Chapter 11
Her lips were tightly sealed, making it impossible to gauge her mood.
‘She’s not going to kick me out… right?’
From what Lily had heard from the Duchess yesterday, it was no wonder the woman couldn’t understand how Lily had ended up here. Besides, the Duchess couldn’t be the only person in the North who had experienced something like that.
If Lily had been a Northerner, she would have hated the temple even more fiercely. All of this was the temple’s fault. Greedy bastards, the lot of them.
Still, the Duke and Stewart had been kind to her, so maybe she could relax a little?
As Lily quietly let out a breath of relief, the dining room doors opened. Two maids, both smaller in stature than Lily, entered carrying trays with four bowls of soup.
Having only ever eaten thin, cold soup at the temple, Lily found the warm, savory soup served at the Duke’s mansion refreshing every time.
“Yesterday,” the Duchess began the moment the maid set down the soup. Lily, who had just raised her spoon in haste, immediately set it down again upon noticing no one else had touched theirs.
‘Is this what it takes to be a noble? Being able to ignore food even when it’s right in front of you?’ She sighed. ‘Nobility really isn’t for everyone.’
“It was truly wonderful,” said the Duchess. “You have a remarkable talent.”
The Duchess’s compliment was stiff and formal, making Lily twitch her lips awkwardly. Unsure whether it was appropriate to smile, she tried to keep a neutral expression. Surprisingly, the Duchess gave her a slightly awkward smile in return.
Once the maids quietly closed the doors and left, the Duchess continued.
“I called you here to thank you. And… to apologize for my rudeness yesterday. I believe I misunderstood you.”
Lily was the only one who finished her soup. The ducal family, perhaps full without eating, had only taken a few spoonfuls before setting their utensils down. Soon after, a dazzling course meal was served.
When the maids had left again, the Duchess finally began to speak in earnest.
“Apologize? My lady, there’s no need. No one from the temple is trustworthy, so of course… Ah, I’m sorry.”
‘Calling them “bastards” probably isn’t appropriate…’ She fumbled for a better word. ‘Trash?’ While she was trying to think of a suitable replacement, the Duchess suddenly let out a laugh, startling Lily.
“It’s true. There ought to be someone trustworthy, at least.”
Just the way the assassin sent by the High Priest had treated Lily made it painfully clear how the man saw her.
The maids had cried as they recounted how touched Lily had been by just one bowl of warm soup. That alone said everything about how she had lived at the temple.
And that wasn’t all. When they had gone to fetch her from the temple, she had been locked in a tiny basement room. Even the Emperor had clicked his tongue in disapproval, noting the bruises clearly visible on her body.
It wouldn’t be easy, but the Duchess decided she would trust this lovely young lady. She owed it to her son too—after all, he had lowered himself to enter a swordsmanship tournament just to bring her here.
‘Maybe I just want to believe. She cured my pain so effortlessly.’
Even if Lily had infiltrated their home to steal information, one must repay a favor. Her family had risked everything to keep her alive—she couldn’t live like a heartless beast, devoid of gratitude.
“Do you know what kind of illness it was?”
“Pardon? Oh… Not in detail…”
She knew it had been a skin disease, but that was it. Seeing that even someone like the Duchess hadn’t been able to cure it, Lily assumed it wasn’t just any common wound. Maybe a powerful curse. That was all she could guess.
“You might’ve sensed it—it was a curse. I was afflicted fifteen years ago. Stewart was six then, I believe?”
The Duchess’s voice was a little brighter than before.
“Was it a powerful curse?” Lily asked.
“It was. I was researching a relic and was caught by the curse embedded in it. An ancient incantation—very old.”
The Duchess shrugged. Lily, who was about to eat her omelet, froze and looked at her in shock. An ancient curse, for fifteen years? That must have been unbelievably painful.
“The Magic Tower gave up, the temple severed ties… Even the Temple of Naiad was no help.”
“The Temple of Naiad couldn’t cure it with divine power either, right, Father?”
“That’s correct.”
Lily listened closely while continuing her meal. The Temple of Naiad was known for strong divine power. If even they said it was incurable, then it must have been more severe than she thought.
‘So… my divine power really is something special. I guess that’s why the High Priest tried so hard to steal it.’
Lily had always been confident in her divine power. After all, the High Priest’s nickname was “Peerless Divine Power”—but all the divine power he used had been stolen from Lily. That nickname should have belonged to her.
She had once scoffed at him for flaunting “his” divine power, only to be slapped in the face for it.
‘If he was going to steal my power, he could’ve at least used it properly.’
If she could lift the curse in an instant, the High Priest should have been able to as well. Lily smacked her lips in frustration. Stewart, noticing her thoughts, smiled with satisfaction.
‘A curse that divine power couldn’t even heal…’
Deep in thought, Lily quietly set down her spoon and asked the Duchess:
“My lady, then… is it possible others were also injured while researching relics?”
“There are tons of them at the Magic Tower. Why do you ask?”
“I was wondering… Would it be possible for me to try healing them?”
If those people were suffering from incurable curses, they must be in terrible pain. If it was beyond her, she’d accept that—but if she could help, how could she just sit by?
For Lily, healing with divine power wasn’t difficult. It came as naturally as breathing or blinking.
“I might not succeed, but… it’s worth trying.”
The Duchess stared at her for a long moment. If this young lady had been at the Northern Temple that night, she probably would have followed the Duchess all the way to the burning house.
With that beautiful divine light that filled the sky, she would have saved her family. Swallowing down tears, the Duchess responded brightly.
“All right, I’ll send word. Have them come to the North.”
“Thank you, my lady.”
As Lily nodded out of habit, her eyes met Stewart’s across the table. The moment they locked eyes, he smiled brightly, tugging the corners of his lips.
Flustered, Lily quickly lowered her head. It felt like his smile was floating above her omelet.
‘Get a grip, Lily Hegelstern!’
Placing a firm hand on her tightening chest, Lily focused solely on finishing her omelet.
❀ ❀ ❀
The world spun before her eyes.
Her hand trembled as she gripped the sword, too weak to swing it properly. The vice-captain clicked his tongue as he noticed Lily’s shaking arms.
It had been five days since Lily joined the training. In that time, the vice-captain had reached a clear conclusion: this one had terrible stamina.
“Are you eating properly?”
“Y-yes!”
With arms as thin as twigs, it seemed like she was skipping meals. She wasn’t untalented, so with more training and improved stamina, she could become useful.
“Take a break.”
“Thank you!”
As the vice-captain moved away to observe the others, a knight who had been hovering nearby finally spoke up.
“Of course she’s eating well. The Duke himself makes sure of it…”
He was Brandley, second son of the family that ran the largest trading company in the North. He thumped his broad shoulder against Lily’s as he sneered.
“To think someone who dines with the Duke himself is this lousy. Right, Thompson?”
“Agreed.”
Thompson, Gordon, and Vickers, who had been training nearby, folded their arms and nodded solemnly.
Ever since training began, those four had constantly picked fights with her. They were the only names Lily had learned.
“We poured blood and sweat to join the Guard. We kept pushing ourselves to grow stronger.”
If talking was their idea of “pushing themselves,” Lily thought dryly. She was too tired to even be annoyed by their taunts.
“Showing off just because she’s got a bit of divine power…”
If they’d seen the High Priest, they wouldn’t dare say she was showing off.
Lily started to get up to resume training, but her arms gave out. Her body collapsed awkwardly.
“Ha! Did you see that, Vickers?”
“Even a newborn beast is sturdier than her!”
The four of them laughed and mocked her. Only when the vice-captain came running and smacked the backs of their heads did their mouths finally shut.
The vice-captain sighed as he looked down at Lily, trembling like a newborn fawn.
“That’s enough for today. Go rest, Hegelstern.”
“No! I can still keep going!”
“I said rest. You’ll collapse at this rate.”
Despite his continued urging, Lily didn’t want to stop.
Brandley was annoying, sure—but he wasn’t wrong. The knights had poured everything into getting into the Guard.
‘I can become that strong too.’
No—she had to.
The image of that day flashed before her eyes again. Stewart’s shoulder, drenched in blood. The way he fought off assassins with ease, even while injured.
Lily hadn’t even resisted—she’d just been dragged away. Stewart, on the other hand, had handled the assassins like they were children.
‘There’s no guarantee it won’t happen again.’
If she had Stewart’s strength, she could’ve shaken off the High Priest’s control long ago. She was sick of being helpless, sick of doing nothing but endure.
She didn’t want to hide behind someone else anymore, praying things would work out. She wanted to stand on her own.
Lily gathered her strength and stood. Steadily, she began swinging her sword again.
“What a stubborn kid,” the vice-captain muttered beside her.
But his face was all smiles.
That kind of determination—that was what made a true knight.
It had been a long time since he’d trained a beginner. The fire of enthusiasm was reignited in him.
