What happened in the temple was known only to them; for now, the rest remained blissfully unaware. That day, the doctor took Wakako to gather some herbs. She had some knowledge of medicinal herbs from before, so she could tell that the herbs were mild, with only a simple calming effect. Whether she drank them or not didn’t really make…
That night, Wakako had another dream. This time, there were no lingering feelings of intimacy, only an endless cold. The wooden eyes of the divine statue stared at her with indifference, saying nothing, only observing her from above. The stare lasted only a fleeting moment before Wakako abruptly woke from her dream. She felt exhausted and wanted to close her…
Wakako had a long, long dream. In the dream, she clutched the soft hem of the Saint’s robe, burying her head in the warmth of the Saint’s embrace, surrounded by that comforting fragrance. She did nothing, simply stayed there, basking in the comfort. She remembered every detail vividly, including how Miki reached out to stroke her head, smoothing her stray…
The mercenaries were often summoned by the Queen, so they had residences both inside and outside the palace. These were located some distance from the Saint’s residence, but it wasn’t difficult for them to get there. Since the Saint was at the banquet with the Queen and the ministers, there weren’t as many guards on duty outside the courtyard. Moreover,…
The ministers’ discussions in the study grew more intense over the course of half a month, and word of these deliberations gradually spread. Even the common people in the capital began to hear rumors, leading to much speculation. Soon after, the Queen issued a decree enacting several new laws. However, this was a common occurrence and didn’t cause much of…