To the Love Born in the Lowest Place

Looking at Liv’s face, which seemed so unperturbed after seeing the Emperor, Emmett furrowed his brow once again. If only she hated the Emperor, it wouldn’t be this painful, but there was no such sign on Liv’s face. It seemed as if it was because he had previously told her that the Emperor was a great person, and he felt responsible… His past self was truly too dull.

‘Still, there shouldn’t be any problems for a while.’

With this, the Zibel family would be in turmoil, and they might even be driven out of the capital. Deborah Zibel won’t trouble Liv anymore. Dealing with the Kreppelin was even easier. Emmett had found past crimes committed by his parents and threatened them to confine Gert Kreppelin in a monastery. He won’t have a chance to encounter Liv either.

Now the two of them just need to focus on their wedding.

‘Marriage…’

Thinking about it, Emmett felt his face heating up for no reason.

Suddenly, realizing something, his face became flustered. It was something he hadn’t thought about until now, being so focused on sorting out the surrounding situation for Liv.

What about the duties a husband should fulfill after marriage? He had no intention of embracing Liv when he couldn’t even say he loved her. That would only maximize his pain.

‘But…’

Not fulfilling his duties as a husband after getting married was also problematic. Liv must have prepared herself for marriage, and if he doesn’t act as expected, she might be confused. And since he can’t speak, he needs to express through actions, but what if he doesn’t act? Nothing seemed to be the right answer, and his mind became complicated. Moreover…

‘The temple’s certification.’

Noble couples had to submit the blood-stained bedsheet from their first night to the temple as evidence after marriage. Of course, Emmett could just injure himself and bleed. However, if Liv saw that, she might feel that Emmett doesn’t love her. She might think he’s using tricks to avoid the wedding night.

‘Damn, there’s no solution…’

This was all because of the pathetic mistake his past self had made. The current Emmett, under divine punishment, can’t tell Liv he loves her. Everything seemed to be falling apart…

* * *

“Sister, have you heard that rumor?”

“What?”

Hildegard entered Liv’s room and delivered the news. Liv’s eyes widened as she heard the story.

“They say the Zibel Marquisste has been demoted to Viscounty and expelled from the capital!”

“Ah…”

It must have been the Emperor who discovered the relic and imposed punishment. Liv bid farewell to Deborah, who had to leave desolately. It was regrettable, but she didn’t feel any more guilt than that.

“Did you do this, sister?”

“Yes, I asked His Majesty the Emperor.”

“I don’t know what method you used, but now other nobles will be wary of you too. They’ll all guess that Miss Zibel ended up like this because she bothered you.”

Hildegard said this as she sat on the edge of Liv’s bed.

“Sister, by the way, don’t you think about revealing your power?”

…Hayden too, everyone was urging Liv to reveal her power. Not knowing Liv’s circumstances of having to avoid the Emperor.

“I’m considering it.”

“Is that so… Well, if I may give my opinion, I’d like you to reveal the truth you’ve been hiding at the wedding. …Of course, revealing the existence of multiple gods might throw the country into chaos or even get you labeled as a heretic, so you could just reveal that you receive the love of the Supreme God.”

“Why specifically at the wedding?”

Suddenly finding Hildegard’s words strange, Liv asked, and Hildegard’s face became as if it was obvious.

“What? Because that’s the most dramatic moment. It’s when the most people gather. Plus, since the wedding is held outdoors, the area where the gods can intervene is wider. It’s the perfect moment to reveal your power.”

After saying that, Hildegard handed Liv a stack of papers.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a list of sacred grounds.”

As Hildegard said, the paper was densely filled with sanctuaries from various countries. Seeing the effort put into it, Liv couldn’t take her eyes off the paper.

“These are all known as sanctuaries of the Holy Church. Each religion claims these places as their own sacred grounds, but… Wait, what’s the truth?”

“The gods have more than one sanctuary. But every religion insists that all the sanctuaries belong to them.”

“So that’s how it is…”

Hildegard continued with a slightly dejected expression.

“Anyway, I’d like you to visit these sacred grounds, regain your power, and reveal your power to people.”

Liv slowly read through the list of sanctuaries.

=====

Holy Hilysid Empire – Cave Area

Lidinka Empire – Glacier Area

Kumyaban Empire – Cactus Area

Bulkan Kingdom – Volcanic Area

…

=====

Dozens of sanctuaries were listed, but as far as Liv knew, there were about hundreds of sanctuaries. So Hildegard had only brought the commonly known ones. Just in the Holy Hilysid Empire alone, there were more than five.

“…Thank you, I’ll take it into consideration.”

When Liv said that, Hildegard smiled brightly.

“Yes, please consider my suggestion positively. Then all the nobles who disliked you will quiet down, won’t they?”

“With the Zibel family’s downfall this time, they’ll probably be quiet for a while anyway. But I’ll think about it.”

It’s better to use the gods’ power as little as possible. It’s a power difficult for humans to handle, and those who see the power suffer. Therefore, Liv had no immediate plans to reveal her power. Yes, at least for now.

* * *

Time passed quickly, and finally, it was the day before the wedding. The Hamelsvoort couple looked as joyful as if they were getting married themselves. Countess Hamelsvoort, who had been marking the calendar every morning, even let out a cheer as soon as dawn broke.

“Liv, eat a lot.”

“Dear, it’s the wedding tomorrow, how can she eat a lot? Liv, you need to look pretty in your dress, so hold back just until tomorrow and eat a lot after that.”

“Yes.”

The table was set with Liv’s favorite foods, but Liv decided to just cut and eat half a salmon. Well, being grateful just to be able to eat, she could overcome a little hunger.

“Sob, sob, Liv. I’m really going to miss you leaving this house. Of course, you said you’ll stay in the capital for a while… When do you think you’ll go down to the Lartman Duchy?”

“I’m not sure. But Emmett is considering going down within this year.”

The Count and Countess, who previously hadn’t been curious about anything regarding Liv, now had become accustomed to having trivial conversations. After finishing her meal, Liv soon packed her luggage for the wedding. Liv was now planning to live in the Lartman villa in the capital.

“Should I pack this too?”

“This as well!”

The servants of the Hamelsvoort family were moving busily. Befitting a powerful family like the Hamelsvoort, the couple prepared Liv’s dowry with emphasis.

“Should we put in all the dresses?”

“Yes, please.”

Watching the maids pack her things, Liv just sat quietly in a chair with the window open. The dust made her cough involuntarily. Seeing her room, which she had grown somewhat attached to, gradually emptying felt strange.

At that moment, one of Hildegard’s maids approached Liv carrying a large box. Behind her stood Hildegard with a smiling face.

“Sister, these are accessories that don’t suit me so I don’t use them, but I think they’ll suit you. Of course, I have a separate wedding gift, but I wanted to give you these too.”

Inside the box were colorful accessories with a cute and delicate feel. ‘Saintess’ Hildegard couldn’t use them often because she had to maintain her dignity.

“Thank you, Hilda. I’ll accept them gratefully.”

“Sister, you must be happy…”

Genuinely sad that Liv was leaving this house, Hildegard’s eyes even welled up with tears.

As Liv was about to hold Hildegard’s hands, her gaze fell on the maid who had brought the box. She had a somewhat displeased expression. In the past, Liv might have just let it go, but now, as she was about to leave the house, she didn’t want to hold back what she wanted to say.

“Do you dislike me?”

“…Pardon?”

“You might not be able to manage your expression, but you don’t know what might happen if you meet a truly bad person. Be careful.”

“Ah, ah…”

The maid stammered, seemingly not expecting Liv to point it out, and Hildegard looked at her with a puzzled face. However, soon, the maid’s eyes became sharp again and she spoke in a low voice.

“Still, Saintess Hildegard is more amazing.”

“…”

Liv didn’t respond to those words and just stared at her. The maid, who had opened her mouth out of defiance without realizing it, gradually became frightened. The reason she disliked Liv seemed to be because Liv was a ‘fake Saintess’. In fact, most people who disliked Liv treated her as a ‘brazen liar’.

“How dare you be so rude to my sister?”

Seeing Hildegard trying to get angry, which she wasn’t good at, Liv waved her hand saying it was okay.

“It’s fine. Well, she can think that way.”

“Sister…”

“But seeing this kind of scene so often made me curious.”

I wonder how they would react if it was revealed that Liv wasn’t a fake Saintess? Would they apologize for their past behavior, or would they find another reason to dislike Liv?

“Do you have anything else you want to say?”

Suddenly curious about her true feelings, Liv asked the maid.

“I won’t get angry. Be honest. I’m curious about what other people think.”

“Ah, no…”

The maid shook her head as if she had come to her senses, but Liv urged her on.

“It’s okay, I really won’t get angry at you.”

“Ah…”

As Liv kept holding her and not letting her go, the maid seemed to think it was better to speak and opened her mouth.

“…Well, these days there aren’t any rumors about Miss Liv.”

“Then?”

“The rumors are mostly about Duke Lartman.”

At these unexpected words, Liv frowned. There are rumors about Emmett?

“Some people look down on Duke Lartman too. They say he ended up falling for a woman who chased after him. …I’m not saying that’s what I think.”

The maid seemed half-doubtful whether Liv would really not get angry at her, so Liv waved her hand to dismiss her.

“I see… You can go now.”

“Yes, yes!”

“Sister, is it okay to let her go like that?”

Hildegard asked in bewilderment, but when she met Liv’s eyes, she flinched in surprise. At this moment, Liv was smiling more brightly than anyone else. Because it looked just like a smile with a knife swallowed, Hildegard thought she glimpsed a transcendent being in her eyes for a moment.

“Hilda, I’ve decided.”

For years, she had feared the Emperor and therefore tried to hide her power, but surprisingly, the speed at which her mind changed was very fast. The reason she decided to hide her power even when Emmett tried to persuade her that he could protect her no matter what, was also because she was used to the situation where everyone hated her. It was okay for there to be bad rumors about Liv herself. But…

“No one can insult my love.”

If Emmett’s reputation falls because of Liv herself, how could Liv endure that?

The gods loved Liv devotedly, and Liv learned devotion from them.

But at the same time, they were impatient, and Liv learned that too.

There was no reason for her to hide her power anymore.