Chapter 84: Chapter 84

At that moment, Eckart let out a sigh unknowingly. Apart from the fact that each of her words made sense, he was surprised to find himself persuaded by her gradually.

He even took her annoying words differently. He felt more frustrated about her mention of ‘wife’ rather than ‘tyrant.’

As always, Marianne smiled brightly with an innocent expression.

“So, please rest today,” she said.

He inhaled a breath. Without any notice, her slender arms embraced his shoulders and waist. Even though she wasn’t strong, he lay on the bed as she guided him. His hands, which seemed to push her aside right away, were gently put on her shoulders.

Watching them, Curtis and Kloud frowned at the same time.

“You said you wouldn’t be stubborn. Do you want to have your wedding suit stained with blood while attending the engagement ceremony? I’m squeamish with blood by nature. If I see your blood, I’m going to scream and pass out on the spot.”

Looking down at his blue eyes, Marianne posed a threat that was not scary at all.

“…Got it. Let me have the ceremony the day after tomorrow.”

In the end, Eckart gave in. While he was breathing in with a heavy heart, she pulled a blanket in person and covered him.

Behind her back, Curtis and Kloud were casting a glance at her in confusion just like him.

“Sleep early. Don’t think about anything. If you wake up tomorrow morning, let me come back so we can eat together.”

Having said that cheerfully, she left the room.

Thump!

After the door was closed, the room was silent for a while.

“Well, hum…Your Excellency, I want to ask you something…”

Kloud plucked up the courage to say something.

“No, later.” Eckart cut off his words. He already seemed to know what Kloud was going to say.

“Got it. Please call me anytime when you need my help.”

Kloud lowered his head, not hiding a warm smile on his lips.

He almost pulled out Curtis, who looked more serious than him.

Soon, a strange silence settled in the room.

Eckart let out a big sigh, covering his eyes with his hands.

* * *

The great hall of the Roshan Temple was the holiest sanctuary in the empire.

The ninety-nine pillars, carved out of pure white marble, represented the dates when their god Airius stayed on earth. Underneath the enormous murals of the portraits of the nine gods, there was a flame that never ceased to burn. There were plates containing the holy water of Benoit Falls between the windows that reflected the light of the day and the darkness of night.

Marianne walked along the spacious corridor. This was the only luxurious place in the temple that pursued extreme poverty. Anecdotes of the nine gods embossed on the pillars caught her eye.

Gods ranging from the god of light Airius, to the goddess of the earth Anthea, the god of water Ran, the goddess of fire Serapina, the god of wind Zephyrus, the god of time Urd, the god of night Tanatos, the god of delusion Astrid, and the goddess of fate Kader.

In addition to the seven colors of the rainbow as well as black and white, meaning light and darkness, nine colored gems representing the nine gods gleamed brightly everywhere. If it were daylight, the natural sunlight would have dyed the whole temple splendidly.

Marianne slowly stopped. While she was looking at the oil paintings that filled the ceiling, a small door in the innermost side of the main hall opened up suddenly. It was a door leading to the cardinal’s prayer room.

“Oh, star… No, Lady Marianne!”

The silence of the temple was broken at that moment.

Marianne, who raised her head up, looked ahead. Next to the altar stood a girl she met for a moment when she entered the temple in the evening. She thought that the girl disappeared with Helena after escorting her into the room, but it seemed she was here all along for prayer.

With her black short hair fluttering, she ran straight to Marianne. And then she raised the skirt of her priest robe slightly and greeted her awkwardly.

“I’m honored to see you, Lady Marianne.”

While smiling at her since she was so cute, Marianne had a strong sense of deja vu. She had heard this girl’s voice before.

“Uh?… Phebe?”

She remembered Phebe imitating before her, “But he will be okay. Don’t worry too much.”

That’s what Poibe said when it came to Eckart and her, which crossed her mind quickly.

It was exactly the same voice.

“Pardon? No, My name is Hilde. Hilde.”

Hilde, who wasn’t aware of the situation, looked up at Marianne with a sullen expression.

“Oh, sorry. Priest Hilde. Would you please forgive me for my rudeness?”

Marianne sat down lightly at Hilde’s eye level. The rustling hem of her skirt swelled up to Hilde’s knee.

Hilde gladly opened her eyes wide as if she was not angry at all. Cardinal Helena and senior priest Arsenio said she should always learn and try more, but never treated her as a formal priest.

But Marianne called her ‘priest’, not a kid!

“Hmm, hmm! Absolutely. The priest of God regards mercy as her life and never spares forgiveness. It’s all in god’s scriptures.”

Hilde put her hands on her waist, mimicking Helena’s tone. When she straightened her chest and raised her head straight, she looked like a dog praised by somebody.

“Priest Hilde is very kind.”

“Of course. I am very nice, smart, eat well, and write letters of repentance. Though I doze off sometimes during morning prayer, I am the best among the many priests here as I know how to read stars the best.”

Hilde grinned brightly at Marianne’s praise. Her golden eyes twinkled in the glimmering torches.

“Oh, you know how to look at constellations…Awesome!”

“Yeah! Hilde can read the heavenly constellations and see the stars people are born with. ”

Hilde answered without any hesitation.

Marianne gently wrapped her shoulders. Most aristocrats were supposed to learn basic theology as part of their education. Marianne had also read some famous myths and the summarized Bible, so she knew roughly what Hilde meant.

But she looked so lovely, cheerfully boasting with her little face.

Marianne didn’t want to put a damper on the girl’s happiness, so she nodded, pretending not to know.

“Is each person born with a star?” Marianne asked.

“Of course. Her Eminence Cardinal Helena said that the rules of the universe follow the providence of God. She talks to me like this every day. ‘All that is born to the world will be indwelled by the light of Airius. Humans, animals, and trees dwell on the earth under divine protection.’ That’s what she told me.”

“I think you can see the light.”

Marianne praised her with an exaggerated voice on purpose. Encouraged more, Hilde raised her chin more highly. Deep dimples were on both sides of her chubby cheeks.

“Yeah. I can see it all. Helena said it’s because I was born with the blessing of Goddess Anthea.

I got the same protection as the cardinal. That’s why my eyes shine like this. She says golden eyes are the mirror reflecting the goddess’s foresight and the power to keep the abundance of the earth. Isn’t it nice and pretty?”

Marianne nodded heavily. Hilde, who boasted about herself as much as she could, bent her upper body with a satisfied expression. She pointed at the side of Marianne’s ear with her small hand and whispered as if she was telling her a secret.

“Anyway, I can see your star too. It is still shining here.”

“Really? Can you see it when it’s so bright around us?”

“Yeah. Your star is very bright, so it is visible even during the day. So before you came here, I was looking at your star. You were holding the emperor’s star like this…”

Her babbling slowly stopped. Marianne blinked as if she was curious, and Hilde grabbed her hand quickly.

“Let me tell you a funny story.”

Marianne rose from here seat as Hilde led her. The two walked hand in hand along the corridor. The hems of Hilde’s white robe and blue dress swept over the cold marble floor.

Hilde led her in front of the enormous mural of the nine gods. Even though early summer was around the corner, a magnificent picture spread up to the high ceiling above the burning fireplace.

“Everything is born with their own stars, but only human stars shine all day and night. The stars of dogs, cats, flower plants in the backyard, and mice that I hate are blurry and small. Even I am sometimes confused. Her Eminence says it’s unfair, but you can’t help it because there are so many new births in the world.”

“I see.”

Marianne answered silently, holding Hilde’s hands. Her green eyes reflected faint sorrow.

Over the past month, she had to see and experience too many unfair and inevitable things. There were those who were inevitably wounded and died. It was the harshness of life that she realized only at the end of her previous life. She still didn’t understand that huge reality. Even though she did not realize it properly, people were already injured and dead, including herself.