Chapter 1 – Her Catalyst

It was a leisurely noon.  

On one side of the sunlit garden, Rosalyn was having tea time with her parents, the Earl and Countess Aimond.  

As they continued their conversation, sharing various updates, Rosalyn’s father, Earl Aimond, carefully broached a topic.

“Rosalyn, you’re an adult this year, aren’t you? So, I think it’s time for you to start preparing to enter the convent, don’t you think?”

For her, who had been living a peaceful life, this was like a bolt from the blue.

“…Excuse me?”  

Rosalyn, startled, forgot all about maintaining her dignity and raised her voice.

“Why are you so surprised, Rosalyn? Wasn’t this decided long ago?”

Beside her, the Countess Aimond set down her teacup with graceful poise and added,

“No, wait a moment. Mother, Father, what are you talking about all of a sudden? This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

‘Long ago?’ 

‘When did they decide something so important without consulting me?’ 

Rosalyn found it hard to accept the situation.  

The Countess and Earl exchanged glances after looking at Rosalyn’s face.  

The Countess shrugged, and the Earl shook his head.

“It seems she doesn’t remember.”

The Countess sighed softly, and the Earl nodded in agreement.  

Their conversation, which only they seemed to understand, made Rosalyn even more frustrated.  

Just as she was about to speak out in her anxiousness, the Earl began to explain instead.

“Rosalyn, listen carefully. This country has enjoyed peace and prosperity for nearly a thousand years under the Goddess’s protection. You know that well. So, it’s only right that we live with gratitude.”

“That’s true….”

Rosalyn replied, drawing out her words.  

Earl Aimond’s words were correct, but what did that have to do with her having to go to the convent?  

Perhaps sensing her meaning, the Earl continued.

“That’s why, in each family, at least one member enters the convent to serve the Goddess, showing reverence and respect, and proving the family’s faith.”

“So… you mean I’m the one?”

Rosalyn asked anxiously.  

The Earl nodded as if it were obvious.

“No, why? Why does it have to be me?”

Rosalyn felt grateful to the Goddess, but she didn’t want to do something she hadn’t chosen herself.  

After all, she had an older brother and sister.  

Her brother, Lenid, was the heir who would inherit the Earl’s title, so he wouldn’t go.  

But she also had an older sister, so why was she singled out?

“Oh, Rosalyn…. Why do you sound like this is the first time you’ve heard it? You said you wanted to go yourself.”

The Countess, seeing Rosalyn’s dissatisfied expression, spoke in a troubled tone.  

This went back ten years, to when Rosalyn was eight.  

During the annual festival celebrating the Goddess’s birth, Rosalyn had watched a play based on mythology.  

Moved by it, she went around saying she would definitely enter the convent and meet the Goddess.

“Ah….”

With the Countess’s words, long-buried childhood memories resurfaced.  

She began to remember.  

Back then, as the Countess said, Rosalyn had truly been impressed by the play.  

But what moved her was the beauty of the actress playing the Goddess.

That was it.  

Rosalyn had said such things because the actress in the Goddess’s role was so pretty.  

At that age, she thought any beautiful woman was a princess.  

Young Rosalyn must have really believed the actress was the Goddess.

“…….”

Thinking about her younger self gave Rosalyn a headache.  

She realized her parents hadn’t made it up.  

Still, she didn’t want to obey so easily.  

Her circumstances now were very different from back then.

“That, that was then. I was so young, and years have passed. How could my feelings be the same now? Besides, there are plenty of nobles who don’t go! I’ve just become an adult, and there’s so much I want to try. Those things are far from convent life.”

“Oh dear….”

Both the Earl and Countess looked troubled by Rosalyn’s words.  

The Countess hesitated, looking to the Earl, who spoke instead.

“Rosalyn, I’m sorry, but it’s difficult to reverse this. We’ve already spoken to the convent. Because you made up your mind, we didn’t prepare any alternatives.”

“Why? Can’t I just say I won’t go?”

“Rosalyn, it’s not that simple. If you refuse to go for no reason, won’t people doubt our faith in the Goddess? Unless there’s a serious issue, it’s hard.”

Earl Aimond spoke kindly, his expression dark with concern for Rosalyn.  

But Rosalyn couldn’t back down.

“How can this be… I still don’t want to go!”

Rosalyn sprang to her feet, expressing her firm stance.  

The Earl shook his head and rose.

“It’s unfortunate. I’ll wait for you to come to terms with it.”

The Earl left the table, turning away from Rosalyn and heading into the mansion.  

Rosalyn stared after him with a dissatisfied look, then turned her gaze to the seated Countess.

“Mother, can’t you do something?”

“I’m sorry. I can’t think of any way. I thought you truly wanted to go. If I’d known, I would have asked you again….”

The Countess, with a bitter expression, drank her now-cold tea.  

Rosalyn, watching her, slumped into her chair, exhausted.

“When am I scheduled to go?”

“Probably in about three months.”

“…Three months? Isn’t that too soon?”

“We didn’t expect you to refuse, so we set it like that. Don’t think too negatively, Rosalyn. You can visit home often. It’s not like you’re leaving forever.”

“…Even so, the nearest convent is still quite far from here.”

Rosalyn muttered gloomily.  

The tea time that began joyfully ended in sadness.