1st month of the summer, year 1200 of the holy Ashment Empire calendar. I lost my pillar. The plague hit us without warning. Then, the sudden poor harvest of that year brought us great farming. My household, my family, my people—they were all gone. I was the only one left of my family.

  I began to question my raison d'être. What was the point of being a Saintess when you could not save your loved one? Even my daughter’s raison d'être was also swamped in by my incompetence. The Eastern region of the empire was reduced to a ghost town. 10% of the world population died without me being able to do anything.

  I was placed under scrutiny. My legitimacy as a saintess was questioned. However, the emperor stepped in and soothed the situation. Behind him was the Duke Ellon.

  It took me several years to solve the trial. When I was relieved from the scrutiny, it was too late for me to step in to heal the wound in the people. While I tried my best to cope with the situation, I began to notice my declining health. My health quickly deteriorated. After that, I frequently fall into a coma. The length of my coma was increasing. I could no longer fulfill my duty as the saintess. My power base was destroyed. My supporters were either exiled or recruited by another faction. His Holiness, the Pope, also suffered the same treatment. Our rivalry ended when we were both ousted from the political arena.

  Looking back, I noticed that I was never the reputable saintess. At first, I tried to fulfill my duty, but as time passed, I realized that I was more focused on maintaining my standing than on fulfilling my duty as a saintess. I neglected the goddess's teaching. I neglected my duty as the saintess. I could only think that this was my punishment.

  As time passed, I started to suspect that everything, yes, everything, was orchestrated by Duke Ellon. It was clear to me after she, my second daughter, my Aria, secretly visited me.

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  It was our first meeting. It was three days after the annual prayer. It was before dawn when Aria sneaked into my chamber. I was in a state of being conscious and being unconscious. When I first noticed her presence, I thought that it was the assassin. However, for the first time in a long time, I felt warm. It seemed that she injected the divinity into me.

  I still remember the word she said to me that time.

  After a while, when I could open my eyes properly, Aria said to me. “I pray to the goddess for your glory, Your Holiness. Forgive my rudeness for sneaking in.”

  I tried to reply to her, but I could not.

  “I am a new saintess candidate. Forgive me for not being able to give my name.” At that time, I could not tell who she was, as I had missed the recent six-month-old enlistment ceremony of the new saintess candidate.

  “However, time is of the essence here. I cannot stay here for long.”

  The sunlight began to slip through the curtain. Although I could not see her face at that time, I could see the edge of her robe and her wavy hair.

  “I wish to inform you that I will continue to come here as much as possible. However, I would like to keep it a secret from everyone.”

  Yes, no one should have known about it.

  “It is for our safety.”

  “Duke Ellon and the cardinals do not wish for your recovery. If they notice that your condition improves, they will take a more drastic measure.” That was when my doubt became certainty.

  She calmly explained things to me. “For that, please try to hide your condition as much as possible.”

  “And please avoid drinking the tea they made. It is a slow-acting poison.” That was the tea my close aide always gave me.

  “Please accumulate this divinity and heal your heart. It will be easier to resist the effect of Silver Dew Flow.”

  “Forgive me for my inadequate skill. I can only do this much.” She slightly lowered her head to me. It was never her fault, yet she phrased it as if she were the one to blame. She should have asked for my gratitude, yet she sought my forgiveness.

  “I will try my best to find a way to negate the effect of Silver Dew Flow.” Then, she unsteadily stood up. As she was about to leave the room, she turned back to me. “Please keep our encounter a secret.”