Meanwhile, the western part of the Holy Empire was covered in endless greenery.

Vast forests stretched across the land like a green ocean beneath the sky. However, the west was different from the other regions of the empire.

Mountains..... Everywhere there were mountains.

Large mountains, tall mountains, mountains stacked behind other mountains as though the land itself refused to stay flat for even a moment.

Rivers flowed between them like silver snakes twisting through stone, while huge bridges connected cities built directly on the hills and cliffs.

Even the smallest village in the west seemed to stand higher than the grandest buildings elsewhere.

Naturally, invading such a place was a nightmare.

Enemy armies would first need to climb steep paths while arrows rained onto their heads from above.

And if they somehow survived that, they would still need to break through massive fortresses built directly into the mountains themselves.

Honestly, the western nobles slept peacefully at night because even if enemies arrived, the enemies would probably die from exhaustion halfway up the mountain.

And despite all the greenery, despite the rivers and forests and endless shade...

The west was always hot....Painfully hot.

Even during winter, people from other regions arrived wearing thick coats only to regret every decision they had ever made in life five minutes later.

And This entire western territory was ruled by one man.

Duke Domian Scarlet.

His estate stood proudly at the highest peak of Evergreen Mountain like a king staring down at the world beneath him.

A giant white fortress rested above the clouds while the Sweetflow River wrapped around the mountain from top to bottom like a massive serpent protecting its nest.

From afar, the mountain looked like a huge pillar holding up the sky itself.

The Scarlet Estate carried an old white design filled with sharp towers, wide balconies, and enormous walls that looked both luxurious and threatening at the same time.

It was the kind of castle that politely welcomed guests while also quietly reminding them that they could absolutely be thrown off the mountain if necessary.

The main building itself was shaped like the letter M.

And right in the middle of it...Was an enormous swimming pool.

Warm sunlight reflected beautifully across the water as soft waves moved gently across the surface.

Beneath the clear water, a shadow slowly swam from one side to the other.

From above, it looked like the shadow of a woman.

Long hair floated behind her while the curves of her waist moved gracefully beneath the water like some beautiful sea spirit.

Or at least that was the elegant image.

In reality, she was currently swimming in circles because she had forgotten where the stairs were again.

Near the edge of the pool stood a maid with a perfectly blank expression. In her hands rested a white gown while she waited silently.

Around the pool there were no guards, no servants, no maids.

Only her.

The shadow beneath the water finally moved toward the correct side this time.

WHOOSH!

Water splashed loudly as the girl lifted herself from the pool.

Droplets rolled down her pale skin while wet red hair clung to her neck and shoulders.

Bright green eyes scanned the area carefully before finally landing on the stairs directly in front of her.

"...Found it," she muttered proudly like someone who had achieved greatness.

The girl slowly walked out from the water.

Her long legs stepped onto the white marble floor while water trailed behind her.

Her figure was slim yet alluring, and despite the calm expression on her face, there was a natural boldness around her that made people nervous for reasons they could never properly explain.

She was the only daughter of Duke Scarlet.

Ciel Scarlet.

The maid immediately stepped forward and handed her the white gown.

Ciel casually slipped it on while still dripping water everywhere without the slightest care in the world. Then she tied the wraps around her waist loosely before speaking.

"Has the response for the invitation arrived?"

Her voice sounded lazy as she walked toward a large white umbrella nearby.

Beneath it rested a luxurious reclining chair beside a small table filled with cold drinks and sliced fruit.

Honestly, the setup looked less like a noble estate and more like someone preparing for a vacation.

"No," the maid replied calmly. "The Saint is currently very busy. It would be difficult for him to travel all the way to the western territory."

"Tsk." Ciel clicked her tongue loudly.

"What about the engagement then?" she asked with visible annoyance. "Did he cancel it?"

The maid remained silent for two seconds.

"...Young miss," she finally said carefully, "I do not believe Lord Crypian Thorne was ever aware that you were attempting to cancel the engagement in the first place."

"That is not important," Ciel replied immediately.

To her, details were truly the weakest part of communication.

"However, my lady..."

The maid quietly followed behind Ciel as the young lady lazily dropped herself onto the reclining chair beneath the large white umbrella.

Ciel crossed one leg over the other elegantly while leaning back comfortably like a queen preparing to ignore all responsibility for the rest of the day.

"With all due respect," the maid continued calmly while offering a plate of sliced fruit, "were you not the one who suggested the engagement with Lord Crypian?"

Ciel grabbed a slice of apple from the plate before tossing it into her mouth.

"Well, I did."

She slowly chewed the apple with a thoughtful expression before speaking again. "But at that time there were no better options."

The maid remained silent while Ciel recalled her academy days. Honestly, most of the boys there looked painfully ordinary.

Some tried acting cool. Some tried acting mysterious. Some spent three years practicing sword poses only to still look like confused background characters.

It was honestly tragic.

"Back then," Ciel said lazily, "Crypian was the only decent one."

Well...Almost the only one. Another face suddenly appeared inside her mind.

Julius Augustus Hayes.

Ciel immediately grimaced. "That half-mad obsessed freak..."

Honestly speaking, Julius was at the same level as Crypian Thorne. Unfortunately, the man was completely insane.

He was so obsessed with Rosalina Velentina that he practically ignored the existence of every other woman in the world.

Sometimes Ciel honestly wondered if Julius would even notice another woman standing in front of him completely naked.

Probably not. That man only had Rosalina inside his eyes.

And Rosalina herself was equally terrifying.

Ciel still remembered how the girl calmly smiled while looking at women approaching Julius the same way hunters looked at rabbits before dinner.

Honestly, those two were made for each other. Two obsessed lunatics somehow finding true love together.

Beautiful. Terrifying. But mostly terrifying.

That was why Ciel eventually thought Crypian was the better option.

At least Crypian liked women. The problem was...He liked too many women.

Ciel narrowed her eyes slightly.

"That man," she muttered, "if possible, would probably gather every beautiful woman in the empire into one mansion."

What was even more shocking was that none of the women seemed to mind very much.

Honestly, Ciel herself did not care either at first.

Until...She saw him.

Uriel.

The moment his face appeared inside her mind, Ciel slowly froze. Even now, simply remembering him made her heart shake slightly.

Beautiful? No. That word felt too weak.

Uriel looked like something the gods personally spent extra time creating while the rest of humanity was finished in a hurry afterward.

Ciel still remembered fainting the moment she first saw him.

To this day, she considered that one of the most reasonable reactions she had ever had in her life.

However...There was one terrible problem.

According to church laws, the Holy Saint could not be involved with women.

He had to remain pure. A virgin forever.

Ciel slowly sighed while staring at the sky above. "What a waste..."

The maid quietly pretended she did not hear that.

"Imagine having a full banquet prepared in front of you," Ciel continued sadly, "and then being told you are only allowed to smell the food."

"...That is not a proper comparison, my lady."

"It is exactly the proper comparison."

The maid decided silence was healthier for her future.

Ciel finally turned her head toward the maid again before speaking with clear disgust.

"Anyways, tell father I am not marrying that slut."

The maid blinked once"...Lord Crypian?"

"Yes."

"My lady... I do not believe that word means what you think it means."

"He flirts with anything that breathes."

"...That is still not the correct usage."

"Details are unimportant."

Ciel waved her hand dismissively.

Now that she had seen Uriel, even thinking about Crypian somehow felt disappointing.

Like seeing a candle after witnessing the sun itself.

"And also..." Ciel suddenly paused.

A faint blush slowly spread across her cheeks, matching her bright red hair beautifully beneath the sunlight.

The maid instantly felt danger approaching.

"Send a personal letter to the Saint."

Ciel lowered her eyes slightly as desire flickered softly inside her green pupils.

"And if he still refuses to visit..."

A dangerous smile slowly appeared on her lips.

"...then this time I will personally go to the church myself."