Chapter 1

The front of the solemn temple was crowded with people.

A long folding table was stacked with bread and milk.

Everyone gathered around it was facing the same direction, or rather, looking at the same person.

Soft brown curls and round eyes of a slightly darker shade.

The small-framed woman had an overall gentle impression.

“Please come in order to receive yours.”

Wearing a neat dress, she swiftly wrapped the bread in front of her and handed it out to people.

Her movements were exact, stacking, wrapping, and passing each piece with flawless precision.

A veteran, without a doubt.

“Th-thank you, my lady!”

“Yes, may you be blessed.”

“Um, thank y—”

“Be happy. Next please.”

Perhaps because of that, the line in front of her moved quickly as if pushed by a strange pressure.

Her eyes gradually dulled as she repeated the same simple labor over and over, though she didn’t become completely detached.

‘Today’s the day the original story begins!’

Her lips pressed together tightly, a small dimple forming on her chin.

The woman who seemed suspiciously optimized for repetitive labor was, in truth, a possessor.

This world was the setting of a romance fantasy novel called The Saintess’s Life in Captivity.

When she first opened her eyes and saw the ornate ceiling, she couldn’t have been happier.

‘Freedom from the factory, free debt clearance, social elevation. And on top of that, I’m the main character.’

However, as the title clearly said, this work was about confinement.

The problem was, she couldn’t remember the details of the story, not even the ending.

‘Ah, I should’ve paid more attention. I just skimmed through it diagonally during my break.’

The only thing she remembered clearly was that the male lead, Cedric, kidnapped and confined her after their first meeting.

‘But aside from the kidnapping part, he’s actually a devoted man. He just ruins it all by turning the story into a life of captivity.’

So how did the story end again? She vaguely recalled the heroine trying to escape, getting caught, and ending up even more miserable.

No matter how much she wracked her brain, nothing came to mind, and since the original plot was about to begin, there wasn’t much she could do.

Then, her strike-prone brain came up with a surprisingly clever idea.

‘If I don’t escape and instead aim for voluntary confinement, doesn’t that mean I can enjoy imperial confinement in peace?’

She never had much to wish for in life and had never truly rested.

‘Two-shift work schedule, irregular days off, hospital visits on holidays, wages going straight to debt repayment. What a tough life that was.’

Asha, lost briefly in her thoughts, squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them with a sparkle.

Her eyes shone unusually bright.

‘Let’s enjoy imperial confinement.’

And so, here she was now, attending the charity event at the Sol Temple to meet Cedric, following the original storyline.

To strengthen her resolve, Asha unconsciously clenched her fists.

“Asha.”

“Yes, thank you.”

At least she remembered what the male lead looked like.

“Asha…!”

“Please enjoy it.”

He was said to be a handsome man with blond hair, so he should be easy to spot.

“Asha—!”

“Ah, Mother.”

A sharp voice yanked Asha’s wandering thoughts back to reality.

“How indecorous. What are you doing out here? The sun will ruin your skin. Come this way.”

“Ah, but I still need to finish giving these out—”

“That’s enough. Stop showing such unrefined behavior and come here at once.”

Her mother, Fridis, aware of the watching eyes around them, whispered under her breath while pulling her arm firmly.

‘Mother really is… too much sometimes.’

Tilting her head slightly, Asha obediently stepped back.

It was nice having a family for once, unlike in her previous life, though she still didn’t quite know how to act around them.

Rather than showing awkwardness, she decided to just take it as concern.

Even if she’d come to meet Cedric, she couldn’t help but work hard once she saw the hungry people in front of her.

‘Sigh. This must be that worker’s instinct. I’m doing volunteer work like it’s factory labor.’

After retreating into the shade, Asha quietly slipped bread and milk to the children hiding in the back.

Before long, her mother approached again with a gentle smile.

“Asha, you look tired. Do you remember the lavender garden we saw earlier? Why don’t you go rest there for a while?”

At those words, Asha swallowed hard.

‘Here it comes. This is the arranged meeting.’

The original story truly began when her mother secretly set her up on a blind date during the charity event.

And her partner, as expected, was Cedric Dalbert, the male lead.

Asha took off her gloves and replied without resistance.

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

Leaving her smiling mother behind, she steadied her breath and walked toward the lavender garden.

Once she stepped out of the square, the noise faded, and a faint scent of lavender drifted from afar.

As she walked slowly toward the garden entrance, she spotted a tall man standing there.

‘Is that him?’

With shining blond hair, broad shoulders, and striking features, he perfectly matched the description of Marquis Cedric Dalbert.

Carefully, she approached the marquis.

‘Oh my. He’s incredible.’

Up close, he was so breathtakingly handsome that she couldn’t speak.

Especially his golden eyes, which gleamed under the sun, and the two small moles beneath his right eye made him impossibly charming.

He was the perfect image of a male lead.

‘And this man is supposed to fall for me at first sight?’

Her heart beat pleasantly fast.

To the point that she almost believed she could live a good life with him.

“Lady Asha of the Herman family?”

‘As I thought, I got it right. He knows my name.’

And then she realized even his voice was sweet.

At that moment, Asha made her decision.

She would gladly bury her bones in this man’s captivity.

Suppressing her excitement, she cleared her throat softly.

Then she carefully spoke.

“Today, you may take me with you.”

The man’s eyebrow twitched.

* * *

A few hours earlier, deep inside the Sol Temple.

A tall, elegant man stepped out from within.

The man with golden hair was mulling over the divine oracle he had just received through the World Tree in the courtyard.

[The Saintess, Asha Herman, possesses the power to turn back time. That power has already manifested.]

The Saintess’s power was passed down maternally, manifesting differently in each generation.

The previous Saintess, Fridis Herman, could see a single possible future.

However, her power came with the restriction that she could not share what she saw with anyone.

It was practically useless, and among Saintesses, it was also one of the most common abilities.

But the current Saintess, Asha, could turn back time itself.

‘And that power has already manifested?’

Whether it had merely appeared or had already been put into use, no one but the Saintess herself could know.

If time had indeed been reversed, that meant she already knew the future.

Moreover, her power apparently had no stated limitations.

‘There’s no mention of a set number of uses or a ban on revealing it.’

In other words, she could turn back time as much as she wanted.

The man fell deep into thought.

‘If she’s already used it, she might be cautious. Should I observe her for a while longer? Or is it better to secure her now?’

The decision didn’t take long.

His trusted aide and younger brother, Jerold, had already gathered information on Asha Herman.

“This is the basic report. I’ll prepare a detailed one by tomorrow morning.”

The man skimmed through the papers and pointed at the last line.

“She’s attending the Sol Temple’s charity event.”

“Yes, I’ve sent Carrion to watch over her.”

“Where is the Saintess right now?”

“It seems she’s still there.”

Without hesitation, he began walking.

And now, he had indeed met the Saintess in the lavender garden.

“…?”

What did I just hear?

Did she really just tell me to take her away?

For a moment, he thought he must have misheard her, if not for what she said next.

“I promise I won’t run away. You can keep me confined until you trust me.”