Chapter 17
The Water Saintess was obsessed with the High Priest.
She had shut herself away in the temple from a young age and eventually became a saintess, even forsaking her own noble family — all for the High Priest.
Could it really be love? Well, they were both trash in their own ways, so perhaps they did make a good pair.
“They don’t even look alike, though…”
“The Water Saintess is from her mother’s side. You know how the Captain of the Holy Knights had a wife who died young? The daughter she left behind is…”
Lily began recounting a story that wasn’t widely known even among nobles. Listening quietly, Stewart suddenly burst into laughter, then started laughing wildly like a madman. The Duke stared at his son with an expression that seemed to say, What kind of lunatic is this?
“If the High Priest or the Knight Captain knew Lily was telling this story, they’d probably collapse in shock.”
“It’s just too unbelievable that the Water Saintess is so taken with the High Priest… She knows what he’s like. How could someone who knows still fall for him?”
If the High Priest found out Lily had said this, he’d definitely be furious. But it’s not like he’d come chasing after her. Lily leaned comfortably against the bed and chuckled. Well, that’s what happens when you don’t keep your mouth shut.
“It’s probably time to eat now, Lily. I asked them to prepare something easy to swallow…”
“You mean tender meat, right? Surely you’re not talking about porridge or soup, are you? My throat isn’t hurt at all. Isn’t that right, young master? Hm?”
Thinking Lily wouldn’t eat comfortably with them around, the Duchess dragged the Duke and Stewart out of the room.
Stewart looked back at Lily regretfully until the very end, but Lily avoided his gaze, fully agreeing with the Duchess’s sentiment.
❀ ❀ ❀
After finishing the lavish meal without leaving a single bite, Lily felt overly full. She left the room to take a short walk nearby and ease the heaviness.
“Oh, sir knight.”
But in the garden, she ran into a golden-haired beauty.
In fairy tales, princes often had golden hair. The person before her was no different — soft, wavy blond hair and melancholy violet eyes. If someone like this had been staying in the mansion, Lily would’ve noticed. So this person must be… part of the Tower Lord’s group.
“This is our first meeting like this, isn’t it? I’m Elliott Lafe, the Tower Lord.”
The moment she heard that, the smile vanished from Lily’s face without a trace. She bowed slightly, wearing an expression as though she’d just bitten into an unripe persimmon.
“I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but I’m Lily Hegelstern.”
“Of course I know. How could I not know Miss Hegelstern?”
The Tower Lord hesitated for a moment before slowly continuing.
“How’s your condition… are you all right?”
“Yes, thanks to you.”
Lily’s cold reply left the Tower Lord fidgeting nervously. But no matter what attitude he took, it couldn’t thaw the frost in Lily’s heart.
If only he’d told us from the start that it was a dragon’s curse, we could have taken precautions and treated it safely. The way he treated a mere commoner knight’s life as disposable was revolting.
“I’m truly sorry. I thought if I said it was a dragon’s curse… we’d just be kicked out.”
The Tower Lord mumbled with his head bowed.
He explained slowly: the curse had been with him since birth. They’d tried every treatment imaginable, but all had failed.
He had been rejected countless times with phrases like, “How can a human lift a dragon’s curse? Ridiculous!” Upon hearing this, Lily could only sigh instead of getting angrier.
The High Priest really is the root of all evil.
Regardless of the Tower Lord’s circumstances, it didn’t change the fact that Lily had nearly died.
Lily quickened her pace without a word, trying to walk ahead of him, but the Tower Lord followed behind her persistently.
Unaware that he was fraying her nerves, he kept a steady distance of three or four steps.
“Forgive me, Tower Lord,”
Lily suddenly turned around about fifteen minutes into the walk. The Tower Lord, just about to take another step, met her gaze properly and answered,
“Yes, go ahead.”
Even his overly polite demeanor irritated her. He hadn’t said a single word to her before the curse was lifted, and now he was acting all formal?
It was obvious why he was trailing her like this. Probably, there were others among the Tower’s magicians who were suffering from similar curses.
“Do you have something to say to me?”
“Oh… was I bothering you? I’m sorry.”
At least he realized he was being a nuisance and apologized.
“I do have something to ask, but your recovery comes first. I just thought it might be dangerous to walk alone, so I wanted to escort you…”
“You, the Tower Lord, would personally escort a commoner knight?”
Lily knew the Lafe family had produced Tower Lords for generations — a prestigious bloodline.
He may have intended to show kindness, but to Lily, it was more suffocating than eating three omelets at once.
“If there’s something you want to say, go ahead. I’m fine.”
Lily spoke with a still pale face. She knew she wasn’t being especially polite, but after nearly dying because of this man, she couldn’t bring herself to be gentle.
“There are others in the Tower who are suffering.”
As expected. The Tower Lord fidgeted, watching her carefully. Lily sighed deeply. She could understand his desperation.
If I nearly died trying to cure one person, then others must not even be able to attempt it.
Even the Duchess, whose curse was broken instantly with just a few drops of Lily’s divine power, had endured agony for a long time because no method had worked. How much worse must it be for the Tower Lord?
Lily stared at him quietly.
“Are the people in the Tower similar to you?”
“There are many different cases… but yes, some are like me.”
How many times would she have to risk her life, then? Lily rubbed her forehead. The Tower Lord hurried to support her, but she brushed his hand away.
“I’ll… think about it.”
“I understand.”
She wanted to refuse, just thinking about him. But her desire to help the people still suffering in the Tower hadn’t changed. The Tower Lord nodded quickly and added,
“I’ll repay you fully. If there’s anything you want, anything at all…”
“I didn’t expect the Tower Lord to be so rude. Are you really talking about cures to someone who hasn’t even recovered yet?”
A cold voice cut through the air. When Lily looked up, Stewart was walking toward them from the direction she had been heading.
Lily quickly tried to greet him, but Stewart held her shoulders to keep her from bowing.
“You really picked a time to strike. Our Lily is very compassionate, after all.”
He muttered softly.
He didn’t even know how hard he had run when he heard the Tower Lord’s words. Even after hearing that there were others with similar curses, Lily had hesitated. Then she’d said, “I’ll think about it.”
I’ll think about it.
Even though she nearly died removing the Tower Lord’s curse, she still said she’d think about it.
His eyes stung. His mind, white-hot with anger, chewed through the last threads of rationality. Stewart closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath.
“If a Tower Lord asks a knight for something, can that knight really say no? What do you think, Tower Lord?”
“I know I was out of line and rude. But this matter is urgent.”
The Tower Lord bowed his head — not to Stewart, but to Lily. Lily took a deep breath.
He didn’t want to pressure her with authority. But there were colleagues, family, in the Tower suffering.
To save them, enduring a few harsh words from a viscount’s son was a small price. On the way here, the Tower Lord had prepared to kneel, to press his forehead to the ground, to be treated worse than an animal. The other magicians had been ready too.
“If there’s anything I can offer in return, even a little… I swear on my name, anything at all—”
“Enough with the repayment talk.”
Suppressing his irritation, Stewart cut in with the last of his courtesy. This was the Duke of Yvonne’s estate.
They already had everything — more than enough to not need anything from the Tower.
“I… I’ll think about it, young master. And Tower Lord.”
Lily, hidden behind Stewart, finally spoke up hastily. It was hard to stand by silently while the two men argued about her. Stewart looked down at her as she patted his arm gently, trying to calm him, and forced a smile.
Lily would eventually decide to go to the Tower.
He knew that far too well. Stewart clenched his teeth to hold back the tears. He had brought her here wanting to give her everything — and yet, he had only taken from her.
“The mages are looking for you. You should go. I’ll be the one guarding my knight.”
“…Understood. Then, excuse me.”
The Tower Lord slowly walked away, Stewart’s sharp gaze piercing his back like a blade.
After Lily returned to her room, the Tower Lord’s party, who had been led to the guest quarters, were all in a gloomy mood. None of them felt good about receiving treatment at the cost of a young girl’s life.
They hadn’t expected to be cured in one visit. They had only hoped to see whether treatment was possible and planned to negotiate afterward. They’d even brought many items for the trade.
“It seems… divine power places a heavy burden on the user’s body,”
One of the mages spoke cautiously. Even when magicians used up all their mana, they never looked as pale as Lily did.
They all felt heavy and guilty. Lily was young enough to be their daughter or younger sister. But right now, when their daughters and sisters were suffering in the Tower, they had no other choice.
“Do you think she’ll be all right?”
No one answered. They all fell silent.
No one had ever expected a human could lift a dragon’s curse.
To overcome a dragon’s power with divine force — that was something from mythology. The old myth that began with “In the beginning, Yuur defeated the dragon in a single blow…”
The spring sunlight was unusually hot. It touched skin that had never been exposed, through rays it had never felt. Elliott’s vision blurred.
It wasn’t divine power. To him, it was nothing short of a miracle.
At least, that’s what it was to Elliott.
