***
During the founding festival, the Central Temple held a large-scale public prayer meeting.
On the last day, I attended the prayer meeting to meet the head priest.
I didn’t have even a speck of religious faith, but I had no choice. He must be busy or something since he doesn’t reply even when I contact him.
The chapel where the prayer meeting was held was bustling with countless people gathered.
There were nobles like me, and many who appeared to be commoners.
“I absolutely hate places like this.”
“Then do you want to go back and rest?”
I didn’t miss Carl’s muttering, who had followed me again today, and made the suggestion.
Then he narrowed his eyes behind his mask and looked down at me quietly.
Why, why, what……!
“You’ve been showing signs of wanting to leave me behind for a while now.”
“Me, me?”
No way? Ah, it can’t be?
“I think you find it somewhat burdensome to bring me along when you go to meet men you’re interested in.”
“Gasp.”
How did he hit it right on the mark?
It felt strangely concerning and uncomfortable to openly appeal to the male leads for flowers with Carl right behind me.
It made me feel self-conscious for no reason.
Even now, as I clasped my hands in front and fidgeted while rolling my eyes, Carl let out a small sigh and said.
“If you want to meet them, meet them to your heart’s content. What would I, who’s not even blond, have to say about it.”
“Why are you suddenly bringing that up here? What does being blond have to do with…… though it does matter a lot!”
It was when I was wondering how to soothe him, who pretended to be indifferent but acted like a sulky child.
“The High Priestess is entering!”
At the priest’s resounding cry from the entrance, everyone’s heads turned toward the doorway.
Soon after, a middle-aged woman with dark gray hair elegantly tied up slowly revealed herself.
‘So that person is the High Priestess.’
Since it was my first time seeing her, I observed her without hiding my curiosity.
A pure white priestly robe in dress form, sacred patterns embroidered with golden thread, and a translucent veil placed on her head.
She exuded a noble yet mysterious atmosphere that captivated people’s gazes.
Even the sound of her footsteps brushing the floor felt reverent, and her weighty presence seemed to overwhelm the entire chapel.
The High Priestess smiled benevolently at the people who were shouting and cheering.
Amethyst-colored eyes emitted a vivid light within her beautifully folded eye shape.
‘Something…… feels similar to Raviel.’
Of course, they probably don’t have a blood relationship. The High Priestess is famous for devoting her entire life to God, never marrying and not keeping family by her side.
It was just that they felt somewhat similar to me.
‘……Ah, it’s Raviel!’
I discovered Raviel among the high priests following behind the High Priestess and raised my hand to my chest level to wave. I also sent a delighted smile along with it.
However, the head priest, who seemed to glance in my direction for a moment, turned his head away just like that.
Huh, didn’t he see me?
Feeling disappointed, I watched him stand in a line with the other high priests in front of the platform.
“I express my gratitude to those who attended the prayer meeting even while a joyous festival is taking place in the country.”
The High Priestess, who had stepped onto the platform, spoke in a low voice.
“Would the peace of the Hersen Empire have existed if the sun god Solaris had not been present? Let us all offer prayers of gratitude and receive blessings. We are the children of the sun god.”
People began to pray with their hands clasped together, moved to tears by her every word.
Honestly, as someone born without religion, it was a somewhat difficult scene to adapt to…… but I made an effort to pray and refrained from any noticeably negative behavior.
‘Sun god, please help me return to my original world as soon as possible, even if it’s just one day sooner. I am not a child of the sun god, but I humbly ask this of you.’
I closed my eyes tightly and clasped my hands together, making my wish earnestly.
The prayer meeting, which lasted about two hours, concluded with the following three cheers.
“Long live the sun god! Long live Solaris! Long live!”
I staggered to my feet with my energy completely drained and quickly searched for the head priest with my eyes.
He was still standing in front of the platform. Perhaps because the High Priestess was having conversations with high-ranking nobles.
“Aren’t you leaving?”
Carl, who had been about to leave but stopped when I didn’t budge, looked at me puzzledly and asked.
I kept my gaze fixed on the head priest and waved my hand.
“I’m going to meet the head priest before leaving, so you go to the carriage first.”
“Master.”
“Or do you want to wait together?”
Carl, who frowned, looked toward the platform. Duke Celsior was smiling and talking with the High Priestess.
Carl, who pressed his mask firmly while looking at him, spoke quietly.
“One hour.”
“Huh?”
“If you don’t come to the carriage within one hour, I’ll file a missing person report with the temple.”
Oops, I’m nineteen years old.
I rebelled against words that were no different from saying he’d make a lost child announcement at a department store.
“One hour is too short. Two hours.”
“……”
“……”
“……”
“……O, one and a half hours?”
In the end, we dramatically compromised on the time and I sent Carl away first.
Then I remained alone in the chapel and waited for the head priest to move.
Shortly after, the High Priestess, who had finished her conversation, left the chapel through the side door. The high priests also used that door.
Huh, this won’t do.
I had naturally assumed they would exit through the main door and was waiting there, so I hurriedly chased after the head priest.
I could faintly see platinum hair among the priests scattering in all directions.
He had separated from the other priests and turned down a side path alone.
I moved my legs quickly to follow, but eventually lost him and had no choice but to look around searching for him.
‘Ah, where did he go……? Oh! Found him!’
It was when I finally spotted a tall figure walking down the corridor and was about to approach.
Some male priest suddenly appeared and picked a fight with the head priest.
“Head Priest Raviel must be nice. Duke Celsior seemed to have a close relationship with the High Priestess.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
The head priest calmly countered and looked down at the man.
Platinum hair that sparkled in the sunlight flowed smoothly over his shoulders.
The man grimaced severely and glared at the head priest while shouting.
“Ha! There are rumors everywhere that you’re Lady Celsior’s lover, and where do you get off playing dumb?!”
“I’m not playing dumb, I’m bewildered because it’s not true.”
The head priest shrugged his shoulders and denied the man’s words.
That’s right, the head priest has a first love so he has nothing to do with the lady!
Even if the sun rose in the west, his face was believable, but the man didn’t believe the head priest and became even more enraged.
“Shameless bastard! If you’re a priest, you should conduct yourself properly and chastely, not seduce nobles with your pretty face!”
“I’ve never seduced anyone.”
“Don’t make me laugh, do you think I don’t know that Miss Delren gave you a handkerchief yesterday!”
From the words he spat out in anger, I got a rough idea. He’s picking a fight out of jealousy because the woman he likes favors the head priest, right?
The quick-witted head priest also seemed to realize this fact and chuckled while curving his eyes into charming crescents.
“Ah, so you’re doing this because you got rejected before even confessing to the woman you’ve been having a one-sided crush on?”
“You bastard, watch your mouth!”
The man, who struggled to grab the head priest’s collar due to the height difference, growled.
“This gloomy bastard, do you think no one knows you’re deceiving people with just your pretty face?”
The head priest had an unaffected expression even with his collar grabbed, but his complexion changed drastically at the man’s next words.
“You know, sometimes I doubt whether you truly serve Solaris. Maybe you’re not a Solien but a Rudenian—”
Thud!
In an instant, the head priest grabbed the man’s collar and pushed him against the wall.
The man grabbed the head priest’s wrist in pain.
“Gack!”
“You speak too carelessly with that loose mouth of yours, brother.”
Looking down at the man who was turning red, the head priest smiled by only pulling up his lips.
“Say it again. What did you say I was?”
“Urgh, gack!”
“I said say it again? You were babbling just fine earlier.”
Veins bulged on the back of the head priest’s hand that grabbed the man’s collar.
Since he was gripping with that much force, the man’s face gradually turned blue from lack of breath.
Oh my, there’s going to be an accident at this rate.
Thinking I should probably intervene, I approached while calling the head priest’s name loudly.
“Raviel!”
“……Ah, Shailyn.”
He flinched and turned around, then suddenly threw the man away like discarding trash and smiled at me with his eyes.
“What brings you here?”
“I came to meet Raviel…… are you okay?”
I ignored the man rolling on the floor with a crash and looked at the head priest with concern.
Then the head priest hesitated and made a subtle expression.
His red lips twitched as if he was about to say something, but I couldn’t hear it because the man jumped up and interrupted.
“Cough, cough! Hey, shouldn’t you be asking me if I’m okay?!”
Only then did I turn my attention to the man. Clutching his throat, he pointed at the head priest and appealed to me.
“You saw it, right? That bastard was trying to strangle me to death!”
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Otomeaddict
Oh Carl, you black-haired Adonis, you. In the real world where all of us savvy romance fantasy readers are, you are the only viable Ml BECAUSE of your hair.