Elaine blinked at the sudden appearance, and L’Arch said briefly with a sigh as if it was a little frustrating.
“Hold it.”
“why?”
“I have a lot to teach you if you don’t even know what an escort is.”
“No, it’s not that I don’t know…but why….”
“I mean, be careful with your behavior in the future. Don’t try to walk on your skirt and climb into the carriage by yourself like a child hasn’t learned it.”
Indeed, something must have gone wrong with L’Arch. Elaine was confused by this unbelievable situation, but she quickly took L’Arch’s hand because she was afraid of being scolded for delaying time.
‘In my previous life, things that would have made my heart beat so fast now felt like things I had to do quickly.’
It was also worth seeing the expressions on Martin and Damon’s faces as they saw Elaine escorted by L’Arch into the carriage.
They must have been even more dumbfounded than Elaine was right now.
‘Try to stop your brother.’
Elaine sent her eyes with a message, but the two didn’t seem to understand.
The carriage with a somewhat awkward and uncomfortable atmosphere started rattling away.
The distance to the temple was not too far to go by carriage, but because many people gathered at once, the road to the temple was already full of carriages.
After an awkward silence for a long time, they were finally able to get close to the main gate of the temple.
‘It seems like it’s been a while.’
‘Technically, I hadn’t seen the temple in three months, but it felt like I hadn’t seen it in a very long time.’
The splendid dome roof of the main temple, the old spire of the chapel, priests in white and monks in gray, gilded doors for nobles and iron doors for commoners, the statues of saints standing everywhere, and the pigeons sitting and pooping peacefully on them. The appearance of the temple, where different images seemed to be similar to each other, was the same as her memory.
‘It was a place I would never want to come again if it wasn’t for what Rabes asked me to find, but it wasn’t as terrible as I thought.’
At that time, the carriage stopped in front of the main gate of the temple.
“Let’s get off.”
Inside the temple, unless you were a pope, emperor, or someone with limited mobility, you had to walk.
And when Elaine got off the carriage, L’Arch extended his hand to escort her.
“uh?”
As Elaine held L’Arch’s hand and just stepped on the floor, someone in front of her made a strange noise, as if confused.
She looked up and there was Ellie, who had gotten off first, waiting for her brothers with Lorina.
Everyone was surprised that L’Arch escorted Elaine today, but no one was as shocked as Lorina.
“Why…”
Lorina brought out the word ‘why’, which had multiple meanings, but she didn’t finish the sentence.
‘I’m thinking the same thing as you, Lorina. Why is L’Arch like this?’
Elaine had thought that her relationship with Lorina might be different now that she didn’t like L’Arch anymore, but she realized that her hope was too hasty.
No matter what Elaine did, the hatred of others was always directed at her.
Even now, L’Arch was the one who had forced the escort, but it was Elaine who would be hated by Lorina and the Newt family even if she made it known.
Elaine gave up on explaining in detail.
‘Well, I’ve never been given that opportunity in the first place.’
* * *
“I hope that Bara’s warm grace will shine on all people in the New Year, and I pray that floods, droughts, pestilences, and disasters will avoid the empire.…”
In front of the faithful who filled the chapel, High Priest John Pavello began to worship.
There was no doubt that he was a great orator, seeing that his faithful believers crossed themselves or even shed tears at every word he said.
TL: orator is a public speaker, especially one who is eloquent or skilled
But whether he was a good priest was a question that needed some thought.
‘Good good. It seems that His Majesty the Emperor is also very satisfied.’
Looking sideways at the Emperor who smiled happily at the choir singing, John also smiled proudly in his heart.
Even to himself, everything was perfect.
The chapel has been renovated to become wider and more comfortable, the colorful light coming through the stained glass, and the choir and pipe organ performances have been practiced for three months without any mistakes, all of which have created a sacred atmosphere. Believers with the same expression…
TL: The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called wind) through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard.
‘As expected, it was a good thing that the chapel was renovated. I have to spend money, but the more people come into the chapel, the more donations will be collected, so it is profitable in the long run.’
The chapel was cramped until last year, but after two years of renovation, it is now much more spacious and comfortable.
Although there were some arguments with some elders because of the damage to terracotta and murals that were over a thousand years old in the process of breaking down the wall and merging it with the prayer room next to it, no one could oppose him in this temple anyway.
Because he’s the representative of the temple of Pavello and he’s also the temple itself.
‘Now, if I can raise a little more money, there shouldn’t be any problem with the construction of Arcatera’s villa.’
It was embarrassing because he kept trying to laugh whenever he thought of a villa that would be filled with all sorts of luxuries and beauties.
But he was a seasoned actor.
He had already learned long ago that whenever he was about to burst into laughter, he could just look at the children, and he maintained the image of a ‘benevolent priest who loves children’.
Well, there was no reason to hate children. The children were very important customers who would make donations in the future.
“The New Year’s service was particularly impressive this year, High Priest. You must have had a lot of trouble organizing it.”
“You are too kind. I just did my best to prepare a place for the Holy Spirit to come.”
“Hahaha! it’s always good to have someone as competent and deeply religious as the high priest by my side.”
After the service, while listening to the emperor’s congratulations, John did not stop acting with his skillful expression.
Whoever saw it, it would have been seen as being loyal to the emperor but not flattering, truly an attitude befitting a mediator between the imperial family and the Vatican.
After he met the emperor, nobles flocked to him as if they had been waiting.
“Thank you for your kind words today.”
“Pavello Temple seems to be prospering day by day. Isn’t this all thanks to the words of High Priest John?”
“High Priest. I’m organizing a gathering of the women who love Lord Bara’ next month, and I wonder if you’d like to come and say a few words?”
The faces of the nobles were full of flattering smiles to impress him.
10 years ago, when he ascended to the high priest at the young age of thirty-five, they ignored him.
However, after a large-scale show called ‘The Restoration Ceremony for the Restoration of the Remains of the Great Wizard Lancers Aquinal’, the attitude of the nobles, starting with the imperial family, changed drastically.
‘Among the nobles gathered here, who would be interested in ‘Lancers Aquinal’?’
However, the sacred story of enshrining his remains and strengthening the seal of the evil dragon with the divine power of the priest and Holy knight attracted everyone’s attention.
Movements such as ‘Learn more about Lancers Aquinal’ took place, and rumors spread that the Calais Empire was safe from the dragon’s disaster until now thanks to the temple of Pavello.
The emperor tried his best to provide active support for the fear of dragons appearing in his generation, and the nobles flocked to the temple the emperor favored.
So, John never regretted committing such a fraudulent act. Not even once.
‘What people want is not the truth. An interesting story, a new fad, and the benefits derived from it!’
John was immersed in this great achievement of himself.
In the past, when he had to be forced to become a priest to show his family’s devotion, he swallowed back tears of frustration and vowed again and again that he would never be a priest. Even as a priest, he would live with more wealth and power than any of his brothers.
And he has almost achieved his dream.
While he was smiling and answering the nobles’ greetings one by one, he suddenly felt people backing away.
“High Priest.”
John’s face stiffened a little, wondering if he was an annoying guest again, but smiled broadly as soon as he confirmed who had called him.
It was Count Newt, who was rumored to be a close confidant of the Marquis of Sasha Habron.
‘If he is a close confidant to Lady Hebron, I’ll have to deal with him with all my heart.’
The emperor’s mistress, Sasha, was much more to his liking than the dead empress. She is a flexible and beautiful woman to the extent that she personally handed over the offering to John, so he has no reason to refuse.
Moreover, few people did not know that she was trying to make Prince Abel, her son, the crown prince, but John didn’t even think that it was hopeless.
The great nobility referred to the imperial family law and took Princess Anais’ succession to the throne for granted, but John, who had learned throughout his life that high-risk investments brought great profits, had his feet on the side of Sasha and Abel.
So, if he is a close confidant of the Marquis Sasha Habron, it wouldn’t be bad if they had a solid connection.
John greeted Rubaine with a polite greeting.
“Aren’t you Count Newt? I am always grateful to the Count who is always faithful. I hope all is well in your household?”
“Ah, that…”
Usually, it was something that should have been answered with ‘Thanks to you, I’m at peace’, but Rubaine was clearly speechless with a troubled expression.
* * *
