Saint's Prison - Chapter 34

Hidden Things

In the darkness, I opened my eyes.

Silently, I sat up and checked on Amal, who was sleeping next to me. Her peaceful breathing was audible.

Relieved, I stroked my chest and carefully slid out of bed, taking care not to make a sound.

I walk leaving the room.

The corridor was cold, despite the early spring. The fine, gothic carvings dissolved into darkness, now indistinguishable in form.

I placed my hand against the wall, slowly making my way to my destination.

Reaching the cloister, moonlight poured in.

Looking up, I saw a cloudy red moon peeking through the clouds. Struck by its beauty and eeriness, I felt something almost mad and quickly averted my gaze.

Without thinking, I just kept moving forward.

To avoid making noise, I had walked here barefoot, but the sound of my feet tapping on the stone floor was still audible in the encompassing silence.

I opened the heavy door leading to the chapel and slipped inside. Turning around, at the very end, was Amal’s room. From here, it was a straight path.

I pulled a lighter from my pocket.

This was something I carried before coming to Stonehearst.

I wasn’t a regular smoker; I had it with me because I was visiting graves during the Bon Festival to light incense.

I fell asleep on the train ride back, and when I woke up, I was collapsed in the chapel.

The bag I carried and everything that was in my pockets were bundled up and hidden deep in the dresser.

My bag contained a wallet, a battery-less smartphone, a notebook, and too many other items that didn’t fit this era.

My belongings were, no joke, anachronistic relics, so-called ‘OOPArts’. Even Amal was cautioned not to touch my bag carelessly.

Using the lighter, I lit the candles on the wall sconce. Holding it, I walked step by step down the long corridor, with the candle flame fluttering in tandem.

The unreliable candlelight illuminated the high arched ceiling, deepening the shadows of the human figures carved into the pillars.

After a while, I could see the large doors of the chapel to the right. They were firmly locked, and I couldn’t enter. I glanced at them and passed by.

Soon after, I reached the door to Amal’s room. It shouldn’t be far, yet it felt like I had walked quite a distance.

I gently grasped the doorknob. Despite hesitating several times, I slowly pulled the door open.

The dead sound of creaking filled my ears.

Swallowing my saliva, I stepped inside.

Raising the candlestick, I looked around the dimly lit room.

The layout was no different from mine: a bed, a desk, and a plain dresser. A faintly sweet scent wafted through the room, tickling my nose.

It was the familiar scent of the girl, and it brought some reassurance.

I started with the dresser.

The top drawer held black robes with a matte finish and several linen shift dresses.

The middle drawer contained cotehardies and chemises.

Opening the bottom drawer, I found plenty of pure white underwear and stocking.

Although I was checking for the parchment, I couldn’t help feeling peculiar.

Since I found nothing in the dresser, I thoroughly searched the bed. Under the pillow, the back of the mattress, and under the bed. However, I found nothing noteworthy.

Lastly, I turned to the desk. There was nothing in particular on top of it. I opened the two drawers one by one. One contained a Bible, a rosary, a knife, chalk, and a slate, all crammed in carelessly.

I picked up the Bible and flipped through it. Dust flew up in the process. After coughing softly a few times, I closed the Bible and put it back in its place.

I took the slate in my hand and checked the back, but there was nothing. I confirmed that and returned it to its original place.

The other drawer held a wax tablet, a delicately crafted metal stylus, and fabric neatly arranged.

I unfolded the fabric. A lovely little blue appeared.

(This… It’s the wildflower I gave to Amal before. She’s kept it carefully, the one we pressed together.)

My cheeks relaxed. I gently covered the pressed flower with the fabric again.

Next, I took out the wax tablet, untied the string, and opened the two halves. The wax tablet was crowded with the words “Andou Amal” written all over. It seemed she had been practicing Japanese. The fact that these were the words she was practicing made me feel a little embarrassed.

While feeling my face heat up, I was about to tie the wax tablet with the string and put it back in the drawer when I noticed something.

(Isn’t the drawer too short compared to its height?)

I took out all the drawers and placed them on the desk, then peered into the back of the desk.

I also tapped the board several times with the back of my hand. A high-pitched sound echoed. The inside was definitely hollow. This must be a trick desk.

I pushed and tapped with my hands, but it didn’t budge. I felt around the board with my fingers and noticed a small indentation.

I brought the candle closer to the desk and squinted. The indentation was diamond-shaped. It looked like a keyhole.

I wondered if there was something to insert…

I thought that far and remembered the existence of the intricately crafted metal stylus. I stood up, took the stylus from the drawer on the desk, and immediately fitted it into the diamond-shaped indentation.

There was a click sound. The next moment, I heard the sound of wood scraping.

Looking up, a drawer had popped out from the side of the desk. This must be the hidden drawer. I illuminated it with the candle.

Inside, there was a ring and a small box.

And then… the parchment I had been looking for was there.

TLN : Only 1 bonus chapter today since there’s no increase in rating on NovelUpdates. If you wanted to read ahead, please do consider reading the premium chapter 😀