Chapter 205: Blessing Ceremony
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 205: Blessing Ceremony
Constine stepped out of the carriage, assisted by her escort.
Thanks to the efforts of the priests, who had spent the entire morning adorning her with every possible accessory, Constine radiated a brilliance more dazzling than anyone else.
‘There’s only so much one can do with a plain Saintess’s habit, but still...’
To outshine the Grand Duchess at the welcoming ceremony, this was the bare minimum.
“Saintess, please come this way.”
Escorted by Gamon, the Knight Captain, Constine headed toward the banquet hall.
A well-dressed staff member opened the doors and announced the Saintess’s arrival.
“The Saintess is entering!”
As Constine stepped into the hall, the crowd filling the room knelt before her in unison.
Constine returned the gesture with an elegant bow.
The banquet hall appeared even larger and more radiant thanks to the massive mirrors covering the walls. The gold-decorated walls and pillars shimmered brilliantly under the lights.
Walking across the carpet laid over the luxurious marble floor, Constine tilted her chin up with grace.
It seemed the Grand Duchess’s promise to prepare a grand welcoming ceremony hadn’t been an empty boast. Everything in the hall was perfect, as if it had all been prepared specifically for Constine.
In truth, she had been nervous that the Grand Duchess might try some petty trick. She had experienced it before with the Empress—deliberately decorating the hall poorly or drastically reducing the number of invitees.
‘I suppose she doesn’t even have the guts for that.’
Constine suppressed a rising smirk and maintained a composed expression.
Upon spotting her, the Grand Duchess approached without delay to offer a greeting.
“Saintess, do you find the welcoming ceremony to your liking?”
Constine accepted the greeting with practiced elegance.
“It is wonderful. Thank you for putting so much thought into this.”
“It is I who should be grateful. Everyone was so excited to hear that the Saintess would be attending the opening ceremony; an immense number of people have gathered.”
The Grand Duchess wore a look of feigned concern.
“I was worried that the Saintess might find it exhausting with so many people crowding around.”
“Exhausting? Not at all. Meeting the believers is my greatest joy.”
Constine spoke clearly, ensuring those nearby could hear her.
“My only regret is that I cannot always meet more of them. That is why I am looking forward to today so much.”
Constine cast a soft smile toward the many people in the hall.
However, when her eyes met the Grand Duchess’s, she noticed a strange glint in those blue depths.
“Then, shall we begin the event?”
Constine hesitated for a moment before nodding. It occurred to her that the Grand Duchess hadn’t informed her of the order of events beforehand, but she assumed it would just be the usual sequence of speeches.
The Grand Duchess, escorted by the Grand Duke, ascended the magnificent dais at the front of the hall.
“Ahem.”
The Grand Duke cleared his throat loudly, and the noisy hall fell silent instantly.
“I would like to thank everyone for attending the opening ceremony of the Blois Hotel.”
Constine watched the Grand Duchess as she delivered her opening remarks. Perhaps because it was a formal occasion, everyone stood with their hands politely clasped before the Grand Duchess, who spoke in formal honorifics.
Dressed in a flowing blue chiffon gown, the Grand Duchess was breathtakingly beautiful. Even though she wore nothing but small pearl earrings and a ruby necklace, she looked more refined than anyone else in the room.
‘She’s wearing her wedding ring, too.’
Now that she looked, a large sapphire ring sparkled on the woman’s white hand.
Standing below the dais, the Grand Duke watched his wife with an expression of unbearable pride every time she spoke a word.
‘Is he really that fond of his wife?’
Displeased, Constine turned her head, only to catch her own reflection in a mirror.
Seeing herself draped in all those ornaments around her head and neck, she suddenly felt a sense of stifling weight. Her Saintess’s habit, made of the finest silk and exquisite embroidery, felt strangely tacky in this banquet hall.
“...And I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the Saintess for joining us.”
Realizing she had been mentioned, Constine snapped back to attention.
“Saintess, would you care to come up?”
The Grand Duchess gave her a graceful beckoning gesture.
‘Get it together. Today, I must leave a lasting impression of an elegant Saintess on the North, no matter what.’
Recalling the speech she had spent all of yesterday refining, Constine ascended the dais.
The North is a dangerous land that never knows when it might be attacked by monsters.
Constine has never turned a blind eye to such anxiety and suffering, and from now on, she intends to contribute more actively to the peace and stability of the North according to the Goddess’s will.
Please gather the strength of the North so that this great mission can be fulfilled.
Under the Goddess’s protection, Constine will lead the way to bring better hope and salvation to the North.
It was a highly persuasive speech that framed the North as an unstable land and positioned the Saintess as its new focal point of salvation.
Just as Constine was clearing her throat, mentally rehearsing her lines—
“Then, we shall now begin the Saintess’s Blessing Ceremony.”
The Grand Duchess’s clear voice rang through the hall.
‘Blessing Ceremony?’
The Grand Duchess held up a small ticket.
“Has everyone purchased their tickets?”
Everyone except Constine and the priests held up their tickets and let out excited cheers.
“For those who have purchased a ticket, we will now proceed with a ceremony where the Saintess will personally bestow a blessing upon you.”
Constine’s brow furrowed instantly.
What kind of nonsense was this? Who gave them permission to sell her blessings for money?
Just as Constine was about to protest—
“The proceeds from your ticket purchases will be donated entirely to the Grand Temple in the name of Blenheim.”
“Those with tickets, please line up in order before the Saintess.”
Following the Grand Duchess’s instructions, a long line formed below the dais in an instant.
Before she knew it, she was expected to give individual blessings to every single one of them.
“What is the meaning of this? A blessing ceremony?”
When Constine glared at the Grand Duchess and whispered sharply, the Grand Duchess blinked in surprise.
“Did you not say you wanted to share your blessings with the people of the North?”
‘That was just a figure of speech!’
At a glance, there were easily over a hundred people in line.
“Since the Saintess is stepping forward with such good intentions, it felt wrong for us to simply receive them, didn’t it? So, I thought we could gather some donations...”
The Grand Duchess spoke with a bright smile.
“You have no idea how eagerly everyone bought tickets at the mention of receiving a blessing from the Saintess.”
‘I did absorb as much holy power as possible from the priests just in case, but...’
She had no idea how much holy power she would have to squeeze out to give even a small blessing to this many people.
However, the fact that a donation would be made to the Grand Temple in the name of Blenheim was a tempting proposition. The Blenheim family had never once shown a subservient attitude toward the Temple.
‘Grand Duke Blenheim, moved by the Saintess’s visit, makes a donation to the Grand Temple.’
If she could achieve that much, Constine would have something to boast about to the Grand Temple later.
Constine swallowed hard. When it came to sheer grit, she wasn't one to be outdone.
“In that case, I shall gladly bestow the blessings.”
“Saintess!”
The priests cried out in alarm, but Constine stoically accepted the challenge.
“Shall we begin, then?”
*
“What is your name, believer?”
“It’s Winston.”
“May you be filled with blessings, Winston.”
Constine’s trembling hand touched the middle-aged gentleman’s head and then pulled away.
“And your name?”
Finally, the blessing ceremony was nearing its end.
“May the Goddess’s blessing be with you.”
Placing her hand on the head of the last person in line, Constine finally lowered her shaking arm.
She was completely drained after greeting and blessing over a hundred people, raising and lowering her hand repeatedly. Having squeezed out her faint holy power without rest, she felt nauseous.
‘But I did it!’
She looked around with a triumphant face, but the banquet hall was nearly empty—where had all the people she blessed gone?
The Grand Duchess, who had been watching leisurely from a table, approached her.
“Was it not too difficult for you?”
“It was for the believers; how could it be difficult?”
Refusing to show any weakness, Constine spoke while clasping her pale hands together.
“This is something I did every day back in the capital.”
“That’s a relief. I was worried about what I would do if the Saintess said she couldn’t go on.”
The Grand Duchess’s lips curled into a wide smile.
“Then we can start Part 2 of the blessing ceremony immediately.”
“...Part 2?”
“There were many people who bought tickets late after hearing the rumors,” the Grand Duchess said, placing a hand over her heart. “I’m truly envious of how popular the Saintess is.”
“No, wait! Part 2...!”
Before Constine could even finish her sentence, the doors to the banquet hall swung wide, and a fresh crowd of people came pouring in.