novelraw Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Ch.8 Only a Single Tear Streamed from Her Eyes
Cecilia was in a good mood from the morning.
The soft, fluffy bed, the fresh and pleasant weather—everything brought joy to her heart.
Thus, after happily attending morning mass and finishing her meeting with the Pope, she headed toward Hans’s house.
“Hehe.”
Throughout the carriage ride, a happy smile never left her face.
Finally arriving at Hans’s house, perhaps because she had visited a few times before, the scenery in front of his house felt familiar.
‘It’s been a while. Nothing has changed at all.’
The familiar scenery lifted Cecilia’s spirits, and she knocked on the door of the house where he lived.
—Knock knock!
She sensed movement inside.
—What is it? Elena, did you just arrive?
At the sound of an unfamiliar man’s voice, Cecilia’s body stiffened.
‘Wh-who is that?’
It was clearly different from Hans’s voice, the one she knew.
But her thoughts didn’t have time to linger.
—Creak.
“Who is it?”
As the door opened and a man in his 30s stepped out, Cecilia froze at the unexpected situation.
‘Ha… has Mr. Hans aged this much?’
Of course, that was absolutely impossible.
“Are you Elena’s friend?”
At the words of the unfamiliar man in his 30s, Cecilia quietly shook her head and said,
“Is… is this not Mr. Hans’s house?”
At that, the man in his 30s looked at her as if she were ridiculous.
“Who is Hans? This is our workshop.”
“That… that can’t be.”
At that moment, Cecilia’s face went blank.
“What do you mean, ‘that can’t be’?”
Caught off guard, Cecilia’s eyes wavered.
“This is definitely… Priest Hans’s house…?”
With those words, spoken in a hollow voice, Cecilia’s legs gave out.
—Thud.
***
The massive sail, swollen by the wind, propelled the ship forward across the blue sea.
The salty scent of the ocean tickled my nose.
“Achoo!”
“Master, what are you doing out there so dangerously?”
Sitting at the stern of the ship, gazing at the sea, I replied,
“What else? Just looking at the sea.”
Perhaps because I had never ridden a ship even in my original world, watching the sea felt quite enjoyable.
“For heaven’s sake, what if you fall overboard?”
“Eh, I’ll just be careful not to fall.”
Though I couldn’t escape Leah, I was fortunate enough to somehow leave the Old Continent.
This gave me a slight sense of relief.
Just as I thought I could figure out how to separate from Leah at an appropriate time—
—Whoosh.
I got goosebumps as Leah suddenly wrapped her arms around my back.
“Leah, why are you doing this? Lots of people are watching.”
Indeed, many people were working on the deck.
Displaying such behavior wasn’t exactly appropriate.
“So what? Will you push away your disciple, who’s so happy to see you after so long?”
She didn’t used to be like this.
Where had the shy Leah gone, and who had replaced her with this shameless version?
“Ahem… still, no. What kind of proper lady hugs a strange man?”
As I pushed her away, Leah’s lips stuck out in a pout.
“Pfft, how is Master a ‘strange man’? And didn’t you promise that if I joined the Hero party, you’d grant me any one wish?”
I had indeed said those words.
But… back then, I had only said it recklessly, thinking I’d escape before Leah returned.
“That was…”
I cursed my past self, but it was too late to take it back.
Unable to find words to respond—
—Whoosh.
“Then stay still. If you stay still, I’ll forgive you for not saying anything in your letters.”
Watching Leah whisper into my ear, I just stared blankly at the sea.
Sigh… should I have just let the world end?
Honestly, the fact that she—a woman bordering on cruel and psychopathic—was hugging me made me terrified.
Surely she wouldn’t suddenly snap my neck because she felt like it?
Right, she wouldn’t. She seemed a bit more mature compared to last time…
Remembering that teenage Leah had been quite a troublemaker, I just kept staring silently at the sea.
Wouldn’t it be safer if a monster appeared?
Actually, if a typhoon or monster showed up, wrecking the ship and leaving me stranded alone on a deserted island, that might be safer.
***
Cecilia sat in the carriage, her soul seemingly gone.
It was understandable—her beloved man had disappeared.
‘What happened to Priest Hans?’
If nothing had happened to him, vanishing without a word or trace made no sense.
She had ordered the holy knights escorting her to find Hans, expecting to receive relevant information soon.
At that moment—
—Knock knock!
[Your Holiness, the preliminary investigation regarding Priest Hans is complete.]
At those words, Cecilia hurriedly replied,
“Come in.”
With Cecilia’s permission, a holy knight boarded the carriage, holding several sheets of paper.
“I will report what we could find out so far regarding the Priest Hans you mentioned.”
Unable to hide her anxiety and unease, Cecilia nodded repeatedly, her face on the verge of tears.
‘Ah… please, let him be safe.’
Worried something might have happened to the man she loved, Cecilia waited anxiously for the knight’s words.
“First, we reviewed the Vatican’s records regarding Priest Hans, but there are too many people named Hans—it will take a bit more time. However, after reviewing the land registry for the address you provided, we confirmed that this address has been registered under the ownership of the Pisa Trading Company for the past five years.”
At the unexpected mention of the trading company, Cecilia asked with a puzzled expression,
“The Pisa Trading Company? That can’t be… then did Priest Hans live there on rent?”
Thinking it wouldn’t be unusual for someone to rent given how expensive real estate was, Cecilia asked, but the holy knight shook his head.
“No. We confirmed that this address is being used as the Pisa Trading Company’s jewelry workshop. It seems unlikely anyone lived or resided there.”
At that, Cecilia snatched the land registry from the knight’s hand.
Seeing clearly written inside that the designated use was ‘workshop’ and the owner was listed as the Pisa Trading Company, Cecilia’s mind grew chaotic.
‘What? Then what were all those letters I sent?’
She had sent letters and received multiple replies, making the current situation even more incomprehensible.
“Then… I suppose I must visit the Pisa Trading Company.”
The Pisa Trading Company must know the truth behind all this.
If they didn’t, Cecilia resolved, she wouldn’t let them off easily.
***
Baron Swajinda, who had purchased the Pisa Trading Company—the largest trading company on the continent—at a very cheap price, was in a good mood.
Cases of selling a company of such enormous scale were rare, but since it was a rushed sale, he had acquired it at a price far below its value.
‘If I manage this company well, it will greatly benefit my territory.’
Though he had taken out a bank loan to buy the company, he believed that with proper management, he could quickly repay the loan.
‘Thank goodness I was friends with Baron Hans.’
Though he didn’t know why Hans had suddenly decided to sell the company, being friends with him had allowed him to learn of the sale and swiftly move to acquire it.
He visited the company in the morning to review its reports.
The assets and funds listed in the report excited Baron Swajinda.
‘The assets and funds are impressive, but the distribution network is truly the greatest asset.’
Looking at the dense distribution network connecting cities and towns across the continent, the baron felt satisfied.
Thanks to this vast network, he could respond swiftly and effectively if a major market event occurred.
Additionally, the number of workshops and farms owned by the Pisa Trading Company was no small matter.
The thought that money would flow in from them every month… a smile never left the baron’s face.
At that moment, his secretary knocked on the door and said,
“Um… Baron, we have a visitor.”
The baron, who had been happily sorting through documents, grew curious at the word ‘visitor’.
“A visitor? Who has come?”
Curious at the secretary’s words, he asked,
“It’s… Saint Cecilia who has visited.”
‘Saint Cecilia? Why would such a noble person come here?’
A saint was a noble woman chosen by the gods.
Moreover, she was a member of the Hero party that had just defeated the Demon King.
‘Why would such a person come to a trading company?’
Though puzzled, the baron couldn’t just keep thinking—he couldn’t keep such a noble person waiting.
“Quickly, escort her to the reception room.”
But at the baron’s words, the secretary hesitated before leaving.
‘I thought he had something to say?’
The baron muttered to himself as he organized his documents.
‘Well, what trouble could there be?’
Though the visitor was unusual, he would soon find out why she had come.
“Ah! I should prepare a gift for hospitality.”
Having been interested in commerce since childhood, the baron remembered that connections with high-ranking individuals greatly benefited business. He picked up an expensive perfume from the warehouse where luxury goods were stored and headed to the reception room.
Upon arriving at the reception room, the baron flinched.
The reason? The fierce-looking holy knights guarding the entrance to the reception room.
Seeing them—larger than most men, clad in gleaming metal armor, and wielding menacing weapons—the baron felt a slight tremor of fear.
‘What on earth? Who brings such heavily armed guards when visiting someone?’
The baron, who had often heard tales of the holy knights’ valor in battles against the Demon King’s forces, ignored the intimidating knights and stood before the reception room door…
“Halt. The saint is inside. State your identity.”
Though annoyed that the visitors were acting as if they owned the place, challenging a holy knight was something only a madman would do. Thus, the baron replied in a gentle tone,
“Haha. I am Baron Swajinda, the current chairman of the Pisa Trading Company.”
At the baron’s words, the holy knights raised their menacing weapons…
—Clack!
“We greet Baron. Please enter. The saint is waiting for you.”
The way they told the owner of the place whether to enter or not—who did they sell their manners to? Still, the baron showed no outward reaction and stepped inside.
Inside the room, he saw a beautiful platinum-haired woman and a holy knight standing behind her.
Baron Swajinda greeted her in a friendly voice.
“I am Baron Swajinda and the current chairman of the Pisa Trading Company, Eric.”
At the baron’s greeting, Cecilia rose from her seat, gently lifting the hem of her skirt as she bowed.
“Hello. I am Cecilia, humbly serving as the saint of the church.”
Looking at Cecilia, the baron thought to himself,
‘I’ve heard this saint is exceptionally beautiful and stunning—turns out the rumors were true.’
With that thought, he replied to the saint’s greeting.
“It is truly an honor to meet you, Your Holiness.”
At his words, Cecilia nodded.
“I imagine my sudden visit has surprised you.”
The baron put on a surprised expression and waved his hands exaggeratedly.
“Not at all! The visit of a saint chosen by the gods is truly a blessing! But may I ask why you have come?”
Though he spoke with utmost courtesy, no reply came.
—Drip…
Only a single tear streamed from her eyes.
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