"Sow what really was your goal coming here?"

Evelyn asked, staring straight at Prince Adley's eyes. He chuckled as a response which Evelyn thought her words and what was so funny about it.

​​

"Look at your face… it seems you're asking why I was laughing."

"..."

'If you knew you should just tell me…' Evelyn thought.

"I just need you alive and I don't want the Temple to think that they could use me as they please anymore…"

Evelyn thought that Prince Adley was someone who wouldn't be used by the others but after seeing the look in his eyes she knew that it was true.

How did she know? It's because there was hatred, anger as well as betrayal lying in the depth of his eyes.

It was the emotion that Evelyn was familiar with… in this world and her old world. That was why she knew that Prince Adley was not joking around.

"I see…"

A second later, a knight spotted them from afar.

"They're here…!"

"What?"

"Where"

Evelyn and Prince Adley looked at each other and knew that it's not the time to tell stories and reasons behind the helping hand that they are giving each other.

However, Evelyn has a different thought.

'I guess, I should end it here.. I've already given him enough time to recuperate…'

When she was about to stand up, she told him that their truce ends here.

"I'm not gonna help you anymore…"

"I see…"

"Is that all you gonna say?"

"Well… I reckoned that you will not follow me anymore… right?... Lady Evelyn."

"This is the only time that I could show you mercy, Adley."

When Prince Adley heard her words, the memory during the academy days flashed through his mind like it was just yesterday.

He remembered the day that Evelyn and him were walking in the famous garden of the St. Prisch Academy talking about their hobbies and such.

That time he really thought that he could be friends with her. He really thought that it wouldn't be so bad to make her one of the few that he could cherish.

They have similarities as both families are messed up, even though Prince Adley's parents are both alive and well, there was never a day that he felt that what he had was a family. It was akin to a business partnership rather than family relationship…

They would only discuss the achievement of someone and acknowledge it as what should be expected from them.

When something was amiss they would be subjected as incompetent and foolish. It became the disgrace of the whole and they would think that he was only a disappointment.

Same as to what Lady Evelyn's whole life has been. Besides, she and Prince Adley… the society hates the very existence of.

Prince Adley thought that he found someone that could understand his feelings.

But when he saw the bright smile of Evelyn that time, he knew it right away… that they're different.

She's a gem that shined so brightly even in the middle of the darkness of night. The thought of polishing Evelyn also crossed his mind.

Prince Adley thought that maybe it would be better for him to cherish her like a diamond. Refined her the way that she would shine even if she was

Now that he thinks about it, he never really had someone that he could cherish. The people around him were all the people that wanted the benefit that will be laid to them once the throne became his.

Human emotions and intimate relationships seem to be too far fetched for him, when his whole life he always needs to calculate the pros and cons of the people that will try to interact with him. And try not to get too close because he didn't know who and which should be trusted.

His whole life, he needed to fill the gaps and try not to leak any emotions that would warrant the enemies to hold onto it and became his fatal weakness.

Alas, he really didn't know where it started to go wrong.

Did it start when his mother, the Queen, pushed him to his wits and made him hate his older brother?

Or was it when his nanny, the one who gave him warmth was killed in front of his eyes because of the crown prince's faction?

Looking at it, maybe it started when his innocence was taken away from him when he was a child and was forced to mature at a young age to survive in the luxurious palace that was covered in gems and gold but the inside was spoiled rotten to the core.

Prince Adley really never thought when it started. Maybe when he grew to hate whenever people compare him with the Crown Prince?

When was it?

He didn't know exactly when his heart became so corrupt that human life became nothing for him. He didn't know when it started that his emotions began to sink in darkness.

Maybe everything just piled up that ultimately made him who he is now today.

He laughed at himself. If he was asked if he regretted taking this road… he doesn't have an answer.

"This is the last forgiveness that I could give you as I considered you as a friend during the short span I was in the Academy."

Prince Adley was shocked as he heard the words that come out from Evelyn. He then closed his eyes as if he accepted that he could no longer go back to that day.

"I see… then, I'll gladly take you on that offer."

Prince Adley and Evelyn walked opposite to each other's destination. When they crossed paths, Evelyn whispered.

"I won't show any hesitation the next time I see you... "

Prince Adley gave him a genuine smile that made Evelyn question what was the reason for that smile.

Evelyn wouldn't know what was that for. She could only run and think about what was about to happen.

***

Bang!

Swoosh!

Bang!

Consecutive loud explosions were heard all over the Temple of Light. Debris and smoke was mixed in the air and the ground.

"Find them!!! Find those insolent bastards who're destroying the sacred land of the Temple of Light!"

Boom!"

Another explosion was heard not so far from the priest who belongs to the twelve council of the Light.

"Your holiness, we should leave this place. I don't know who these people are that are targeting our Temple but you must flee now!"

One of the priests inside the clergy residence said. They were having the daily meetings with the pope when everything started.

The twelve councils of the Temple of Light are all pleading towards the Pope that was in the meeting room inside the clergy mansions of the Twelve Council.

"The damages are way beyond what we could sacrifice… we should get away from the temple of Light first and gain the sympathy of the masses so that we could gain more donations and build a more grandiose castle."

The eleven more priests agreed to what he said and thought that the Pope would agree to it..

"Hmm… but before that, where is the Saintess?"

Now, that Pope Nelson asked, he never saw Elise ever since she said that she had something to do in the underground prison.

"Someone acquire the whereabouts of our saint."

"I understand!" One of the Priest told one of the holy knights that was protecting them.

Meanwhile, Pope Nelson was touching his chin while thinking about how things started.

"Did she encounter someone there?" Pope Nelson mumbled.

'Hmmm… does this mean Lady Evelyn have made a counter attack? Or someone wants to rescue her here? But how did they know that information? She was only held here for a day…''

When he thinks like this, it clicked to him that it was possible that Lady Evelyn have already made plans before she got into the hands of Prince Adley or that-

Step! Step! Step!

Thud!

"Your Holiness!!!!"

One of the Holy knights was panting heavily as he hurriedly ran to where the important members of the Temple of Light were.

"Why are you shouting?! Do you mean to tell the terrorist that we are here?! Ha?!"

One of the twelve council angrily said as he found the knight's stupidity to be ridiculous in the situation that they were in.

"What is it?"

"The enemies are closed and they're coming here…"

"What?!"

"Your Holiness, we should get out of here, it's too dangerous."

"But what about the Temple?"

"We could just build another one… the life of his holiness is important."

"That's right… we need his Holiness to lead and find justice for what happened today!"

The twelve councils were already shouting as they gave every possible reason for the Pope to leave the temple and evacuate to the safe place.

"That's right… we should leave now…" Pope Nelson said.

With his words, the smile in the faces of the twelve councils was evident and the holy knights could see their chest rise to take a breath of relief for what they heard.

They started to walk to one of the secret bases of the clergy mansion that was inside the chamber of the Pope.

As they walked inside, one by one, the Pope started to calm down and asked things that they would need once they left the Temple.

"Did you take all the treasures inside the treasury?"

"Yes, we already sealed and sent it in a wagon…"

The knights answered.

"How about the artifacts and "that"?"

"We could only get the ones that were already stored in the storage; however the one in the basement of the white palace is…"

"They're already out of reach… huh."

He didn't need to finish his sentence as the Pope was the one to end it for him.

"Yes, your holiness…"

Then, as if the Pope only remembered, he then asked about what was on his mind since earlier.

"What about Elise? Did she also safely evacuate?"

"..."

"Why aren't you answering?"

"We actually couldn't find the Saintess because of the commotion however, the Captain was with her."

"Ricardo…?"

"Yes, your holiness…"

"Then, I guess there's nothing to worry about.... I'll make sure to return Lady Evelyn's gift today with a more grandiose explosion."

Pope Nelson's eyes smiled cunningly as he continued to mumble words that he promised he would accomplish.