ETL – Chapter 22
I looked at Reneben happily and patted him on the back. I walked out of my room with renewed spirit.
When I arrived at the office, I felt despair looking at the piles of documents. I slowly picked up my pen and immersed myself into work.
After working for a while, I turned my head to work out the stiffness. It was then that I saw Jessie, one of the few people with blonde hair.
I told her to come and help with Reneben’s share of the work.
Reneben knew that I did not change my clothes in the morning even if I came into the office. However, Jessie did not. She had her mouth opened in amazement, seeing me wearing my nightgown in my office.
I considered it to be a dress and it was much more comfortable than the priest’s uniform.
“Miss Emilone, your clothes… what if you catch a cold?”
“Jessie, the saintess does not get sick.”
“That…but…”
Jessie’s puzzled expression was cute. Even though Reneben was a solemn high priest, he was someone who was good at taking care of others.
While I was looking at him soothing Jessie, he made eye contact with me. His eyes became wide open as he stumbled backwards and bowed his head slightly. He quickly covered his face with a document he had in his hand.
“Reneben?”
“Sa… saintess… your clothes…”
Huh? When I looked down, my shawl was off centered and my nightgown was pulled down a little. My shoulders were slightly exposed. Looking at Reneben’s scared expression was cute and I laughed a little.
Before meeting the nobles this afternoon, I was feeling stressed. I fixed the shawl over my shoulder and Reneben was able to go back to work.
Thanks to that, I felt clearer for a moment, as if I was at an unknown distant place. Looking at the piles of documents, I once again pledged to win against the nobles.
**********
With the sunset outside the window, I watched as the nobles entered one by one. It could have been boring watching them like that but it was not. Rather, my eyes were scanning them carefully. Everyone who came in the room was dressed so extravagantly that it hurt the eyes.
It might seem out of place to be the only one wearing the white priest uniform in front of those who hold power. At least, I will be the one in charge today.
My heart seemed to beat harder.
The nobles came in carriages pulled by horses that were well cared for and well fed. They came into the conference room and greeted me at the head table.
“May God bless you.”
I always greeted people with God’s blessing. However, I did not reply. As I raised my head, the look of the nobles changed in an instant. The nobles should know that this meeting was held for me, not for them.
Similar to the structure of the imperial conference hall, I was sitting at the head table with smaller tables on the left and right of me. There were seats like a university lecture hall where many people could sit.
I quietly leaned back on my chair and watched them. Jessie and Reneben were standing behind me.
With my cold expression and the fact that Jessie, a known criminal who was standing near me like a close friend, everyone was confused by the current situation.
They looked at me while they sat in their assigned seats.
“Everybody worked hard to come here.”
After confirming with a priest that almost all the nobles have arrived, I got started. I was holding a cane that was as tall as me that was used by a former saint.
“Thank you for coming.”
I continued using honorifics as usual but I kept the sharp look in my eyes. This caused a stiff atmosphere since they were always used to me taking care of them.
Smiling on the inside, I took the paper Reneben handed to me. Anxiety was on the faces of the nobles, they seem to know what the paper was about.
In the meantime, servants carried out tea made from stems of flowers grown only at the temple. As I was not currently speaking, only the footsteps of the servants were heard.
I like this strange stillness in its own way.
Reneben brought me my favorite tea. I smiled at Reneben as he set the cup in front of me. It might be trivial but I was grateful that Renenben was keenly aware of my tastes. Um…but I also know all about Reneben’s tastes, too.
I lift the cup filled with tea with a color similar to green tea.
My fingers were numb when I picked up the cup. Surprised, I almost dropped the cup of hot tea. At the same time, I felt something unpleasant wrapping around my arm, climbing up like a snake.
I was not stupid enough to not know this sensation. I was going to put my cup down but I changed my mind. I held the cup to my mouth, smelling the scent of the tea. Without hesitation, I tilted my head slightly and drank the tea
This was eventful from the start.
Clang!
I put the cup down with force so it would make a loud sound.
Gush-
Blood came out of my mouth. Just before Reneben could shout, I raised my arm to stop him. I gently wiped my mouth with the handkerchief I had in my hand. I had to admit it now.
“This…”
Someone was not afraid of divine punishment. To deceive the saintess without anyone knowing.
“Is poison.”
Someone was after me. At the same time, it meant it was somebody who was competent enough to target a saintess. To be able to secretly poison a teacup like this, it means that it was not an ordinary person.
I did not hide my irritation as I wiped the blood coming from my mouth. I looked at the nobles, clearly showing my emotions to them.
Somehow the priest and nobles were more surprised than I was. Well, the drink did surprise me.
I felt slight nausea, kind of like the feeling after eating too much greasy food. I tried different powdered poison before, and the reaction was the same then and now.
When the blood stopped flowing from my mouth, the shaking in my body stopped at the same time. This was thanks to the fact that my body detoxifies quickly.
“Miss Emilone, are you alright?” Jessie asked, trembling. She took the bloody handkerchief that I handed to her.
Everybody in the temple knew that poison does not work on the saintess. Poison…poison…
I swept the rim of the teacup with my index finger. I did not feel the same tingling feeling I had earlier. I put my elbow on the chair handle and rested my chin on my hand.
“Since the situation is like this, I will get straight to the point. I had already mentioned this before at the last meeting held at the Imperial Palace.”
I squeezed my chin and tapped my cheek with my index finger.
“I will not change my opinion.”
The room was quiet. I did not think that all the mouths of the nobles could be shut at once.
“As I said earlier, we are going to lower taxes and set up orphanages in each territory.”
“…”
“…”
“Well, my business is done for now.”
I patted Reneben and told him I was fine. Even though I had bled from my mouth, I was really fine since I was not hurt and felt no pain.
It was only when I saw the greed on the nobles’ faces and heard their voices, I was shaking a little.
Tears welled up in Reneben’s eyes.
Everyone was calmer than expected, especially those who knew that poison did not work on me. I kept quiet in front of the nobles and smiled as if nothing happened.
It was very likely that the person who forced Jessie to drop the chandelier and the person who poisoned my teacup were the same person.
And at the same time… it seemed suspicious. Veron Nestro. He told me not to contact the princess.
Now, his strange behavior added with the situation where the thread seemed to be even more tangled, he seemed to know something that I did not know.
I was unhappy with the unknown.
Bang!
“…?”
“Gah!”
“What?!”
The whole building shook loudly. Before coming to this world, I had been to Japan once. Thanks to bad luck, I experienced an earthquake. A vibration similar to that happened twice. A sphere then fell from the sky.
Watching from the window, it was quite far but still close enough that we could see the red masses coming down with the sunset in the background.
Everyone was fascinated with the red masses that fell from the sky. I was watching it for a long time, mainly because I could not do anything but watch.
The first to react was Reneben. He moved to push aside the curtains that covered more than half the windows. Thanks to that, we had a clearer view and I could not hide my horror.
I bet you…never once in history.
No demon ever attacked the temple.
I stood up quickly, looking at the chestnut shaped red masses. Outside the window where the sunset was praised for its beauty, the red masses started to wiggle.
“No way! It’s a demon!”
“Saintess! Saintess!”
Since I was the saintess, I wished everyone would lower their voices.
“Everyone be quiet and do not go outside. Reneben, come here.”
I am going to save you now… because I am a saintess… because it is my existence.