While staying in the sanctuary, I could wake up once a month for around 2 hours. However, after a year, my condition seemed to improve. The duration of awakening was longer. Then, a year later, my coma began to shorten, once a month, twice a month, thrice a month, then once a week. Then... Then...

  I began to hope. I hoped I could become a better person. I could meet my family’s expectations.

  While in a coma, I could not feel anything. However, after staying for a while in the sanctuary, I began to feel something, even if I were in a coma.

  In the small hut built by the first saintess, on the cold wooden bed, I lay there motionless. When I first woke up there, that was all I could feel: a cold and isolated place. I was alone in the hut. In the middle of the night, I looked out the small window, the only window of this hut. I saw nothing but darkness.

  I began to contemplate my life. What was the point of my life? What was the meaning of my life?

  I knew it was wrong to direct this anger elsewhere. Yet, I could not help but resent the clergy faction, especially Duke Ellon. It was because of them. It was all because of Duke Ellon. That power-hungry man caused my family to break apart. Because of him, my mother and sister cried. Every time I woke up, I always saw them crying.

  Because of him, my father never smiled. Because of him, our family was always under constant threat.

  Stolen story; please report.

  I really resent them. I wanted them to fall into hell.

  Then, after that dark night, I began to feel warm.

  Whenever I was about to wake up, I always felt that warmth.

  It was similar to when my mother and sister hugged me.

  However, whenever I was completely awake, nothing was there. No one was there.

  Only the cold sensation from the wooden bed and the uninterested wooden wall were there to greet me.

  I thought it was the miracle of the goddess. But when I told Duke Raven about it, he kept saying that I was dreaming.

  “Your Highness, you can keep on dreaming. Perhaps, one day, when you wake up, you can meet your goddess.” He said that while smiling. At the end of it, he even laughed out loud as he walked away.

  I did not think he had any hidden meaning when he said that. He was the most honest and upright person in this empire, after all.

  I knew he was testing me, so I never brought it up again.

  Then, the length of that blessing kept increasing.

  Although I could neither hear nor see anything, my body could feel it.

  I felt my body being cleaned. Every part of my body, every nook and cranny, was thoroughly clean. My soul was so refreshed. My long hair was even carefully trimmed.

  I knew that Duke Raven, being the rough man he was, was not the type to do it.

  When I asked him about it, he said he had a helper. However, he did not tell me when I asked him who they were.

  “For now, you do not have to know who they are. Just prepare to take responsibility when you learn about them later.”

  I wish my immature self could understand his hidden messages. I was really dying to learn about my helper.

  There were not many people, no; besides my family and Duke Raven, no one ever treated me with this much care.

  From what Duke Raven said, I thought he was telling me to take them under my wing when I ascend to the throne.

  I would do so without him telling me.

  I must repay this kindness without fail. I would swear on my ancestor's name.