CH 31

“Well, what’s the matter? That woman, she also had a child.”

“…it’s her litter brother.”

“Oh, really?”

Adandito didn’t say anything more. Then, the drunken man with narrowed eyes pointed to a certain place. It was a castle standing on a hilltop, like something out of a fairy tale.

“Then go and see that woman. She lives in that castle.”

“…How do you know that?”

“My friend works there.”

“…”

“Why don’t you go?”

“It’s late at night, and I wasn’t invited. She wouldn’t want me there.”

Adandito’s shoulders slumped even further. His head hung low, and his expression was impossible to discern. The drunken man scratched his head and muttered.

“Well, that’s an honest fellow.”

“…….”

“And you regret it?”

“…”

“Anyway, good luck~”

The drunken man stumbled away and disappeared into an alley. Then, no one was left on the street. It felt lonely and miserable. Adandito felt like it was a punishment imposed on him by Siara. 

He had failed to protect her properly and left her at the mausoleum, suffering the consequences. Adandito remained in place, motionless, until dawn broke. 

Eventually, he lifted his head. Indeed, there was Astita Castle in the direction the man had pointed. Adandito stared at the castle as if etching it into his eyes, then clenched his lips. Finally, Adandito shook his head downwards.

“…Leaving her like that was not the right thing to do.”

He shouldn’t have trusted Hierian in the first place. If he had known the consequences of losing Siara due to his commitment to the divine, he should have returned to the temple with Siara, even if it meant risking his life. But due to a mistake, he ended up earning the resentment of the precious person entrusted to him by the oracle. It was all his fault.

Filled with self-disgust, Adandito clenched his fist. The words Siara had spoken to him on the street the previous night echoed vividly in his mind. The cold voice and even colder gaze.

‘Do you even know what I went through?’

At that moment, a faint sound escaped Adandito’s gritted teeth.

“Hierian, what have you done to her?”

Furthermore, Siara seemed to have sided with Hierian. Trembling with anger, Adandito squeezed his chest. An indescribable emotion surged like flames from the depths of his being.

At that moment, the words of the drunken man resurfaced.

‘And you regret it?’

At that moment, Adandito’s feet, which had been glued to the ground, began to move.

* * *

After enjoying the lively night market and returning home, we had a good meal and took a warm bath. So I should be sleepy but sleep eluded me completely. There was one reason for that—the words I said to Adandito at the market kept replaying in my head.

‘Did I say something too harsh?’

Suddenly, I remembered the moment just before we parted ways.

Adandito quietly lowered his gaze, as if admitting his faults. He didn’t blame or make excuses; he simply accepted. In the recesses of his golden eyelashes, it seemed as if tears were forming, exuding a poignant atmosphere. Ironically, that made it even more worrisome. I covered myself with the blanket, burying my lips.

‘What do I know? He knows he was wrong and didn’t chase after me.’

In truth, Adandito was not the kind of person who easily invaded someone else’s space. He was honest and had a deep sense of devotion. Even in the original story, he never lied to the heroine. 

That’s why I believed in him even more. If it were Adandito, he wouldn’t disappoint me.

‘Siara! Lies are the root of all evil! Why didn’t you tell the truth?’

‘If I do, you’ll call me a burden again.’

‘…It would hinder you more if you got hurt and your purification ability weakened.’

Once upon a time, I was hurt by his blunt and straightforward way of speaking without any lies, but at some point, I started to feel comfortable with his honest words. Moreover, it seemed like there was hardly anything wrong with Adandito’s words.

Above all, it was Adandito who came to rescue me when I was wandering in the Demon King’s castle. At that time, I was sincerely grateful. Even if I lost my memories, I thought it was fortunate to have a place to stay and someone to take care of me.

However, he left me alone in the mage tower. At that moment, I felt a strange sense of betrayal. So, when I unexpectedly met Adandito, I poured out my resentment without even realizing it.

Amidst these tangled and complicated thoughts, the day began to dawn. The pitch-black sky brightened, and a streak of red lined the horizon.

My eyes, which hadn’t slept all night, twitched. I got up from the bed, pressing my eyes tightly, and as I reached for the curtain, I paused when I saw a shadow outside the window.

One enormous figure filled the large window that led to the terrace. His shadow stretched to the foot of the bed, enveloping my body.

Although we were undoubtedly aware of each other’s presence, we didn’t say a word. How much time had passed? I called him first.

“…Adandito.”

“I apologize, Lady Siara.”

I didn’t respond. Adandito continued speaking on his own.

“I couldn’t protect you.”

“…”

“Above all else, I should have prioritized protecting you, but I failed to do so.”

“…Well, it’s not that big of a deal.”

I thought he would just say something like that and apologize lightly. Nonetheless, thanks to that, my lingering disappointment eased a bit. I scratched my cheek and replied.

“Well, it’s in the past. Nothing happened in the mage tower, anyway.”

“Did he treat you well?”

“Well, there was a slight misunderstanding, but in the end, it worked out fine.”

“I’m glad.”

Unconsciously, I nodded my head.

“It’s kind of nice to have him behind my back.”

This time, Adandito didn’t say anything. I, too, looked at him for a moment and asked.

“But why did you come here?”

“I wanted to see the Sunflower Festival.”

His answer was more straightforward than I expected, and somehow, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You came all the way here just for the Sunflower Festival?”

“Because it’s Astita.”

“Well, Astita is a land blessed by the Gods. It was once designated as a sanctuary.”

Astita had no natural disasters and no poverty. The abundant crops grown throughout the year ensured that even the poor didn’t go hungry.

Moreover, my mother engaged in relief work in the territory, assisting the impoverished. She provided houses and lands and taught farming methods to the peasants who had lived in Astita for a long time.

Even if an orphan appeared, she took responsibility for them until they became adults. If they were in dire straits, she would also provide them with a home and land.

There was a reason for going to such lengths. Astita was a land blessed by the Gods, a land where abundance was based on blessings.

However, blessings are not eternal. One could see that from the ancient civilizations that perished in the distant past. Therefore, generation after generation, the people of Astita have strived to repay the Gods’ grace. Depending on their efforts, the harvest of crops varied each year.

Anyway, for these reasons, Astita had become one of the most frequently visited places by the clergy. So, it was not strange for Adandito to attend Astita’s festival.

‘He said he would come to visit once the subjugation expedition was over.’

I nodded my head. As we talked, the bitterness I had been mulling over all night seemed to diminish considerably. Perhaps that’s why the words flowed out comfortably.

“Have you found a place to stay? If you want, I can provide you with a room in the mansion.”

“No, I couldn’t possibly.”

“What about your dignity? While you’re here, you can bless the mansion and then you can leave. Everyone will surely appreciate it.”

Since Astita was a land blessed by the Gods, the majority of the people in the territory were Eora worshippers. So if Adandito came, there was no doubt that everyone would be pleased.

However, his expression didn’t brighten up. After a moment of hesitation, I tilted my head and asked.

“Does it bother you that you came to visit and then got asked to work?”

“How could that be? It’s where Lady Siara is staying. It’s only natural to do what needs to be done.”

“Well, do as you wish. Everyone will be happy regardless.”

Adandito nodded quietly. Meanwhile, the sun rose high and outside became a bright morning.

‘I guess sleeping is out of the question.’

I rubbed my tired eyes and blinked. Then Adandito, who had been silent all this time, asked, 

“Seems like you’re sleepy.” 

“Yeah, I couldn’t even get a nap.” 

“Me neither.” 

“Should I ask for a room right away?” 

Upon hearing that, Adandito shook his head and said, 

“I don’t sleep when the sun is up in the sky.” 

As a sun God himself, the priests were supposed to be awake during the day. I nodded and yawned again. My eyelids were slowly closing.

Then Adandito looked at my face with a worried expression. 

“It would be better for Siara to get more sleep.” 

“Yeah, I’m going to sleep now.” 

“Then, please rest well.” 

With those words, Adandito vanished in an instant. Outside the window, only a golden mist shimmered.

I glanced at the spot where Adandito had disappeared for a moment and then lay down on the bed, pulling the curtains. This time, I could fall asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.

* * *

While Siara was asleep, Adandito revealed himself on the outskirts of the village. Upon hearing the news that the priest had arrived, the count summoned him. As soon as he learned that the priest had arrived at the mansion, the count led his family to meet him. And when he saw the priest’s face, he was taken aback.

Tall stature, and rough skin, contrasting with shining golden hair and golden eyes. The pattern of God is engraved on his robe.

Count Astita couldn’t contain his excitement and said, 

“Glory to the God Eora. It’s an honor to meet you, High Priest.”

“May the blessings of the God Eora be upon you. It is also an honor for me to visit this beautiful estate. The sunflowers blooming everywhere are truly magnificent.” 

Adandito praised, and Lady Astita smiled warmly in response.

“This is Astita’s pride. It’s an honor for you to visit in person.”

However, Adandito couldn’t say anything in response. More accurately, his mind was distracted by Lady Astita’s face.