<Chapter 12>
Theodore, of all times, right now!
I was worried about being kidnapped, but I thought I would be safe after being officially declared the Saintess tomorrow.
He moves this fast?
He must be coming to confirm my identity. And since he’s the Emperor… even though we’re inside the Grand Temple, he could fabricate some charges and drag me away if he really wanted to.
In short, if I meet him now…
‘Kidnapping at best, death at worst.’
Even if he just saw my face, I could be eliminated within the day.
That’s why I used the guardian deities’ divine power to diminish my presence in the minds of all the customers I met in Themont. They would probably only remember the five-colored flags and the bell.
‘How is his information network so fast? It’s only been two or three hours…!’
Theodore’s arrival, whether to drag me away or just confirm my appearance, was dangerous either way.
I could only meet him after securing the backing of the Saintess position.
“It’s a long story, but to put it simply, the High Priest-”
“You’re saying it would be a disaster if you met the Emperor before the announcement? Of course. Absolutely not. Let’s go quickly. Where are we going?”
The High Priest must have been thinking the same thing as me. Theodore was a man of action.
“Huh? How did you know what I was going to-”
“Later. Hurry!”
“Ah, yes. I… I was going to the prayer room on the top floor. His Majesty never goes there.”
“Good! Let’s go!”
I urged the slightly flustered priest to move.
[Dorothy, be careful. I can’t read Theodore’s movements, so there’s nothing I can do… Please be careful.]
With Agatha’s somewhat unhelpful encouragement, I walked briskly.
I didn’t forget to carefully tuck my hair inside the shabby hooded robe I was wearing.
“O-Over here. This is the elevator to the top floor.”
I had never been so grateful for the presence of modern technology.
I didn’t want to be caught by Theodore while climbing countless stairs to the top floor.
I quickly boarded the elevator with the priest.
“Is she here?”
At that moment, a chilling voice came from nearby.
I held my breath and cautiously raised my head. Theodore was standing in the nearby hallway.
There was no way I could mistake him. He was so beautiful, and he exuded an intense aura as if declaring, ‘I am blessed by the gods.’ I had never seen anyone like him.
Not only was he taller and more well-built than anyone passing by, but he was also glowing in the sunlight.
It suited him so well that it was hard to tell whether it was his own aura or the sunlight.
Before the priest noticed Theodore, I grabbed him and pulled him away.
“On second thought, we might run into him on the way to the top floor. I’ll hide somewhere with a lot of people.”
“B-But the High Priest-”
“It’s urgent. Where’s the nearest chapel? A place with a lot of people.”
I cut off the priest and asked again emphatically.
Perhaps flustered by my urgency, he stammered.
“I-If that’s the case… there is one… over there.”
“Lead the way. Quickly.”
I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t. If Theodore just turned his head slightly, he would see me.
The priest, though puzzled, turned around as I pushed him.
At that moment, I felt Theodore, who had been looking around, shift his gaze towards us.
Please, don’t let him see me.
“That’s… the chapel. It’s open to the public, so there are always quite a few people there.”
“Okay. You can go now. Being with a priest would make me even more suspicious.”
“Are you sure it’ll be alright…?”
“It’s fine! I’ll be going now!”
I told the slightly dim-witted priest and entered the chapel.
‘There… aren’t many people, but there are some. Thank goodness.’
Actually, there were quite a few people, but since it was the Grand Temple, the chapel was also incredibly huge, so even with a large number of people, they seemed sparsely scattered.
Still, this was better than nothing. Hiding alone in a secluded spot would be too obvious, so it was better to hide among people.
I pulled my hood down further and moved to blend into the crowd. I needed to hide in a corner and pretend to pray.
Cold sweat ran down my back as I walked.
‘This is like a chase scene.’
“Excuse me, just a moment.”
I squeezed into a suitable corner spot, between a few people.
[Agatha, you can see even if you can’t read him, so please tell me if Theodore enters the chapel.]
I asked Agatha since I couldn’t look towards the entrance, but there was no reply.
[Agatha?]
[…….]
‘What? You can’t even communicate?’
Agatha said she couldn’t ‘read’ Theodore, but she didn’t say our connection would be cut off. Did she not know either?
I grew even more anxious. I wanted to know if Theodore had arrived.
I lowered my body as much as possible and turned my head towards the entrance.
My vision was blurry as I tried to see through the gaps between my hair and hood. With my face covered like this, he wouldn’t be able to recognize me.
I raised my head a little more, and I saw Theodore in the distance.
‘He followed me this quickly?’
His intuition was monstrous.
My tension mounted. I clutched the hem of my robe and prayed desperately.
‘I’ll live a good life, please not now. Please.’
I saw Theodore’s lips move as he gave orders to his subordinates.
‘Find her.’
Even though they didn’t know what I looked like, his subordinates dispersed at his firm command. And Theodore started walking. A man who looked like his aide was with him.
‘Why…!’
But why… this way?
He walked towards me resolutely, with a slight frown on his face. There’s no way he could recognize me. Right? There’s no way…!
Theodore would sometimes stop random people, check their faces, and ask for their names. He would check their identification cards and ask a few questions.
There was no discernible pattern in his selection. It was probably his own intuition, something ordinary people couldn’t understand.
Those stopped by Theodore would initially be annoyed, but then become captivated by his beautiful face.
He walked closer and closer to me.
“Hello, brothers and sisters.”
Feeling uneasy, I greeted the devotees in the chapel and acted as if I was with them.
“Welcome, sister.”
“Blessings, love, and peace.”
“Thank you. Peace be with you. How are you feeling today?”
“Pardon? Uh… I’m fine.”
After the greeting, I even exchanged pleasantries, albeit somewhat forced, appearing like an ordinary follower of the Maelta religion.
“When will God answer us? I’m struggling again today. This darn arthritis.”
“They say we need to donate more.”
“My circumstances aren’t good…”
Fortunately, the people were talkative. Lamentations and replies flowed naturally, so I just had to nod in agreement.
I didn’t look towards Theodore, but I could sense him approaching.
My heart pounded. And a moment later.
‘He passed… by!’
Did my desperate prayer work? Theodore walked right past me.
Thank goodness. Even a man with incredible luck wouldn’t be able to find me hidden like this-
“You.”
A cold voice flowed into my ears. My heart chilled.
Ah, I’m doomed.
I pressed my lips together and tightened my grip on my clasped hands. Pretend you didn’t hear, pretend you didn’t hear…
Theodore completely ignored my inner thoughts and stood before me.
“Raise your head.”
He was standing right in front of me, calling out to me. It would be suspicious to keep my head down.
I reluctantly raised my head.
“Your name?”
He asked, frowning slightly, looking directly at me.
His eyes were incredibly blue. A clear and beautiful blue, clearer than the sky, clearer than the pristine waters of a tropical sea.
Mesmerized by the clear color, I stared at him, forgetting my fear.
‘Is it… possible for such a beautiful color to exist?’
That thought crossed my mind. Looking into his eyes, everything seemed to slow down.
His blue eyes didn’t avoid my gaze, staring back intently. Then, he took a step closer. We were very close now.
“Answer.”
Just as my thoughts began to wander, Theodore urged me for an answer in a cold yet languid voice.
The people sitting around me were watching nervously, intimidated by Theodore’s presence.
“M-Maria.”
I barely managed to recall the name of the devotee who helped me at the shrine in Themont.
I remembered overhearing a conversation where Maria complained that her name was the most common in the world, and a neighbor consoled her. When trying to deceive someone, using something common is the best way to create a diversion.
“Maria.”
It’s okay. There are many people watching, and there’s no proof that I’m the Saintess. I haven’t shown my face to Theodore’s subordinates who came to get me.
Nothing will happen. I mustered my courage and lifted my foot to leave.
“Remove your hood.”
“I’m… in the middle of… a practice…”
I made a flimsy excuse and lowered my head further. Theodore chuckled. A chilling air hung at the end of his laughter.
“I see… If your practice is a priority, then stay as you are.”
“Pardon?”
Really? I don’t have to take it off? A sudden urge to believe Theodore’s words at face value arose within me.
But… that couldn’t be true.
I clasped my sweaty hands together. I wanted to see Theodore’s face, but I couldn’t.
‘This is the worst…’
“If your practice takes precedence over your life.”
No, there’s no way such a person exists. I’m truly terrified.