Chapter 18: 16

As always, his unchanging and beautiful sleeping face greeted her.

“Good… afternoon.”

Alice muttered softly as she quietly looked at Kaillus’ face and greeted him. 

“I shouldn’t get attached…. I guess I’ve grown attached.” 

Seeing that the butler’s words made her a little sad, Alice swallowed her last words. It wasn’t that kind of impure feeling of being sad she couldn’t see his handsome body anymore; it was that moment that a line was drawn between the two of them, but she hesitated because she was feeling remorseful. But it was only right to draw a line between them – because she doesn’t have anything she could do for Kaillus. On top of that, she will soon leave the Duke’s house so it is better to draw at this point like this. 

“Right… I am leaving this place.”

Alice kept talking even when she was feeling down, but it didn’t make her feel any better. I shouldn’t have given Kaillus affection in the first place. The problem was that you were so unrealistically handsome – I can’t help but have my attention caught by you. 

She will leave Kaillus and let him die. She was trying to accept that fact, but she wasn’t confident that she wouldn’t mind if she heard that Kaillus died one day. 

If a miracle can happen and Kaillus didn’t die after she left, just like the earlier appearance of Young Lady Meltain, wouldn’t Kaillus’ death be avoided? But then the flow of this world would change too much. That shouldn’t happen. 

“… So I have to stop thinking.”

About you. Alice turned her head away from Kaillus’ beautiful face with a troubled heart. 

And she didn’t look back at Kaillus until she left the bedroom to clear her mind. So when Alice went out, Kaillus’ low voice echoed throughout the bedroom. 

“… You’re leaving this place?”

As he slowly sat up, he brushed over his ebony hair and looked at the door where Alice left with a strange look. He deliberately asked the butler for Alice to have more time alone with him so he can get to know her more deeply. 

But he didn’t expect that she would say what was on her mind from the very first day. Did she marry with the intention to leave the Duke’s house from the very beginning? If that is the case, then it is understandable she didn’t listen to Madam Quillian’s orders. 

“Leaving….”

Alice Podoori will leave the House of the Duke. 

“That is….”

Kaillus couldn’t take his eyes off the place where Alice was standing with an unknown annoyance and frustration. 

(T/N: Oh, I see: she falls first but he falls harder smiling evilly)

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

When the sun began to set in the next afternoon. 

They headed for the temple of Helios with the carriage given from the House of Duke Diorat. 

Riding the carriage for the first time, Alice was quite excited. She imagined medieval carriages, but it was much better than that and the ride was the best. She couldn’t feel the shaking of the carriage at all. 

Looking around in wonder, Alice met Young Lady Meltain’s gaze who was sitting opposite of her. 

“You look to be in a good mood, Madam.”

“Ah, it’s true that I’m excited because it’s been a while since I’ve been out.” 

“I heard that you just got married, but it seems like you can’t go out that much in Count Podoori’s House.” 

“Yes. I couldn’t go out as it was only an estate in the countryside and our family circumstances weren’t that very good. Actually… that was why I told Mother I want to go out with Young Lady.” 

Alice carefully added her backstory, as if telling her a secret. So that by any chance, Young Lady Meltain wouldn’t misunderstand why she was asked to go out yesterday. 

Young Lady Meltain answered slowly with slightly darker green eyes, “… Ah, I see.”

“Yes, I wanted to go out with Young Lady as you go out too. I thought that this would be a good opportunity to do so. Because Mother will surely give me permission if I tell her that I am going with Young Lady Meltain to the temple.” 

Alice looked as if she was dying with excitement. Young Lady Meltain’s face dropped with that. It was because right now, Alice doesn’t look like someone who was going to the temple to pray for her husband’s health. She looked like an immature woman who came out to play without the sick Duke in her mind. She stared at her. 

“I see. Then when you have a chance, come with me to the capital city, Madam.”

Fortunately, Young Lady Meltain slowly opened her darkened eyes as if she had been fooled by Alice’s acting. 

“Really? It would be great then.”

Alice put her hands together and smiled – with the same innocent face, as if saying ‘I don’t know anything’. The carriage stopped as she was having an unsatisfactory conversation with Young Lady Meltain. 

“Little Madame, Young Lady. We have arrived at the temple.”

Alice got off the carriage with Young Lady Meltain at the words of the coachman. 

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

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“Welcome, Duchess Diorat.”

A priest was waiting for them as they entered the temple. He greeted Alice naturally as he had seen the Duke Diorat’s carriage from afar. 

It was already known that the temple is kind towards nobles. This is because, unlike commoners, nobles send huge donations to the temple. The higher a noble is, the better the treatment is – so much that a priest would personally come and greet them. 

“Nice to meet you, priest. We are here today to pray for the Duke’s health.”

“Duke Diorat has yet to recover. Our priests were also working hard, but… I don’t think our prayers have reached God yet. God would surely answer our prayers since the Duchess had come to offer prayers herself.” The priest said with a smile on his face. 

If it could happen… it would be better. But Kaillus won’t wake up. Alice smiled awkwardly, hiding her bitterness. 

“Yes. I would be grateful if God would listen.” 

“I’m sure He will. Then I will guide you now to the prayer room. Our temple has separate rooms for nobles, so you will be able to pray comfortably.” 

At that moment, Young Lady Meltain, who had been still, intervened. 

“Do I have to share the prayer room with the Duchess?”

“Ah… yes. The prayer room I will show you is a double room, but would you like to pray separately?” 

The priest looked at Young Lady Meltain – with confused eyes. 

Alice looked back at Young Lady Meltain. 

Young Lady Meltain then narrowed her brows slightly as if it would be a pity, and said, “I feel uncomfortable when there are people around me while I pray. If you don’t mind… May I pray in a private prayer room?”  

So you’ve got something else on your mind. She had been aware that Young Lady Meltain had another meaning since she said that she would want to visit the temple. But it was even more convincing seeing that she wants to be separated from her. 

What Alice had told Madam Quillian instantly popped into her mind. That she wouldn’t be separated from Young Lady Meltain… what bulls**t. 

Alice tugged her lips into a bright smile. 

“Of course, Young Lady. I think a private prayer room would be more comfortable.”

“Thank you. Then see you in two hours.”

“Yes, Young Lady.”

Alice parted ways with Young Lady Meltain as she cheered for Young Lady Meltain’s covert operation with Madam Quillian.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

“Hmm, so you are… God.” 

Alice looked up at the statue on the platform as she arrived in the private prayer room. 

Helios, the god of sun. Like a god, the statue’s appearance was very beautiful. Just like Kaillus. 

“Ah… I am in trouble. My standard of beauty has become that of Kaillus.”

Alice sighed deeply as Kaillus naturally flashed in her mind. How can I forget him and live a good life this way? Come to think of it, Kaillus’ face wasn’t that easy to forget. I will remember it until the day my coffin closes – because such a handsome man was uncommon. 

“I should have never met you in the first place. No, if you’re going to make me possess someone, why did you have to give me the role of a passing extra 1? I feel jittery….” Alice said to the statue. 

Then there was a moment of silence. But of course, no answer came. 

God’s voice suddenly echoed in times like this in the novel. She didn’t seem to have that much buff. 

She stroked her neck out of awkwardness and approached the bookshelves on one corner of the room. There were books about God there. The book about divine power among them caught Alice’s eyes. She took out the book and opened the first page. 

[This book was written by the Great First Pope, I, Strophel, so show your respect for me before you read it.]  

“Wow… This is a book that I hate to read from the very first page.” 

Alice turned over the pages thinking about the narcissistic introduction on the book’s cover. She then found a striking passage talking about divine power. 

[Divine Power – it is a blessing from God. However, not everyone can have the same divine power just because it is a blessing from God. Just as wizard’s circles were all different, there is a diversity of divine powers among priests according to the divine will. The most common level is the divine power of a lower-class priest who can warm the body or heal small wounds. 

It is only possible to treat large wounds if you become a High Priest. Moreover, the degree to which a wound can be cured at once or heal internal wounds is rare among high-ranking priests. It is only possible if one becomes someone like me.] 

“… What?”

Alice raised her head from the book with a puzzled look on her face. It wasn’t because of the narcissistic last verse. 

“It is only possible to treat large wounds if you become a High Priest….”

Her divine power clearly healed Kaillus’ wounds. She definitely saw it with her own two eyes. But to say that’s not a common level of divine power. Alice’s golden eyes thoroughly shook.

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