Still, the girl did not stop saying sorry. Eun-woo broke out in cold sweats seeing that and comforted her by putting her arms around the girl's shoulder.
The girl who had been crying for a long time finally calmed down. She introduced herself as Lucinda.
Right as she finished introducing herself, Lucinda began to be friendly.
"I came from the most secluded rural village of Pisval. My sister works as a maid and is having a wedding in the capital. Since it's once in a lifetime, my father led the whole family. But it happened to be during this day. My sister's husband is doing trading clothes and I managed to save a dress for this Flora Festival."
She appeared to be very talkative and has a fragile personality by nature, but her joy of being a Flora nominee seemed to excite herself.
Lucinda opened her mouth in a very excited voice.
"I was almost disowned by my sister over that… but who cares? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me…! it is an honor from a commoner family like mine to be a candidate for Flora!"
"Still… aren't you afraid to be separated from your family in an unfamiliar place?"
"The Paladins will keep us safe, so what are you worried about? My father said that if I passed the first evaluation and returned, he would carry me around the neighborhood with a loud shout! I've never seen him so proud of me."
Lucinda put on a puzzled expression on her face. She was reminded of her cheeks with pride and her excitement.
"When I joined in the participation, Calista passed right in front of me! The world's most famous singer was standing in front of me! I even witnessed how her white dress shone first hand! I thought my gaze fell off…!"
"That… That's right. Calista was also selected as a candidate in the end…?"
However, Eun-woo couldn't be as excited as Lucinda even at the news of a celebrity like Calista.
Rather, talking with Lucinda like that, Eun-woo could feel her face heat up with a bit of embarrassment.
She didn't even sign up for a nominee and didn't make an effort on creating the dress she was currently wearing. She came here to enjoy the festival but instead, was chosen as one of the candidates of the Flora. However, unlike her, Lucinda, this girl, is shaking and smiling in excitement because she was selected as one of the candidates.
Eun-woo could not tell Lucinda that she never had intention of running for Flora. So, she too, pretended to be impressed by the White Cathedral in front of her.
"That… that's right! It's very… very amazing! It's beautiful and a majestic building, isn't it?"
Lucinda nodded her head with her proud face.
"Certainly! In the first place, the White Cathedral was built to support the Black Cathedral, the top management of the Empire. All of the successors from the generations have gone through training in this White Cathedral so that's all I can say for now."
As Lucinda said, it was as if all the priests and members of the Senate of the Black Cathedral had passed through the White Cathedral and ascended to their place. Even the heir, Reinhardt, did the same.
Lucinda, who had finished chatting with her in full swing, muttered as she looked at the shrinking front row with her trembling voice.
"Our turn is drawing near."
According to her words, after 50 or so candidates had already gone through half of the admission evaluation process, she was standing inside the White Cathedral.
Eun-woo muttered, unable to hide her concern, as she looked ahead.
"What the hell is evaluation screening…?"
After hearing her words, Lucinda opened her mouth as if she couldn't believe it.
"Oh my God, you don't know about this famous evaluation?"
Eun-woo cleared her throat, avoiding Lucinda's gaze, who was looking at her with suspicious eyes. Lucinda jumped up and started her explanation.
"Eleanor. Although the evaluation screening does not officially affect the final score of a candidate, it is so important that it determines the three gates behind it! It is an important examination to find out the candidate's status, usual conduct, influence, and personal connections!"
Eun-woo looked at Lucinda, who was trembling with excitement, and gritted her teeth.
That wasn't what Eun-woo meant. She was wondering if the candidate's influence is judged in this evaluation. She didn't understand but decided to listen first.
"Then how do they judge it?"
When she asked, Lucinda quickly answered.
"Very simple! Most of the candidates will decide what they will put in a casket from their things."
"Things… huh?"
Eun-woo asked with an incomprehensible face.
"Yes. It doesn't matter what. It could be a small ring, brush, a nib, a jewelry box or even a family seal. Anything is surely fine. It doesn't matter if it belongs to someone who supports you."
"Someone who supports you…?"
Lucinda's eyes lit up at Eun-woo's words.
"As I said earlier, Flora is a prestigious position that cannot be reached only by external beauty. The winner will acquire 'reputable, good-natured, trustworthy, and dependable, someone who can represent us!'"
"By whom…?"
Lucinda had spoken to this extent, but Eun-woo replied as if she didn't hear her, who was full of energy.
"By whom, you mean? He's the hottest man I know!"
Eun-woo blinked at her answer.
Oh my gosh. The beauty pageant she knew wasn't this worldly.
Eun-woo felt as if she was having a headache at the thought of that.
Who is the hottest person she knows...?
Come to think of it, she knew some pretty reputable personalities.
First of all, even her sudden and bloodline brother, Diego Miller, was carrying the title of Marquis on his back, and although he had created a few accidents, he was acting as a prince who moved under the orders of the Crown Prince. Wherever there was a glamorous and lively place, the name of Diego Miller will never go unspoken.
The second person that came to mind was still the Crown Prince of the Empire. Although she still feels a bit distant, his and her excitable jokes about each other's pranks are often enough to communicate with him.
Moreover, since Ikshid fell in love with Selena, he has been visiting the duke where she is staying as if his place was a foot away. As the distance gets closer, the mind gets closer, too, and Eun-woo was able to find herself pouring more affection on her older brother than ever before.
And lastly, the last person she knew.
Tashian Verk. As she thought of his name, Eun-woo could feel her earlobe heating up.
She said it herself but she didn't know how strong his influence was, in words.
He was the best Duke of the empire, the knight commander who received the title, and the hero of the continent.
Since receiving the title of Duke at the age of 17, he has been awarded the title of Notem Knight, which was given only to seven knights who have made the greatest achievements in a circumstance by participating in countless battlefields, and he was one of the most famous knights in Hellasium. Not only did he rise to the head of the Imperial Knights, but he was a man who performed countless activities until the Third Continental War, the northern expedition to Kartina, and the most recent Battle of Great Genova.
Eun-woo felt her face heat up as she recalled the status of the man whom she relied on.
But that was only for a moment. Eun-woo suddenly remembered something and asked Lucinda.
"Wa, wait…! So, one should have that thing right here. Right?"
Lucinda answered as if asking something obvious.
"Sure. Most of the candidates even bring the village chief's socks in advance!"
Eun-woo felt her frustration of soaring into the sky and suddenly descending endlessly to the ground, and wrapped her arms around her head. She is here without anything. All she had on her body now was a coin purse that had no dust from her clothes, a blood-stained handkerchief, and a dusty white dress draped over her.
She frowned, feeling doomed.
Eun-woo asked what would happen if she didn't bring anything with her, just in case. However, Lucinda's reply was even more desperate.
"There will never be any stupid candidates to enter the evaluation empty-handed, but … even if they did, they would be ridiculed. And what's even more dangerous is being kicked out without even being able to enter the White Cathedral."
Lucinda murmured, wrapping her arms around mine, as if her teeth were trembling just at the thought of it.
"In history, there has never been a candidate who has not submitted anything to the admissions examination. It's disgraceful just by the thought of it! To be kicked out of the door without even entering the White Cathedral in the middle of the night! Then, she will be spending the night alone…!"
Eun-woo's face became as pale as a blank sheet of paper when she heard that.
She stood there, helpless at this disastrous news. Hearing Lucinda's story, the black forest around the White Cathedral where they were located suddenly seemed darker and gloomier.
Eun-woo took a deep breath to calm her nervous body, which was already trembling.
It felt like her brain was going to explode in an instant. Her leg, which had been fine before, seemed to be numb, and her hand, which had been injured earlier, was also starting to ache.
What if she run into a wild beast in the forest by any chance…? If she spend the whole night here with a wounded body, she might really woke up the next day, feeling aches all over her body…! And what if someone caught her and took her somewhere?!
"Kyaak…!"
And for a moment, Eun-woo screamed in shock at the sudden touch of a metal on her arm.
"Eleanor!"
She heard Lucinda squealing and screaming alongside her.
Eun-woo hastily turned her head to check the face of the person holding her arm. It was a knight wearing a white helmet. Eun-woo gasped for breath at the completely unexpected appearance.
Although she could not see his face, Eun-woo could feel that the knight's expressionless gaze was looking down at her very coldly.
The knight approached her and opened his mouth.
"I need you to follow me for a moment."
Eun-woo could notice that not only herself but also the girls standing around her were shaken by the knight's words.
Eun-woo opened her mouth, feeling the numbness of the arm held by the knight's hand wearing the gauntlet.
"Why, why do you…?"
Could it be that he finally found out that she wasn't an official candidate? She may have found a way for Selena to get her out of this place by other means. Or maybe the knight was from Tashian.
All sorts of thoughts ran through her head.
But the answer to the problem was not positive.
"A place has been prepared in the cathedral to discuss the young lady's qualifications as a candidate. The Senate will examine her. Please keep quiet and follow me."
"In, in the first place, do you know wh, who I am…?"
Unable to hide her embarrassment, Eun-woo asked, groping words she could say. Then the knight twisted the corners of his lips as if it was not even worth answering.
"That's up to us to decide, and you only need to follow the decision of the Senate. Hurry up, we don't have time for idling."
Something felt strange.