Chapter 7
“I was trying to find the orphanage, but I couldn’t see it. Could you help me?”
“Ah, it’s not this way, but along the outer path…”
The knight paused, as if briefly deliberating.
“Would you like to follow me?”
He must have decided that showing me the way was better than explaining it. Not missing the chance, I trailed closely behind him.
After exiting the temple and walking a bit down a path leading outside, we came to a wall woven with vines.
He opened a black iron gate between the walls, and as we stepped inside, a line of low brick buildings stretched along the path. The orphanage was buzzing with children’s voices.
“You can enter through that door.”
The knight pointed to the door of a small building that looked like an office.
I smiled and thanked him, then gently knocked on the door. Once I was given permission to enter, I cautiously turned the doorknob. Inside, a priest with white hair was flipping through paperwork.
“I heard the temple orphanage needed volunteers, so I came.”
The priest blinked slowly at my words, cleared his throat, and then said,
“Due to recent incidents, we aren’t accepting anyone without a clear identity.”
In other words, I needed to prove who I was. So I held out the family seal I had brought just in case. A woman presenting the Crescent Ducal House’s crest could only be me—Lilith.
Whether the priest recognized who I was or not, he pulled out a few sheets of paper and placed them in front of me along with a quill. Name, residence, desired volunteering period… a typical application form.
‘Edelin.’
That’s what I wrote under “Name.”
This name… It was one I used at an English academy in my previous life. Well, it’s still my name, right?
I had no intention of receiving special treatment as a noblewoman within the temple, and hiding my identity worked to my advantage.
Do good deeds while hiding my identity. After all, a good deed has a far greater impact when it spreads as a story from someone else’s mouth.
That said, I wouldn’t hide it completely—just subtly drop hints. A truly good person would keep quiet, but I was doing good for a purpose.
‘They say if someone commits nine misdeeds and then one good deed, the shock is all the greater, right?’
I liked the thought of how it would all turn out.
“Could I ask you to pretend not to know my family or name, for personal reasons?”
The priest nodded, seeming to understand.
“Ah, just a moment.”
As I was about to leave after signing everything, the priest stopped me. He quickly scribbled something on another document and said,
“Due to the current uneasy mood in the temple, we’re assigning guards to nobles. Will that be all right?”
A guard…? Just for volunteering at the orphanage?
Seeing my puzzled expression, the priest continued with a serious look.
“It becomes too much to handle if something unfortunate happens.”
“I see. That’s fine.”
I suppose if a noble got hurt while volunteering, the temple would go into crisis mode.
After stepping out and entering the adjacent building, I saw about three other volunteers. Of course, I was the only one dressed like this.
I removed my hat and silk gloves, tied on a stained apron, changed into low-heeled shoes, and pulled on thick gray work gloves over my rolled-up sleeves. I looked pretty ridiculous.
Chatting lightly with the other volunteers, I picked up some cleaning tools and headed outside. There was a lot to do, so we all split up and took assigned areas.
I was in charge of cleaning the outer walls, so I headed around the building. Not far away, I spotted the same knight who had led me here earlier, standing still.
‘Didn’t he leave?’
As I looked at him curiously, he seemed to notice my gaze and strode over.
“I’ll take that.”
Without hesitation, he took the heavy cleaning tools from me. He must’ve been waiting for me to come out.
“Oh, are you my assigned guard knight?”
“Yes. It’s an honor to meet you.”
With that, he smiled softly, eyes gently crinkling in a friendly manner. He seemed warm and kind, but his knightly aura was sturdy and dignified.
The dappled sunlight filtering through the trees dyed his light brown hair a deeper shade. His gentle eyes sparkled—so much so that I realized the glimmer I’d seen earlier wasn’t just a trick of the light.
“You can call me Lake.”
“Nice to meet you, Sir Lake. I’m Edelin.”
Lake hesitated slightly before repeating my name. Guessing why, I quickly added,
“Please, just call me by my name.”
“…All right, Edelin.”
I smiled back at him as he called my name with emphasis.
We retraced our steps, opening and closing the black iron gate again. The vine-covered wall and the sunlight-dappled green surroundings created a peaceful atmosphere.
As we walked leisurely down the dirt path, a cool breeze tousled my hair. Inside the orphanage, it had been noisy with voices—but outside the walls, nature reigned.
Birdsong and rustling leaves sounded like quiet music. It really felt like a good day.
But a few hours later…
“I-I-I’m going to die. I swear…”
The moment I finished cleaning the seemingly endless outer walls, I stumbled like a zombie to a shady rock and flopped down.
The cool spring breeze now felt like a feeble attempt to cool my sweat. What once seemed like pleasantly warm sunlight had become a scorching summer sun.
I’d only trimmed some unsightly vines, swept the paths, and scrubbed off graffiti, but every part of me hurt like I’d been ripped apart.
‘Yep. Definitely not a body used to manual labor.’
It was obvious, but once again I was reminded how fragile this body was.
“Would you like some of this?”
“Oh, yes, thank you.”
Lake handed me a water bottle with a smile. I took it without hesitation and gulped it down. I was on the verge of collapse and couldn’t care less about noble decorum.
“Haah… I feel alive again.”
Lake chuckled and sat beside me. I quickly removed my uncomfortable apron and hot gloves, tossing them aside.
It finally felt like the chains binding my body had been released. Sitting here, the breeze felt cool again.
I sneaked a glance at Lake. We’d only chatted briefly while cleaning, but he seemed upright, polite, and humble.
Just looking at him melted away my fatigue and lifted my spirits. Was this what they meant by “human vitamin tonic”?
“You’re a temple knight, right, Sir Lake?”
“I’m technically with the Holy Knights.”
“The Holy Knights?”
I widened my eyes in disbelief.
Temple knights mostly guarded the temple. Holy Knights, however, used divine magic and defended the Empire itself.
They were chosen by the High Priest, required the Emperor’s approval, and were few in number—treated with great respect. In short…
‘He’s someone important!’
What a stroke of luck. It was like a golden pumpkin rolling straight into my lap.
“Haha… People often say I don’t seem to fit the part.”
“No, you fit it perfectly!”
Even aside from my ulterior motives, I meant it. From the first meeting until now, everything about him had been genuinely impressive.
“Thank you. It’s the first time I’ve received such a compliment—it’s a bit embarrassing.”
“Others don’t say the same?”
He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
“Most say I’m too inexperienced or not dependable enough.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
If he wasn’t a Holy Knight, then who possibly could be? His actions, looks, poise, aura, voice, and those steady eyes—he was the very image of a perfect knight.
“My younger sibling used to say the same.”
He shrugged as he added,
“She’s very shy, so she never actually complimented me.”
“Is it a brother?”
“A sister.”
“She clearly has good taste!”
I leaned in enthusiastically, closing the distance between us. Lake met my sparkling eyes with a silent smile.
Ah, maybe I overdid it? I cleared my throat and politely returned to my spot.
“How old is your sister?”
“She had her coming-of-age ceremony last year.”
So she’s the same age as me.
The fact that she was my peer instantly intrigued me. The mansion I lived in was so stiff and formal that I had no one to talk to.
It felt like endless mental training every day. I hadn’t even gone out to socialize, so of course I had no friends.
‘A normal friend.’
Just thinking about it made my heart flutter.
“I’d love to meet her someday.”
Lake’s face brightened.
“My sister would be delighted to meet someone as beautiful as you, my lady.”
As he spoke, he reached into his armor and pulled out a pendant. Opening the round locket revealed a small portrait of what appeared to be a family.
A couple who seemed to be the parents held two children. Lake pointed to the child on the right.
“Her name is Olivia.”
“…That’s a beautiful name.”
The moment I said it, my lips froze like stone.
Wait—what did he just say?
Turning my stiff head, I looked at Lake again. He hadn’t noticed my odd reaction.
Olivia.
That meant… Lake’s younger sister was the female lead of the original novel.
