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CHAPTER 08
“This won’t do. Please leave.”
“But my lady came all this way with great difficulty…”
“This is not just any temple. This is the Grand Temple of Saint Fidelio. You cannot simply show up unannounced and ask to see the Archbishop.”
The burly Holy Knight guarding the entrance shook his head firmly.
He’s out.
Watching the coachman argue with the knight through the carriage window, Adele finally stepped out.
Lifting her skirt slightly, she stepped gracefully onto the white marble floor of the temple, her movements delicate and saint-like.
“…Oh my, we seem to have been terribly rude.”
“Ahem, you must make an appointment in advance. I’m sure it wasn’t easy coming all this way, but rules are rules…”
Still dazed by her presence, the Holy Knight cleared his throat and began rattling off regulations. Though his voice had softened, he was still a Holy Knight—he couldn’t just open the temple’s doors for a pretty face.
Not that Adele had expected him to.
“What’s going on here? No one said we were expecting visitors—why…”
“Ah, Vice Bishop Samuel.”
The knight flinched and quickly stepped aside, looking over Adele’s shoulder.
So that’s the Vice Bishop.
Adele turned toward him, her heart fluttering.
Sure, the knight was handsome, but when it came to priests… she preferred the quiet, refined charm of someone like Kang Dong-won from the movies.
“And who might this young lady be?”
“Ah…”
…Nope. Not even close. Movies were just movies, after all.
Taking in the tired face of the middle-aged man before her—understandable for someone in such a high position—Adele forced a polite smile.
‘He’s definitely a Vice Bishop. Perfectly fits the title.’
What was I expecting, seriously?
As she grew somber, the Holy Knight awkwardly spoke up again.
“This lady here insists on meeting the Archbishop.”
“…The Archbishop?”
The Vice Bishop frowned, his expression no less intimidating.
He didn’t even bother to look her in the eye.
His face above his silver-gray robe was filled with severity and strictness—enough to make most people shrink—but Adele didn’t mind it at all.
People who were clear and firm, rather than vague and accommodating, were the best type of business partners.
“It seems you’ve traveled quite a distance, but this is quite problematic. Showing up to see the Archbishop without an appointment is inappropriate.”
“…So it seems.”
“Saint Fidelio is not the place you think it is. We live in discipline and restraint, according to the teachings of the holy god Enes—”
“—Of course, and also a place where one learns human virtue, love, and grace.”
“…Which noble house are you from?”
As Adele gently continued his words, the Vice Bishop’s expression shifted. His once-scolding gaze now settled properly on her.
Black hair, delicate and well-defined features, reddish-pink eyes… Could it be?
His expression grew curious. As if he recognized her, Adele bowed politely.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Vice Bishop. I’m Adelaide of House Sergio.”
“…Lady Adelaide of House Sergio? At this hour?”
“I’m not here as a member of House Sergio. I’m here as the heir to the Yuden Merchant Guild.”
Adele gave a pleasant smile as she slowly looked around the grand temple entrance.
Her calm, composed demeanor—coupled with her striking resemblance to the famously beautiful House Sergio—only added to the Vice Bishop’s growing confusion.
‘This… doesn’t bode well.’
He didn’t have the gift of foresight, but after spending more than half his life as a clergyman, his instincts were sharp enough.
I need to send her away.
As he tried to clear his throat and regain control, Adele suddenly turned around.
“This place is truly beautiful. Staying somewhere like this would surely clear one’s mind.”
“…Thank you for the kind words, but as I said, there are strict procedures for staying at the temple. There are no exceptions. As a noble lady, I trust you understand.”
“Of course. Our merchant guild has similar rules. We don’t offer anything for free to strangers, no matter the circumstances.”
“…”
“Except, of course, to the priests of Saint Fidelio.”
Smiling shyly, Adele picked up the top parchment from the stack of papers she had brought and handed it to the Vice Bishop.
It was a list of guests who had stayed in family-owned hotels across the South.
“To provide the best service, we don’t accept any guests without reservations. However, for the priests of Saint Fidelio, our doors were always open.”
And wide open at that.
Adele spread her arms generously.
“About that…”
“As you can see, the number wasn’t small. So yes, we did suffer some financial losses. But we couldn’t possibly turn away those spreading the sacred word of the god across the empire just because of rules.”
“…We… We are truly grateful for your generosity.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was simply following the teachings of Enes—to help one another, love, and treat guests from afar as family.”
Placing a hand over her heart, Adele bowed respectfully.
What, were you just going to pretend like all those free stays never happened?
Even the cheapest room cost 200–300 rubles a night, yet priests had stayed there for free.
When her older sister complained, their father—the Count of Sergio—said this:
“The more seeds you sow, the more you harvest.”
He really was a few steps ahead of her when it came to business.
There was time for admiration later. For now, Adele focused on the uncomfortable Vice Bishop.
“I don’t intend to stay long. I’ll return as soon as I speak with the Archbishop.”
“…Lady Adelaide.”
“By the way, that fabric you’re wearing looks like the one our guild launched last year. It suits you very well. It’s a great honor for a servant of Enes to wear it.”
“Ahem.”
Suddenly reminded of all the favors and debts, the Vice Bishop, now panicking, looked down at his robes.
He’d only put it on because it was in season…
Even as he staggered to support himself on a marble pillar near the entrance, Adele continued her praise.
“Oh! That pillar—we donated it for the feast day two years ago.”
“…”
“And that sculpture over there, too.”
As the Vice Bishop turned his head, Adele followed his gaze to look up at the grand sculpture.
I even picked that color of stone.
As she stood there, serene like a painting, the Vice Bishop sighed deeply—as if in resignation.
“…The Archbishop isn’t here right now, so even if you went in, you wouldn’t be able to meet him. If you return home, we’ll relay your message.”
“The inscription beneath the statue—we commissioned a national master artisan to carve it.”
Standing calmly beside the now retreat-ready Vice Bishop, she looked up at the inscription.
“We melted down 100 kilograms of gold to finish it in time for the feast day. The goldsmith guild was practically shut down for days. But that didn’t matter—what mattered was how deeply those words moved me.”
Adele clasped her hands.
Her crimson lips recited the sacred words, glowing even in the darkness.
“See with your own eyes. Then, you will find the answer.”
