Chapter 4

Finally, it was my turn to greet His Majesty the King, and I was able to pay my respects.

His Majesty seemed rather taciturn, so I was incredibly nervous, but Lord Joshua handled it gracefully.

It's hard to believe he's only 20. He truly is of noble blood.

He succeeded as the Margrave at the age of 16, so he must have been doing these greetings since then.

He's incredibly brave.

The Queen was surprisingly down-to-earth, which was quite unexpected. She is a rare figure in this country, which is dominated by the Temple, as she is of knightly origin. This story is very famous and has even been made into a play known by everyone in the country.

Still extremely nervous, next came the greetings to the Temple officials.

Here we go.

It's hard to talk to Lady Alicia. To be honest, I hardly spoke to her even during her time as a songstress.

Just as I was thinking that, she spoke to me as if I didn't exist, almost grabbing Lord Joshua's hand.

Well, that's one way to handle it.

I was a bit at a loss about how to react, but then the High Priest addressed me.

"Ally, I'm glad you came."

Oh, he's calling me Ally.

It's been a long time since the High Priest called me by a nickname. Not since I became a candidate for the Priestess, so it's been about five years?

I had been in the Temple for a long time, so I think I was quite well-liked.

He is a very fair person who doesn't show favoritism, so it was a bit hard to understand, but he would call me by my nickname and assign me small tasks, which made me feel quite close to him.

But, I just remembered, I was second. I wish I didn't have to remember that.

The girl who had been in the Temple longer than me was an orphan, so the priests treated her like family.

She was much closer to the other girls who were entrusted to the Temple from other families.

She found a good person and left the Temple before the Priestess selection.

Suddenly, I felt a sense of emptiness. I have to keep going, I told myself.

"You look well, and I'm relieved to hear that life at the manor is going smoothly."

"Yes, thanks to the Earl's kind arrangements. Also, I seem to enjoy the quiet, nature-filled environment, which surprises me."

The High Priest smiled with a kind look and moved a bit closer.

"I really feel bad for putting you through this."

He spoke in a low voice, just loud enough for me to hear but not the Priestess.

I took a step back and bowed deeply.

I've been thanked many times by this person.

He often writes to me, and each time he includes an apology.

"If I can be of service to you, who raised me, it is a great honor for me. Please let me be proud of it."

Further apologies would only make me sad.

I implied that much.

"...Thank you, Ally."

"I am the one who should be grateful. I am thankful for the opportunity to apply what you taught me."

"I will always pray for your happiness."

Tears welled up in my eyes.

I thought they had dried up since that day a year ago.

The kindness of others touches the heart.

But right now, I didn't feel particularly happy.

For some reason, I felt like crying would mean losing.

"Please take care of yourself, High Priest. How is your health?"

"I can't win against age. I feel it especially these days. I know the transition of the Priestess is a busy time."

The Priestess is replaced every five years, and the High Priest every eight.

With the widespread belief in the goddess worldwide, this country reigns as a Holy Kingdom, and the Temple is inevitably involved in politics.

The High Priest, who should be a source of wisdom for the world, has already taken on this role three times.

For someone of his caliber to say this...

The Temple must be in turmoil due to that love drama.

I am far away, so I only know from occasional letters from friends who remain inside.

"A priest who says the same thing is here today to accompany the songstress. Please comfort them later."

I replied, "Yes," and was about to leave when I turned to the next person and saw that Lady Alicia and Lord Joshua were still having a pleasant conversation.

"Hey, Joshua, isn't it great?"

"Yes, Alicia. The royal couple will leave after a while, so just hang in there until then."

"It would be a great comfort if you were with me."

"I'll be in a place where you can see me. Don't worry."

"Don't dance with anyone else until then? I practiced hard for tonight. Remember? The music tonight is the same as the first time we danced, at the Radlaff family's ball..."

How long is this going to go on?

There are people waiting behind us.

I signaled to the High Priest with my eyes and left the scene alone.

After I left, I could hear the next people coming up and cutting off Lady Alicia and Lord Joshua's conversation.

So, Lord Joshua started down the stairs right after me.

I heard a heavy sigh from behind.

Was it because he was separated from his beloved Lady Alicia? It sounded very tired.

I felt a bit off, but I was also tired, so I didn't turn back.