Chapter 32
“…Perhaps.”
It was an ambiguous response.
Claire frowned as she stared at Eiden, unsure whether it was an affirmation or a denial.
“Do not mistake His Majesty, Lady Alicia. He worships the Holy Lady of Shua more than anyone else.”
Anafi’s awkward smile attempted to soften Eiden’s warped demeanor.
However, it was too late. E
iden’s genuine feelings had already been revealed.
A monarch who harbors ill will toward the Holy Lady of Shua.
This was unusual to anyone.
Claire turned to face Eiden, who had sat unabashedly after expressing his doubts.
Eiden lifted his chin, meeting her gaze with an arrogant demeanor.
🍡🍡🍡
The exhausting tea time was finally over.
She was fatigued much more than when they encountered the beast.
“This place is incredible! I had no idea the monastery was so large.”
Hanna, trailing behind, kept turning her head, expressing her admiration.
Her eyes glittered with fascination as she shrank her shoulders at the grand and solemn aura of the old building.
“By the way, did you faint earlier? Do you feel better now?”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
“What do you have to be sorry about?”
“I heard the beast assaulted you, Miss. You handled it so brilliantly, and here I am, fainting from it.”
Hanna murmured, a remorseful expression on her face.
“It’s normal to pass out when afraid. You should not apologize for such things.”
Claire consoled Hanna as they made their way down the lengthy corridor.
A monk walking ahead of them returned their glance.
“Thank you for kindly guiding us.”
Claire smiled as she spoke.
Anafi had directed the monk to take them to the chamber where they would stay.
The monk, caught off guard by Claire’s beaming eyes, immediately turned away and hurried down the passage.
Claire narrowed her eyes as she watched the monk.
His expression was familiar.
He was the one who harassed her the most during her time at the convent.
It was stated that enemies frequently met in unexpected locations. This was, in fact, the situation.
They finally came to a halt in front of a door.
The monk opened it without saying anything.
“Is he observing silence?”
“…”
“I enjoy silence as well. It feels like a step removed from earthly concerns.”
“I thought the religion of Grizmen only practiced altar rituals.”
“You can converse!”
Claire exclaimed, pretending to be happy.
The monk coughed nervously and his face flushed.
“As you mentioned, folks from Grizmen don’t frequently pray or observe silent observances. Only once a year does His Majesty perform altar rituals.”
“Then how come you like silence?”
“This place is sponsored by our family. As a result, I’m really interested in the faith practiced here.”
“I see.”
Claire walked into the room he had opened for her.
The room was straightforward.
A single bed, a wooden wardrobe, and a floor carpet.
There was an antique desk with a chair beside the window.
There was a candlestick and an open book on the desk.
It appeared that someone had just left the room.
“Lady, please rest in this room.”
“What about Hanna?”
Claire indicated Hanna, who was standing next to her.
“We’ve prepared a bed for her in the adjacent room.”
“Thank you.”
“Then, please rest comfortably.”
The monk bowed courteously.
Claire tilted her head inquisitively as the door closed.
“In front of me, he acts so unpleasantly.”
Nonetheless, he is extraordinarily composed while dealing with aristocrats.
The epitome of a monk unconcerned with worldly problems.
“Do you know him?”
“Yes. He does it exceptionally well. Almost to the point of irritation.”
“He seemed kind.”
“Hanna, you shouldn’t be deceived by someone’s appearance.”
Claire shook her head angrily.
“Please wait a moment, Miss. I’ll retrieve our bags from the carriage.”
“If it’s too heavy, you can ask that monk from earlier.”
“How can you say that?”
“It’s fine. He may be content to be in the good graces of the Stanton Ducals.”
Claire took a cautious check around the room after Hanna had departed.
There wasn’t much to see, to be honest.
“At least it’s cleaner than the accommodation where I stayed with father.”
Claire sat heavily on the bed, covered with a thick blanket.
“I’m not sure whose room this was, but they must not have been cold in the winter.”
With her hand, she felt the blanket.
Only a tiny blanket was given in her previous lodging.
Even if she wrapped herself in it firmly, she would shiver when the chilly wind swept through the openings in the windows.
“I wonder who lived here.”
Claire got out of bed and opened the wardrobe door.
“They didn’t clear it out?”
Two monk robes hung inside the wardrobe. The drawers were nicely arranged with undergarments and socks.
“They didn’t evict the room’s original occupant because of us, did they?”
Even now, it felt like the room’s owner was about to open the door and enter.
“No matter how powerful the Emperor is, he will not evict the owner to give me the room. The abbot would not let it either.”
Perhaps they were too preoccupied to remove the previous occupant’s items.
Claire shrugged as she approached the window.
Her accommodations were on the second story of the main structure. Looking down, I saw that the front yard was still alive with activity.
She noticed Elliot delivering orders to his minions. Hanna then dashed towards the carriage, carrying a large suitcase.
“He sure is industrious.”
He must be quite brave, judging by how casually he dealt with the Emperor.
Elliot looked up as soon as he noticed her stare. When he saw her at the window, he smiled and waved.
“He has a good temperament too.”
Claire attempted to return the wave by raising her arm.
She abruptly knocked over a lamp with her elbow.
“She’s so clumsy.”
Claire clicked her tongue while straightening the broken candlestick.
Then she noticed a book spread out next to it.
“Huh? What is this?”
It was a fairly large book.
She turned it over to see the back cover.
“The Book of Word.”
“This is the holy scripture of El.”
Claire brushed her fingertips softly across the old leather cover.
The thin pages revealed that the monk had read it numerous times.
Claire returned her gaze to the open page.
…El bemoanedly stared down on them. Those who screamed out in despair sought salvation from El.
“I am not your deliverer. I have come to bring you down.”
Those who prostrated at El’s feet…
Claire started reading aloud then interrupted to laugh.
“Why does this handwriting seem so familiar?”
She quickly turned to the inside of the cover.
〈C.Mc〉
Small letters were scrawled at the very bottom of the inner cover.
“Isn’t that me?”
Claire blinked, her gaze returning to the name printed on the inside of the cover.
〈C.Mc〉
She hadn’t made a mistake.
At that point, I was reminded of a young Claire, who had completed working in the fields and was fatigued, transcribing the scriptures.
She remembers hunching her fragile back and assiduously copying ‘The Book of Words’ by candlelight.
Claire had, in reality, pretended to be a male while in the convent on the suggestion of her grandfather.
She, of course, used a pen name.
James McIlroy.
She disliked the name ‘James’ for some reason.
So she covertly placed her real name’s initials in the scriptures she copied.
Claire caressed her name numerous times as she recalled those experiences.
Knowing that the owner of this room treasured the text she had copied made her happy.
Claire reopened the book and began again where she had left off.
Then she observed something she had never noticed before.
“Huh?”
The bottom corner of the sentence she was reading was curled slightly.
“Folding it like this would wear out the paper quickly.”
Claire lamented the damage as she delicately unfolded the corner.
“There’s something written here.”
She held it up to her face and read the tiny characters.
“My salvation…”
She couldn’t finish her thought.
When the words left her mouth, it was as if a blackout curtain had descended and her vision had gone black.
Claire passed out and sank to the floor.
🍡🍡🍡
The skies and the earth were rattled by a huge roar.
The noise came in from a high window.
The room was cramped and filthy, surrounded by red bricks. The little light from a side window was nearly completely obscured by the darkness.
Claire was inside.
Her form was so frail that she appeared to collapse at the slightest touch. Her complexion was pallid, as if she hadn’t seen the light in years.
Her delicate arms were bound with heavy, harsh ropes.
Bang!
A heavy door swung open with a loud bang.
Light streamed in when the door opened.
“Please, reconsider!”
The voice of a young guy resonated.
“Please! Please only once! If you kill her right now…”
It was a voice drenched in pleading and despair.
“No.”
Another man’s voice responded.
He flatly turned down the young man’s plea.
“You know we can’t do it without her!”
“Get out of it! Do you think he’ll be still?”
“But if it’s you, surely…”
“Have I not tried? Move. I must take the sinner.”
“Please, think once more…”
“Take her right now. We can’t afford to squander time.”