* * *

Owen, his hands running through his hair in a fit of irritation, finally looked at me.

It seemed as if he was carefully observing my reaction.

“You don’t seem very surprised.”

“I was already shocked enough to learn Harilson was a traitor. There’s not much left to surprise me.”

If Harilson was a traitor, the next most likely candidate would naturally be Nathaniel, someone who frequently met with him.

In that sense, Nathaniel’s betrayal was, in a way, expected.

Upon hearing my response, Owen pursed his lips and dropped two sugar cubes into his teacup.

They vanished into the swirling white steam rising from the tea.

“Well, you were fairly close to Priest Harilson, weren’t you?”

“I was.”

To be precise, I was—up until the moment I realized the food Harilson had been giving me was poisoned.

If he had truly considered me a friend, he would’ve warned me when he learned about my ties to Viscount Chernian.

Instead, he pretended to be kind with that perfectly calm face of his.

I gave Owen a faint smile. It was bitter.

To think that the first friendship I’d forged in the temple would end so poorly—it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Owen seemed to pick up on the meaning behind my smile.

He froze with his teacup halfway to his lips, his worry apparent even behind his glasses.

“So, are you planning to leave the temple now? You could at least stay for Kaindel’s wedding.”

“No. If I see Kaindel getting married in this state, I might falter.”

As the High Priest, Owen probably didn’t know about the deal between Kaindel and Kerelona.

That’s why I chose not to speak of what I’d learned through Kerelona.

Saying it out loud felt like it might break open the flood of emotions I had barely managed to suppress—resentment toward Kaindel for hiding the truth while knowing full well he wouldn’t actually marry Kerelona.

To be honest, after two years apart, the reasons I’d left Kaindel were starting to blur.

Was it because he promised eternity to someone else?

Or because of his indifference toward me?

If there had been a reason behind his actions—something that explained why he promised eternity to someone else while neglecting me—would my emotions have been invalid?

Would I be obligated to understand him completely?

And even if he truly regretted his actions, it wouldn’t change the wounds I suffered during our relationship.

The love I had for him, and the pain that came with it, remained exactly as they were.

I had thought that by parting ways with him, the wounds would fade, and we’d become strangers.

Yet, oddly enough, becoming strangers with Kaindel had led me to understand him better.

It was only after our breakup that I learned about his past as a sponsored guest at a childhood banquet, his love for me, and that his marriage to the princess was nothing more than a transaction.

The more I understood him, the more something within me began to blur.

Even revisiting the memories of our parting made me wonder: was there a reason behind everything I hadn’t been aware of?

But now, it didn’t matter anymore.

I cut off my spiraling thoughts. I didn’t even know what I wanted, so there was no point in dwelling on it.

Clearing my mind, I fiddled with the note Kerelona had given me.

“I plan to leave the day after tomorrow. The princess entrusted me with a task, so I need to head out soon.”

“Understood. I’ll take care of the necessary paperwork.”

“Thank you, as always.”

“Think nothing of it.”

I silently mused that coming to Owen had been the right choice and rose from my seat, ready to leave now that our conversation was over.

As I rolled up my sleeves, Owen watched before raising his teacup.

“Oh, Isa.”

He called my name but hesitated, as if deliberating what to say.

The lukewarm tea sat in his mouth for a moment before his throat moved in a slow swallow.

“If you’re going to the capital, you should meet Daniel. He’s there now.”

“Daniel… is in the capital?”

The unexpected news made my hands clench and unclench.

After the Great Calamity’s defeat, Daniel had returned to his hometown, claiming family and friends were waiting for him.

He had even skipped the royal celebration in his honor.

To think he was now in Hadelber’s capital was surprising.

“Thank you for letting me know, Owen. I’ll reach out to him.”

It had been nearly four years.

As I gripped the doorknob, thoughts of Daniel’s face, which I hadn’t seen in ages, filled my mind.

There were so many things I wanted to say to him—like asking how he’d been and seeing his reaction when I told him about running into May at the temple.

Lost in these thoughts, I opened the door, faintly hearing the clatter of Owen setting down his teacup behind me.

After my conversation with Owen, I prepared to leave the temple.

Since I didn’t have much to pack, it wasn’t a time-consuming task.

A few changes of clothes and a handful of books were all I needed.

Any other minor necessities could be purchased in the capital.

Once the packing was done, the day of departure arrived.

Luckily, the weather was decent.

Though there were some clouds, it wasn’t oppressively hot or overly gloomy.

As long as it didn’t rain heavily, I’d be able to catch a carriage without issue.

I planned to leave during the afternoon prayer session, when everyone would be gathered in the prayer room. I wanted to slip out quietly.

To kill time until then, I wandered the garden, finding small tasks to occupy myself.

Eventually, the bell signaling lunch rang, and the annex began to stir with activity.

Just three more hours until afternoon prayers.

As I watched the other priests head toward the dining hall, I pulled out the note Kerelona had given me.

Busy with packing, I hadn’t yet had the chance to open it, and its contents remained a mystery.

Should I read it now?

Curiosity bubbled up, and after confirming I was alone, I carefully unfolded the note, making sure not to tear it.

Only one sentence was written on it—something resembling the title of an article:

[Who is the ‘fifth’ companion, buried in their silence?]

“…”

The moment I read the words, it felt like a heavy stone had settled in my chest.

The “fifth.” Until now, only four companions of the hero had been known.

The word “fifth” stood out as entirely alien.

‘This is the final puzzle piece of our plan.’

Kerelona’s words suddenly echoed in my mind.

Looking at the note, I began to understand why she had described it that way.

They intended to reveal my existence.

As the fifth companion of the hero.

“Why couldn’t they just leave it alone?”

Why?

My throat felt tight, and I swallowed repeatedly, trying to quench an unrelenting thirst.

Realizing what Kerelona and Kaindel were planning left me feeling dragged through the mud.

It was far from pleasant.

My face twisted in discomfort.

“I was…”

I was fine.

‘If this is what regret feels like… Yes, I regret it. I haven’t gone a single day in the past two years without regret.’

Even if I wasn’t acknowledged as one of the hero’s companions, I was content just being by Kaindel’s side.

‘So, I’m scared again this time, wondering if I was wrong, Priest.’

Murmurs that couldn’t quite take shape lingered on the tip of my tongue.

Before I realized it, the crumpled note slipped from my grasp, tumbling to the ground.

How could anyone like this?

Suppressing the torrent of self-directed mutterings, I crouched down to pick up the now-dirtied note.

“Priest?”

Kaindel’s voice came from behind.

I hastily stood up, and there he was, approaching with a faint smile.

Avoiding his gaze, I shifted my foot to cover the note.

Hiding it from Kaindel was the priority.

“What are you doing here?”

Kaindel quickly closed the distance between us, raising a hand to shield me from the glaring sunlight.

“It’s been a while since we last met.”

“…”

“The weather’s especially nice today. Is that why you’re outside?”

Even though I gave no response, he continued the conversation on his own.

Glancing at the sky, Kaindel tilted his head slightly, as if spotting gathering clouds.

“It looks like it’s going to rain soon.”

“…”

“Shall I lend you an umbrella?”

Just as he made the offer, a sudden commotion erupted from the side annex.

A group of priests poured out, all heading toward the main building.

It was an unexpected sight since I assumed they were all still in the annex’s dining hall.

Kaindel also seemed puzzled by the priests moving as a group.

He stopped one of them and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Oh, um…”

The young priest hesitated, casting an uneasy glance at me before fidgeting with his hands and swallowing nervously.

“It seems someone has defiled the temple’s front gate.”

* * *