CH 25

Chapter - 25 || Was That Your Only Objection?

Rosemarie, wearing a serene deep green dress, said in a polite tone,

"My name is Rosemarie Goldberg, first of all, I would like to congratulate Elvira Von Lustro on her certification as a saint."

I bowed neatly and returned the bow.

And then,

"Rosemarie? What are you doing?"

Was it her family member? An aristocratic nobleman came out from the back, but Eric-sama controlled him.

"Count Goldberg, no one can overrule an objection. Lady Rosemarie has every right to object."

Count Goldberg looked very pale, but Master Eric urged her to go on.

"Rosemarie, what is your objection?"

"I have an objection, or rather, a question."

Rosemarie now looked at me, and not Eric-sama.

"She was originally going to be the Queen of Turku."

'Oh.' I thought.

The nobles around me seemed to be confused.

That's no wonder.

To mention it might be a disrespect to Rudolf-sama, Empress Claudia, and His Majesty the Emperor, who chose me to be the Crown Princess.

In addition, I felt a menacing gaze on my back, probably from Rudolf-sama. I had to refrain it by straightening my back.

But,

There was no lie in what this person said.

"Eric-sama."

I said slowly.

"May I be so bold as to answer?"

"Yes, please."

Count Goldberg was about to collapse.

"I was educated from an early age to become the Queen of the Kingdom of Turku, but since that promise had been revoked, I have come here under the guidance of Rudolf-sama."

The people around me were murmuring quietly, but I held my ground and asked back,

"Was that your only objection?"

Rosemarie looked nervous.

"No, I wanted to confirm it first."

"Confirm?"

"Yes. It was true..."

I wondered what kind of criticism would come my way, but Rosemarie's eyes were moist and she clung to me.

"Please! Elvira-sama, please don't leave!!"

Leave?

Go where?

"I'm afraid I'm not sure what you mean."

"I heard that after the wedding, you were going to visit the Kingdom of Turku."

I nodded, because that was true.

"Aren't you going to come back here? It was so painful to think about it that I really wanted to ask you."

Then Eric-sama told me,

"Rosemarie is a particularly devoted believer of the faith of the saints."

"Oh..."

Rosemarie continued,

"I've heard that the reason why the Kingdom of Turku gave up such a precious person, who was a candidate for queen and a saint, was because they wanted to ensnare Elvira-sama."

Well, I suppose so.

I affirmed Lady Rosemarie's words by remaining silent.

"That in itself is totally, really, really good, since it is the fault of the Kingdom of Turku, but what worries me is the brazenness of that country."

[ E/N - It's really good for them because the Kingdom of Turku is their enemy. ]

"Brazenness?"

"Please forgive me for speaking of your motherland in such a way! But I've heard that Elvira-san is a very... kind person!

Even the Kingdom of Turku, which has treated you so unfairly, will you forgive them if they apologize to you?

These thoughts fills me with anxiety, and I can't sleep! Please. Please stay here forever."

Is that what you wanted to say?

I'm ashamed to say that I misunderstood just a little bit.

I was prepared to assume that Rosemarie was a potential fiancée of Rudolph-sama's or something, and that she was trying to reassume that position by challenging me.

But what she said was totally different...

Reflecting, I took Rosemarie's hand in mine. Her hand was trembling, and I could tell that she had been very brave to call out to me.

"Lady Rosemarie. I have indeed been educated to become the queen of the Kingdom of Turku. I was also a candidate for the saint."

"But," I said, not only to Rosemary, but to everyone present,

"I am a saint of the Zomer Empire. If I ever go to the Kingdom of Turku, or anywhere else for that matter, my place of return will be here. Please accept me as such."

Eric-sama clapped his hands.

Rudolph-sama followed suit. Soon the temple was filled with even louder applause than ever before.

"As I said before."

Eric-sama said,

"Thank you for coming to our country. Thank you."

Then he looked up at the temple and said with sincere eyes,

"Since we're here, let's end with a prayer."

Strangely enough, only Eric-sama's voice could be heard over the applause.

"As you know, there are two worlds; the pure world and the polluted world."

The sermon began.

"You also call them simply 'here and there,' 'this world and the other world,' and so on."

We all closed our eyes and folded our hands in front of our chests.

"To understand the difference between the two worlds, we need to think about the word 'purity.'"

Eric-sama's words continued,

"'Purity' means the same thing as 'saints going around the world.' 

When the saint is reborn and travels around the six worlds of the sea, mountains, earth, sky, underground, and heaven, which she just vowed to do, the 'purity' will circulate."

Up to that point, it was the same sermon I had heard in the Kingdom of Turku.

But,

"Meanwhile, the tainted creature, Toifel the Demon, travels around the six tainted worlds."

'Oh.' I thought.

"The 'pure world' and the 'polluted world' never intersect. By praying to this world and to the saints, we can live in the 'pure world.'"

'Toifel the Demon' was new to my ears, and it made me realize that I still had a lot to learn.

I had never heard of it in the Kingdom of Turku.