Chapter 21

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Even after Hanna left his office, Cesar was still unable to get up from the sofa.

If he changed his posture a little bit, he couldn’t even do it because of his aching stomach.

However, as his lips were about to tear due to dryness because of dehydration, Cesar picked up the cup Hanna left on the table with his trembling hands.

He couldn’t even get up and slurped the water like a bird pecking at it.

The honey water was terribly sweet to the point he’s getting goosebumps. Perhaps because nothing went into his mouth for half a day, his taste buds reacted sensitively.

*Gulp. Gulp.*

Sweet honey water continued to enter Cesar’s esophagus.

* * *

“You’re okay, too.”

“Yes, Cesar is okay, too.”

Curtis handed out the documents and deliberately emphasized the word ‘okay’.

*Tak. Tak.*

Cesar’s finger hit the desk lightly.

“Why are you okay?”

“Is it a problem for me to be okay?”

Curtis thought he would be good as dead for three days, but he didn’t know how fortunate this strange phenomenon was.

“In a day, almost all the people in the temple got better.”

Cesar, who had been thinking for a while, suddenly remembered something.

“You.”

“Yes.”

“Did you drink that water?”

“Water?”

“The honey water.”

At Cesar’s words, Curtis traced his memories of yesterday.

He remembered drinking it by himself while crawling around when he heard that Moisei had received honey water from the dining hall.

“I drank the honey water they gave out at the dining hall.”

“Honey water…”

Last night Cesar drank up the honey water Hanna left behind.

There was no one else to share it.

As the sweet thing went down his throat, his body, which seemed to be limped because of poison, cooled down and felt purified.

Thanks to that, his eyes went upside down, and then drank everything.

“Isn’t that weird? The water was made by the nursery teacher.”

“I’ll find it out.”

Curtis immediately read Cesar’s meaning.

He had a keen eye that could tell what’s in his mind with just his eyes without Cesar having to explain it for a long time.

It was strange enough that all the people in the temple were cured after sharing the honey water given by the nursery teacher.

Cesar did not give detailed explanations or instructions.

He waved his hand.

It means to go out and work quickly.

* * *

“What?”

Hanna was embarrassed by this situation now.

“The people of the temple drank the honey water and got better.”

“That water?”

That’s just honey water.

Hanna didn’t understand what Curtis was saying now.

“What the hell is that honey water?”

“Water filled with the essence of clear Cocos Mountain and a spoonful of honey filled with love…?”

“That’s all?”

“A little herbal tea…?”

Curtis told Hanna that the people who drank the honey water she made yesterday had been cured, and asked about the water’s identity.

But Hanna had nothing to say but honeyed water.

“The doctor says there’s no other way to cure it, and I have to be sick for three days, how did I get better like this?”

“Thanks to the spirit of the clear mountain.”

When he asked her what she didn’t know, she couldn’t give him another answer.

At that time, Jeremy, who was listening to their conversation, intervened and said.

“My injured leg was also treated with medicinal water by the teacher!”

Curtis’ eyes glistened at the words.

“How did you make it?”

“Spring water and medicinal herbs?”

“Are you familiar with herbal medicine?”

Curtis wanted to know this in detail.

Dealing with herbs is a difficult task, and having a talent for it would be a great help to the temple.

Curtis was busy enough to say that he usually lived a day divided by minutes, and the fact that he spent so much time on Hanna was very interesting.

“I have no idea at all.”

“Then how did you find out about medicinal herbs?”

“I put it in because it smells good.”

“Hmm.”

Curtis rubbed his chin and fell into deep thought.

“Have you, by any chance, done a test on your power before?”

“What? No.”

Hanna grew up in a temple, but this corrupted temple did not purchase any equipment needed for the power test, so only rumors were heard of it having a power test.

“My gut tells me there’s something about you.”

That gut of his must be so reliable to have that kind of an expression.

“…Is that so.”

But Hanna wasn’t very interested in what he said.

“Why don’t you take a test?”

“Well… the next time I go to the central shrine, I’ll take it.”

“We can also bring it right here.*(1)

“No, well, it’s not necessary.”

To be honest, Hanna had no interest in herself, even if she had divine power or not.

Let’s say she’s lucky enough to be given a new life.

In the future world where the villains would come, having good faith is a choice that calls for disaster on its own, just like serving part-time jobs at a samgyetang*(2) restaurant on holiday.

“I’m satisfied with my life now.”

“But…”

Curtis couldn’t let go of his expectations.

“I’ll definitely get myself tested if I have to go to the central temple next time.”

“If your heart is like that, I can’t force you more.”

His eyes were dripping with regret.

In this world today, a priest was more respected than being employed in the imperial palace.

As the prestige of the temple became so great that even the imperial palace was noticing it, the priests with the power of the temple on their backs were the envy of everyone.

The uniqueness of being able to become one of the only chosen people with divine power added to the value of the position.

Hanna knew, however, that most of the extras in the original story died when they were priests.

Therefore, I wanted to avoid voluntarily becoming a priestess after taking a test of my strength.

“Well, I’m thinking of going out with the kids now.”

Curtis’ footsteps were not falling.

“A little… Please move out of the way.”

Hanna had to look away quickly so that she could not make eye contact with the glows of sadness in the other’s eyes.

“But…”

But, what do you mean, “but”?! Hanna managed to push Curtis away and take the children out of the dormitory.

“Teacher, are you going to be a priestess?”

Marsha asked, pulling Hanna’s skirt.

Hannah shook her head as she tied her frizzy hair.

“I like being you kids’ teacher. And Curtis misunderstood.”

“But it’s true that you made people better.”

Jeremy was excited that his teacher was special.

“A stomachache is usually cured after a good night’s sleep.”

Ian didn’t understand why Hanna is like that.

Others want to enter the temple even if they squeeze out all their power to become a priest.

“You’re weird.”

Ian told Hanna.

“Guys, the world isn’t all it seems.”

You don’t have to walk on a muddy path even if you can’t go on a flowery path.

Hm-hm.

“You’re talking like a person who is well-versed in the history of the world.”

“Haha.”

It’s not that, it’s a reader’s buff.

“Today is an outdoor class!”

Outdoor classes were like saying that Hannah would set her children free in the garden and enjoy their leisure time.

“I mean, strangely, I’m tired.”

I was strangely tired last night and fell asleep.

“Hmm.”

Hannah sat under a tree and turned her hands around and turned over.

“Come on, it can’t be.”

No matter how powerful the body of a character in a novel is, does anyone have this kind of strength?

She was sure Curtis had a wrong guess.

* * *

“You’re not going to be tested?”

“What kind of rumor is that?”

During dinner time, an uninvited guest stormed in while Hanna was trying to have dinner at the nursery with the children.

“But why are you eating here?”

“I can’t trust temple food because of yesterday.”

Hanna, who was putting steamed meat on a plate, was speechless and stopped moving without realizing it.

“Well, you care terribly about your body.”

“It’s a very precious body.”

At the round table, Cesar, who sat between the children, even had a towel around his neck.

“Yeah…”

It was a difficult situation because I couldn’t get rid of him rudely when he said he was going to eat a meal.

“Let’s eat first.”

When the steamed meat was put on the table, the children’s eyes shone.

“I was wondering if I should cook porridge, but I decided to cook meat to cheer you up because you were all so energetic.”

“I love meat!”

“I absolutely hate porridge! I know it’s called carrot porridge during the day, but you put broccoli in it.”

Anyway, the broccoli had to be hidden, so I ground it in so the kids wouldn’t notice, but Jeremy’s taste was quite sharp.

“Don’t whine about the side dishes,” Cesar said to Jeremy.

Don’t whine about it at the dining table.

Hanna took off her apron and sat down on the chair among the children.

“Thank you for the meal!”

“Thank you for the food.”

“Hehe, meat, meat!”

“I’ll eat it well.”

Look at that natural greeting.

“You’re not going to eat here tomorrow, are you?”

“I’m thinking of using this place until the temple’s dining hall disinfection and cleaning are complete.”

“……”

I can barely open my mouth, so why is the annoyance exploding like this?

“It’s not free.”

“A budget of 5 percent?”

I was almost tempted.

However, I don’t like the fact that he’s using money like this.

It’s not even his own money, it’s this temple’s budget!

“Let’s cook together.”

“Cooking?”

Cesar’s lips twisted.

“You have to make your own food.”

The children chewed food and concentrated on their conversation.

“Teacher. Isn’t getting a bigger budget better?”

Ian pointed out Hanna’s wrong line.

“I’m regretting what I’m saying now, too.”

Hanna sympathized with Ian without a change of expression.

“Great.”

“What?”

No, what do you mean great?

Let’s negotiate more carefully, whether it’s 10 percent or 7 percent.

Is this happening? It’s difficult, but it was more difficult to reverse because I already said something.

It was funny to make a deal with just a meal.

“You should have just accepted the budget.”

Ian and the other children shook their heads.

“…..”

Why didn’t you stop me earlier?

That’s how Hanna got a cooking assistant.

“Sheasher!”(Teacher!)

Jeremy called Hanna with his mouth full of meat.

“Huh? Jeremy?”

“Moishi-nim is sho rushtic shoday!” (Moisei-nim is so rustic today!)

“Did Moisei praise you?”

It was Hanna who understood the messed up pronunciation like an expert.

“Talk after swallowing your food.”

Cesar, a guest, said to Jeremy, who was frying food.

*Gulp.* 

Jeremy swallowed what was in his mouth and opened his mouth again.

“Like this! Like this! Pak Pak! He even stabbed me!”

Cesar and Ian looked serious as Jeremy punched the table.

“You shouldn’t hit the table.”

Cesar said to Jeremy again.

“And tomorrow, like this! He would teach me how to slash!”

Jeremy got down from the chair and performed the sword-slashing action.

Seeing that, Cesar said again.

“Don’t stand up while eating.”

Jeremy said with a wrinkled face, “Zip it.”*(3)

A line formed between Cesar’s eyebrows.

“This bean-sized guy.”

“Why are you telling us what to do at our table?”

“This and that? I’m the head priest here inside the temple.”

“Are you condescending to a child your rank?”

“Ha?”

Then Jeremy and Cesar continued to fight meaningless words.

Ian quietly wiped his mouth, saying that he had lost his appetite.

Marsha giggled at the sight. Hanna had a throbbing headache.

.…Ah.

I wish everyone would just eat.