Her Sincere Heart Buried in the Wine
I barely managed to stop Elysia.
She realized belatedly what she'd done, and instead of laughing or crying from embarrassment, she wore an awkward, half-frozen expression as she hurriedly dressed herself.
“…… Now, are you feeling better?”
“………… I… what… what did I do….”
Her face was bright red, she was panting heavily, and she covered her face with her clothes.
“My head is burning…”
“…………?”
“And I'm ashamed……”
“Yeah.”
“…… I even pointed out the sweat smell, and thinking back, taking off my clothes was so embarrassing that I can't take it back.”
“Good for you.”
“Gray… Gray…”
“Huh?”
Elysia sniffled and said.
“You know… lately, I don't know what's going to happen to my head.”
“……… Is it bothering you a lot? Should I find some medicine?”
“No, it's not something that can be cured with medicine. What I need is another kind of medicine.”
“Another medicine?”
Nod.
“…………………… So, Gray, the only way left for me is that method. Sorry. I really tried to hold back… but you were the one who made me do it, Gray….”
“Wait, Elysia. That method?”
I asked with a vague feeling, but Elysia just muttered in a somewhat empty gaze.
“……… It's fine. That medicine can still be used…. It's harmless to the human body… mumble mumble…”
…… What is she saying?
But it didn't last long. She smiled vaguely as if nothing was wrong, like usual, and brushed it off.
I couldn't pursue it further.
So, I grabbed the rambling Elysia and barely managed to bring her to Lucia.
Although judging from her flushed face and heavy breathing, it wasn't a good judgment.
“… What did you two do in that short time that you're breathing so heavily?”
“We ran.”
“Hmm~ You ran? Sounds suspicious…”
Lucia watched me and Elysia with suspicious eyes. Even the Saintess who had been quiet was sparkling with interest.
But since she didn't want to interrogate further, she shrugged lightly. It was because Tina, who had been dozing, woke up with a stretch.
“Mom… what are you doing?”
“Tina. Don't sleep, wake up now. Let me see… Shall I take out the telescope? I put it back in the warehouse in a hurry yesterday…”
The word telescope brought Astasia and Lagnea to mind, but I erased it from my mind and helped her.
Taking out the telescope from the warehouse wasn't particularly difficult. But I couldn't quite understand why it had to be a telescope. I asked her briefly.
“Do you need a telescope for the offering?”
“It’s a simplified version. There are various procedures when there are many people, but in reality, those are rituals that developed as the church's history grew. If you go back to the origins of Astasia faith, it's this simple form. People who worship the goddess gather to look at the stars and eat delicious food.”
“It’s simple, so it’s good.”
“Sometimes it's good to do this too. By the way, Tina, go do some errands for Mom.”
Since the issue with Elysia was resolved, Lucia seemed quite pleased.
If Tina hadn't said something like “Eee~ Are we going on a picnic? Tina gets bone aches from cold wind, so I'll stay home. Going outside means you'll have tiring things to do.” in an old lady voice.
Thud!
“Ahko… it hurts…”
“Waaah… Sister… It’s big… Are you okay…?”
“Saintess unnie. I live like this.”
“Huhu, don't say that, Tina sister, let's quietly do the errands together!”
Anyway, there were small happenings like this, but the preparations proceeded quietly and quickly.
After getting the setup right, Tina's expression of “picnic” seemed to fit somewhat.
Delicious food and offerings, wine, and a mat.
It was closer to a picnic than an offering or ceremony.
Since it was done in a simplified way, the preparations went smoothly. I was busy helping with various things for a while.
“Teacher, Teacher!”
The stars were to be viewed from the hill behind the temple. At the entrance, suddenly the Saintess popped out, and I was quite surprised.
“Where have you been until now? Priestess Lucia was looking for you earlier.”
“Hmmm~ I was looking for the bathroom but got lost in the garden. It's hard to find unfamiliar places~”
“…… The bathroom is inside the temple, why outside…”
“Huh?”
“No, it's fine. The bathroom is this way. I'll take you there. Follow me.”
“Ah no, I already solved it!”
Where? How? …… Outside? The questions flooded, but I decided not to ask.
“Better than that, Teacher! There's a place I want to take you to together. Come with me!”
The Saintess was flailing as she guided me somewhere.
Aside from that, the Saintess who couldn't even find the way was unbelievable.
After correcting myself a few times when she tried to go in another direction, I finally understood why she was so fervent.
Between the bushes, Elysia was there.
Thick smoke was rising around her.
Was she lighting a fire?
No, next to her squatting, some unknown liquid was bubbling.
“Let me see… The recipe is perfect, and if I pour the pre-made essence here…! It's done!”
…… What?
I tapped her shoulder while she was engrossed in making something.
“Elysia.”
“……….”
“Elysia…?”
“……… !”
The reaction was a beat late. Elysia belatedly saw me and flipped a paper bag over her head.
Creak, creak, her head turned.
“W-w-w-what did you call me?”
“I called you… but what are you doing here…”
I trailed off and asked what she was doing here, but she answered with the paper bag.
“Nothing. Um, I was carrying food.”
“…… Food? No matter how you look at it, it looks like you're boiling something that's not food but liquid…”
“I, I wasn't trying to do anything suspicious, right? Um… It won't be a problem if mixed with wine. It's safe.”
Then she stood up abruptly and started moving the wine and cheese like a broken doll.
…… Mixing? With wine? What?
Elysia fidgeted and stood up, then started running on her tiptoes.
The Saintess said with a worried tone.
“What happened? Sister has been like this since earlier…”
“So you brought me here?”
“Of course! It's because I'm curious…!”
The Saintess flailed.
“Anyone can see she had a determined expression, her face is red like she fell into hot water! This is it, right? It means she heated up a lot while I wasn't looking, doesn't it?”
“What kind of expression is that.”
“Hmmm? But Ria sister likes Teacher, right?”
“…………… Hmmm?”
“Why is the reaction so lukewarm, Teacher? Everyone watching is getting anxious.”
“………….”
“………… Teacher? Don't you show a pitiful look like ‘Eh? What?’ or ‘I didn't hear?’ or scratching your head and laughing? Right?”
“What kind of expression did you learn from someone?”
“So? What is it?”
“………… I know. Of course.”
“Huhu! It's good that you didn't play blind man's buff, so. So?”
“………… What do you mean by so?”
“You said you know? You have to refuse or accept it.”
The Saintess's words that hit the nail on the head couldn't be brushed off.
“By the way. I don't know why Elysia likes me. That might be a bit awkward…”
The Saintess, being a saintess, also knew about the covenants. I asked how to understand Elysia's heart who waited for me for 10 years because of one incident from the covenant.
Then the Saintess tilted her head.
“No, what are you talking about?”
“Huh?”
“You’re asking if Teacher has a heart for the sister or not, covenants or whatever, not the sister’s motivation.”
“……….”
“…… Why did you become a honey-tongued silence.”
“… Isn't that important? Motivation or something.”
“Why does such a Teacher dig into that reason so deeply? Is it that important why the sister likes Teacher? Or are you a narcissist who needs to ask that to feel satisfied?”
“……… That’s…”
“Right? Thinking about it, it's not that important, the motivation.”
“No, even if it's as you say.”
“Yeah.”
“………… Elysia waited 10 years, no matter how much I didn't know, isn't it too shameless to appear now?”
Then the Saintess looked at me with a shocked face.
“Ye… yes?! Are you saying that seriously right now?”
“………… Why. What. Can't I say it like this.”
“What are you doing! No! Absolutely no! You made her wait, and now you're feeling sorry? Why have you been so soft in front of the sister since earlier! It was like that from before, but stepping on people's hearts is top-notch! Have you been treating Ria sister like that until now?! As a saintess, I can't forgive! This deserves divine punishment!”
“………….”
“Sigh! I, the disciple, am advising you, Teacher.”
“……… I know.”
“I won’t say to answer immediately. The sister I saw today looked very anxious. Go and apologize.”
“………….”
“…… Or I have no choice but to help the sister’s plan.”
“Plan? What plan…?”
“Nothing, bae~”
The Saintess stuck out her tongue.
“………… What is that reaction. I really have to go to the sister. It would be better to just help the sister!”
After some twists and turns, the sun completely set and the moon and stars rose at night.
Five bottles of wine dedicated to the goddess.
I heard that the grapes grown in this city, born and raised here, have especially good quality for making wine.
Wine that even bewitches the goddess…
I'm worried that Lagnea might get stressed and overdrink, but when the time comes, Elaim will work hard again.
Turning away from the bright city, the Saintess finished her short prayer to the stars in the sky.
“It’s over?”
“It’s a simplified version.”
“Simple.”
“Now, drink the alcohol or food and lie on the floor to admire the stars. It's very healthy, right?”
The Saintess especially emphasized the word ‘healthy’.
Suddenly why…?
I felt an inexplicable anxiety and changed the subject.
“If the wine is left like this, is it okay?”
“If left like this, the amount will gradually decrease. That means the goddess has accepted the offerings.”
“Taking it secretly? Amazing system.”
“Sometimes Teacher is close to the goddess but doesn't know anything?”
“I’m not even a believer, let alone a letterer.”
The Saintess smiled outwardly but subtly gave me a hint.
… No, even if asked to talk, what is she supposed to do.
While I was hesitating, the prayers of others ended one by one.
Even while Elysia poured wine for each person a sip, I was worried what story to start, whether I was thinking wrong.
Meanwhile, Elysia handed me a wine glass. The wine glass was already swirling.
For a moment, I saw Elysia’s fingertips trembling.
“Gray. This is yours.”
“………….”
…… Why only me?
Others took what they had just poured…?
I stared at the wine glass.
The color of the wine,
It was a bit different from the others’,
It was an unknown secret.
“…………?”
I looked at Elysia.
She still couldn’t meet my gaze, but I vaguely know that when she does something she can’t say, she wears an odd expression that’s neither laughing nor crying.
“Gray, drink it quickly.”
“………….”
…… This.
Is it okay to drink……?