Chapter 43: Running penguin and a confession

 

     Olivia was in front of the ninth tower looking for her door. Olivia was now frustrated. Everyone must be frustrated in this  situation.

     “Hey, come quickly!” she turned around, shouting.

     It came out of Olivia’s sacred fruit—a penguin. Its body is black and white, it has a large beak.

     The penguin was waddling, its body went from side to side, staggering to Olivia as hard as it could.

     It’s adorable and cute, but since it’s a penguin, it walks so slow.

     “Please, can’t you walk a little faster?” 

     Olivia, who has a strong temper and is rather impatient, doesn’t like that the penguin is slow. It’s a penguin, so it can’t be helped and it’s understandable, but she gets really irritated. She wanted to quickly find the door.

     She knows that when one finds their door in the final selection, you won’t actually become the saint at once. Anna, who’s no longer in the temple, found the door first and wasn’t chosen as the next saint.

     ‘Is it the contents of the ‘door’ she found?’

     When she turned and looked back, her brows were scrunched and saw that the position of the penguin hasn’t changed, though it’s definitely walking. There’s no alternative but to wait. She couldn’t help but sigh.

     If she holds and carries the penguin or takes its hand to walk, it’ll immediately fall asleep. She doesn’t know why. And for a while, it wouldn’t get up all day. It’s the same thing no matter how many times she did it.

     She knows that her door is near the vicinity of the ninth tower, but without the penguin, it won’t be able to point to the door. Even if she’s irritated by it, she has to wait for the penguin to catch up.

　‘Oh, already!’

     When the penguin came out her fruit, after seeing the Holy Dragon and the Black Leopard, she was honestly disappointed. She tried to think that it’s better than Rebecca’s earthworm, but she can tell of Rebecca’s absolute love for the earthworm being conveyed to her, so she felt like a fool thinking about such a thing.

     The penguin finally caught up with her. She wanted to continue on, but she sat down on the spot and threw her hands up in the air and looked up at the sky. Olivia was so annoyed.

     She knows it’s all up to her. The penguin is good, it’s adorable. However, when you see the Holy Dragon and the Black Leopard, she gets impatient and feels that she’s not suitable to be the next saint. And her penguin seems terribly poor and shabby.

     The penguin stood up and Olivia was finally able to go to find her door. It took her awhile to leave the room, so she had to hurry. 

     In front of the ninth tower gate, the surrounding walls, the ground, and the hedge were beautifully cut and built. Behind it were trees with equal spacing between them.

     As the penguin was walking, Olivia looked up at the gate of the ninth tower as she searched through the hedge. Beyond it is the first temple where the saint is.

     She can’t find it even if she tried looking for it. Perhaps her door isn’t in the second temple, but in the first temple? It faintly crossed her mind. However, candidates are not allowed to enter the first temple.

     Suddenly, a faint cry was heard of and running footsteps.

     “Wait! Hey, I’m sure there’s something going on. The saint is always a gentle person.”

     “Because…Because they told me they would give me time off. All of us…All the ladies who serve the saint. Why?”

     “I don’t know…I’m also sure there’s something going on. I’ll tell you why in due time. Therefore, I will ask you to do as you have been ordered. Why don’t you go back home for a while?  you haven’t been back for a while, have you? Or you may consult the chief priest and let you work in the second temple.”

     Olivia was hiding behind the hedge and the ladies-in-waiting didn’t seem to notice her. She raised her eyebrows. They were given time off to leave? Why? She doesn’t know the details, but she thought that now is her chance. Those ladies usually watch over the gate. Now, there’s some turmoil in the first temple and the ninth tower gate has been left open.

     ‘I’m now able to enter the first temple.’

     Olivia gulped. This choice can’t be achieved with just common sense. Olivia definitely wants to be the next saint. If her door is in the first temple and she was not able to find it then, she’ll be disqualified. 

     ‘and I’m sure you’ll forgive me if I find it for the final selection.’

     Olivia quietly stood up and gently went towards the gate. As expected, there was no one watching it. Probably due to her time off or she might have been consulting someone.

     With a look of amazement, Olivia walked into the first temple, waiting impatiently for the penguin, who followed her, “So this is where the saint is.”

     Yesterday, when she exposed Liz’s crime in front of the priests, she was able to see her for the first time in a long time, but she soon returned to the first temple. She quietly walked down the long quiet corridor. The construction and pattern of the pillars are similar to the second temple. Unlike in the busy second temple, the first remained quiet. The sunlight reflected on the white walls,  it was bright, though its brightness seemed somewhat artificial.

     Olivia, who grew up in the royal capital, always longed to be a saint. When she was a child, she saw the current saint at the ceremony. A gorgeous white robe and a white crown only worn by the saint. The saint shone as she waved her hand towards the crowd of enthusiastic citizens. At that time she decided to become the next saint.

     She was proud to be in a place where she had always yearned for. Though at the same time, she realized that it was far beyond her reach from what she has been longing for, her feelings became darker.

     Suddenly,  her sleeve was pulled. When she looked, it was the penguin who grabbed Olivia  and was frantically shaking its head from side to side as if it was telling her, “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

     “It’s alright.” She laughed as if also telling herself.

     “Do you know where my door is?”

     The penguin suddenly stiffened as if it had sensed something.

     The door of the back room is open. When Olivia shook off the desperate penguin, she quietly peered inside.

     ‘Saint!’

     The room is like a sitting room, it had a table and a sofa. The saint had her back facing her, looking into a mirror.

     “She’s being such a foolish thing…!”

     She’s cursing. The sight of the woman made her heart shake, it isn’t like the saint.

     ‘…What?’

     Even from a distance, Olivia has a good eyesight, though she can see it vaguely, the face of the saint in the mirror. However, it was not the saint in the reflection, it was a completely different person.

     ‘What’s going on ?!’ Her mind was muddled. As she was about to instinctively retreat, her eyes met with the saint through the mirror.

     Although Olivia was shocked, the saint  didn’t seem so surprised to see her. Her mouth distorted giving  a laugh. Olivia was appalled.

     ‘We have to run! Quick!’

     She trembled. The moment she was about to run away, the saint fluttered down in front of her without any sound.

     Olivia screamed, but there was no one around. The saint smiled as she approached Olivia.

“You’ve seen it. What a helpless child. How can I help you?  If you work with me, I’ll appoint you as the next saint. “

     ‘Oh, no!’

     The penguin ran. Even if it wasn’t running, it was doing its best to walk as fast as it could, its body waddling from side to side. Olivia was caught. It needed to call for help. It could smell comrades nearby. She was captured by someone powerful. The penguin did its best to run—walk—quickly.

 

* * * * *

 

     At the far innermost of the dungeon, the edge of the west wall. He pushed it hard from two directions at the same time, and the stone wall had just opened which was designed for one person. A narrow passage connects from it.

     Shiro was caught, but it was nowhere seen in the dungeon. It was probably taken to the first temple, where the fake saint is. However, Liz can’t return to the temple now. If she was captured again, she wouldn’t be able to escape this time.

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　‘Shiro, wait. I’ll definitely go help you.’

     The narrow passage led them to the inner garden of the Royal Palace. The grass is so dense that the entrance is hidden like a lid.

     It was the first time Liz has come to the palace. When I was in her home village, she had  never imagined that she would be able to step in it.

     “This way.” Keefa stood in front of her and guided her. 

     She was amazed by the size of the temple but the palace was even larger. Liz was stunned as she walked through the long corridor. It was so luxurious that she has ever seen a corridor alone.

     The ceiling is so high that it makes one feel like you’re being sucked whenever one looks at it. Beautiful mural paintings are on the wall near the ceiling. The bright sunlight pouring down the large window seemed to be calculated as it exactly fell on the floor. The circle of the sun was drawn at even intervals intertwined with the patterns on the floor. It seemed like a dreamland.

     Liz was overwhelmed that she had almost stumbled when she looked around. Keefa turned around and she quickly straightened herself looking proud as if she hadn’t stumbled. Keefa quietly turned back. She was relieved that she wasn’t exposed, but a moment later, Keefa’s shoulders began to tremble. He was laughing. Liz cursed.

     “Your Highness.” It was Eric, Keefa’s close aide, who appeared without any sound. When Eric smiled at Liz, she smiled back.

     The duke is promised to meet the prime minister in the palace.

     “First of all, I’m not good at acting.” Keefa said to Liz.

     “Yes, I understand.”

     To be honest, Keefa was shocked that Liz continued without worrying about it.

     “I’m not good at acting, either.”

     “I suppose…I see.”

     Liz frowned and looked at Keefa as he honestly spoke his feelings from the bottom of his heart. He hastily looked away.

　

     After a while, the duke came. She had that bad feeling from that time when she met him before, but when she thought of him as the butler in the previous life, Liz had goosebumps all over her body.

     “Your Royal Highness Prince Keefa.”

     He has probably already heard that Keefa has taken Liz out of prison. However, he didn’t say anything and bowed with a soft smile.

     Then, he said in a whisper, as if he were really concerned. “Is it all right that the temple is in great alarm that the prince has brought Liz Stefan, out of prison?”

     “It’s alright. Liz isn’t a criminal.”

     “Yes, I heard that the saint said so. Where’s Liz?”

     “…she’s in a safe place.”

     “Perhaps Liz should be better to be handed over now. She’s a criminal that the saint had herself captured. It’d be hard if the prince is suspected of being her accomplice. The dignity of the royal family will also be suspected and questioned.” His face appeared to be clouded with worry as a loyal subject who gave advice.

     Liz cursed in her mind.

     In the room on the second floor, from countless small holes in the wall, she could see the corridor below. In other words, the confrontation between Keefa and the duke. Of course, in the corridor, they can only see the murals and decorations. The appearance of Liz peeping through couldn’t be seen.

     Keefa inhaled and said, “I’m going to marry Liz!”

     “…What?”

     At his sudden declaration, the course of conversation deviated, it had nothing to do with it. The duke became angry.

     “I am about to report it to my father now. The duke, if you will, please attend our wedding!” Keefa continued regardless.

     “…Your Highness. What did you say? Liz is a criminal. Moreover, she’s a commoner. Your father, the king, will not forgive you—”

     “I love Liz! There is no obstacle between the two people who love each other!”

     ‘This is not good’

     Liz blushed, her mind became blurry. She understands that he had to say something outrageous and extraordinary so that the duke would stop for the time being. However, Keefa’s acting was bad. Eric, who was standing next to her, smiled as if he had read Liz’s mind.

     The duke laughed at him, like a child had burst out and said something crazy. She knew he didn’t believe it. As the duke tried to leave, Liz looked at Keefa. His gaze was fixed to the duke. She was unable to read the expression on his face.

     Keefa spoke slowly and earnestly, “I like Liz.”

     Liz’s heart jumped. She knows that this is just acting.

     “I’ve had for a long time. Even if I was betrayed  in the past, I’ve never forgotten her.”

     She knew it was Cecil. The duke would understand. The duke’s expression suddenly changed to a serious expression.

     “She was a very kind woman, and I felt at ease with her. At first, I was trying to superimpose Liz on her, but Liz’s character was completely different from that person. They don’t even look alike at all.”

     ‘You don’t have to say that.’ Liz poisoned her heart.

     “One day, by some chance, a woman with the same face as her appeared before me. Moreover, she seems to have inherited her blood. I thought that it was fate. At first, however, I was certainly surprised, but I wasn’t interested in her at all.”

     “…Why?” the duke’s voice cracked as if he were trying hard to hold back his desire to question him.

     “She looks just like the one His Highness loves, isn’t it? and if it is of blood, why -!”

     “It was the old me who loved her. Not ‘me’ now.” Keefa sharply said.

     The duke breathed in.

     “I like Liz right now. She isn’t similar to that person, but she’s strong, dignified, unfazed, and unamiable. Liz is a nice girl. Compared to other women who’re scared and  screams at insects, she, with a single blow, smacks it with a neutral expression.” Keefa smiled. His eyes seemed to be full of love.

     Liz clenched her hands tightly, heart beating fast. Really fast. She wanted to shout the swirling emotions she’s feeling. She didn’t expect to, but she felt herself blush.

     What is it? What’s going on? Keefa isn’t very good at acting, but in the middle, he suddenly acts good like a different person. No, she doesn’t think it’s acting. It seemed as if he were exposing what’s on his mind—

     “It’s a confession of love.” Eric whispered. For some reason it looks like he’s having fun.

     She remembered someone and got annoyed. Liz answered coolly, “No. It’s acting.”

     “Really? Do you really think so?” Eric smiled at Liz, who frowned.

     In the corridor, Keefa said to the duke in a matter-of-fact tone, “It’s a false accusation to Liz. I don’t know why the saint would say that Liz was the culprit, but Liz didn’t do it at all, therefore she’s wrong. The priests told me that they had not seen her recently, so maybe something had happened. I would like to convey it to father and bring in the chief retainers together to get a solution. And of course, the opinion of the chief priest.”

     “Is that so?” the duke said, smiling. However, his cheeks were stiffened for a moment. There were surely many thoughts running through his head.

     “Your Highness. I’ve remembered that I have something to do. Then, excuse me.” The duke politely bowed and left, he didn’t smile.

     

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