Chapter 24
“This place…”
Alice looked slightly bewildered as she observed the poor people passing by.
She had expected to go to a private prayer room or Prion’s quarters. Instead, Prion had brought her to an ordinary street not far from the entrance of the temple, just outside the poor relief center.
“I apologize. I should have taken you to the reception room… but I felt this was important information that other priests shouldn’t hear, so I brought you here,” he continued in a quiet voice.
“There are many eyes watching me in the temple, and unsavory rumors about you could spread. This is a path frequented by the poor, so priests don’t come here. You can speak freely.”
Alice smiled, realizing that Prion was actually being considerate of her.
He really is the perfect man.
“Thank you, High Priest.”
“Madam, what did you want to tell me?” Prion asked directly.
Alice took a deep breath and gazed at Prion with serious eyes, after glancing around to make sure no priests were nearby.
“High Priest, I want to become a priestess.”
“…Pardon?”
For a moment, Prion’s gentle expression wavered, as if greatly surprised by her words.
“I sincerely want to become a priestess. But to do so, I absolutely need your help, High Priest.”
“Why do you need my help… Ah, if it’s because you’re married… Even if you’re married, you can still become a servant of the god if you have holy power. You just need to follow the proper procedures at the temple and prove that you have holy power.”
Thinking Alice was asking for help because of her marriage, Prion regained his composure and kindly explained.
“I… already know about that from Priestess Violet. That’s not why I need help. It’s because of my mother-in-law, Madam Quillian.”
Madam Quillian.
As soon as that name was mentioned, Prion’s generous expression hardened.
“…Madam Quillian, you say.”
“Yes. Even if I want to become a priestess, the problem is that Mother will never allow it.”
Alice continued, lowering her eyes dejectedly.
“The truth is… I’m a child abandoned by my family. I became the Duchess of Dearrut through a deal between my mother and our family. So I can’t become a priestess of my own will.”
“…”
“As you know, my husband still hasn’t woken up… and I’m always an inadequate daughter-in-law to Mother. I had no future. But then, suddenly, the god bestowed grace upon me.”
Alice looked up at Prion with sorrowful and desperate eyes.
“High Priest, I want to live a new life under God’s grace. Can you help me?”
Meeting Prion’s honest blue eyes made Alice feel a bit guilty, but she decided to be bold.
Although her exaggerated sad expression was fake, everything she had told Prion was true.
Prion watched Alice silently with an expressionless face, as if unsure how to respond. Finally, he let out a small sigh.
As if he had pondered and made a decision, Prion’s red lips finally parted.
“First, I’d like to tell you, Duchess, that there’s likely no one in this world who can satisfy Madam Quillian. She… pursues something other than people.”
That’s true. Alice almost nodded unconsciously.
“Please don’t think you’re inadequate because of Madam Quillian. You are a more than good enough person, Duchess.”
“…Thank you, High Priest.”
Alice felt a bit strange at Prion’s words, which showed genuine concern for her.
“And I will help you.”
“Really?”
When Alice asked with wide eyes, Prion smiled.
“Yes. I’ll help ensure that Madam Quillian can’t break your will. So don’t worry, Duchess.”
“Thank you, thank you so much, High Priest.”
Alice was so grateful that she unconsciously grasped his hand.
Prion’s eyes widened for a moment at this. He looked at their hands and said:
“Haha, it’s nothing. But… this hand…”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Alice quickly withdrew her hand as Prion awkwardly pulled his away.
“It’s alright. More importantly, let’s discuss the plan to stop Madam Quillian in more detail tomorrow.”
“Yes, High Priest.”
“Shall we head back then?”
Alice returned to the temple with Prion, wearing a happy smile.
* * *
And when they had completely left…
A man leaning against the corner wall at the entrance of the poor relief center muttered softly:
“Receiving help from High Priest Prion…”
Kylus, disguised as a coachman, had overheard the entire conversation between the two.
He had come because Lady Meltain’s comment about Alice starting to volunteer at the poor relief center had bothered him…
It was good that he came after all.
As he had suspected, she had a separate reason for volunteering at the poor relief center.
High Priest Prion. Meeting him seemed to have been her goal.
Prion was a High Priest with quite a high position in the temple.
If Prion protected Alice, the temple couldn’t ignore her even if Madam Quillian tried something.
Moreover, High Priest Prion had negative feelings towards Madam Quillian, so he would push even harder.
She really had found the perfect person.
Kylus chuckled at Alice’s extraordinary intelligence, then looked up at the clear sky and let out a deep breath.
The words she had spoken to Prion flashed through his mind.
Her gloomy voice saying she had no future.
There were probably lies mixed in to win Prion’s heart, but it was also true that her life was difficult.
Was it really right to hold onto her?
Perhaps because he was standing in the sacred temple grounds, he felt guilty towards her.
But despite the heaviness in his heart, he simply couldn’t bring himself to let her go.
“…I just need to give her everything she wants.”
To him, Alice was a benefactor who saved his life, a savior.
So he just needed to give her everything.
If he gave her everything she wanted to have, she wouldn’t leave his side.
Kylus left the place with sunken eyes, hiding his anxious heart.
* * *
“It’s bustling…”
Alice watched the Ducal servants busily cleaning below the window.
Everyone was moving more hurriedly than usual because important guests were visiting today.
After quietly observing them for a while, Alice finally turned her gaze to Kylus.
Today, as always, Kylus was lying quietly in bed.
But today, it was especially difficult to take her eyes off that sight.
“…Is it because it’s the last time?”
After today passed, she probably wouldn’t be able to see Kylus anymore.
Three days had passed since Prion said he would help her.
On the day she returned to the Ducal residence after receiving Prion’s answer, Madam Quillian told Alice:
In three days, people from the temple would come to treat Kylus’ body.
The temple had been visiting the Ducal residence once a month to use holy power on the fallen Kylus.
Their holy power was useless, but Madam Quillian had to do something publicly, so she was calling the High Priests every month.
The High Priests had no reason to refuse either, as they received large donations from Madam Quillian each time they came.
In any case, that visit was said to be in three days.
The moment she heard those words, a bright light flashed in Alice’s mind.
It was the perfect opportunity for Prion to naturally come to the Ducal residence.
It was too dangerous for her to suddenly tell Madam Quillian that she wanted to become a priestess.
So she needed to reveal it when Prion was by her side, but it wouldn’t be natural for Prion, who despised Madam Quillian, to suddenly visit the Ducal residence.
Madam Quillian might sense something strange.
But if he came along with the regular visit, there would be nothing strange about it at all.
Madam Quillian wouldn’t even know he was coming.
The next day, Alice went to the temple and relayed this news to Prion, and Prion also seemed to think it was a good opportunity, immediately agreeing to visit the Ducal residence together on that day.
And today was that day.
Although she had been waiting for this day for three days, her heart felt heavy every time she saw Kylus.
“I said I was leaving, I said I was leaving, but now that the day has actually come, it feels strange somehow…”
She didn’t feel unburdened at all.
It had been just over a month since she became the Duchess and stayed with Kylus.
It might seem short, but it wasn’t too short a time for a person to grow attached.
Just as Alice was letting out a long sigh while looking at Kylus, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in.”
The person who opened the door and entered was Maris.
“The priests will arrive soon. You need to go downstairs.”
Maris just said her piece and closed the door, leaving.
Alice shook her head at Maris’ increasingly poor manners, then looked at Kylus.
“…I’m sorry. For leaving you behind.”
After quietly speaking to the motionless Kylus, she finally left the bedroom with a resolved expression.
* * *
When she went down to the lobby, she saw Lady Meltain.
Hearing the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs, Lady Meltain turned around to greet her.
“Madam, you’re here.”
“You came down early, Lady Meltain.”
“It’s an important day today, after all.”
Lady Meltain’s green eyes sparkled as she raised the corners of her mouth.
Alice felt slightly puzzled at this.
An important day… Does she think the priests’ holy power will work on Kylus?
Lady Meltain didn’t seem naive enough to believe that.
She must know that Madam Quillian was calling the priests as a formality.
But why is she smiling so meaningfully?
Lady Meltain seemed somewhat excited, but also more tense than usual.
What is this… Is there something I don’t know about?
Nothing else can happen today.
Today was the day Alice’s life was on the line.
The day she would reveal her desire to become a priestess and leave for the temple with Prion.
It absolutely couldn’t be ruined by some other unfortunate incident.
It wouldn’t be easy to bring Prion back to the Ducal residence again.
But why say such things… It’s just making me feel uneasy!
Unable to shake off the ominous feeling, Alice was about to ask Lady Meltain something when the sound of footsteps on the stairs was heard.
As she turned her head, she saw Madam Quillian descending the last step.
