NOVEL NEXT Chapter 28
The next day, the first day of the festival finally came.
It was the second day when I had to perform my official mission as the Saintess after the Crown Prince’s birthday celebration.
When my blonde hair was braided in a rose-red dress, I looked very seductive in the mirror.
Meanwhile, Daisy has been dressing me up since morning and chatting constantly.
“I heard that Marquis Lloyd is the number one groom in the social world. As the Empire’s commerce revived… To be honest, wealth and money are more recognized than titles.”
“Daisy.”
“Yes?”
The moment she was done, I warned Daisy with cool eyes.
“Let’s say I’m dating someone. But what is your role as the aid priestess?”
Daisy’s shoulders flinched and she stopped her hand.
“To support and assist the Saintess…”
I said as I brushed off the feathered collar.
“Yesterday you didn’t fulfill your role. No matter how good your intentions were.”
Daisy’s eyes fluttered at my words.
“Saintess.”
She was a smart and good child, but sometimes I needed to draw a clear line. This was the case with all human-to-human relationships.
“That’s why I was disappointed in you yesterday. I’m not even that friendly with him, yet you entrusted me to him.”
It wasn’t a bad relationship, but I said firmly, in case Daisy was thinking in vain.
At my words, she opened her eyes wide and bowed her head to beg for forgiveness.
“I’m sorry. Saintess. I misunderstood. In the future, I won’t leave my seat by making arbitrary judgments. I will never let you down again.”
Daisy’s hand twitched.
“By any chance, it’s not that he harmed the Saintess or… something happened, right?”
I got up from my seat and reached out to the depressed child.
“There’s nothing like that, but now keep this promise in mind.”
I beckoned to the child who raised her head.
“Let’s get out of here. It’s almost time.”
Daisy’s eyes lit up again as if they looked normal when I looked at them again.
“Yes, Saintess. I understand.”
As I walked down the long hallway, the passing priestesses and priests hurriedly bowed their heads to me.
“May you be blessed by the Nine Gods.”
“May the Saintess be blessed.”
My steps passed through the grand main building and headed to the balcony of the tower connected to the festival grounds. Daisy stretched out the hem of my long dragging dress.
The door to the balcony was guarded by dozens of Paladins in silver armor who bowed their heads when I arrived and opened the door.
The bright sunlight poured down on me, and I went straight ahead without hesitation.
Looking down, there was a huge crowd of thousands of people looking beyond, roses in full bloom, and three men waiting on the balcony.
Reihausd’s hair was as beautiful as gold silk in the sunlight, and so was his golden eyes towards the people of the Empire.
He was wearing an embroidered robe that was more colorful than his usual white uniform, and the black he had always worn around his waist was invisible.
Kyle was staring at me with red hair and red eyes shining brightly.
The dark navy blue uniform giving off a military-like atmosphere created an atmosphere of moderation, but even the eerie and sharp energy of the Sword Master wasn’t hidden.
Cass looked at me with blue eyes, whose inside I was unsure of, dressed as neat and free-spirited as any other noble child.
The faint smile on his lips reminded me of yesterday.
I stood here without hesitation, but it was a strange feeling.
There was no place for me, no, Ariel. Not me, but Camilla, the real saintess…
[The God of Knowledge, Hessed, blesses those who love knowledge.]
[The God of Love, Odyssey, blesses those who know how to show love.]
[The God of Art, Mond, blesses those who love art.]
[The God of Destruction, Ciel, hesitates and blushes.]
Seeing how proud I am, it seems like the right place for me to be.
Anyway, with the shouts and cheers of many, I went out to the edge of the balcony.
Then, as seen in the illustration in the book, I put my hands together and looked up at the sky.
[The God of Art, Mond, points out that the angle of your head needs to be tilted a little further back to achieve a beautiful golden angle.]
“You don’t have to give me that kind of advice…”
I murmured, and the cries of the people of the Empire grew louder, perhaps as if it was a prayer.
“Saintess!”
“The blessing of the Nine Gods!”
The wind blew and rustled the hem of my red dress.
Suddenly, I remembered what I had said to Cass.
The Gods aren’t so omnipotent. However, when I see blessings given to those who believe in the Gods, they clearly have an interest in humans.
It’s up to human beings how the blessings are expressed. Sadly.
Having finished the prayer pose, I turned away from the balcony.
All three men were staring at me.
Reihausd’s face seemed to have turned a little red from the heat, Kyle was more impressed than before, and Cass was smiling secretly.
I glanced at them indifferently and backed away.
The deafening roar of shouts still continued.
Soon after, Reihausd announced the opening of the festival, and Kyle had a brief congratulatory speech on behalf of the Emperor.
I stood still and waited until it was over, and I got out of the balcony when their interest in me had slowly faded.
I kept pulling out my schedule because I was sick, but it would look strange if I stood all the time.
“Daisy.”
“Yes, Saintess.”
“Bring me some tea. But now that I’m out, I need to get some air.”
Sitting on a table chair in the airy terrace close to the backyard, I commanded Daisy.
It felt good when the roses bloomed.
After all, it’s a place where only people from the temple can enter, so there will be no problem if anyone sees me.
Daisy went to pick up the tea and I leaned back against the backrest, admiring the little yard.
But were there originally so many white roses in bloom?
The flower bed was full of roses I had never seen before, and I got up and went to the yard.
The hem of the red dress was drawn to the grass, yet I didn’t care. ‘Cause it’s mine anyway
When I reached the rose bed, I leaned forward a little and looked at the rose.
It wasn’t just white, it was a subtle white rose mixed with pale pink and purple. The flower buds in the shape of a lily, but shy and pitiful, were very beautiful.
As I reached for it, I heard a familiar voice.
“White Rotunia.”
When I turned my gaze, Reihausd was standing there.
“It’s a beautiful flower.”
I looked at it in amazement and said.
“Are you done already?”
He nodded. Then he came over to me and reached for the flower.
The sound of flower stems breaking was heard.
He handed me a single White Rotunia that he had broken.
I looked into his gold eyes with an awkward expression and accepted the flower. The flower had a strong, pleasant scent.
“It’s beautiful, but picking flowers is a bit too much.”
I made a sorrowful expression as much as possible.
Hearing my words, a cool smile formed on his lips for a moment.
“It was the same day I went to pick you up. You told me not to pluck the flowers.”
Of course, I didn’t know about it, but I was listening quietly.
And his red lips towards me were sweet again.
“But I… The only way to get it is to break it. That’s how it is.”
His eyes seemed to have gotten darker.
A strange wind blew between us. The stems of the still moist flower somehow felt cool.
“But if you pluck a flower… Its scent fades quickly.” I said, while looking at the White Rotunia showing off its beautiful figure.
“…It’s a heartless thing. It’s tough to die and twist quickly.” Reihausd answered with a bitter smile.
The wind blew again.
It was a fragrant wind mixed with the scent of many flowers.
He said as he stared at the rustling flowers.
“As Ariel once said. You wanted to see White Rotunia.”
“Rotunia for Ariel will bloom all year round in the backyard. When the cold wind starts to blow, we will move it to the greenhouse, so you can see it even in winter.”
I looked at Reihausd with a bewildered expression.
Surely this doesn’t mean you planted this flower for me, right?
“…Thank you.”
Anyway, Ariel seemed to really like this pretty flower.
“If Ariel stayed here all your life, I wouldn’t be picking flowers.”
At his next words, I looked at him with bewildered eyes.
He was staring at the roses that fluttered in the air with a cool smile on his lips.
“But if Ariel were to go somewhere, I would have to pick up these flowers one by one and go find you.”
“Sir Reihausd. I, you don’t have to.”
I would be lucky enough to open a store in a two-storey building, but as I remembered the High Priest standing in front of me holding a bunch of Rotunia, I waved my hand.
“The news has arrived.”
And then I licked my lower lip.
“Pardon?”
A moment of silence lingered between us.
His golden eyes were swaying even deeper.
“It is said that in the Thiago district, a girl who can manifest holy power has appeared.”
His words took my breath away
A single bent Rotunia in my hand fell to the floor.