TVWRL Chapter 5
Like the fox in “The Little Prince,” I was excited well before the appointment with the High Priest at 2 o’clock. Unable to sit still, I left much earlier than needed. The gloomy sky and wilted flowers looked beautiful to me, perhaps because I was in such a good mood.
Arriving 30 minutes early, I couldn’t resist knocking.
Knock, knock!
The knocking sound even seemed cheerful today, perhaps due to my good mood. A junior priest got up and led me to the High Priest’s office. Inside, instead of the High Priest, I saw a red-haired man cleaning the window frame.
When he turned around, I was stunned by his striking handsomeness. For a moment, I stared blankly, but quickly composed myself, worried that he might have noticed. This world was really a place where one needed to build immunity to such faces to avoid making mistakes.
Once again, I found myself captivated by an incredibly handsome face. The beauty trap was hard to escape once you fell into it.
‘But who is he? Red hair and green eyes…’
In my favorite novel, I could usually tell who someone was just by their appearance. However, this man didn’t ring any bells, suggesting he wasn’t a major character, which seemed impossible given his looks.
As I pondered, the man spoke with a face full of delight and an excited voice.
“Aren’t you Lady Adeline? What brings you here?”
‘He knows me. Well, if he’s from the Myaria Order…’
I maintained my suspicion as I looked at him, not trusting anyone from the Order. The people of the Order had contributed to Adeline’s death in the novel, so my caution was justified.
“I am Adeline. Who are you?”
“I’m the new trainee priest. I’m in charge of cleaning the High Priest’s office.”
The trainee priest looked at me with undisguised admiration. Being a trainee, he seemed to have some illusions about me as a Saintess candidate. His stunning face and the sparkle in his eyes made me feel both burdened and pleased.
As I basked in his gaze, he spoke kindly.
“Lady Adeline, may I ask a favor?”
“What is it…?”
The trainee priest was cautious, but his eyes shone like those of Puss in Boots.
‘Not only is he handsome, but he’s also cute. His face is really working hard today.’
After hesitating several times, he finally spoke.
“Could you bless me?”
His request snapped me to attention. A blessing, a Saintess’s ability, could expose my divine power without filter.
‘If this priest knows how to gauge divine power…’
Blessing him could be dangerous for someone planning to resign like me. Also, as someone not officially a Saintess, it was presumptuous to give a blessing.
More dangerously, it would reveal my divine power.
***
Originally weak, my divine power had been growing ever since I possessed this body. Even I, clueless about this special ability, had noticed my body’s changes.
Initially, I didn’t even know my divine power was increasing because I didn’t know how to sense or use it. In the novel, Adeline’s divine power was too weak to affect others. Adeline was painfully aware of this and often lamented it, directing her jealousy and resentment towards the goddess Aria.
Since I retained all my memories in this body, I couldn’t figure out how to control my divine power. It scared me, but I had no one to confide in, so I was extremely cautious.
‘So, I ended up blaming the unstudied Adeline.’
Unable to handle the divine power swirling inside me, I shut myself in my room, pretending to be depressed rather than sick to avoid the priests’ healing attempts. Knowing Adeline’s personality, they didn’t persistently try to pry into my affairs.
For days, I stayed in my room, living like a shut-in, contemplating whether to run away. Though starting my planned future here would have been ideal, I considered fleeing because even a one-percent chance of survival was better than certain death.
While frantically gathering jewels, I suddenly felt the raging divine power inside me calm when my hand touched a necklace Adeline habitually wore since childhood.
“What’s happening?”
This necklace was Adeline’s cherished accessory in the novel. But here, with so many pretty things around, I had naturally neglected it. Doubting myself, I tested it for two more days and confirmed that the necklace controlled my divine power. Relieved, I unpacked my belongings.
“If Adeline’s divine power is this strong, then how powerful must Leona be? She was incredible not only in looks but also in abilities.”
I was truly relieved. I resolved never to remove the necklace while in this place. If the Order found out about this, I might never escape Myaria.
***
“Lady Adeline. Lady Adeline.”
The gentle call of my name snapped me out of my deep thoughts. The trainee priest was still looking at me with eager eyes. Lowering my gaze slightly, I responded calmly.
“I’m afraid I can’t grant your request, Priest. To be clear, I’m not a Saintess yet, so I’m not officially part of the Order. Therefore, I am not in a position to bless you. Please seek a blessing from Lady Leona in the future.”
Though I refused his request, I maintained a warm demeanor. His initially flustered expression soon changed to one of understanding, and he bowed deeply in apology.
“I apologize for my thoughtlessness and for causing offense. I am deeply sorry, Lady Adeline.”
His sincere apology melted any displeasure I felt. I was impressed by his attitude, as well as his looks.
‘It’s not just the face, but the attitude that counts, right?’
I had faced stubborn priests before, so his respectful manner was a relief.
“Lady Adeline, you seem different from what I had imagined.”
“Pardon?”
I pretended not to understand his meaning, though I did.
‘Of course, I seem different. He must have only heard about Adeline’s notorious behavior.’
He smiled awkwardly and continued.
“I’m sorry. I judged you based on rumors without knowing you personally.”
“It’s fine. Rumors tend to be exaggerated and can’t capture a person fully.”
I smiled gently at him. For the first time since entering the room, his pupils seemed to waver.
‘Is his gaze wavering in agreement with my words or because he’s someone who suffered from Adeline’s past actions?’
I dismissed my concerns quickly. The longer I stayed with an unknown member of the Order, the more dangerous it became. I shifted the conversation back to my purpose here.
“By the way, where is the High Priest?”
“He had an urgent matter to attend to and asked that you wait for him, Lady Adeline.”
“I see.”
As I sat down, the trainee priest, brimming with curiosity, sat opposite me. It was obvious he had more to say, and his inexperience made it hard for him to hide his emotions.
I smiled kindly and spoke slowly.
“Priest, do you have more to say?”
He scratched his head awkwardly and then looked me straight in the eye as if making up his mind.
“First, I apologize. Lady Adeline, I’m sorry. This might be an impertinent question.”
‘Must he ask an impertinent question? He could avoid it altogether.’
Holding back my thoughts, I just smiled. I tried to signal him to avoid the question, but he seemed too inexperienced to catch on.
“Why are you resigning from the honorable position of Saintess chosen by the Goddess Aria?”
For a moment, his gaze seemed sharp, but it was too fleeting to be certain. His intense stare made me nervous. I put on a mask of humility and looked at him.
“I am inadequate in many ways to be a Saintess. I don’t want to burden the Order, so I plan to leave. And I believe Leona is the perfect Saintess, not me. This is my sincere belief for the Myaria Order.”
I felt proud of my neat and humble response. Seeing the endless curiosity in his eyes, I decided it was best to leave.
“The High Priest seems to be delayed. I should leave now. Please tell him I will visit again.”
“Lady Adeline!”
Sensing he might try to stop me, I quickly walked out. He wasn’t a bad person, but something felt off. My intuition told me to be cautious.
And it didn’t make sense that someone with his looks wasn’t mentioned in the novel. If he was a new character, staying close to him could be risky at this point.
‘I don’t know his character, and I’m trying to change Adeline’s fate.’
Changing my fate without altering the original story too much was a delicate and complex task. Every seemingly minor deviation had to be handled carefully. My plan for independence was meticulously calculated.
Since neither Chan-mi nor Adeline had any skills in making desserts, designing clothes, or building houses, I had quickly given up on making a living through such means. And thriving in this changed world through academia was also not an option!
I needed a profession that would allow me to live well in the Kinsteria Empire. The job I chose was self-employment, which might seem odd, but it was perfect for me. Only I, who knew all the serialized content up to this point, could do it!
A job that utilized both my past and present…
‘Astrology!’
