CH 18

“Master.”

“Is Lusi here?”

“Yes, please come inside.”

“What about Astein?”

“My lady is alone.”

“I see. What happened?”

Trisha secretly looked sideways at Elusiana and whispered in Simon’s ear. “I guess they have been fighting.”

“Hmm. That’s why she is making a face like that.”

As Trisha smiled and stepped aside, Simon approached Elusiana, who sat motionlessly.

“Father is here, but you pretend not to know?”

Elusiana, who had been looking away coyly, only then looked back at Simon.

“…Father is here.”

“My daughter doesn’t seem happy to see me.”

“No. It’s very nice to see Father.”

Simon smiled slightly as he sat across from Elusiana.

“Nice to see. But your face is full of disappointment though?”

“That’s—”

“By any chance, were you waiting for someone?”

“W-Waiting for someone? I’m not waiting for someone though?”

Elusiana, who unknowingly raised her voice, blushed and avoided eye contact. Simon looked at Elusiana’s side face and covered his mouth with his fist as if holding back his laughter.

“If it wasn’t me, then it must be no one. Hoho.”

“But why is Father laughing? It’s really not like that.”

“I get it, I get it. I believe your words. Hohoho.”

Even though he said so, he didn’t really mean his words. Standing in the back, Trisha held back her laughter, giggling about what was so funny.

Elusiana felt like she was being teased for some reason, so she changed the subject while hiding her pouty true heart.

“But where are you going, Father?”

Simon’s outfit is usually neat and stylish, but now it was obvious that he paid more attention to some points.

“I have something to do in the temple.”

“…temple?”

Elusiana’s face became slightly darker due to the unusual rain. Knowing her daughter’s concern, Simon smiled softly and stroked Elusiana’s head.

“It’s not that far away, so don’t worry.”

“Do you have to go today? It’s raining a lot.”

“It’s an appointment I made a month ago. This father is in a hurry and has no time to blame the weather.”

“…is it because of the ointment?”

Simon, who smiled happily, stood up from his seat.

“I never know when my daughter will get hurt again. This father should prepare in advance.”

“I’m sorry. I should have saved it.”

“You’re saying useless things. I prefer my daughter to be at ease rather than worrying about such consumable items. And, in fact, I have to stop by the shelter for a bit.”

“Shelter… Ah! You decided to provide additional food to the slums today, right?”

“You haven’t forgotten, Lusi.”

“Of course I remember. It was… only yesterday.”

The shelter, which was visited to evacuate Astein from ‘someone,’ caused a mishap in which they could not provide all the food.

I didn’t expect that many people would gather.

In the eyes of high-ranking nobles, they were like a thorn in the side. Still, it was for Viscount Waieos, who was definitely respected and supported by the imperial people, especially the poor. As a result, the appearance of the young lady, who hadn’t visited them, was a very rare experience for them.

Elusiana tried to erase the memory of their thrilling eyes as if they were facing a saintess, and continued with a more subdued tone, “But will people come even though it’s raining so much? Why don’t you delay it?”

“Hoho, it won’t matter how much rain falls on them, Lusi. What’s more unbearable than a natural disaster for them would be hunger.”

“I was short-sighted. I didn’t think that far.”

“Now you know it well.”

Simon smiled triumphantly.

“Um, by the way… Father.”

“If you have something to say, feel free to say it, Lusi.”

Elusiana, who hesitated in Simon’s friendly tone, carefully brought it up.

“Um… Are you going to keep the shelter open?”

Simon couldn’t answer immediately and looked at her, perhaps because of her unexpected words.

“More than hundreds of people come and go daily, but it seems inefficient to keep it open all the time.”

Rather than being inefficient, she was worried about the future. Elusiana, who hid her innermost thoughts, looked genuinely curious.

When she first heard about the ‘Poverty Relief Project,’ her mind thought, ‘Ah! As expected, noblesse oblige1!’ Seeing him return his overflowing wealth to the poor was so cool. However, after she learned that the project was money-grubbing, she began to worry.

Simon’s shelter wasn’t just an ordinary shelter. In addition to treating the sick, he also provided food and clothes, sometimes jobs and places to live, and even some money to those in need of food. Even if it had decreased a lot from the beginning, there were about a hundred people a day visiting the shelter. Therefore, it was bound to be a serious concern.

Simon immediately noticed her concern and smiled kindly, then brought it up. “Are you worried that our family money will dry up?”

“…more than that, I’m concerned about Father’s health.”

“What’s wrong with my health?”

“Father already has many things to do for this family, but I’m worried that you will collapse as there are many things to do. This time, not only grain but also daily necessities were generously given, right?”

“Ahem, there seems to be a misunderstanding. It’s… something I’ve done every year.”

Elusiana’s neck got cold on a bigger scale than she thought. No… Are you saying that’s it’s a misunderstanding now? If you give them everything, will even the family wealth remain? Even if there wasn’t a gold digger, it’s like pouring water into an empty dock. The warehouse will eventually become empty, and the family will be ruined, Father.

Without knowing her frustration, Simon stroked Elusiana’s head. “Don’t worry about anything. I will protect you as much as I can.”

Elusiana tried to say more, but she sighed inwardly. Simon was more stubborn than she thought. Although she was also stubborn, she kept her mouth shut as she kept thinking of the skinny faces in the slum she saw yesterday.

“Don’t worry about this father, and take a rest, Lusi. I will come back safely.” Simon, who gave Elusiana a big hug, left the room.

Elusiana looked out the window again. A carriage with the pattern of Viscount Waieos could be seen leaving the main gate.

Is it because of the heavy rain I haven’t seen in a while? She felt strangely uneasy in the corner of her heart.

* * *

“It’s a rough road, but fortunately, you came.”

An old priest in a white priest’s uniform greeted Simon with a benevolent smile.

“I promised, so I have to keep it.”

“You’re right. Come this way.”

The old priest guided Simon into the temple. As they reached deep inside along the white and long corridor, an antique-looking door appeared, unlike the monotonous entrance.

“You can go inside.”

“…thank you.”

The old priest smiled and went back the way he had come. Simon took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

When he opened the door and entered, he came into the room filled with all kinds of valuables. It was too fancy to be the room of those who worship God. And—

Again… this scent.  The unique scent that came from the High Priest’s room. The scent reduced his concentration as time went by. Simon’s eyes frowned automatically.

“May God bless you.”

“May God bless you too.”

“Viscount Waieos, please have a seat.”

The high priest, who invited him to sit down with a kind face, put down the prepared tea and sat across from him.

“Take a sip.”

“…thank you.”

After swallowing a sip of tea, the high priest spoke strangely, “You need the special ointment?”

“Yes.”

“Have you already used up everything I gave you the other day? With that amount, you could use it for several months.”

“…it happened because I used it so generously.”

“Umm, I’m in a very awkward position. As you know, many people are waiting because the ointment is precious. Some people have to wait for more than a year.”

“I know. I’ll give you… enough donation.”

The high priest, whose eyes flashed at Simon’s words, pushed the wooden box foward on the table.

“You did well to take special care of it. I put in plenty of that.”

“…thank you for caring for me.”

“But… I heard you had some problems in the slum yesterday.”

Simon’s eyes subsided as he opened the wooden box lid to check the goods.

“The news traveled so fast.”

“I heard that your daughter visited the slum herself. Is that why the charity was stopped?”

“…that part will be dealt with today.”

The high priest lifted the teacup with one corner of his mouth slightly raised.

“Of course you should. The Viscount, who swore in the name of God, shouldn’t go against his will. Don’t you think so?”

A slight wrinkle formed between Simon’s forehead, which sighed inside.

“Nothing will go against God’s will.”

“I believe so too. He saved your daughter’s life with great difficulty, so you cannot lose her in vain. You have to keep that in mind. There is no mercy in God’s wrath.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Then, can I go out now?”

The high priest who put the teacup down smiled and nodded.

“Of course. I can’t stop you from following God’s will.”

Standing up, the high priest put his palm on one side of his chest and slightly bowed his head.

“Then, I’ll see you again next time. May God bless you.”

“May… God bless you too.”

When Simon left the room, the high priest moved to the window. A pot with small and pretty flowers was placed by the window. He looked at it and whispered with a gentle smile.

“You did a great job today too.”

Creek, the high priest who opened the window, poured the pot of purple flowers out. No matter how excellent his purification power was as a high priest, it would be poisonous to smell it for a long time.

A flower that truly transformed your earnest desire into truth. The name of this kind of flower was ‘Flower of Hallucination.’ 

***

T/N: