Chapter 5

Daina's fingers tightened on her skirt. However, she didn't want the candidates to notice her nervousness, so she blinked, showing that she didn't care.

For Daina, no matter how hard she tried, it was never possible to completely avoid the pain. Then, when she was addressed, there was never anything good or even simple politeness.

Daina decided not to pay attention to the screaming candidates because it was the best solution, and quickly turned her attention to Duke Dehsin.

'...Empty!'

Except the Duke's seat was empty.

Surprised, Daina hurriedly began to look for Darwin and, fortunately, found him leaving through the far door.

The girl felt that this was her chance and instinctively jumped up from her seat, but Sera suddenly grabbed Daina, who was about to run away, by the hand:

– Do you think it's funny? I'm talking to you. Where are you going?

Startled by the sudden grip on her arm, Daina groaned painfully. And then there was a girl who managed all the candidates.

Sera quickly pulled back the hand with which she grabbed Daina, because she was the girl that the Virgin Laura asked not to make a noise.

– Is something wrong? What's happening?

– This… – Daina suddenly stood up. I just told her to sit down.

After listening to Sera's words, the Maiden spoke to Daina in a threatening tone:

– Daina, explain why this happened.

'Duke Dehsin has already left,' – Daina quickly looked around nervously. This is my only chance, and I can't afford to miss it…

– I'm... I'm going to get the chairs.

– Chairs… Sera, I told you to do it, didn't I?

– I was going to go, but Daina insisted on doing it herself!"

– Okay, Daina, don't make too much noise and come back quickly.

– Yes, Virgo.

Sera smiled triumphantly behind the back of the Virgin Laurent and showed Daina her tongue, but Daina left without even bothering to look at her. The girl didn't mind even if she was attacked from the air at that moment. It would be even better for Daina.

The girl was looking for Duke Dehsin, but there was no trace of his presence in the hall. He's already gone.

Daina ran everywhere, eagerly looking for the Duke. After leaving the temple and looking around, the girl walked along the main road.

However, it turned out to be too difficult to find Darwin, who disappeared in the countless crowd gathered for the celebration.

'I've had enough,' – Daina walked forward in confusion, unable to hide her disappointment.

As soon as the girl thought about going back, an exit to the garden appeared in front of her, who turned onto the wrong path.

It was a garden that not many people came in and out of. The temple could not cope with taking care of him, and so Daina entered the garden overgrown with weeds.

'Finding Duke Dehsin is like finding a needle in a haystack...' – the girl sighed.

– Ah… – Daina's eyes suddenly widened as her feet touched the grass.

She was able to see Darwin from afar.

Daina didn't know why he was here, but Duke Dehsin was really here, alone, with only a guard. There was no one else because this garden was a remote place. It was just a great opportunity for Daina.

Daina quickly grabbed the knife she had brought with her. It was not visible to others because the girl was hiding it in her sleeve.

Daina's palms were damp with sweat because she was nervous. Having made a decision, the girl quickly wiped her palms on her clothes.

– Sir! – having made up her mind, Daina turned to the Duke-killer.

Fortunately, Darwin stopped as soon as he heard her voice. Daina did not miss her advantage and quickly tried to get closer.

That's just the girl couldn't do it, because the Duke's guards blocked her way faster than she could do it.

Little Daina was quickly neutralized by them and began to worry when, due to their tall figures, she lost sight of Duke Dehsin.

When the girl started to get nervous, she forgot what position she was in, and screamed loudly, as if with anger:

– I have something to tell you! Please give me a minute!

Had Daina's seriousness touched the Duke? Darwin walked a little ahead.

Since Duke Dehsin's height was much larger than the others, Daina could clearly see his face among the attendants.

'I'm scared...' – Daina swallowed a viscous saliva.

The moment the man's icy gaze looked at the girl, a vivid sense of fear arose in her, and this fear pushed everything else out of her mind. Daina felt those cold eyes piercing her heart.

It was a pressure that the girl had never experienced before.

Duke Dehsin's gaze stared intently at Daina as he approached her. Daina was shaking from head to toe, and her hands were tense as never before.

Darwin approached Daina, looking at her with his icy gaze. He deliberately stared so intently at the child who interrupted his rest.

'Wh-what?'

One of Duke Dehsin's eyebrows went up when he saw Daina's frozen expression. Darwin thought that the baby would run away right away, but he was interested to know what kind of importance makes her lips tremble so much.

'I wonder what made this little girl with brown hair desperate?'

– Stand back, – Darwin ordered the guards, and the guards instantly stepped aside.

Darwin narrowed his eyes and looked at Daina even more intently.

'A girl, thin as a branch, and even ready to crumble into dust at any moment.'

Naturally, Duke Dehsin thought that the girl would not be able to withstand his gaze for long, but he wanted to check how long she could hold out.

'I'm scared...' – but Daina almost fell, because her legs began to tremble as soon as her eyes met the Duke's eyes. A natural reaction of the body. And yet, the girl endured.

'This is nothing compared to what I had to go through!' – Daina forced her stiff legs to move.

'To hurt the Duke, I need to get even closer to him.'

– Judging by the clothes, you are a candidate for the Saints, what do you need from me?

Daina was startled by the unexpected low voice of Duke Dehsin.

His voice drew a line that stopped the girl's steps. However, she was still not close enough to strike.

– ...Can I come a little closer?"

– Yes.

Fortunately, Duke Dehsin gave Daina this chance. But not only Darwin, but everyone else was looking at the girl.

Trembling as if she was walking on thin ice, Daina tried to walk calmly and even indifferently.

'This will be enough to reach him,' – finally, the girl was only two steps away from the Duke.

Daina didn't want to cause Duke Dehsin much pain. She was just going to inflict a small wound somewhere on his leg, believing that this would be enough to provoke him to kill her.

'If someone dares to harm the Duke by attacking him, then there is nothing strange in killing him on the spot,' – breathing heavily, Daina looked at Darwin.

There was no hint of wariness in the man. It was unthinkable for a little girl to do something dangerous.

– So what do you want to tell me?

– I ... – speaking, Daina lowered her head and immediately quickly took out a knife. From the very beginning, she aimed only at the man's leg. On the run, the girl stretched out her hand and, it seems, touched his thigh with a knife.

– Ha…

However, this turned out to be impossible.

Daina's movements were too slow in Darwin's eyes, and he immediately noticed that the girl's behavior was strange and stopped the baby in time.

'Whatever this girl wanted to do, she failed,' – Darwin, who took the knife from Daina before she realized it, thought that everything was very strange.

– What is it, little girl?

'This child has no value in life. No matter what profession a person has, he can't behave like that…

So why did she risk swinging a knife at me without being too careful? Is she fearless?' – Darwin was so taken aback that he couldn't help but laugh.

– Brave, – Duke Dehsin carefully examined Daina from head to toe.

An old tracksuit and unusually thin wrists that stand out from the general background. When Darwin took the knife away, Daina for some reason remained standing blankly.

'She knows that she will be punished, but she does not even try to escape,' – such unnatural behavior aroused Darwin's curiosity.

– Your Highness! I will immediately return this child to the temple, – an excited Ben, who was standing next to the Duke, stepped forward, but Darwin resolutely raised his hand:

– No, wait.

The guards, who were waiting for their master's order, amicably surrounded Daina. Fierce pressure surrounded the little girl.

Darwin looked at the blade he had taken from Daina, and then turned to face her. And as soon as the Duke finished thinking, the well-sharpened blade flashed in the sun.

'Was she going to kill me with this?'

Daina saw the blade coming towards her and immediately clenched her teeth. She thought it was all wrong because she had never been able to hurt the Duke, but that wasn't the end. The sharp blade seemed to be able to wound delicate skin even in dreams.

'Please,' – Daina hoped that the Duke's sharp knife would go straight into her heart.

In front of everyone, the girl's neck tensed in anticipation of the outcome of a dangerous situation.

– Who sent you? – Darwin's voice, when he spoke, was calm, like a spring wind.

'Too calm,' – Daina was puzzled by his look. Duke Dehsin, whom she first encountered, turned out to be a completely different person, different from himself in the rumors.

'With his fiery personality, he can't stand anger, and he never hesitates in front of the person who attacked him. Isn't that how rumors position him?'

– If you don't answer right now, I'll kill you, – the knife approached Daina's neck and a red drop of blood appeared on its tip.

Daina pressed her lips together and endured this prickly pain, and also regretted that she had missed.

'If Duke Dehsin wants an answer, then I can force him to kill me with my silence,' – Daina thought.

Darwin's gaze changed slightly as the girl continued to remain silent. The air around Duke Dehsin suddenly changed, pressing heavily on Daina.

Daina's chin trembled, her legs weakened and were about to give way. However, the girl stood straight and endured everything.

'It's weird,' – Darwin looked at Daina. 'This is the second time she has withstood the pressure of my aura.'

Duke Dehsin's aura continued to press, but Daina held on.

'The temple is not easy to deal with. But why did this little chipmunk do it?

She's not a professional. He does not know how to hide his energy at all and does not know how to handle a knife correctly.'

Duke Dehsin couldn't think that there was no other target given that the weapon was a knife.

– You took aim and came up... – when Darwin spoke again, Daina herself put her neck under the knife– – ...!

The knife was well sharpened, despite its small size. The blade cut the skin on Daina's neck in the blink of an eye. Pain instantly flared up in her neck, but the girl did not stop.

'I may die,' – when Daina realized this, the corners of her lips, which had been tense all this time, gently curved.

Darwin noticed a slight smile on the girl's lips, and his gaze flashed.

– What is it?

At the same moment, the knife moved away from Daina's neck.

– No! – Daina hurriedly reached out and tried to grab the Duke's arm, but before she could, the knife was thrown out of Daina's reach.

– Did you come here from the very beginning not to kill me, but to die? Who ordered you? Perhaps also a temple?

It was well known that Duke Dehsin and the temple were on bad terms.

'I am a thorn in the temple's eye. If such an accident happens, then the temple will have an advantage in negotiations. Therefore, the temple is full of people who would not disdain the sacrifice of a child…'

– Is that Christian? – Darwin remembered the high priest.

– No! It has nothing to do with the temple, those who stand high in the temple will never pin their hopes on an orphan, – Daina explained desperately.

'If the Duke thinks it's related to the temple, he won't kill me!'

In confirmation of Daina's terrible expectations…

– Even if it's true, I won't kill you. You're wearing the clothes of a candidate for the Saints, and that's a lot of problems, – Darwin looked at Daina's training suit and his eyes flashed furiously.

The Duke had nothing more to learn from Daina, so he coldly ordered:

– Ben, take her to the temple.

– Of course.

At these words, Daina's hands hung helplessly by her side.