Episode 97
Translator: RaidenTL
Episode 97
When Elysia flopped onto the bed with her hair still wet, soaking the covers, Siene shrieked in horror.
Unable to withstand the shrill nagging, Elysia finally sat up and dried her hair again with a towel. Pouting at the order not to come near the bed until her hair was completely dry, she sat with her back to the breeze blowing in from the window and muttered.
“Something feels… off.”
“What does?”
“No, it’s nothing. Just tell me what you did today.”
Siene, who had finished her bath early and was sitting with her back against the headboard, her face fresh and clean, began to sparkle. Elysia found her passion fascinating.
“The temple’s murals were badly damaged, so I worked on restoring them.”
“Was that fun?”
“It was, actually.”
Elysia fell silent for a moment, lost in thought. But is there any real meaning in that restoration work? It was a place where people who couldn't get immediate treatment for their injuries gathered. Wouldn't it be more important to distribute food or supplies in that time?
As if reading her mind, Siene’s face soured and she shot back.
“You’re thinking it’s meaningless, aren’t you?”
“Uh…”
“You’ve gotten a lot softer. The old you would’ve just said it outright, right? Is that the Senior’s influence?”
Her face grew hot as Evan was suddenly brought into the conversation. Seeing Elysia whip her head away, Siene smirked, a look of disapproval on her face, and continued.
“I heard that same talk until I was sick of it when I was young. They told me to stop doing such impractical things. My paintings eventually became worth money, but not back then. One time, they took away my brushes and paints. I grabbed everything I could and just ran out of the house…”
The poverty of the Reve Viscounty meant its people were poor as well. Siene, who looked delicate but was surprisingly decisive, darted all over the territory while the mansion staff was in an uproar searching for her.
And she painted relentlessly until she ran out of paper.
She drew wildflowers that bloomed like weeds, and she even drew a portrait of a young pickpocket who, intending to fleece the pockets of a girl who was clearly raised in the lap of luxury, was disappointed to find nothing but useless paints. When she ran out of paper, she would knock on a random door and paint a small mural.
It was an act of final desperation. An act committed with the madness of one wanting to burn everything within them before breaking their brushes for good, it led to an unexpected realization.
“Everyone hated it at first. This rich-looking young lady was giving them useless things instead of food.”
“…”
“But they all kept them. Whether in a frame or taped to a wall… And they’d glance at the murals as they passed by. The neighborhood kids would follow me around and watch. That’s when I knew.”
Resting her chin on her hand, she grinned and continued.
“That sometimes, they’re useful.”
Elysia looked at the brightly smiling Siene with an ambiguous expression. Is that really true? It seems so unnecessary, like a mere luxury, but could it be something people need?
Noticing her expression, Siene reverted to her usual prim face and said.
“You probably won’t get it until you see it for yourself, but anyway, that’s how it is.”
“Hmm… To be honest, it just sounds like nonsense to me right now, but fine, I’ll try to understand.”
A soft swoosh filled the room as the wind rustled through the leaves. Elysia, squinting at the sudden gust, felt someone’s gaze and immediately shot up to look down from the window.
Evan’s fine black hair was slightly tousled by the sudden wind. He looked up, smiled, and gestured for her to come down.
“I’ll be right back.”
Grabbing the navy shawl hanging on the wall, Elysia turned to leave, but she stopped, surprised by a hand that suddenly clamped down on her wrist. She looked back.
Siene, her eyes narrowed like a cat with its fur on end, muttered in an eerie voice.
“Are you going to keep ditching me?”
“Ditching you? What are you talking about? Ah, we were together all day—”
“Running off the second a guy calls for you.”
Elysia burst out laughing in disbelief, clicking her tongue.
“Excuse me, we’ve been stuck together almost all day. We’re even sleeping in the same room, what’s with you?!”
“So you only sleep with me?”
“What kind of crazy talk is that!”
“Hmph.”
Siene snorted and reluctantly let go of her hand, grumbling.
“If it were anyone else, I’d find some flaw and tell you to break up, but of all people… you had to pick someone so hard to find fault with.”
“…”
“Look at you, speechless. Ha, that’s hilarious, really.”
With a smirk that said, ‘Must be nice,’ Siene picked up a sketchbook from her bedside and flicked her hand, shooing her away.
Elysia considered protesting further, but then thought, what’s the point? and quietly closed the door behind her.
As she clattered down the stairs, Evan, who had been waiting, greeted her with a welcoming smile. His handsome face was full of apology as he asked.
“Was it tough?”
“Everyone must have been in a hurry. I thought my throat would burst from trying to get them to line up.”
“Yeah, I heard your voice from inside. Your throat must be sore.”
His warm hand gently wrapped around her neck, his fingers lightly massaging it. Elysia’s eyes widened in surprise when she spotted the lavishly set table.
For her, who had to wolf down even the simple meals provided by the temple as if she were just checking off another task, the spread was cruelly appetizing.
“Where did all this come from?”
“I bought some things and cooked it up quickly.”
“…You did?”
“Yeah. I was worried you weren’t getting proper meals, so I took a look around after work, but there aren’t any restaurants here.”
Elysia, who had been standing awkwardly, took a seat at the table. As she put a piece of greasy meat in her mouth, her blank expression instantly turned serious. Noticing her hand moving faster and faster, Evan barely managed to suppress a smile.
After clearing a plate in an instant, Elysia seemed to snap back to her senses, lifting her head to ask.
“Aren’t you being a little too nice to me?”
“It’s how I earn your affection.”
She was at a loss for words. Pulling a plate of butter-roasted potatoes and various sautéed vegetables toward her, Elysia argued as she worked her fork.
“If you keep coddling me like this, I’m going to be completely spoiled.”
The man smiled leisurely and retorted.
“So you admit I’m the one raising you. I like the sound of that.”
“Are you a pervert?”
“Just kidding. Don’t feel pressured, just eat.”
Munching on her food, Elysia paused as if she’d remembered something. She took a sip of water to clear her mouth and asked Evan.
“Do you remember the last patients we saw? A woman and a young boy.”
“Ah… the ones whose records you burned right after the consultation.”
“Before we leave, could you stop by their house and check on their progress?”
The man tilted his head slightly as if in thought, then smiled. Perhaps it was the darkness, but his stern features seemed to have softened into a languid expression.
“You’re not one to ask for useless favors… Is there something bothering you?”
“The wounds looked like they were from her husband. She wouldn’t even enter the clinic until I promised to keep her secret, so… I’m a little worried.”
“Alright. Let’s go in a couple of days.”
Elysia stared intently at Evan, who had readily agreed to her request, and idly scraped the bottom of her plate with her fork.
“Is this part of your strategy, too? To make me feel indebted by agreeing to everything.”
When she looked up, she saw an expression that seemed to be holding back laughter, as if asking what on earth she was talking about.
“Hmm? Did it feel that way? That wasn’t my intention at all.”
“You get dragged into so much trouble because of me. This event, for instance—you didn’t really need to come, but you followed because you were worried about sending me alone. And that other time, we almost died together in a basement…”
The man stared at her, looking dazed as if the thought had never occurred to him. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke.
“But I like you because you’re that kind of person.”
“Cough!”
Startled by the sudden declaration, Elysia choked and burst into a coughing fit. Evan poured her a glass of water and waited for her to calm down before continuing.
“If you were the type to compromise, or someone indifferent to the suffering of others… would I have fallen in love with you this much?”
The words pierced her heart, and Elysia’s face flushed red. He gazed at her cheeks and continued with a smile.
“So please, keep being you. That’s the real temptation.”
After his unabashedly direct confession of love, Evan glanced at his watch and, with a troubled expression, helped her to her feet.
“Go on up and rest. I’ll clean this up—”
Something suddenly pressed into his chest. Slender arms slid over the shirt covering his back, then tightened in a firm embrace. Belatedly realizing Elysia was in his arms, he blinked.
He stood there dumbfounded, unable to process what had just happened. Just as he raised his hands to wrap them around her small shoulders, Elysia pulled away, her face as impassive as ever.
“Sleep well.”
He watched her retreating back as she practically fled, disappearing in a flash. A dry laugh escaped his lips. Recalling the warmth he had held for a brief moment, he curled his open palm into a fist and muttered.
“You do this to me and then say ‘sleep well’?”
*
“Thanks to your donations, we were able to restore the temple to this extent. We are always grateful, Little Duke.”
“I’m glad I could be of help.”
“This is the prayer room, newly renovated with the funds you provided this time. Would you care to look around?”
The handsome, platinum-blonde man with a graceful smile followed the high priest into the prayer room. It was a modest space, yet it had everything necessary for prayer.
There were long rows of pews, and behind the pulpit where the priest delivered his sermons stood a statue that, while not large, possessed a certain dignity.
“Every day, the faithful come to pray for solace from the pains they suffer in reality. It is a beautiful sight. Ah, and since the young lady from Minerva touched up the paintings, we’ve had even more followers. They say it has made them long for salvation all the more. Hahaha, art… isn’t it marvelous?”
“Is that so.”
Cain’s eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly, as if annoyed. He turned to face the priest.
The priest felt a flicker of doubt. The Little Duke was smiling, but a cold chill emanated from him. Why would he, the gentlest of men, be like this? The priest’s question was answered in an instant.
“I would like to look around alone, if that’s alright.”
“Ah! Yes, of course. Forgive this old man for his lack of tact.”
The Little Duke must wish to collect his thoughts alone, the priest presumed, and with quick steps, he exited the prayer room and closed the door. Left alone, Cain looked up at the stone statue of the god and gave a twisted smile.
“Beautiful, you say…”
His smooth features twisted as if recalling something hideous. He stepped onto the pulpit and looked down at the statue, muttering.
“Pathetic fools, you don’t even know what a god is. How amusing.”
Moonlight, filtered through the stained glass, colored his hair in shades of blue and violet.
The man turned to gaze at the empty pews, then looked back at the statue, now below his line of sight, and smiled coldly. The heretic, who had blasphemously placed a hand on the god’s head, spoke.
“I was the one who liberated you from the hamster wheel you couldn’t escape. If you’re going to pray, you should be praying to me.”