199:
Erica’s consciousness returned to her body. She was silent in the small room. After a long while, she maintained her kneeling posture and said to the statue in the room, bowing her head, “Thank you.”
“I understand.”
Without waiting for a reply, the light on the statue also gradually faded. But Erica didn’t care. She straightened her clothes and walked out of the small room.
From that day on, there was an archbishop named Erica Jasmine in the Church of Good Fortune. She had appeared in churches all over the place. She had once healed the wounds of the common people, and had also received all sorts of royalty and nobles.
Although Erica was respected by everyone in the church, not many people were willing to get close to her.
Later, she became an adventurer, joining temporary teams to go on adventures. She had fought with evil in the darkest of caves, and had also spread the faith in uncivilized lands. She had become friends with all sorts of people, had experienced betrayal, and had also experienced friendship.
It was also during this time that she truly understood human emotions. She had laughed heartily, been angry, and had also shed tears for others.
Erica understood what human emotions were… what the human heart was.
In the very end, Erica gave up her identity as an adventurer and once again returned to the temple.
One day, when she was helping others in the confessional as usual, she met a strange believer. That person did not, like others, confess his own faults, but after a long silence, he asked, “Reverend, are you afraid of fate?”
Having encountered all sorts of situations, Erica was not at all intimidated. She said without hesitation, “Of course, I am not afraid of fate, but I respect fate.”
Unexpectedly, that believer also did not hesitate and immediately asked, “Then what is true fate?”
Frowning slightly, Erica felt that this believer seemed to have come prepared. She said flatly, “Fate is the destiny that everyone is born with.”
“Then… can it be changed?”
Hearing his words, Erica did not answer immediately, letting the confessional fall into silence. The pressure gradually rose, and just as it was about to explode, Erica said firmly, “That cannot be done.”
That person seemed to be intimidated by the pressure. It took him a long time to slowly ask, “Then if… as you say, everything cannot be changed, then why should we persist?”
Here it comes. This is what Erica is good at.
She began to say the views she had said countless times, the summarized teachings, “Don’t worry.”
“Although we cannot completely change the course of fate, we can obtain a small improvement through our respect for it.”
“Respect the goddess, believe in the goddess, and you will receive the favor of luck.”
Erica said these things without any pause, in one go.
However, unexpectedly, she did not feel the shocked admiration from the believer on the other side… instead, she heard a light laugh and a whisper.
“Is luck… all there is to fate?”
Before Erica could think, the door to the confessional on the other side opened, and that person left directly.
Hey! Let me finish!
In her urgency, Erica opened her own door and called out to the retreating figure, “You…”
That figure stopped and turned his head. He smiled at the somewhat confused Erica, “A pity…”
“I can’t change your mind, because…”
“The ending is already set.”
Shelley shook his head and chuckled, then strode out of the temple, leaving Erica standing there in a daze.
“Hmm… what is he talking about?”
Blinking, Erica suddenly laughed out loud. Thinking of the two of them’s confusing conversation just now, she covered her mouth and laughed, “Honestly, he’s more of a charlatan than I am.”
“An interesting man~”
…
“Luck 2:1 Misfortune.”
“It seems to be over~”
“Hmph! You’re happy too early.”
“Do you really think that werewolf will choose you? Hahaha.”
“Shut up.”
“Is that so? You don’t admit defeat? Then I’ll wait and see~”
“Hmph.”
…
Lilith’s eyes shot open. She sat up from the bed in terror.
“Hah… hah…”
She was panting heavily. She reached out and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.
“What on earth was that situation?”
What were those beautiful images? Where am I now? What on earth happened?
“Don’t be afraid, Lilith.”
Just then, a gentle male voice came from beside Lilith.
What!?
Lilith whipped her head around and punched in that direction with her right fist.
A man gently dodged her attack, then caught her wrist and gently pushed it back.
The simple but very warm room was filled with all sorts of girls’ toys and supplies. And among this pile of ordinary things was an out-of-place object… it was a man, a very beautiful man.
His silver-gray hair hung down. His face was handsome but not effeminate, and instead had a different kind of heroic spirit. He was looking at a picture book in his hand, occasionally tucking his hair behind his ear.
“Who are you!? Why do you know my name?”
Where is this?
Getting up from the bed in terror, Lilith walked backward…
“Ah!”
She was tripped by a pillow on the bed and sat down on the bed with a plop.
During this time, the man who was sitting on the edge of the bed reading a book did not make any move, and did not even turn his head. After she had calmed down a little, the man finally closed the book in his hand and then looked at the panicked Lilith.
“…Who am I?”
Good question.
Shelley looked at the young-girl-state Lilith and thought for a moment…
Your future master? No, no, no. Saying that is definitely a problem. Police: Come with us. Don’t worry, we won’t believe your bullshit. Then… your future husband? Also no. Three years at least, the highest is the death penalty…
“Then let’s do this…”
Having made up his mind, Shelley stood up and, under Lilith’s terrified gaze, walked toward the bed step by step. He bent down, extended his hand to Lilith, and said in the gentlest voice, “I am a person who will absolutely not harm you.”
“Trust me.”
Perhaps it was Shelley’s face that added a lot of points, perhaps it was the aura on his body that made Lilith feel at ease, or perhaps it was because Shelley’s gaze was sincere… she did not feel any malice from Shelley.
Lilith finally tremblingly touched Shelley’s palm with her hand… and then she was pulled up.
“Ah!”
A liar!
The socialite Shelley taught the young Lilith a lesson. The name of this lesson was “the human heart is sinister.”
The terrified, closed-eyed Lilith did not receive the painful treatment she had imagined. Instead, she felt herself in a warm embrace. She opened her eyes and found that she was being held in that person’s arms, walking out step by step.
“What… are you trying to do?”
Lowering his head and laughing, Shelley said softly, “I’m here…”
“To save you.”
