Chapter 89. A Saint who was Adopted by the Grand Duke
The remaining High Priests followed suit, their awestruck eyes wide open.
“Yes, I heard it clearly.”
“To hear the Goddess’s voice… I can't believe it. Today is the happiest day of my life.”
Kyle, the newly appointed High Priest, could not conceal his excitement, as he shed tears of joy.
“Ah, wasn’t this High Priest Kyle’s first experience?”
“Yes, I will never forget this blessing.”
The four chatted in a lighthearted manner before discussing the revelations to discern its meaning.
“To be born under the stars of July.”
“An aristocrat from the East. I presume they originate from the Eastern territory of the Empire.”
“What I heard was the description of soft brown hair assorted with a few drops of gray.”
“Bright pink eyes glistening like jewels.”
Although the voice was heard by all four concurrently, each received a different epiphany.
“Under the stars of July, born in the East, ash-brown hair and pink eyes.”
Lucas combined the words the 4 shared in a low tone.
Upon his words, the High Priests faced each other strenuously.
“That person is unquestionably not Rabienne.”
“She will become a Saint soon, so do address her with honorifics.”
Kyle, the High Priest supervising Rabienne’s lessons, scratched the back of his head in admittance of his mistake.
“Ah, it slipped unconsciously. I will keep that in mind. Nonetheless, it is clear that the Saint is not Lady Rabienne.”
None of the characteristics matched Rabienne’s.
The month of their birth, the location of their territory, in addition to their appearance. This was a revelation that clearly indicated Rabienne’s denial.
“This is the first time a Saint hasn’t come from the family of Duke Brions… How did this come to be?”
Kyle smoothed his beard as he claimed to not understand any of what was happening.
“For the events to have emerged in this way. Now, the promise between the first Saint and the Brions family may have been broken.”
The High Priests nodded in agreement.
“There’s no helping it. Either way, we are unable to ignore the Duke of Brions. As long as we hurry to find the true Saint, there will be no problem.”
Kyle, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, blurted.
“But what will happen to Lady Rabienne once we find the Saint?”
“As I kept saying, Lady Rabienne is the next Saint.”
“Pardon? Then the real saint…”
“We will find and hide them. Without anyone’s knowledge.”
Simply put, they would place Rabienne at the forefront with the title of Saint while using the real one behind the curtains.
“However, the Goddess gave us this opportunity… won't They be angry?”
The shocked Kyle stuttered, unable to keep pace with the direction of High Priest Lucas’s words.
“I am not saying this will be simply for our desires. Everything is dedicated to the Temple and the Empire. The Goddess will understand.”
TN: Speechless, can’t really find a comeback to his shamelessness
Lucas's clear eyes contained not an ounce of guilt.
He reasoned and passed over the basis for this terrible choice at his convenience.
“Now, now. There's not much time left until the appointment ceremony for the Saint. Let us quickly find the person from the revelation so that we may proceed without incident..”
“Thanks to the prayer, this will be much easier.”
“That is what I am saying. Let us examine the candidate list.”
The Temple was not administering the orphanages throughout the Empire for pure intentions.
It was an approach they assimilated to bring those with sacred ability under their care.
The aristocrats born with such power presented themselves without exception, and all previous saints existed amongst the candidates.
It was easy to realize the fact. With that in mind, the High Priests immediately headed for the office in which the list of candidates was kept.
However, not one candidate satisfied all conditions of the revelation.
“Unbelievable.”
The High Priest’s eyes shook greatly as all the bookshelf records did not have one match to the description.
“Were there any Saints that have not been candidates in the past?”
“Not that I have heard of.”
Silence flowed throughout the room after Kyle’s inquiry and Lucas’s affirmation.
“…What should we do now?”
“Huh, well… There were two candidates who matched appearance-wise, is that right?”
“That's true, but as both are aristocrats, their birthdays are certain… they weren't born in July. They also don’t belong to the Eastern territory.”
Lucas closed his eyes as he listened to the current conversations.
It was the first time such a thing occurred, so this caused a stir in his mind.
“This is a rather hefty situation. If they aren’t a candidate, where and how are we to find them?”
He expected things to flow smoothly thanks to the sudden revelation, but a complication arose unexpectedly.
And, rather than choosing to face the unexpected difficulty, the High Priests only grabbed their foreheads in exasperations.
“First… It is rather late, so we’ll wait until tomorrow to call two officials for affirmation. I will inform Lady Rabienne of this right now.”
Lucas, suddenly seeming 10 years older, left the office to deliver the news.
***
Past 9 o’clock in the evening.
Rabienne, who should have already been resting, was currently directing the preparations for the appointment ceremony.
She was overwhelmed by the desire to adorn her ceremony to be more flawless and beautiful than any other witnessed.
“Priestess Amanda, could we move the chairs? I believe it would be better to leave the center empty and create space for me to walk through.”
“Do you mean like this?”
“Yes, and I prefer having red roses to green scenery decorations. I wish for the overall color to be lively.”
Rabienne meticulously coordinated everything from the basic seating arrangement to even the smallest of decorations.
The two bridesmaids in charge of Rabienne's outwear brought forth fabric and unfolded it before her.
“Saint-to-be, I am here to present you with the work process. As you said, I added the delicate embroidery. How is it?”
Although she had yet to become an official saint, everyone was already addressing Rabienne as a Saint.
Rabienne smiled brightly at their words and examined the cotton yarn.
“It is very delicate. However, I hope the shoulder sides here are more glamorous and evident. So that anyone would be able to witness it even from a distance. Would that be possible?”
“Of course. Is there anything else you would like to add? I recommend a fluttering cloth to enhance the appearance.”
Rabienne was being treated with more respect now, even before her nomination.
Everyone acted in a way to appear good before her eyes.
“Oh my! Will you do that for me? It was a good thing I entrusted the outfits to the bridesmaids.”
Rabienne lightly squeezed the child’s hand and thanked her. The bridesmaids raised her head in surprise as she blushed in embarrassment.
“I-I'll adjust everything by tomorrow morning and return!”
“Yes? But you won't be able to sleep…”
“No. This is more important.”
She clenched her fist to demonstrate her determination to complete the mission even if it took her all night.
After a while, the 2 bridesmaids left the hall while praising Rabienne until their mouths dried.
“Did you see? I think she has become more beautiful. I was so shocked the moment our eyes met.”
“She’s so pretty, words can’t express her appearance. Look at her kind way of speaking. She was always elegant as a candidate, but this is something one has to be born with. A saint is the perfect term to refer to such a person.”
“That's right. I can’t imagine a Saint who is not Lady Rabienne.”
Rabienne glanced at their backs, checked the time, and called for the maids in the hall.
“Let's stop here for today. Thank you for your hard work.”
Rabienne made eye contact with each of the maids present in the hall and distributed flour as a thanks.
Everyone was already getting paid enough, but for Rabienne to go out of her way and take care of each of them personally.
‘It would be nice to work for one more hour.’
However, considering work hours accumulated until 6 o’clock, 9 was considered late.
She couldn’t go more than this if she wished to preserve her reputation.
Rabienne observed the hall with a disappointed expression on her face before returning to her dorm.
But as she reached her room, Rabienne was startled to see Lucas waiting for her in the hallway.
“High Priest Lucas? What are you doing at this hour?”
“I was waiting to tell you some urgent news.”
Lucas's expression seemed indescribably complex. Doubtful, Rabienne swiftly examined his outfit.
A priest's robe used when praying. Today was the prayer day which occurred once every two weeks.
Rabienne reached a conclusion explaining his sudden appearance and smiled broadly.
“Have you prayed?”
“Yes, the revelation has come down.”
Rabienne clutched the paper she was holding tightly and approached Lucas.
After glancing to make sure no one was around, she asked in a hushed voice.
“Who was it?”
“That's… Once the revelation had come down, there were no candidates who perfectly met the criteria.”
Rabienne asked, her expression filled with incomprehension.
“How could that be?”
“I am also flustered. There are two candidates who met a few of the conditions.… But they aren’t the ones.”
Rabienne had expected for them to swiftly find the Saint upon the revelation. She bit her lip.
“Please tell me what the revelation was.”
Lucas delivered all the revelations he and the High Priests had confided in.
“They were born in July with ash-brown hair and pink eyes.”
The Ash-brown hair collided with the characteristics that Saint Cespia had informed her of in the past.
A person suddenly resurfaced in Rabienne's head as she slowly contemplated the conditions.
‘Diana?’
TN: It’s Esther you dirty bi-
She was suspicious of her being a former candidate in addition to matching the revelation.
