Latvan stared at the person clutching his cloak, holding his breath. Naturally, the owner of that hand was the maiden lying on the bench.

"Were you awake?"

If that were the case, it would be impossible not to notice. He had seen the maiden. She still had her eyes closed, and her breathing remained quiet and regular.

"Mmm..."

It seemed that when he approached, she unconsciously grabbed onto what she had touched. Latvan sighed and cautiously pulled the upper part of his cloak.

"..."

However, contrary to his expectations, the cloak held tightly in the maiden's hand did not easily come loose. In fact, the more he tried to pull it away, the stronger her grip became. Did she find comfort in the sensation of holding it? The maiden tugged on his cloak, pulling it over her face like a blanket.

"Uh..."

She then smiled slightly, as if satisfied, and pulled him into an embrace. Latvan was on the verge of bursting into a hollow laugh at her behavior.

"What could she be thinking?"

He had witnessed her committing an unseemly act not long ago. Yet here she was, coming out again to sleep so deeply and defenselessly. Latvan couldn't comprehend her actions.

A night breeze blew again, causing the maiden to huddle up even more, shivering in the chilly air.

He could perhaps defend against magical attacks, but he couldn't use his powers to fend off the biting night wind that penetrated their bodies. Moreover, he couldn't use his healing abilities on himself. If they continued to sleep here, the maiden would not feel well tomorrow morning.

"Should I wake her?"

As Latvan contemplated this, he was startled by his own thoughts.

Was he genuinely concerned about the maiden?

"..."

Not long ago, he couldn't even bear to utter the word "maiden." If it hadn't been for the oath he made before the gods when he entered, he would have immediately resigned from the Temple Knights. But he had made the vow, promising to serve and protect the maiden, the representative of the gods, until his last breath. Furthermore, the position of the commander of the Temple Knights was a lifelong commitment. If he wanted to leave that position, there was no other way but to go to the lair of the demons himself and die.

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As Latvan recalled his past thoughts, he felt a sense of urgency.

He could sense movement near the entrance to the sanctuary. Although he didn't expect anyone to come, it appeared that there were officials engaged in discussions related to the prayer service.

"What should I do?"

If they continued like this, people approaching from outside would see the maiden sleeping. If that were to happen...

"Unfavorable rumors will spread once again."

The sanctuary was already filled with rumors about the maiden. What kind of rumors would arise when they saw the two of them together? Latvan could easily predict that. In a place where it was known that the maiden had relationships with men, if the two of them were seen together at night...

"..."

His head began to ache. It was as clear as day that if it became known that the maiden had lured the commander of the Temple Knights into the sanctuary, it would not bode well.

I have to wake her.

And I must quickly send her back to her room for tomorrow's prayer service.

Perhaps it was his sense of urgency that caused the problem. As he pondered what to do, Latvan took hold of the edge of his tightly clung cloak and gently held the maiden's hand.

"..."

Upon touching her hand, Latvan found himself staring at the sensation in his own hand.

It was the finger that had commanded him to crawl not long ago. At that time, he had felt an overwhelming desire to rush forward and break that finger. Why did it now seem so small and delicate?

Furthermore, the sensation of the maiden's finger in his hand was completely different from his own cold and rough palm. It was warm and soft. It was a sensation he had never even considered, and Latvan froze in place. Meanwhile, the approaching footsteps grew closer.

Latvan quickly regained his composure and spoke softly.

"Fair maiden."

"..."

But there was no response.

"Fair maiden, please wake up."

"......"

He called out in a louder voice, yet it seemed that his words still failed to reach her ears.

Should he shake her awake, even against the saint's permission? But it was forbidden to touch her without the saint's consent. Contemplating this rule, Latvan glanced at his own hand. He saw his pale and trembling hand held out before him.

He had long been disregarding the rule.

After a while, the officials who had delved deep into the sanctuary for a quiet conversation found themselves seated on an empty bench. They could engage in a lengthy discussion for quite some time.

***