C200
<S-she only had it because he was handsome. And he's a celebrity, so I never knew him for real.>
<Really?>
<Your portrait also wanders the streets of the Horun district! That's right.>
<...>
<You're the most handsome! Looking at you, that guy is a complete shrimp.>
<...Is that so?>
<Oh, of course!>
<Better than Lock Visconti?>
<That's your past life! Even their faces and voices are all the same, so how can I compare them?>
<It's different! Here, my eyes and the shape of my lips are better.>
<I don't know....>
Isidor seemed like he was about to burst again, so I quickly patted his head to calm him.
<Ugh. It's like a big dog that doesn't listen.>
<You've been patting my head while thinking about this.>
Still, as if he felt better, he quietly put his head between my hands. Contact seemed possible, but it was a bit awkward because they were souls.
<Please, go back and continue.>
He seemed like he was wagging his tail like a puppy.
<Your past life was like a grumpy cat. It's interesting.>
<He was an idiot, but he couldn't be honest. He regretted it until just before he died. He couldn't give up his pride and said things he didn't want to say. It was a life full of regret and longing.>
<...>
It was confirmed by this conversation. When Isidor was brought to this space, like me, he remembered everything that happened in his past life.
But just as I was Deborah Seymour, not Nayla, nothing had changed in Isidor.
<But isn't it sacrilegious to do this in a temple?>
<Since the princess is a saint, I think we can make a rule that allows skinship.>
<I don't think I'll come to the temple in the future, but I don't think there's a reason to do good things while arguing with the Pope....>
<Is it good?>
<Look at him choosing and only listening to what suits him!>
The two of us had a light conversation and held hands as we crossed the campus where cherry blossoms fell like snow.
<The romance of the campus couple finally comes true.>
<Campus?>
<It has the same meaning as an academy.>
<Mmm. I should have been born again....>
I really regretted it.
<I imagined it, but I think Sir would have lived well here too. He must have been a very popular senior.>
<The princess also lived well. She grew up beautiful and well among a noisy and grumpy family.>
As if she had seen the red bean family from her previous life, there was sadness and affection in the souls that met. Total understanding and empathy were conveyed.
<And.... Thank you very much for enduring in the deep darkness.>
The sad and painful feelings of seeing my soul wandering in the abyss for a long time due to the devil's curse were also transmitted.
Maybe it was intentional.
Perhaps the thought body wanted to bring Isidor to this place instead of me. He told me he didn't care if I was a demon or not, but today I really felt that he understood me to the depths of my soul.
<Isidor, don't be so sad. Actually, I don't remember how it was in the abyss. But I'm sure, maybe it was okay. I would have been wishing to meet you again.>
Even if a cold wave comes, I knew that someday flowers will bloom. Because that's what he taught me.
<You used to seduce me with flowers in the past.>
<Because you like flowers.>
Isidor placed a lavender folded in paper in my hand.
<...!>
Soon, the paper slowly turned into a round halo of light and began to spread, and soon the world turned white as if it had reached heaven.
<Deborah...>
At that moment, the thought body, which had been silent all the time, called me with a serious voice.
<Oh?>
<Always keep in mind. That where there is light, there is shadow.>
<As expected, something suspicious seems to have entered the temple.>
Instead of denying Isidor's conjecture, the thought body gave a rather abstract response.
<Even if you light many candles with one candle, the light of the first candle does not weaken.>
<......>
<The eternal light will be with you.>
After the significant remark, the intense light that surrounded him began to fade, and the presence of the thought body became clearly blurry.
<"Don't do this.">
I grabbed him urgently.
<"No way, are you trying to disappear like this?">
<"I am the desire you created. A cherished wish that has come true, there is no reason to exist anymore.">
The voice of the thought body became smaller and smaller, and I spoke louder and louder as if shouting.
<"Still, I don't want to say goodbye like this. You don't even have a name yet!">
<"Later, name me.">
<......!>
<"Deborah, I really wanted to try a giant marshmallow someday. Hot chocolate too.">
<...... >
<"And on a snowy day, make a big snowman.... therefore....">
The voice of the thought body had become smaller, and I could no longer hear it, but somehow I seemed to hear a faint whisper saying that we would meet again soon.
And this is a later story, but Isidor's second son and I made a snowman in the winter and ate marshmallows while drinking hot chocolate.
* * *
<".... Hyuk!">
When the white light faded and I opened my eyes, I was standing in front of the shrine inside the temple as if nothing had happened. Holding the pure white rosary, without the gray aura.
... The intense heartbeat and soul resonance I felt every time I looked at the rosary were no longer there. The thought body is really gone.
<"Really.... Can I meet him again?">
<"Princess! What happened?!">
<"Santa?">
There was no time to dwell on regret, and the people around me, surprised by my sudden action, became noisy.
Judging by the other people standing beyond the shrine door and wandering around, it seems that the long time spent with the thought body was really fleeting here. I winked a warning eye at Isidor, who was holding my wrist to prevent the soul from being sucked.
As soon as he let go of my wrist, I quickly tucked the rosary into the inner pocket of my dress to hide it, then cleared my throat.
When I approached the Pope, putting on a very serious expression, he also became serious.
<"What's happening, Santa?">
<"I request a private meeting.">
----------------------
After a while, I moved to the confessional area with the Pope. It was just the two of us.
<"What the hell is going on, why does it look so bad?">
He was restless, fearing that there might be a problem with the sacred relic.
<"Papa, due to cracks in the past, the sacred energy of the sacred object has become very murky. At this rate, not even holy water can prevent pollution and corrosion.">
<"Oh, that can't be!">
The Pope's eyes widened in astonishment.
<"But there is a way. Tonight at midnight, when the moon rises, I will have to perform a ritual to purify the sacred relic.">
<"Oh, if you perform a purification ritual, will the relic return to normal?!">
<"Yes. I'm not sure exactly how long it will take....">
The Pope seemed to believe my foolishly invented words.
<"Could she unexpectedly be good at being a cult leader?">
<"Is there anything else I can help with? We will provide everything you need for the purification ceremony, Santa.">
<"I need a place with sacred energy. The shrine from before seemed suitable.">
I said, thinking of the statue of Nayla's sanctity standing in the center of the shrine.
<"Yes, use whatever you want.">
<"And... Corrupt energy can enter during the purification ritual, so it's better for me to perform the ritual alone. So please, don't let this spread as much as possible.">
I lowered my voice and spoke quietly.