•Chapter 1•
On a rough, unpaved road, the royal carriage of the grand Kloster Empire was moving swiftly.
Inside were Crown Prince Edward and Crown Princess Leah, on their way to Castello Temple for the final ceremony of their wedding.
Leah, wearing a suffocatingly tight white dress and smiling all day until her face almost cramped, now sat dazed, exhausted.
When the sunlight streaming through the curtains turned golden, she lifted them and looked outside.
The untouched land at the edge of the horizon glowed in the sunset, dyeing everything gold.
Even the carriage carrying her and Edward was bathed in that golden light, as if the sun was proudly showing off its blessing.
Leah reached out toward the light coming through the glass window, turning her hand so it brushed her palm and the back of her hand in turn.
The light felt soft and warm, and that warmth made her smile without realizing it.
Edward silently watched her — this woman who had looked like she might collapse moments ago but now smiled gently while playing with the sunlight.
“Do you think… it’s blessing us?” Leah murmured without thinking.
“What is?”
The calm, deep voice made her turn her head.
When she looked back, Edward’s golden eyes caught hers, shining under the sunlight coming through the window behind him.
Leah stared straight at this man — unfamiliar, yet undeniably beautiful.
“Our marriage,” she said. “It feels like the sun is blessing us.”
Edward looked at her for a moment, then lifted his gaze to the sun glowing behind her. The light reflected in his golden eyes made them shine even deeper.
***
“Thank you for coming such a long way, Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Crown Princess.”
As they stepped down from the carriage, an elderly priest stepped forward from among the waiting clergy.
“It’s been a while, Priest Thomas. I hope we didn’t arrive too late?” Edward asked politely.
“Not at all. We just finished preparing for the ceremony,” Thomas said kindly. His eyes were full of affection as he looked at Edward.
“Is High Priest Jeffrey inside?”
“Yes, he’s praying before the ceremony begins. Please, this way.”
Thomas spoke gently, but Leah’s eyes followed the long, steep stone staircase behind him. Her throat went dry.
At the top of those steps stood their destination — the grand Temple of Castello.
‘So… we have to climb all that?’ she thought, swallowing hard.
“This staircase is the final step,” Edward leaned in and whispered. “Climbing it is part of the ritual, so I can’t help you.”
“I’ll go at your pace, slowly. If you get tired, we can rest for a moment.”
Her smile faltered, lips trembling slightly.
‘Well… no choice. I just have to get it over with.’
Taking a deep breath, she nodded.
“Then, shall we go up?”
At Edward’s cue, Leah lifted the heavy hem of her gown with both hands and began climbing, her high heels clicking against the stone.
She wanted to take them off and throw them away, but all she could think was how fast she wanted this torture to end. So she kept climbing without stopping.
Finally, just one step remained.
But as she lifted her foot, she lost balance.
“Ah—!”
‘Wait… I’m not going to die from this, right?’
For a split second, Leah remembered something — her last memory as Ye-rin, before she came to this world.
‘Right… it was stairs back then too…’
***
Morning rush hour — people walking fast to work.
Ye-rin stepped off the subway, checked the time, and started running up the stairs.
But then, she stopped suddenly.
An elderly woman ahead of her was struggling up the stairs, both hands full of bags.
“…Ha.”
Ye-rin sighed, wanting to pass her, but the crowd rushing by on both sides made that impossible.
She checked the time again.
‘Guess I’m already late anyway…’
“I’ll help you, ma’am,” she said.
“Oh, thank you, dear.”
Ye-rin gave up on rushing and took the old woman’s bags.
“Next time, you should use the elevator,” she said gently.
“Oh, I can never find it,” the woman replied with a smile.
Remembering how she herself struggled to find elevators at unfamiliar stations, Ye-rin nodded.
Step by step, they climbed together, until only one stair remained.
That’s when Ye-rin saw someone sprinting down the stairs without looking.
Her instincts screamed — danger.
Thud.
‘Ah… I knew it.’
The world turned upside down.
‘And here I was, trying to do a good deed for once…’
***
A hard surface hit her nose.
“Are you alright, Crown Princess?”
When Leah opened her eyes, she found herself in Edward’s arms — his hand firmly around her waist, holding her steady.
Her face was buried against his chest. Looking up, she met his worried gaze.
Realizing how close she was to the edge, she turned her head slightly to see the dizzying staircase behind her — and shivered.
Quickly, she clung to Edward’s arm and shut her eyes tight.
He could feel her trembling through his hand.
Gently, Edward placed a hand on the back of her head and pulled her closer, holding her until she calmed down.
Everyone around them stopped moving.
“There’s just one more step. Can you do it?” he asked softly once she seemed steadier.
“Ah… yes, I’m fine now. Thank you, Your Highness,” she said, loosening her grip and stepping back slightly.
Edward checked her face one more time before letting go.
Leah straightened herself, took a deep breath, lifted her skirt again, and climbed the final step.
The Castello Temple, up close, was even grander than she’d imagined from below.
Tall, thick columns rose evenly along the stairs, creating an air of elegance and strength. The marble walls reflected the light, making the whole temple shine beautifully.
“Well done, Your Highness,” Thomas said as he approached.
“Not at all,” Leah replied, embarrassed. “I’m sorry for showing such weakness.”
“Not at all,” he said warmly. “You climbed more gracefully than any lady before you.”
Leah smiled, touched by his kindness.
Thomas led them past the towering columns into the temple’s interior.
After passing through maze-like hallways, they entered a wide courtyard.
At its center, a large fountain splashed with clear, refreshing sounds.
In the middle of it stood a graceful statue of a goddess, carved with soft lines.
Drawn by its beauty, Leah unconsciously stepped closer.
But when she looked at the goddess’s face, she felt a strange sadness.
“She is the goddess Liette,” Thomas said gently beside her.
“She’s… beautiful,” Leah murmured. “But… why does she look so sad?”
“No one has ever said that before,” the priest said, surprised.
“Really?” Leah smiled faintly. Maybe it’s just the lighting, she thought.
She turned and walked back to Edward, who was waiting patiently.
They soon reached a large doorway marked “Gate of Light.”
Two apprentice priests opened the doors for them.
But inside, it wasn’t bright at all. Only the altar at the far end was lit — candles flickering all around it.
Edward took Leah’s hand and led her toward it.
A moment later, a side door opened, and a solemn-looking priest entered, wearing a robe embroidered with gold thread.
In his hands was a velvet-green cushion — and on top of it rested a pair of clear topaz rings.
