Chapter 164
Chapter 164
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Dreaded Cathedral Mass
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Ah... I really don't want to go."
Whether it's school, work, or whatever.
If there's something you truly don't want to do, everyone has those moments where you desperately wish your eyes would flood the world into paralysis.
Unless you're one of those freaks who actually loves Mondays while slinging seafood burgers at some part-time gig, everyone thinks that at least once.
If you claim you don't, you're probably mentally ill.
No one in their right mind thinks everything in the world is great.
And I'm a perfectly sane person without that kind of mental illness, and right now was the absolute worst moment to step outside.
I earnestly hoped the snow from yesterday would start dumping again.
Well...
I often think this way before most events, but if it's something related to the church, I hate it even more.
For starters, the restrictions on behavior are insane.
The dress code is ridiculously strict too.
You have to wear formal ceremonial robes, but nothing flashy.
Even stockings, which are now optional for men, are mandatory. Coats must reach the knees, long and plain. Most decorations on clothes have to be removed.
And the necktie I painstakingly made? It gets shut away in the closet while I have to wrap on a cravat.
And that's not even the half of it?
At banquets, if you're not the star, you can hug the wall or slip out after a polite excuse.
But church? The guests of honor are God or saints immortalized in history.
Ditch it carelessly, and who knows what you'll hear.
And yet the events are boring as hell.
Pray, listen to sermons, hear scripture passages, sing hymns, pray, sermons, hymns...
Repeat that for a few hours, and it's over.
Last year, at least Hayes was there, so I could've fidgeted with my fingers or something.
This year, it's just me.
"Haaah..."
I let out a sigh that could bore into the ground as I draped the cravat around my neck.
I missed the religious freedom of my past life so badly.
"Young Master, you need to hurry and get ready, or we'll be late?"
"Almost done."
As I fiddled slowly with the knot, Emily—apron off and veil on her head, unlike usual—urged me on.
"Haa... Yeah, yeah... I gotta go..."
I meticulously adjusted the cravat's knot and shape more carefully than usual, then stepped back from the mirror. Slumping my shoulders, I replied in a listless voice and shuffled out of the dressing room.
About twelve hours now.
Even excluding travel time, eleven hours glued to a church pew.
Too happy...
"Young Master, check your outfit one more time before we go in." "Yeah." The carriage brought us to the grand cathedral about five hundred meters west of the imperial palace. To be precise, it's a step above your standard 'quasi-cathedral'—a place of great significance to devout believers and parishioners, but to a casual layman like me, it was just an old building with a fancier name and not much else. The name was something like the Cathedral of Saint Lucy the Pure and Immaculate, I think? Most folks just call it the Imperial Capital Cathedral, so I'm not sure on the exact title. Thinking back to my past life, even famous churches like Myeongdong Cathedral got called by the neighborhood name despite official titles. Places where people live are all the same. Well... talk like that aside, it's a noble cathedral no commoner can just waltz into. You need to be high nobility to qualify for worship here. Obviously, mixing nobles and commoners for services would cause headaches all around. Especially for the emperor or dukes and marquises. That's why they reserve the most splendid, historic, high-status cathedral for the emperor and top nobles. Which is why they make us wear plain clothes while the interior is outrageously opulent—one of its key features. The outer walls are marble, saint statues line the inside, the ceiling boasts dazzling frescoes, every window is stained glass, and the candelabras are gold. What insane luxury, but it's all to honor God and the saints, so everyone hushes up and lets it slide. And the faithful are on the frugal side. The church is lavish, but priests and monks don't even sport silver trimmings. Only the pope wears silk. Everyone else? Cotton or linen. Even their rosaries and crosses are wooden, not metal. Of course, while decking the church halls in gold and silver. And this is important in a whole other way. The church pays taxes. Hefty ones. That's why no one complains about the cathedrals' spending sprees. They pay taxes faithfully, live modestly themselves, and want to gild their objects of worship? Fair enough. "Let's head in." "Yes." I brushed aside the trivial thoughts that had popped up while straightening my rumpled clothes, confirmed my outfit was fine, and stepped into the cathedral with Emily. Other nobles rack their brains over which servants to bring along before entering, but with just Emily, I could breeze in without worry—loved that. I dipped my fingers in the holy water at the entrance, bowed at the waist in greeting, and went inside. The interior was even more dazzling than the exterior. "Every time I see it, I can't get used to it..." "Me too..." The glittering decorations everywhere had both Emily and me squinting and frowning. Emily at least had her veil to soften it; without one, my eyes stung like crazy. Ugh... Can't men wear veils too during services? Men need purity, humility, and piety as well. "Urgh... Let's sit somewhere in the back." "Yes." Unable to bear the glare, I shaded my eyes with my hand, scanned around, and picked an empty spot in the rear corner pews to sit. I'd prefer the absolute last row farthest from the priests, but that'd draw stares from people coming and going—not good. "Ow, my eyes..." Sitting and bowing my head slightly finally gave my eyes some relief. Can't keep it down too long or folks might think I'm sleeping in the cathedral, but even a brief rest was a godsend. "Phew~" I massaged my eyes firmly to ease them, then lifted my head before any odd glances came my way. Lifting it brought the fatigue right back, but I focused on people instead of decorations, shifting my gaze to less glaring spots. Nobles trickling in, filling seats one by one. Priests and monks bustling about, prepping for the ten-hour hell of worship. And the choir lined up on either side of the altar. "Hmm..." As I glanced around at everyone, I realized something. For some reason, all the church folk were staring at me. Not blatantly, but every three seconds looking elsewhere, three seconds on me. I figured they could stare given my recent antics, but the vibe felt off—unsettling. Specifically, like heretic inquisitors spotting a heretic. The stares were so vicious, the cardinal I'd met before seemed as gentle as water. No way—had all my recent ordeals sparked paranoia? Lately, everyone seems weird... "Emily." "Yes?" "Don't the priests' stares feel a bit off?" "The priests? Hmm—" Emily looked puzzled at my question and scanned the priests. Soon after, her face hardened seriously as she turned grave eyes on me. "...Young Master, did you do something again?" "I've been good since tussling with the Devonshire side?" "Then why are they glaring like they want to rip you apart?" "Beats me..." Not just me, then. Something's definitely wrong... What? "Hmm..." I rapidly scanned Emily and myself with my eyes. Outfit: perfect. Holy water on entry: check. Bow on entry: proper. No fuss raised. Sat right away... "Ah...! Ugh...!" Finally realizing my blunder, I barely stifled a scream and shot up from my seat. "What's wrong?" Emily eyed me oddly as I shuddered and paled, but that wasn't important now. "We forgot confession..." "Ah...!" Emily stifled her own yelp and jumped up too. You might think confession's no big deal, but in church without it? Only two types in this world. One: lunatics who swear they're flawless and sinless. Two: lunatics who won't repent a single sin. Either way, you're a freak outlier. I hurriedly pulled out my pocket watch to check the time. Twenty minutes before mass. Line up at the confessional now, and we'd make it. No wonder the seats were empty—everyone was at confession. "Hurry." "Yes..." I lightly grabbed Emily's wrist and hustled to the confessional. "Phew..." A natural sigh of relief at dodging a massive bullet. Good thing I caught it late. Came for worship and nearly turned heretic...