Caelum and I waited in front of the tall, round oak doors within the corridor of the church. Two Knights were already stationed outside the doors, while Caelum had asked a sister who accompanied the saintess to confirm my invitation, which was never made.
Now we were waiting outside the closed doors for the sister to return.
The atmosphere was…
'Stop looking at me like that, you all, I'm not interested in men,' I thought.
"Must be boring, standing all day in the same place, doing nothing," I said, looking at the Knights at the door.
"Are you guys friends? You stand together all day, what do you usually talk about?" And I followed another question.
"There's no joy greater than being a Knight protecting our holiness, My Lord." One of them replied. The right one.
They were wearing their Knight armours, unlike Caelum, who was in formal clothing.
Their armour was light but sturdy. Silver cloak made of chains. A long, broad sword with a golden hilt. And an emblem of Luna's flute was etched in gold at the centre of their silver armour beneath the cloak.
'Well, that's boring…' I thought.
I looked at Caelum, who was looking at me like I was some kind of psychopath. I've seen the same look on Orochi.
"Aren't you a high-ranking Knight too? Why don't you wear armour like them?" I asked.
"A high-ranking Knight must be seen as more than a warrior; he must be the mind behind the blade." He replied.
"Are you insulting your fellow Knights, Ser Caelum? Do you mean they lack the mind behind those blades?" I asked.
"No- That's not what I meant, My Lord-"
His words, however, were ignored when the oak gates opened with a silent hum.
The same sister walked out. Wearing a white sister robe, she had black hair and dark blue eyes.
"I apologise for making you wait here, your Highness. Our holiness is waiting for you." She said and bowed her head.
"Very well." I nodded and entered through the doors. Caelum didn't follow because only sisters are permitted through those doors, usually.
What I saw was a single path leading to a beautiful marbled sanctum. The floor itself had magic inscribed that I could see etched on the tiles. With every step, the golden structure of the magic circles would hum a soft melody.
Either side of the path was a courtyard with various kinds of flowers, such as tulips and wisteria.
A fountain of tri-headed Unicorn in the centre of each courtyard. Tri-headed Unicorns used to be the horses of Luna's carriage.
And the air here was just… 'Lovely,' I thought, taking in a deep breath.
'This is one heaven of an entrance… But I guess this much is expected from a saintess,' I thought, placing my hand on the doorknob of the marbled Sanctum.
I rotated the Knob and opened the door, only to meet a magnificent room.
No, room would be an understatement. This was a hall. The first thing I noticed was the enormous chandelier hanging on the ceiling, with candles all over it.
It was big enough to cover the entire ceiling.
'How do they even light those candles?... Oh, right, we've got magic in this world.' I thought.
I think even my castles wouldn't have that big chandelier. Not like I've visited one since my time here.
I kept walking forward towards the room at the end of the hall while observing the massive statues of Luna, circling the entire hall.
All of them held a furnace in their hands that lit this room brightly.
I nodded in amazement. I was impressed. This was way beyond my expectations. If I were to design such a hall, the data itself would be massive. The details are just amazing.
Arriving at the wooden door at the end of the corridor, I pushed it open. It had no Knob, but it still opened with a sound of faint click.
Another magic circle that only lets authorised personnel in.
What greeted me was a faint scent of incense, under another prayer statue of Luna.
'Aren't the ones outside enough?' I thought and looked at the minimal furniture, plain white walls without any decorations.
My eyes drifted to the bed where the Saintess sat. She looked back at me with her violet eyes and stood up.
"I see that you received my invitation well, Your Highness. I never expected you to accept it…" she said, clutching her gown and bowing to greet. It's my first time hearing her voice. It was…serene.
"Don't you get bored? What do you do most of the day?" I asked, walking alongside the wall, as I observed her furniture.
There was nothing. No skincare, no plushies, or a game to pass the time. This felt more like a cage.
"I've my sisters who keep me companied, I pray, and I read… a lot." She replied.
"Sounds peaceful…" I muttered as my steps paced towards her.
"Do you feel doubtful?" I asked. The question in itself was vague.
"Doubts over what? Your Highness?" She asked.
Now that I look at her closely, she is cute. Might be the most beautiful woman I've seen in my two lives.
I leaned in close, bending my back to meet her face up close. "I was thinking I'd annul our engagement, but I'll play along now…"
"What?" She took a step back with her eyes wide open.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to do that now… so about my question," I waved my hand and continued.
"Heir of Krells lost his faith in the goddess, and he couldn't be healed, because he didn't have faith-"
"Don't say that!" She cut off my words. She didn't shout, but was certainly not pleased by my words.
"Our Goddess Luna healed him. I witnessed it myself…" She mumbled, clutching her gown even more tightly. Her eyes were about to be soaked in tears.
"Alright," I kept walking, and she started taking steps back. 'Isn't this amusing?' I thought.
"Then what do you think happened to him? You clearly blessed him; he was healed by your blessing. I know you endured severe pain to heal him, too. What do you think was the problem then?" I asked as her back hit the wall.
'She's a timid one, ain't she? But women are unpredictable; I can't just trust their personalities. My girlfriend was timid too, I still remember the pain of being pegged though,' I thought.
"I-"
"You read a lot of books. I assume they're literature, history, and magazines of all kinds. What do you think is the most important thing in a book?" I asked her, slamming my palm on the wall behind her.
"Words. Obviously. You can write a single scenario in several different words. Words don't just convey what's going on; they can even mask the scenario." I continued, as she closed her eyes and nodded.
"Those people who've put you through trial, they know the weight of your words. And look at you… Already ready to take the fall. And that too for what? For healing someone?"
"Mask your words, Violet," I called her by the name, not Saintess.
"How? Ther-There's nothing to mask… It's the truth. He just lost the will to live," she said.
"See? You already know the answer. He lost the will to live!" I leaned in and whispered.
"Consent," I continued and mumbled, "Something which I'm clearly not taking into consideration at the moment."
At the same time, the doors of the room opened with a click. A sister with some files in her hands stared at us. And we stared back at her.
I looked down at Violet and then back at the door. Now this is awkward.
"Ah- I'm-I'm sorry, I was told his highness requested these to be delivered here," Shivering, she placed the files and left, closing the doors.
"Don't they knock on the doors usually?" I asked.
"You-" Violet put her hands on my chest and pushed me back.
"Why are you helping me?" She asked out loud.
"It's been three, THREE whole years, since engagement. And that was the only time I saw you. What do you want?"
'So, she's not totally timid after all…' I sighed and leaned back, placing my hands in my pockets.
I thought for a while and leaned on the desk where sister had placed the files.
"Why am I helping you? Hmm… It's because the situation you're in is somewhat related to me. But right now, it's just a hunch…I'm not sure." I replied.
"Because of you? How can any of this be related to you?" She asked, sitting on the bed, with her head hung low.
"It's just because of me. I could've saved him. I must've made a mistake. I just know," She continued.
"I get it, but now what's done is done. And you and I both know, if you go heal him again, it'd be like bringing the dead back to life. And that's not what a saintess can do. Unless you're some kind of holy necromancer," I added.
'Term sounds cool, they should've added this in the game.' I thought.
"So, focus on the present. Now, listen to what I say closely, and remember these words; you don't have to lie. You just have to mask your words." I spoke.
Even if I could feel something was wrong with the whole situation, the priority was to get her out safely. Because that's the only way to break the motive behind the case, if there is any.