Defying Destiny: The Holy Knight's Refusal

"Lady, take the hat," Nanny insisted as I finally woke up after only half an hour's sleep.

"Nanny, I'm not going on vacation," I replied, trying to calm myself.

"I know, but if you don't wear this, you'll end up with a suntan," she persisted, always finding ways to get me to comply. Sometimes she even managed to make me laugh.

"Alright, Nanny, as you wish," I finally relented and put on the hat before heading outside.

Father was already waiting for me, and Excalibur was also ready, prepared to accompany us to the temple.

"Come here," Father beckoned.

I thought Sir Xylon would escort me, but instead, both Father and my brother took hold of my hands, guiding me. I chuckled a little at the situation, but neither of them seemed uncomfortable.

"Sister, it feels like a vacation," Excalibur commented, echoing Nanny's sentiments.

"Then let's consider it one," I replied with a grin, ruffling his hair.

As the carriage began moving, Excalibur fell asleep on my lap. I pondered what I could do to break the silence, but the awkwardness made me hesitate. It wasn't until we arrived at the temple that I found the courage to speak.

"Excalibur, wake up! We've arrived!" I nudged him, but he remained asleep.

"It's okay, I can carry him. I've been doing it since the day he was born, so I don't mind," I said, stopping Father from trying to pick him up.

Once outside, I clung tightly to my father's arm. Anxiety was taking over, and I found myself gripping his hand even tighter until a priest approached us in haste. He greeted Father and led us inside. Despite the unease, I sensed no danger from the priest.

"Father, what will happen next?" I asked, scanning the surroundings.

"They will bless you. No matter how powerful the curse is, it will be lifted," Father said confidently, though whether it was a curse was still uncertain.

"Lady, come forward," the priest called, and I handed Excalibur to Father before stepping closer. In the center of the prayer area was a spiral silver object, with the priest positioned on the other side.

"Lady, step forward. Cross the jar in your path. You can also dip your feet inside. It's holy water that will bless and cleanse you from head to toe," he explained, though my faith in such things had wavered.

Ignoring his words, I advanced. However, the jar contained more than just holy water, and as I stepped down, I found myself sinking into its surface.

"Come, Lady," the priest called again, but my body was ablaze with pain. My shoulders felt as if they were marked by burning, though I doubted anyone could see the marks. Despite the discomfort, I pressed on, placing my feet into the jar, sending a jolt through me.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

A blinding light emerged, overwhelming my vision.

"Bernice Balliol," a divine voice echoed.

I looked up, only to find myself in a changed environment, as if I were amidst the clouds.

"Bernice Balliol..."

"Or should I address you as Bernice Alexavier Agnes?"

I flinched at the sound.

"Who are you?"

"How do you know about that?"

My guard was up as a radiant sword materialized in my hand out of nowhere.

"Duchess, do you comprehend what you're doing?" the voice spoke.

"I understand my actions, but I'm uncertain if you do," I responded, scanning the surroundings for the source of the voice, much like a hunter seeking its prey.

"Ha ha ha ha."

"Child, you possess a good sense of humor."

Child?

"Are you a deity?"

"Are you the Lunar God, revered by the empire?" I inquired.

"Finally, you recognize me."

"I never imagined a god could be so cheesy." I rubbed my forehead.

There was a moment of silence. Had I accidentally insulted the Lunar?

"Humor is a good trait," he responded, revealing that he wasn't offended.

"But I wonder, how are you alive? Your life span ended long ago," I sensed a growl in his voice, as if he was displeased by my continued existence.

"Ha ha ha, so you're upset that the child you called for, the child that should be dead?"

I questioned him, my tone defiant.

"Child, there are many things in this world that must unfold as intended, but..."

"If the order were to change, time wouldn't flow as it was originally designed. It would alter, just as you changed your life's course and diverged from the original timeline?"

I clenched my fist.

While some of his statements held truth, I couldn't accept this. It's my life, and I refuse to blindly follow someone who scripted it as though it were a novel, making me a mere side character.

"Why should I follow your directives?" I finally asserted.

"Bernice Agnes!!!"

"No, I am Bernice Balliol. Let's not forget that time has been restored. I'm no longer Bernice Alexavier Agnes; now I'm a Balliol," I declared, uncertain of the consequences.

"You'll encounter more pain this way," he warned.

"Will I? I'm prepared to face it head-on this time. Send whatever suffering you may, God Lunar," I declared with a triumphant smirk.

"Very well, Bernice."

"So, be aware that the sword you now wield isn't ordinary but..."

"You're now the Holy Knight of the empire."

Holy knight? Empire? Is this god toying with me? Since when did women start having the main roles in this empire, apart from the only one chosen to be the empress—the Duchess, the mother of Alexavier Agnes? Or is he truly attempting to ensnare me in a new destiny, binding my hands to another fate that will inevitably lead to my demise?

"I refuse!" I declared, rejecting the wish of a god. I no longer hold reverence for any deity if they couldn't even prevent my death, an event that should never have occurred. If a god couldn't halt something as straightforward as that, how could I regard them as omniscient beings with solutions to everything?

"You're now the Holy Knight of the empire." he repeated again.