It's all over in the blink of an eye.

  I really hope her good brother can hurry up and take her back home.

  The horse carriage set out at dawn and arrived at a tavern by the side of a main road in the evening for rest.

  Cynthia stepped out of the car with her skirt fluttering, a stunning red puffy dress that drew attention, in sharp contrast to her creamy skin and light golden long curly hair.

  Her elegant appearance also attracted many attention.

  Cynthia's face was pale and obviously accustomed to such a scene under the spotlight of thousands.

  "I am Joyce, here to escort you, Your Highness."

  "Once we cross another border river through the Eternal Night Forest, we will arrive in Temolia."

  Joyce, dressed in a knight's attire, stood before her, with a head of flaxen-coloured wool and a suspicious flush on her fair face.

  This was his first time being dispatched by His Imperial Highness to her side.

  The princess in front of him was so dazzling that he didn't even have the courage to look directly at her beauty.

  It is rumored that she is arrogant and unreasonable, but Joyce has not found any place where she matches the rumors so far. She looks so beautiful and elegant.

  "Don't call me 'Your Highness', just call me Miss."

  Even the sound was so pleasant that Joyce couldn't help but think so.

  Cynthia walked into the tavern, her luxurious dress standing out starkly in this desolate and uninhabited place.

  Curtis's lips were chapped from a day of exposure to the elements, and he was feeling weak and listless. He didn't have her accommodations, and at night he had to sleep in the smelly horse barn with the horses.

  A rare visit from a noble member of Riedonia, the boss came out personally to greet him.

  While Cynthia did something rebellious against the gods, it was spread throughout all of Ridania by a morning newspaper from the royal dynasty. Her appearance caused discussion in the tavern.

  "This face is truly a gift from God." Someone said with reckless abandon.

  "Watch your head, she's gone crazy!"

  "Oh damn, what a pity for this stunning rose, going to such a chaotic place, it's about to wither away."

  She didn't feel sad or ashamed because of their words, lifted her skirt and chose a wooden table to sit down.

  On the table there was only one dim oil lamp, and the candlelight cast a hazy glow over her beautiful face.

  "Joyce!" Cynthia shouted at the knight beside her.

  "Miss Cynthia." Joyce acquiesced in her words and changed her form of address.

  "Let's get some food, I'm starving."

  "Alright."

  A roasted fragrant roast chicken, a shot of liquor, and some black bread.

  Outside the palace, the food she ate was already the best under current conditions. Joyce still said with great guilt: "The hard bread may ruin your teeth, and the strong wine is very turbid, but for now we can only eat these."

  Although she was guilty, Joyce couldn't bear for Cynthia to eat this kind of thing because of her face, and even blamed the food.

  Cynthia waved her hand indifferently, and naturally plucked a roasted chicken leg from the crowd's gaze, handing it to Joyce. "After you're done eating, send some to those knights who are taking care of Curtis too, so everyone won't go hungry."

  Joyce took it gratefully. "You are so kind and generous, nothing like the rumors outside, it was Marquis Curtis who wronged you."

  Cynthia thought that if he had seen her boxing in the great hall at the time, he might have changed his impression of her.

  But she's really hungry now and doesn't have the heart to talk to him much, "Eat quickly."

  She stuffed another drumstick into her mouth, and the juicy chicken filled Cynthia with satisfaction, closing her eyes contentedly.

  The taste is really good.

  Many people were like them, having a good time here. The tavern was lively and noisy, with some even drinking beer and singing songs.

  Cynthia appreciated the song that she couldn't understand at all, and outside the only tavern on the main road, a gust of wind suddenly rose, causing the leaves on the trees to rustle.

  The half-closed door of the tavern was pushed open by the wind, and the oil lamp on Cynthia's table flickered, almost going out.

  The tavern, which had been lively because of her presence, suddenly fell silent.

  Cynthia felt that the atmosphere in the tavern was a bit off, even a little tense.

  The sound of high boots treading on the soft black earth and then entering a tavern and treading on wooden floorboards.

  The slightly disordered footsteps came from afar and drew near.

  She curiously turned her head towards the door and her gaze fixed on that one head of black short hair, her pupils shrinking for a moment.

  She saw him for the first time as a black-haired person.

  The people of Riedania are mostly blond or perhaps other hair colors, but absolutely never black, not even in later generations.

  Unexpectedly, there is now a black-haired...

  The young man walked slowly, leaning against the wall with his waist slightly bent. On one side was an open wooden window, and the moonlight shone directly on his black cloak. Blood dripped from his pale fingertips onto the floor, blooming into rose after rose of blood.

  "Black hair..."

  "The Man Cursed by Darkness."

  “...”

  A faint, almost imperceptible sound entered Cynthia's ears, and her eyes suddenly widened as she saw the progress bar reappear in front of her.

  Defeat Shining God: 1%

  Has the progress bar moved?!

  Cynthia was stunned.

  Why?

  She just ate a roast chicken and listened to some gossip, what's the big deal about Guangming Shen?

  Joyce gripped the hilt of his silver sword, blocking Cynthia's line of sight with his body and lowering his voice to say, "Miss Cynthia, don't stare at the cursed one."

  "A curse?" Cynthia looked up in confusion, her beautiful eyes staring at Joyce. "Cursed by darkness?"

  "Those who abandon the Radiant God and fall into darkness." Joyce's tone couldn't hide her disgust.

  Is there a relationship between the God of Light and that black-haired person?

  Otherwise, it cannot be explained why the progress bar was pushed forward.

  Cynthia's eyes were contemplative.

  Interrupted by Joyce, the wounded young man walked to the wooden platform with the support of the wall and threw out a few gold coins stained with blood.

  "A room." His tone was flat and even, without a hint of inflection, but the invisible pressure was palpable to the tavern owner.

  The owner of the tavern was just a woman in a linen skirt, who took a step back in terror, reached out to the side and picked up a wooden plaque with a bunch of keys hanging from it, and handed it over with a trembling hand.

  "The room at the very end of the second floor."

  Taking the wooden sign, the long boots trudged up the creaking wooden floorboards, Cynthia couldn't see his appearance, only catching a glimpse of a black cloak flashing past the corner staircase.

  After he thoroughly disappeared around the corner and went upstairs, everyone in the entire first floor of the tavern gradually put down their wine cups, stood up and walked out, muttering about bad luck.

  "Where are they going?" Cynthia asked curiously.

  The originally lively tavern suddenly emptied.

  Joyce said with disgust: "The cursed one will bring misfortune to Rydania."