Chapter 14: Confessions and Lies(4)

“…I won’t let it happen a second time.”

This time, I vowed to protect him no matter what. It was a whisper as faint as a breath, but seminarian Peter was looking at me. I turned my head away from his stern gaze peering through his glasses.

Yes, seeing that gaze, I had thought he was a great-grandson of Father Revencio. Though it still felt cold, it wasn’t as chilling as before.

“We’re almost there.”

Beyond the hill, the Jared Relief Center came into view. Its cracked and peeling exterior was unchanged. Perhaps because of the dilapidated facilities, Peter frowned.

“Still, this is the closest medical facility.”

As we entered the relief center, the curly-haired physician greeted us.

“When we found him in the morning, he had a pulse but was already unconscious. His left arm is swollen; could you take a look?”

“We need to remove his clothes to check for other injuries.”

While Peter stepped forward to assist the physician, I retreated outside for a moment. How much time had passed? The physician came out the door.

“He has a fracture in his left arm. We’ve realigned and stabilized the bone, so as long as he recovers without complications, he should be fine. He’ll likely regain consciousness soon, so you can go in and wait.”

“Thank you so much.”

Father Daniel, having removed his outer garments, lay on an old bed. As I entered, Peter’s hand, which had been wiping Father Daniel’s forehead with a wet cloth, paused.

“Peter, I’ll stay with the priest until he wakes up, so you should return to the monastery.”

Peter adjusted his glasses and silently set down the wet cloth.

“Then I’ll head back first.”

Though his response was as curt as ever, it was clear he wasn’t as bad a person as his first impression had suggested. 

Through the round lenses, I had always thought of him as a one-dimensional character because of his harsh gaze.

‘How foolish was that judgment…….’

Only after confirming that Peter had left the relief center did the physician speak.

“Nun, please come over here for a moment.”

I approached Father Daniel, who was lying still. The physician brushed Father Daniel’s hair aside, revealing a stain of dried blood that had been hidden under his brown locks.

“This is……”

“You mentioned he was unconscious when found, right? My guess is he might have fainted from a blow to the head.”

Father Daniel was not the type to provoke dislike from others. In fact, he was someone who was almost foolishly gentle.

“Ah……”

At that moment, Father Daniel groaned in pain as if it were a lie.

“Father Daniel, are you conscious?”

His heavily closed eyelids were lifted.

“…E, Sister Alicia?”

“Do you remember, Father? You were found collapsed at the library entrance.”

“Ugh… Why is my arm in this condition?”

Following that, Father Daniel, with a dazed mind, recounted his story. He mentioned that he had been searching for theological books in the library until late at night but had no recollection of what happened from a certain point onwards.

He decided to rest at the relief center for the time being and return to the monastery afterward.

“Sister, please give my regards to Father Edwin. He must be very worried…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll explain everything to him. Focus on recovering your health. Understood?”

Still feeling uneasy, I left the relief center. The walk back to the monastery felt heavy.

‘We need to monitor for any potential brain issues a bit longer.’

The physician’s words echoed in my ears. I couldn’t fathom who or why someone would have done such a terrible thing to Father Daniel.

“…Is Daniel alright?”

At the monastery door, Father Edwin was waiting anxiously.

“He has just regained consciousness. His left arm is fractured, so he will be resting at the relief center for a few days. He mentioned he lost consciousness while searching for books in the library.”

Father Edwin’s expression darkened abruptly.

“…I can’t shake off the worry that I nagged him about his overdue tasks.”

He seemed concerned that Father Daniel might have collapsed from overwork.

“Still, he seems to be okay for now. For the moment…”

Yes, for now. It seems I need to bring up the injury on the back of Father Daniel’s head.

“…Actually, Father Daniel had an injury on the back of his head. It seems he was struck on the head and fainted. He doesn’t remember anything.”

Father Edwin was silent for a while, lost in deep thought.

“…It is truly unpleasant to suspect people within my own monastery.”

If it were an injury from falling backward, he would have been lying on his back looking at the ceiling, but Father Daniel was face down on the floor. Someone must have struck him from behind.

“There are also foreign refugees living in the monastery alongside the clergy, so I’ll have to think about who it might be.”

Father Daniel was not the type of person who would provoke hatred from refugees.

It was frustrating that the one who knew the truth had no memory of the incident.

“For tomorrow’s mass, a seminarian will be attending in place of Father Daniel.”

Hearing Father Edwin’s words, I caught my breath.

“…A seminarian, who is it?”

“We decided to take Seminarian Lucio. There are a few concerns, but we can’t send someone other than the great-grandson of Father Revencio…”

I was torn about whether to mention Lucio’s actions to Father Edwin. Just thinking of that ominous voice made my skin crawl.

‘If you’re choosing the mastermind, they are quite careless. Father Edwin won’t last much longer. You’d be better off with a more reliable and powerful man.’

No. Father Edwin was already struggling with the aftereffects of the plague. I didn’t want to add more to his burdens.

It’s just a trivial matter. I just need to endure it.

“…Understood.”

The voice of Father Edwin, earnest and unwavering, stopped my retreating steps.

“Alicia.”

“Yes, Father?”

“…Thank you for earlier.”

Uncharacteristically, a hint of shyness appeared at the corner of his mouth. I followed suit and quietly lifted my own lips in a smile.

“It was nothing.”

Thanks to his shy smile, my steps toward my room felt a little lighter. As I was about to head to my room, his words of thanks still echoing in my mind, my gaze inadvertently shifted to the second-floor railing. The place where Lucio had stood, looking down from the railing last night.

Suddenly, an unsettling thought crossed my mind.

“It can’t be…”

I moved toward the spot where Lucio had been standing. Leaning against the railing, I took in the view of the monastery. My gaze finally settled on the entrance to the library, which was clearly visible. 

“It can’t be…”

I recall the loud noise that resonated through my room at dawn. Was it really the sound of small animals like mice or birds? Why was it that no one except Lucio and I had woken up?

I traced the positions of the rooms with my fingertips. The nun in the adjacent room had left for reclusiveness a few days ago. The next room was an empty one, unoccupied. And below the wooden floor of my room…

“The library…”