Even though he smiled so beautifully and looked handsome, Meinard was at the forefront of the battlefield with Vakran I until the ceasefire. Thinking about it, he seemed a bit different.
“What’s on my face?”
“Oh, no. I’m sorry. I was rude.”
Staring at someone’s face like this when meeting for the first time is definitely impolite. Elena felt embarrassed as she spoke, but Meinard smiled happily instead.
“It’s a joke. It would be awkward if you don’t look at me while sitting face to face like this.”
Meinard had the charm that made people around him feel comfortable. Elena thought so as she casually looked down at Meinard’s hand. She noticed a small drop of blood on the tip of his index finger.
“Oh, I must have scratched it on the bookshelf.”
It was just a small wound, but Elena was shocked. The books he borrowed dared hurt Meinard’s hand, which would not be enough to preserve it dearly and leave a long way for future generations. Elena, who looked tearful, soon made up her mind and told Meinard.
“Give me your hand for a moment.”
“What?”
“Your injured hand, give it to me.”
Seeing Elena’s expression that seemed like she would even scold him if he didn’t comply, Meinard reluctantly stretched out his hand. Soon, Elena’s small, white hands met Meinard’s hand, and a brief but dazzling light burst forth.
“This is…”
Meinard couldn’t finish his sentence in surprise. He had heard that there were occasionally high-ranking priests born with special abilities, and he had witnessed the scene where the pope came to heal the emperor when he was injured on the battlefield. But he never expected Elena, who was only an intermediate-ranked priest, to possess the same ability. Meinard stared at Elena in amazement.
On the other hand, Elena was astonished by the brightness and intensity of the healing light, unlike anything she had seen before. She wondered if the healing effect corresponded to the desire to make it better.
“It’s the only thing I can do for you.”
At Elena’s words, Meinard jumped up.
“Just this? I’m really surprised. You had the power of healing.”
“To call it a power is an understatement. If the wound had been even slightly worse, it would have been difficult.”
“Still, it’s impressive. Really…”
Elena shook her head, bewildered, as Meinard murmured in amazement, looking at his hand where the wounds disappeared as if by magic. It wasn’t a display of modesty.
After using her ability on Meinard, she immediately felt a ringing sensation and dizziness in her head. She could understand that using a stronger light than usual was the reason, but even so, it was troublesome to have this level of aftereffect from treating just a single paper cut.
The carriage had arrived in front of the palace at dawn without her realizing it. As the carriage stopped, Meinard dutifully stepped down and handed Elena her books.
“I will escort you inside.”
“No, that won’t be necessary. I can ask someone else. Go and rest. Thank you for today.”
As Elena got out of the carriage, she nodded and gave a slight greeting. For some unknown reason, with a slightly disappointed feeling, Meinard bit his lower lip. He hastily called out to Elena, who was about to climb the stairs.
“Sister!”
“Yes?”
“May I know your name?”
In truth, Meinard didn’t need to know her name. If there was a reason, all he had to do was find Duke Levi’s theological teacher.
Seeing Elena with a question mark hovering above her head, Meinard realized how he appeared to her and blushed slightly, quickly circumventing his initial question.
“Uh, in case I get hurt and need healing, it would be better to know your name…”
It was a clumsy reason. However, Elena, not finding anything strange, nodded her head and replied.
“I am Elena.”
“Ms. Elena…”
Meinard smiled as he mumbled her name softly.
“Well then, I’ll see you later, Elena.”
Would we have any more business together? Elena wondered for a moment but nodded. I would be involved with Rosaline from now on, and if I continued my life in the palace without being dismissed, our paths would inevitably cross.
With a creaking sound, the carriage door closed, and soon the horses started moving slowly. Elena stood in place, watching as the carriage moved away, and she turned around with a smile when she heard the sound of a maid lifting a book next to her.
“It’s too heavy. Please give me a few more. I’ll carry them.”
But the servant who had carried Elena’s luggage this morning smiled and assured her that it was fine. It was a desire to help even commoners and be respectful to the humble princess.
* * *
It had been two days since Elena entered the palace.
Yesterday, Rosaline’s lesson had run long, so Elena had to skip her theology class. As a result, on the second day, which was today, Elena came down alone to the empty reception room for her first class.
The tea that Ilya, Duke Levi’s nursemaid, had prepared had already gone cold. Just to make sure, Elena touched the cup with her fingertips, but as expected, it was cold and devoid of warmth, causing her to quickly withdraw her hand. In the quiet reception room where only the sound of her breathing could be heard, Elena narrowed her eyes and spoke.
“Hmph, refusing the lesson, huh?”
As far as she knew, Duke Levi had definitely attended Rosaline’s lesson. That happened just two hours ago, and there was no chance for the duke to disappear into thin air or soar into the sky.
“I thought it was strange how obedient he was… ”
When they were eating cake yesterday, the duke had jokingly mentioned that he liked her idea about the theology class. But today, he was evading the first lesson. It seemed that his mood had changed a lot since they finished eating the cake.
It had been an hour since she had started waiting, thinking that he might have gone to the restroom. If he hadn’t deliberately skipped the theology class and locked himself in his bedroom, that is.
At that moment, Ilya cautiously approached Elena and said,
“Um, Sister. Today, the Duke seems to be feeling unwell…”
“Is that so?”
“I apologize. It would be best for Sister to return to your chambers for today…”
Duke Levi was the one who skipped the class, but it was nursemaid Ilya who was fumbling and apologizing. Feeling slightly annoyed, Elena stood up from her seat. She couldn’t help it if he said he wasn’t feeling well.
“That’s okay. His Highness must not be seriously ill.”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s just a minor headache…”
“I see. Well, that’s fortunate.”
If Duke Levi was truly not able to attend the class due to illness, there would have been a simpler solution. Elena, who was about to step back obediently, felt unjust and spoke to Ilya.
“If the headache is severe, I can take a look.”
Upon hearing that, Ilya immediately waved her hands in denial.
“Oh, no! It’s not that serious… He has taken the medicine, so he’ll feel better soon.”
“…That’s a relief.”
Elena, who was not good at lying, looked at Ilya’s blushing face all over and left the reception room. She felt displeased, as if her efforts for the first class had been disregarded, but she couldn’t throw a fit like a child.
As she paused on the stairs leading to her quarters on the second floor, she suddenly realized something.
“Wait. Getting paid without teaching the class is a good thing for me, isn’t it?”
The wages Elena received while living here were compensation for teaching theology to Duke Levi. But if he refused and didn’t attend the class as he did today, she could make use of the preparations she had made for today’s class tomorrow instead.
“Oh ho, how sweet.”
Arriving in her room, Elena lay down on the bed. Unlike Rosaline, who was always busy due to the heavy workload, Elena, who solely focused on teaching theology, had relatively more free time.
Sometimes, to relieve stress, Rosaline would bother Elena by giving her petty errands to run. But now, Elena could brush it off with a laugh. She was a woman who had a temple slave career scarier than being a salt slave.
With nothing to do suddenly, Elena pondered on how to spend her time until dinnertime. And she murmured to herself.
“Ah, I hope that brat doesn’t come to class tomorrow.”
Perhaps her words became seeds. The next day, Elena found herself alone in the reception room again.
