BDBM | Chapter 7

Tenev’s words were like a bombshell to Estram. She had been quietly nestled against him the whole way there.

Estram’s strong jaw trembled ever so slightly.

“Did I make some sort of mistake?”

“There’s no way that’s the case.”

“If that’s so, why would you say such a thing?”

“Father said so. I can only take in my own people after I become the official successor.”

Tenev didn’t want to make the people who treated her well become enemies of the powerful.

She cherished and nurtured them, planning to make good use of them later.

“Estram also has his original duties.”

“That’s…”

Estram was at a loss for words.

In fact, as a Paladin, he was a high-ranking officer. If compared to the clergy’s hierarchy, he would be just below an Archbishop.

Naturally, he received vacations, and Estram barely used them, leaving many unused. Additionally, he was due for another reward for his business trips to The Empire.

However, Tenev’s firm gaze made it difficult for him to explain the situation in detail.

Her eyes were so intense that it made one forget she was just a four-year-old child.

Estram felt a chilling thrill, just like when Tenev had displayed her divine power in front of a crowd.

“…I will make sure you are not inconvenienced, Agi-nim.”

“Thank you for your services so far.”

“It has been an honor to serve you.”

Just as Estram replied and felt a moment of relief, Tenev sighed softly, her eyes filled with stubbornness as the door closed.

‘I thought he was as emotionless as a rock at first, then like a sticky rice cake, but it turns out he was a dog.’

She wasn’t fond of keeping large animals.

‘I need to be careful from now on.’

A few hugs and smiles had made him this loyal.

‘My charm…’

Despite observing Tenev’s troubled expression, the attending priestess remained unperturbed, her demeanor calm and composed.

‘The Holy King sure knows how to pick his close aides.’

Tenev reminisced.

Renard Posacré had been a rare case of a Paladin becoming a Holy King.

Over generations, the Holy King’s power had weakened, but with Renard’s ascension, the balance with the archbishops had finally tightened.

So, how much would the opposing faction, who had lost their power, grind their teeth? And how much effort would the Holy King put into preparing against attacks?

‘As always, these religious orders always become a mess the higher up you go.’

Appointed by God to follow, yet the real situation was a power struggle between the archbishops and the Holy King.

It was similar to what she had seen in murim; with their mouths, they revered power, but when there was no one to match them alone, they ganged up like demons.

Her teeth were about to clench tightly when…

[Danye..]

The familiar voice appeared as if giving a warning, and Tenev instinctively looked up.

The attending priestess was still watching her calmly.

‘Right, I shouldn’t be lost in memories of old junk.’

While staying in this palace, she wouldn’t have to worry about being attacked in her sleep.

Quickly assessing the situation, Tenev asked with a calm smile.

“What time does the class start?”

“From eight in the morning, Agi-nim. I will assist you in waking up around seven.”

“That won’t be necessary. Look after your own duties.”

Although the priestess was somewhat surprised by Tenev’s tone, a child was still a child, no matter how mature and capable of using divine power she appeared.

‘How can such a small child manage to wash and change clothes by herself?’

It seemed cruel to wake such a tiny child, looking even younger than her four years, at seven.

But what could be done? It was the Holy King’s command, and there wasn’t much time left until the oath-taking ceremony.

Filled with pity, the priestess carefully bathed Tenev and changed her into pajamas.

Tenev wasn’t shy about being cared for either.

‘Well, I told her not to waste time.’

Tenev looked around the room without much interest in what the priestess was thinking.

The room was completely decorated for a child.

Unlike in Marchioness Demini’s home, where she couldn’t even climb into the bed by herself, here the bed was just about knee-high to Tenev.

A soft carpet on the floor, a small desk and chair, and a large cushion she could lean against.

‘Just a week in this room. The Holy King isn’t so bad after all.’

Giving her adoptive father a few extra points, Tenev looked around once more.

Behind the wardrobe.

Outside the windows hidden by curtains.

Outside the door.

Paladins were stationed all around, hidden from view.

‘I can feel your presence, guys… But I guess you’re trying hard to protect me.’

Leaving the night watch to them, Tenev went to bed early.

As the Holy King said, starting tomorrow, she would have busy days ahead.

Even with guards around, it was comforting to know the layout of the palace she was staying in.

And according to her body’s memory, the harassment aimed at Tenev was supposed to start from the very first lesson.

‘Having shown a bit of my skill as soon as I set foot in the Holy Land, I’m not sure how things will turn out, but anyone who comes at me will definitely be taken down.’

If enduring long enough could lead to a good outcome, then perhaps.

But having seen others just being pushed around and end in death, there was no need to suppress her nature.

‘The Holy King himself has said it, so I guess I won’t need to give a morning greeting.’

But did they even have morning greetings here?

Chuckling at the ridiculous thought, Tenev took a deep breath and soon fell into a deep sleep.

A Paladin assigned as the secret guard to the Holy King’s prospective successor, known colloquially as “Agi-nim,” was in a state of considerable confusion.

‘Are kids usually like this?’

No.

Before being assigned as the Holy King’s attending knight, he had trained children who had just passed their oath-taking ceremony aspiring to be Paladins.

But he had never encountered a child like this one.

What had Agi-nim done?

She had abruptly sat up at the crack of dawn in a strange posture, only to fall asleep again immediately.

‘That sleep-talking sure can startle people.’

But that could happen. Some kids don’t wake up fully and sit up to sleep.

It seemed like she was slightly floating above the bed, but that must have been a trick of the dim lighting.

Anyway, Agi-nim did that for a while, then truly woke up, flung open the wardrobe, quickly changed her clothes, and dashed out of the room.

He hadn’t thought Agi-nim could open the door.

Everything in the room was tailored to a child, but the door was made for adults.

But when Agi-nim couldn’t reach the doorknob, she simply jumped up and opened it.

‘What is she, a cat?!’

At that time, it was 6:30 AM.

‘Where are you going?’

He could feel the panic of the Paladin on duty outside.

He quickly signaled with his hands.

‘You follow her…’

‘Ah, my heart, senior.’

‘…’

…It seemed he had trained his junior poorly.

Thus, the Paladin ended up trailing behind Agi-nim like a parent secretly watching a child on their first errand.

‘…Doesn’t she get tired?’

Agi-nim had been walking around the inside and outside of the palace for over an hour.

Looking back intermittently at the paths she had passed, the more he watched, the more purposeful her actions seemed.

As if she were drawing a map in her mind.

“Hmm.”

But at one point, Agi-nim suddenly stopped and frowned.

‘Has she lost her way? After all… what map could she possibly be drawing?’

The Paladin was conflicted.

He was assigned as a non-visible guard only.

But if Agi-nim collapsed from exhaustion, he would ultimately be the one blamed.

‘What to do now… Huh?’

While he was contemplating, he suddenly realized Agi-nim had disappeared from his sight.

“Where did she go!”

He imagined all sorts of tragedies unfolding in his mind.

While being scolded by his superior, Agi-nim would be found ice-cold, and the enraged Holy King would hang not only him but possibly even his family…

The family and the Holy Land would fall apart…!

‘This is why I wanted to send the junior!’

He was on the verge of panic when someone grabbed his scabbard.

“!”

A chill ran down his spine.

Despite feeling no presence, to be grabbed from behind.

No matter how agitated he was, he was a knight directly under the Holy King. How could this happen?

As he turned around, his heart nearly stopped.

“Ah, Agi-nim?!”

“Now that I think about it, I didn’t ask for the location of my class. Could you take me there? I would be grateful.”

“That… I…”

Could he even have a conversation with Agi-nim like this?

But Tenev didn’t give him time to hesitate further.

“Hurry! I’ll be late.”

“Ah, yes! I will accompany you!”

Well, she needed to go to class, and now that he had been discovered, it would be strange not to speak.

Just when he mechanically picked her up, spurred by Tenev’s urging, he felt a piercing gaze from somewhere.