Chapter 32
As the days passed, Eliza, having received the item from Helreos Waluer, could not help but burst into laughter the moment she opened the box.
“Ahahaha-!”
Eliza’s laughter continued for quite some time. It was because she was satisfied with the weight of the ring tightly clasped in her palm.
Three thousand gold had been bait to lure Helreos in from the very beginning, but it would have been a much cheaper choice for you instead.
“How admirable……. Pfft, truly admirable. Helreos.”
After barely managing to suppress her laughter, she brought the ring up before her eyes.
With just this, she could soon manipulate several businesses that would return to Helreos’s management as she pleased.
She would be able to communicate on his behalf with the family’s business partners that he would have taken over as soon as he graduated from the academy.
‘He probably didn’t even know what he had.’
Eliza resolved to put this to very good use for her admirable younger brother.
The ring was slightly loose on her.
She pressed the ring firmly down against her finger.
A moment later, when she removed the ring, Eliza stared intently at the family crest imprinted on her finger.
“The merchants only care about profit, so they won’t suspect me even if I act as a representative. I just need to establish a connection with Jenia’s merchant guild…….”
All of this was part of the preparations to distribute ‘Luo.’
Eliza wanted to prepare the distribution channels in advance so that she could earn money as quickly as possible once she found a way to utilize it.
It was only natural that the preparations would take some time, since she had to process the goods so that their origin could not be traced and conceal her own identity as well.
But Eliza could not hide her impatience.
After carefully putting the ring away, she rubbed her dry face.
‘The battlefield is a place where you risk your life every day. Every moment counts, but…….’
A habitual headache surged up.
Just as Eliza squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her temples repeatedly, someone knocked on the door.
Eliza picked up her veil and approached the door.
When the door did not open, the guest outside raised her voice.
“Miss Eli! It’s me!”
“Jenia?”
Eliza undid the latch.
When she opened the door, Xenia entered carrying a basket.
“The temple was giving out wine, so I brought some. Last time, I saw that Miss Eli seemed to enjoy it.”
Jenia moved around the room familiarly and placed the basket on the dining table.
When she lifted the cloth covering it, there were bottles of wine and bread inside.
Jenia took them out and turned to Eliza.
Then she smiled contentedly.
‘She really is beautiful.’
In this village, Jenia was the only one who could occasionally see Eliza’s bare face when visiting her home.
Eliza gave a faint smile and reached out her hand.
“Give them to me, I’ll put them away. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I’m doing it because I want to. Anyway…….”
Jenia glanced around her.
The room still showed absolutely no signs of someone actually living there.
What on earth was she eating to get by?
With a dissatisfied expression, Jenia lightly tapped Eliza’s shoulder.
“Miss Eli, did you fail to sleep well again?”
“Ah, a little.”
Since she kept thinking about him, nightmares were bound to visit her every night.
Naturally, her insomnia had been getting worse.
“I’m worried. You’ve been taking sleeping pills regularly, too. Could you have developed a tolerance?”
“That might be the case.”
“Oh, don’t say it so casually!”
Jenia suddenly grabbed Eliza’s hand.
Eliza flinched, but quietly let her have her hand.
Jenia pouted her lips and massaged Eliza’s palm.
That warm scolding made Eliza feel a little more at ease.
“How about going to the temple?”
“Hmm…….”
“You never know, you might feel better after receiving a blessing. And, Miss Eli.”
Jenia looked at Eliza with a rather serious expression.
Jenia could not bring herself to ask about the past, worried that if she asked about it the wrong way, she might reopen the wounds of someone whose pale face sometimes looked so terribly lonely.
“You have something troubling you, don’t you? Then go see the priest. I’m sure they’ll listen to you.”
But the esteemed people who served the gods must have been different from an ordinary woman like herself.
Xenia gently patted the back of her hand with genuine concern.
Eliza’s heart wavered at the sincere worry conveyed through that warmth.
She had to visit the temple at least once anyway if she wanted to find a way to utilize Luo.
“……Should I? Maybe I should at least offer a prayer.”
“Yes. That’s a good idea!”
“Jenia, would you come with me?”
At the unexpected suggestion, Xenia’s eyes widened.
Then, before long, her caramel-colored eyes curved warmly.
“Of course!”
Eliza thought of the face brightened by that radiant smile as another kind of friendship.
That was why she was grateful to Xenia, and sorry that she could not return as much as the kindness Xenia showed her.
***
The prayer room felt more like a small box than a room.
Eliza liked this space, which was enclosed on all sides so that no one could see her.
When she sat on the chair in the center, light came through the stained glass of the small window and illuminated her thin wrist.
As Eliza stared blankly at the light, the door beside her opened, breaking the silence, and a priest walked inside.
“May the Mother’s grace be upon you. What troubles have brought you here, sister?”
“I have trouble sleeping. I was wondering if I could receive a prayer.”
“I see. Surely, God will watch over His suffering children.”
The priest stood before her and reached out a hand.
Eliza quietly closed her eyes.
The priest’s fingertips lightly touched Eliza’s forehead.
Then she heard the brief, low sound of a prayer.
Although she could feel nothing, Eliza quietly prayed in her heart.
Please keep him safe. At least until I finish my preparations.
“Within you……. Though faint, I can feel His touch.”
“What?”
It was then that Eliza’s eyes met the priest’s.
The priest withdrew her hand and stared intently at Eliza.
Even though she was clearly hidden behind her veil, Eliza flinched at the sensation of their eyes meeting.
“Would you consider walking the path of God?”
“Me?”
Eliza almost let out a derisive laugh without thinking.
If God had watched over her, why would He have allowed her to realize her past life?
If being left to suffer like this was God’s will, she wanted no part of it.
However, having an excuse to return to the temple was not a bad idea.
She had been wondering where she could obtain holy power to absorb into Luo.
Eliza slipped her hand into her pocket and gently stroked the Luo she had brought with her.
“Do you possess divine power, Priest?”
“All who follow God are holy in their own way. I have merely received a little more of His grace.”
“How does that divine power manifest? If I have received grace as well.”
“Simply put, it can be determined by whether you respond when directly coming into contact with holy power. If you are curious, would you please extend your hand for a moment?”
When Eliza pulled her hand from her pocket and held it out, the priest gently took her fingertips.
As a faint light seeped from the priest’s hand, warmth spread through Eliza’s fingertips.
The priest quietly watched the way the light flowed, then withdrew her hand and thoughtfully stroked her chin.
“Well, this is truly mysterious. You are showing a distinctly stronger response compared to ordinary believers, but to say that it has manifested…….”
Faced with this sudden possibility, Eliza’s thoughts became complicated.
Could she really possess divine power?
‘That can’t be. I’m not particularly devout, nor have I ever had any intention of serving God…….’
Then, suddenly, the corners of Eliza’s mouth twisted.
Could it be that learning about her past life had been a revelation?
Fortunately, the mask covering her lower face concealed her expression.
As she clenched her fists tightly, the priest spoke again.
“You may need a medium. There are occasionally cases like that. Cases where a means is needed to manifest grace in reality.”
“But there’s no way I could possess some sort of holy relic.”
“It does not necessarily have to be an object. It could be a certain behavior or something similar……. Is there anything you habitually do or enjoy?”
The priest acted as though studying her.
After all, they were fervent followers of God, and they always wanted to increase the number of their companions.
Eliza merely shook her head quietly.
“If that is difficult, how about praying together, or perhaps singing a hymn?”
“A hymn……. Can it really be determined through something like that?”
“Song is a good means of prayer.”
It had been a long time since Eliza had sung.
She had never been in the mood to do so.
Silence lingered for a while.
The dry silence waited patiently for Eliza to open her mouth again.
