Chapter 4: Confusion
The first to discover the rose-covered temple were the children of the orphanage, who often came to visit.”
“Wow! Sylphia-sama, what is this? There are so many flowers!”
“There are so many flowers!”
“Fufu, I wonder. Maybe its blessing from the spirits~”
“Sylphia-sama, you always say that. I wonder if I can do it too if I pray.”
“I want to do it!”
“Yes, you can.”
Sylphia laughed at the children whose eyes lit up.
(I understand. I know. They’re right.)
The spirits also said. Prayer has no form. This power is the result of Sylphia’s sincerity in communicating with them. Then these children can communicate with the spirits.
(Valtis-sama and Titia-sama said they did not know Marianne-sama, but there must be some mistake. If Marianne-sama prays with all her heart, her feelings will be conveyed.)
When Marianne-sama prays with all her heart, her thoughts will be transmitted. Sylphia was convinced that was the case and a sigh of relief escapes her.
Sylphia folds the roses one by one and gives them to the children.
“Take good care of this rose and thank the spirits and pray.”
“Okay!”
“Thank you, Sylphia-sama!”
Sylphia smiled as she saw the children holding the roses with joy.
The children must have spread the story, because that day the number of visitors to the temple increased, and Sylphia gave out roses to everyone. The roses did not run out even after the distribution until nightfall, and everyone was pleased with the miracle of the spirit.
(The spirits became familiar to everyone.)
Although the sheer power of the spirits was a bit overwhelming, Valtis and Titia were right: Sylphia should just go on with her life as before. She should be thankful to the spirits, be grateful for their blessings, and pray for them every day.
As she passed these things on to the people, the relationship between human beings and spirits would become better.
That’s what she thought.
***
“Hey, what’s this?!”
“?!”
Sylphia turns around when she hears a frantic voice.
At the entrance to the temple, where the darkness of the night lingered, Marianne was screaming.
Her reddish face shows her fury, and Sylphia reflexively backs away.
Perhaps not pleased with Sylphia’s stance, Marianne walked up to her and pulled Sylphia’s hair as hard as she could.
“It hurts! Marianne-sama…!”
“What the hell is this?! There’s a rumor in the capital that you’re the Saint! Tell me, who helped you! You couldn’t have done this on your own!”
Marianne’s flashing eyes and the expression on her face as she screamed caused great fear in Sylphia.
“T-This is… The blessing of the spirits, yes! Marianne-sama, even Marianne-sama, if you pray to the spirits—”
“You’re still saying that…!”
The words of the desperate attempts to explain only made Marilianne even more agitated.
Marianne’s hand struck Sylphia on the cheek, her beautifully coiffed hair disorder and her eyes bloodshot, and she mounted Sylphia, who was lying on the floor.
“To go against me means to go against Antonio-sama. Execution for false saints, didn’t I tell you that?!”
Sylphia screamed as the long nails dug into her thin neck.
“Please don’t!”
She stretched out her arms as if struggling.
A moment later, a whirlwind swept through the temple, shaking the rose leaves. The weight that should have covered it was gone, along with the sound of the leaves rustling against each other.
|Ugh…”
“Marianne-sama!”
Marianne is blown from the center of the room to the blue patterned wall.
Marianne looked at Sylphia, who rushed to her.
“Thank God you’re not hurt…”
“You pushed me, didn’t you?!”
“No, I didn’t! It was the wind…”
“How can people fly in the wind?! You did it!”
Sylphia realized that no matter how she tried to explain, she could not reach Marianne. Instead, the more she tried to talk, the angrier Marianne became, and then—
A shiver runs down her spine.
Sylphia took a small breath as she looked up at the blue-patterned wall behind Marianne as she stood up.
That gust of wind was made from Sylphia’s wish.
It was a mistake to think that life would go on as usual. The power of the spirit is too strong for Sylphia to control anymore.
(If things go on like this, I will hurt Marianne-sama.
That’s the last thing she wanted to do. It’s not right to hurt people in the name of a spirit.
“It’s too late to be so pathetic now!”
Marianne, apparently mistaken for her pale expression, kicks Sylphia, who hangs her head, and leaves the temple shouting.
“Let me show you what happens when you disobey the Saint. You will be executed!
She leaves behind such an ultimatum.
