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Chapter 2
Anyone who inherited the imperial bloodline was born with divine power capable of defeating monsters.
The strength of that power differed from person to person, but all of them fought for the Empire as holy knights.
There was, however, a side effect to humans wielding the power of the gods.
If divine power was overused, the holy knight’s veins would bulge, their heart would race violently, and eventually they would go berserk.
A berserk holy knight lost all reason and rampaged, destroying everything around them. Depending on the magnitude of their divine power, the damage could range from a single village to the entire Empire.
The rampage continued until the holy knight died.
To prevent this in advance, they had to regularly purify their power through a purifier.
Purification was achieved through physical contact between the purifier and the holy knight. The degree of contact required was proportional to how much power had been used.
For example, the light wound Arnthehrt suffered while saving Silaria from a monster could be healed simply by holding hands.
When the fallen Silaria took the hand he offered her, her pupils widened, and a pale lilac light wrapped around their clasped hands.
The red scratch on Arnthehrt’s pale cheek healed rapidly, as though time itself had reversed.
Arnthehrt’s primary ability was restoration.
The disappearance of the wound meant the purification had succeeded.
On his way to the temple, Arnthehrt discovered an unexpected treasure and burst into delighted laughter.
My destiny, my love was here all along!
Right there on the spot, Arnthehrt proposed to Silaria.
The moment she married the Crown Prince, she escaped the misery that had bound her all her life like an inescapable snare.
Her gambling-addicted stepfather and her younger sister born with a weak heart were no burden to the Crown Princess of the great Empire.
Silaria no longer had to desperately struggle to protect Elenia from her stepfather’s abuse.
And Elenia, her fragile younger sister who resembled a cosmos flower in autumn, no longer had to feel sorry toward her older sister.
Her stepfather was banned from entering the imperial palace, and Elenia received devoted care at the Imperial Hospital.
It was all thanks to Arnthehrt.
Silaria tried her best to repay his kindness. Since purification was her duty, she made every effort to overlap their bodies as much as possible.
Even when Arnthehrt treated her like a woman obsessed with him, she endured his contemptuous gaze and continued purifying him.
She believed time would solve everything.
That someday, he would understand her sincerity.
But sadly, the efficiency of the purification steadily declined. The compatibility rate between Arnthehrt and her also dropped noticeably.
It was no wonder Arnthehrt demanded a divorce.
But couldn’t they simply raise their compatibility again?
Compatibility changed in proportion to the affection between a holy knight and a purifier. So if husband and wife worked hard together—
“I wasn’t trying to hide it. But Arhn, things haven’t exactly been good between us lately. You barely come to see me anymore.”
“Are you trying to blame me right now?”
“Of course not.”
“Last winter, we had to sleep together just to heal a wound on the back of my hand. Over a trivial injury like that.”
Arnthehrt’s eyes froze like a lake in midwinter. The warmth he had shown moments ago had vanished completely.
“Don’t tell me you’re reluctant to step down from the position of Crown Princess? Is that it?”
“Arhn!”
Silaria let out a shrill cry at the absurd accusation.
She had no greed or attachment toward the position of Crown Princess.
In name, she was the Crown Princess, but in reality, everyone in the imperial palace treated her like she was invisible. So why was Arnthehrt slandering her like this?
“To you, am I really that kind of person?”
“How would I know what kind of woman you are?”
“We’re husband and wife.”
“And that’s why I’m saying we should end this. Or what? Are you worried your sister won’t be able to continue receiving treatment?”
Arnthehrt spoke indifferently as he approached Silaria.
“If that’s what you’re worried about, don’t be, my love.”
His cold hand touched Silaria’s cheek. Stroking her face with that chilly touch, he spoke softly.
“That sickly little sister-in-law of mine died a long time ago.”
“……!”
Silaria covered her mouth in horror.
Elenia was dead?
Arnthehrt had told her that Elenia was doing well in a premium room at the Imperial Hospital.
He said outsiders were strictly forbidden from entering. That because of her intensive treatment, even letters couldn’t be delivered.
So she believed him.
She believed him.
“W-When……”
A faint voice escaped through Silaria’s lips. Arnthehrt looked at her pale face indifferently and answered.
“When? You mean when she died? Let’s see… was it two months after we got married?”
Muttering while furrowing his brow, Arnthehrt tilted his head slightly. It seemed he couldn’t even remember the exact date.
Congratulations on your marriage, Sister.
Elenia’s delicate voice echoed in Silaria’s ears.
That farewell in their shabby mansion…
That had been the last time.
Silaria bit the inside of her cheek hard. The metallic taste of blood trickled down her throat. Her eyes turned bloodshot.
“Why… didn’t you tell me until now?”
“If I had, you wouldn’t have been as grateful to me. And even with your best efforts at purification, it was barely enough.”
“You needed my purification that badly… so am I useless to you now?”
Silaria’s voice trembled thinly. Her face turned deathly pale and her jaw quivered with rage, yet Arnthehrt remained expressionless.
“It’s been that way for a while now, my love.”
That damned my love.
Even though he didn’t love her at all.
“Don’t call me that.”
Silaria glared at him with bloodshot eyes.
Arnthehrt placed a hand over his chest and let out an exaggerated sigh.
“Don’t be like that, Silly. Have you ever thought about how I felt watching you struggle with purification? It was hard for me too.”
Arnthehrt suddenly grabbed Silaria’s arm.
Then he slowly kissed her fingers.
The sight of his wet tongue licking between her pale fingers was revolting. It felt like insects crawling across her skin, making nausea rise in her throat.
“Look, Silly. Nothing happens even when we touch now. Divorce is for the best—for you, for me, and…”
Arnthehrt snapped his fingers toward the back of the bed.
At once, the door to the adjoining room connected to the bedroom opened.
“My lover. My purifier. For Grisel.”
“……!”
Silaria gasped as she looked at the woman who emerged through the door.
The woman hidden inside Arnthehrt’s bedroom was none other than her childhood friend, Grisel.
Grisel smiled brightly and greeted Silaria cheerfully.
“Hello, Silly?”
“Grisel, you……”
Silaria’s eyes trembled violently.
What shocked her wasn’t that Grisel was Arnthehrt’s lover.
It was Grisel’s swollen belly, proudly cradled as she lifted her chin arrogantly toward Silaria.
Beneath her luxurious dress, her stomach was visibly round.
The strength instantly drained from Silaria’s legs. She struggled desperately not to collapse as she glared at her friend. The hand gripping the bedside table turned white.
“What’s wrong, Silly?”
Tilting her head slightly, Grisel asked sweetly.
On the hand caressing her stomach was a ring set with a diamond as large as an eyeball.
Noticing Silaria’s gaze, Grisel smiled shyly.
“Oh. This ring? Pretty, isn’t it? Arhn gave it to me for our third anniversary. Even though I told him he didn’t have to.”
Third anniversary.
Hearing Grisel’s explanation, Silaria clenched her teeth.
Three years.
Exactly the same amount of time Silaria had been married.
That meant the two of them had been sleeping together ever since Silaria brought Grisel to the imperial palace as a maid from her family estate.
Outwardly, they pretended to care for Silaria while secretly betraying her behind her back.
Trembling with betrayal, Silaria clutched her shaking arm.
“……You should’ve just kept hiding it.”
