Chapter 18. Empathy and Understanding (6)

After forcibly suppressing immense embarrassment, I washed myself.

We woke up much later than usual. The sun was already high in the sky. Was it because we watched a movie late last night?

The fact that no one came to wake us suggests that the aftermath of yesterday still lingers.

It was fortunate for us, though.

After I finished washing and came out, Ria quickly passed by me and slipped into the shower room.

Yesterday was so enjoyable, but after only a few hours, it felt like that sensation had been completely reset. We were feeling shy towards each other.

But still, considering that we touched lips like that from the morning, it seems Ria doesn’t dislike kissing either.

That’s fortunate.

…….

Is it fortunate?

After pondering for a moment between the two words, I decided to think of it as fortunate. At least, it wasn’t something that would be a one-time thing just for show.

Good heavens, method acting.

Does she really want to help me that much?

“……No.”

I shook my head.

Of course, actors film kissing scenes or bed scenes without much issue. Of course, the feelings vary from actor to actor, and while kissing scenes might be fine, bed scenes sometimes use doubles.

What we’ve done so far is only hugging and kissing, so from the perspective of ‘acting,’ it’s possible.

However, I felt something beyond that.

Although very faint, beyond Ria’s blushing face, there seemed to be ‘sexual desire’.

“This is a convent.”

I nodded.

That’s right. I don’t know if it was really like this, but I heard that in medieval convents, where communication with the outside world was almost completely cut off, and many women were confined to the convent even if they didn’t want to be, such incidents often occurred.

Perhaps it’s the thought that even if one doesn’t like women, it’s better than inanimate objects? I don’t know for sure, but at least it’s someone with whom emotional exchange is possible.

In that sense, Ria might be feeling something similar.

“…….”

After contemplating once more, I decided it was a good thing. At the very least, Ria can feel something like sexual desire, or something similar, towards me.

That meant there was hope in many ways.

Realizing that fact, I felt much better and finished getting ready to leave the room, humming a tune.

*

Coming out of the room, we naturally held hands.

For now, we had to act like lovers, so I thought it would be good to appear that way in front of others.

Some nuns seemed to have heard the news, and there were people whispering as they looked at us.

“Oh my.”

Gloria, seeing the two of us, covered her mouth with her hand and smiled. It was a ‘knew it would happen’ expression, which annoyed me a little, but that was the setup, after all.

“Didn’t you say there wouldn’t be such a thing last time?”

“……It turned out that way.”

I replied, grinding my teeth, at Gloria’s teasing words. Naturally, Gloria wasn’t scared at all.

“Congratulations.”

Fiona said that, clasping her hands together and her eyes sparkling.

Before coming here, Fiona, who was half-dead, had eyes that sparkled brightly after coming to the convent.

Perhaps it’s because she’s reconciling with the person she truly loves within it.

So, Fiona was ’empathizing’ with us. Although Perti next to her was blushing a little, perhaps thinking about his relationship with Fiona.

Well, that’s good.

In any case, things have turned out this way.

Now, no matter what happened in front of me, I felt like I could somehow remain unfazed-

However, my thoughts didn’t last long.

“Sister Anna. Sister Maria.”

A voice called us, so we turned around, and the Nun Superior was standing there. Her gaze fell upon our clasped hands.

Ria and I let go of our hands with slightly embarrassed expressions. Even so, I didn’t have the courage to continue like that in front of the Nun Superior.

“The Pope is here at the church. Please come this way.”

“……What?”

At the sudden words, I involuntarily gaped.

“I said, the Pope is here.”

I blinked and looked at Ria. Ria also looked at me with a completely clueless expression.

The Pope is here?

Isn’t he supposed to be in Italy? It would take more than ten hours by plane.

And then, it dawned on me a little late.

I was on the verge of canonization. Of course, the Cardinal didn’t have the authority to do such a thing, and it was naturally just a ‘procedural step.’ The actual canonization would have to be performed by the Pope himself, calling me.

However, from the church’s perspective, I had no disqualifications. Rather, the church seemed ready to accept me as a new symbol.

Therefore, the Pope was probably already preparing to come here when I was participating in the canonization ceremony.

Ria and I had been on the run for several hours, and after returning to the church, we fell asleep late.

Today, we even overslept.

So, there was plenty of time for him to arrive.

“From that spot…”

“Yes, for now, canonization is out of the question. It’s been postponed. However, even from that point, the Pope was already on his way. It’s just that you were so busy that you didn’t hear the news.”

“…….”

“If you had watched the news, you would have known. The news that the Pope was visiting this country had already spread yesterday afternoon.”

I didn’t see it.

Because I was only looking at Ria’s face.

“One way or another, there was enough time. He has already arrived at the church. Although his health has improved greatly, he hasn’t become young again. I think he must have been a little tired from coming here all night.”

“…….”

“And, to be precise, he decided to come here right after hearing about you.”

I think I understand now.

The reason they didn’t wake us was to buy time for the Pope to recover his condition a little after arriving at this church.

If I had known in advance, I might have run away immediately.

……Although it was information I could have known if I had watched the news yesterday.

I looked at Ria again.

Ria was looking at me.

Our thoughts were the same.

Yes, what can we do?

The dice have been cast. There’s no excuse to back out now, and if we do, nothing will happen.

The Nun Superior turned around again and started walking. We followed behind her, receiving the gazes of the people around us.

Before we knew it, both of us were holding each other’s hands tightly.

……It felt less like simply acting and more like we were going to receive some kind of permission.

*

Last time, when they came to take me to the Pope, a whole contingent of knights had arrived. They were practically occupying an entire chapel.

But this time, perhaps because they came in a bit of a hurry, the number of people who followed was small.

First, there was the Pope, and then a few clergy members assisting him. Our church’s Priest sat near the Pope with an enlightened expression, and the Cardinal was the same.

Of course, Sister Maria was among them. The nun with the same baptismal name as Ria, the one who came to pick me up last time. The one the Pope raised like a daughter.

……And, there was someone with the same baptismal name as that nun, but called by a different name.

It was Marie.

And next to her was Anna, who had the same baptismal name as me.

For some reason, Anna was looking at me with a benevolent smile, as if she understood everything.

I felt a sense of foreboding.

And- finally, I was shocked by the person present in this room.

In this world, I don’t have parents anyway. So, whether I date someone of the same sex or opposite sex, there’s no reason for anyone to say anything. At most, it would be the Nun Superior and the Priest.

However, Ria has a father.

And, in this room right now, was Ria’s father.

The strongest hero in this country. Perhaps the Pope requested his dispatch because he didn’t bring his usual escort.

Or, perhaps he came here simply in his role as Ria’s father.

I’m ruined. That prospect was far more terrifying to me.

Well, strictly speaking, Ria was the one who initiated the kiss, but I also did things to Ria’s mouth, like this and that. Hmm.

“Sister Anna.”

The Pope opened his mouth.

“Have you been well?”

“Ah, yes.”

I answered nervously without realizing it.

“Thanks to you, Sister Anna, I have been able to manage well. The past short period felt much more comfortable than the nearly ten years before it. It must all be thanks to the holy power you gave me.”

“It’s not my power, it’s the power of the being above…”

“Is that so?”

The Pope nodded with his usual benevolent expression, then reached out and gently gestured to a chair.

It was the chair for Ria and me to sit on.

Somehow, in the center of the chapel, the chairs had been removed, and there was only one chair for each of us to sit on.

It was a very burdensome arrangement.

We carefully moved and sat side-by-side, facing the Pope.

“……Good.”

The Pope nodded and said.

“Then, from now on… shall we have a conversation, Sister? There are some things we absolutely must discuss.”

“…….”

I looked at Ria again.

Ria extended her hand.

I took her hand.

At least, that wasn’t an act.