Chapter Eighteen
_Priest Evan: 2
"What is going on with you, Marianne?"
Marianne stifled her laughter and said:
"It seems that Mr. Lorenz is very much admired by the Young Lady."
Ariana raised her eyebrow in disapproval and looked at Marianne flatly:
"What on earth are you raving about?!"
Marianne laughed and said:
"Do you want to bet with me?!"
"..."
Ariana looked at Marianne with a raised eyebrow, so Marianne smiled playfully and spoke:
"It is simple; Mr. Lorenz blushes every time he looks at the Young Lady's face. Even though he was explaining smoothly, he was looking at the Young Lady with dreamy eyes and a gentle face, trying to act properly to impress the Young Lady... If it continues like this, he has fallen in love with the Young Lady..."
Ariana looked at Marianne and said:
"You know, I didn't notice any of what you're saying. In fact, I didn't care..."
"It's a bit... frustrating. My young lady has a cold heart..."
Ariana was laughing at Marianne's playful words, then she looked at Marianne and said:
"It's fine. It doesn't matter if Mr. Lorenz admires me or not; what matters is that my studies are not affected..."
"My lady is wonderful!!"
Marianne smiled broadly, and Ariana smiled with amazement. She was laughing at Marianne, who spared no opportunity to praise her...
* * *
The mansion was in a state of alert, as today Cardinal Evan Jerome would arrive. It wasn't that the mansion was unaccustomed to visits from priests, but he was the subject of the biggest rumors in Cassian—the priest who hates nobles... Not only that, he was famous for his twisted and cold personality, especially with nobles...
Marianne stood with the butler in front of the mansion's inner gate. The butler muttered:
"I am surprised he accepted the Young Lord's request..."
"The Silas family is powerful; he will surely agree to their request. And surely, luck is always on the Young Lady's side."
Marianne spoke with confidence, and the head butler looked at her with belief...
Finally, a carriage bearing the temple's emblem arrived, and a young man stepped out wearing a pure white robe with cold emerald eyes. He looked at the servants present with disapproval and then spoke:
"Shouldn't the master of the house be receiving me?!"
The head butler bowed bashfully and said:
"The Marquis is outside the capital, and the Young Lord has urgent business at the Imperial Palace; he will arrive soon... As for the Young Lady, her health is not good enough to receive you personally."
Evan rolled his eyes and then spoke coldly:
"Take me to her room..."
"Huh?!"
Evan looked at him coldly and moved, ignoring the head butler. Marianne spoke enthusiastically:
"I will guide you..."
He looked at her coldly, which made her clench her hands patiently and move ahead of him until they reached the third floor, and finally to Ariana's room. Before opening it, she spoke:
"Take care of the Young Lady, please."
Evan ignored her and waited for her to open the door. Marianne almost broke the handle out of her frustration, but she turned back to knock on the room door:
Knock, knock, knock!!!
"My lady, it is Marianne, and I have His Excellency Cardinal Jerome with me..."
"You may enter..."
When they heard the permission to enter, they entered quietly. Ariana turned elegantly in her light hazel, simple dress with only three accessories: earrings, a necklace, and a strange bracelet. Evan bowed calmly:
"Evan Jerome greets Lady Silas..."
"Happy to meet you, sir. Take good care of me..."
She greeted him with a gentle smile and guided him to the tea table, serving him tea and refreshments. He looked at the maid and then at Ariana, who seemed calm and poised, then returned his gaze to the necklace and the bracelet...
"Marianne, you may leave. I will speak with the priest in private..."
Marianne frowned but nodded 'yes' and left.
Click!!!
"Speak, Mr. Jerome."
"First, I must examine your condition..."
Ariana smiled an elegant smile and opened her hands:
"Please."
Evan extended his hand close to Ariana and released a golden-emerald power from his hand that surrounded Ariana's body. He opened his eyes in surprise, then his power began to sink into her body...
'Her body and soul are greatly shattered, but there is a significant trace of restoration. The energy passing through her body... it is the Emperor's magic. The necklace and the bracelet?! What is the relationship that binds Lady Silas—who could have been married to Duke Silvano by now—with the Emperor?! How did she reach the conclusion that might save her and at the same time save His Majesty...?!'
He pulled his hand away, and the light surrounding her disappeared. Ariana smiled with a friendly face:
"Thank you for not using your holy power, Mr. Jerome. Did His Majesty tell you about my body's conflict with holy power?!..."
He was about to lie, but Ariana spoke with a playful and mischievous smile:
"Surely you wonder how I could know the way to treat His Majesty?! And what is the relationship that binds the Emperor to Lady Silas, the traitorous family, right?!"
Evan flinched at the facts Ariana listed and felt as if she were reading his thoughts. Instead of stuttering, he spoke calmly:
"Well, and why do you accuse your family of being traitors when there is no evidence?!"
"You also know that Marquis Alpin Silas is a traitor working for the Temple. Furthermore, you know that the mana purification failed due to lack of time and poor conditions. Therefore, I searched for new techniques. The only person who considered my presence something extraordinary, and the person who knows the fate of this empire, which is destruction at the hands of the Temple..."
The elegant tone Evan was speaking with changed, and he laughed sarcastically:
"I knew it. You are nothing but an intruder to this universe, and one of the reasons is your unstable soul within this body... But how do you know all these things?!"
"Do you believe in other worlds? Mr. Jerome."
"Other worlds?!"
"Yes, humans who resemble you and live in societies and have their own lives. When their first life ends, they move to another world, perhaps for a noble goal... Well, since we share a similar experience."
"How did you realize that I know?"
"I may be oblivious sometimes, but I saw the look on your face that said: 'This girl was supposed to be dead'..."
"You have high awareness..."
"Well, I will tell you my secret on the condition that you tell me everything that happened afterwards and correct my deficiencies, for the sake of Cassian and the Emperor..."
Ariana spoke in a sincere and firm tone that made him agree to her request. He shook her hand as a declaration of the agreement...
* * *
Astonishment and shock covered their faces; there were details Evan didn't know, and there were details that did not appear in the novel Ariana had read...
"You mean our world exists inside a book?!"
"Perhaps, or perhaps it appeared to me that way so I could enter this world..."
"I was confused by the strange changes that occurred upon my return from the expedition, but now I understand... But there is one strange thing: how did you get to know His Majesty?!"
"I kept frequenting the gate of the Imperial Palace for more than a month..."
She was disgruntled at her words. Evan put his hand under his chin and said:
"Logically, for the guarding is tight and security is intense..."
"Mr. Jerome, no one must ever know about this..."
"Certainly..."
"But I will definitely tell His Majesty, but not now..."
"And why will you tell the Emperor?!"
Evan was truly puzzled by her desire to tell Raphael...
"..."
"Well, it is your wish..."
Splash!!!
While they were talking, a soft silver light exploded in the room, revealing a distinctive magical aura. Both turned to the source of the magic, only to be surprised...
'Has His Majesty come here before, to the point where it has become easy for him to enter her mansion?!'
Ariana stood up and looked at him with a flushed face and clenched fists.
Evan stood up and greeted him respectfully:
"Greetings, Your Majesty..."
Raphael nodded to him quickly and looked at Ariana's angry face, feeling confused. He hadn't seen her for more than a week despite their continuous talk through the communication gem, but he knew she was very upset with him...
"Aya... I..."
Ariana was panting with rage, completely forgetting Evan's presence in the room. She approached Raphael and gave him several punches to his chest. Although she hit him with all her strength, he wasn't hurt in the slightest. Evan flinched at her behavior and her venting of anger on the Emperor; rather, he was shocked by Raphael's patient behavior with her...
Ariana kept punching him angrily until her hands hurt, muttering with resentment:
"Selfish, mean, fool..."
Her cotton-like punches finally stopped, and Raphael looked at her apologetically:
"I'm sorry..."
Ariana burst into silent tears and hugged Raphael, crying like a child...
"I missed you. I thought you no longer needed me..."
Raphael felt relieved at the reason for her crying and smiled. He placed his hand on her back, drawing her closer, while the other patted her head:
"I missed you a lot too. I'm sorry... I never abandoned you..."
Ariana tightened her hug as if she feared his departure.
'Raph, don't ever leave me. I know it's wrong, but I committed that mistake. Only now have I realized the kind of feeling inside me. I love this man; it's madness itself. But I know I am not a heroine in a novel; I am someone who came to this world to live a peaceful life. Going with him means living on thin ice, but I loved this man, and I am not sorry... Raphael de Cassian, I am involved... the girl who loved you is a crazy one...'
Evan looked at the two who completely ignored him and muttered audibly:
"Am I a vase here?!"
'Wasn't this girl talking with coldness and cunning seconds ago? But now she looks like a naive child in front of her favorite man. What an annoying atmosphere!'
His face frowned, and he scanned the room, finding nothing to do. He sighed and said in a clear voice:
"Hey! I am here...."
Ariana pulled away first and wiped her tears in embarrassment, not looking directly at Raphael, while Raphael patted her head. He looked coldly at Evan. Evan flinched and spoke with a frown:
"What now?!..."
Raphael ignored him and then looked at Ariana with a playful and warm look:
"Aren't you going to invite me to sit?!"
"Certainly, please, sit at the table..."
Raphael sat in her place, and Ariana felt embarrassed. She almost brought a chair, but he stopped her and said:
"Sit in Evan's place..."
Evan frowned and said:
"Sir, but..."
"Aren't you going to deliver your report and leave? That's what you told me when I requested you..."
Evan flinched when he remembered his annoyed reaction to Raphael's request. He sighed and spoke again:
"Lady Silas, your body is currently in a stable condition. For now, you will only need His Majesty to pour healing magic into you once a week. You will ask: how?!"
"..."
Ariana looked at him expectantly, and he continued:
"The bracelet you and His Majesty are wearing will handle almost half the task. Its job is to balance the magical power of your bodies as long as you wear it and are within the same city limits. In fact, I don't know how?! When I made the bracelet, it was only to balance His Majesty's power, but I was surprised that it worked for both of you... and the result was satisfactory..."
Before bowing, he asked Raphael with a kind of confusion:
"Are there diseases that holy power is unable to treat?!"
"In the past and according to ancient records, no. But it is said that for more than twelve years, epidemics began to spread, and the diseases that spread are not cured by holy power; the holy power only calms them. It is said to be a curse or divine wrath, so these diseases spread..."
"I fell ill about twelve years ago, so do you think my illness is a curse?!"
"I don't think so. Holy power is not everything..."
Evan smiled with a sad face... Ariana lowered her head with a kind of sadness. Raphael stood in front of her and patted her shoulder encouragingly, speaking in a warm tone:
"You are strong, you will be cured... but what is your illness? This is what I don't know... Is it just a lung disease resulting from an epidemic?!... Why is your body so shattered?!"
"Your Majesty! I am not sure about the matter, but..."
"..."
"But what?!"
Ariana looked at him with a confused face and Raphael with suspicion. Evan said in an uncertain tone:
"It is still unconfirmed, but there is some trace... The lady had holy power inside her body. Perhaps the backlash of the curse and the holy power caused a shock to her body... and it seems the curse was stronger."
The two were in a state of shock and silence, then Ariana spoke:
"You mean I am a saintess, but my body rejects holy power..."
"Perhaps the curse took over your power, so it began to reject it and reject any power that resembles it..."
"Evan! You are a powerful priest and I trust your ability, but are you sure about the matter?!"
"I am not entirely sure; I want to search for evidence..."
Ariana looked at Evan and thought about the course of the novel:
'Evan is a genius and good person with insight. He wouldn't say this out of nowhere. Perhaps he suspects something. And let me think: in the novel, Elena's holy power appeared clearly during the expedition, which made her save His Majesty and her power manifested at his birthday party, showing the amount of purity and strength in her, making her the candle that ignites everything in the novel. The second thing: the other person who possesses pure holy power and is not in the Temple is... Aidan Silvano, Ariana's biological son and not Elena's son, who inherits the holy power. Holy power is not something born out of thin air in this world; it is something inherited like blood... Perhaps what Evan says is logical and may lead us to the missing link...'
"Aya! Are you okay?!"
The warm voice was enough to bring her back to reality. Ariana met Raphael's eyes and felt her heart beating madly. She barely composed herself and spoke:
"I think Mr. Jerome has a point. I won't pin my hopes on wanting holy power when I recover, but I want to know everything about this strange disease..."
Raphael nodded to her encouragingly. Ariana felt relief in her heart and said:
"I trust you, Raph, and I know the person you know will be the best..."
"..."
He smiled at her with a possessed face, and before Ariana could be affected, she turned and said:
"I have something that might be important..."
Ariana stood up and went to her closet, took out a box the size of her palms, and placed it in front of Evan. She said after looking at Raphael:
"This box is for the medicine I have been drinking for no less than twelve years. I only stopped it a short while ago. When I sent a dose to a number of pharmacists, they refused to examine it, but when I went to the Shadow Guild, an expert there told me that it contains very ordinary medicinal herbs for the lungs..."
"What do you mean it might benefit me?!"
"But there are two ingredients in the medicine that, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't identify. And what matters to you is that the Temple is responsible for my treatment and for dispensing the medicine dose to me all that time..."
"Perhaps we will reach something if we find the remaining two ingredients..."
It was Raphael who spoke. Ariana looked at him and then at Evan, who was silent and thinking. He took the medicine box and said:
"I will look into it..."
Ariana smiled with relief and spoke:
"Mr. Jerome, I trust you..."
Evan smiled in her face and then looked at Raphael, whose face did not bode well. He flinched at the cold energy emanating from him...
'What is the matter?!'
"I must leave now..."
"I will see you out. Raph, wait here... we have a lot to talk about..."
There was a stern and cold look on her face that made him flinch. Evan looked at them in shock:
'Is what I see real?! The Emperor is flustered before her...'
They moved quietly out of the room, with Ariana leading the way:
"Do not tell His Majesty everything, my lady..."
"I know what you're getting at, rest assured... There are things that are not easy to talk about, and besides, the time is not right to tell him that I am reincarnated..."
"I will trust the Lady..."
They finally reached the first floor, and the servants were standing in an organized manner.
"Thank you for your visit, Mr. Priest..."
"It is my duty..."
Evan bowed politely, and before he left, Ariana spoke in a whisper:
"Thank you for all you do for Raphael... Surely he is grateful."
Evan looked at her in astonishment, and she gave him a sincere smile...
* * *
...... To be continued ......