Chapter 2

In a corner of the capital, I spent my days praying to the goddess. Occasionally, rumors about the war situation would reach me, and these were one of the few clues to Elliot's well-being far away on the battlefield.

Paper was still expensive, and letters were beyond the means of commoners. The announcements posted at the gates of the royal castle only briefly conveyed the war situation, leaving me to cling to the scant information from the rumors that spread by word of mouth.

Even so, the news that Elliot had obtained the holy sword and become a holy knight, and that he was annihilating the undead beasts with unstoppable momentum, quickly spread throughout the capital.

And the rumors of the holy maiden who accompanied him, supporting him, also spread rapidly.

The undead beasts, as their name suggests, cannot be defeated by mere slashing. It is said that the sword must be doused in holy water, and only then can the head be cut off to return the beast to the earth. Furthermore, the sword must be cleansed with holy water after each kill.

Because of the labor-intensive nature of these hunts, the battles were a series of advances and retreats. However, with Elliot obtaining the holy sword, he could defeat the undead without the need to cleanse the sword with holy water.

And there was one more thing. When a human is injured by an undead, even the smallest wound can lead to corruption. This is accompanied by intense pain, and the person will rot while still alive, eventually leading to madness, even from a minor injury.

Those who can purify such wounds are the holy clerics and priests who serve the church and have received divine protection.

In this undead beast hunt, the significant contributions of Emily, who possessed a very high power of purification and was eventually called a holy maiden, were often mentioned alongside the bravery of Elliot, the holy knight.

Both were honored with the protection of the great goddess, and their achievements and the hope they brought to defeat the terrifying beasts naturally drew the attention of everyone in the country.

The bright news from the capital helped to alleviate the anxiety brought by the terrifying undead beasts. The rumors that spread everywhere increasingly focused on the relationship between the two, who supported each other in battle.

Given their good looks, the rumors initially were filled with envy and hope.

However, my existence as Elliot's wife was never mentioned in these rumors.

Rumors are just rumors, and as they spread, they could be distorted by the wishes of third parties. I tried not to think about it too much.

"The wife who lives comfortably in the safe capital and does nothing but pray is not suitable for Sir Elliot."

The first time I heard this, it was a whisper from someone who knew that Elliot and I were married.

"Sir Elliot has a wife waiting for him in the capital, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, probably one of those women who claim to be his wife as soon as he gains fame."

"Right, if you search the entire capital, you won't have enough fingers to count them."

Most of the rumors circulating in the city denied the existence of his wife. I had even seen women claiming to be his lover, so it was understandable that people in the city were skeptical.

It was hard to imagine that Elliot had relationships with many women before his deployment or before our marriage.

At least, the previous Elliot was always training from early morning until night, always covered in sweat and dirt, and he was quiet and not particularly skilled at socializing.

I had a sense of pride in loving and supporting such a person.

That's why I didn't believe the rumors about the holy maiden.

The tide turned when those who belonged to the knight's order and their families started to say similar things.

The messengers who reported the war situation to the country regularly returned to the capital. They would have casual conversations with their families living in the capital, apart from their official reports.

Everyone paid attention to the content of these conversations.

Even in the harsh conditions, the holy knight and the holy maiden supported each other, overcoming numerous difficulties, and their relationship deepened rapidly.

It was the wives of the knights, waiting for their husbands to return from the battlefield, who brought this news to my ears.

At first, some of them sympathized with me and were indignant about the infidelity. However, as the holy knight and the holy maiden became the hope and expectation of the people, their attitudes gradually changed.

"I feel sorry for you, but I think you should understand... "

"Yes, we can't do anything like the holy maiden."

"You should make the right decision."

These words subtly advised me to step aside. As more people learned of my situation, the criticism increased.

"Flora, I'm sorry, but I need you to take a break from work for a while. It's not your fault, but the customers... "

I could no longer get work as a seamstress, and the stores I frequented asked me to avoid visiting.

The only thing I could do was to go to an empty church on the outskirts of the city, away from prying eyes, and pray.

Perhaps I was being stubborn, waiting to hear it directly from him.

"Flora,"

I looked up when Elliot called my name.

"Flora, I'm sorry... Emily has been supporting me on the battlefield all this time. I fell in love with her..."

I didn't want to hear such words from your mouth...

It's a strange thing to think now. I feel anger, sadness, and disappointment, but I can't express any of it. Perhaps I had already given up somewhere along the way.

"...I understand, sir."

I have called Elliot "sir" only a few times.

And this will probably be the last time.