Chapter 6: Goodbye, and Good Riddance |
“You say, a saint candidate?”
The priests stumbled at the direct question of Deheen. It was because it was prohibited to take away the candidates from the temple. It was to prevent children with divine power from working outside the temple.
“Well, a saint candidate is a valuable resource in our temple. In principle, absolutely not.”
Having said so far, the priests exchanged glances.
“But it depends on the candidate.”
The priest pulled out a book with the list of candidates for the saints from the third column of the bookshelf and opened it so that it could be seen on the desk.
“If she’s a low-level candidate, it’s possible. Do you have any particular child you’ve looked at?”
Among the saint candidates, classes were divided according to their status. If any of them were low-ranking candidates from orphans or commoners, breaking the rules was not difficult at all.
“Daina.”
‘Why do you like this kid…’
If she was a candidate like this, it was not worrisome to give her to Deheen. Even if she disappears, no one will look for her.
However, the priest faltered in fear that Deheen might find fault later.
“Are you sure you want to take this candidate?”
“She has the least divine power. I can recommend a more useful candidate if you want?”
Deheen’s eyes sank at the words of the priests who ignored Daina. He could see how Daina was treated in the temple.
Daina’s eyes which seemed empty, came into his mind and broke his heart.
“You must want your tongue to be cut off.”
At Deheen’s angry voice, the priests gulped. Even though they thought he couldn’t do anything like that inside the temple, their backs became cool, so they hurriedly put their tongues in and shut their mouths.
‘That’s true.’
But Ben, who knew Deheen well, screamed inside. Deheen might really cut off the tongue of the new priests, so quickly stepped forward.
“No. We will take that child.”
Ben cut off his words firmly and took a million erin bill and handed it over to the priests.
A large sum of money that was enough to cover half a year’s living expenses for the common noble. The priest’s eyes were wide open when they saw it. They gulped down and quickly tore the paper with Daina’s name on it from the book.
“Please make sure her name is erased.”
“There will be no difference.”
There was nothing to wait for. Daina’s name was completely removed from the temple’s list. There was no need to report to the upper level.
Even if one of the junior orphan candidates disappears, no one would care about it.
“What is all this nonsense?”
After Deheen and Ben left the office, the priests were delighted to sell useless junior candidate at a high price.
If you keep staying in the temple, you can’t throw away your food. It was a profitable business because she was sold at hundreds of times the price they bought.
“You’re not going to donate all the money, are you?”
“Are you crazy? It’s just between us. Let’s split the half between us.”
“Shall we go to a bar tonight?”
“Good-!”
They didn’t even dream that they had sold off the future saint with their own hands. Even the repercussions their actions will bring later.
★★★
“Is that it?”
Daina stared at the baggage after she had cleaned up. Before she left, she searched every nook and cranny for the last time, but all she had to keep was her diary.
She’s going to leave her usual training suit behind. Other than that, pajamas, blankets, and writing equipment that were worn out and had to be discarded were all.
After clearing up, Daina sat on the mattress that was plummeted down. Then she slowly looked around the room.
She felt strange because she thought she could never leave this place, even though she has no regrets.
Two days ago, a man from Deheen came. He disappeared with a promise to pick up Daina tomorrow.
“Can I really leave?”
Daina moved in an unexpected voice.
In the meantime, she prayed countless times to let her leave the temple. However, it never happened, and she was always locked up in the temple and had to face the same end. But she couldn’t believe that she could leave the temple so easily.
The whims of aristocrats did not last a day or two. Just as Deheen said he would adopt her as his daughter, she was worried that he might change his mind.
Even if she really went to the grand duchy, there were already his twin sons. Well, it was obvious that the children in the grand ducal family would have grown up without deficiencies.
This was what all the aristocrats Daina had dealt with so far were like. With a high nose and pride, everyone of those aristocrats ignored and trampled on her.
She didn’t know she wouldn’t be treated like a human being, even though she was an orphan.
“I don’t care.”
She’s going to look for a way to die anyway, so she just has to hang in there until then.
Thinking about this, Daina went into the corner of the room and crouched down. The time she was tied was too long that she couldn’t sleep when she was lying upright. It was only stable when she held her knee and leaned against the wall.
“Sleep.”
She had to sleep long enough to get away. But she couldn’t sleep at all. She couldn’t even remember when she slept comfortably.
When she fell asleep after her regression, Daina’s dream was about the prison of spires where she had always been locked up in. The memory of suffering there came back vividly. So, it was painful for Daina to fall asleep.
‘Will I be able to sleep comfortably if she gets out of here?”
It was fortunate that she could go out of the temple tomorrow. Daina curled up and put the blanket over her head.
She just hoped there would be no more next day.
★★★
Early the next morning.
Daina arranged the bed and sat still. She couldn’t sleep well because she was turning all night, so there were bags under her eyes.
But she felt at ease.
After all the preparations, a priest came to Daina’s room to pick her up.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
The priest led her without asking if all the formalities had already been completed. Daina set along the temple with a bag she had packed in advance.
It was too early to be active, so the way out was quiet. The priest spoke calmly to Daina, who walked silently.
“You have to follow whatever His Grace asks you to do. No matter what happens, you can’t come back here again. Forget everything that happened in the temple.”
“What if the Grand Duke abandons me?”
“Well, then you’ll have to live on your own. Remember, you’re no longer part of the temple.”
Daina swallowed a laugh that was about to burst out. She felt pathetic that she once considered such a place precious.
‘Would I have been treated like this if I wasn’t an orphan?’
She was about to get at the words of the new priest who treated her as a mere object.
“Yes.”
However, she has long given up hope at the temple which was like a gutter. Daina calmed her anger, thinking that even the feeling of anger was a waste.
She hasn’t had any conversations after that. She walked silently following the priest.
At the end of the road, she saw a familiar figure. Daina’s eyes got bigger when she realized it was Rabienne.
‘Why……?’
Rabienne seemed quite surprised. She looked suspicious when she saw Daina, who was going out with the new priest in the early hours.
“Rabienne, you must be going somewhere early in the morning.”
“Yes, I’m on my way to pray for the saint.”
“I’m sure that’s why the saint placed you next to her.”
Rabienne replied with a smile at the priest’s words. And she turned her back right away.
“And where are you going? You’re taking Daina with you?”
“Well… Actually, this child is leaving the temple today.”
The priest tried to deal with it quietly, but he had no choice but to tell the truth when he met Rabienne.
“What? Where is she going?”
“Grand Duke Tersia. He said he would take her.”
Rabienne’s eyes widened.
“Grand Duke Deheen?”
She looked puzzled. Well, it’s obvious that Daina and the grand duke have nothing to do with each other. Then, Rabienne’s expression turned sour.
“Why? Did you originally have a close relationship?”
“No.”
“Then what’s the point of the Tersia family taking a kid like you?”
Rabienne’s agitated voice was clear. She seemed to have forgotten for a moment that she had to be pretentious. A bitter smile was made near Daina’s mouth looking at the scene.
“I know. Why take a kid like me?”
“It’s a bitter experience. You’re an orphan and don’t have much divine power, so taking you somewhere……”
Rabienne’s red eyes narrowed. It was a rare moment in which Daina could see the true feelings of Rabienne, who was wearing a mask all the time.
Daina looked at Rabienne with a look of yes.
“Oh, Daina. What I just said was a mistake.”
Rabienne quickly fixed her expression after she felt the atmosphere was getting cold.
“I’m so sad that you’re leaving. We were pretty close, right?”
In an instant, tears clung to Rabienne’s lashes, and she looked as pretty as a doll.
“Is that?”
Daina was watching Rabienne’s pretentiousness. She thought it was useless to forget about revenge, but she wanted to pay her back the pain she suffered right away.
Daina herself was surprised that such feelings remained.
“Surely, Rabienne will be the next saint.”
“Huh? Thank you.”
Suddenly, Rabienne, who was cheered, blinked her eyes in bewilderment. However, she smiled brightly.
“I’m going to be a saint.”
Daina grabbed Rabienne’s hands. It was the posture that the people of the temple took when they gave out blessings.
“I’ll give you my blessings before I leave.”
“Why?”
Rabienne, who was held by hand, was displeased and jutted out her lips.
How dare a cheap orphan hold her hand!
However, it would do no good to her reputation to resist the blessing, so she kept smiling. After glancing at Rabienne, Daina closed her eyes and focused her mind on the hand.
She, of course, did not intend to share any blessings with Rabienne. Instead, she cursed her with all her heart.
‘Even if I die, you will never be the saint that you wanted so much.’
At this moment, a ray of desire was put in Daina’s mind. She wants revenge. All this while, she only hoped that her dark, narrow prison life would end.
But now, she thought she wanted to see the despair in Rabienne’s big face. If she could see Rabienne crying in despair, who firmly believed that she would be the saint…
Daina thought it would be okay for her not to die, but to find a way to somehow live and get revenge. As long as Daina was alive, Rabienne could never be the saint.
“…..It’s done.”
Daina bowed her head and walked alongside the new priest again. Rabienne glanced at Daina, gradually moving away.
“I think the atmosphere is a bit different today.”
She looked up to herself as always. As if she knew everything, her eyes were unpleasant and annoyed.
“Well, what does it matter if we don’t see each other again?”
She thought that for a moment. Rabienne couldn’t bear that her hands were dirtied by Daina so she wiped them off on her clothes.
“You’re an orphan and stupid, so it was good to use you.”
Rabienne turned around and erased all her memories about Daina. Daina was more insignificant to her than the stones on the side of the road.