Chapter 18

After Freddy left the room, Olivia blinked for a long time. Much time had passed. She let out a small giggle.  

As expected, he was a man one couldn’t help but love.  

***  

The church of Silvest was no different from that of Frenchia.  

The white-painted building looked solemn and sacred. After the service ended, the elders of the church approached Freddy. When Freddy showed signs of discomfort, one of the elders reassured him, offering to guide Olivia around the temple.  

Accepting the elder’s suggestion, Olivia relieved Freddy of his worries.  

“I wanted to take a look around anyway, so this works out perfectly. I’ll go explore.”  

At her words, Freddy let out a short sigh.  

“It shouldn’t take long to finish the conversation.”  

When Olivia nodded, Freddy disappeared with the elders. Once he was completely out of sight, the elder who had volunteered to guide Olivia began leading her promptly.  

After touring the entire church once, the elder asked Olivia,  

“Did you enjoy today’s service?”  

At his question, Olivia hesitated before nodding. Listening to just one service wasn’t enough to discern how the theology of the two nations differed.  

“There must be differences between Frenchia and here, right?”  

When Olivia didn’t respond and simply looked at him, he chuckled and said to her,  

“Even though our nations are close, there are bound to be differences. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”  

At his suggestion, Olivia’s eyes sparkled.  

She had thought it would take several visits to understand the theological differences between Silvest and Frenchia, but she decided to use this opportunity to resolve all her questions with the elder.  

“There was something in the sermon earlier that I’ve never heard of in Frenchia, and it piqued my curiosity.”  

“What might that be?”  

“It was said that God divided happiness and unhappiness into two separate souls and bestowed them upon humanity. I’ve never heard such a story before.”  

“Ah, I see. Our church has a place where you can see that concept represented visually. Would you like to visit it?”  

Olivia glanced at Freddy, who was talking with the elders in the distance. Judging by the furrow in his brow, he didn’t seem to be enjoying the conversation.  

Thinking their discussion wouldn’t end anytime soon, Olivia accepted the elder’s offer.  

After walking for some time, they came upon two intertwined trees on a small hill.  

One tree was golden, almost luminous, while the other was dark, nearly black.  

As they approached the large trees, the elder gazed at them, and Olivia’s attention naturally followed. She suddenly questioned why she had been brought here.  

Seeing her puzzled expression, the elder slowly began to speak.  

“God is responsible for designing the world and assigning lives to the souls entering it.”  

Olivia tore her gaze from the trees and looked at the elder.  

“Distributing happiness and unhappiness among souls is also part of God’s role and domain.”  

The elder continued to stare at the trees, his face contemplative.  

“That’s how it was, indeed.”  

Though his words came slowly, Olivia didn’t urge him to hurry.  

“However, God didn’t have much time, and the solution He devised was to select two souls from the many. To one soul, He gave only happiness, and to the other, only unhappiness.”  

The story was difficult to comprehend, and Olivia’s eyes narrowed slightly.  

But she didn’t point out her confusion or ask for clarification.  

The elder was not God, and as a human, how could he possibly grasp God’s thoughts?  

“God believed that if the souls of happiness and unhappiness clashed continuously in the world He created, emotions would be born, and fragments of happiness and unhappiness would naturally scatter throughout His world.”  

Hearing this, Olivia thought God seemed utterly irresponsible. She also didn’t feel confident that He wouldn’t fail.  

However, since this was a place where God was revered, she couldn’t voice her thoughts about His potential mistakes or failures. Instead, she remained silent.  

“Among the countless souls, the ones God chose were special. Just like these two trees here.”  

The elder, who had been solely focused on the trees, now turned his gaze to Olivia.  

A breeze rustled the leaves, producing a soft sound.  

Warm sunlight filtered through the gaps, illuminating them. Olivia quietly met his gaze.  

They stood there for a long time. The elder spoke again.  

“One tree represents happiness, its golden hue embodying its essence. The other, with its dark shade, represents unhappiness. God chose these two because they symbolized those concepts perfectly.”  

Olivia shifted her gaze from the elder to the trees. Her vision was filled with the intertwined trees.  

The wind continued to sweep through the trees, brushing past Olivia as well.  

Though strands of her hair fluttered and danced before her eyes, Olivia’s focus remained fixed on the point where the two trees intertwined.  

After hearing the elder’s story, Olivia concluded that God was not perfect.  

If He were an infallible being, one who never made mistakes,  

He wouldn’t have entrusted such an enormous responsibility to mere human souls.  

The elder didn’t point out Olivia’s expression, as if he knew what she couldn’t bring herself to say.  

Thanks to his silence, Olivia had some time to organize her thoughts. Yet, for some reason, the more she thought about Silvest’s theology, the more lost she felt.  

She wanted to ask the elder about the questions that had arisen from their conversation. However, a worshipper arrived to escort her back, signaling that Freddy and the elders had finished their discussion.  

“Your Grace! His Grace, the Grand Duke, is looking for you.”  

Olivia looked at the elder she had been speaking with. Noticing her reluctance, he shrugged lightly.  

“If you have more questions later, feel free to visit the church anytime.”  

His perfect farewell left Olivia unable to ask anything further. She bid the elder goodbye and moved on, leaving behind her lingering doubts.  

***  

On her way to Freddy, Olivia was deep in thought.  

Although she had spoken with the elder, her understanding of theology remained unclear. Additionally, she hadn’t resolved anything regarding her own memories.  

In the end, she decided to address her memory issues first.  

Though she was hesitant to consult the resident physician at the Hester Grand Duke’s residence, it seemed better than letting rumors spread outside.  

As for theology, she resolved to visit the church again and continue her conversation with the elder.  

When Freddy spotted Olivia approaching, he hurriedly wrapped up his conversation with the elders.  

Though the elders’ faces were filled with regret, they quickly composed themselves.  

“Then, Your Grace, we look forward to meeting you again in the future.”  

Freddy gave them a slight nod.  

He escorted Olivia to the prepared carriage. Even as their carriage disappeared from view, the elders continued to see them off.  

Once the church was completely out of sight, Freddy loosened the tie around his neck. Olivia, who had been lost in thought, noticed the fatigue on his face.  

She stopped thinking and cautiously spoke, watching his reaction.  

“You look tired. Why don’t we head straight back to the Grand Duke’s residence and rest?”  

At her suggestion, Freddy turned to look at her intently.  

Olivia felt a little disappointed that they wouldn’t be able to go on a date, but she quickly added more to her words, trying not to show it.  

“I heard that while I’m adjusting to my duties as the Grand Duchess, you’ve been taking on my responsibilities as well. So, I think it’s okay for us to return and rest today.”  

Freddy, who had remained silent, tapped his lips lightly. When Olivia tilted her head in curiosity, he explained.  

“Your expression doesn’t look fine at all.”  

“That can’t be true.”  

There was no way she would openly show her disappointment.  

“I’m not that tired, nor am I so weak that I can’t walk around. So, how about you stop frowning?”  

Hearing his pointed remark again, Olivia stiffened.  

Though she had lived as a mischievous young lady, she had been born a noble. She prided herself on being able to hide her emotions and expressions better than anyone else.  

Yet, for some reason, Freddy seemed to read her mood with pinpoint accuracy.  

The thought that he had seen through her carefully crafted mask made Olivia’s face burn with embarrassment.  

Watching her expressions change by the second, a soft smile spread across Freddy’s lips.  

Seeing his smile, Olivia completely forgot about being reprimanded by him.