episode_0013

013 – The Countess Who Draws Lots # 3

“Lady Psyche, have you ever seen the sea? Have you ever seen the vast horizon stretching out?”

Psyche narrowed her eyebrows at my question.

It seemed like he was wondering what he was trying to say.

I answered simply, picking up a cup I saw nearby.

“Suppose this cup is a ship heading towards the edge of the horizon. Let’s say this ship has tall, beautiful sails stretching out toward the sky. If the ship moves further and further away, it will gradually sink and become smaller until only the sails are visible.”

“Is that why it proves the Earth is round? That makes sense.”

Indeed, Psyche was a smart woman.

I got the gist of what I wanted to say simply by talking about the curvature of the sea and the ground.

There was no need to further explain why a lunar eclipse or the length of the shadow of the same stick varies from place to place.

“But as expected, it is completely different from the teachings of the church. According to the religious teachings, isn’t it known that the Earth is flat like a plate?”

Psyche asked me if it was different from the teachings of the church.

This was a question I had asked before.

After hearing this question twice, I was able to understand that the fact that the Earth was round and flat was not that important to Psyche.

“To answer your question, I need to explain the answer to the second question. Reasons for rain. How does the denomination explain this?”

“It is said that God gives orders to saints to make rain fall where it is needed. So, in areas where it does not rain, prayers for rain are held to saints.”

It was just as Psyche said. I’ve been to an area where it doesn’t rain before, and there was no fuss about putting up statues of saints and bowing down.

Thinking about what happened back then, I calmly explained.

“I wrote it down on my answer sheet, but the reason it rains is because of water vapor. Water on the ground evaporates under sunlight and freezes in the cold air at high altitudes, forming clouds. Clouds are a natural phenomenon formed by the clumping of ice grains. When these particles become heavy, they fall towards the ground, and when they meet warm air, they become raindrops.”

“Hyde, are you saying that clouds are not heaven with angels or God, but are simply a phenomenon made up of water droplets?”

Psyche narrowed her eyebrows again. It was as if I had heard a nonsense story.

“Monk Hyde, this is also a different story from the teachings of the religious order. Don’t you know that in some cases, if you say something like that carelessly, you will be reprimanded by the interrogators?”

know.

The church people of this world will hate my story.

However, my answer seemed to have greatly touched Lady Psyche. I never lost sight of the curiosity and surprise in their eyes.

In fact, the Agarpe family was a group of people who took a hostile stance against the church.

I knew very well that the reason the royal family and the church fought so hard was because they had opposing theological and scientific positions.

Agarpe, an ally of the royal family, was a family interested in practical things, maintaining clean roads and installing water facilities that required a lot of effort.

As an Agarpe person, Psyche would have liked my scientific and practical answer. So, they probably passed me in the preliminaries.

But at the same time, she seemed a little distressed.

“Hyde, everything you said was a great answer. However, they are all far from the teachings of the church.”

Psyche’s expression was changing into a complex feeling of various emotions coming together. I thought it would be doubt, curiosity, caution, and anger.

If I were to guess, there might be a conflict between Psyche, who pursues practicality as the daughter of Count Agarpe, and Psyche, who respects the teachings of the church as a faithful believer.

I opened my mouth for the last time to Psyche.

“The answer to all your questions can be found in the answer to the third and final question. How many angels can stand on the tip of this pen─.”

I picked up a feather pen that was lying on the platform in front of the chair. It was a feather pen that was thinner than my finger.

How many angels can climb on top of this?

“The existence of angels is mentioned in the Bible. So, what would a real-life angel weigh, what would his height be, and what would he look like?”

The church loved to talk about angels and devils. There were many testimonies from people who said they actually saw angels, and there were also people who said they appeared in dreams.

The same goes for its opposite, the devil.

However, I dare say that in five years of living in this world, I have never seen even the tip of a devil’s or angel’s feather.

“So, Hyde, an infinite number of angels can stand on the tip of this feather pen? You are the only candidate who gave such an absurd answer.”

“What do you know? Does it matter how many angels stand on a pen to our salvation? Is the fact that the earth is round and the principle of rain important to the salvation of the soul?”

“Yes?”

“Lady Psyche, you know the truth. What are the truly important questions? What should I do to save my soul? Isn’t that the real question?”

“Hyde, you are a monk and you are saying that angels are not real and cannot be seen?”

Psyche frowns.

When I was in elementary school, I told my partner sitting next to me, “There is no Santa. Actually, I remember having a big fight because I said, “Santa is your dad.”

He was a cute kid, but he got angry at me, crying and yelling, “There is a “Santa!”

Psyche was probably that kind of person.

Soon Psyche asked:

“Then, Hyde, what do you think about the devil? Do you think thinking about the devil has nothing to do with being saved?”

devil.

Satan.

Devil.

Old religions liked to define, name, and write about these beings.

In fact, knowing their names or attributes is the same as asking questions such as ‘How many angels can climb on a pen?’

Does it matter?

“The only thing that is important is to restore my spiritual relationship with the Lord. The reason today’s theology is heading towards nonsense is because we forget these fundamentals and waste time thinking about angels and devils.”

I answered confidently.

Then Psyche narrowed her eyes even further.

“Hyde, I think you don’t know something. Angels may not be easily visible to the human eye, but devils exist in this world and are still roaming the earth. We should be afraid of them. Those cursed thrones of great sin─.”

“Yes?”

“Seven deadly sins. If you are a member of the church, there is no way you wouldn’t know them.”

“Ah.”

I was suddenly speechless.

I felt like my lips were dry. I started to worry about where my hands and tongue were, and I suddenly needed to urinate.

As I was confused, Psyche looked at me with narrow eyes and said,

“Yes, you too are afraid of the names of living demons. Are you afraid?”

“… To be honest, I’m scared. I don’t think anyone fears that name as much as I do.”

I answered honestly.

I couldn’t bear to lie.

Psyche pouted her lips at my honest answer.

“It seems he couldn’t give a brave answer, even if it was a lie, in front of the woman he fell in love with at first sight. Okay, Hyde. This is the end of the question. Stop trying to go out.”

There were many things I wanted to say, but nothing came out of my mouth.

It’s strange that at the end of the interview, the mistakes of the past five years were holding me back.

Maybe I should have said it was okay even if it was just a lie.

But I really, truly didn’t want to lie.

At least to Psyche, my unrequited love, in this life that I have finally regained!

# # #

Knight Loras was walking around the hallways with a very confident mind.

He was always confident.

It was the same when I took second place in the knights’ tournament, and it was the same now when I became a ‘prospective groom candidate’ by writing down all the correct answers on the answer sheet.

No, now was the time when his confidence had reached its peak in his career as a knight.

‘What is the shape of the land? What is the principle of rain? These are all stories I know. After all, we learned from the same teacher when we were children! ‘This is a problem for me.’

Knight Loras grew up with Psyche in the Agarpe estate since childhood. They had the same teacher and learned the same things.

The problems Psyche raised were also one of the things the teacher taught her. Because of this, Loras was convinced that Psyche was favoring him.

‘Psyche wants to marry me too. However, due to her engagement to the royal family and illness, she was only trying to protect her husband. After you get better, you want to marry me.’

Loras thought that as the most capable and popular man in the Agarpe territory, he would be a good match for Psyche.

Loras himself thought that Psyche was the best match for a perfect man like him.

Psyche was the most beautiful woman in the Agarpe domain, and was a woman who was praised in the kingdom as the ‘Three Flowers’.

A woman that all men admire.

The thought of being able to have such a woman as my wife made me feel very happy.

‘In that respect, it is fortunate that Hyde cured Psyche’s illness. Hyde, that guy was instrumental to the happiness of my life!’

While he was thinking that, Eliezer, an old servant who was in charge of most of the affairs of the mansion, came up and bowed his head towards Loras.

“Lord Loras, Lady Psyche asks you to come into the drawing room with Dr. Selim.”

“With Selim?”

Selim, a doctor of theology, was the only man whom Loras considered a rival. Because he was also a man who learned under teachers like Loras and Psyche.

If Loras was the best martial artist in Agarpe, Selim could be said to be the smartest man in Agarpe Manor.

Soon, a man with brown hair and a slim appearance like a gentleman faced Loras in front of the living room.

Selim and Loras.

Just a moment for the two fateful adversaries to see sparks in their eyes.

They entered the drawing room and simultaneously gasped in the presence of the beautiful Psyche.

‘It’s breathtaking! It’s so beautiful that you don’t think she’s been sick for two years! Today I will have that woman!’

Loras and Selim sat down.

Psyche asked them earnestly.

“Sir Loras, can you explain the stories you wrote on your answer sheet? First of all, the first problem. What is the shape of the land?”

“The earth is said to be round like a ball.”

Loras answered very confidently. As a child, I still vividly remember the shock I felt when I heard that the earth was round like a ball.

Soon Psyche asked, raising an eyebrow.

“How to prove it?”

“Proof?”

How do you prove that the earth is round? There was something I had heard, but nothing came to mind, so I was racking my brain when the saintly Selim intervened.

“Lady, you can tell by looking at the ship on the horizon. When a ship on the horizon approaches from afar, the sails are visible because of the round shape of the land.”

As he said that, Selim glanced at Loras. Loras felt as if his points had been deducted, and his stomach felt like it was turning inside out, and his face felt hot.

‘I have to get more points somehow!’

The only thing on Loras’ mind was that he had to do better than Selim. Just then Psyche asked Selim with narrow eyes.

“Then Selim, why is it raining?”

“Isn’t God creating harmony to benefit the earth? If you look at chapter 4 of the book of Amos, verse 7 says this—.”

“That’s it. Enough explanation is enough.”

“Indeed, you are the wisest in Agarpe.”

Selim raised his mouth.

Loras was so disgusted with seeing that situation that he felt like he wanted to get out of this place.

Psyche said.

“Then Selim, how many angels can stand on this feather pen?”

“That is a debate that has been actively discussed at the church council over the past five years. The most persuasive argument is Archbishop Archibald’s theory of the seven angels.”

Archibald.

Psyche frowned at that name.

“Selim, do you respect Archbishop Archibald?”

“Of course. As a theologian, a person of faith, and someone who dreams of becoming a priest, who would not respect Archbishop Archibald? As I am saying now, if I become the Count’s son-in-law, I will join hands with Archbishop Archibald to further revive the church in this Agarpe estate.”

Selim’s ambitions were very proud. He was so passionate that it was strange to see him clenching his fists and shaking even though he doesn’t usually exercise.

Is Psyche “… Loras was delighted when he vaguely answered, .”.

‘Selim you idiot! If you only read the Bible and books all day, you won’t be able to read the situation around you! The Agarpe family is like an enemy to the Archibald family! Selim, you stupid idiot!’

Loras felt good because Selim’s score was greatly reduced.

Selim, who wants to join hands with the Archibald family and hand over the entire Agarpe territory, will never be chosen by Psyche.

Then all that was left was yourself.

When Loras guessed victory, Psyche stood up.

“Then, Sir Selim and Lord Loras, one last question for you. You probably know about the Great Sin that is causing trouble in the Durgien region. What should I do with him?”

Additional question.

Loras thought that the special treatment had come to fruition.

He stood up, clenched his fists, pounded his chest and shouted.

“Lady, if you give me an order even now, I, Loras, will form a punitive force, capture the wicked prisoners, and make them kneel before you!”

“Oh, Loras, aren’t you afraid of the Sins?”

“As a knight of Agarpe, what has there to be afraid of!”

Even in my own opinion, it was a very cool answer.

A complete victory that did not even give Selim a chance to reply.

Psyche also smiled, probably impressed by this story.

“Okay, everyone go out. I will announce the results myself in one hour. Please invite everyone to the garden.”

Psyche bit Loras and Selim.

1 hour after that.

Lady Psyche, as beautiful as a flower, appeared in front of Loras, who was enjoying the longest and happiest time of his life.

Loras’ heart was pounding as if it would explode.

I felt like everyone was looking at me.

In fact, Loras was the strongest candidate to win among the candidates!

Soon Lady Psyche opened her mouth.

“I would like to announce the results. My marriage partner is Hyde, a wooden monk.”

So so so so-.

The sound of Loras’ sky falling was heard.

He felt dizzy as he felt the round ground collapsing without any foothold.

‘what? what? What is that woman talking about? Are you going to leave this Loras and marry an orphan you don’t know where she came from? You’re crazy! ‘It is clear that Psyche’s illness has not healed yet!’