Chapter 27
The One Chosen by God
“I’m only out to buy what I need.”
Roan replied bluntly.
“Then buy that too.”
Ugh, seriously! There was no reasoning with him on matters like this. Roan gave up and started walking again, thinking she should at least get the essentials. Judging by Alexis’s condition, they couldn’t buy much anyway. His hands were already filled with shopping bags to the point of overflowing.
‘Let’s just buy some meat first.’
That was the most necessary thing. Roan reached for some meat at the market and was about to ask the price when—
Bang!
A loud crash echoed from a distance.
“Get out of the way!”
With a clattering sound, a carriage stormed straight into the square. The horse had already gone completely out of control, and the driver had collapsed. Instead, a young noble sitting in the passenger seat was holding a wine bottle. His face was flushed red, and his speech was slurred.
“Haha! Today I’m a knight!”
The drunken noble pulled the reins as if it were a game.
“Everyone, move aside!”
In an instant, screams filled the square. Merchants abandoned their stalls and ran, children cried and clung to adults. And the carriage was heading straight toward Roan.
“Roan!”
Roan had been standing a little apart from Alexis while negotiating the price of meat. Alexis, who had been watching her from across the market, saw the carriage and immediately threw everything he was carrying to the ground. Then he ran toward her like lightning.
The elegant ornaments, beautiful rolls of fabric, and small souvenirs he had been holding all scattered and broke on the stone floor. But his eyes saw only Roan.
‘A truck…’
In her past life, she had been hit by a truck. Roan froze completely, overwhelmed by fear. The carriage came at her with terrifying speed. She had no time to move before it struck her. Her body staggered and fell onto the stone ground. For a moment, everything felt silent, as if time had stopped.
“Roan!”
Alexis rushed over and held her in his arms. The runaway carriage had already gone far away. Another loud crash sounded from somewhere behind, as if it had hit something. But Alexis couldn’t think about anything else right now. His whole body was trembling.
“I—I’ll get a doctor….”
He couldn’t even speak properly. His breath was trapped in his throat, as if someone was choking him.
“Get the doctor… right away….”
At that moment, Roan’s eyes slowly opened a little.
“Sa….”
She whispered. Alexis, not even noticing that his face was soaked, kept shouting.
“Get a doctor, now. I—right away—”
“Save….”
Roan’s eyes blinked weakly.
“Save… me….”
Save me.
She couldn’t even finish those words before her eyes closed. Her body went limp in his arms.
“Roan!”
He screamed.
“No!”
Alexis quickly lifted her up. Her arms fell lifelessly downward. Blood was dripping from her body, which had turned pale in an instant.
“No!”
Alexis held her tightly as if she were his last hope and desperately tried to stop the bleeding. But it was hopeless. The color was fading from Roan’s face more and more.
“Absolutely… no!”
At that moment, a brilliant light burst from his body. As if wrapped in overwhelming radiance, enormous energy poured out of Alexis. The light spreading from his fingertips settled on Roan’s torn wounds. The glow gently circled her injuries, moving softly and slowly.
“What… what is that….”
Shock spread across the faces of the surrounding crowd. People stared, stunned, at the light emanating from his body. But Alexis himself was nearly unconscious, holding Roan as if he might collapse at any moment.
“Is that… holy power?!”
Someone shouted.
“Holy power! Then could he be… a holy knight?!”
“A miracle!”
Even then, Alexis did not regain his senses. He only held Roan tightly. His mind was already broken. The white light pouring from his body wrapped around her like a gentle embrace.
Roan’s blood-stained face slowly regained color, and her broken breathing returned. After a moment, she slowly opened her eyes.
Through her blurry vision, Alexis’s face was right in front of her—desperately close.
“Ah….”
Roan managed to speak. At that small breath, Alexis quickly lifted his head. He checked her condition in panic.
“Why… are you like this?”
Roan asked him.
Unable to believe it, Alexis hurriedly checked her body. There was blood all over the ground, but not a single wound remained on her. Alexis was the one in shock now.
“Roan!”
He pulled her into a tight embrace.
“You’re fine. We need to go to the doctor. Now, let’s go.”
“Ah… why?”
She looked completely fine for someone who had just been hit by a carriage and was dying moments ago. She was a little weak, but there was no serious pain. Roan stared blankly at Alexis, who was clinging to her and crying like a child.
The incident spread across the entire kingdom. It was unprecedented in history. Those who possessed holy power usually showed signs of it from childhood. It meant they were born with extraordinary traits.
But for Alexis of the Glister Count’s family—the notorious troublemaker of high society—to manifest holy power? And powerful enough to bring back a dying woman in such a short time?
The Grand Temple was in an uproar. Priests were murmuring, and the High Priest issued a solemn order.
“Bring him here.”
Thus, Alexis, who refused to leave Roan’s side, was forcibly summoned to the Grand Temple. The authority of the High Priest was greater than that of the king, or at least no less. Even the king could not lay a hand on a messenger chosen by God. That was what holy power meant—energy granted by the divine to those specially chosen.
“Why have you called me already?”
Alexis shouted after being brought to the Grand Temple.
“My wife is sick!”
“I need to stay by her side!” Alexis gritted his teeth. She had cared for him when he was injured, and now they were separating them at a time like this. It was unbearable.
“……”
A sacred silence filled the Grand Temple. The High Priest seated above calmly looked at him. Alexis met his gaze with sharp eyes.
The dome ceiling above was made of stained glass that glowed with light, and the white marble floor reflected it like waves. Priests and witnesses lined up solemnly for the holy power test.
“Alexis, second son of the Glister family.”
The High Priest’s voice echoed. He was an elderly man with divine authority, holding a sacred orb used for testing holy power. A crystal orb with golden decorations was placed in front of Alexis.
“What is this?”
Alexis hesitated for a moment.
“They say you used your holy power to save your wife.”
At that moment, Alexis froze. He had heard rumors outside, but he didn’t know the details. Since the moment Roan was injured, he had stayed by her side without knowing anything else. But the servants and Lea had thanked him for saving her.
‘Me?’
Honestly, he couldn’t believe it. Him, who had never manifested anything until now—suddenly having holy power? But then Roan’s miraculous survival made no sense otherwise.
Alexis slowly looked around. The countless eyes watching him made him breathe more evenly. He slowly raised his hand and placed it on the orb.
The moment his hand touched it—
Rumble.
A deep vibration echoed through the Grand Temple. The crystal orb flared with blue light, then silver and gold burst outward like an explosion.
“……!”
The priests screamed and stepped back. The orb, which normally emitted only a faint glow, now shone like a small sun. The light shaking from it was enough to tremble the entire Grand Temple.
The High Priest tightly gripped the sacred scripture in his hand. His palm was soaked in cold sweat, and his face twisted in shock.
“This… this holy power….”
His voice trembled.
“I have never seen anything like this in my entire life!”
