Chapter 11
“Ah, right. Everyone needs to keep some time free this weekend.”
“Where are we going?”
When I asked with wide eyes, the Count replied.
“We made a bit of a donation to the temple this time, and they said they want to invite the whole family. It just so happens there’s a miraculous priest at the temple, so Cassis, if you’re up for it, why don’t you join us as well?”
“Pardon?”
Cassis, who had been listening in silence, asked back in surprise. He looked like he hadn’t expected to be invited along at all.
Count Monstera spoke with a warm, comforting smile.
“There’s nothing to be surprised about. From the moment you came to our house, I’ve considered you family. I can’t leave family behind.”
“Ah…”
At the Count’s words, Cassis parted his mouth slightly, unable to offer an immediate response.
The way his small mouth twitched made him look somewhat shy.
When Cassis continued to stay silent, the Countess, who was sitting nearby, spoke in a gentle tone.
“If traveling far is uncomfortable for you, it’s completely fine to rest at home. Please don’t feel pressured.”
“No. I’ll go.”
Cassis answered with his head bowed deeply. I stared intently at his face.
For some reason, his ears had turned bright red.
Early in the weekend, to arrive right on schedule, we ate breakfast early and headed to the temple.
Since it was a long journey by carriage after a while, I felt strangely excited.
The temple was built in the Hisya region, located right next to Montes.
Situated at the top of a mountain, it was a place that was practically impossible to reach without riding a carriage.
Before I knew it, the carriage was making its way hard up the mountain, winding around bend after bend.
While I was constantly marveling as I watched the grass and trees outside the window, Mother spoke up.
“Yveline. You might not remember, but when you were just an infant, we came to Hisya for your infant baptism.”
“Really? When?”
If it was a time I didn’t remember, it must have been before I recalled my past life through rolling over.
Blinking my eyes in surprise, I listened to them talk about my early childhood that even I didn’t know about.
“It makes sense that you don’t remember since you were way too young. Back then, the moment our Lingling was submerged in the holy water, she stopped breathing, and you have no idea how shocked we were.”
Count Monstera spoke as if lost in nostalgia. At this, the Countess nodded in agreement.
“That’s right. As it turned out, she had simply fallen asleep! Goodness. How terrified we were back then.”
“Haha. The only baby who could sleep so peacefully the moment she touched holy water is probably our Yveline.”
Count Monstera stroked my head along with those words.
Looking at his eyes, he seemed proud that his daughter had grown up so brave and healthy.
“I think it was the very next day when you succeeded in rolling over for the first time. How loudly you cried! To think that tiny little Lingling has grown this much?”
“Hehe. I grew up well thanks to Mom and Dad!”
I replied with an awkward smile to the two who were lost in sentimentality.
It was because these were embarrassing things to hear in front of Cassis.
Fortunately, Cassis had his eyes softly closed, seemingly asleep.
And so, the carriage climbed up to the temple amidst warm, friendly chatter.
Upon arriving at the temple, priests dressed in white robes greeted us enthusiastically and guided us to the VIP room.
Father must have made a rather generous donation, seeing how they came rushing out bare-footed to welcome us.
I passed through the temple corridor, admiring the vibrant stained glass.
I was startled by the sheer scale of the temple. It was large enough that it wouldn’t be strange to call it a palace.
Usually, the size of a castle symbolized wealth and power.
For a temple—a symbol of a frugal and pure life—to be on such a massive scale felt strangely contradictory.
Once we arrived at the VIP room, a priest asked politely.
“May I ask who the sick individual is?”
“Ah. It’s this child.”
When Count Monstera pointed to Cassis, the priest approached Cassis and said:
“Please come with me for a moment.”
“Dear, I’ll go along with him.”
“I’ll be back.”
When Count Monstera offered to accompany him, Cassis gave a polite bow and followed behind the priest.
At this, the remaining priest turned to Mother and me and spoke.
“Please rest comfortably here. It seems His Grace’s Mass is running a bit late. It will be over shortly.”
“Then, may we visit the prayer room in the meantime?”
When Mother asked politely, the priest smiled softly and nodded.
“Yveline, do you want to come along too?”
“Yes! I’d love to.”
I quickly took Mother’s hand and followed behind.
The prayer room was immensely quiet.
Wearing a chapel veil, I stole a glance at Mother, who was praying devoutly toward the divine statue.
As the sunlight shone through the stained glass, Mother’s face transformed into rainbow hues.
Whoa… I don’t know whose mom she is, but she sure is a beauty.
Mother looked so stunning that I stared at her blankly.
Right then, beyond her figure, a boy staring intently at me caught my eye.
With transparent water-colored hair and sparkling golden eyes, he was looking directly at me.
Thinking I had seen wrong, I blinked my eyes, but the boy still didn’t avert his gaze.
Who is that?
“Yveline. Let’s go now.”
“Ah! Yes!”
Mother, who had just finished her prayer at that moment, snapped me out of my thoughts. When I stammered out an answer in confusion, Mother asked:
“What’s wrong?”
“A-Ah, no. Just that someone kept staring at me.”
At my words, Mother looked around the surroundings and replied with a puzzled look.
“Huh? There’s no one there?”
“Pardon? That can’t be. Just a moment ago, right over there…! Huh?”
I stopped mid-gesture as I pointed my finger toward where the boy had been standing. In that brief moment, the boy had vanished.
Mother gently stroked my head.
“You must have been dreaming. Mom’s prayer took a bit long, didn’t it?”
“Th-That’s not it, but…”
“Come, we’ll be late. Let’s go.”
Even as I was pulled along by Mother’s hand out of the prayer room, I kept looking back at that spot repeatedly.
“Thank you for traveling such a long way. The spread isn’t much, but please enjoy.”
A white-haired Cardinal spoke with a benevolent smile.
Not much?
At a single glance, it was a banquet that clearly showed an immense amount of effort.
Just how much did Father donate for them to fuss over us like this?
I blinked while looking at the lavish feast laid out before my eyes.
The adults were chatting casually, sharing updates about their lives.
I quietly pulled my chair closer to Cassis, who was eating silently, and whispered:
“How’s your body? Is that priest who prayed for you really miraculous?”
“Well. I didn’t feel any particular change…”
Cassis turned his head toward me to speak, then paused mid-sentence.
My image, eyes shining with curiosity, was reflected in his deep blue eyes.
He pushed his chair farther away and said:
“More importantly, you’re too close. Yveline.”
“That’s because I was whispering. I didn’t touch you recklessly this time.”
“Anyway. Go back to your seat.”
“Chee. So mean when I’m just worrying about you.”
Pouting my lips, I returned to my seat and took a large spoonful of cream soup.
Watching me, Cassis slowly adjusted his seat again.
Around the time the banquet was coming to an end, the Cardinal brought up a topic while looking at me.
“Your daughter has grown quite a bit.”
“My goodness, you remember Yveline? Well, I suppose you would, considering Your Grace conducted Yveline’s baptism back then.”
As the Countess smiled warmly, the Cardinal nodded his head.
I stared up at the Cardinal who was said to have conducted my baptism.
He had a kind impression with beautifully set wrinkles. He let out a low chuckle and spoke.
“Children who submerge so peacefully in holy water are rare, so she remains in my memory. Perhaps God favors the Young Lady in a special way.”
“Thanks to Your Grace, the child has grown up well, and I am always grateful.”
“We, too, will have a bountiful year thanks to Count Monstera and his wife. Please drop by often.”
Saying to “drop by often” was just another way of asking us to donate frequently.
Watching the Cardinal conduct his business so thoroughly, a chuckle leaked out.
Then, I realized that the boy I saw in the prayer room earlier was wearing a priest’s robe similar to the Cardinal’s.
I chimed in among the adults who were conversing back and forth and asked a question.
“Your Grace. By any chance, is there a priest around my age?”
“Well. The novice training center is nearby, so you likely ran into a trainee.”
“Ah.”
As I let out a short exclamation, a high-ranking priest beside the Cardinal added:
“I happen to be in charge of trainee education. If you describe his appearance, I can bring him over.”
“A-Ah, no. There’s no need to go as far as bringing him over… Um. He was a boy with water-colored hair and golden eyes. Would you happen to know him?”
I hesitated before describing the boy’s appearance.
It wasn’t that I particularly wanted to see the boy again, but I was a bit curious as to why he was staring at me so intently.
At that moment, a dark shadow cast over the high-ranking priest’s face for a split second. Even the Cardinal showed a flick of disturbance before quickly concealing it.
Puzzled, I tilted my head.
A moment later, the high-ranking priest stroked his chin with a troubled look and spoke.
“A boy with water-colored hair and golden eyes… Well now. There is no such child among the trainees.”
“He was wearing a priest’s robe.”
“Occasionally, there are those who visit the temple to play and wear priest robes for the experience. He was likely one of them.”
“Uh, um.”
Unable to press any further, I let out a faint sigh. After all, it had been such a brief encounter that it felt like a dream even to me.
When the banquet ended, it was already evening.
Since it was too late to head back to Montes, the priest suggested that we stay overnight.
“Then we shall impose upon your hospitality.”
We unpacked our luggage in the lodging located inside the temple. Though referred to as guest quarters, far from being cramped, it was quite spacious and neat.
Because the lodgings themselves were divided by gender, Count Monstera and Cassis unpacked their things in a separate building.
“Sweet dreams, Lingling.”
Mother lightly kissed my forehead and lay down beside me. Snuggled in Mother’s arms, I tried to fall asleep.
