Irene Decided to Die - Chapter 54
“Lady Ramiel?”
“Yes.”
Considering what she had been through, one would think she might never want to visit the temple again. Yet, her presence suggested that her faith remained unshaken.
‘Typical of Lady Ramiel.’
This was why he had hoped Ramiel would become a saint. Roxon let out a soft sigh and said,
“Very well, I’ll meet her briefly.”
Though the interruption of his prayer was irritating, she was someone he cared for. If a person overcame her own difficulties and went to see him, how could he refuse to meet her?
Following Rudd’s directions, Roxon headed to where Ramiel was.
He found the confessional room where the outsiders often came to pray and opened the door. There he saw the back of Ramiel, veiled and kneeling in prayer.
Unlike Irene, she bore the semblance of a saint.
“Lady Ramiel.”
Roxon called to her. At his voice, she finished her prayer and slowly rose to turn around.
But the face that was revealed was different from usual. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what it was, but she didn’t seem herself.
‘Perhaps she is heartbroken.’
Roxon thought this and dismissed Ramiel’s unusual appearance as nothing serious.
“High Priest.”
“It has been a while, Lady Ramiel.”
“Have you heard the voice of the Goddess, High Priest?”
Her greeting, though seemingly cheerful, returned with a sharp inquiry. Roxon’s brow furrowed involuntarily.
“Lady Ramiel, I do not understand what you are saying.”
“Many people already know. It has been a long time since you have heard the Goddess’s voice, hasn’t it?”
“Lady Ramiel!”
“It’s alright. I understand. It’s natural not to hear it.”
“You speak strangely. The shock of the recent appointment ceremony must have been great. Please, return home.”
“Shock.”
Ramiel murmured, bowing her head.
“The shock was indeed great. But now I am fine. In fact, discovering a new truth has made even my heart flutter.”
“I do not understand what you are saying.”
“You will know soon.”
As soon as Ramiel’s words fell, a whisper reached Roxon’s ears.
[Roxon, my beloved child.]
At first, he thought it was a delusion. But it was not.
This voice was the Goddess’s voice that Roxon had heard in the past.
A voice with a strange resonance unlike that of any human.
[Look directly at Ramiel.]
Hearing this, Roxon looked at Ramiel again and saw a halo emanating from her. It was the kind of light that appeared when a saint used her powers.
“What is this!”
Roxon staggered back. Just as he was about to open the door to leave, the voice whispered again.
[I am telling you, my beloved child. I am the Goddess.]
“What is this?”
[The current Goddess is a false one.]
“That cannot be! You are the deceitful being!”
Roxon clasped his hands together, attempting to summon his divine power. However, having not properly heard the Goddess’s voice for so long, he was unable to harness his divine power effectively.
[See? You cannot wield power because you believe in a false entity.]
At that moment, Ramiel, who had been standing apart, came closer.
“Lord Roxon, this is the true Goddess.”
“Lady Ramiel! Come to your senses.”
“I am perfectly sane. Lord Roxon, it is you who must wake up. How long will you believe in a false god? Isn’t it strange that you, so faithful, cannot hear the Goddess’s voice?”
Roxon involuntarily paused at her words.
He needed to escape, to open the door and call the paladins right away, but his body wouldn’t move.
[I am the real one. Try praying again.]
With trembling hands, Roxon prayed once more. Then, as before, divine power began to surge through him.
‘This is a lie.’
“No, this cannot be.”
Despite shaking his head, the doubts that had burrowed into his mind did not fade.
“Poor Lord Roxon, you have been brainwashed by another being.”
Ramiel said this as she approached closer and placed her hand over his.
“Believe.”
[Believe.]
It felt as though the ground beneath him was giving way. His mind was so clouded that it was difficult to think clearly.
And then, slowly, Roxon closed his eyes.
[I am your Goddess.]
“You are our Goddess.”
Roxon was already being persuaded by them. The sweet voice seeped into his weary body, drained from long prayers.
“O Goddess.”
Inevitably, Roxon crumbled.
“Now that you know the truth, I will explain everything to you.”
Ramiel’s voice reached him, his mind growing foggy.
“Let us restore the Goddess to her rightful place.”
It was a voice he could no longer deny.
