CH 69

The morning was bright. Tossing and turning in the sunlight, I suddenly opened my eyes.

‘When did I fall asleep? I wasn’t going to sleep until I let Dillian out!’

I jumped up and looked to the side. Contrary to what I was worried about, Dillian was nowhere to be found, and Nathan was sleeping while snoring.

“What happened?”

“His Grace is going back at midnight.”

The answer came from the window. Sera, who was tying up the curtains, approached me.

“His Grace said you should eat breakfast first. Where should we prepare your meal, Ria-nim?”

“Ah, then here….”

“It will be ready soon. And as you requested, I have prepared a carriage for you in the afternoon, so please feel free to go.”

He really kept his promise, didn’t he?

I thought that if it was Dillian, of course, he would tease me after staying up until morning.

I avoided the embarrassing situation, but I felt sad for no reason.

‘Are you crazy? Aren’t you awake?’

I slapped my cheek loudly.

“Ria-nim?”

“Oh, nothing. Please make the breakfast simple.”

After having a full breakfast amid a headache, I headed to the greenhouse.

When I opened the door, the view of the greenhouse, which was now quite different from the empty space on the first day, was now quite visible. 

When I saw the flowers growing so fast, I felt proud.

‘I need to decorate it quickly and show it to Dillian.’

Excited at the thought of bragging, I shook my head when I thought of Dillian again.

“Ria, I look dizzy just looking at you. Why are you shaking your head like that today?”

“Right…. Why am I like this today…?”

Taking a deep breath, I put on my gloves with a fighting spirit.

“Let’s get to work.”

Working was the best way to get rid of miscellaneous thoughts.

I brought a heavy fertilizer bag and sprinkled it between the flowers and the trees.

After a while, while my shoulders were about to get sore, Sera came into the greenhouse and called me.

“Ria-nim! It’s break time!”

Today, Sera brought a delicious snack from the kitchen and waved her hand.

“What is it, today?”

“It’s a sandwich.”

Just looking at the sandwich filled with ham and cheese made my mouth water.

“The chef is wondering, how about croquettes for tomorrow’s snack.”

“Croquette? I like shrimp croquettes.”

Nathan, who was only thinking of getting something to eat, put the ham in his mouth, and I scratched my cheek in embarrassment.

“I like it too, but I think it’s getting too much.”

Since I took out the Darkness’s shred from his body, the chef has been attacking me with snacks every day.

It was because he was grateful to me for taking out the disgusting bug.

“Won’t other people think bad of me? I’m doing nothing, I only eat every day.”

“What are you talking about? Everyone loves Ria-nim so much!”

“Really?”

It didn’t seem like much. Every time they saw me, they seemed didn’t know what to do, so they ran away.

“Do you know how much my colleagues envy me? They are deathly envious of me for working with an angel.”

“Angel…?”

At that moment, Aina came to mind. I felt uncomfortable with the face that followed me around calling me her guardian angel.

The last time I saw her, her face looked like she was about to cry, is she okay?

“Ria-nim is healing people with divine power, and it looks like an angel descending…!”

“Yup. Got it. Stop talking.”

It’s not a story to be heard with a sane mind. Unlike me, who was disgusted with the story, Sera, who smiled proudly, massaged my shoulder saying that I could enjoy it to the fullest.

“Sera, by the way, how is Kira doing these days?”

Kira had come to greet me the other day to inform me that she is under another Dillian’s orders. I have been busy and we haven’t seen each other since then, so I was curious about her news.

“Don’t worry. She says that apart from wanting to see Ria-nim, she is doing well without any problems.”

One is more comfortable than two, but it’s a pity because I have already gotten attached to her.

“Can I see her often?”

“Of course. She will come to see Ria-nim as soon as she finishes the work. In the meantime, she said that she was looking forward to how pretty the greenhouse would be decorated.”

At those words, I jumped up.

“I have to work hard to live up to Kira’s expectations.”

It was the time when heavy sacks were dragged.

The knights who came pouring in all bowed their backs at once.

“Hello, madam!”

They were apprentice knights who came today as well.

They, like the chef, showed their faces the day I came out to the greenhouse, saying they would return the favor.

“Isn’t it time for you to train? Is it okay to stay here?”

“Ten minutes is fine!”

The young knights moved in unison and moved the sacks. Thanks to that, with my work being reduced, I pulled out the weeds that grew around me.

I greeted the knight who was sneakily approaching.

“Hello, Jin. How are you?”

“I am healthier than ever!”

Maybe it was because I watched him vomit the shred right in front of my eyes, so I cared more for Jin than the other knights.

Jin, who was pulling weeds after me, murmured.

“… It’s pretty.”

“Do you like this flower? Do you want it as a present?”

“No, it’s not.”

Sera hurriedly approached, standing behind Jin, who waved his hands with a red face.

“Ria-nim, preparations to go out were ready.”

At the same time, the look in her eyes staring at Jin was unusual. Jin smiled awkwardly at those eyes and scratched his cheek.

“Are you going out?”

“Yeah.”

“Where are you going? I will be your escort!”

He was full of passion, but there was no way Dillian would allow an apprentice knight to be my escort.

“I think that would be difficult. The place I’m going to now is a bit dangerous.”

“A dangerous place?”

I opened my mouth to Jin, who was wondering where it was.

“The Great Temple.”

***

Last night, the request I made to Dillian was to let me go to the Great Temple.

In fact, wherever I go, it’s up to me, but I was worried that they might run into a Dillian who extremely hates the temples.

I asked him to protect me from the temple, and now it was funny that I was walking on my own feet to go there, but Dillian gave me a carriage and even attached an escort saying that I could go there comfortably.

The carriage is nice, but the escort is a bit burdensome….

However, there was no veto. It was a condition to take an escort.

‘If you jump into something dangerous again, I will lock you up.’

Recalling Dillian’s serious joke, I clasped my chin on Nathan’s soft head.

“Dillian has given me permission.”

“Depending on who’s asking it, His Grace will of course listen.”

Today’s escort, Sera, who proudly took the seat next to me, clenched her fists.

“Trust me, Ria-nim. If even the High Priest approaches Ria-nim, I will get rid of him immediately!”

Sera’s eyes gleamed coldly as she pulled out the dagger from her sleeve.

“Sera, the miss is feeling uncomfortable.”

And another escort, Kanae, hurriedly stole the dagger.

“Kanae! Do you want to fight me now?”

“The miss is uncomfortable!”

I bit myself from the two people bickering and clung to the wall of the carriage.

‘Sera was an assassin!’

I couldn’t believe it at first, but when I saw the shaggy dagger, I immediately understood.

What kind of maid in the world hides a dagger at the end of her sleeve?

Meanwhile, the carriage that had arrived at the Great Temple stopped.

I set foot in the front gate of the temple with the two still bickering.

At that moment, a languid breath erupted from the warm energy that enveloped the body.

‘This is the Great Temple….’

This is the first time I feel this way. The tension was relieved by the divine energy to the extent that it could not be compared with the temple I used to live in.

‘It’s really clean.’

Butterflies flying around the temple recognized me and approached me.

“They must like you.”

Seeing the butterflies circling around me, Nathan smiled quietly.

“… I feel very comfortable.”

“It feels like getting a massage.”

Sera and Kanae, who entered the temple late, murmured.

Leaving them behind, I followed the butterfly.

As if to quickly follow them, I couldn’t stay still at the gestures of the butterflies pushing me on the back.

The two, unable to see the butterfly, tilted their heads, asking why am I in such a hurry.

What made my feet stop was the large angel statue in front of the temple.

“The dignity is enormous.”

Kanae muttered from the side.

Nathan flew out of my arms and took a seat on an angel statue.

“Ria, what do you think?”

“What?”

“Isn’t it similar?”

Where…? Nathan sighs as he tilts his head.

“It’s because you’re not sharp.”

Nathan muttered lamentably. But no matter how I look at it, I’m not sure.

As Sera and Kanae tilted their heads, Nathan tapped his chest.

“It’s me. Me! Nathaniel! Ria, you didn’t even know my name!”

“No, I know your name, of course, I do….”

I looked at Nathan and the angel statue alternately.

“Is this you?”

I knew the divine creature was originally an angel, but really? Isn’t that a legend from a temple?

More than anything,

“You, you are this dignified?”

This angel is cool, but why is the owl in front of me…?

Seeing my shaky face, Nathan drooped down sullenly. At the same time, the sunken eyebrows fell down.

“Ria, so, you look down on me like Dillian….”

“No, why would I look down on you? Our Nathan is really cool. You are the most handsome and dignified creature in the world.”

I set foot inside the temple, soothing the sulky Nathan.

“Ria-nim?”

I looked back at the familiar voice. There, Aina stood there with a surprised face.