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Raw Provider: Jessica
TL: Ms MTLer
The nuns rushed to her right away.
“What happened, Your Ladyship? You didn’t fight, did you?”
Cosette: “I was just asking her to come and help me if she’s done with her work, but I guess it annoyed her.”
“I see.”
Cosette: “Well, Keira’s been treated as a noble lady since she was born, so it might have offended her that I asked her to help with chores.”
The nuns recalled the nobles who visited the temple.
Most of them were decent enough, and although the nuns never had the chance to talk to them in person, some of the nobles exuded a sense of superiority.
Moreover, how high would one’s nose be if they grew up as the only daughter of a Grand Duchy?
It wouldn’t be surprising if such a person took offense at someone suggesting they do chores.
“By the way, Lady Cosette, are you okay?”
Cosette: “Well, I was originally raised as a commoner, so.”
Cosette replied with a shrug.
Then, the nuns’ faces softened as if they were relieved.
A superior who had no sense of superiority and one they could easily approach. Was there anyone else who could win the hearts of people like this?
Cosette: “Sorry for breaking the flow when you’re busy. Come on, let’s focus.”
“Yes!”
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The kitchen began to run busily again.
As time passed, the last day of the service finally came.
It was overshadowed by what kind of trouble Cosette would bring, but nothing eventful happened during the week.
‘If you think about it like this, things will happen.’
However, Keira, who had been beaten several times in the past, could not shake off her anxiety.
Keira: “How’s Cosette?”
Rose: “Except for the time to help prepare for the memorial service, it seems that she still goes out to help the priests and nuns.”
Keira: “She’s working outside? What about the divine beast? That’s her main job, right?”
Rose: “Well, isn’t Mina taking care of it? Mason is good with handiwork, so he’s been following Lady Cosette and helping out.”
The reason why she stepped out and helped with the chores was self-explanatory.
To win the favor of the temple.
Of course, Cosette wasn’t a priest, so she couldn’t hold a position. However, if she stayed close to the temple, she could benefit significantly, especially in improving her public image.
Rose worriedly told Keira.
Rose: “It’s obvious what she’s trying to do. Will you just watch this?”
Keira: “The reason I came here was to help prepare for the service. Let’s do what we have to do.”
Keira dismissed Rose’s concerns with a single blow and focused on transcribing the prayer.
A few steps away from her, a crystal glass shone brightly on the altar.
On the last day of the service, the offering was burned with a blue flame.
Today was the last day to maintain its shape.
Knock, knock–.
As Keira finished with the prayer, a servant knocked on the door to pass on something the high priest said.
Rose quickly came to the door.
“We have to hold the final ceremony, so the high priest is asking you to come to the main hall.”
Rose: “Already?”
“Yes, it’s about to start soon.”
They had no choice but to go because they told them to come.
To attend the ceremony, Keira had to change into the clothes worn by the priests.
While Keira was a noble lady, she couldn’t just change clothes anywhere. So before leaving for the bedroom to change, she made a request, leaving Lira in the prayer room.
Keira: “This is the key to this prayer room. After the ceremony in the main hall, the next step would be to go to the inner hall. That’s when we’ll sacrifice the offerings to the flame. So until then, you have to take care of the divine artifact. Whatever the case, the last step is important.”
Lira: “Would an object without feet even run away? Don’t worry. Even if it can, I’ll keep my eyes on it.”
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This was why the divine artifact was easier to manage than the divine creature. If left alone, it wouldn’t just disappear or die suddenly.
Unless someone maliciously touched it.
Placing the key into Lira’s hand, Keira said.
Keira: “Remember this, okay? If possible, do not leave the prayer room, and if there’s an unavoidable circumstance that will force you to leave, be sure to lock the door. Okay?”
Lira: “Yes, I will keep that in mind!”
Last time, Lira played her role well in Johanna’s mansion, so Keira had no doubt she would do well this time.
With that thought in mind, Keira left.
Lira, left alone in the prayer room, looked around to pass the time. She also observed the divine artifact that she had not seen up close.
Lira: “Wow, it’s so pretty…”
The prayer didn’t have any windows, so there was no sunlight. But even under artificial light, the crystal glass shimmered like a diamond.
‘It seems quite expensive, but did they properly compensate the original owner?’
She wanted to touch it once to see what it felt like.
Lira caught herself when she realized she was already reaching out her hand.
‘What am I thinking…’
Even Lady Keira didn’t touch the object carelessly, so she shouldn’t cause trouble by touching it for no reason.
Of course, she didn’t think it was a big deal to touch it once, but it was wise not to do anything that could be problematic from the start.
And so Lira moved away from the divine artifact and passed the time by singing whatever song she remembered.
But it was then.
“Fire! Fire!”
“Help me!”
“Everyone, get out!”
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People were shouting outside. Lira could hear footsteps rushing to somewhere, followed by screams for water and sand.
Bang, bang, bang–.
“Is anyone here? Hurry and evacuate!”
W-what do I do? Lira fidgeted as she stood in place.
She stared at the divine artifact on the altar, then at the rattling doorknob.
It felt like all the blood rushed to her feet.
‘For now, let’s hear what exactly is going on and think about it.’
Lira opened the locked prayer room door.
Lira: “What’s happening?”
It was a nun around her age who knocked on the door.
An urgent voice came out of her mouth.
“Fire! The hall is on fire! Do you want to die? What are you doing here without evacuating?”
Then she grabbed Lira’s arm and started pulling her.
Lira: “B-but I have to protect the divine artifact… If we’re going to evacuate, I’ll take it with me.”
“You’ll be lucky if you don’t break it on the way! It’s not something that burns! Let’s evacuate first!”
Lira: “Uh, uh, wait–”
The nun grabbed Lira and started running down the hallway. Lira, who was on the slender side, was half-dragged away by her and had no choice but to leave the room.
It must have been a fairly large fire because the hallway was filled with gray smoke.
It was only after they came out that Lira was able to take a deep breath.
Lira: “Haa, hah, haa…”
“G-god, we almost died.”
Lira: “Haa.”
She could hear people sighing in relief and others crying, but Lira couldn’t even afford to be relieved that she was alive.
She approached and asked a priest covered in soot, who seemed to have been at the scene of the fire.
Lira: “How did it happen?”
“There was a fire in the laundry room in the inner hall. It seems that the fire spread quickly because of the laundry.”
Lira: “If it’s the laundry room in the inner hall…”
Lira drew the structure of the inner hall in her head. If she remembered correctly, the laundry room was quite close to the prayer room where she was.
‘If I had stayed there… I don’t know if I’d still be alive.’
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There were no windows in the prayer room.
Had it not been for the nun who brought her out, she might have lost her life from suffocation in the smoke.
She had goosebumps all over her body when she thought about it.
Lira: “Aren’t we supposed to put out the fire first? Can we stay here like this?”
“Don’t worry. The priests with divine powers will put out the flames.”
A shadow sneaked into the building on the left side of the empty inner hall.
The hallway from which all people had escaped due to the sudden fire was utterly shattered.
With every step they took, their heart beat like it was about to explode.
The person who was sneaking in, making sure her footsteps were as light as possible, was none other than Mina.
‘I-it’s okay. No one is here. No one’s here.’
Even though she was frightened, she took a quick step forward.
The flames have been extinguished to some extent, so people might return soon.
Before that, she had to accomplish her mission quickly.
Thanks to memorizing and examining the internal structure for the past two days, she reached her destination quickly.
‘Alright!’
The one thing she was most worried about before coming here was that the door to the prayer room was locked.
Fortunately, the Goddess seemed to be looking favorably down on her because the door to the prayer room was wide open.
The maid on the lookout didn’t even think to close the door because she was running away in such a hurry.
Creak–.
Mina slipped through the gap in the slightly opened door.