<Chapter 8>

Temenos entered the room, looking much the same as he had an hour earlier when he left the study.  

However, David circled him with a face full of worry.  

It had been this way even when Temenos was younger. Whenever he met with his parents, David would always circle around him with a frown on his face.

Though he couldn’t bring himself to meet Temenos’ eyes or touch the bruised body that bore the marks of his father’s temper.  

“That swindler didn’t try anything strange with Your Grace, did she? Should I drag her to the dungeon right this moment?”  

“She handed me a note.”  

“What?”  

Without a word, Temenos handed David the note he had been holding.  

David unfolded it with a puzzled expression, but the moment he saw the contents, he nearly jumped out of his skin.  

“T-This is…! How dare she use such a despicable method to insult Your Grace! Unforgivable!”  

David, now seething with rage, declared he would lead the knights to storm the annex immediately. But Temenos stopped him with a casual wave of his hand.  

Seated at the desk by the window, Temenos habitually swiveled his chair to face outside. The gesture was considerate, ensuring David wouldn’t feel ignored.  

“How many men are stationed near the annex?”  

David immediately understood that Temenos was asking about the surveillance personnel.  

“Six, my lord. Including the usual annex guards, that makes sixteen in total.”  

“According to that woman, an unknown individual left the note at her bedroom window.”  

“That’s impossible! Even with regular guards, we have six knights keeping watch…”  

“Is it truly impossible?”  

At Temenos’ probing question, David fell silent. The inquiry about its impossibility was not rhetorical; it required careful consideration of whether the likelihood was truly zero.  

“……I apologize. I’ll verify it thoroughly.”  

“Just check if there was an opportunity for someone to leave the note at the bedroom window. Don’t investigate further, even if traces are found.”  

“What? If someone really did such a thing, shouldn’t we identify them?”  

“Someone else will take care of that.”  

“Who, may I ask?”  

In his mind, Temenos envisioned a pair of violet eyes staring at him with unwavering focus.  

And perhaps because of that, her voice echoed faintly in his ears.  

“What that means is… I have no one else to rely on but you.”

“……David.”  

“Yes?”  

“If that woman isn’t some fraud but truly the Saintess… what kind of divine oracle do you think she would have received?”  

“Hmm, I suppose the chances are slim. But historically, Saintesses have received oracles concerning natural disasters, epidemics, or civil wars. Wouldn’t it be along those lines?”  

Yes, that was the common belief.  

But what in the world was that woman thinking to claim she received such an oracle?

If her amnesia was real, and she had forgotten even basic common sense, she wouldn’t have even considered fabricating a false oracle. 

“The person who sent me this is a spy of the Emperor. If I follow them, I’ll die.”

If what she said was true…  

It would mean that God cherished her so deeply, He considered her life equal in value to the lives of tens or even hundreds of thousands.  

‘……We’ll see.’  

Hadn’t she vowed that she would earn his trust back herself?  

But if all of this turned out to be some elaborate scam…  

‘Never.’  

He would never forgive her.  

Temenos’ eyes, cold and resolute, hardened with icy determination.  

*  *  *

Two nights after the note was left.  

The man discovered a folded note at Inosensia’s bedroom window. 

Can you really help me escape this place? How would you even do it? What if the Monster Duke catches us?

‘Of course.’

As he had anticipated, the note was filled with desperation to escape.

The man smirked at the gullible Inosensia and left a new note at her window, carefully crafted to lure her in.

I have allies inside this estate. They sympathize with your situation and are eager to help. They will distract the Monster Duke for you.

Since His Majesty the Emperor ordered me to become the Monster Duke’s bride, I can never return to the Great Temple alive. Where would you help me escape to?

His Holiness the Pope wishes to help you, Lady Inosensia, the former Saintess candidate. While you won’t be able to reclaim your position or name, you will have the chance to start anew at the Great Temple.

The Pope and Emperor are on your side.  

Perhaps it was this promise or her overwhelming desire to escape from the Monster Duke that sealed the deal.  

In response, the man received a note that confirmed her desperation.  

Please, help me return to the Great Temple as soon as possible.

‘It’s over.’  

It was so easy it was almost boring.

When an assassination mission proceeds this smoothly, it usually means something’s wrong.  But the man had no reason to doubt this plan.  

Inosensia, isolated and without allies in the northern region, had no choice but to grab the hand extended toward her.  

I’ve bribed one of the maids. I’ll manage to slip out to the back garden of Winstein Castle on my own—meet me there tomorrow night.

Inosensia even took the initiative to assist him.  

The guards stationed around the annex would be distracted by his allies, who had infiltrated the estate with him, ensuring the plan’s success.  

Confident of this, the man waited for her in the shadows of the towering walls of Winstein Castle.  

“You’ve arrived.”  

Inosensia, pulling her hood down low, darted nervous glances around her as she cautiously approached the man.  

“Are you the one who sent the notes?”  

“Yes, that’s me. We should leave immediately—there’s no telling when the Monster Duke might notice.”  

To prevent any questions, the man feigned urgency, moving swiftly.  

Fortunately, Inosensia obediently followed without wasting time on unnecessary chatter.  

Everything was going smoothly.  

There were no signs of her escape being discovered, and the Duke’s mansion remained quiet.  

Even as they left the castle grounds and entered the forest, there was no sign of pursuit.  

Before long, the man led her to the planned location.  

“We’re here.”  

“What? Here? Where is this?”  

They were deep within the forest, a place so disorienting that one couldn’t find their way without a compass.  

In the pitch-black night, extinguishing the lantern’s flame plunged the area into complete darkness.  

“What… what are you doing!”  

Inosensia crouched, swiveling her head frantically in the suffocating darkness.  

For the man, trained in stealth and combat, detecting her movements in the dark was effortless.  

He drew a dagger from his belt and approached her.  

“Don’t worry. I’ll only cut your ankle tendons for now.”  

“D-Don’t touch me! Do you really think His Majesty the Emperor and His Holiness the Pope will overlook this?”  

“How unfortunate. The one who ordered me to do this is none other than His Majesty.”  

“Lies!”  

“You’re doing great. Scream louder—make sure the wolves hear you.”  

Stumbling backward, Inosensia eventually tripped over a tree root and fell flat on her backside.  

The man let out a mocking laugh at the pitiful sight, a twisted habit of his—to sneer at his victims trembling in fear before death.  

Taking leisurely steps toward her, he reached for her leg.  

“I-I am a Saintess candidate! I possess immense divine power! You know what that means, don’t you?”  

“Keep at it. Even divine power runs out if you’re stabbed enough times. Not that you’re the real Saintess anyway.”  

He raised the dagger high, and as if sensing her impending fate, Inosensia squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head.  

Thwack!  

The sharp blade pierced flesh, but the scream didn’t come from her.  

The man clenched his teeth as searing pain erupted in his side.  

“Ugh!”  

‘How? I made sure to evade all the guards at the annex!’  

That single moment of doubt cost him his life.  

‘This presence… Damn it!’  

Realizing too late that he was surrounded, the man attempted to bite down on the poison hidden in his molar.  

But before he could, excruciating pain shattered his jaw, and he blacked out.  

“The real objective is…”  

Faintly, he heard those words before everything faded to darkness.  
 

<To be continued>

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