Elisha and Nora unhurriedly strolled around the temple.
“Nora, do you know why the Pope is elected?”
“I do not know, my lady.”
“Because it’s easier for Cartiers to become Pope if they come through the electoral process. So, until now, the family has a firm grasp on the temple.”
“This time, Gunner or Merha will become the Grand Pope, so unless the two of them are struck by lightning, there will be no surprises. So much is wrong.”
She gave a gentle smile to Nora, who had become sullen.
“Nora, are you mad at me? Do you believe that I am spurring Lucerne on the wrong path, as the world says?”
Nora’s movements stopped for a moment.
“No… … . Madam is… … . Not that kind of person. However… … . I don’t like other Cartiers. So the general… … . I hope his means are different.”
“Why? Why don’t you like them?”
Nora paused. Elisha had been looking away and then turned towards her. Nora avoided her gaze.
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Is it a secret?”
“It’s not a secret, but because it’s not about me.”
“It must have to do with Lucerne.”
Nora’s face was starting to turn red. Elisha decided to stop harassing her.
“It’s alright, I have no intention of prying. Let’s walk. Here is… … . where I grew up. These yards, small buildings, dining hall and library. That was my whole world.”
“I lived in a nearby monastery. Rosaria-nim came very rarely. But it’s very similar to where I grew up.”
They exchanged memories one by one as they walked. Indeed, the two had a lot in common. Then, Elisha froze.
“They seem to be children who reside here like we did.”
Two girls were sitting in the shade of a tree and playing. The younger one held the old doll in her arms and the one who looked like her older sister played by bouncing a small ball in her hand. They seemed peaceful, and they seemed to get along well. A smile appeared on Nora’s lips.
‘Why are you suddenly feeling like this?’
Elisha felt a sharp pain piercing her chest at that moment. The moment she saw the two girls, bizarrely, the corners of her eyes throbbed.
‘I never felt this way before… … . Yes, I feel like I forgot something important. Maybe the future I saw wasn’t accurate? If that’s not it? Is there a past I have forgotten?’
Like many, Elisha did not remember everything about her childhood. At the same time, the future seemed to be seen through dreams. Her memories of her fate varied widely. Some of them passed like a flash of light, and she only knew them in my head, while others she remembered in great detail. Elisha didn’t think carefully about it before, as she was occupied with the immense amount of memories she recalled.
“Lady?”
“Ah, no.”
Elisha shook her head. It was then that she felt someone’s presence striding her towards her. She raised her head in surprise. He was a familiar middle-aged man.
***
Whenever Merha arrived at the monastery, he took issue with the hospitality, so most of the priests did not like him.
“What is this tea? Huh? If I want to meet with Archbishop Rosaria, why am I made to wait?”
“Now, Rosaria-nim is entertaining a distinguished guest… … .”
The priest just repeated herself over and over.
‘Ugh, this is the problem with women, they’re slow with everything.’
Rosaria was famous in her own way; she was unyielding. Merha was always rude towards her, and his reasons were simple.
The monasteries under Rosaria were places for female orphans, and most of the priests working therein were women. So even if the priests in front of him had been sloppy men, Merha would have been polite in his own way.
Gaju did not favour Merha because he was weak to the strong and had a cruel disposition toward those lower than him. With a lack of affection, his inferiority complex made him even more crooked.
“Who the hell is the VIP? Uh?”
“Well… … .”
In the end, when he heard her guest’s name, Merha’s face burned.
“Lucerne is here? Are you making me wait for an illegitimate child now?”
At that, the priests shut their mouths. In fact, most of the priestesses under Rosaria were her students, so they often had excellent swordsmanship skills. They just pinched their thighs, reminding themselves to endure.
