prologue

“I demand the return of Saintess Daina.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

The eyes of the grand duke shone brightly. Priest Pedrick coughed, flinching in the green light.

“Didn’t you take the saint from our temple? It was strange when you bought the humble child.”

“….A humble child,”

Deheen repeated after Pedrick in a low voice. Pedrick trembled as he felt the dangerous air from him.

“We know that Daina has become aware of her awakening. She belongs to our temple, so please return her. Our situation has gotten difficult now.”

The way of speaking was such that it was from someone who never saw the person as anything but an object. Deheen’s patience reached its peak, and the corners of his lips curled up coldly.

“I don’t know how you knew it, but… you bought the saint for only a million errins. The Grand Duke is too much.”

In the end, Deheen lifted his leg and kicked the table hard.

Bang!

The table broke with a tremendous roar. Pieces splattered all over the places, smoke billowed, and the office became a mess.

“Grand Duke Deheen! What are you doing!!”

“What am I doing? I’m just protecting my daughter.”

He didn’t stop there, instead he drew his sword. Raising a sword against a priest was tantamount to declaring war on the temple. As the situation turned urgent, even the paladins and Deheen’s knights raised their swords.

In an instant, the office was in an atmosphere of confrontation. There was tension on everyone’s face, their complexions lost their color.

Everyone, listen carefully.”

Deheen roared loudly.

“Her name is not Daina, but Esther. And she is not a saint, but my daughter.”

“Your Excellency! No!”

There was no stopping it.

After finishing his words, Deheen struck the sword without hesitation and Priest Pedrick’s left arm was cut off. It was the true image of Deheen, the grand duke who was famous for being monstrous.

While everyone was frozen, the priest who came with Pedrick jumped between the two. He shuddered and poured all his divine power into Pedrick’s arm. Soon after, there was a lot of blood and the arm was reattached. Pedrick, who almost lost one arm, was pale.

“What is this… what have you done….”

“Once more, if you don’t stop talking about my daughter.”

Deheen gazed right into Pedrick’s eyes. Then, he polished his words with sincerity.

“I’m ready for war.”

★★★

Priest Perikel was dozing off while guarding the prison’s entrance.

Then, his eyes opened because he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Perikel stood up and waited for the main character of the sound to arrive.

It was Saintess Rabienne, as he had expected.

“Lady Saintess! Have you come to pray again? How many years has it been… you can stop now.”

“No, Daina was a dear friend of mine. I can’t give up.”

Rabienne smiled bitterly and lowered her big eyes. Perikel’s eyes that were on Rabienne were filled with admiration.

“The benevolence of a saint who shows mercy to such a monster. The monster will never know how much grace this is.”

With a sad smile at Perikel’s words, Rabienne put her hands together to set an example.

“It’s my job as a saint. Priest Perikel, I’m sorry, but could you please excuse me for a moment?”

“Yes, I understand.”

This often happened, so Perikel answered as per usual. Perikel turned his stiff shoulders and took the soldiers out of the tower.

After confirming that there was no one else around, Rabienne opened the door to the prison.

As she walked into the room, her expression glistened with joy.

“I’m here.”

Where the bright voice of Rabienne was directed to, the small body of a woman was curled up, tied helplessly to a magical tool, it was Daina, whom Rabienne called a dear friend.

Rabienne walked straight toward Daina who hadn’t responded to her words. As soon as she arrived in front of Daina, she grasped Daina’s cheek with her right hand. Daina’s body, which could not overcome the strength, staggered.

“I’m here?”

“…….”

However, Daina didn’t respond. Her empty gaze only stared into the air, with nothing in it. Not heading to Rabienne who was calling her.

When Rabienne saw that the amount was less than she expected, her voice filled with irritation. She sighed and approached Khalid, her guard. Then she pulled out his sword. A sacred sword given only to the paladins representing the temple. In the center was a red ruby, symbolizing the eyes of the goddess, Espitos.

With the holy sword in her hand, Rabienne tried to return to Daina. Then Khalid, who was buried in darkness like a shadow, came forward.

“I’ll do it. You don’t have to get your hands dirty.”

“Is that so?”

Rabienne widened her eyes as if in thought, then she grinned and handed the sword to Khalid.

The holy sword, blessed by the goddess. A sword of justice that was to be used only to carry out the goddess’ will wounded Daina’s palm.

“Umm….”

‘It hurts—’

Daina suffered from the pain that was piercing through her hand, leaning back her head. However, her screams failed to escape. It was because of the cloth that was tightly stuffed in Daina’s mouth.

The cloth meant to prevent self-harm was a shackle that could not be released except during mealtime.

As if she didn’t like the look, Rabienne rubbed her mouth. She passed Daina and went into the void behind her back.

There was a crystal bottle connected to Daina. The red liquid was shaking inside.

“Why is so little gathered?”

Maybe it was because of anguish. For the first time since Rabienne entered the prison, Daina’s head was cleared up. At that moment, her eyes met with Khalid’s, who was staring at her.

Khalid turned away from her eyes mixed with resentment, anger, and hatred.

All the blood from Daina’s hand flowed into the bottle that Rabienne was holding. The red liquid was Daina’s blood, and Rabienne drank her blood and emptied it clean.

“Well, good.”

Rabienne, who drank her blood and smiled broadly, was as beautiful as a dead flower. Daina’s blood glistened over her prettily curved lips.

Daina stared at Rabienne, her lips trembling. Feeling the gaze, Rabienne smiled even more brightly and drew her face closer.

“Why? Are you complaining?”

Rabienne stroked Daina’s tangled hair. Then, she held a few strands of hair and tucked them behind her ears.

“You dared to take what’s mine. You don’t know your place, yet you have the power of a saint.”

Rabienne strode and pushed Daina aside. Daina’s head crashed against a hard wall.

Rabienne, who achieved her purpose, left the prison with a smile. Daina’s eyes closed weakly as she looked at the backs of the two.

‘I’m the real one. I’m the real saint… I am….’

As always, it was only in Daina’s mind.

Her cry reached no one.

Krieek.

The thick iron door, which had been tightly closed, opened with a clatter. They were the new sisters dressed in white who opened the door to the prison where Daina was.

“It’s meal time.”

The oldest of the three, Rachel, was frosty. Rachel took the lead in entering the room. She was followed by her junior, Helen, and the newcomer, Annie. Annie was the new girl who would take charge of Daina from today. It was the first work given to her.

Annie, who entered the room with a nervous face, opened her mouth in surprise at the sight of Daina.

The many wounds seen through the clothes with clear blood stains were shocking.

“S-Sister Rachel, that figure is… who did that?”

A panicked Annie stuttered and asked Rachel.

“Who did that? That’s the way it is. She can’t bother others here, so she’s abusing herself.”

“How can she do that when she’s tied up like that?”

“That’s why she’s a monster.”

Rachel told her to stop asking questions and be quiet. Annie restrained herself under the glare, but she couldn’t erase the feeling that something was strange.

Rachel went forward, grabbing Daina’s chin and forcefully raising her head. Then Daina, who was asleep, woke up with quivering eyelids.

Daina’s clear eyes moved slowly as if she was trying to grasp the situation. Her eyelids would have been closed again if it was a normal day, but not today.

Her eyes fell on Annie, who was standing behind Rachel. And then, in a moment, she was revived.

The other girls didn’t know, but Annie felt Daina’s gaze staring at her. In the dark, Annie’s arm was filled with goosebumps.

“Si-Sister! This….”

“What are you doing standing still? Have you forgotten what you have to do?”

“Ah… No!”

Annie, who was about to talk about Daina, shut her mouth at Rachel’s scolding. Meanwhile, Helen took the cloth out of Daina’s mouth. It was to feed the food they brought.

The usual meal given to Daina was a liquid that was as good as water because it had to be swallowed without chewing.

Rachel spilled the liquid she had brought into Daina’s mouth. She couldn’t eat it on her own, so most of it splashed messily around her mouth.

‘Poor thing.’

Annie had a bitter feeling that she had become an accomplice to the abuse.

No one gave her an explanation about the top-class criminal. She was just ordered to keep quiet about everything she saw here.

What kind of sin did this girl commit to be treated like this? Annie thought that way while blankly staring at Daina. Again, their eyes met.

—Release me.

At that moment, an enchanting voice that Annie had never heard before rang in her head

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