To the Love Born in the Lowest Place

“Are you in your right mind? How could you do that?”

Clang! A loud sound rang out as a vase shattered. As the sharp sound pierced her ears, Liv flinched. All she could do was try her best not to be noticed and remain as still as a mouse.

But Countess Hamelsvoort’s anger still didn’t seem to subside.

“I got scolded trying to handle people saying you should be arrested! The Emperor already looks unfavorably upon our family as it is!”

With her face flushed red, Countess Hamelsvoort poured out her anger as if she would devour Liv at any moment, and Liv could only cower in front of her. She seemed to be furious that Liv ran away instead of bowing her head in front of the Emperor.

“I’m sorry…”

Finally, Liv said, mumbling her lips. Even if time turned back again, she thought she had no choice but to act that way, but it was true that Liv had done wrong anyway. She had broken the rules of humans.

“Ugh, I’m already sick of the sight of you. I hope the imperial law allowing children to be disowned quickly passes!”

As she shouted like that, the frightened Liv watched her reaction. Then should she return to where she originally belonged? A place where she would starve, unable to wash, and only darkness?

Fortunately, Count Hamelsvoort intervened at that moment.

“Honey, don’t get too angry. It won’t change anything anyway.”

“Ha, but I’m still angry!”

“We’ve already agreed to punish this child anyway…”

The Count looked at Liv with spiteful eyes. He seemed rather satisfied with this situation, having gained a pretext to punish Liv, who had been bothering him for a long time.

“If we lock her in her room, she’ll reflect on her sins on her own.”

At those words that felt like a death sentence, Liv became a face that looked like she would burst into tears at any moment.

Liv hated being confined. Although her room was luxurious and spacious, when she was locked up, she not only couldn’t eat properly, but the noise ringing in her head felt even louder. She was terribly afraid of being isolated against her will.

“I’m, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

Liv grabbed Countess Hamelsvoort’s clothes and pleaded like that, but in the end, only a cold shout came back.

“Where are you grabbing with those dirty hands? You will receive divine punishment from the gods!”

Liv was dragged by Countess Hamelsvoort’s arm all the way into the room, and soon her body was pushed by a strong hand. As Liv, who had fallen to the floor, tried to get up somehow, she slammed the door shut.

“Reflect in your room for the time being!”

“No, I’m sorry!”

Liv pounded on the door with force, but the door seemed to be firmly locked from the outside.

In the end, Liv crawled onto her bed, resigned. Anyway, it was fortunate that there was a soft bed in the room.

That ill-mannered fellow, meeting him again…

Let’s kill all those who challenge the authority of the gods.

Even in the midst of this, the gods continued to pour out their anger regardless of Liv’s situation. Liv tried to flip the blanket over to block out the sound, but it was of no use.

“I hate everything…”

Pitiful and transparent tears began to flow from Liv’s eyes. Liv didn’t even know how to define the emotion she was feeling, but she just sobbed and glared at the air.

“Why do I have to live like this…?”

As soon as Liv said that, a huge voice of the gods was heard.

You are a special child.

This world is yours.

“But humans think I’m strange!”

There was a time when Liv also yearned for human society. Liv, who had always lived with gods, thought that when she met people, they would empathize and have conversations with each other.

However, people didn’t understand Liv at all. Because the existence of the gods that Liv was bearing was too heavy, and it was impossible to act normally while carrying them on her back!

The servants of the Hamelsvoort House, Count and Countess Hamelsvoort, the nobles of high society, Hildegard, and even Duke Lartman. None of them understood Liv.

You don’t need the understanding of humans.

You will always be with us.

“No, I said I don’t like it!”

Liv shouted, but the gods were still talking to Liv in a gentle voice.

To them, Liv herself was no different from a cute pet, and Liv knew it well too. No matter how much Liv whined, in their eyes, Liv only looked insignificant and cute.

“I don’t want to live like this…”

Liv curled up in the blanket and cried for a long time. Until she fell asleep from exhaustion.

* * *

Knock, knock, knock. 

Liv woke up to the sound of knocking on the door.

‘Is it mealtime?’

Come to think of it, it seemed like quite some time had passed since she last ate. Even if she didn’t eat anything, Liv wouldn’t die thanks to the gods’ blessings, but still, Liv quite enjoyed the act of eating.

As Liv barely lifted her listless body from the bed and approached the door, a small voice was heard from the other side of the door.

“Sister, are you listening?”

It was Liv’s sister, Hildegard. Liv quite liked Hildegard, so she answered in a relatively happy voice.

“Yes.”

“Are you feeling a bit better? I was worried… I was worried you might be hurt somewhere since you suddenly left last time.”

Anyway, it was true that her head hurt because of the gods’ voices, so Liv answered yes.

“Yeah.”

“I knew it! Of course, it could be seen as wrong to others, but still, you had your own circumstances…”

“No.”

“Ah…”

As Hildegard sighed, Liv stared beyond the door and opened her mouth.

“Hildegard, I want to go outside.”

“…No, sister! If you do that, our parents will really get angry.”

“But being locked up is scary.”

“…Being locked up is scary?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…”

At those words, Hildegard seemed to be thinking for a moment. Soon, she answered in a brightened voice as if she had come up with a good idea.

“Sister, is there a place you particularly want to go outside?”

“Not really.”

“Then how about going to the temple? If we say we went to the temple to pray, our parents won’t be able to get angry. They are devout believers.”

“The temple…”

The temple Hildegard was talking about was the temple that enshrined the chief god of the Holy Church. When she was considered the ‘Real Saintess,’ she frequently visited the temple, but after being treated as the ‘Fake Saintess,’ she hadn’t set foot in the temple for a long time. She couldn’t forget how the expressions of the priests who had always treated her well changed in an instant when it was revealed that she was the ‘Fake Saintess.’

However, Liv wanted to go outside no matter where, and if she wouldn’t get scolded for going to the temple, Hildegard’s suggestion seemed like the best choice she could make right now.

“Okay, I’ll go to the temple.”

“Yes, I’ll secretly tell the coachman! The coachman is also a very religious person, so he will probably gladly listen to me!”

Soon, Hildegard carefully opened the door, and after thanking Hildegard, Liv secretly headed outside, avoiding the eyes of the Count and Countess.

Fortunately, Liv succeeded in not running into the Count and Countess and secretly boarded the carriage that Hildegard had told the coachman about in advance. The coachman drove the horse straight to the temple.

The front of the temple was bustling with people who had come to pray. They had a blissful expression as if overwhelmed by the figures of Saintesses carved on each spire of the temple and the majestic appearance of the dazzling gold-covered ceiling.

Liv followed them and headed towards the entrance of the temple. The guard protecting the temple spoke to confirm Liv’s identity.

“What is your name?”

“Liv… Liv Hamelsvoort.”

“What? Hamelsvoort?”

The guard’s eyes widened as if he knew that name.

“Just a moment… I’ll call the priest.”

“The priest?”

“Yes, I don’t think it’s a matter for me to judge…”

Soon, the guard disappeared to inform the priests of Liv’s visit. While waiting for the guard, Liv began to feel increasingly anxious as if she had come to a place she shouldn’t have.

She had intended to secretly come, pray, and leave, but would the priests really accept her, the ‘Fake Saintess’? No, perhaps they would forgive Liv out of the duty to love all people…

As Liv was waiting for people with an anxious heart, a noisy sound was heard from beyond the temple.

“How dare you!”

Priests with angry faces were coming down from the temple. Realizing that things had gone wrong, Liv bit her lip tightly. The priests who spotted Liv began to point fingers at her in unison.

“An impious being dares to come to the temple! Leave the temple at once!”

“You lied pretending to be a Saintess, and now you come to the temple with what nerve!”

They angrily said that Liv should be grateful they didn’t punish her for deceiving everyone. Instinctively, Liv stepped back from the hostile feelings pouring at her.

The priests hated Liv. The negative emotions they emitted were conveyed to Liv.

“Uh, uh…”

As Liv, who hadn’t expected this to happen, stammered in bewilderment, one priest at the front shouted in a loud voice.

“Here, the fake Saintess dared to set foot in the temple!”

At those words, the gazes of everyone who had visited the temple focused on Liv. Liv turned pale and shrank her body. She had hoped that the people she knew were quite religious, but they also considered her a ‘Fake Saintess’ after all.

Liv turned and ran away, just as she had done in the banquet hall. She thought she had become used to being hated by people, but she didn’t know they would reject her even in a space that served the gods.

‘Where should I go?’

Liv, who had been running for a long time, stopped.

Liv had secretly left the house and came to the temple under the pretext of praying. However, since she couldn’t even enter the temple, Liv now didn’t know where to go.

She had heard that the temple and the Hamelsvoort House had a close relationship. The fact that Liv was kicked out of the temple today might be made known to the Hamelsvoort House. If that happened, Liv would be scolded by the Count and Countess again. As a result, Liv had no reason to go to the temple.

But even if not the temple, she didn’t know where else to go. Liv just wanted to get some fresh air and realize that she was a free person who couldn’t be oppressed by anyone.

However, most of this world was made up of people who were hostile to Liv.