CH 46

Chapter - 46 || My Prayers Were Trivial

The door was open, but the Knights were using their spears to keep the High Priestess away.

The High Priestess said to Rudolf-sama,

"Tell the guards to leave. I am the highest ranking person in the temple.　

"But—"

"Rudolf-sama."

As I called out to him, Rudolf-sama let out a sigh, but gave a signal.

The Knights had quietly moved away, but they were still on guard.

Wadnui-sama asked the High Priestess,

"When did you get here?"

"A while ago. I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do, Wadnui."

"I'm the one who's supposed to be taking care of them. If you're here, High Priestess, you'll have to say leave."

"Oh, well. Elvira, please cease your prayers immediately."

"Huh...?"

Rudolf-sama did not hide his anger.

"Why should she be told to do that?"

"I'm not asking her not to do it. I just want her to do it later."

"Why?"

"The Saint here should pray first."

The High Priestess moved quickly to the side. I couldn't see her because she was hidden in the shadows, but there she was, Natalia.

"Lady Natalia?"

There was no sign of Alexander.

It seemed that the High Priestess and Natalia had come to this temple with their attendants.

Natalia was wearing an unusual red dress with a simple design.

She was wearing a negligee that was so thin that you could see through it. It was also red.

I wondered how she had gotten up here in that outfit.

It was unimportant, but it bothered me a little.

The High Priestess reiterated with a smile on the corner of her lips,

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I cannot allow you to pray before the Saints of our country."

Rudolf-sama argued,

"It was Elvira who came first. As the Saint of the empire, doesn't Elvira have the right to pray first?"

"Rudolf-sama."

I said.

"I am glad that you feel this way, but I would prefer that you pray first, Natalia."

"But..."

"Lady Natalia will be praying here for the first time, and I don't want to interrupt her."

"Elvira, you know your stuff!"

"Lady Natalia."

Without hearing what the High Priestess had to say, I spoke to Natalia.

"Thank you for your hospitality at the wedding and reception."

"...Thank you for traveling so far to see us.

That's all Natalia said, mumbling.

"Then come with me, Lady Natalia."

"Please wait."

I straightened my back and looked at the two of them straight on.

"Aren't you two forgetting something important?"

"What do you mean 'something important'?"

My voice was low.

"Lady Natalia, High Priestess."

Neither of them seemed to understand. Then I would explain it to them.

"High Priestess."

At the sound of my voice, the High Priestess stepped back a little. This made me approach her even closer.

"Don't tell me you don't know."

"What?"

"It's been quite a while since the fall of the Sacred Mountain and you haven't visited it, have you, Natalia?"

"Uh..."

"Why is that?"

Both the High Priestess and Natalia fell silent at my brief question.

"Shouldn't the temple take the initiative and send a Saint?"

"It's... well, it is so, but..."

As the High Priestess muttered nothing but obscure words, I turned to Natalia.

"Lady Natalia."

I said without moving my face, as if I was a doll.

"I told you, didn't I? As a saint and a queen, you must protect this country."

I'll never forget the time you broke off my engagement.

"I..."

"You are the saint and queen of this land. The people are waiting for you, you know."

"Why are you saying this to Natalia...?"

I raised one of my eyebrows.

"If not you, who else would I tell?"

When disasters struck, the mountainous people, or any people in the country for that matter, would have wanted the saintly Lady Natalia to come first.

That was what support was all about.

"Please pray for them right now. Isn't that what this country and its people need?"

Compared to that, my prayers were trivial.

"Come on in."

I sincerely said so.