She knew everything about what the temple did already, but why did she have to bow her head to them still? Why must she have to wait for the right time?
Thatās a given.
The temple was the last sanctuary left in Caranazion.
As the Akarna would save this slowly eroding land, she had to come out only from there.
Now, itās come to the point where sheād have to acknowledge the existence of the temple, not just for the Empire, but for the sake of Caranazion as a whole.
Even if the Crown Prince wasnāt in that position in the past and didnāt know much about this, he was still a member of the imperial family.
Still, Jiwoo had no choice but to tell him. Because there was no one else.
āYour Highness, are you going to leave the temple as it is?ā
āā¦Akarna.ā
Akarna, who should have been in the brideās waiting room, ran out and ran to the Crown Prince.
Jiwoo cried and screamed while she grabbed the Crown Prince and shook him.
The servants couldnāt catch Jiwoo as she ran away. The only thing they could do was follow after her.
They were restless, but the Crown Prince raised one hand to stop them, so they couldnāt approach hastily.
The wedding was about to begin soon. But how can she concentrate on the ceremony in such a feeling?
āY-You should. At least you shouldnātā¦ if you really love me. Why are you leaving the temple alone?ā
āAkarna, noā¦ that wonāt happen.ā
āWhy does the wedding have to be held in a temple? Why do I have to get permission from the temple? What are those bastards saying!ā
āMy priority is to protect you!ā
The Crown Prince hugged her. He hugged Jiwoo who was crying and tried to calm her down.
āItās painful, but bear with it. Iāll gradually change it. Soon, Iāll make sure they donāt live on this land.ā
Suddenly, the servants disappeared. When this talk started, the Crown Prince waved them away, leaving him alone with Jiwoo.
āFirst of all, I canāt help it because I have to completely separate you from the temple. The new Akarna to be summoned will not live the same way as before. Pleaseā¦ trust me just for once.ā
He would soon become the Emperor. So he wasnāt talking about an impossible plan.
But why are there so many things that canāt be helped? The Crown Prince had always put himself behind the inevitable, essential, and prioritized things.
Looking at it, there were many days when he consoled her by saying that she should just understand.
It was different this time.
The Crown Prince acted to protect Jiwoo more than anything else.
However, because of that, he couldnāt protect the outer wall as Jiwoo asked, and he didnāt know how many more sacrifices would be needed in order to summon a new Akarnaāa replacement for Jiwoo.
Maybe the Crown Prince had to put his hands on the sacrifices of others just to protect her. He was the Crown Prince with the ambition to protect and embrace everyone.
They destroyed each other. In order for someone to survive, one of them had to be sacrificed.
When Jiwoo asked the Crown Prince to look at her more than others, he only said not to act up. It was embarrassing emotionally, but she fully understood that it was inevitable because of his status as the Crown Prince and her position as Akarna.
It was the same even now.
Everything was inevitable. The Empire as well as the entire Caranazion had to protect the last sanctuary.
If the temple collapsed right away, it would be unknown what would happen to this land.
Therefore, it was necessary to separate Jiwoo from the temple first, and gradually remove the templeās ritual that had been rooted for over 200 years.
If she endured it like this, someday it will change.
The Crown Prince will change for her. Jiwoo could wait patiently this time.
But she didnāt want to do that, so this time she was just acting up.
She knew. She knew!
But how can she survive without acting up? in this land!
āWhen!!ā
Jiwoo pushed the Crown Prince away roughly.
āIs it possible while Iām alive? I think Iām going to die right awayā¦!ā
She can believe that he will change the temple after becoming emperor. He was a man of great ambition, and he was largely successful in what he set out to do.
Jiwoo knew better because she had watched him from the closest place for five years. But how long will she have to endure beside him?
She doesnāt think she can breathe properly on this earth.
āIā¦ I really feel like Iām going to die.ā
āAkarnaā¦ā
āI think Iām going to dieā¦ Huuh. Huhuuā¦ā
Eventually, Jiwoo started to cry. She just thought it was okay as she endured here. She knew she would be fine, as her life would continue to be the same as before.
But this wasnāt the case.
Jiwoo has lived in this world because of love. The love was keeping her alive. However, since that love had expired, it seemed that her life had also expired with it.
Tired of loving and living a hard life for five years, Jiwoo forgot when she should cry or laugh. She didnāt even know what feelings to harbor towards strangers.
So, she didnāt know what to do when someone bumped into her feelings. Only now, one thing is certain.
At least the green-gold village where the other race lived gave her a chance to breathe. All she could breathe was the land.
At the end of the hidden greenery, illuminated by golden sunlight.
Even though death was on the threshold, it was a place where she could chat. A place where she can rejoice and be grateful for the little things.
People who have been courting her with a clear purpose, but she couldnāt hate them. Have they now been destroyed along with the outer wall?
What was she to do now?
āHiic, ugh, hiicā¦ Hiiicā¦ā
The Crown Prince embraced Jiwoo, who was crying in a trance.
In his arms, beyond the smell of artificial perfume, she smelled the body of a man she used to like.
But thatās not it. What she wanted to smell right now is the smell of pouring sunlight, the smell of moss on trees, the scent of fragrant flowers and honey, the scent of wild flowers, cool pine needles and mintā¦
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The smell of nature that will one day be crushed by the hands of humans running toward self-destruction.
Thump.
It sounded like her heart had fallen. Does her heart finally hit the floor? Was she going to die like this?
āAkarna.ā
Someone shook her shoulder and she barely came to her senses. She seemed to have really fallen unconscious while she was crying.
The first thing Jiwoo looked at was the Crown Princeās red eyes, then looked around. There were several armed people gathered in her sight that returned to focus.
And they urgently shouted at the Crown Prince. She couldnāt hear what they were saying.
Thump.Ā The floor shook again.
āAkarna, donāt get separated from the escorts. Iāll be right back.ā
Reluctantly, the Crown Prince ran outside and drew his sword.
This was the imperial capitalās temple. It was a place where unexpected events should not happen, especially as today was the wedding day between the Crown Prince and the Akarna.
The day when God who dwelled in the Akarna left her behind to make the Crown Princeās love come true, instead of using up her body and throwing it away.
A significant day both historically and mythologically. Something strange happened on that day.
Thump.Ā Another loud noise came again. This time, the ceiling shook and dust poured down.
One of the escorts grabbed Jiwooās arm and dragged her.
āAkarna, we have to go.ā
āN-Noā¦ā
āIāll take you to a safe place.ā
āLeave me alone. Please leaveā¦ Leave me aloneā¦ā
The escorts ignored Akarnaās words. She couldnāt stay inside the shaking building, so they had to evacuate.
The outside was bombarded. Wherever it started, it could have been simple terrorism.
There were not many people who welcomed the marriage of the Crown Prince and Akarna from five years ago.
Everyone was evacuating, and some people shouted that the priests of the temple were running away, leaving people behind. Some recognized Akarna and asked her to save her.
But Jiwoo couldnāt help them. She didnāt even want to help.
To Jiwoo, who was running, fantasies shimmered like a dream.
She felt like she was going to die right away, so she remembered the day when she was able to breathe and laugh.
The time when she could stand the series of marriage proposals form the children of Ellandos, so she gathered them all together and made silly jokes.
āJust say you want to get married. weāll run to you anytime, anywhere. You know, right? We have good ears
Jiwoo muttered absent-mindedly.
āI want to get marriedā¦ā
āWhat? Akarna?ā
āI want to get marriedā¦ā
The escorts were swearing at Jiwoo in foreign languages.
ć Damn it. Now that things have come to this, do you still want to get married? ć
ć Who are you doing this for? ć
ć It seems that this Akarna is not doing its duty properly. When will God send a new akarna? ć
Other voices came as well.
Akarna, please save us!
Akarna!
Why are you forsaking your duty!
The Bishop ran away!
The priests have abandoned the temple! They ran away!
Akarna, Akarna, hereās a wounded man! Akarna! Akarna! Help!
Donāt abandon the injured person.
My God!
It was the sound of people who recognized her face begging her for salvation.
Jiwoo didnāt answer anyone. She just muttered.
I want to get marriedā¦
I want to get marriedā¦
They said their ears were good. They said they would come running whenever she said that. She wanted them to come before she would die.
Like she had fallen into a swamp, everything around her was gloomy.
The deafening roar, the shaking ground, and the voices of people shouting at her all seemed distant.
She wanted to drown like this. To feel nothing.
āā¦For real?ā
Suddenly a clear voice pierced the swamp. Then, he spoke to Jiwoo, who had sunk to the bottom.
āAre you really going to marry us?ā
Had Jiwoo come to her senses? Or was it an illusion? Could it be that she had gone crazy and was now fantasizing?
In front of her eyes, someone stood after knocking down the guards who were dragging her along.
āTevonā¦?ā
Behind him, Helkainis floated in the air, his long black hair flowing. He looked too much like a grim reaper in this templeāthis so-called sanctuary.