The Temple of the Goddess Ayla, which Ria was to visit today, was situated on a mountain peak about an hour away from the capital.
The temple was not a place one could visit easily.
Not only was it difficult to obtain permission for a visit, but even if granted, a massive endowment was required.
For children of noble families, it was the most they could do to visit the temple once a year, around their birthdays, to receive the Goddess’s blessing.
The people at the Marquess’s estate did not even care when Ria’s birthday was. During her time there, she had never once heard a word of birthday wishes, let alone a birthday banquet. It was only natural that Ria had never been to the temple.
Commoner children almost never visited the temple themselves.
At most, they received blessings when priests toured each village to hold holy assemblies every quarter, or from pilgrims passing by by chance.
She had once heard that a pilgrim was visiting the village and begged to be allowed to meet him, but all she received in return was a cold, flat refusal.
She had never been to the temple, and when the priests visited the village, she was forbidden from going on the grounds that visiting such a place would tarnish the Marquess’s honor.
That was why, whenever someone’s birthday approached, Ria would be reminded once again of her position, belonging nowhere.
Just a short while ago, it had been Catherine’s fourteenth birthday.
She remembered how the Marquess and his wife, along with the children, had boasted for days about having gone to the temple to receive the priest’s blessing.
Back then, she had thought she would never have the chance to go to a temple or meet a priest in her entire life.
Ria could not believe that she was on her way to the temple right now.
In truth, whether she went to the temple or not, the existence of the Goddess Ayla was very familiar to Ria.
It was because her mother had often told her stories of the Goddess.
As the carriage rolled smoothly along the road, Ria recalled the moments she had spent with her mother in her childhood.
In those days, her mother would frequently tell her stories about the Goddess Ayla.
It felt as if she could still hear her mother’s voice, which sounded like a low, soft melody.
“Even under the harmony of the Goddess, an impure existence awakened in the darkness.
It was an ancient spirit that slept in the shadows.
People fought against the spirit. But it was not easy.
Then, the Goddess Ayla appeared.
She connected all life in nature as one and sealed the spirit away.
The world became peaceful once again.”
Her mother’s stories always ended there. Every time Ria heard that story, she would imagine how the Goddess Ayla had stopped the spirit.
Ria closed her eyes and tried to revive the feeling of being in her mother’s arms. The feeling of being cozy, warm, and smelling of something pleasant.
And she prayed silently to the Goddess.
May she be able to safely prove her identity at the temple today.
May the Goddess embrace and hold Ria’s confusion as well, and may she give a place to stay to Ria, who had always felt like a lost soul with nowhere to rest her heart, and in doing so, finally grant her stillness and peace.
While Ria was lost in thought, the carriage continued to move slowly.
The road was wide and flat.
As they moved further from the city, the atmosphere passing by the window became calmer. Instead of human presence, the landscape, filled with greenery, passed by rapidly.
Having left the outskirts of the capital, the carriage followed a gentle mountain path and entered deeper into the forest.
Sunlight sparkled through the leaves, and the sound of birds chirping could be heard.
Everything was going smoothly.
However, as they ventured deeper into the mountains, the distance between them and the carriage in front grew noticeably wide, enough for anyone to see.
The speed of the carriage had slowed significantly compared to the beginning.
“Doesn’t it feel like we’re falling behind?”
Daniel muttered quietly.
At his words, Leonic also noticed that the speed had decreased. He immediately opened the window and asked the coachman in a dissatisfied voice.
“Hey, why have we suddenly slowed down so much?”
“The road has become rough, young master. Our carriage is small, so it cannot maintain a high speed. Please bear with us for a moment, as a wider road will appear once we pass this section.”
A moment later, the carriage jolted as it passed over uneven ground. It was unusual for a carriage from the Duke’s estate, famous for its stability, to shake this much.
As the condition of the road grew increasingly rugged, the carriage had no choice but to slow down further. The coachman gripped the reins tightly, looking tense.
“But this is strange. It wasn’t like this when we came last time.”
Daniel spoke casually, but the air inside the carriage froze strangely in an instant. Indeed, the children, who had not visited the temple long ago, quickly noticed that things were different from that time.
“We shouldn’t get too far behind. It seems the escort knights followed the carriage in front, too. I can’t see anyone….”
Anella whispered in a small voice, looking out the window with anxiety.
“The carriage carrying the adults can maintain speed even on mountain roads, so they are pulling away. Don’t worry, we’ll be able to catch up soon. Besides, the road to the temple is a single path. You don’t need to worry about getting lost.”
Leonic said softly, as if to soothe Anella. However, his voice lacked confidence.
“It will be fine. It will get better if we go a little further.”
Anella looked at Leonic in silence, trying to hide her faint anxiety.
Leonic sighed and leaned his head out of the open window. The cold wind brushed past, ruffling his hair.
The mountain path was rougher than he had imagined from the inside.
The road narrowed, then twisted and disappeared, only to repeat the process. The carriage that had been running ahead had already vanished from sight.
Leonic spoke to the coachman, who was wiping sweat from his forehead.
“Safety must be our priority. The road is too dangerous.”
The coachman nodded with a stiff face, putting strength into his hands gripping the reins.
“When will the road widen?”
Ria muttered naturally. Anella smiled at Ria and said.
“It will widen soon. You said you’ve never been to the temple, right? The temple is on top of the mountain, so you can see the entire capital spread out below. And there is a very grand plaza, too.”
However, contrary to Anella’s bright words, at that moment, the carriage jolted and came to a sudden stop.
The coachman’s panicked voice could be heard.
“The road ahead is blocked! A fallen tree is obstructing the path! The carriage cannot pass like this.”
Ria leaned her head out the window.
She could see a large tree lying on the side of the road, blocking the way.
The path was too narrow to go around it.
“The horses seem panicked.”
Anella said quietly.
The coachman was holding the reins firmly, but the horses were kicking their front hooves as if uneasy.
“Can’t we go around it?”
Daniel asked the coachman calmly. The coachman shook his head and said.
“The road is too narrow, so it’s difficult to go around. It seems that without clearing the tree…”
“Then what should we do?”
Anella asked in a trembling voice.
At that moment, the carriage shook violently from a sudden impact.
The horses began to bolt, startled by something.
Because of the horses, which had lost their senses, the carriage lost its balance and swayed.
“What’s happening?!”
Daniel shouted.
The coachman pulled the reins hard to calm the situation, but the driver’s seat rocked violently due to the horses thrashing about.
In an instant, the coachman lost his balance and tumbled to the ground. He lay motionless, as if he had lost consciousness.
The carriage could no longer be controlled.
“Grab the reins!”
Leonic shouted, but it was already too late.
The horses bolted at an uncontrollable speed, and the carriage began to race at a helplessly fast pace.
The horses, having lost their handler, ran wildly while still hitched to the carriage.
The carriage wheels caught on the large tree that had been blocking the road and shattered, and the impact caused the entire carriage to tilt to the side.
The body of the carriage tilted sharply, and in the final moment, Leonic reached out his arms to pull Anella into his embrace.
"Aaaah!"
The children’s screams erupted simultaneously.
The carriage, with one wheel broken, crashed into the ground with a deafening roar.
For a moment, it felt as if the earth had turned upside down.
Everything happened in an instant.
Ria regained her senses and managed to pull herself up.
Her head was dizzy, and her whole body ached as if she had been beaten.
Managing to lift her head, she saw Daniel holding onto the carriage wall and standing up.
Thanks to Leonic shielding her, Anella fortunately did not seem to have any major injuries.
“Is everyone… okay?”
Daniel asked in a trembling voice.
“I, I’m fine, but… Le, Leonic-oppa….”
Anella answered with difficulty, on the verge of tears.
Leonic’s arm, which had been wrapped around Anella, was visibly swollen to a severe degree.
“Brother!”
Daniel approached him urgently to check his condition. Leonic opened his mouth with a look of bewilderment.
“My arm… it won’t move….”
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