We entered the mansion and were brought to the drawing room by the maid, Linda, and Madam Vivian. There were two couches with a wooden table in between.
The maid prepared some tea for us before standing behind Vivian and Eliza across from Emilia and me.
"My, to think that the Paladin is Arthur. We don't know how fate works, don't we? I know that you can do it if you try, fufufu."
Once inside, we explained why Eliza returned home with me and not the Paladin because Vivian asked about it after Emilia introduced herself as our teacher and supervisor on this trip.
Of course, I told Vivian honestly about my position as a Paladin. Vivian listened quietly as her face slowly turned to that of a surprised one.
I hadn't told her about the matter with Duke Bluerose yet, and neither did Eliza speak anything because she was too preoccupied fidgeting, glancing at me every now and then with an embarrassed expression.
Madam Vivian's expression then changed once again when I told her I had already dealt with Duke Bluerose. When I finished, tears welled up around the corner of her eyes as she put her right hand above her chest.
"How should I repay you?" She spoke with a soft and calm voice. "I don't know how to express my gratitude, Arthur. No, Sir Vainglory. In the past, we've done something that separated you from our daughter, yet you still helped her this much."
"Madam, I know you did that for Eliza's sake. So you've done nothing wrong." I smiled brightly at her and tilted my head slightly, showing my honesty.
I didn't know what she meant by something she had done in the past, separating Eliza and me. At least I could guess it was something related to our 'status' as the Baron's daughter and an orphan thrown away by his parents.
By logic, I could guess Vivian or Baron Rose prohibited Eliza from playing with Arthur. Looking at Eliza's reaction just now, which looked like a nervous girl doing something bad, I also guessed she often snuck out of the mansion just to play with me.
Having no memories of the past at a time like this was inconvenient. However, by observing those two Vivian and Eliza's movements, I could somehow connect the dots of the past and give a logical answer.
Vivian smiled at me, wiping her tears with the back of her finger.
"Even so, thank you. I never thought my silly, small hope would come true like this. Maybe it's also thanks to Goddess Teri. She had given me a trial, and now she gives me a reward for it."
Something about her sentences caught my attention.
'A trial?'
That was a strange way to refer to something.
A few things could be referred to as a trial from Goddess Teri.
One was similar to my Paladin test, a trial in the form of an official test from the church. There were other kinds of trials that I probably wasn't aware of.
Second, it was a trial given in the form of an oracle, often given to a Bishop or an Archbishop to test their belief. This trial was given to the protagonist in Sins Paradise in the middle of the story, so I was aware of it, although the detail had been lost in my memories.
The third one was something more simple. It was a trial in the form of a real trial, intangible, and one usually didn't realize that they were given a trial.
And I guessed Vivian referred to the third ones.
"May I know what that trial is, Madam? Even though we know each other, I am now a Paladin. I might be able to help or at least pray with this trial of yours." I asked with a serious tone as I looked straight into her eyes. "And you can just call me Arthur, just like usual," I added.
Once again, her appearance dazzled for a woman with a kid my age. She truly looked beautiful with soft skin and unblemished, without any wrinkles.
Her smile now reminded me of Eliza's when she hid her feelings. The mother was similar to her daughter, huh? Or maybe I should say Eliza took her mother in the way she smiled? That was what made her beautiful.
"Nothing you need to worry about, Arthur," Vivian replied while hiding her sadness; it was really clear when one looked into her eyes. "Just a personal trial. I believe I will be able to settle it alone."
That was a lie. Her gesture, her stiff movement, and, more importantly, the way she closed her eyes to hide her emotion. She wasn't okay and couldn't fix this trial by himself.
"Madam Vivian," I spoke in a serious tone, making even Eliza look at me with a widened gaze.
Her embarrassed face had gone, and she noticed that this trial her mother talked about was a serious thing and was different from her engagement letter.
"It's okay to tell me about it. Helping people to solve Goddess' trials is also a part of my job as the Paladin of Castitas Church. If you are uncomfortable being heard by Eliza or teacher Emilia, we might be able to talk privately about this. Of course, I also won't force, but I wanted to help."
"You're so kind but you don't need to help me. It's… quite complicated." She replied with a soft smile and stood up. "Well then, just think of this mansion as your house. Linda here will help you with anything you need, and you can stay as long as you want to."
"It's a shame. I wanted to talk more with you; however, there is a duty I need to finish right now. So I will leave youngsters alone, fufufu." She glanced at her daughter and giggled. "Have fun with each other, okay?"
I stood up after her and nodded. If she didn't want to admit it, then it was fine. I couldn't force myself to help her if she didn't want it herself.
Helping her in this situation would only make it worse and make her resent me instead of being grateful. That was called unneeded help, and some people didn't want to receive the help they didn't need.
I wasn't some protagonist from some manga who forced themselves to help other people and still received gratitude. No, I was a pretty realistic person if I needed to say so myself.
"We will," I responded to her. "And I am sorry for earlier, Madam."
"Fufufu, it's not a problem. I know you are just trying to help me, Arthur." She covered her mouth with her hand as she laughed in a low voice. "Well then, I'll see you again for dinner. Until then, have fun, although there is nothing much in this territory."
Saying so, Vivian bowed slightly and then left the room. Linda followed suit to open the door for her like a dutiful maid. The door was closed afterward, and the maid looked at us, specifically me.
"Sir, if I may be a bit rude…" She began, seeking my permission to continue. I gestured to her with my hand, and she nodded slightly. "I wanted to say something to Young Miss."
