As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Decarabia looking at me with a slightly surprised face.
“...Madam?”
It was a voice that seemed to ask why. When I looked around, everyone was just familiar people from Vine.
A large, hot hand covered my eyes for a moment. I could tell who the hand belonged to without even looking.
“Belled...”
“Yes, Beryl.”
My racing heart calmed down at the voice that said that.
“This is what you do every morning, right?”
At my question, Belled took his hand away from my eyes. Then, as usual, he nodded with a gentle smile on his face.
“Yes.”
The oil he was holding and the people giving the massage were the same. Even the feeling of rubbing. However, there was one reason I was nervous.
My gaze went from the walls and ceiling to the window.
Even without bothering to look out the window, which was still curtained, this was a temple.
Unlike the pitch-black Vine, it was a place decorated only with white things.
“If you're uncomfortable, do you want me to take it?”
“...Madam?”
It was a voice that seemed to ask why. When I looked around, everyone was just familiar people from Vine.
A large, hot hand covered my eyes for a moment. I could tell who the hand belonged to without even looking.
“Belled...”
“Yes, Beryl.”
My racing heart calmed down at the voice that said that.
“This is what you do every morning, right?”
At my question, Belled took his hand away from my eyes. Then, as usual, he nodded with a gentle smile on his face.
“Yes.”
The oil he was holding and the people giving the massage were the same. Even the feeling of rubbing. However, there was one reason I was nervous.
My gaze went from the walls and ceiling to the window.
Even without bothering to look out the window, which was still curtained, this was a temple.
Unlike the pitch-black Vine, it was a place decorated only with white things.
“If you're uncomfortable, do you want me to take it?”
Belled asked. I shook my head.
“No...”
Belled, observing my reaction, quickly noticed.
“Did you know that we were going to do something at the temple?”
I turned to him at those words. Belled pointed to a bottle on a round table some distance away from me.
“...Ah.”
There was no way I would forget that large bottle with a green spout.
‘Let go, let go!’
The people of my previous life had poured the water from that bottle, which was so cold, over and over again, and had left me kneeling outside, saying that smile needed to ‘receive the divine energy.’
All that covered me was the pure white cloth on the floor and the thin temple clothes.
It was when I firmly closed my lips.
“They said you should wash your body with the morning dew.”
He clearly saw me flinching at those words. Belled narrowed his eyes and approached the bottle, saying.
“I can't use something I don't even know where it came from, something that was given to me by the temple's own, honey.”
“No...”
Belled, observing my reaction, quickly noticed.
“Did you know that we were going to do something at the temple?”
I turned to him at those words. Belled pointed to a bottle on a round table some distance away from me.
“...Ah.”
There was no way I would forget that large bottle with a green spout.
‘Let go, let go!’
The people of my previous life had poured the water from that bottle, which was so cold, over and over again, and had left me kneeling outside, saying that smile needed to ‘receive the divine energy.’
All that covered me was the pure white cloth on the floor and the thin temple clothes.
It was when I firmly closed my lips.
“They said you should wash your body with the morning dew.”
He clearly saw me flinching at those words. Belled narrowed his eyes and approached the bottle, saying.
“I can't use something I don't even know where it came from, something that was given to me by the temple's own, honey.”
As he said that, he opened the bottle and poured the water into the vase.
The water that came out gushingly messed up the area around the vase, perhaps because he tilted the bottleneck a bit roughly, but he didn’t seem to care.
He looked at the water that flowed down the table as if looking at muddy water and turned his head.
“There’s nothing left, Beryl.”
As if to reassure me, he wiped his hands thoroughly on a handkerchief and came over to kiss me.
Was it because of the warmth, or was it because of the creepy cold I felt in my previous life?
Belled hugged me as I trembled for a moment.
“You seem to be still nervous.”
“A little."
I let out a short breath. It was natural for me to be nervous as the opening ceremony was about to begin.
However, it would be a shame for these people to tremble with memories of their previous lives in this situation that were so different from their previous lives.
As I thought that and tried to calm down, Belled received massage oil from the maid.
And.
Tok.
He dropped a few drops of massage oil on my pure white shoulders.
“Ah.”
it seemed to be cold for a moment. But when his fingertips touched the oil and began to rub my shoulders with hot heat, a short breath burst out.
“It’s an important day, Beryl.”
He said and rubbed my neck.
“I understand you’re nervous.”
And I’m nervous too.
I looked back at him as if surprised.
It didn’t seem that way.
But he held my hand tightly and smiled.
“We’ll be able to do it together.”
He held my hand and whispered.
“Difficult things that require you to be nervous come to you even when you don’t want them to.”
As if the opening ceremony was approaching. I nodded at those words.
“But time only goes forward, so things like that will pass.”
Especially if you don’t have to deal with those things alone, they’ll pass even faster. Easier than you were afraid of.
He smiled.
“Then just think about what’s going to happen after that, Beryl.”
Imagine a world you and I could create, a world where the gates of hell would open and neither you nor I, nor anyone you care about, would be threatened.
Imagine a world where you don’t have to worry.
“Isn’t it sweet?”
Belled kissed my ear.
My clenched teeth seemed to crack open slightly.
Then I suddenly realized.
There were countless moments of fear in my life that I didn’t want to come. And it was the same now.
What if the ritual of opening the door went wrong?
What if any of the people I had seen so far, especially... Belled get hurt?
I kept thinking about futures I didn’t want to imagine. So I wanted to stop now. Just like in my past life, and in the life before that.
I didn’t want the most difficult and fearful moments to come. I didn’t need more overwhelming happiness, so I didn’t want to miss out on even the smallest happiness I had now.
But now... now was a little different.
“Because you're not alone...”
Yes, it seems to be because I am not alone. And it seems to be because the future that’s coming is specific and so happy.
The anticipation and excitement that comes with tension. I nodded.
Unlike my past life, I was not alone. That was why I could endure it. I could overcome that moment of fear.
When I opened my eyes,
“The clothes are ready.”
At those words, my gaze turned toward the door.
It was a white garment that had already been prepared. It was a garment I knew had been prepared by the temple.
“...It’s time to wear it.”
I let out a short breath. However, unlike before, my voice was a little lighter.
Sarak.
I let out a short breath as I watched the white Saintess’s garment approaching me.
I wanted to burn it, but I had to wear it to keep the temple people off guard until the last moment.
“I will serve it myself.”
At that moment, Belled took the garment from the maid. I hesitated.
Still, it was a temple garment.
“Are you okay?”
Of course, he was a strong demon who didn’t respond much to prayers, but that must have been something the temple had carefully brought for the opening ceremony.
Slurp.
At those words, Belled answered, completely removing the half-covered clothes wrapped in paper from the packaging.
“Of course.”
However, it was hard to say that it was really okay because I was concerned about the way his eyes squinted every time the clothes touched him.
“Belled...”
“Shh.”
However, he put his index finger to his mouth as if it was okay and said,
“I’ll only touch briefly, but Beryl has to wear these clothes, right?”
So, even if it was just a little, he wanted to share the pain.
I couldn’t refuse his whispered words, his feelings.
Of course, I wasn’t a demon yet, so I didn’t react at all when the clothes touched her. However, my psychological aversion was no less than that of demons. I felt goosebumps as if the clothes were a venomous snake that would engulf my entire body.
Sarak.
“Belled...”
“Shh.”
However, he put his index finger to his mouth as if it was okay and said,
“I’ll only touch briefly, but Beryl has to wear these clothes, right?”
So, even if it was just a little, he wanted to share the pain.
I couldn’t refuse his whispered words, his feelings.
Of course, I wasn’t a demon yet, so I didn’t react at all when the clothes touched her. However, my psychological aversion was no less than that of demons. I felt goosebumps as if the clothes were a venomous snake that would engulf my entire body.
Sarak.
However, perhaps because Belled had dressed me, the goosebumps disappeared wherever his hands touched, and only a sweet heat took its place.
“...”
Belled met my gaze, tied the knot of the clothes, and tidied up the hem.
Then, he gently grabbed my fingertips which were burning brightly. Was it because the clothes were trying to contain the holy power? They certainly weren’t good clothes for him to touch.
Was that why he squinted his eyes?
I asked cautiously.
“...This look is not good, is it?”
It wasn’t his favorite color since he liked pitch black. I smiled awkwardly.
“Just wait a moment. Then, I’ll wear something else...”
Belled shook his head as I spoke, recalling my plan.
“No, as I always say.”
Belled kissed the unpleasant clothes, but the clothes that I had become beautiful because I was wearing them. I was surprised and pulled away the hem, but Belled followed me and kissed the hem, and the tips of my fingers.
“You are beautiful no matter what you look like. Above all, I don’t hate all white.”
Those words were a little unexpected, so I opened my eyes wide. Belled smiled at me.
“Especially your whiteness.”
Then he leaned very close to me and whispered softly in my ear so that only I could hear,
“I can dye everything with my colors.”
My face flushed at those words. It was when his fingertips lightly rolled up my sleeve and touched the soft skin on the inside of my arm.
Ding... ding... ding...!
The bell rang.
It was the bell signaling the start of the door-opening ceremony.
It wasn’t my first time seeing the altar. I also knew that when the door-opening ceremony began, the ceiling of the central altar gradually cracked open.
I had seen it in my previous life.
But it was still amazing.
Kururung...
As the sun began to be covered by the moon, the ceiling of the central altar where everyone was standing slowly began to crack.
And then as if the door had been there all along, it slowly opened.
“Oh...!”
As the light from outside streamed in, those at the altar began to feel overwhelmed with emotion.
That was when.
“My God, Your Majesty! This is serious!”
An urgent voice echoed loudly through the hallway leading to the central altar.
Everyone’s eyes turned in that direction.
“...”
Belled met my gaze, tied the knot of the clothes, and tidied up the hem.
Then, he gently grabbed my fingertips which were burning brightly. Was it because the clothes were trying to contain the holy power? They certainly weren’t good clothes for him to touch.
Was that why he squinted his eyes?
I asked cautiously.
“...This look is not good, is it?”
It wasn’t his favorite color since he liked pitch black. I smiled awkwardly.
“Just wait a moment. Then, I’ll wear something else...”
Belled shook his head as I spoke, recalling my plan.
“No, as I always say.”
Belled kissed the unpleasant clothes, but the clothes that I had become beautiful because I was wearing them. I was surprised and pulled away the hem, but Belled followed me and kissed the hem, and the tips of my fingers.
“You are beautiful no matter what you look like. Above all, I don’t hate all white.”
Those words were a little unexpected, so I opened my eyes wide. Belled smiled at me.
“Especially your whiteness.”
Then he leaned very close to me and whispered softly in my ear so that only I could hear,
“I can dye everything with my colors.”
My face flushed at those words. It was when his fingertips lightly rolled up my sleeve and touched the soft skin on the inside of my arm.
Ding... ding... ding...!
The bell rang.
It was the bell signaling the start of the door-opening ceremony.
***
It wasn’t my first time seeing the altar. I also knew that when the door-opening ceremony began, the ceiling of the central altar gradually cracked open.
I had seen it in my previous life.
But it was still amazing.
Kururung...
As the sun began to be covered by the moon, the ceiling of the central altar where everyone was standing slowly began to crack.
And then as if the door had been there all along, it slowly opened.
“Oh...!”
As the light from outside streamed in, those at the altar began to feel overwhelmed with emotion.
That was when.
“My God, Your Majesty! This is serious!”
An urgent voice echoed loudly through the hallway leading to the central altar.
Everyone’s eyes turned in that direction.
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