Chapter 441 – Penance Room

“Excuse me.”

When Rike entered the church carrying the dessert he bought at the café.

When I looked around and made eye contact with Majella.

When she came up there with a smiling face and asked if the saint was there.

If Atra were to tell her not to enter her prayer room, it would be normal for her to politely send her guest away.

That is also Majella’s role.

But.

This visit by Ricke shook Majella and made her conflicted.

I’ve been so worried about Atra, who has been hiding in the prayer room in a completely different and gloomy mood than usual, that I’ve been unable to sleep recently.

No matter what reason Ricke Bright came to visit, it would not be a small matter for Atra.

It was considered a reasonable opportunity to call Atra out of the prayer room.

At least it is a requirement to check the status.

“I will try to get the message to the saint.”

“Please. Please tell me I’m sorry for coming to you so suddenly.”

Rike said that if he was busy, he would make a formal appointment and visit next time, and walked inside the church under Majella’s guidance.

I arrived at the second floor by taking the stairs.

She put her foot into a corner where she would have no reason to visit unless she was a member of the Order.

“I will come back with some news. Could you please wait here for a moment?”

“Yes.”

Majella walked with her feet without asking for details about why Rike had come to her church.

To drag the saintly woman out of her prayer room after spending an unprecedentedly long time looking at her gloomy face.

I carefully knocked on the door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Saint.”

*****

“Whew…”

Standing in front of the mirror, Atra took a long breath and pondered Majella’s words.

– Sister Ricke Bright came to visit.

Upon hearing that Rike had suddenly come to visit, Atra adjusted her appearance.

After washing my face with freezing cold water, I walked down the hallway to the second floor reception room.

‘By any chance Brother Roman came…?’

Although Majella did not mention it, it is a problem that she cannot help but be conscious of from Atra’s perspective.

Again. Again. Ttogak.

Atra was heading to her destination with a nervous pace wearing low shoes.

I naturally moved my feet when I saw Majella guarding the front of the penance room, not the reception room.

“Mazella. What about the reception room?”

“I’m sorry. All the guests in the reception room are occupied, so there are no empty rooms…”

Isn’t it a monastic order in name?

Since guests came and went from all over the empire to this place, it was more common than you might think for there to be no seats in the reception room.

Moreover, since Rike suddenly came in, it was something that could not be helped.

“So I thought about renting an outside restaurant or café, but the sister said she didn’t mind going anywhere and would like to see the penance room if possible, so I guided her there.”

“I see. By any chance… Did you come alone?”

“Yes. The sister even brought refreshments, so I prepared tea.”

What should I say, I was relieved but also disappointed when she said that Rike was alone.

Immediately after, the tension that had hardened her entire body was relieved and fatigue came.

Atra was conflicted as she touched the area around her eyes, trying to forget her accumulated fatigue.

“Hmm, anyway, I can’t believe I’m meeting a guest in the penitence room…”

“In my personal opinion, if it’s an important conversation, I think it would be a better place than the reception room. Besides, today is a day when the penance room is not in use, so I think you can have a conversation comfortably.”

“Is that so… I understand first.”

Atra held the door to enter the penitence room and looked at Majella.

“Mazela. Please guard the door just in case.”

“Okay. If you need anything, please call me.”

“Thank you.”

Thanking Majella for not following her, Atra opened the door.

··

··

“Saint. It’s been a while since I saw you.”

When the saint entered the penance room, Rike, who was sitting in her chair, stood up and bowed her head.

At the same time, Atra also said hello.

“Sister. I’m sorry I’m late.”

“No. I came without an appointment… So maybe I put the saintess in trouble?”

Saying no at all, Atra slowly headed toward Rike.

The interior of the penance room is clean.

She was just as Atra, who was in charge of the space when she was a nun, remembered her.

There is a confessional for the sacrament of confession, and church members wait for their turn.

There were religious books and tables for those waiting, so it wasn’t a bad place to have a quiet conversation.

I wonder if Ricke was also taking out the book he was holding and reading it.

There were desserts and the religious scriptures on the table.

Ricke, reading the gaze of Atra, who was sitting across from her, spoke cautiously.

“Oh, maybe I shouldn’t have read it carelessly?”

“No, the scriptures can be read by anyone, even if they are not church members. All books here are open materials.”

“Thank goodness.”

At Rike’s recommendation, Atra, holding a desert fork, woke up with an unknown amount of sweetness.

My head, which was heavy like water-soaked cotton, became a little lighter and the sinking feeling came back to life.

Perhaps that was the problem, but I could feel Rike’s gaze staring at Atra more clearly.

“Saint.”

“···Yes?”

Atra stopped her hand as anxiety prickled her heart.

Every time Rike moved her mouth, her heart pounded.

“Are you eating well? You look thinner than before.”

“···.”

From Ricke’s perspective, it was a simple question to ask how she was doing.

The saint who was listening couldn’t open her mouth.

Rike moved her piece of cake onto Atra’s bowl, who was muttering and avoiding eye contact, and continued her conversation in her light voice.

“It’s something that can’t be helped if you’re not that anxious, but no matter how busy you are with work, it’s a good idea to eat properly, right?”

“I will keep your words in mind…”

“If my brother isn’t there to take care of me, I’ll forget to eat and train.”

When Roman was mentioned during the conversation, Atra trembled.

Even though he was stuck in the prayer room for a long time, the condition got worse and there was no improvement.

Atra asked Rike, taking in the sight of her sighing.

“Sister. Can I hear what brought you to the church today?”

“I simply want to create a meal.”

“Ah…”

I understood it right away. A letter from Rike appeared in Atra’s mind.

“Saint. Are you free tomorrow evening?”

“···.”

Anyway, all she has to do now is wait until the next agreement day.

She could not go on a pilgrimage because she had to be present that day, but it was also a requirement to stay in her prayer room.

If you are invited, you will have time to go. But there was no answer.

If you accept Rike’s recommendation, you will definitely meet Roman at her mansion.

‘Brother Roman…’

Atra lowered her hands to the bottom of the table and brought them together as if in prayer.

It’s clear that we haven’t seen each other for quite some time, but Roman’s image is drawn very clearly.

The days I spent in the Federal Bureau of Education are flashing by in my mind. Most of the memories were embarrassing, but even those were good.

‘I want to see you… I want to meet you…’

But it’s scary. What kind of face should Roman look at as he takes care of his lovers in front of him?

Now Roman’s position is not that of his own bodyguard.

If he doesn’t pay any attention to you and can’t talk to you after saying hello, how can you endure that grief?

My hands were shaking just from the assumption.

“Saint?”

“···.”

“Saint?”

“Huh? Yes?!”

“Are you okay?”

Does she even know how bad Atra’s complexion is in Rike’s eyes?

I felt like I was going to collapse in my seat at any moment.

“Did I make a pointless recommendation…?”

“No! No! I am very glad of your recommendation. But, that is…”

Rike’s eyes capture a restless saint.

‘As expected…’

On the other hand, is it because it is an expected feeling and situation?

Rike naturally got up from his seat at the sight of a picture that was so familiar.

Atra’s eyes followed Rike’s back as he headed toward the confessional.

“Sister…?”

“Saint. May I ask you about this confessional?”

“No, of course.”

It was an unexpected change of topic, but Atra nodded, feeling her breath being relieved.

“When you confess, even if you can’t see the face, isn’t there a case where the identity of the other person can be identified through things like their voice?”

“Yes…”

“If you heard the truth about a crime, do you use that as an excuse to arrest them?”

Atra stood up from her seat and came next to Rike and shook her head.

“There is an obligation to keep confidentiality in confessions in our denomination. The person in charge of the confessional must not disclose to anyone the confession he or she has heard, no matter what.”

“Hmm…”

“Furthermore, the rule is to try to forget what you heard in the confessional when you turn around. It is something you should never do to show that you knew something bad.”

With a satisfactory answer, Rike took a step closer to the confessional.

“Finally, do confessionals only discuss sin?”

“Human relationships and the future that are involved in daily life are also topics. Depending on the individual, it is a matter of sufficient concern…”

Even though it is called a confessional, it is a space whose purpose is to make a person feel at ease.

There are times when just listening to what someone confides and empathizing with them can be of great help. Ricke also greatly agrees with this.

After listening to Atra’s explanation to the end, Rike opened his mouth with a satisfied smile.

“I think this is what the saint and I need right now.”

“Yes…?”

Rike gave no answer to Atra, who did not understand, and she opened the door with the cross on it, and she entered the confessional and sat down.

Atra hurriedly stopped Rike, who was about to close the door.

“Now, sister? If you have any concerns, I will listen to them. That’s where the priest in charge of the penance room goes…”

At Atra’s guidance that she should sit on the other side, Rike shook her head.

“No. I think this is where I should sit right now.”

“···.”

“Isn’t that right?”