Chapter 55: When I find you (2)
Cu3In a monastery on a cold winter afternoon.rcvgQ
DpOjjGThe red-haired girl, who had arrived here with the help of the old blacksmith, found desolate figures in front of her.MaNB
idrTzXN“Sister Superior, please open up!”lGagDId
jrNQ0MA woman bangs on the monastery door, as firmly closed as on a cold winter afternoon.dfTN
GNqQ“I’m Marcella! Please, open the door!”UNOh
BFTljMarcella’s voice trembled as much as her unkempt black hair.Yz85jI3
LGl9AAnd behind her, girls trembling with cold and fear.JASf
jxpkThey were young girls, like Zemina, who were about to debut as prostitutes.P1sbe
ytKC“······Marcella?”oPv
OVuvThe door, which seemed firmly closed, opened.QmbG
dVlYcAnd the old nun, upon receiving an untimely visitor in the middle of the night, looked at her with uncomfortable eyes.FdMqpN
SdjH“What business brings you here at this hour?”WD8GkOP
Eii“Sister Superior!”RQjFs
jI7hFlAs if she had found light in the darkness, Marcella clung to the old nun.qCpMpM
wof“Please, take care of these children. They are unfortunate children.”hUCn
2hmz39“What is going on here?”bwuzGby
iYkr5LThe Sister Superior frowned upon seeing Marcella, who not only arrived suddenly but also asked them to take care of the children.lGmQgmC
f2MsuIt was more than a breach of etiquette; it was an excessive action.SZI
UMeY683“What are you doing here? Leave!”saN
G5GaSomething must have happened in the alley.KDs61z
a7EOtherwise, the woman who always smiled effortlessly wouldn’t be shouting so urgently.2ANK
msxgf9“Mother Superior, please!”VvKLv
Ap1G“This is not a place for just anyone to enter!”Med
NAOsAyThe Mother Superior looked at the children behind Marcela and showed her disgust.eizD9S
atwCfM9They had been brought by a prostitute, so they must be girls who worked in dirty places.S3Kk
dbcbThis is one of the places closest to God.UA7O
f1G6RZBIt cannot contain such dirty children.wbCqs
eQZGfhX“It’s not like that!”SaFF
xx9JA desperate thigh was wedged between the quickly closing door.p8lDAwo
N19L“These children are virgins. They are the children observed by the Bishop.”2ts
uXu6rW“······.”uejR2
6v5TvHBVirgin prostitutes.QL9
jJyZkA contradictory existence created by Bishop Soara, who abhorred impure acts.m9p0Hwb
xtOThe Mother Superior was also familiar with those children.Q8IB94I
gmp9M“Nevertheless, we cannot simply accept them all of a sudden…”KPpH
FYFXHTk“Why not?! I’ve donated so much money here all this time!”hAmf
GJ6On an ambitious night, a threatening voice echoed in front of the quiet monastery.OeSZ8g0
SlajUntil recently, it was a pathetic sight, but upon seeing Marcella suddenly change, the Mother Superior was taken aback.Y6qB
PiLewy4“Just with that money, they could feed the children here for ten years! Is what I’m asking for so difficult?”5qbuG
drMbLike a lion protecting her cubs, Marcella stared intently at the Mother Superior.5TmQl
avXOverwhelmed by Marcella’s desperation and determination, the Mother Superior retreated before her urgent and resolute demand.HG5GfhO
rXxzD7“Move aside!”aRlm
0hkFlLWith a desperate and firm shout, Marcella flung open the monastery door and addressed the girls behind her.RW7mozH
y5O6nIU“Come in!”h2s
L291“Ma’am.”E3dVvUk
1W8blD“But why?”FhqaKAw
EdZ“Stop worrying.”GCHzYh3
nMOJpGsMarcella grabbed the shoulders of the girls who sobbed and hesitated, and pushed them inside the monastery.ZnPDA
jXm“We can replace the lost wages with this.”TkgD1C6
cw5pJU4One by one.ysyO
3qWThrough the touch of a prostitute, the girls entered into the embrace of God.El5qLFP
WssQP“Marcella…”v5d1
mx1q8“It’s okay. You did well.”axP
sx5Marcella smiled as she cupped Zemina’s frozen face with both hands in the cold wind.kZix
sWk“We were destined for this. Men always leave things half done, you know?”7ZwUn
sFOhEven Zemina, who hesitated, was brought into the monastery by Marcella, who stood firm like a lion protecting her cubs.mmd
q67eu“You cannot enter.”gN5dUx
jLbYAlthough God’s embrace was wide, qualification was needed to reach there.PUjVTfq
wvoMarcella, a greedy woman, was not a woman entitled to enter into God’s embrace.hs6zMX6
ZLtXyS2“…Anyway, I wasn’t expecting to enter.”m4AoBxu
9ouajGFaced with rules set by humans and not by God, Marcella halted.VbcUR
h0X10However, after ensuring the children were safe in His embrace, Marcella took responsibility until the end.Nmy2vh
CjAK“I’ll leave it to you. You’ll all be fine.”sEH
wZrD“…”T7y
9o3v1A woman left alone in the darkness with no other choice.Xdw
bSIPSomeone’s greedy hand reached even here.BrJQk86
dOM45gAnd so, Marcella was dragged through the slowly closing door crack.DVPCbhx
8Oyz9qWith her hair grasped.MB3
PCH“Marcella…!”6RTH
JOrThat was the last Zemina saw of the outside world.JWtBovK
tsR***a4Iyr
bH1yY9“Today we are going to pray here with my children.”3Th6RwU
4Kqn7“The chapel is spacious and beautiful.”CjZC
xalFFollowing the guidance of the Mother Superior, Vlad continued to look around as he walked through the convent.10TJV2Z
pUFJHe knew it was rude, but he couldn’t help but wonder if he would find the familiar redhead girl among the passing novices.dM3g8C
ReP2a0“And there are people waiting to pray with you, including the knights. Would you like to pray with them? Grace multiplies when shared.”JYzfBG
OS9But the girl he was looking for didn’t appear, and there were only uncomfortable guests waiting for Vlad.Pqhrc
aL3rMS“Ah, so that’s how it is.”NGHEj
D96NnGKIt made sense, considering they had been postponing the visit to the convent until now.sMJq
hGqXCAlthough Vlad remained just a weak figure in the world of nobles and knights, for those looking from below, he was a presence attractive enough.8Ss
uTn9MqRPerhaps they had pressured the Mother Superior to establish a connection with Bayezid.UN09R4
RVcA“So please, lead the way. It’s an honor.”ogw
ojX28“We appreciate your consideration.”HJAISa
11MzAlthough he didn’t like the idea of being used, Vlad had no choice but to follow the Mother Superior.ITWNUX
9hZ9Qdw“Damn bastard.”cc623q
CwYdVlad thought of Goethe and sighed.bVdw7
5lp1R3bHe had insisted that he had requested a visit, but he had never mentioned planning to see Zemina.s6mmu
dggAvg“In the end, it seems like I have to do everything myself.”BpryQ
htPPlAs a result, Vlad had to make sure to leave a good impression on the Mother Superior.toO0xR
v6mJ6jmWhen it comes to asking for something unexpected, it’s important to show a positive attitude.PaiSCIo
oVE7dj“······.”49e
uVmdWhile listening to the story of the convent from the Mother Superior, Vlad absentmindedly touched the sword he wore at his waist.mMH3ta
T7Y1Enduring a bit of annoyance like this was a small price to pay for the girl who had gifted him the sword.cKr0vhF
IFSpVLThe sword that had accompanied him all this time had been bought by her with her tears.98pvR
uDXg0v5***JuizPBW
pWDVAn unusually busy morning at the convent.fVj
Qq4htdyZemina silently immersed her hands in the dishwater as she observed the scene, which was not the same as usual but still felt familiar to her.u1y84
XI12sCO“Looks like someone’s coming today.”prLqNz
zn4HThere were days like this sometimes.Wbj002
aAC1They prayed with people from the outside world.wJPEgJ
KKLuPm5“Oh my God, he’s so handsome!”hn1
a52c“Blond hair and blue eyes, he looks like an aristocrat!”LfRY
DJYXThe solitary nature of the convent made the rumors about the man visiting today fuel the girls’ imaginations.BTc4eFB
KdOahZ“······.”o86JCi
DJxBut they were completely irrelevant to Zemina.mUOgy
GREGOdDHaving grown up in the alleys, she knew the harsh reality better than anyone.31fI49M
yAIEuQShe didn’t want to waste time with the fairy tales that girls dream about.lLyZZw9
VfsesKq“Why are you still whispering, everyone get ready to go to the chapel!”4rS8K
agVWRThe apprentices quickly finished washing the dishes as the Mother Superior entered the kitchen.CbIQ0
I5kGABut where Zemina was, the dishes remained piled up.IECALr
VidNo one had helped her, and she had even been overlooked.1QsUlDm
yEqV0k4“······.”wCarBz
q2WThe exclamation of the Mother Superior caught the attention of Marcella’s children, who had come with Zemina.NZkd86
EeFYJkyBut while Zemina gritted her teeth, they did their best to survive in a strange place.7lR
GGYEven if it meant ignoring Zemina.lA3
e38HFjg“Finish that.”uMs
6HRZi“Yes…”f1WRIg9
BC4GyZemina stood alone in front of the dishwasher while everyone else left, following the Mother Superior’s instructions.k3UXGNj
oTF2The kitchen was deserted, the only sound being the drip of water.UEIx6
LIHcIn this place, Zemina was terribly alone.y2X
ePb“…Now there’s no one to complain about my eczema.”s0sGm
QWexaNcIn the silent kitchen, with no one else around, the girl silently remembered someone.J4RrnN
cdWNxThe only thing that helped her get through the day was the image of Marcella, who had sacrificed herself for them, and the promise the boy had made to her before he left.JlVeHk3
pEkDYLT***IEsFzE
sMbCWKA chapel where everyone is gathered except one.ToRJR
ESRIt’s a sunny afternoon, and the girls whisper their excitement.4fiz
aJqOYThe rumored knight. Who caught Bayezid’s attention.vmKx5
VXw8f67Here would come a man who had everything a girl at her best could be interested in.PXPvObJ
HBBxPpi“Today we have a special guest. He comes from Bayezid’s House and is endorsed by Priest Andreas.”VdO6
H2WThe girls murmured the name the Mother Superior had mentioned.xx0O
nMNkhNo one in the North, let alone in Count Bayezid’s territory, would be unaware of Andreas’s name.SqCD
UPZ0No matter how much he had worked, his squire status alone could not have brought him here.XFRMy
tgbfv0zThe girls nodded to each other, agreeing that there was indeed a reason.221V4E
nhbSMCPThe man arriving now had a great presence behind him.S29
YYi8t“Let’s pray.”XhPe
yhKtrxEveryone present bowed their heads as Mother Superior led the way.7iQU
eXLXSKESeeing the blond man praying so naturally, the girls once again let out a silent cheer.CQVdM
63ePwoqBecause the posture of prayer was so natural that one could discern his devotion just by watching.DZhmms
ifHrBfAt least, it seemed he wasn’t someone uneducated just seeking luxury, which made the girls’ hearts beat faster.CLa3aFy
haC1AzF“Hurry up and come in!”rhHca
lAjjUu“I’m sorry.”8N9TmVb
lQmFinally finishing the remaining scrubbing, Zemina hurried to take a place in the corner, under the nuns’ gaze.66bq
BHS“Phew.”IQOO
qm3Luckily, she wasn’t too late.8ug
keeZemina breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that being late or absent for something like this would have meant a harsh reprimand.ESmcK
kDQDeu6But the girl didn’t know that the blond man pretending to pray from above was still looking for her.Y869L
gO3And that he had also noticed the red-haired girl, who arrived later than anyone else.sUd8
pvgAfter the prayer.uD06oVd
dx1kSAfter the courteous greetings and laughter.1XMGT
sEgd759When all that was left was networking with those pretending to lunch.VJYyR
Vfq8“Huh?”xXN7B3
Xs2After finishing the prayer, Zemina finally lifted her head and seemed to meet the gaze of the blond man standing in front of the altar.fJW
Ul4FO“…?”A4VYEp
po36oBAnd from the moment she felt their gazes meet, Zemina couldn’t look away from him.jW52t
Wt4t0YThough his naturally shiny hair naturally caught people’s attention, Zemina wasn’t looking at him for that.20jtEEO
cS3ZgIt was because he resembled someone she knew.Q8b8RFs
IpuJBok“…..”u4eCO
jpAoWhen Mother Superior and the guest she had brought joined the procession to step down from the altar, Vlad, who had noticed something, began to frown.MzpaYzk
hHko9“Is there a problem?”DeA
7OzdsAsked Mother Superior with a smile as Vlad clicked his tongue, showing his discomfort.mn1mM49
yjv“…They’re too thin. Are they feeding the children here properly?”rCobpf6
ffZdxv“What?”EQfuNJ
RAmBIn the face of a tone that sounded almost reproachful, Mother Superior was momentarily taken aback.fb0x
CYei“Huh?”1k2
HYbbQ“No…”8hrY9ga
WeY0qxVlad had barely finished saying that when he got up and quickly walked to the altar.d73tTGS
0JHnwDifferent from before, he showed a rude attitude, which left both the guests and the present girls perplexed.yR7Kq
wLLZemina was confused too.tGNo2q
07zQPzZAlthough the feeling of confusion was a bit different.wxEGWp7
vpZFj“What…what?”ZdAOXfc
yTRiThe figure of the blond man slowly approaching.I9MIe
DDuj3QAs her vision cleared, Zemina felt increasingly puzzled by the feeling that someone she knew was approaching.tds
4z7I7KIt was someone who shouldn’t be here.IjRmHa
vB4“…”QEh1
BR6sVlad stood in front of her, frowning.FY0uv
JXoAVThough all eyes were on him, the boy didn’t seem to mind.MyGdPxj
GWzxn7xNo matter who saw him.U8l
vgblcYFHe had come here alone for this moment alone.c74Opam
fQHnw“Hey.”wWsaGT
vB2Even when Vlad called her brusquely, Zemina just blinked her eyes, not moving at all.1E6S3
mlSwIavShe stood there, as if she couldn’t accept what was happening.40ql
ZOD2seX“I’m Vlad.”0gNGG
6kX9The words echoed in her head over and over, but her heart refused to accept them.9ktq3GH
CvK3D“Vlad?”1CqHN
hYavd6Zemina stared at the man who was Vlad but didn’t look like him.zaUW5
Qh5oOHis shiny dark cloak, silver-gray leather armor that looked expensive.YIKsQP1
Su6Z8LAnd his shiny blond hair and round face were clearly different from the extremely thin boy she knew.osoce7
4HAPdPt“I can’t believe it.”dpKFA
A1OCgHowever, there was a fundamental reason why Zemina didn’t recognize Vlad.gtd
FDExbThe Vlad in Zemina’s mind was a boy, but the Vlad in front of her now was a man.IOmeGQZ
SOZmrEHis shoulders were broader, and his height taller.uneGEWN
jOk3yEAnd the blue eyes looking down at her…PikI36
OEC6“Is there not enough food or proper washing for the children here?”nFXjr
19y0X7A“Huh?”Sf2r
PpS0EeZemina was surprised to see the boy who had suddenly disappeared in front of her.tuS7Vh5
XUT4c02“…Damn.”6J0
N67Vlad made a noise that didn’t make it clear if he was angry or annoyed, and kneeling down, he began to clean the dirt that was on Zemina’s front.BKyf
JM1They were the dirt stains that Zemina hadn’t cleaned yet.4MfIbhb
dn1“…What’s going on?”x5xmohT
PI6OKV“Did you know each other?”0Uoh
xqmEveryone present was dumbfounded to see the promising knight Bayezid had set his eye on kneeling before a somewhat unattractive girl.9hamg
QVmoOCbEspecially the girls who had been harassing Zemina for a long time were so surprised that they almost lost their breath.Yr2
iRMTUso“What’s this, it’s like you’re in the streets? Aren’t you going to answer me?”ckvA
HeHzJf9“…Yes!”YXUmk
yXWPkOnly after feeling the warm touch of the boy, Zemina could realize who was in front of her.y3uJiwb
Ed1“Ugh! Sob!”0Tc
Wn9pSeeing the girl with big tears in her eyes, Vlad slightly furrowed his brow.Sheg
TtzKrX“…Let’s go out today.”Vrhz2
n56zZemina stroked the head of Vlad, who was kneeling in front of her.gkha11
4k8WIt wasn’t a conscious action, but it seemed necessary.DrK1iG
y1AuBecause she had to feel it.do35hc
ZMqkThe feeling on her fingertips.M7qX3
BVHThough a bit shinier, it was the same feeling as the boy from back then.W3eJgf
QIo2p6U“Let’s go home.”GZ8XeJ
Clu“…!”AgFbg
bljThough she tried to bear it, Vlad’s last words hit her chest hard.j8TRkk
EaQ9“Hu-hu-!”hQA2
RvNBRkIn front of everyone.vIvl4X
NLMLThe red-haired girl couldn’t help but burst into tears continuously even though she tried to stop herself.ni0ApK
IiF0iGJLet’s go home.RjwnN
HbsESLFor the girl who had no home, those were words she had never heard before.H5iRs
b0YhOdzWithout a home, parents, or anything to eat, street kids were each other’s home and parents.qIJFn
iSCThe girl broke into tears as she remembered that winter day when they wrapped each other in a single blanket.AzupFTe
q63IlTDIn the silent sanctuary, only the girl’s sobs echoed.ku8eY
YGWWza4But…pcvCoOx
zgLVLS8No matter how loud the sound was.xfdXLI0
g3rToday, even God would have to hear the girl’s cry.O8Egb
PXaSBecause the girl was more grateful to God than any other priest in this world.EtI2jai
eLCYThe boy who had once been discarded with the trash had kept his promise.BUDKe5
MuFJrIt was a promise to return without fail.4ui
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