“Huh?”
The priest looked down at me with a puzzled face.
I grinned mischievously, narrowing my eyes.
‘If you find me annoying, then I’ll just annoy you even more!!’
With that mindset, I turned and dashed down the corridor without looking back.
“L-Lady Maybell? Milady!!”
A flustered voice called after me, but I ignored it completely.
That’s what you get for messing with people’s nerves.
“Wait! What if you get lost or something…!”
I could hear the rushed footsteps behind me, but there was no way someone as slow as that old guy could catch me.
Hey, I might look like this, but I used to be a cat, you know?
I slipped out of the main building and quickly scanned my surroundings.
‘Now, which way do I go from here…?’
I’d already been to the Grand Temple several times.
That means—I know the layout inside out!
Without hesitation, I darted off toward the back garden of the main building.
My destination, of course…
Was the training center where the holy knight cadets were gathered.
‘This is the shortcut to the training center.’
Plus, since I’d come and gone in a cat’s body before, I’d already identified the little holes in the walls I could crawl through.
It’d be tough for an adult, but I’m still just…
‘A six-year-old!’
I crawled through one of the holes and smirked wickedly.
“Hehe.”
I dusted the dirt off my knees and took off running again.
‘Wow, I finally get to greet Dominique in human form!’
Though I can’t exactly tell him that I was the cat he met all those times…
‘Still, this is a big deal!’
My heart thumped with excitement.
—
—
Rebecca took a short breath.
‘I didn’t expect the Hero to mention the Terin herb.’
After the Duke of Valencia’s household issued a formal complaint, she had a feeling…
Apparently, Adrian had been quite displeased by the matter.
Without even realizing it had all been for his own good.
‘But that’s fine.’
Rebecca cherished even that upright part of Adrian.
As the saintess who led the Grand Temple—and also…
As a woman.
‘It’s my duty to embrace even his misguided reactions.’
With that thought, Rebecca turned gracefully.
A serene and benevolent smile spread across her face.
“I truly regret the issue with the Terin herb. But I’m sure Sir Torres only meant well, wishing for the Hero’s recovery.”
“Saintess.”
“He didn’t mean any harm, right? For my sake, could you let it go?”
Rebecca added sweetly, her voice gentle.
Normally, Adrian would’ve let things slide when she spoke this way.
So she expected the same this time.
But just then—
“Forgive me, but as the Second Prince’s physician, I can’t agree with that.”
Sabina cut in coldly.
‘How dare she—so insolent.’
Rebecca momentarily shot Sabina a fierce glare.
Sabina.
A low-born girl from who-knows-where.
Normally, Rebecca wouldn’t have cared about her, but what bothered her was—
She was beautiful, despite her status.
‘I don’t like her.’
Rebecca’s brow twitched.
Sabina continued calmly.
“The previous doctor admitted to prescribing the Terin herb despite knowing its properties.”
“No, that’s…”
“To be precise, he said he’d been taught that ‘Terin herb is a restorative medicinal plant.’”
Sabina looked directly into Rebecca’s eyes without flinching.
“He believed the side effects were the body’s way of expelling toxins. That once that process was over, divine healing would be more effective.”
“……”
“A member of the Grand Temple, not even understanding the difference between divine power and aura—how shocking.”
Rebecca was momentarily speechless, and Sabina continued, unfazed.
“Personally, I believe the temple’s educational system needs a serious review.”
“……”
“We can’t afford to let something like this happen again.”
Her icy voice pierced Rebecca’s ears like a dagger.
Rebecca’s serene expression stiffened slightly.
She stared at Sabina for a moment, then smiled softly.
“…Sabina, was it?”
Her voice was overly gentle.
“It’s a pleasure to meet such a talented mage.”
Rebecca smiled sweetly, her eyes curving prettily.
“It’s been a long time since I last met a mage.”
…What is she trying to say?
Adrian furrowed his brow.
Rebecca continued with a feigned somber expression.
“The number of mages has decreased so much. It’s such a pity.”
Despite her kind expression, her crimson eyes gleamed darkly.
“If only that cursed Mercedes hadn’t summoned demons, mages wouldn’t have fallen so far…”
At that, Sabina bit her lower lip so hard it bled.
Cursed Mercedes.
Demon summoning.
Those words pierced straight into her heart.
Words that had ruined her life and dragged her into despair.
She’d spent her whole life running from them.
But only for a moment.
Sabina inhaled sharply.
‘It’s fine. I was prepared for this.’
As long as she remained in the capital, she couldn’t avoid the Regalis Order forever.
Especially since she was now acquainted with their Hero, Adrian.
In that case… there was only one thing to do—face them.
“You’re right. As you said, the number of mages has greatly diminished.”
Sabina nodded lightly and continued.
“But the Second Prince specifically asked me. To find a way to stop the surge in monsters.”
“…Miss Sabina?”
“To be honest, the fact that such a request reached me in the first place is truly disheartening.”
Isn’t it the temple’s incompetence that forced you to rely on a mage you all look down on?
She shot back with a soft smile.
“But don’t worry. As always, I’m sure God will guide us to the right path.”
“……”
A small crack formed on Rebecca’s perfect smile.
—
—
All day, the Grand Temple buzzed with chatter.
Groups of holy knight trainees whispered excitedly among themselves.
“I heard Hero Adrian is coming today!”
“Wow, I wish I could just say hello…”
Adrian von Valencia.
A hero officially recognized by the Regalis Order and a sword master who could wield aura freely.
The pinnacle of the holy knights, Adrian was the trainees’ role model and dream.
But Dominique wasn’t particularly interested.
Whether Adrian visited the temple or not, Dominique’s life wouldn’t change.
What he was wondering about was…
‘I wonder if Meow-Meow will show up today?’
He hadn’t seen the little cat for a few days now.
You never notice what you have until it’s gone, and for some reason, it felt a bit lonely.
Just as Dominique was smacking his lips for no reason—
“Hi there!”
A cheerful voice rang out.
But Dominique didn’t even react.
Understandably—no one had ever greeted him before.
“Hey, don’t ignore someone who’s saying hello.”
But today was a little different.
The voice shot back immediately with a scolding tone.
Startled, Dominique turned around.
There stood a girl as pretty as a porcelain doll, staring right at him.
Her sky-blue eyes sparkled like dancing stars, her cheeks were rosy like ripe apples, and her soft silver hair was tied into twin tails.
She looked strangely familiar…
“Meow-Meow?”
