Chapter 3

T/N: We will change the term ‘Saint’ to ‘Saintess’ from now on.

****

“I heard what happened at the wedding dress fitting. You should know it as well since you were there too. Saintess Lina descended from heaven, so of course, she was different from other nobles. Begonia didn’t understand and threw her out with harsh words…”

“Begonia didn’t say anything bad.”

“She didn’t?”

“Yes. She informed Saintess Lina that a dress fitting was not a spectacle. Nobles found it rude to do so. Or, did Saintess Lina say something else?”

Kalis’s forehead was slightly frowned.

“Saintess Lina told me similar words. But the situation..”

“What is wrong with the situation?”

“Damn it, Seria.” Kalis brushed his hair roughly. “Do you like Begonia’s dress that much?”

“Of course I like it. But what made you upset was not it. It can’t be just about the dress. But… yes, I like it.”

“Then….

“I said I like it, so you can’t be stubborn.”

“But Lina….” Kalis stopped.

Seria looked at him coldly.

“Did you call the Saintess by her name?”

At Seria’s question, Kalis knew he made a mistake. He was her finance but he called the name of another woman so intimately, it was definitely something to be criticized for.

“I made a mistake. But Seria, please understand. It is because I have decided to be St. Lina’s guardian.”

“Oh really?”

Of course Seria knew about it. In the original story, Seria Stern was unable to control her anger when Lina, who was anxious to crush her opponent, had a prosperous guardian named Kalis Haneton. At that time, Seria angrily rushed to the place where Lina was staying and threw a vase at her. Lina was hurt and Kalis was greatly angered. And that was a shortcut for the villain to fall. So this time, to avoid the history repeating itself, Seria smiled and yielded.

“I understand.”

Kalis looks relieved.

“Good. I was afraid that you would get angry. Then sleep well, my dear fiancée.”

Kalis kissed her forehead and smiled. It was a warm smile which was familiar to her. After he left, Seria looked at the wedding dress for quite some time.

The next day, ahead of luncheon, Kalis sent a servant with the news.

“Lady Seria, Marquis Kalis Haneton said that due to unavoidable circumstances, he won’t be able to have lunch with you.”

“Unavoidable?”

“Because the Saintess is not stable…”

It’s Lina again. Seria nodded at the servant who sent the news.

“Lady Seria, the Marquis said he won’t be late for dinner.”

“Really?”

She didn’t have much faith. The divine power never stabilized in half a day. In fact, in the original story, Lina had difficulty at the beginning with her unstable divine power. She was devastated and Kalis had to take care of her.

Seria was sorry about Lina’s situation, but it’s unpleasant to think about her, and she didn’t want to waste her time. So, just before supper, she told the servant who sent her the news.

“Tell Kalis the dinner appointment is canceled because I’m busy.”

“Yes? Have you made a dinner appointment with another person?”

“Yes.”

“Who is…..”

“Do I have to tell you about my private life?”

As Seria raised her eyebrows and fumed, the servant snapped back and bowed his head. After all, facing the angry villainess would not be pleasant, the servant withdrew bitterly. After thinking for a moment, she checked the watch.

“Seems like I’ll need to go to the main Castle.”

Originally, Seria was going to have lunch with Kalis, but she went there sooner than expected. She looked around the bedroom. It was indisputably spacious and luxurious. Although she had only come to the Berg estate for the wedding, thanks to being a ‘Stern’, she was able to stay in the very best annex of the Berg Castle.

“Of course, this was also due to perfect timing.”

Grand Duke Lesche Berg, the owner of this castle and the owner of the estate, was quite meticulous but not too pedantic. He was very detailed and strict in regards to his duties and when handling the Knights Order. However, he seemed very visibly annoyed about being the head of the Castle when he had to entertain noble guests.

A truly meticulous aristocrat would analyze in detail the social status, ranking, influence, estate size, marriage status and gender of their guests in order to receive and accommodate them appropriately. However, Lesche Berg was the complete opposite of those kinds of nobles. The only reason Seria received the best wing closest to the main castle was because she had arrived the earliest. Regardless, she would have been lodged at the most luxurious chambers anyway. After all, Seria was none-other than a Stern. And the Berg Domain was never negligent in their treatment of hospitality towards Sterns. Thanks to that, she could enjoy the current situation. After all, when she arrived at the main castle in a few moments, she would meet the leader of the Berg Domain’s Knight Order.

“Lady Seria, you’re paler than usual, do you feel unwell?”

“I seem unwell?” She responded meekly. “I guess it’s because I’ve caught a cold.”

“My lady, it appears you suffer a cold every year.”

“So it seems.”

Alliot, head of the Knights of the Berg family. He was also the first person who opened up her heart and helped her a lot when she became a humble Seria. What did he say to her? Self reflecting was not a bad thing.

‘I was just trying to survive. He said I was naive because people always wield their swords. How do I live in this harsh world if I was so naive..?’

“But where are you going?”

“Where am I going?”

“Did I make a mistake for the time, sir? Is it time for the glacier check?”

“Yes.”

“Would someone with a cold go to a frozen lake in the winter? It is enough that you have gone every day until today.”

“Winter is not over yet.”

“That’s true.”

Alliot made a subtle look. There was an unusual lake in the Berg estate. The frozen lake, the glacier, was the grave of the beast. It was too wide to be called a lake. To some extent, the end was invisible. Periodically checking the boundaries of this glacier was the responsibility of the Berg family for generations, and for some reason, a woman with the surname Stern was essential. Thanks to this, Stern was treated dearly. Actually, the number of Stern was very small. It was also the basis for Seria’s defeat.

‘It was a pretty important place in the original.’

In particular, a week or so after the arrival of the female protagonist Lina, those days were most important. On the day she was supposed to check the lake on its regular basis, Seria suddenly refused to go. Of course, it was because of Lina, the heroine. Suddenly, Lina appeared as a Saintess and took her attention away. It was the perfect timing for the demon who suddenly appeared on the lake, which would not have been a problem if Seria was there. Unfortunately, the damage was severe, especially for a commoner couple who lost their child to the beast.

Resentful, the couple threw a stone at Seria and injured her forehead. Of course, Seria, who had a bad temper, got very angry. This was a world that strictly followed the status system. The commoner couple, who threw stones at Stern without knowing their status, were punished.

“So I just need to go out for a few days and check it out.” Alliot said.

“First, let’s go with me.”

“Ok.”

Seria went out to the stables with Alliot. The white horse that saw her made a happy neighing sound. Her Rottweiler. She strokes the horse’s head softly.

“Hi, Rottweiler. I am here.”

“Should you name it that way?”

“Is it a bad name?”

Alliot shook his head. Seria tilted her head and climbed on the horse. The original Seria Stern’s horseback riding skills were quite amazing even though she couldn’t lift a single sword. She had to learn how to ride a horse so that she could see the large lake. Seria also knew well that she had to do what was necessary as Stern to strengthen her position.

‘This is like a smart villain.. Should I say it is clever.’

The frozen lake was very vast. And because of the fog, the line of sight was not very clear. They tied the horses to the designated place and began walking. It was so cold that when she exhaled, white smoke flowed out. It was then that Aliot’s expression turned cold and he suddenly put his hand on the sword. At the same time, he looked back.

“Your Highness?”

‘Your Highness?’

Seria also looked back right away. She was surprised and her eyes widened instantly.

Lesche Berg.

The owner of this estate and the male protagonist of the original story. He was striding in the fog. He wore a large sword and a unique red cloak. Lesche was so tall that Seria flinched a little at the sight. He went over to her and Alliot in turn and asked.

“What are you doing here?”

“Your Highness. I was checking the lake with Lady Seria.”

Lesche’s expression was slightly distorted at Alliot’s answer. Yes, it was distorted. ‘Why? Why are you doing that?‘ That was what he meant. She trembled a little, reading the expression of the male lead. What did she do wrong? Does he dislike the clothes she wore? Lesche looked at her and spoke.

“Lady Seria Stern.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Is my words not of any importance to you?”

“Yes?”

Seria was so nervous. She didn’t understand a word he said.

“Why did you come to the lake with a cold in winter?”

“My cold is not severe. And this is what I have to do as Stern.”

“Since when did Lady Stern faithfully obey her duty?”

He saw right through her intentions, perhaps because he was the male lead. Even though she has gone out to check the glacier every day after coming to this castle, Lesche still looked at her with disbelief.

“Or, are you trying to draw attention from your fiance with a more severe cold?”