Aaron greeted them one by one with his usual gentle face, smiling as he passed them by. That is why the temple is still full of believers, even though Amelia has been staying in the palace for quite some time.
“Have you finished supplying additional supplies to the relief center?”
The priests who were counting and recording the number of sacks of wheat turned around in surprise at the sound of Aaron's voice from behind. Among them, the one holding the pen was the one who had been demanding the dismissal of several apprentice priests.
“Yes. As you commanded, we sent them first to the relief homes and orphanages. God was always kind and was very pleased.”
For the temple and the Priestess of Escliffe to maintain their reputation, they could not completely abandon charity work. The Priestess first gained fame because she cured the poor of their diseases and helped them overcome poverty.
“It is fortunate that they also felt God’s grace. It is not right for people to be poor and not feel God’s existence and will.”
Aaron nodded, saying that it was fortunate. If Amelia had seen it, she would have accused him of lying shamelessly, pretending to be an apostle of God without even wiping his mouth.
“But, High Priest”
Just as Aaron was about to finish his journey, one of the priests, who had placed the paper and pen he had been writing on on the handle, cautiously called out to Aaron.
“Ricky, the apprentice priest, is officially dead?”
Ricky was a common name in Escliffe. But it was a name that had been chewed over so many times that it was familiar to Aaron in another sense.
“Yes.”
Aaron answered calmly. Everyone thought it was no big deal that a sinner died.
“Can you tell why you're asking about him?”
Aaron asked as casually as he could. He was curious to see if he was still alive. And if he was, he planned to wring his neck out himself this time.
“When I visited the orphanage, I saw a woman bringing a child because she didn’t have the confidence to raise the child on her own...”
What did it matter? Aaron tried to keep a faint smile on his lips so as not to be caught with his lack of interest in the topic.
“I thought the child’s father was a normal person, but he turned out to be a trainee priest, and when she told him she was pregnant, he told her to get rid of the child and ran away. I saw the child in the ruins of the temple, and asked if I could take a look...”
“Do you resemble a dead person?”
The priest nodded in response to Aaron's question.
“Yes. Those blue eyes really caught my eye.”
“...”
“Of course, the father is a sinner, but the child is not a sinner, so I wonder if it would be okay to take care of the mother and son at the temple and let them do some chores.”
It was ambiguous to say that it was not worth a single word. Certainly, the apprentice priest himself was a sinner, but the abandoned child was not guilty. Wasn't he abandoned in an orphanage right after birth because he had a trashy father?
“Then for now...”
Taking in a child and a woman was no easy task. Aaron hesitated as he was about to ask the woman to come in as a laundry maid.
“Did you say blue eyes?”
The priest widened his eyes in puzzlement at Aaron's question. His face seemed to think it was strange to ask about the eye color of an apprentice priest who was already dead.
“Not green eyes, but blue eyes?”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s a bright blue.”
The old man was almost the only person who knew exactly what Ricky looked like. So it was highly unlikely that he could be wrong.
“...There’s no way they could have blue eyes, right?”
At that time, the man was wearing the hood of his robe over his head, and Aaron was staring at Amelia in anger. Since his identity was already proven by his apprentice priest badge, and he had planned to throw him in prison and then beat him up, he didn’t check his face properly.
Because of that, he barely remembered his impression. However, he clearly remembered that the eyes of the man passing by him were green.
“High Priest?”
The old man carefully called out to Aaron, who was lost in his own thoughts.
“Oh, I was just thinking about something else for a moment.”
“Is that so?”
Aaron responded to him calmly, as if he had come to his senses belatedly. The old priest smiled with a kind face.
“The woman is brought in as a maid in the laundry and paid a salary, and the child...”
The moment he mentioned the child, Aaron's words paused for a moment.
“I think it would be a good idea to allow children to enter the temple so that mothers can stay together.”
But it only lasted a moment, as Aaron seemed to be contemplating what to do with the hat.
“When they enter the temple, please tell me.”
“Is there any possibility?”
The old man bowed low in greeting. Aaron passed him with a calm expression. The smile disappeared in an instant.
First, he needed to check what the kid looked like, and then he needed to check with the woman again what Ricky looked like.
A few seconds after Amelia, wearing a purple dress made of chiffon, passed by, the maids suddenly looked back with surprised faces. Since they were walking in opposite directions, the distance between them had widened slightly in the short time.
“I thought she was a noble girl, but her hair...”
“She always wears that white dress.”
“I usually thought she was just elegant, but she was more extravagant than I thought.”
“I guess that’s what His Majesty sent her last time.”
It wasn't so much that it couldn't be heard. Amelia pretended not to notice those complimenting her appearance and passed by.
“I heard that the lady of Count Clarke's house is here. I’d feel uneasy if I ran into her.”
“Have you arrived?”
That was the end of the story. The daughter of Count Clarke accepted Ivan's proposal with honor and came up to the island with her mother to prepare for the engagement. And before the engagement ceremony, she often visited the palace to spend time with Ivan. Amelia also already knew this.
“The palace servants are very talkative.”
Louis spoke in a whisper. Amelia did not bother to respond. She thought it was not something that Louis should say, since she was reporting Amelia’s every move to Aaron and the Duke of Russell.
“It seems that Count Clarke’s daughter has entered the palace.”
Amelia stopped walking at Louis's words. Then she quietly turned to look in the direction of the main palace. It was the space where Ivan and his future fiancée would spend time together.
“Yes. By all means.”
Amelia turned her head and replied softly. Then she crossed the threshold leading to the West Palace. On the surface, all her actions were clean and uncluttered.
But Louis found the afterimage of the dirty emotion in Amelia's reply, and her face became interesting. It was the face of someone watching a provocative melodrama. Louis now completely trusted the hostility Amelia showed toward Ivan.
“What about Ian?”
“He’ll be with Mrs. Howard.”
When asked about Ian's whereabouts, Louis answered lightly, as if she had no idea where a baby who couldn't even crawl properly would have gone. She wasn't wrong.
“What could have happened while I was out for a walk?”
It was a voice that did not sound like a vain thought, and Amelia's tension was starting to ease. As she walked along the garden steps, Amelia noticed that the West Palace had become unusually noisy.
“Something seems strange.”
Louis's eyes widened at Amelia's muttering.
“What happened...”
The only guests staying at the West Palace were Ian and Amelia. And since Amelia had no particular problems, it was only natural that the other one would have problems.
“Your Ladyship!”
Before Louis could even begin to figure it out, Amelia grabbed the hem of her cumbersome skirt with both hands and started running quickly. As expected, the lobby of the West Palace was bustling with servants.
“Come in!”
At Mrs. Howard's beckoning, a man who appeared to be a court lady entered Ian's bedroom.
“You are unconscious. I don’t know why you are acting like this all of a sudden.”
Beyond the door that was still open, Mrs. Howard explained Ian's condition restlessly. The palace doctor seemed to be hurriedly examining Ian's body.
“What the hell is going on?”
“Yeah. What the hell is this…..”
As the door closed, the conversation between Mrs. Howard and the palace doctor were inaudible. Her hands grew cold. Amelia reached out with a trembling hand and pulled the doorknob.
“..."
She entered Ian's bedroom with hesitant steps. The first thing she saw was Mrs. Howard was wiping tears on her handkerchief, and the palace doctor was examining Ian.
Even in such chaotic noise, the sound of a child crying as if he were going to die could be heard clearly. Amelia watched the scene with a stern face.
“Have you finished supplying additional supplies to the relief center?”
The priests who were counting and recording the number of sacks of wheat turned around in surprise at the sound of Aaron's voice from behind. Among them, the one holding the pen was the one who had been demanding the dismissal of several apprentice priests.
“Yes. As you commanded, we sent them first to the relief homes and orphanages. God was always kind and was very pleased.”
For the temple and the Priestess of Escliffe to maintain their reputation, they could not completely abandon charity work. The Priestess first gained fame because she cured the poor of their diseases and helped them overcome poverty.
“It is fortunate that they also felt God’s grace. It is not right for people to be poor and not feel God’s existence and will.”
Aaron nodded, saying that it was fortunate. If Amelia had seen it, she would have accused him of lying shamelessly, pretending to be an apostle of God without even wiping his mouth.
“But, High Priest”
Just as Aaron was about to finish his journey, one of the priests, who had placed the paper and pen he had been writing on on the handle, cautiously called out to Aaron.
“Ricky, the apprentice priest, is officially dead?”
Ricky was a common name in Escliffe. But it was a name that had been chewed over so many times that it was familiar to Aaron in another sense.
“Yes.”
Aaron answered calmly. Everyone thought it was no big deal that a sinner died.
“Can you tell why you're asking about him?”
Aaron asked as casually as he could. He was curious to see if he was still alive. And if he was, he planned to wring his neck out himself this time.
“When I visited the orphanage, I saw a woman bringing a child because she didn’t have the confidence to raise the child on her own...”
What did it matter? Aaron tried to keep a faint smile on his lips so as not to be caught with his lack of interest in the topic.
“I thought the child’s father was a normal person, but he turned out to be a trainee priest, and when she told him she was pregnant, he told her to get rid of the child and ran away. I saw the child in the ruins of the temple, and asked if I could take a look...”
“Do you resemble a dead person?”
The priest nodded in response to Aaron's question.
“Yes. Those blue eyes really caught my eye.”
“...”
“Of course, the father is a sinner, but the child is not a sinner, so I wonder if it would be okay to take care of the mother and son at the temple and let them do some chores.”
It was ambiguous to say that it was not worth a single word. Certainly, the apprentice priest himself was a sinner, but the abandoned child was not guilty. Wasn't he abandoned in an orphanage right after birth because he had a trashy father?
“Then for now...”
Taking in a child and a woman was no easy task. Aaron hesitated as he was about to ask the woman to come in as a laundry maid.
“Did you say blue eyes?”
The priest widened his eyes in puzzlement at Aaron's question. His face seemed to think it was strange to ask about the eye color of an apprentice priest who was already dead.
“Not green eyes, but blue eyes?”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s a bright blue.”
The old man was almost the only person who knew exactly what Ricky looked like. So it was highly unlikely that he could be wrong.
“...There’s no way they could have blue eyes, right?”
At that time, the man was wearing the hood of his robe over his head, and Aaron was staring at Amelia in anger. Since his identity was already proven by his apprentice priest badge, and he had planned to throw him in prison and then beat him up, he didn’t check his face properly.
Because of that, he barely remembered his impression. However, he clearly remembered that the eyes of the man passing by him were green.
“High Priest?”
The old man carefully called out to Aaron, who was lost in his own thoughts.
“Oh, I was just thinking about something else for a moment.”
“Is that so?”
Aaron responded to him calmly, as if he had come to his senses belatedly. The old priest smiled with a kind face.
“The woman is brought in as a maid in the laundry and paid a salary, and the child...”
The moment he mentioned the child, Aaron's words paused for a moment.
“I think it would be a good idea to allow children to enter the temple so that mothers can stay together.”
But it only lasted a moment, as Aaron seemed to be contemplating what to do with the hat.
“When they enter the temple, please tell me.”
“Is there any possibility?”
The old man bowed low in greeting. Aaron passed him with a calm expression. The smile disappeared in an instant.
First, he needed to check what the kid looked like, and then he needed to check with the woman again what Ricky looked like.
***
A few seconds after Amelia, wearing a purple dress made of chiffon, passed by, the maids suddenly looked back with surprised faces. Since they were walking in opposite directions, the distance between them had widened slightly in the short time.
“I thought she was a noble girl, but her hair...”
“She always wears that white dress.”
“I usually thought she was just elegant, but she was more extravagant than I thought.”
“I guess that’s what His Majesty sent her last time.”
It wasn't so much that it couldn't be heard. Amelia pretended not to notice those complimenting her appearance and passed by.
“I heard that the lady of Count Clarke's house is here. I’d feel uneasy if I ran into her.”
“Have you arrived?”
That was the end of the story. The daughter of Count Clarke accepted Ivan's proposal with honor and came up to the island with her mother to prepare for the engagement. And before the engagement ceremony, she often visited the palace to spend time with Ivan. Amelia also already knew this.
“The palace servants are very talkative.”
Louis spoke in a whisper. Amelia did not bother to respond. She thought it was not something that Louis should say, since she was reporting Amelia’s every move to Aaron and the Duke of Russell.
“It seems that Count Clarke’s daughter has entered the palace.”
Amelia stopped walking at Louis's words. Then she quietly turned to look in the direction of the main palace. It was the space where Ivan and his future fiancée would spend time together.
“Yes. By all means.”
Amelia turned her head and replied softly. Then she crossed the threshold leading to the West Palace. On the surface, all her actions were clean and uncluttered.
But Louis found the afterimage of the dirty emotion in Amelia's reply, and her face became interesting. It was the face of someone watching a provocative melodrama. Louis now completely trusted the hostility Amelia showed toward Ivan.
“What about Ian?”
“He’ll be with Mrs. Howard.”
When asked about Ian's whereabouts, Louis answered lightly, as if she had no idea where a baby who couldn't even crawl properly would have gone. She wasn't wrong.
“What could have happened while I was out for a walk?”
It was a voice that did not sound like a vain thought, and Amelia's tension was starting to ease. As she walked along the garden steps, Amelia noticed that the West Palace had become unusually noisy.
“Something seems strange.”
Louis's eyes widened at Amelia's muttering.
“What happened...”
The only guests staying at the West Palace were Ian and Amelia. And since Amelia had no particular problems, it was only natural that the other one would have problems.
“Your Ladyship!”
Before Louis could even begin to figure it out, Amelia grabbed the hem of her cumbersome skirt with both hands and started running quickly. As expected, the lobby of the West Palace was bustling with servants.
“Come in!”
At Mrs. Howard's beckoning, a man who appeared to be a court lady entered Ian's bedroom.
“You are unconscious. I don’t know why you are acting like this all of a sudden.”
Beyond the door that was still open, Mrs. Howard explained Ian's condition restlessly. The palace doctor seemed to be hurriedly examining Ian's body.
“What the hell is going on?”
“Yeah. What the hell is this…..”
As the door closed, the conversation between Mrs. Howard and the palace doctor were inaudible. Her hands grew cold. Amelia reached out with a trembling hand and pulled the doorknob.
“..."
She entered Ian's bedroom with hesitant steps. The first thing she saw was Mrs. Howard was wiping tears on her handkerchief, and the palace doctor was examining Ian.
Even in such chaotic noise, the sound of a child crying as if he were going to die could be heard clearly. Amelia watched the scene with a stern face.
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