Chapter 20
"Once Lady Rohanson finishes her prayers, guide her to the knight division reception room. Uriel is with her."
On the way, she also instructed a knight to bring Lady Evangeline to the knight division reception room.
Perhaps because the Pharos Knight Division belonged to the temple, a separate building had been constructed right near the Grand Temple. She thought it would be splendid, though not comparable to the Grand Temple's grandeur, but surprisingly the building was rather modest.
"Ah. It's over there."
As they approached the knight division office, Hen a imagined the worst situation that might unfold.
Gabriel might have been pleased that a clue about the incident had emerged, but Hen a became increasingly anxious instead. At the time, Hen a and Kanna had witnessed Donau's death, but now another witness had appeared? The painting was the problem, so a witness from the noble's side? Or was a witness even necessary?
And someone from the monastery at that. Hen a grew anxious, unable to understand what exactly the witness Gabriel mentioned had seen.
'Surely she didn't see the lady killing Donau. The door was wide open back then, so she must have heard the commotion and...'
And as if a death sentence were being pronounced, the office door opened.
Inside sat three knights including Raphaella whom they had just seen, and someone presumed to be the informant, dressed in monastic robes. And that person was so familiar that Hen a unconsciously spoke the name.
"Daisy?"
Daisy, rumored to have been discarded to the monastery after going blind, looked at Hen a with a noticeably gaunt appearance.
"Hen a. Why are you here?"
"I should be the one asking. They said you went blind...."
Rumors had circulated that Daisy had gone blind and been sent to a monastery. That was why Hen a didn't know how terrified she had been when she first entered the position as Daisy's successor. Hen a had half-suspected that Daisy was already dead and the lady had spread such rumors for cleanup.
But looking at her now, Daisy wasn't blind, nor did she appear seriously injured.
Then Daisy was the witness? Hen a's head felt like it would split from this completely unexpected situation. If it were someone else, she could have dismissed it as a misunderstanding. Daisy had been a close attendant serving the lady until just recently.
The people of the Rohanson household didn't speak easily, constrained by the money from the butler and the ever-present aura of Lady Evangeline. But what if the other party was Daisy, who had already resigned? From the dead lady's resurrection to everything, she would reveal it all.
That couldn't happen. What if the temple side, hearing the full account, tried to execute the lady? It wasn't worry about harm befalling the lady. The role of Evangeline Rohanson was currently keeping the lady in check, and she only feared what would happen after that became useless.
What should be done? She needed to silence Daisy.
"Did you quit working at the mansion?"
When Hen a shook her head, Daisy's face turned pale.
"Quit as soon as possible. Wait, just wait. That thing on your neck... Hen a, who is that?"
Daisy pointed at Kanna.
"My younger sister."
Neck? Daisy had been looking at Kanna's neck. A red line was drawn across Kanna's neck. Donau had made it in the past, but Kanna had refused treatment with holy water, so it had been left as it was.
Daisy covered her mouth as if nauseated at the sight of that neck.
"Your sister?"
At Daisy's question, Hen a nodded.
"Your sister... does she work at the mansion with you?"
"Yes."
As Hen a answered, Daisy's face grew increasingly pale. Her hand covering her mouth and her pupils trembled endlessly.
That line on the neck was clearly a trace of the demon Daisy had summoned. The demon had the twisted taste of cutting people's throats to kill them and then reattaching them. If not for that thin line on the neck, one couldn't tell if the person was dead.
The demon had asked to be guided to the Rohanson mansion, and Daisy had done exactly as asked. The demon apparently succeeded in entering the Rohanson mansion and harmed the people there.
She had somewhat expected that, but seeing the victim directly before her was a huge shock. Even more so because the victim turned out to be the blood relative of a former colleague.
"What have I, what have I done...."
As the shocked Daisy stumbled, a knight beside her hurried to support her, but Daisy sharply pushed the hand away. Then she looked at the knight she had pushed away as if terrified and stepped backward.
It seemed like those knights might suddenly turn and strike Daisy's throat at any moment. She had summoned a demon and even killed Priest Vera, so Daisy wasn't exactly innocent either.
"I, I should go now."
"What? What do you mean?"
Daisy had come to the temple to confirm the painting that Priest Vera had seen. She had confirmed an ominous summoning circle in the painting and decided to testify with the intention of disposing of it.
Of course, she hadn't intended to confess everything she had done, so the testimony was mixed with lies to make it plausible.
"Everything I just told you is all there is. Isn't that sufficient for testimony?"
When Gabriel looked back as if asking if that was correct, the knight nodded. Gabriel, having received the paper with Daisy's testimony neatly organized, glanced over the contents.
It stated that Priest Vera of the monastery had summoned a demon through that summoning circle. Various evil deeds Priest Vera committed while possessed by the demon were also written. It also mentioned that evidence would be found if his room was searched.
Turning to the next page, content about Evangeline Rohanson was written. From their conversation, it seemed she had originally worked at the Rohanson mansion, so this appeared to be eyewitness account from that time.
Gabriel, stealing a glance at Hen a and Kanna, quietly turned the paper over. Now she understood why Daisy was so anxious. Having met someone from the Rohanson mansion again, it was natural to be frightened.
"Your help was sufficient. I'll investigate the rest."
When Gabriel gave permission to leave, Daisy felt relieved. Priest Vera was already dead, so she felt no guilt about framing him. The evil deeds she testified were things Priest Vera had actually done, and in fact, he was the one who had drawn that summoning circle.
Daisy's purpose was solely to take down the ominous painting hanging in the temple, so this was enough to fulfill her role.
"Raphaella, escort her outside the temple."
Daisy realized that refusing even that would seem truly suspicious and quietly nodded.
Daisy brushed past Hen a and whispered very quietly. A whisper so secret that even Kanna beside Hen a couldn't hear.
"Hen a. That's not your sister."
She couldn't bring herself to explain the whole story. Knights were right beside them, and she was afraid of hearing resentment from Hen a for causing her sister's death. So that was the best Daisy could say.
Daisy looked at Hen a's dead sister and the single sphere floating beside her. She never thought she'd see that outside the mansion again... The only relief was that she didn't feel as terrified as before.
Perhaps because they were inside the Grand Temple, it didn't seem to be using its full power. Fortunately, from what Daisy had experienced, those eyes couldn't hear sounds. They wouldn't have heard what she just said to Hen a either.
Afraid of making eye contact, Daisy hurried out of the reception room.
Watching Daisy's retreating form as she left with the knight's escort, Hen a quietly gripped her sister's hand tightly.
"Sister. What did that person just say?"
"It's nothing."
Whatever Daisy said, Kanna was Hen a's one and only sister. Even when looking at the dead Donau with ecstasy, even when calling that monster-like painting beautiful, no matter how broken Kanna was or what thoughts she had, she was still Hen a's beloved sister. Right. Surely?
***
"Did your prayers go well?"
Yes. I had an absolutely wonderful nap. But I couldn't exactly tell a holy knight that I had slept soundly during prayer time, so I just nodded awkwardly.
The prayer room Uriel guided me to was a private room that nobles often used, and perhaps because the main clientele were wealthy, the interior was incredibly lavish. I thought it would look like some solitary cell, but it was nothing like that. It was cozy and nice.
Sunlight poured in through large windows, and organ music could be heard from somewhere, so I closed my eyes pretending to pray, and at some point I grew drowsy and fell asleep.
I didn't see God in my dream either. As a transmigrator, having a conversation with God would be quite the special benefit. They even added the language patch late and the transmigration point was delayed too, so there's no way they'd give me such special treatment. I must have been running too many happy circuits.
"Did you wait long?"
"Not at all. There are believers who pray for several hours."
I worried I might have slept too long, but fortunately it seemed not much time had passed. It would be nice if there were clocks in the temple, but of course there were no clocks in the prayer room either. Not having a mobile phone is inconvenient like this. I should carry around a pocket watch or something.
"Ah, the Commander is waiting at the knight division. Your companions who came with you are there as well. I'll guide you there."
Hen a and Kanna must have already finished looking at the painting. They didn't return to the mansion first and waited for me? Is this friendship...? My heart grows warm. I slapped the dozing Jelly awake. Come to think of it, this one also waited with me, so why is it so annoying?
Since I came to the temple, I used the gold coins I brought to shop for holy water too. Might as well stock up on holy water while I'm here. Fortunately, I had grabbed gold coins indiscriminately, so I had money left even after buying ten bottles of holy water.
"That's impressive, my lady. Even if I poured my entire salary for several years, I couldn't buy that amount."
Beside me, Uriel made flattering remarks as if ready to clap her hands like a shop clerk. Is she perhaps not a knight but some holy water saleswoman?
When I had Jelly carry the holy water, Jelly shook its head in disgust.
"You're telling me to carry this...?"