LADAD Chapter 17

Amelia, too, saw the fire swelling in size. Through the bedroom window where Aaron's hand had dragged her, she witnessed flames that devoured their own body as if to burn everything—like something boiling up from deep within the earth.

"......"

Outside the window was complete chaos. There were so many people running in all directions trying to put out the fire, yet the flames would not be easily extinguished.

"Sacred Maiden!"

There was only one underground prison within the temple. That meant the space where Ivan was confined was also in that single building now engulfed in flames.

As this thought struck her, her legs began to move. Amelia shook off the servants who called out to her and tried to hold her back as she ran. The servants, who could not dare lay hands on the sacred maiden's body, could only follow behind the headstrong sacred maiden.

"Bring more water!"

"Pour it by the bucketful!"

Finally reaching the front of the temple, the fire swayed before Amelia's eyes like a magnificent flower in the wind. Blood-red in color, feeding on itself to grow larger and more intense.

"The fire won't be extinguished!"

Priests and guards hurriedly brought water to pour on it. Servants awakened from sleep and holy knights also rushed in, struggling to suppress the flames.

"Sacred Maiden."

Amelia stared helplessly at the burning building, unable to do anything. Then, someone called out to her. Her gaze moved mechanically.

The moonlight was still dim, but the incoming firelight was intense. In that light, the intruder's face was revealed at an angle. It was Aaron.

"......"

Aaron said nothing. Just as always, his face bore a faint smile.

Just like when Ivan was dragged away.

"...Aaron."

"This is no place for such a precious person. Please return to your bedroom at once."

Aaron spoke as if trying to persuade Amelia. As if he respected Amelia's kind heart but could not allow her to remain in a dangerous situation where there might be problems. That gentle and kind voice brought back memories from a few hours ago.

Yes, just like that moment.

Amelia gritted her teeth. In Amelia's memory, Ivan was being forcibly dragged outside the prayer room by their power. It was when Amelia, in her disheveled state, tried to follow him. Aaron had naturally blocked the path where Ivan had been taken. In fact, from the beginning, he had been looking only at Amelia.

"Are you all right?"

Aaron's face, which had been expressionlessly staring at Amelia until just before, showed concern, and his voice was mixed with anguish. It was a surprisingly quick change. It sent chills down her spine.

"I was foolish. Please forgive me."

Aaron's gaze fell upon Amelia's exposed arm. As if to hide the scars that Amelia had not concealed, he raised his hand and pulled up Amelia's fallen clothing.

"For a mere apprentice priest whom I failed to properly manage to dare approach with wicked intentions and attempt to violate your precious body."

What?

The ridiculous false accusation Aaron had placed on Ivan left her speechless. Amelia's eyes only widened. Aaron met Amelia's gaze directly and slowly opened his mouth.

"I will execute him according to the law."

And he pronounced a punishment that had already been decided.

"He did nothing wrong!"

When Amelia cried out in a shrill voice, Aaron smiled faintly and took another step closer. At such an uncomfortably close distance that she could feel his breath, Amelia unconsciously tried to step back.

"I know."

Then Aaron firmly grasped both of Amelia's arms and spoke in a very small voice. The space left with only the two of them was so deathly quiet that at such close distance, no matter how quietly one spoke, it could not help but be heard.

"But he's going to die anyway."

Aaron whispered sweetly.

"Is he in there?"

Amelia, barely escaping from the memory of a few hours ago, asked.

Aaron turned around behind him with a pretense of looking troubled. A red tongue of flame licked at his hair and fell away.

"High Priest! Please step back!"

"Thank you."

Aaron replied in a gentle voice and took two more steps toward Amelia. Amelia glared at him without stepping back.

"Yes, he is also in there."

Aaron greedily devoured that hatred.

"...Ah."

As strength left her legs, Amelia's body swayed and shook. Aaron approached like someone startled and embraced Amelia's body, lifting her from where she had sunk down. Their bodies came close together under the pretense of unavoidable contact.

"Such a tragic thing."

Between their helplessly close bodies, Aaron lowered his head toward Amelia's ear. And he whispered sweeter than anything in the world.

"He's probably already dead."

With a heart not the least bit sorry that what you cherish and love had to die.

"Reduced to a handful of ashes."

A single transparent tear rolled down Amelia's cheek. Aaron watched her eyes, which had lost their light, with a pitying expression. It was a disgusting performance.

"Though it's regrettable that he went so easily through an unexpected accident."

Revealing that his plan had been to make him die in the most agonizing way possible in the world, Aaron smiled faintly. Amelia realized from Aaron's whisper that he had not deliberately killed Ivan.

Her mind grew hazy. Then who was it that killed Ivan, who must have burned to death in there?

"Do you still want to follow me?"

The voice of the man who had asked whether she wanted to follow him even if it meant giving up all glory came to mind.

"Even so."

The answer of the foolish woman who had begged him to take her with him followed. Her vision containing Aaron against the backlight shook unstably.

"The building is collapsing!"

"Everyone evacuate!"

At the same time, in the bright surroundings where dawn and morning could not be distinguished, the building that could not withstand the flames began to collapse with creaking sounds.

"Let's go together, then. I'll figure out a way to get you out."

Crash.

That was the sound of everything crumbling. Even what had once been hope.

Memory was distant. Amelia blinked slowly. She remembered seeing the collapsing building and Aaron's smiling face in front of it, but what had happened after that—the pieces of the puzzle did not easily fit together.

"Are you awake?"

When Amelia was just lying there in a daze, a familiar voice awakened her consciousness. At the end of her barely turned gaze was Louise.

"How shocked must you have been to even faint?"

Within the tone that suggested she was pathetic was a faint worry. The gaze watching over Amelia was the same.

"Please drink some water."

Louise helped Amelia sit up against the cushions and offered her a glass of water. Amelia took the glass as Louise handed it to her. However, she did not drink.

"Sacred Maiden."

"......"

"Why did you do such a thing?"

Louise asked for the reason behind what Amelia had done. It was a voice that seemed to scold Amelia's childishness.

"I thought perhaps you were frightened or reluctant about the approaching night of coming of age and needed time to yourself. I could understand that your thoughts might be heavy."

Unlike usual, Amelia did not answer, though she would normally have said something in response. Then Louise's reproach continued.

"But to find that you were secretly enjoying a tryst with a man there? Forgetting what your responsibilities and duties are."

Louise was also a member of the Skipper count family. She had a duty to maintain their glory by any means necessary. Moreover, she would have been scolded for not properly supervising, so it was natural that Amelia's conduct was unsatisfactory.

"There's no one else to blame. You killed that man."

However, seeing Amelia's small shoulders as she could not respond and only hung her head seemed pitiful, so Louise sighed with a face that was holding back from criticizing further.

"...Is the fire out?"

Finally, cutting through the silence, Amelia's voice burst out. It was a rough voice since it had been silent all along.

"Yes. The flames were extinguished after completely burning down the building."

"Any survivors?"

At Amelia's question, Louise briefly closed her mouth. She seemed to understand the intent behind that question. There was no reason to give false hope, nor any good outcome it would bring.

"None. No one."

Louise answered coldly.

"He would have died anyway once his tryst with you was discovered. It's better that it was an accident."

And she added words as if that were some consolation. That dying in a fire for unknown reasons would have been better for him than dying after severe torture.

"......"

Amelia said nothing. Only water droplets fell consecutively into the glass of water she held in her hands. Naturally, ripples formed as a result.

Louise quietly watched this scene and then turned away.

She did feel pity for Amelia, who had lost the only special person in her life. But that was not Louise's concern. What could be done about the fact that Amelia's very life had been shaped for this purpose? Louise opened Amelia's bedroom door with an expressionless face and went outside.

Only the sound of bursting into sobs through the barely closing door spoke of Amelia's despair.