Raising the Princess to Overcome Death-Chapter 347: Playmates - Confession
While Rev accompanied Prince Eric to meet the king, Lena found herself heading toward the church like a sparrow unable to resist a millstone.
“I want to make a confession…”
She believed herself to be committing a sin—because of the divine power bubbling endlessly within her.
Ever since she awakened to her Divinity, Lena’s body had become both a factory and a reservoir of divine energy, with every single cell brimming with it.
Although the amount produced was akin to the modest trickle of a woodland spring, it had been over six months since she awakened to her Divinity.
Lena knew that if she chose, she could bless not just the entire city—but possibly even the entirety of the Offrontis Royal Palace. Yet, she refrained.
She didn’t want to risk affecting Rev. She had to restrain herself to prevent unforeseen consequences.
However, for the kind-hearted Lena, this self-restraint was nothing short of torture.
To her, having the power to help others and doing nothing was sinful and irreverent.
After holding back for so long, she decided to secretly release this power somewhere.
The church seemed like the best place.
A sacred space, the church was also a haven for the poor, the sick, and those at life’s edge.
Arriving at the Offrontis Church, Lena wandered about, looking for the best place to release her divine energy.
What she failed to consider was how her behavior might appear to others.
She darted her eyes around, scanning every corner of the church with an intense gaze that could only be described as ravenous.
Her actions bore an uncanny resemblance to those of a thief.
At Least, that was how Cardinal Fidelio perceived it.
“...What a strange young woman.”
The cardinal had been watching her from the moment she entered the church, drawn to her for reasons he couldn’t quite explain.
Her behavior was certainly unusual.
One moment, she stood before a sacred statue, praying with remarkable devotion.
The next, she stared at it with an almost predatory gaze, as if she intended to devour it.
Occasionally, her hand hesitated, as if reaching out to touch it, only to pull back, shaking her head as if scolding herself.
She repeated this cycle dozens of times, until she finally placed her hand on one of the statues.
“Oh dear.”
It had to be the statue of Saint Azura.
While Saint Azura’s statue was a cherished item in every church, the one in the Offrontis Church was particularly beloved.
One hand gripped the neck of a large raven, while the other held a brass chalice. Golden coins spilled from the raven’s flailing wings as if it were trying to escape.
The true nature of the raven was a mystery even to theologians. It was broadly interpreted as a symbol of the curse that once plagued the swampy lands, a curse Saint Azura had supposedly vanquished in exchange for the “Tree” of the Aisel Kingdom.
This exchange gave rise to two sacred relics representing Saint Azura—the Brass Chalice and the Wooden Staff. It also birthed a folktale claiming that trees ceased to grow well in the Aisel Kingdom thereafter.
Cardinal Fidelio prepared to intervene before the woman committed an irredeemable act.
She seemed blinded by the golden decorations scattered at the saint’s feet.
Yet, contrary to his expectations, the woman ignored the gold entirely. Instead, she knelt, lowered her head, and clung to the saint’s ankles in reverent prayer.
“Not the gold?”
Moments later, she rose with a visibly refreshed expression.
It was a minor incident. While her actions might have been misinterpreted, she had merely prayed. Outwardly, nothing appeared to have happened.
But Cardinal Fidelio now understood why he had been drawn to her—and he realized who she was. With light steps, he called out to the young woman as she made her way toward the exit.
“Excuse me, miss.”
“Hmm? Ah!”
Startled, she turned around, her expression betraying her shock. When her eyes fell on the purple stole that symbolized his rank, her face went pale as a sheet.
“As I thought.” Fidelio’s suspicions were confirmed.
“If you’re not in a hurry, would you mind speaking with me for a moment? I assure you, I’m not here to reprimand you.”
“...Yes. Yes, of course.”
Despite his assurances, her expression remained uneasy as she followed him to his office.
Once there, Fidelio offered her a plate of Matabi Berries.
She appeared to be barely an adult and stared at the plate for a long moment before asking,
“What are these?”
“They’re called Matabi berries. Despite their appearance, they’re quite tasty.”
In fact, they were technically insect galls formed on the vines of the Ume plant.
Ordinarily, the fruit of the Ume vine was inedible, but when winter insects laid their eggs inside, the fruit twisted grotesquely as it grew to sustain itself. This transformation rendered the previously inedible fruit into a unique delicacy—a specialty of the Aisel Kingdom.
Lena’s curiosity momentarily overcame her worry. She crunched on a berry, following the cardinal’s example.
“Wow! It tastes amazing!”
“Do you like it?”
“Yes! It’s so satisfying—hard on the outside but crumbling beautifully under my molars… Ah.”
Realizing she had let her guard down, Lena quickly straightened up, noticing the cardinal’s calm yet penetrating gaze.
“What am I doing?!” she thought, horrified. “Of all people, in front of a cardinal! My luck couldn’t be worse!”
Desperate to salvage the situation, Lena scrambled for words.
“This might be a misunderstanding, but, um… what I did wasn’t anything serious, just…”
“You blessed the statue, didn’t you?”
“......Yes.”
Caught.
Her mind went blank. What now? If this man acted even slightly differently because of their encounter—
“What do I do? What should I do? What should I do?”
Lena tightly closed her eyes, bracing for disaster. However, Cardinal Fidelio merely smiled gently and said,
"I mentioned earlier that I have no intention of punishing you. Now then, which kingdom do you hail from?"
"...From the Conrad Kingdom."
"Ah! The Conrad Kingdom! By any chance, are you accompanying Prince Eric de Yeriel? Haha, I see that you are."
"...Yes."
"It’s quite alright! I believe your desire to pursue a clerical life was genuine, and so was your decision to set it aside. I don’t think either choice is irreverent. Since you’ve returned the divine power to the church, that’s penance enough..."
"I received a divine oracle."
"Come again?"
"The Holy Lady commanded me to go east. The blessing I performed... was part of my mission."
“Forgive me, Binar! I’m so sorry!”
Lena lied. She had no other choice—she needed to ensure the cardinal’s actions wouldn’t deviate from their course. Steeling herself, she continued with a slightly haughty tone.
"I was told to act in secret, but due to my carelessness, things have come to this. My apologies."
"So, you’re saying you’ve received a divine oracle and are carrying out its instructions?"
"That is correct."
For a moment, the cardinal looked skeptical, but then he returned the answer Lena was waiting for.
"...If you’ll excuse me, may I confirm this with the Holy Lady?"
"Please do."
As a cardinal, Fidelio could directly contact the Holy Lady without it being deemed improper. He moved to a sacred artifact in his office, seemingly communicated for a moment, and then turned back to Lena with a startled expression.
Lena seized the opportunity.
"Please tell the Holy Lady to order you to practice self-restraint for a week starting today, and to do the same for the next time this occurs."
"...Hahaha. Are you asking me to request my own penance from the Holy Lady?"
"My apologies."
"Not at all. I’ve relayed your request. From now on, I’ll pretend not to notice you even if we cross paths."
"Thank you."
"The Holy Lady has instructed me to observe a week of penance. Will that suffice?"
"Yes, that’s more than enough. My apologies for causing trouble."
The cardinal returned to the round table in his pristine white office, where he cheerfully bit into a Matabi berry. He didn’t seem too upset about the sudden penance.
"Not at all. Truthfully, I’ve been looking for an excuse to retreat from public life. The constant squabbling over succession among the princes has been exhausting, with nobles visiting me daily to pester me."
"That sounds... quite troublesome."
"Very much so. It’s about time I returned to Lutetia, but having been here for so long, it’s hard to refuse their requests."
"...I see."
"I wish I could Leave this place too," thought Lena.
The fact that the cardinal had spent 20 years here as an intermediary between the Isadora royal family and the Kyrgyz ducal house, building relationships with both sides to maintain balance, meant little to her.
Still, it was clear from his chatter that the cardinal had no intention of letting her Leave just yet. After licking his dry lips—a side effect of eating Matabi berries—he finally broached the main topic.
"Now then, enough about me. May I ask what your oracle was about? It would be quite intriguing if the divine saw fit to deliver it to you."
"Uh… well…"
The cardinal’s expectant gaze made it difficult for Lena to disappoint him. Despite the 40-year age gap between them, she felt a pang of guilt at the thought of shattering his enthusiasm. But since the oracle itself was a lie, there wasn’t much she could say.
"It’s a task I haven’t yet completed, so I’m not sure if I can speak about it. It’s not here, but something to be done at the palace…"
Lena hedged, pretending the oracle’s details were a secret. However, far from being disappointed, the cardinal’s eyes sparkled even brighter, as though he had uncovered a great mystery.
"Of course! Of course, it involves the palace. It seems my guess was correct!"
"...What guess?"
Lena was baffled. After all, her story was entirely fabricated. But the cardinal, now elated, began rambling excitedly.
"Saint Azura eradicated the Seven Ancient Vices, so surely you’ve invoked his blessing to purge the remaining corruption in this land. The Golden Manuscript of Cornelius! The day it is torn must be at hand! But fear not, I’ll act as though I know nothing."
...Wait, what? I don’t even know what that is. And wasn’t the Golden Manuscript supposedly unalterable, let alone destructible?
This was the same man who had confidently declared he’d pretend not to recognize her next time without even knowing what "next time" meant. Lena quickly pegged him as someone who loved jumping to conclusions—until his next words caught her completely off guard.
"Princess Iina Isadora will surely hope for the same. Have courage and approach her! She is a deeply wounded soul..."
Lena’s ears perked up.
Apparently convinced that she was some divine agent, Cardinal Fidelio went on to share what should have been a closely guarded secret—Princess Iina Isadora’s confession.
Notes:
Matabi Berry: A gall that forms on the Ume vine when insects lay their eggs. A peculiar transformation renders it edible, and it is a specialty of the Aisel Kingdom.
Confession: A sacrament in which a baptized individual admits sins to a priest, expressing contrition and receiving absolution.
Chapter 347: Playmates - Confession
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