Chapter 16
It had only been a month since she had given birth.
Her body hadn’t fully recovered yet, but she was on her way back from the cathedral for the baptism—a once-in-a-lifetime event for her beloved daughter, Abigail.
“…This is so upsetting.”
Rosaline bit her lip tightly to keep back her tears.
It was a day that had to be perfect. A precious baby, Abigail, born to her and the man she loved more than anything, was to receive God’s blessing.
So why, of all days, did Lucia, Sheamus’s younger sister, have to collapse and leave such a stain on the occasion?
Everyone who should have been celebrating Abigail’s happy future instead whispered only about Lucia’s collapse.
All the attention that should have been on Abigail had been stolen by Lucia.
It was unbearably frustrating.
Come to think of it, her life had always been like this.
As if God were rolling dice with her life.
When she was happily spending time with Albert, the love of her life, some horrific accident would occur, nearly taking him away from her.
When she overcame those hardships and miraculously reunited with Albert, her own family would drag her back into this hell, insisting, “Divorce is absolutely out of the question.”
Hell.
Yes. This place was hell for her.
Sheamus was a good man, but he was not the perfect husband for her.
Even today.
He had been so startled by Lucia collapsing and, seeing Rosaline upset because all attention had been diverted, had dashed straight to his sister.
People might say that was natural, but for Rosaline, it wasn’t.
If Sheamus truly loved her as he always sweet-talked about, she should have been the priority, not Lucia.
Even afterward, nothing changed.
He apologized for not staying by her side out of worry for his sister, but he never apologized for the baptism being ruined by Lucia collapsing.
Of course, it wasn’t something he could control, so it was awkward to get angry. But that didn’t make it any less upsetting.
She wanted him to at least acknowledge her feelings, to complain together about the sister-in-law who had collapsed without a thought.
“If it were Albert, he wouldn’t have left me alone.”
Albert, the only love of her life.
He would never have left her lonely.
Instead of running to his sister, he would have stayed close to Rosaline and Abigail, comforting them. And he would have boldly promised to scold his sister for causing trouble.
That was the difference between Albert and Sheamus.
Albert was the kind of person who would even risk sneaking into a count’s manor in disguise just to see Rosaline.
“Albert, I miss you so much. I feel like I’m going crazy wanting to see you.”
It had been less than a week since she last saw Albert, but that week felt like years.
Holding Sheamus’s hand as she stepped out of the carriage, Rosaline swallowed back her tears.
By then, darkness had fallen outside the window.
For me, an unbearably long day was finally drawing to a close.
“How about spending the night at the Apostolic Palace tonight, Lucia?”
The Pope asked in a gentle voice.
It was a very kind offer, as the Apostolic Palace had the most luxurious and comfortable rooms in the cathedral, but it felt a little burdensome to me.
I wanted to keep the fact that I had received the prophecy a secret.
If word got out that I had spent the night at the Apostolic Palace, it could cause serious problems.
Officially, I was staying at the temple only to be observed for a day because of my collapse at the baptism.
But if I spent the night at the Pope’s palace, even the most oblivious person might suspect something hidden.
When I explained this, the Pope simply nodded.
“I hadn’t considered that. Caroline, could you prepare a room for Lucia? Make sure it’s nothing short of perfect.”
I had declined her kind offer and worried she might be upset, but fortunately, there was no sign of displeasure.
Caroline seemed easily impressed. She left the room with a look of admiration, touched that the Pope had remembered her name.
Of course, I was a little surprised too. The Pope, such a high-ranking figure, knew the name of Caroline, who had only just officially been appointed a cleric.
“While we wait for Caroline to return, would you have tea with this old lady?”
The Pope asked in a quiet voice.
I had only recently met her, but I liked this about her.
Honestly, the Pope’s position was such that if she simply ordered me, “Have tea with me,” I couldn’t refuse.
Yet she asked politely, checking my willingness with a question.
“Of course.”
Even I, who rarely opened my heart to anyone, nodded.
A short while later, three sets of teacups were placed on the table before us.
“…So Jerome is drinking too?”
Why did he always have to come everywhere?
Already having imagined all sorts of things by myself, it was awkward to face him now.
But Jerome, contrary to my assumptions, quietly listened to the conversation between the Pope and me, drinking tea without interrupting.
Of course, he almost dropped his teacup or made a clattering sound while putting it down, and he was a bit fidgety.
Still, that only happened when the Pope and I weren’t talking, so it didn’t disrupt us.
Perhaps even when he caused minor trouble, his timing was impeccable. I almost suspected he did it on purpose.
“May I ask you something?”
“Oh, yes! Of course.”
Watching Jerome clumsily wipe up spilled tea with a handkerchief, the Pope asked me.
“Why hide the fact that you received the prophecy? It would be much easier if you publicly announced that God spoke to you and said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’”
I hesitated to speak. It was an unexpected question.
“Uh…”
“Take your time. You can answer slowly.”
Seeing my hesitation, the Pope smiled warmly, creating small wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.
Why, indeed.
I pondered it carefully. Somehow, I felt it was right to hide it.
If I, a saint, publicly announced, “God said stop committing adultery!”—would that easily ruin Rosaline and Albert’s happiness?
I doubted it.
‘Would it really be that easy?’
No. My answer was: no, it wouldn’t.
Although my thoughts were clear, I hesitated to speak. My answer could seem very rude coming from the head of the temple.
“Speak freely. Forget that I am the Pope. Just think of me as an ordinary grandmother having a conversation.”
Knowing why I hesitated, the Pope laughed softly and took a sip of tea.
Easier said than done. How could I possibly think of the Pope as an ordinary grandmother?
Yet her words gave me courage, and I spoke.
“Well… I don’t think people would suddenly realize their wrongdoing and stop committing adultery just because I announced that I am a saint and relay God’s will.”
The Pope gave a bitter smile and brought the teacup to her lips again. She looked thirsty.
“Even now, the five main doctrines of the Terenus Temple plainly say ‘Do not commit adultery,’ but hardly anyone obeys them. That’s why… I thought I must change people with my own power, without revealing God’s will.”
The more I spoke, the less confident I felt, and my voice grew quiet.
I feared it was an arrogant thought.
But God had warned me repeatedly, and yet humans failed to understand. That was why the task was entrusted to me.
I still wasn’t sure if I could accomplish such a great task, but my belief remained.
With my power.
Not God’s power, but human power.
“…I see. That’s right.”
The Pope nodded.
The Terenus Temple wielded immense power. It possessed wealth and influence, manipulated the emperor at will, and interfered in every aspect of life in the empire.
Yet its moral authority had long been lost.
That was my judgment.
“Now I think I understand why you chose Lucia.”
The Pope, silent for a long while, suddenly looked at me with gentle eyes.
Caught off guard by the unexpected praise, I turned my gaze toward the window.
Even at night, the view of the cathedral gardens from the Pope’s office was as beautiful as ever.
Morning came.
I awoke in an unfamiliar room, rubbing my sleepy eyes and looking around in a daze.
Recalling the long, unbelievable events of yesterday.
The luxurious room of the temple reminded me that everything that happened yesterday had truly occurred.
After spending tea time with the Pope the previous night, I had come to this room to rest.
It had been late at night, so discussions about what to do next to achieve my goals—and God’s goals—were postponed.
I decided to think about it after sleeping.
Even a saint who received a prophecy was, after all, human. Sleep first, work later.
Just as I was stretching to loosen my stiff, just-awakened body, there was a tapping sound at the window.
