Chapter 4 (Part 3)

Cecilia was informed that she could have her confession with him in five days. It was one day later than expected, but she thought the wait was reasonable.  

While waiting for the day she could meet Ian, the relationship between Cecilia and the young ladies worsened even further.  

They no longer entrusted her with their laundry, but the harassment continued. They also threatened her, saying that if she caused any more trouble, they wouldn’t let her off easily.  

It would have been better if they only bullied Cecilia, but they blatantly targeted the other two young ladies as well. They seemed to have become more arrogant, knowing they could solve everything with money.  

As the situation deteriorated, Cecilia resolved to persuade Priest Ian no matter what.  

Finally, the day came when she could meet Ian. Before entering the confessional, Cecilia took a deep, long breath. She needed to brace herself, as she was about to say something so embarrassing that it was hard to even put into words.  

This is for both of our good!  

Thinking that, she took trembling steps forward.  

***

“What do you usually do during the day?”

“My daily life is always the same. It begins with prayer and ends with prayer.”  

“What do you think about meeting me outside the temple?”  

“The allotted time is over. May the grace and love of the Gods be with you.”  

Today’s confessional priest, Ian, answered sincerely, fulfilling his duties as a priest.  

Most of the time, he received nonsensical comments like love confessions, but he maintained a polite attitude and calm tone throughout. He was confident in his ability to remain composed.  

However, the moment he heard a familiar voice, his expression faltered.  

He had been avoiding her recently, fearing that he might make another indecent request if they met again. But who would have thought she would come to him first?  

What could she possibly want to say to me?  

Even when he first heard someone’s confession or received love confessions from other young ladies, he had never been this nervous or anxious.  

But strangely, he always found himself acting differently when standing in front of that woman.  

“What sin do you wish to be forgiven for?”  

Ian spoke first in a flat voice, afraid of what might come out of her mouth.  

“I’ve been acting rudely toward someone lately.”  

“If you feel sorry, then you should stop doing such things. It would be even better if you forgot about everything that’s happened so far.”  

Ian tried to keep his emotions out of it, but his response ended up sounding more sarcastic than he intended.  

“If that person’s insomnia has improved, I’d like to forget as well. But seeing how their once-improved complexion has turned pale again, I don’t think it has.”  

“That is none of your concern, Miss.”  

Ian’s emotional reply made it feel more like a casual conversation than a confession. He wanted to end the conversation before it went any further, but then the woman made a sweetly tempting offer.  

“If you’d like, I can keep helping you!”  

“…”  

Upon hearing Cecilia’s words, Ian’s pupils shook. 

What on earth was this woman saying?!  

It seemed as though she had come to the confessional just to make such blasphemous remarks.  

By now, Ian was almost certain. This woman must be a spy sent by the devil. Yet, strangely, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her to stop. His insomnia had returned on the third day, after all.  

Insomnia was a truly wretched affliction. Like some persistent curse, it refused to leave him alone.  

“What benefit would you gain by helping me, Miss?”  

After a moment of silence, Ian finally spoke. His tone had become somewhat agitated.  

“Of course, I wouldn’t help you for free. There’s a condition.”  

“There’s no need for that.”  

He didn’t even need to hear it to know it would be a strange condition. Thinking of the other young ladies who had pursued him, he instinctively felt repulsed.  

“No, you’ll need me, won’t you? At least hear my condition first.”  

But hearing the firmness in Cecilia’s voice, Ian thought it might be worth listening to her condition. After all, there was still some time left before the confession ended.  

“Go ahead.”  

“You saw me being bullied the other day, didn’t you? I want them to face the consequences of their sins.”  

Ian recalled the image of Cecilia entering his room, drenched. He also remembered how her skin had felt slightly sticky when they touched.  

“You should report that to the priest in charge.”  

“I reported it twice, but each time, they ignored my story and sided with those young ladies.”  

Cecilia briefly explained everything that had happened so far, including how she had been punished and confined to her room all day after attempting to retaliate.  

“I’m not saying I didn’t do anything wrong—I lied, so I’m not without fault. But I’ve already paid for my sins. I just want them to be appropriately punished for what they’ve done. Otherwise, the harassment will only get worse.”  

“…”  

“The problem is that I’m not the only one being harassed. There are two others as well. I don’t think anyone should have to endure such humiliation just because they seem like easy targets. So please, help me. If you do, I’ll help you too.”  

Cecilia pleaded earnestly.  

Ian already knew that she had been absent for a day not long ago. He had noticed her absence during the afternoon prayer and wondered if she was unwell, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.  

However, he couldn’t make a decision based solely on Cecilia’s one-sided story. While he knew Priestess Anna was materialistic, there might have been other circumstances at play.  

“Can you swear to the gods that there is no falsehood in your words?”  

“Of course. If you don’t believe me, you can check for yourself.”  

As Ian deliberated, a knock came from outside.  

“Priest, the confession time is over. The next person is waiting, so please wrap up quickly.”  

Since her conversation with Priest Ian wasn’t finished, Cecilia anxiously stared at the wall where he stood on the other side.  

If she didn’t get his answer now, she would have to wait another four or five days to meet him again.  

“Priest, I’m begging you.”  

“I’ll need some time to verify your claims. I’ll contact you soon through a young acolyte.”

(Acolyte = a person assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession.)

The congregation members could not contact priests individually, but priests could secretly reach out to congregation members through young acolytes who aspired to become priests.  

“Yes. I’ll wait.”  

After giving her response, Cecilia left the confessional.  

Having to leave without receiving a definite answer made her steps heavy as she walked down the corridor. Her heart felt weighed down as well.  

Please!  

With a desperate heart, Cecilia hoped that Priest Ian would accept her proposal. She could already see how much harder her remaining time at the temple would become if he didn’t help her.  

***

“Thank you for your hard work today. Please rest well at the priest’s quarters.”  

“Priest Luke, you’ve worked hard as well.”  

After listening to the confessions of 100 people, Ian was so exhausted that his body felt like it was about to collapse. Normally, he would have gone straight to the priest’s quarters to rest, but today, he wasn’t in the mood.  

Unlike usual, he was in a state of confusion and ended up sitting back in the confessional chair. The source of his overwhelming fatigue was none other than Lady Bucklew, who had visited the confessional.  

Of all times, she had come to him when his patience was at its limit and offered to help him.  

It was an absurd proposal, one that he should have ignored, yet he couldn’t. The problem was that her proposal was too tempting.  

As a result, he found himself coming up with ridiculous excuses to justify accepting her offer. And she had conveniently given him an excuse to use.  

She said she was being harassed?  

Priests didn’t interfere with each other’s affairs, so Ian had no reason to get involved. But harassment within the temple was a different matter entirely. Especially when it involved noble young ladies…  

Normally, he would need to inquire about the details of the situation from Priestess Anna, who was in charge. However, judging by Lady Bucklew’s expression, it seemed pointless to ask the person in charge.  

Of course, he didn’t believe Cecilia’s words 100%. There was a possibility that she was lying. Given her past behavior toward Ian, it wasn’t easy to trust her.  

But having seen her drenched in a liquid that reeked of acid with his own eyes, Ian couldn’t dismiss her words as lies.  

After deliberating, Ian immediately stood up and called for a young acolyte. He intended to verify the truth of her claims through them.  

Young acolytes moved freely within the temple, with no place forbidden to them. They were also tasked with monitoring congregation members who engaged in inappropriate behavior, which made them essential to Ian at this moment.