Vieille woke up slowly. His throat was parched and for some reason he could not open his eyes.
"Mi...... water......"
In the darkness, I could barely squeeze out a few words. My mouth was dry. I could not speak well. In fact, I can't even close my mouth. It seems that my jaw is dislocated.
Why in the world ......? I have never heard of jaws coming off while sleeping. But if he spent the night with his mouth open, this thirst makes sense.
I have to call ...... doctor, Dr. Thumbtack.
When he thought about it, Vieille realized that he could not move at all. It was as if he was in bondage, his arms and legs could not move at all. Barely, only the neck moves a little.
Vieille tries desperately to open her eyes to see what is going on. However, both of her eyes were frozen as if they were glued together, and she could not move a twitch. Still, she struggled to open her eyes, shaking her barely moving head slowly from side to side.
Finally, her left eye gradually began to open. What she saw was an unbelievable sight.
To my surprise, fire was rising from everywhere in Aphrodite, the city that Vieille had devoted his heart and soul to build. The flames seem to be spreading gradually and seem to be heading toward the Papal Temple.
......Why on earth?
She is huffing and puffing, and slowly asking around. The offshore area was filled with what appeared to be military vessels. No way, some country has invaded this Aphrodite. No, that's impossible. The defense system of Aphrodite is perfect. Vieille realized suddenly. Yes. The kingdom of Subclina under Rucker was out of control. So they had no choice but to subjugate the Grand Duchy of Foal. I wonder what happened to that country. I believe they sent an emissary to the country. .......
As he thought about this, Vieille noticed that his body was floating in the air. She wondered what was going on and looked around more, only to find that she was hanging from the wall of the Papal Temple with her hands and feet tied to something like a crucifix. Looking more closely, I noticed that near her, her main retainers were also hanging from the same cross. All of them were motionless as if they were dolls.
Suddenly she realized that her clothes were torn to shreds. Their underwear had been stripped off, exposing their well-shaped breasts and the lower half of their bodies. And there was something like blood on my thighs and ankles for some reason. What in the world happened to her? .......
I don't feel any pain in my body. Rather, I cannot feel my body at all. It seems that I am paralyzed.
"Hmph. Ha ha ha ha ha ......"
The old man's high-pitched laugh echoes through the air. Whose voice could it be? Vieille feels nostalgia in his voice. As she looks for the source of the voice, she notices a group of soldiers in black armor at her feet, looking up at her. In the center of the group, she spots two men dressed in white.
Fat bodies. Bald heads. And beards. ....... It was Vieille's grandfather, Jouvancel Sein.
"Oh ...... grandfather, sir ......"
I tried desperately to squeeze my voice out, but it seemed that his voice did not reach me. Grandfather looks up at Vieille and nods his head in satisfaction. Suddenly, another man in white standing next to him catches his eye.
"Ka......Kassel!
Why is Cassel here? He would have taken it with his own hands. And your grandfather. Both of them took their lives with their own hands. Why ......? Vieille's head is spinning.
"Sister. You look nice. And even in such a pathetic state, you are still beautiful. I should have enjoyed this much more than I did. ......"
Listening to Cassel's words, Vieille gradually regains her memory. That's right. He was in his office reading through a report when he was suddenly interrupted by a group of soldiers. It was Cassel who was leading the soldiers. Cassel, with a smirk and a sneer on his face, grabbed Vieille by the hair and suddenly pulled her down to the ground. Then, without telling her, he stripped off his clothes and stripped himself naked.
From then on, I only have fragmentary memories, but Vieille certainly became a comfort to Cassel and all the soldiers there. And Cassel continued to watch with a big smile on his face as Vieille continued to be overtaken by the soldiers.
"Sister!"
Cassel's voice brings me back to myself. He is still grinning and smirking.
"Now it's time for the real fun! I won't let you go now, sister.
No. Who said anything about you? I have more work to do. Not yet. Not yet. .......
At that moment, I felt lighter and the scenery changed. My whole body was drenched in sweat. The usual bedroom. It was a dream. .......
Vieille slowly and carefully takes hold of her hands and checks that she can move. He also tries to move his legs. They are fine and free to move.
She touches herself all over her body, checking for anything out of the ordinary, while she regulates her breathing.
"Are you awake?"
The sudden sound of a woman's voice makes Vieille involuntarily shiver. He looks up to see Saliera, the maid of honor.
"Water, please. ......"
Before she could finish her sentence, Saliera moved and offered water. Vieille got up, took it, and drank it down in one gulp.
"Phew. ......"
Saliera's hand reaches out to me. Vieille hands her the cup he has been holding. Immediately, the glass filled with water is offered again. She drinks it slowly.
"Thank you."
"Yes. ......"
Saliera reverently accepted the cup and remained where she was, waiting for further instructions. Vieille glanced at her, got off the bed as usual, walked to the window, and opened it with a bang.
The morning sun is dazzling. She blocks out the light with her hand and looks out at the city of Kyoto spread out below her. As usual, the city is beautiful and neatly arranged.
Vieille takes a deep breath. The scent of the sea on the breeze is refreshing.
"I'm going to take a bath."
Yes. I am ready.
Nodding at the sound of Saliera's voice, Vieille quickly makes her way to the bathroom. She immediately takes off her clothes and becomes fully clothed.
She looks at her body in the mirror and checks every inch of it. There is no dirt or stain. It is my usual body. Vieille nods slowly and begins to scrub herself with the towel in her hand. She began to cleanse her body more carefully than usual, as if she was trying to remove something unclean.
When she was finished, she went to her office without breakfast. She overpowered Aurélie, her secretary, and the cardinals who had come to greet her in the morning, and in a slightly stronger tone of voice, she ordered them to go to their offices.
Get me Sir Ron Esrotel. Right away, sir."
"Ha-ha-ha."
Everyone leaves the room, bewildered by the Pope's unusual appearance. Alone in the empty room, Vieille mutters in a small voice.
"I have a ...... bad feeling about this. I can't ...... lose. I can't lose like my grandfather and Cassel ......."