The Princess' Harem
Chapter 37: The Maiden’s Trial

Chapter 37: The Maiden’s Trial

Suddenly, he turned to look at her, catching her off guard and making her quickly avert her gaze.

"Your Highness, thank you for caring about these children," he said with a voice full of gratitude and emotion.

Viana, startled and nervous, tried to respond calmly, as a princess should behave. "Ah, yes, it was nothing."

But Kaley kept rambling while staring at the little children. "Maybe because my mind was troubled earlier, so after seeing them laugh happily, I felt like my problems weren’t such a big deal," he muttered, not really directing his words at anyone in particular.

’Troubled?’ Hearing Kaley’s words made Viana, who had been thinking all morning about how to make this innocent man one of the men in her harem, even more curious.

"What could trouble you, Kaley?" Viana asked in a gentle voice. But her question startled him, and he quickly replied, "I-I’m sorry, Your Highness. I spoke about something that has nothing to do with you."

"No, no, it’s okay. Just tell me what’s troubling you, maybe I can help."

Kaley looked at her for a while, then glanced at the park bench. "I-I am sorry. Please, have a seat first, Your Highness," he said nervously.

Viana chuckled, covering her mouth slightly with one hand, and said, "I’ll sit if you promise to tell me what’s bothering you."

Caught off guard while trying to change the subject, Kaley grew even more anxious but finally replied, "O-Okay, I promise."

Still smiling, Viana walked toward the park bench, accompanied by Kaley. After sitting down, she reminded him of his promise.

"So, now tell me, what is troubling you?" she asked, patting the seat next to her, inviting him to sit.

Kaley, having no choice, sat beside the princess and answered, "A-Actually, we’re in a difficult situation because both of the maidens who were supposed to make offerings to the gods are sick. The ceremony is scheduled to take place in about a week, and we haven’t found the replacements yet..."

Kaley’s face showed deep concern, making Viana feel sympathetic as she watched him.

But suddenly, that shameless transparent paper appeared again before her, catching her completely off guard.

[Next task: Save the spring offering ceremony to the gods at the royal temple of Elysia.]

[If successful, a reward will be granted.]

[Do you accept?]

[Y/N]

’Oh, damn. Only a week?’ she thought, feeling overwhelmed. After all, she had never dealt with temple affairs in either of her two lives.

And she had heard that to become the maiden responsible for presenting offerings to the gods, several rituals had to be performed before the ceremony.

"Are there really no people who can replace the maidens??" Viana asked, hoping she wouldn’t have to step in.

Kaley clasped his hands together on his lap and answered, "Actually, the second daughter of Duke Callissto has volunteered, but given her reputation..."

Viana raised an eyebrow. "The second daughter of Duke Callissto?" she murmured, to which Kaley nodded in confirmation.

To serve as the maiden presenting the offering, one had to be a virgin and was typically chosen from noble families. But she knew very well that Duke Callissto’s second daughter, Lindsay, was a nineteen-year-old princess infamous for her terrible attitude.

Hearing this, Viana grew even more overwhelmed, but after a while, she said, "If the temple doesn’t mind, I’m willing to take on one of the maidens’ duties."

Kaley, who had been looking down, suddenly lifted his head at her words and turned to her with a look of disbelief.

Viana tilted her head slightly, amused by his incredulous expression. "What’s wrong? Am I not fit to be a maiden?"

"N-N-Not like that, Your Highness. I-It’s just that someone of your status is willing to become a maiden..."

She giggled, amused, and said, "I don’t really care about that. What matters is that the ceremony goes smoothly."

"B-But, Your Highness. You have to start staying at the temple from today to begin the preparations, and Lady Lindsay is already on her way here."

"No problem. I’m already here, the rest can be arranged," Viana said casually.

She had already imagined the days ahead, where she would be spending time with Lady Lindsay, her lifelong rival, just like her sister, Olivia.

***

"Princess, why would you want to be here? One more week," Sina grumbled as she prepared the princess’s room inside the temple.

She was escorted by one of the knights to the temple to help her go through the ritual before becoming one of the maidens who offer sacrifices to the god.

Viana ignored her personal servant’s complaints and looked at one of the offerings prepared for the gods, a sacred calice now placed in a glass box on the table before her.

The calice was clear, covered in carvings with small red gemstones decorating its entire surface. Viana was assigned to guard the calice with red gemstones, while Lady Lindsay was responsible for the one with blue gemstones.

Their only duty was to recite specific prayers before the statue of the god for seven days, four times a day.

On the final day, the ceremony would take place. They would pray one last time, carrying the calices and placing them before the statue.

If all went well, one of the calices would magically fill with wine, signaling that the coming seasons in Elysia would be prosperous.

If both calices filled, it would bring joyful events, such as when the Crown Princess Viana was born.

However, if neither calice filled, it meant unfortunate events would come to Elysia.

Viana never really cared about the prophecy, which she thought was just superstition. But she suddenly remembered when Kaley had complained about the maidens, that in her past life, both calices had remained empty when the ceremony was held, exactly when she turned twenty years old.

The financial difficulties in Elysia worsened after the incident where both calices used for the offering remained empty.

The event also caused the elderly High Priest to go into shock and later fall ill. As a result, Kaley, who was twenty-four years old at the time, was appointed as the new High Priest.

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