~Chapter 12~
“Is she running away now?”
“Surely we aren’t embarrassing, are we?”
Unbeknownst to them, the triplets were muttering painfully accurate words.
Meanwhile…
“Is it this way…?”
As soon as Ivyn entered the tower, she first surveyed her surroundings.
The tower was bathed in a soft, pale light from dim luminous orbs.
Above all, what caught her eye were the many artworks hanging along the walls.
Paintings that looked quite valuable at a glance adorned the walls, ceiling, and even the floor.
It was only then that Ivyn realized where the overwhelming sense of unfamiliarity she felt upon entering came from.
This place… well, how should I put it. It looked less like a place where the saintess, called the ‘Fragment of Flulla’ by the empire’s people and the faithful, resided…
‘It feels more like entering the den of a wealthy merchant who trades high-priced goods.’
Just as Ivyn was busy looking around, someone suddenly seemed to turn a corner at the far end of the corridor.
“Gasp!”
The moment she saw a figure gleaming white from the light reflecting off armor from the window, Ivyn hurriedly hid behind a wall.
—
*‘Next time you meet me, you will absolutely not leave alive.’*
Sure enough.
*Clank, clank.*
The figure that appeared at the end of the corridor was the holy knight Theodore, clad in white full plate armor.
‘Is he on his way back from seeing the saintess…?’
Ivyn quietly suppressed her presence and waited until Theodore had completely crossed the corridor. Finally, when no sound could be heard from the corridor, she carefully stepped out from behind the wall and began climbing the stairs.
“Phew, I’m nervous for no reason.”
The saintess’s room was located at the end of the corridor after climbing all the stairs.
Ivyn lightly adjusted her attire, took a short breath, and then softly knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
Upon hearing the permission to enter, she carefully opened the door and went inside.
The reception room where the saintess welcomed her guest was unexpectedly modest.
It seemed to contain only an altar with a sacred statue, a table for enjoying tea, and a few chairs.
“The daughter of the House of Bouteng pays her respects to the noble saintess. May the blessing of Goddess Flulla always be with you.”
“Welcome, sister. May the blessing of Goddess Flulla always be with you, sister. Please, this way.”
“Thank you.”
Taking off her robe and hanging it on a chair, Ivyn carefully sat down.
‘Stay calm, stay calm.’
But contrary to her inner mantra, a pink blush had already risen on her cheeks, and her heart was pounding incessantly.
‘Wow… she’s the real female protagonist. Saintess Pavella is right before my eyes…’
This excitement, what is it…
Yes, it’s similar to the feeling a fan feels meeting their idol, right?
‘From the descriptions alone, I thought she’d have a neat and holy feeling, but seeing her in person, she’s incredibly gorgeous…’
Her features are also very sharp, and she feels much colder than I imagined.
I thought she’d have a pure white lily image, but she’s closer to a gorgeous rose.
‘She’s a cold beauty, not a warm beauty… That’s unexpected.’
Should I say it feels like an early Merry Christmas?
Just as Ivyn was sneakily glancing at Pavella and internally marveling…
“Sister.”
*Pour.*
Pavella, who was personally pouring tea for her guest, kept her gaze fixed on the teapot as she addressed Ivyn.
“Yes, Saintess.”
“Is there something on my face, by any chance?”
“…Huh?”
“You’ve been staring intently.”
“Ah…”
At first, it was just a near-exclamation, a single syllable.
But once her mouth opened, it showed no intention of closing easily and began to spill words.
“Beau…ty… is on it.”
“…?”
“No, that’s not it… I mean you’re pretty… no, that’s not it either…”
Ivyn, who had unconsciously voiced out a thought meant only for her mind, made a short “Gah!” sound, covered her mouth with her hand, and shook her head toward the saintess.
“I-I’m sorry.”
To blurt out a comment on her looks upon their first meeting…
There couldn’t be a ruder rudeness.
Looking at Ivyn, whose face was flushed red as if steam might shoot from the top of her head, Pavella smiled slightly.
“It’s alright.”
The saintess elegantly averted her gaze from Ivyn and spoke as she placed the teacup she was holding onto its saucer.
*Phew, phew.*
Ivyn, who had been pursing her lips in embarrassment and diligently cooling her tea, sensing the saintess’s mood, hesitantly opened her mouth again.
“Actually… there’s something I really wanted to do if I ever met you, Saintess.”
Pavella’s emerald-like gaze reached the guest sitting before her.
Her eyes gestured for her to continue.
*Rustle.*
As if in response, what Ivyn pulled out was a neatly folded piece of paper.
Pavella carefully examined the paper unfolded on the table…
“Psychological test…?”
Reading the large letters written at the top aloud, she looked at Ivyn with an expression wondering what this was, seemingly wanting an explanation.
“What… is this, sister?”
“Ah, I’m not doing this with any strange intentions.”
Could there be anyone who looks stranger than someone who opens with ‘I’m not a weird person’?
But Ivyn enthusiastically began explaining about the psychological test.
By the time her passionate explanation was over…
“So, in a word… it’s a game to understand each other’s romantic tendencies through questions?”
The saintess summed up Ivyn’s lengthy explanation in one sentence.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Now that she explained it like this, it seemed incredibly strange and suspicious.
Cold sweat ran down Ivyn’s back.
Meeting the saintess, called a fragment of Goddess Flulla, and what you want to ask is about romantic tendencies?
Anyone hearing it would find it weird.
Sensing the awkwardly stiffened atmosphere, Ivyn quickly added more words.
“I-it’s a game I always wanted to play with a friend my age…! Because I’ve been sickly since I was little and lived alone in the countryside… I didn’t have any close girlfriends…”
As Ivyn smiled awkwardly at the saintess,
Something flashed in the eyes of Pavella, who had been watching her intently.
And.
*Whirrrrr.*
Soon, it seemed as if the diameter of her emerald irises expanded, and the table placed between the two began to tremble slightly.
*Fzzzt.*
While a shimmering sphere in the form of plasma formed above Ivyn’s head, she merely blinked her large eyes, looking ahead, completely unaware.
She showed no sign of sensing anything at all.
“…”
*Pop!*
Soon, the plasma dissipated in a small form.
Spreading across Pavella’s lips as she withdrew her energy was a peculiar smile.
“You are clean, sister.”
“Huh?”
Thanks to Pavella’s uttered words, Ivyn finally realized what had just passed over her like the wind.
「Eye of Truth.」
One of the divine abilities possessed by Saintess Pavella, it was a power to perceive falsehood and grasp the truth in others.
‘In the original, I think it was written that the saintess mainly used this ability to heal the unconscious pains of believers… But she used it on me now? But… why?’
Just as Ivyn tilted her head slightly at the strange feeling, the saintess’s gentle voice came.
“It’s nothing. Well then, shall we try what you prepared? I hope this can warmly embrace your childhood memories, sister.”
* * *
Several days passed after the tea meeting with the saintess.
“What? Rejected again?”
“Yes, young lady…”
Upon hearing the butler’s words, Ivyn’s shoulders slumped.
‘I didn’t expect my plan to hit such an obstacle right from the start.’
*Plop, plop.*
What Ivyn was facing was ‘rain.’
The name of that rain was ‘Rejection Rain.’
The request for an audience sent to the imperial palace was being flatly rejected.
That bastard Rociniel didn’t even send a common excuse with the returning messenger.
Thanks to that, Ivyn was experiencing ‘being left on read’ by a man, something she had never experienced even once in her past life.
“This won’t do. I’ll have to go to the palace myself.”
“You cannot do that.”
The butler made a troubled expression at Ivyn.
“Even as a member of a great noble house, you need official permission to seek an audience with His Majesty.”
“…”
Of course, who would want to meet again with a noble lady who openly gave them the snub, saying ‘You’re not my type,’ right to their face?
*Trudge, trudge.*
Ivyn returned to her room with slumped shoulders.
Waiting for her in the room was her personal maid, Jenny.
“Young lady!”
“Yes?”
“Please open this. Young Master Ron left it here, saying it’s a gift for you.”
…A gift?
From Brother Ron Kinzell?
A bad feeling crept in.
Ivyn’s expression wasn’t very bright as she picked up a rather clumsily wrapped bundle for a gift.
What flashed through her mind was the description from the original story.
Wasn’t he the very person who once brought a massive male grizzly bear, weighing close to 300 kg, as a birthday gift for his little sister, carrying it on his back…?
“Hmm… Do you want to open it for me?”
“Oh my, may I have the honor of enjoying it on your behalf, young lady?”
Jenny, finding it odd that Ivyn was just blankly staring at the gift package, carefully unwrapped it to check the contents.
*Rustle, rustle.*
“Oh my!”
What came out was, contrary to expectations, an adorable fur outfit.
—
*‘I personally caught these at the Pass of Gwi-Gokseong and entrusted them to a tanner. I asked them to dye it pink to match you, cute, right? It’s getting cold, so be sure to wear this instead of pajamas to sleep.’*
*- Brother Ron*
Pass of Gwi-Gokseong?
Isn’t that a place inhabited by corrupted mutant creatures?
