The young man, wearing a white cloak and silver-white armor, was truly a dignified paladin people spoke of. With his dark blonde hair and ice-cold eyes, he was staring straight at her with a piercing gaze as if impaling her.

Thump, thump.

Ellin’s heart was pounding and pounding. The Maynard, whom she knew, would never let it slide when he found someone hiding like this. Because of that, it would be better for her just to get up and ask for forgiveness.

“I’m, I’m sorry. I took the wrong way.”

Raising her body up, she slowly turned around. Ellin could see Liliana’s face flushed with astonishment the next moment. However, she straightened her expression again quickly.

Maynard opened his mouth coldly.

“Took the wrong way? What are you talking about now? This is a restricted area, it wouldn’t be easy just to waltz in like this?”

‘He’s still the same.’

Seeing Maynard like that, she tried not to smile. It was because Ellin was elated to see his face after almost three years. Even though it was an unfamiliar face, unfamiliar gaze, he was still alive — breathing and standing in front of her.

‘Looking at him like this, he’s still young.’

When Ellin was fifteen, Maynard was twenty. However, he looked like an adult back then.

Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a sturdy body… He was literally the epitome of a paladin. Although people used to talk about him being indifferent and unfriendly like a stone, to Ellin, he has always been a warm person.

“Answer me.”

At his urging, Ellin suddenly came to her senses.

“I’m sorry, paladin. I’m really going the wrong way. Knowing that this is the Saint’s residence, I was afraid and hid.”

At that moment, she felt a cool touch on her neck. Maynard had pointed a sword at her neck.

“Are you telling me to believe that?”

Ellin was perplexed.

While Maynard had an upright side, he certainly had gentle sides for the weak. She did not expect that he could point a sword at her, who was seemingly harmless. She unmistakably thought that he was a man with a shy smile who did not like killing people.

“Stop.”

Maynard lowered his sword at Liliana’s voice. His momentum, which seemed to stab Ellin at any moment, had softened.

Ellin looked at him and widened her eyes.

Meanwhile, Liliana continued with a merciful expression on her face.

“She said she took the wrong path.”

“But, Saint, this woman was watching you. She may be a dangerous person.”

“How could she be a threat? A girl like this? She’s a powerless woman. Just send her back.”

“The Saint is too merciful.”

That was what he said to Ellin, too. With reverence, he gazed at Liliana as though he was frustrated, but there was nothing he could do. It was also the expression he often gave to her.

“However, this is a paramount part of discipline. Otherwise, the paladins will be criticized for having blunt swords.”

“Hu. If Sir Maynard says that, I can’t help it. Discipline is discipline.”

Liliana sighed and glanced at Ellin with a genuinely heartbroken expression. Even her tears were welling up in her vision.

“I beg you, please don’t show  blood in front of me.”

“Thank you.”

…Did she just agree to that?

Bewildered, Ellin looked at his unshakable blue eyes. Murderous bloodthirst was gushing from his gaze. Even though she swore that she never tried to hurt the Saint, the paladin — no, Maynard was relentless enough to kill a woman who was just lost…?

“Paladin. I—”

“Don’t waste your words. There must’ve been a stern warning from the entrance.”

Uttering so, he glared at Ellin. Unfamiliar eyes, an unfamiliar face… For Ellin, an ordinary girl who was not a saint, Maynard was a different person. When she realized that all over again, she could feel the wound on her neck suddenly begin to hurt.

“Take her away.”

As the paladins seized Ellin, she looked at Liliana. She was gazing at her with a very sad expression, though in an instant, the corners of her lips rose slightly.

…Was Liliana happy that she was going to die? Was it a lie when she was being merciful?

“I, I…!”

“Follow me quietly. Otherwise, I’ll kill you here.”

“….”

Maynard whispered quietly in a low voice. Hearing that, Ellin stared at him, mystified.

‘I don’t think he’ll let me go… Is he going to interrogate me?’

“Wait a minute.”

At that moment, everyone, including Ellin, turned towards the voice that was heard.

It was a familiar voice.

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