for her. It was better to stay with the Paladins, who were friendly to her. ¡°I¡¯m going to be a maid, but I can¡¯t stay here for long.¡± The answer to the story had been greatly altered by her latest choice. Her life had violently veered off course from the original version of the story. She stretched her back in front of the expectant man and kept her stance. ¡°Are you afraid that the Duke of Brucke will put pressure on the Paladins?¡± Instead of an ordinary exchange, the feeling that things were not normal again popped out. It seemed her unexpected story had considerably shifted in trajectory. ¡°You don¡¯t have to use your mana. You don¡¯t need it. You¡¯re too good for it.¡± The singing driver, who expressed his intention, regained his comfortable posture, and interrupted. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about the Peacock¡¯s ire, please, don¡¯t be. It¡¯s trivial compared to the importance of the Holy Knights Division.¡± The Duke of Brucke had the diameter of the outer sphere to guide him. Rurutia had no such meddling as a system. Has her ability to collect information just run out? Cronu seemed to be a big deal at the temple. ¡°It¡¯s always one of those intellectuals who sends one of their precious daughters to the slaughter. They¡¯re never the good guy.¡± Cronu smiled lightly, but Rurutia wouldn¡¯t press on. Even if no one else knows it, her father¡¯s actions were unpredictable. There, of course, will be friction once she sees Gael again, but the words exchanged will be nothing compared to his wrath. As if reading her thoughts, Cronu made one suggestion. ¡°Ignore all of those external problems. What do you want to do?¡± ¡°I want to apologize for the disrespect I have done and to compensate for my unreasonable actions.¡± Cronu¡¯s just due was not yet known, but she was going to protect Kaneshel¡¯s life. Rurutia knew how he was going to die. If she knew the future, she could stop it. He laughed bitterly at Rurutia¡¯s answer. ¡°You don¡¯t want to marry the President.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kanehel had known about the heroine to his story for a long time. Previously in what seemed a lifetime ago, the empress¡¯ maiden, Mervin, was brazen in approaching Kaneshel. But Kaneshel refused her confessions as an excuse to be a priest. Then, this time around, preparing for the Magnolia expedition, he accepted the confession. Though it was soon thwarted by the empress. There seemed to be no end to his loveless career as a paladin until the day he met Rurutia. ¡°If you think of love, you can do it.¡± He took the lead at a quick pace and opened a closed door. Then he paused for a moment and revealed his thoughts. ¡°Our Paladins want the President to pursue love as soon as possible.¡± Creak. Due to the stiff, united hinge letting out a variety of horrible sounds, his words were inaudible. It was a little incomprehensible. The noise scrambled what he said and she thought she heard him wrong. Because they haven¡¯t known Rurutia for a long time, they were unable to anticipate her next moves. Instead of answering, Rurutia saw an opening, and her mouth shut in response. The temple was a symbol of integrity. Instead of the ornate d¨¦cor, the building was built with a calm grey brick or white marble. The colors were dull, but what was with the hustle and bustle, white decorations hanging from the ceiling? She soon realized that what she at first thought was a sculpture, was fastened by a rope, and looked to be a chandelier. It was exactly like a fish with only its bone leftover from the flesh. She put a short candle on top of the ensemble. Chapter 13 She was using crude candles made from melted candle wax. Strange appearances came not just from the ceiling. The floor was not a common display and none of the statues representing the gods were visible. After preparing what she was going to say, she walked blankly into the wall. ¡°Oh!¡± She was focusing on the ceiling and not on her feet. Rurutia, who had lost her center, swung heavily, but Cronu held her firmly so she did not fall. Cronu, who helped Rurutia find her center again, murmured, avoiding her gaze. ¡°Foot¡­ Be careful.¡± Rurutia, who held up her white wedding dress, looked at her feet. The floor¡¯s unevenness also drew Cronu¡¯s gaze because he was too shy and wanted to avoid her stare. If I don¡¯t focus on the floor due to its broken appearance, I will stumble. She looked at the floor and walked carefully. Cronu standing nearby suddenly became quiet. This allowed her to focus on her surroundings. The chapel and wedding hall, where outsiders were milling in and out, was a public space, but the inner building was a pavilion for only priests. The temple seemed to be poorly kept. They had no money to pay for it, so they sold all the statues and the chandelier pieces. The Paladins was one of the temple¡¯s most important buildings. According to the book¡¯s description, the imperial family tamed a temple that had become a lair of evil. Recently, the believers of the goddess Crescentia had decreased. The temple, where donations had fallen, had become far less luxurious than it used to be. At this time, the emperor, who needed a paladin, secretly proposed this: ¡°I¡¯ll give you a grant so that you¡¯ll be working for the imperial family.¡± The temple accepted the imperial proposal to fill the private interest. But there was no word to describe how poor they had become. ¡°If I¡¯d become that poor, I would have accepted any suggestion.¡± Rurutia looked around her. Cronu, who was ashamed of the temple, opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it looks.¡± ¡°How did you get in this mess?¡± Cronu smiled as he scratched his neck. ¡°Since we made wrong prophecies for the last few decades, the number of believers have shrunk, and we can¡¯t do business. We do receive some donations, but we don¡¯t have much revenue coming in these days.¡± It was a group of self-serving individuals, but they needed money. The temple, which was unable to do business, was operated by donations. The devotion of the Crescentia denomination was based on prophecy. The Pope, the head of the denomination, had the ability to communicate with the goddess. Once a year, he communes with the goddess and predicts many major natural disasters, such as typhoons and droughts. Based on his prophecies, the believers who were able to grasp the weather patterns in advance were thoroughly prepared. The devotees donated large sums of money in gratitude. But lately, whenever a prophecy was given, the predictions were wrong. This new trend created unrest and division among the people. As the weather forecast continued to deflect, the temple was blamed, and they were called ¡°Kura Cheong.¡± The farmers who farmed the land and sailors who sailed the seas even began to resent the temple. Here the imperial throne intervened. They will take care of the victims of major natural disasters. From then on, the imperial power was strengthened, and the priesthood was left on the floor. It was an old religion, and even though there were still many people with deep faith, it seemed there were many others who have defected. ¡°The failure to receive prophecy may be due to the disappearance of the Prince of the Holy Kingdom.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The prophecy continues to be wrong due to the Prince of the Holy Kingdom being cursed by the gods since he has been taken down and has long since disappeared.¡± Before Rurutia was born, the young prince of the Holy Kingdom, who had the lineage of the goddess, was kidnapped by monsters. The Holy State doubted the empire but found no evidence. They all said the prince was dead. Because of the death of her only son, the empress was completely destroyed by the goddess¡¯s immediate wrath. Chapter 14 It had been a long time since the goddess of his lineage cursed the world in anger. December 31st. It was a convincing old wives¡¯ tale that an angry goddess would descend directly to the earth and destroy the world. The day was ridiculously cold, but nothing happened. The problem occurred the next day, New Year¡¯s Day, at the Holy See. The pope was unable to hear the sound of the goddess¡¯ voice. ¡°Well, how did you hear her for about a decade without any obstacles? Now there seems to be a limit to how much you may commune with her. In particular, in recent years, the imperial family has been rewarded for the great damage, and because of this management has suffered. ¡° It was something Rurutia read from the book. When she looked into the book, dreams of past lives surfaced and she was able to view visions of another life just by flipping through the pages of a tome. What she saw next was the Imperial Empire, along with Zaritse, making a mistake by angering the squadron¡¯s captain, who demanded compensation. Rurutia, pulled into the world of the text, didn¡¯t see Cronu turn the horse around until it was nearly too late to catch up to him. It seemed like Cronu, who had a lament of the old verse, had his attention drawn away by some activity up ahead. Rurutia found Kaneshel walking slowly toward her. He was on his way to see Cronu, who was hard to come by, but decided to stop to have a word or two with her before he talked to the other paladin. ¡°Brucke Spirit.¡± In an old, shabby space, it seemed like Kaneshel was alone shining. She thought that he was not a human being at all but a god, as if he were standing alone in the midst of ruins. He¡¯s called me by name, so I¡¯m going to have to answer him the same way, Rurutia thought to herself. Kaneshel had never appeared on the official news circuit, so few people knew his name. Rurutia had read a book about his previous life and knew exactly who Kaneshel was, even though he had no idea. ¡°Captain Incruder.¡± He stopped coming when his name popped up. He moved his feet again and approached Rurutia¡¯s side. ¡°You will stay without changing your mind once you see the state of the temple.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be convinced by some old ruins?¡± However, if she had recalled her past life correctly, her previous selves would have screamed rather than live in such a dirty place even for just a second. Kaneshel grew up under extreme poverty with little to his name, but Rurutia¡¯s identity was like a peacock¡¯s affection. Although he suffered from domestic violence, he used it to his leverage and eventually lived a luxurious life in the golden age of the great aristocracy. It was strange and reluctant because even though she was a part of the aristocracy, her life was such a mess that she never thought to enjoy it. Rurutia also thought that she would not be able to stand it because she had memories of her past life. You can die from being in an old place. Being in a new place doesn¡¯t make it any better. Death is everywhere and it is indiscriminate. Rather, her life was more precarious in the mansion of the Duke of Brucke, surrounded by gold. Once they reached the site, Rurutia looked around herself. ¡°Yes, it looks cozy and feels better than I thought.¡± She pointed to the chandelier, as exploding light flashed from the ceiling. ¡°I had this new idea to remove the useless decorations and leave only the practical part. The chandelier was previously an eyesore. Crystal is what it¡¯s all about.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°There are so many traps to avoid on the floor so that I have to focus on walking. Did you make this to train in your daily life? It seems to be working out properly.¡± He decided to pretend to be in a situation where he was in a mood to kick something around, and then admitted that it was a bit messy. She had decided to redecorate the shabby temple, molding it into better shape so that she could catch the eyes of the people. Chapter 15 Back in the room, Rurutia¡¯s heart was pounding. ¡®I did it on impulse.¡¯ Her father, who was already angry about this incident, might bring the knights here. In that case, to not damage the temple, she would have to return to the mansion sooner than scheduled. ¡®But I don¡¯t regret it.¡¯ Because she¡¯s sure she did the right thing. Rurutia paced around the room holding her chest tightly and sat down in front of the dressing table. Her reflection in the mirror seemed unusually lively. Her heart kept tickling. It was different from pounding from not feeling well. It also wasn¡¯t the anxiety that she might be dragged back to the mansion. ¡°Huuu.¡± Her heart raced when she imagined the delighted faces of the people in the temple. They¡¯ll feel better if they eat delicious and nutritious meals and are energized. ¡®The captain who will go on the expedition will be able to use more energy to fight off the monsters.¡¯ It may not be of great help, but she hoped it helps even by a bit. As her thoughts reached this point, an unhappy future came to mind. ¡®Isn¡¯t he supposed to die on this mission?¡¯ Rurutia, who became more comfortable with her body and mind, recalled the contents of the book. Looking back, Kane¡¯s death was right after the Empress¡¯s birthday. Her immediate concern was how her father would come here. Lost in her thoughts, Rurutia tapped the dressing table with her fingertips. A comb touched the tip of her fingers. The comb that her mother handed down was made of black crystal. ¡®In the book, my father started the Black Crystal business after the expedition began.¡¯ Then, in that case, he¡¯ll break his arms and legs and lock them up. (note: i¡¯m not sure what this meant) He¡¯ll feel great doing the business he wanted, and he won¡¯t care about Rurutia. ¡®Wait, the Black Crystal business¡­¡­. started?¡¯ Rurutia sprang up from her seat. No one knew the hidden value of the gold mine owned by Gael, or more precisely, Diorde. ¡®The gold mine he bought a few days ago. He¡¯s gonna have to hand it over to someone else.¡¯ ¡®Didn¡¯t it say that the gold that¡¯s mined there has a high value?¡¯ ¡®What should I do? The digging was so bad that no gold was found, even after half a year. No gold dust has been found in the last two months.¡¯ Diorde went all over the place and complained. No one wanted to buy a worthless mine that he put up for sale. He had no choice but to give away the gold mine, but it was actually a black crystal mine. Excited, Gael tried various businesses over the next 10 years but failed. Despite the heavy losses, the Bruckes did not fail until the end. It¡¯s a mine with a huge amount of black crystals to compensate for Gael¡¯s losses! ¡®If only I could get the mine for myself.¡¯ If she had enough money, she could help regain the authority of the temple and confront the Brucke family. Rurutia¡¯s cheeks turned red when she found an answer to what she thought was impossible. ¡®I don¡¯t think I need to go back to the Brucke mansion.¡¯ Rurutia looked at the beautiful wedding dress that was hung up. Although the assumption of ¡°hopefully¡± was added, a good business plan was drawn. It was a way to get away from her father, what she wanted so badly. * * * After breakfast and prayer, the Paladins immediately began training. They swung their sword hard, but it looked awkward. It¡¯s been a long time since they had a proper meal, so they weren¡¯t encouraged. In addition, after the hard training, they were depressed just by imagining that they were going to be waiting for water with tree bark and wild plants. ¡°Lunch will be *socks boiled in water, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s terrifying just to think about it. Eating a meal is torture.¡± After the training, the Paladins took a bath, changed into priest¡¯s clothes, and headed to the cafeteria. Strangely, the closer they got to the cafeteria, the nicer it smelled. ¡°What¡¯s this smell?¡± ¡°It smells good¡­¡­.¡± Some gulped their saliva and walked faster. They were greeted by a variety of well-done meat dishes. It was full of fresh vegetables and fruit salads. Dried wild greens were nowhere to be seen. ¡°Is this the meal? Were there diamonds found in the basement of the temple?¡± The kitchen priest carrying the food said. ¡°An anonymous believer made a big donation. You don¡¯t have to worry about eating for a while.¡± An anonymous believer. He didn¡¯t say who it was, but they knew who it was. ¡®There must be a reason you don¡¯t want to reveal your name.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a pity I couldn¡¯t express my thanks directly.¡¯ The Paladins thought and began to eat, reciting their thanks to Rurutia. * * * Kitchen after lunchtime. At the same time as washing dishes, dinner preparation was in full swing. There¡¯s a lot of work to do, but the temple kitchen was more lively than ever. The chef, who had been grumpy and angry, felt better. He even hummed while cutting the meat. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve touched proper ingredients and shown my skills.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to say thank you to Lady Brucke!¡± The chef, who was cleaning up, shouted as if he was pouring cold water on the excited priests. ¡°No! It¡¯s from an anonymous believer. We must abide by their will.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­.¡± The priests in charge of the kitchen were all interested in cooking. They used to have doubts about why they were doing this because they only cooked dried vegetables every day, but thanks to Rurutia, they enjoyed the kitchen work. Thank her so much. ¡°How can we not?¡± The priest, who had thought of many things to say to her, asked. The chef, who has already thanked Rurutia directly, also understood their feelings. He said, dipping the minced meat into the water with the herbs. ¡°Oh, well, I can¡¯t help it. Why don¡¯t we make the Lady¡¯s food separately to express our gratitude?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea!¡± The expressions of the priests who applauded were noticeably brighter. ¡°Let¡¯s think about what type of food would be good.¡± One of the priests, who was thinking about what Rurutia would be happy about, spoke. ¡°Sandwiches are in trend these days.¡± ¡°Sandwich?¡± ¡°They put a lot of boiled meat in pickled onion sauce. The bread is also sprinkled with finely grounded biscuits to add a crispy texture!¡± ¡°That would be great.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll bake the bread!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make the sauce.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll prepare a drink for her.¡± The kitchen became even noisier. * * * Afternoon when the sun begins to set. Kanechel was skipping lunch and arranging the documents of the temple¡¯s finances. ¡®It¡¯s already this time?¡¯ It was time for dinner. He didn¡¯t want to give Rurutia a poor meal. What food should he send Rurutia tonight? He wanted to serve her the best food possible, but everything in the temple seemed lacking to her. ¡°Ed.¡± Kanechel called for his aide standing at the entrance of his office and took out his own money. Priests could not build their fortune. Xavi was part of the cost given to him, the Commander of the Paladins. Because the temple was so poor, the amount was so small that they didn¡¯t know what to do with it. But it was enough to treat Rurutia to a better meal than the temple¡¯s food. ¡°Yes, Captain.¡± ¡°Do you know any popular restaurants in the capital these days? And if the food that can be packaged.¡±1 ¡°A popular restaurant¡­¡­last time I went out, I heard that the sandwich shop in Central Square is popular.¡± ¡°Buy one of those sandwiches and give it to Lady Brucke.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Does Rurutia like sandwiches? Kane, who recalled her, had a faint smile. Ed was embarrassed to see Kanechel¡¯s smile after a very long time. He thought it meant that if he did something he never did before, he was hurt somewhere. ¡°Are you ill, sir?¡± ¡°No.¡± He returned to his expressionless face again. Kanechel was not harsh and unfriendly during his apprenticeship, but he wasn¡¯t lively as he is now. It was after he made a deal with the Imperial Family that he became sharper. The Imperial Family and Empress gave a secret mission on Kanechel. His close aide and deputy general, Cronu. The content of the mission, which only two senior knights knew, was an expedition to eradicate the monsters. Since it was a secret job to help the Imperial Family, it was impossible to use the Paladins. It was difficult for him to go on an expedition alone. He must have been at the death threshold multiple times. Kanechel didn¡¯t laugh because he didn¡¯t want to share the big burden he was carrying with others. He doesn¡¯t have to carry it on his own. His tightly closed lips seemed to express his inner feelings that he didn¡¯t want to show even a small bit. * * * It¡¯s been about an hour since he sent Ed. Looking at the time, he would have delivered the sandwich to Rurutia by now. After work, Kanechel organized the remaining documents and left the office for dinner.+ ¡°Oh, Captain!¡± The Paladin welcomed Kanezel. Seeing that he raised one hand, he seemed to have opened the door just before he knocked. An unsuitable basket hung from his arm. It was very suspicious that he covered it with a white cloth and tied a ribbon. Chapter 16 Back in the room, Rurutia¡¯s heart was pounding. ¡®I did it on impulse.¡¯ Her father, who was already angry about this incident, might bring the knights here. In that case, to not damage the temple, she would have to return to the mansion sooner than scheduled. ¡®But I don¡¯t regret it.¡¯ Because she¡¯s sure she did the right thing. Rurutia paced around the room holding her chest tightly and sat down in front of the dressing table. Her reflection in the mirror seemed unusually lively. Her heart kept tickling. It was different from pounding from not feeling well. It also wasn¡¯t the anxiety that she might be dragged back to the mansion. ¡°Huuu.¡± Her heart raced when she imagined the delighted faces of the people in the temple. They¡¯ll feel better if they eat delicious and nutritious meals and are energized. ¡®The captain who will go on the expedition will be able to use more energy to fight off the monsters.¡¯ It may not be of great help, but she hoped it helps even by a bit. As her thoughts reached this point, an unhappy future came to mind. ¡®Isn¡¯t he supposed to die on this mission?¡¯ Rurutia, who became more comfortable with her body and mind, recalled the contents of the book. Looking back, Kane¡¯s death was right after the Empress¡¯s birthday. Her immediate concern was how her father would come here. Lost in her thoughts, Rurutia tapped the dressing table with her fingertips. A comb touched the tip of her fingers. The comb that her mother handed down was made of black crystal. ¡®In the book, my father started the Black Crystal business after the expedition began.¡¯ Then, in that case, he¡¯ll break his arms and legs and lock them up. (note: i¡¯m not sure what this meant) He¡¯ll feel great doing the business he wanted, and he won¡¯t care about Rurutia. ¡®Wait, the Black Crystal business¡­¡­. started?¡¯ Rurutia sprang up from her seat. No one knew the hidden value of the gold mine owned by Gael, or more precisely, Diorde. ¡®The gold mine he bought a few days ago. He¡¯s gonna have to hand it over to someone else.¡¯ ¡®Didn¡¯t it say that the gold that¡¯s mined there has a high value?¡¯ ¡®What should I do? The digging was so bad that no gold was found, even after half a year. No gold dust has been found in the last two months.¡¯ Diorde went all over the place and complained. No one wanted to buy a worthless mine that he put up for sale. He had no choice but to give away the gold mine, but it was actually a black crystal mine. Excited, Gael tried various businesses over the next 10 years but failed. Despite the heavy losses, the Bruckes did not fail until the end. It¡¯s a mine with a huge amount of black crystals to compensate for Gael¡¯s losses! ¡®If only I could get the mine for myself.¡¯ If she had enough money, she could help regain the authority of the temple and confront the Brucke family. Rurutia¡¯s cheeks turned red when she found an answer to what she thought was impossible. ¡®I don¡¯t think I need to go back to the Brucke mansion.¡¯ Rurutia looked at the beautiful wedding dress that was hung up. Although the assumption of ¡°hopefully¡± was added, a good business plan was drawn. It was a way to get away from her father, what she wanted so badly. * * * After breakfast and prayer, the Paladins immediately began training. They swung their sword hard, but it looked awkward. It¡¯s been a long time since they had a proper meal, so they weren¡¯t encouraged. In addition, after the hard training, they were depressed just by imagining that they were going to be waiting for water with tree bark and wild plants. ¡°Lunch will be *socks boiled in water, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s terrifying just to think about it. Eating a meal is torture.¡± After the training, the Paladins took a bath, changed into priest¡¯s clothes, and headed to the cafeteria. Strangely, the closer they got to the cafeteria, the nicer it smelled. ¡°What¡¯s this smell?¡± ¡°It smells good¡­¡­.¡± Some gulped their saliva and walked faster. They were greeted by a variety of well-done meat dishes. It was full of fresh vegetables and fruit salads. Dried wild greens were nowhere to be seen. ¡°Is this the meal? Were there diamonds found in the basement of the temple?¡± The kitchen priest carrying the food said. ¡°An anonymous believer made a big donation. You don¡¯t have to worry about eating for a while.¡± An anonymous believer. He didn¡¯t say who it was, but they knew who it was. ¡®There must be a reason you don¡¯t want to reveal your name.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a pity I couldn¡¯t express my thanks directly.¡¯ The Paladins thought and began to eat, reciting their thanks to Rurutia. * * * Kitchen after lunchtime. At the same time as washing dishes, dinner preparation was in full swing. There¡¯s a lot of work to do, but the temple kitchen was more lively than ever. The chef, who had been grumpy and angry, felt better. He even hummed while cutting the meat. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve touched proper ingredients and shown my skills.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to say thank you to Lady Brucke!¡± The chef, who was cleaning up, shouted as if he was pouring cold water on the excited priests. ¡°No! It¡¯s from an anonymous believer. We must abide by their will.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­.¡± The priests in charge of the kitchen were all interested in cooking. They used to have doubts about why they were doing this because they only cooked dried vegetables every day, but thanks to Rurutia, they enjoyed the kitchen work. Thank her so much. ¡°How can we not?¡± The priest, who had thought of many things to say to her, asked. The chef, who has already thanked Rurutia directly, also understood their feelings. He said, dipping the minced meat into the water with the herbs. ¡°Oh, well, I can¡¯t help it. Why don¡¯t we make the Lady¡¯s food separately to express our gratitude?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea!¡± The expressions of the priests who applauded were noticeably brighter. ¡°Let¡¯s think about what type of food would be good.¡± One of the priests, who was thinking about what Rurutia would be happy about, spoke. ¡°Sandwiches are in trend these days.¡± ¡°Sandwich?¡± ¡°They put a lot of boiled meat in pickled onion sauce. The bread is also sprinkled with finely grounded biscuits to add a crispy texture!¡± ¡°That would be great.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll bake the bread!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make the sauce.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll prepare a drink for her.¡± The kitchen became even noisier. * * * Afternoon when the sun begins to set. Kanechel was skipping lunch and arranging the documents of the temple¡¯s finances. ¡®It¡¯s already this time?¡¯ It was time for dinner. He didn¡¯t want to give Rurutia a poor meal. What food should he send Rurutia tonight? He wanted to serve her the best food possible, but everything in the temple seemed lacking to her. ¡°Ed.¡± Kanechel called for his aide standing at the entrance of his office and took out his own money. Priests could not build their fortune. Xavi was part of the cost given to him, the Commander of the Paladins. Because the temple was so poor, the amount was so small that they didn¡¯t know what to do with it. But it was enough to treat Rurutia to a better meal than the temple¡¯s food. ¡°Yes, Captain.¡± ¡°Do you know any popular restaurants in the capital these days? And if the food that can be packaged.¡±+ ¡°A popular restaurant¡­¡­last time I went out, I heard that the sandwich shop in Central Square is popular.¡± ¡°Buy one of those sandwiches and give it to Lady Brucke.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Does Rurutia like sandwiches? Kane, who recalled her, had a faint smile. Ed was embarrassed to see Kanechel¡¯s smile after a very long time. He thought it meant that if he did something he never did before, he was hurt somewhere. ¡°Are you ill, sir?¡± ¡°No.¡± He returned to his expressionless face again. Kanechel was not harsh and unfriendly during his apprenticeship, but he wasn¡¯t lively as he is now. It was after he made a deal with the Imperial Family that he became sharper. The Imperial Family and Empress gave a secret mission on Kanechel. His close aide and deputy general, Cronu. The content of the mission, which only two senior knights knew, was an expedition to eradicate the monsters. Since it was a secret job to help the Imperial Family, it was impossible to use the Paladins. It was difficult for him to go on an expedition alone. He must have been at the death threshold multiple times. Kanechel didn¡¯t laugh because he didn¡¯t want to share the big burden he was carrying with others. He doesn¡¯t have to carry it on his own. His tightly closed lips seemed to express his inner feelings that he didn¡¯t want to show even a small bit. * * * It¡¯s been about an hour since he sent Ed. Looking at the time, he would have delivered the sandwich to Rurutia by now. After work, Kanechel organized the remaining documents and left the office for dinner. ¡°Oh, Captain!¡± The Paladin welcomed Kanezel. Seeing that he raised one hand, he seemed to have opened the door just before he knocked. An unsuitable basket hung from his arm. It was very suspicious that he covered it with a white cloth and tied a ribbon.