'I am sending my representative, serve him.'
There is a Priestess in Escliffe.
'She who has black hair and black eyes will join me and you, and she will prosper Escliff.'
The Priestess was a woman famous for having black hair and black eyes, unlike the blonde-haired people of the empire. But her fame did not come simply from her exotic appearance.
“Does she really not age?”
“Not at all. I saw her 10 years ago, and I saw her again the day before yesterday, and she was the same.”
The Priestess doesn't age. She's been the same for 200 years.
“Hey, if it were 10 years ago, I wouldn’t even remember properly.”
“Look at Mr. Rickson.”
“Ah, Rickson... That’s right.”
Even those who had been separated for nearly 30 years, saying they would wait and see if shr were really the same, eventually gave up. No matter how much time passed, the appearance of the woman who proudly showed up every year at the ritual held at the temple was the same.
“Whenever I see her, it’s as firm as a baby’s skin. How can the skin be so soft and smooth?”
Normally, if that had happened, she would have been accused of being a witch, but a Priestess is special. That one sentence alone justified everything.
“Honestly, after 200 years, isn’t it too late to believe it?”
The power that was the worst offender with the Priestess was the Escliffe Imperial Family. The temple would always easily oppose the imperial family by putting the Priestess at the forefront under the pretext of receiving revelations from the Gods. However, even the imperial family could not find fault with the existence of the Priestess.
Such an attitude of the imperial family made the people of the empire confident in the sincerity of the Priestess.
“Black eyes and black hair. I thought she was a foreigner.”
“That’s true.”
Rather, public sentiment was moving toward the point where it was excessive to have been suspicious for 200 years.
“...”
Yeah, we've come this far.
The man who had been eavesdropping on their conversation behind their backs pulled his robe over his head. Underneath the robe, his transparent emerald-like green eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“Rodan.”
The man got up from his seat and left the noisy bar.
“Yes, my lord.”
The man, who had been hiding in the darkness, emerged from the shadows of the building and revealed his presence. And he stared at his master.
“I don’t feel so good.”
“...”
“Don't follow me.”
The man who had shown his displeasure turned around with an elegant gesture, leaving Rodan behind. Rodan followed the man's appearance, which even his shabby robe could not hide.
His name was Ivan Wade Escliffe. He was the 15th Emperor of Escliffe.
***
“I said no!”
A sharp voice cut through the air. As is often the case with small animals, it was an overly sharp posture of dislike and wariness.
“I don’t want to wear it.”
It's so hard to change clothes every time. The maid sighed deeply. Since she couldn't speak, it was even harder to comfort her.
“Your Ladyship.”
Then, the servant, Louis Skipper, appeared. Her voice was soft and gentle.
“It’s prayer time. You should go.”
Of course, it was a fake voice to persuade the woman in front of him. There wasn't much time left.
“My name is not my lady. I told you to call me by my name.”
“I clearly refused last time. If I had done so, the High Priest would have been angry.”
Louis gently but firmly declined the offer made by the woman in front of her. The family was at stake in serving the Priestess. She did not want to be beaten for calling her name.
“Why is it a sin to ask someone to call my name?”
But the noble person didn't seem to have any intention of considering such feelings. It was at that time that the maid was about to order the servant to change her clothes by force.
“I came to fetch you, but... Are you fighting with your servant again, my lady?”
She clearly didn't sense any presence, but the door was open. The two people who were struggling froze in surprise at the same time.
“You should try going out.”
It was the High Priest, Aaron Skipper. He had clearly been a priest for many years, but he had a strangely unmanned air about him. Even the way he muffled his footsteps now.
“Yes, High Priest.”
Louis and the servant hurriedly left the place, pretending not to notice the earnest gazes that were glued to them. They were afraid that the sparks might fly to them.
“Are you trying to get them to call your name again?”
Aaron asked with a smile. Shame and anger came over the woman's face in turn.
“My name is not Priestess. So I just asked them to call me by my name. How is that wrong?”
Aaron's eyes softened as he confirmed that the door was closed. It was clearly a smile, but it was also a warning. His smile was always accompanied by a threat.
“...”
The woman's body, knowing that, froze like a cornered mouse.
“As far as I can see, you already know your mistake.”
The smile disappeared from Aaron's face in an instant. The man's cool expression was clear. It was a warning.
“I am not a Priestess.”
As she stared at that face, it became difficult to bear the anger that was rising. So, even though she couldn't protest loudly, shr had no choice but to say the words that Aaron hated the most and was wary of.
“Why aren’t you a Priestess?”
“My name is Amelia...”
“Amelia Escliffe.”
Aaron cut her off abruptly.
“The castle behind it belongs to the imperial family.”
Amelia Escliffe. A woman revered as a Priestess who, despite not being of royal blood, shared the royal family name.
“Your name is something you wouldn’t have if you weren’t a Priestess.”
He was right. The black-eyed, black-haired woman was nothing more than a stranger in this land.
“If you are not a Priestess, as you say.”
“...”
“Everything about you is a lie. You don’t even deserve the name Amelia.”
Aaron said mockingly. To anyone who saw it, it was not the attitude of a priest serving God's representative.
“Isn’t that so?”
The attitude of criticizing the fact that she had tried hard to forget was quite sharp. Amelia hid her trembling hands inside the sleeve of her shirt.
“Then who are you?”
Aaron asked. Amelia looked down silently, unable to answer.
“Are you feeling a little better now?”
Aaron was quick to notice that Amelia was dispirited. He tried to smile again. The man's face was creepy as he smiled.
“Please change your clothes and go to the prayer room.”
Aaron ordered leisurely.
"No."
But Amelia was no pushover either.
“Should I change it even if it’s forced?”
The smile disappeared from Aaron's face. Amelia's eyes fluttered slightly as she faced the expressionless man's face.
“High Priest!”
It was then that a priest came running in a hurry to find Aaron.
“They say there was a fire between the North Gate and the East Gate. The fire was quite large...”
“Let’s go first. Mobilize everyone nearby.”
Aaron, who was confronting Amelia, turned around hurriedly.
“So that’s why you said it would be difficult to pray today. Take a rest.”
But before he could open the door and take a step, he looked back at Amelia and said.
It's as if he knew this would happen because she'd been stubborn the whole time.
“Ah, so the Priestess knew....”
“Her Ladyship knows everything. Let’s go.”
Aaron answered with a grin. He was a terrible man who could manipulate public opinion. The door closed with a thud. Amelia clenched her hands, shaking with fear and anger.
“What do I know?”
It was ridiculous. If Amelia could really hear the voice of God and know the future, she would have wanted to know when Aaron would collapse.
"Ah."
Amelia, who had been looking down, suddenly raised her head. Then, she hurriedly put on a hooded robe and started running outside.
“Mobilize everyone nearby.”
He said that the fire broke out between the north gate and the east gate. If he had mobilized the guards because he was short-handed, then perhaps the security at the north gate, which was closest to her bedroom, might have been lax. That was the thought that came to mind.
"Ack..."
Even if a high wall is impassable, if there is no one guarding the gate, Amelia smiles brightly while running, panting.
“...”
But that smile didn't last long. The guard was away for a moment, but the door was firmly shut, as if betraying expectations. Only the moonlight that was faintly scattered in the air showed the door that was locked with chains.
Amelia bit her lip and looked up at the door with resentful eyes. At that moment, she felt a presence beyond the high wall that obscured the outside.
"...What."
Just when she was thinking something strange, a head suddenly appeared over the wall. The unfamiliar man stopped when he saw a woman sitting on the wall, staring at the door.
“Who are you...”
The man smiled awkwardly at the difficult question. Even under the hood of his robe, his features were clearly visible.
“The Grand Priest’s servants?”
Of course, it was difficult to hide the ruler's arrogance, which was subtly revealed even in the most embarrassing lies.
"...Lie."
Amelia, who had never met many outsiders, had no ability to discern his specialness. However, she was able to sense his lies.
"You are?"
The man shamelessly asked her a question while his false identity was revealed. At that moment, Amelia was caught up in a subtle confusion.
Who am I?
Amelia had nothing to establish as she was born and raised. She was simply raised with the name of 'Priestess'.
“Everything about you is a lie.”
I am not a liar.
“Because you don’t even deserve the name Amelia.”
No. Amelia tried to shake off the words floating in her head. But it was hard to deny that she, as a non-priest, had neither a surname nor a name.
"I am..."
But still. No matter what anyone said, she was Amelia. Amelia lifted her chin with a determined look on her face and pushed her hood back over her head.
“I am Amelia.”
“...”
“I’ve revealed my name, so before I scream, take off your hood and reveal your true identity.”
The man chuckled at Amelia's words. Then, with a dry hand, he brushed away the hood that was covering his head.
“...”
Then, black eyes that sparkled like stars met eyes that shone like summer green leaves.
“Ivan. A servant of God.”
Golden-bright blond hair, green eyes that shone as transparently as high-quality jewels, a sharp nose, and red, smooth lips. The man was a complete beauty.
The delicate flower petals planted in the garden swayed in the wind, as if welcoming a guest to the prison where flowers were in full bloom.
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