The image of Annelie standing tall was vividly etched in Samuel's mind. Samuel frowned as he strode forward with force. The strength in his tightly clenched fists refused to fade.
He could still vividly recall the look in her eyes from the moment their gazes last met.
Those indifferent, cold pupils.
This was no kidnapping. She hadn't been surprised by the wyvern's appearance, nor had she tried to flee—rather, she had climbed to a conspicuous spot to draw attention.
Her face at that moment was not that of a saint about to sacrifice herself. It was closer to that of a wicked woman who caused chaos among people without a care in the world. Samuel was certain.
She was the one who had summoned that wyvern from the start.
To use the wyvern to escape.
* * *
"Have you heard the news?"
A sharp voice rang through the office.
"Sit down, Frigian."
"We need to find her first."
"Sit."
"Father!"
Despite his daughter's impatient demeanor, Duke Roam maintained a rigid expression and kept his mouth shut. Frigian, who had been biting her lip, reluctantly took her seat. The Duchess of Roam, who had been waiting there first, pressed her forehead with a weary hand.
"What on earth is this chaos?"
"Those foolish Temple bastards—if they couldn't protect her properly, they should have handed her over to us ages ago."
Frigian spat out an irritated murmur through clenched teeth and leaned back against the chair in anger. Duke Roam stood with his hands clasped behind his back, lost in thought.
Due to the events that had unfolded over the past few days, he hadn't been able to sleep properly for several days.
He could hardly believe that the daughter they had cast out of the family had been resurrected by God's choice. And before he could even meet her, he received news that she had gone missing again.
"Did you see the image orb?"
"Yes."
Someone had recorded Annelie just before she was kidnapped by the monster, and it had reached his hands. Though the distance was far, the flowing silver hair was unmistakably Annelie's.
The Roam family members, who had still harbored doubts until then, had no choice but to acknowledge it. Annelie Roam had truly become God's Resurrected One. The child they had abandoned and ultimately sent to the execution stand.
Duke Roam glanced back at Frigian.
"The family registry?"
"It's been restored. There was some dissent, but the opinion that God's Resurrected One shouldn't be left outside the family was overwhelming."
After gathering all the vassals for an emergency meeting, Annelie Roam's name was revived in the family registry.
Those who had once cried out in unison that the shameful name of a wicked woman should be erased immediately, now joined voices again, saying the Resurrected One must not be taken by others.
Frigian's opinion was the same as theirs.
Her younger sister was a child who had inherited the Roam name better than anyone, and even after being abandoned by the Crown Prince, she had managed to find a new path forward.
Roam had raised her that way, so she should rightfully return to Roam.
"I'll form a search party with the family's knights."
At Frigian's words, Duke Roam swallowed a groan. Then he slowly asked:
"What does Lilia say?"
"…She says she can't see anything."
Duke Roam frowned. They hadn't abandoned Annelie and chosen Lilia simply because Annelie had a limited time to live.
Lilia possessed the ability of foresight. That was an invaluable quality compared to the usefulness of a daughter who was terminally ill and could no longer become the Crown Prince's fiancée.
Yet now, when it was truly needed, she couldn't manifest that ability.
"What about the Imperial Family?"
"Her Majesty the Empress still summons Lilia. But His Majesty the Emperor…"
The Duchess shook her head with a troubled expression. It was obvious what the Emperor was thinking.
He would be trying to seize the Resurrected One who had slipped from Roam's grasp.
They had restored Annelie Roam's surname fearing this, but if the Imperial Family secured Annelie's person first, they would never hand her over.
"Would she not have known God's will before she died?"
The Duchess spoke as if to herself. She had actually fainted upon hearing the news of Annelie's resurrection.
Though it wasn't as emotional and tearful as the story known to the public, it seemed there was some joy in her heart that the child she had borne had come back to life.
However, as time passed and she regained her senses to think it over, her daughter became somewhat more vexing to her.
Would that child really not have known she would be resurrected?
"Surely there must have been some sign. If it were Annelie, she might have deliberately kept her mouth shut."
Frigian harbored the same suspicion. The Duke, who had been silently listening to the conversation between the Duchess and Frigian, let out a deep sigh and spoke.
"What use is there in dwelling on the past? We must form a search party first."
Duke Roam wiped his weary face with his hand and murmured in a cold voice.
"As always, what belongs to Roam shall return to Roam."
* * *
"This is indeed an opportunity!"
The Emperor struck the armrest of his chair and exclaimed. Maxwell, who had calmly read through the Temple's official document, nodded impassively.
"I will send a reply stating our active participation in the search."
"I was truly worried when the corpse was taken from us. But God has not abandoned the Imperial Family."
Maxwell, who had been watching the Emperor's satisfied smile, checked the official document again.
It contained a brief account of how the Resurrected One came to be kidnapped by a wyvern, and below that, a request for cooperation from all imperial citizens to find God's Resurrected One.
Throughout the document, the subject was referred to only as 'the Resurrected One.' This was likely an intentional choice.
To emphasize that the resurrected woman was no longer an imperial citizen, but a being existing solely to carry out God's will.
"Annelie."
The name he hadn't uttered in a long time rolled roughly off his tongue, as if prickled with thorns.
"I will strive to support Your Highness without fail in the future."
His former fiancée, who had always been upright and proper.
"Since you are to become a ruler, you must maintain a clear attitude in dealing with those below you."
A woman who judged coldly without being emotional in any situation.
"She is the daughter of a fallen house. Do you wish to take her as a mistress?"
Even after receiving a terminal diagnosis, with her weakening body, she had acted so heartlessly.
"…Maxwell. Though our relationship didn't begin with love, I believed we could have cultivated love between us."
By the time she revealed such feelings, Lilia was already by Maxwell's side. So her cold love was neither missed nor seemed remarkable.
"She seemed to like you quite a bit. If you go to rescue her, she'll surely be pleased."
The Emperor encouraged Maxwell with a smile. Maxwell, who had been silent for a moment, set down the official document and lowered his gaze.
"I have a new fiancée."
"Ah, you mean Lilia Roam."
The Emperor murmured in a displeased tone and clicked his tongue.
"Didn't I say before that she looks too weak? Though she bears the Roam name, her origins are different."
The Emperor had once been pleased by Lilia's gentle smiles and affectionate behavior. He would often make time for tea with Lilia.
"Annelie is a woman resurrected by God's blessing. If we bring God's gift into the Imperial Family, the empire will grow even stronger. Even if not as the Crown Princess, there will be ways to entice her, so do your best."
If necessary, couldn't they take her in as an adopted daughter of the Imperial Family? Maxwell could easily read between the lines. He silently bowed his head to his father.
"Yes."
* * *
Some time after my successful escape, I heard an absurd piece of news. A rumor that the Resurrected One had volunteered as bait before a wyvern to save people and was kidnapped.
I'd been thinking this ever since I came back to life—the world had truly gone mad.
Moreover, image orbs capturing my appearance were circulating everywhere, so from now on, I would have to hide my silver hair wherever I went.
Having left behind even the Temple's treasures, I reluctantly tried to hide my hair color with some clumsy dyeing for now.
I'd never done this in my life so my skills were poor, and my hair, which I'd hoped would turn brown, became strangely patchy. Still, it was better than silver hair.
"I don't know who recorded it, but if I catch them, I won't let them off."
They said search parties were being organized everywhere based on the image orbs to find me.
People kept marveling at the sight of the Resurrected One boldly facing the monster, and prayed for her safe return.
Everyone was growing madder by the moment. This must be what they mean by the proliferation of evil.
[Annelie, Big Brother says to tell you he's grateful!]
"No need. You became a kidnapper for nothing because of me, so this is the least I could do."
I could no longer travel with the wyvern, which was too conspicuous. Instead, as repayment, I told the wyvern about a small monster habitat.
It was a habitat of mouse-like monsters. Since wyverns are carnivorous monsters that eat small monsters, I thought it was an appropriate reward.
And judging by what the eagle was saying now, the wyvern seemed quite satisfied. Right, filling up at a habitat would be better than eating someone like me.
With the wyvern's help, I had come to a rural area relatively far from the city where the Grand Temple was located.
It was difficult finding a place with few people where the giant wyvern could land, but I eventually found one.
Honestly, I had hoped to travel farther, but being carried was too exhausting for me.
Still, thanks to landing in the countryside, no one knew my face. Though I'd made my hair patchy with dye, it was far from being a proper disguise.
Even though I wore my hood low, Samuel recognized me at once, which suggested he could definitely sense something from me.
Soon the search parties would be moving based on their estimates of the wyvern's flight path, and compared to them, I was far too slow.
At this rate, I'd be doing nothing more than taking a stroll before heading back. Was there no other way?
"Eagle, do you know any other monsters?"
[Nope, I don't!]