chapter 4

Daina blinked as she held the hem of her skirt. Even if she didn’t care, she couldn’t help but be hurt by their rant.

There was nothing more to listen and see. Thinking of ignoring it, Daina turned her head back to Deheen.

‘…No!’

However, Deheen’s seat was empty. In a hurry, Daina looked for Deheen and found him just leaving the back door. After instinctively realizing that this was an opportunity, Daina jumped up from her seat.

Sarah grabbed Daina’s arm as she tried to run away.

“You think I’m joking now? Where are you going when I’m talking to you?”

“Haah…”

Suddenly, Daina groaned quietly, surprised by the pressure she felt in her arm. Then the new priestess who was managing the other candidates returned.

Sarah quickly released the arm she was holding and asked Daina not to make a fuss.

“What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

“Well… Daina suddenly got up. I told her to sit down.”

At Sarah’s excuse, the priestess looked at Daina with a terrifying expression.

“Daina, explain why it happened.”

Daina, who was in a hurry, looked around and started to feel nervous.

“I’m going out to pick up a chair.”

“If it’s a chair, Sarah, I ordered you, right?”

“I was going to go, but Daina insisted she can go!”

“Hmm, then Daina, don’t be so loud and go fast.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Sarah grunted behind the priestess as she stuck out her tongue to Daina. Daina walked out of the venue without showing her face.

Now, it didn’t matter if she could chase the grand duke, but Deheen was not seen in the hallway.

After getting out of the temple, she walked along the main road and looked around. However, it was impossible to find him who disappeared from the crowd of people who gathered to celebrate the festival.

“It’s all wrong.”

Daina walked furiously, unable to hide her disappointment.

The moment she thought she had to go back like this, the entrance of the garden appeared in front of her. Turns out, she went the wrong way. It was a garden where few people came and went.

The garden was not managed by the temple, so she stepped into the garden full of weeds. Daina’s eyes widened, it seemed that she could clutch a bunch of straws.

‘Heuk.’

Deheen could be seen from far away. She didn’t know why he was here, but he was alone with only some guards. There was no one else because this was a remote area.

It was an opportunity that Daina would never have again. Daina quickly grabbed the knife she had brought. Concealed in her flowy sleeves, there was no apparent sign of it at all.

She was sweating, and her palms were damp from nervousness. She quickly wiped her hands on her clothes and made up her mind.

“Grand Duke!”

Daina, who had made her decision, called out loud. Fortunately, Deheen stopped to see if he had really heard a voice.

Daina did not miss the chance and quickly tried to walk to Deheen. But she couldn’t get close. Deheen’s guards completely intercepted between him and her.

Daina, who was small, was quickly overshadowed by them. She became nervous when she couldn’t see Deheen in her field of vision.

She couldn’t miss an opportunity like this. As her heart became impatient, she forgot the scary things and cried out loud as if she was possessed by evil.

“I have something to tell you! Wait, it only takes a minute.”

Daina’s earnestness must have reached. Deheen, taller than others, could be seen by Daina through the escorts.

‘I’m scared.’

Daina swallowed. The moment his cold gaze turned to her; a sense of fear came unexpectedly.

She felt her heart pierced with cold eyes. It was a pressure that she has never felt before.

The two eyes, which made her walk backwards on their own, clearly stared at Daina and narrowed the distance. She felt chills from head to toe, so her hands were more tense.

Deheen was approaching Daina as if he was looking for a prey. He intentionally pressured the girl who interrupted his break.

‘Huu… huh?’

However, Daina, who refused to budge, made an eyebrow of Deheen’s to slip upward. He immediately thought that she would run away, but it was fun to see her holding on to her shaking lips.

He wondered what made the little girl so desperate.

“Open the way.”

When Deheen ordered, the guards set the way. Deheen widened his eyes fiercely and stared at Daina. She seemed like a tree branch, a young child who would fall right away.

Of course, he thought Daina couldn’t take it, but he wanted to test how hard she could endure.

‘I’m scared.’

In fact, Daina almost sat down and her legs trembled as soon as Deheen’s eyes met hers. It was a natural reaction from the body. Still, she abandoned it.

This was nothing compared to what she had been through. Daina forced her stiff feet to move as if they were rooted on the ground.

She had to get a little closer in order to hurt him.

“Looking at your clothes, you seem like a saint candidate. What’s the matter with me?”

Daina flinched at Deheen’s low voice. The voice clearly drew a line saying, stop coming. However, it was still far from the knife to reach.

“Can I get closer?”

“Okay.”

Fortunately, Deheen allowed Daina’s access. Not only Deheen but also many people were looking at Daina.

In the tremor of walking on thin ice, Daina walked casually, Finally, it’s only two steps.

‘This is enough.’

She didn’t mean to hurt Deheen too much. The goal was to make a small cut anywhere in the leg. It was enough to stimulate Deheen.

If you dare to attack Grand Duke, it’s not strange to be killed on the spot. Daina took a breath and looked up at him.

She couldn’t find any caution from him. He couldn’t imagine what a little girl would do.

“So, what do you have to say?”

“Well…”

Daina bent her head down, opened her mouth as if she was talking and quickly swung her knife. From the beginning, she only aimed at his legs. She ran and stretched her arms out and seemed to touch his thighs.

“Ugh.”

But not a chance. Daina’s movement was too slow to avoid Deheen’s eyes. He had already noticed Daina’s strange behavior.

He left Daina alone because he was confident to stop her no matter what she did. Deheen, who stole Daina’s knife, thought it was strange.

‘What is this little girl?’

He never felt danger from the child. No matter how much of a professional she was, it couldn’t hide how perfect he was.

So, he wasn’t wary, but how dare she swing a knife at him. Perhaps she was fearless, but she was so amazing that he even laughed for nothing.

“How foolish.”

Deheen had a perfect view of Daina. Her worn out training suit and her cuffs that were likely dry stood out.

Daina was just standing blankly after her knife was taken. She knew her situation, but she didn’t even try to run away.

Such unnatural appearance aroused Deheen’ curiosity.

“Your Grace! I will hand this child to the temple right now.”

“No, wait.”

When Ben, who was restless next to him, stepped in, Deheen raised his hand firmly. The guards drew their swords and surrounded Daina while waiting for Deheen’s orders.

Fierce pressure gripped Daina from all sides. Deheen looked at the knife he had taken away from Daina. Then when he finished contemplating, he put the knife against Daina’s neck.

The blade of the knife glittered in the sunlight in all directions.

“Did you only try to kill me with this?”

Daina looked at her blade and clenched her teeth. She thought she was wrong because she couldn’t hurt him, but it wasn’t over yet.

The sharp blade seemed to hurt her tender flesh at any moment.

‘Please.’

She desperately hoped that the blade that Deheen aimed at would be stuck in her heart. No matter who sees, Daina’s neck struggled in a dangerous situation.

“Who sent you?”

Deheen’s voice, which came from his mouth, was as quiet as spring breeze.

‘So calm.’

Daina wondered at the sight. Deheen, who she first encountered, seemed to be a completely a different person from what she had heard.

According to the rumors, he’s a fiery person and he doesn’t hold back anger. But right now, he had no small agitation in front of the girl who attacked him.

“If you don’t answer quickly, I’ll kill you.”

The knife stuck closer to Daina’s neck. Drops of red blood began to form on the tip of his knife. Daina closed her lips tightly, feeling a sore tingling pain. She was hoping for nothing.

Deheen, who wanted an answer, thought that this could provoke her. Deheen’s eyes changed when Daina said nothing.

The air around him changed when he solved the murder she had been hiding.

A breathtaking force has weighed on Daina and pressured her. The tip of Daina’s chin trembled. Her legs were also loosened and was about to be bent. Nevertheless, Daina left standing.

Daina stared at Daina.

‘It’s strange.’

It’s not the first time she overcome the pressure, but it’s already the second time. Just looking at the shaking, it wasn’t necessary to have skills. It’s clear that his pressure is working but she holds on to it. It wasn’t easy for a saint to do this.

‘Why are you doing this?’

Daina was not a professional assassin in Deheen’s view. She didn’t know how to use a knife and hide her presence.

There must be a purpose when he saw the weapon was a knife.

“You, why did you approach…?”

While Deheen was talking, Daina took the knife to her neck. Although the knife was small, it was well sharpened.

“….?”

The blade quickly wounded Daina’s neck. The pain came in an instant, but Daina did not stop.

‘I can die.’

When she thought about it, Daina’s mouth, which had been stiff, softened. Daina herself noticed the small change she didn’t know, and her eyes twinkled.

“Is that it?”

At the same time, the knife moved away from Daina’s neck.

“No!”

Daina hurriedly reached out and tried to hold Deheen’s arm, but it was impossible.

“You didn’t come here to kill me from the beginning, you came to die? Who sent you? Is it the temple?”

Definitely, Deheen and the temple were not on good terms. Deheen was regarded as a thorn in the temple’s side. It was good for them to have an advantage in negotiations if Deheen made an accident in the temple.

The temple was full of people who would make it easy to sacrifice a child for that.

‘Is it Christopher’s fault?’

Deheen thought of the High Priest Christopher.

“No! It has nothing to do with the temple. The high-ranking people of the temple don’t give me, an orphan, important jobs.”

Daina explained desperately. If he thought she had something to do with the temple, Deheen wouldn’t kill her. And as Daina expected…

“Even if that’s true, I won’t kill you. There are plenty of reasons why you’re dressed as a candidate for a saint.”

Deheen looked at Daina’s training suit and made his eyes appear scarier. Deheen had nothing more to find out from Daina, and so he ordered coldly.

“Ben, take her to the temple.”

“Okay.”

At his words, Daina fell helplessly to the floor.

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