“It looks like the Saintess has yet to arrive,” stated the Emperor, as he looked around the hall after taking the Empress’s hand and climbing onto the tform. The Emperor raised his left hand, and the musicians started ying their instruments again.


    The nobles, who had not moved an inch until the Emperor passed by, began to move one by one. The nobles that gathered around the tables loaded with desserts and lowered their voices as they chatted, conscious of the Emperor.


    “The Saintess is always one step behind.”


    “Indeed, you’re right. Sir Kirillian is the one I really feel sorry for. After seeding the former count, he has to run around looking after the Saintess.”


    At that time, the voice of the gatekeeper guarding the entrance rang out.


    “Saintess Evanessa Halyn and Count Daniel Kirillian!”


    The faces of the nobles looking toward the entrance became stupefied. The young noblemen and noblewomen, who were not good at managing their expressions, had their mouths agape. Even the Emperor, who sat and chatted with the Empress on the tform, could not hide his shock.


    For 365 days of the year, even when attending the Emperor, she always wore a veil; thus creating many rumors.


    It was at this moment when Evanessa’s bare face was revealed for the first time.


    ***


    There was one thing that Evanessa could not have anticipated. She didn’t know when ying the game, but Daniel was just as directionally challenged as Evanessa.


    ‘Was it about four times that I tried to win Daniel over with Evanessa?’


    Every time Yewon yed Daniel’s route, it led to a sad ending in which she was abandoned because of her excessive faith. After seeing the same ending all four times, she ran out of steam and didn’t try again.


    ‘Isn’t this a configuration error?’


    Although Evanessa was characteristically bad with directions, it hadn’t shown up anywhere in the game that he was the same. In addition, she had heard that this gentleman was definitely the youngest swordmaster.


    Evanessa kept theseints to herself.


    “… It was definitely this direction when I memorized the map,” Daniel muttered embarrassedly. They were currently in the opposite direction of the Grand Hall where the party was currently being held.


    When the two arrived at the side of a dark pond, where absolutely no one was present, a system message was heard in Evanessa’s ears:


    [You have now entered a hidden location in the game.]


    ‘Doesn’t this have a mute function?’


    Every time they circled the pond, the message echoed in Evanessa’s head causing it to ache.


    ‘Something is familiar with this scenery.’


    A neglected and abandoned vi that was pushed to the outskirts of the Imperial Pce and a pond overgrown with greenery and bushes. For there to be a ce where none of the maids and servants scurrying around the Imperial Pce would ever dare to go, she knew of only one location.


    “I think it would be better to go back to where we started.”


    Although it wasn’t possible because of the banquet, they may have been able to encounter the crown prince here if they weren’t lucky. Because this ce was the crown prince’s, Yurisian’s, secret hiding spot.


    <span> Only


    Daniel looked back at Evanessa with a bleak expression.


    “It hasn’t been long since I came to the Imperial Pce, so I haven’t been able to fully memorize the path yet. My apologies.”


    “But, since you are a Sword Master, can’t you sense aura? We should be fine if we head in the direction of where you can sense the most auras.”


    Daniel turned his head away to avoid the nk look cast towards him. For some reason, an ominous premonition swept over her.


    “Sir Kirillian?”


    “…Strangely, I can’t feel anything when I’m with you Saintess.”


    This was followed by an exnation that his usually sharp senses were forcibly dulled when Evanessa was near. For a Sword Master, sensing was like life. But with Evanessa present, the feeling of the senses being dulled was no different from being forcibly disarmed. Not only was she failing to build up rtionship points, Evanessa now felt like she had be the person he would most want to avoid.


    As she wandered around the pond with Daniel, Evanessa’s face became crestfallen.