"Is the maiden inside?"

As Latvan asked, the attendants quickly bowed their heads towards him.

"Yes, it seems the preparations are complete."

"Very well."

In response to the attendants' answer, Latvan nodded his head. Now he had to go inside, but somehow his steps didn't come easily. As he hesitated at the door, he noticed the cloak draped over his shoulder.

"If the captain wears it, it would be an honor!"

Sidel said so, offering her own cloak to Latvan as if she would even strip off her undergarments if he wished.

Latvan recalled where his cloak was. It would be neatly hanging on the barren coat rack in his bleak office.

In truth, his cloak wasn't so dirty that he couldn't wear it. When he wrapped the maiden, a few rotten eggs from her hair had stained it, but that had been easily wiped away with a simple cleaning. The reason Latvan had hung up the cloak was different.

He saw the cloak she had worn. Specifically, the lower right part. Sidel's cloak was immaculate, without a single wrinkle. However, the cloak hanging on the coat rack now would be filled with creases. They were all marks left by the maiden who had made it last night.

After a hectic first day of the ceremony, as the deep night set in, Latvan headed to the sanctuary.

There was nowhere else in the temple grounds that offered quietude during the ceremony. Occasionally, there were attending priests who sought the sanctuary, but as soon as they exchanged a few words that didn't seem particularly welcoming, they quickly left.

Indeed, when he arrived, the sanctuary was enveloped in tranquil stillness.

Latvan purposely walked slowly. The events of the day kept troubling his mind.

"It's strange."

The maiden is strange.

His conflicting emotions of disliking the maiden and yet feeling compelled to fulfill his duty clashed sharply within him. At first, he couldn't bear the insult and refused to guard her, but in the end, he turned his heart around and went to fulfill his obligation on the morning of the ceremony.

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Since he had been responsible for guarding the maiden until last year, there was no major issue with rearranging the knight assignments. Rather, the superior knights of the order, who had been responsible for guarding the maiden, couldn't conceal their relief at Latvan's change of heart.

Just as the knights disliked the maiden, the maiden also disliked them.

Of course, it wasn't always that way. Evelina had been quite friendly with them when she was a young girl. Although they didn't meet often, whenever she had the chance, she would visit the order and play with the knights, a cute little girl curious about the knights. But at some point, her visits became infrequent, and eventually, they ceased entirely.

"When did it start?"

Why did Evelina suddenly begin casting disdainful gazes toward them? The exact reason was unknown. In fact, the reason itself wasn't important. What was important was the fact that the maiden harbored hostility toward the temple knights.

"Ah..."

As Latvan momentarily recalled past events, he sighed out of frustration. It wasn't the time to reminisce about old matters. The individuals who caused a disturbance during the ceremony and were captured were calmly sporting faces even when thrown into the underground prison. Among themselves, they laughed and chattered, saying things like "We'll be out soon." Why they were making such remarks, Latvan knew.

They were the ones referred to as the "people who dared to criticize the maiden courageously." And outside the temple, the voices calling for their release seemed to be growing louder.

However, regardless of what others said, Latvan had no intention of releasing them easily. They were the ones who had harmed the maiden.

"And..."

They claimed it was in the name of justice to expose the maiden's falsehood, but their attitude was strange.

"I must conduct a more thorough investigation and deliver my words to the maiden!"

As Latvan pondered what to say to the maiden, he came to a halt when he turned a corner in the sanctuary. On the bench in the corner, he saw a white figure lying lengthwise. There was no need to look closely. It was the maiden.

"Why is she here again?"

After the conclusion of the prayer meeting, I presumed she would be quietly resting in her room.

"Are you planning to have another rendezvous with the men tonight?" I reflexively thought.

Upon realizing she was alone, Latvan blushed. It was embarrassing over his audacious speculation.

Even though he purposely made a noise with his steps, the saint remained motionless. As he stood there silently, he could hear the rhythmic sound of her breathing. Apparently, she had fallen into a deep slumber.

"Oh dear."

No matter how grand the sanctuary was, it was unexpected for someone to sleep so soundly in such a place. Latvan thought he should wake the saint and approached her.

"......"

However, when Latvan got closer, contrary to his expectations, he found himself unable to utter a single word. The saint, who was asleep on the bench, had an incredibly serene expression on her face.

"Perhaps I should just go back."

As he entertained that thought and attempted to turn away, there was a hand gripping his cloak.