TVWRL Chapter 15
I was bewildered, so I asked the people in front of the shop,
“Did you come to our shop, the astrologer’s house?”
“Ah! It’s Lady Adeline!”
Everyone’s gaze turned to me at the dolphin-like scream, and the murmurs grew louder.
Recently, there had been so many customers that those who hadn’t been able to get consultations had been lining up since dawn.
‘Is this what they call an open run?’
I couldn’t hide my joy at the overwhelming crowd that had come even from the countryside.
‘Oh God! Thank you!’
However, since the open run happened every day, I couldn’t just be blindly happy about it.
The Merchant Association had formally requested that I come up with a solution, as the crowds were disrupting business at other stores.
Of course, while the overall sales in the shopping district increased due to the long lines, other issues like noise and cleanliness arose.
I quickly started creating a waiting number system and looked for staff to manage the crowd.
As I was about to leave the shop, thinking I would have to ask Nancy since I couldn’t find a suitable person, I heard,
“Lady Adeline!”
“Sarah, how did you get here? What about the temple?”
“I was a temporary caretaker for the saint candidate, so my job automatically ended when you left, Lady Adeline. I came to say goodbye before heading back to my hometown.”
“Temporary?”
Sarah added, looking a bit embarrassed,
“The people who initially served you were indeed maids from the temple. But they kept getting replaced, and there were no other applicants, so they hired me as a temporary employee.”
Now everything made sense.
‘I wondered how she managed to endure despite being so scared of Adeline. If I became a saint, Sarah could have stayed in the temple, so she had no choice but to hold on.’
“So what will you do now, Sarah?”
“As you can see, I failed to find a new job, so I have to go back to my hometown.”
Just when I was looking for someone, Sarah, one of the few people I knew, appeared.
‘Is this also the will of the gods? If she couldn’t handle Adeline, who could?’
Without thinking further, I asked, “Sarah, would you like to work with me?”
Sarah looked at me with a slightly doubtful expression.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve seen it yourself, but I can’t handle everything alone anymore… I’ll pay you more than the temple did, and provide meals as well. How about it?”
A bright smile spread across Sarah’s face, and she immediately bowed politely.
“I look forward to working with you, Lady Adeline.”
Thanks to Sarah, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.
Afterward, we placed a basket with waiting numbers on a small table in front of the shop and closed the door.
Customers took their numbers in order, and Sarah checked the numbers and sent them to me sequentially.
As a result, the customers used their waiting time to shop, and the sales in the shopping district surged, bringing it to life.
It went without saying that the merchants’ gazes toward me softened as well.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
As soon as she was confirmed as the final saint, Leona left for a monastery on the outskirts of the capital.
The monastery was located at the birthplace of the goddess Aria and was a mandatory stop for prospective saints.
From the moment she was decided as the saint until the coronation ceremony, it was an official process to stay here, receive lessons to become a saint, and prepare.
Though she couldn’t tell anyone, Leona had come here with a desperate heart.
The divine power that had felt abundant before becoming a saint had noticeably diminished the moment she was confirmed.
It was an inexplicable phenomenon.
While staying here, Leona tried to raise her divine power again through prayer, but it wasn’t easy.
Perhaps because of this, Leona became increasingly sensitive and anxious, turning irritable as the days went by.
Before returning to the central temple, Leona visited the prayer room one last time.
“Oh Goddess Aria, please let me endure for just five more years. After five years, I won’t need this power. So please, share your strength with me for just five more years.”
After finishing her bold prayer, Leona stepped outside to take the carriage to the central temple.
From the entrance to the carriage, she saw the attendants lined up to see her off.
They all bowed their heads respectfully.
Leona put on a gentle smile, greeted each of them, and climbed into the carriage.
As the carriage door closed, her expression vanished, turning cold.
The carriage, which had been running since dawn, finally entered the shopping district in the central capital by nightfall.
At a time when it should have been as quiet as a mouse, there was a bustling and lively atmosphere.
As Leona opened the carriage window to take in the unfamiliar scene, the captain of the holy knights, who had been riding alongside to escort her, approached.
“Saint, is there anything you need?”
“What is all this commotion about?”
“Oh! Well….”
The captain of the knights, looking troubled, rubbed the back of his neck before speaking.
“Recently, a shop called the astrologer’s house has opened.”
“An astrologer’s house?”
“They claim to predict the future.”
“The future? What a wicked thing to do. They’re not even a witch. Is this all fuss because of that?”
“Yes. It’s rumored that they can accurately predict the future, so people are coming from the countryside and lining up since dawn. There’s even a travel package for Lady Adeline’s astrology tour, which includes lodging and shopping.”
“Are you talking about the Adeline I know?”
“Yes. Thanks to Lady Adeline, the shopping district and the entire capital are thriving these days.”
Leona was astonished but quickly composed her expression.
“Where is the shop?”
“It’s just ahead. Oh! Do you see the crowd gathering on the left? That’s it.”
Just then, Adeline and Sarah emerged from the door and entered Leona’s view.
Adeline had a bright smile on her face that Leona had never seen before in the temple, so much that it seemed sparkling.
Seeing the fresh and lively Adeline made Leona’s clenched fist tremble.
‘Why does she look happier than me, the saint?’
Leona shook her head to dispel the negative thoughts.
‘That can’t be. A shallow life and a saint’s life are different. When she sees me at the coronation, that smile will vanish. Adeline always covets what she cannot have.’
Adeline had always been jealous and envious of Leona.
Though she pretended not to notice, Leona knew it all.
No matter how much Adeline longed for it, she could never take Leona’s place, and Leona had secretly enjoyed that fact.
Leona sharply spoke as she closed the window.
“I’m tired, so let’s hurry.”
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
“Paulian, I’m going home, so you go to the Magic Tower and report…”
“Master, I have an urgent matter to attend to. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The Master of the Tower stared blankly at Paulian’s swiftly disappearing figure, faster than the wind.
By the time he came to his senses, Paulian was already out of sight.
Paulian had gone to the western continent with the Master of the Magic Tower for work.
He had left for the western continent right after the Goddess Aria’s birthday festival, so he hadn’t been able to hear any news about Adeline during that time.
Before he knew it, Paulian had arrived in front of the central temple.
He grabbed a passing priest.
“I’m looking for Lady Adeline. Where can I find her?”
The priest looked at Paulian as if he were speaking nonsense.
“Why are you looking for Lady Adeline here?”
At that, Paulian’s expression changed to one of confusion.
“Excuse me? Then where should I look for a candidate for saintess if not in the temple?”
“The coronation ceremony for Lady Leona will be held in three days.”
As the priest turned away with a disapproving expression, Paulian grabbed him again.
“Then what about Lady Adeline? What happened to her? Where can I find her?”
“Just go outside and ask anyone.”
Paulian was dumbfounded by the incomprehensible answer.
As he watched the priest’s retreating figure, Paulian muttered to himself.
“What kind of irresponsible answer is that? I’ll do just that and come back to find you. Don’t think about regretting it then.”
Frustrated, Paulian walked away, making loud footsteps.
And he really grabbed just anyone passing by.
“Hey, let’s have a chat.”
With Paulian’s fiery demeanor, the man he caught looked slightly frightened.
“Yes? …What is it?”
“I’m looking for Lady Adeline. Do you know where she is?”
The man’s expression brightened immediately.
“Ah! You’re looking for Lady Adeline. She’s truly an amazing person. You must be from out of town, right? I can tell you don’t know the area.”
The man excitedly explained the way to Paulian.
‘Was he serious? Just grab anyone and ask? I hope this person’s Adeline is the same Adeline I’m looking for.’
Paulian, still harboring doubts, headed to the place the man had pointed out.
Unlike before he went to the western continent, the shopping district was bustling with energy.
Paulian’s steps came to a halt in front of the astrologer’s house.
As he stood there, Sarah greeted him with a friendly smile.
“I’m sorry, but today’s consultation slots are fully booked.”
“Then how can I meet Lady Adeline?”
Sarah kindly replied to Paulian’s serious question.
“You need to take a waiting number.”
“A waiting ticket? What’s that? How do I get one?”
“When we close the shop, we put a waiting number in this basket. Just take the one with the earliest number and come back at the time written below it. Of course, since the consultations are done by a person, there might be about an hour’s delay. Once your turn passes, you won’t get another chance, so don’t forget to wait in advance.”
Paulian, still confused about the situation, tried to ask again, but Sarah was already engaged in a conversation with a new arrival.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Unable to understand the situation, a bewildered Paulian returned home and sought out the butler.
The butler, with graying hair, greeted Paulian.
“Welcome back.”
Paulian seemed too pressed for time to answer, nodding while giving a command.
“Find out about Lady Adeline.”
“Are you talking about Lady Adeline?”
“Do you know her as well?”
Surprisingly, the butler responded with a puzzled expression.
“Who doesn’t know Lady Adeline these days? I see you’ve been away from the empire for a while.”
After hearing what had happened from the butler, Paulian fell deep in thought.
‘Then was the threat made on stage that day to avoid becoming a saint?’
He couldn’t understand why someone who would stop at nothing to become a saint would change overnight.
His curiosity about Adeline only grew.
