Chapter 5

“Well, they say he’s so handsome it’ll make your head spin!”

Baroness Ceylon raised her voice, then quickly covered her mouth. At her words, all the other Madames nodded in unison, each adding a comment.

“God must favor handsome men too.”

“They say his gaze is so deep, if you meet it, you feel like you’ll be drawn in.”

“Do priests train their bodies too? I heard he’s so broad-shouldered and tall….”

“Madame Higgins, where did you hear that?”

“Oh, the other day, Marchioness Daynard went to the Grand Temple to make a donation and saw him passing by. The priest guiding her told her, and apparently, the Marchioness nearly fell hopelessly in love?”

Lisbeth, who hadn’t been attending social gatherings lately, had no knowledge of these stories. Seeing her sitting quietly, not understanding, Viscountess Higgins sitting beside her gave her arm a gentle tap.

“Aren’t you curious? Just how handsome he is.”

“Well… he’s a priest anyway.”

“Oh, come on! Madame Ellor. Even if he’s a priest, you can still admire him with your eyes!”

While the Madames giggled in hushed voices, Lisbeth smiled bitterly. What was the point of admiring such things?

After all, a priest was a man who had promised chastity and obedience to God. One unreachable man was enough—her husband had been more than sufficient.

No, now, she didn’t feel much attraction to men at all. Lisbeth didn’t bother to say as much.

Soon after, a priest announced the start of the Grand Festival. The noisy hall instantly fell silent, and the choir of children’s voices rang out.

Listening to the beautiful song, Lisbeth gazed at the stained glass mural behind them. She began to count each piece of glass that made up the hawk symbolizing God, the lily gripped in its claws, and the serpent. 

One, two…

After counting into the three hundreds, the song ended. Next, Duke Mozel, a close aide to the King, read the congratulatory address on behalf of the King. Lisbeth’s fingers, resting on her lap, began to tap her knee out of boredom. 

How much longer would this last? Oh, today doesn’t end with this. There’s still the banquet. What should I do?

Finally, the High Priest ascended the platform. With a kindly face and a white beard, he looked to be in his eighties. He raised his hand and greeted everyone with a gentle smile.

“As in years past, this old man stands before you again this year. By now, you must be tired of seeing me. How many years has it been since you first saw this face? No, decades, I suppose. Hoho….”

People laughed lightly along with the High Priest. His voice had the power to put people at ease. His speeches were never long-winded and always touched with humor. He knew just when to stop before people got bored, and how to shift to another story.

But today, the High Priest seemed a bit impatient. Or rather, he seemed excited—enough for people to notice. Smiling broadly, he rubbed his palms together.

“My, my, this old man can hardly contain his delight today. Instead of my own stories, I hope you’ll pay more attention to this devout young priest I’ll introduce to you. He not only follows God’s will with utmost sincerity, but understands and conveys His word even better than I can.”

People murmured at the High Priest’s words. In all the decades he’d stood before them, he had never once called anyone “a better priest than myself.” Eyes grew bright with anticipation.

This meant that the young priest to be introduced today would surely become the next High Priest!

The Madames whispered among themselves. Their faces were flushed with excitement.

“Handsome and destined to be the next High Priest—how thrilling.”

“My goodness, for someone like that to become a priest….”

“Shh, careful what you say!”

“It’s just such a shame, that’s all!”

Despite the excitement around her, Lisbeth felt little interest. After all, it had nothing to do with her.

“Now then… please, come up here.”

At the High Priest’s words, a man waiting below the platform rose and slowly climbed the steps. The pure white priest’s robe wrapped elegantly around his tall frame. With his hood up, his face was hidden, but low exclamations rose here and there. Just as the rumors said, his build was so impressive that he could be mistaken for a knight.

The High Priest yielded his place to the young priest. The young priest bowed to the High Priest and took his place at the podium. The hall grew silent. Every gaze, without exception, was fixed on the young priest—even Lisbeth’s.

‘He really is a massive man.’

Lisbeth thought, without much emotion.

At last, the young priest’s voice rang out from beneath the hood.

“May the blessing of God be upon His young children… It is an honor to meet you all for the first time.”

The moment she heard his voice, Lisbeth blinked and straightened her back. She didn’t know why, but she felt as if she’d heard the young priest’s voice somewhere before.

It felt strangely familiar.

She didn’t know any priests, so it was odd.

At last, the priest slowly pulled back his hood. All around, there were sharp intakes of breath and small exclamations.

Lisbeth, before she knew it, covered her mouth with both hands.

‘No, no way.’

The priest slowly looked around the hall. Then, at a certain spot, he stopped.

Lisbeth froze, meeting his gaze. She bit her lip hard beneath her hands.

Here, how, could I possibly meet him?

Even when he saw Lisbeth, he didn’t smile. Instead of smiling kindly as he once had, he soon turned his gaze away. But Lisbeth, frozen like a mouse before a snake, truly could not move at all.

“As a servant of God, I am Dion, and I greet you all today by the introduction of the High Priest.”

It was true. It was Dion.

The one who used to smile shyly before her, who used to caress Lisbeth with shining green eyes beneath black hair….

The one who held hands with her, and, gently, shared each other’s breath for the first time….

‘Miss.’

His voice, a little younger than now, rang in her ears. Dion, who used to kneel by her side and, with a fresh smile, show her the most beautiful smile in the world.

Once, she had given Dion all her heart, and he had promised to give all of himself to her as well.

He had broken that promise, disappearing suddenly one day and plunging Lisbeth into despair—and now, here he was, before her.

Now, grown into a fine man, he was even more handsome and splendid than in his youth, and had entered the embrace of God. He was even a priest with a promising future.