Chapter 96
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“…”
Hesitating, Lira did not readily answer.
She had just failed to carry out her mission to protect the divine artifact adequately. That alone was a huge inconvenience, but would she be able to take on the heavy responsibility again?
Lira: “Huu…”
But no one else could carry out the orders.
She suddenly missed Emily, the friend she left behind in the mansion.
Lira whimpered but said.
Lira: “Yes, I will try. I will succeed this time.”
Keira: “Then listen carefully.”
Keira whispered a few words into her ear, and as she continued to speak, Lira’s eyes widened.
After a while, Keira moved away from Lira and said.
Keira: “Do you think you can do it? We don’t have time, so we have to go.”
Lira: “Yes Yes. I will definitely do it.”
If they waited more, the priests might start looking for them.
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Keira, who left the prayer room, began to run for the main temple with Rose. The baggy bottoms characteristic of the temple’s uniform were quite uncomfortable.
Rose: “But what did you ask Lira to do?”
Keira: “A bit of a dirty trick.”
Rose: “Yes?”
Keira: “She was the one who started the fight in the first place.”
She said, her eyebrows knitted.
‘So, she had it coming.’
Keira: “Sorry for being late.”
Keira said as she entered the main temple.
Cosette was the first to welcome her. Well, others might have a different definition of ‘welcome,’ but anyway.
Cosette: “It’s a good thing you’re here! We were talking about whether we should go find you because it was getting late.”
Cosette smiled softly and added.
Cosette: “Then why are you so late? Did something happen?”
Keira: “It was nothing.”
Keira bent her knees slightly to greet the assembled priests.
Keira: “I thought there was a fire. It took me a while to come here because I was looking at the commotion. I was worried that the maid I brought had gotten hurt.”
“Oh, I heard about it. It was subdued without major damage. But is the maid you brought from home all right?”
Keira: “Yes, thanks to the protection of the goddess.”
“I’m glad.”
There was quite a distance between the main hall and the laundry room where the fire had taken place. Thanks to that, the last ritual was able to proceed smoothly.
“The prayer goes here.”
“Yes.”
One of the priests took Keira’s prayer and carried it up to the altar where a blue flame burned on a large pot.
Keira stared in awe at the flame that her great-aunt talked about.
“Our mother in heaven.”
Eventually, the high priest began to recite a long prayer slowly…
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It wasn’t that she was impatient; it’s just she couldn’t stop herself from yawning.
After half an hour, the high priest finished reading the prayer and threw it into the blue fire, and its roaring flames quickly turned the paper into ashes.
All of the food was then thrown into the flame. Among the things placed on the altar, the only thing that survived was a wine jar, purposely left behind to scatter around the inner hall.
“Now, everyone, please stand.”
After being on her knees for thirty minutes, Keira’s legs quivered. She patted her thigh as she struggled to stand up, and glanced around to see everyone in a similar situation.
Keira: “Oh.”
Then her eyes met with Cosette, who closed her eyes and smiled softly.
It was a pleasant smile.
Keira had to resist the urge to swear– yes, she barely knew any swear words– but she had to resist.
“Lady Keira and Lady Cosette, both of you worked hard for the past week.”
Keira: “If it concerns the temple, I will help any time.”
Unlike Keira, who uttered a perfunctory response, Cosette tilted her head and asked.
Cosette: “It’s not over yet, is it?”
“Yes, that’s right. We will still offer the divine beast and artifact, but…”
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Well, it would be over soon. The high priest smiled.
As he clapped, the door to the temple opened and the nuns and other priests entered. They cleared the altar and moved the vessel with the blue flame onto the kiln.
Several priests clung to each other and carried the kiln over their shoulders.
“Then. Let’s go, Your Ladyships.”
The person who appeared to be the head of the high priests was at the forefront and led the procession while the nuns scattered a few drops of the clear liquor on each path they passed.
‘…Did Lira do it properly?’
Meanwhile, Keira, following the procession, was so nervous that she wondered how she could even walk.
Variables existed in every plan.
What if the timing was a little off? What if her prediction was wrong?
Keira bit her lips and glanced to the side and saw Cosette walking with a triumphant expression on her face.
Maybe she felt Keira’s gaze, but she turned her head and their eyes met. Cosette’s smile grew even wider when she saw Keira’s nervous face.
Cosette: “What’s wrong, Keira? Do you have anything to say to me?”
Keira: “…No, nothing.”
Cosette: “I don’t think so? It’s okay, you can tell me.”
Keira: “Shh! They will hear you. You have to be quiet.”
Cosette: “Tsk… How stern.”
Cosette pursed her lips slightly, but Keira ignored her.
Soon, the procession reached the front of the prayer room where the divine artifact was stored.
“The door is locked. Lady Keira, will you give me the key?”
Keira: “Here you go.”
With her heart pounding, Keira handed an extra key to the high priest in addition to the one she gave to Lira.
If the plan failed, not only would she lose face, she also wouldn’t be able to participate in future temple events.
She watched as the doorknob slowly opened.
Click–.
The high priest opened the door to the prayer room and pushed it back.
And the scene that unfolded before their eyes…
“W-what is this…!”
“Oh my?”
It was the divine artifact shattered to pieces on the marble floor.
At that moment, a faint smile appeared on Cosette’s lips.
‘It’s done!’
Cosette guessed it from the moment she saw signs of nervousness from Keira, but it seemed that Keira couldn’t deal with the situation in that short time.
She couldn’t help but feel ecstatic that she had finally paid back what Keira did last winter.
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But her smile didn’t last long.
The moment she saw a fox running around in the empty prayer room, the smile on Cosette’s face completely disappeared.
The fox, kicking and playing with the pieces, was the divine beast she had cared for the last few days.
“…?”
Silence fell as everyone couldn’t comprehend the situation.
Aside from the fact that the divine beast and divine artifact that should have been kept in different rooms were in one place, why was the divine artifact broken?
And what about the fox running around the prayer room like a pony?
Keira was the first to speak.
Keira: “Cosette! Just how did you manage the divine beast for this to happen?!”
Cosette: “W-what? What did you say?”
Cosette stuttered, seemingly bewildered.
Cosette: “You, are you blaming me now?”
Keira: “Why shouldn’t I? Look at this. If you did your job properly, the divine beast wouldn’t have even come this far and caused an accident!”
Cosette: “Who knows if it was the divine beast or a human who broke the artifact?”
Keira: “Then what, a person who knows the circumstances of the temple in detail enough to enter this inner shrine broke the divine artifact? And what, they know that it’s for the memorial service?”
“…”
Colette didn’t answer because she couldn’t exactly say, “Isn’t there a person who wants you to be in trouble on purpose?”
In this temple, Cosette was the only person who had a reason to be hostile to Keira.
If she said what she wanted to say, an arrow of doubt would fly at her.
Then an unexpected hand of salvation came down– it was one of the high priests.
“But something is strange. The door to this prayer room was closed before we arrived. It was even locked with a key. How could a mere animal even get inside a room without a window?”
Cosette: “T-that’s what I’m saying! Someone must have unleashed the divine beast here on purpose and locked the door.”
“Your Ladyship, who was the last person to be here?”
Keira answered.
Keira: “It was the maid I brought from home.”
“Where is the maid now?”
Keira: “She must have gone to the doctor. She might have been injured from evacuating, so I advised her to go.”
“Hmm, then we’ll have to bring back the maid here first.”
The high priest beckoned, and a priest ran quickly to find Lira’s whereabouts.
It wasn’t long before he returned with her.
Lira: “What’s going on… Oh, my!”
Lira, who had been escorted by the priest, gasped as soon as she saw the shards of glass on the floor.
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“…”
Hesitating, Lira did not readily answer.
She had just failed to carry out her mission to protect the divine artifact adequately. That alone was a huge inconvenience, but would she be able to take on the heavy responsibility again?
Lira: “Huu…”
But no one else could carry out the orders.
She suddenly missed Emily, the friend she left behind in the mansion.
Lira whimpered but said.
Lira: “Yes, I will try. I will succeed this time.”
Keira: “Then listen carefully.”
Keira whispered a few words into her ear, and as she continued to speak, Lira’s eyes widened.
After a while, Keira moved away from Lira and said.
Keira: “Do you think you can do it? We don’t have time, so we have to go.”
Lira: “Yes Yes. I will definitely do it.”
If they waited more, the priests might start looking for them.
Advertisements
Keira, who left the prayer room, began to run for the main temple with Rose. The baggy bottoms characteristic of the temple’s uniform were quite uncomfortable.
Rose: “But what did you ask Lira to do?”
Keira: “A bit of a dirty trick.”
Rose: “Yes?”
Keira: “She was the one who started the fight in the first place.”
She said, her eyebrows knitted.
‘So, she had it coming.’
Keira: “Sorry for being late.”
Keira said as she entered the main temple.
Cosette was the first to welcome her. Well, others might have a different definition of ‘welcome,’ but anyway.
Cosette: “It’s a good thing you’re here! We were talking about whether we should go find you because it was getting late.”
Cosette smiled softly and added.
Cosette: “Then why are you so late? Did something happen?”
Keira: “It was nothing.”
Keira bent her knees slightly to greet the assembled priests.
Keira: “I thought there was a fire. It took me a while to come here because I was looking at the commotion. I was worried that the maid I brought had gotten hurt.”
“Oh, I heard about it. It was subdued without major damage. But is the maid you brought from home all right?”
Keira: “Yes, thanks to the protection of the goddess.”
“I’m glad.”
There was quite a distance between the main hall and the laundry room where the fire had taken place. Thanks to that, the last ritual was able to proceed smoothly.
“The prayer goes here.”
“Yes.”
One of the priests took Keira’s prayer and carried it up to the altar where a blue flame burned on a large pot.
Keira stared in awe at the flame that her great-aunt talked about.
“Our mother in heaven.”
Eventually, the high priest began to recite a long prayer slowly…
Advertisements
It wasn’t that she was impatient; it’s just she couldn’t stop herself from yawning.
After half an hour, the high priest finished reading the prayer and threw it into the blue fire, and its roaring flames quickly turned the paper into ashes.
All of the food was then thrown into the flame. Among the things placed on the altar, the only thing that survived was a wine jar, purposely left behind to scatter around the inner hall.
“Now, everyone, please stand.”
After being on her knees for thirty minutes, Keira’s legs quivered. She patted her thigh as she struggled to stand up, and glanced around to see everyone in a similar situation.
Keira: “Oh.”
Then her eyes met with Cosette, who closed her eyes and smiled softly.
It was a pleasant smile.
Keira had to resist the urge to swear– yes, she barely knew any swear words– but she had to resist.
“Lady Keira and Lady Cosette, both of you worked hard for the past week.”
Keira: “If it concerns the temple, I will help any time.”
Unlike Keira, who uttered a perfunctory response, Cosette tilted her head and asked.
Cosette: “It’s not over yet, is it?”
“Yes, that’s right. We will still offer the divine beast and artifact, but…”
Advertisements
Well, it would be over soon. The high priest smiled.
As he clapped, the door to the temple opened and the nuns and other priests entered. They cleared the altar and moved the vessel with the blue flame onto the kiln.
Several priests clung to each other and carried the kiln over their shoulders.
“Then. Let’s go, Your Ladyships.”
The person who appeared to be the head of the high priests was at the forefront and led the procession while the nuns scattered a few drops of the clear liquor on each path they passed.
‘…Did Lira do it properly?’
Meanwhile, Keira, following the procession, was so nervous that she wondered how she could even walk.
Variables existed in every plan.
What if the timing was a little off? What if her prediction was wrong?
Keira bit her lips and glanced to the side and saw Cosette walking with a triumphant expression on her face.
Maybe she felt Keira’s gaze, but she turned her head and their eyes met. Cosette’s smile grew even wider when she saw Keira’s nervous face.
Cosette: “What’s wrong, Keira? Do you have anything to say to me?”
Keira: “…No, nothing.”
Cosette: “I don’t think so? It’s okay, you can tell me.”
Keira: “Shh! They will hear you. You have to be quiet.”
Cosette: “Tsk… How stern.”
Cosette pursed her lips slightly, but Keira ignored her.
Soon, the procession reached the front of the prayer room where the divine artifact was stored.
“The door is locked. Lady Keira, will you give me the key?”
Keira: “Here you go.”
With her heart pounding, Keira handed an extra key to the high priest in addition to the one she gave to Lira.
If the plan failed, not only would she lose face, she also wouldn’t be able to participate in future temple events.
She watched as the doorknob slowly opened.
Click–.
The high priest opened the door to the prayer room and pushed it back.
And the scene that unfolded before their eyes…
“W-what is this…!”
“Oh my?”
It was the divine artifact shattered to pieces on the marble floor.
At that moment, a faint smile appeared on Cosette’s lips.
‘It’s done!’
Cosette guessed it from the moment she saw signs of nervousness from Keira, but it seemed that Keira couldn’t deal with the situation in that short time.
She couldn’t help but feel ecstatic that she had finally paid back what Keira did last winter.
Advertisements
But her smile didn’t last long.
The moment she saw a fox running around in the empty prayer room, the smile on Cosette’s face completely disappeared.
The fox, kicking and playing with the pieces, was the divine beast she had cared for the last few days.
“…?”
Silence fell as everyone couldn’t comprehend the situation.
Aside from the fact that the divine beast and divine artifact that should have been kept in different rooms were in one place, why was the divine artifact broken?
And what about the fox running around the prayer room like a pony?
Keira was the first to speak.
Keira: “Cosette! Just how did you manage the divine beast for this to happen?!”
Cosette: “W-what? What did you say?”
Cosette stuttered, seemingly bewildered.
Cosette: “You, are you blaming me now?”
Keira: “Why shouldn’t I? Look at this. If you did your job properly, the divine beast wouldn’t have even come this far and caused an accident!”
Cosette: “Who knows if it was the divine beast or a human who broke the artifact?”
Keira: “Then what, a person who knows the circumstances of the temple in detail enough to enter this inner shrine broke the divine artifact? And what, they know that it’s for the memorial service?”
“…”
Colette didn’t answer because she couldn’t exactly say, “Isn’t there a person who wants you to be in trouble on purpose?”
In this temple, Cosette was the only person who had a reason to be hostile to Keira.
If she said what she wanted to say, an arrow of doubt would fly at her.
Then an unexpected hand of salvation came down– it was one of the high priests.
“But something is strange. The door to this prayer room was closed before we arrived. It was even locked with a key. How could a mere animal even get inside a room without a window?”
Cosette: “T-that’s what I’m saying! Someone must have unleashed the divine beast here on purpose and locked the door.”
“Your Ladyship, who was the last person to be here?”
Keira answered.
Keira: “It was the maid I brought from home.”
“Where is the maid now?”
Keira: “She must have gone to the doctor. She might have been injured from evacuating, so I advised her to go.”
“Hmm, then we’ll have to bring back the maid here first.”
The high priest beckoned, and a priest ran quickly to find Lira’s whereabouts.
It wasn’t long before he returned with her.
Lira: “What’s going on… Oh, my!”
Lira, who had been escorted by the priest, gasped as soon as she saw the shards of glass on the floor.
Hesitating, Lira did not readily answer.She had just failed to carry out her mission to protect the divine artifact adequately. That alone was a huge inconvenience, but would she be able to take on the heavy responsibility again?Lira: HuuBut no one else could carry out the orders.She suddenly missed Emily, the friend she left behind in the mansion.Lira whimpered but said.Lira: Yes, I will try. I will succeed this time.Keira: Then listen carefully.Keira whispered a few words into her ear, and as she continued to speak, Lira's eyes widened.After a while, Keira moved away from Lira and said.Keira: Do you think you can do it? We don't have time, so we have to go.Lira: Yes Yes. I will definitely do it.If they waited more, the priests might start looking for them.AdvertisementsKeira, who left the prayer room, began to run for the main temple with Rose. The baggy bottoms characteristic of the temple's uniform were quite uncomfortable.Rose: But what did you ask Lira to do?Keira: A bit of a dirty trick.Rose: Yes?Keira: She was the one who started the fight in the first place.She said, her eyebrows knitted.So, she had it coming.'Keira: Sorry for being late.Keira said as she entered the main temple.Cosette was the first to welcome her. Well, others might have a different definition of welcome,' but anyway.Cosette: It's a good thing you're here! We were talking about whether we should go find you because it was getting late.Cosette smiled softly and added.Cosette: Then why are you so late? Did something happen?Keira: It was nothing.Keira bent her knees slightly to greet the assembled priests.Keira: I thought there was a fire. It took me a while to come here because I was looking at the commotion. I was worried that the maid I brought had gotten hurt.Oh, I heard about it. It was subdued without major damage. But is the maid you brought from home all right?Keira: Yes, thanks to the protection of the goddess.I'm glad.There was quite a distance between the main hall and the laundry room where the fire had taken place. Thanks to that, the last ritual was able to proceed smoothly.The prayer goes here.Yes.One of the priests took Keira's prayer and carried it up to the altar where a blue flame burned on a large pot.Keira stared in awe at the flame that her great-aunt talked about.Our mother in heaven.Eventually, the high priest began to recite a long prayer slowlyAdvertisementsIt wasn't that she was impatient; it's just she couldn't stop herself from yawning.After half an hour, the high priest finished reading the prayer and threw it into the blue fire, and its roaring flames quickly turned the paper into ashes.All of the food was then thrown into the flame. Among the things placed on the altar, the only thing that survived was a wine jar, purposely left behind to scatter around the inner hall.Now, everyone, please stand.After being on her knees for thirty minutes, Keira's legs quivered. She patted her thigh as she struggled to stand up, and glanced around to see everyone in a similar situation.Keira: Oh.Then her eyes met with Cosette, who closed her eyes and smiled softly.It was a pleasant smile.Keira had to resist the urge to swear yes, she barely knew any swear words but she had to resist.Lady Keira and Lady Cosette, both of you worked hard for the past week.Keira: If it concerns the temple, I will help any time.Unlike Keira, who uttered a perfunctory response, Cosette tilted her head and asked.Cosette: It's not over yet, is it?Yes, that's right. We will still offer the divine beast and artifact, butAdvertisementsWell, it would be over soon. The high priest smiled.As he clapped, the door to the temple opened and the nuns and other priests entered. They cleared the altar and moved the vessel with the blue flame onto the kiln.Several priests clung to each other and carried the kiln over their shoulders.Then. Let's go, Your Ladyships.The person who appeared to be the head of the high priests was at the forefront and led the procession while the nuns scattered a few drops of the clear liquor on each path they passed.Did Lira do it properly?'Meanwhile, Keira, following the procession, was so nervous that she wondered how she could even walk.Variables existed in every plan.What if the timing was a little off? What if her prediction was wrong?Keira bit her lips and glanced to the side and saw Cosette walking with a triumphant expression on her face.Maybe she felt Keira's gaze, but she turned her head and their eyes met. Cosette's smile grew even wider when she saw Keira's nervous face.Cosette: What's wrong, Keira? Do you have anything to say to me?Keira: No, nothing.Cosette: I don't think so? It's okay, you can tell me.Keira: Shh! They will hear you. You have to be quiet.Cosette: Tsk How stern.Cosette pursed her lips slightly, but Keira ignored her.Soon, the procession reached the front of the prayer room where the divine artifact was stored.The door is locked. Lady Keira, will you give me the key?Keira: Here you go.With her heart pounding, Keira handed an extra key to the high priest in addition to the one she gave to Lira.If the plan failed, not only would she lose face, she also wouldn't be able to participate in future temple events.She watched as the doorknob slowly opened.Click.The high priest opened the door to the prayer room and pushed it back.And the scene that unfolded before their eyesW-what is this!Oh my?It was the divine artifact shattered to pieces on the marble floor.At that moment, a faint smile appeared on Cosette's lips.It's done!'Cosette guessed it from the moment she saw signs of nervousness from Keira, but it seemed that Keira couldn't deal with the situation in that short time.She couldn't help but feel ecstatic that she had finally paid back what Keira did last winter.AdvertisementsBut her smile didn't last long.The moment she saw a fox running around in the empty prayer room, the smile on Cosette's face completely disappeared.The fox, kicking and playing with the pieces, was the divine beast she had cared for the last few days.?Silence fell as everyone couldn't comprehend the situation.Aside from the fact that the divine beast and divine artifact that should have been kept in different rooms were in one place, why was the divine artifact broken?And what about the fox running around the prayer room like a pony?Keira was the first to speak.Keira: Cosette! Just how did you manage the divine beast for this to happen?!Cosette: W-what? What did you say?Cosette stuttered, seemingly bewildered.Cosette: You, are you blaming me now?Keira: Why shouldn't I? Look at this. If you did your job properly, the divine beast wouldn't have even come this far and caused an accident!Cosette: Who knows if it was the divine beast or a human who broke the artifact?Keira: Then what, a person who knows the circumstances of the temple in detail enough to enter this inner shrine broke the divine artifact? And what, they know that it's for the memorial service?Colette didn't answer because she couldn't exactly say, Isn't there a person who wants you to be in trouble on purpose?In this temple, Cosette was the only person who had a reason to be hostile to Keira.If she said what she wanted to say, an arrow of doubt would fly at her.Then an unexpected hand of salvation came down it was one of the high priests.But something is strange. The door to this prayer room was closed before we arrived. It was even locked with a key. How could a mere animal even get inside a room without a window?Cosette: T-that's what I'm saying! Someone must have unleashed the divine beast here on purpose and locked the door.Your Ladyship, who was the last person to be here?Keira answered.Keira: It was the maid I brought from home.Where is the maid now?Keira: She must have gone to the doctor. She might have been injured from evacuating, so I advised her to go.Hmm, then we'll have to bring back the maid here first.The high priest beckoned, and a priest ran quickly to find Lira's whereabouts.It wasn't long before he returned with her.Lira: What's going on Oh, my!Lira, who had been escorted by the priest, gasped as soon as she saw the shards of glass on the floor.
