Marin spent three months with the mercenaries, reluctantly enduring Edgar's bad temper. As time passed, she began to understand his nature and behaved docilely with his men, but her mind remained preoccupied with finding a way back to her world... and finding Lilia.
She was sitting next to Edgar as he busied himself counting the money he had earned. He turned to her with the corner of his eye and said:
"I know you don't like the idea of visiting the temple... but maybe they have a way to return you."
She tilted her head, murmuring:
"If I truly am the Saint... they won't risk sending me back to my world."
Edgar paused for a moment as if the thought had just occurred to him, then smiled sarcastically:
"It seems your intelligence has improved a little!"
She glared at him, annoyed:
"Remind me to report you to the police later."
Edgar stood up, laughing scornfully:
"Even if you told them... nothing will change. No one can touch me."
He raised a shining stone between his hands.
She looked at him in astonishment:
"What is that? A jewel? And where did you steal it from this time?"
He quickly returned the stone to his pocket:
"I didn't steal anything... it just fell from one of the wizard's followers, so I just took it~"
Marin tried to search his pocket to see what he was hiding, but he easily pushed her away, so she gave up. Suddenly, she remembered a section from the original novel:
The Duke in the Kingdom of Saint Ariana was cursed by a wizard from another kingdom.
She gasped and turned to Edgar, grabbing him by the shoulders:
"Does that wizard have anything to do with Duke Raizan? Is he the one who cursed him?!"
He shrugged carelessly:
"I don't know... I'm not a fan of following the news. Maybe you can find something about it in the newspapers."
He gathered his money, heading towards the house, looking at the money bag with obvious affection.
Marin laughed sarcastically:
"A capitalist to the core..."
She lay down on the ground, gazing at the sky, wondering deep down... if there was a wizard capable of cursing, perhaps there was also someone who could break that curse... and perhaps return her to her world without having to get involved with the temple.
Marin snapped out of her absentmindedness and decided to go out for a little stroll accompanied by Rudy, one of the mercenaries—a quiet boy her age with medium-length light brown hair and enigmatic purple eyes.
They continued walking until the main temple appeared before them. At that moment, a strange whisper rose within her... a powerful feeling pulling her towards it, telling her she must take the risk and go. But the idea of surrendering herself to them as a Saintess under their control... scared her more than she even admitted to herself.
She murmured with faint excitement: "I think... I should try!"
Rudy looked at her in surprise: "Try what?"
The words froze in her throat. She realized once again that the only two people who knew her truth... were Edgar and the missing Lilia.
She waved her hand as if dismissing the thought: "No... nothing! Ignore what I said. Let's continue our walk."
Rudy pointed to another path: "I'll step away for a bit, but stay close until I return."
She nodded in agreement. She walked alone towards the bridge and was lost in her memories... the orphan who worked day and night to complete her studies in Korea. She sighed bitterly as she recalled everything she had been through... before a familiar face caught her attention.
Eyes she knew well... the High Priest.
She quickly turned right, then left, moving as if she felt his grasp would close in at any moment. But her suspicious behavior was enough to draw him towards her with swift steps.
He tilted his head, smiling with annoying amusement: "Ahaaa! Look who's here! Miss... Class-Burner!"
She said nervously: "Is that considered a sin for you too...?"
He laughed lightly and shrugged: "Don't be so rigid... Anyway, what are you doing here, Miss?"
She took a step back: "Just strolling... nothing more."
He approached even closer, as if her distancing herself was an illusion: "That's lovely! But... why are you acting as if I have leprosy?"
She answered with shocking simplicity: "Because you look... suspicious."
He froze in place: "Su- suspicious? Me?? Priests are the furthest people from suspicion!"
She looked him over closely, from head to toe: "No, you actually look suspicious."
He placed his hand dramatically on his chest: "You have shattered my heart, said my poor heart! You have brutally stabbed it!"
She raised an exasperated eyebrow: "Please... stop this and go back to the temple."
Suddenly, he moved even closer to her, his eyes narrowing with mysterious interest: "And why would I? When my target... is standing right in front of me."