Chapter 25
“Everyone’s here already.”
“Mother.”
Madam Quillian barely acknowledged Alice’s greeting with a nod before turning to Lady Meltain.
“Lady. As you know, today priests from the temple are coming to treat Kylus. We need to pray with a devout heart and conduct the treatment, so please stay quiet without any unnecessary chatter.”
Recently, Madam Quillian had been quite irritable and wasn’t mincing words with Lady Meltain.
And Lady Meltain had been firing back just as sharply… Huh?
“Don’t worry. I’ll stay quiet, Madam Quillian.”
Alice’s eyes widened at Lady Meltain’s words.
She thought she might have misheard, but Lady Meltain even bowed her head obediently.
Did she eat something wrong? Why is she suddenly acting like this?
Just last evening, she was still provoking Madam Quillian, making her face turn red and blue with anger.
But overnight, she seemed to have become a different person, bowing her head so meekly.
First those strange words earlier, and now pretending to be docile.
Is something really going to happen?
Alice looked at Lady Meltain with bewildered eyes.
Madam Quillian also seemed surprised, her expression turning strange.
With a face scrunched up as if she’d eaten a bitter persimmon, Madam Quillian looked at Lady Meltain before moving to Alice’s side as if ignoring her. Alice could no longer observe Lady Meltain closely.
Then, as if on cue, the butler announced the arrival of the priests.
“The carriage from the temple has arrived.”
Alice saw a pure white carriage stopping outside the mansion. Two holy knights on white horses accompanied it.
They’ve finally arrived.
As Alice swallowed nervously, the carriage door opened and the priests disembarked one by one.
There were four priests in total, with Prion being the last to step out.
“Why is that man…”
Beside her, Madam Quillian’s surprised voice was heard.
She must be referring to Prion.
The other priests were likely the usual ones who came.
The priests who entered the lobby had awkward expressions.
They too seemed very flustered by Prion’s sudden accompaniment.
The oldest priest among them, looking as if he was taking the lead, greeted them.
“Madam Quillian, have you been well?”
“…Yes, High Priest Hylus. Thank you for visiting, but an unexpected person has come along.”
Madam Quillian raised her eyebrows as she looked at Prion.
Her gaze was openly hostile, as if asking why that man was here.
“Haha, well, High Priest Prion…”
As Hylus laughed awkwardly and began to speak, Prion smiled and opened his previously closed lips.
“It’s been a while, Madam Quillian. You seem to have been in good health.”
“…Yes. I’ve been well as always. Does it displease you that I’m in good health?”
When Madam Quillian openly sneered, the priests exchanged glances.
But Prion replied with a completely unfazed expression.
“How could that be? It’s just… I heard your son’s condition has been worsening day by day, but judging by your face, there doesn’t seem to be any worry at all. That’s why I said that.”
As Prion’s gaze swept over Madam Quillian’s lavish dress, her face flushed red.
“What? What? Ha! Are you saying I’m a heartless mother who doesn’t worry about her son?”
“Ah, I apologize if I offended you. I just spoke as I saw… Of course, I know well that Madam Quillian isn’t such an insensitive person.”
Prion continued with a smooth smile.
“Aren’t you calling the priests and making large donations to the temple every month for your son’s sake? I’ll do my best today so that your heart’s wishes may reach our god.”
Madam Quillian opened her lips with an angry face but couldn’t refute Prion’s perfect and clean words.
She seemed frustrated, biting her lip hard before finally managing to curl up the corners of her mouth. So high and deep that the corners of her lips were trembling.
“Yes. Please do your utmost. Especially you, High Priest Prion, who is particularly favored by our god. The Duke should show some improvement.”
“I will devote my whole heart to praying for the Duke. Now then, would you guide us to the room, Duchess?”
Prion smoothly countered as if Madam Quillian’s spite was nothing.
In the end, Prion became the winner of this brief battle of wits.
Unexpectedly.
Alice looked at Prion with slightly surprised eyes as he devoured his opponent with a smiling face.
After all, the Prion she had seen at the poor relief center was always the very embodiment of a benevolent clergyman.
At that moment, Prion turned his gaze to Alice.
Alice, who had been watching Prion, flinched, but he gazed at her with gentle eyes.
As if to say, don’t worry about anything.
Her momentary anxiety quickly subsided at his reassuring smile.
Yes, everything will go well today.
After exchanging a silent glance with Prion that only they understood, Alice finally guided the priests to Kylus’s bedroom.
“…This way, please.”
* * *
“May the divine’s grace touch you.”
The priests surrounding Kylus’s bed on both sides clasped their hands together and offered prayers.
As the priests closed their eyes in a reverent posture, a soft light poured onto Kylus.
It was holy power.
Watching the gentle light seep into Kylus’s body, Alice felt something like a warm energy enveloping her.
Is this the sensation of holy power that Prion mentioned?
As it was her first time seeing someone else use holy power up close, she couldn’t take her eyes off the scene.
After what seemed like quite a while, the priests who had been pouring out holy power for longer than expected slowly opened their eyes.
Then, with tired faces, they wiped the sweat that had formed on their foreheads.
Except for Prion.
Alice had read in books that the holy power used to heal internal injuries not only required powerful blessings but also left the priest’s body extremely fatigued after use.
Of course, the stronger the holy power, the less fatigue it caused.
Alice herself had collapsed after pouring out holy power on the day Kylus fell ill.
Prion must be really strong.
Come to think of it, he always left the relief center looking perfectly fine despite dealing with many patients daily.
Alice looked at Prion, who alone seemed unaffected, then turned her gaze to Kylus.
Now that the priests’ treatment was over, it was really time for her to part ways with him.
Kylus Dearrut…
After quietly calling his name in her mind, Alice deliberately shook off any lingering attachments and averted her eyes.
“It’s all done, Madam Quillian,” said Priest Hilus.
“Thank you for your hard work. As always, you’ve given your all. I won’t forget and will soon send someone to the temple.”
It was a promise to send a donation.
Priest Hilus smiled and expressed his gratitude.
With that, everything seemed to be wrapping up, and an atmosphere of the priests preparing to leave settled in.
“Then let me see you out,” Madam Quillian said.
At that moment, the gazes of Alice and Prion, who had been standing quietly, met in midair.
As if receiving a signal from Alice, Prion nodded slightly and opened his mouth.
“The matter is not yet concluded.”
“What do you mean it’s not concluded? High Priest Prion.”
Priest Hilus looked at Prion with a puzzled expression.
Instead of answering, Prion approached Alice.
“What are you doing now?”
Madam Quillian, irritated by Prion’s sudden strange behavior, narrowed her eyes and snapped at him.
But Prion, as if he couldn’t hear Madam Quillian’s voice, stood in front of Alice.
Then he turned to face the other high priests.
“The reason I came here today was not only for the Duke’s treatment but also to bring a new priest to the temple.”
“What?”
“What do you mean?”
“A new priest all of a sudden?”
Starting with Priest Hilus, the priests asked Prion with bewildered faces.
While everyone wore confused expressions, Alice, who had been silent until now, spoke:
“I wish to become the new priest.”
At Alice’s softly resonating voice, the priests’ eyes widened.
“Duchess…?”
“The Duchess as the new priest?”
“My lady?”
The priests looked at her with dumbfounded expressions.
They all seemed incredibly shocked.
Even Lady Meltain, who always maintained perfect control over her expressions, looked surprised, which said it all.
Alice slowly opened her lips as she observed their astonished faces.
“Yes. I possess holy power. I wish to be verified by the priests here today and live a new life as a servant of the divine Helios.”
Then she looked at the people who had just been hit by this sudden bombshell, her face full of smiles.
She turned her head especially towards Madam Quillian, who had been silent until now and whose reaction she was most anticipating.
Madam Quillian stood with her mouth open, wearing a stupid expression as if she couldn’t believe the reality of this situation.
Looking at Madam Quillian, who had frozen like a fossil, Alice spoke resolutely:
“Mother, I, your inadequate and lacking daughter-in-law, will become a priest for the Duke’s sake! As a priest, I will pray for the well-being of the Duke and you for the rest of my life!”
As Alice’s determination echoed loudly through the bedroom, Madam Quillian’s fossilized expression cracked.
Soon, her face turned bright red with shock and anger.
“You, you… How dare you!”
Madam Quillian stammered, her neck tightening with anger rising to the top of her head.
“Mother, please grant me your permission.”
Alice put her hands together and made the most pitiful face she could muster.
But that seemed to trigger an explosion of anger, as Madam Quillian spewed out her rage like a dragon breathing fire.
“What nonsense is this!! Becoming a priest?! Who do you think you are to decide to become a priest?!”
Madam Quillian shouted, pointing at Alice as if she had lost her reason.
Her voice was so loud that even the frozen priests were startled.
“Absolutely not! You can never become a priest!!”
Madam Quillian approached Alice with a face that looked ready to devour her.
Alice’s eyes widened at the fierce demeanor that seemed about to grab her by the hair and shake her.
She had expected anger, but this seemed like a complete loss of reason.
If those hands caught her, she might not come out unscathed.
Just as Alice thought she should run away, someone grabbed her wrist and stepped in front of her.
