Chapter 11

#011 Little Guest (1)

"Prince, is there anything uncomfortable?"

Outside the confessional, Knight Elizabeth asked politely.

"Yes, it's cozy."

I heard her laugh in response to my answer. I sat down and looked around.

This confessional was definitely different from the ones I had seen in movies.

Of course, it made sense since it was a fictional religion from a novel.

The space was wide enough to stretch my legs out, and the chair had an exceptionally comfortable cushion.

The ceiling was also high, so there was no need to bow when entering.

"I will bring in the first penitent shortly. If you need anything or if an emergency arises, please pull the rope on the left. We will be waiting outside the temple."

"Yes, thank you."

Looking to the left, I saw a long rope hanging from the ceiling of the confessional.

It had a fancy tassel, and the color and finish were so luxurious that at first glance, it looked like just a decoration.

On the right was a large wooden window leading to the penitent's seat.

I had thought it was a lattice window, but upon closer inspection, it was carved with the symbol of the Church of the Lord, an arrow pointing downwards.

-Click

Soon, I heard the sound of a penitent entering the adjacent booth.

I moistened my lips with the glass of seijicha that Kanae had prepared for me.

Let's not be nervous; I've memorized the procedure.

"Hello, believer."

"Hello, Prince."

"Huh?"

It was a voice I recognized well.

"Vangemagne?"

"Yes, it's me."

Through the intricate wooden window, I could see the silhouette of a neat butler.

"Did you come to confess?"

"Yes. I took advantage of my position as a servant and did not have to wait in line. Please forgive me."

"Hahaha."

I burst out laughing. I knew Vangemagne wasn't joking.

I felt my tense body relax, and my burden lightened.

[It's fine, the Lord will forgive you too.]

As I delivered the divine message, a gentle golden circle, the sanctuary, illuminated the floor of the confessional.

There seemed to be an ether reaction from Vangemagne's position, but it wasn't clear due to the wooden window.

"Thank you, Prince."

Vangemagne's voice was much lighter.

I wondered if he had been under a lot of stress, and a bitter smile formed on my face.

"Prince, you must now give the penance."

"Oh, right."

That's right, I had to do that.

Penance is the act of the penitent making amends for their sin.

When I first read about this in "Introduction to the Church of the Lord," I didn't quite understand it.

I thought it might be something like, "I'll forgive you if you make a donation."

Of course, now I understand it well. I've seen many examples.

[Tomorrow morning, noon, and night, have your meals with me. Kanae is, of course, included.]

I'm not sure how it works in real religions, but in 'The Divine Kingdom,' the penance is up to the priest.

The priest is the one who wields the Lord's power, ether.

"Prince, that's not penance..."

[You asked for my forgiveness, didn't you? You said you were sorry for doubting me. This is the penance I'm giving you.]

In the adjacent booth, Vangemagne let out a low sigh.

"I understand. I will carry it out faithfully."

I smiled and took a sip of seijicha.

Vangemagne was happy to be forgiven, and I was happy not to have to eat alone in front of the hungry servants.

It seemed to be a good outcome.

*

"Hello, believer."

"Hello, Prince."

"Kanae? Is that you?"

"Y-Yes, my last confession was last month."

I failed to suppress my laughter again.

The sound of Kanae fumbling in the adjacent booth was audible.

"Well, Prince! Since Vangemagne-sama is doing it, I wanted to do it too... You also said you would hear my confession."

"That's right. I'll listen."

As I answered, Kanae cleared her throat.

Curious about her story, I naturally leaned in to listen.

"On the first day you entered the palace... I brought you a book that I thought you might enjoy."

"Right, I remember."

"But... there was... an article in the magazine that... insulted you. I didn't know. I didn't bring it with the intention of insulting you... It just happened in a moment of panic..."

Tears welled up in the child's voice. I was taken aback by this unexpected story.

Was she talking about the "Weekly Rieste"? Did it have something bad about me?

"I committed the sin of insulting a noble... Please forgive me..."

"Hold on, Kanae. I don't quite understand what you're saying."

"I'm sorry, Prince..."

Could it be because of the title 'The Rascal of the Divine Kingdom'?

The article mentioned that I was a notorious womanizer and the protagonist of many scandals, but I was indifferent.

In fact, I thought it was beneficial to learn about character settings I didn't know.

You've been thinking about this all this time.

[Kanae, it's okay. I found it interesting to read. It was very helpful.]

"Prince..."

[There's nothing to forgive, but I forgive you. I mean it.]

"Thank you so much..."

In response to the forgiveness, a bright ether reaction poured from the adjacent booth.

As I heard Kanae sniffle, I thought of a very appropriate penance.

[The penance is to continue recommending good books to me. And to bring me as much news as possible.]

"News...?"

[Yes, especially news about Prince Cedric and Lady Cristel de Sarnaise.]

Even though I mentioned two people who had no significant connection yet, Kanae didn't express any particular doubt.

She seemed too happy to have been forgiven to think deeply about the penance.

"Yes, I will carry it out faithfully."

"Good, thank you."

For me, this was a good outcome. It's important to know what's happening.

Now that Cristel has awakened, it's essential to keep track of her and the protagonist's movements.

*

After Kanae left the confessional, the time that followed was indistinguishable from a national talk show.

"So, you were kicked out of your house for telling your middle name to a woman who isn't your wife?"

"Yes, yes, that's right. But I swear to the Lord, I didn't have an affair! It was just a woman I met at a bar..."

You idiot, why did you tell your middle name to a woman you met at a bar?

No, why did you meet a woman at a bar in the first place? Isn't that considered an affair?

I felt as if I had swallowed 100 sweet potatoes without water.

It felt like I was watching a live dating advice program that my brother used to curse at while pushing the steam cleaner.

"Believer, it is customary not to reveal your middle name to anyone other than close family or a lover. At least, that's how it is in the Divine Kingdom. Is it different in the Empire?"

I recited the knowledge I had learned from "Weekly Rieste" as if it were my own.

On the continent, people always insert a middle name between their first name and last name. The middle name is only shared with family, spouse, fiancé, or very close friends.

I had studied this from an article that linked me with noble young ladies whose faces I didn't even know, asking, "Who is the noble lady who will hear the middle name of the Prince of Yeseo?"

"Well, it's the same in the Empire. But I thought, you know, I had made a new friend..."

"Did you become such close friends after just a few hours?"

"That... I'm sorry. Please forgive me, Prince..."

What a lifelong friend, a lifelong friend. What did you two do to get so close?

I clicked my tongue and opened the sanctuary. The floor lit up as if illuminated by a light.

[This is not a matter for me to forgive. It's a matter for your wife to forgive. Go home, kneel at the door, confess honestly, apologize sincerely, and swear never to commit such a sin again. Write a letter of commitment and it would be good to quit drinking.]

"That... That's too harsh..."

[This is the penance I am giving you.]

A golden circle shimmered and slowly rotated clockwise.

There was no ether reaction of forgiveness. It was a natural result since I had refused to be lenient.

[If your wife does not forgive you, accept that too.]

I drove the point home.

I couldn't know the details of their relationship, but if he couldn't be forgiven even after begging, it meant he had severely eroded her trust.

"I... I will follow your orders..."

The man replied in a barely audible voice and left the confessional.

I sighed, using the dragging footsteps as background noise.

"Really, what a..."

At first, I felt a little guilty.

I wondered if it was right for me, who didn't believe in or even properly understand the 'Church of the Lord,' to act as a priest just because I had ether.

No matter how much I justified it as a means to survive, and no matter how much I told myself these were fictional characters, it didn't feel right to deceive people who were vividly alive before me.

Especially when it came to 'religion.'

But then, just now, that guy, and earlier, someone who had borrowed money and asked for ten years to pay it back—was that really such a big sin?

I really seemed to have an excess of conscience.

In the old days, I would have gotten at least two refrigerators.

-Clunk!

"Ah!"

I turned my head in surprise.

The sound came from the adjacent booth, clearly different from the noise of the confessional door opening.

"Who's there?"

I opened the sanctuary as I asked, for protection rather than confession.

Perhaps because of my previous encounter with the twin assassins, my body reacted faster than usual.

"Ugh..."

A human voice, the sound of fabric rustling.

"Are you a penitent?"

I pressed my nose against the tightly slatted wooden window and peered across.

The view was a bit cramped, but I could see much more clearly than from a distance.

...It's a child?

"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

I asked cautiously.

A small child, head bowed deeply, was barely sitting on the penitent's chair.

His jet-black hair was trembling, clearly not in a normal state.

I couldn't tell how he had entered, as I hadn't heard any footsteps or door sounds.

"Where are your parents...?"

At that moment, the child suddenly lifted his head.

His bright orange eyes, like the sun, stared straight into mine.

"...What are you doing here?"

The boy scowled and asked. I was taken aback, my mouth agape.