{ Chapter 17 }
A long silence followed.
Floria had to do her best to keep from shaking.
Eventually, the High Priest’s sharp, penetrating gaze pulled away from her.
“…Ah, I’m sorry. I just asked again because I was truly concerned,” he said
His voice was calm, and his expression was relaxed, but it all felt… unnatural.
It was like he wanted to pretend the conversation from a moment ago never happened.
Either way, it seemed the High Priest hadn’t realized that Floria had caught on to something.
“There happens to be a large room available,” he said, smoothly moving past the topic of the saintess and returning to their previous conversation.
“It’s quite a big room, but…”
He trailed off again, like he was trying to change the subject quickly, though it sounded like he was willingly offering the room.
“Priestess Floria, you haven’t been to the annex yet, have you?”
“Ah, no.”
‘Yet’? There won’t be a reason to go there in the future either.
Floria rolled her eyes internally.
The annex had a very large prayer room, but only nobles of count rank or higher were allowed to use it. Only high-ranking priests who were officially approved by the High Priest himself could serve guests there. Everything about who came and went was kept strictly confidential.
Even in the original story, there was barely any mention of the annex. And though Floria had been in the temple for a long time, she wasn’t very close with the other priests, so that’s all she knew about it.
So why was he suddenly bringing up the annex?
‘Just tell me about the room already…’
After all the strange things that had happened, she just wanted the key and to leave quickly.
But then—
“That room is in the annex. Is that still okay with you?”
“…What?”
So that’s why he mentioned the annex.
Why was the room there?
Could a humble little priestess like her really stay in such a noble place?
Floria’s eyes widened.
The High Priest looked slightly troubled and tapped his desk.
“It’s the only large room left that could fit two people. If you don’t want it, I suppose you’ll have to go back to your old room…”
“N-No! Thank you so much, High Priest!”
Floria quickly waved her hands.
If she hesitated here, she might lose the room she had worked so hard to get.
The High Priest had even started turning his chair like he was about to take back the offer.
And this was after she had already refused to become the saint twice.
‘If I leave the room before morning prayers and only return after my schedule, I won’t run into any nobles.’
And even if she did, she’d just need to greet them. That wasn’t hard.
The only issue might be Rose…
But the room would probably have a window. She could watch the nobles’ movement patterns and make sure Rose avoided them.
‘Wait, what’s there to be careful about anyway?’
The high priest was the one who told her to use the room, and Rose was an official temple worker.
‘If anyone dares to say anything to my Rose just because they bumped into her—oh, I won’t let that slide.’
While Floria was lost in her thoughts, the High Priest pulled a key from his desk drawer and tossed it lightly to her.
“It’s the key to the annex room. There’s only the prayer room and that room in the annex, so you won’t have trouble finding it.”
“Thank you, High Priest!”
Floria caught the key perfectly.
Clink. Even though he had tossed it gently, it felt heavy in her hand.
Now everything was done.
“Well then, I’ll be going. Morning prayer is about to begin.”
She kept glancing at the High Priest as she bowed again and again, then carefully walked backward like a celebrity leaving the stage.
Her footsteps were completely silent, smooth like flowing water.
‘Yes!’
With one hand on the doorknob and the other curled in a fist, she celebrated quietly.
Just as she was about to fully leave the room—
“…Oh, and the back part is shared…”
The high priest muttered quietly.
But Floria didn’t hear it—she had already closed the door.
* * *
Floria had begged a few other priests—who she wasn’t even close with—to let her finish morning prayer early.
It was now 6 a.m.
She had about an hour and a half before she needed to arrive at the confessional at 8. That time included walking.
So in the meantime, she went with Rose to the annex to check out their new room and drop off a few basic things.
“Uh… oh, wow.”
The moment Floria opened the door to their new place, a strange sound came out of her mouth—it wasn’t quite a gasp, but not a real word either.
‘No wonder… Even the key felt fancy.’
Floria stood blankly at the entrance, glancing back and forth between the inside of the room and the key in her hand.
The key sparkled so much, it made her wonder if that level of craftsmanship was really necessary.
When the High Priest had taken it from his drawer, he’d brushed off the dust on top—suggesting it had been sitting there for a long time—yet it wasn’t rusty at all.
It was thick, heavy, and had a solid weight to it.
Did they seriously make this key out of a gemstone?
But after seeing the room…
Yeah. It probably is a gemstone.
It was obvious now.
Still half-asleep and unable to open her eyes properly, Rose clung to Floria’s hand as she led her into the room.
Even standing in the center and stretching her neck as far as she could, Floria couldn’t see all the corners of the space.
Is this really a priest’s room?
There weren’t doors separating the sections, but it had a bedroom, a kitchen, and a living room that looked bigger than most guest halls.
Even the bathroom was larger than Rose’s previous bedroom.
In the temple’s main building, all the priests had to share public restrooms—so this was shocking.
But that wasn’t even the most surprising part.
When Floria entered the bedroom, she froze on the spot.
“…I thought the temple only had worn-out furniture.”
There was a bed big enough for two people to lie down and still have extra space, side tables, and a sturdy desk that looked strong enough for an adult to jump on without damage.
Did they really give me this room just because I asked for a bigger one?
She felt a bit dazed.
Well, the High Priest’s office was also unusually fancy.
Maybe this is just… special treatment.
Is this how badly they want me to become the Saintess? The thought suddenly made her feel pressured.
She had vowed to just use the temple for her own goals and leave, but now, for the first time, she felt a small pang of guilt—something she hadn’t even felt in front of the High Priest.
Well, it’s too late. I’ve already accepted it.
Still, she quickly justified it to herself.
It would be weirder to ask for a different room after seeing this one.
Besides, the High Priest did say it was the only one available.
What am I supposed to do if this is the only room?
Floria shrugged and dropped her luggage carelessly on the floor.
Then she gently lifted Rose, who was still out of it, and laid her on the bed.
As soon as she hit the mattress, Rose hugged her deer plushie and started snoring softly, mouth wide open. She looked completely peaceful.
Floria brushed Rose’s messy hair off the pillow, then suddenly shivered.
“…Too cute!”
Her tiny lips and chubby cheeks—She remembered how Rose’s eyes sparkled as she chewed on a tasty treat the day before.
Even her tiny bottom teeth were visible through her open mouth.
Floria had a strong urge to poke her, but she restrained herself and held her own arm back.
Instead, she pulled the neatly folded blanket all the way up and gently patted her.
She’s still at an age where sleep and food are everything.
Rose needed her rest.
Once she had finished folding her in and fixing her hair, Floria quietly stood up.
Let’s look around the annex.
There was still some time before her confessional duty.
Since she’d be staying here from now on, she figured she might as well get familiar with the place.
The High Priest had already confirmed that no nobles or high-ranking priests would be around at this time.
Still, to be cautious, she locked the door tightly behind her and glanced around before stepping out.
But there wasn’t much to explore.
Huh?
Just like the High Priest said, the annex only had the one room and the prayer room.
And oddly enough, the prayer room was right next door to her room.
Yes, that prayer room—the one only nobles and senior priests were allowed to enter.
But…
Why is the door open?
Wide open, too.
…
She hadn’t planned to go inside. Really.
Okay, maybe she was a little curious because it was off-limits.
And maybe, now that it was open, she couldn’t resist just looking. That’s all.
Ahem.
Even though she knew no one was around, Floria cleared her throat and glanced around nervously.
Because the door was wide open, she could see the inside of the prayer room clearly.
It was definitely larger than the ones used by ordinary priests.
But the only standout features were the walls—bright white, so pure they looked like they could reflect everything in the world—and a large silver-haired statue in the center.
That was it.
Wow, that’s… underwhelming.
Floria had clearly been expecting more without realizing it.
She pouted and turned around—
And bumped into something hard.
“Floria. So you decided to become the Saintess after all?”
“Ahhh!”
A deep voice from above startled her so much she let out a loud, panicked scream.
