Layla did not threaten others often and certainly did not do it for no reason. So, when she felt someone approaching her from behind like this, she knew that she needed to react to it and stop herself from being touched inappropriately.

Her hand grabbed the offending hand, reaching for her shoulder, and Layla's glowing eyes turned to look back at the man.

But since she had a veil on her head, her expression was hidden, causing the intensity of her look to be halved.

Not that it mattered because her body language showed her hostility and uneasiness at being grabbed like this.

Her message was conveyed, and the hand touching her stopped short of racing for her. But it hovered around her still, not wanting to let go of the opportunity it had gotten this time.

"What do you want from me? I would advise you to use your words, not your actions if you want to gather my attention."

Layla spoke harshly and in a firm voice. The voice-changing spell was still cast on her, causing her voice to come out soft and firm. She was not going to yield to this man and whatever he wanted.

Her words made the man in front of her blink in shock before quickly pulling his hand back and deciding what he wanted to say. It seemed a struggle for him, which felt odd to Layla.

After all, this man had been the one to approach her first, so what else could he want from her but to confirm something with her? Was there anything this person could hesitate about?

"Excuse me, but are you someone I know?"

The man asked, and Layla felt her expectations go down the drain. This was the most common pick-up line she had ever heard, and it hurt her head to listen to this being spoken to her.

Still, she did not want to associate herself with someone like a stranger who asked her this question in the middle of the temple.

"I don't think we have met before. Now, if you would let me go, I need to head back."

Layla's common sense told her that associating with this man was a bad idea. Her instincts were quiet, telling Layla it was her decision, but she knew from experience not to encourage craziness if she saw any.

Her rude actions made the unknown man bite his lip before deciding something. Layla could see gears turning inside the man's mind before he opened his mouth to say something.

But Layla gave him no chance to make an excuse.

"As I told you before, I am rather busy. Please let me know if you have any messages for me. I do not have time to waste here."

Layla's annoyance did not drop, and her voice continued to be harsh. But perhaps because that was the case, the man in front of her looked even more determined to speak to her.

He opened his mouth, but Layla felt the chamber shake before any word could come out.

It felt like a small earthquake had hit the temple and caused the building to shake, but that was impossible.

Temples were places of divine magic, and a protective spell was woven around them to keep the worshippers safe inside. Even if the world were to face a disaster, the temple was supposed to be unaffected.

This made it a safe haven for most people and a pillar of support for the empire.

"What happened? Was that an earthquake? Did the temple seal around this place stop working? But how? And when? I can still feel the divine aura around this chamber."

The unknown man muttered, and Layla knew he was right. She could feel the divine energy around her flutter in panic. Something huge had happened that caused a mass panic.

"We need to hurry up and head out. This place does not feel as if it is safe anymore."

Layla ordered, and she pushed the prayer room door open….

Or, she tried to force it open, only to find her shoulder aching as she could not push that door in front of her. No matter what she did, the door felt jammed, and her shoulder ached as she tried to open it.

"What happened? Is that door jammed? Why? And how? As far as I know, temples do not like to close their doors like this. It can cause a mass panic to occur."

The unknown noble muttered as he looked at the door before him.

Layla had pushed the door with everything she had, but it refused to open for her. This made her panic, but the weight on her shoulder calmed her down and brought her back.

"Let me try. Maybe magic will work, but brute force will not work."

The stranger spoke before he pulled his sword out, and with a slash imbued with magic, he cut the door down.

His sword had a weird aura that seemed to cancel out any energy in its surroundings. It felt very much like the MC sword Layla had retrieved years ago for Adam.

But unlike Adam's sword, which swallowed magic and grew stronger, this sword seemed to cut right through magic and make a path for the pair to exit.

"Let's hurry up. We can't know what else can happen if we stay in here for any longer."

The stranger extended his hand toward Layla, and she placed her hand in his own. Now that she was paying attention to that man, something familiar about his blond hair and green eyes seemed familiar.

They had a noble air around them that was hard for most people to copy. This person had to be someone of a high enough rank to not want or need any worry except getting out of this place.

'Who is this man? I should remember someone as striking as him, right? Maybe it will come to me once I am out of here and have time to think.'