“The Empress Dowager requested the baptism, so we will hold it regardless of whether the manifestation is divine power or magic.”
“Do you think the marquis believes the princess will receive divine power?”
“Well… only Lord Eljer would know that.”
At Eliana’s question, Rube glanced briefly at Eljer in the mural and answered.
Eliana followed his gaze and looked at the painting as well.
The image of the graceful-faced deity holding a great hourglass in one arm was awe-inspiring.
The hourglass seemed to contain the whole cosmos — a fitting symbol for a god who presided over time and space.
While Eliana stared blankly at the mural, Rube asked, “Then, Eliana, what kind of power do you think the princess will receive?”
“That would sound blasphemous, but if I knew that, I’d be Lord Eljer, wouldn’t I?” Eliana replied with a teasing laugh.
Rube snorted at the slightly curt answer.
“You have changed a great deal from before.”
“Yes?”
Perhaps the topic had run its course, for he brought up something unrelated to the ceremony.
Eliana smiled awkwardly; she did not know what he meant.
Seeing that, Rube wore a slightly rueful expression and said, “You said you do not remember at all.”
“No….”
Eliana answered briefly in an unsure voice.
Rube’s face brightened as if to say he was glad to see her like that.
“Even if you do not remember, that is all right with me. We have met again.”
“Yes?”
“So do not apologize for not remembering.”
His tone was kind. Even in a situation that might warrant feeling slighted, he seemed accustomed to showing consideration.
Eliana felt oddly burdened by his excessive kindness.
Of course, it was not always that she distrusted others’ kindness from the start.
She had once been able to accept another’s goodwill with genuine gratitude.
That had changed after meeting Suhyuk.
‘If I had not met him, I might not have started suspecting like this,’ she thought, and forced a bitter smile.
She felt sickened by the dark feelings within herself.
“You may not recall, but it was I who was helped,” he said.
“Really? It’s odd to hear that — helping others is not exactly my nature, especially in the past.”
Eliana brushed the heavy thoughts away and, thinking of the Eliana in the original story, grinned.
The Eliana of the novel had been selfish to the core, and she had no intention of hiding that.
Rube laughed aloud at her self-derision.
When the explanation about the ceremony ended, he asked gently, “Since you are here, would you like to look around the temple?”
“Oh, I was going to ask that myself,” Eliana said, delighted by Rube’s suggestion.
Rube’s mouth curved in a faint smile as he watched Eliana’s lively face.