For what felt like an eternity, Yulianna finally grasped the edge of the tree branch with desperate effort. Breathing shallowly, she gathered what little strength she had left and hauled herself onto the thick limb. Sweat poured down her face as she sat in the center, silently cursing.
She never knew that two days of fasting could drive her to climb an apple tree just to pick a few fruits.
She was that desperate, and a bit inappropriate for a lady dressed in a white robe, looking like a saint perched high up in a tree.
Two goddamn days, and I'm already on the verge of losing my sanity without food. And they expect me to march into that hall to receive the saint's blessing?! The hell with it. If I'm to march tomorrow, then I might as well put something in my stomach—
"Just what are you trying to do climbing up that tree, my lady? You didn't forget the rules I told you last time, did you?"
A familiar soft voice interrupted Yulianna's thoughts just as she reached for a ripe apple. Instinctively, a cold chill ran down her spine. She knew exactly who that voice belonged to. In the past two days she had stayed inside the temple, there was only one voice she didn't dare defy.
Letting out a nervous chuckle, she looked down and saw a beautiful maiden standing below, smiling up at her.
"Marisa, what a coincidence… Are you here to unwind too? This is the best spot I've found so far."
Please don't smile like that. I still remember those six hours of reading the temple's commandments. I don't ever want to go back to that place again.
"Is that so, my lady?" Marisa replied, her smile widening. "You know very well I don't buy that, right?"
"Why, of course," Yulianna said, stretching her lips into what she hoped looked like a genuine smile. "I wouldn't dare lie to you, Marisa."
It wasn't that Yulianna was afraid of her second assigned maiden—if anything, it was the opposite. Despite Marisa's gentle nature and soft voice, there was a sternness hidden beneath that left a strong impression.
The first maiden assigned to her had quit the moment she witnessed Yulianna's strange behavior. After that, one of the temple's bishops assigned another maiden to serve her.
This time, Yulianna knew she had to rein in her stubbornness and take everything seriously. Otherwise, she'd be sent straight back to the temple library for another round of commandment reading.
Shaking her head, Marisa let out a deep sigh, her expression turning serious. "I hope you're taking this seriously, my lady. I know it isn't easy, but some sacrifices have to be made. Just please bear with it until tomorrow, will you?"
For a moment, Yulianna seemed to return to her usual self. She understood how seriously they took this blessing ceremony. The only thing she couldn't agree with was the fasting. She'd starved herself countless times in her past life—having to endure it again still hadn't settled well with her.
"Alright, you win," she finally surrendered. It's not like I have a choice anyway. "Just give me a few more minutes, and I'll get ready for my bath before sunset."
Marisa nodded, her usual gentle smile returning as she turned away. She left the garden where Yulianna had planned to steal an apple. It was her third attempt—and once again, she failed.
Yulianna let out a heavy sigh, muttering, "All those efforts were in vain, damn it. I guess I'll settle for water tonight. Again."
---
The silence inside the holy pool was so deafening that Yulianna felt compelled to create a distraction as she bathed. She played with the chilling, crystal-clear water, creating ripples that echoed softly throughout the chamber.
Despite how refreshing it felt, the water did nothing to ease the stinging sensation creeping through her wounded arm. Holy or not, the pain lingered as if her flesh were being slowly severed. She could only endure it until the sensation dulled into numbness.
Curled up in the pool like a lost child, Yulianna rested her chin on her knees. Her wet hair and robes clung to her body, as though the water had stripped her down to something fragile.
I won't die from this wound… will I?
She buried her face beneath the water as if battling her own thoughts. There's no fucking way I'll let that happen.
A soft, almost amused chuckle echoed through the holy pool.
Yulianna lifted her head sharply, her eyes searching for the intruder. A familiar pair of deep, icy blue eyes stared back at her from the shadows a few meters away.
For a moment, she wondered if she was hallucinating. Then the man stepped forward, his form emerging fully into the light, revealing the last person she expected to see.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" she blurted out, finding herself back on her feet without realizing it.
Her confusion deepened as she stared at the Duke of Danville standing inside the Holy Temple—of all places, in the forbidden holy pool.
The corner of his lips lifted. "My. I was wondering if the temple had already turned you into a saint. But hearing you curse at me tells me the purification process was ineffective."
"Well, what a shame," Yulianna shot back, disbelief written all over her face. "It would take more than any purification to do that. Did you come all this way just to check? You must be disappointed."
No. He doesn't look disappointed at all.
In fact, he was smiling—the kind of smile that made her feel like she was nothing more than his newest amusement.
"Not at all," Caspien replied, his smile deepening as his gaze traveled from her face down to her knees. "A mere sight of you was enough to smoothen my mood. Tonight, has been… even better."
Just what the hell was he up to this time? Damn him.
Speechless, Yulianna turned away and sat at the edge of the pool, crossing her legs. For a moment, she forgot about the throbbing pain in her arm, but her patience with him was wearing thin.
"Alright. You got what you came for," she said flatly. "As you can see, I'm busy doing my duty as your chosen bearer. I don't have time for a nobleman sneaking into a lady's bath, so could you kindly get the hell out?"
Silence fell between them. She thought she'd finally shut him up.
She was wrong.
Caspien said nothing, merely watching her comb through her wet hair as his expression slowly returned to its usual cold indifference.
Then he moved.
His steps toward her were precise and unhurried, each one graceful enough to unsettle her. For a split second, Yulianna found herself captivated, until the sharp throb in her wound snapped her back to reality.
Damn it. I almost forgot about this curse.
"How is your wound?"
He was closer than she expected, leaning in to examine her arm. Startled, Yulianna quickly leaned back, forcing distance between them.
"You're unbelievable," she muttered. "As you can see, it's fine—aside from the pain. And my strength has dropped after two days of purification without food."
Caspien's expression darkened as he studied her arm. The cold in his eyes deepened, as though something displeased him.
"I expected the holy pool to help clear the darkened veins," he said quietly. "It appears it isn't working."
Panicked by the shift in his tone, Yulianna let out a sarcastic laugh. "Now you're worried? Please. I don't buy it. If you really felt guilty for putting me here, you'd get me out of this place."
She watched as he pulled a tiny glass vial from his pocket, its contents glowing faintly. "I don't know how long this will dull the pain," he said, "but it should last until the blessing ceremony ends."
He placed it into her trembling hand, startling her enough that she dropped it into the water.
"I told you. I don't have time for this bullshit," she snapped. "Just get me out of here and we'll be even."
Caspien chuckled, lifting a finger. With a flick of his ability, the vial rose from the water and hovered between them.
"Sorry," he said lightly. "I can't do that. Just one more day. Bear with it, and the ceremony will end before you know it."
Of course. Why did I even bother? He's impossible.
"Tsk. Stop talking as if I have a choice," Yulianna muttered, rolling her eyes.
She turned her attention back to the water, letting its cold seep into her skin. Slowly, her breathing steadied. The duke's strange behavior faded from her thoughts.
Then everything shattered.
In a single heartbeat, his hand cupped her face. Yulianna froze. Her breath caught, her thoughts vanished—and the next thing she knew, his lips were pressed against hers.