Chapter 13: The Martyrdom of the Priest(7)

Lucio’s words made my heart plummet. I struggled to maintain my composure, clutching at my shattered heart. How did he find out I was the duke’s daughter?

“How…”

His gaze narrowed into a crescent moon. The smile I had once thought to be that of an innocent boy now felt terrifyingly chilling.

“Isn’t it a bit naïve to believe that no one would know? Not all clergy come from common backgrounds… there might be people from notable families among them. You’re just one of them, so there’s no need to be too startled.”

The grip on my neck slowly loosened, leaving a red handprint where Lucio’s hand had been.

“Even if Father Edwin has returned alive, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s fallen out of favor with Bishop Revencio of the Central Cathedral. If you’re planning something, you’d better be sure of it.”

“…Planning something? I don’t want to hear such blasphemous statements in this holy monastery. Please do not speak to me until the monastery’s practical training is over.”

In a hurry to leave the library, I was stopped by Lucio’s voice slithering around my ankles.

“Blasphemous, you say? Does Father Edwin know that Sister Alicia harbors such irreverent feelings toward him?”

My legs froze at his words.

“What are you talking about?”

Without the courage to look back, I kept my head down and continued speaking.

“It’s exactly as it sounds.”

I had been exposed. The fact that I secretly harbored feelings for Father Edwin. That I had embraced an emotion I should never have as a nun.

Unable to breathe any longer, I fled from the library. Thud, thud, thud. My heart was pounding wildly. With trembling hands, I rubbed the red, swollen mark on my wrist.

“Alicia.”

I was startled and collapsed upon hearing the voice behind me.

“Alicia, are you alright?”

With a trembling gaze of anxiety, I scanned the man’s face. As soon as I recognized him, I exhaled in relief.

“…Father Edwin.”

“Is something wrong with your health? Could it be…”

A flicker of concern crossed his eyes. He looked anxiously at his own right hand before quickly helping me to my feet. He seemed worried that I might have been infected by Andrea’s fire, just as he had.

“It’s nothing like that. I was just a bit startled.”

“That’s a relief.”

I gently covered the handprint on my wrist with my palm. Father Edwin’s gaze shifted downward, revealing the trembling tips of my exposed wrist.

“…It’s quite breezy. It might be nice to take a break on the rooftop.”

He didn’t ask me anything. He simply moved towards the stairs leading to the rooftop.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”

Despite his curt tone, there was warmth in his eyes as he looked down at me.

“It feels like it’s been ages, even though I was just up here a few days ago.”

The rooftop was where I had received his letter, torn apart by tears. His face, set with the resolve of facing death, still vividly lingered in my mind.

“…It feels like a weight has finally lifted.”

A light smile appeared on his lips as he gazed out over the monastery’s view. As I looked at him, I hesitated, wondering if I should bring up the topic of Lucio.

“Father, I…”

“I heard you were looking for me at the palace two days ago.”

Perhaps my voice had been too faint. The words I barely managed to utter seemed to fade away before reaching him. Alright, I’ll talk about it another time… another time.

“The Saint said she would *rect a memorial for the priest who sacrificed his life. If I survived, she would give up the bishop’s position. Everyone must have thought I was dead. Was that your request?”

“No. I just delivered the flask.”

The mention of bishops and memorials had never come from him, so it was clear that these were purely Abigail’s thoughts. The sacrifice had gone unnoticed by everyone except her, who had pitied the priest’s lonely end.

“…Congratulations on the bishopric.”

In the Empire, there was only one current bishop—Father Revencio.

“If you become a bishop, it will provide much-needed support for the finances of the Archelio Monastery.”

It was a fitting position for someone of his upright nature. It was a matter that deserved congratulations. Yet, for some reason, a bitter feeling lingered.

“…I’ve decided to decline the bishopric.”

He was declining the position? My gaze shot up to him in surprise.

“If you became bishop, it would greatly benefit the finances of Archelio Monastery.”

“…I see the fire of Andrea as the final mission given by God. Burying the body, reciting the scriptures—only then did I feel that my life as a priest had come to an end.”

A cool summer breeze brushed past, weaving through the silver threads of his hair.

“Even if I were to extend my life, it does not erase the sins I have committed. I no longer have the qualifications to be a priest.”

“I’ve been curious for a while. What kind of sins has the priest committed that would make him…”

I couldn’t take my eyes off him. His large hand was placed on the hood. As the hood was removed, his sweat-soaked silver hair was revealed without filter.

“Are you curious?”

His lips formed a pleasing curve. My throat felt tight, as if I had been crying. I mustered the courage and finally spoke.

“Yes, please tell me.”

“Alicia, if you’re okay with it, I am willing to live as you wish.”

I followed his lips. I didn’t know how to interpret his willingness to live as I wished.

“I don’t understand what you mean by that.”

“Didn’t you say before that I should give up my ordination and live as a layman? Yes, if that is what you want, I will live that way.”

The thought of him living as an ordinary man, not as a priest, was something I had never imagined.

“I mean to say that I will crawl out from beneath God’s feet and remain by your side as an ordinary man.”

The delicate leaves fluttering in the summer breeze and the bustling footsteps of the nuns all came to a halt.

A softly murmured voice. Only his gaze, looking down tenderly, was complete. The world became one where only he and I existed.

My heart raced quickly. He was saying he was ready to give up everything he had for me.

Unable to answer easily and merely hesitating, he silently curled up the corners of his mouth.

“Of course, that’s after I’ve finished all my plans. For now, you will need my help as a priest, so there’s no need to rush.”

“…Are you really okay with that, Father?”

If he gave up his ordination driven by personal feelings, he might face criticism from those around him. The effort he had built up as a priest could have been tainted by impure meanings in an instant.

“I like it… I want to do it because I like it.”

Because he liked it, that was his conclusion. Ah, I feel the same way about you. I, too, I, too, love you…

But as he said, until we successfully complete our plans, we still had to remain as priests of the monastery.

Swallowing the unspoken reply, he broke the short silence and began to speak.

“I wonder what happened to the container I sent to the palace.”

I wanted to hear more about your feelings, but somehow I felt a sense of regret.

“If it’s Abigail, she’s probably doing well.”

The shell wrapped around me and a single verse of prophecy were the only evidence of my existence. The Saint was merely a trophy that elevated the emperor’s status, and I thought of her as just a symbolic figure.

Unconsciously, I sometimes projected her onto my past self. I had once thought of her as just another pretty-faced shell of a Saint.

‘The Fire of Andrea is an epidemic I had shown interest in before. I’ll look up epidemiological data before informing the epidemiologists. If we compare it with theological texts, we might find similar cases.’

However, her expression when discussing epidemiology seemed very serious. It was only later that I realized her family, the Miller Count family, was a long-standing family of epidemiologists.

It wasn’t just that. Since the collapse of the Bridge of Salvation, she had also developed an interest in geology. She said she was fed up with being treated as an eccentric despite knowing the truth.

She was constantly acquiring knowledge and growing, independent of the help I provided.

“…She’s different from my past self.”

She had the power to change the world.

“So, speaking of which, I made a request.”

“A request?”

“…By now, she’s probably already advancing with her plans.”

Before leaving the palace, she recalled the last words she left for her. She had no doubt that she would certainly fulfill her request.

* * *

“Your Majesty, how is your condition?”

“I have improved enough to sit and hold a pen. It’s all thanks to the Saint.”

The Emperor’s complexion had greatly improved. The Emperor, who had spent the entire day in bed, could now walk through the palace corridors with only light support.

“…There is one thing I would like to mention.”

Abigail recalled the last words she left while handing over the water bottle.

‘Please fill in all stagnant water in the palace for the epidemiological investigation of contaminated water.’

According to the epidemiological records, the transmission route was direct consumption of contaminated water or contact with the patient’s dark red bodily fluids. If the water bottle was properly managed, there was no need to fill in the stagnant water in the palace.

‘Please do it without asking questions.’

Her voice trembled slightly, and Abigail could not easily refuse.

“I want to close off three ponds in the palace for the investigation of the Fire of Andrea.”

“…But, the palace ponds are spaces with traces of our ancestors.”

“I only want to prepare for any eventualities. More than anything, I am concerned about Your Majesty’s health. If the epidemic were to spread within the palace…”

At the mention of the epidemic spreading, the Emperor’s eyes were overtaken by anxiety. Abigail seized the moment and continued.

“For the safety of Your Majesty, I request that the ponds in the Imperial Palace, the Crown Prince’s residence, and the Empress’s residence be closed off.”