Chapter – 06
“How is it, how is it? Do I look like a forest fairy?”
Rita answered with an overly serious face.
“I’m not sure. How could we possibly compare our Divine Maiden to a mere forest fairy?”
“…You too. Completely hopeless. Zero objectivity.”
Dii clicked her tongue and shook her head.
After riding the carriage for about three hours from there, the festival grounds appeared.
When they stepped down, they saw a platform about three meters above the ground.
On it was a chair bearing the royal crest of the Pethen kingdom, and right beside it, the symbol of the red wings of Roxand—worn only by the god’s priestesses.
As Dii stared up curiously, Kyle called her.
“What are you staring at? Come on. We’re going up.”
“M–Me? I’m going up there too? What for?”
Dii freaked out, and Kyle answered calmly:
“I am the king of Pethen, and you are the head of its religion. Of course we sit in the same place.”
“I’m… someone that important?”
“Otherwise, why would I leave someone who acts so disrespectfully toward the king alive?”
Dii froze like a rock, her eyes darting around. Below them, generals and knights were lined up waiting for the two. Feeling crushed by the sudden pressure, Dii asked:
“Didn’t you say you don’t believe me?”
“I don’t. You’re a fraud.”
“T-Then why am I sitting in such an embarrassing high seat?”
“If it were that easy to cut off your head, I’d have killed those priests first.”
“Ugh…”
He had literally threatened to murder someone right beside him.
This king… I knew it from day one, but he really has zero humanity…
Feeling chills down her spine, Dii wrapped her hands around her neck to check that it was still attached.
A moment later, one of Kyle’s subordinates whispered something to him. Kyle immediately stood and began walking somewhere, so Dii followed.
She stopped when she saw the horses waiting behind the altar. One of them was limping badly. When the horse saw Kyle, it limped toward him like an excited puppy.
Dii asked Rita, who had followed her:
“What happened? Why is that horse like that?”
“That’s His Majesty’s usual horse. But right before the hunting tournament, it stepped on a thorn while warming up… so one of its legs is unusable now…”
“What? So what happens?”
“Well…”
People everywhere were whispering that this had happened because Kyle didn’t believe in the god Roxand.
“It’s a curse.”
“The god is angry.”
Kyle knew people were talking about him, but he silently brushed the horse’s coat. Even to Dii, who knew nothing about horses, the creature looked comforted.
After soothing the horse, Kyle mounted it.
Then he drew his sword and, in one motion, cut off the horse’s head.
Dii was so shocked she couldn’t even scream—she simply collapsed.
The horse’s head thudded to the ground, and its body soon followed. Kyle dismounted lightly. He told his subordinate:
“Butcher it immediately. We’ll use it for food during the hunting tournament.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Bring a new horse for the competition.”
Kyle sheathed his sword, unfazed. People looked horrified, remembering how the horse had wagged its tail with joy just moments ago.
Kyle looked at Dii expressionlessly.
“Divine Maiden. The festival is starting. Follow me.”
“Huh? Oh! Okay!”
Dii was shaken to the core, but she was adaptable. She hurried back after him.
Back on the platform, the two sat.
A strong smell of blood hung around Kyle. Dii asked:
“Why did you kill it? I thought you treasured that horse.”
“A horse that cannot run has no value.”
“You could have healed it.”
“The drought has been severe since last year. We’re short on food. We don’t have the luxury to keep a horse that can’t run when even people are being abandoned.”
It was terrifying—cutting down such a large creature in one stroke, not even blinking as he ended the life he supposedly cherished.
And yet, strangely, Dii didn’t completely hate Kyle.
She had heard that the reason he wanted to punish the priests was for the sake of the people—the priests around Bernadoc were growing fat on excessive taxes.
The lingering scent of blood on the king’s body was from leading wars personally.
And when he brushed the horse’s mane, he looked gentle. She could feel how much the horse adored its kind master.
Cutting its throat must have been far more bitter for him than for anyone watching.
And Dii didn’t believe in coincidences. For the horse to get injured today of all days, before everyone’s eyes… there was no way it was an accident.
Dii straightened and looked ahead boldly.
“As the Divine Maiden, here’s what I think.”
Kyle tilted his head slightly toward her.
She wasn’t looking at him—he scared her after all she’d seen. But her voice was cheerful as she continued:
“You don’t seem like someone who would make the wrong choice.”
“…”
“Well. That’s all. You don’t have to believe this either.”
Kyle stared at her like he would eat her alive, then said:
“You… don’t really fear me, do you?”
At that moment, rough drumbeats drowned out his voice. Dii looked at him with eyes trembling with fear.
…Or maybe she does fear me?
Kyle couldn’t tell whether she feared him or not. She certainly had the rank and nerve to speak to him more rudely than anyone else here.
“What? What did you say? I couldn’t hear.”
she asked, but Kyle turned his gaze toward the drums.
Normally, the festival opened with three soft beats. These loud ones could only mean trouble.
“It’s the Divine Maiden Amila!”
someone shouted.
Kyle’s dark blue eyes shifted toward the voice.
“They say the Divine Maiden Amila has black hair and ruby eyes and hides the red wings beneath her gown when she appears in this land.”
Kyle’s muttering was audible to Dii.
An impossibly beautiful woman—Amila—was walking toward them in a dazzling red dress more luxurious than anything Dii had ever seen. Just as the rumors said, she had black hair and ruby eyes.
All gazes instantly turned to her.
Dii updated her list of “people I must avoid at all costs in this world.”
Expressionless, trailing a long red gown behind her, the woman approached the king’s throne and knelt.
“Divine Maiden Amila greets His Majesty Kyle Clayce of Pethen.”
The generals murmured loudly. Kyle spoke, expression unchanged:
“We already have a Divine Maiden who arrived first.”
“She is a fake.”
Dii darted her eyes around helplessly. The god of astrology was clearly messing with her. The rumored black-haired, red-eyed priestess had actually shown up…
Amila said calmly:
“Last night, god Roxand sent me to Pethen, lamenting that a fake would appear and bring ruin to the royal family.”
Dii glanced at Kyle. He was still staring down at Amila arrogantly. She continued:
“Execute the fake, Your Majesty. It is the will of god Roxand.”
Everyone wanted her dead now. Dii pouted but wasn’t too shocked.
After all, she was a fake. Facts were facts.
She began plotting her escape.
Yep. This is when you run. That king’s been draining my life span anyway. Perfect chance.
“Oh my, I think I hear god Roxand calling me from somewhere.”
Dii began sneaking away, but Kyle grabbed her arm. Goosebumps shot up.
Was he really going to kill her because of this nonsense?
But when she looked up, he had the most entertained grin on his face.
Right. He’s a damn atheist…
There was no way he believed Amila.
Kyle said, teasing:
“That woman says she’s the real one.”
“N-No way. I’m the real one.”
“I want to know who truly is.”
I am NOT your toy. Stop looking at me with that ‘I found a new fun thing to play with’ face.
His grip alone felt like it could snap her arm. He was a man who could decapitate a beloved horse without hesitation. Killing a priestess he didn’t even like would be nothing.
“What should we do to find out? To see who’s real.”
Kyle murmured, and Amila spoke:
“You should examine our divine power.”
“Divine power?”
“Priestesses of Roxand are said to be skilled archers, blessed with far sight.”
“Hm. I’ve heard that.”
“Let each of us shoot. Declare the one who displays greater divine power the true priestess.”
Archery… I’ve never even held a bow…
Dii’s eyes trembled.
This was absurdly unfair.
She’d never used a bow, and that goddess-looking woman probably shot arrows like air.
All interest in the hunting tournament vanished. Everyone now focused solely on the duel of the two priestesses.
Amila already had her own bow. Dii was given one belonging to a soldier.
Dii glanced at Amila. Holding the bow, she looked breathtaking, more goddess than priestess.
Dii stared blankly, then slapped her own cheeks.
Even if she somehow outshot Amila, the woman’s beauty alone would give her bonus points. So Dii quietly removed her uncomfortable shoes. Just in case she needed to sprint away.
If they think they can catch me—ha! I escaped barefoot from an orphanage. These sloppy Pethen people have no chance.
Still, she would try her best to shoot once. Korea was the homeland of archery, after all. Descendants of Jumong. Korean archers always brought home at least one Olympic gold medal…
“You have hit a beetle!”
When a soldier ran up holding Amila’s arrow, Dii’s jaw dropped.
She couldn’t even see it.
How do you hit something that tiny?! It’s invisible from here!
Soldiers immediately knelt before Amila.
“Lady Amila!”
Leaving the traitorous audience behind, Dii tried her own bow. But the bow—made for the large-bodied Pethen soldiers—didn’t budge under her strength.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t even draw the string.
Whispers rose again.
“She’s fake.”
“Obviously fake.”
Maybe I should just put it down and run…
As she agonized internally, a chilling cold wrapped around her. Startled, she turned—and found Kyle embracing her from behind.
“If you can’t even shoot, there’s no contest,” he said quietly.
Ugh. He’s annoyed. If he’s going to help, he could at least do it gently.
Kyle easily pulled the bowstring using her hands.
“If you aim somewhere around here… it should do.”
It was the first time she’d been held by a man. Except for the stranger the orphanage head tried to shove her into a room with once. She’d escaped immediately, running until her soles were torn.
While fleeing, she’d stumbled across a fortune-telling old woman and begged for help. The old woman had taken her in for the night.
Dii remembered the granny who raised her until high school age:
“The Godmother of Scammers.”
She had called herself Kim Seonnyeo—“Divine Maiden Kim.”
Even her name was probably a lie.
