Chapter 8: The Dawn at the Central Temple (3)

The time I spent keeping the Saintess company was limited to mealtimes. Once mealtime was over, I inevitably had to take on chores that had nothing to do with receiving the lector position.

“Oh, I’m sorry! Are you okay?”

I was diligently mopping the floor without a word of complaint, but I accidentally knocked over the bucket while stepping backward. Dirty water splashed onto the cassock of a seminary student passing by in the hallway.

“I didn’t think it would splash that far.”

I hurriedly inspected the student’s cassock. Fortunately, only a few drops had landed on it. It seemed that a little handwashing would easily remove the stains.

“Would you like to wipe it off?”

I offered a handkerchief to the seminary student. He seemed quite displeased, fiddling with his glasses and looking down at me. 

At the moment our gazes met, an unsettling shiver crawled up from my toes. His ominous stare reminded me of Father Revencio.

“I’m sorry if I upset you. If you don’t mind, I can wash it and return it to you.”

I watched the student’s back as he walked away without a word. My hand, still clutching the handkerchief, hung in the air for a moment before I finally lowered it.

I looked down at the dirty water spreading across the floor of the temple. It was even dirtier than before I had started cleaning.

If Father Revencio saw this, he would surely raise his voice and tell me to return to the convent immediately.

“Do you just need to wipe it up? Let me help you.”

A clear, sweet voice gently reached my ears as I silently mopped. I looked up to see a small-framed seminary student smiling brightly at me.

“You don’t have to. This is my job.”

“It’ll be much faster if we do it together, Sister.”

Pale lavender hair lingering around the ears and flawless, white skin. Long, thin eyelashes that, at a glance, made him look as delicate as a young girl.

“…Then, if you don’t mind, could I ask for your help?”

“Of course. It’s an honor to lend a hand.”

Throughout the mopping, I couldn’t help but notice his appearance. If I hadn’t heard his voice, I would have mistaken him for a girl due to his delicate looks.

“…Um, it’s a bit embarrassing if you keep staring at me like that.”

Had I been too obvious in my observation? His cheeks turned a rosy hue, like a ripe peach.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I’m used to people staring because of my small frame. Despite working out a lot, I don’t seem to grow taller, nor do I gain much muscle.”

Oops, I had unintentionally touched on a sensitive topic. Gently, I placed my hand on the boy’s shoulder as he hung his head in resignation.

“At your age, if you eat well and get plenty of sleep, you’ll grow taller soon enough.”

The boy looked no older than fifteen. He still had plenty of days ahead to spread his wings and grow.

As I gently patted his back and offered some comforting words, a shadow of melancholy crossed his face.

“Sister, how old are you?”

I answered in a kind, gentle voice, as if explaining to a child.

“I just turned twenty recently.”

“I see. I’m twenty-two this year.”

I was shocked into silence at the boy’s words, my lips parting in disbelief. Twenty-two, with that appearance? It seemed almost impossible.

“S-sorry, sir!”

He looked like a young boy who hadn’t even gone through puberty yet. As I repeatedly apologized, he brushed his short hair back behind his ears and smiled.

“It’s alright. And calling me ‘sir’ is a bit premature. I’m still a seminary student. Just call me by my name. Ah, I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I?”

His delicate lips softly whispered, “Please call me Lucio.”

The elegant smile on his face suited the name perfectly.

“My name is Alicia.”

“Alicia… what a lovely name.”

As Lucio smiled with his eyes crinkling at the corners, it felt like having a younger sister. My heart tingled with a tender warmth.

***

“You’re organizing all this by yourself?”

“Yes, and I haven’t even finished half of it in the past two weeks.”

The library was vast, comparable to that of the royal palace. The shelves were filled with the earliest scriptures written by God’s disciples and various theological books.

As I looked up, the top of the shelves seemed incredibly far away. Feeling the texture with my fingertips, I could tell that the bookshelves were made from high-quality wood.

“I heard the seminary students are busy preparing for their duties.”

He should be following the officiating priest around, yet here he was, stuck in the library organizing books alone.

Looking downcast, Lucio began picking up the books scattered haphazardly on the table.

“Each priest was assigned two seminary students, but… the priest assigned to me prefers to be alone. He said I was in the way and told me to organize the library instead.”

“…That’s unfortunate.”

“I’m quite satisfied, actually. The other friend assigned with me spends the whole day organizing the storage room. I’m better off here.”

It broke my heart to think that someone with such a delicate body was organizing this vast library alone.

“Lucio, may I help you with the library organization?”

I rolled up my sleeves and asked. There was still time before I had to prepare dinner, so I could lend a hand for a while.

“It’s alright. I can handle it by myself. But thank you for offering.”

Lucio’s figure, diligently gathering the scattered books, looked pitiable.

“This is part of my duty too. Father Revencio did tell me to help the seminary students.”

“…Then, if you don’t mind, could you help just for today?”

“Of course.”

In truth, I intended to use helping him as an excuse to explore the library.

“Where should I place these books?”

There was already a neatly arranged bundle of books on the table, as if Lucio had meticulously organized them.

“Well, I’ve been struggling with that,” Lucio said, his gaze drifting towards the corner of the library near the window. A broken wooden ladder leaned helplessly against the wall.

“It was perfectly fine just yesterday, but when I came in this morning, it was broken.”

Lucio tried to fit the broken pieces of the ladder together, but as soon as he let go, the joint split apart again in a mess.

“Are there any other ladders?” I asked.

“There are a few shorter ones, but that’s the only one tall enough,” he replied.

“Hmm, maybe we can work together to reach the top?”

“Uh? How do you plan to do that? I tried fixing the ladder, but it was no use.”

“If two people work together, we might be able to reach as high as the ladder,” I suggested.

At that moment, Lucio’s cheeks flushed bright red as if he was imagining something inappropriate.

“…Are you thinking the same thing as me, Alicia?” he asked hesitantly.

“Of course. It’s a bit embarrassing, but we have no choice, right?”

With his face still as red as a tomato, Lucio nodded. He knelt and raised one knee to make it easier for me to step on, then asked in a flustered voice, 

“Um… Did you mean that I would be the one going up?”

“Huh? Of course. Who else…” I trailed off, suddenly realizing what he might have thought.

I pointed to Lucio’s delicate frame with my fingertips, and he quickly wrapped his slender fingers around himself, looking like a forlorn statue of a goddess with not a thread of clothing.

“Most people would think the opposite, wouldn’t they?” he stammered.

“Anyone would think it’s right for you to go up, Lucio.”

After all, his thin build looked like it would struggle to lift even a few books.

“I’ll ask the priests if they have any spare ladders,” he suggested.

“Lucio,”

I gave Lucio a firm thumbs-up as he hesitated and took a step back.

“I can handle it,” I assured him.

“Alicia,” he stammered.

Reluctantly, Lucio stepped onto my thigh, tears welling in his eyes. I gripped his legs and lifted him with all my strength. His bones felt as thin as twigs beneath the white robe.

“Ugh…”

As delicate as he appeared, lifting even a seemingly frail boy proved to be quite a challenge. My arms trembled as I gritted my teeth, straining to hold him steady.

“Alicia, are you okay? I’ve just managed to put one book in place.”

I was already struggling so much, and he had only managed to place one book.

“Hurry… please!” I urged through clenched teeth, my face flushed with effort.

Panicked, Lucio flailed his arms, trying to speed up his task.

“Al-alright, just put me down! Hurry!”

I had reached my limit. Losing my balance, I fell backward. A cloud of musty dust filled my vision.

“Alicia! Are you alright?”

Lucio’s face gradually came into focus through the dust. His face was so close that I could feel his breath.

“…I’m fine, but could you please get off of me now?”

Only then did Lucio, with a beet-red face, crawl down. We lay side by side among the scattered books, both letting out a sigh.

“It can’t be helped, Alicia. Let’s start by organizing what we can reach.”

Holding my aching back, I got up at Lucio’s suggestion.

“Alright, I’ll take care of the inside. Lucio, you handle the entrance area.”

Holding an armful of books, Lucio lifted the corners of his mouth in a silent smile. I tilted my head at the enigmatic expression.

“Is there something you wanted to say?”

“There are a lot of books inside the library that shouldn’t be touched carelessly, so be careful.”

“Yes, I’ll be cautious.”

As I stepped deeper into the library, a large glass cabinet lining the wall came into view.

Drawn as if by a spell, I approached the glass cabinet, only to trip over a book lying on the floor. The dust-covered cover bore no title, and inside, the text was written in ancient script.

I began to read the unfamiliar letters with my limited knowledge of the ancient language.

[Once, there was an angel greatly favored by the divine, but blinded by jealousy, she devoured the heart of the disciple of God and gained power. Her name is the Exile B……]

“Ba Adanter Ma Daleyna In Yunen Mudo Rai On Winen Mullei Bi……”

“Alicia?”

A chilling touch on my shoulder made my hair stand on end.

“Lucio.”

“…Did I startle you? I called out several times, but you didn’t respond, so I came to check.”

“I noticed the floor was a mess and was just about to tidy up.”

I smiled nonchalantly, hiding the book behind my back. As a bead of cold sweat trickled down my forehead, Lucio, with a dry expression, pointed to the book concealed behind me.

“Where did you learn ancient languages?”

“How could a mere nun learn ancient languages? I just picked up bits and pieces overhearing the priests reading theological texts.”

With a brazen face, I lied. To become a Saint that Father Revencio would approve of, one needed to be able to read and speak ancient languages fluently. Thanks to repeated study, I could read ancient texts with ease, even if not perfectly.

“You learned by overhearing? You must be a fast learner. Even after years of study at the seminary, I still keep an ancient language dictionary by my side,” Lucio remarked, a hint of sharpness in his tone.

“…You’re too kind,” I replied, wondering if I was imagining the subtle barbs in his words.

An awkward silence hung in the air, and my palms were clammy with sweat.

“If you’re going to keep secrets, make sure to hide them thoroughly in front of the other seminarians and priests, even if you let your guard down around me.”

Despite the appearance of a delicate boy, his slender lips held a subtle chill when he spoke.

“Secrets? I’ve never even thought about it. But is there a particular reason to be cautious around other seminarians?”

“…Among the seminarians, there is a great-grandchild of Father Revencio.”

Lucio’s words sent a chill down my spine. Among the many seminarians I had encountered at the central temple, one of them was the great-grandson of Father Revencio.

“Do you know who it is?”

When I asked subtly, Lucio’s eyes curved like crescent moons.

“No, it’s something only known secretly among the seminary students. If you happen to find out, would you let me know?”

I recalled the eerie gaze of Father Revencio. Thinking back, there was someone who seemed a bit suspicious.

“There is someone I have a slight suspicion about.”

Lucio’s eyes widened at my words.

“Really, Alicia?”

“Remember when the bucket tipped over and flooded the temple floor? Before you came to help, I encountered someone.”

I felt guilty for offering a handkerchief, only for him to coldly turn away without a word. The eerie stare, with clenched teeth and the yellow sclera peeking from behind his glasses, reminded me of Father Revencio.

“What did he look like? If you describe him, I might know who he is.”

“It’s not certain, so I’ll tell you later. It’s just a guess.”

This was an unexpected find. If Revencio had a great-grandchild, it increased the chances of him inheriting the position of archbishop at the Central Temple. I could only hope that he didn’t inherit Revencio’s temperament.

As I resumed organizing the library, I couldn’t help but think of Abigail, who was probably sobbing alone in a dark room.

“Mr. Lucio, if it’s alright, may I borrow a book from the library?”

“Of course, as long as you return it without just tossing it on the floor.”

I decided to pick out a book that Abigail might enjoy and planned to give it to her along with dinner. I wasn’t sure if she’d be interested in a theological book, but it was worth a try.