Episode 184

Elisha had her eyes closed in her carriage. She cut off her own hair a few hours ago with her borrowed dagger and showed it to Lucerne.

'A stupid person.'

One day I remembered the conversation I had with Lucerne.

'Do I have to do something wrong to be locked up here?'

Elisha, as usual, was wearing her silk nightgown, and she had just finished making love and was in Lucerne's arms. By then, she was pretending that Elisha was giving up, so Lucerne was so kind and generous.

'Do you still think that way?'

'I have a lot of time, so I think a lot, and when I think about it when you are not around, sometimes I feel unfair. Is it a sin to be weak?'

'It must be a sin not to have any weaknesses.'

'Yes?'

'It's the same with Sid. All in all, I have a weakness. You are aloof from money and have no family. Even someone to take hostage. There's nothing to seduce. Weak to pleasure, but not destroyed by it. That's why I don't trust you.'

Lucerne said. Elisha remembered Lapis and Lazuli. Even a child like that she owes Lucerne a debt of guilt. It was her work towards her teacher, Pai An.

No matter what you did or what you did. For Lucerne, a person without weaknesses was not worthy of moderation. Indeed, it was a Cartier-like way of thinking. Perhaps that was the only rational lesson Lucerne learned as a child. The family constantly educated people as if they were breathing evil.

'Then what about you?'

Elisha raised her eyes and looked at Lucerne.

'What are your weaknesses?'

At that time, Lucerne silently stared at Elisha.

Multifarious. The carriage ran at a constant speed.

Elisha looked out of her window. It was now a gloomy night. The Guardians seemed to have decided to run all night and safely hand over Elisha to her sanctuary.

*​ *​ *​

During her time confined there, Lucerne revealed herself to her in every detail. His inner fears, contradictions, even his wild possessiveness.

'You're a person who doesn't even know what you really want.'

Elisha thought.

'Well, it's the same for me.'

Elisha recalled memories from her past life. Flowers in the swaying water. A locket pendant that I cried and buried on a rainy day. All the moments I loved him.

And…….

'Now I am your weakness.'

Elisha thought.

Lucerne imprisoned her, and sought to exploit her everything from Elisha. But she wasn't the only one who had something taken from her.

Elisha took a piece of her heart from him. And for a long time she will remain a weakness for him.

'I know the men from that family.'

She suddenly stroked her belly.

But no matter how many times she thought about it, she had no right to resent and hate her Lucerne.

At first, she is upset that her lucerne has deceived her and ignored her contract. But the day I intentionally burned my calf on the brazier in front of him and got hurt. I saw Lucerne's hand tremble slightly.

'Ah, I can move this person.'

In that moment of intuition, to be honest, it didn't bother me too much. The only thing to be afraid of is the unknown. From then on, his inner feelings were revealed to some extent.

But now everything was over. Now I have decided to organize my mind, and Eun-won has also been organized. The strongest feeling left for Elisha was guilt for her past.

'My sin.'

Elisha thought.

It was already her past, her past life. It wouldn't happen at all now.

But it definitely did exist.

Elisha stroked her belly. In this place where there is nothing now.

A few years after her previous life. There was Lucerne and her child.

But she's so helpless, so shabby. Because she doesn't have too much

So she couldn't keep the child. That was the biggest sin she had ever committed in her previous life.

It was time to end the long love. It was a terrible love that I cherished for a long time.

Maybe it's the feelings that have become each other's now. But it was a feeling neither of them dared to cherish.

'That was love.'

Elisha's shoulders trembled slightly. How can I deny Even if it's terribly twisted, even if it's so shabby and ugly,

It was love though.

It was then, and it is now.

But now everything is over. All that was left was a period that resembled a sigh. It was really time for her to end all ties with him.

*​ *​ *​

Elisha was sitting at a stone table in the garden near the corridor. She was still quite chilly, but she was able to sit in the sun if she wore thick clothes. Through the open door of the temple, she heard the faint sound of girls chants. It was a graceful and beautiful sound.

Elisha was staying in the 'sanctuary', the most secret and noble realm of the temple.

This very small piece of land was the land of the Empire, but its possession belonged exclusively to the temple. This was a land of peace where no military encroachment was allowed.

Any country in the world who invaded the sanctuary broke the balance between the temple and the world. Thus, for a very long time, the sanctuary was a noble land that was free from the filth of the world.

Also, the sanctuary was a small kingdom owned by the temple. The king here is the great pope, a saint, and a prophet. There were saints under him.

Inside the sanctuary was a large and beautiful temple built a long time ago. The temple was called the Great Temple, and sometimes the title of the Great Temple was simply a title encompassing the entire central main temple.

A large palace filled with old relics. Like a dam holding back flowing water, it contained the luxuries that flowed from all the temples in the world.

'Living here is the privilege of the most noble people in the temple.'

The children staying here were the most noble candidates for the priesthood, and only the carefully selected priests came and went.

Suddenly, a chilly wind blew and Elisha folded her coat. But now the winter wind was carrying a warmer spring breeze.

Being released from Lucerne did not mean that she was immediately free.

Elisha was now protected by the special position of being a candidate for sainthood. The time required for the first holy woman verification was 100 days. In the meantime, if she does not show the miracle of her holy power, the candidate saint will be returned to the civilian population.

'Of course there's no way it will manifest.'

Elisha wasn't a real candidate for a saint, so she didn't expect anything like that from anyone. However, thanks to Rosaria's instructions, she was being treated fairly decently.

“You are reading a book again. Wouldn't it be better to rest?”

Elisha raised her head. Before she knew it, Rosa Ria was approaching with her priests.

“Lady Rosaria.”

Elisha got up and took a bow.

“Sit down. I heard her body is very weak.”

“It's okay. I am recovering.”

Said Elisha. She was wearing a plain white dress, signifying her saintly candidate, and a simple woolen coat. She was sober and beautiful, but she looked different from the glamorous black dress she wore at the opening of the coffin.

Rosaria bit her priests. And she invited Elisha to take her for a walk.

*​ *​ *​

Elisha began walking slowly with Rosaria through the desolate winter garden. Compared to the Cartier family, who could freely see flowers at any time in the greenhouse even in winter, this place was relatively frugal.

Rosaria looked over at Elisha and said.

“You adapt quickly to anything. It is said that anyone who associates with the Cartier family will taste the pinnacle of luxury. People who have tasted such a life usually have a hard time coming back. You are different.”

“I am from a poor background. I don't get used to luxury easily.”

“So? But now it's quite graceful and handsome. Who would say that you are an orphan?”

“Thank you for the compliment. But the Cartier family doesn't lose money. If they gave me a taste of luxury, they are the ones who exploit more than that.”

“You are smart too. You always have a good balance. It's your greatest talent. He is the most outstanding of my apprentices.”

Rosaria smiled.

“Are you interested in the Old Gods lately?”

Rosalia was looking at the title of the book Elisha was holding. Elisha secretly hid the title. It was titled 'The Relics and Memoirs of the Evil God,' and it was a book taken from the Forbidden Books section of the temple.

“It's not a good content, but it's a field I've been interested in for a long time.”

“There is nothing good about being interested in the holy things of evil spirits. Those are very wicked tricks from ancient times. Didn't the evil gods research a way to slaughter the priests and magicians of the main god because they didn't allow powers other than themselves?”

“…… Just.”

Elisha said softly.

“Some things have a deep connection with me.”

“Yes?”

Elisha shook her head.

“It's nothing. You must be busy. What did you do today?”

“I have business at the Sanctuary. Originally, the house of the great pope was called the sanctuary, but I have hardly stayed in the sanctuary since taking office. It bothers me that you haven't looked in since you came here.”

“How are things going outside?”

Elisha asked. Elisha's only contact with her outside work was through the newspaper.