Prologue II

The blood of Dynah spilt from the spot where the sword passed. 

“Ugh…”

-It hurts.

....

Dynah tilted her head back at the pain emanating from her hand in agony. But the scream didn’t come out.

The hard bitten cloth gagging her prevented any noise from leaking. It also made her unable to harm herself and was a restraint that could not be loosened except during mealtimes. 

Was it because she was in pain?

For the first time since Lavienne entered the dungeon, Dynah’s head was upright.

At that moment, Khalid, who was looking at her, met Dynah’s eyes.

Khalid ignored the mixture of resentment, anger, and hatred.

Blood from Dynah’s hand flowed into the bottle Lavienne held.

The red liquid was Dynah’s blood, and Lavienne drank it, cleanly emptying the container.

“Hm, good.”

Lavienne smiled broadly after drinking. She was as beautiful as a blooming flower. Dynah’s blood glistened over her plump lips.

Dynah stared at Lavienne, her lips trembling. Feeling the gaze, Lavienne smiled more brightly and brought her face closer. “Why? Are you upset?” Lavienne stroked Dynah’s matted hair. She then carefully grabbed a few strands and tucked them behind her ear.

“You dared to take what was mine. It is the price of having the power of a saint without knowing how to use it.”

Lavienne giggled and pushed Dynah aside. 

Her head fell to her ground and crashed against the hard wall.

Having accomplished her purpose, Lavienne snorted and left the dungeon. Dynah looked at their receding backs and closed her eyes helplessly. 

‘I’m the real one. I’m the real saint...it is I….’

As always, Dynah’s heartfelt anguish did not reach anyone.

♔♔♔

Whirr.

//I’m not sure how to correctly translate this, but the sound of 끼기긱 is like when you roll up a car window, and there’s friction between the cushioning of the car door, creating a soft high pitched muffled tyre screech.

The thick iron door that had been tightly closed opened with a shrill creak.

A new priestess in pure white clothes opened the door to the dungeon cell where Dynah was.

“It’s mealtime.”

Rachel, the oldest of the three priestesses, spoke coldly. She took the lead and entered the cell. She was followed by a mid-grade priestess Helen and then Annie. Annie was a new priestess, in charge of Dynah from today. It was the first job she had been given after becoming a priestess not too long ago.

Annie entered the cell with a nervous expression and opened her mouth blankly in surprise when she saw Dynah.

The many wounds visible through the transparent bloodstained clothes were shocking.

“Priestess Rachel, how can she be... Who did this?”

Appalled, Annie stuttered and asked Rachel. 

“Who, you ask? The culprit is here. You can’t harass others here, so you’re abusing yourself.”

“How, when she’s tied up like that?”

“Because she’s a monster,” Rachel said, hinting at her to be quiet.

Annie shut her mouth, biting her lips at the menacing dark blue eyes, but she could not shake the feeling of something strange.

Rachel strode forward and grabbed Dynah’s chin, forcefully raising her head.

The sleeping Dynah woke up with her eyelids trembling.

Dynah’s clear eyes moved slowly, trying to grasp her situation. Usually, her eyelids would have soon closed again, but not today.

Dynah’s gaze turned to Annie standing behind Rachel. And she instantly regained her vitality.

The other priestesses were not aware, but Annie felt Dynah’s gaze on her.

Even though she was in the dark, Annie’s arms got goosebumps. 

“P, priestess! Just now...”

“What are you doing standing still? Have you forgotten what you must do?”

“Ah… no!” Annie, about to talk to her about Dynah, was startled by Rachel’s rebuke and shut her mouth. Meanwhile, Helen pulled the cloth from Dynah’s mouth to feed her the food they’d brought.

The meal given to Dynah was a liquid because it had to be swallowed without chewing. Rachel spilt the liquid she had brought into Dynah’s mouth.

Since she didn’t eat it voluntarily, most of it dripped down around Dyna’s mouth. 

‘Pitiful.’

Annie couldn’t hide the disappointment she felt as an accomplice to her abuse.

No one had explained to her anything about the special prisoner. She was merely ordered to keep silent about everything that happened.

What kind of crime did she commit to be treated this way?

Annie stared at Dynah blankly, with that thought. Annie and Dynah’s eyes met once again.

-Release me.

At that moment, an alluring voice she had never heard before resonated in Annie’s head.