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I was no longer alive.

That fact was still hard to digest after a long time had probably passed. Or was it few hours? Or days? I could not tell. I no longer felt any pressing emotions and I had no urgent problems to deal with.

I had nothing to rule over. Everyone else was the same as me. It was unsettling to have no hierarchy.

It felt... empty.

I was free to do whatever I wanted but it felt wrong.

It was as if I fell from a tall cliff, but onto a soft bed of flowers.

Everyone else seemed to be happy. They were always relaxed and content, smiling and speaking softly but blissfully to each other.

"You can do whatever you want, you know?"

I glanced at Humility and heaved a sigh. She would sometimes appear out of nowhere and start a conversation with me.

She cooed. "Why the long face?"

"Huh?" I held my cheeks, confused. My face was not that long.

"You're wondering why you feel out of place?" She asked, twirling her short hair strands with her finger. I nodded and she said, "Because you'll be Temperance. You see, everyone else remembers all their past lives, but don't remember them in detail. They only have the important feelings and experiences. But you? You only remember your last life and in detail."

I frowned. "Why?"

"For you to be Temperance, of course," she chimed. "Your last life is important for your Virtue. It's why you're a Virtue in the first place."

I took a long while to process what she was talking about. "Are you saying I lived many lives before?"

She hummed. "Some people did, some people didn't. But those like you and I won't be able to know that about themself. Maybe never."

That seemed a little unfair. "Why?"

"Because if a Heavenly Virtue serves their duties well, they are granted eternal rest."

My frown deepened. "Isn't this eternal rest? How is that different?"

"You'll find out yourself." She grinned at me. "Also, guess what? Your husband?"

My breath hitched. "H-He's not my husband."

She ignored me and continued. "I went to check if he was still out there. He's alive and fighting for his kingdom."

I breathed out, relaxing a little more. Jin was still alive. That was good.

"And well, your parents and brother are also alive and well."

That was good, too. I did not ask her to check them but she did anyway. Perhaps because she was a Heavenly Virtue. I could not help but smile.

"And your knight," she drawled, eyeing my reaction. "He's been reincarnated after a series of trials."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Reincarnated?"

"Reborn, if you will. He is living again but as a different person. Same soul," she explained and I somehow understood.

"I see." I nodded. "I hope he lives well. He has served me well." It was to be expected, but...

"Sheesh..." She huffed out, crossing her arms. "He's that. Then what do you think about everyone here?"

I cleared my throat, thinking I should simply be honest since I was in Heaven. "It's a little strange to be on the same level with literally everyone here. I can't help but expect others to bow their heads in front of me... Is that not how it goes here?"

Humility sighed and shook her head. "I should teach you a thing or two about being humble. Follow me."

She grabbed my hand and the surroundings somehow changed. Trees were lined up in each direction and the two of us stood on the entrance step of the small house. It was only around the size of my bed chambers.

"Welcome to my humble abode," she chimed, grinning at me.

My jaw dropped. "Humble? This place is as big as a bedroom. Are you telling me you live in this tiny place when you bragged about being a Heavenly Virtue?"

Her smile dropped. "We have a lot of work to do."

Days after days were spent with her lecturing me in her free time and making me do labor which only commoners would do. At first, I opposed her coarse and unrefined ways, arguing why I should even do something like that, but she reproached me that I did not know anything and was not ready to be Temperance.

Eerily, being detached from my emotions made it easier to bear the indignation.

"You know your husband?"

I frowned, laying on the bench in the garden. "How many times do I have to tell you he's not my husband."

"I was keeping an eye on him just in case. Your not husband has been killed in a battle."

My breath was knocked out of my lungs. I shot up and looked up at her with wide eyes. "He's dead...? What about the kingdom? What battle was it?"

"A long battle between him and Leovalon against the rebellion. The one you died in, you should always know. It has been going on until now and he just died. The kingdom's fate will depend on how well your kingdom will fight and who will seize it."

My mind was all jumbled and I could not think straight, but I still had to ask, "Is he here?"

"He was in a trial that didn't actually last long," she started, avoiding my eyes. "And he's not sent to Heaven. He's in the other place."

No...

If my heart was still beating, it would have plummeted. Just the thought of that other place was frightening. If he went there, no doubt only suffering was awaiting him.

"But... why? Why was he sent there?" My voice was trembling.

"The trial decides that. But I'm sure it was because he took many lives."

All the times I had hated him were suddenly flashing before my eyes and the number of times his hands were painted in blood... It would be more shocking if he came here in all honesty.

Still... he could not leave my mind for a long time after that.

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Don't worry guys, this Humility is a new character and she wasn't mentioned in the previous books.

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