CH:11
“Where have you been?”
It was just as the bell struck midnight. Amelia had just stepped over the threshold of her bedroom when a voice caught her off guard. It was Louis.
“The prayer room. I told you before I left.”
Louis stared at Amelia with suspicious eyes. Avoiding Louis’s slightly narrowed gaze, Amelia walked toward the bed as naturally as she could.
“You really went to the prayer room?”
“I wouldn’t lie about something like that. And if I had planned to run away, I wouldn’t have come back here on my own two feet.”
It wasn’t a lie, so there was no reason to feel guilty.
“……”
Louis watched as Amelia casually pulled back the covers, then gave up questioning her any further. Aaron had said it was fine to let Amelia move around a little, after all.
“Alright. Get some rest. Don’t forget there’s a prayer schedule in the main hall tomorrow morning. I’ll come get you.”
Amelia nodded and yawned. It was her way of saying she was too tired to talk and that Louis should leave. Louis left, silently criticizing her indifference yet again.
“See you next week.”
Amelia recalled Ivan’s final words and grinned. This time, Ivan had made a promise of his own accord. Until now, she’d known that he was reluctantly going along with her suggestions. But this time, Ivan had taken the initiative. Whether it was sympathy, curiosity, or something else—it didn’t matter.
“I think we’re getting closer.”
Amelia murmured to herself. She knew it was a premature assumption, but she couldn’t help but feel like Ivan had started to open up to her.
“And…”
She parted her lips to speak more but closed them again. Her mind replayed the lessons she’d learned from her life.
The world is not kind to those without value. It’s not just unkind—it’s cruel. The previous Amelias, who were discarded once their usefulness ended, were proof of that.
“……”
But today, Ivan had been kind to her. That meant that Amelia of Escliff must hold some kind of meaning for Ivan. Considering she had nothing to offer him, that meaning most likely stemmed from romantic or sexual desire.
In truth, it was a self-serving conclusion—Amelia simply wanted to believe that Ivan had feelings for her. She buried her face into the blanket clutched tightly in her hands. Like a child who thinks hiding their head means they’ve hidden entirely.
Still, the hope blooming in a corner of her heart neither faded nor could be suppressed.
The residence was bustling from early morning. There was to be a performance—an imitation of receiving a divine revelation during prayer—so of course it was busy.
“How pitiful.”
Amelia muttered to the mirror. Just for today, she pitied those foolish enough to believe in sacred legends.
They dressed her in a modest-looking ash-colored dress with almost no lace, pretending to be frugal, yet adorned her neck, ears, and wrists with clusters of transparent gemstones. Even the so-called modest dress was made of the highest quality silk—meant to make Amelia stand out when the sunlight poured into the prayer room.
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
Her maid tilted her head, having overheard Amelia’s muttering. Amelia waved her hand a few times, explaining that it hadn’t meant anything.
“Priestess, are you ready?”
The maids doing the final checks on her appearance quickly bowed. It was Aaron.
“……”
Amelia didn’t answer. She simply stared at him.
“She’s ready.”
Louis answered for her, sensing the silence. He never understood Amelia’s hatred for Aaron. After all, both he and Aaron watched her every move and applied pressure equally. But Amelia reserved a unique, open hostility and loathing just for Aaron.
“I’ve come to escort you.”
And yet, even after receiving that kind of treatment, her cousin only ever smiled. Louis furrowed his brow quietly.
“What, afraid I might run off in the middle of things?”
Amelia snapped at Aaron with a rebellious tone.
“Where would you go?”
Aaron asked, genuinely puzzled.
“Leaving Escliff means turning away from the blessing granted by the gods.”
“……”
“Have you received any revelations?”
Amelia clenched her fists beneath her sleeves. His gentle eyes paired with a completely humorless smile made her sick. She felt like she could die happy if she slapped that face just once.
“No. I meant I could walk on my own.”
Her tone was curt, implying that he didn’t need to shove his annoying face in front of her.
“But since you said something special might happen today, of course I should accompany you.”
Aaron acted as if she had actually said such a thing before. Calmly, he fabricated a memory.
“Did I say that?”
“You did.”
With so many eyes watching, denying it wasn’t an option. Not just for her usefulness—but because if it were revealed she wasn’t truly a priestess, it wouldn’t be her life that ended first, but the lives of those around her.
“Guess my memory’s fading with age.”
Aaron laughed as if he’d heard a funny joke. But it was obvious he wasn’t really amused. His expression said he found the whole situation tedious.
“Let’s go. I’m ready.”
“I’ll lead the way.”
Even with others nearby, provoking him wouldn’t do any good. She had already been taught that lesson harshly not long ago.
“……”
It was awful. Amelia’s face went pale as she remembered the snarling face and sharp teeth of the dog that had lunged at her.
“Greetings, Priestess.”
All the way to the main hall’s prayer room, everyone bowed to Amelia. As a priestess, she responded with a simple nod, never bowing her head in return.
“The Priestess has arrived.”
The guards at the door bowed and opened the prayer room wide. Even at a glance, it was packed. Of course it was. This was one of the rare occasions where commoners could see the priestess.
“We believe!”
“Greetings, Priestess!”
As Amelia walked down the central aisle, the waiting commoners stood and greeted her with almost fanatical reverence.
“……”
Even as she received such worship, Amelia was still one of the people deceiving them. The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.
“To all of you who have come today, I offer my thanks in the name of the divine representative.”
But this wasn’t her choice. She was just doing what she had to in order to survive. That was her only justification.
“I hope your many prayers today will reach the gods.”
Amelia turned her back to the worshippers gazing up at her from below the altar. She couldn’t bear to face their innocent, expectant expressions.
“Lady Merrif, who grants blessings—”
Amelia closed her eyes tightly and knelt before the statue.
“Please bless everyone gathered here today.”
And with hands folded, she prayed that blessings would be given to them. Of all the things she said to a god she didn’t even know existed, this was the one prayer she meant sincerely.
“And tell me what I can do for this land.”
She spoke like a devout servant of the divine.
“Ah…”
Suddenly, light poured from the ceiling of the prayer room—as if in answer to her prayer. Someone gasped. Aaron, who would usually order silence, didn’t suppress it this time.
Naturally, every gaze turned to Amelia, kneeling in the center of the altar. People stared up at her as if she were a jewel herself, shining with divine brilliance.
“The gods have spoken.”
At that moment, Amelia opened her eyes wide. She stood and turned toward the crowd that had looked upon her like a goddess.
“Their power is fading.”
Everyone’s eyes widened. For the gods protecting Escliff to be weakening—such a statement spelled national doom.
“The one who betrayed them and stole the fire of life is in the north.”
Gasps and cries of distress filled the prayer room.
“When you deliver the prophecy, say this: The god’s power is weakening.”
“……”
“And that the one who stole their lifeblood—devotion—is in the north.”
As if asking if he was satisfied, Amelia glanced at Aaron standing by the side entrance. He smiled in approval. With a small sigh, Amelia closed her eyes, shutting him out. The only thing she felt was relief—relief that she wouldn’t be punished or deemed useless.
And so, she didn’t even realize that what lay north of the temple… was the imperial palace.
