The truth that Countess Frieda had been escaping. Elphie ran through the novel in her mind, piecing together the snippets that were described.

After the incident at the banquet, Count Frieda initiated a divorce, claiming damages to his reputation because of “this crazy b*tch”. With how much ire Countess Frieda had towards Count Frieda, everyone was surprised when this volatile woman refused to divorce.

Count Frieda began to beat her, and Countess Frieda returned violence in kind. In the end, Count Frieda slashed her face with a metal candleholder, and Countess Frieda carried a long scar down her eye and cheek from then on.

Despite it all, Countess Frieda managed to hold on to their wedding, and the divorce didn’t go through. Her final ending was described in a brief sentence while Praetor burned the capital down, where she burned to ashes while dragging Count Frieda into the flames with her.

As Countess Frieda was too minor a character, very few lines outlined her entire life. After a long time of thought, Elphie finally managed to analyze her actions.

It was mentioned that Countess Frieda’s family once went through a bankruptcy, and Count Frieda Senior proposed a marriage and business partnership at the critical moment, saving her family.

From then on, the two families’ interests were inevitably twined together.

That was perhaps one facet of it, but Elphie believed that the biggest reason lay within Countess Frieda’s own psychological traumas. She was forever stuck in that part of the past, unable to move forward or backward. In the end, since there was no reason to face it, she simply ran away.

But Elphie decided to force her hand.

The reason she decided to help Countess Frieda wasn’t out of charity. She did it for the forces behind her, or the force that Alanna Harris would build.

Around half a year later, a mysterious information organization would emerge in the capital. Rumors stated that their leader was a scarred woman, but no one knew for sure who she was.

That organization slowly began eating up the Frieda family’s shares, although before they could completely swallow them, the Praetor Kingdom attacked.

What Elphie wanted was this force that existed behind Countess Frieda.

She walked out of the café, leaving Countess Frieda behind to ruminate. It was midday, and the sunlight up above was rather glaring. Pedestrians milled about, some hurrying to places while others strolled leisurely.

As Elphie climbed into her family carriage, a thought suddenly crossed her mind. She said a few directions to the driver and sat down in the back.

Soon after, she arrived at her destination.

Elphie stepped out and surveyed the block. This area of the capital wasn’t very large, only spanning a few blocks, but the streets here were noticeably shabbier and dirtier.

Tattered rags hung outside of dilapidated buildings. Some children running by gawked at her like she was a fascinating specimen, while the adults seemed to either glare or ignore her.

Up ahead, a church-like building made of gray cobblestone and a spiral roof appeared at the end of the block. Elphie unhesitantly pushed open the creaky wooden door, revealing the interior.

As expected, a young woman with brown hair and cheap clothes was inside. The woman turned around, letting out a gasp, “Elphie!”

Ariadne ran over, and Elphie smiled in greeting. Ariadne clasped her hands, “I didn’t think you’d come! Here, let me introduce you!”

She pulled Elphie along and waved at each patient sitting inside. This was a makeshift clinic, as well as a food shelter for the impoverished. Ariadne frequently volunteered here, and though she was also a noble, the people in the slums slowly opened up to her after years.

Elphie studied her clothes. Just like the others, she wore cheap clothes made of rough material. There were signs of wear and tear on it, and though it was slightly darker, it still appeared clean.

In contrast, even though Elphie had dressed down, the condition of her clothes still caused her to strand out like a sore thumb.

This is my first time seeing slums. Though slums certainly existed even in modern day, and plenty of people were still in poverty or didn’t have enough food even within Seoul, Cha Seo-young had never seen such sights with her own eyes.

It really felt like another world.

Elphie shook her head and focused as Ariadne introduced another person to her. This time, it was a young boy who appeared around 11 or 12 years old. The boy’s brown hair was slightly matted, mixed with some dark specks as if he had rolled around in soot. His face was similarly stained with black ash, and he glared up at her.

“Roger, what did I tell you about treating other people?!” Ariadne rebuked when she saw the boy’s expression.

He scowled, “Just another noble looking for amusement.”

Ariadne smiled apologetically at Elphie before reaching out and pinching at the boy’s ear. As the boy cried out in pain, Ariadne snickered, “Mhm, try saying that again.”

The boy backed away, grabbing his stinging ear. Ariadne huffed, “This here is my friend. And if you have an issue with nobles, I’m also one. Do you have a problem with me now?”

Roger pouted as he looked away. At this point, Elphie chuckled and intervened, “It’s nice to meet you, Roger.”

The other reluctantly allowed for a handshake before running off. Ariadne snorted as she watched the little kid scamper away, muttering about “respect”, but finally turned and took Elphie on a tour.

Much of the people she passed by and the scenes she saw were the same. Volunteers in better clothes would hand out porridge from a big pot to the people of the slums, who were visibly dirtier. The biggest distinguisher was probably the hopelessness in their eyes, as if they were resigned to this life.

Even then, there was a group up ahead at the end of the small church, lowering their heads in prayer. At the center of them stood a figure cloaked in a silver robe.

Ariadne took Elphie down the aisle that lacked pews and carpets, instead replaced with cloth curtains drawn by volunteers for medical assistance. When they were halfway across, Ariadne stopped and made a silence gesture to signal that they shouldn’t disturb the devotees.

This was the first time Elphie had really encountered the major religion inside the novel. Many aspects mirrored Christianity, such as churches and statues. However, people here believed in Mother Earth Halvona. Even here in the slums, there was a Church of Mother Earth present.

As Elphie curiously looked on at the worshippers, the central figure in a silver robe looked up at her. Blue eyes that were so clear they almost seemed silver and bright platinum-blonde hair peeking out from beneath a silver cloak. Those impressive eyes glanced at Elphie for a moment before smiling and nodding.

Elphie nodded back a beat later, and the woman went back to closing her eyes in prayer. After turning around and walking away with Ariadne some distance, Elphie asked: “Who is she?”

Ariadne asked back in surprise, “No way! You don’t know who she is? That’s Lyon, the Saintess of the Church of Mother Earth.”