A self-made grave
Herhan’s story was short.
The princess went to the central temple, and it seems she wanted to have Fabian admitted to the temple, because Fabian is a descendant of Enril.
The words were to the point, devoid of emotion.
“What? Really? Fabian….”
But Riella, who seemed like she would be greatly shaken, was surprisingly calm.
She didn’t scream or shed tears. She just sat on the table, in the same pose as when she kissed Herhan, her eyes wide open, and then she quickly looked down.
“You might laugh but…”
Just a moment. There was a brief silence, and then Riella continued softly.
“Fabian’s been like that since he was a kid. He’s always been a big braggart, acting like he knows everything, like he’ll do everything for me. Even when I was reading Enril and Ann, my treasured children’s book, he always said he was just as good as Enril in it, like he could protect me.”
Riella’s long eyelashes fluttered a little. A bitter smile formed on her thin, pretty lips.
“It was all a lie. Fabian was a fool who knew nothing. Vivienne Rose, who he said he would give me, was actually given to him by the princess. He didn’t protect me, but only hurt me. But one thing was true, that fool’s boast.”
Herhan quietly held Riella’s cheek and listened to everything she said.
It was always heartbreaking to hear about Riella’s history, especially since Riella’s history was that damned man’s history.
“What happens to Fabian now?”
“It won’t be very pleasant.”
“I see. Of course. That idiot deserves to be punished.”
Riella muttered in a weak voice, resting her forehead on Herhan’s chest.
“He deserves to be punished because he was really Enril and he didn’t protect me.”
* * *
Despite the arduous journey, Greta remained completely unruffled.
Greta took out the best clothes she had brought and sat up straight.
She took off the hood that she had been wearing tightly until she arrived at the temple. There was no need to hide her identity there.
“I have verified your identity. You are indeed the princess of the Kingdom of Liotta.”
Greta snorted haughtily at the priest’s report.
“That’s right. I wouldn’t fake my identity, I’m sure you’d find out if you checked.”
“Ah. Yes. I apologize. It is very rare for a foreign royal to visit our central temple in person.”
‘Yeah. It must be rare. Where else will you meet someone as great as me?’
Greta raised her chin proudly.
Inside the temple office, the three priests sitting across from Greta still had bewildered expressions on their faces.
“Therefore…Let me confirm this one more time. What is the purpose of your visit to our temple?”
“I told you that I came to seek recognition as a descendant of Enril.”
“Yes. That ‘descendant of Enril’ is the fiancé of the princess. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
Greta resisted the urge to ask how many times he had to ask the same thing. Perhaps these priests will become her servants in the future.
“Okay, I understand. The recognition will be over in 30 minutes and right after that, we will go through the official procedures and process.”
“30 Minutes? Is recognition that simple? Without any ceremonies or gatherings?”
“A ceremony or a gathering?”
Greta frowned at the priests’ sullen expressions.
Somehow, their reactions hadn’t been what she’d expected. It was strange that they were all so calm about the appearance of a descendant of Enril.
“When we held the official meeting at the temple, I planned to invite the world’s leading powers. Well, officially, they should gather in our kingdom. But if we’re going to gather forces anyway, it would be better to get to know each other quickly, right?”
“An official meeting? Gathering forces? What do you mean, Your Highness the Princess?”
The priests looked confused as if they couldn’t understand what she was saying, even after she explained it to them.
‘What, are you all idiots? Are you deliberately pretending to be ignorant because the temple is supposed to remain neutral?’
Greta and the priests. While the conversation was going in circles because they couldn’t understand each other, the door to the office opened again.
The probationary priest entered and announced that Fabian had been judged and he prepared for the procedure.
The place Greta moved to following the priests was the annex building at the back of the temple.
A damp and shabby building that made her wonder if it was the same temple. The sight that greeted her as she entered and passed through the long hallway was even stranger.
“Level 3? Level 4?”
“No. Something like… Level 3.”
“Okey. Let’s do it urgently.”
“yes.”
“His fatigue level is at a reasonable level, but he still needs to get some medicine right away, right?”
“Yes. I will prepare the injection.”
“He is old. Please increase the dosage.”
All of them, each carrying documents or diagnostic tools, looked overly businesslike.
There was not a single trace of awe, wonder, or amazement.
“The evaluation is over, so now we will proceed with the admission process. Since the person with the ability is an adult, there is no need for a guardian to be present. But since you’re already here, would you like to check out the detention center?”
Greta’s head was spinning. It was then that Greta began to notice that something was wrong.
“What did you just say? The detention center?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of detention center are you talking about…?”
“Fabian Clair. He’s a Level 3, and since he has the power of sight, he’s not a high risk, so he’ll be assigned to a general detention center. The four-person cells are currently full, so he had to move to a multi-person cell.”
“No, what are you talking about!”
Greta screamed.
Only then did Greta begin to see things.
Those who roughly dragged Fabian away, treating him like an object, and the chains that were put on Fabian’s wrists.
“I know you’re upset about the fact that it is a multi-person room, but please understand our circumstances. We are already at our limit for the number of guests, so it is difficult to provide special treatment.”
“Circumstances? The number of guests is at its limit? What nonsense are you all talking about? Call the High Priest here. Don’t you know who I am? I’m the princess of the kingdom of Liotta. And Fabian is the son-in-law of our royal family and a descendant of Enril. He has legendary powers!”
“This…Your Highness the Princess. Haven’t you come to receive recognition?”
“Yes, that’s right. I came to get recognized. Let the whole world know how great my man is and make everyone look up to me.”
At that moment, everyone’s eyes turned toward Greta… A look that says, “How pitiful.”
“…..”
Greta staggered, turning as white as a sheet of paper. It felt as if the ground beneath her feet was giving out and she was falling into an abyss.
“I think you have misunderstood, Your Highness. Recognition means registering the power person in the temple management register and sending them to the detention center. Enril’s descendants are widespread, so who on earth would admire them?”
“Oh, no. That can’t be true…Enril’s descendants clearly had the power to control the world!”
“That was when the saint was alive. Now that the saint is gone, those with powers are just troublemakers who can’t even survive without drugs, nothing more, nothing less.….Did you come all the way here without knowing?”
The priest added a word in an annoyed voice.
“Why don’t you study some history?”
The moment when a plan that has been worked on for a long time falls apart in an instant.
Before she could fully feel the despair, she heard the sound of Fabian being dragged away.
“Wait a minute. Where are you taking Fabian? Get your hands off him now!”
“Do not cause trouble in the temple. Fabian Claire will be quarantined now that he has registered.”
“No, That’s ridiculous! Let go! Let go of Fabian right now!”
One of the priests nodded with an annoyed expression. It was roughly meant to drag the princess out.
Greta struggled to shake off the arms that were holding her back and ended up biting the wrist of someone who was trying to grab her.
“Aww!”
After pushing the confused priests against the wall, Greta entered the judgment room.
She told them not to dare touch her royal body, and she started swinging and breaking anything she could get her hands on.
Greta shook off all the priests and made a mess of the inside, then dragged Fabian out without any plan.
“Let’s go, Fabian.”
“Princess…”
“There’s no time to explain. Run fast! Wrist chains…, I’ll take them off later, so hurry up for now!”
Greta ran away without looking back.
The priests all gaped in amazement at this unprecedented and absurd event.
How can someone who is of royal blood be so ignorant and narrow-minded?
Everyone clicked their tongues but said nothing. After all, they were now in the palm of the temple’s hand.
* * *
Greta screamed in fright, even as the wind rustled through the trees.
For the next two days after their escape from the temple, Greta neither ate nor drank, only drove her horse morbidly forward.
“Don’t say anything, Fabian.”
Without giving Fabian any choice, Greta simply ran.
On the third day, the horse began to limp. They should have changed horses long ago, but they’d passed all the post stations.
Greta continued to whip the innocent horse, and that evening the horse finally collapsed.
Fabian and Greta fell to the ground along with the horse.
Covered in mud and filth, Greta cried bitterly as she realized her situation. Fabian hadn’t said a word until then, just watched her.
The two people’s appearances were a mess. They had been starving for several days and their face was pale, and their clothes and hair were covered in dried mud.
They looked like beggars on the outside, but their souls were even worse.
The humiliation of the temple and the despair of the broken sky.
They didn’t dare enter the inn for fear of being recognized, so they slept in the forest.
Then the sound of horse hooves was heard from somewhere.
The sound grew louder as it got closer. It wasn’t just one.
Greta started to panic.
“Fabian. Fabian, get up now! The temple is chasing us. They’re right in front of us! We have to run now. Get up quickly!”
By the time Greta and Fabian stood up, one of the lead horses had already stopped in front of them.
A woman descended lightly from a horse with a mane as elegant as silk.
“Rie…lla…?”
“Yes, Princess.”
Compared to Greta’s voice, which was cracked like a dry branch, Riella’s voice was pure and clear.
Greta jumped up, her eyes, once blank and worn out, now glared with malice.
“You did it, didn’t you? You made me like this? You knew it all, and yet you made me like this—!”
“Don’t be afraid, my princess. I’m here to help you.”
“……”
“You’ve been through a lot, I’ll take you from here.”
Riella stepped forward, leaving Asion’s concerns behind, and handed Greta something.
It was a handkerchief.
“First of all, you should at least wash your face.”
Greta swung her arm to slap the hand away but ended up just missing and falling.
It wasn’t because Riella avoided it, nor because Asion blocked it.
It was because the soles of her shoes were worn down from her miserable journey.
In other words, it was a pit of disaster that she had dug herself.
* * *
