Adaline collapsed to the ground, powerless, from a strong push.
Genevieve, in a panic, extended her hand to her, but again could not reach her.
Shane was nearby, not as far away as five years ago, and did not stand on the sidelines like Genevieve had done then.
And yet, even now she could only look at the falling Adaline, frozen in horror.
The sounds around seemed to move away.
Once again Adaline tried to protect her, and again almost died.
[Why do you keep protecting me?]
[I asked... never do this again...]
[Even if Genevieve is injured, she will recover quickly. Even if she gets tired, she won't die. Why didn't Adaline understand this?]
“...nia! Ay! My…my wrist!”
The noise is back.
Genevieve saw the priest rolling on the floor, writhing in pain, his wrist cut off.
[She didn't know his name. She only knew that he belonged to those who disliked her. But she never imagined that he would try to kill her.]
The priest, with suffering in his eyes, suddenly met Genevieve's gaze. Consciousness gradually returned to his glassy gaze.
"W-wait...oh holy..."
He tried to say something, but it was too late.
Genevieve rushed to Adaline, but the knights had already grabbed her hands.
"Wait! I need to see Lady Adaline! Let go!”
“See her later. When everything calms down."
"But…!"
Gritting her teeth from powerlessness, Genevieve watched as her friend was taken away.
Without even touching, even at a distance, if only she could heal...
[Why can't I do it alone? I have already awakened...I should be able to use the power of purification!]
She felt despair, anger and powerlessness - towards herself. And when they led her away, Genevieve burst into tears.
The priest, finally coming to his senses, howled in pain.
---Genevieve was immediately taken to the Imperial Palace.
It was logical, the attack took place in the temple, and even from the inside.
The culprit confessed immediately. He was a believer and claimed that he considered the saint fallen, as if she had used the gift of the Goddess for personal purposes.
“I...I just thought so!” I didn’t want to kill, honestly!”
“Do you think ‘brain fog’ is an excuse?”
“No, not that... it’s just... like a demon has possessed me...”
The priest, tied to a chair, stuttered, claiming that his body was moving on its own.
Edwin narrowed his eyes, looking intently at his exhausted face.
The priest was trembling all over, sweating profusely, but there was no lie in his eyes, only desperate horror.
“Do you know who you hit?”
“I...” the priest’s eyes darted. Suddenly he flinched when he saw a figure behind Edwin.
"I don't know! Honestly, I don’t know!”
“Well, good. Because if you knew, I wouldn't be able to protect you anymore."
Edwin turned around.
Shane, standing to the side with his arms crossed over his chest, snorted.
“Nothing will change anyway.”
“Leave it to me for now. I'm not going to be rude. Besides, all this is a headache: there are too many people who demand that he be extradited because he is from the church...”
"Give him up."
Edwin looked at Shane in surprise, and then grinned bitterly:
“So you still intend to kill him?”
“Whether he dies on the chopping block or in prison, it makes no difference.”
“Yes, I guess you’re right.”
[How could it be otherwise...]
“Although, in fact, is it really necessary to be so harsh? He attacked Genevieve, not Adaline.”
Edwin shrugged:
"He can't be held responsible for someone getting in his way, right?"
“That's it. But to be honest...I'm just getting angry."
“...When you say it so openly, I don’t even want to argue...”
“The truth is that Adaline will not be angry that she was attacked. All she cares about is why he chose Genevieve.”
Silence.
"Even if she knows: a few more seconds in his grip and she would have died."
[If you had not cut off this hand...]
Edwin shook his head.
“We didn’t find a single lead. No one is behind this person. No suspicious connections, no orders. Dad is furious, if there were traitors, I would already know.”
“So...”
“It was either a fleeting impulse, or someone controlled it from the outside. There is no third option."