"What?"

In a state of bewilderment, I stared at Evelina, my mouth agape. A man and a wager? And within a week? Evelina's face lit up with a newfound delight, as if she had finally achieved the reaction she desired.

"If you can't accomplish it within a week, I will immediately seize your body."

"Why on earth would you do such a thing?"

There was no extraordinary reason behind her proposition. She simply wanted to witness my distress. No, even if I were not the one, Evelina would have imposed the same conditions. Strangely enough, it seemed as if she yearned for someone to ruffle her being. I couldn't fathom the reason behind it, no matter how much I pondered.

"That is none of your concern."

Evelina uttered those words, and tenderly planted her lips on my forehead. It was as if she was bestowing her blessing upon the endeavor I was about to undertake.

"It's an exceedingly easy task.” With just a flutter of your garment, men will readily succumb. It may sound audacious coming from my mouth, but this body of mine certainly has a way of captivating their desires."

As Evelina spoke, her countenance momentarily contorted. It was a fleeting moment, imperceptible unless one observed closely.

"Now, go forth and return no more."

With those words, Evelina pushed me away. In that instant, I felt as if I were plummeting into a distant abyss, and consciousness slipped away from me. From a far-off distance, I heard Evelina's laughter echoing in the air.

***

When I opened my eyes, it was a familiar place. The ceiling of the saint's bedroom, where I had always fallen asleep, came into view.

"Your Grace!"

As I opened my eyes and sat up, the attendants beside me called out to me like screams. They hurriedly brought water and summoned other attendants, appearing restless.

"What happened?"

"Do you not remember? While preparing for the second day of prayer, you suddenly collapsed. You couldn't regain consciousness for three whole days, and we were all deeply concerned. But to see you rise like this unharmed, it seems that the divine powers are always watching over you, Your Grace."

No, the reason I woke up was because I thought Evelina would send me away. However, there was something else that bothered me.

"Three days?"

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Yes. Since your stomach must be quite weak at the moment, we shall prepare easily digestible soup for you."

The attendants spoke thus and busily moved around, causing a commotion. It was then that I heard a voice in my ear.

Only four days remain. Stay strong.

"Evelina!"

I called her name absentmindedly. The attendants standing beside me looked at me with eyes that seemed to question what kind of sound I was making.

"Ah..."

Yes, for now, I am Evelina. Ignoring the pouring gazes, I looked at my hands. Snowy and flawless, without a single blemish, the skin caught my eye.

"So, it was a condition that included the time I was unconscious."

It must have been. I recalled Evelina's whispering voice from a moment ago. Four days. To grow with someone within four days?

I looked at my hands again. If this was still my hand four days later, then I had to follow Evelina's absurd command.

***

Fortunately, there were no significant issues with my health. It was unbelievable how someone who had collapsed for three days could bounce back as if nothing had happened. It was simply impossible to act as if nothing had occurred.

Once I regained consciousness, I inquired about what had transpired during my absence. It seemed like a complete frenzy right after I collapsed. The attendant who had promptly brought me tea when I fainted was imprisoned. She tearfully spoke,

"This tea was personally given to me by the Lady! She instructed me to serve it from now on! I haven't done anything wrong!"

The attendants scrutinized all the tea leaves that were brought from the kitchen in response to her words. They brewed and chewed them repeatedly, even investigating if the attendant had received a horoscope from someone else. Consequently, a name emerged naturally. It was Karus.

A few days ago, Karus, in a fit of rage that could be heard from outside, had stormed into the Lady's chambers. Now, the attendants who had kept their lips sealed all this time confessed everything. As a result, Karus was immediately dragged down to the underground prison. The problem, however, arose from there.

"Release him! Are you daring to put a senior attendant in the underground prison?"

Karus resisted harshly, defying the Temple Knights as he was being dragged underground. Then, the imprisoned individuals inside heard his voice and rushed to the iron bars, calling out to him.

"Ah? Senior Attendant Karus!"

"What, what is it? Why is Senior Attendant Karus here?"

At that moment, Latvan did not miss their conversation.

"So, they were acquainted."

His words silenced Karus and the men, but it was already too late.

"So... it was Karus's horoscope that led to the egg-throwing and the commotion during the prayer gathering."

"Yes."

Latvan bowed his head. He had wondered what Karus would do, and it seemed he had chosen this path. It was a problem in the sense that he had gained nothing from it, but it appeared he intended to spread information about the other men as well, attempting to blackmail them.

"How foolish. It seems that Evelina wouldn't bother about such things."

He recalled the conversations he had shared with her in his subconscious. It had been a short time, but he could discern what kind of person Evelina was. She might have even found it amusing and encouraged Karus to do more.

Sighing, he reviewed the current situation.

"In the end, I missed the second day of the prayer gathering."