Chapter – 26
The next day.
What happened to that envelope?
As soon as she woke up and discovered it, Asha called for Ruby.
“You called for me, Lady Asha?”
Asha pointed at the envelope stamped with the temple’s emblem.
“Did you put that there, Ruby?”
As expected, confusion spread across Ruby’s face.
“No, my lady. You ordered that all mail from the temple be burned, so I have been doing exactly that. The other maids are also restricted from entering your bedchamber… I—I have no idea how this happened. I am terribly sorry. I will identify the maid who dared to do this without permission and—”
Asha quickly cut her off as Ruby’s tone turned grim.
“No. There’s no need to go that far. I don’t think this was done by one of Almond’s maids.”
She meant it.
Not long ago, three new maids had entered the Almond Palace.
Bella, Sandy, and Katrina.
They all had gentle impressions and timid manners—people who looked too meek to break orders.
Would they really have the nerve to defy the burn order and enter a forbidden bedchamber?
Especially on the infamous third floor of Blossom?
Asha handed the envelope to Ruby.
“Keep burning any mail from the temple. Throw this into the fireplace too.”
Ruby accepted it with both hands and left. But moments later—
Knock, knock.
“Lady Asha… I think you need to see this.”
There was fear in Ruby’s voice.
With a strange sense of foreboding, Asha stepped into the sitting room and looked at the fireplace Ruby was pointing at.
Inside the orange, flickering flames lay the envelope—still white, unscorched, the temple seal perfectly intact.
She understood at once.
Even if she didn’t read it now, the temple would find some way—eventually, inevitably—to deliver whatever was written inside.
“Lady Asha, it’s dangerous!”
“No. I think it’ll be fine.”
Probably.
Using a poker, Asha pulled the envelope out herself.
As expected, it wasn’t hot at all.
She immediately broke the seal and unfolded the letter.
[Hello, stranger.
I am Isis, the god of this world.
I’ve sent several letters, but since you haven’t checked any of them, I doubt you’d come to the temple even if I asked to meet you.
So I’ll get straight to the point.
‘The original Saintess Asha’ was murdered after the ball season ended, during the season when the grain ripens.
She wasn’t supposed to die.
So I decided to turn back time, and in that process, you—a stranger—were brought here.
It’s too long to explain everything in a letter, so I’ll summarize—
Try not to die.
If you’re curious about the details, come find High Priest Isis at the temple.
Good luck.]
As she read, a mess of small emotions stirred inside Asha.
Why didn’t I check the letters sooner? — Regret.
I knew anything from the temple would be troublesome. — Annoyance.
And what’s with this cheeky tone? For a god, that’s awfully frivolous. — Irritation.
All of it tangled together without order.
But one overwhelming thought surfaced above the rest.
Am I doomed?
So now I’m supposed to be murdered during harvest season?
Of course, that might not happen.
In The Saintess’s Imprisoned Life, the “original Saintess Asha” didn’t enter the Crown Prince’s palace with Alesto—she followed Cedric to Dalbert instead.
Right. After that, she was confined in the marquis’s estate…
Wait.
How did that novel end again?
Did the Saintess die?
She was imprisoned in autumn, then escaped Cedric’s watch at some point…
And then…
What?
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t clearly remember what happened after the Saintess went to Dalbert.
A chill crept down the back of her neck.
Calm down.
Maybe it’s just been too long since I read it.
And the storyline has already diverged from the original anyway.
But if a god went out of their way to send a letter like this, can I really assume I’m safe here…?
If they know I’m in the Crown Prince’s palace and still sent this, shouldn’t they at least say whether this place is safe or not?
And while they’re at it, couldn’t they tell me who killed the original Saintess?
Why is this god so careless about details?
Amid the layered confusion, one truly absurd question stood out.
Why wasn’t the Saintess allowed to die?
What was the grand reason for turning back time and reviving someone?
Why bring an innocent person here to face death in her place?
Is this supposed to make sense?
“Ugh, my head…”
When Asha pressed her forehead, Ruby hurried over to support her.
“Lady Asha, are you all right?”
Without thinking, Ruby glanced at the letter in Asha’s hand.
But it was completely blank.
At least, to Ruby’s eyes.
*
Acalia Palace.
Alesto opened the shallow first drawer of his desk.
Inside were several letters from the temple—the ones Asha had ordered to be burned.
He took the top envelope, pulled out the letter, and examined both sides.
Blank.
“She read the letter that arrived this morning?”
“Yes.”
As expected.
The letters from the temple must only be readable through divine power.
He had heard of it before.
Letters written with the sap of the World Tree could only be deciphered by the Saintess.
Which meant the sender had access to the World Tree.
The High Priest. Or perhaps one of the oracle priests or chief priests.
“Why couldn’t you intercept it?”
“…It did not arrive through any normal route.”
Of course.
That was why even the sharp-witted Katrina had missed it.
Katrina was one of the three senior “owls” Alesto had assigned to stay close to the Saintess.
He had selected Ruby, a junior owl already experienced in maid duties. But after expanding the Saintess’s permitted range of movement, he had added three senior owls as a precaution.
All useless in a situation like this.
What could it have said?
What kind of content would turn the Saintess pale after reading it?
Alesto’s expression hardened.
There was a very good reason he kept such a close watch on the temple.
With the help of High Priest Calavis, he had already confirmed the divine oracle for the new Saintess ahead of time.
Naturally, he had sealed the information tightly to ensure he could secure the Saintess first.
But his exclusive access would not last much longer.
In about ten days, the oracle would be revealed to the public. Before that, it would likely circulate among the temple’s high-ranking clergy.
Perhaps it already had.
Fortunately, after observing her for several days, he was fairly certain—though not completely—that the Saintess did not yet know what ability she had been granted.
But what if she made contact with the temple?
She might learn the contents of the oracle—and turn back time.
That would be inconvenient.
From Alesto’s perspective, it was better if she remained ignorant of her power.
At least until she came to trust him.
If she ever wished to leave, she wouldn’t be able to rewind time and escape.
When the temple sent its first invitation, he had received reports that she burned it immediately. He had assumed it would no longer be a concern.
But now—
After reading a letter from the temple, the Saintess had suddenly taken ill?
Was something serious written in it?
It unsettled him.
In the worst case, the letter might have contained the full contents of the oracle.
Alesto rose from his seat.
He needed to see the Saintess.
