After finishing sword training with the spirits,
โThat was fun!โ โDo it again!โ โYay yay!โ
The spirits, thinking it was playtime, were squealing with joy.
It was nice to see them happy, butโฆ
โI still couldnโtโฆ cut them in the end.โ
That was a lingering frustration.
โYay yay!โ
โOf course, spirits are fast. Itโs impossible for a five-year-old to cut them,โ one of them teased.
โThatโs not true. Even a five-year-old should be able to cut them.โ
Tomorrow, Iโll definitely cut them. Thatโs what I firmly resolved.
โMy tummyโฆ is hungry,โ I muttered. All that movement made me hungry.
โLetโs go get some snacks.โ
โWoof!โ โSqueak squeak!โ โKuu-kuu!โ
Back when I was still very young, I used to eat whatever was lying around whenever I got hungry, a habit from my previous life.
But my mother had told me, โStop doing that, or youโll upset your stomach,โ so I obeyed.
In truth, I often had stomach troubles in my past life, so she was absolutely right.
โWhen Iโm hungry, Iโll have snacks~.โ
Mother had also said, โIf youโre hungry, Iโll make sure you get proper snacks, so please, I beg you.โ
So, as I walked toward the dining hall to get snacks with Daru, Carro , and Koruko, one of the maids spotted me.
โMy, Lady Luria, youโre drenched in sweat. Letโs get you into the bath.โ
At the same time, Kuro and the spirits who had been nearby quickly hid. They werenโt scared of the maid, but they were trying to help me avoid speaking to the spirits in front of others.
After all, a child talking to invisible beings would seem creepy to most people.
โLuria, Iโm hungry, so Iโm going to the dining hall.โ
โYes, of course. But letโs make sure you eat your snack after your bath.โ
โAfter? Canโt I have the snack first?โ
โNo, the bath comes first, then the snack. Otherwise, youโll catch a cold.โ
โOkay.โ
When we reached the room, the maid quickly prepared the bath. As she washed my body, I asked her something that had been on my mind.
โHmm~. Whoโs the most important person in the Church of the One God?โ
โWhy do you ask all of a sudden?โ
The maid seemed a little surprised. It was understandableโhaving a five-year-old ask such a question would catch anyone off guard.
Earlier, in my conversation with Kuro, the topic of cursed power had come up. The Church of the One God likely had techniques for utilizing cursed power in my past life.
If the Church still had such techniques, it would be a serious matter. And if their power surpassed that of the royal family, it could spell disaster.
โWell, the most important person in the Church would be His Holiness, the Pope.โ
โBetween the Pope and the King, whoโs more powerful?โ
โUm, Iโm not very knowledgeable, butโฆ Iโd assume the King.โ
โI see.โ
The maid didnโt give a definitive answer. Which meant the power dynamic between the King and the Pope might be ambiguous. Thatโs how it seemed to me.
What I wanted to know most was the current state of the Church of the One God. Are they still trying to capture spirits? And if they are, do they still have the technology to do so?
I need to know.
However, this information is likely a well-guarded secret of the Church. Even my father might not know.
As a first step, I need to study the history of the relationship and power balance between the royal family and the Church.
โMaybe I should study history.โ
โClose your eyes; Iโm washing your hairโฆ It might be a good idea to discuss this with your father and mother.โ
โYeah, thatโs true!โ
โAnd keep your eyes closed, Lady Luria. Youโre so diligent about studying.โ
โAm I?โ
As we continued chatting while my hair was being washed, I suddenly thought of Marion.
She was my beloved nanny, who had left the estate when I was three.
Marion used to bathe me just like this.
โโฆI wonder if Marion is doing well.โ
โโฆโ
For some reason, the maid gasped slightly.
โWhatโs wrong?โ
โItโs nothing. You can open your eyes now.โ
When I opened my eyes, the maid had a gentle smile on her face.
โLady Luria, please raise your hands. Yes, just like that.โ
โโฆDo you know how Marion is doing?โ
Up until I was about four, she would occasionally visit and often sent letters. I would write clumsy replies in return.
But she hasnโt visited in the past six months, and for the past three months, I havenโt even received a letter.
Even when I write to her, thereโs no reply.
โIโm afraid I donโt know.โ
โI seeโฆ Maybe Marionโs just busy.โ
โThatโs probably it.โ
โMaybe Iโll send her another letter.โ
โIโm sure sheโd be delighted.โ
The maid smiled, but her expression also seemed a little sad.
I decided that I would ask my father about Marion later.