The announcement of a new holy daughter stunned the entire kingdom.
What shocked everyone even more was that the chosen girl wasn't among the noble-born candidates the king and aristocrats had been grooming for years.
Her birth name was unknown, but her sacred title was Camelia Castitas—a girl of striking beauty, with flowing golden hair and an expression as cold and majestic as a statue.
Camelia never smiled. She felt no joy in the world.
Her identity had been revealed through a divine message from the goddess herself. With that, her status as a holy daughter was unquestionable. Not even the most ambitious noble dared to interfere with someone personally chosen by the divine.
Thus, Camelia was raised quietly within the church, trained for her duties both present and future.
The reigning supreme daughter, Lily Castitas, was a gentle, lovely woman with a radiant smile—her most noteworthy trait. It shone warmly, unfailingly bright no matter the circumstances. Her smiles were never forced, always genuine.
Camelia despised that smile. It illuminated her own inner ugliness far too clearly.
And it wasn't just a figure of speech.
Camelia could literally see souls—an ability she had been cursed and blessed with since the first moment she opened her eyes.
She herself could not smile. Her life was one of penance. Her days were exhausting, her nights haunted by nightmares.
It hurt. Constantly.
Each morning she rose only to go through her tasks mechanically, without purpose or desire.
Becoming the next supreme daughter? That was never her ambition. She simply worked because if she stopped, she feared she would end her own life.
Her world was colorless—only shades of gray.
And in that grayness, she met her first rival.
---
"How dare you reject my brother?!"
Camelia paused, turning to face a purple-haired girl shouting at her as she left a meeting with the king.
Who? Camelia tilted her head, confused. It was the first time anyone had spoken to her so aggressively.
"Sorry… who are you?" she asked.
"Seriously?!" The girl's exaggerated shock made Camelia feel almost guilty.
"I'm Lilith. Lilith Luxuria! Don't forget it!"
This was the first time they met. Both were fourteen. Lilith, then a spoiled royal princess, acted exactly like one.
Her relationship with Lilith was strange—they weren't friends, nor enemies. They insulted each other freely, yet neither pulled away.
Lilith was, without question, Camelia's first blessing.
Someone who wasn't intimidated by her.
Someone who refused to bow before her.
Someone who spoke to her as an equal.
And above all, Lilith's soul was dazzling—like a precious gemstone.
Camelia's second blessing came in the form of another woman: a fiery red-haired beauty with a sailor's bluntness.
---
"So tell me, Blaze—why do you love Mars that much?" Camelia asked as the two soaked naked in the steaming bath.
Blaze, voluptuous and stunning, laughed. "Don't you think he's adorable? The way he still blushes when he sees me naked—it's too cute."
Camelia gave a stiff laugh. She could speak to Mars politely, but his indecisive, oblivious nature irritated her.
How many girls has he hurt because of that? A boy shouldn't treat women affectionately if he had no intention of returning their feelings.
It frustrated her even more because he didn't even do it on purpose. She thought of the duke family heiress, whose love for Mars was painfully obvious—yet Mars never gave her a moment's attention. Lilith and Theresa probably loved him too.
"I'll never understand your tastes," Camelia sighed.
Blaze just smirked.
The two were close, comfortable enough to speak freely.
"So what kind of man do you want? Like the ones in those books you hide?" Blaze teased, wiggling her eyebrows. Camelia's cheeks flared red.
Her fondness for erotic novels was well-known among their group and often the subject of jokes.
But Camelia didn't deny it. What she despised more than anything was control—and what she craved most was also control. It was why she devoted herself to the goddess. Obedience freed her from thinking about her past, the one thing she never wanted to relive.
Blaze's expression softened. She moved through the water and embraced Camelia gently.
"That's enough," Camelia whispered, wiping the tears forming at her eyes. Then, with a mischievous spark, she added, "So… when were you going to tell me? Should I congratulate you?"
Blaze blinked, then grinned as she placed a hand on her stomach.
"I guess I couldn't hide it from you."
"I'm really happy for you," Camelia said. "Have you chosen a name yet?"
"Not yet. You know the stupid tradition for crown princes—we have to pick a star name." Blaze paused, then smiled. "Camelia, why don't you choose the name?"
"Me?"
"Yes. You're my best friend. I want my child to have a name chosen by you. And didn't you say you wanted to live for something? Then… why not live for my baby?"
She meant it innocently, but for Camelia it felt like a divine calling. A name surfaced instantly in her mind.
[…]
A name that gave meaning to everything.
With a smile brighter than any she had shown in years, Camelia gently touched Blaze's belly.
"Sol. Let's call him Sol. He'll be the one to drive away the darkness in our hearts."
"Hm? You're pretty confident it'll be a boy."
"Hehe… let's just say someone whispered it to me."