Odetta did not know how to respond. She never thought a member of the Capital’s temple could be so blunt, especially about the event that angered Casrian to the point of madness.

“Ah...hahaha.” She settled on laughing nervously. Ugh. If only she had the brains like her brothers to think of a more adequate reply. “Is that so?”

Liliana beamed at her, stepping closer to take her hand before she could object. “Your Highness, it’s been a month since you’ve visited the temple. The children here still remember the time when you used to play with them back when I was still a normal priest years ago.”

“The children!” Odetta’s eyes widened, distracted from the fact that the High Priestess was currently dragging her deeper within the confines of the temple. “How’s Connie? Opal?”

“Oh, they’re doing fine! I think one of them managed to finally control their abilities so they chose to train to become a cleric!” Liliana giggled. They reached the back of the temple where an age-old oak tree stood.

Odetta used to come here from time to time to converse and play with the acolytes—people adopted by the Capital’s Temple who had the power of light within them but failed to make it surface any more than a dim glow. Back when she first arrived in this city as a princess, happy and socializing with practically everyone.

Nowadays, the temple was one of the few places she was allowed to go to since she seemed like a devout believer of Serira. Fortunately, that meant Casrian still believed she was in a shaky mental state and thus vulnerable to whatever outside forces may try to harm her, whatever that was.

“I hope you don’t mind this since you told me to treat you normally before. There’s actually something I want to give you,” Liliana said. She crouched on the ground next to the oak tree and began to fish around for something.

‘Something to give me?’ Odetta and Liliana had interacted before, but certainly not enough to be close friends and give each other gifts. She knew it wasn’t her fault, but she wondered if she perhaps should have prepared something for the High Priestess and some of the acolytes that she knew better. However, a part of her also knew how pointless it would be, because she would never forget the fear in the eyes of those acolytes after the previous High Priestess’ death.

Still half-buried in her thoughts, she absentmindedly accepted the sparkling silver envelope. Only when she saw the wax seal did she do a double-take.

‘This is the insignia of the Holy Lands!' She froze, because there was only one person she ever knew who came from there. The person she was just thinking of previously. The one who was hanged yet still laughed in the end—

“Forgive me, Your Highness.” Liliana bowed deeply towards her. “As the daughter of Count Evask, I take full responsibility for committing an act of treason of speaking her name… The High Priestess Annaelle wanted you to have this. As her last friend, I had a duty to deliver it.”

Odetta tried her best to keep herself from wrinkling the envelope in her hands. Once again, she was proven to be too naive for this damned Capital. “This act of transgression will never reach the King’s ears.” She gulped. “I heard nothing here today.” Everyone knew that Casrian despised the Holy Lands of Eurydite the most. If he heard of this, he would execute Liliana and her whole family at once, no matter that they were nobles of Andalia.

“Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you so much.” Liliana continued bowing towards her even as Odetta bid her farewell and rushed out of the temple as fast as she could, relying on her memories from her times here.

When Liliana finally straightened, she gazed blankly at the pathway the princess disappeared down in. She then spun and padded back into the temple. The breeze that blew through the temple was cool as evening settled upon the city.

The first thing she saw when she opened the doors to her private quarters was a young woman of fair hair sitting on her couch, back faced to her.

“What took you so long?” The woman glanced over her shoulder once she heard the doors close. Her dark eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the sight of the High Priestess.

Liliana calmly slipped off her sandals and wordlessly joined the woman on the couch. The woman allowed her to help loosen the strings of her corset and remove her sleeves. Bandages along with a tattoo of a hummingbird on her shoulder blade was revealed. Liliana personally thought that the tattoo was too contradictory to the woman’s personality.

“I was welcoming an esteemed guest,” she finally spoke.

“Oh? Tell me more about it.”

“Hmm.” She pretended to ponder for a bit. “Well, if you really want to know, it was Princess Odetta.”

The woman seemed to perk up at those words.

“Her Highness is seventeen years old, just like you, did you know? Anyways, I was talking with her about Annaelle,” Liliana continued while removing the bandages from the woman’s arm.

“Wasn’t Annaelle the High Priestess who was executed just for saying some words? The stupidity of the royal family here never ceases to amaze me.”

Liliana smiled softly. “Careful, Jessa. You’ll get arrested someday for not keeping your mouth shut.”

The woman, Jessa, rolled her eyes. “As if I care.” She barely winced when the ointment was applied to her wound.

Liliana sighed dejectedly. “Of course, if Annaelle hadn’t died, I would have never been High Priestess and the Archbishop wouldn’t have cut off his ties with Andalia. But who would blame him? His daughter was executed without notice in another country.”

Jessa had a feeling the High Priestess wasn’t truly upset about that. If anything, she only spoke only to fill in the silence.

Once new bandages have been wrapped around her arm, Jessa put her sleeves back on and carefully moved her arm. There was almost no pain thanks to her unique constitution, but it also meant she had to be more careful not to worsen the wound by doing reckless stunts.

Not that she had much of a choice, though.

“Don’t tell me you’re going out again.”

Jessa looked back at the High Priestess again and smirked. “Yes, I am. The city square is in need of some performers.”

Liliana shook her head, exasperated. ‘Does this child really think anyone will believe she’s not wearing a wig?’