Chapter 58: Before the Coronation 2

 

     The coronation of the saint of Astoria will take place as soon as the next one is decided. Unlike the coronation ceremony of a King, the new saint is given the crown of the ‘Holy Saint’ by the hands of the current saint.

     The coronation is finally approaching, it’s the day after tomorrow. The ceremony takes place in the cathedral between the first and second tower gates. During the selection, the entrance was closed off that’s why Liz and the other candidates never got to look inside.

     Kings, of course, royal families, senior ministers, and nobles are invited to celebrate the coronation of the next saint. 

     On the day itself, since it’s going to be packed, soldiers are called by the royal palace to coordinate thorough arrangements and meetings with the priests.

     Liz is in the middle of a room in the second temple, in the process of checking clothes by the hands of the maids. Despite the coronation happening, for the time being, she’ll be an assistant to the current saint learning how to work and do her duty as the saint.

     ‘For now, my first job is the coronation and properly get through it .’

     The moment she breathed in her resolve, the corset tightened and Liz groaned in spite of herself. She wore a thin inner garment and a white robe covering up to her ankles. The waist is loosely tied and a fine lace was around her neck. The chest and the hem were adorned with intricate embroidery of silver threads. It looked so luxurious that Liz shuddered as it grazed her hand.

     However, why is it that the corset should be tightened so much when she’s wearing a rather loose robe?

     “In order to make the body line look good, we start from the inside. That’s why a corset is needed.”

Liz glanced at the head maid and nodded in recognition.

     “It’s only during the coronation. You don’t have to normally wear them, so please be rest assured.”

     Good. Liz felt relieved in her heart.

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     Finally, it becomes completed once the temple’s pattern is placed on the shoulder.

     “You’d better shorten the sleeves a little.”

     “I’ll narrow down the waist.”

     While the attendants were consulting with each other, she remembered the procedure of the coronation ceremony taught by the chief priest.

     “I’ll explain it in detail, after the oath and baptism, I will give you the saint’s cane. You hold it with your left hand and if the saint instructs you to bend, you bend a little and the crown will be placed on your head by the saint.”

     The ladies made their final adjustments of the sleeves and the length of the robe.

     “‘What do you think?” they asked, looking at Liz.

     “…”

     What is this silence? It worried them.

     “What is it?”

     The moment she looked at them, they burst out with a smile exulting in admiration.

     “I’m sorry. I thought it looked very good. Of course, the white clothing of the saint would contrast with black hair and dark eyes of past saints, but with Liz’s white hair is another thing.” 

     “Yes, yes! Your red eyes are accents, like jewels.”

     Indeed, the white hair and red eyes of Liz contrasted her white robe well. While her whole body is adorned pure white, the two red eyes are as deep as jewels.

     “…Thank you.” Liz wasn’t comfortable since she isn’t used to being complimented. She’s happy, but her body is itching.

     A young attendant kneeled beside Liz, “Excuse me. I’ll polish your nails…!”

     “Nails?” Liz was confused.

     “Yes! It’s a coronation. We have to clean and polish your whole body!” 

     Even to this day, they thoroughly washed her whole body with a very strong force in the bathtub, and after she’d be coated with a kind of mud to cleanse her skin. Many times. And more than that, it’s like miso made with cold water.

     ‘They’re still doing it?’

     It’s a shock for her.

     “It is the beginning. Preparation is now until the day after tomorrow.” said the head maid, who’s inspecting every detail. 

     “Excuse me,” the young lady said, timidly taking Liz’s hand, who lost whatever words to say. She carefully polished her nails with a wet coarse cloth and a dry cloth then she applied a thick honey-like cream.

     ‘…I feel quite uneasy.’

     Her shoulders were stiff, she felt a sense of discomfort of them doing such things for her. Then a young maid, with a bright red face, spoke to Liz, who she thought seemed nervous about the coronation.

     “It really suits you! Truly!”

     “…Thank you.”

     The young lady happily smiled at Liz, who thanked her in surprise.

     ‘The way she speaks is similar to Natalie.’

     She had a  clear, bright way of speaking which was quite similar to Natalie, who used to be one of the candidates in the selection. This maid is not a tsundere. Still, she felt warm and round that Liz unintentionally smiled. 

     The young maid worked hard to polish her nails and said, “You have magical powers, don’t you? So, there are also those who have magical powers even if they don’t have black hair and dark eyes! Oh, I wasn’t aware at all, I’m being rude…!”

“It’s perfectly fine. I’m kind of a special case.”

She first found out when the chief priest and the saintess told her.

     “But I never knew I possessed magic powers.”

     “Eh?” the maid was surprised,”—you didn’t know? All throughout the selection?”

     “Yes, not only me, but the other candidates and the priests as well.” Liz frowned. Well, it can’t be helped since no one would have thought that she did have magic.

     “But I really wanted to be a saint.”

     She worked hard even if they continued to say that she isn’t worthy or suitable to be one.

     The young lady’s face shook with confusion. It is said that a saint is viewed as someone above the clouds. However, for a moment, Liz’s face became dark as she had remembered something. The brightness in her eyes was fading. The reason for her discovery of her own power.

     “—There was a lover who had promised marriage.”

     The servant’s eyes were wide,  she was surprised.

     “However, the house of that lover took him, apparently he was of nobility. There was an obvious difference in status and a talk of marriage with another noble’s daughter was in progress.”

     The young servant was a commoner that was abandoned and at the very least, as an apology, was introduced to the temple. The maid bit her lip as she looked down.

     Liz looked at the trembling maid.

     ‘I’d be tremendously disappointed.’

     It was heartbreaking since she understood it too well. She felt sorry and sad, she couldn’t help it.

     Liz looked up towards the ceiling. She wanted power. She wanted to freely to live her own life.

     “You are sorry.” She quietly muttered.

      The maid raised her face, she could not find any tears on her, it’s just that the expression on her face looked gloomy. Probably due to her having so many thoughts, she could only swallow the idea even if she was not convinced. That’s why.

     Liz looked at her with sincere eyes as she shrugged off her disappointment.

     “I know that nobles and commoners are widely different, especially in their social status. However, it’s only when you have life, or something important that cannot be bought with such money, it’s invalid. I want to be able to interact with people on an equal basis. I wished to be in  a world where I could freely speak.”

     The young maid did not even move. She looked at her as if asking for salvation.

     “When I came to the temple, I thought that if I were to be the next saint, I wondered if I would be able to change things. To not let anyone else feel sad. I wanted everyone to be happy in this world.”

     It is different from her previous life where she can only escape from unreasonable demands and irrationality of people. When she became a candidate, it’s now not out of reach. She can now do something with just her strength, now that she has a position and power to do so.

     Liz looked at the young maid with her determined red eyes and smiled. 

There was a knock and came Keefa’s voice, “Excuse me…”

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     Reflexively, Liz stretched out her neck and from the wooden partition by the door, looked at Keefa. Once he saw her, he swallowed as if he had lost the words he was going to say. Then he smiled at Liz, his eyes were smiling as if it had seen something precious. That joyous smile instantly made Liz feel embarrassed.

     Keefa took a step forward, “Liz,”

     “Excuse my impertinence Your Highness, but Miss Liz is in the middle of preparation for the coronation. There is no time left, please do not disturb us. Besides, men are prohibited here.” The head maid said flatly as Keefa was quickly driven out of the room. Then, at the same time he heard her mutter to herself, “What exactly are the guards doing?”

     As if to catch the small gap of opportunity, someone entered the room. On the other side of the partition, the head maid started, “His Highness could not come in. Of course, the priest—”

     “I have a message from the chief priest. I had to tell the next Holy Saint immediately. So please give me the clear.” Lloyd said. What he was saying was probably a lie, even if she couldn’t see his face, Liz knew.

     The maid was not convinced and asked the other young maids if it were true.

     “No one knows since I was asked in secret. I was given the task since I’m the one who brought Liz to the temple. After all, I’m the trusted and closest priest of the next saint.” He said.

     Who’s trusted? Liz questioned what he said.

     The maid sighed and nodded, “I understand,” and reluctantly went out of the room with the other maids.

     “Now,” Lloyd started, looking all pleased and satisfied. At the moment when he saw Liz dressed in the coronation robe, he faltered as he breathed in and slowly blinked. After, he had his usual composition.

     “— You’re white, all over.”

     “As you can see.”

     “Stop using honorifics and addressing me formally. You will soon become the next Holy Saint. On the other hand, I’m just a priest. You don’t even need to use ‘-san’ either.”

     “Alright…Lloyd.”

     “…Isn’t it alright if you hesitated a little bit longer?”

     Liz laughed at Lloyd quietly pouting and muttering to himself that she did not care.

     “Thank you, Lloyd.”

     “Why are you thanking me?”

     “If you had not spoken to me in the village, I would not be here now.”

Lloyd suddenly became sheepish, he hastily turned away to avoid it being seen.

     “At that time, why did you ask me where the key was? I was just a commoner, did not know any magic nor knew I possessed any magic.” Liz asked what had been on her mind.

     “—As soon as we got there, I heard a maid talking. I was convinced that you are someone with a mysterious power that can find things that people cannot find.”

     “It was a lie that the key had been lost. You deliberately placed it under the bed of that room to test me.”

     Lloyd laughed, “That’s right.”

     “But I was right. Would you even know about the yellow string on the key? Before I left the temple, we were told by the saint that ‘the silver key is visible to anyone who holds even a small amount of divine power. The string though wouldn’t be easily seen. Even without seeing the real thing, I guessed. At that time, I thought that whether that person be a commoner, unfriendly, or not someone with magic —well, apparently you are — that this person holds the vessel of being the next saint.”

     A gentle breeze can be felt through the room, the curtains by the window fluttered as Liz’s hair stroked the hem of her robe.

     From the beginning, he believed in her. A feeling of warmth spread throughout.

     Lloyd got down on one knee on the floor. Then he looked up at Liz, a soft smile played on his lips.

     “Congratulations! Miss Liz Stefan, the next Holy Saint”

     It was the same as that time. For a moment, it felt like she was back in her village.

     “Well then,” said Lloyd, smiling rather sadly, as he stood up to leave.

     She called at him to stop, she had something to ask.

     “Lloyd. Where will you be at the coronation ceremony?”

     “Where—the same place as the other priests.” He turned at her looking puzzled.

     People all over the country will be visiting the cathedral to celebrate. At the center would be the next saint and beside would be the former saintess, as well as the king and the chief priest. Behind them would be the other priests lined up. 

     Liz knew that. She still continued with a smile, “What about after the day after tomorrow? And the next?”

     “What are you talking about?” Lloyd frowned, not understanding her question as if it was a riddle.

     “The coronation is only held the day after tomorrow, but the Holy Saint is still holding other ceremonies, activities, and whatnot. I’m asking about the future.” 

     Lloyd thoughtfully placed his hand under his chin, his mouth slightly agape. Staring at his expression, Liz smiled invincibly, “Where will you be then? With the other priests or—”

     Lloyd seemed to understand what Liz was hinting at. The look on his face changed. It’s impossible. Liz didn’t look away as she confidently smiled at him.

     He eventually placed his hands on his hips as he let out a long breath, he raised his head and turned to Liz as he let out a small chuckle, “—yes, I believe it’d be more interesting to watch it nearby. Right behind Liz.”

     There is only one person who can be right behind the saint, and that is  the chief priest.

     “Will I be able to achieve it? It’s too much of a hassle and can be very annoying.” In spite of his words, there was a cheerful radiance on his face.

     As she heard several footsteps in front of the room, Liz suddenly remembered, “Sir Lloyd, did you lie about relaying a message from the chief priest? Those maids will get angry once they find out.”

     “I’ll escape before that happens.” Lloyd shrugged his shoulders and looked at Liz with a laugh. In an instant, the expression on his face changed. His black eyes carried a strangely serious light.

     “Sir Lloyd?”

     Lloyd placed his index finger over Liz’s lips, blocking whatever words she was going to say.

     “Just now,” In a hushed voice, he placed a hand over Liz’s head. She was patted quite strongly as if she’s a lovely child or animal. Even if she couldn’t see it, she knew that her hair was in disarray.

     “That—?” When she looked up at him, she saw his intense gaze. It’s an  expression where you can feel your chest tighten. Through her surprise and bewilderment, she didn’t move. This was a side unusual to the childish and incongruous Lloyd that she knows. His hand softly slid down to the side of her face and slowly fixed her hair into place.

     Slowly and with warmth, as if in love, Lloyd’s fingers glide down in between the strands of her hair. As if trying to piece all the puzzles of emotions and feelings together, gently placing all of his attention on her hair, touching it with great care.

     Liz couldn’t move nor could she turn her gaze away. She never noticed Lloyd’s feelings, it was not until now that she realized how he felt. She was quick-witted and had good intuition. However, it was not helpful at all, she suddenly felt like pulling her hair.

     How could she not have noticed? Perhaps it was because Lloyd himself had not realized his feelings until recently.

     It seemed like a long time had passed. The tips of Liz’s hair ends on her shoulder. Lloyd slightly bit his lips and released his fingers from her hair, stopping just above her collarbone. His finger slightly grazed her and she trembled. His fingers felt like it was full of strength, then—

     His movements stopped. His gaze was on the ring which hung on the thin leather strap around her neck. It was the ring that Keefa cherished when he was a child. It was given to her.

     Lloyd suddenly let out a smile. A knowing, helpless, lonely smile. He lifted his fingers off her and slightly raised his face as he looked at her.

     “Congratulations!” He gave out a small smile which belonged to the usual Lloyd. Even though the window wasn’t open, it felt like a gust of wind blew into the room as if representing the end of things.

     In his usual light tone he said, “At best, you have to dress up. After all, you’re the first albino saint since the beginning of Astoria. A beautiful and elegant saint that would make the people lose their voice—”

     “That’s impossible” her voice came out normally. It was their usual little banter of exchange. He’s back to his usual tone. She was quite relieved but she felt a bit displeased with herself by that relief.

     “Then at the coronation.” Lloyd smiled and turned to leave as he waved his hand.

     “I hope you will take care of me in the future, Lady Liz.”

     “Yes. Sir Lloyd.”

     “No honorifics. You may stop using it.”

     “All right, Lloyd.”

     “…You don’t really hesitate on it.” Lloyd let out a small laugh as he left the room.

     Behind him, Liz continued to see him off even after the door closed.

     

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