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Chapter 11
Orte opened her eyes suddenly.
Every time she woke from a dream, her heart would beat like she had been underwater and just came up to breathe.
But this time—
She placed her hand on her chest.
Her heart was calm.
That was different.
Another difference was her mood.
Usually, even when she couldn’t remember her dreams clearly, they always left her feeling unpleasant.
But this time—
She couldn’t remember it well either, yet instead of feeling bad, she felt… refreshed.
‘What kind of dream did I have?’
It was the first time she wanted to remember a dream so badly.
She instinctively knew her family was not in it.
If they were, she would never feel this good.
Just as she was about to think more, the carriage stopped.
Only then did Orte look outside and realize they had arrived at the temple.
Knock, knock.
“Yes.”
When she answered, Yohan opened the door.
Orte held his hand and stepped out of the carriage.
“Was there any discomfort on the way?”
“None at all.”
In fact, she had slept deeply, which made her feel slightly embarrassed as she shook her head.
The carriage had already entered the temple grounds.
Since the temple had a special carriage for Orte, the guards allowed it to pass immediately.
As she walked with Yohan, she saw dozens of holy knights and priests.
All of them bowed deeply, their eyes full of kindness.
Orte felt relieved she didn’t have to meet all their gazes.
“It seems everyone is welcoming you, Lady Orte.”
Orte only gave a faint smile.
They headed to the room she always stayed in when visiting the temple.
It had been a long time since she last saw it.
As she paused in nostalgia, a young female trainee priest approached.
“It has been a long time, Lady Orte.”
Orte remembered her.
She was Manni, the young trainee priest who always attended her.
“I’m Manni.”
“Yes. Please take care of me.”
Manni nodded quickly, her face slightly red.
“Soon, the Pope and His Holiness will invite you to dinner. Until then, you may rest or walk in the garden.”
Yohan hesitated before adding,
“And please remember, you are also free to enter the Cradle of God.”
“…Yes, I know. You should rest too, Yohan.”
Yohan left, and Manni bowed.
“I will always be waiting nearby. Please call me if you need anything.”
She quietly closed the door.
Orte looked around the room, which was even bigger than her room in the Duke’s mansion, then sat on the sofa.
The Cradle of God.
It was where past Popes, cardinals, and Saints were buried.
It was called that because they were believed to return to the main god and rest in peace.
Yohan always suggested she visit the Saint there.
But she never went.
“What right do I have to go there?”
If someone who wasn’t even the real daughter came, maybe the Saint would be angry.
When she was younger, before she accepted the truth, she wanted to go.
But every time, something stopped her.
Later, she realized—
“She probably didn’t want to meet me.”
Someone like her, who had taken the place of the Saint’s real child.
Staying in the room made her thoughts heavier, so Orte stood up and called Manni.
Soon, Manni entered.
“Lady Orte, do you need anything?”
“I want to take a walk in the garden. Can I go alone?”
“Of course. That’s fine.”
Manni smiled and nodded.
Everyone in the temple knew Orte. No one would harm or disrespect her, so Manni didn’t follow.
“Should I at least guide you to the entrance?”
“It’s okay. I know the way.”
Orte left the room.
The places she usually went in the temple were limited.
The garden was one of them.
Even if she wasn’t the Saint’s real child, she still had holy power.
Because of that, she felt comfortable in nature.
Compared to the overwhelming kindness of the temple, the garden was a place she needed.
Just then, she heard voices.
“Did you hear? The vice-captain is coming back soon.”
“Really? It’s been a long time. About a year?”
Two young trainee priests noticed her and quickly bowed.
Orte nodded lightly and passed them.
‘Vice-captain…’
She thought about the word, then shook her head and cleared her mind.
Soon, she reached the garden.
She took a deep breath.
The garden didn’t feel artificial.
The fresh grass, the scent of flowers, the gentle wind—
Everything felt peaceful.
Even if the temple made her uncomfortable, she liked this place.
Orte walked aimlessly.
There were no priests or knights around, which made it even better.
Maybe because she had been living like an invisible person in the Duke’s house, she kept walking deeper without realizing it.
Only later did she realize she had gone too far.
She had been here many times, but never this deep.
She felt nervous.
‘What should I do?’
Rustle.
Suddenly, something appeared in front of her.
Her eyes widened.
“…White deer?”
It was a white deer.
It looked exactly like the one she had saved before.
As if drawn to it, Orte followed.
The closer she got, the faster the deer moved.
Soon, she was running, her breath heavy.
“Ah…”
The deer suddenly disappeared.
Orte looked around in panic.
Then she saw something.
“….”
She narrowed her eyes and slowly stepped closer.
Pushing aside the thick grass, she saw it clearly.
“…A dragon.”
A huge dragon was curled up, sleeping.
Its wings and chest moved slightly—it was alive.
Orte reached out her hand.
Just before touching its white scales—
The dragon suddenly opened its eyes.
[Orte.]
The voice echoed in her mind.
Startled, she pulled her hand back.
[I believed you would come find me again.]
A soft, smiling voice.
And then—
Orte lost consciousness.
“Lady Orte… are you really okay?”
Manni asked worriedly while brushing her hair.
“You can refuse. The Pope and His Holiness care most about your safety.”
“I’m fine. They said there’s nothing wrong with my body.”
“But… you collapsed at the garden entrance. I was so shocked.”
Manni still remembered how scared she was.
When Orte didn’t return for a long time, she went to look for her.
She couldn’t find her inside, so she thought of calling Yohan and the knights.
But when she returned to the entrance—
Orte was lying there, unconscious.
“There’s really nothing wrong. We just missed each other.”
Orte spoke firmly, and Manni could not argue anymore.
“Still, please don’t overdo it. I will prepare your bath.”
“Alright. Thank you.”
Manni smiled.
Just then, Yohan knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
“Lady Orte, I came to escort you to the dining hall.”
Orte stood and followed him.
“Did you rest well?”
“I went to the garden. It was still beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
As they talked, Orte remembered something.
“Has the vice-captain returned?”
Yohan hesitated for a moment.
Then he smiled.
“Yes.”
Orte’s eyes darkened slightly.
She had almost forgotten.
In her first life, before she died—
The vice-captain, Yones, was someone she cared about deeply.
Just like her family.
Just like Casey.
“Weekend?”
A sharp voice called out.
Orte looked up.
The first thing she saw was blue hair.
He looked to be in his mid-teens, standing between boy and man.
He was beautiful—
But his gaze toward her was cold and dry.
Yones smiled faintly.
And that meant—
Just like her family, and like Casey—
He hated her.
“Looks like a mongrel has crawled into a sacred place again.”
