“Leticia, the chief guardians from the Temple have arrived.”
Leticia slowly woke up from her daydream at the sound of Dietrian’s voice from outside the door.
“Leticia, are you still resting?”
“I’ll be out.”
Leticia took a deep breath to calm her racing thoughts. Soon, she rose from her seat. Before turning the doorknob, she whispered to herself as if making a small promise.
“Let’s do our best from now on.”
The harsh reality would be waiting for her when she opened the door. Everyone she knew would probably despise her.
Leticia chuckled softly.
“It’s okay, though.”
In this life, she would protect everyone.
Just like she protected Enoch.
And the other people from the Principality.
To do that, she needed to give it her all, to strive with all her might. Without regrets.
With that determination in mind, Leticia opened the door.
* * *
“You’ve kept us waiting.”
Leticia came out with a faint smile.
Dietrian’s eyes widened as he observed her complexion. Her expression looked much better than when they had talked earlier.
“Could it be that you’ve started to believe my words?”
The words that he wouldn’t hate her. Perhaps not completely, but maybe she was beginning to accept it to some extent.
‘Maybe she’s gradually opening his heart to me.’
Dietrian felt a slight sense of excitement as he spoke.
“The two chief guardians have arrived to serve as your escorts.”
“I see.”
If there are two winged guardians, it must be Noel and Ahwin. A soft smile naturally formed on Leticia’s lips.
“Yulken is responsible for checking our luggage at the exit. If there’s anything even slightly uncomfortable, feel free to let him know at any time.”
“I’ll do that.”
Nodding, Leticia was about to speak when Yulken, who had been checking documents, saw them and immediately straightened his posture, bowing at the waist.
“Huh?”
Leticia widened her eyes in surprise. Strangely, Yulken’s greeting was exceptionally polite, as if he were showing great respect to a very important person.
‘Why is Yulken acting like this towards me?’
In the past, there was no such behavior from him. He had been far from polite; he couldn’t stand her.
‘Did Dietrian give him a separate order?’
Leticia thought for a moment and then shrugged it off. Many things had changed from the past, and it wasn’t just one or two things.
‘Perhaps something has changed since Enoch’s return.’
Similar things had happened in the past.
“To get to the Principality, we’ll have to cross the Gravel Desert for two days.”
Dietrian immediately began explaining the upcoming itinerary.
“The Gravel Desert is filled with sharp gravel on the surface. It’s not an easy place for beginners. To safely cross the Gravel Desert, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Firstly…”
“You mean, avoid stepping on the gravel, especially in areas with sharp gravel, right?”
Dietrian nodded in surprise.
“That’s correct. You seem to know it well.”
Leticia couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Yes, I had a great teacher.”
The words she had just spoken were the same ones Dietrian had said to her in the past. Leticia had injured her foot in this very Gravel Desert. Her reminiscing gaze carried a touch of nostalgia.
“Have you, by any chance, crossed the Gravel Desert before?”
“Yes, a long time ago.”
Leticia nodded with a serene smile. Dietrian’s expression slightly stiffened, and he carefully observed Leticia’s complexion before asking.
“It must not have been easy to cross the desert… Was there a reason you had to travel so far across such a treacherous desert?”
“Yes, there was.”
Leticia replied with a smile, but she didn’t elaborate further. Crossing that desert with Dietrian was a story she couldn’t tell, so she chose to keep it light. Then she changed the subject.
“Anyway, I’m grateful. We can move after the monsoon season is over.”
Dietrian noticed that Leticia was avoiding any mention of the Gravel Desert, and a subtle sense of foreboding crept over him.
‘Something is going on.’
He had a gut feeling that there was something Leticia was hiding related to the Gravel Desert. An instinct told him that he needed to find out the truth.
—
Even after parting with Leticia, there was only one thing on Dietrian’s mind: why the Saintess’ daughter had to cross such a treacherous desert.
‘It must have been ordered by Josephina.’
It was clear that Josephina had gone to great lengths to force Leticia to cross the desert, as if the abuse she had endured all her life wasn’t enough. Dietrian clenched his fists in frustration.
‘I can’t stand it, really.’
Every time he saw the scars of the abuse she had suffered, he was on the verge of saying something cruel.
‘I should just ask her directly.’
In his heart, he wanted to ask her everything, from the smallest scratch to the deepest wound.
After discovering every last detail and finding out who had harmed her, he wanted to exact a hundredfold or even a thousandfold revenge on everyone who had hurt her.
He had originally intended to wait until she brought up the topic herself, but he wasn’t sure he could wait any longer.
He tried to console himself, telling himself to put the past behind and focus on the future. He thought that if he could create enough happy memories, she would eventually forget about the past.
But it was all in vain.
“It’s not enough.”
Dietrian clenched his fist tightly.
“Doing that won’t make the things she’s been through disappear.”
Promising to do better from now on doesn’t erase the pain she’s endured in the past. It’s like saying that his future happiness will bring back his deceased family members.
‘Even if it’s my own selfishness.’
He couldn’t just let it go. The urge to find out more about her past kept growing.
‘But how can I do it?’
Probing would only hurt her more. Even if he asked, she might not provide a proper answer.
“It’s okay now, don’t worry about it.”
“I’m really fine.”
She would probably say things like that. Dietrian sighed lightly, frustrated by the fact that no matter how much he thought about it, there was no easy solution.
“People can endure so much without showing it.”
Yulken, who was walking alongside him, asked in confusion, “Why are you suddenly talking about this?”
“Suddenly? Why did that word suddenly come up?”
Yulken looked at Dietrian with a puzzled expression, wondering if he was referring to Her Highness. Did Her Highness say the same thing to him as she did to Dietrian?
“No, it’s not like that.”
Dietrian shook his head firmly.
“In comparison to her, I’m like an impatient child. People who endure so much don’t easily reveal their inner thoughts.”
He realized that no matter how much he wanted to help Leticia, he needed to respect her boundaries and not push her to talk about things she might not be ready to discuss.
‘I need to find out before she talks.’
He always observed her complexion, trying to identify anything that might make her uncomfortable. Being constantly by her side and keeping her in his sight was the only way to achieve that.
With that determination in mind, he turned around and noticed Leticia at the entrance to the palace, struggling to tie a scarf around her neck to shield herself from the desert winds.
“I can do it for you.”
He smoothly untied Leticia’s scarf and offered his own.
“The desert wind carries sand with it. You need to tie it securely to block the wind.”
A rich gray fabric quickly enveloped her neck and shoulders. Leticia looked up at Dietrian in surprise.
“Thank you. But what about you?”
“I have another spare, so it’s fine.”
“Still…”
She hesitated to return his scarf, her hand pausing. His scent was so pleasant, almost like being embraced by him.
‘This should be fine, right?’
With a heart full of happiness, Leticia smiled shyly.
“Thank you. I’ll use it well.”
Dietrian’s movements paused for a moment. Leticia, smiling and playing with his scarf, looked stunningly beautiful.
Dietrian was momentarily entranced and then returned to his original position. Leticia, with his scarf covering her face, took a deep breath.
Perhaps it was the warmth of his scarf, but her fears seemed to melt away. Everything felt like it would turn out well.
“Are those the two Wings? The new guardians, right?”
“They say they’re incredibly strong, so we don’t have to worry about demons.”
“There’s nothing to be happy about. They’re not guardians, they’re monitors. Unfortunate fellows.”
“Anyway, it’s better than having nothing at all.”
Leticia chuckled softly as she listened to the murmurings of the envoy.
‘Noel and Ahwin have arrived.’
The thought of meeting Noel lifted her spirits. They couldn’t exchange greetings since people were looking, but she still wanted to exchange a silent greeting.
With excitement, she followed the gaze of the envoy. But then, Leticia’s smile vanished from her face.
Standing beside Ahwin was another Wing. It wasn’t Noel.
It was Tennua.
* * *
At that very moment when the envoy, accompanied by the Guardians, was about to leave the capital.
Noel, who had been entrusted with the guardianship, was not with the envoy but instead walking through the palace corridor. The palace attendants who recognized her quickly lowered their heads.
“We greet Lady Noel of the Goddess’s Wings.”
Normally, Noel would respond politely to their greetings, but this time, she did not acknowledge anyone.
She simply exuded an icy coldness, her face devoid of warmth as she walked.
She came to a stop in front of a massive door adorned with gold and jewels. As she approached, a palace attendant came closer, bowing at the waist.
“Lady Noel, we are honored to have you here.”
“Please inform the Saintess that I have arrived.”
“Of course.”
With a respectful bow, the attendant took a step back and retreated towards the door.
“Lady Noel, the Ninth Wing, has arrived.”
A moment later, voices from inside the room could be heard. Noel clenched her fists, suppressing her rising anger as she lowered her gaze.
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