“How is she doing these days?”
Aaron asked, tying up his long hair neatly. His voice was so calm that it seemed like he was asking about something he wasn't particularly interested in.
“She must have been so surprised that she just stayed quietly in her bedroom. She didn’t even go out.”
But Aaron was not one to ask questions about things he was not interested in. Rather, given the degree of interest he often showed to Amelia, Aaron's interest bordered on a sinister obsession.
“She doesn’t even go out?”
“Yes. I guess something like that happened...”
Louis, who knew that fact, answered cautiously. It was to avoid offending Aaron. She usually didn't treat people other than Amelia with extreme cruelty, but she was still cautious.
“That’s true.”
Aaron quickly accepted Louis' answer. He had no doubts. She wasn't going out, she wasn't meeting anyone, so she couldn't have any idle thoughts.
“Me, brother.”
The wind had become colder. It was when Aaron closed the window with a careless hand. Louis opened her mouth hesitantly. Aaron's gaze naturally turned to Louis.
“That fire, was it an accident?”
Aaron blinked slowly at Louis' question. He had a look on his face that said he had never expected to hear such a question, and Louis felt embarrassed at having asked such an unexpected question.
“Yes, unfortunately.”
Even though his expression seemed to be enough to answer, Aaron kindly answered out loud.
“That’s right. It’s a shame.”
“Are you sad?”
It was when Louis blurted out her words with sympathy, not understanding the regret in Aaron's words. Aaron pointed out Louis' words. A look of disappointment crossed Louis's face as she was unexpectedly criticized.
“What I mean is...”
“You don’t mean to imply that the wicked man who tried to rape a Priestess is dead, do you, Louis Skipper?”
Aaron asked with a blank expression. He usually had a faint smile on his face, so the difference felt particularly noticeable. Louis was flustered and just moved her lips.
“I’m joking. Surely you, a member of the Skipper family, wouldn’t have thought of something like that.”
Aaron's expression softened as he stared at Louis. His face was as gentle as ever.
“Isn’t that right?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Louis answered quickly.
“I’m tired. It’s time to go out.”
Then Aaron told her to go out, as if all his questions had been answered. Louis quickly got up from her seat, greeted Aaron, and left the room.
“...”
At the same time, Aaron's face, which had been smiling until the door closed, became cold. His gaze was now directed beyond the window to the palace where Amelia was staying.
“There is a guy who visits the annex prayer room once a week.”
Louis said that Amelia had just given up everything and become docile. Aaron wanted to believe that story, but he still had a lingering suspicion. So when he called the guards to check if there was anything suspicious about Amelia's behavior, he heard something like that.
“In the annex prayer room? You mean the prayer room near the north gate?”
The guard in Aaron's memory nodded.
“Yes. Actually, since it’s a place where the Priestess resides, no one implicitly approaches, but it’s not like it’s forbidden by the rules either...”
The guard looked at Aaron's expression, perhaps surprised, and answered.
“They usually stay for about an hour and come out before the curfew is issued, and there has never been any particular commotion.”
And, worried that people might say that he was being lazy, he hastily added his explanation.
“What is the name of the person who entered the prayer room?”
Of course, Aaron felt like it. But it was not something that could be done by arresting and beating someone up just for entering the prayer room. That was the mask of a devout priest and a sensible nobleman that Aaron wore.
“His name is Ricky. He's a commoner, so he doesn’t have a last name.”
But when the name he hears is familiar, things change. Aaron's eyebrows, unusually, tilted sharply.
“Who did you say he was?”
“Uh, his name is Ricky...”
The sharp atmosphere overwhelmed the guard in an instant. The guard unconsciously mumbled a short two-letter name and answered. This was because he had never seen Aaron so serious before.
“Was there a set date for him to come to the prayer room?”
A trainee priest who has gone astray and is about to be excommunicated.
“It used to be every Friday. Recently, there hasn’t been a single time when he came.”
And Amelia, who spent time alone in the prayer room every Friday.
“These are...”
"Yes?"
She had been fooling his eyes with such a daring trick. The moment he realized that, a fire blazed in Aaron's eyes. He crouched down like a cat about to hunt a mouse, and waited for Friday of that week.
And as planned, he snatched the lowly bastard's balls and threw him in prison.
“It’s a shame he died like that, but...”
However, there was something regrettable. In fact, Aaron had no intention of letting that foolishness go so easily. He had thought countless times about how to kill the bastard who approached Amelia and tried to talk her into submission before Friday, but it was useless.
But whatever the case, it seemed clear that this incident would shake up Amelia's entire life.
“...”
Amelia's face, collapsing before the red-hot, shaking light, was vivid in his mind. It was the second most desperate moment Aaron had ever seen Amelia's face.
“...I can’t think of anything else now.”
That's enough. That's enough.
Even as he thought that, Aaron's grip on the windowsill never let up.
After the night of the great fire that completely burned down a building, Amelia became calm. She ate when it was time to eat, and slept when it was time to sleep. The only thing she had lost was the act of doing something of her own free will.
“Aren’t you going to go for a walk?”
She didn't go for a walk, she didn't chat, she didn't insist that people not call her a Priestess.
“Really?”
Louis checked Amelia's intentions several times. From Louis's perspective, it was much easier to deal with Amelia, but she seemed to be anxious because she was different from usual. She might have thought that she had caused an accident before.
“Even if I want to go out for the next three days...”
So it seemed like she was suggesting a walk she didn't want to take. Amelia shook her head before Louis could even finish speaking.
“Yes, just rest until the bath water is ready.”
"Yes."
“Don’t go anywhere.”
“Don’t go.”
Amelia answered firmly. Louis, who was about to tell her to stop if she was thinking of doing anything else, moved her mouth with an embarrassed look on her face.
“Where am I going?”
There is no place Aaron's eyes cannot reach.
The omitted words were clear. Louis couldn't deny it either, so she rolled her eyes for a moment before saying goodbye and leaving.
“...”
Amelia lay down on her bed as soon as Louis left her bedroom, her eyes closed listlessly as if she was about to fall asleep again.
“The bath is ready.”
How much time had passed? Louis came back at a time when the soft glow of sunset was sinking into the room.
“I'll go.”
Amelia followed Louis to the bathroom. The warm water smelled pleasant, as if it had been infused with herbs to calm the nerves. But that didn't make it any easier to mix bodies with a man whose face she didn't even know.
Of course, that doesn't mean there's anything he can do about it. Amelia slowly soaked her feet in the bathtub, following the hands of the maids who couldn't speak with an expressionless face.
“Louis, just stay out. They’re not the ones who’ve been helping me for a day or two.”
Louis nodded and quietly stepped back. Amelia then began to soak in the bath. The ample chemise nightgown swelled with her movements for a moment, then slowly began to cling to her body as she immersed herself.
As Amelia sat up, the maids began to carefully assist her with her bath. Amelia stared at the water rippling as their hands moved under the water, and closed her eyes. Her heart was pounding, and she felt seasick.
Then, a careful hand tilted Amelia's head toward the edge of the bathtub and began massaging her scalp.
“...”
The wet hand moved through the air, leaving a watery trail on Amelia's face. So she could cry in peace.
A long stream of water ran down Amelia's temples. It continued until she finished bathing.
The bedroom where she returned after cleansing her body was already covered with the curtain of night. Amelia walked to the bed, relying on the weak fire of a few candles. This night was called Coming of Age Night, but it was no different from a get-together, so there was no special decoration in the room.
There was a noise beyond the bedroom door. It was probably the sound of two people walking.
Is it time?
Amelia stared at the door with a resigned face. At the same time, the door opened, and a sturdy knight with only his eyes visible and a man with a cloth or something over his head obscuring his vision were dragged in.
Aaron asked, tying up his long hair neatly. His voice was so calm that it seemed like he was asking about something he wasn't particularly interested in.
“She must have been so surprised that she just stayed quietly in her bedroom. She didn’t even go out.”
But Aaron was not one to ask questions about things he was not interested in. Rather, given the degree of interest he often showed to Amelia, Aaron's interest bordered on a sinister obsession.
“She doesn’t even go out?”
“Yes. I guess something like that happened...”
Louis, who knew that fact, answered cautiously. It was to avoid offending Aaron. She usually didn't treat people other than Amelia with extreme cruelty, but she was still cautious.
“That’s true.”
Aaron quickly accepted Louis' answer. He had no doubts. She wasn't going out, she wasn't meeting anyone, so she couldn't have any idle thoughts.
“Me, brother.”
The wind had become colder. It was when Aaron closed the window with a careless hand. Louis opened her mouth hesitantly. Aaron's gaze naturally turned to Louis.
“That fire, was it an accident?”
Aaron blinked slowly at Louis' question. He had a look on his face that said he had never expected to hear such a question, and Louis felt embarrassed at having asked such an unexpected question.
“Yes, unfortunately.”
Even though his expression seemed to be enough to answer, Aaron kindly answered out loud.
“That’s right. It’s a shame.”
“Are you sad?”
It was when Louis blurted out her words with sympathy, not understanding the regret in Aaron's words. Aaron pointed out Louis' words. A look of disappointment crossed Louis's face as she was unexpectedly criticized.
“What I mean is...”
“You don’t mean to imply that the wicked man who tried to rape a Priestess is dead, do you, Louis Skipper?”
Aaron asked with a blank expression. He usually had a faint smile on his face, so the difference felt particularly noticeable. Louis was flustered and just moved her lips.
“I’m joking. Surely you, a member of the Skipper family, wouldn’t have thought of something like that.”
Aaron's expression softened as he stared at Louis. His face was as gentle as ever.
“Isn’t that right?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Louis answered quickly.
“I’m tired. It’s time to go out.”
Then Aaron told her to go out, as if all his questions had been answered. Louis quickly got up from her seat, greeted Aaron, and left the room.
“...”
At the same time, Aaron's face, which had been smiling until the door closed, became cold. His gaze was now directed beyond the window to the palace where Amelia was staying.
“There is a guy who visits the annex prayer room once a week.”
Louis said that Amelia had just given up everything and become docile. Aaron wanted to believe that story, but he still had a lingering suspicion. So when he called the guards to check if there was anything suspicious about Amelia's behavior, he heard something like that.
“In the annex prayer room? You mean the prayer room near the north gate?”
The guard in Aaron's memory nodded.
“Yes. Actually, since it’s a place where the Priestess resides, no one implicitly approaches, but it’s not like it’s forbidden by the rules either...”
The guard looked at Aaron's expression, perhaps surprised, and answered.
“They usually stay for about an hour and come out before the curfew is issued, and there has never been any particular commotion.”
And, worried that people might say that he was being lazy, he hastily added his explanation.
“What is the name of the person who entered the prayer room?”
Of course, Aaron felt like it. But it was not something that could be done by arresting and beating someone up just for entering the prayer room. That was the mask of a devout priest and a sensible nobleman that Aaron wore.
“His name is Ricky. He's a commoner, so he doesn’t have a last name.”
But when the name he hears is familiar, things change. Aaron's eyebrows, unusually, tilted sharply.
“Who did you say he was?”
“Uh, his name is Ricky...”
The sharp atmosphere overwhelmed the guard in an instant. The guard unconsciously mumbled a short two-letter name and answered. This was because he had never seen Aaron so serious before.
“Was there a set date for him to come to the prayer room?”
A trainee priest who has gone astray and is about to be excommunicated.
“It used to be every Friday. Recently, there hasn’t been a single time when he came.”
And Amelia, who spent time alone in the prayer room every Friday.
“These are...”
"Yes?"
She had been fooling his eyes with such a daring trick. The moment he realized that, a fire blazed in Aaron's eyes. He crouched down like a cat about to hunt a mouse, and waited for Friday of that week.
And as planned, he snatched the lowly bastard's balls and threw him in prison.
“It’s a shame he died like that, but...”
However, there was something regrettable. In fact, Aaron had no intention of letting that foolishness go so easily. He had thought countless times about how to kill the bastard who approached Amelia and tried to talk her into submission before Friday, but it was useless.
But whatever the case, it seemed clear that this incident would shake up Amelia's entire life.
“...”
Amelia's face, collapsing before the red-hot, shaking light, was vivid in his mind. It was the second most desperate moment Aaron had ever seen Amelia's face.
“...I can’t think of anything else now.”
That's enough. That's enough.
Even as he thought that, Aaron's grip on the windowsill never let up.
***
After the night of the great fire that completely burned down a building, Amelia became calm. She ate when it was time to eat, and slept when it was time to sleep. The only thing she had lost was the act of doing something of her own free will.
“Aren’t you going to go for a walk?”
She didn't go for a walk, she didn't chat, she didn't insist that people not call her a Priestess.
“Really?”
Louis checked Amelia's intentions several times. From Louis's perspective, it was much easier to deal with Amelia, but she seemed to be anxious because she was different from usual. She might have thought that she had caused an accident before.
“Even if I want to go out for the next three days...”
So it seemed like she was suggesting a walk she didn't want to take. Amelia shook her head before Louis could even finish speaking.
“Yes, just rest until the bath water is ready.”
"Yes."
“Don’t go anywhere.”
“Don’t go.”
Amelia answered firmly. Louis, who was about to tell her to stop if she was thinking of doing anything else, moved her mouth with an embarrassed look on her face.
“Where am I going?”
There is no place Aaron's eyes cannot reach.
The omitted words were clear. Louis couldn't deny it either, so she rolled her eyes for a moment before saying goodbye and leaving.
“...”
Amelia lay down on her bed as soon as Louis left her bedroom, her eyes closed listlessly as if she was about to fall asleep again.
“The bath is ready.”
How much time had passed? Louis came back at a time when the soft glow of sunset was sinking into the room.
“I'll go.”
Amelia followed Louis to the bathroom. The warm water smelled pleasant, as if it had been infused with herbs to calm the nerves. But that didn't make it any easier to mix bodies with a man whose face she didn't even know.
Of course, that doesn't mean there's anything he can do about it. Amelia slowly soaked her feet in the bathtub, following the hands of the maids who couldn't speak with an expressionless face.
“Louis, just stay out. They’re not the ones who’ve been helping me for a day or two.”
Louis nodded and quietly stepped back. Amelia then began to soak in the bath. The ample chemise nightgown swelled with her movements for a moment, then slowly began to cling to her body as she immersed herself.
As Amelia sat up, the maids began to carefully assist her with her bath. Amelia stared at the water rippling as their hands moved under the water, and closed her eyes. Her heart was pounding, and she felt seasick.
Then, a careful hand tilted Amelia's head toward the edge of the bathtub and began massaging her scalp.
“...”
The wet hand moved through the air, leaving a watery trail on Amelia's face. So she could cry in peace.
A long stream of water ran down Amelia's temples. It continued until she finished bathing.
***
The bedroom where she returned after cleansing her body was already covered with the curtain of night. Amelia walked to the bed, relying on the weak fire of a few candles. This night was called Coming of Age Night, but it was no different from a get-together, so there was no special decoration in the room.
There was a noise beyond the bedroom door. It was probably the sound of two people walking.
Is it time?
Amelia stared at the door with a resigned face. At the same time, the door opened, and a sturdy knight with only his eyes visible and a man with a cloth or something over his head obscuring his vision were dragged in.
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