Chapter 24
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 24
I fervently pleaded my innocence. It wasn't just any old water; I’d poured expensive holy water on him, so there was no way he could be hurt! If anything, his old scars had probably cleared up. In any case, him fainting was definitely not my fault.
Only after Michel lost consciousness did the priests finally notice the commotion and come rushing over. They surveyed the scene, their eyes darting from the charred remains of the painting, to the soaking wet and unconscious Michel, and finally, to me. It was only after Raphaella explained the situation that they bowed their heads in gratitude.
Among them, the most serious and benevolent-looking elder began to take charge. Eventually, he approached me.
“Lady Rohanson, I sincerely thank you for saving a knight of our temple. We will compensate you for the holy water you used to suppress the flames.”
“I’ll gladly accept.”
Thank goodness! I thought I’d just thrown away the money I spent on that holy water. Well, I did save a man who was on fire, so it wasn't a complete waste, but I was relieved they were refilling my stock regardless. See? It pays to be a good person.
“The other believers seem to be in shock, so we intend to escort them to a place of rest.”
Shocked, my ass. They were just standing there staring blankly, completely unfazed by a man bursting into flames. I swallowed my complaints and simply nodded.
The kindly old man, seemingly finished with me, then approached Raphaella. He whispered something so quietly that I couldn't hear a word. Was it just my imagination, or was he glancing my way? They weren't talking about me behind my back, were they?
No way… Feeling uneasy, I gave them both a long, hard stare. They wouldn't dare gossip about me when I was standing right here.
Perhaps my glare was effective, because Raphaella cleared his throat with a loud ahem and changed the subject.
“Bishop, if you’ll excuse us? I think it would be best to get Sir Michel to a bed quickly. Sir Uriel must be tired as well.”
I thought he was just some kindly elder, but he was a Bishop! That was a very high-ranking position. No wonder he offered to compensate me for the holy water so easily. Did he have any idea how much that stuff cost?
“Oh, dear. I didn't think of that. Leave the cleanup to me and go on ahead. Lady Rohanson, since you need to receive the holy water, please come with me—”
“Ah. I believe the Young Lady should come with us as well. The Commander has something to discuss with her. I’ll take care of the holy water for her before she leaves. There’s no need for you to trouble yourself, Bishop; it would be enough if you just leave word for us.”
Raphaella rattled off the refusal in a rapid-fire volley. He was right; I needed to go see Hena and Canna anyway, so I nodded. My girls must have been waiting a long time. I had to get back to them.
But wouldn't it be better to get the holy water now? If I tried to take it when the kindly elder wasn't around, wouldn't they accuse me of being a thief? The Bishop might forget to leave word. Hmm… After a moment of deliberation, I looked at Jelly.
“Me?”
“Go get the holy water and take it to the carriage.”
“Wow, did you really bring me along just to boss me around?”
Excuse me? What kind of thug did you take me for? Besides, why do you think we ran out of holy water at home in the first place? It’s because I used it all treating your wounds.
“Do it before I actually start bossing you around.”
“Fine…” Jelly grumbled, tucking his tail between his legs.
“I’ll send this man, my escort,” I told the Bishop.
The Bishop nodded, though he looked quite displeased.
“That’s settled then, right? We’ll be on our way.”
As soon as Raphaella spoke, Uriel hoisted the fallen Michel onto his back. He looked slender, yet he carried Michel with such ease that I couldn't help but be impressed. As I watched, Raphaella sidled up to me. He was looking at me like I was a piece of trash just a moment ago, so why the sudden friendliness?
“…I apologize for the late greeting. Thank you for saving Michel. Though he lost consciousness, he has no injuries, thanks to the holy water. I am truly grateful.”
Raphaella glanced at me tentatively, hesitating before offering his thanks. His words were so cautious that I felt a little bad for grumbling about him earlier. Wow, I was actually a little touched.
“Thank you, My Lady.”
Uriel followed suit with his own thanks. Even with a man much larger than himself on his back, he bowed at the waist without a hint of struggle. However, the holy water dripping from Michel’s long hair soaked Uriel’s back. Wasn't that… damp? Uriel himself seemed fine, but I couldn't help but feel bothered by it.
“But is it alright to send Mr. Jelly alone?” Raphaella asked.
Why? Because it might be heavy? Was he seriously worried about Jelly carrying holy water while he was literally carrying a whole person on his back?
“Jelly will be fine.”
It’s not like he was a normal person; he was a werewolf who was practically guaranteed to be the second male lead.
“My Lady, you did well to send Jel—your escort—instead. It’s best not to get too close to the Bishop. Despite his appearance, he has quite a nasty personality.”
Glancing back, I saw Bishop Zabaniya staring at Raphaella with a terrifying expression. There wasn't a trace of his earlier benevolent appearance. Why the sudden change? Even as I replayed our conversation, nothing seemed out of the ordinary… Wait. One thing did come to mind.
It was because Raphaella was leaving before him. People in high positions were often obsessed with that kind of etiquette. I didn't take the Bishop for that type, but I guess he was just an old-fashioned stickler for rules.
* * *
Only after the commotion had died down did the crowds begin to gather. It seemed a priest who saw what happened had run to fetch the Bishop. Bishop Zabaniya arrived, accompanied by other priests carrying buckets of water.
Usually, that old man wouldn't spare a glance for such trivial matters, whether people were dying or the temple was collapsing, yet he’d made a point to come all the way here. His intuition was as sharp as ever.
“Raphaella… what is the meaning of this?”
Look at him, feigning ignorance when he must have been briefed on the situation. Behind his benevolent face, Bishop Zabaniya possessed a rather vicious nature. It was easy to be misled by his kind exterior, but he was a deeply selfish and cold-blooded man.
Uriel often said that Zabaniya and Raphaella shared many similarities and that Raphaella’s dislike was merely a case of self-loathing, which wasn't entirely wrong. Still, it was almost insulting to compare them. That fox of a man would have taken his sweet time arriving regardless of whether people were hurt. The Bishop had neither a conscience nor a sense of guilt.
Unfortunately, Gabriel, the commander of the knight order Raphaella belonged to, had also fallen into Bishop Zabaniya’s clutches as a child and was still being worked to the bone. The Commander claimed he was merely repaying a debt for a favor received in the past, but as far as Raphaella was concerned, the Bishop was simply using the Commander as a chess piece. And from what he’d heard, the "favor" wasn't even that significant.
“A fire broke out in the painting. Lady Rohanson suppressed the flames by pouring holy water on them. Sir Michel suffered burns, but thanks to the holy water, he is safe and uninjured.”
“Oh, Goddess Rachel.”
“I was a step too late; we nearly lost a precious knight. I am ashamed.”
“Not at all, Bishop. It simply took a long time because you were fetching water.”
What a sly old fox. At his benevolent words, the surrounding priests looked at the Bishop with adoration, as if they were gazing upon an avatar of the Goddess Rachel herself.
What? He was late because he was fetching water?
Raphaella would bet both his wrists and even the unconscious Michel that the Bishop had arrived late on purpose. Since Raphaella himself had wished for the painting to burn, Bishop Zabaniya likely had the same thought and only showed up after enough time had passed for it to be completely destroyed.
If Bishop Zabaniya were truly a merciful man, he would have drawn water from the fountain of flowing holy water, which was the closest source, and simply stated that he would cover the cost later. Just as Evangeline Rohanson had used her own holy water to extinguish the fire… Raphaella was momentarily stunned at himself for thinking of Evangeline as righteous.
Seeing as Bishop Zabaniya had gone all the way to the garden to fetch water from a regular fountain, he clearly had no intention of arriving early. The fact that no one around them questioned this showed just how conditioned they were to his hypocritical behavior.
Truly, he was the type of person who would be a nightmare to have as an enemy. The only saving grace was that they held the same opinion regarding Donau’s painting. This was because the leading figure among those who praised the painting was someone who had always been at odds with Bishop Zabaniya.
“Now, now, since we were late, we must help settle the situation.”
“Yes, Bishop.”
At Bishop Zabaniya’s word, the priests set down their buckets and began to clean up. Some swept away the ash to clean the floor, while others attended to the stunned onlookers.
“Believers, why don't you head home now?”
“Indeed. A fire broke out; it is far too dangerous here.”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Of course, there were no answers. Since most of them were of noble birth, the priests couldn't treat them roughly and could only continue their unanswered persuasions.
“I said, let’s go! Are you going to stay here forever?” one priest, lacking patience, eventually lost his temper and shouted. He quickly covered his mouth, realizing his mistake, but fortunately, the person he was addressing didn't seem to care.
“I mean, the painting is burnt and gone now, so what are you even staying here to look at?” the priest lamented.
When he said that, a reaction finally came. The noble young lady he was addressing pointed at Evangeline Rohanson, her cheeks flushed a deep red.
“You’re… looking at that Young Lady?”
The priest looked around. He wondered why he hadn't noticed it until now. Everyone’s gaze was fixed upon that one fair and beautiful noblewoman.