The Return of Grace
Hundreds of eyes filled the hall, every single one of them focused on Riela on the podium. At the intent, persistent glances, Riella shivered, exhaling a trembling breath.
“No need to worry.”
At that time, Herhan wrapped his arms around Riella’s shoulders.
“I’ll take care of it. You just have to look at me.”
His voice was dry and raspy in her ear. Riella believed him. He would make sure no one in this hall touched even a single hair on Liela’s head.
It’s made her even more afraid. She knew all too well how far Herhan could go once he lost his mind.
Soon, an elder with a white beard came up on the podium.
The eyes of the world’s leaders, priests in the temple, and unknown power shifted from Riela to the old elder. With different eye colors and skin colors, each of them, accompanied by an interpreter and other vassals, flashed sharp vigilance.
“All appraisal procedures have been completed.”
At the announcement of the elder, the entire hall fell silent. When the heavy tension presses down on everyone’s heads.
“Riella Blinite…The results of the appraisal… She’s a saint. Descendants of the obvious Anto, with the qualities of a higher savior!”
Tak! Tak! Tak!
The elder, who finished the quality evaluation in a cheerful voice, tapped the judging rod. His shoulders were raised proudly, just like a butcher exulting over the best meat on the market.
God’s grace returned after a hundred years.
A voice of admiration flowed from the left. Some laughed, some cried and some were prostrating themselves in prayer, thankful for God’s will.
A loud noise echoed through the high ceiling. The battle for the saint had begun. It was the moment when the noble temple turned into an arena.
“I’ll take her for 100 million birr!”
“20,000 shillings! How about exchanging it for our royal gold mine?”
It was then that a man stepped onto the podium amidst the commotion. He was a man who had raised his chin arrogantly from a while ago and had been glancing over Liela with enthusiasm all along.
“Everyone calm down! Did you forget the Continental Confederation agreement?”
What the man held up was an old sheet of paper. As if it were a commandment from God.
“It is clearly written here! According to the agreement, the saints, especially the higher saviors, are subject to the management of the federation, and all members of the federation have joint ownership rights. That means we don’t have to fight each other.”
At that, those who raised their voices and fought shut their mouths.
‘I don’t know if it would work to say the agreement, but I thought it would be better to share it with the world than to rush and fight over the only saint.’
“Your Majesty, you have to hand Lady over here.”
The man smirked sinisterly and shook his head.
It was then that Herhan made his move: he took off his cloak and wrapped it around Riella, then turned and moved calmly toward the man.
Riella held her breath behind him.
“Don’t worry. your Majesty. According to the pact of the ancestors, Lady Blinite will be cherished by our Federation from now on—”
before the man even finished talking. Herhan swung his arm at him. red blood splattering in its path.
The man collapsed with a groan. He is still holding the old agreement.
The noble ladies who saw the scene let out ear-piercing screams, and the men also began to look for knives to protect themselves.
The area under the podium was instantly in chaos.
“This is a very interesting place. Once upon a time, the defeated war criminal group was still established as a federation, aren’t they treating the emperor’s women as objects and wanting to buy her?”
Herhan said in a cold voice.
As he said, all those who wanted to ‘buy’ Riella stiffened and looked at each other with trembling eyes.
“Next, does anyone have a funnier joke?”
Herhan’s eyes were tinged with blue madness as he scanned the crowd.
The hall was shrouded in a great silence. Until just now, those who had raised their voices to fight now covered their mouths, fearing that even the sound of their breath would leak out.
“Your Majesty…! Please calm down. This is the central temple.”
“Oh. For a moment I thought it was a den of thieves.”
The flushed elder didn’t answer anything and trembled.
“I can’t stand the way they dare covet my treasure.”
“Ha, but Your Majesty. Saints are ordained by God…!”
“Why is that? Is there anything here, on this earth, that is not mine?”
On the podium, which had become a sea of blood, scattered sheets of agreement were floating around.
At that moment, the man who had been cut by Herhan stopped breathing, and the elder who risked his life eventually closed his eyes and stepped back.
Herhan opened his mouth to the crowd.
“I declare it official. Let it be known that Riella Blinite is a woman of mine, Herhan Linhart von Bielsbach. It is to deliver these words that I have answered your summons today. This is the last warning I will give you. If there are still people who are greedy, prepare for war.”
Chub! Chub!
Except for the sound of Herhan’s shoes stepping on the blood and returning to Riella, there was no sign of a rat, and it was quiet.
“Let’s go. Riella.”
Herhan, who finally returned to his seat, was soft as if he had never done that to others.
“Don’t worry. You can raise your head now.”
His hot hand caressed Riella’s cheek. Riella slowly raised her head at the careful touch, as if treating a treasure that was too precious to even touch. Herhan’s dark eyes were filled with her figure like a mirror.
“Hold on to me. Don’t let dirty blood get on your feet.”
She leaned into him, and he gently picked her up.
As she leisurely came down the podium and left, Riella suddenly remembered the first night she’d been held by Herhan.
‘I felt dizzy.’
Even though she had already made countless contacts, her body’s touch with Herrhan’s flesh still made Liella dizzy.
* * *
It was a warm autumn day.
Riella smiled broadly. over the past few years. No, since she was born, she has never seemed more excited.
“What do you think of this outfit? Or are these clothes better?”
“I don’t know. wear anything.”
“Uncle Carl. Don’t be like that, take a good look!”
“Well, I said I don’t know, I don’t want to!”
Even though Carl responded and turned away, Riella did not frown. I just said, ‘Looks like Uncle Carl was very nervous too. Unlike usual!’ She just laughs it off.
It was then that Hank, who had been giving her a nasty look from earlier, approached.
“Kid. What nonsense are you doing? What are you going to do to look good to the client?”
‘Why does he care so much? A cranky old man.’
“Who is doing this to look good to the client?”
‘I’m doing this to impress Fabian.’
Riella pouted and swallowed the last words. She felt embarrassed about bringing up Fabian, and also because she didn’t want to ruin her good mood by talking too much.
Crash!
I liked the feeling of the leaves crumbling under my feet. The smell of autumn with the soil floor was warm, and the tents and bonfires stretched over it was warm.
This forest was such a beautiful place.
She was always tired of camping in the middle of an operation. Her tent was too old and cramped, but it all seemed especially very sad today.
‘I think it’s because it’s the last time.’
After being picked up by Hank as a child, Riella joined Hank’s mercenary Corps and traveled the country.
Hank’s mercenaries, as they were called, were nothing more than a group of men who ran frivolous errands for a wealthy nobleman.
It was not surprising that they were poorly paid. Besides, the men were too crude to raise a girl, and Riella was too delicate a flower to grow up among them.
There were many nights when Liella fell asleep crying after being mistreated and hurt. It was an unfortunate story that seemed to happen everywhere.
But Riella didn’t think she was unhappy. Because whenever she suffered, a beauty greater than that suffering was by her side.
‘Fabian.’
Fabian, the only member of the mercenary corps, was Riella’s first friend and family member, her lover, and everything in her life.
Fabian had said it like a habit whenever he comforted Riella who was crying after being abused by Hank.
“Riella. I will definitely make you happy. If I earn money and get out of here, I will be the first to take you as my bride. No matter what happens, I will protect you.”
The day that Fabian promised was today.
Today, once the client had paid him, Riella would marry him.
“Look! The client’s carriage is coming!”
“Okay. Everybody back to your place!”
“You know, you can’t be frivolous. Knowing politeness with a straight mind is all manners!”
Liella didn’t know who the amazing ‘anonymous client’ was, and why he offered such a huge request to an unknown mercenary like them and paid the price.
But that didn’t matter anyway.
‘Fabian!’
The important thing for Riella is that Fabian, who had been to meet his client, is coming back in a majestic appearance down that hill.
And that silver carriage that Fabian was driving would bring her great happiness in the future.
“Smiling like a fool to the end. It’s upsetting.”
Until then, Riella had no doubts about her rosy future. She didn’t even notice Hank’s warning as he looked at her with a troubled face.
Finally, the luxurious carriage stopped in front of the mercenaries lined up in a row, and Fabian was the first to get out of it.
“Fabi—!”
Riella barely held back the thought of calling his name at once and hugging him. The client he was supposed to escort hadn’t gotten off yet, and no matter how excited she was, she had to be polite until then.
‘Who is the client, so everyone is so polite?’
Riella paused, her long, deer-like neck craned in curiosity.
It was a hand wearing a lace glove as pretty as a snowflake that reached out through the open carriage door and took Fabian’s hand.
‘Female?’
Riella was surprised and looked to the side for no reason. Seeing that her co-workers didn’t change their facial expressions, they seemed to know that his client was a woman.
“Thank you for coming so far, the princess.”
‘What! She’s a princess!?’
Even the greetings Hank gave to the client made him almost fall.
‘It’s surprising to see that stubborn old man bowing respectfully, but more than that, a princess…The client is a princess!’
Her heart started pounding like it would explode. Because she always dreamed of a happy fairy tale, she was a mysterious being like a fairy called a ‘princess living in the palace’
to herself.
“Thank you for the welcome. I’ve met Hank before, but I haven’t seen the rest of you before. How are you all?”
Introducing herself as ‘Greta’, she smiled like sunlight. She had a pretty face with no flaws, just like a porcelain doll made by a craftsman.
The butterfly-shaped pin in the princess’s hair bounced off sunlight whenever the angle was changed, and the hem of her rich emerald dress fluttered like an aurora. A woman who shines from head to toe.
Riella couldn’t take her eyes off the beauty and elegance she was born with.
“You are Riella.”
When Princess Greta approached, Liella was startled and lowered her head. The princess smiled brightly, rolling her dark eyes like black pearls.
“I heard a lot about you from Fabian. I wanted to meet you so much.”
* * *
