Chapter 36
The next morning.
I woke up in my usual physical state, feeling as if the incident at the banquet hall yesterday was nothing but a dream. There was no headache, not even the usual morning dizziness; my mind was clear.
And as always, Tata was beside me.
“……”
“……”
After staring blankly for a while at Tata, who was deeply asleep, I hurriedly prepared to go to the church.
After finishing breakfast with my family and completing my grooming, Tata came running towards me.
“Meow!”
Jingle, jingle.
I stopped out of habit just as I was about to pick her up and examined Tata closely.
Around her neck, which had been empty just this morning, hung a loose silver chain necklace. The pendant clinked against the chain, making a small sound.
“Ah, the Young Duke gave it as a gift! It’s an anti-loss necklace!”
“And the pendant even has the family seal engraved, so there’s no worry of losing her!” Jenna, standing nearby, added with a giggle.
“I see. It’s cute.”
“You’ll be going out with Tata again today, right, My Lady?”
I shook my head at Jenna, who asked as if it were a given.
“No. From now on, I’ll be going alone.”
“Huh?”
“Meow?”
The gazes of both Jenna and Tata fixed on me. Tata’s eyes had widened like a cartoon cat’s. For a moment, it was cute enough to sway my heart, but…
“Jenna will take care of Tata. Oh, and have a separate room prepared for Tata too.”
This time, I refused to be swayed. I firmly averted my eyes from Tata.
“Meow! Meeeow, meow!”
Her soft, jelly-like paw pads, without a single claw extended, touched near my ankle. Jenna fidgeted, murmuring ‘Oh dear, what to do…’, but seeing my resolute attitude, she eventually picked Tata up.
“Rest well at home, Tata.”
“Meow!”
She clearly seemed displeased, but that was just my assumption. In response to Jenna’s question asking if it was really okay to leave her separate, I nodded.
Tata, seeing me like that, stopped crying.
Ignoring Tata, who slumped and seemed to melt into a puddle, with a superhuman effort, I quickly left the mansion.
In the carriage, the absence of the familiar warmth by my side made the emptiness feel twice as heavy.
“No, pull yourself together!”
What if I waver after just ten minutes?
I shook my head vigorously and then glared into empty space.
“Lady Arute. You’re really not going to tell me?”
[……]
“Just tell me if Tata is really a Divine Beast or not?”
[……]
Just in case, I tried, but there was no response from Arute. It seemed she was determined to keep her mouth shut about anything related to Tata.
‘Is she trying to see who will win?’
Since she was completely avoiding me, my competitive spirit flared up.
Just as I was staring intently at the empty space, the scenery beyond the open window looked different.
*Bump!*
*Clatter, clatter.*
“…Huh?”
“Eh? W-wait a minute? Why are we going this way?”
This isn’t the road to District 22, it’s the way to District 11!
“Eh? Eeeh?”
Excuse me, Mr. Randall! That’s not the right way!
I quickly leaned out the window to inform the coachman, Randall. But his reply was surprising.
“I was informed that the Arute Church building has been relocated to District 11 this time, My Lady!”
“O-our church?”
The Arute Church I knew was a penniless church that didn’t even have 1 florin left!
‘Did we win the lottery or something?’
But the Empire didn’t have anything remotely like a ‘lottery’.
‘Did we recover money from that Will… or whatever scammer?’
That couldn’t be.
This morning, Lucian told me they had caught the scammer.
According to his story, the scammer was found sleeping soundly on the streets of District 26. The Duke’s knights escorted the scammer and handed him over to the Grid Church, where he was said to have screamed something.
“Mon… monster… my arm… My arm!”
“P-please save me! Sob, a monster, a monster on the streets…!”
He didn’t confess anything about the Arute Church or Priest Hazel, only babbling strange nonsense. He even claimed a monster had bitten his shoulder to shreds, but his arm was smooth and unscathed.
“Was he passed out from heavy drinking or something?”
Well, anyway, it was no longer our concern. The scammer was transferred to the Empire’s underground prison based on the testimony of the Grid Church priest.
Unfortunately, the money wasn’t recovered. So where did the large sum come from to change the church building?
‘Did we take on debt…?’
That would really complicate things. In the Empire, borrowing money through dark channels comes with unimaginably high interest!
A feeling of my blood running cold made me nervously wring my hands. Thankfully, we arrived in District 11 before my heart could completely burn out.
“We’ve arrived, My Lady!”
At Randall’s words, I quickly got out of the carriage.
Frankly, I thought even if we got a building in District 11, it would be a basement at best.
“Wow…”
But no.
“Since when was our church a three-story building?”
And one with an exterior exuding a classical elegance. It was spacious enough to turn your head left and right to take it all in.
Lured by the unexpected size and atmosphere, I entered the building.
“There’s even a corridor…”
That wasn’t all.
The walls were made of marble, and since it faced south, light streamed in through the corridor windows. The sight was like being submerged in a golden wave. It was so impressive it even looked sacred.
‘If the building is like this, it might be worth going into debt for…?’
Forgetting for a moment the worries about loans and interest that had been boiling inside me, I stood blankly admiring the building.
*Ahem* “Saint! It’s the Saint!”
“O-oh, Archbishop?”
*Grab!*
The Archbishop, who came running towards me at full speed, grabbed my hands as if he had met a savior!
‘Why is he suddenly acting like this?!’
Moreover, his light-colored eyes were shining excessively.
I looked at Hazel for help, but…
‘Why does Priest Hazel have that expression too?!’
Somehow, he was looking at me with even more fervor than when I was fitted for clothes at the boutique. To the point where someone might misunderstand that they served me, not Arute!
Unable to comprehend the situation, fear began to creep in.
“Ha, hah! The Saint is truly our light! You even prepared a building for us in District 11 like this!”
The Archbishop said with an excited face, conveying incomprehensible words.
“…Me?”
This building? When???
D-did I lose my memory without knowing?
“Oh, didn’t you hear from the Young Duke? The Young Duke said he was entrusting the Saint to us and gave this building as a gift!”
“Lucian?”
An unexpected person came to mind amidst the sea of questions. My eyes widened in surprise.
‘He did say to tell him if I needed anything.’
But I never imagined he would change the church building. Especially since I didn’t even ask for it first!
“Ah, I see. So it was Lucian.”
The corners of my mouth twitched into a smile on their own.
I hadn’t even thought about District 11, and here’s this surprise gift.
I should thank him properly when I get home.
“This is all thanks to the Saint’s arrival!”
“Ahem, well, I suppose so.”
I shyly waved my hand in denial, but it was true.
He got rid of the scammer, even changed the building. Even I think I’m a lucky charm.
“You have no idea how happy the believers are. Come, come, let’s go in. Everyone is waiting!”
“Hehe, shall we then?”
Enjoying my shoulders shrugging up with delight, I happily walked towards the prayer room.
‘Thankfully, we didn’t take on shady debt. And since the church building has changed, spreading the faith should be easier!’
Honestly, aside from the believers’ attire, the basement building was my biggest concern.
Lucian solved my biggest worry in one go; I couldn’t be happier.
But they say hasty judgments bring even greater trouble.
*Creak.*
Upon opening the prayer room door, what I saw was… the dark statue.
‘No, why did they bring that strange statue here too?’
The statue, its face completely covered by a robe, looked even more shady and shabby in the bright light.
‘What’s the point of making the church atmosphere so bright and cheerful.’
With that hideous statue standing prominently in the center of the prayer room!
“Archbishop…?”
At my call, which even sounded pitiful, the Archbishop replied with a similarly distressed face.
“W-well, as I mentioned before, it’s because I don’t know Lady Arute’s holy visage.”
“Aah…”
Previously, Hazel and the Archbishop should have gone to the artisan’s district, whether they hugged and cried or not.
‘It’s fine now that we know.’
“Archbishop, let’s go!”
I grabbed the Archbishop’s hand and pulled him along.
“I will definitely show you Lady Arute’s holy visage.”
Frankly, we need to show that face to help with spreading the faith.
“S-Saint!”
But the Archbishop, unaware of my dark intentions, followed me with teary eyes. Unlike before, his gaze was filled with faith.
Was it seeing that face? For a very brief moment, I could forget about Tata.
And just like that, a month passed.
