Chapter 62: Baptism Ceremony (5)
As they conversed, the music gradually softened.
The atmosphere grew more harmonious, and their parents ascended to the lobby on the floor above.
It appeared they thoughtfully provided the young attendees with the space to enjoy the ceremony without feeling scrutinized by their elders.
However, before departing, their parents admonished them one more time.
Do not dare to be rude to the Saint. I trust you will behave appropriately, my son.
Father, you need not worry excessively.
It resembled a school play, with small pockets of worry arising here and there.
Soon, only the younger generation occupied the grand lobby on the first floor.
Even though it was merely one floor up, the second-floor lobby felt like an entirely different building. It wasnt that the second-floor lobby was small, but the first-floor lobby was genuinely immense.
Their architectural skills fell short of accurately replicating the massive structure on the second floor.
Once the young people were alone in the central hall, the music transitioned to something more lively.
This prompted the young men to invite the observing ladies to dance.
Pairs formed, either dancing in the central hall or conversing on the terrace.
Then, an announcement resounded from outside.
Lord Zik of the Duke of Trays household has arrived!
All attendees of the banquet were nobles, so it was impractical to announce everyones arrival. Even those with significant power werent announced by butlers when they arrived at the banquet.
The fact that a butler announced his arrival indicated that he was an extraordinarily influential noble.
The lobby doors swung open, and a handsome young man entered.
With his deep purple hair flowing, he scanned the assembled crowd.
As his icy gaze met theirs, people hastily averted their eyes as if a tiger had entered a den of rabbits.
Among them, Beris stepped forward, his voice slightly strained.
Lord Zik. I did not anticipate someone from the Tray family attending our banquet.
There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
He had never attended a banquet before.
Beris clenched his teeth.
Even the Dukes power seemed to be an exception for him.
Why did he, who had never appeared before, suddenly decide to attend?
He hadnt even shown his face during the Saints baptism ceremony.
Zik glanced at Beris.
I didnt come here just to see your face.
He then looked around as if he was searching for someone.
The blonde girl, Celes, smiled at him.
Who are you looking for?
Has the Saint not arrived yet?
Oh, Lord Zik, you havent seen the Saint either.
At her words, he shook his head.
It seemed that the person he was looking for was not here. He felt no need to stay any longer.
Without a word, Zik turned around and left the lobby.
Are you leaving already?
Beris asked, watching him leave so soon after arriving.
But there was no response.
Tap-tap-
As Zik disappeared from the lobby, Beriss face crumpled slightly.
His pride was hurt because Zik had left without responding to him.
Greyan, who had noticed Zik, spoke up.
He must have had some urgent business to attend to, leaving in such a hurry.
Even if it was forced, Beriss face lightened with a smile at his words.
Hahaha I see.
He laughed awkwardly and sipped his drink. Ceres internally scoffed at him.
Acting like a king but cant even speak properly to the Trei family.
It was pathetic. Men should have bravado, should they not?
Of course, there was a fine line between courage and recklessness.
Just as they began to converse again, a sound announcing someones arrival echoed from outside the lobby.
Beris felt a slight annoyance but did not show it.
When everyones gaze was focused on the lobby doors, the butlers loud voice resonated.
The Saint has arrived!
A new Saint has appeared
It seems our plan might face some obstacles.
Voices echoed from a gloomy place.
The hoarse voice was enough to make a child burst into tears if they heard it.
Kukukuk. We couldnt let a single Saint ruin our grand plan. By the way how strong was the Holy Kingdom?
A younger voice responded.
Our forces alone were insufficient. Plus, if other empires or kingdoms got involved, there was no chance.
Ho So the Holy Kingdom was that strong? I thought our forces would be enough to suppress them.
Kukukuk. It seemed they had sensed something and were well-prepared. The oldies of the Holy Kingdom were quite something.
It was premature to devour the Holy Kingdom. We had to wait for the right moment.
An old voice spoke.
I wanted to walk proudly under the bright sunlight rather than hiding in this dark and damp place
Although indirect, he seemed to desire an immediate war.
A middle-aged voice restrained him.
That went for everyone here. But our opponent was the Holy Kingdom. We had to be more cautious.
A raspy voice agreed.
Thats right. Kukukuk. I also thought we had to wait.
In that case, I too would wait. But
He paused before continuing.
We had to completely cut off the Holy Kingdom.
Euclid glanced at the decorative swords hanging on the wall while guiding Ray. He was momentarily lost in old memories.
A seven-year-old girl was gasping for breath.
You are a Bellacroix! How could you not manage this?
Im, Im sorry
She hastily picked up the fallen sword.
Blood mixed with pus dripped from her hand holding the sword.
Her fingers were already split open, and there was no strength in her grip.
Yet, her father kept making her swing the sword.
Clang - Clack -
After clashing swords with her father a few more times, her weakened hand could no longer hold the sword.
She inevitably dropped it again.
As she looked up at her father with trembling hands, he grabbed her shoulders and shouted.
Why! Why couldnt you swing the sword! Could you call yourself a Bellacroix with that?
Im sorry! Im sorry!
She apologized, wiped away her tears without a moment to spare, and picked up the dropped sword from the ground.
More than scolding, she feared disappointing him.
And so, they clashed swords once more.
Thud- Thud-
Although she managed to hold on longer than the first time, eventually she lost her grip on the sword.
Originally, her hand was as limp as a rag, so holding onto the sword was already an achievement.
But then, she managed to clash swords, so there was no way her hand could withstand it any longer.
How can you, who should be serving the Saint, be so weak! Pick up the sword immediately!
Sob sob.
Once again, she picked up the sword. Her hand was so swollen it felt like it was going to burst. The sword had already lost its original color.
The sword handle was stained red with her blood.
Since the Saintess already existed, there was no need to serve a Saint. There had never been two Saints at the same time in history.
Why did she have to suffer so much to serve a Saint that didnt even exist?
Still, she didnt dare ask that question.
A scream welled up in her throat, but she gritted her teeth and swallowed it.
The moment she uttered that question, everything felt like it was going to crumble.
One day, her father casually said as he passed by the hallway with a view of the garden,
You have good manners.
He walked past her without making eye contact, but that one phrase felt like it could sustain her for ten years.
And so, thirteen years passed.
She received news.
A revelation of the new Saint, selected by God.
This had nothing to do with her at all.
Everything she had learned and mastered up until then was meaningless. The Bellacroix family served the Saint, and without that figurehead, everything they learned was useless.
Her family, one of the families that served the Saint, was bustling with activity.
Now that their master had appeared, it was natural for them to prepare accordingly.
This was no different for Euclid.
She had decided to enter the mansion where the Saint resided as a servant.
At first, everyone, including her father, was against it, but for some unknown reason, they started to support her decision.
Once the Bellacroix family offered their support, the process of her becoming a servant progressed smoothly.
Since she had learned various manners, rules, and behaviors to serve the Saint from a young age, there was no need for her to learn them again from the housekeeper.
However, if anyone asked her if she liked the Saint, the answer would have been no.
In fact, it would have been more accurate to say she harbored hatred.
The Saint hadnt done anything to her, but the thought of undergoing such harsh training for the Saint brought out these negative feelings.
Still, he was their master. She dared not express her hatred.
She couldnt like him either.
And so, the Saint came to the Holy Kingdom, and she met the Saint for the first time.
The moment she saw him, there seemed to be an odd current flowing between them.
She dismissed it as her imagination. When the Saint was asleep, she tried to confirm that feeling in his bedroom, but for some reason, her hand reached towards his hair.
In the end, she didnt touch him, but she couldnt understand why she had wanted to do that in the first place.
Ray paused mid-walk, looked at the decorative sword hanging on the wall, and tapped her shoulder.
Whats wrong? Is there a problem with the sword?
She snapped out of her daydream.
She quietly looked at Ray and bowed her head.
I apologize for my unsightly behavior. I will continue with the tour.
Its just looking at a sword, theres nothing unsightly about that.
At a glance, he seemed uncultured, but she knew it was his way of saying it was okay.
She walked ahead and led Ray to the entrance of the massive hall.
She spoke to the butler guarding the front of the lobby, and the butler was surprised and quickly bowed.
It is the honor of a lifetime to meet the Saint!
Ray smiled in response to his earnest greeting.
The butler cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and then shouted loud enough to fill the hall.
Everyone, please pay attention!
His voice resonated from the entrance of the lobby, causing all eyes in the hall to turn towards the entrance.
Given that the young nobility had all gathered, there was an incredible number of people.
It seemed like there were at least two hundred people.
The Saint is entering!
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